104 days of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary

  The upper layer of the jade stone was scraped away, and the lower part lost its luster, becoming a very ordinary bluestone. However, Yue Qing knew that there was still something inside, so he continued to release his mixed yuan true energy. Wherever it passed, the stone powder fell rustling, and soon another long jade box appeared inside. When opened, it contained a Dan Jing scripture, a small seal, and two bottles of Dan medicine.

  Unlike Lü Dongbin's expertise in internal alchemy, Zhang Guo Lao excels at external alchemy. This alchemical scripture is called "Yu Dong Da Shen Dan Jing" and is Zhang Guo Lao's unique alchemical method. The bottle next to it contains Yu Dong Shen Dan, which is as famous as Luo Gongyuan's Jiu Xian Yuan Dan. Its efficacy is on par with the Tai Yi Jin Dan of the Wu Tai sect. Currently, Yue Qing has Hu Yun Dan and Xuan Huang Dan in hand, but cannot refine Tai Yi Dan. With this Yu Dong Shen Dan, although its effects are different, when needed, according to the alchemical scripture, adding a few more herbs can roughly substitute for it.

  That small seal is a treasure, made entirely of white jade, with a mountain range and clouds on top, featuring twelve fairy maidens holding silver bottles, musical instruments, and fruit paintings, their expressions vividly lifelike. Below are twelve small blocks, which are the Twelve Linked Seals. Yue Qing initially only knew that there was something left behind by Zhang Guo Lao here, but couldn't figure out what it was specifically. Holding the seal and playing with it for a while, although he knew it was extraordinary, he unfortunately didn't know how to use it.

  He searched every nook and cranny of the cave again, but found nothing else. He looked at the small seal in his hand with some disappointment before putting it away in his pouch.

  I had the heart to recast a divination, but before coming, I had already calculated several times, and there was no result. It's expected that Zhang Guo Lao's Taoist magic is profound and unpredictable, his grasp of heavenly numbers far surpasses my own, he doesn't want me to use this small seal, he has his own reasons, recasting again would be futile, besides, I already have enough magical tools, no need for this one, let's wait for a future opportunity!

  Coming out of the stone room, the battle outside was nearing its end. Ding Jiazhong was refined into flying ash by Jinzhen Shengmu's Lianren Baobao, Wu Song was surrounded and killed by Chunyang Sanzi, and his disciples such as Hong Dabao and Zhu Chiwu were all captured by Liu Quan and the three families' younger generation. Only Sanhua Zhenren Zhuo Yuanfeng saw the opportunity early and broke through Yiwangzi's billion golden sand sword to escape.

  Three people, Zuo Xin, Chang He and Zhao Fu, were kneeling on the ground, tied up. Compared to Hong Da Du, their Taoism was slightly inferior. Chang He and Zhao Fu saw the situation earliest, seeing that the enemy's power was too great, they knelt down to beg for mercy. Zuo Xin was caught by Shi Sheng and Si Tu Ping, forcing him to lead the way into the maze-like prison to find his pet, thus sparing his life. All of them were detained there, waiting for Yue Qing's decision.

  Apart from this, there were also Shi Sheng's two rescued youths in the immortal prison, who had also woken up and saw Yue Qing come out to kowtow and thank him for saving their lives.

  Yue Qing asked: "You are all disciples of which family? Why did you run to Hengshan and get locked up there?"

  The young man replied: "My name is Lei Qilong, this is my sister Mi Mingniang, and the two of us are disciples under Wei Xiangu of Qingluo Gorge."

  As soon as the three words "Wei Fengniang" were mentioned, everyone's face changed, because the Wanmo Divine Palace had been making a big stir in recent years. They had clashed with the Emei Sect dozens of times, and although they didn't mention their own losses, they had actually killed two elders of the Emei Sect. As a result, they were considered the leader of the four evil sects that opposed the Emei Sect, and the banner-like leader of the opposing camp.

  However, they are after all a demonic cult. In comparison, the Emei Sect is overbearing and tyrannical, but before taking action, they will at least find an excuse and stand on moral high ground. As long as their opponents surrender and meet their demands, they can at least preserve their lives. At the very least, they are hypocrites who appear to be gentlemen on the surface. In contrast, the demonic cult acts differently. Except for the rules set by their leader, they are unscrupulous and lawless, burning, killing, looting, and committing atrocities without any restraint. Even if their opponents surrender, in order to eliminate future threats, they will still cut them down and destroy their souls, taking their spiritual energy and devouring their flesh - all of which are grave taboos in the world of cultivation.

  With the current power of the Demon God Palace, only a super-large sect like Emei can stand alone against it. Other sects do not have this strength. Fortunately, there is the Emei Sect to hold them back, and they are fighting each other in Shu, temporarily unable to stretch out their hands. Otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable! The four sons of Chunyang all showed worried expressions, thinking that if the Demon Sect came out of Sichuan and campaigned in the north, the Chunyang Sect would not be able to withstand it at all. At that time, they would have to rely on Wutai, unite with the various sects of Mangshan and Maoshan, and form an alliance to resist. The Golden Needle Saint Mother's face was even more worried, she really did not want to intervene in these struggles, neither willing to surrender to Emei nor willing to collude with the Demon Sect. However, now it is not up to her, for the sake of her own future success in crossing the calamity, for the sake of her daughter's future having something to rely on, she can only let things take their course and fight again with all her might.

  Only then did Lei Qi continue, "Because some time ago, the elder of the Shenmo Department, Shan Wu, was defeated by Emei Sect's Tulong Shitai and almost lost his life. My master thought he was useless and planned to demote him to the lower six departments' Guimo Department and find someone else to rebuild the Shenmo Department. Since there wasn't a good candidate at the time, Yinmo Department's Peach Blossom Immortal Li Yuyun offered a plan, saying that in her original place of cultivation on Cikun Mountain in Yunnan, there were two high-ranking figures in the demonic teachings, called Mahetu Guiwang Hujiazuotuo and Jinxin Shenfo Chilongerzhuo. They were the successors of the Northern demonic teachings from years ago and had cultivated the Daligang Shengmo and Shenbian Mingwang Shengmo respectively. Their magical powers were profound, and if they could join Qingluo Palace, it would be a great help. My master then sent me and my sister to follow Li Yuyun to Cikun Mountain in Yunnan with letters, where we met the two high-ranking figures and handed over the letters. The two lamas took one look at us and turned hostile, binding the three of us together and using magic to write humiliating words on our bodies before sending a magical crazy yak back to Qingluo Palace."

  Shi Sheng curiously asked: "What did your master write in the letter that made those two lamas so angry?"

  Lei Qi Long sighed: "I don't know either. Our Qing Luo's rules, except for us direct disciples, every person who joins the Wan Mo Divine Palace must take an oath to the treasure mirror in Master's hand, and then their primordial spirit will be controlled by the aura. Those two may not be satisfied with this, plus my master's overbearing manner, which led to anger."

  "What did your master do afterwards?"

  Lei Qi Long Dao said: "My master naturally couldn't swallow this tone, alone and killed his way past, subdued the two monks, forced them to swear allegiance in front of the Wanmo Shenjian, and then brought them back to Qingluo Gorge, as the Shénmó Department's elder. They were new here, intending to make a name for themselves, told my master about the ancient Daxiong Chan Master leaving behind a scripture treasure in the Zhuling Spring Jade Plateau of Xicong Tong, wanting to attack the mountain and take the treasure. The 108 Youwu Xiang demons they had refined were already enough, only needing the internal and external layers' prohibition diagrams. They used crystal balls to search everywhere in the universe, finally finding the location of the inner layer's diagram, which was in the stone room under Mount Heng. My master, because my sister and I were too humiliating, lost face for Qingluo Gorge, angrily expelled us from the sect. Later, Shen Shixiong and others begged for mercy, only then were we pardoned, allowed to wear our crimes and make amends, letting us two come to Mount Heng to steal the diagram. We hadn't been here long before being caught by them, locked in a maze, preparing to use wuxin huangqi steam for three days, then feed that Huoyan Bidi."

  Shi Sheng was very indignant: "Those two barbaric monks are already famous figures in the demonic sect, their Taoist practice is probably not less than several hundred years. You are not their match, and it's understandable that you suffered their humiliation. That Wei Fengniang should also take revenge for you, but instead of punishing you because of this matter, she didn't even come to rescue you when you fell into the hands of Hengshan, which is really unjust."

  Lei Qi choked back a sob and said, "When we left, Master already told us that if we could steal the forbidden map back, we would still be her disciples. If we couldn't succeed, she would automatically expel us and there would no longer be any relationship between master and disciple. How could she possibly come to rescue us?"

  Yue Qing said to Jin Zhen Sheng Mu: "Sheng Mu, you want to establish a sect in Hengshan, but with only one female disciple, it's really too weak. I think these two children have excellent roots and qualifications, and now that they're in this situation, why not take them in?"

  Jin Zhen Sheng Mu said with concern: "Wei Fengniang has always been notorious for her ruthless and merciless ways, if it were just her alone, that would be fine. But the Wanmo Shen Gong has so many demonic heads, if they were to bear a grudge against us because of this and come to Hengshan seeking revenge, what would we do?"

  Yue Qinglang laughed loudly and said: "Since she had already spoken out before, expelling these two disciples from the school gate, there is no connection with her on that side, and it's only natural to follow another household. Moreover, as cultivators, can we be afraid of the demon head's calamity? If Wei Fengniang dares to come to the north to preach, she must first ask me if I agree or not!" He looked at Lei Qilong, then glanced at Shi Longgu, "I see that he and Longgu have a husband-and-wife destiny, now that he can appear here, it's already clear that they are a match made in heaven. The Holy Mother should follow the natural order, take them under her wing, teach them well, and when you ascend to immortality later, leave your daughter and son-in-law to take charge of the mountain gate, which is the orthodox way!"