Chapter 36: Hand Over The Mountain
“Sect Master!”
Almost all the Celestial Seal Sect cultivators bowed deeply when they saw the face of the old man heading down the mountain. Everyone seemed to be shorter at this moment, only Zhang Yi was stunned where he stood, and appeared a crane among chickens.
The sunlight fell on the old man. Seeing the old man’s familiar figure and face, countless scenes flashed through Zhang Yi’s mind. This old man appeared very familiar yet unfamiliar.
He stood dazedly, until finally starting to understand why he was able to become a disciple of the Celestial Seal Sect despite his terrible results in the exam
But there was not a lot of time for him to mull. He could not understand why the old man had spent so much effort to come with him from Qin to Yan.
Under the sunlight, the old man looked at the stunned Zhang Yi with a gaze warmer than sunlight. He walked through the reverent crowd in front of Zhang Yi and Le Yi.
Le Yi saw this gentle old man and could not connect him to the strongest cultivators of Yan. Mysterious … cunning … powerful … all these adjectives seemed to have nothing to do with this old man.
“We have both not lost?” He finally recovered from his amazement after this old man had been standing in front of him and Zhang Yi for a while. He asked, “What do you mean?”
Murong Xiaoyi suddenly grew worried. Inexplicably, she did not worry over the ownership of Celestial Seal Sect’s mountain but Le Yi and Zhang Yi themselves.
The old man looked benevolently at Le Yi and said emotionally, “Open the bag and you will understand.”
Le Yi stilled again.
“You will know if you open it.” The old man looked at him and said seriously, “You will understand the true connection between Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect and Celestial Seal Sect. You will understand the connection between your ancestral master and my master.”
Le Yi’s breathing suddenly sped up.
Almost all Celestial Seal Sect cultivators breathed faster. They could not understand the old man’s words but felt that the words contained a great secret. The answer was in the bag that the ancestral master of Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect had left.
Le Yi looked up at the old man. Then, taking a deep breath, he decisively opened the bag.
There was a yellowed roll of sheepskin in the bag.
He immediately saw the writing on the sheepskin came from his ancestral master. When he unrolled the sheepskin and started to read, he started to understand why that ancestral master had left behind so much writing.
“It’s like this?” His hands quickly started to tremble as he spoke dazedly. His gaze was confused, like a child who was lost.
“Strictly speaking, this is a scam.” The old man looked apologetically at him and said slowly, “But this is a well-meaning scam, one that can avoid Celestial Seal Sect reaching a peak in prosperity and declining. So do not blame your ancestral master.”
All Celestial Seal Sect disciples looked dazedly at the old man and Le Yi. They wanted to know the answer. The air now was too quiet and suffocating. Fortunately, the old man did not make them wait too long.
He spoke, clearly so each Celestial Seal Sect disciple could hear clearly. “Back then, Le Ping created the Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect, not because of pride, but a deliberate arrangement. It was because Celestial Seal Sect had been the strongest sect of Yan back then … in the view of the sect master then, when something reached a peak in prosperity, they could go into decline more easily, just like how a dynasty with no enemies will rot and die even more easily.”
“One will only improve with outside pressure.” Pausing, the old man scanned the faces of all Celestial Seal Sect disciples. He said slowly, “Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect is Celestial Seal Sect, Celestial Seal Sect is still Celestial Seal Sect. So regardless of the generation, no matter if it is Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect winning against Celestial Seal Sect or vice versa, Celestial Seal Sect wins.”
“So this was purposefully making an enemy sect?” Someone finally reacted and could not help but speak.
“Not sticking to one pattern is the true meaning of the seal path.” The old man raised his head to look towards the sky. “The ocean can hold hundreds of rivers. No matter your background, if you are a true Celestial Seal Sect student, your accomplishments will bring up Celestial Seal Sect.”
Hearing the old man’s words, many Celestial Seal Sect teachers seemed ashamed, especially when they saw Zhang Yi out of the corners of their eyes. Only now did they understand why Celestial Seal Sect could accept a Qin person like Zhang Yi.
“There are many ways to gain the path. If one is limited to those inanimate seals, you will be a still pond, forever following your predecessors. How much accomplishment will you have?” The old man turned to look at Zhang Yi.
Zhang Yi was moved. Looking at this old man, he understood the course of events. He knew the old man’s trouble on the trip had only been a test of him. He opened his mouth but could not speak.
“Since you are here, then settle here. You understand your ancestral master and my master’s meaning. You should understand this is for Celestial Seal Sect. Stay here, and cultivate at Celestial Seal Sect.”
The old man looked at the silent Le Yi and smiled. “I give Celestial Seal Sect’s mountain to you.”
“I give Celestial Seal Sect’s mountain to you.”
The voice was flat but echoed in the mountain and was filled with admirable spirit.
Le Yi seemed to be struck by lightning and trembled violently. Then he instinctively bowed and said, “Sect Master.”
“You two come with me.” The old man smiled faintly, turning to walk up the mountain as he told Zhang Yi and Le Yi to follow.
“It is not just words when I say I gave the mountain to you.” When they were halfway up the mountain, the old man did not turn but said softly and slowly, “I am reassured giving this mountain to you, who was able to diligently cultivate because of a person’s last words and come alone to challenge an enormous sect.”
“If I give to any of you, when I close my eyes in the future, I can put down the burden of Celestial Seal Sect with confidence. Now, there are two of you. You mutually respect each other and will help each other.”
“Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect is a seal to cultivate the body but also the eye of this mountain.”
The old man stopped in front of a grass hut. He glanced at the threshold and the ordinary stone lit up, giving off yellow light, the same color as the seal Le Yi had used.
Le Yi’s body shook agan. From the presence of the threshold, he understood the old man had given the eye of the mountain formation to him, and had truly given the mountain to him.
“Someone will guard, and so someone will attack.” The old man turned to Zhang Yi and gave a small smile. “Your vital energy cultivation has not yet been achieved, but your sword essence is complete. Your sword will be greatly relied on for future matters.”
Zhang Yi opened his mouth. “I …”
The old man shook his head and interrupted his words. “Do not be so humble.”
Zhang Yi and Le Yi exchanged looks.
“Be prepared before it rains.” The old man smiled contentedly and looked at the distance where there was a rain cloud. He said, “It is my good fortune to have two students like you so quickly.”
Zhang Yi inexplicably thought of Yellow Heaven Daoist Sect and Celestial Seal Sect. He thought of Su Qin.
He could not help but look at the old man’s profile and ask, “Then my junior sect brother …”
“Someone will help, so someone will force.” The old man smiled and said, “Su Qin is not weak. He will perfectly fulfill his role. As to victory or defeat, there are two of you and one of him so I am at ease.”
Zhang Yi and Le Yi were speechless again.
They looked at this old man gazing at Shangdu and felt the old man’s shadow was peerlessly great.
