Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Daoist Ancestral Court.
Here, the towering mountains and perilous terrain are shrouded in mist, imbued with many mythological hues.
It is said that Zhang Daoling, the founder of Zhengyi Dao and the foremost of the Four Great Celestial Masters, once practiced alchemy here.
On the day of the pill's completion, it transformed into the extraordinary phenomenon of a dragon and tiger, hence the name Dragon Tiger Mountain.
On Dragon Tiger Mountain, there are three famous attractions.
Namely the Celestial Master Mansion, Zhengyi Temple, and the Supreme Pure Palace, all inhabited by Daoists.
However, in terms of influence and reputation, the greatest is undoubtedly the Celestial Master Mansion.
At this moment,
there were four or five people in Daoist robes gathered at the mountain gate.
Among them, an elderly Daoist with white hair, dressed in a red Daoist robe, stood at the forefront.
In Daoism, the color of clothing can distinguish the generation and status of cultivators, with red second only to purple.
And this elderly Daoist.
Was the junior brother to the current Celestial Master of the Celestial Master Mansion at Dragon Tiger Mountain, Daoist Master Yu Yang.
The others wore simple blue Daoist robes.
They were juniors.
By rights, Dragon Tiger Mountain is a scenic spot.
Even if it's not a holiday, tourists still flock, but today there was no one.
The reason is that today the Celestial Master Mansion was to receive a group of important guests, so it specifically chose to close the mountain for a day.
"Master, it's almost ten o'clock, why haven't they arrived yet? Could you have gotten the date wrong?"
A young Daoist, craning his neck to look into the distance, couldn't help but whisper upon seeing no movement.
In Daoism, though there are generational divisions, there aren't many rules.
Which is why the young Daoist dared to speak this way.
After all, he knew the master was over ninety years old.
"No rush, no rush." Yu Yang Zhenren replied with a smile, telling him not to worry.
Because by his calculations, it should be around this time, there shouldn't be a mistake.
"Master, look."
At this moment, a sharp-eyed Daoist spoke, pointing forward.
Everyone looked up, seeing in that direction a bus appear, slowly stopping at the side, from which five or six people alighted, ranging in age from thirty to fifty, but without exception, all had excellent demeanors, well-dressed, indicating they were not ordinary folks.
"Welcome, patrons, to Dragon Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master Mansion. Here, the old Daoist thanks you again for your donations."
"Today, I will lead you patrons to choose a personal retreat."
Yu Yang Zhenren stepped forward to greet them, bowing slightly.
It turned out these people were wealthy benefactors who recently donated, reaching a certain amount, allowing them to come to Dragon Tiger Mountain to choose a retreat.
No wonder it needed the junior brother of the current Celestial Master of the Celestial Master Mansion to personally come out to greet them.
"The master is being too courteous, we common folk are truly unworthy."
"Junior Liu Qing, the master can call me Xiao Liu."
A plump, greasy-haired middle-aged man hurried forward, carrying a briefcase, speaking in a scholarly manner, evidently rehearsing this speech on the way.
The other wealthy individuals glanced over, inwardly disdainful, but outwardly unfazed, all coming forward to greet.
Everyone on the bus knew that the Daoist hosting them this time held a high status.
So even they dared not act arrogantly due to their status.
It is said.
That when wealth and status reach a certain level, one becomes more inclined to believe in certain things.
The wealthy individuals before them were just such people.
"It's about time, Master, can we proceed to the Celestial Master Mansion?" President Liu spoke up, eager to try the Daoist Ancestral Court's vegetarian meal, to absorb some mystical energy.
As for the other wealthy individuals, they naturally had the same thought.
"It seems there is still one person who hasn't arrived."
Beside them, the young Daoist opened the register, counted the heads again, and continued, "Indeed, someone hasn't arrived."
This statement left the affluent individuals slightly taken aback, then displayed expressions of dissatisfaction.
They had always been the ones others waited for.
And now, they were to wait for someone else?
However, seeing Daoist Master Yu Yang still standing there, they didn't say anything, awkwardly remaining in place.
Soon, a black G-wagon appeared in everyone's view, and a young man stepped down from it.
Without hesitation, he walked forward, somewhat apologetically saying, "Daoist Master, coming from Hu City, there was some traffic on the way."
The young man was Lu Yuan, who drove from Hu City.
"No harm done, as long as you're here."
Yu Yang Zhenren didn't mind, after all it hadn't delayed things too long.
Immediately, he led the group up the mountain towards the Celestial Master Mansion.
This made some of the wealthy participants a bit worried, after all this elderly Daoist was over ninety years old, could he really climb the mountain?
As it turned out, although Daoist Master Yu Yang was old and seemed frail, his stamina was enduring, climbing from the mountain's base for over an hour without showing any fatigue, his eyes clear.
In contrast, the wealthy individuals led by President Liu were gasping for breath, continuously gulping water.
Even the young Daoists showed slightly pale faces, evidently a bit worn out.
"Everyone, since we still have time, why don't we rest for a while?"
Yu Yang Zhenren was not surprised by this, suggesting a pause.
This suggestion was naturally met with agreement from the majority present, each collapsing down, clutching their chests.
But soon enough, the eyes of the old Daoist shifted slightly seeing Lu Yuan not far away, still upright, composed, almost unchanged from when he was at the bottom of the mountain, seemingly unaffected by the climb.
"Is it because he's young and thus physically fit? No, that shouldn't be the reason."
Yu Yang Zhenren glimpsed sideways, having stayed on Dragon Tiger Mountain for many years.
He had seen countless people climb the mountain.
But never anyone like Lu Yuan, completely unfazed.
Even though he found it curious, he didn't ask further, standing there with closed eyes and resting.
Lu Yuan naturally noticed the old Daoist's gaze, thinking to himself, "After the transformation, Dragon Tiger Mountain is one of the few famous mountains that quickly produced prominent figures and established itself in the new era; a few old Daoists are especially profound, I think they were also prepared for this, like this Daoist Master Yu Yang, over ninety, yet in better shape than young people."
"Ordinary people might explain it as being enlightened, but in reality, it's probably not that simple."
He was quite aware that such mythologically-styled mountains held profound heritage.
Perhaps they possessed ancestral legacies, merely concealed by the suppression of the world, unable to manifest.
But after the transformation, with the world's shackles lifted, the methodology of cultivation that certain monks and Daoists practiced became significantly powerful, especially for those elders who had been in retreat for years, they could instantly receive that mystical power.
In ancient times, there were Qi Refiners from the pre-Qin era, capable of alchemy and cultivating with various mysterious methods.
In modern times, those who inherited this method could certainly achieve this once the world's constraints were removed.
In other words, these old Daoists' true powers were sealed.
The onset of the transformation marked the unsealing day.
Just like what he himself had experienced, certain figures could rapidly grow stronger in the new era shortly after it began.
This existence was because they already had many years of foundation and groundwork.
For this, Lu Yuan felt some admiration and envy.
Though that was all there was to it.
After all, how many years had Yu Yang Zhenren cultivated?
While he himself, only needed a few months of preparation.