Pei Xuanjing didn't allow anyone to follow him, and walked alone along the Lüxi River, strolling beneath the Dragon Tiger Mountain.
He slowly wandered, intently feeling this mountain range that was well-renowned between heaven and earth. The Dragon Tiger Mountain, which stood tall for millions of years, had a distinctive charm.
Recalling the past, Zhang Daoling, who claimed to be a descendant of Zhang Liang, wandered around Fanyang Lake, ascended to Yunjin Mountain, proclaimed the bestowment of Taoist skill by celestial beings, refined the
Dragon Tiger Great Pill for enlightenment, and renamed Yunjin Mountain to Dragon Tiger Mountain later on.
Zhang Daoling made his mark by chopping mountains and demolishing temples, eliminating six ancient persuasions, and establishing the Zhengyi Dao. From then on, the lineage of the Heavenly Master's Tao from Dragon Tiger Mountain came into existence.
The man of the past has departed, while Dragon and Tiger still remain.
Although the Ancestor Celestial Master who initially founded Dragon Tiger Mountain has ascended immortal, the Dragon Tiger Mountain left behind still stands between heaven and earth after thousands of years, being revered as a Taoist Holy Land.
If one were to delve into details, his Shenxiao Sect belonged to Zhengyi Dao. However, with the continuous expansion of the Shenxiao Sect, it began to compete with Dragon Tiger Mountain, vying for the leadership position of Zhengyi Dao.
"Although transformed into celestial form, one's reputation echoes for millennia. I regret not being able to cross a thousand years, to witness the demeanor of the Ancestor Celestial Master!" Pei Xuanjing muttered to himself.
Ever since the message about Pei Xuanjing challenging the old Celestial Master of the Dragon Tiger Mountain began to spread, countless martial artists from rivers and lakes have swarmed in.
Being a Taoist Holy Land, Dragon Tiger Mountain was already bustling. At this moment, the influx of people doubled, requiring them to dispatch many disciples to maintain order at the mountain gate.
A single sweep from Pei Xuanjing could detect those Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples in Taoist robes. Each of them had robust physiques, deep True Qi, and filled with Blood Qi, clearly displaying their strong abilities.
Among some minor sects, they would be deemed as core disciples but here at Dragon Tiger Mountain, they were only ordinary disciples tasked to guard the gate.
The depth of a Taoist Holy Land, an apex power of Jianghu, even inadvertently, could make many tremble. This was something that mediocre forces couldn't compare to.
However, Dragon Tiger Mountain knew why so many martial artists came here. Despite their reputation, it was impossible to keep everyone from climbing the mountain.
The purpose of dispatching these disciples was merely to maintain peace. After all, the river and lake folks were filled with youthful mettle, most of which are easily irritated, forthright, and frequently start a brawl due to a disagreement.
Hence, they left these disciples here to prevent these martial artists from fighting due to minor disputes, which would lead to unnecessary trouble.
To them, as long as no disturbances were caused, they didn't mind who climbed the mountain, even if they were from the Demonic Cult.
Pei Xuanjing, along with the crowd, continued his unhurried journey up Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Despite his leisurely pace, it made the rest very anxious.
At this point, on Dragon Tiger Mountain, the spectators who came to watch the fight were all staring around. They were eager to witness the competition between Pei Xuanjing and the old Celestial Master.
One was the First-Grade Slayer Taoist, Pei Xuanjing, who was in his prime. Over the past three months, he has defeated countless strong adversaries, being revered as the Jianghu Supreme of the new generation.
The other, a man who dominated Jianghu for nearly two hundred years, despite not having fought for decades, yet instilled formidable fear, was inscrutably deep. He was the old Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Any of their names were enough to stir turmoil in Jianghu.
How could one not be enthralled when these two were about to fight, yearning to witness such a world-shaking battle with their own eyes?
Understand that if Pei won the fight, it was expected. After all, his opponent was the inscrutable old Celestial Master. As long as he didn't lose terribly, it would be enough to prove Pei's power at the supreme Jianghu level.
But if Pei Xuanjing won.
It would truly turn the world upside down!
This signifies the overtaking of the old by the new generation, the powerful figures of the old Celestial Master's generation could no longer suppress the newcomers.
For Dragon Tiger Mountain, which has been declining recently, this would undoubtedly be a heavy blow.
Regardless of their Jianghu reputation, within the Taoist School, it was uncertain if Dragon Tiger Mountain could continue to be the leader of the Zhengyi Dao.
Bear in mind that the Shenxiao Sect represented by Pei Xuanjing was a true follower of Zhengyi Dao and had sufficient justification to replace them.
Despite the anxiety of waiting, they could only patiently wait as the host, Dragon Tiger Mountain, had not yet opened its mouth.
For such a significant event, the True Martial Sect, being a grand Taoist sect, could not miss it whether it be for public or private reasons. Naturally, their delegation needed to attend as well.
Since Qingxu, the sect master, was busy studying the important formations and due to previous plans, he couldn't attend personally. Instead, he sent his junior Qingyang Zi, along with a few others.
Fortunately, Qingyang Zi ascended to the First-Grade Realm not long ago and was completely qualified to represent the True Martial Sect.
Qingyang Zi agreed to his older brother's arrangements without any objections.
Because for him, this was a very awkward moment.
Being the emperor's mentor initially, his relationship with the emperor gradually drifted apart due to the True Martial Sect, eventually losing the emperor's trust.
Now, with the emperor being assassinated, he couldn't return to Tiandu, as inadvertence could drag him into the whirlpool of strife..
If it were only himself, it wouldn't matter, but in court, he wasn't just representing himself but also the stance of the True Martial Sect and couldn't afford to hastily take sides.
Therefore, even though he was grieved by the death of the emperor, he did not immediately go to Tiandu.
Qingyang Zi checked the time and, in a low voice, asked Pang Hong who had already arrived, "What's going on with your teacher, why hasn't he come yet?"
He blatantly spoke to Pang Hong, completely disregarding the gazes of others.
After all, Pei Xuanjing's experiences in the Martial Academy were known to all, so it was only right that Qingyang Zi knew Pang Hong. If he were to excessively conceal and feign ignorance, it would make others suspicious.
Hearing Qingyang Zit s question, Pang Hong didn't hide anything either,
"Before setting off, the teacher said he wanted to go alone and didn't need us to follow him, he assured he would arrive at the agreed time."
"Since the Master has said so, he will definitely not miss the time," Yu Zhenzi confidently said nearby.
"Hmm," Qingyang Zi nodded, no longer speaking.
Since Pei Xuanjing said he would arrive on time, he won't have any issues. Based on his understanding of him, he knew Pei Xuanjing wasn't a person who broke promises.
Moreover, there was still some time left until the agreed time, there was no need to be too anxious.
In the crowd, they weren't the only ones who believed Pei Xuanjing would surely arrive on time.
Under a changed identity, Zhao Baiyang was sitting low-key in a corner, not in a hurry at all, seemingly not worried in the slightest that Pei Xuanjing would not arrive.
The current Zhao Baiyang was scanning the surrounding crowd with interest, a cryptic smile on his face.
Just as he had imagined, many people who were hiding from the world chose to come forward for such an unprecedented showdown between the strongest. They would definitely not miss this battle.
Just with a cursory glance, he found several old rivals like himself, also hidden in the crowd.
Those regarded as old rivals by a strong person like Zhao Baiyang, were not
commoners, Dut certanuy were powers tnat aommatecl an area.
Even though these people have also changed their identities like Zhao Baiyang, they couldn't escape Zhao Baiyang's sharp eyes.
As time slowly passed, the agreed time was approaching, but there was still no sign of Pei Xuanjing, unavoidably making some people anxious.
"Could it be that he's not coming?
"Yeah, so many people are waiting here, isn't he being too arrogant?"
Some people with ulterior motives spoke up.
Regardless of what the hosts from Dragon Tiger Mountain thought, Pang Hong's face immediately changed color and a loud voice resounded, "Who is this coward sneaking around, why not come forward!"
How could Pang Hong, who greatly respected Pei Xuanjing, tolerate these people slandering his teacher.
The disciple follows the teacher's deeds, learns from his tasks.
As Pei Xuanjing's only disciple, under such circumstances, even if knowing he could not compete, he still stood up to speak, proving that he was a qualified disciple.
"Where did this boy come from, this is not a place for him to speak!" Someone in the crowd chided.
"Yeah, Pei Xuanjing always acts recklessly, the disciple he teaches is also the same." Someone sneered.
"Hmph!" Pang Hong had a frosty expression on his face.
No matter who the other party was, or how strong they were, as they were slandering his teacher, Pang Hong was filled with rage. He was about to make a move.
"Hmm!" Just as Pang Hong was about to act, he suddenly felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He turned his head back looking puzzled at Yu Zhenzi.
Yu Zhenzi smiled calmly, shook his head, and said, "You can't handle these people, let me deal with it."
Deng Zhong and others around also nodded.
No matter what, just purely based on Pang Hong's performance just now, it greatly impressed them.
Needless to say, based on Pei Xuanjing's continuous arrangement for Pang Hong to interact with Yu Zhenzi and others and assigning tasks to Pang Hong, his intention was already clear.
With the cunning of Yu Zhenzi and others, how could they not see that Pei Xuanjing himself did not have too much interest in these worldly matters, and that he had intentions of letting Pang Hong take over these tasks.
Pei Xuanjing used his strength to suppress them, and facing such an almost invincible person, of course, Yu Zhenzi and the others would not have a rebellious heart.
But if they wanted Pang Hong to take over, unless Pang Hong had a strength that overwhelmed all, otherwise, he would need to get their approval to smoothly take over these tasks.
Of course, as Pei Xuanjing's subordinates, at this time they were here, they naturally didn't need to let Pang Hong take risks.
"Hmph!" Stepping forward, Yu Zhenzi's aura exploded. He glanced around and said coldly, "If anyone is impatient, why don't you come and play a few moves with me, so that our friends won't be bored waiting."
Hiss!
The moment Yu Zhenzi stepped forward, the scene fell silent. Many people looked at Yu Zhenzi with hesitation, they hadn't expected that there would be such a strong person under Pei Xuanjing.
Sometimes, the strength of a person needs to be compared against a benchmark.
In front of an enormous power of Pei Xuanjing, Yu Zhenzi's strength might be insignificant and amount to nothing.
But don't forget, being able to survive in the martial world for so many years under the identity of Remnants of Shenxiao, and being entrusted with important tasks by the Lord of Shenxiao Gate, is enough to prove his strength is not unfounded.
With his strength, he can be considered as a top tier power in martial arts world. Even in some states, he is also considered a regional heavyweight.
"Huh?" Qingyang Zi, standing to the side, felt Yu Zhenzi's intimidating aura and his face slightly changed. He hadn't expected this friendly-looking Taoist, who was always following Pang Hong, to possess such terrifying power.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Deng Zhong, who was still standing beside Pang Hong. This man seemed to be just as formidable.
"I didn't expect the gap between him and me widened over the years." Qingyang Zi had mixed feelings.
When Pei Xuanjing, the talented junior, first entered the Martial Academy of Tiandu, Qingyang Zi simply thought of him as a lucky novice.
But in a short time, he had grown to a level where Qingyang Zi could hardly catch up.
Deng Zhong felt Qingyang Zi's gaze, gave a faint smile, and said nothing.
Then he switched his attention back to Pang Hong, as Yu Zhenzi was unlikely to make a move considering the circumstances.
The silent youngster before them had impressed them all yesterday with his performance and had taken them by surprise.
Although seeing Pang Hong's good impression, not much was known about him. As of now, it was unlikely for these old fellows like Yu Zhenzi to immediately recognize and approve him.
Even though Pang Hong's strength was very strong among his peers, he was never going to surpass Pei Xuanjing. Therefore, he needed to demonstrate his abilities in a way that gained the approval of those like Yu Zhenzi.
As far as Deng Zhong was concerned, Pang Hong's strength really wasn't important. Because there were people like them, there were very few occasions when Pang Hong actually needed to intervene.
He needed to demonstrate his abilities, his demeanor, which would convince them that he could handle all of this.
The fact that Pei Xuanjing saw this clearly didn't mean he would interfere. He would let the water flow and let Pang Hong struggle on his own.
Unexpectedly, today's turn of events increased the recognition and respect towards Pang Hong from people like Yu Zhenzi.
"It seems that Brother Pei has his own ways in training disciples." Seeing this scene, Zhao Baiyang thought to himself.
"Calm down, Taoist Friend Yu Zhenzi!"
Just as Deng Zhong had predicted, the host of Dragon Tiger Mountain, would never let a real confrontation happen on his premises.
After all, if things got really out of hand, the reputation of Dragon Tiger Mountain would be damaged, to say the least.
Of course, Yu Zhenzi also knew this and withdrew his fighting intention, as if the person who was just brimming with an outburst of power wasn't him. Before Yu Zhenzi could even react, everyone heard a voice thundering like lightning.
"The Long Life Son from Shenxiao Sect in Zhengyi Dao has come to pay respect!"
A loud and resounding voice echoed through the Dragon Tiger Mountain, sounding like a thunderclap and echoing through the mountains.
Although Pei Xuanjing had not practiced any skills involving sound waves, he used his profound True Qi to convey the message, making his voice travel dozens of miles, straight into the sky.
The crowd that was still murmuring just now felt as if thunder had exploded in their ears, with the loud and clear voice falling into their ears.
"It's Pei Xuanjing, he has arrived!"
"His voice is like thunder, how terrifying!"
"This terrifying voice, it's like thunder exploding in your ears!"
Although the man had not arrived, his voice had already made a statement.
Just this one move had changed the colour of countless faces and made them feel the terror of Pei Xuanjing.
The Slayer Taoist, how terrifying he is!
Especially those who had just voiced their ill-intentions, they looked as pale as death. In the face of such powerful fighters, if they really wanted to investigate, no one could save them.
"The Master is here!" When Pang Hong saw this, a smile appeared on his face and he looked thoughtfully in one direction. This was the place where the disrespectful voice had just come from.
"He is finally here!" A smile appeared at the corner of Zhao Baiyang's mouth, and the light in his eyes flickered.
Just hearing the thunderous voice of Pei Xuanjing had shocked him, and he felt that Pei Xuanjing's strength seemed to have grown even stronger than before.
This made him look forward even more to the confrontation between Pei Xuanjing and the old Celestial Master.
"Hahaha! When my friend arrives, I as the old Celestial Master apologize for not being able to welcome you from afar, please forgive me!" After hearing Pei Xuanjing's voice, the Celestial Master who had not appeared until now finally spoke up.
He had a deep voice that echoed through the mountains, complimenting Pei Xuanjing's voice without being inferior in any way. "The Celestial Master is finally here!"
"The Celestial Master is on the Practice Martial Arts field!"
Many experts pinpointed the direction of the voice and quickly determined the location of the old Celestial Master.
There were many palaces and halls on Dragon Tiger Mountain, but the most suitable place for a showdown was the martial arts field of Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Nowadays, martial arts are prospering everywhere. Even at the Dragon Tiger Mountain, a Taoist Holy Land, there should be a place for disciples to practice and compete regularly.
When everyone arrived, they found out that two people were already standing on the martial arts field. It was none other than Pei Xuanjing and the old Celestial Master.
The young man was wearing a dark brown robe, with a long sword hanging from his waist. His face was handsome and elegant, and his robes were fluttering without any wind.
The old man with white hair and beard was wearing a Taoist robe. He looked spirited and radiant, without a trace of old age. Apart from his white hair, there was not much difference between him and a young man.
To everyone on the martial arts field, they were all ignored. At this moment, they only had each other in their eyes, sensing the inscrutable aura from each other.
"Junior Pei Xuanjing has long admired the name of the old Celestial Master.
Today, I am here with all due respect to ask for guidance." Pei Xuanjing bowed with his fist in his hand.
Just standing here, Pei Xuanjing gave people an extremely oppressive aura, drawing attention like the sun and the moon.
Over the past three months, Pei Xuanjing had defeated many opponents, and each victory made his momentum stronger.
At this moment, with his overwhelming momentum, he could display greater strength than ever before.
He did not perform the Taoist salute but used the fist-greeting rituals of the martial arts community. The implication was that he was challenging as a junior from the martial arts community, not as a junior seeking advice from the Taoist School.
The moment Pei Xuanjing saw the old Celestial Master, he felt a profound sense from him. The Master stood there, as if he had reached the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man mentioned in Taoism, merging with Heaven and Earth.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing finally understood why this man is considered the first man in the Martial World. No wonder even the imperial court did not dare to change the title of the Celestial Master's Mansion..