pdf-ebookys Page 154
Page 154
Zhang Zhiwei suddenly turned his head, and his usually calm eyes were instantly filled with endless anger, turning completely red.
His hair and beard stood on end, and he no longer had any trace of his otherworldly demeanor; he looked like a lion that had been thoroughly enraged.
"shut up!"
A roar filled with boundless rage exploded from his mouth!
The sound was no longer words, but transformed into a visible sound wave containing terrifying power, like an invisible hammer that smashed down on Zhang Yunyuan's head!
This roar was the old celestial master's angry attack, and its power was enough to shatter the mind of any hero or master on the spot, causing them to bleed from all seven orifices and die!
However, faced with this thunderous blow...
Zhang Yunyuan didn't even lift his eyelids.
He simply sat there quietly, the chaotic Dao Qi around him rippled slightly.
The unstoppable sound wave, upon striking the invisible aura in front of him, vanished without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.
Immediately, the power that had been devoured seemed to find an outlet, and was rebounded in a more bizarre and concentrated way!
With a deafening roar, a side hall next to the Celestial Master Hall was struck by this invisible force, much to everyone's astonishment.
The palace, constructed of hard bluestone and century-old nanmu wood, along with all its furnishings, was razed to the ground and turned into dust in a mere instant.
The entire Longhu Mountain was slightly shaken.
Outside the Celestial Master's Hall, the other high-ranking monks and disciples of Longhu Mountain, who were closely watching the commotion, all changed their expressions and looked up sharply in the direction of the Celestial Master's Hall.
"What a powerful force!"
"Why did the fight start?"
Inside the inner hall, Zhang Zhiwei stared intently at the nonchalant Zhang Yunyuan, his chest heaving violently, his eyes bloodshot, and his overwhelming rage almost setting him ablaze.
Zhang Yunyuan acted as if nothing had happened.
He simply straightened his sleeves slowly, raised his eyes, and calmly met Zhang Zhiwei's gaze.
"Senior brother, the fact that he asked that question means he has already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth."
"Whether I speak or not, I cannot change the final outcome."
Zhang Yunyuan's voice was soft, yet it was like a needle, precisely puncturing the balloon in Zhang Zhiwei's heart that had already swelled to its limit.
Zhang Zhiwei's body trembled violently.
That soaring rage, at that moment, seemed to have all its fuel drained, and quickly extinguished.
His tall figure seemed to have shrunk instantly in everyone's eyes, and his straight spine hunched slightly.
He slowly sat back on the futon, as if all his strength had been drained, leaving only an empty shell.
A long, drawn-out sigh, filled with endless weariness and helplessness, echoed in the silent inner hall.
"Senior brother, the trend of the world is overwhelming and unstoppable. Those who follow it will prosper, and those who oppose it will perish."
Zhang Yunyuan's voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of sorrow.
You can protect him for a while, but not forever.
Some paths, he must ultimately walk himself.
Tian Jinzhong, who was standing to the side, also spoke with red eyes and a hoarse voice.
“Senior brother, Chu Lan’s personality is exactly the same as his grandfather’s back then.”
"You should just let him go."
Zhang Zhiwei didn't speak; he just sat there in silence.
His wrinkled face was expressionless, as if he were waiting for something, or as if he were making a final struggle.
Finally, Zhang Chulan's voice broke the suffocating silence.
He kowtowed deeply to Zhang Zhiwei, to this elder who had devoted himself to his cause.
His voice no longer held the previous tentative tone, but was filled with an unprecedented firmness.
"I... cannot accept this Heavenly Master's ordination."
"I want to walk my own path."
"If it's for my sake, but it would implicate you, Master, and the entire Longhu Mountain, I... can't bear it."
These words became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Zhang Zhiwei slowly opened his tightly closed eyes.
In those cloudy eyes, all the struggle, resentment, and anger faded away at this moment, leaving only a complex and indescribable emotion.
There was disappointment and regret, but more than anything, there was a heartfelt sense of satisfaction and pride.
Looking at the young man before him, who had shed all his naivety and whose eyes were now resolute, he seemed to see his junior brother from many years ago, who had also stubbornly chosen to walk a different path.
"Okay... okay."
The old celestial master's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"Chu Lan, you... have grown up."
"Master, we respect your decision."
He slowly stood up, walked to Zhang Chulan, and gently patted his shoulder with his aged hand.
"From this moment on, whether it's a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, or a road to heaven..."
"It's all up to you. Go and do it."
Chapter 181 The Secret of Origin, the Restriction is Hard to Break
The ordination ceremony ended abruptly in a way that no one had expected.
Zhang Zhiwei ultimately did not insist; he simply gave Zhang Chulan a deep look.
His gaze was incredibly complex, as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end it all turned into a long sigh. He turned around and staggered away from the inner hall.
The silhouette stretched long in the dim candlelight, carrying a sense of desolation and loneliness, like that of a hero in his twilight years.
Tian Jinzhong also left.
Before leaving, he looked at Zhang Chulan with a complicated expression, but ultimately said nothing.
Inside the inner hall, only Zhang Yunyuan and Zhang Chulan, who was still kneeling on the prayer mat and had equally complicated feelings, remained.
"Hey kid."
A voice, tinged with amusement and mischief, broke the silence.
Zhang Yunyuan walked up to Zhang Chulan and gently kicked his butt with his toe.
"That's quite ambitious."
Zhang Chulan snapped out of his daze, looked at the excessively young "little advisor" in front of him, and gave a wry smile.
"Young Master, please stop teasing me."
"I had no choice..."
He knew what his decision today meant.
This means he will completely lose Longhu Mountain, his greatest protection, and it also means he will face the countless greedy eyes of the entire world of supernatural beings all alone.
The road ahead is destined to be fraught with peril.
"no way?"
Zhang Yunyuan chuckled, squatted down, and looked Zhang Chulan in the eye. His clear eyes held a knowing look that seemed to understand everything.
"I think you know it perfectly well."
"The Celestial Master's Blessing is both a protective talisman and a restrictive curse."
"If you accept, you can stay peacefully on the mountain as a Celestial Master for the rest of your life, without worrying about anything. But you should never learn the secrets of the Celestial Master's Code, nor should you ever think about walking your own path."
“If you don’t answer, you’re throwing yourself into a wolf’s den. From now on, you’ll have to keep one eye open every time you eat or sleep. But at least you’ll be free.”
Zhang Yunyuan patted him on the shoulder, a smile of approval on his face.
"You chose the latter path, not bad, that's courageous."
"Like the Zhang family."
Hearing his words, Zhang Chulan's lingering confusion and unease vanished.
He scratched his head, and his signature sly smile returned to his face.
"Well... young master, since I've shown so much courage, shouldn't I get a reward?"
He rubbed his hands together and approached with a fawning expression. "I can't get the Heavenly Master's Blessing. You are so powerful, even if you just let something slip out from under your fingernails, it would be enough for me to enjoy for a lifetime."
"You little rascal, you know how to take advantage of a situation."
Zhang Yunyuan was amused by his shameless behavior and chuckled and cursed.
He stood up and dusted off the dust from his Taoist robe.
"Alright, I'll let you off the hook today since you didn't embarrass the Zhang family."
"If you can't get the Celestial Master's Decree, your junior master will give you something good."
He beckoned to Zhang Chulan with his finger, a mysterious smile on his face.
"Come on, let me show you what the real...Eight Extraordinary Skills are!"
The moment Zhang Chulan heard the words "Eight Extraordinary Techniques," his eyes lit up as brightly as two 500-watt light bulbs.
He practically tumbled and crawled to his feet, following behind Zhang Yunyuan with an impatient look, just like a lapdog that had spotted a bone.
Zhang Yunyuan led him to a quieter room next door.
He closed the door, set up a simple soundproof barrier, then turned around, his expression becoming serious.
"Listen up, kid."
"Your grandfather, Zhang Huaiyi, comprehended a unique skill called 'Qi Body Source Flow,' which is known as the 'ultimate technique.'"