Just as Zhang Chen was pondering, a gentle voice sounded: "Junior brother, be cautious in your words! You must understand the principle that disasters come from the mouth. This matter was decided by Uncle-Master Gu Mingyue, and our master did not object, which clearly means he has tacitly approved it."
Zhang Chen thought for a moment and knew that the master he referred to was Wu Changming.
"The incense faith in the Northern Land was prepared by our master to break through the tenth stage, and the rest is enough for us brothers to achieve Divine Enthronement. Now that old scoundrel Gu Mingyue has taken the rewards, and master hasn’t even made a noise, becoming like a turtle hiding its head, it’s truly disappointing! If this continues, the hearts of all the disciples might scatter, and who would dare to work for master in the future?" That rough voice was filled with dissatisfaction:
"Why should those nobles take the rewards? That is the faith we worked hard for decades to spread and collect, bit by bit."
"Master must have his own difficulties," another voice said.
"I don’t care what difficulties master has, I only know that scoundrel Gu Mingyue gave all our share to the nobles at the foot of the mountain, and master didn’t even dare to make a peep. If this goes on, people’s hearts will surely scatter, we might as well go and rely on Uncle-Master Gu Mingyue, it’s better than suffering indignation with master." That rough man cursed.
Then the secret room fell silent, and after a long while, another gentle voice sounded: "I plan to turn to Uncle-Master Gu Mingyue, what about you?"
"If master has become a turtle hiding its head, then as disciples, we naturally need to find a new path, I will go with you to turn to Uncle-Master as well." The rough man said.
Then the two conspired on how to please Gu Mingyue and offer their forces to him.
Zhang Chen heard their words and couldn’t help but be secretly shocked: "No wonder that old bastard Wu Changming would abandon the Divine Dao to practice the Yin Spirit Technique, I didn’t expect he would fall so miserably, even his lair was taken by Gu Mingyue."
Only now did he understand that Wu Changming’s practice of the Yin Spirit Technique was something he had no choice but to do.
This year he was already fifty-five, half his body was in the grave, trying to develop followers and collect faith was too late.
Besides, now everyone recognized the importance of incense, and all major forces had begun to enclose land and support their own incense forces. Even many people in the Martial World had started to lay out plans to spread the incense faith in advance.
If Wu Changming wanted to spread faith again, he no longer had the blank slate of the past, he would face the strangulation of major forces and the oppression of various nobles, spreading the teachings was as difficult as climbing to the sky.
After the two finished discussing, Zhang Chen turned into a stream of water and flowed out of the Daoist Temple, revealing his traces among the mountains, silently pondering as he looked at the wilderness in the cold wind.
"Gu Mingyue is giving that incense to various nobles to use, it must be for Divine Enthronement, the calamity of the incense chaos is finally coming." Zhang Chen felt a little regret in his heart, if such a vast amount of incense were given to him, how great would that be? He might be able to perfect all his skills.
"What a pity." Zhang Chen sighed inwardly, and turned back to his Daoist Temple.
His plan to tirelessly earn points was shattered.
"I don’t know what Zhang Xiaohua is doing now, do I have a chance to kill that bastard Zhang Xiaohua." Murderous intent flowed in Zhang Chen’s heart, as he returned to the temple, secretly observing the Qi Mechanism within the temple, only to find that Zhang Xiaohua had already left.
"Lucky he ran fast; otherwise, I would try dropping a big stone from the sky to see if I could crush that bastard." Zhang Chen cursed, returning to his small abode, watching Xiaodouding cultivating, he didn’t disturb him but silently took out the slingshot, and began his sacrificial refining.
Time slowly passed, and by evening, a somewhat desolate Wu Changming arrived at the Daoist Temple with a wine jar.
"Boy, come have a drink with me." Wu Changming pushed open the door and walked into the house, tightening his Daoist Robe and called out to Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen put the slingshot back into its jade box and sealed it, then walked out of the house, seeing Wu Changming, full of ice crystals, sitting rather desolately by the fire to warm himself, steam rising from his robes, looking very miserable. The most crucial part was that the divine light enveloping Wu Changming was dimmed by three points, his strength fell greatly.
"Master." Zhang Chen looked at Wu Changming, feeling that the old guy was in low spirits.
"Come drink." Wu Changming poured Zhang Chen a bowl of wine.
Zhang Chen looked at Wu Changming’s face, flickering under the firelight, knowing the suppression in his heart, so he knowingly asked: "Does master have something on his mind?"
"I am going to enter seclusion, and will not come out unless my Divine Soul Dao cultivation reaches the Yin Spirit stage!" Wu Changming took a sip of wine, then picked up a prepared piece of beef and took a bite:
"You kid, just practice on your own from now on."
Zhang Chen knew the turmoil in Wu Changming’s heart, so he picked up a wine cup and poured some for his master: "Does master have anything to instruct his disciple? If master goes into seclusion, what should I do about the immortal cultivation mantras I want?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Changming drank a bowl of wine, then held his breath to savor the aroma, and after a long time, let out a long breath: "To be honest, I can’t even take care of myself now, how can I manage you? As for the immortal cultivation cheats you want, they are in the General Temple, if you can become a true disciple in the future, go fetch them yourself."
Wu Changming felt bitter in his heart!
How could he have the face to return to the General Temple?
"Cultivating immortality and Qi cultivation are ultimately deceptive things, set by the predecessors to protect the cheats by intentionally using mystification as a trap. Qi Cultivation Technique is a nonsense mantra to hide the Divine Soul Technique, don’t waste your time on this mantra." Wu Changming advised Zhang Chen.
He didn’t think that mantra had any use, so he was too lazy to return to the General Temple to get it for Zhang Chen. Now fallen as he was, once he returned to the General Temple, he would surely be ridiculed, or even confined by the Great Virtuous Master to avoid him sabotaging Gu Mingyue.
"Where is the Yellow Heaven Dao Headquarters?" Zhang Chen asked.
"Qingcheng Mountain," the old Daoist said.
"Disciple understands." Zhang Chen looked at Wu Changming, feeling that he had wasted his apprenticeship with him.
"Also, there is one thing I must remind you, if you ever break into the Mysterious Realm and have the hope to glimpse the Yang God, do not walk the Incense Divine Dao. Without sufficient Yellow Spring Water to cleanse the poison of incense, the Divine Dao is a dead end. Even the Great Virtuous Master is entangled by the poison of incense, not to mention us?" After drinking the wine, Wu Changming left the Daoist Temple.
Watching Wu Changming leave in the wind and snow, Zhang Chen stood at the door facing the cold wind and was silent for a long time. In the past, what a grand sight it was when Wu Changming slaughtered Flood Dragons and moved mountains and seas, shaking Heaven and Earth with a flick of his hand, but now he has fallen to such a state, it truly evokes a sigh.
The next day, Xie Lingyun came again.
Zhang Chen prepared tea, then looked at Xie Lingyun: "Sister, what brings you here?"
"That space passage is about to close, the places to explore have been explored by those below, so it’s useless for me to stay there." Xie Lingyun said, looking at Zhang Chen with her eyes: "Besides, I heard that there is a major change in the Yellow Heaven Dao, Wu Changming was ordered to confinement and rigorous cultivation by the Great Virtuous Master, not allowed to interfere with the temple’s affairs. I’m worried Wu Changming’s fall from power will affect you, so I specifically came to back you up, to tell those people that though Wu Changming’s line is scattered, you still have me behind you."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen felt deeply moved, he saluted Xie Lingyun: "Thank you, sister."
He had been puzzled before, wondering why Wu Changming obediently surrendered and willingly gave up all territory. It turns out there was already an edict from the Great Virtuous Master. No wonder Wu Changming was so desolate last night, it truly evokes a sigh.
"There’s one more thing I must advise you, the situation at the foot of the mountain has changed, you must not swagger around when you go down the mountain in the future." Xie Lingyun advised Zhang Chen.
Taken aback by this, Zhang Chen heard something in Xie Lingyun’s words and asked: "Please, sister, teach me."
"The great nobles have already begun Divine Enthronement! I’ve heard that in just a few months, over a hundred gods comparable to Yang God have been born in the Great Victory Dynasty." Xie Lingyun said.