Chapter 194: Chapter 193: Taoist Ming Yu’s Realm Breakthrough with a Single Thought

"Excellent. Truly excellent!"

Taoist Yan Song surveyed the small courtyard, which wasn’t remote but was nevertheless tranquil. "I never thought a place like this still existed in Yangcheng."

Taoist Yi Hong shook his head and said to Gu Zhao, "This used to be a small Taoist temple, but it fell into disuse after the Taoism Association made some adjustments.

"Recently, with the promotion of traditional Chinese studies and the growing popularity of Taoist cultivation, they were planning to renovate it and rebuild a small Taoist temple. However, I successfully applied to turn it into a Taoist Research Institute, and Taoist Ming Yu helped out as well."

Taoist Ming Yu chuckled. "White Cloud Temple and the Celestial Master’s Mansion researching Taoism together... That’s a major event in the history of Daoism."

Yangcheng Taoist Research Institute

This was the name on the courtyard’s sign. There were two nominal directors, Taoist Yi Hong and Taoist Ming Yu. Naturally, the invitation list included the few Daoists currently from Daluo Palace.

By this time, the group had already moved all sorts of classic texts into the research institute, treating it as their main base of operations in the modern world.

Taoist Jing Feng nodded. "From now on, our presence in Yangcheng will be legitimate."

Taoist Qingyuan also breathed a sigh of relief, holding up a senior-friendly phone. "I finally have an excuse to give my senior brother."

Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

A few days ago, when Taoist Qingyuan returned, he happened to receive a call from Taoist Qingwei. He answered it subconsciously but then found himself completely at a loss for how to respond to Taoist Qingwei’s questions.

His stammering made Taoist Qingwei, who hadn’t been suspicious at all, grow doubtful. He declared on the spot that he would come to Yangcheng to find him.

In the end, it was Taoist Yi Hong who took the phone and explained the situation to Taoist Qingwei.

As a veteran of the Dragon Gate Sect’s Ancestral Court, Taoist Yi Hong had once gone to Zhenwu Mountain to collect Dragon Gate Classics and had met Taoist Qingwei before. Now, with the convenient timing of needing to establish a base in the modern world, it served as the perfect excuse to placate Taoist Qingwei.

With Taoist Yi Hong vouching for him, Taoist Qingwei naturally no longer suspected that Taoist Qingyuan had been deceived.

But a doubt remained in his heart. Taoist Qingyuan had spent his entire life in Daoist cultivation and martial arts training; his understanding of Taoist doctrine was actually quite limited, and he hadn’t even read many Tao Scriptures. ’How could he have been invited to a Taoist Research Institute?’

A guess formed in Taoist Qingwei’s mind, but he didn’t get too excited. He just exchanged a few pleasantries, mentioned that they could communicate more in the future, and then ended the call.

...

Since it was a rare occasion for all the old Daoists to return to the modern world together, Gu Zhao didn’t immediately take them back to the Otherworld to continue their work. Instead, he drove them around Yangcheng for a tour, balancing work and leisure to let them relax.

His five-seater SUV couldn’t fit all of them, so he called up Zhang Hang.

"You finally remembered me!"

As soon as they met, Zhang Hang gave Gu Zhao a punch to the chest. "I can never find you these days! I thought you’d gone crazy with your Taoist cultivation and run off to a mountain to become a monk. I was about to go smash up a Taoist temple to save you!"

The words had barely left his mouth when he saw six or seven Daoists step out from the side. Some looked kind and benevolent, others had a stern air, but all of them were just staring at him silently, putting him under immense pressure.

Zhang Hang: "..." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"The friends you mentioned... are them?" Zhang Hang asked weakly.

Gu Zhao nodded and first introduced him to the group. "This is Zhang Hang, my old neighbor and childhood friend."

As Gu Zhao’s secular friend on Blue Star, the old Daoists naturally wouldn’t be disrespectful. They all clasped their hands in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zhang."

"Hello, Daoists! Hello!" Zhang Hang bowed repeatedly. "I was just joking earlier. Please, don’t take it to heart."

Then Gu Zhao introduced them to Zhang Hang. "These two are Taoist Yan Song and Taoist Yan Ling from Qingcheng Mountain. This is Taoist Yi Hong from Yandu’s White Cloud Temple. These two are Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Ming Chong from Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain’s Celestial Master’s Mansion. This is Taoist Jing Feng from Mountain City’s Fengdu Temple, and this is Taoist Qingyuan from Zhenwu Mountain."

As for Yunyang...

As the junior of Daluo Palace, he was naturally left behind in the Otherworld to guard it and, just in case, to pass on messages to the group at any time.

Yunyang: (눈_눈)

Hu Yufei: (^o^)

Zhang Hang was stunned.

After all, his good friend was an unaffiliated Daoist, so he had learned a bit about Daoism because of him. He was certainly aware of the status of White Cloud Temple and the Celestial Master’s Mansion in the martial world, and that Qingcheng Mountain and Zhenwu Mountain were two of the Four Great Taoism Mountains.

The one exception, Fengdu Temple, didn’t seem as famous, but anyone who could hang out with these old Daoists was certainly no pushover.

’Is this for real? How on earth does Gu Zhao know these old Daoists?’

Zhang Hang was completely bewildered, but he still joined up with Taoist Yan Song, Taoist Yan Ling, and Taoist Qingyuan, and along with Gu Zhao, took the other old Daoists on a tour of the city.

...

As a first-class international modern city, Yangcheng had its share of cosplayers, not to mention people in eccentric outfits. A few old men in Taoist robes touring the streets was an uncommon sight, but not enough to draw a crowd.

They wandered the streets, re-experiencing the lively atmosphere of modern society, had a proper Cantonese dinner in the afternoon, and even chartered a small yacht for a night cruise on the Pearl River.

Watching the neon lights along the Pearl River’s banks reflect a kaleidoscope of colors on the water, and the countless lights from the buildings on both sides nearly illuminating the night sky, Taoist Yan Ling, the eldest of the group who had lived through the war in his youth, couldn’t help but exclaim, "This is truly a golden age of peace and prosperity!"

Among the Daoists, even the youngest, Taoist Qingyuan and Taoist Ming Chong, were over sixty. They had all lived through hard times. Normally, they didn’t think much of it while cultivating and tempering their nature in the mountains. But having recently been in the Otherworld, smashing mountains, felling temples, and exorcising demons and evil spirits, they were now suddenly immersed in the Yangcheng nightscape, and endless emotions welled up in their hearts.

In that moment, everyone’s Mental Realm was elevated.

A thought stirred in Taoist Ming Yu’s mind, and an incomparably thick wave of Taoist True Qi burst out from him. For an instant, his entire being seemed to become ethereal, as if he were about to ascend to immortality.

Everyone turned to look at Taoist Ming Yu, smiling and clasping their hands in salute. "Congratulations, Senior Brother!"

"Thank you, thank you!" Taoist Ming Yu returned the salute with a smile. "I was moved by the moment and circulated my True Qi, but I didn’t expect to have a breakthrough."

Everyone laughed at his words. Taoist Yan Song chuckled and said, "It seems taking Bai Shi Prefecture is just around the corner."

Taoist Ming Yu laughed. "But the White Bone God Monarch is exceptionally powerful. I’ll still need to rely on you two senior brothers for support."

Taoist Yan Song and Taoist Yi Hong both smiled.

The two of them were the first to join Daluo Palace and the first to break through to five hundred years of Dao Practice. Although they seemed low-key later on and didn’t harvest much Evil Qi, their Dao Practice had actually been advancing steadily.

Using the Thunder Seed for Eradicating Evil and Accumulating Merit, harvesting Evil Qi, certainly made for rapid Cultivation.

But for a True Cultivator, one’s own self is the foundation!

Taoist Yan Song diligently studied the *Great Pill Direct Pointing* and the *Taiyin Fire Mansion Secret Technique*, while Taoist Yi Hong adjusted the *Qi Body Origin Flow* and the *Eight Vajra Skills* to perfectly suit himself.

Even by relying solely on the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and their own practice, their Cultivation and Magical Power still advanced by leaps and bounds. Even without harvesting any more Evil Qi, they were confident they could slay that Ink Flood Dragon; it would just take a bit longer.

"As long as we martial brothers work together with one heart, we will naturally be invincible." Taoist Yan Song chuckled. "The Qi of the heavens is vast and mighty!"

The old Daoists clapped their hands and laughed in reply, "Our Dao will prosper daily!"