Chapter 218: Chapter 217: Daluo Palace Now Has 12 Elders

Gu Zhao made it back to Yangcheng just in time to meet Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi at the entrance of their residential complex as they were driving out of the underground garage.

"Being able to fly is so convenient!" Gu Zhao remarked as he pulled open the car door.

"What did you say?" Jiang Shishi asked, turning her head.

Gu Zhao had spoken while he was still outside the car, so she hadn’t heard him clearly.

"I said, riding in my girlfriend’s car is so comfortable and convenient!" Gu Zhao said, stretching out comfortably on the back seat.

Xiao Ya smiled softly as she drove. "What do you want to eat?"

Gu Zhao chuckled. "I want to eat you two!"

Jiang Shishi giggled, unable to resist puffing out her chest. She turned back to tempt Gu Zhao, "You know, we bought some new sexy lingerie."

And so, after a simple meal, they skipped the shopping and went straight home.

...

Three days later, Gu Zhao first picked up Taoist Shen Hao and Taoist Yu Zhang, then welcomed Taoist Jing Hong and Taoist Jing Fa at the Taoist Research Institute.

After the four old Daoists met and exchanged pleasantries for a moment, they briefly settled some modern-day affairs before Gu Zhao led them to Daluo Palace.

In the blink of an eye, the world around them changed completely.

"Hiss—"

Taoist Jing Fa took a deep breath and then exhaled sharply. A stream of Sword Qi shot from his mouth, flying far into the sky.

"Such dense Spiritual Qi!" Taoist Jing Fa exclaimed in admiration.

"What incredible Sword Qi!" The Golden Dog of Bond Huang Yuan, who was watching from the side, remarked with awe.

"Martial Uncle! You’re here too!" Yunyang appeared nearby, walking over with a hearty laugh.

Yunyang had known that Taoist Jing Fa had obtained a Thunder Seed. After clearing out a branch of the Yellow Heaven Altar and a few Ghosts that were blatantly harming people in Bai Shi Prefecture with Hu Yufei, he had returned to welcome his martial uncle.

Taoist Jing Fa patted Yunyang’s shoulder. "Thank you for having the Sect Leader seek me out."

Yunyang shot Gu Zhao a grateful look, then grinned smugly. "You might not be able to beat me now."

Taoist Jing Fa nodded. "No rush. We’ll take it slow."

Elsewhere, Taoist Yi Hong went to greet Taoist Jing Hong. "Brother Jing Hong, we meet again."

Both White Cloud Temple and Dragon Gate Cave were Ancestral Courts of the Quanzhen Dragon Gate Sect. However, one was in the bustling city of Yandu, while the other was in the windswept lands of the Northwest. Logically, the two shouldn’t have known each other.

But Taoist Yi Hong had once traveled to Dragon Gate Cave to collect Dragon Gate Classics and had met Taoist Jing Hong there.

"What a coincidence!" Taoist Jing Hong was also filled with emotion. "I never thought we’d meet here."

Beside them, Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Ming Chong were also greeting Taoist Shen Hao and Taoist Yu Zhang.

"Welcome, Senior Brother Shen Hao and Junior Brother Yu Zhang," Taoist Ming Yu said with a smile.

Taoist Shen Hao’s white eyebrows rose as he felt the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and the rapidly growing Inner Breath True Qi within his body. "What an Otherworld! What a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land!"

Taoist Yu Zhang smiled. "No wonder the Sect Leader said we’d be able to see the Celestial Pig Divine Curse. So this is why!"

Taoist Ming Chong laughed. "One for Fengdu, one for the Celestial Pig... Zhengyi Dao’s two great gods of slaughter have been gathered!"

Taoist Yan Song, Taoist Yan Ling, Taoist Jing Feng, and Taoist Qingyuan also came over one by one to pay their respects.

Gu Zhao hadn’t expected everyone to have returned.

"Taoist Shen Hao is a respected senior, and with so many fellow cultivators arriving, it was only natural for us to come back and welcome you," Taoist Qingyuan said, clasping his hands in a salute before introducing himself. "This humble junior, Zhang Qingyuan of the Sanfeng Sect, greets you, my fellow Daoist brothers."

Seeing the old Daoists either reminiscing or chatting, Gu Zhao finally asked, "What’s the situation over at Bai Shi Prefecture?"

Taoist Jing Feng replied, "We’ve basically destroyed all of the Yellow Heaven Altar’s branches there. A few who were well-informed managed to escape, but most of the evil-doing Demons were killed."

Gu Zhao nodded. The amount of Evil Qi in his Five Thunders Order and the progress of condensing his Thunder Seed were proof of that.

"We didn’t go to the counties south of Bai Shi Prefecture where White Bone Mountain and Green Water Pool are located, but we also didn’t encounter anyone from either place," Taoist Jing Feng continued.

"No rush. Let’s stabilize our foundation first," Gu Zhao said.

"The foundation is already quite solid," Taoist Jing Feng said with a smile, pointing first to Taoist Yan Ling, and then to himself.

Gu Zhao’s eyebrow twitched. "You two as well...?"

"We shared some of the Evil Qi when we killed the Yellow Heaven Altar Master, and we gathered a bit more in Bai Shi Prefecture. Plus, we’ve been cultivating diligently," Taoist Jing Feng said with a smile.

Gu Zhao nodded. "No wonder my Five Thunders Order has gathered so much Evil Qi, it’s making me progress by leaps and bounds. At this rate, I might have to go recruiting again soon."

The old Daoists nearby laughed at his words.

Gu Zhao settled in the four newly arrived Daoists, then took a rough count of everyone’s strength.

Besides himself, there were five experts with over five hundred years of Dao Practice:

Taoist Yan Song and Taoist Yan Ling of Qingcheng Mountain—joint cultivators of Quanzhen Dragon Gate and the Shangqing Ancient Method.

Taoist Yi Hong of White Cloud Temple—Dragon Gate Sect.

Taoist Ming Yu of the Celestial Master’s Mansion—Celestial Master’s Mansion.

Taoist Jing Feng of Fengdu Temple—Fengyue Sect.

There were another four experts on the verge of a breakthrough:

Taoist Shen Hao of Sanmao Mountain—Shangqing Sect.

Taoist Qingyuan of Zhenwu Mountain—Sanfeng Sect.

Taoist Ming Chong of the Celestial Master’s Mansion—Celestial Master’s Mansion.

Taoist Yunyang of Eight Immortals Palace—Dragon Gate Sect.

Finally, there were three experts who still needed more time to accumulate power:

Taoist Jing Hong of Dragon Gate Cave—Dragon Gate Sect.

Taoist Jing Fa of Eight Immortals Palace—Dragon Gate Sect. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Taoist Yu Zhang of Xuansu Palace—Northern Emperor Sect.

’He had to admit, they were overflowing with talent. If I’d had this lineup when I first transmigrated, I would’ve charged straight into the Golden Wind Divine Sect.’

Moreover, in terms of pure Dao Practice, Gu Zhao, bolstered by the efforts of several old Daoists, had finally surpassed Taoist Yan Song, who previously had the highest level, becoming the undisputed number one figure in Daluo Palace.

’My position is finally secure. I can take a little break,’ Gu Zhao thought with a sigh, then went to have a talk with Zhuo Qingyan.

...

Over the next few days, the four old Daoists quickly familiarized themselves with this world through introductions from their acquaintances. They also got a general introduction to Daluo Palace’s Guardian Star Officials and Inner Sect Disciples.

Of course, they also got to experience firsthand what Evil Qi felt like, courtesy of Huang Yuan.

Yunyang showed off his Eight Immortals Dharma Aspect to Taoist Jing Fa. By now, he had practiced the Eight Immortals Swordsmanship to a profound level. With a single thought, he could activate his Dharma Aspect. Although it consumed a great deal of Magical Power, the power boost was even greater.

"Incredible! Truly incredible!" Taoist Jing Fa exclaimed in amazement. "I never knew our Eight Immortals Swordsmanship was this powerful."

"Want to give it a try?" Yunyang asked with a smile, raising an eyebrow.

Taoist Jing Fa nodded, took the longsword, and his gaze sharpened. He thrust the sword forward.

He executed a "Cyan Dragon Emerges from the Water." The move shifted from the stillness of a maiden to the speed of a fleeing rabbit, its momentum focused and earth-shattering.

Lü Zu’s Dharma Aspect appeared instantly. However, unlike the ethereal quality of Yunyang’s condensed Dharma Aspect, the one formed by Taoist Jing Fa was far more steady and solid.

Yunyang was speechless. "..."

Taoist Jing Fa took a moment to process his discovery, then asked with some curiosity, "The Dharma Aspects we condensed don’t even look the same?"

Taoist Yi Hong stroked his beard and smiled. "A Dharma Aspect is an external manifestation of one’s heart and mind. It’s not like you’re condensing them from a photograph. Naturally, they will differ in appearance and spiritual intent, but they are both Lü Zu’s Dharma Aspect all the same."

Taoist Jing Fa understood. "Thank you for clearing my doubts, Senior Brother."