The mountain path wound its way upward. On one side was a bottomless abyss shrouded in mist, while on the other side was a highly modern metal guardrail.
Behind the guardrail, a small hydroelectric power station hummed with a low, steady drone.
"This is the hydroelectric facility built for us by Yanhuang Awakening. It generates enough electricity to fully cover the entire ashram. We also have a solar power station..."
Daoist Priest Gongyue stroked his beard as he introduced it, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
Walking along the path, Lin Mo had originally thought that a place like the Dragon Tiger Ashram would be filled with ancient scrolls, oil lamps, and an ethereal atmosphere. He hadn't expected them to be completely self-sufficient with their own power grid.
These Daoists were living quite comfortably.
"So your Dragon Tiger Mountain also helps Yanhuang Awakening complete certain missions?"
Lin Mo asked probingly.
"Of course."
Daoist Priest Gongyue said frankly, "For the disciples of Dragon Tiger Mountain, entering the secular world to cultivate is a necessary path.
Yanhuang Awakening is an official organization and acts reliably, so we are very happy to cooperate.
However, Dragon Tiger Mountain has its own rules and bottom lines."
The old Daoist shifted the conversation, his cloudy eyes looking at Lin Mo with profound meaning.
"For example, desecrating another's corpse, even if it brings some benefits, ultimately harms the harmony of heaven.
If it were me, I would also step in to stop it."
Oh ho, it seemed Yanhuang Awakening had told them what he had done.
However, Lin Mo didn't show any extra expression on his face. He merely shrugged.
"It's whatever. Anyway, I figure some people will understand and some won't. If those who don't understand come looking for trouble, it doesn't matter to me."
Perfected Being Gongyue paused upon hearing this, then shook his head with a chuckle, saying no more.
This honored guest was even more interesting than he had imagined.
The two walked up the seemingly endless stone steps. Towering ancient trees lined both sides, quiet and solemn.
The higher they went, the stronger the faint scent of sandalwood in the air became. Vaguely, they could hear the solemn sound of sutra chanting, like morning bells and evening drums, washing over the soul.
Finally, a grand and ancient hall appeared at the end of their line of sight.
The Hall of the Three Purities.
The hall doors were wide open. Dozens of Daoists in robes were doing their morning lessons, and the chanting was coming from within.
The appearance of Perfected Being Gongyue immediately caught the attention of a Daoist at the door, who quickly came forward to greet them.
"Senior Brother! Why are you back today? Isn't there still three days before the passage opens?"
The newcomer looked much younger than Perfected Being Gongyue. He had a face like flawless jade and an unearthly temperament, looking even younger than the middle-aged Daoists at the mountain gate.
Lin Mo's divine sense swept over him without a trace, immediately seeing through the man's true age. He was likely well past sixty, simply possessing a technique to maintain his youthful appearance.
His strength was much greater than Chunzhenzi from the Pure Yang Temple.
Daoist Priest Gongyue smiled. "Originally, the passage was indeed scheduled to open in three days, but an honored guest arrived and opened it in passing."
Hearing the words honored guest, the young Daoist's gaze immediately fell upon Lin Mo, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.
He quickly bowed in greeting.
"This poor Daoist, Gongshan, greets the honored guest."
The people of Dragon Tiger Mountain really were exceptionally polite.
Lin Mo also cupped his hands. "Hello, my name is Lin Mo."
"Is Junior Brother Celestial Master here?" Daoist Priest Gongyue asked casually.
Daoist Priest Gongshan revealed a bitter smile. "Senior Brother, it's not like you don't know him. Right now he might be cultivating quietly in the Jade Emperor Hall, or he might be slacking off in the vegetable garden out back. Who can say for sure?"
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
Junior Brother Celestial Master?
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow again. It seemed the Daoist name of this generation's Celestial Master included the character Gong, and he was the youngest among this group.
His divine sense swept out, instantly locking onto his target.
It seemed that was the guy.
"Alright."
Lin Mo suddenly spoke, interrupting their conversation.
"I know where he is. I'll go find him myself."
Before his voice even faded, he shoved his hands into his pockets, walked past the two of them, and headed straight toward the rear side of the main hall.
His leisurely posture didn't look like he was visiting the ancestral home of Daoism, but rather like he was taking a stroll in his own backyard.
"Ah, honored guest..."
Daoist Priest Gongyue hurriedly followed, leaving Daoist Priest Gongshan standing in front of the main hall.
He didn't stop him, nor did he dare to.
The amount of information in his Senior Brother's phrase opened it in passing was too massive. And when he had just probed with his divine sense, the other party felt completely empty, like a bottomless black hole that didn't even produce a single ripple.
He had only experienced this feeling from one person before.
That was their Junior Brother Celestial Master.
Gongshan watched Lin Mo's retreating back, his heart pounding wildly.
--System: Give me screen time! I want screen time!--
"It's all bubbles, the fireworks of this moment~ All your promises..."
Music drifted out from a not-so-soundproof KTV room.
After a song, the singing boy dropped the microphone in his hand and lay down on the sofa.
"Wahoo! Awesome!"
"Martial Uncle Celestial Master, you haven't even done your morning lessons today."
After the song was skipped, the Daoist leaning against the door finally had a chance to speak.
However, the boy turned around, putting his back to the Daoist.
"Are you kidding me? Before I was the Celestial Master, they said I had to do morning lessons. Now that I'm already the Celestial Master, I still have to do morning lessons? Then wouldn't I have become the Celestial Master for nothing?"
Saying this, he sat up abruptly.
He looked at the Daoist at the door with a displeased expression.
Then he picked up the microphone and continued singing.
"Holy crap, what a disconnect. Your Dragon Tiger Ashram actually has a KTV?"
A voice suddenly came from outside.
Zhang Gonglian suddenly stood up from the sofa, looking toward the door with a serious gaze.
"Martial Uncle Celestial Master, what's wrong?"
Before the Daoist at the door could even finish asking.
The door was pushed open, and in walked Daoist Priest Gongyue.
"Junior Brother Celestial Master, why... why aren't you doing your morning lessons?"
"No seats~" Zhang Gonglian sang casually into the microphone.
But the next second, he froze.
A figure walked in through the door, leaned against the wall, and looked him up and down.
Yet in his divine sense, the space in front of him was completely empty.
"Not bad, kind of interesting." Lin Mo nodded.
It was unclear whether this sentence referred to Zhang Gonglian or the room itself.
Zhang Gonglian's expression turned serious, but before he could speak, Daoist Priest Gongyue raised a hand to stop him.
"Let me introduce an honored guest, the advisor for Yanhuang Awakening, Layman Lin Mo. He inherits the legacy of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect. The passage that was originally supposed to open in three days was opened by Layman Lin with a single move."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Gonglian had already received a lot of information.
He slowly put down the microphone, looking the young man up and down repeatedly, and finally cupped his hands in a bow.
"Hello, Layman Lin. I am this poor Daoist, Zhang Gonglian, and also this generation's Celestial Master Zhang of Dragon Tiger Mountain."
"Hullo hullo, your cultivation isn't bad. It seems the Celestial Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain really has some substance, much more capable than those guys from Quanzhen."
Hearing this, Zhang Gonglian let out a direct sneer.
"Quanzhen? I can't even be bothered to..."
Before Zhang Gonglian could finish, Daoist Priest Gongyue gave a light cough.
"Junior Brother Celestial Master, speak carefully."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
