The speed of a Yang Shen flight was astonishingly fast; even a distance of a thousand li was covered in the blink of an eye. Li Yundong and Su Chan had only flown for a short while before arriving at the distant Mount Longhu in Jiangxi.

The last time Su Chan set foot on Mount Gezao, one of the sacred grounds of Taoism, she had been trembling with apprehension and awe. Now, arriving at Mount Longhu, which could be called the supreme sacred land of Taoism, she instead surveyed the magnificent scenery beneath her feet with wide-eyed excitement.

Although it was deep winter, Mount Longhu was still lush and verdant, its peaks wreathed in swirling mists, appearing like an immortal’s domain spanning eight hundred li, a peerless paradise of three thousand mu.

Su Chan took a deep breath and sighed sincerely, "Truly worthy of being the First Ancestral Court of Taoism. Just breathing the air here feels like I’ve cultivated for thirty days straight!"

Li Yundong smiled faintly, "The spiritual energy on Mount Longhu is arguably second to none in the world. Cultivating here naturally yields twice the result with half the effort."

Su Chan said with deep envy, "I'm truly envious that the Zhengyi School has such a fine ancestral home. I wish our Fox Zen Sect had a mountain like this."

Li Yundong laughed, "Don't be silly. Isn't Mount Tianlong perfectly fine too? As the saying goes, a golden nest or a silver nest is no match for our own humble home, right?"

Su Chan giggled, linking her arm through Li Yundong’s, and said very sweetly, "Anyway, as long as my master is wherever he is, I'll follow. I don't care about spirit mountains or not."

Li Yundong let out a hearty laugh, affectionately pinching Su Chan's nose, and said, "Such sweet words. Let's go down."

When Su Chan descended with Li Yundong, she found herself standing at the entrance of a Taoist temple, surrounded by dense, ancient, and somber woods. She couldn't help but wonder, "Yundong, what temple is this?"

Li Yundong smiled and said, "This is the Linggong Sect temple belonging to Ziyuan. You haven't been here before, have you?"

Su Chan’s eyes lit up, "It’s Sister Ziyuan's temple? Then I must take a proper look!"

Li Yundong chuckled, "I know you haven't seen it, so I specifically brought you here for an outing today."

Su Chan blinked her eyes, "Have you been here before, Yundong?"

Li Yundong nodded and smiled, "Yes. Do you remember last time we went to Mount Gezao, when you flew out from home and happened to bump into Ziyuan and me?"

Su Chan suddenly realized, "Ah, I remember now. You mentioned that was the night you and Sister Ziyuan came here?"

Li Yundong nodded, saying with considerable emotion, "That night, Ziyuan taught me the Five Thunders Orthodox Method right here. I had only just reached the Yang Shen realm then. I can’t believe how time flies; I’m already in the Golden Body realm."

Su Chan also mused, "Indeed, Sister Ziyuan is such a good person! When she was chasing me back then, I thought she was a terrible villain."

Li Yundong smiled and tapped the little girl’s nose tip, "Back then, she thought you were an utterly wicked little fox demon!"

Su Chan giggled, "Thank goodness things cleared up later. Otherwise, wouldn't that be like the Dragon King's temple being washed out by a flood—one family not recognizing another?"

Hearing this, Li Yundong’s heart stirred. He thought to himself: Family... What exactly is Ziyuan to me? A friend or relative? A confidante? A cultivation partner? A teaching master? A benefactor who brought me into the Dao?

Li Yundong knew clearly that although Su Chan had introduced him to the path of cultivation, it was Ziyuan who truly made him a practitioner!

It was this gentle, noble, elegant, and virtuous woman who silently helped him, constantly pushing him to new heights on his path of cultivation.

A person like this... what exactly was she to him?

As Li Yundong was lost in thought, Su Chan beside him suddenly spoke, "Yundong, in a little while, it will be the day Sister Ziyuan takes over as the head of the Linggong Sect. We must help Sister Ziyuan then; she has helped us so much!"

Li Yundong snapped back to attention. He smiled faintly, stroked Su Chan’s cheek, and said softly, "This is one of the reasons I came to Mount Longhu."

Su Chan was startled and asked curiously, "You came here for Sister Ziyuan's inauguration as the head? But that's still more than a month away!"

Li Yundong smiled and said, "The Zhengyi School is the biggest variable in whether Ziyuan can successfully take over as the sect leader of the Linggong Sect. If they intend to obstruct her, there will definitely be endless complications. However, the people who have always opposed us in the Zhengyi School are Zhang Ling and others. I never knew what the Zhengyi School's head master was thinking, so I came this time to meet him—a way to test the waters first, showing courtesy before resorting to force."

Su Chan wondered, "But, I heard Master say that the head master of the Zhengyi School entered secluded cultivation ten years ago! Has he come out now?"

Li Yundong smiled and said, "When I chatted privately with Ao Wushuang, she mentioned that during the battle at Tiandu Peak, several experts at the Thunder Tribulation realm appeared near Tiandu Peak. Two of them belonged to the Zhengyi School, and one of them was the Zhengyi School’s head master. Since his Yang Shen came out, it suggests he might have finished his seclusion."

Su Chan was shocked, speechless, and stammered, "Two Thunder Tribulation experts? Out of the Five Great Thunder Tribulations, the Zhengyi School accounts for two?"

Li Yundong let out a dry laugh, "Otherwise, why would people call the Zhengyi School the number one Taoist sect in the world?"

A sudden fear crept over Su Chan. She looked around anxiously and whispered, "Yundong, Thunder Tribulation experts are not to be trifled with. Should we leave?"

Li Yundong chuckled and gently flicked Su Chan’s cheek, "How can you be scared like this when you're a Seven-Tailed Divine Fox? Weren't you full of confidence just a moment ago?"

Su Chan looked somewhat embarrassed and fidgeted as she said, "I haven't been a Seven-Tailed Divine Fox for very long... Besides... I'm afraid of dragging you down!"

Li Yundong burst into laughter and said, "We aren't here to challenge them. If we can't win, we can always run away!"

Su Chan immediately became proud, "That's fine then! When it comes to running, I’m the best!"

Li Yundong jokingly scolded, "To be proud of something shameful! Your Master is so powerful, yet you dare to say that? Aren't you afraid of disgracing her?"

Su Chan stuck out her tongue at Li Yundong and said playfully, "I’m not afraid. Master wasn't as strong as me before! She only became powerful after meeting Wang Yuanshan!"

Li Yundong laughed softly and took Su Chan's hand, "Let's go. We'll pay a visit to the head master of the Zhengyi School and see if we can settle things easily. Even if we can't resolve it, we can at least gauge the Zhengyi School's strength, so we'll be prepared."

Su Chan saw that Li Yundong spoke lightly, but she understood clearly in her heart that what Li Yundong was doing was no different from charging into a dragon’s lair. If the Zhengyi School truly harbored ill intentions, it was highly likely they would both end up as sacrifices, probably never to return.

But Li Yundong remained composed and calm as he proceeded. This kind of confidence to act despite knowing the difficulty stemmed from his overwhelmingly powerful combat strength and innate talent.

Yundong was already so formidable at the Yang Shen realm; how powerful is he now that he has reached the Golden Body realm? Could he possibly contend with a Thunder Tribulation expert?

Thinking this, Su Chan grew increasingly curious. Her fear gradually receded, replaced by mounting excitement, and she chattered ceaselessly with Li Yundong along the way.

As they walked, they passed through Mount Longhu's ninety-nine peaks and twenty-four crags. Along the way, they saw miraculous wells and elixir pools, flowing streams and soaring waterfalls, all exquisitely beautiful and gracefully contoured. The surrounding strange peaks and bizarre rocks, coupled with the intensely green bamboo groves, offered a new picturesque view at every step, truly a landscape of twenty li that was like a twenty-li painted screen.

Su Chan gasped in admiration as she gazed; Li Yundong also felt his mind cleared and his spirit refreshed while casually observing the scenery. Without realizing it, the Ancestral Court of the Zhengyi School, the Celestial Master’s Mansion (Tianshi Fu), stood majestically before them.

Li Yundong took in the sight at a glance: the Celestial Master’s Mansion faced south, overlooking the Shangqing Stream, backed by Mount Beihua, bordering the Shangqing Palace to the east, and reaching the main peak of Mount Longhu to the west. It was surrounded by dense groves of yuzhang trees and towering ancient woods, their thick shade covering the ground, exuding an air of solemn majesty and mystery.

In front of the mansion’s main gate was a hall structure built on a projecting eave, tall and magnificent, rising above the stream. Above hung the horizontal plaque inscribed with “Successor Han Celestial Master’s Mansion.” The adjacent massive stone pillars bore couplets: the upper line read, Guests of Immortals in the Qilin Hall! and the lower line read, Family of Prime Ministers on Mount Longhu!

These characters were written with a grand, sweeping style, powerful and majestic; between every stroke pulsed the profound weight of history and the pride of ancient lineage. The imposing aura of the number one Taoist sect in the world instantly enveloped them!

Li Yundong couldn't help but sigh, "Gods on Earth, Prime Ministers on land! Truly worthy of being the only great clan and great religion in China over the past two millennia that can rival the lineage of Confucius! Worthy of being the foremost family in the Southern Lands!"

By this time, Su Chan saw the Celestial Master’s Mansion with its double-eaved halls, vermilion columns, crimson walls, and dark red doors. The architecture was luxurious, with intricately carved beams and vividly painted rafters, dazzling in gold and splendor. A sense of reverence quietly grew in her heart, and she dared not speak loudly, only gazing with wide eyes at the most core ancestral ground of the Zhengyi School.

Although it was winter, the incense fires at the Zhengyi School’s ancestral court were incredibly strong, and visitors were ceaseless. Li Yundong and Su Chan followed the tourists through the main gate, reaching the second gate. Here, they saw the imposing, golden halls of the Xuanta Hall, the Falu Bureau, the Tiju Department, and the Zan Jiao Hall lining the path.

This second gate shared the same architectural layout as the main gate but was slightly lower in scale and rank. A plaque inscribed with "Imperial Edict for Spirits" hung above the triple set of massive doors guarded by six vivid, awe-inspiring Door Gods. The two central pillars in front also bore a couplet: the upper line read, Dao is high, so the Dragon and Tiger submit; the lower line read, Virtue is weighty, so Ghosts and Spirits revere!

Su Chan was completely engrossed. She noticed the tourists around her heading toward the Jade Emperor’s Grand Hall at the third gate, burning incense and making offerings at the altar before it.

Su Chan looked around, noting that every door, window, beam, pillar, and eave was exquisitely carved, brightly colored, and magnificent. The entire environment was solemn yet serene, elegant yet profound, radiating the prestige of a powerful, established lineage. Entering felt like stepping into the vast, unfathomable ocean of a Marquis’s estate.

Su Chan instinctively clung tightly to Li Yundong, as if afraid he might vanish the next second. Holding his arm, she asked quietly and nervously, "Yundong, where is the head master of the Zhengyi School? Do you know?"

Li Yundong said with a smile, "I don't know either."

Su Chan was momentarily stunned, "Ah? You don't know? Then why did you come?"

Li Yundong laughed, "It doesn't matter if I don't know; I can ask!"

Saying this, he spotted a Taoist priest in robes with his back to them not far away. He took Su Chan’s hand and approached the man, asking, "Hello, excuse me, where is your sect leader? Could you introduce us?"

The Taoist priest turned around. The moment he saw Li Yundong and Su Chan, he was greatly alarmed and cried out, "It’s you two?"

My beloved wife is ill and on an IV... I’m attending to her bedside. I owe everyone one chapter; there will be two updates today, with another coming shortly...