The air fell silent for ten seconds.
"Heavens, the Heavenly Master's sword! My good disciple, how did it end up in your hands? If the Ancestor saw this, he'd be absolutely beside himself with excitement!"
Daoist Yimei's face was flushed with emotion.
The sword, missing for years, had reappeared before his eyes.
How could he not be excited?
Afterward, Zhang Tian explained what had happened.
Upon hearing that a Taoist had impersonated him and even mimicked his face, Daoist Yimei's anger flared.
But when he heard Zhang Tian say they had killed that imposter, Daoist Yimei's face broke into a wide smile.
"Hahaha, you truly are a descendant of my Qingfeng Temple, a disciple of mine, Yimei! In the future, you will undoubtedly be the pride of the entire Taoist sect!"
"Surpassing the entire Taoist sect, a feat unheard of, you will bring glory to our Ancestor."
Daoist Yimei patted Zhang Tian's shoulder, a hint of pride surfacing on his face.
Then, under Zhang Tian's speechless gaze, he slowly retrieved the other half of the sword from a corner.
The two broken sword halves merged, forming a perfect peach wood sword.
"Item! Heavenly Master's Sword! (Complete)"
"Item Rank: High-grade magical artifact!"
"Item Abilities! The Ancestor's spirit can possess the user, granting absolute pressure over evil entities. It can merge with formations to greatly enhance their power. Additionally, it can be hung on a wall to ward off evil."
"Item Description: Made from thousand-year-old peach wood, the top sword of Mount Mao."
The description echoed in Zhang Tian's mind.
Zhang Tian was not surprised.
The incomplete sword had already provided some details, and now it seemed more complete.
Daoist Yimei held the sword, his expression solemn.
"My good disciple, this is the first great deed you have done for the Taoist sect, and I am deeply moved."
"I am proud of you. This sword, I shall bestow..."
"No need, I have one."
Before he could finish, Zhang Tian pulled another peach wood sword from his backpack.
Upon seeing the golden peach wood sword and the intricate patterns on it, Yimei froze.
"This is a Golden Wood Sword, at least a thousand-year-old peach wood, and it's also imbued with runes... this is..."
He was astonished. Good heavens, his own disciple seemed to be even more blessed than he was.
Looking at his own Heavenly Master's Sword, Daoist Yimei felt too embarrassed to even present it.
"My good disciple, what is this wooden sword of yours?"
"Oh, this? I bought it at an auction. It doesn't have many uses, but it's good for drawing talismans in the air," Zhang Tian said dismissively. Yimei's eyes turned green.
Zhang Tian might not understand the significance of drawing talismans in the air, but Yimei did.
Even for him, with his past cultivation, drawing talismans in the air was difficult. But with this wooden sword, it would be effortless, a truly enviable feat.
"My good disciple, I shall give you a book on Maoshan Taoist arts. Study it well, and you will accompany me on campaigns in the future."
Daoist Yimei said, producing a book from behind his back.
Zhang Tian had always wondered if the man had a magic pouch, to be able to pull things out from behind him.
"By the way, we practice Maoshan Taoist arts, but why did the one I encountered last time practice the Ban Shan Taoist arts?" Zhang Tian asked.
"That traitor, named Xieyan Asan, after joining our sect, stole countless techniques from our Qingfeng Temple and also plundered tombs in the surrounding area."
"This Qingfeng Mountain is a gathering place for many tombs. He must have acquired the Ban Shan Taoist arts from within a tomb."
As Daoist Yimei spoke, Zhang Tian suddenly understood.
This explained why he had previously encountered a Ban Shan Taoist, yet Qingfeng Temple practiced Maoshan Taoism.
So, that fellow had combined Maoshan and Ban Shan Taoist arts.
"Oh right, Little Yellow Man, what's your current strength?" Fatty asked, his nickname for Yimei having changed since Yimei stopped giving him ghost pills.
Because Yimei wore a yellow robe, Fatty directly called him "Little Yellow Man."
"What? You're praising this Heavenly Master's strength?"
"Young man, be humble. I know I'm strong, no need to shout it out." Yimei said, leaving Fatty speechless.
"Boss, our purpose for coming here is..." Hu Bayi hesitated before speaking. Their purpose was tomb raiding, not recuperating here.
Zhang Tian nodded, naturally aware of their mission.
"Master Yimei, what percentage of certainty do you have against the weasels with your current strength?" Zhang Tian asked.
"Thirty percent. I don't know their current strength, and my own has declined severely."
"I suggest we go to the Netherworld Cave first. Let's find some ghost pills. That way, our strength will increase, and we'll have more confidence when dealing with the weasels," Daoist Yimei suggested. Upon hearing Netherworld Cave, Fatty's eyes lit up.
Netherworld Cave, even if he was foolish, he understood it must be the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave.
Everyone had their own names for it, whether it was Ten Thousand Ghost Cave or Netherworld Cave, it was undoubtedly a place with extremely heavy Yin energy.
"Do you know the location?" Hu Bayi asked.
"Yes, the pill this Heavenly Master has was obtained from there."
"Young man, I see peculiar features on your face, accompanied by Yin energy, and your appearance is ordinary. You must have a lingering spirit within you," Yimei said, looking at Fatty with a smile.
He had just repaid Fatty for calling him Little Yellow Man. It was a clear case of getting even.
Fatty clutched his jade pendant protectively.
"I advise you not to engage in Cao Cao's deeds!" Fatty said cautiously.
Yimei found the lively character rather amusing.
Zhang Tian looked into the distance and nodded gently. He had been planning to go to the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave, and now with his "cheap master" leading the way, it would be much simpler.
"Alright, Fatty, don't you need ghost pills? Let's depart now. How about the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave?" Zhang Tian said, and Fatty quickly nodded in agreement.
"The ghost cave has many fierce spirits. I have some Golden Light Talismans here that can resist evil attacks. We'll each take one," Yimei said, again pulling out a few talismans from behind him.
This time, Zhang Tian saw clearly. The man seemed to have felt around his backside and then produced the items. Did this fellow have some kind of storage device in his rear?
"Hehe, thank you, Master," Fatty said with a smile, happily tucking the talisman into his pocket.
His expression left Hu Bayi and the others dumbfounded.
Afterward, each receiving a talisman, they began to leave the Taoist temple.
Zhang Tian remained wary of Daoist Yimei.
After all, they had only known each other for a day, and even with the formal discipleship, Zhang Tian couldn't fully trust him.
Thus, he remained mostly on guard during their journey.
Soon, with everyone's steps, they slowly exited the Taoist temple.
From Zhang Tian's backpack, a small fox's head peeked out. The little creature was timid and liked to hide. When things seemed amiss, it would retreat.
Its big eyes scanned its surroundings. Upon spotting the Taoist, the little fox retracted its head.
"The Netherworld Cave. It was once a slaughterhouse. Alas, tens of millions of people died there, a massive number, and the resentment is extremely heavy," Yimei said, walking in front, his yellow Taoist robe giving him an air of extraordinary celestial bearing.
"This posture is quite impressive," Fatty muttered from behind.
"So, how do we break through and obtain the ghost pills?" Zhang Tian asked.
"Don't rush. Your master will lead the way. Don't worry," Daoist Yimei said earnestly, quickening his pace.
Beneath the snow mountains stretching for tens of thousands of miles, six figures formed a straight line and moved forward.
In their path ahead, three peaks stood like a majestic cage amidst the white snow.
Solitary and mysterious.
Along the way, Yimei began to recount some of the mysterious ancient tales of Qingfeng Mountain.