Chapter 172: Disciples

"Master..." The moment the voice sounded, Dan Yangzi sharply turned around, immediately seeing a familiar face.

It was Zheng Kun, his most favored disciple from before. He stood there in a green Daoist robe, looking calmly at Dan Yangzi, with no trace of hatred in his eyes.

He was so lifelike, appearing just like a real person.

But Dan Yangzi clearly remembered that Zheng Kun's head had been crushed by him, making it impossible for him to still be alive!

The next moment, Dan Yangzi seemed to come to his senses and immediately burst into a furious rage. "How dare you play tricks on this Daoist master! You must be tired of living!!"

After reprimanding, Dan Yangzi tossed the long sword in his hand into the air. Bringing his middle and index fingers together, he bit them, then used the bleeding finger to draw a blood charm on the sword as it fell.

"Heaven's Seven Elements! Vast Qi controls the Heavens! Pierce water and enter smoke! Transmitted for three days! Slay evil and erase traces! Return from death and ascend to immortality! By the urgent decree of the Supreme True Immortal!!"

As soon as the charm was drawn, the sword instantly changed color. From above and below, a small amount of black, shredded-like substance flowed out, adhering to the sword blade.

Dan Yangzi gripped the hilt, stomped his feet, and lunged through the air towards Zheng Kun, who stood still in the distance.

Facing his master's attack, Zheng Kun seemed not to dodge, remaining in place as if he still wanted to say something. The long sword, imbued with a strange aura, was forcefully brought down by Dan Yangzi. As the blade, carrying its spiritual energy, sliced through Zheng Kun's body, he, with a faint smile on his face, gradually vanished.

Dan Yangzi, with a gloomy expression, stood inside the cave, cautiously scanning the quiet surroundings.

A slow, brief incense stick's worth of time passed, and no further anomalies appeared within the desolate cave.

"Hmph! You're lucky you know your place! No matter who you are, if you offend this Daoist master, I'll make sure you regret it dearly!"

The harsh words were spoken, but they were all a pretense. In fact, Dan Yangzi had not relaxed his vigilance at all; he listened intently to all directions and scanned all corners, and, gripping his sword, slowly began to walk out of the cave.

After stepping out of the cave, Dan Yangzi immediately used his movement technique to rush down the mountain. He ran wildly the whole way until he reached the foot of the mountain, stopping only when he saw the desolate town filled with grave mounds.

Dan Yangzi didn't intend to run too far; otherwise, when his main body returned, he feared it wouldn't be able to find him. He just needed a safe place to wait for now.

Various items brought by Master You were quickly spread out on the ground, and Dan Yangzi quickly began to set up a formation.

"Resplendent Yang, thunderous light! Those cursed shall die, those invoked shall perish! I, in service of the true Dao, swiftly sever misfortune! All spirits and specters, depart from my side! What can withstand this? Water cannot drown, fire cannot consume! Within and beyond the Three Realms, by the urgent decree of the Grand Supreme!"

As soon as the incantation ceased, the yellow banners planted on the grave mounds all around swayed simultaneously. A faint, almost invisible line appeared between the banners, forming a massive Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams formation.

And Dan Yangzi, at this moment, knelt at the eye of the formation, intending to meet all changes with no change.

"This Daoist master is in no hurry; if you're capable, you can play with me all night!"

Sitting on a grave mound, Dan Yangzi kicked away the tombstone in front of him and began to wait. Looking at the numerous grave mounds around him, Dan Yangzi couldn't help but start worrying about his main body.

"Although the three auspicious gods are troublesome, my main body should be able to handle them. Even if it can't defeat them, it can certainly escape. Why hasn't it returned yet?"

Dan Yangzi, remaining within the Eight Formations Diagram, pondered for a moment, still seemingly uneasy, and began to draw something on the ground with his sword again.

"Master, what kind of formation is this?" Hearing the fawning words beside him, Dan Yangzi's face revealed a hint of disdain.

"Just watch carefully; it's not time to teach you yet—" His words abruptly stopped. Dan Yangzi slowly raised his head and looked in shock at Zheng Kun standing before him.

He was now actually standing with him in the center of the formation; the formation he had spent so long setting up was having absolutely no effect on him.

"This is impossible! The formation this Daoist master set up, even if it couldn't stop him, it shouldn't fail to even alert me!"

"Swish!" The sword slashed out again, but this time, it passed directly through Zheng Kun's chest, leaving him completely unharmed.

Just as Dan Yangzi intended to use other methods to deal with this strange disciple before him, he suddenly heard other movements from a grave mound to his left. Turning his head, he saw another one of his disciples from Qingfeng Temple, Xuan Yin, also standing there.

"Master, long time no see. Your disciple misses you greatly."

Just as the shocked Dan Yangzi took half a step back, two men with long swords on their backs swiftly stepped forward from the side and formed Daoist hand seals.

"Chang Ming and Chang Ren greet Master! Congratulations, Master, on achieving Dao and becoming an immortal!!"

However, this was just the beginning. More and more people emerged from the surrounding grave mounds and began to speak to Dan Yangzi. Among them were not only those from Qingfeng Temple, but also people Dan Yangzi had interacted with in the past.

As time passed, the voices grew increasingly mixed and chaotic, and the number of people within the entire Eight Trigrams formation continued to grow. Dan Yangzi's heart began to falter.

"This... what in the world is this..." His breathing quickened as he slowly lowered his head, looking at the increasing number of familiar faces around him, and a trace of fear gradually emerged in his eyes. When he saw a burly fat man also appear, the dread in Dan Yangzi's heart immediately intensified to its peak.

"Enough!" Dan Yangzi performed the Gang Step, frantically wielding the sword in his hand. The faint, almost invisible lines forming the Eight Trigrams formation around him emitted wisps of white smoke into the air, which danced along with the sword. The sky had inexplicably become overcast at some point, and as Dan Yangzi forcefully plunged his sword into the ground, with a "crack," a bolt of purple lightning struck down, illuminating everything around.

The purple lightning spread along the Eight Trigrams formation on the ground, radiating onto everything in the vicinity. All the grave mounds and tombstones, and even the surrounding houses, quickly turned scorched black. But when he looked up again, he found that the people hadn't even had their clothes torn.

"What in the world is going on?! Who are you people?! Zuowang Dao? Do you really dare to provoke a true immortal?!" Dan Yangzi roared at them, his voice hoarse.

He was enraged, but someone laughed; it was the fat man who had just appeared. He looked at Dan Yangzi with a surprised expression. "Oh, isn't this Yangdanzi? You've grown so big? Let me tell you all, this kid once knelt on the ground and licked my butt to learn my craft. Hahahaha!!"

As soon as the fat man uttered those words, it immediately amused everyone around; they burst into laughter simultaneously, their laughter filled with contempt and ridicule.

"How dare you mortals look down on this Daoist master!! This Daoist master is about to become an immortal! How dare you look down on me!!"

Dan Yangzi, who had suddenly become as if insane and demonic, began to use every trick in his arsenal, attempting to kill these people. However, no matter what divine abilities he used, they had no effect whatsoever on these people.

Dan Yangzi, almost completely exhausted, practically collapsed onto the ground. Breathing heavily, he pulled a long thorn from his hem and inserted it into both his left and right ears. However, after the sharp pain subsided, the mocking laughter not only didn't disappear, but grew even louder.

"Aaaah!!!" Dan Yangzi picked up a stone and frantically struck his own head with it.

Just then, a person slowly walked out from the crowd; he was also the only one not laughing. Dan Yangzi recognized that person; it was his final disciple, Li Huowang.

Li Huowang stepped further forward and looked at the wretched-looking Dan Yangzi before him with a smile.

"Master, is this disciple's body easy to use?"