Chapter 952: Lingbao Stronghold

No mountain is grander, no history more ancient!

This is Mount Tai. In ancient times, it was not merely symbolic; its height was tens of thousands of feet. To say that climbing Mount Tai made the world seem small was no exaggeration. The mountain is covered with cliffside inscriptions and stone tablets; it is a living history, recounting secrets and ancient tales equivalent to countless historical records. Unfortunately, everything has changed.

Ye Fan listened intently, gaining much insight. For days, he had visited many archives and read numerous rare books, hoping to understand ancient times, but none had touched upon the cultivation world. Hearing these young people speak now, he secretly nodded, understanding some things. At the very least, he was about to enter another world, one beyond the mundane. The so-called Cultivator's Convention seemed to be a large-scale event. Judging by how much these individuals cared, they all hoped to make a name for themselves and, through outstanding performance, gain access to the secret realms of the Shangqing and Lingbao sects.

Ye Fan was surprised. Though these few were Daoist disciples and quite outstanding, they were still far from the core. The cultivation world had its own rules and hierarchies, no matter where one went. Both the Shangqing and Lingbao sects had their own secret realms, inaccessible to ordinary people. Only core members could enter. It was clear that with the current scarcity of spiritual energy, these places must be blessed lands, capable of accelerating cultivation. All four of them had opened their Sea of Bitterness and possessed extraordinary natural talent, not far from the Life Spring realm. They were disciples of orthodox great sects. According to their hushed discussions just now, being recognized as a core disciple was the key, offering many benefits.

"Let's go. Traveling through famous mountains and rivers can cultivate one's mind, but we still need to cultivate," the group said as they set off together down Mount Tai.

"Fellow Daoists, please wait," Ye Fan called out, catching up from behind. He smiled and greeted them, hoping to travel together. The others were naturally surprised, looking at him with bewilderment. Ye Fan introduced himself as a lone cultivator with limited family heritage, stating that he didn't know much about the current cultivation world and wished to travel with them to learn along the way. With a stranger joining them, the group was naturally a bit resistant and unwilling. Just then, another person ascended the mountain, apologizing profusely to the group, explaining that family matters had made him late. The group was displeased. They were heading into seclusion for cultivation. They told the latecomer that Ye Fan was a lone cultivator, like him, and he could show Ye Fan around. With that, they quickly descended the mountain.

Ye Fan stroked his chin, not expecting such an unwelcome reception. Those four had no desire to interact with him, which was understandable; his origins were unclear, and they were dedicated to their strenuous cultivation, naturally unwilling to be bothered. The latecomer was named Guo Zhen, who lived in Tai'an, at the foot of Mount Tai. He was indeed a lone cultivator and was quite enthusiastic, finding much in common with Ye Fan. Ye Fan thought Guo Zhen was quite good, genuine and straightforward, saying what he thought without pretense, possessing a natural Daoist disposition. The two descended the mountain together, conversing as they walked.

Guo Zhen said, "Brother Ye, since you're also a lone cultivator, we truly are fated to meet. I, too, stumbled onto this path by chance." He had never joined any sect; it was simply that his grandfather loved reading ancient books, which led him onto the path of cultivation. During the "Destroy the Four Olds" campaign, anything related to spirits or supernatural forces was to be abolished. His grandfather, then young, saw many ancient texts confiscated from various homes and gathered for destruction. He secretly hid a few of the oldest ones.

"You just read those ancient texts and embarked on this path?" Ye Fan asked with a smile, finding it quite dramatic.

"I read them like supernatural fiction," Guo Zhen replied, "and felt that what they described was quite coherent. After years of casually flipping through them, I started to think there was some truth to it. Then, one time, half-asleep, half-awake, I actually saw the Sea of Bitterness within my body..." Guo Zhen's cultivation path could truly be described as uneventful. He inadvertently glimpsed the human body's first secret realm. After that, he tried countless methods, finally seeing it again while fully conscious, which then solidified his resolve. His grandfather had almost worn out those books over the years without achieving anything, but it was Guo Zhen who, by chance, gained a spiritual perception and eventually took a small step forward. As for his father, a typical intellectual, if he hadn't known those books were ancient and possibly unique and very valuable, he probably would have found them an eyesore and burned them long ago.

"Do your family members know?" Ye Fan asked.

"How could one explain such a thing?" Guo Zhen shook his head. He hadn't told his parents, but he had discussed it with his grandfather, which had excited the old man immensely, telling him that if he ever achieved success, he must help him too.

After observing carefully, Ye Fan concluded that Guo Zhen's personal talent was absolutely remarkable; otherwise, he couldn't have discovered the path of cultivation on his own in this era of dwindling spiritual energy. If he were on the Big Dipper, he could truly become the leader of a sect. He had opened his Wheel Sea, and strands of spiritual energy surged from his Life Spring, indicating he was on the verge of entering the Life Spring realm, even a bit more advanced than the previous few individuals.

When Ye Fan arrived at Guo Zhen's residence, he immediately understood why he had achieved such success. Indeed, everyone who could embark on the path of cultivation in this era had some fortuitous encounter. It was a dilapidated villa, seemingly quite old, almost due for demolition again. Located in the suburbs, adjacent to Mount Tai, its scenery was excellent. Ye Fan understood Source Arts and could observe ley lines. He clearly saw that the old villa was situated on a ley line, with telluric essence surging upwards and the energy of Mount Tai emanating. It was precisely this that allowed Guo Zhen the possibility of cultivation. He said his grandfather was a very interesting person who had dealt in antiques and accumulated a considerable sum of money back then, which enabled him to buy a villa and live out his retirement there. Guo Zhen himself also spent most of his time living in this place.

The two conversed very congenially. Guo Zhen told Ye Fan many things he wanted to know. Those previous individuals were indeed disciples of major Daoist sects, and sometimes they were inevitably somewhat arrogant, unwilling to associate with weaker lone cultivators like themselves, who had to "cross the river by feeling the stones."

"The great cultivators of ancient times are no longer in this world. Do you know where they all went?" Ye Fan asked.

"I truly don't know," Guo Zhen replied. "The ancient times are unspeakable; even disciples of the great sects don't understand. But one can guess some things: it's nothing more than the spiritual energy drying up, preventing divine abilities from manifesting." Afterwards, he spoke of some current sects, all of which Ye Fan wanted to learn about. Daoism had many branches, and Guo Zhen mentioned quite a few, including the Shangqing Sect, Lingbao Sect, Taiyi Dao, Shenxiao Sect, and dozens of other sects, all of which were very powerful inheritances today. Furthermore, he specifically mentioned the Sword Cultivators of Mount Shu. This lineage was very mysterious, specializing in offense, inaccessible to ordinary people, and even other cultivators found them difficult to locate. In addition, there was the even more mysterious Kunlun. Cultivators emerging from this place had significant backgrounds and extremely high cultivation, with few daring to provoke them. Ye Fan's mind raced. Was it the Kunlun Mountains, spanning Qinghai-Tibet and Xinjiang? He had been there while searching for spiritual mountains but hadn't discovered anything special. As for Buddhism, although there were temples on famous mountains and rivers today, true cultivators were rare, and Guo Zhen didn't know much about them either. At the same time, he also spoke of demon cultivators, stating that bloodlines of ancient great demons still existed, with the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, Heavenly Qilin, and Vermilion Phoenix being among the most renowned demon god races. Ye Fan really wanted to visit these sects, but Guo Zhen shook his head. Every sect was very mysterious, and no one knew where their true secret realms were. With the world changed and spiritual energy depleted, the remaining pure lands of each sect naturally had to be kept secret. Ye Fan was very sensitive to the demon race. He wanted to learn more because all signs indicated that the deceased Pang Bo must have been connected to them. Although several great demon god bloodlines still existed, they were all very low-key and even harder to find.

"At the Cultivator's Convention, I suppose these people will appear, won't they?"

Guo Zhen nodded upon hearing this. He had also heard that the Cultivator's Convention was about to begin, but like Ye Fan, he was a lone cultivator, and no one would notify him, so he didn't know much.

"How about this, we follow those few people? Then we'll know, won't we?" Ye Fan chuckled.

Guo Zhen gave a bitter smile. His acquaintance with those few people was not deep, and his lateness had further displeased them. His relationship with them, as a lone cultivator, was as thin as water, and they would likely incur trouble.

"It doesn't matter," Ye Fan said. "We'll follow them from a distance; no need to mind them."

Guo Zhen thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. He also wanted to attend the convention and see for himself. While he didn't know the secret realms of their sects, he did know their cultivation locations.

Ultimately, the two followed them. They caught up with the four individuals halfway, heading south towards the Wuyi Mountains. Along the way, they overheard the four saying they were going to the old site of the Lingbao Sect. Renowned figures were staying there, and impressive young talents were gathering, so they wanted to join the excitement. Ye Fan was naturally very interested upon hearing this. He and Guo Zhen followed from a distance, unhurriedly, enjoying the scenery along the way.

"Jiangxi truly is a place for cultivation," Ye Fan sighed. "I didn't expect to come back here."

The old site of the Lingbao Sect was at Gezao Mountain, a western branch of the Wuyi Mountains, stretching for over two hundred *li*. With ancient bamboo, towering pines, winding peaks, and overlapping ranges, the scenery was beautiful. Ye Fan was very interested in this place because Gezao Mountain was also known as Gelu, a significant Daoist site. The patriarch of the Lingbao Sect was Ge Xuan, who was Ge Hong's grand-uncle. Ge Hong, author of "Baopuzi," was a brilliant Daoist leader during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He had mentioned the Nine Secrets in his writings, which Ye Fan had diligently researched after returning. After his grand-uncle established the Lingbao Sect, Ge Hong expanded its influence, making it renowned throughout the world. He left an indelible mark here. Although the Lingbao Sect had now found another secret realm and left this place, there were likely still some traces remaining. Gezao Mountain, shrouded in mist and clouds, with floating catkins and wisps of smoke, was like stepping into a painting. Here, streams flowed, waterfalls cascaded, and the mountains were green and peaks beautiful, exuding a subtle spiritual charm.

"It's not that the Lingbao Sect completely abandoned this place," Guo Zhen explained. "There are many Daoist temples in the mountains, and most of the outer disciples are here." One of the four people he knew was from here.

"This place is good. It seems the historical records are correct; Ge Hong truly lived here for a long time," Ye Fan nodded. Upon entering Gezao Mountain, he sensed a profound and subtle spiritual aura, a trace left by a powerful figure with immense magical abilities.

"They vanished! They actually vanished!" Guo Zhen exclaimed in surprise, staring into the depths of the mountain range with a puzzled and astonished expression.

"How interesting. For such a wonderful place to exist here, given the current scarcity of spiritual energy, it's truly extraordinary," Ye Fan smiled, leading Guo Zhen forward. Soon, they arrived before a verdant mountain.

"There's no path ahead! What are you doing?" Guo Zhen exclaimed, greatly alarmed, as Ye Fan pulled him up a peak and was about to step off a cliff.

"Don't be afraid," Ye Fan said. With a flash of light, they entered a strange environment. White clouds swirled, and several towering, isolated peaks stood side by side, forming a vast expanse with many Daoist temples atop them. Ancient pines had grown here for thousands of years, and old vines covered the cliffs. It seemed isolated from the outside world, and the spiritual energy was considerably denser.

"The outer disciples of the Lingbao Sect must cultivate here; otherwise, how could they achieve such accomplishments?" Ye Fan said. Guo Zhen, meanwhile, was filled with astonishment.

"Who are you?" an old Daoist priest appeared and asked them.

"We are lone cultivators," Guo Zhen replied.

"Oh, it's you. How did you get here too?" The four individuals who had just entered hadn't yet ascended the isolated peaks. Seeing Ye Fan and Guo Zhen, they were surprised and puzzled, along with a hint of displeasure.

"Not just anyone can come to this place. This is a small gathering, attended only by renowned figures and remarkable disciples. Those without a sect lineage are not permitted," one of them said, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Yes, this is the old Lingbao site, and ordinary people are not allowed," another young man stated.

The old Daoist priest also nodded and said, "This is an important site for our Lingbao Sect, not open to the public. Besides inviting fellow Daoists for exchanges, only senior masters can come here. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter."