Chapter 453: The Silent Taoist Tells Stories

“You know, the defensive power of this Golden Body is quite remarkable,” the Incorruptible Immortal said, ever keen to spot a strength.

“If you were to attack your own Golden Body, only the Village in the Palm technique could cause it harm. Any other attack would merely leave superficial scratches.”

“That tough?” Lu Yang was stunned. He had assumed his sword techniques would be able to break through the Golden Body’s defenses, never expecting the Immortal to praise it so highly.

“It was taught by me, after all!”

“It certainly could serve as a defensive move,” Lu Yang nodded. After a full day of learning the Sixteen-Foot Golden Body, he felt he had gained something valuable.

Now, with the Village in the Palm for offense and the Sixteen-Foot Golden Body for defense, who could possibly defeat him?

***

At the tea house, the Daoist priest brought his clapper down, and a story began to unfold.

The Daoist priest was shabbily dressed, his duster resting on the table, yet his eyes were bright, giving him an unconventional appearance.

“There once was a prodigy in the Wen Dao Sect named Lu Yang. This young man’s talent was truly extraordinary. Upon his first entry into the sect, he displayed astonishing aptitude, possessing an extremely rare single spiritual root. As you all know, before the Great Era dawned, a single spiritual root was seen only once every hundred years!”

“Prodigy Lu’s single spiritual root was even among the finest of its kind. Another disciple, Young Master Meng of the Meng family, also entered the sect at the same time with a single spiritual root. Who is Young Master Meng? The Meng family is the foremost noble family in the world, so Young Master Meng is naturally the most prominent young master. Yet, despite his status, Young Master Meng still envied Prodigy Lu’s single spiritual root!”

“Upon learning that Prodigy Lu possessed a single spiritual root, many noble families and sects proposed marriage alliances with him, but the Wen Dao Sect blocked them all. In contrast, despite Young Master Meng’s lofty status and powerful talent, no one proposed a marriage alliance with him. The disparity between the two was clear!”

“After joining the sect, Prodigy Lu was taken as a closed-door disciple by Silent Daoist.”

The guests gasped softly, surprised by the extraordinary nature of Prodigy Lu’s single spiritual root.

The shabby Daoist priest was a wandering storyteller who had only arrived at the tea house a few days prior. Initially, guests came for their usual dose of stories, not expecting much from him. However, the moment he opened his mouth, he captivated the entire room. The Daoist priest was telling stories from “Legends of Wen Dao Sect,” and what’s more, no one had ever heard these specific tales before.

This was the latest version of “Legends of Wen Dao Sect”!

“Legends of Wen Dao Sect” was the most popular collection of stories among the common folk. Its classic episodes were frequently discussed with great relish long after the storytelling concluded. Tales like “Innately Formed Daoist Encounters an Immortal’s Guidance, Founding Wen Dao Sect,” “The Nine Sons of Wen Dao Sect Descend to Slay Demons and Uphold Justice,” and “Silent Daoist Slashes Open the Celestial Gate, Subduing All Heroes” were widely known. Anyone unfamiliar with Wen Dao Sect’s name would be considered behind the times.

Naturally, the latest version recounted by the shabby Daoist priest was eagerly sought after by everyone. In recent days, the tea house owner’s face was creased with smiles.

“At that time, a great demon resided within the Wen Dao Sect, suppressing Silent Daoist and usurping his position as sect leader. Yet, no one in the sect was aware of this.”

“Prodigy Lu was the first to notice. He saw through the great demon’s disguise, found Silent Daoist, overcame countless hardships, and finally broke the seal on Silent Daoist, allowing him to return to the human realm!”

“After this experience, Silent Daoist saw through the illusions of the mortal world and began to wander the land, entrusting the sect’s affairs to his most favored eldest disciple.”

“Prodigy Lu’s rescue of Silent Daoist earned him the sect’s recognition, and he was hailed as a great hero.”

“The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect even personally visited Wen Dao Sect to meet this young hero, Prodigy Lu. Upon meeting him, the Five Elements Sect Leader treated Prodigy Lu with great respect, considering him an equal and extending to him the courtesies due to a sect leader.”

The listeners secretly praised this. To think that after Silent Daoist was rescued, the Five Elements Sect Leader would treat Prodigy Lu with such deference. Silent Daoist’s status was indeed very high.

“Prodigy Lu possessed unique insight, and his combat achievements were remarkable. What kind of place is Wen Dao Sect? It’s the head of the Five Immortal Sects, and every disciple within it is a prodigy, peerless among their cultivation level.”

“Yet, Prodigy Lu dared to challenge opponents beyond his cultivation level. From the Foundation Establishment stage, he successively challenged three higher realms—Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Transformation—winning every battle. The entire Wen Dao Sect was stunned by these achievements!”

“Though Prodigy Lu’s talent was immense, he was also very humble. He maintained excellent relationships with his fellow senior and junior disciples, who often sought him out for sparring, leading to mutual improvement and a harmonious atmosphere.”

The listeners now had a general understanding of Lu Yang, whom they had never met. He was a perfect cultivator: high cultivation, good character.

As the “Legends of Wen Dao Sect” recounted, Silent Daoist was renowned throughout the land. Wherever he went, people would recognize him and eagerly invite him to banquets, even arranging sword dance performances. Silent Daoist, stating that the friendship between noble individuals is as pure as water and does not require such grand displays, declined the invitations. Those who were refused showed disappointment and regret. What did this illustrate? It showed that Silent Daoist had friends spread across the world. Lu Yang’s humility and sociable nature must have been learned from Silent Daoist. Truly, a closed-door disciple inherits the master’s legacy.

The shabby Daoist priest spoke eloquently, narrating Lu Yang’s deeds for a full morning. Finally, he tapped his clapper.

“Tomorrow, I will tell you about another legendary disciple of Wen Dao Sect: Prodigy Meng. Prodigy Meng embodies the immortal path in his heart, remaining unswayed by temptation, with a resolve as firm as an enlightened monk.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, see you tomorrow!”

The shabby Daoist priest drained his cup of tea and rose to depart.

“Here is your payment for today’s storytelling,” the tea house owner said, personally handing the Daoist priest a bag of silver. In the tea house owner’s eyes, the shabby Daoist priest was a golden goose; as long as he stayed, the tea house’s business would flourish more every day!

The Daoist priest smiled as he accepted the silver and tucked it into his sleeve.

A paper crane fluttered its wings and landed on his shoulder. The Daoist priest paused, recognizing the paper crane; it was a letter from Xiaoyun.

*“Is Xiaoyun looking for me?”* Silent Daoist wondered. *“That shouldn’t be. Xiaoyun just handled my release formalities a few days ago. Why would she be looking for me so soon?”*

In the letter, Yunzhi’s words were cautious and polite. She explained Wu Youdao’s plan for Jizhou and mentioned that Lu Yang was currently managing Wen Dao Sect’s affairs, with her merely helping to write the letter. At the end of the envelope, Yunzhi had written:

“Junior Brother is not very articulate; he asked me to inform Master that the matter in Jizhou is of great importance. Please do not decline and come quickly.”

“Jizhou… I am already in Jizhou,” Silent Daoist sighed softly as he put away the paper crane. “What cultivation realm has Xiaoyun reached? A single paper crane could pierce through rules set by a Tribulation Transcender and deliver the letter to me completely unharmed?”

Silent Daoist looked up, gazing at the tightly woven sky that enveloped the city. There was a small opening in the impenetrable barrier, made by the paper crane.

The second update will be at 11 AM.