Chapter 794: Chapter 017 The Heavenly Sword Daoist
Lee Ran.
In the Cultivation World, no other name could resonate more profoundly.
Upon hearing Hua Qiudao mention this name, the elderly Taoist Sect masters who had been in heated discussion all fell silent.
The entire Shushan Taoist Sect was suddenly steeped in tranquility, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
All eyes naturally turned towards Hua Qiudao and Zhou Yan.
Then, the cultivators were all struck dumb.
The eyes of all the elderly Daoists in the front widened in disbelief.
Zhou Yan’s appearance was restrained, but upon closer inspection, he bore a striking resemblance to Lee Ran.
Normally, this resemblance would not have sparked much thought, but after Hua Qiudao’s voice singled out these two characters and then such a person appeared, it was impossible not to feel a chilling shock and deep uncertainty.
What caused even greater uncertainty was Hua Qiudao. The ancient, yellow Daoist robe he wore remained unchanged, as did the essence of time-worn decay, but how had the old Daoist, once like a withered tree, transformed into a mature, poised, irresistibly charismatic middle-aged man?
Almost all the cultivators thought of the four words ’Rejuvenation’.
Had it been any other time, they wouldn’t have entertained such a thought, but the youth beside Hua Qiudao, calm and inscrutable as if Lee Ran himself were present, left them no choice but to think this way.
Lee Ran was a miracle.
Wherever Lee Ran was, nothing was impossible.
"Lee... Lee Ran?"
An elder’s voice trembled as he looked at Zhou Yan, his eyes filled with excitement and fear.
He seemed extremely ill at ease.
Not only he, but nearly all the cultivators around him stared wide-eyed at Zhou Yan, also feeling very uneasy and anxious.
But there was one exception.
This was a slender young man with a face bearing a hint of indifference and loneliness, carrying an ancient sword covered in rust on his back.
He was the youngest among these cultivators.
He was the most handsome among these cultivators.
His demeanor was also the most disinterested among them.
Zhou Yan noticed that, apart from the moment the name ’Lee Ran’ was mentioned, this person’s eyes had briefly brightened, he never showed any emotional fluctuations or changes in expression.
Or perhaps, even if he felt as uneasy and nervous as the others, he would not show it, letting neither others nor himself become aware of it.
Seeing this person, Zhou Yan suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had returned to the Great Zhou Family, back to the cultivator who shared the same inheritance fate as himself, the one who ultimately met his downfall without advancing any further.
"Is he... Yang Qingtan?"
Zhou Yan’s voice was slightly unusual as he asked this question in the silent atmosphere.
"Yang Qingtan? Yes, indeed, his name is ’Yang Qingtan’, but had you not mentioned it, I would have forgotten his name already."
"He is devoted to the Sword Dao, a devotion bordering on extreme obsession. He comes from the ordinary Mortal World, life full of hardships, abandoned in a pile of rubbish due to a severe illness from birth, and was saved by Lee Ran, receiving some inheritance. As for the specifics, no one knows. His Sword Dao is known for its fierce and powerful attacks, earning him the revered title of ’Heavenly Sword Daoist.’
The name Heavenly Sword Daoist has replaced his name. Had you not mentioned it, I’m afraid I would have long forgotten this mundane name."
Hua Qiudao explained.
Then, Hua Qiudao turned to the still-stunned crowd and said, "Fellow Daoists, this person is none other than the Residual Soul Lee Yi whom Lee Ran took away. He has now returned and renamed himself ’Zhou Yan’. Fellow Daoists, what are you waiting for? Welcome him quickly!"
As Hua Qiudao spoke, he even waggled his eyebrows at the crowd, the implication clear—don’t offend ’this great divine figure’, as Zhou Yan represented the future hope of the Cultivation World.
With that said, many of the older cultivators immediately became excited and swarmed around Zhou Yan.
...
"Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan, my name is Ma Zhiqing from Dragon and Tiger Mountain. I have come to Shushan Taoist Sect in response to Taoist Qiu’s call, to guard the Yu King’s Nine Cauldrons. It is indeed a great fortune for the Cultivation World that Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan has arrived..."
"Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan, I am an Elder from the ancient Witch Land, and I have witnessed the rise of your brother Lee Ran. Should time permit, we might well delve into this topic for a deeper exchange," said the Elder.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan, our Kunlun Immortal Pool is a hidden Immortal Sect, and the Ancient Yaochi lineage within our gates consists solely of Fairies. Should you lack a Daoist couple, consider our Ancient Yaochi Immortal Sect," suggested an individual from Kunlun.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan, our lineage of Xuanyuan Ancient Blood is a True Dragon inheritance. It contains a hidden Ancient Land and unknown forbidden places. If you are interested, the restricted area of the Da Xia Dragon Clan can also be opened to you," hinted a member of the dragon clan.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan..."
...
Some ancient Cultivators, as if seeing a new hope, became overwhelmingly enthusiastic. To the point where some of the older cultivators, in order to be the first to draw Zhou Yan to their Cultivation lands, even ’sold out’ their sect’s outstanding female cultivators, an act that could be described as ’utterly shameless.’
Taoist Qiu shook his head disapprovingly, somewhat helpless.
After the initial fear and unease of these old fellows had subsided, they all showed their true colors, shamelessly and unabashedly enhancing their reputation, amusing the strong returnees from outside the realms.
Taoist Qiu felt somewhat embarrassed by these old fellows’ behavior, fearing that they might offend Zhou Yan.
However, Zhou Yan seemed not to mind at all. On the contrary, he engaged warmly with these old Daoists, which put Taoist Qiu’s mind at ease.
Sometimes Cultivators are no different from ordinary people; old in age, yet they become more childlike, seemingly ’unbecoming of their years.’ For they had become indifferent to many things, willing to let go of anything.
"You all, too anxious," he said, "now I regret letting you welcome Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan. Don’t be impatient or worry. Regarding this matter, Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan has said that he will teach, and it will be an open teaching, without reservation."
The words of Taoist Qiu, which would normally have little effect on any other day.
Usually, after he spoke, some of the old Cultivators would retort, mock, or laugh.
But this time, when Taoist Qiu finished speaking, all of the old Cultivators fell silent at the same moment and put away their ’unbecoming’ mannerisms, displaying a solemn appearance.
Taoist Qiu smiled wryly and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan, you’ve witnessed a joke."
"You need not worry, Taoist Qiu. I am happy they can be thus, as it proves they have no secrets and are showing their true nature. This is how only close friends would act. It shows that they do not see me as an outsider, which is an honor," Zhou Yan smiled.
"Old fellows, did you see that? See how broad-minded Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan is."
"Indeed, look at his character. Where is the unworthiness you imagined?!"
"Exactly, you assume others are just like you, petty and projecting your own inadequacy onto the noble."
The group of old Daoists didn’t give Taoist Qiu any face, immediately launching into a barrage of criticism.
Taoist Qiu, already accustomed to it, ignored the uncouth Elders and said to Zhou Yan, "They are all a bunch of old bachelors, not to be heeded. With time, Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan will come to understand. Well, before this, I was contemplating whether to allow only the elite to listen to the teachings. But along the way I considered it, and decided it’s better to open it to the public. If possible, we plan to open the land of Kunlun Immortal Pool, then let all Cultivators enter. How about you teach within it, Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan?" Taoist Qiu proposed.
He seemed to have given this matter deep thought.
Zhou Yan had no objection to this, but he was gradually beginning to understand Taoist Qiu’s point.
Perhaps, within this small world, the various Cultivation Sects kept their own Cultivation Techniques a secret, which indeed had reasons behind it.
Zhou Yan was contemplating this when he heard Taoist Qiu sigh, "We are at the End of Dharma Realm in our Cultivation, and we have thought of extracting the strengths of various Sects, to refer to and learn from each other. But such thoughts soon halted.
The energy in this world has already exhausted, and even Cultivators with great talent are lacking in corresponding time. And if their own Cultivation Techniques and insights don’t meet the requirements, having more Ancient Books would be biting off more than one can chew, and could be harmful in the end."
"More importantly—the ancient scriptures of those Sects are not something that can be understood in a short time. Plus, most of these Scriptures and Ancient Books are incomplete. So the non-transmission of Cultivation Techniques is not solely for selfish reasons; it is more a form of encouragement and limitation, ensuring Cultivators can strive for perfection. In today’s era, broad knowledge is not as effective as specialization."
"As for exchanges in Cultivation, mutual encouragement, Life and Death’s coercion is also a form of encouragement. In addition, regular meetings and combat exchanges between Cultivators are ways for the younger generation to grasp comparison in Cultivation, and for those more talented Cultivators, the Great Sects will bring out their treasured resources to cultivate them to the best of their ability."
"As for the westward journey of Ancestor Worship, the upper heavens have all withered, but there are a few races that have always hidden themselves within our Cultivation World, sealing themselves in the Ancient Array Space of the Ancient times. If you can find them later, you may learn the complete truth and explore the cause and effect of the past. Lee Ran had extensive exchanges with them, but the specifics, aside from the two parties involved, remain unknown to others."
Taoist Qiu did not conceal anything and shared everything he knew with Zhou Yan.
"These races include descendants of the Golden Crow, the Fire-raging Golden Crow clan, the Nine-tailed Spiritual Fox Jade Fox clan, the Natural Holy Spirit Returning to Truth clan, etc. This is something I am aware of. If Uncle Master wishes to search for their dwellings, I, Yang Qingtan, am willing to accompany you," said the Heavenly Sword Daoist Yang Qingtan, who had until now been silent.
"Uncle Master? Did my brother take you as a disciple? What? You—"
Zhou Yan fixed his gaze on the Heavenly Sword Daoist Yang Qingtan and suddenly noticed that Yang Qingtan’s body concealed a strong and concentrated aura of Xuanyuan Fragments. The ancient sword on his back was assembled from at least three Xuanyuan Sword Fragments, although Zhou Yan could not determine the exact number.
This was because Yang Qingtan obscured any aura on the sword using a special method, making it imperceptible to Zhou Yan before then.