Three days later, on the second day of the second month.
Hope Sound Mountain was filled with auspicious clouds and golden flowers. More than a thousand female attendants in colorful clothes and ceremonial officers were waiting for the guests in front of the temple.
The restriction that used to cover the mountain was long gone. In the misty mist, there stood a huge platform that was thousands of meters tall. It shone with a brilliant golden light. This platform was called the Golden Bell. It was the place where the founders of the sect gathered for a banquet. This was the origin of the name of the Golden Bell Sect.
Ever since the second generation Sect Leader took charge of the sect, he dug a lake under the platform and called it the Nourishing Liquid Lake. It was very large, and in the middle of the lake stones were piled up into three high mountains. They were called the Welcoming Sun Mountain, the Joyous Carp Mountain, and the Auspicious Lake. The three mountains surrounded the Golden Bell Platform in a state of worship, and were connected by jade bridges. This created the atmosphere of the Golden Bell Platform: "Golden Mountain Moistens Water, White Cauldron Overlooking the Mountains.
Zhang Yan and his group of five arrived on a flying boat. When they looked down, they saw the green lake, the copper halls, the pavilions, and the water bridges. It was a beautiful scene.
The lame Daoist looked down and sighed, "Just by looking at this scene, who would have thought that Zhongtai Sect has suffered a great loss and is no longer what it used to be."
Song Chuyuan did not have a good impression of Zhongtai Sect. He snorted and sneered, "It's just the last radiance of a setting sun."
A white light flashed below and a disciple of Zhongtai Sect came up. He cupped his hands and said, "May I ask where you are from?"
Zhao Yang took out the invitation from his bosom. The disciple looked at it and said respectfully, "So it's Sect Master Zhang from the Divine House. Please follow me."
Those who came to the banquet and were qualified to sit in the Golden Bell Platform were all Yuanying experts. Many of the lower disciples could only go to the three mountains to enjoy the banquet. However, this disciple saw that there was only Zhao Yang beside Zhang Yan and did not say anything.
Most of the disciples of Zhongtai Sect were relatives of the Chu Emperor. They were very respectful. Even if they were to enter the pavilion, they would be seated according to their status.
Between the three halls. Separated by thirty-six jade steps, only those who were on good terms with the Zhong Tai Sect and had outstanding strength were allowed to enter the Upper Hall.
To Zhong Tai, right now Zhang Yan's name was not well-known, but because his cultivation base was profound and he was also the leader of a sect, four of the five were Yuanying cultivators, although they did not come from any famous mountain cave. The disciple didn't dare to invite him to the lower hall, so he invited him to sit in the middle hall.
After taking his seat, Zhang Yan looked around and saw that the hall was extremely spacious, and his vision was unobstructed. It was a panoramic view. Sitting here, one could see the pear blossoms falling from the distant mountains, the fluttering jade rain, and the peach blossom forest. It was a scene that was too beautiful to behold.
He shifted his gaze again. Looking at the banquet, he was the only one who had reached the second stage of Yuanying. In the upper hall. On the other hand, there were two or three people with similar cultivation to him, but none of them were at the third level of Yuanying.
In reality, in the Dongsheng Continent, other than the disciples of the big sects, there were only two or three people with similar cultivation. It was not easy to cultivate to the Yuanying realm. Many cultivators who entered this realm already had a long lifespan. If they went any higher, they would just increase their cultivation base a little. Without a huge opportunity, they would never be able to peek into the secrets of the Heavenly Grotto. They would only be able to enjoy the pleasures of life with a clear conscience, and no longer have the heart to advance.
When his gaze passed by, the two people sitting near him also looked over. Seeing that his cultivation base was profound, their expressions couldn't help but change slightly. They hurriedly moved to the side and cupped their hands to greet him. Zhang Yan smiled and also raised his hands to greet him.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of something and asked Song Yuanchu who was sitting beside him, "Is there anyone from the same sect here?"
Song Chuyuan took a few glances and said in a small voice, "There are two, but they are enemies." He secretly pointed to a place and said, "It's those two."
Zhang Yan looked over and saw that a hundred feet away from him, there were two strangely dressed Daoists sitting. One had a grizzled beard, red skin, delicate like a baby, and had an aura of transcendence. The other had a withered face, eyebrows drooping to his cheeks, a flat mouth, and a collapsed nose. His appearance was ugly.
Song Chuyuan's voice carried a bit of hatred as he said, "The white-haired one is called Yang Fengxiao, he was originally an elder in the sect. The one who looks slightly younger is called Gu Hongtang, he is from the same sect. When our sect was besieged by the three sects, these two didn't care about the sect's difficulties at all and escaped first. Later on, when our sect came to ask for help, they even turned hostile. My master was also plotted against by these two."
Zhang Yan nodded and said, "If Daoist can't find the person who passed down the secret tome in a short time, there's no need to be anxious."
Back then, Song Chuyuan was willing to rely on Zhang Yan only because he wanted to be able to pass down the sect's secret technique to his fellow sect members one day and avoid losing his Dao tradition. However, at that time, he only made the agreement sixteen years because he was extremely afraid that Zhang Yan would take his life. At this moment, he hesitated for a moment, then suddenly bowed and said, "If Daoist Zhang doesn't mind, this lowly one is willing to serve Daoist Zhang for the rest of his life."
Zhang Yan wasn't surprised at all. He smiled and nodded. "Daoist Song's disposition is pure and good. Since you're willing to enter my sect, I can't ask for more."
When Song Chuyuan heard these words, he only felt his heart lighten, as if the shackles that had been shackling him for many days had been removed. He solemnly bowed again and returned to his seat. Then, he picked up his wine cup and toasted, tilting his head back and drinking.
Zhang Yan smiled and also picked up his wine cup, drinking a mouthful. When he put it down, he heard whispers coming from the seats next to him. His expression changed, and he channeled his energy to his ears. He heard someone say, "According to Chu's etiquette, a banquet with friends, a banquet with delicacies. This time, Zhongtai Sect Master is hosting a banquet and not a banquet. It's enough to see that this is a test."
Another person continued, "After the previous two dragon pillars, more than half of the Elders in Zhongtai Sect died. At that time, there was a rumor that Sect Master Qiao wanted to invite an outsider to become an Elder. If the rumor is true, later on at the banquet, us Martial Brothers will have to show off our skills."
The first person shushed them and said in a low voice, "This is the territory of Zhongtai Sect, who knows how many experts are watching us from the side. You and I should know this in our hearts. Don't mention it again, in case we offend someone for no reason and don't know it."
The other person understood and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, I was careless."
After that, the two of them talked about daily trifles. Zhang Yan shook his head and smiled, not in the mood to listen.
After waiting for about an hour, the guests in the hall had all arrived. At this time, a bell suddenly rang. First, a pleasure boat came out, and out flew a hundred or so female concubines. Colorful flower petals filled the sky. Then, a cloud of light came down from the sky, but it couldn't be seen from where it came from, as if it came from beyond the heavens. Another sound was heard, and the light dispersed. A black haired Daoist walked out with a Ruyi in his hand.
When the disciples and Elders of Zhongtai Sect saw this, they all bowed and said, "Greetings to Sect Master Zhenren."
To show their respect, everyone also stood up from their seats and bowed.
Sect Master Qiao of Zhongtai Sect had a pair of slender phoenix eyes, a prominent nose and red lips. His beard was long to his abdomen, and he had a dignified appearance. He wore a ten thousand purple star crown on his head, and wore a beautiful mountain and river robe. On top of his head, there were three big clouds that moved with spiritual light, and there was a sign of them becoming one. He laughed heartily and said, "I'm late. Sorry for the long wait, fellow Daoists. "
The guests below all said they didn't dare. Sect Master Qiao glanced at a ceremonial official in front of the hall. The latter stood up and was about to speak, but at this moment. Suddenly, he heard someone say, "Sect Master Qiao, Daoren heard that you're recruiting people with special talents and doesn't care about their background, so I came to seek shelter. However, I, Daoren, am not satisfied with the arrangement of us two brothers in the lower hall."
Zhang Yan turned around and saw that the person who spoke was Daoren with white hair and a youthful face. It was Song Chuyuan's fellow disciple, Yang Fengxiao.
Sect Master Qiao had good self-restraint, and didn't get angry. He looked down and smiled, "It's not that I'm being rude. Everyone here is either highly skilled or famous, but I wonder what you're capable of? "
Yang Fengxiao turned around. He looked at the people around him and said loudly, "Daoren, I've cultivated a special art, and I want to hurt people when I attack. It's not good to use it in this banquet, but there's a 'decapitation, intestines washing, and heart gouging' that can be used. "
The people below instantly went into an uproar. The bodies of cultivators couldn't be damaged at all. If they were damaged, forget about achieving the Great Dao, even their cultivation would be damaged. Not to mention decapitation and heart gouging, even those cultivators of the strength path would die if their bodies were cut off if their cultivation wasn't profound enough. As for the head of the six suns, no one had ever heard of being able to survive after being decapitated.
Sect Master Qiao, however, was interested and said, "Fellow Daoist, you're not joking?"
Yang Fengxiao smiled proudly and said, "Sect Master Qiao, Daoren isn't someone who's lost his mind, he wouldn't dare to joke about something like this."
Song Chuyuan's face was full of suspicion. He had never heard of such a special art in the sect, and even the books in the secret cave didn't have any records of it. He thought to himself, 'Could it be that after not seeing him for more than a hundred years, he's learned some secret art again?'
Zhang Yan's eyes flashed. One of the twelve divine arts in Qincang School, Void Vital Qi, could achieve this, but he didn't know if this person also knew such a divine art.
Sect Master Qiao looked left and right, then nodded and said, "Then please give it a try, Fellow Daoist. If he really has such an ability, why can't I offer him a seat of honor?"
Yang Fengxiao's eyes lit up, and he immediately loosened the silk sash around his waist before unbuttoning his robe, revealing his chest and abdomen. He touched his neck and patted his stomach, then shouted, "Who wants to come forward?"
Song Chuyuan clenched his fists and was about to step forward to give it a try, but before he could stand up, he heard someone on the stairs say, "Can I?"
Yang Fengxiao looked over and saw that the person had thick lips, thick eyebrows, and a thick moustache. He was abnormally tall and sturdy, looking extremely ferocious. He laughed loudly and said, "So it's Elder Xiang. I heard that before Elder Xiang entered the Dao, you were once a valiant general of Chu, your bravery was the best in the three armies. With a blade in your hand, you must be ruthless and merciless.
Elder Kong didn't say anything more. He stretched out his hand and grabbed, taking out a thick blade from his sleeve. He walked down the stairs and in two or three steps he was in front of Yang Fengxiao. Without saying a word, he raised the blade in his hand and with a 'pu chi' sound, Yang Fengxiao's head fell to the ground.
Everyone was watching with their eyes wide open. Seeing this scene, they all felt a chill down their necks. But the strange thing was, although the head was gone, the body didn't fall, and no blood spurted out from the wound. At this moment, a loud laugh came from somewhere in the hall. Everyone looked towards the source of the sound and were shocked. It was Yang Fengxiao's head.
The head was originally facing the ground, but at this moment, it turned around and said loudly, "Everyone, Daoren, I will temporarily keep this head here. There's no need to hurry to put it back. Elder Kong, please cut open my stomach."
Sect Leader Qiao laughed and said, "There's no need. Fellow Daoist's miraculous art alone has already opened our eyes. Men, go up the hall and give him a seat."
Elder Kong was very close, and he could see that this wasn't some kind of illusion art, but a real head being chopped off. He couldn't help but click his tongue in wonder.
Yang Fengxiao shouted, "Sect Leader Qiao, Daoren is coming up now. I'm afraid there are Fellow Daoists who won't accept it. Please allow me to finish displaying my skills."
As he said this, the headless body trembled and took out a blade from somewhere. He fiercely slashed at his abdomen, and then put his hand inside to feel around, taking out a warm heart. He held it up with one hand and gestured to everyone before putting it back in. With a wipe of his hand, the wound had already disappeared completely. The headless body left the table and walked two steps unsteadily. He bent down and grabbed the head, pressing it back on his neck again. He first straightened it, then used his hand to pinch it. The cut was gone, and when he twisted his neck, he actually looked fine.
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