Above the Great Dao

"Chen Shi" neither denied nor admitted, simply walking out of the crowd.

Qing Yang followed him, his heart filled with uncertainty and suspicion.

Dan Chengzi did not exist in the True King Era but was the Sect Leader of the Taihua Qingyang Palace over three thousand years ago, of the same era and seniority as Qing Yang.

At that time, Qing Yang was not yet an ancestor but still a young little goat, running all over the mountains, jumping onto the roofs of the Green Sheep Palace, standing there gazing at the mountains, and burrowing under his parents' knees for comfort.

Dan Chengzi died young, not even reaching a hundred years old.

Qing Yang's parents also died, unable to see him reach adulthood.

Afterward, Qing Yang became much more composed, no longer frolicking all over the mountains, but sitting firmly in the Green Sheep Palace, receiving incense from the Daoists and followers.

He gradually became the Qing Yang Ancestor of Taihua Mountain, seeing off generation after generation of Daoists.

None of these Daoists pursuing immortality could become immortals, no matter what means they used, living only for one or two hundred years at most.

"Is he really Dan Chengzi?"

Qing Yang kept scrutinizing "Chen Shi," silently wondering, "How did he turn into such a disaster? Why did he fall to the underworld? And how did he enter Little Ten's body? Why does he call Little Ten emperor?"

Dan Chengzi gracefully walked among the Taihua Mountains.

He arrived at the Green Sheep Palace, seeing a ruin, he could only sigh with melancholy, then went to the Ascension Cliff, where it was said the Three Saints sought Tao and attained immortality, standing here, harmonizing with heaven and earth, ultimately ascending.

"Fake, it's all fake." Dan Chengzi said with a laugh, shaking his head.

Qing Yang exclaimed, "The ascension of the Three Saints is a lie?"

"The Three Saints followed the traditional cultivation system, unable to harmonize with the Tao, so their ascension is of course false."

Dan Chengzi sneered and turned to leave, "The Three Saints either still exist in the world or were killed by the True King, impossible to have ascended."

He went to the Demon Suppressing Cave, reminiscing about guarding the place back then, and then visited the Eighty-Eight Demon Peaks, reflecting on the marks left by the ancestors' battles against demons.

"Are demons really demons?" he gazed at the eighty-eight Demon Peaks, shaking his head.

Dan Chengzi returned to the main peak of Taihua, to the residence of the young Taoists, Qingxu Temple. Young Taoists who just joined Taihua Qingyang Palace often lived there, some for a dozen or even several decades, aging from young boys to middle-aged and old Taoists.

Dan Chengzi lived there for a long time, so he held deep affection for Qingxu Temple.

"Found the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword!" a delighted voice of Qiongyang Ancestor was heard.

Qiongyang Ancestor also suffered at that time, affected by Jing Hong's evil transformation, falling into a transformation, yet it went unnoticed as she fell into the woods. Once the evil transformation ended, she awoke, found her discarded skin, and hurriedly dressed.

The place where the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword fell wasn't far from where she transformed. At the time, Chen Shi, borrowing Qing Yang's mana, nearly struck Jing Hong down with a sword, causing the immortal sword to fly out of his hand, embedding itself in a mountain, making it difficult to find without careful searching.

Dan Chengzi walked over, somewhat emotional, "This immortal artifact, I have never seen it before."

Qing Yang followed him, his eyes flickering, said, "This sword is a treasure the True King used to kill the Innocent Taoist. The one who wielded this sword must be an unparalleled master of the Qingyang Palace."

Dan Chengzi pondered, "Then the one who wielded this sword should have been the Sect Leader of that time. Most likely acting on the True King's order to slay the immortal."

"Do you know when the Innocent Taoist died?"

Qing Yang said, "Knowing the time, we can know which Sect Leader it was."

Dan Chengzi shook his head.

Qing Yang said, "Little Ten came to return the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword at the request of the Innocent Taoist. Moreover, Taihua Qingyang Palace should retrieve the remains of the Innocent Taoist and bring him back to Taihua Mountain."

Dan Chengzi sighed, "The fire-kindling Daoist boy of the True Yang Ancestor back then turned out to be so formidable that the Sect Leader at that time had to use the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword to kill him. If he hadn't died, who's to say he couldn't find an old path to harmonization."

Finally, he saw the True Martial Evil Extermination Sword, stepping forward to stroke its blade, feeling the sword's boundless power, praising repeatedly, "Truly an immortal sword, not corroded by this world even after all this time, nor has it undergone evil transformation."

Qiongyang Ancestor, hearing this, was bewildered, looked at him, and suddenly asked, "You are not Little Ten! Who are you?"

Dan Chengzi sized her up and down, smiled, "Thunderclap Great Power Divine Spell? You've mastered it well. Did you complete the Ascension Divine Spell within it?"

Qiongyang Ancestor was shaken, exclaimed, "How do you know the Ascension Divine Spell is within the Great Power Divine Spell? Chen Yindou once told me that this cultivation technique is missing a segment of the spell, saying that once it's complete, one can ascend! He tried to make it complete, but ultimately failed... Wait! Who exactly are you?"

Dan Chengzi smiled slightly, "Would you like to learn it? I can teach you. I've found the complete Ascension Divine Spell, guaranteed to be the true transmission."

Qiongyang Ancestor was overjoyed, about to seek guidance, when Qing Yang, with a grim face, shouted, "Qiongyang, do not be rude. Stand down!"

Qiongyang Ancestor had an insatiable itch, desperately wanting to learn the Ascension Divine Spell, a significant shortcoming in her cultivation technique, and a major regret in her life. — She had spent a long time with Chen Yindou, researching it extensively, yet they were unable to complete the cultivation technique.

But Qing Yang, after all, was her ancestor, and with his command, Qiongyang could only retreat.

Qing Yang gazed at Dan Chengzi, "Would cultivating the Ascension Divine Spell in your Great Power Divine Spell make her like Jing Hong Daoist?"

Dan Chengzi laughed, "Very likely."

"You intend to harm her!" Qing Yang coldly declared.

Dan Chengzi shook his head, "How could it be harming her? The purpose of cultivation is to seek longevity. If she seeks longevity, if she doesn't even have the courage to face an evil transformation, how can she deserve longevity?"