Indeed. Lu Yuan's destination this time was none other than the legendary ancestral court of Daoism.
It was also the home sect of Little Heavenly Master Chunyang. Furthermore, this was Lu Yuan's first time visiting Mount Longhu since the dawn of the New Era.
Hearing Jiang Ningxian's words, Lu Yuan nodded, a faint smile playing in his eyes. Back then, it was here that he had obtained a wordless stele, which held a supreme divine ability.
Namely, the Jade Emperor Orthodox Heavenly Thunder Art. Although Lu Yuan had not used this method very frequently, it had granted him significant advantages across his battles.
In particular, once unleashed, it could even suppress members of the Celestial Clan who wielded the power of wind and thunder—proof enough of its terrifying might.
Now, he had returned. As for his goal, it was naturally to take his physical constitution a step further. During his battle with Jiang Haokong, Lu Yuan had realized that in this aspect, he could not establish an overwhelming dominance over figures at the level of chosen prides.
While that was hardly a flaw, his standards were extremely high. Since he knew a way to improve, he came straight here, and the method was naturally hidden within Mount Longhu.
Standing in the void, Lu Yuan looked at the mountains before him, sighing inwardly once again. Following the New Era, all the famous mountains and great rivers had undergone drastic transformations.
In the beginning, Daoist disciples still inhabited Mount Longhu. Over time, however, as the number of strange beasts swelled, many had departed.
The reason Little Heavenly Master Chunyang had previously appeared among the official forces was also that Mount Longhu had partnered with them. Consequently, few humans remained in this ancestral court of Daoism now.
As for why they had not returned later, it was because they knew numerous folded spaces had emerged here, fraught with hidden perils.
To be safe, they merely dispatched people to keep an eye on things from time to time. After all, with the establishment of the Heavenly Court, most of the powerhouses and factions had already been consolidated.
"Let's go." Putting his thoughts aside, Lu Yuan brought Jiang Ningxian along as they descended. The latter was naturally very interested in the legendary Mount Longhu as well.
She had read numerous accounts of it in the ancient records of the Jiang family. Soon, the two descended steadily.
From time to time, they caught sight of strange beasts and Awakened cultivators. Yet because Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian's realms were far too elevated, none of them noticed their presence.
Guided by Lu Yuan, the pair did not head straight into Mount Longhu's dao arena, but instead made their way toward the rear mountain.
'There is a small folded space here containing a divine object. Whether my physique can undergo another transformation will depend on it,' Lu Yuan thought, reflecting on the memories of his past life.
The reason he had not come at the very beginning was simply that the timing had not been right; now, however, the moment had essentially arrived.
"The ancestral court of Daoism, Mount Longhu... As the rumors say, the aura here is truly extraordinary," Jiang Ningxian remarked, unable to resist adding, "It is very suitable for cultivation."
"Because the power of heaven and earth is richer and purer here than elsewhere." Ever since entering the region, she had been observing.
It was indeed exceptional. In particular, the phenomena of battling dragons and tigers manifesting among the mountains did not signify danger, but was something that arose only when the power of heaven and earth reached a certain threshold.
"Indeed. In fact, all the famous mountains and great rivers are like this," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "That is why I established the primary site of the Heavenly Court at Mount Tai. Mount Longhu isn't much inferior, but the time isn't right to expand here just yet."
The Heavenly Court had only recently been formed, and its strength was still gathering; stationing people here would only disperse their forces.
With extraterrestrial beings eyeing them hungrily, he naturally would not take such a risk.
"Mm." Jiang Ningxian nodded. She could more or less guess his reasoning. Meanwhile, fortunately, Lu Yuan had reached the Saint Realm, making him far more sensitive to spatial fluctuations than before. Before long, he discovered the objective of their trip.
It lay around an unremarkable hill overgrown with weeds. There was nothing special about it, save for a small rift suspended midair.
This was a spatial fissure. While rare in other places, they were frequently seen across the famous mountains and great rivers.
Some perils stemmed precisely from such rifts, because one never knew when one might stumble directly inside and end up trapped forever.
"A small folded space?" Jiang Ningxian was slightly puzzled upon seeing it, but she did not press for details, saying only, "Go on. I'll look around nearby and won't wander too far." She knew that since Lu Yuan had specifically sought out such a small folded space, he naturally had his reasons.
Though curious, she restrained the urge to ask. After all, everyone had secrets, even those closest to one another.
"All right." Lu Yuan naturally had no objections. Jiang Ningxian truly lived up to her status as her clan's Holy Maiden. She was dignified and tactful, never prying into matters of significance.
In this regard, she showed an impeccable sense of propriety and never overstepped boundaries. Just as in her cooperation with Lu Yuan, she only provided resources and never dictated how they should be used.
Soon, she walked away to stroll around Mount Longhu. As for Lu Yuan, he took a deep breath and stepped directly up to the spatial rift.
Without hesitation, he took a step forward and entered. The small folded space was indeed tiny. Once inside, Lu Yuan found himself in what was literally a cavern, enclosed entirely by stone walls.
Upon the stone walls, however, lamplight flickered continuously, crafted from unknown materials that seemed capable of burning for centuries or millennia.
Paying no mind to any of it, Lu Yuan continued forward. Before long, the path ahead gradually widened.
He had reached the end. Indeed, this folded space was not only small, but practically empty—except for a furnace standing before Lu Yuan.
To be precise, it was a three-legged pill furnace, mottled with rust and blanketed in dust, though fortunately still intact.
Even so, an ordinary person looking at it would think nothing of it. Only upon close inspection would one notice that this three-legged pill furnace seemed to have been handed down from ancient times, carrying the patina of passing eras.
Drawing near, especially when examining it with the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, one could discover wisps of Daoist rhyme lingering upon it. It drew one into silent contemplation, and one could even sense a power stirring within one's body—exceedingly wondrous.
"Who would have imagined that the pill furnace of the legendary founding Ancestral Heavenly Master of Zhengyi Dao would be hidden in a place like this?" Looking at the pill furnace, Lu Yuan murmured to himself, a smile spreading across his face.
In his words, he laid bare its origins. Indeed, this was a pill furnace forged by the Ancestral Heavenly Master of the Daoist Zhengyi School.
As for the identity of that Ancestral Heavenly Master, it was naturally illustrious: the head of the Four Heavenly Masters in myth, Zhang Daoling!
Chapter 288