With the Heaven-Smiting Sword and the Holy List, he left the Penglai Wonderland.
Chen Yun placed the divine talisman given by the Jade Emperor into the Space of Heavenly and Earthly Realms.
He was pondering over the matter of the Holy List in his mind.
To be honest, the sacred list given by the Jade Emperor is rather crude, with perhaps only twenty to thirty people on it.
Some of them are still familiar acquaintances of Chen Yun's.
For instance, Guan Yu, Zhao Gongming, and Zhang Tianshi are included.
For example, the Eight Immortals who would undoubtedly stand on the side of the Eastern Emperor.
In addition, there are some other unfamiliar sacred beings, such as Lin Mo Nuan, also known as the Goddess of the Sea.
Moreover, many of the deities on the list hold extremely high status.
Figures like the Eastern Emperor of Mount Tai, the Western Queen Mother, the Great Emperor of the Upper Palace of Gouqin, the Southern Immortal Emperor of Everlasting Life, and the Imperial Ancestor and Earthly Goddess who Execute the Heavenly Law are all listed.
Among the Six Emperors, except for the Zhong Tian Bei Zhu Wei Taiji and Dong Jing Qinghua Da Di, all others have joined the camp of the Jade Emperor.
The Zhong Tian Bei Zhu Wei Taiji is currently supporting the Later Jin Dynasty and is the Emperor of Heaven. It is entirely normal for him to be excluded from the list.
As for the Dongji Qinghua Da Di...
Chen Yun really has no idea if the other party has aligned with the Zhong Tian Bei Zhu Wei Taiji.
Or perhaps, due to his incarnation as Jiuyang of the Primordial Supreme God and his deliberate avoidance of scandal, he has not joined either camp.
"The number of deities supporting the Jade Emperor is not great, but they all hold high positions, and it's likely that their cultivation and realm are also very high."
Chen Yun secretly pondered, "If these sacred beings were to support us, the likelihood of winning the battle against the Later Jin Dynasty would likely be quite high."
Although Chen Yun's side is not lacking in top-tier battle power, as it includes four of the Six Emperors, as well as the Eastern King Grandfather, Western Queen Mother, and Eastern Capital Emperor, he feels that his middle and lower-tier battle power is still somewhat lacking. He believes that he needs to pull more sacred beings to assist him.
While middle and lower-tier battle power may not determine the ultimate outcome of a war, in a local conflict, it can be quite useful.
"Who can I find to join us?"
Suddenly, Chen Yun thought of two deities in his mind: "Xie Ziran and Er Langshen. I am familiar with them, and they are all gods in the realm of divinity. In the battle of Fengshen, their cultivation level may not be the most top-notch, but it is also in the middle to upper ranks. If I can convince them to join us, I believe that the Battle to Eliminate the Later Jin Dynasty will encounter fewer unnecessary troubles."
Alright.
Alright, let's chat with the two deities later and see if we can invite them to join us.
The Er Langshen side should be quite straightforward.
Er Langshen had previously participated in the Fengshen War.
Unfortunately, they joined the wrong camp, resulting in their current failure.
If Chen Yun were to approach Er Langshen and make a convincing offer, the chances of success would be quite high.
On the other hand, it's unlikely to persuade Xie Ziran, whom Chen Yun is about to meet.
Chen Yun had spent some time with Xie Ziran and knew his personality. It seemed that he was content with his cultivation and had no desires or ambitions beyond that.
Such a Daoist who has little or no desire for godhood positions is very difficult to convince to join your cause.
Thinking so, he used a displacement technique to arrive at the foot of Beiqi Mountain.
Previously, Lu Dongbin had mentioned that he wanted to meet himself.
Chen Yun naturally came over.
Just like Penglai, he first called out outside.
Then, the Golden Boy came out to welcome Chen Yun into the Daoist Temple.
In the courtyard.
Next to a stone table, in the courtyard, there was Lu Dongbin, who was dressed in a green Daoist robe and was sipping tea.
Behind Lu Dongbin stood Hai Xiaohan, who looked very respectful.
Chen Yun stepped forward, "Brother."
Lu Dongbin looked up and smiled, "You've come? Please, sit."
Hai Xiaohan quickly moved forward and bowed, "Student Liu Xuanying greets the teacher. To be another student under the teacher's guidance is indeed a dishonor to the teacher's kindness. Please forgive me, master."
"There's no need to apologize, it is your destiny," Chen Yun replied with a glance at Lu Dongbin's face. "Brother, you summoned me here. Is there something important?"
Lu Dongbin nodded slightly and said, "There are two things I want to ask you."
Chen Yun said, "I'm all ears."
Lu Dongbin glanced at Hai Xiaohan, "The first thing is about Xuanying becoming my disciple. He was originally under your tutelage, and I met him by chance. I felt an inexplicable connection with him, so I took him as a disciple. Please forgive me for this, brother."
Disciples are not necessarily apprentices, and it is not unusual for them to change allegiances at any time.
Even without any explanation from Lu Dongbin, Chen Yun would not have any qualms about this matter.
He laughed and replied, "I'm not very good at teaching my disciples skills in the first place. Now that Liu Xiongni can become a disciple under your, Lu brother, it's like a pearl shining brightly, no longer hiding its light under my roof."
Lu Dongbin smiled and said, "Brother, if you can let go of this matter without complaint, it would be even better. Let me tell you about the second thing."
Chen Yun said, "Please tell me."
Just as they were chatting for a few sentences, the Golden Boy came over to serve tea and water.
Chen Yun said, "Thank you," took a sip of the tea casually, and looked at Lu Dongbin again.
Lu Dongbin paused for a moment and said, "The second matter is that the Western Queen Mother has sent a decree, instructing me to tell you that she spares Gu Teng's life."
Chen Yun's expression changed slightly.
Chen Yun and Gu Teng have a deep grudge, bordering on the point of never ending.
Now that he has gained the upper hand in terms of cultivation, how could he just let him live when given the option to spare his life?
This would not only make his cultivation unstable but also test his willpower.
Indeed, Chen Yun was a disciple of Zhong Liquan and was part of the Western Queen Mother's lineage.
The other party can be considered an elder in this lineage.
However, Chen Yun really cannot let go of his grudge against Gu Teng.
Fortunately, Lu Dongbin added, "You can beat him until his essence and spirit are shattered, but do not destroy his true body. This way, he will lose all his cultivation and you will have avenged your grudge. Moreover, he will be unable to come looking for trouble again."
Chen Yun understood the message.
The Western Queen Mother may need Gu Teng's true body for some reason.
Gu Teng is a vine that turned into a human form after cultivating in the hanging garden. He is an extraordinary cosmic root.
According to Lu Dongbin's message, beating Gu Teng until his essence and spirit are shattered essentially amounts to killing him, leaving only the vine as a medicinal herb.
For a moment, he felt better. "Okay, I understand. If there's nothing else, I have some matters to attend to at Jinshan Mountain. I will bid you farewell first."
Lu Dongbin had no other business to attend to, "Alright, we'll catch up with our old times as brothers at a later date."
Saying this, he instructed the Golden Boy to see Chen Yun out.
Chen Yun had already walked to the door of the courtyard when he suddenly thought of something, turning to say, "Brother, I have a question I would like to ask."
Lu Dongbin looked over and said, "Please go ahead."
Chen Yun blinked and said, "Do you know about the 'Jiu Lu Yanxiao Cao'? It is a cosmic root."
Lu Dongbin smiled strangely and said, "Of course I do. It is the supreme treasure for cultivating the Yang God, do you have this medicinal herb?"
Although he asked as if inquiring, the expression on his face seemed to have already confirmed that Chen Yun must have this herb in his possession.
Chen Yun had no intention to hide anything, and spoke boldly and decently, "I went to the Moon Lake Cave Heaven this time and collected over one hundred 'Jiu Lu Yanxiao Cao'. I originally did not know its effects, but now that you have told me, I am cultivating the Yang God nearly ready, and I can use it to refine."
"Not good, not good."
Lu Dongbin kept waving his hands.
Chen Yun looked puzzled and asked, "What's not right?"
Lu Dongbin explained, "Although this treasure is not bad when it comes to directly refining medicinal power, there is some waste. If you can refine it into 'Chun Yang Huo Long Dan' and take it, the effect will be several times better."
Chen Yun helplessly said, "I've never heard of the name 'Chun Yang Huo Long Dan' before, let alone the formula and method of refinement."
"Ha ha ha," Lu Dongbin laughed, "You don't know it, but do you not know, brother? If you truly want to cultivate the Yang God, then put the Jiu Lu Yanxiao Cao in my care. I will add some spiritual roots for you to refine into Chun Yang Huo Long Dan."
If someone else had asked Chen Yun to give him the celestial root, he would not have believed it, but Lu Dongbin was his own brother in arms, and he himself had the cultivation level of a heavenly realm, with no need to covet the Jiu Lu Yanxiao Cao.
Without hesitation, he said, "In that case, I will trouble Brother Lu to help me refine the pills."
Lu Dongbin smiled playfully, "Between brothers-in-arms, there's no need for such formality."
Chen Yun thanked him twice more, and handed over all the more than one hundred Jiu Lu Yanxiao Cao to him.
Lu Dongbin flicked his sleeve, and with a wave of his hand, he collected all the Jiu Lu Yanxiao Cao. Simultaneously, he said, "After you take Chun Yang Huo Long Dan, nine streams of pure Yang Qi, like dragons in flames, will appear inside your body. This will make it more agile for you to refine the Yang God. You have one hundred and thirty-two Jiu Lu Yanxiao Cao here. I estimate that I can refine more than five hundred Chun Yang Huo Long Dan for you. It should be enough to help you cultivate your Yang God. There may even be some left over."
...
Leave North Qi Mountain.
Chen Yun used the displacement technique to arrive at Jinshan Mountain.
As Han Ziming was not around, Xie Ziran was left alone in the pavilion.
After obtaining Xie Ziran's permission, Chen Yun directly entered the inner room.
Just as he entered, he saw that the Daoist Temple, which he had once restored, had fallen into disrepair again.
Perhaps it was because of spring, but the scenery of flowers and trees in the courtyard was quite pleasing to the eye.
Xie Ziran, wearing a white skirt, was standing in front of a group of peony flowers.
Chen Yun watched her back, feeling inexplicably moved in his heart, and then settled down.
It seemed that the love and admiration he once felt had faded away with the improvement of his mental cultivation.
Although this was the case, he still treated Xie Ziran with great respect, bowing and kowtowing said, "Teacher, my disciple has been away for a long time without visiting you. Please forgive me."
"No problem." Xie Ziran slowly turned around, her face showing no signs of emotional fluctuation, but her tone carried a hint of appreciation. "It's only been fifty years since you've been practicing and have reached the mid-stage of the heavenly realm. Not bad."
Chen Yun looked at her exquisite face and said, "All thanks to my teacher and master for laying a solid foundation for me."
"Even the best foundation cannot guarantee success without talent," Xie Ziran said calmly, "You have both talent and willingness to work hard, so your future achievements cannot be limited."
They chatted casually for a while.
Then, Xie Ziran said, "I've asked you here to see if you would be willing to take a disciple."
Chen Yun spoke truthfully, "I don't mind taking a disciple, but I haven't graduated from my master yet. If I want to officially take on a disciple, I need to get his permission. He is currently imprisoned in the Tianmao jail, and I cannot ask him for advice."
Xie Ziran did not insist, "I understand that this is inconvenient. If it's too much trouble, never mind. I will spend some time passing her a method of controlling qi, and the realm she can reach depends entirely on her own karma."
Chen Yun asked, "Teacher, did you summon me here just for this matter?"
"Mm," Xie Ziran nodded slightly, "There are no other matters."
Chen Yun had expected some urgent matters, and hearing that there was nothing was the best news.
He pointed to the surroundings, "Teacher, your pavilion is somewhat dilapidated. Shall I rebuild it for you?"
"Don't worry," Xie Ziran waved his hand, "These are all external things. I focus on my cultivation and have no time for other matters. If you rebuild it today, it will still be ruined tomorrow. The same is true for cultivation. If one cannot persevere, eventually, there will be a day of destruction. Therefore, cultivation requires constant vigilance and strictness. May you remember this advice: no matter if it's achieving immortality or obtaining treasures, they are all external forces and not your true strength. They cannot help you reach true eternity."
Chen Yun had understood. Xie Ziran should have guessed that Chen Yun had invited him to participate in the immortality war, so he gently declined the offer.
If that's not the other person's intention, then he naturally couldn't force it.
Chen Yun could only say, "I understand the teacher's intention, but there are some things I have to do now. After I finish the immortality war, I will come to visit you."
"Good," Xie Ziran waved his hand, "Go back first. If you encounter an opponent you cannot resist in the war for immortality, you can have someone come to me. I will certainly lend you a hand. As for staying here permanently, it's unnecessary."
Chen Yun originally thought there would be no gains, but he was surprised that Xie Ziran was willing to help him when he encountered difficulties.
He was moved to tears and expressed his gratitude, "Thank you very much, Teacher."
After saying this, he took his leave and departed.
...
Chen Yun left Jinshan Mountain and flew through the clouds towards Qingcheng Mountain.
However, he did not immediately return to the temple on Dama Peak; instead, he went to the Er Lang Temple at Guanjiangkou.
After being reported, Guo Ya directly came out to welcome Chen Yun inside.
In the temple, Er Langshen and Meishan Qisheng were both present.
Chen Yun had met six of the seven saints from Meishan before.
The only one he had never met was Huashan Sanlang.
But he still followed the required etiquette.
After a round of polite conversation, Chen Yun was invited to sit down beside the round table.
Guo Ya personally brought over the tea water and some spiritual fruits.
At the moment, Chen Yun was drinking tea.
Huashan Sanlang showed gratitude on his face, "Thank you, Chen brother, for sending the elixir to help me recover from my injuries last time. Such a great favor, I will remember it in my heart and never forget it."
Chen Yun hurriedly said, "Brother is being too polite. The elixir was given to me by my teacher, and the credit should not be attributed to me."
Huashan Sanlang still insisted on expressing his gratitude.
The two of them exchanged pleasantries in a humble manner.
Finally, Er Langshen couldn't bear to see the continued politeness, "Enough, my two brothers. You don't need to be so polite and reserved with each other. From now on, we are all brothers. There's no need for such formalities."
"What my brother said is very true."
"We will follow what Brother Er Langshen said."
Chen Yun and Huashan Sanlang finally stopped being polite.
Er Langshen looked at Chen Yun with a smile, "Brother Chen, you have come to Guanjiangkou this time. Is there any important matter?"
The seven sages of Meishan all perked up their ears.
They seemed to have already guessed the purpose of Chen Yun's visit, but wanted to hear it confirmed by their own ears.
From the expressions of the sacred beings, Chen Yun could tell that they were eagerly anticipating his arrival.
He decided to be straightforward and say, "Brother Er Langshen, my dear brothers, I have come to invite you all to participate in the immortality war to help me in my efforts."
He was about to explain his camp and who the sacred beings in it were.
Unexpectedly, before he could get a word out, Er Langshen made a decision without hesitation, saying, "Fine! As soon as Chen brother gives the order, the entire Er Lang Temple at Guanjiangkou will follow your lead!"
