The Thirteen Mountains in the Northwest refer to the thirteen mountain ranges that isolate the northwest prairie from the central and southern hills. These thirteen mountains are shrouded in clouds and mist all year round and are extremely steep. They are natural barriers. en8. If the Dajing tribe had not had the help of a holy place like the Temple of Heaven, it would not have been possible to break through the limitations of nature and break through the thirteen obstacles to take Fancheng.
When Lu Tiantan broke through the Thirteen Barriers, he considered making Fancheng his capital in the future, and did not want Jingguo to be influenced by other monastic sects, so he simply cleaned up all the casual monastic sects on the mountain. But these huge thirteen barriers have somewhat slipped through the net, such as the ancient temple before, and the Earth Fire Gate on Jueming Mountain.
Cassia Mountain is the third mountain range from southeast to northwest. There is already some snow on the top of the mountain in late autumn. The snow melted under the midday sun and flowed along the stream in front of the Dihuo Gate, clear and cold.
At this time, two little Taoist priests were catching fish in the stream at the foot of the mountain.
"Hey, Qingfeng has gone back to school, too?" A tall, thin Taoist priest sighed and threw the fish basket aside.
The other little Taoist priest was chubby and looked quite pleasant. When he saw him stop, he stopped immediately: "Yes, yes, Senior Brother Qingfeng has also returned to the Mirror Country to study. Senior Brother Qingchen, why do you think we still have to do this?" Stay here?”
"For the sake of seeking the truth..." Qingchen sighed and glanced at the basket with only a few small fish, and couldn't help but worry about today's dinner.
"But that old Niubi didn't teach us Taoism at all. He asked us to meditate every day. What's the use of meditating? I want to learn the Taoism of moving mountains and reclaiming seas!" The fat little Taoist priest said with some dissatisfaction.
"Qingyuan, don't lecture me like this. Master is naturally doing it for our own good." Qingchen frowned.
"Hey, he didn't even catch the fish! He even asked us to boil water for cooking. He didn't want to recruit an apprentice at all, he just wanted to find a handyman! Senior brother, you have a kind heart, but I don't want to stay here any longer!"
The fat Qingyuan threw away the fish basket, turned around and ran into the Taoist temple to get his luggage. When he ran out again, Qingchen was surprised: "What are you doing!?"
"Go home and study to become an official. If you're lucky, you can even go to the Temple of Heaven to serve as a high priest!" Qingyuan walked towards the forest holding his things.
"Wait a minute, this place is thousands of miles away from Jingguo. It's deep in the mountains and forests, and wild beasts are infested. How can you run back alone!" Qingchen grabbed him anxiously.
"Although I haven't learned Taoism in the past two years, my strength has indeed increased a lot. It's easy to deal with wild beasts!" Qingyuan was not afraid and shook his sleeves vigorously, "Senior brother, let go!"
"It's not right for you to leave without saying goodbye. You should at least tell Master first..." Qingchen refused to let go.
Qingyuan was afraid of tearing the cloth strips on the package, so he didn't dare to use too much force. He could only maintain a stalemate with him: "Brother, please save it. Brother Qingfeng, didn't you also leave without saying goodbye? If you stay any longer, you are just saying that. Lao Niubi’s thoughts!”
Qingchen was not as strong as Qingyuan, so he ran a few meters away and disappeared into the dense forest without catching Qingyuan.
He stamped his feet, ignored the fish basket on the ground, and rushed into the forest with Qingyuan.
"Qingyuan! Qingyuan! Where are you?" Qingchen shouted as he walked into the forest, and his voice echoed in the mountains.
Unfortunately, Qingyuan seemed to have run away, and he chased for a while but found no trace of him.
Dusk was approaching and the woods began to darken. Qingchen felt a little embarrassed, so he had to go back along the original route, struggling with how to explain to his master.
"This little Taoist priest..." A gentle and clear voice suddenly sounded.
Qingchen shuddered, and the charming ghost stories in those books suddenly filled his mind. It is said that it is always easy to see these strange things at dusk.
He desperately told himself that he could not look back, but he was also worried about what he would do if a lone traveler asked him for help.
"Little Taoist Master, please stay. "Elegant* Wen*yan*qing*first*"" This time it was a much younger voice, but it was calmer and calmer than the one just now.
This voice doesn't sound like Hu Meizi. Could someone really be asking for help
Qingchen turned around and saw a girl as beautiful as a peach blossom with spring water in her eyes standing in the shelter of the dense forest. A big man slowly walked out from the shadow of the trees. On the shoulders of the big man sat a blind girl wearing complicated sacrificial clothes.
"You... who are you?" Qingchen felt that something was wrong with these people. This place was deep in the Thirteen Barriers, and there was not a single family. Where did the children come from
The blind girl jumped down from the big man's shoulder, and when she landed, there was a faint black flame lingering under her feet. Qingchen wiped his eyes, and the black flame had disappeared. He couldn't help but wonder if he had seen it wrong.
"We are wandering people. I would like to ask the Taoist Priest to inform your master that we would like to use your place to rest temporarily."
"This..." Qingchen was still worried about his junior brother. At this moment, several practitioners of unknown origins came. He didn't know what to do.
"If there is any inconvenience, don't force it. The little Taoist priest will show us the way out of the mountain." Yun Qing saw that he was in trouble and did not force it. He said politely.
"No, no, no, it's not an inconvenience. It's just that the door is quite cold. I'm afraid I might neglect a few guests." Qingchen is also a sincere person. Among the few people he saw, there was a delicate girl and a blind man. The children who are blind don't dare to let them rush in this late night.
"People who practice Taoism naturally don't care about these things." The blind girl smiled gently, but Qingchen felt that the smile was not as real and vivid as the other girl.
He thought again and again and said to a few people: "Come with me, it's dark and the mountain road is not easy to walk."
"Thank you, Mr. Taoist." The girl followed him. It seemed that the beautiful girl and the big man were taking her as the leader. Seeing that she had followed, they quickly chased after her.
"My name is Yun Qing, this is Amang, and this is Zheng Zhenzhen. Have you ever asked the Taoist leader his name?" Yun Qing walked slowly and followed Qingchen easily.
Qingchen looked embarrassed. He had never been asked his name so seriously before: "I, no, my name is Qingchen. I am a disciple of the Earth Fire Sect in this mountain."
"What is the Earth Fire Gate?" Zheng Zhenzhen suddenly interrupted and asked.
Qingchen was even more embarrassed. He naturally knew that his sect was not famous, but when he was suddenly asked by this beautiful girl, he didn't know how to answer.
"One of the three thousand left sects, from the same lineage as the Tianhuo Sect among the eight hundred side sects. It started from the ancient Taiyang Zhenren. The art of using fire to make alchemy in the "Fire Sutra" is very profound and has its own uniqueness. However, it is different from the Tianhuo Sect. Zong's art of raising fire and refining the mind is trivial in comparison." Yun Qing replied calmly.
Qingchen was stunned when he heard this. He didn't even know about these things. There are only two or three big cats and kittens in this Earth Fire Sect, but according to this girl, it is actually a Taoist sect that originated from ancient times!
"This... uh, fellow Taoist, you really know our Earth Fire Sect very well!"
"Is the Dihuo Gate ahead?" Yun Qing said suddenly.
"Yes, let me lead a few people in." Qingchen took a look and unknowingly had reached the edge of the stream. He was about to lead a few people in but was stopped by Yun Qing.
Yun Qing shook his head and said: "I'm afraid that the little Taoist priest has just started? It is not so easy to lead outside practitioners to worship the mountain. Let's listen to what your master says."
Qingchen felt that this girl was really knowledgeable, but he didn't know where she came from. He looked at her with admiration and ran into the mountain gate.
The Earth Fire Gate was built against the mountain, hollowing out part of the entire mountain for use as a place of practice. Earth fire, which is natural fire taken from the center of the earth, is also good for refining weapons and making elixirs.
Qingchen ran into his master's alchemy room and took a look. When he saw that there was no flash of fire, he knew that his master was not refining alchemy at the moment. So he knocked gently on the door.
"Master, my disciple Qingchen has something to ask for."
"Come in." A slightly aged voice said calmly.
"Master..." Qingchen saluted, but for a moment he was at a loss to speak. Should I tell Master that my junior brother has run away first, or should I talk about those few wandering people
"What about your junior brother?" A middle-aged Taoist priest with a beautiful beard wearing a white robe with a flame pattern printed on the back was meditating in front of the alchemy furnace.
"Yes... not entirely..." Qingchen panicked when he heard this. He was afraid that his master would punish Junior Brother Qingyuan.
The middle-aged Taoist priest still looked calm, but the fire in the alchemy furnace became more and more violent: "Everyone has his own ambitions. It is also his own choice to abandon this avenue to seek wealth and honor in the world. You don't have to Take it to heart.”
"Yes, Master." After hearing what Master said, Qingchen couldn't explain anything anymore, so he continued, "Just now, there were a few wandering monks who wanted to stay here for a while. Let me ask Master Respect you..."
"Young monk?" The middle-aged Taoist priest stroked his beard and frowned. They belong to a secluded mountain sect, and may not see a visiting cultivator for hundreds of years, nor do they know how they found this place.
"Yes, the other party has good cultivation and is quite particular. It just looks like he is in trouble." Qingchen expressed his guess.
"Go and ask them what path they have understood and what method they have studied." The middle-aged Taoist priest raised his hand to draw a Taoist talisman from the sky and handed it to Qingchen.
Qingchen nodded and left, ran down the mountain again, and gave the talisman to Yun Qing.
Yun Qing silently glanced at the contents on the talisman, filled in his answer at the end, and handed the talisman to Zheng Zhenzhen.
It was the first time that Zheng Zhenzhen had seen this method of worshiping the mountain gate, and she couldn't help but be a little curious. She had just cultivated her Qi, so she answered her question unskillfully. She handed the talisman back to Qingchen and said with a smile: "Sorry for the trouble."
This was actually the first time Qingchen had experienced this, and his face turned red when Zheng Zhenzhen saw it. Not daring to read the contents on the talisman for a moment, he quickly ran back to the alchemy room and handed the talisman to the beautiful-bearded Taoist priest.
"These two have quite a lot of background..."
Qingchen didn't understand how he could tell from these questions that the other party had a good background.
"Invite them to come to my place to talk." The middle-aged Taoist priest thought for a while and agreed to allow a few people to come in.
Qingchen ran so hard that his legs were about to break, and he finally brought Yun Qing and others to the door of the alchemy room.
"Please, please."
This alchemy room is very large, with a huge cavity in the middle, surrounded by a magic circle of black meteorite iron, and the earth and fire are obtained from this cavity. A huge bronze tripod hangs above the earthly fire, and the tripod is embossed with simple flame patterns.
Next to the alchemy stove, a middle-aged Taoist priest with a beautiful beard looked at the group of people with some surprise: "It turns out there are three of them. When I saw the invitation, I thought there were only two Taoist friends."
Yun Qing heard that the other party was slightly dissatisfied. She frowned and explained: "It can only be regarded as two people. Amang is an inanimate thing."
The middle-aged Taoist priest was even more surprised. He looked at Amang back and forth several times before saying, "I was reckless. Please sit down, please."
As soon as he finished speaking, two flaming futons appeared in front of several people.
Yun Qing thanked her, and Shi Shiran sat down. The flames couldn't get any closer to her.
Zheng Zhenzhen was in trouble here. The flames on the futon were red in color, and a burst of violent heat came straight towards him. Wouldn't his butt be burned out just sitting down like this
"This is an open-door discussion. Just sit down and I will find a way." Just when Zheng Zhenzhen didn't know what to do, Yun Qing's voice came into her ears.
Zheng Zhenzhen gritted his teeth and sat down. Unexpectedly, this futon is not hot at all, but has a jade-like coolness.
Yun Qing himself cultivated the Great Sun Black Heavenly Wheel, which was known for its ferocity and violence. On weekdays, he had no contact with the Great Sun Demonic Flame, and it was more than enough to suppress this little earth fire. So it's okay to be a little distracted and use the Xuanyuan Jade Transformation Technique to help Zheng Zhenzhen.
"You two are really amazing. When I took the fire from the center of the earth, even the meteorite would turn into molten iron, but you were unscathed." The middle-aged Taoist priest said with a smile, but his face was not so cool.
He asked about the door and opened the door to discuss the law.
This is also a common trick among casual cultivators. It is nothing more than a desire to compete and a desire to win, and they want to show their strength to those who worship the mountain. These are almost invisible in orthodox monasticism. Orthodox monastic sects don’t even have time to understand their own great ways. Where do they find the time to casually argue with others
"Thank you, Taoist Master, for taking me in. I don't know what to call him?" Yun Qing ignored his slightly sour compliment.
"I'm here, Master Huo." The middle-aged Taoist priest's face became increasingly ugly. He felt that Yun Qing was arrogant.
Each generation of sect leader of Dihuo Sect is called the True Master of Dihuo.
"My name is Yun Qing, and this is Amang..."
"My name is Zheng Zhenzhen!" This time Zheng Zhenzhen finally kept up with the conversation of several people.
The middle-aged Taoist priest became more and more dissatisfied, thinking that he didn't even report his Taoist number, so he must be hiding his head and showing his tail.
"I've been bothered a lot this time, and I'd like to ask the Taoist priest a few questions." Yun Qing knew from the look on the face of Master Dihuo that he had a bad temperament and was not a person who could concentrate on the Tao, so he lost interest in communicating. He asked straight to the point.
"Please tell me." Master Dihuo managed to look kind.
"May I ask how to reach the mountain gate of Mianfenglang?"
Among the seven holy places, only the Temple of Heaven is worldly. The Lutian Temple is about cultivating human nature and requires constant contact with the world, so the Lutian Temple is easy to find. The other sects are all unconventional, and there is no other way to find their mountain sect except for someone to lead the way.
When Master Dihuo heard the other party ask about the Seven Holy Lands, he felt more and more that Yun Qing and the others were making fun of him.
"This... I don't even know this."
Yun Qing was a little disappointed. She originally thought that the Earth Fire Sect was inherited from ancient times and should have some connection with the Seven Holy Lands. However, when she came here and read it over and over with the Heavenly Book, she found that it really had no connection at all. Moreover, the Earth Fire Sect has somehow fallen to this point. Except for the Qingchen whom I met at the beginning, the others are just mortals wearing the skin of ascetics. Regardless of their good character or qualifications, they are all in a mess.
This Earth Fire Master is even more narrow-minded, full of petty schemes but has no intention of being a Taoist. He is the leader of a sect, but he has not even entered Taoism.
"In that case, let's take our leave first." Yun Qing stood up.
Anyway, this person doesn’t know anything, so instead of staying here, it’s better to go straight to the northwest plateau, maybe there will be some clues.
Yun Qing is anxious to find an inheritance that can continuously nourish her soul and reduce the trauma caused by using the Book of Heaven. Now the national master showed her the way, which is the Lotus Heart Void Hidden Contemplation method in Guiling Temple. However, it is impossible for such a top line of inheritance to be given to someone of unknown origin, not to mention that Guiling Temple does not accept female disciples. Therefore, in order to obtain the Lotus Heart Void Hidden Concept, we can only do it in a roundabout way.
So Yun Qing took the idea of Mien Feng Lang, an old neighbor and sworn enemy of Guiling Temple. Mienfenglang and Guiling Temple are the ones with the most wars among the seven holy places. However, one is a peaceful and compassionate Buddhist holy place, and the other is a sect of immortality composed entirely of women who live in peace with the world. This has always amazed the monastic community. .
As long as you find Mianfeng Corridor, it is equivalent to finding Guiling Temple. Maybe you can take away the Lotus Heart Void Hidden Concept while they are fighting.
Just when Yun Qing turned around to leave with Zheng Zhenzhen and Amang, the Taoist with the beautiful beard said loudly: "You two Taoists, stay here. I also have something to ask for!"