"The new Heavenly Master has been chosen, and this old man is finally at peace. My time is drawing near, and I must use my last ounce of strength to eliminate a few demons that plague the human realm, atone for the sins I have committed, and restore peace to heaven and earth!!"
The entire Dragon Tiger Mountain was enveloped by the Old Heavenly Master's voice. Even the two warring factions, locked in a fierce battle within the mountain, ceased their actions upon hearing it.
"What's going on?!"
"Was that the Old Heavenly Master's voice just now?!"
"Could it be that the Heavenly Master is in danger?!"
"The Old Heavenly Master is going to make his move!"
As everyone panicked, a golden light suddenly emanated from the direction of the Heavenly Master's Hall on Dragon Tiger Mountain. The golden light grew brighter and brighter, eventually illuminating the entire Dragon Tiger Mountain as if it were daytime!
The next second, the Nine-Character Mantra echoed from within the Heavenly Master's Hall!
Lin!
Bing!
Dou!
Zhe!
Jie!
Zhen!
Lie!
Qian!
Xing!
Lin Bing Dou Zhe, Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing!
As the Nine-Character Mantra was uttered, thunder rumbled, the earth trembled, and countless ghostly soldiers and generals emerged from beneath the ground, beginning to capture the evil spirits and zombies brought by the actors!
Seeing this, the demons' faces changed. They were so terrified that they lost control of themselves, scrambling and fleeing in all directions!
The ghostly soldiers and generals were merciless. They slew any ghost they saw, cut down any demon, and even snatched the souls of living demons who were not quick enough to escape!
Everyone watching the scene was rendered speechless by the shock.
Did… did the Old Heavenly Master do this?!
To command millions of ghostly soldiers and generals with mortal power, what difference was there between this and being a god?!
"The Heavenly Master's intervention is truly extraordinary!" Han San laughed heartily. "We can finally rest!"
Yuan Jianxin gazed towards the Heavenly Master's Hall, a frown creasing his brow. "I have a bad feeling about this… what the Old Heavenly Master said earlier feels off."
Zhao Chengxiang looked around. "That's strange. I didn't notice it before, but now it feels wrong. Where did Yan Shouyi and the others go?"
Yan Nanfei said, "Brother Yan and the others are not cowards. They might have more important matters to attend to."
As the others discussed, the demons who had stormed the mountain were already in disarray.
Zhang Shanli, who should have been rejoicing, instead looked anxious and began to rush towards the Heavenly Master's Hall.
"Something must have happened at the Heavenly Master's Hall!" Yuan Jianxin exclaimed. "I'm going to the Heavenly Master's Hall to check. What about you?"
"Naturally, we're going together!"
...
Meanwhile, Lin Zitong, Zhang Shantong, Old Jin, and Wang Zhilai also began to head towards the Heavenly Master's Hall.
Zhang Shantong's expression was extremely grim. He hadn't reacted this way even when he learned that the demons were attacking the mountain.
On another front, Yan Shouyi and the others finally emerged from the dungeon.
With some effort, they managed to push open the heavy dungeon door.
Outside the dungeon, the corpses of the Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples from before had long since decomposed and disappeared. No green grass grew on the ground; only withered yellow earth remained, as if no life had graced this land for a hundred years.
This was a testament to the potency of He Zhijing's poison.
He Xiping bound the unconscious Kang Jinlong with the Immortal Rope, and Wang Ji carried him. As they all emerged from the dungeon, they heard the Heavenly Master's call.
Yan Chou looked towards the Heavenly Master's Hall and sighed:
"The Old Heavenly Master is going to die."
Yan Shouyi exclaimed in surprise, "Father, what makes you say that?"
"It's a long story. Let's talk as we walk. Come, let's all head to the Heavenly Master's Hall!"
On the way, Yan Chou finally explained the events of the day to everyone.
"The Old Heavenly Master was supposed to pass away naturally at the age of ninety. However, at that time, there was no successor to the position of Heavenly Master, so he employed some methods to forcibly extend his own life."
"Now that he has found an heir, he understands that he cannot continue to cling to life in this world. Coincidentally, he learned that Li Genmiao would lead the demons to attack the mountain, so he decided to take this opportunity to thoroughly deal with these demons."
"The Old Heavenly Master invited us to the mountain, partly to protect Li Genmiao's mother, Zhang Qingsu, and partly to protect the Heavenly Master's successor, Yu Lumin. As for himself, he intends to sacrifice his life tonight, using all his strength to kill as many demons as possible, which can be considered accumulating merit for himself!"
"So, you're saying the Old Heavenly Master is about to die!"
...
Inside the Heavenly Master's Hall, the Old Heavenly Master's once robust physique was visibly shrinking at an astonishing rate.
His height of nearly six feet had diminished to about five feet six inches.
He no longer had the strength to stand and instead slumped backward, collapsing onto the Heavenly Master's chair!
"Master!"
Yu Lumin rushed forward to support him. He found the Old Heavenly Master's hands to be terrifyingly cold, like those of a corpse dead for many days!
The Old Heavenly Master tightly gripped Yu Lumin's hand, managing a weak smile on his face.
"Disciple…"
"Master, your disciple is here!" Yu Lumin was extremely flustered. He realized that despite reading so many books, not a single one had taught him how to face separation.
"Disciple, you are intelligent and have the world in your heart… After meeting Yan Shouyi, you also understood the preciousness of emotions. However, your master believes you are still lacking one final thing… just one final thing, and you will truly possess the qualifications to inherit the Heavenly Master position…"
The Old Heavenly Master's voice grew weaker, seeming as if he could breathe his last at any moment.
For some reason, Yu Lumin's vision began to blur, and something was flowing down his face.
He reached up to touch it, only to discover it was tears.
He didn't know when it started, but his tears flowed uncontrollably.
"Master… what am I still lacking?" he asked, weeping.
"Lacking… separation."
The Old Heavenly Master said softly, "Although you wandered as a child, your heart was steadfast, and you did not feel suffering. For the following fifteen years, you never descended the mountain… You do not know the hardships of the human world, nor have you experienced the pain of life and death. Even with lofty aspirations, you lack the motivation…"
"My sacrificing myself today is to teach you one last thing!…"
"I ask you, seeing my life's end approaching, does your heart ache?"
Yu Lumin could no longer answer, only nodding repeatedly, his tears even splashing onto the Old Heavenly Master's face.
Seeing this, the Old Heavenly Master smiled more peacefully. "It aches, and that is correct… Because it aches, you must live. Because it aches, you can understand the suffering of the world. Because it aches, you can become the leader of the Daoist lineage, facing everything without fear!!"
"This is the last thing your master wants to tell you!"
Yu Lumin gritted his teeth, trying his best not to shed tears, but his shoulders couldn't help but tremble, and he couldn't stop sobbing!
He cried out hysterically, "Master… I will do it! I will do it! I will become a good Heavenly Master, I will inherit your dying wish, slay demons and monsters, uphold the true Dharma, protect peace in the world, and ensure the well-being of the common people!!!"
The Old Heavenly Master smiled, and as he smiled, he slowly released his hand.
His lips moved slightly, as if telling Yu Lumin: Your master believes in you.
However, with this phrase, the Old Heavenly Master ultimately lacked the strength to speak it aloud.
A generation of Heavenly Master, who had dominated for sixty years, who had subdued all the sects with his virtue and suppressed demons and monsters with his power – yet he finally met his end!
The torrential rain and rolling thunder on Dragon Tiger Mountain today seemed to be prepared for the Old Heavenly Master, as if the heavens were weeping in sorrow and the underworld was beating the drums of welcome.
Grieve for the fall of a generation's Heavenly Master, lament the loss of a formidable figure in the human world!
Tonight.
The Old Heavenly Master,
Died a tragic death!!