"I may be old, but I don't understand why you're doing such useless things?"

As Hu Ma finished his last sentence, his mind withdrew inwards. In the corner of his eye, he only saw the face of the National Preceptor suddenly fall silent.

He knew the destructive power of these words and how angry the National Preceptor would become.

The National Preceptor knew that he hadn't crossed the bridge, so he naturally couldn't have imagined that he could cultivate the Shou Sui (Year-Keeping) Mother Art. Perhaps even he himself hadn't initially thought of it. The one who saw the subtlety in this was actually someone else: Zhou Zhiming, the head of the Yang Ming Zhou family.

The timing was very strange when he brought the Tie Jun Da Tang official to the Pan Mountain military camp to greet him.

The words he said to him when they met were equally strange.

Later, when he left, he left his Zhou family's daughter by his side, which was even stranger.

At that time, Hu Ma had already decided to cultivate the Nine Pillars Dao Technique, abandoning the path across the bridge. However, that didn't mean he wasn't curious about the abilities of those on the bridge. He had also learned about the realms of the Bridge Walkers from Lao Suanpan (Old Abacus).

Logically speaking, breaking through the three doors of entering the Fu (Mansion) was equivalent to stepping into transcendence. Everything was only an illusion, the spells were mysterious, and it was difficult to distinguish between high and low. But generally, there were still several realms.

The first step onto the bridge was called "Ren Fei Ren" (Neither Human Nor Human).

Walking a little further was "Gui Fei Gui" (Neither Ghost Nor Ghost).

Walking a little further was the most skilled before the Lan Lu Hu (Blocking Tiger), called "Shen Fei Shen" (Neither God Nor God).

Among them, the Fei Ren realm represented the characteristics of being human beginning to disappear, losing the restraints of heaven, earth, ghosts, and gods.

Like Hu Ma at this moment, his fate was heavy, and he held a powerful treasure. If he really wanted to fight, which ordinary Bridge Walker would dare to provoke him? But in terms of realm, they were indeed higher.

The simplest example: keeping watch over the year on the bridge, even if only in the Fei Ren realm, one could be beheaded and not die, and even live by changing bodies.

This wasn't the beheading of the Tricks Gate and the Negative Spirit Gate, but truly beheading the head, either reattaching it or replacing it with someone else's, and still living. This was already the ability of Fei Ren.

But Hu Ma couldn't do it. As a true "human," if Hu Ma were beheaded, he would still die.

Methods were methods, and realms were realms, not to be mentioned in the same breath.

Also, because Hu Ma was still "human," the spells cast by others on him would still work, hitting him solidly. In these few rounds of fighting with the National Preceptor, almost every move landed on him, relying solely on his Nine Pillars Life Incense to withstand it.

Of course, it was also because his abilities were all human methods that the National Preceptor could so easily subdue him.

Without going on the bridge, one could not reach the "Fei Ren" realm. This was an unsolvable problem.

Until Zhou Zhiming appeared, talking on and on, from the proper path of Shou Sui, abandoning the physical body to cultivate the divine soul, to the Zhou family's Yang Ming methods.

Although he said he wanted his Great Mighty Heavenly Duke method, he didn't know how, but it opened up his thinking. The method left by Lao Jun Mei (Old Lord Eyebrow) had the second half erased, seemingly cutting off his path, but what if it was intentional?

The dignified head of the Yang Ming Zhou family admitted that the Zhou family's method was wrong, which was why they encountered the Lan Lu Hu on the bridge. When Lao Jun Mei left his method, he erased the method behind the bridge. Was it because he also went the wrong way?

This suspicion was the reason why Hu Ma humbly asked Zhou Si Guniang (Fourth Miss Zhou) about the Zhou family's methods.

It was also after Zhou Si Guniang, seeing the morality of the martial world, spoke out the Zhou family's cultivation methods without reservation, that Hu Ma finally felt a stirring in his heart and began to realize a certain possibility…

Da Du Zi Gui Wang (Big-Bellied Ghost King), eats ghosts to fill his stomach.

Swallowing ghosts and eating qi, strengthening the divine soul, seemed to be only the cultivation for entering the Fu.

But Mr. Longjing had already reminded him that eating ghosts wasn't really eating ghosts, but refining qi.

Refining qi could naturally strengthen the divine soul, but after it had strengthened to a certain extent, it seemed dispensable, and it needed to go a step further.

On the way back to Shangjing, Hu Ma already understood that this was Lian Fa (Refining the Law).

Some other methods could not be learned without going on the bridge, but only Shou Sui itself was based on the physical body. As long as the foundation was reached and the divine soul was strong enough, then there was no method that could not be learned.

Even if this was the Heaven and Earth Unmoving Seal method that the head of the Yang Ming Zhou family had comprehended.

Because of this, coupled with what he had left for Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) long ago, Hu Ma had the confidence to return to Shangjing, and he was not afraid of breaking face with the National Preceptor. He could even use him to control himself, and when borrowing strength to carry the altar, carefully observe the Daluo Fa Jiao's (Great Luo Dharma Teaching) sacrificial rituals.

Now, the sacrificial ritual had been seen, the other party's method had begun, and Hu Ma directly interrupted it.

Heaven and Earth Unmoving Seal!

With this seal, even if the sky fell, it would have nothing to do with him. Want to borrow strength? No way.

The above were just Hu Ma's thoughts. The National Preceptor naturally didn't know. He was just suddenly annoyed when he saw Hu Ma using this method. He stretched out his hand to grab Hu Ma urgently, but his palm actually passed through him lightly.

The current Hu Ma was untouched by all laws, and the National Preceptor's body was also transformed by spells, so naturally, he couldn't touch Hu Ma, who was no longer in the world.

At this moment, he gritted his teeth slightly, even wanting to come in his true form, but he also knew in his heart that this was absolutely impossible.

As the person who had walked the furthest on the bridge, he had already reached the Fei Shen realm.

Having reached this realm, all kinds of spells were only a thought away, but seemingly a god, yet not a god. He still had a physical body in this world, and the physical body was his only flaw.

Without this flaw, he would even be worthy of being called "immortal."

"Yang Ming Zhou family…"

In a flash of thought, he just stared at Hu Ma with a cold gaze, suddenly took a few steps back, sat down cross-legged, and then another National Preceptor stood up from his body. With a step, he disappeared on the spot.

"What happened?"

At this time, in front of the small Taoist temple of the Knowing Longevity Hall, the ten surname heads who had just been respectfully kowtowing to the incense table had now all risen.

Some of them looked up, some lowered their eyes, all seeing that Shangjing City now had a sign of tilting, whispering to themselves, "Just now, someone was carrying the ghost altar, but now, the person carrying the ghost altar is gone, and this city is difficult to protect…"

"Could it be that this dharma assembly will fail before it even begins?"

"…"

"Mr. Zhiming…"

Just as everyone's eyes were stern and whispering to themselves, the figure of the National Preceptor appeared beside them.

At this time, he looked calm again, slowly walked over, gave a deep bow to Zhou Zhiming of the Yang Ming Zhou family, and said softly, "I was just discussing with the young Hu family head to invite the Twelve Ghost Altars to the city, but I encountered a small problem."

"I would like to ask Zhou Da Shou Sui (Great Year-Keeper) to teach me a method to break the law."

"…"

Zhou Zhiming was slightly surprised when he heard his words, and smiled, "The National Preceptor is knowledgeable and talented, and also wants to ask me for advice?"

The National Preceptor straightened up, waved his horsetail whisk slightly, and smiled, "The Zhou family is the original family of Shou Sui, but I don't know, is there a method to break the Heaven and Earth Unmoving Seal on the Shou Sui Bridge?"

"What?"

Zhou Zhiming looked very surprised, "This seal was passed down by my ancestors in three parts, and I deduced seven parts, and finally glimpsed the direction. I have never used it in front of others. Why does the National Preceptor know about it, and even ask for a method to break it?"

The National Preceptor looked at his surprise, and did not question how Hu Ma could learn the Zhou family's secret method. He just smiled and said softly, "The descendants of the Hu family have learned a body of Shou Sui skills, using this method to escape outside of heaven and earth. It is certainly good to learn skills, but now it is also wasting time."

"He actually knows it?"

Zhou Zhiming immediately looked surprised, as if a little angry, but immediately shook his head and smiled bitterly, "But the National Preceptor is praising me!"

"I only know this method, and it is a useless method for a turtle to shrink its head, using it to step into the Fei Shen realm. I have no idea how to go further, or even how to break it."

"Otherwise, my Zhou family's Blocking Tiger would have been gone long ago."

"…"

Listening to their conversation, the people next to them could no longer hold back, and their expressions changed, saying, "That kid has this trick?"

"A dignified Hu family's son, but he learned a body of Shou Sui skills. What does he want to do, marry into the family?"

Some people even said directly, "That kid is playing the turtle? Even if we can't break his method, we can always grab his handle. If it really doesn't work, we can grab their Hu family's relatives. If he refuses to submit, we'll just cut them all down?"

"Or kick their Hu family out of the ancestral hall? His own father is buried in that ancestral hall, as well as Bai Jia Popo (Granny Bai), can we…"

"…"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Zhou Zhiming, the head of the Zhou family next to him, sighed, "Let alone that our ten surnames can't do such lowly things, even if we really do it, he has used this method, and now he is ignorant and unconscious, his spirit is wandering outside the sky. Even if you want to threaten him, how would he know?"

"That's right."

Someone next to him also sighed, "The ten surnames' ancestral hall, one prospers and all prospers, one suffers and all suffers."

"Even the Meng family, who has no descendants, must tie a paper figure to kowtow there. If we can take out the ancestors in the ancestral hall to threaten others, wouldn't the Shi Ting Alliance become a joke?"

With flickering eyes, everyone looked at the National Preceptor.

The National Preceptor quietly looked at them, and waited for the voices to lower before sighing softly, "The Zhou family's wonderful method is the Shou Sui Mother Art, jumping out of heaven and earth, and there is no way to break it."

"But it seems that this young Hu family head has shallow Dao practice, so it won't take us a year and a half to wait. But since time has been delayed, there must always be some response. I think it is time to ask you all to take action and burn incense at the ancestral hall."

"…"

"Burn incense?"

Everyone was slightly silent when they heard this. Someone whispered, "Disturbing the ancestors is a big deal. Moreover, to move the ancestral hall, ten surnames are indispensable. If the Hu family is unwilling, this incense will be useless, right?"

"I have my own way."

The National Preceptor nodded lightly and said, "The problem is just that after all, time has been delayed. Before the dharma assembly is ready, those evil spirits must not come to Shangjing, otherwise the immortal foundation will be unstable, and many years of planning will be abandoned…"

As he spoke, he gave a deep bow, "Everyone, thank you for your hard work…"

When the others heard this, they looked at each other, and then sneered, "We said earlier that blocking them for one more day is enough. Now it's just blocking them for a little longer, so what trouble is there?"

"At worst, we'll just block them outside. I really want to see if they still have the ability to enter Shangjing City with our disciples taking action!"
Chapter 1 The Opening
作者：蝴蝶蓝