Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Moments later, as the two stepped into the top-floor hall, an astonishing aura instantly enveloped them. This invisible yet majestic atmosphere caused them both to tremble violently, with cold sweat suddenly streaming down their foreheads.

"Golden Core Main Priest?" Gu Yu almost cried out in shock.

His gaze was fearful as he looked up and swept across the hall, immediately identifying the target.

It was because that person's aura was overwhelmingly powerful; he seemed like a blazing sun, constantly radiating infinite Light Heat, making everyone else nearly nonexistent in comparison.

This was a middle-aged Taoist with unremarkable features, who looked disconcertingly familiar to the extent that Gu Yu felt his mouth go dry and his mind fog up.

At this moment, there were not many people sitting in the hall, about five or so.

Four of them, however, were people from the other major families of Chu State City, each of high status and all possessing the potential for Foundation Establishment advancement.

But at this moment, these few seemed completely undistracted, engrossed in flipping through the blue thread-bound books in their hands.

They were reading very slowly, as if the books contained exceedingly profound knowledge.

Zhao Sheng sat leisurely in the main seat of the hall, gently caressing a small and delicate White Hedgehog with his right hand.

He glanced at Gu Yu, and said indifferently, "Since you are here, come in, find a seat, and sit down!"

As his words fell, the oppressive force weighing on Gu Yu's heart suddenly lessened greatly, causing Gu Yu's spirit to lift, and he quickly walked into the hall, bowing respectfully to Zhao Sheng from a distance, "Junior Gu Yu, greets Senior Wuying!"

Almost concurrently, the brocade-clad youth exaggeratedly performed a bow as well and loudly exclaimed, "Junior Wu Yifan, greets Senior Wuying!"

"Sit! And wait for the others." Zhao Sheng nodded, then pointed to the seats beside him.

Gu Yu silently recited the Netherworld God Eight-character Mantra, gathered his spirit, walked a few steps to a chair, and carefully sat down, instinctively putting on a warm and sincere smile on his face.

Wu Yifan also sat down close by.

Although the people seated were all familiar with each other, the hall was silent at the moment, with no one daring to speak casually.

Everyone was suppressed by the powerful aura, sitting stiffly in their seats, each silent as a cicada during winter.

Gu Yu secretly observed the long unheard-of Master Wuying, feeling extremely astonished inside.

Previously aging and frail, the person suddenly reversed his aging and regained his youth.

Aside from a miracle, there was probably only one possibility, that this person had succeeded in a breakthrough, already advanced to... Golden Core!

"Is this... possible?" Gu Yu's emotions were complicated as he quietly questioned himself, somewhat doubting his own judgment.

One should know that even as powerful as the Gu Family, with thousands of Cultivation clansmen, there were only two or three Golden Core Ancestors who could support the family's fortune.

For a Loose Cultivator to also advance to Golden Core, rivaling an ancestor, left Gu Yu not only astonished but also enviously resentful!

At this moment, a person silently passed a book to him. Gu Yu took it and saw "Five Virtues Theory" penned on the cover, with ancient and grand implications that immediately came over him.

Opening it, he saw each line written in elegant, flowing script: "Universe in full circle, Five Virtues endlessly cycle, at the beginning of Innate, Essence of the Tao…"

After reading just two lines, Gu Yu was involuntarily engrossed in it, feeling each word was a jewel, containing the Great Dao Truth, sparking numerous inspirations and insights in his mind, even moving him as if he had heard the Dao and could die in the evening without regret.

Time passed unknowingly until the final page of the book was turned. The text abruptly stopped after the line "Five Virtues Play Five Elements, Five Gods Conceived."

After reading, Gu Yu was extremely disturbed, desperately scratching his head, eager to know the latter content.

Just then, another thread-bound book stealthily made its way into his hands.

Gu Yu felt a surge of joy but was deeply disappointed the moment he glanced at the cover, unable to help muttering under his breath, "What on earth is 'Eastern Travel Record'? Where is the second part of 'Five Virtues Theory'?!"

He looked around, noticing that four or five more people had joined in the hall, each one a familiar face.

Yet, whether they were early or late, everyone had their heads down, engrossed in reading, with some looking enchanted and captivated, while others were visibly excited.

At this moment, Master Wuying still sat leisurely there, only now the White Hedgehog had shockingly grown to the size of a calf, lying curled at its master's feet.

However, this White Hedgehog was also emanating a faint oppressive aura, as it turned out to be a Second-level Spirit Beast comparable to those at the Foundation Establishment.

Still, Gu Yu only felt surprised for a moment before regaining his composure.

He lowered his head again, opened the 'Eastern Travel Record', and started to read carefully.

After finishing the first chapter, he suddenly realized, this book wasn't about great Dao truths, but a travelogue about a person, a Taoist named Qingping.

The narrative was structured in chapters, each detailing a short story.

The first chapter, titled "Seeking Official Rank," told of Taoist Qingping coming down the mountain, encountering a weasel seeking a seal, but then being scared off by its furious shout and fleeing in a panic.

The story ended with an Imperial Decree exorcising spirits and ghosts, the spell was very simple, almost like mortal magic tricks.

Turning to the second chapter titled "Beautiful Ghost," it recounted how Taoist Zhao hung a plaque at Lanruo Temple, played cleverly with a beautiful ghost at night, and ultimately called upon Five Passengers to jointly slay an old corpse.

At the end of the story, an alchemy from folk tales was recorded again, teaching how to use yang blood to dispel ghostly Corpse Qi and also listing several animals full of yang energy, such as black dogs, roosters, hedgehogs, goats, and so on.