Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Daoist Sects, Northern Emperor of Slaughter

The next morning, at dawn.

Sunlight filtered through the window, spilling onto Zhang Fan’s face—a warm, cozy feeling rose from below.

The Elixir Book said, for a cultivator, when Yang Qi is ample and foundations surge, if a stick of incense burns without going out, you’re ready to practice magic.

In ancient times, one stick of incense was about half an hour.

Without any external stimulus, it’s basically impossible for most people to keep their foundation surging for half an hour straight.

”After one night’s sleep, I’m actually full of vigor, True Yang so abundant?”

Zhang Fan savored the changes in his body, unable to hide his joy.

He knew this was absolutely the reward for his days of diligent hard work. Now his reserves in the Qi Worker rank were solid enough; it was time to try grasping real magic techniques.

If he could master even a Small Skill, he’d have stepped into the Technique Apprentice rank. He wouldn’t be a rookie in the Cultivation Realm anymore.

To be honest, just in two short months, Zhang Fan went from awakening his Primordial Spirit, broke past the Qi Worker Realm, and now was delving into being a Technique Apprentice—such terrifying speed.

”Heaven rewards diligence; the ancients weren’t lying.”

Zhang Fan leapt up from bed, hurriedly left the house, and squeezed onto the subway to get to Night is not bright.

As soon as he entered, he pulled Wen He to the side and whispered: ”Sister Wen, about the He Family...”

Saying this, Zhang Fan looked at Wen He’s expression, a little uneasy.

It was his first magical combat with someone, and he’d shattered their Primordial Spirit. He knew just how dangerous it was. What’s more, the He Family was powerful, especially with their deep roots in Yujing City. If trouble really landed on him, his future was doomed—not even counting lawsuits, his little life might be over.

”Relax, they haven’t found you yet.”

Wen He was still that warm-hearted neighborly big sister, soothing Zhang Fan’s nerves.

”Does the boss know?” Zhang Fan let out a sigh of relief and asked again.

”Knows.”

”What did the boss say?” Zhang Fan tensed up once more.

”The boss said you’re part of the company. If something happens, the company absolutely won’t stand aside, they’ll definitely keep you here...”

”Good people!”

”And, if necessary, they’ll throw you under the bus at the first opportunity.”

”...”

”Damn capitalists!!”

Zhang Fan rolled his eyes, instinctively glanced at Bai Buran’s office, then took his seat and turned on his computer.

Anyone who’s just started office work knows, working life means ’withered vines, old trees, dim crows—clock in, slack off, wait to go home.’

Zhang Fan checked to make sure the coast was clear, then opened up the Little Yellow Book site and scrolled to his following list.

The accounts he followed included not only borderline streamers, but also net idols...

Like the old saying: ’wine, sex, wealth, and qi—four walls, everyone hides within. If you can jump that wall, you may not be Immortal, but at least your life’s long.’

But Zhang Fan, as a cultivator, knew perfectly well how deadly lust could be. The internet’s even more dangerous than the Red Dust; browsing this stuff stirs up desires, scattered thoughts, and causes the Consciousness to leap about.

If even faced with all this, he could stay composed and keep the Heart Method still, that’d be real skill.

”I need all of you to help my cultivation!”

Zhang Fan grinned, absentmindedly watched for two hours, until finally, after much distraction, he scrolled to the bottom of the list. A familiar ID popped into view:

Thousand-Year-Old Demon!

That time at Zhenwu Mountain, this guy had scammed him out of 888 yuan. Zhang Fan even DMed for a refund, but the other party just left him on read and never replied.

Motherf—...

Left on read—like someone killed your parents, the sense of insult is maxed out.

Even so, Zhang Fan still secretly followed this guy. His posts were all razor sharp, especially for insiders—reading one was like enlightenment poured straight into your brain.

Zhang Fan was a hundred percent certain: this Thousand-Year-Old Demon was a real cultivator in real life.

”Damn it, if I ever run into you in person, I’ll make you cough up every cent, with interest.”

Swearing aside, Zhang Fan didn’t hesitate—he opened up Thousand-Year-Old Demon’s home page...

”Daoist Sects and Spell Cultivation...”

”Alright, let’s see how much sheep I can shear from you.” Zhang Fan stared at the post, hyper-focused.

In novels and TV shows, Daoists are supposed to ride clouds and mists, call wind and rain, subdue demons and punish evil—all those abilities come from magic cultivation.

The Daoist Family’s transmission stretches thousands of years. In Song and Yuan times, for easier management, the Imperial Court forcibly reorganized the Daoist Family into two major Sects: Quanzhen and Zhengyi.

To this day, these two sects are still the most famous and powerful in the Daoist world.

Tracing back further, there are actually over a hundred Daoist Sects, each with its own lineage, signature skills, and core magics, etc.

In today’s age, even ancient, once-secret stuff can be found online. Sects blend together; the barriers aren’t as strict as in the past.

But the real core things are still passed down mouth-to-ear, heart-to-heart.

Just like at Zhenwu Mountain, their deepest secrets weren’t even in the Dao Secret Record that Po Jie gave him. No matter what sect you study, to get the true stuff you have to either become an apprentice, sign up for classes, or get secret transmission.

”Just in terms of magic, whatever the school, you need to confirm the Dharma Master first...”

Zhang Fan kept reading.

A Dharma Master is the reverent deity a spell relies on.

All Daoist magic requires praying to the respective deity, summoning Divine Generals.

For example, the Celestial Mother Heart Curse Xia Weisheng had taught him—the Dharma Master was Doumu Yuanjun. And the Five Thunders Righteous Method she’d mastered, the Dharma Master is Nine Heavens Responding Origin Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Celestial Venerable.

Of course, some sects instead take their own Ancestral Masters as Dharma Master.

Like Maoshan—many of their spells take their sect’s founding Sanmao True Monarch as Dharma Master.

Daoist inheritance runs into the thousands, but if you talk magical power, there’s a popular view online nowadays...

Lushan rules punishment, Shenxiao rules thunder, Beidie rules slaughter—they’re all big players.

The Lushan Sect is mostly scattered Daoists, hiding in bustling cities; rare to find them cultivating in remote Palace and Temple halls.

Their magic is renowned for being tough and overbearing; their philosophy is ’either you die, or I live.’ That’s why their spells and curses are aggressive, so even a Gang Step reveals their dominance.

Gang Step, like the Seal, is basic training.

Other sects have fancy Gang Steps like ’Tread on Seven Stars,’ ’Ascend Six Absolutes,’ and so on.

Lushan’s Gang Steps are things like ’Climb the Knife Mountain,’ ’Descend into the Fire Sea,’ ’Ascend the Cloud Tower’—so, their focus on punishment and killing is obvious, and their style is fierce.

Because of this, there’s a saying among Daoists: ’Better to meet the Lord of Fengdu Underworld than a Lushan elite.’ These Daoists really are ’if they can’t kill you, they’ll fight till you die.’

Shenxiao Sect needs no more introduction—biggest name, famous for Thunder Skill, actually a branch of Zhengyi sect, reveres the Nine Heavens Responding Origin Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Celestial Venerable.

”Now, let’s focus on the Beidie Sect...”

At this, Zhang Fan perked up, his eyes shining at a line in the post.

Daoist transmissions stretch for millennia—the North Celestial Profound Emperor is the number one killer!!