Capítulo 5: Demons are everywhere!
In the Chaoyun Hall, a huge statue of a kind-faced deity wearing a Taoist robe was enshrined.
Incense smoke curled up on both sides of the statue, and a pair of couplets were engraved on the back.
"Heaven and Earth are selfless, and those who do good will naturally be blessed."
"The sages have taught that cultivating oneself can nourish one's nature."
Before the statue, Chen Su and a group of Taoist abbots sat cross-legged on cushions, meditating with their eyes closed.
Ye Tian stepped into the Chaoyun Hall and was momentarily taken aback by what he saw.
He felt a sense of reverence for the person enshrined in the hall, but he couldn't guess who it was.
The people in the hall turned their heads curiously towards Ye Tian as they saw him enter.
Chen Su, who had been waiting there, immediately stood up and approached, taking Ye Tian by the hand and quickly walking to the front of the statue.
"Ye Tian, this is the ancestor of our Taoist sect. Since you have joined our sect, you should first offer incense and pay your respects," said Chen Su.
Ye Tian did not hesitate and, under Chen Su's guidance, lit three sticks of incense and inserted them into the incense burner before the statue, bowing three times and kowtowing three times.
After the ceremony, Chen Su took Ye Tian's hand and looked at the assembled elders in the hall.
"Everyone, this is the disciple that I have personally accepted after descending from the mountain. I have invited you all here today to witness the ceremony of my accepting him as my disciple," announced Chen Su.
With that, Chen Su ordered someone to bring a Taoist robe and turned to Ye Tian.
"Our Qingcheng Sect is not a sect that follows complicated rules and regulations. You should follow the number of bows and kowtows that I just taught you and perform the three-bow nine-kowtow discipleship ceremony. Then the ceremony will be complete," said Chen Su.
"Yes!"
Without hesitation, Ye Tian knelt down and performed the discipleship ceremony under the gaze of the assembled elders.
However, just as he knelt down and bowed his head, his headache suddenly flared up, causing his head to feel like it was exploding with buzzing and stabbing pain.
He instinctively covered his head and tightly gritted his teeth.
Seeing this, Chen Su smiled and said to the assembled elders, "Please forgive him, my disciple suffers from a headache that often flares up. Once his cultivation has progressed, it will be healed."
Ye Tian's headache was so severe that Chen Su's words sounded like magical whispers in his ears, turning into strange and incomprehensible muttering.
Despite the pain, he knew that this was not the time to show any weakness. With great effort, he completed the three-bow nine-kowtow ceremony and raised his head, intending to give Chen Su a reassuring smile.
But as his smile formed, his facial expression suddenly froze.
Within the hall, he saw a vision of monstrous creatures covered in flesh and blood, with multiple legs and long tentacles waving about. Their bodies were covered in slime, and they stretched out their long necks to look at him!
Their heads varied in size and the number of eyes, but they all shared a similar appearance.
One of the creatures even stuck out its long tongue and licked its sharp teeth, drooling onto its fat body.
It was a horrifying sight filled with evil demons!
Ye Tian's scalp felt like it was about to explode!
A thought suddenly emerged in his mind: This Qingcheng Mountain Taoist temple is actually a huge demonic abyss!
They must have some ulterior motive for seeking me out!
Before him, the largest of the monsters leaned forward, and a long tentacle emerged from the slime to gently cradle Ye Tian's face. It had three eyes that rotated to look down at him, uttering unintelligible sounds.
In that instant, Ye Tian felt as if all his strength had been drained away.
Beads of sweat continuously trickled down his forehead, and he couldn't tell if it was from the pain or the fear.
Stay calm! I must stay calm!
This could be my chance to escape in the future if I can see through these evil demons' true forms while Chen Su cannot. I must not reveal my secret!
Ye Tian forced himself to calm down and quickly reviewed everything that had happened before, mustering up the courage to speak to the monster.
"teacher!"
When Ye Tian spoke, the three-eyed monster's eyes lit up with joy. It turned its bulky body to look at the other monsters in the hall, and its long tentacles pulled Ye Tian to his feet. It uttered some unintelligible language, and all the monsters in the hall excitedly moved their bodies, splashing slime everywhere!
Ye Tian forced himself to suppress his disgust and maintained a stiff smile on his face as he looked at the monsters.
Suddenly, there was a piercing sound that rang in Ye Tian's ears, and his vision instantly returned to normal.
The sounds of congratulations from the assembled elders filled his ears.
"Congratulations, Congratulations! Congratulations to the Sect Master on finally finding a disciple to his liking."
"Chen, you've finally bloomed like an iron tree..."
"Shut up! That's not how you use the phrase 'bloom like an iron tree'!"
Looking at the smiling faces around him, Ye Tian couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality.
The scene before him was vastly different from what he had seen earlier, creating a strong sense of disconnect that made him feel as if it were all a lie.
Were their smiles genuine, or was he just overthinking it?
The thought was quickly dismissed from his mind.
No, this can't be real!
It must be an illusion created by these evil demons to deceive me!
What I saw earlier was the truth!
This Qingcheng Mountain is a demonic abyss!
They definitely have some ulterior motive for me!
Even if I'm safe now, there's no guarantee that I won't be in danger in the future!
I have to escape!
I must!
Ye Tian lowered his head slightly, narrowed his eyes, and clenched his fists in secret.
Beside him, Chen Su, who was smiling as he responded to the congratulations of the others, suddenly paused for a moment, a strange glint flashing through his eyes before returning to normal.
...
"Disciple, this is the basic heart sutra of our Qingcheng Sect, 'The Annotations of the Qingyang.' It contains the most basic methods for absorbing qi into the body. You should follow the instructions and meditate," said Chen Su, handing Ye Tian a book and a jade pendant.
"This is your identity jade pendant. Show it, and no one on Qingcheng Mountain will dare to stop you," added Chen Su.
"For now, focus on laying a solid foundation with the Qingyang Annotations. Once your foundation is firm, I will teach you the next level of cultivation techniques."
Ye Tian took the Qingyang Annotations and identity jade pendant from Chen Su's hand, giving him a polite smile.
"Thank you, Master! I will diligently cultivate and not disappoint you!"
Seeing Ye Tian's demeanor, Chen Su nodded in satisfaction.
"Very well. I have some sect matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving for a while. You should focus on your cultivation," said Chen Su.
"Yes," replied Ye Tian.
With that, Chen Su waved his sleeve and his body rose into the air, disappearing from the front of Ye Tian's hermitage.
Ye Tian stood at the doorway with a smile on his face, watching Chen Su leave until he was completely out of sight. Then, his smile vanished.
He quickly turned around, locked the door, and panted heavily.
Just then, his headache flared up again, and Chen Su once again transformed into a monster in his vision. He endured the discomfort on his body and forced himself to act normally, completing the charade.
Ye Tian's mind was filled with thoughts of the monsters lurking in the Chaoyun Hall. It made his stomach churn just thinking about it.
His determination to escape grew even stronger.
"No way! I can't stay in this demonic abyss for long. I have to find a way to sneak down the mountain!"
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