Chapter 462: Daoist Buyu Storytelling

"Say what you will, but the defensive prowess of this golden body is genuinely formidable." The Immortal Fairy was ever one to spot the silver lining.

"Should you attempt to strike your own golden form, save for the Village in the Palm which might leave a mark, any other assault would scarcely graze the skin."

"That impervious?" Lu Yang started, having presumed his swordplay would suffice to pierce its defenses; he had not expected the Fairy to hold the golden body in such lofty esteem.

"It was, after all, bestowed by my celestial self!"

"As a defensive maneuver, it is not without merit." Lu Yang nodded, reflecting that a grueling day spent mastering the Six-Zhang Golden Body had yielded some measure of reward.

Armed now with the Village in the Palm for offense and the Six-Zhang Golden Body for defense, who could possibly stand against him?

The teahouse.

The Daoist brought his gavel down with a sharp crack, and a tale began to unfold in measured, resonant tones.

The Daoist cut a bedraggled figure, his fly-whisk resting upon the table, yet his eyes shone with a piercing brightness—his entire appearance an incongruous medley.

"Within the ranks of the Daoist Sect, there arises a chosen talent named Lu Yang. This youth's natural gifts are nothing short of extraordinary. Upon his initial entry into the sect, he displayed a talent so profound it stunned all who beheld it: the exceedingly rare Single Spiritual Root. What a Single Spiritual Root signifies, you must all well know; before the grand awakening of this era, such a root appeared but once a century!"

"Furthermore, Lord Lu's Single Spiritual Root is the very finest among its kind. Entering the sect alongside him was another disciple of the same root, none other than the eldest young master of the Meng clan. And who, pray tell, is the Meng clan's eldest master? The Meng family stands at the vanguard of the world's great houses, making their eldest master, by default, the paramount gentleman under heaven."

"Yet, despite such a sublime pedigree, the eldest master of the Meng clan could not help but harbor a deep envy for the Single Spiritual Root possessed by Lord Lu!"

"Upon the revelation of Lord Lu's extraordinary root, countless noble houses and sects stepped forward, eager to forge matrimonial alliances, all of which were firmly rebuffed by the Daoist Sect."

"Contrast this with the eldest master of the Meng clan: though exalted in status and peerless in talent, not a single soul came forward to propose a match. From this alone, the vast gulf between the two becomes glaringly apparent!"

"Following his initiation, Lord Lu was taken in by Daoist Buyu as his final, personal disciple."

The patrons gasped in low, astonished whispers, astonished to learn that this Lord Lu's Single Spiritual Root carried such immense weight.

The destitute Daoist was a wandering storyteller who had arrived at the teahouse but a few days prior. Initially, the patrons had gathered merely out of habit, expecting little from this ragged storyteller.

Yet, the moment the destitute Daoist opened his mouth, his words struck the assembly like a thunderclap. He was reciting the *Legends of the Daoist Sect*, and the chronicles he shared were entirely unheard of.

This was the most recent chapter of the *Legends of the Daoist Sect*!

The *Legends of the Daoist Sect* was currently the populace's absolute favorite narrative; its classic episodes were recounted with relish, and long after the telling, people would endlessly debate the details.

Tales such as "The Primordial Daoist Encounters an Immortal’s Guidance to Found the Sect," "The Nine Disciples Descend the Mountain to Suppress Demons and Uphold the Righteous Path," or "Daoist Buyu Cleaves the Heavenly Gate with His Sword, Compelling the Multitude of Heroes to Submit."

To be ignorant of the Daoist Sect's name was to be utterly behind the times.

Thus, the latest rendition delivered by this destitute Daoist was naturally pursued by the masses with fervor.

Over the past few days, the teahouse proprietor's face had creased into a permanent, gleeful grin.

"In those days, a great demon lurked within the Daoist Sect, and Daoist Buyu found himself suppressed by this fiend. The great demon usurped Buyu’s seat, installing himself as the Sect Master, while the rest of the sect remained blissfully unaware of the deception."

"Lord Lu was the first to perceive the truth. Piercing the demon's disguise, he sought out Daoist Buyu, overcame a thousand hardships and ten thousand perils, and finally unsealed the Daoist Master, returning him to the mortal realm!"

"Following this harrowing ordeal, Daoist Buyu saw through the vanity of the red dust and chose to wander the world, leaving the affairs of the sect in the capable hands of his most esteemed eldest disciple."

"By rescuing Daoist Buyu, Lord Lu earned the profound gratitude of the entire sect, who regarded him as a savior of the highest order."

"The Sect Master of the Five Elements Sect even paid a personal visit to the Daoist Sect, specifically requesting an audience with this youthful hero. Upon meeting him, the Five Elements Sect Master treated Lord Lu with the utmost deference, regarding him as an equal and according him the full etiquette due to a fellow sect leader."

The listeners silently murmured their approval; that the Master of the Five Elements Sect would treat Lu Yang so after the rescue spoke volumes of Daoist Buyu’s immense standing.

"Lord Lu possesses a singular insight, and his battle record is nothing short of staggering. What manner of place is the Daoist Sect? It is the foremost of the Five Great Immortal Sects, where every disciple is a paragon, invincible among their peers."

"Yet Lord Lu dared to challenge those far above his station. As a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he leaped across three entire realms to challenge Gold Core, Nascent Soul, and Deity Transformation masters, securing victory after victory, a feat that left the upper and lower echelons of the Daoist Sect utterly spellbound!"

"Though Lord Lu’s talent is supreme, he remains exceedingly modest, maintaining excellent relations with his senior brothers and sisters. They frequently seek him out for friendly sparring to advance their cultivation together in perfect harmony."

The audience now had a clear picture of this Lu Yang whom they had never met: a cultivator of profound power yet gentle character—the very picture of perfection.

As the *Legends of the Daoist Sect* recorded, Daoist Buyu’s fame spanned the heavens; wherever he traveled, acquaintances would recognize him, warmly inviting him to banquets featuring grand sword dances. Daoist Buyu would merely remark that the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water, declining the lavish invitations, leaving his acquaintances to look upon his departure with deep sorrow and regret.

What did this illustrate? It proved that Daoist Buyu’s friendships encompassed the entire world.

Lu Yang’s humility and his penchant for making friends were undoubtedly inherited from Daoist Buyu.

It was exactly as one would expect of Daoist Buyu's final disciple—the mantle passed seamlessly from master to student.

The destitute Daoist spoke with an eloquent, silver tongue, chronicling Lu Yang’s exploits for the duration of the entire morning, before finally striking his gavel once more.

"On the morrow, we shall recount the tale of another legendary disciple of the Daoist Sect, Lord Meng. Lord Meng's heart is set firmly upon the immortal path; unmoved by desire or temptation, his fortitude rivals that of an enlightened monk."

"Everyone, until tomorrow!"

The destitute Daoist drained his tea in a single draught, rose, and took his leave.

"Here is your share of the day's earnings." The teahouse owner personally sought out the destitute Daoist, handing over a heavy pouch of silver.

In the proprietor's eyes, this bedraggled Daoist was a veritable cash cow; so long as he remained, the teahouse's fortunes would grow grander by the day!

The destitute Daoist accepted the silver with a smile, slipping it up his sleeve.

A paper crane fluttered its wings and alighted softly upon the Daoist's shoulder.

The Daoist blinked in surprise; he recognized the crane—it was a missive from Little Yun.

"Why would Little Yun seek me out?" Daoist Buyu muttered to himself, finding it queer. Little Yun had only just finalized his release from prison a few days ago; why was she already contacting him?

Within the letter, Yun Zhi’s phrasing was precise and courteous, detailing the strategy Wu Youdao had arranged in Jizhou, while clarifying that Lu Yang was currently managing the Daoist Sect's affairs, and she was merely acting as the scribe.

At the very foot of the parchment, Yun Zhi had appended:

"Our junior brother is a youth of few words. He has implored me to convey to Master that the matter in Jizhou is of paramount gravity; he begs Master not to refuse, but to journey thither with all haste."

"Jizhou... I happen to be in Jizhou at this very moment." Daoist Buyu folded the paper crane away, exhaling a soft sigh.

"Just what realm has Little Yun attained, that a mere paper crane could pierce the restrictions laid down by a Tribulation Transmutation expert, delivering the letter into my hands completely unscathed?"

Daoist Buyu raised his eyes to gaze at the celestial canopy shrouding the city. The seamless barrier now bore a tiny aperture, punched clean through by the passage of the paper crane.