C6 The Dao Name Was Le Yang Zhan Bie Bie and the Evil Ghosts of Hell Came to Take His Life

Outside the grand hall, a chorus of voices hushed, as if the very air had stilled in anticipation.

"Sect Master, please reveal your guidance."

The long-bearded elder watched as the Sect Master and his junior brother emerged from the hall, certain that they had reached a decisive conclusion.

The Sect Master, without any visible effort, was lifted upon a yellow cloud of good omen. As he rose into the air, his first word caused flowers to bloom across the mountainside. At his second word, a chorus of white birds sang. With his third, clouds and mist swirled in the sky, coalescing into a menagerie of rare and mythical beasts, as if creating a celestial realm.

"Do you understand why we hold this grand ceremony today?" the Sect Master inquired.

The disciples, kneeling below, craned their necks upward, each one hazarding a guess.

"Today, I will bestow a Dao name upon one of our disciples."

The announcement sent ripples of shock through the assembly as they whispered amongst themselves, wondering which Senior Brother had advanced to the Foundation Building Realm.

The path of cultivation is arduous: ten years to Foundation Building, a century to reach the Golden Core. It's a journey of constant struggle, not just against one's own limitations, but also against the forces of nature and the competition of peers. Every step forward is earned through sweat, toil, and sometimes sacrifices far greater.

Within the Order of Duality, reaching the Foundation Building Realm is to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Elders. Though lacking their authority, one gains access to coveted resources that Qi Refining disciples can only dream of—superior elixirs, advanced techniques, and even more suitable Dao partners.

Envy was evident in the eyes of the disciples, who remained abuzz with speculation, yet none had recently achieved the Foundation Building Realm.

Outside, the assembly of thousands turned their speculative gazes toward the disciple who had earlier experienced a breakthrough. Now in the late stages of Qi Refining, with the sect's full support, he could well reach the Foundation Building Realm within three to five years.

That disciple stood tall, his chest swelled with pride, feeling certain it was he who was chosen. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he watched the Sect Master aloft, contemplating his own future: from Qi Refining to Foundation Building, and eventually to the Golden Core. Perhaps, in a century's time, he too might stand where the Sect Master now hovered.

"I hereby bestow upon this young man the Taoist name Yue Yang. As we are currently in the Yue generation, I grant you the name Yang, with the hope that you will shine upon the entire Order of Duality like the sun above us."

The Sect Master lifted his hand, and the young man rose to float before him, standing half a head shorter.

"In our Order of Duality, merit leads the way. Today, you are Yue Yang, and I am known as Hao Ting. Should you achieve the Golden Core state, your Taoist name will become Hao Yang. And if one day either of us attains enlightenment and reaches the Nascent Infant stage, we shall ascend to the upper echelon of our order."

The Sect Master's words were meant to inspire not only Yue Yang but all the disciples present, fueling their ambition and reminding them not to lose themselves in mere pleasure, but to remember the true essence of their spiritual journey.

"I will not stand for this!"

A disciple, inflamed by the Sect Master's speech, rose to his feet in protest.

This was the same disciple who had recently advanced to the late Qi Refining stage. His face was beet red, and his eyes bulged with fury, as if he were on the brink of bursting.

"What grounds do you have for objection? The Sect Master is here; refrain from making baseless accusations," the long-bearded elder chided. He was about to exert his authority to subdue the disciple when the Skull Demon intervened. The elder looked on, puzzled, as his junior seemed oddly indifferent to a matter concerning his own student.

"I simply cannot accept it. He's merely an early-stage Qi Refining disciple. What has he done to deserve a Dao name? I've toiled tirelessly for our sect for many years, always ready to serve without complaint. It's not just me who's unconvinced—I suspect all the disciples here share my sentiment."

The disciple's voice boomed, his words carefully chosen to rally the others to his cause.

"So, what would you suggest we do?"

The sect master let out a light chuckle. "This disciple certainly isn't reckless, though I wonder which junior brother trained him."

"Master, from what I understand, a disciple who earns a Daoist title has either reached the Foundation Building stage or must have made significant contributions to our sect. If this Junior Brother has indeed made such contributions, I have no objections. However, if he's been favored merely because of an elder's preference, then I'm prepared to fight tooth and nail for justice, for nothing else but the fairness of the Order of Duality."

The disciple's words were so sound that they seemed irrefutable, prompting nods of agreement from many others.

"What's your take on this?" The Sect Leader turned to Le Yang with an amiable smile, seeking his input. Would he reveal his contributions, or would he accept the challenge to fight this Qi Refining stage disciple?

"Do I even have a choice?" Le Yang, no longer the naive boy he once was, had learned from a month under the Skull Monster's tutelage that nothing worthwhile comes without effort.

His Daoist name, Le Yang, was more than just a moniker; it signified power and status within the Order of Duality. He was aware that relinquishing his title now would reduce him from a promising disciple to nothing more than a failure.

In the path of cultivation, one must first cultivate self-discipline. To fight is to ensure that no one else dares to challenge you.

"Put me down," Le Yang commanded.

"I am Le Yang. Who might you be? I do not slay the nameless with my sword."

Le Yang had often fantasized about avenging himself against his foes, imagining various scenarios for the day he would face his enemy.

"Presumptuous! That Daoist title belongs to me!" The disciple's anxiety vanished as he saw Ye Fan hit the ground. If the youngster had truly made a great contribution to the sect, he would have no ground to stand on. Now that the boy had the audacity to step forward, he was about to teach him a lesson in humility.

"Draw your weapon!" Le Yang gripped the white bone sword given to him by the Skull Monster, its durability akin to metal and an ideal conduit for ghostly arts.

"Heh, ignorant child, do you really think that a mere magical artifact allows you to disregard the vast gap in our strength?" The disciple's initial disdain waned slightly upon seeing Yue Yang unsheathe the white bone sword, yet his eagerness for battle soared. To him, Yue Yang was nothing more than a pampered heir, and while the artifact was formidable, it required a skilled practitioner to wield it effectively.

"Really? Then don't accuse me of having an unfair advantage." Yue Yang watched as the disciple charged toward him with bare fists, thundering through the air with formidable force. Yue Yang couldn't afford to underestimate him; he raised his sword and began to recite his incantations.

"Ha! Your incantations are far too slow." While Yue Yang's sword was still channeling the spiritual energies of the cosmos, the disciple's punch was already hurtling towards Yue Yang's face.

"Is that so?" The disciple was startled by a voice from behind; his punch had just connected with what he thought was Yue Yang's head. Upon retracting his fist, he realized he had struck a solitary skeleton.

Whirling around, the disciple saw Yue Yang, unharmed and holding the white bone sword. "When did you summon the 'Bone Soldier'? No matter, even with the Bone Soldier and the Illusory Spirit, at your early stage of Qi Refining, you can only summon it ten times at most."

The disciple's face twisted into a grimace as his fist collided with the Bone Soldier, not without causing him some pain. Yue Yang remained silent, observing as the disciple charged at him once more. He concentrated on his incantations, and yet another Bone Soldier was shattered by the disciple's relentless assault.

"It's futile. Without enhancing your own techniques, you're no match for me in close combat. Once your cultivation is depleted, you'll have lost." The disciple bellowed, his hands stained crimson with blood from his wounds—a symbol of his impending victory. Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine Bone Soldiers destroyed, and his grin widened, confident of his triumph.

"Why aren't you fleeing? Have you conceded defeat?" The disciple saw Yue Yang before him, sword in hand, this time without uttering a single incantation for his ultimate move.

"You're the one who's lost!"

Le Yang's form flickered, his aura undergoing a dramatic transformation. The previously thin and weak-looking youth vanished, replaced by a ghastly specter as if risen from the depths of hell.

"Ghost Summoning! Specter!"

A bloodthirsty and inhuman desire to kill spread across Le Yang's face. In an instant, he lunged at the disciple, his fist striking with the ferocity of a blood-soaked phantom's claw.

The disciple threw a panicked punch, only to be sent flying through the air.

"No, I can't lose. Even if you can 'summon ghosts,' how could you, a mere beginner in Qi Refining, possess more strength than me? It's not possible!"

This disciple had never trained in "Ghost Summoning," but he had sparred with many who had. "Ghost Summoning" could call forth "lesser ghosts, vengeful ghosts, wraiths, evil ghosts, and ghost emissaries," with each ghost's power increasing in that order. Yet, for someone at the onset of Qi Refining to summon a vengeful ghost was already a sign of exceptional talent; summoning a wraith was the absolute peak for someone in the Qi Refining realm, and anything beyond that would surely backfire.

Lying on the ground, the disciple watched in horror as Le Yang approached him step by step.

"The entity within you is a wraith. No, even a wraith shouldn't be this powerful. Could it be..."

The disciple's words trailed off as Le Yang's grip tightened around his neck, his life hanging by a thread.

"That's enough."

The elder with the long beard wasn't moved by compassion for the disciple's life. To these elders, the lives of ordinary disciples mattered little unless they were their own kin or disciples with whom they had entrusted their lives.

It was only because the Sect Master had cautioned, "Do not let Le Yang's killing intent grow too strong," that this disciple was spared. But this reprieve was only temporary; he was never seen again within the Order of Duality.

"Is there anyone else willing to risk their life? Le Yang awaits your challenge."

This marked Le Yang's first genuine victory. His eerie gaze swept over the assembled disciples, his early-stage Qi Refining prowess commanding the attention of all present.

"Heh, you think you're lucky to have conjured up that malevolent spirit with your trinket? You really believe the Order of Duality has run out of members?"

Just then, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. A crisp voice rang out from a distance, its chastising tone paradoxically bringing a sense of clarity and brightness to those who heard it.

"Greetings to the Sect Master, and to all my Senior Brothers."

A majestic white crane soared gracefully above the hall, circling several times before descending slowly. Atop the crane was a luxurious yellow palanquin, upon which a beautiful woman reclined. Approaching with a striking and confident gait was a dashing young man.

"It seems I, Murong Xuan, have missed quite the spectacle!"