Monster Chronicles: My Daoist Skill Comes from Mythology
Chapter 199 - 185, Bloodstained Phoenix Platform, Bloody Offering to the Dragon

Chapter 199: Chapter 185, Bloodstained Phoenix Platform, Bloody Offering to the Dragon

The Copper Dragon and Prince Lingwu took their seats.

During this time, the two sides did not come into further contact, strictly adhering to Taoist School regulations.

But judging from the looks in their eyes that day, there must be covert collusion between them.

Xuanke Temple, within the secret chamber of Little Golden Altar Cave Heaven.

The Taoist sat silently in cultivation.

Song Lin introspected, sensing Ren Water within himself. Ren Water does not literally refer to the fluid in the kidneys—it would be far too simple to extract it in that sense.

The kidneys belong to the northern element of water, the mansion of vitality, and the dwelling of decay. Kidney water is divided into two categories: Ren Water and Gui Water. Ren Water is innate—pure and spiritual; Gui Water is acquired—arising from desires, impure and unclear.

Song Lin’s task was to separate the pure from the impure, using Ren Water to nurture his Golden Core. If Gui Water were mistakenly used, the consequences would be disastrous.

However, the separated Gui Water could also be weaponized for enemy-killing Divine Skills.

After sixty months of cultivation within Little Golden Altar Cave Heaven, twenty droplets of blue water were condensed.

The water droplets fell onto the Golden Core and were immediately absorbed.

No visible changes were apparent.

This was an accumulative process, likely requiring many years of effort.

However, cultivating kidney water meant officially stepping into the threshold of Jade Liquid Rejuvenation Pill mastery.

With the accelerated time effect of Little Golden Altar Cave Heaven, Song Lin aimed to achieve Jade Liquid mastery before the cave closed.

He felt rather optimistic about this goal.

After completing his cultivation, Song Lin stood up, stretching his muscles and bones.

He stepped out to find Wang Ziyue.

"I’ll attend a meeting. Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll be back in ten days."

Song Lin instructed his subordinates, "It’s merely a voting matter, no additional events involved."

"All the scheming and power plays have already been dealt with beforehand. Now that the Taoist School is interfering, the outcome is already determined; my presence will merely follow through the motions."

"During this period, no grand displays, no violations of rules or laws."

The Taoist School personnel would be inspecting the assembly; this was absolutely not the time to leave loopholes or make mistakes.

If caught on a technicality, even saving face would be difficult.

"Understood!"

The group responded in unison.

Song Lin ascended a cloud and headed toward the Mei Mountain Jungle base.

He flew for half a day before finally spotting a tall peak at the center of Mei Mountain Jungle in the distance.

The jungle’s main gate was tightly sealed, its surroundings heavily guarded.

Visitors must present identification tokens.

Chi Hai awaited nearby. Spotting Song Lin, he immediately approached.

"Brother, you’ve finally arrived. I’ve been waiting in vain!"

Song Lin got straight to the point, asking in a low voice, "How confident are you?"

"Eighty percent!" Chi Hai replied with unwavering assurance.

His candidacy arose more from popular sentiment than from his own exceptional charisma.

Fire Cloud had monopolized the Taoist position for years, also commandeering Mei Mountain Blessed Land.

Grievances had long brewed amongst the members of the Three Capitals, Five Masters, and Eighteen Heads, some of whom secretly supported Chi Hai.

Moreover, the election was overseen by the Taoist School and the court, utilizing a secret ballot system.

Adding Song Lin’s four votes, Chi Hai had very high prospects of becoming the Taoist.

"Logically speaking, Mei Mountain Blessed Land should be shared among all upper-level members and temple masters, but Fire Cloud monopolized it instead, turning it into an exclusive reward system, leaving the majority unable to enjoy the blessing." Chi Hai patted Song Lin’s shoulder, reassuring him, "Rest assured, once we reclaim the blessed land, it will be reopened for everyone."

"That sounds promising."

Yet Song Lin couldn’t shake a sense of unease.

He proceeded to walk into the jungle.

Above the jungle floated a blazing flame-shaped palace.

Bright scarlet flames formed a towering palace gate.

The temple masters and higher-ups of the jungle entered one after another.

Song Lin unhesitatingly flew upward.

Entering the palace gates, he was greeted by eighteen Coiled Dragon Jade Pillars, and a vast dome adorned with depictions of the sun, moon, and stars.

Dozens of golden chairs were arranged in a circular layout.

At the center stood a square, octagonal dharma altar—this was the Phoenix Platform.

At the altar’s center were tablets dedicated to the Heaven, Earth, Water Three Officials ancestral masters.

In front of the tablets lay the Golden Dragon, jade pendants, and three jade scrolls. Once the election was completed, the names of the victor would be bound to the Golden Dragon jade pendants and offered within Cave Heaven Blessed Land to pay homage to the Heavenly Gods. This ceremony was known as the Dragon Casting Ritual.

On the altar’s left stood Prince Lingwu, robed in his Prince Python attire.

The elderly Prince steadily gazed ahead without greeting anyone, while the Taoists in turn ignored him.

The Wu State Royal Family served as mere mascots to the myriad factions within the Taoist Alliance. Although the Emperor commanded great authority, ordinary royals held mediocre status.

They were figures whom average individuals dared not provoke, whom common Taoists could encounter only rarely, and whom temple master-level Taoists had little interest in engaging.

For those who enjoyed worldly pleasures, this era was certainly favorable.

Hereditary peerage could ensure familial wealth for hundreds or thousands of years, along with access to cultivation resources vastly superior to those available to commoners.

The Royal Family did boast numerous experts, but truly elite masters typically refrained from inheriting titles.

As the saying goes, "One eagle cannot hunt two rabbits." Pursuing both ambitions often leads to failure in both.

On the right presumably sat the envoy dispatched by the Taoist School, though the chair was conspicuously empty, the envoy’s whereabouts unknown.

Song Lin found his seat among the crowd. Nearby sat the Mountain Demon Temple Master, the Five Ghosts Temple Master, and Yunze Temple Master Yun Lian, who had been appointed by Song Lin as the Land God.

"Temple Master..." The Five Ghosts Temple Master began to speak but was quickly silenced by Song Lin’s gesture.

"No words. Vote as previously decided."

Soon, a middle-aged Taoist with bronze dragon horns approached.

As the sound of his footsteps drew closer, everyone in the hall sat upright and quieted.

Copper Dragon smiled faintly and swept his gaze across the room.

"Forty-six people—good, all present." Copper Dragon cleared his throat.

"Candidates, step forward!!"

Chi Hai and Fire Cloud materialized simultaneously.

The two stepped to the dharma altar, bowing three times and kneeling nine times toward the ancestral master tablets.

"Rise!!" Copper Dragon said sharply.

With a rustle, everyone stood.

Prince Lingwu rose to recite the Imperial Decree.

"By divine mandate..."

This was followed by tedious ceremonial proceedings.

Prayers to the Heavenly Court immortals, invoking deities, offering wine, blowing the dharma conch...

Two hours passed as endless rituals unfolded.

"Candidates, retreat." Copper Dragon proclaimed.

Chi Hai and Fire Cloud moved to the back of the hall, disappearing from sight.

Copper Dragon unleashed a radiant light.

The light fragmented into dozens, transforming into peachwood talismans as they landed in each person’s hand.

"I will now explain the rules: The Three Capitals hold three votes each, the Four Masters hold two votes each (one master is deceased), the Eighteen Heads, as well as Chaozhen and Xuanke Temple Masters hold one and a half votes each. Ordinary temple masters hold one vote. A total of sixty-five votes. Whoever acquires more than thirty-two votes shall win."

"The voting process is simple: grip the talisman and silently think of the candidate’s name, the votes will be displayed on the talisman."

Copper Dragon pointed to two yellow talismans marked with the candidates’ names placed before the ancestral master tablets.

Song Lin calculated silently: if this was accurate, his faction collectively held four and a half votes.

"Begin."

As soon as the word left Copper Dragon’s mouth, the name under Fire Cloud instantly lit up with "ten."

In a flash, ten votes were displayed, after which the tally slowed.

Song Lin silently focused on Chi Hai’s name, causing Chi Hai’s tally to rapidly increase.

Ten... fifteen... twenty-five... thirty-six...

Chi Hai’s count had surpassed the winning threshold and continued to rise steadily.

Song Lin exhaled in relief; clearly, Fire Cloud had lost favor among the electorate.

"It’s almost done. You! Go call them back in. Once verified, I will burn the talisman and cast the dragon."

Copper Dragon gestured to Song Lin.

"Me?" Song Lin felt bewildered but nevertheless stepped forward to head to the rear hall of the Fire Palace. The moment had come to congratulate Chi Hai on becoming the Taoist.

The rear hall was a sprawling garden.

At the pavilion by the lake:

The two stood with their hands behind their backs, gazing across the serene water.

"How do you like this Fire Palace?" Fire Cloud asked with a smile.

"Exquisite. Reversing Yin and Yang would take no fewer than hundreds of years to establish." Chi Hai sighed deeply. "But it’s public property. You shouldn’t monopolize it, Taoist."

"No choice. This palace is the foundation of my Dao attainment." Fire Cloud’s gaze deepened. "Were it not for forcibly merging Mei Mountain Blessed Land, I wouldn’t have been able to break my core, nor surpass into the Purple Mansion. Truthfully, I know I’ll lose today.

I’ve lost to the sentiments of the people, not to you. Perhaps you’re right that this is a relic meant for universal access by the jungle’s ancestral masters."

Still, who could so easily relinquish a position of power?

Especially one tied to their Dao foundation.

Chi Hai did not reply.

From that day forth, Mei Mountain Blessed Land would become public property, with every temple master allocated entrance quotas as part of his promise.

Gone were the days of minuscule time restrictions, limiting each master to only a few fleeting months.

What use was such a paltry allotment?

"Let’s negotiate: You keep the Taoist position; I keep the blessed land. Same as before, I’ll share limited quotas for everyone’s cultivation."

"That’s impossible."

Chi Hai shook his head.

At this point, Song Lin’s voice rang out, calling them.

Chi Hai turned and approached Song Lin, asking, "What’s the vote tally?"

Song Lin, just steps away, replied, "Forty-five votes!"

"As expected."

This was the will of the people!

A faint smile crossed Chi Hai’s face.

His era was about to begin.

"Congratulations... huh?"

Song Lin froze.

Within ten paces, Chi Hai’s chest abruptly sprouted a long spear, piercing through his heart and emerging behind his back, blood gushing forth.

Chi Hai felt a chill in his chest and instinctively lowered his gaze—there, he saw the tip of a bronze spear.

"Bronze Tooth Spear... Copper Dragon... you..."

Chi Hai turned his head mechanically, meeting Fire Cloud’s gaze filled with murderous intent.

Even now, Chi Hai could not believe Fire Cloud would dare act against him here.

The Heavenly Master was no fool—this act would not escape their scrutiny.

Contestant names were reported in advance, and within the designated three-month period, any death or injury of contestants would prompt the Heavenly Master’s investigation.

Let alone such a crude assassination!

Chi Hai wasn’t the only one stunned—so was Song Lin, who stood dazed for a long moment.

"Too much talking!"

Fire Cloud twisted the spear, shredding Chi Hai’s internal organs, then forcefully yanked it out alongside fragments of viscera.

A gaping hole remained in Chi Hai’s chest as he collapsed, his legs failing him, blood pooling around him as his life ebbed away.

Evidently unsatisfied, Fire Cloud unclasped the Taoist Scripture Master Treasure Seal from his waist and pressed Chi Hai to the ground.

Before Song Lin’s eyes, he used the sacred Taoist Scripture Master Treasure Seal to bludgeon Chi Hai’s skull repeatedly until it was smashed into pulp, blood and brain splattering over ten meters.

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