Dao Heir Lucas Lin was the first to regain his composure. He raised a hand to stop Quinn Shepherd, speaking with utmost sincerity: "Cult Master Quinn, you must stay! You didn’t come here with the Golden Scripture Scroll just to let me look at it for three days. You’re baiting me! Since you’ve cast your bait and I’ve bitten, why not sit down and talk in detail?"
The old Daoists and Daoist nuns all nodded in agreement, echoing, "Let’s talk in detail! There’s nothing we can’t discuss!"
"We’re all cultivators, all qi-refiners—there’s nothing off-limits!"
"Righteous and demonic paths are all dao—one big family!"
...
Dao Heir Lucas Lin invited Quinn Shepherd to sit. Immediately, an old Daoist nun went to brew tea and served it. Quinn tasted the tea, smiled, and said, "Excellent tea—just a shade below High Heaven’s. What kind of tea is this? Could you spare me some?"
"I’ll give you some!"
The old Daoist nun grinned, showing a few scattered teeth, and said, "This is our sect’s Azure Sky Fragrant Tea. Only tea trees by Jade-Void Spring produce it, and only that tea can be called Azure Sky Fragrant. There are just three trees by the spring, and they yield barely a few jin a year! How much would Cult Master Qin like?"
Quinn Shepherd set down his medicine basket, invited Village Chief out, and poured him tea. "Grandpa Village Chief, do you still enjoy it?"
"Azure Sky Fragrant Tea is light but leaves a long aftertaste—of course I enjoy it!"
Village Chief smiled, "Even emperors can’t drink this tea! Let’s start with a jin, and next spring we’ll try the new batch."
The old Daoist nun hurried off and soon returned with a large bundle of tea.
The old Daoist nun hurried off and soon returned with a large bundle of tea.
Quinn Shepherd accepted the tea, glanced around, and said, "Dao Gate really is quite poor."
An old Daoist quickly said, "Not so poor! We used to have some assets, but then someone stole them. Cult Master Qin, about your Golden Scripture..."
"Oh, it’s from the old Qin family."
Quinn Shepherd set the Golden Scripture Scroll aside and said, "There’s been some friction between me and Dao Gate. I’ve always wanted to come up the mountain to apologize, but never managed it. Today, one reason I came was to show Dao Heir Lucas Lin the scripture; the other is to resolve our old grudge."
"No need to say more, Cult Master Qin!"
Dao Master Lin Xuan spoke seriously, "Grudges can be resolved, but doctrinal disputes never end. Even if we make peace today, doctrine will spark new conflicts and more grudges. Cult Master Qin, let’s focus on this Golden Scripture."
Quinn Shepherd admired his insight and said, "Dao Heir Lucas Lin, your vision is profound—I’m impressed. So let’s talk about this Golden Scripture Scroll. It records three arts: Magpie Bridge Art, Mysterious Guidance Art, and Divine Crossing Art. They connect the Seventh Divine Treasury—the Divine Bridge Treasury. You can probably guess why I brought this book."
"So it really is a technique to repair the Divine Bridge!"
All the old Daoists and Daoist nuns were shaken to the core, so excited they could barely contain themselves.
Repairing the Divine Bridge, breaking the final shackle, and becoming a god—this is the lifelong dream of countless people, and even Dao Gate’s top experts are no exception!
For Daoists, so-called 'cultivating immortality' is really just an excuse to pass the time.
—Immortal is Little Jade Capital’s term. The experts of Little Jade Capital and Dao Gate often mingle; they call themselves immortals, living in the mountains and ignoring worldly affairs, even more detached and lofty than Dao Gate.
The moment these old Daoists and Daoist nuns saw the Golden Scripture, they were stunned by the Magpie Bridge Art inscribed on it. They immediately realized it was a method for repairing the Divine Bridge, exquisitely ingenious, which is why they hadn’t slept or eaten for three days.
Now, with Quinn Shepherd confirming the Golden Scripture Scroll is a method to repair the Divine Bridge Treasury and connect it to Heaven Court, they almost felt the urge to snatch it by force.
But seeing the limbless old man calmly drinking tea nearby, everyone cooled off again.
Three days ago, when that old man crawled out of the basket and glanced at them, they glimpsed the pinnacle of swordsmanship in his eyes.
At that moment, his gaze seemed to send a sword flying straight at them—inescapable, unblockable, unstoppable, unbreakable—so each of them avoided meeting his eyes.
They were all renowned figures in Dao Gate—not on the level of the old Dao Lord, but still cult master–class, and masters of swordsmanship. Yet this old man made them feel that if they tried to snatch the scripture by force, they’d die without a trace.
Dao Heir Lucas Lin’s eyes flashed. Vital qi burst forth as he projected a grand celestial star array, hidden with numerological arts. "Cult Master Quinn, please interpret."
Quinn Shepherd smiled slightly, knowing Lucas Lin was testing his mastery of numerology. If Quinn Shepherd knew nothing, Dao Gate could raise its price. Only by showing exceptional skill—making Dao Gate see he was dispensable—could he win their willing cooperation.
"This is the Grand Celestial Star-Net Chess Transformation Art."
Qin Mu’s fingers flickered, pointing rapidly among the stars. "The grand array has 365 stars, but there’s a hidden 366th—the Jade Emperor’s throne. You didn’t mark the Jade Emperor; you want me to find it, right?"
Quinn Shepherd’s fingers flickered, pointing rapidly among the stars. "The grand array has 365 stars, but there’s a hidden 366th—the Jade Emperor’s throne. You didn’t mark the Jade Emperor; you want me to find it, right?"
All the old Daoists and Daoist nuns in Jade-Void Temple were shaken. They exchanged glances: "The Heavenly Demon Cult Master’s numerology is extremely high—he solved it so fast! If he can crack the Jade Emperor star this easily, calculating the techniques in the Golden Scripture shouldn’t be hard for him, just time-consuming."
Dao Master Lin Xuan dispersed his vital qi and asked in confusion, "If Cult Master Qin can solve it, why come to Dao Gate at all?"
"I could solve it alone, but it would take far too long—and I don’t have that much time."
Qin Mu said seriously, "I also need Dao Gate’s experts to help me build a spatial numerology model for a god-cannon. Both tasks require many skilled numerologists. If Dao Gate helps, you can keep a full copy of all three Divine Bridge arts and the spatial model!"
Inside Jade-Void Temple, everyone let out a long breath, but the atmosphere grew silent.
Quinn Shepherd put away the Golden Scripture Scroll, stood up, and said, "If Dao Heir Lucas Lin is interested, why not meet me at the Imperial Academy in the capital? I need to visit Little Jade Capital Sect and invite a few numerology experts. By the way, Lucas Lin, could you give me a copy of the Mystic Maiden Numerology Canon?"
Lucas Lin replied, "A small matter." He ordered someone to fetch the Mystic Maiden Numerology Canon and gave it to Quinn Shepherd.
Quinn Shepherd accepted the canon, thanked him, and said meaningfully, "Your master, the old Dao Lord, is in Little Jade Capital Sect, right? He doesn’t have much lifespan left. If he had a method to repair the Divine Bridge and spatial numerology..."
Dao Master Lin Xuan’s body trembled slightly, remaining silent.
Quinn Shepherd left Jade-Void Temple, called for Raina Bear and her daughter Kira Bear who were waiting outside, and headed down the mountain.
Dao Master Lin Xuan exhaled a heavy breath and looked at the many old Daoists in Jade-Void Temple; they were all watching him.
Suddenly, Dao Master Lin Xuan stood up and said gravely, "Summon all Dao Gate numerology experts—we’re going down the mountain to the capital."
"Dao Master, reconsider!"
An old Daoist hurriedly said, "Dao Heir Lucas Lin, do you really want to join hands with the Cult of the Heavenly Demon? That cult is full of wolves and wild ambitions, and this generation’s Cult Master Quinn Shepherd is even more cunning and ruthless than before. He slaughtered countless Dao Gate brothers in the capital battle!"
Another old Daoist nun said, "Cult Master Quinn Shepherd of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon is even more devious and ruthless than Li Tianxing—far harder to deal with! Now he’s brought the Golden Scripture Scroll, he must be trying to drag us into his scheme!"
"Dao Gate’s feud with the Cult of the Heavenly Demon runs deep. This Cult Master Quinn Shepherd has a wolf’s gaze—he’s no good man. Dao Heir Lucas Lin, reconsider!"
...
"We must go to the capital! We must obtain the god-making method!"
Dao Heir Lucas Lin swept his sleeves and said coolly, "No need to say more, uncles. Cult Master Quinn Shepherd is right: even without our help, he can crack the Golden Scripture Scroll. Besides, the Imperial Academy and Little Jade Capital Sect have their own numerology experts—solving the spatial model is only a matter of time. If Dao Gate falls behind, we’ll always lag behind, surpassed by the Cult of the Heavenly Demon and left behind by the times!"
He turned to pack his things. "Dao Gate needs its own living god to protect it. In an era of upheaval, a holy land that never changes has no future!"
The old Daoists stopped arguing and went to pack, selecting their best numerology disciples to head for the capital.
Suddenly, an old Daoist let out a thunderous scream, "Who the hell stole the sect master’s whisk?"
Elsewhere, someone shouted angrily, "Who ate my fish?"
"Who stole my landscape screen? That was my treasured possession for years!"
"Has anyone seen my Universe Cove? I made a miniature mountain out of it for my bonsai!"
"My hairpin was on the dressing table—who took it? Speak up!"
...
At the foot of Jade-Void Mountain, as Quinn Shepherd passed the gate, the old Daoist guarding the thatched hut returned his clothes and asked suspiciously, "Did that old god thief Crippled Joe steal another Dao Gate treasure?"
Quinn Shepherd took his clothes and shook his head. "I didn’t see him on the mountain."
The old Daoist stomped his foot. "Damn! If you’d seen him, he might have rested a bit. But if you didn’t, in three days that old scoundrel could’ve dug up our ancestors’ graves!" With that, he called his big yellow dog and hurried up the mountain.
The big yellow dog was incredibly nimble, leaping and sniffing all over Jade-Void Mountain. Suddenly, barking erupted from above, and chaos broke out.
"If we don’t leave now, Dao Gate’s experts will come down and kill us," Village Chief warned Quinn Shepherd from inside the basket.
Quinn Shepherd snapped to his senses and quickly urged Dragon-Qilin, "Run!"
Dragon Qilin dashed away in panic, running toward the vast Kunlun Mountains beyond.
After a long run, they finally left the Kunlun Mountain Range. Quinn Shepherd looked worried. "Will Grandpa Crippled Joe make it out...?"
Before he could finish, he saw Crippled Joe sitting in the shade of a big tree ahead, as if he’d been waiting for them for ages.
Quinn Shepherd was dumbfounded, about to speak, when Crippled Joe suddenly jumped up as if his seat were on fire and bolted away. His voice echoed from afar: "Quinn, you go to Little Jade Capital Sect first—I’ll catch up!"
A big dog landed with a thud, carrying several old Daoists—men and women—on its back, all brimming with murderous intent.
The big dog sniffed under the tree, then clouds formed under its feet and it soared after Crippled Joe, moving with incredible speed, just a blur.
Quinn Shepherd stared, glanced at Dragon-Qilin, and asked kindly, "Dragon Fatty, can you catch up with that dog?"
Dragon-Qilin shook his head. "That rascal runs way too fast—I can’t catch it."
"It even runs faster eating dung than you do!"
Quinn Shepherd said bitterly, "And you still have the nerve to eat spirit pills every meal!"