Chapter 41: Heavenly Book Secret Art

The Soul Transformation realm, though not true immortality, can still be called eternal life.

But breaking through such a realm is extremely difficult.

In the current cultivation world, only two methods are most reliable. The first is to gather hundreds of Profound Void realm cultivators, form an array, use their souls as a foundation, and gather the memories of all to condense a phantom realm. If one can break through this phantom realm trial, the soul can transform and condense into a physical form.

But hundreds of thousands of Profound Void realm cultivators, their experiences are so rich, their grievances and affections combined could crush any cultivator; how difficult it is to break through.

Even if your will is firm and you can endure it, where would you find hundreds of Profound Void realm cultivators, and ask them to open their hearts, offering their souls and memories to become a phantom realm?

How many people are there in the entire Qinghe Sword Sect? The righteous sects must unite to create such a grand array.

However, this method is considered reliable because even if it fails, there is a chance to start over; it is just troublesome.

Therefore, whenever someone ascends to Soul Transformation, it is a major event for the entire cultivation world, worthy of a grand banquet to celebrate.

As for the second method, it is not so troublesome.

Go to Green Coffin Mountain, pluck a Soul-Washing Flower from the corpse of the Sinless Demon Venerable, combine it with other materials, refine it into a pill, and swallow it to let the soul enter a place similar to a phantom realm; similarly, as long as one can break free from the phantom realm, the ascension succeeds.

This pill has no side effects, and the success rate is higher than the combined effort of hundreds of people.

It is simply because hundreds of people cannot align their minds, so the created phantom realm will have various chaotic problems, easily leading to a failed breakthrough.

The Soul-Washing Flower has no such trouble, making ascension naturally easier.

But this thing is too precious.

The difficulty of harvesting it is equivalent to fighting a Soul Transformation realm demon. Moreover, only Green Coffin Mountain suppresses the Demon Venerable's corpse, and only here can the Soul-Washing Flower bloom.

Su Chunyi asked, "Sect Master, why is the Incense Burning Sect so determined to obtain this secret art?"

Zhang Qi explained, "Probably related to the Heavenly Book; perhaps they think your secret art is part of the Heavenly Book."

"Heavenly Book? May I ask, Sect Master, what is the Heavenly Book?"

Su Chunyi seemed to have never heard of such a saying.

"Oh, that is an ancient legend almost forgotten by the world; you young ones probably haven't heard of it." Zhang Qi scratched his head, as if recalling for a moment, then said to Su Chunyi: "Legend has it that this mortal world was created by ancient true immortals; Yin, Yang, Five Elements, Feng Shui, and numerology were all written by humans; these rules are written in the Heavenly Book. The Heavenly Book encompasses everything; obtaining it allows one to control the spiritual energy of heaven and earth... hmm, that is roughly the saying."

Su Chunyi heard Zhang Qi speak casually and asked strangely, "Does Sect Master think this is fake?"

"Not necessarily fake. I have indeed seen the so-called Heavenly Book; although only a few words, they truly point directly to the essence of heaven and earth. The hexagrams and Five Elements we study are indeed recorded in the Heavenly Book; perhaps it is truly the earliest record left by ancient true immortals. But to say that obtaining the Heavenly Book allows one to control heaven and earth, that is mostly rumor.

"You have also learned the methods of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and learned the strokes of characters; these are all basics. Indeed, not many people in the world can read and calculate, but to say that understanding strokes and arithmetic allows one to control the world, do you believe that?"

Zhang Qi spoke casually; he never believed in the Heavenly Book. Perhaps ancient true immortals did pass down the path of cultivation, but it was merely like the multiplication table or similar mantras. To truly realize the Great Dao from it depends on each person's fortune.

Zhang Qi's sword art also originated from basic sword techniques but has long been extraordinary. If an ordinary person held basic sword forms like slash, thrust, point, flick, and chop to compare with him, claiming to have mastered the Sword Dao, Zhang Qi would certainly be too lazy to care.

Su Chunyi nodded in agreement; the Qinghe Sword Sect holds this attitude: whoever is strong or weak, let us compete. The Heavenly Book may have wonders, but how could sword arts honed by hundreds of years of bitter cultivation and enlightenment be ordinary?

Those who pioneered the Great Dao in the past are indeed worthy of admiration, but there is no need to belittle oneself; otherwise, the Heavenly Dao will only get worse, with each generation inferior to the last.

Seeing that Su Chunyi's mind was made up, Zhang Qi did not force her; instead, he comforted her, "Alright, whether to trade or not is up to you. My Qinghe Sword Sect disciples wishing to break through to Soul Transformation do not necessarily need the Incense Burning Sect's Soul-Washing Flower. However, I am somewhat interested in the origin of this secret art; tell me about it."

Su Chunyi concealed nothing and detailed her experiences after descending the mountain.

Hearing Su Chunyi praise Chen Ye greatly, Zhang Qi asked puzzled, "You said when you met him, he was only at the Spirit Awakening realm?"

Su Chunyi nodded, "Correct; the Xuanji Dew he used to break through the realm was given to him by this disciple."

"He looked very young?"

"Even if his appearance seems young, this disciple is certain he is not over twenty years old."

Zhang Qi pondered for a moment, then said, "I have seen cultivation geniuses; one year equal to a hundred years for others is not unheard of. But I have never seen a genius in worldly wisdom; this requires time to accumulate slowly.

"How complex is the human heart? A youth under twenty with such ability? Even if he started remembering early, with barely ten years of time, how could he reach this level? Regarding his methods of fortune-telling and the mantras he recited to you, I have lived so many years yet never heard such precise summaries.

"This boy named Chen Ye is likely hiding something."

Su Chunyi said, "But he truly acts righteously; he is a chivalrous person."

Zhang Qi stared at Su Chunyi, saw her anxious expression, and smiled, "Little girl, do not be anxious. When I say he is hiding something, I do not mean he has evil intentions. Heterodox and scattered cultivators live hard lives, so of course they must hide a hand from others. For him to give away the Heavenly Book secret art to save a strange child, he truly deserves to be called a righteous man.

"This favor, our Qinghe Sword Sect must repay; a single sword case is not enough. Here, go ask what he wants; from the treasures stored in the treasury, let him choose one.

"Also, since the Incense Burning Sect is willing to exchange the Soul-Washing Flower for his secret art, let us do them a favor in return. Whether to accept or not is his own decision. Since it is his thing, we should not refuse for him."

Hearing this, Su Chunyi happily said, "Thank you, Sect Master."

Zhang Qi smiled, "Thank for what? It is not a reward for you."

Su Chunyi immediately blushed, not knowing how to explain.

Zhang Qi did not continue teasing this younger-generation girl; he waved his hand, "I will order people to try their best to cure that Evil Curse Spirit Child; whether he lives depends on his fortune. As for you, go collect several spiritual talismans for protection. Your master calculated that fortune and misfortune depend on each other; now that fortune has arrived, misfortune is not far. There are many dangers in subduing demons and defending the Dao; you must be extra careful."

Su Chunyi immediately bowed in thanks and left.

After Su Chunyi left this great hall, a Daoist in the guise of a young man appeared beside Zhang Qi; wearing a black robe, he looked somewhat gloomy. This person was none other than Lu Xingzhou, the Sect Master of the Incense Burning Sect.

Zhang Qi said to him, "Old Lu, look, I have said what needs to be said; you find someone to trade with yourselves."

Lu Xingzhou could not help but glare at Zhang Qi, dissatisfied, "The secret art is already in your hands; how troublesome is it to do me a favor? That boy surnamed Chen gave the secret art to your Qinghe Sword Sect; he surely wouldn't mind you giving it to someone. You insist on going through this whole roundabout way; are you deliberately making things difficult for me?"

The two had been friends for many years; they had fought side by side against the Demon Sect back then, a bond of life and death. Lu Xingzhou did not care that Zhang Qi was the number one person under heaven; his words were not polite at all.

Zhang Qi said, "The Sect Master of the prestigious Incense Burning Sect snatching things from juniors; what kind of talk is that? I said long ago the Heavenly Book is not important. You stubbornly wouldn't listen to me; if you want to trade, go do it yourself."

"When have you ever listened to my words?" Lu Xingzhou angrily said, "Look at how old you have become! How much lifespan do you have left to contend with the Heavenly Dao? I told you to ascend; why won't you listen to me? Do you really want to die here?"

Zhang Qi raised his head; his gaze seemed to pierce through the roof of this great hall, looking up to the nine heavens.

Zhang Qi asked, "What do you think the Immortal Realm looks like?"

"I haven't been there; how would I know? You ascend and you'll know!"

Zhang Qi asked again, "Then tell me, those seniors who ascended, why haven't any of them returned?"

This time, Lu Xingzhou fell silent.

Zhang Qi smiled and comforted, "Do not rush; I will not truly die here either. On the final day, I will ascend."

Lu Xingzhou asked, "How much longer can you hold on?"

"Not many days left." Zhang Qi sighed, "Since ascending means never returning, I want to see this world a few more times."

"Hmph, just go there early and wait for me in the Immortal Realm." Lu Xingzhou seemed unwilling to discuss this topic further, so he asked again, "Since you won't help me, I will send people to find that boy surnamed Chen myself; you won't stop me, right?"

Zhang Qi said indifferently, "If you wish to go, then go. The affairs of your Incense-Burning Sect concern me not. However, I will remind you of one thing: the junior disciples of your Incense-Burning Sect are exceedingly arrogant; do not let your efforts backfire. I do not wish to see your Incense-Burning Sect turn into a heterodox path before I ascend."

Lu Xingzhou sighed, "The stricter the sect rules, the fewer the disciples, and the more difficult the inheritance becomes. If the rules are relaxed, it is easy to fall into demonic cultivation. The balance between the two is like the distinction between good and evil in this world, difficult to simply separate. I am not as carefree as you. Qinghe Sword Sect was founded by you, but the Incense-Burning Sect is one I inherited; I cannot stand by and watch the sect's lineage be severed."

Zhang Qi waved his hand, "Enough said. You have your difficulties. But old Lu, you must understand: the swords of my Qinghe Sword Sect judge only right and wrong, showing no favor. Should you one day fall into demonic cultivation, I will not be soft-handed."

Lu Xingzhou snorted coldly. Although he had long known Zhang Qi's character, hearing these words still made him feel displeased. This foul and stubborn lump of iron and stone should ascend quickly, sparing us the sight of him here.

Lu Xingzhou turned into a wisp of green smoke and vanished without a trace. He was busy sending people to find Chen Ye to exchange for the secret technique; the Heavenly Book secret technique was essential for the Incense-Burning Sect.