Chapter 136: Northern Yin Bestows Taiyin (First update delivered)

Within the Golden Mansion, beside the corpse of the Jin Qilin, the Bamboo Body sat cross-legged.

"Swallow-Thief" submerged into the Bamboo Body, and upon entering, it headed straight for the Bamboo Body's Water Mansion, Cheng Xinzhan's consciousness following closely behind.

Entering the Bamboo Body's Water Mansion, one could see the Water-element magic power accumulated there daily, transformed into a clear, vast lake. Now, suspended above this lake, hung a bright, luminous moon.

Cheng Xinzhan felt some confusion. The moon, like a jade wheel, scattered clear radiance. Under this radiance, the lake water rippled on its own like a tide. The moonlight was bright, the sound of water was rushing—it was extremely harmonious and fitting. It did not look like a demonic object like the Ghost Talisman.

He still dared not be careless, slowly approaching the moon with "Swallow-Thief."

The moment "Swallow-Thief's" claws touched the moon, the moon shuddered in resistance, startling both Cheng Xinzhan and "Swallow-Thief." "Swallow-Thief's" nine tails all stood upright.

With this shudder, the moon shook out a cloud of mist. Looking closely, there were dozens of light spots within the mist, like stars surrounding the moon.

Aside from this, there were no other changes, and the moon grew quiet once more.

Cheng Xinzhan looked at the stars surrounding the moon, thinking earnestly. After a long while, he seemed to discover something suddenly; his consciousness vibrated violently. Following the intense fluctuation of his consciousness, the lake water in the Water Mansion also began to churn with giant waves.

Cheng Xinzhan forced himself to gather his spirit and stabilize his consciousness until the lake water returned to calm.

Slowly, he used his consciousness to nudge those starlight spots.

"Receive the spiritual energy of the Twelve-Story Tower, first arrive at the Heart Mansion to knock on the door, then turn to the Jianggong to pay respects, immediately reverse the Ren Meridian, first travel through the Navel Center, descend, pass the Huang Ting without entering, then turn to the Governor Meridian, follow the Qi, pass the Huiyin, Weilü, Mingmen, Dazhui, and Yuzhen, ascend to the Baihui, then skim past the Purple Palace, return to the Twelve-Story Tower, and after passing the tower, return to the Heart Mansion."

In Cheng Xinzhan's mind, the scene of his Master entering his Inner Landscape Realm and guiding him to circulate Qi for the first time surfaced!

His Master's teachings now transformed into the sound of a great bell, echoing within the Inner Landscape Realm!

Mount Mingzhi required opening the Heart Mansion first. His first circulation route for the Zhou Tian back then was the "Fire-element Single-Phase Small Zhou Tian" passed down through generations of Mount Mingzhi.

Since then, whenever his Master taught him techniques, whether Golden Books or Jade Records, all the unlocking keys were the Fire-element Single-Phase Small Zhou Tian circulation chart!

This was the secret key passed down through generations of Mount Mingzhi.

Yet, Cheng Xinzhan clearly saw just now that these stars surrounding the moon, in their layout, clearly encompassed all the acupoints on this Zhou Tian circulation chart!

Cloud Residence - Heart Mansion - Jianggong - Navel Center - Huang Ting - Huiyin - Weilü - Mingmen - Dazhui - Yuzhen - Baihui - Purple Palace - Cloud Residence - Heart Mansion.

Cheng Xinzhan's consciousness traveled through the stars, lighting up the light spots representing the Zhou Tian acupoints one by one.

Until the very last one.

The starlight mist dissipated entirely, and the moon shattered like bubbles, revealing the few things inside.

Among them, a mass of brilliant light suddenly expanded, actually transforming into a human figure!

This person wore a faint, orchid-like smile on his face, paired with a temperament as fresh as mountain wind after rain, like an immortal who had lived in seclusion in the mountains for a long time.

He was handsome, his body like green bamboo, his waist and neck extremely upright; one look and it was clear he was someone who could never bow or flatter.

The lake water in the Water Mansion began to vibrate violently again. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, Cheng Xinzhan recognized that this was the person who had blocked a sword strike from the Master of Ying Mountain and was called "Northern Yin" by that demon who had captured him!

And having fought the demons of the Ice and Snow Palace for days, how could he not know that the name Northern Yin could only refer to the Hall Master of Northern Yin of the Ice and Snow Palace!

But how could this titan of the demonic path know the secret key of Mount Mingzhi?

"Your Junior Uncle is the one who went missing in the North."

At this moment, his Master's words echoed in his mind again. In this instant, he seemed to understand something and was overjoyed, yet he was also worried about the "what if" and dared not believe it entirely.

And at this time, Northern Yin's voice sounded,

"I never thought that after many years, the next time I saw Mount Mingzhi, it would be in your spell-casting magic landscape."

How could Cheng Xinzhan have imagined that the Mount Mingzhi he observed and visualized day and night would also be a scene others dreamed of day and night?

He could not imagine that when he cast the 【Suppress】 character spell to summon the phantom of Mount Mingzhi to intercept Shang Sansi, how much Northern Yin, sitting in the Blood Cloud Palace facing the Blood God Child, had to endure!

Cheng Xinzhan also transformed his consciousness into a human figure and bowed respectfully to Northern Yin,

"Twenty-sixth generation disciple of Mount Sanqing, twenty-first generation direct descendant of Mount Mingzhi, Cheng Xinzhan, greets Junior Uncle!"

Northern Yin looked at Cheng Xinzhan for a long time, then suddenly burst into loud laughter that lasted for a long time.

"How is she doing lately?"

Cheng Xinzhan naturally knew who his Junior Uncle was referring to, and he replied,

"Master is doing well."

Northern Yin smiled and nodded, "A few years ago, I heard from the Southern Demonic Sect that she went to Rotten Peach Mountain to save her disciple trapped in a malevolent cave. That was the last time I heard news of her, and it was only then that I learned Mount Mingzhi had a successor again."

Hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan felt a sense of bitterness.

"Later, I heard that at the Sword Fighting Assembly of the Pearl Tower Master, a young man from Mount Sanqing named Cheng Xinzhan shone brilliantly and nearly won three consecutive titles. I was overjoyed upon hearing this. In Mount Sanqing, if there were still a young man of the 'Xin' generation, if it weren't from my Mount Mingzhi, who else could it be? That night, in the Northern Frontier, I gazed at the bright moon to congratulate you."

Cheng Xinzhan bowed again.

Northern Yin continued,

"You are very good. After I came to West Kunlun, I always kept a strand of divine consciousness on the battlefield. I watched your sword techniques, talisman techniques, spell techniques, thunder techniques, wind techniques, and the Five Elements; you are proficient in everything. Your natural talent is even better than mine and Senior Sister's."

"However, there are too many divine consciousnesses covering this battlefield; just those of the Fifth Realm are more than just the Blood God Child. Moreover, I discovered that several high-cultivator divine consciousnesses are very concerned about you. As far as I know, at least Jian Bingru of Emei often inspects you. His divine consciousness is like a sharp sword; I would not recognize it wrongly, so I dared not watch you for long."

Cheng Xinzhan was surprised to hear this; he had no idea there was such a struggle above the battlefield.

"Your performance against Shang Sansi was seen by many. I think it was enough to be astonishing, especially the deity you manifested. Those who were shocked were not just Shang Sansi alone. Others from other sects, especially Jian Bingru, are probably not feeling very well inside. When you finally split into hundreds of incarnations, they were all watching your physical body. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I saw the Bamboo Body and risked sending some things in."

"Hehe."

Northern Yin looked around, as if looking at this Bamboo Body,

"Back then, when Master wanted to pass down the Spirit Staff, Senior Sister wanted to give it to me, but both I and Master were determined to pass it to her. Your Master was very bold and loved to explore secrets; there was no place in heaven or earth Senior Sister dared not go. She could use the Spirit Staff well, but I never expected she didn't get to use it and passed it to you instead."

Cheng Xinzhan replied: "Back then, this disciple accidentally fell into the Earthly Malevolence, causing the true malevolence to rush into the acupoints, and the physical body became stiff and dead, so Master bestowed the Bamboo Body upon me to facilitate walking and cultivation."

Northern Yin nodded, "So you have suffered such hardship. But it can be considered a blessing in disguise. The physical body was washed by the true malevolence, and the soul was nurtured in the Bamboo Body. Your foundation is indeed well-laid. When Senior Sister and I practiced the Incarnation Technique back then, we didn't have such a treasure."

Cheng Xinzhan also knew this and said, "Master treats me extremely well; everything bestowed is beautiful."

"You are also very good and have not disappointed Senior Sister. The 'Secret Decree of the Long-Life Fetal Origin Manifesting Spirit' has already been practiced to the point where the Three Souls and Seven Souls can manifest," Northern Yin said, looking at "Swallow-Thief" which presented the image of "Lu Wu," and then at Cheng Xinzhan's solid consciousness, smiling.

Subsequently, he added, "I am not as learned as you in other traditions, but my cultivation of the 'Secret Decree of the Long-Life Fetal Origin Manifesting Spirit' is no slower than yours. So rest assured, I am not some demon who searched my soul to obtain memories. No one in the world can seize my memories before I destroy my own primordial spirit. I am your real Junior Uncle. If you are still worried, let Ancestor Tongxuan take another look when we return to the sect."

Having his thoughts pointed out by his elder, Cheng Xinzhan said repeatedly,

"Junior Uncle, please forgive me!"

Northern Yin smiled, "What is there to forgive? Caution is a good thing."

Since his Junior Uncle had brought the matter into the open, Cheng Xinzhan followed the thread of the conversation and said,

"Junior Uncle, then what are you now?"

Is he an undercover agent by choice? Is he helpless?

As for defecting to the demonic path, Cheng Xinzhan did not think so.

Northern Yin, or rather Chen Suxing, was silent for a moment before saying,

"Both, perhaps!"

Hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan said: "Then should we inform the elders to come and rescue Junior Uncle?"

Everyone in the sect thought his Junior Uncle had already perished.

Northern Yin shook his head, "No need. You only need to inform Senior Sister, the Ancestor, and the Sect Master that I am still alive after you return to the sect. They don't need to do anything, and don't come to the Northern Frontier to find me. I have my own plans for everything."

=9+Book_Bar

Cheng Xinzhan nodded and said again: "Then does Junior Uncle have any other words for me to bring back? Back then, who was it that harmed you?"

Northern Yin shook his head,

"Let's not mention the past for now. Just let them know I am still alive."

After saying this, he changed the subject,

"I see your Qi and the manifested Inner Landscape Deity. You used Bing Fire to open the Heart Mansion, Xin Metal to open the Lung Mansion, Wu Earth to open the Spleen Mansion. Are you planning to use Gui Water to open the Kidney Mansion next?"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

"Then do you have any leads?"

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head. He had only just gained insight from visualizing the Inner Landscape Deity of the Spleen Mansion and had not yet thought through the Lord of the Water Mansion. Moreover, the Lord of the Water Mansion was of paramount importance and had to be in harmony with the Heart Mansion, presenting a state of Water and Fire aiding each other; it was not that simple.

Northern Yin smiled, "Junior Uncle will give you one!"

Cheng Xinzhan was very surprised.

"Your Junior Uncle has been in the Northern Frontier for many years. If I were to speak of my greatest gain, it is the cultivation of the Taiyin Dao. The Ice and Snow Palace is indeed a demonic palace, but in the present world, the Ice and Snow Palace is also the sect with the most complete Taiyin inheritance. You used Taiyang to open the Heart Mansion, so naturally, you must use Taiyin to open the Kidney Mansion to be a match."

Cheng Xinzhan was overjoyed to hear this; it was exactly so! Using Taiyin to open the Kidney Mansion was something he had determined when he visualized the Mao Asterism to use Taiyang to open the Heart Mansion. However, there were two reasons why his Lord of the Water Mansion had not been decided early on.

First, there were truly few True Deities and High Immortals of the Taiyin and Taiyang lineages! They were far inferior to the various constellations and the multitude of waters and mountains, not to mention the Thunder God lineage. Moreover, the status of the Taiyin and Taiyang deities was originally extremely high, and the visualization charts that could be passed down to the present were extremely few. Therefore, there were truly very few that one could realistically visualize.

He had also thought about finding a Moon Asterism auxiliary deity among the Twenty-Eight Constellations to visualize, but he was very unwilling. Although the Mao Asterism was only ranked among the Twenty-Eight Constellations when it became a deity, this person's background was originally extremely high, and their later experiences were even higher, becoming the second creature after the Jin Wu capable of roaming the Taiyang Star. It would not be an exaggeration to call them the Lord of the Taiyang Stars. Because the Jin Wu Demon Emperor occupied the Taiyang Star, the position of the Lord of Taiyang was vacant in the Daoist deity lineage. Although the Mao Asterism did not have the name, it had the reality after the Jin Wu became peerless. By comparison, he had never heard of any Moon Palace auxiliary deity among the Twenty-Eight Constellations having such high achievements.

As for the Lord of the Moon Palace, it was truly mysterious and distant. He had searched through all the books in the sect and only seen some fragmented words, so he did not pin his hopes on it.

This was also the second reason why his Lord of the Water Mansion remained undecided: Daoism revered Pure Yang but rarely practiced Taiyin, so the various Taiyin deities were rarely seen in the classics, let alone visualization charts.

"Junior Uncle, the Taiyin you speak of?"

"Naturally, it is the Lord of Taiyin, the Supreme Clarity Moon Mansion Yellow Flower Pure Radiance Original Essence Holy Empress Taiyin Imperial Monarch!"

Indeed!

Cheng Xinzhan never thought that this Junior Uncle he had never met would give him such a great gift upon meeting!

The Lord of Taiyin governs the Four Rivers, Five Lakes, Four Seas, and Twelve Creek Water Mansions, and also manages the underworld officials and assistants, governing the tranquility of the Eight Wildernesses, bright and glorious.

At this moment, Northern Yin waved his hand, and the object that appeared after the moon shattered previously rapidly enlarged, transforming into a scroll. The background of this scroll was a bright moon, and within the moon was a forest, the Forest of Green Brilliance and Purple Osmanthus, with red branches and orchid leaves. In front of the forest was a palace, built of cold jade, grand and cold. There were words on the palace plaque, named:

Vast Cold Cave Yin Palace.

In front of the palace, the Goddess Imperial Monarch stood suspended in the air, wearing a star crown, stepping on vermilion shoes, dressed in plain gauze, hanging white jade rings and pendants, holding a purple treasure sword, sword-slashing the invading Heavenly Demons.

"This 'Imperial Monarch Moon Mansion Demon-Slashing Chart' is a secret treasure of the Ice and Snow Palace. However, because of this name, it was disliked by the Palace Master of the Demonic Palace, so it was rewarded to me after I performed a meritorious service. You should observe it carefully. This chart not only contains the True Form of Taiyin but also high and distant sword techniques and demon-extinguishing magic intent."

Cheng Xinzhan looked at the True Form Chart and truly could not say anything more, bowing again to thank him.

"I have another technique to pass on to you, called 'The Essentials of Water-Refining Yin Cauldron,' which is a treasure book for cultivating the Stomach Acupoint. It is called a demonic technique because it was created by someone in the demonic path, but in reality, when practiced, it is no different from other Life-Embedded True Scriptures. Our Daoist school emphasizes neutrality and peace, while the Stomach Cauldron is domineering, melting all things. Our understanding in this regard is actually not as good as the demonic path. You should contemplate it carefully. In fact, the same applies to treating the demonic path; one cannot blindly belittle it, nor can one underestimate it."

Cheng Xinzhan bowed and said yes.

"Alright, having explained these things to you, this strand of my consciousness is about to dissipate. Let 'Swallow-Thief' swallow it; don't waste it."

Northern Yin said with a smile, his figure slowly fading.

Cheng Xinzhan was stunned for a moment, but this time he shook his head,

"The body of an elder, how can it be used as nourishment? This disciple respectfully sends off Junior Uncle here, waiting for the day we meet again!"

Northern Yin was also stunned for a moment, shaking his head and laughing,

"It seems that after staying in the demonic path for too long, it is impossible not to be affected. Good, good, you are a good child."

Northern Yin said with a smile, and the human figure transformed by his consciousness gradually dissipated.

Cheng Xinzhan bowed to send him off, feeling a sense of loss. He truly never thought that he had always believed his Junior Uncle was no longer in the world, never expecting to meet here, and even less expecting that a disciple of Mount Sanqing's Mount Mingzhi would become the Hall Master of Northern Yin of the Ice and Snow Palace, the number one sect in the Northern Frontier.

He must pass this news back to the sect as soon as possible.

He looked at the "Imperial Monarch Moon Mansion Demon-Slashing Chart" again, truly unable to imagine that his Master had just pointed out the Lord of the Earth Mansion for him, and his Junior Uncle had immediately found the Lord of the Water Mansion for him, both so fitting, saving him how much time.

Looking at the Taiyin radiance, he naturally understood why the Lord of the Heart Mansion had refused the Bamboo Body to enter. What the Lord of the Heart Mansion was refusing was not the Bamboo Body, but clearly the Taiyin Imperial Monarch, whose status was even higher than the Mao Asterism!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 137 =====