Chapter 246: No Dao, No Take; Corpse Becomes Firefly

To ensure absolute certainty, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan inscribed dozens more sealing and suppression talismans, along with dozens more inner-outer isolation talismans, onto the gourd until no sound or spiritual fluctuation could be heard from within.

This fox must be closely tied to that Bao Auntie of the Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters' Mansion, and surely knows some of Longhu's secrets—it must be taken back to the sect for thorough interrogation.

The lineage passed down from the Ancestral Celestial Master—if one were to capture a Longhu disciple and bring him back for interrogation, it would cause an uproar—but if a fox demon were caught in a demonic lair in Xiangxi, and through it some dark secrets of the Celestial Masters' Mansion were uncovered, no one could blame outsiders.

After securing the gourd, he began tidying up the aftermath.

He flicked a spark of fire onto Xue Xue Linglong's pile of flesh and blood, burning it clean; the body of a third-rank cultivator, once scorched, dissolved into refined spiritual energy that returned to heaven and earth, leaving nothing behind—except for a few treasures hidden within the bodily orifices.

The most striking among them was naturally the Golden Core.

Xue Xue Linglong's Golden Core was a vivid blue-green, gleaming like a pigment from a brushstroke. Cheng Cheng Xinzhan weighed it in his palm, sensing the spiritual essences of Gui Water, Youhan, and Yin Poison within, thinking that later, he could melt it down and reverse yin and yang to extract the Gangsha once more.

The remaining magic treasures, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan found unimpressive—like the mountain goblin's, they were all demonic artifacts, some with power, but crude and unworthy; if he used them, he'd find them polluting his own spiritual power.

He then went to the Dragon Girl's side—after Xue Xue Linglong's spirit and body were obliterated, this corpse servant had collapsed, utterly still.

He gestured, and the Jade Purifying Vase on the Dragon Girl's hand flew to him—it was the only magic treasure on Xue Xue Linglong's person that Cheng Cheng Xinzhan deemed worthy.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan examined it and immediately saw it was not crafted by Xue Xue Linglong herself; the inner walls bore coiling dragon patterns, clearly an ancient treasure.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan put it away; after re-tempering it, it would suit his younger sister perfectly.

"Burn clean!"

He did not retrieve the suspended river of floating bones in the air, but instead set it ablaze until it was utterly consumed.

Xue Xue Linglong treated her treasures no differently than the mountain goblin—using base, filthy methods: one kept fire crow spirits in a gourd, the other nurtured bone-eroding water in a purifying vase, both letting precious artifacts be soiled.

He then approached the Tree Spirit.

The spirit forms atop the Li Xiahuai tree had been utterly burned away by the Hanba's karmic fire—Cheng Cheng Xinzhan wasn't sure if calling it karmic fire was accurate, but in the corpse-cultivation secrets passed down through generations in the Fire Temple, this vivid red flame forged by the Hanba was always called karmic fire.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan suspected this too was tied to the ancient Buddha's fall into demonic corruption; in his memory, Buddhist karmic fire never looked like this.

He picked up Li Xiahuai's Golden Core—a sickly green Golden Core. Studying this core offered no benefit to Cheng Cheng Xinzhan's cultivation; he intended to melt it down and extract the Gangsha instead.

The rest of the demonic treasures, including the Cave Stone, he also collected, planning to deliver them all to Bai Hu Mountain's Weaponry Bureau to see if they could be turned from trash into treasure.

As for objects forged from human bones, blood, and flesh, they too must be purified and burned—he trusted the Weaponry Bureau would handle them properly; they were the specialists in such arts.

Finally, he summoned the battered giant ape, placing the Dragon Girl and the Tree Spirit side by side, along with the scattered flying skulls. Both were ancient cursed corpses passed down through generations of Mount Tianqiao Mountain's temple guardians; though severely wounded now, feeding them bone and flesh would quickly restore their strength.

But Cheng Cheng Xinzhan would not do this.

After commanding the giant ape to place the Dragon Girl and Tree Spirit together, he also had the ape sit beside them.

These three long-serviced corpse servants had been subjected to countless soul-destroying methods, leaving no possibility whatsoever of awakening sentience or transforming into a Corpse Immortal—even their chance at reincarnation had been severed.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan sat cross-legged before the three corpses, forming the "Savior of Suffering Liberation Seal," and for the first time since its creation, the mountain goblin's face showed a look of compassion.

He chanted the "Great Yi Savior and Protector Sutra," his sealed fingers pointing at the three corpses, and heavenly dew descended.

Bathed in the blue-hued nectar, the centuries-old corpse-sealing and soul-destroying talisman patterns etched onto the three corpses slowly dissolved, and the thick, bloody miasma clinging to them gradually faded.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan's transcendence ritual lasted from afternoon until dusk; the once lifeless, emotionless faces of the three corpse servants now wore serene, tranquil expressions.

Wu Wu Qingbo, who had silently guarded beside him, gazed at his master absorbed in chanting, as if before a divine being.

When the golden crow sank westward and night blanketed the land, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan's recitation reached its final lines.

"...

In the Pure Land of Azure Splendor, the dew washes away dust;

Souls cross to the Eastern Ultimate, Spirits return to their spiritual roots;

The willow branch sprinkles dew, guiding to the Lotus Hall of Rebirth;

The Celestial Lord bestows mercy, forever freeing from the abyss;

Swiftly, by the decree of the Great Yi Savior of Suffering!"

As Cheng Cheng Xinzhan loudly proclaimed the command, a wondrous and miraculous sight appeared:

The three corpses instantly disintegrated, transforming into a skyful of fireflies, shimmering like a brilliant river of stars against the black night of the mountain.

This was the rarest secret technique of the Great Yi Savior's method—only those who possessed both the dew-essence and a heart devoted to saving the world could master it; thus it was called: "Corpses Become Fireflies."

Once these dim-witted fireflies fed on grass and drank dew through this lifetime, in their next rebirth, they could be reincarnated.

Watching the fireflies scatter and vanish into the forests and grasses, Bai Bai Yongliang, who had waited nearby for a long time, stepped forward respectfully and said,

"Master."

Bai Bai Yongliang now looked much younger, and had fully taken human form; having transformed from a grass spirit into a white rat, then into a human, he had undergone repeated transformations, making him a figure of extraordinary fortune among the plant kin.

Earlier, his rat form still bore signs of age; now, as a human, he resembled a middle-aged dwarf—Cheng Cheng Xinzhan genuinely believed that in a few more years, he might even revert to a child's form.

Now that he had taken human shape, it was no longer appropriate to call him "Old Bai"; Cheng Cheng Xinzhan had also given true names to the lynx and Bai Gou after their transformations, abandoning their nicknames.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan rose and handed Bai Bai Yongliang everything he had taken from Xue Xue Linglong and Li Xiahuai—including the gourd—and said,

"Bai Yongliang, you've always been reliable. Take these items back to the sect via underground routes—do not reveal your trail."

Bai Bai Yongliang accepted them all, placing them in his pouch, and replied,

"As my master commands."

Seeing no further orders from Cheng Cheng Xinzhan, Bai Bai Yongliang rolled onto the ground and vanished.

With the area now thoroughly cleared and no traces remaining, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan took Wu Wu Qingbo and flew once more toward Mount Tianqiao Mountain.

This matter was not yet finished; once back, he would confirm that Li Xiahuai and Xue Xue Linglong were killed by Tian Tian Xiue, then ally with the Golden Temple's Tie Po Feng to destroy the Earth Temple before Tian Tian Xiue returned, forging a deadly enmity between the Golden and Earth Temples.

If Tian Tian Xiue delayed her return or perished during Tribulation Crossing, they would slowly seize the Water, Wood, and Earth Temples; if she returned upon hearing the news, they would swiftly kill her with Tie Po Feng's aid. Once only Tie Po Feng remained, matters would be easy—and Mount Tianqiao Mountain would be theirs.

————

Bai Bai Yongliang, once entrusted, dared not delay; underground, he dove as deep as he could and ran as fast as he could, arriving at Mount Sanqing by the time the moon rose above the treetops.

After entering the sect gate, Bai Bai Yongliang exhaled in relief, then headed straight for Mount Mingzhi Mountain.

At the entrance to Wuyou Cave, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan was already waiting for him.

Since this was no formal occasion, he had shed his ceremonial robes as Master of Ten Thousand Methods, donning instead his usual light peach undergarment and lake-blue Daoist robe; yet he still kept the Longhu Jade Ruyi in hand, as it felt natural to him.

Bai Bai Yongliang bowed before Cheng Cheng Xinzhan.

"Lord, everything has been returned. No one noticed."

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan took them, his tone gentle,

"Good. You've worked hard—go rest now."

Bai Bai Yongliang bowed and departed, returning to his own cave.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan turned back into the cave.

Since Cheng Cheng Xinzhan established his heart dantian as the true transmission and opened Wuyou Cave over twenty years ago, the cave itself had changed little—it remained as it was, moonlight pouring through the stone skylight above, illuminating the interior clearly.

The only change was that the scriptures had piled ever higher; niches lined the cave walls, and countless wooden bookshelves stood within, all crammed with texts of every kind.

Talismans, spellbooks, elixir formulas, herbals, sword scriptures, star charts, Daoist canons—all present; paper scrolls, bamboo slips, leather rolls, silk, jade tablets, gold foil—all displayed.

Over these years, his ability to master anything quickly was no accident—his own Cave Stone, too, held the greatest number of books.

Centered among the bookshelves stood his desk—the very spot where moonlight fell directly.

His desk had been replaced.

When he first opened the cave, he had crudely carved a desk from stone, but soon the books piled atop it became too numerous; he often needed to perform spirit contemplation and paint talismans, and he always had to leave space for the lynx—so it quickly became too small.

He once remarked that his desk was too small; Bai Bai Yongliang overheard and immediately puffed out his chest, promising to handle it.

Thus came the current desk: Bai Bai Yongliang had unearthed sandalwood from some unknown place—two zhang long, six chi wide, three cun thick, its grain resembling lotus petals, leaves, and carp; from afar, it looked like a pond of lotuses.

Bai Bai Yongliang always did things thoroughly—when he promised to prepare a desk, he didn't just prepare a desk.

He specially cut and spun hemp fibers to weave a large floor mat and a thick meditation cushion; the mat bore the Eight Trigrams of the Later Heaven, the cushion woven into the shape of a yin-yang fish.

He placed four stone pedestals carved as Baxia beasts beneath the four corners of the sandalwood slab, and positioned the cushion beside it—thus became an excellent desk.

After presenting this, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan was overjoyed; whenever he was on Mount Mingzhi Mountain, he spent most of his time at this desk.

Now, the large desk was piled high with books and scrolls, burying the lotus-and-carp patterns beneath.

Though the desk had been replaced, the crane lantern he had brought from the Lantern Street of Xiaowanshan's Bingchen Courtyard had never been moved.

Beneath the crane lantern, Third Sister had reverted to her original form, fast asleep.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan quietly returned to the desk and sat, picking up the open book before him, focusing intently; the lantern's glow illuminated the title on the cover clearly:

"Ganzhou Immortal Annals—Gannan Qi-Combining Secret Talismans (Yang Family Four Houses' Fengshui Affairs)."

————

That night passed amid the rustling of turning pages.

At dawn, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan closed his book and rose; Third Sister awoke, stretching a long, languid yawn atop the desk.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan picked up the lynx and stepped outside.

Outside the cave, Bai Long was absorbing spiritual essence; Bai Bai Yongliang tended the herb garden.

He saw no sign of his younger sister.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan sighed helplessly; Bai Long had learned from Bai Bai Yongliang and was clearly steady and diligent. Third Sister and his younger sister, always together, only slept.

But cultivation made no sense: the latter two, possessing dragon blood, even while sleeping all day, still had deeper spiritual power than the former two.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan set Third Sister down; the lynx transformed into a girl, sensing her master's intent, without a word she flew upward to Bai Long's side, absorbing the morning's purple aura of dawn.

He then walked to the Dragon Pool, stamped his foot, and the earth trembled slightly; the pool's surface rippled, and soon Gu Gu Xinshu emerged, blinking sleepily.

Gu Xinshu saw her brother's expression and knew she had overslept again; instantly, she wore a guilty look, silently ascending to absorb the aura.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan sighed, pressing his palm to his forehead—what cultivator slept until the sun beat down on their backside, needing to be woken?

He sighed again, then rode the wind to Yujing Peak.

The fox matter was neither trivial nor insignificant. Though it certainly wouldn't reach the Sect Master's ears, it involved Longhu Mountain and the fox guarding the Celestial Master's Seal—so it couldn't be entrusted to ordinary officials; Tong Xuan, now in charge of Yujing Peak, was the most suitable.

He was granted unimpeded access to the Ancestral Master.

"Good news or bad?"

Seeing Cheng Cheng Xinzhan enter, Tong Xuan set down his work and asked.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan smiled upon hearing this and said,

"Master, it's good news."

Shi Ancestor Tongxuan was delighted, gestured for Cheng Cheng Xinzhan to come closer, and said,

"Good news you tell me; bad news, go find the Sect Master or Dong Shouren."

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan chuckled in agreement and sat beside the Master.

"Tell me then—what's this good news?"

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan pulled out a gourd and handed it to the Master.

Shi Ancestor Tongxuan took it, glanced at it twice, and nodded repeatedly,

"Excellent! A fine gourd, naturally formed—I've never seen one like it before. Where did you get it? But such a precious thing tainted by heavy craftsmanship and malevolent energy—what a waste. Re-refine it properly; it will serve you all the way to Immortality."

Shi Ancestor Tongxuan lavished praise on the gourd, then added,

"Hmm? There's a fox trapped inside—female, and a three-tailed heavenly fox."

The Master peered through the gourd and the talismans Cheng Cheng Xinzhan had placed, seeing the fox inside and out.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan replied,

"Master, this isn't an ordinary fox—it's one that escaped from the Celestial Master's Mansion."

(End of Chapter)