Chapter 329: Descending Zhongnan Mountain, the Taiping Daoist (Combined)

You have resolved to cultivate the "Primordial Skill" and the "Heaven Refining Hand."

Since you crossed the Grand Master threshold and first glimpsed the realm of the "Primordial Skill," your body has surged with cosmic transformation; the newly born primordial true qi and the thick true qi forged by the "Great Yellow Court" now flow like rivers parting ways, each occupying its own domain, like two pure, opposing forces standing in silent confrontation within you.

Within your inner cosmos, the two streams of true qi resemble two tigers with glowing eyes, crouched upon mountains, glaring and roaring incessantly.

They cannot merge!

Fortunately, you have entered the Primordial realm and can quietly resolve this discordant energy within your inner cosmos—otherwise, your internal breath would long ago have fallen into chaos, leaving endless future hazards.

Unexpectedly!

The "Great Yellow Court," once regarded in the Three Truths Sect as a gentle, ideal transitional cultivation method, has now become a stumbling block on your path after stepping across the Primordial threshold.

To grasp the true essence of the "Primordial Skill," you must first destroy, then rebuild—dispel all your lifetime's cultivation from the "Great Yellow Court."

Within your body, an indescribable energy stirs quietly—the true qi painstakingly refined over years of "Great Yellow Court" practice now recedes like a tide, slowly dissipating.

Dispersing cultivation!

Your cultivation base, in this silent, unseen process, slips from the Primordial realm all the way down to the Grand Master realm—all within the span of a single incense stick.

Three hours later, when the final wisp of true qi escaped your inner cosmos, your cultivation was entirely gone.

No cultivation left!

Yet after losing your cultivation, you felt more intimately connected to heaven and earth; you had shattered the barrier between heaven and earth and could now sense the vibrant pulse of spiritual energy in the world, clear and real.

You began cultivating according to the methods of the "Primordial Skill" and the "Heaven Refining Hand."

This cultivation plunged you into a trance—you became utterly intoxicated, for the "Primordial Skill" and the "Heaven Refining Hand" were two entirely different paths.

The pure white primordial true qi and the blazing, fiery heaven-refining qi were initially distinct, but gradually, as if drawn by invisible threads, they began to blend, weaving an unprecedented marvel.

Pure white meets fiery red!

Even more strangely, the aura-dawn from the distant Yan region descended quietly, perfectly merging with the crimson qi of the "Heaven Refining Hand"; the three intertwined, mutually reinforcing, slowly uniting into one.

Within your inner cosmos, three divine birds of varying sizes radiated golden light, circling around each other.

Like adding clouds to a vat of crimson dye, they stained a new hue.

Finally, they merged into a pure white, utterly transparent, without a single impurity!

In this miraculous fusion, you gradually became lost within it!

For ten days, you consumed not a single morsel of food.

You sat motionless upon the cliff, birds alighting on your shoulders, enduring wind and rain.

Like a stone statue!

Lu Yu emerged from his seven-day seclusion and, upon leaving, stood guard beside you with Liu Jinchan.

Your breath was long and steady, your heartbeat slow and calm—you had entered a state of deep meditation.

Liu Jinchan, watching from beside you, sighed: "Shenzhou truly has the courage to completely disperse your Great Yellow Court cultivation and choose to restart!"

Asking myself, I lack the resolve to abandon my entire cultivation and begin anew.

Though the "Primordial Skill" cultivates rapidly, it still requires one or two years of patient, gradual effort—and in this age of martial flourishing, such a choice is not wise.

Lu Yu smiled: "Master, rest assured—Brother always acts with deep deliberation."

On the tenth day!

Dawn broke on the horizon; a golden ray of sunlight pierced the clouds, falling upon your robes.

At this moment, as the sun rose and all things awoke, spiritual energy reached its peak—the perfect time for cultivation.

Your body naturally drew in surrounding spiritual energy; they floated like tiny specks of light around you.

You slowly extended your palm; upon your long, powerful hands, sparks of flame danced at your fingertips—initially mere candle flames, but growing stronger over time until they became a roaring fire.

The flame did not last long; it slowly shrank again.

Like a red-hot ember burning fiercely in your palms.

Liu Jinchan exclaimed in surprise: "Heaven Refining Hand, third level?"

"Flame Sealing!"

The "Heaven Refining Hand" has six levels, each advancing: the first, "Kindling," begins cultivation—merely gathering heat in the palm to ignite paper, twigs, or cloth without fire, capable of igniting minute objects.

The second, "Southern Torch," deepens further—heat rises visibly, forming visible flame, making the surrounding air scorching, as if standing beside a vat of boiling oil.

The third, "Flame Sealing," gathers a ball of flame in the palm, compressing it layer by layer—the temperature within the hand becomes like that of a furnace.

Lu Yu nodded with a smile: "Indeed, third level."

Liu Jinchan harbored doubt—she could not understand how you, with no cultivation left, could manifest the third level of the "Heaven Refining Hand."

Lu Yu answered: "This stems from the second realm of the Primordial level—'Unity of Self and Thing.'"

In this realm, the cultivator adjusts their inner cosmos to find the state of strongest resonance with the outer cosmos; once inner and outer cosmos begin to interconnect, one can inhale and exhale cosmic qi, even drawing upon minor forces of heaven and earth.

At this moment!

Your body underwent a cataclysmic transformation; your energy surged like a breached river, breaking through the Grand Master barrier in an instant.

This sudden change left Liu Jinchan stunned, barely believing her eyes; she murmured:

"Instantly into Grand Master... this... this is impossible!"

Lu Yu sensed spiritual energy stirred within a radius of several miles; a smile appeared on his face.

As the morning sun rose higher, your cultivation ebbed and flowed like tides, finally stabilizing firmly at the Primordial realm.

Having dispersed your cultivation, after ten days of effort, you returned to the Primordial realm and broke through to the third level—"Unity of Self and Thing."

You slowly opened your eyes; with a thought, a crimson flame coalesced in your palm.

As you flicked your wrist, the flame vanished instantly, replaced by a strand of pure white spiritual energy—gentle, pristine—the unique energy born from the perfect fusion of the "Primordial Skill," the "Heaven Refining Hand," and the Yan region's aura.

The "Heaven Refining Hand" had undergone an extraordinary evolution: once, the rolling aura you absorbed from Yan felt difficult to fully digest; now, with the "Heaven Refining Hand" aiding you, the process accelerated over tenfold, propelling your cultivation forward at breakneck speed.

The "Heaven Refining Hand"—the words "Heaven Refining"—seem to carry hidden meaning.

Moreover, the flames released by the "Heaven Refining Hand" once drained your entire spiritual energy in moments; but now, having reached "Unity of Self and Thing," you can draw spiritual energy from heaven and earth to fuel the flames, greatly reducing your own consumption.

Once you enter the Heavenly Human realm, inner and outer cosmos will fully unite; then, spiritual energy will be inexhaustible.

The path of cultivation is long and arduous.

Your stomach now growled with hunger—even a Primordial realm cultivator cannot fully escape dependence on grains and food; though you can absorb spiritual energy, certain vital nourishments must still come from food.

Lu Yu smiled: "Brother, let's go eat!"

You looked at Master Liu Jinchan, a spark of amusement crossing your face; the two of you exchanged a smile.

Then, each of you took one of Liu Jinchan's arms and leapt from the cliff's peak, leaving only her startled cries echoing in the air—and Lu Yu's laughter.

Today is the fourth day of the eighth month.

On the sixteenth day of the eighth month, Yanjing will hold the Heaven-Worship Ceremony!

The next day!

Lu Yu's seven disciples returned early to the mountain; this time, the Seven Sons of Zhongnan journeyed together to Yanjing.

They had never before traveled with their uncle; Yang Su was especially excited—this had long been his dream.

The seven waited early in the main hall.

Originally, Yang Su's wife had planned to join them—she came from a demonic sect and loved excitement—but this year she was pregnant, and all had stopped her.

Liu Jinchan chose to remain on the mountain; Zhongnan must always have a senior present.

At dawn!

The nine of you bid farewell to Liu Jinchan and descended the mountain; the Three Truths Sect's junior Daoists lined the gate, gazing after you with envy.

To journey with Uncle Lu Yu and Uncle Lu Chen—how wonderful! They'd surely become famous across the martial world by tomorrow!

Compared to the asceticism of mountain life, they longed for the outside world.

"Go, go—get back to your lessons!"

The junior Daoists scattered in a rush!

Liu Jinchan stood on the steps outside Dadian, watching your retreating figures.

Lu Yu sometimes descends Zhongnan Mountain; his name echoes with great renown across the martial world.

Each time he descends, demonic sects tremble in fear—he is known as the "Demon Purifier."

Yet you, for ten years, never once left Zhongnan Mountain, remaining in the Living Dead Tomb.

Liu Jinchan murmured: "The Yan Prince descends Zhongnan again—what storms will this stir across the land?"

"With the White Horse Oath ended, will the four states and Yan remain peaceful?"

"Which disciple will the Three Truths Sect's prophecy of 'Shattering the Void' finally manifest upon?"

Liu Jinchan never imagined the two disciples he took in northern lands had become figures shaping the fate of the empire and the martial world.

…………

…………

Yuetangjiang is one of the Four Great Waterways of the world.

It flows from north to south, crossing Qianyuan, Yan, Daqing, and finally empties into the sea at the border of Han and Han.

Each kingdom calls it by a different name!

Qianyuan calls it "Yuexiang River," originating from the north slope of the Zhazarijia Gen Mountains, the highest peak in Qianyuan; in Qianyuan, it means "the Sun's Wife, the Moon," and is the birthplace of the Qianyuan royal court.

Daqing calls it "Yuetangjiang."

When Yuetangjiang enters Han territory, it is renamed—"Taiping River."

This name is closely tied to Han's ancient Taiping Sect.

Legend says the Taiping Sect's founder was born from this river, fatherless and motherless, later adopted and raised by local fishermen, named "Li Taiping!"

Li Taiping grew up and founded the Taiping Sect; its teachings took root deeply, earning widespread devotion.

To honor this founder and his birthplace, the river was renamed "Taiping River" by the fervent devotion of his followers.

The Korean state has existed for nearly a thousand years, yet it can never escape this great Daoist sect.

Originally, every Korean emperor's mandate required the approval of the Taiping Sect.

The leader of the Taiping Sect also calls himself "Tianshi."

The Taiping Sect's founding site sits atop a waterfall-cliff beside the middle reaches of the Taiping River.

The only way in and out is a single rope; ordinary people cannot enter at all, and one misstep means falling into the raging river below.

Only a Master of the Martial World can walk freely upon that rope.

Upon it stands a Daoist temple named "Shousui Temple."

This is the ancestral seat of the Taiping Sect. Though its followers are the most numerous among Daoist sects, the number of true disciples granted sacred ordination is even fewer than those of the Sanzhen Sect.

This generation has only eight or nine!

The temple is small!

In the courtyard of Shousui Temple grows a ginkgo tree said to be over seven hundred years old.

It stands tall and straight, its branches and leaves lush; at night, when you look up, you see only a bright full moon hanging above its crown.

Every autumn, it turns a brilliant gold—stunning to behold.

But for the young Daoists here, it's a nuisance: when the autumn wind blows, leaves fall incessantly, and sweeping them up is a nightmare.

Two young Daoists rose early to practice; their four senior brothers had all left the mountain, leaving only the two of them.

Only those who reach the Master realm may descend the mountain—and only then can they cross the iron chain.

The iron chain is seventy to eighty zhang long; beneath it roars a waterfall, and few who fall survive.

Even large boats dare not navigate the river, for hidden whirlpools and abysses lurk beneath, ready to wreck any vessel and drown all aboard.

There is only one way out!

Work diligently, cultivate hard, and cross the iron chain.

As for the world beyond—whether it is good or not—the two young Daoists do not know. They were raised by their Master since childhood and have never seen the outside world.

All they know is:

Several of their senior brothers fought desperately to leave—and none ever returned.

They're too happy out there to miss their fellow disciples!

The two young Daoists grew melancholy.

The young Daoists once asked their Master: "What if the iron chain breaks? What then?"

They did not wish to spend their entire lives in Shousui Temple.

The old Daoist chuckled: "Just fly across!"

The young Daoist rolled his eyes and walked off with his broom.

"I'm speaking seriously, Master—you're just blowing wind!"

Seventy to eighty zhang—how can a man fly across?

Today was peculiar!

The two young Daoists pushed open the door with their brooms.

There they saw:

A tall old Daoist, clad in a hemp robe, wearing a lotus crown, his hair, eyebrows, and beard all white, his face still a deep crimson, radiating vigor.

This was their Master, "Xuantianzi," the abbot of Shousui Temple.

The temple held only three people: two disciples and one Master.

The two young Daoists were not in a hurry; they exchanged glances, smiled, and leaned on their brooms, watching their Master sweep.

Xuantianzi called out to his two disciples:

"Come help me!"

Only then did they slowly move to sweep.

One young Daoist suggested:

"Master, why not cut down this tree? It drops leaves every day—it's so annoying."

Xuantianzi stroked his beard and said:

"Your senior brothers asked the same thing back then. Do you know what happened?"

The young Daoist ventured: "They got beaten?"

"You know the answer, yet you still ask?"

The young Daoist muttered: "Ha! This tree was planted by the founding ancestor of the Taiping Sect—it can't be cut, it can't be cut!"

"A seven-hundred-year-old ancient tree is precious—don't even think of cutting it."

They had been beaten often enough by their Master—they still feared him.

After the three finished sweeping, the old Daoist had already prepared two bowls of vegetarian meal.

The two Daoists exchanged uneasy glances; normally, they prepared the meals themselves.

What was going on today?

The old Daoist said: "I'm going down the mountain this time."

The young Daoists knew that every one or two years, their Master would descend the mountain and return after a few days.

But today, he swept the courtyard and prepared the meal himself.

That was strange.

The old Daoist urged:

"Eat, then get to your practice!"

One of the sharper young Daoists sensed something unusual and asked:

"Master, you're not going down to fight, are you? Are you afraid you'll lose?"

Normally,

the Master would chuckle: "I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back—I might kill them outright, and then I'd have to perform rites for their souls!"

Unexpectedly,

the old Daoist gave a slight nod.

The two were stunned.

"Go on, go on!"

The old Daoist shooed them away, then looked up at the towering ginkgo tree.

Its branches were thick, its leaves golden.

The old Daoist murmured softly:

"I planted this tree myself when I first stepped onto the path of martial cultivation. I never imagined it would now stand so tall and broad."

"Shousui Temple guards peace for all under heaven—none shall ascend unless they earn it!"

"Lu Chen, I never wished to kill you—but you should never have come this far!"

(End of Chapter)