Chapter 120: When Today's Dust Vanishes, Light Is Born, Splitting Mountains and Rivers into Ten Thousand Blossoms

PS: 5K words

Niu Dingtian took the small bottle and left; shortly after, Yi Deng received the news and hurried to the courtyard with his three disciples.

The moment the few stepped into the courtyard, the old turtle's slightly opened mouth snapped shut tightly.

Yi Deng took the lead,

After the four entered the courtyard and looked around, they saw an old turtle over half a zhang long, squinting and lazily napping in the corner.

Surprise filled everyone's eyes.

"I've been fishing here every day for years, and I've never seen a creature this big," Dian Cang Yuyin exclaimed in awe. "It must weigh a few hundred jin, I guess."

Eh~ where did that old turtle come from?

"Innate?" Yi Deng suddenly murmured, his mind drifting.

While the four were staring blankly at the turtle, Niu Dingtian silently appeared behind Yi Deng.

Sensing a pressure as solid as matter, the old turtle drooped its head, then grinned with its wind‑leaking large front teeth toward Miss Huang.

Immediately, ignoring the other's pursed lips, it grabbed a hand and walked into the house.

Niu Dingtian nodded.

The other party managed to leap a major realm in a single night, breaking through to half‑step Innate, indicating great future achievements on the martial path.

Niu Dingtian glared, the massive pressure booming forward; the old creature must have a poor memory, so it needs a bit of blood! He'll also teach it who can bite and who cannot.

"Master, this..."

It's more reassuring to divide this thing; otherwise, if the cave were seized in one fell swoop, he'd have nowhere to weep.

For the whole day afterward, Niu Dingtian pondered the Qi and Spirit realms in the courtyard, contemplating his harmony with heaven and earth and the direction of his future cultivation methods.

"But... but I feel the energy in that water still merges within my body, as if... as if there's still a lot more."

Seeing this, Niu Dingtian did not continue to console; since a direction had been found, everyone should mature.

"Layman Niu, you are too modest," Yi Deng clasped his hands, sighing, "On the martial path, the accomplished go first; this humble monk knows his talent is dull, and I fear I cannot reach the legendary Celestial Being realm in this life."

Miss Huang took the small bottle, gulped it down, and her eyes widened dramatically at Niu Dingtian.

But if the higher legendary realms are real, the lifespan then would be unimaginable compared to ordinary people.

An hour later,

"Grandmaster Early Stage?"

One realm, one heaven,

After he stepped out of the courtyard, Niu Dingtian stood in the yard, slowly released his perception, and then sensed a clear shift in the aura of Han Xiao Ying's room.

But Zhu Ziliu and the others should still leave; with many people and chatter, relying on their brothers to guard the door is unreliable.

After a long while, Yi Deng came to his senses, the sparkle in his eyes brighter, his excitement unable to settle.

Then they all honestly withdrew from the courtyard.

After hearing Yi Deng's orders, the three looked a bit disappointed, but a master's command is obeyed by all disciples.

"Amitabha! The divine turtle has spirit!" Yi Deng's face could not hide his excitement; he solemnly said to Zhu Ziliu, "Ziliu, later give the orders—under no circumstances let anyone disturb the divine turtle!"

Dingtian, Sun Heaven, Break Heaven, Burn Heaven, my whole life seems destined to be at odds with the heavens!

Miss Huang's smile froze on her face, and panic began to show in her eyes.

Ho~ Ho~

Niu Dingtian's eyes shifted, and he said, "When that time comes, we can only meet once each Qingming, and Rong Er, when you..."

As he spoke, Miss Huang's eyes reddened, gradually filling with misty tears, and Niu Dingtian hurriedly closed his mouth.

But the old turtle, already spirit‑linked and considering itself beyond mortal, could not endure such provocation! It stuck out its head and lunged at Miss Huang.

"Good morning, Master Yi Deng."

Feeling the ease between the spiritual gates, he smiled, "Thank you, Master Yi Deng, for your guidance. I've been in this Peach Garden for some days, and I plan to set off early tomorrow morning.

On the eighth day of the eighth month next year, I will await the master on Jiugong Mountain to discuss the Dao! Whether the future leads to the martial path or the legendary immortal path, I hope to see the master's figure."

Niu Dingtian suddenly realized that his Qi realm and Spirit realm seemed already within reach.

The divine artifact is right before his eyes!

He originally was reluctant to reveal his realm; the later it became known, the more advantageous it was for him. Yet Yi Deng knows too many martial secrets, and now keeping it hidden serves no purpose—better to be straightforward.

Zhu Ziliu stepped forward a few paces, examined the shell, and said, "From the thickness of the shell, it seems to have lived many years, but its feeble appearance suggests it has entered old age, right?"

Moreover,

Such a feeling of merging with heaven and earth, like the current terrifying perception ability, yet regarding spiritual cultivation, no trace has been found.

The two entered the room, closed the door, and Niu Dingtian contemplated how to speak.

Of course, integrate it into the body.

His resolve to seek the Dao grew even firmer.

If in the future I can see Layman Niu singing all the way, I would be content.

He immediately said to Zhu Ziliu and the others, "Ziliu, the three of you return first; Layman Niu and I still have some matters to discuss."

The aura in Miss Huang's room gradually steadied, and the final result was also the Grandmaster Early Stage realm.

Bang~

Miss Huang recoiled with a disdainful expression; she hadn't considered the issue of whether it was spirit‑linked.

This trip to the Peach Garden has been fruitful, but now it's time to leave.

"Rong Er, have you ever thought of seriously practicing martial arts later?" Niu Dingtian suddenly asked.

Miss Huang fell silent, wiped the mist from her eyes, and nodded absentmindedly.

"Is this the powerful perception ability?" Niu Dingtian whispered, "If one breaks through to the Innate realm, how powerful could it become?"

He promptly drew a sealed small porcelain bottle from his bosom and solemnly said, "Later, drink all the water in this bottle—no drop may spill! Then attempt to circulate the energy to refine it into internal force."

Afterward he stared at the old turtle's two eyes and began to zone out.

Right now Han Xiao Ying is at a critical juncture; the energy of that sip of spiritual spring water is enormous, and what realm she can break into hinges on this day and night.

Yideng smiled and said, "Then this humble monk will not detain you further, Layman Niu, having just entered this realm, you should contemplate it well; I will take my leave now."

This sudden sound startled everyone; when Yideng turned his head to look, his eyes involuntarily narrowed.

The old turtle showed no reaction to those words, still squinting its eyes and lying motionless there.

That feeling was as if heaven and earth were perfectly in tune with him.

Huh?

Niu Dingtian nodded, not elaborating further; before discovering a second person who knew of this thing's existence, he did not intend to tell anyone the secret.

No wonder he was so excited; that is the pinnacle of mundane martial arts! The Xiantian realm is what he has pursued all his life in martial arts; even though he has now reached the peak of master level, he feels that realm is still terribly distant.

After she came to, she vigorously bit the small bottle in her hand a few times, then rushed to the bed; this good thing that lets one cultivate without effort she would not waste a single drop.

He also knows some characteristics of the Xiantian realm; it's not that he doesn't want to explain in detail, but given their current second-rate level, the Xiantian realm is still too far off, and saying more would be useless.

Just now he actually appeared silently behind me; we are both at the peak of master level, so why can't I sense any of his aura at all?

What an ugly turtle head!

In the evening, after thinking it over, he returned to the cave and filled six bottles with spiritual spring water.

The aura the opponent is displaying now—isn't that exactly the Xiantian trait described in that manual?

It's as if… it's saying: "Even if you die, your grandfather won't die!"

Seeing Zhu Ziliu's reaction, the old turtle's eyes showed even more contempt: a look of never having seen the world.

Zhu Ziliu hastily retreated, muttering uncertainly, "The Master does not speak of strange forces and chaos; could we really have encountered ghosts and gods today?"

After figuring out his own path, Niu Dingtian's state of mind suddenly rose, as if his harmony with heaven and earth grew a bit more.

Moreover, the two of them were still in the same realm yesterday; if the other has truly entered the Xiantian realm, doesn't that mean they directly crossed a major realm?

Damn it, his mother is a dog!

I feel my internal energy is saturated; it will be hard to continue breaking through in a short time, Han Xiao Ying's face was flushed and radiant; after thinking, she whispered.

Although his aura grew rapidly and the changes were obvious, he could still sense a minuscule space for change, as if the lens had been pulled back, revealing fine detail.

Receiving Niu Dingtian's positive response filled him with great joy, and he promptly offered his farewell.

"Wait a moment, Ronger." Niu Dingtian hurriedly said, "Let's go inside first; I have some things to tell you."

It is obvious,

They had never heard of the Xiantian realm, and involuntarily turned their gazes to their master Yideng.

Yideng slowly nodded and explained, "Qi realm is a natural temperament that arises from within and without, perfectly in tune with heaven and earth. Shen realm is strong intention and perception. As for Yi realm, it pertains to spiritual cultivation, which this manual does not detail."

"Eh~ Brother Niu, you've changed!"

Could it be that the path of immortal cultivation truly exists in this world?

At this moment,

At the end of her speech, her face turned slightly red, and she faltered, unable to continue.

Then he fixed his gaze on the old turtle and said, "I heard from Cihui that Young Hero Niu returned riding it, but this creature is wild and hard to tame, and certainly not easy to domesticate; keeping it here could easily harm the two young ladies, so I think it would be better to persuade Young Hero Niu to deal with it."

At this moment, Niu Dingtian's changes are truly obvious; he lacks the overbearing dominance he could not hide before, and instead has acquired a faint, natural, special aura.

Qiaozi said, "I used to often catch old turtles for food in my younger years; this meat is firm and most nourishing!"

"Half-step Xiantian?" Yideng said in sudden realization.

At the chou hour of the second day's dawn,

The aura in Han Xiao Ying's room gradually stabilized.

After pulling out the wooden stopper, a strange smell gradually filled the room; before it even drifted to the courtyard, it caused the old turtle in the corner to continually grunt and stir restlessly.

I have a single immortal heart,

Long sealed by dust.

Just now, with sleepy eyes, I didn't look carefully and actually let an ugly old turtle delay my seeing her Brother Niu!

"Brother Niu, what hard thing is on your body?" Feeling the hard object on Niu Dingtian's body, she furrowed her brows, stepped back, and involuntarily asked curiously, "Quick, let me take a look!"

Having reached this level now, to break through he can only seek an opportunity and then create his own fundamental cultivation method.

Miss Huang merely gazed with her beautiful eyes, smiling faintly.

The gap between them is unimaginable!

Xiantian realm?

Zhu Ziliu, Diancang Yuyin, and Qiaozi were all somewhat surprised; they had never seen their master lose composure like this, and after the three exchanged glances, they felt some doubt.

The medicine was too strong!

I really deserve to die! Truly!

He then softly said, "Ronger, you must train diligently in martial arts from now on; the path of martial arts in this world is vastly broader than what we can see, and I hope you will both continue walking with me in the future."

Amitabha!

After Yideng composed himself, he only then realized he had lost composure, and turning his prayer beads, he spoke softly:

"Xiantian is an extremely high martial arts realm; you three only need to know that this is already the pinnacle of ordinary martial arts, remember not to be overly ambitious."

Recalling this encounter in the Peach Blossom Spring, for a moment he actually felt some reluctance to part.

After the three left, Niu Dingtian smiled and said, "Last night in the mountains I occasionally had an insight, managed to break through by luck, but I am still one step away from the Xiantian realm."

He did not explain too much to his several disciples.

Although she disliked the ugly turtle head, she couldn't help her curiosity, taking a bamboo stick and squatting beside it, she kept teasing it nonstop.

With Miss Huang's intelligence, if she spent fewer days basking in the sun and more days mending nets and fishing, her martial arts achievements would certainly not be low.

With this talent, it is highly possible she will reach the legendary realm of heaven and man, or even higher.

After the half-step Innate's intention sensed the old turtle's advancing and retreating movements, Niu Dingtian couldn't help but curse silently.

Just as his words fell, the old turtle, which had originally kept its eyes closed, suddenly opened its eyes; the expression in its eyes shifted inexplicably, and finally it looked over with contempt.

After reacting, upon considering some possibility, his eyes filled with disbelief as he urgently asked, "Master Niu, have you broken through to the Innate realm?"

However, Niu Dingtian did not explain; the divine object capable of replenishing essence and qi had already surpassed ordinary people's understanding.

"Is this... floral fragrance?" Miss Huang wondered.

"The three realms of qi, spirit, and intent?" Niu Dingtian wondered, involuntarily looking toward Yideng.

Illuminating and shattering myriad blossoms of mountains and rivers.

Immediately after, he shook his head with a hint of regret and sighed, "Though the divine turtle is long-lived, it still has its limits; I don't know how many more years this old turtle can live—what a pity!"

Seeing Niu Dingtian's inexplicable gaze and receiving no reply, Yideng seemed to suddenly understand.

The old turtle finally narrowed its eyes slightly; a faint ferocity flickered deep within, imperceptible, as it stared at the woodcutter for a moment before ultimately closing its eyelids.

Niu Dingtian suddenly fell silent; he once again felt Yideng's steadfast conviction, even having placed his hopes upon himself.

Zhu Ziliu stared, mouth agape.

"If in the future I cultivate to a higher realm, live longer, and become younger?" Niu Dingtian asked softly.

Although grief had ceased, a lingering gloom nonetheless crept into his eyes.

Recalling that feeling, he pondered for a moment and then said softly, "It seems... it seems I am still lacking a certain insight, an insight into my own path and into the heavens and earth."

Just as Niu Dingtian was immersed in the effect of the half-step Innate divine realm, Miss Huang emerged from her room.

Today, dust is exhausted and light arises.

Having said that, he reached out to rummage in that place.

This could also be the most immediate problem facing those few in the future, and we cannot fail to plan ahead.

Heavenly man, heavenly man—still within the realm of heaven and earth; above the heavenly man... isn't that already standing atop heaven itself? What realm would that be? What mighty power?

Pondering the meaning of those few characters, Niu Dingtian's emotions inevitably surged: having been reborn and possessing a treasure trove, how could a true man remain depressed beneath heaven?

That is essence and qi.

Although currently slightly affected by some gloom, it is still better than the eventual fate of black hair turning white in the future.

He never expected that this little girl still harbored the idea of several men taking turns protecting her for decades.

"Disciple takes his leave!"

A flicker of envy flashed in Yideng's eyes as he said softly, "The ancestral handscrolls record that the Innate realm manifests in the three realms of qi, spirit, and intent."

After getting a clear look at Niu Dingtian's face, she reached out with astonishment, pinched him, and exclaimed delightedly, "You've turned white!"

She seemed to have forgotten her sorrow; this fragrance reminded her of the scent she had smelled when earlier going up the mountain.

After sensing Han Xiao Ying's aura, Niu Dingtian was not surprised; his cultivation rose just right, exactly as he had anticipated.

Moreover,

These were originally some martial arts secrets, known to very few in the world; by voluntarily revealing them, I also forge a good karmic bond for myself.

"In the future, let... let..."

"Practice martial arts?" Miss Huang's pretty face showed slight surprise, then she giggled, "Practicing martial arts is boring; having you and my father train together is enough—my father used to protect me, and now Brother Niu protects me,"

In short, essence and qi are the very source of life; if they can be supplied endlessly, even immortality is no problem.

There, he saw expressions that only appear on humans—contempt, scorn, indignation, and even a hint of deceit.

"Brother Niu!!"

"Thank you, Master Yideng, for dispelling my doubts once again; I, Niu, will surely repay you in the future!" Niu Dingtian said solemnly.

If even such a living divine object can appear, then the record in the ancestral handscrolls of what lies above the heavenly man—distinguishing immortals—might not be mere illusion after all?

At this moment,

The sky had already grown dimly bright,

Niu Dingtian also did not disturb the people in the temple; the three of them and the turtle directly went down the mountain.

(End of chapter)