Chapter 202: Secret Bliss and Seclusion

"That's right, at the Shaolin Temple."

Wang Chongyang nodded lightly, his reaction to Niu Dingtian's response seemed unsurprised, and sighed, "Back then, Master Ku Hui left the Shaolin Temple; fundamentally, it was because that talented person clashed with other senior members."

"Some people don't know the truth and merely regard that person as an enlightened divine monk. Yet, when Master Ku Hui was a child, he inadvertently witnessed that person literally sucking a senior monk into a dry corpse."

"Years later, senior monks at the Shaolin Temple kept disappearing mysteriously. He, unwilling to see the Shaolin lineage broken, used a temple incident as pretext to flee to the Western Regions, founding a Western Shaolin branch."

Sucked into a dry corpse? Could that old rogue possess a mutated version of the North Darkness Divine Skill? Niu Dingtian's eyes narrowed slightly, his mind restless, suddenly recalling Qiu Qianren's dry corpse appearance.

Recalling the sudden death of the scripture guardian in the Sutra Repository, the Arhat Subduing Demon Skill roiled, and he suddenly felt as if he were drifting through the Gate of Hell back then.

If back then the breathing technique hadn't suppressed it, and the eyelids hadn't fluttered as warning, he might have had to reincarnate again.

That breathing method may be miraculous, but he lacks confidence to surpass half‑immortal beings—those who can shatter the void. If not a half‑immortal, then what are they? Raising his tea cup, he drank it in one gulp; the gentle fragrance seeped into his belly, and Niu Dingtian's emotions steadied a bit.

Since entering the Precelestial Realm, he had never been this unseemly, yet it wasn't shameful; after all, he had indirectly opposed an old monster of the Celestial Being Realm.

"Please, Daoist elder, seek a more capable one. I am but a humble person; we cannot handle such a figure. If he wishes to stay, let him stay at the Shaolin Temple."

After sitting down, Niu Dingtian caressed the tea cup in his hand, thought for a moment, and outright refused.

Since that person finds it hard to leave the Dharma Cave, and he fears his offspring? Let whoever wants to suck go; as long as ordinary civilians aren't harmed, just keep far away, and settle the score once he steps into the Celestial Being realm.

Receiving the reply, a trace of helpless smile appeared on Wang Chongyang's face, as if Niu Dingtian's refusal didn't surprise him.

He pointed at the old turtle in the pond, then at the Heaven‑Reliant Sword on the table, and said, "Little friend, still don't understand? You've already been marked. Whether you go or not, he'll come looking for you."

"The Society Thunder Master's killing of ancient artifact spirits, subduing original qi, can attract the thunder's descent; such a weapon must already be alive, otherwise why would the awakened monk demand it? Understand that for a Celestial Being realm strongman, if one can glimpse the supreme secret within, seeking the legendary Daoist immortal path is not impossible."

"And that spirit turtle, its vital essence far surpasses even this Precelestial strongman, must have been born in a place abundant with spiritual energy. Do you know what this means for a Celestial Being strongman? It likely points to the legendary Spirit Spring."

"Not doing it!"

Niu Dingtian refused outright, picked up the charcoal tongs on the table, poked the charcoal beneath the tea furnace, and said indifferently, "I have greater matters to attend to. That scoundrel hides in Shaolin, harming Shaolin monks; we'll talk when he dares to leave the cave."

He held no good impression of monks; at the foot of the Sacred Mountain, corpses lay everywhere. Though written as myth, it is also reality; he would never risk his life for monks who merely chant and eat vegetarian meals.

"Little friend truly thinks that demon cannot exit the Dharma Cave?" Wang Chongyang fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked.

Niu Dingtian was startled by the words, his eyelids involuntarily flickered, and he forced a smile, "Daoist elder, don't mislead me. Heaven's way is constant, with its own order; if it could emerge, it would have sought me long ago."

Wang Chongyang shook his head, "It's not that it cannot leave the cave; the price is too great. Every time it emerges, a great number of Precelestial strongmen perish. Otherwise, little friend, why do I feign death, and why are Precelestial strongmen rarely seen in the world?"

Niu Dingtian felt a chill, fixed his gaze on the old Daoist before him, and asked in surprise, "Daoist elder, are you saying… it leaves the cave merely to siphon Precelestial practitioners' martial arts, or… their vital essence?"

"Otherwise, how could I call him a demon?" Wang Chongyang let out a long sigh.

He continued, "Because imperial capitals of various nations are bolstered by the populace's qi, the nearer one gets to the Celestial Being realm, the greater the heavenly backlash. Hence, the Sunflower Ancestor of the Song court has survived till now. Some say he was a late‑life attendant of Emperor Taizong; whether true or false, no one knows."

"Zhao Guangyi?" Niu Dingtian raised an eyebrow, thought briefly, and exclaimed, "If that's true, wouldn't he be over two hundred years old?"

Wang Chongyang nodded, adding, "Precelestial strongmen within the royal family are relatively safe, but others must constantly guard against that demon's threat."

"Initially I thought we Precelestial ones could only hide, but after learning of one person's deeds, I conceived the idea of seeking allies to utterly eradicate that demon."

"Thirty years ago, a man at the Half‑step Celestial Being realm was ambushed by that demon yet managed to grievously wound it. Afterwards, the demon fled back to the Shaolin Temple, and that man, severely injured, shattered the void; whether he died or became a corpse, no one knows."

"Daoist elder, do you know who that person was?" Niu Dingtian, uneasy inside, asked impatiently.

Wang Chongyang paused, set down his tea cup, his clear eyes flashing, and said gravely, "Sword Demon!"

"Sword Demon? Du Gu Qiubai?"

Niu Dingtian was momentarily stunned, then exclaimed in surprise.

"Little friend knows?" Wang Chongyang was taken aback, a flash of surprise in his eyes, then couldn't help praising, "Truly, the person lives up to the name!"

He paused, sighed lightly, and said, "I only know him as Sword Demon; his actual name hasn't been passed down. Precelestial masters rarely make their presence known, so the world doesn't know them. Otherwise, with Sword Demon's methods, he would have been famed in the jianghu long ago."

Not just acquaintance, he's my master. Niu Dingtian suddenly felt a sense of honor, smiled modestly, and said, "My master, indeed my master."

"Cough cough~"

With those words, Wang Chongyang on the opposite side was caught off guard and choked on the tea in his mouth.

He reached out to smooth his breath, raised his head, frowned at Niu Dingtian, almost saying, "Little friend, why must you tease me?"

Niu Dingtian raised his sword‑like eyebrows; even the sect leader has status, why need to grovel to others?

Thus, his tone carried some displeasure, and he said coolly, "Daoist elder, you don't trust me?" Wang Chongyang remained silent.

"If you say your father was that man's disciple, I have some belief; you? Thirty years ago, I don't know whether it manifested on your father's body."

Niu Dingtian, seeing this, smiled, lifted his tea cup and took a gentle sip, then narrowed his gaze while seated, saying nothing further.

He harbored his own pride. Upon first meeting, you spoke at length and I never expressed disbelief; yet as soon as I opened my mouth, you doubted me? Niu Dingtian, still stunned after just one encounter, kept rambling to earn this old Daoist's trust.

"Seems the little friend is also a person of temperament," Wang Chongyang said with a wry smile, breaking the silence.

He had expected Niu Dingtian to explain, but instead he threw a tantrum.

After thinking, he changed the subject, speaking earnestly, "I wonder how you are considering it? If that demon remains, we may never have peace thereafter!"

"If Precelestial beings are wiped out, the martial path extinguished, such a great demon, to survive, what atrocities against living beings might it commit?"

Niu Dingtian's expression was as calm as water, not replying immediately; confronting Celestial Being strongmen at the Precelestial level, even an alliance would be a ten‑to‑death affair. He sipped his tea sip by sip, while Wang Chongyang made no haste, merely watching with a solemn face.

When a gentle breeze drifted into the bamboo grove, stirring fallen leaves and rippling the pond's green water, the old turtle rose to the shore; under moonlight, its huge eyes met Niu Dingtian's gaze.

"If what you say, Daoist elder, is true, I can agree, but there is a condition; otherwise I'd rather face it alone in the future," Niu Dingtian set down his tea cup, withdrew his gaze, and stared at Wang Chongyang.

"Little friend, please speak. If it's not excessive, I will certainly agree!" Wang Chongyang's face relaxed, and he said with a smile.

Niu Dingtian pondered, "How to act? I will follow your orders in the future, but the timing must be after five years; within those five years, you must make a full‑force move for me once."

Hearing this, Wang Chongyang showed some hesitation, his gray‑white thick brows twisting into a knot; after a while his face steadied, and he said gravely, "I accept!"

……

"Have you ever seen a Celestial Being realm strongman?" After Wang Chongyang quietly left, Niu Dingtian went to the pond's edge, frowned, and looked at the old turtle in the water.

Just now, when their eyes met, the creature's gaze already conveyed its meaning.

The old turtle nodded, a deep fear visible in its eyes.

Niu Dingtian felt something stir, crouched at the bank, and asked, "If I count myself together with that old Daoist just now, how many would you consider opponents?"

"Achoo~"

The old turtle heard the words, froze for a moment, then reacted, showing contempt in its eyes, gave Niu Dingtian a disdainful snort, and with a splash dove into the water.

"Is this… no hope at all?" Niu Dingtian stared blankly at the ripples on the water, muttering to himself.

The next morning

When the rosy dawn light shone on the mountain peak, everyone on the mountain went about their usual routine—waking up, morning practice, and having meals.

Although Niu Dingtian remained outwardly calm, at the breakfast table he still let the several women before him notice a hint of abnormality.

"Sister-in-law, what are you looking at me for?" Niu Dingtian picked up another fried bun, about to stuff it into his mouth, when he saw Chen Jin'er and Han Xiao Ying both staring at him.

Besides his good younger sister Guai bao'er quietly drinking her congee, across from him Miss Huang's pretty face also bore a hint of displeasure.

"Uncle, did you forget something today?" Chen Jin'er asked with a smiling tone.

"Forgot what?"

Niu Dingtian wore a puzzled expression.

He glanced at Miss Huang, then saw Han Xiao Ying's lips curl into a smile; he suddenly realized and, smiling, praised Miss Huang: "Rong'er, your cooking is superb, truly fragrant!"

"Hmph, real or fake!"

Miss Huang pursed her lips and let out a light hum.

It turned out that whenever they ate together, if it was Miss Huang's turn to cook, he could always taste the flavor and quickly offer praise; he hadn't expected today to be an exception.

"Of course it's real!" Niu Dingtian shoved the fried bun into his mouth and spoke indistinctly.

He then gulped down the remaining half bowl of congee, looked at the three beauties before him, and smiled: "Just now I was thinking about something, so I forgot to credit Rong'er's effort; good thing I now have something to tell you."

Seeing the three women all looking his way, even Guai bao'er, who had been bowing her head over her congee, lifted her head in a dazed manner; Niu Dingtian pondered briefly and said: "I intend to start secluded cultivation tonight; this time it may take a long time."

"When I'm not around, everything proceeds according to the plans I left behind; if a major event occurs, you and Fentian shall discuss and decide together. But remember, no matter what, your safety must come first."

"Also, aside from informing you, only Fentian knows about my secluded cultivation; you must not reveal it to anyone. Do you understand?"

As he spoke, Niu Dingtian's expression unconsciously turned solemn; he really worried that if the news leaked, that old bald donkey Juexing would come knocking.

"Brother Niu, has something happened?" Miss Huang reacted, her pretty face showing a hint of anxiety.

Niu Dingtian smiled: "It's just that my martial arts have hit a bottleneck; I need to break through. Don't overthink it."

"Alright, as long as everything's normal, hurry up and eat; I still have things to tell others later."

Thus, in the subdued atmosphere, the several people finished breakfast absentmindedly, and Niu Dingtian then summoned the others one by one to give them instructions.

After Guo Jing left, Yang Kang's face hesitated a bit, he looked toward Niu Dingtian and whispered: "Uncle Master, can you cure his foolishness?"

Niu Dingtian froze for a moment, then reacted, set down his teacup, and gazed intently: "Are you willing to acknowledge him?"

Yang Kang remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

Niu Dingtian furrowed his brows, his index finger unconsciously tapping the tabletop; he had originally planned to resolve Yang Tiexin's foolishness after his wedding.

After some consideration, he nodded at Yang Kang and reminded: "Uncle Master can cure him, but you must know whom he should and should not see, Kang'er."

"Uncle Master, rest assured, Kang'er has it in mind." Yang Kang's face relaxed, and he hastily promised.

Finally, Yang Kang received a small pill from Niu Dingtian, then left the hall in silence.

Yang Tiexin merely suffered a confusion of the soul; although the spiritual spring water couldn't fully cure Guai bao'er's foolishness, it could be tried first.

But Niu Dingtian never expected that this brat would suddenly show up again in the morning, slam down a sheet of paper, and walk away.

Niu Dingtian picked up the paper; as soon as he unfolded it, he was startled—before his eyes lay three large characters written in neat rows:

"Divorce Letter!" (End of chapter)