Chapter 170: Mountain Colors Distantly Embrace the Void, Vast and Boundless East of the Marshland

Eastern Region, Yu Yuchen Sect.

Xiaoming Xiao Daze—

Within this vast, boundless marshland, which seemed to gather all the spiritual elegance and secluded beauty of the eight extremes, mighty qi mechanisms connecting heaven and earth were rising majestically, inhaling and exhaling boundless spiritual energy, exchanging insights and sensations with the universe.

At this moment, the tidal moisture in the water was swelling and gradually rising.

In an instant,

clouds gathered from all directions, turning day into dusk, as a great sound of boiling and surging erupted.

When the waves turned,

they resembled a thousand layers of cloud peaks, rolling in from the sea.

They made the heavenly pillars seem ready to snap and the earthly axis tremble in darkness; snowy waves drenched the clouds, soaring straight up a hundred zhang!

This territory is named Xiaoming Xiao Daze.

It is precisely where the mountain gate of Yu Yuchen Sect is located!

One of the fourteen spiritual caves of Xudu Heaven!

If one stood at the highest point of the supreme sky and looked down—

one would see that within this vast marsh, apart from the boundless, misty waves,

the most conspicuous features were nine colossal islands, brilliant as arranged stars and immeasurably huge, laid out grandly within Xiaoming Xiao Daze.

The breadth of these giant islands was nearly impossible to measure with the naked eye.

Rather than calling them islands,

it would be more appropriate to call them small continental lands.

In the center of each giant island stood an ancient mountain touching the sky, so high its peak could not be seen, stretching for who knows how many thousands of li, where great springs split ravines and fell, and cold waterfalls broke through the void to fly downward.

Lush grasses competed in prosperity, and tall trees were verdant and dense—

Within the mountains, countless towers, palaces, and temples, along with pavilions and repeated gate-towers, could be faintly seen.

Gazing from afar—

the nine giant islands resembled nine Bixi from the ancient era, lying solemnly in the vast waters of the marsh, carrying on their backs nine peaks that reached the supreme sky.

The numerous water dwellings, refined abodes, large and small islets, and suspended flying islands within the great marsh,

before these nine mountains and nine islands,

all had to bow their heads, unable to match their height...

And at this moment,

suddenly a hazy Dharma light came speeding like wind and lightning, evading the Dharma prohibitions of the mountain gate, fixed its direction, and headed straight for one of the nine mountains.

In no more time than it takes to drink a few cups of tea,

that hazy Dharma light fell into a hall, retracted its power, and from within, Hou Wen tumbled out in a sorry state.

His face was as white as golden paper, yet his eyes were excessively bloodshot, his pupils ferocious, as if he wished to choose someone to devour.

"..."

After arriving here,

Hou Wen's mind, which had been tightly strained, finally relaxed somewhat.

Disregarding all dignity, he simply sat cross-legged in the hall, circulating his superior Xue Xuan Gong to struggle and contend against the "Six Desires Great Demon True Light" that Fa Fashan Ji had struck into his body.

After all, Xiaoming Xiao Daze was not like those poor lands in the Southern Region lacking spiritual mechanisms.

This place was not only one of the fourteen existing spiritual caves of Xudu Heaven, but also, because countless virtuous High Truths had cultivated here in seclusion, every blade of grass and every tree contained profound principles and Dao rhymes.

In the hall, a small green bronze censer emitted curling incense mist; the smoke was dense yet not turbid, clearly specially blended, and upon being inhaled into the body, it moistened the lungs.

Hou Wen had only regulated his breath for a few cycles when he felt a surging, incomparable spiritual mechanism being absorbed into his body; like clear rain falling upon the crown, his state of anxiety as if burning with fire eased slightly.

His gaze sank, yet he still dared not relax, continuing to gather his divine intent to stabilize his current achievement.

But after less than half a stick of incense had burned,

he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps outside the hall.

Immediately, the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi, clutching the Dragon-Tiger Jade Wang Ruyi, excitedly held up a jade tray, took three steps in two, and jumped into the hall.

"Xiao Xiao Shixiong Hou, look what I've brought for you!"

The Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi shouted loudly, his face revealing a look of pride.

"What? It wouldn't be those childish toys again, would it?"

Seeing the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi approach,

Hou Wen slowly opened his eyes, unhurriedly ceased his cultivation, and stood up.

Upon encountering the grim bloody light in Hou Wen's eyes, the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi was startled, yet he still summoned his courage and pushed the jade tray forward.

"This is... an Obstacle-Clearing Pill? Where did you get it?"

Hou Wen reached out, took the glistening pill from the jade tray, rolled it between his fingers, held it to his nose, and took a slight sniff, feeling somewhat surprised as he said:

"Don't tell me you swindled it from some fellow disciple? How dare you do such things again; aren't you afraid that once Elder Xun hears of it, he'll skin you alive?"

The Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi's cheek twitched, and he shouted unhappily: "Xiao Xiao Shixiong, you think too little of me! I no longer dare to recklessly commit those vile acts, fearing punishment from the Old Master!

This Obstacle-Clearing Pill was entirely earned by my own efforts from a junior sister in the Lower Courtyard!"

"The Lower Courtyard? How could a disciple of the Lower Courtyard enter Xiaoming Xiao Daze to meet you?"

Suppressing the restless and uneasy fiendish qi in his heart, Hou Wen spoke slowly, saying: "It seems this person has considerable background?"

"Exactly, exactly; Xiao Xiao Shixiong's Dharma Eye misses nothing!"

The Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi beamed with joy, saying: "That junior sister from the Lower Courtyard was brought by an elder of her family to pay respects to the Old Master. Didn't Xiao Xiao Shixiong teach me some of the worldly customs of the Lower Courtyard? So I learned from that and explained it all to that junior sister.

She was indeed very generous with her gifts!

"After hearing everything, she actually gave me a Clarity-Removing Pill; Xiao Xiao Shixiong, quickly take this pill and see if it works!"

"This injury of mine was caused by the Xuehe Sect's 'Six Desires Great Demon True Light'; although the Clarity-Removing Pill is valuable, it cannot heal this wound..."

Hou Wen slowly sighed, patted the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi's shoulder, and said:

"You lad truly have a heart; it was not in vain that I specifically saved your life from those demonic fiends of the Mo Sect back in the day."

"Repaying kindness with gratitude is only human nature! Although I am usually mischievous and have been scolded by Master often, I still understand such principles."

The Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi chuckled.

"By the way, what is the name of that disciple who gifted you the Clarity-Removing Pill, and why did he come to visit Elder Xun?" Hou Wen suddenly asked.

"That Junior Sister is quite famous; surely you, Xiao Xiao Shixiong, have heard her name?"

"Oh?"

"Her name is Master Qiao Rui."

"Little Master Qiao? So it was that woman..."

Hou Wen frowned slightly; regarding this beauty of the Mishan Master Qiao clan, whose reputation spread far and wide, he had naturally heard of her.

However, before he could ponder further,

the 'Six Desires Great Demon True Light' within his body suddenly surged again; instantly, countless sounds of heavenly demons roared wildly in his ears, disturbing his spirit and unsettling his mind.

Hou Wen let out a muffled grunt, retreated several steps in succession, and hurriedly shouted:

"Where is Elder Xun? Did you tell him of my condition? Where is he right now?!"

"M-Master—"

At this moment, the Wusheng Wusheng Tongzi was truly startled by the fierce light in Hou Wen's eyes; his tongue tied, he was just about to stammer and continue speaking

when, accompanied by a light sigh, a middle-aged Daoist suddenly stepped in from outside the door.

"I advised you long ago not to be too obsessed with Innate Divine Divination, yet you remained stubborn, always letting words enter one ear and exit the other!

Even if your talent for this art is supreme, can you surpass that Chen Chen Yushu of the Xiantianmo Sect? His innate nature is fully ten times greater than yours, Hou Wen, yet we have never seen him treat the Art of Heavenly Secrets as his fundamental Great Dao!"

The middle-aged Daoist wore a single-character Xiao Yao headscarf, a Shuihe robe, and hemp shoes on his feet; his attire was entirely that of a leisurely mountain dweller.

Between his two eyes, divine light blazed brilliantly, like two heavenly stars swaying and flashing, making it impossible for anyone to look directly at him.

As for his features, he had high cheekbones, a square mouth, no beard beneath his chin, and possessed extraordinary bone structure.

The middle-aged Daoist looked at Hou Wen, slowly shook his head, then chuckled lightly:

"The taste of this 'Six Desires Great Demon True Light' is not very pleasant, is it? It is precisely meant to make you learn from your mistakes! In the future, will you still dare to take orthodox cultivation lightly and cling only to Innate Divine Divination?"

"Elder Xun—"

Seeing the middle-aged Daoist enter the hall, Hou Wen forcibly suppressed the surging evil qi in his heart, cupped his hands in salute, and said: "I—"

"You were once the chief among the Top Ten Disciples of that year's Outer Court; had you devoted yourself single-mindedly to contemplating the Mysteries and realizing the Dao, you would likely have already achieved the Primordial Spirit Dharma Image by now!

Foolish child! Oh, foolish child!

When our Master gifted you the 'Small Four Reaches Jun Heaven Bell' back then, his intention was never truly for you to exhaustively study heavenly secrets, but rather to test the true choices within your heart! I do not know whether you regarded yourself too highly or what, but you failed to comprehend our elder's profound meaning and foolishly wasted these years!"

With an expression of frustration that iron could not be turned into steel, Elder Xun reached out, pointed at Hou Wen, and spoke with a touch of melancholy in his voice.

A look of complete astonishment appeared on Hou Wen's face; clearly, this was the first time he had heard such an explanation.

Immediately lowering his head, he remained silent, offering only a bowed apology with cupped hands.

"Enough, enough..."

Seeing Hou Wen in this state, Elder Xun felt it inappropriate to reprimand him further.

He made a vague gesture with his hand, and from who knows where, a brightly colored Nine-Eyed Parrot flew over.

First, he took out several strange insects resembling charcoal fire and fed the Nine-Eyed Parrot until it was full; only then did he point at Hou Wen and shout at the parrot:

"Go!"

In the blink of an eye, everything before them blurred.

Even with Hou Wen's current eyesight, he could not clearly see how the Nine-Eyed Parrot had flown over.

"Fu Ru! Fu Ru!"

The Nine-Eyed Parrot suddenly cried out several times, its voice hoarse and unpleasant.

To Hou Wen's ears, however, it sounded like the ringing of a great bell and large chime, vibrating until his whole body tensed, his vision turning dark and unable to distinguish anything!

It was unknown how much time passed.

When his vision cleared once more,

he saw the Nine-Eyed Parrot resting leisurely on his shoulder, holding a streak of mottled true light in its beak.

Its throat bobbed up and down, and it swallowed that true light cleanly into its belly, just as if eating a small insect, with ease and comfort.

Seeing Hou Wen glance at it in surprise, the Nine-Eyed Parrot lowered its head quite amiably, rubbed against his cheek, and let out another loud cry.

"The Six Desires Great Demon True Light... was actually eaten by it?"

At this moment,

Hou Wen felt relaxed and clear from head to toe; the demonic noises in his ears no longer clamored to disturb him, and his spirit was lucid.

Secretly circulating his Xue Xuan Gong, he moved it through his meridians several times; finding not a trace of stagnation or blockage, and feeling that the previous sensation of thorns grinding against his skin had completely vanished, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"This bird is named 'Fu Ru'; it was specifically created by immortal sages and great virtues back then to deal with cultivators of the Xuehe Sect."

Elder Xun beckoned with his hand, calling the Nine-Eyed Parrot over; after stroking it a few times, he signaled for it to fly off on its own to play:

"The 'Six Desires Great Demon True Light' afflicting you is also a divine ability of the Xuehe Sect; that it can break it is only logical."

"Fu Ru... I have only heard of this bird in legends; it is said that the ultimate ones can possess twelve eyes. I never expected that Elder would actually keep one, and that it has even grown nine eyes; truly, you have great fortune!"

Hou Wen thought for a moment and offered this flattery.

Elder Xun glanced at him and said indifferently: "This bird was specifically gifted to me by our Master; this poor Daoist does not have such luck as to raise a nine-eyed Fu Ru myself!"

The smile on Hou Wen's face suddenly stiffened.

But before he could organize his words, Elder Xun spoke again:

"Hou Wen, do you know that our master is truly quite dissatisfied with your recent inspection of the Southern Region?"

"Disciple..."

"Neglecting your Dao cultivation and practice is your first fault! And since you used divination arts to calculate the danger of this journey yet made no extra preparations, instead foolishly seeking luck and drifting with the current, this is your second fault!

As for the third fault.

It is that you actually failed to overpower Tangting Sima Tangting Sima Lingzhen on this journey, instead allowing him to become the leader; this is yet another grave crime!"

Elder Xun's words made cold sweat pour down Hou Wen's back, and he hastily bowed to beg forgiveness.

"However, our master ultimately pities your talent..."

After pausing for a moment.

Elder Xun continued: "He knows you are heavily injured, yet he still demands you find a Xuanzhen Sect disciple to bring back; this is not only for the sect's regulations but also to serve as a small punishment with a great warning, making you suffer some hardship so you may grow some sense!"

Having finished speaking.

He paced to the center of the hall, sat down, lifted a tea cup, and said in a light voice:

"Go back and ponder this thoroughly; I will say no more. By the way, what is the Xuanzhen Sect actually like?"

Hou Wen steadied his mind and recounted the whole story in full detail.

And when he finished speaking, Elder Xun could not help but frown.

After a moment, he said:

"That boy Ai Xiao Jian is still so utterly foolish; what a pity regarding Wang Shu... As for that Chen Heng, he too has suffered an unprovoked disaster; once he has gone to the Xuanjiaodian to meet the various High True Persons, you shall take the trouble to lead him to the Huayang Sect for cultivation."

Like the Xuanzhen Sect.

The Huayang Sect was also one of the hundreds of Dao lineages under the Yu Yuchen Sect.

However, the sect master of the Huayang Sect possessed the cultivation of a Primordial Spirit True Person.

Moreover, this Dao lineage's mountain gate was located in the Eastern Region where spiritual energy was abundant, and in the triennial Dao lineage academy examinations, it had repeatedly received top-tier ratings...

No matter which aspect.

It was far beyond anything the Xuanzhen Sect could compare to.

Within the lands of the Eastern Region, those unable to enter the four subordinate academies of the Yu Yuchen Sect all took major Dao lineages like the Huayang Sect as their first choice; no matter what price they had to pay or how lavishly they spent their fortunes, they would desperately beg for a quota to enter and cultivate the Dao.

And if Chen Heng were not currently a possible "orphan" of the Xuanzhen Sect.

If he wished to enter the Huayang Sect to cultivate the Dao, it would indeed be extremely difficult, nearly impossible.

"Shortly, Xiao Xiao Shixiong Wang from the Xuanjiaodian will come to seek me; he has newly obtained a superior-grade Heavenly Fruit from a flying enclave in West Xi Su Zhou and wants me to help him make a decision regarding it."

Elder Xun said: "Just leave Chen Heng here; when Xiao Xiao Shixiong Wang arrives, have him take this boy back to the Xuanjiaodian for questioning along the way."

Hearing this, Hou Wen hastily nodded in agreement.

He took a Dharma Conch from his sleeve, waved it in mid-air, and released Chen Heng.

"Eh? This boy..."

Elder Xun looked over, and his initially calm expression became slightly Heavy and solemn.

Afterwards.

He silently performed a finger calculation, and his facial expression finally changed slightly.

"You..."

He raised his finger to point at the bewildered Hou Wen, shook his head, and said: "You brat... do you know who you have brought back to this Xiaoming Xiao Daze?"

"Elder, what does He Yi mean?"

Seeing this, Hou Wen's heart sank heavily, and he hastily spoke.

And at this moment.

Another brilliant rosy cloud suddenly arrived from the distant sky, and in just the time of a Zha Yan Gong, it landed inside the hall.

Layers of bright radiance dispersed, revealing a golden-robed youth wearing a tall crown and magnificent robes, with skin like an infant's.

He waved his sleeve, laughed loudly, and said:

"Junior Brother Xun, kept you waiting, kept you waiting; has Xiao Xiao Shixiong arrived late?"

After laughing, the golden-robed youth shifted his gaze, landing it upon Chen Heng.

He was just about to speak when he suddenly seemed to remember something; his eyes flashed, and his face darkened slightly as he said:

"Wait, this boy..."