Chapter Sixty-Four: Successor of the Grandmaster?

The battle at Golden Turtle City revealed to the world the depth and might of the Daoist Sect.

The heirs of the Three Palaces emerged together. Qin Wu, Du Yue, and an elder heir acting in secret managed to wound Zheng Qiong, but seeing the tide turn against him, this demonic prodigy swiftly withdrew with his disciples. The Six-Armed Demon God Sect, however, suffered misfortune—save for Wei Chen, who escaped by luck, all others perished under the thunderbolts of Divine Firmament.

The Three Palaces thus suppressed the world, displaying the majestic power of the Daoist lineage. Yet, the sudden appearance of three cultivators who could rival the heirs of the holy lands cast a shadow over this victory.

In the past, the Four Great Holy Lands held sway over the world. Occasionally, one might emerge whose strength matched the four, but their factions and inheritances never equaled them. Now, three appeared at once, and among them, one hailed from the Infernal Nether Sect, causing all to grow wary.

The Infernal Nether Sect, in terms of its heritage, descended from a celestial-level demonic lord, and its cultivation methods rivaled those of the Blood Sea and other holy lands. Only time and legacy fell short. The Infernal Nether Sect rose too late; by the time it emerged, the pattern of the Four Great Holy Lands was firmly established, leaving no room for a fifth.

Now, with Zheng Qiong stepping into the light, the Infernal Nether Sect openly proclaimed to the world: “We are prepared to become the next Holy Land under the Way of Origin!”

“The rise of the demonic path, with the Infernal Nether Sect at its peak—should the calamity of a thousand years come, a new threat will emerge.” Thus, the great sects secretly ordered their disciples to hinder the Infernal Nether Sect, forbidding the rise of another demonic giant.

First, the spiritual egg was snatched by a lone cultivator, then disciples emerged whose prowess rivaled the holy land heirs. Coupled with the ambiguous stance of the Grand Hong Empire and the Blood Sea, the Daoist cultivators had little desire to linger. They each returned to their sects to report the news.

The Sect of Virtue and Purity, known in full as the Pure Virtue Sect, resided within the Celestial Grotto of Clear Vacuity and Lofty Splendor. When Li Jingxun, Zhou Yan’er, and their companions returned, they saw a pillar of white jade light emanating from the grotto.

“Senior Brother Zhang has ascended,” Li Jingxun murmured, the patterns of Taiji flickering in her eyes. “Once the Dao Fruit of the Human Immortal is achieved, one truly becomes a carefree immortal.”

Only upon becoming a Human Immortal does one truly ascend: disease and affliction no longer touch them, the six energies cannot disturb them, and they reach a state of profound unity with heaven and earth.

Suddenly, a crane’s cry pierced the air. Black and white immortal cranes circled the pillar of light, each carrying a golden, radiant pearl. But then, dark clouds gathered, casting a further shadow over the blessed grotto.

“The heavenly tribulation has arrived.” Li Jingxun and the others did not ascend, but watched from the mountain’s foot. Cultivators, by seizing the fortunes of heaven and earth, inviting the mysteries of sun and moon, inevitably invoke tribulations to bar their path to immortality. The tribulations of ancient energy cultivators are thrice as severe as those of ordinary immortals and demons.

Thirty-six bolts of thunder rumbled in the clouds, their power rivaling Qin Wu’s Azure Firmament Divine Thunder. Upon achieving Human Immortal status, one fears not lightning, but in this final stage of condensing the Dao Fruit, one cannot yet endure such punishment.

It was then that Zhang Yuanchu’s voice rang out from the pillar of light. “Heaven and earth bear witness, I make my vow of the Dao heart.”

The disciples’ spirits lifted, listening intently. The Dao Fruit vow is a solemn pledge between a cultivator and heaven and earth—a means for Daoist cultivators to reduce the severity of their tribulations.

“I vow to cultivate merit, performing a million good deeds to seek the Fruit of the Earth Immortal. Should I fail in merit, I shall not attain the immortal fruit of the earth.”

“I vow to compassion, seeing all sentient beings with thought and feeling as spirits of heaven and earth. Henceforth, I shall cultivate myself and abstain from killing. Should I break this precept, I shall not attain the Dao fruit of the earth immortal.”

To gather a million merits and abstain from killing before becoming an earth immortal—Zhang Yuanchu’s vows were heavy indeed, a weight he placed upon himself.

Yet, these three Dao Fruit vows are required of every cultivator; they define the path ahead. Only by fulfilling all three can one form the Dao Fruit of an Earth Immortal.

As the two vows were spoken, two chains appeared on the pearl in the immortal crane’s beak. A third of the thunderclouds dispersed, their power greatly diminished.

After a long hesitation, Zhang Yuanchu declared the third vow: “I vow to cultivate without seeking the power of the five energies, without becoming a spirit of the shadow soul, and without claiming the honor of earth immortal.”

As the three vows were made, half the thunderclouds vanished, and the remaining bolts were easily withstood by Zhang Yuanchu.

Immortal light flashed from the spirit peak, and Zhang Yuanchu stepped out from his abode, radiant with immortal glow. He held in his hand the Virtue Parasol, upon which the “True Texts of Virtue” slowly condensed into three thousand true words.

Li Jingxun and the others came forth to offer their congratulations, and together they made their way to the sect’s main hall to pay respects to the sect master.

The golden hall stood atop the mountains, the characters “Virtue and Morality” inscribed above. A couplet adorned the pillars: on the left, “The Way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way”; on the right, “The highest virtue does not claim virtue, thus it has virtue.”

The group straightened their robes and entered the hall in orderly fashion.

Upon the central jade throne sat an elder of great age, attended on either side by young disciples.

All knelt in greeting: “Disciple pays respect to the Headmaster/Master Uncle/Master.” Each addressed him according to their relation, and the elder bade them rise. Turning first to Zhang Yuanchu, he asked, “Now that you have attained immortality, can you discern the essence of the Great Dao?”

“The Great Dao is unfathomable; I have only just entered the path and feel that the Way of Heaven is distant, wholly unlike myself.”

“The Great Dao is difficult to find; thus we pursue and seek to prove it. You must not belittle yourself. Yet the heart of heaven is most compassionate; all beings are equal and may attain the Way. Since you have made your vows, you must uphold them henceforth.”

“Yes.”

Zhang Yuanchu stepped aside, and the sect master turned to the others.

The tribulation’s shadow had faded from the disciples; many had used the demonic path to sever karmic entanglements.

“This time, you have all gained much,” the sect master commented, before asking Li Jingxun to recount their journey.

Upon hearing that Zheng Qiong had emerged, the sect master’s long brows twitched. Stroking his beard, he said, “The Infernal Nether Sect and the Boundless Blood Sea are scheming against each other, and a battle between them is inevitable. That need not trouble us, but these other two you mentioned…”

Ji Feichen, under the alias “Qinghong,” and the young fox spirit called “Tushan”—these names put the sect master at ease. “No wonder a fellow Daoist from the Supreme Origin Palace visited yesterday. It was about this, then?”

Ji Feichen and Tushan had taken the spiritual egg, and when Du Yue returned, he claimed the two had old ties with the Sect of Virtue. Thus, the Supreme Origin Palace sent someone to inquire.

“I too have made a divination; those two’s destinies are hidden. Yet one belongs to the demon clan, the other is a solitary cultivator. Their so-called brotherhood is but a courtesy, as with us. Still, their accumulated merit suggests they are not evil men. When asked, I deflected the matter.”

Relieved by the sect master’s words, Li Jingxun relaxed.

Zhou Yan’er patted her chest, “That’s good. Senior Brother Qin Wu had already agreed with Tushan that the spiritual egg should not fall to the demonic path. But that Du Yue from Supreme Origin Palace disrupted everything. If not for Senior Brother Qinghong’s help, Tushan might not have survived.”

“Tushan aside. Tell me, who is this solitary cultivator called Qinghong?” The sect master tried to divine his fate but found it shrouded by dragon scales, impossible to discern.

Li Jingxun considered her words, “When we descended the mountain to alleviate the drought, it was thanks to Senior Brother Qinghong that rains fell. He is a friend of Senior Brother Jingxuan from the Supreme Purity Sect, and is said to be a wandering cultivator who practices our Supreme lineage’s arts.”

“The Supreme lineage? Is it the ‘Supreme Jade Explanation of Cloud-Formed Dragon Transformation’?”

“Yes.”

The sect master’s eyes gleamed. He knew something of the history of the Cloud Firmament Pavilion of the Supreme lineage. In its heyday, the Pavilion rivaled the Sect of Virtue itself.

He pondered, “Could he be a descendant of the Cloud Firmament Pavilion? But cultivators of energy cultivation are not always welcome in certain circles.”

Li Jingxun then recounted her various encounters with Ji Feichen. “But that Senior Brother could fight the heirs of the holy lands to a standstill was truly beyond my expectations.”

The sect master looked at his most outstanding female disciple and deliberately asked, “How does he compare to you?”

The young cultivator’s face was serene. “My cultivation is shallow; I dare not compare myself to the senior brothers.”

“A solitary cultivator of the Supreme method?” the sect master mused. “What did you think of the Supreme Palace’s heir this time?”

A disciple replied, “Elusive as a dragon, rarely seen—he has the bearing of the ancestral masters.”

Even at the climax of the battle, the Supreme Palace’s heir never showed his true face, but used an unnamed sword to set things right, wounding Song Shaoming and Zheng Qiong. His mystery and unpredictability truly echoed the style of the Old Lord himself.

Zhou Yan’er’s eyes lit up. “Come to think of it, Senior Brother Qinghong was present, and so was the Supreme Palace’s heir. Could it be our Supreme lineage now has two who can rival the holy lands?”

While the Daoist sects are generally harmonious, each still has its own affinities and alliances based on their teachings.

The Sects of Virtue and Supreme Purity were especially close to the Supreme lineage. With two such outstanding talents emerging, their pride was natural. Hence, when Du Yue came to demand answers, they simply ignored him and returned to their sect to rest.

“In truth, no one has seen the Supreme Palace’s heir. Even Fellow Daoist Qinghong never showed his real face. It’s possible that the sword intent was his in secret,” Zhang Yuanchu remarked.

At this, everyone pondered and found it highly plausible.

Indeed, a solitary cultivator suddenly appearing, with strength to rival the holy land heirs—how could that not be suspicious? But what if he himself was the Supreme Palace’s heir?

“The Supreme Palace’s heirs often hide their identities—sometimes among the demonic sects, sometimes in the various Supreme branches, or even as solitary cultivators,” Zhang Yuanchu continued. “It’s not impossible that he comes from the Supreme Palace.”

The sect master neither confirmed nor denied it. “Whether or not he’s the Supreme Palace’s heir, as long as the Supreme Token remains hidden, all is speculation. So long as he commits no great evil, should you meet him while traveling, offer him your protection. He, too, is of our Supreme lineage.”

The same news reached the Supreme Purity Sect, whose leader showed similar surprise at the mention of a “solitary cultivator practicing the ancient Supreme method.” He likewise instructed his disciples to show care, making no further comment.

Privately, he said to his fellow elders, “With the Three Palaces ruling the world, what right does the Supreme Origin Palace have to order our Supreme lineage about? We revere the true words of the Supreme, but when have we ever acknowledged their Jade Book as our guide?” The Supreme Purity Sect master considered himself the orthodox branch of the Daoist tradition, the true heir of the Supreme. Why should the Supreme Origin Palace lead the Daoist world?

“Now that our Supreme lineage produces such talent, it is a hard blow to the face of the Supreme Origin Palace. They want to probe the solitary cultivator’s background? Even if we knew, we wouldn’t tell. From now on, whenever the Supreme Origin Palace asks about the affairs of Supreme lineage disciples, simply deflect.”

As for the Sect of Non-Action, its members were few and kept themselves aloof from the world. Upon hearing of the solitary cultivator Qinghong, they simply set the matter aside.

Among the Supreme branches, the Chongxu Sect was the most delighted by the news.

“At last, the ancient method may flourish again!”

The Chongxu Sect master gazed at the ancestral images, murmuring, “A descendant of the Cloud Firmament Pavilion? Is that branch finally revived? Back when the Supreme Origin Palace stirred up the conflict between the pure and the turbid, many ancient Supreme sects suffered calamity. Now, with a descendant of the Cloud Firmament Pavilion appearing—one whose strength rivals even the Supreme Origin Palace—perhaps it is time to settle old scores!”

In those times, as the tide of purity and turbidity swept through, the Cloud Firmament Pavilion and other sects devoted to energy cultivation were destroyed. The Chongxu Sect survived by fortune, but its strength was greatly diminished, no longer a sect of the celestial grottos.

“Three thousand years of forbearance—this karma must be reckoned!” The Sect master’s sigh echoed through the Green Screen Mountain of Chongxu. Countless ancient pines and cypresses swayed, and a gentle wind meandered through the wilds.

…

Of course, all this was, for the moment, unrelated to Ji Feichen. After seizing the spiritual egg with Tushan, the two traveled east to retrieve the Golden Bell of Pulao. Their power was formidable, and they easily acquired the last dragon artifact.

The golden bell hovered above the mysterious crystal disk before transforming into a dragon shadow and merging with the treasure.

Pulao, Chiwen, Baxa, Qiuniu, Fuxi, Bi’an, Suanni, Jiaotu, and Yazi—of all the dragon breeds in the world, these nine were preeminent. There were also the likes of Taotie, sometimes counted among the dragon brood.

Now, the nine dragon beasts were united. Nine dragon shadows entwined and danced, and the Nine-Cloud Mysterious Crystal Disk was fully formed—a treasure of the Human Immortal rank.

With the artifact complete, fate’s mysteries revealed themselves. Ji Feichen sensed that his own ascension to Human Immortal was near. “With the Mysterious Crystal Disk in hand, I’m confident I can withstand the tribulation.”

Tushan toyed with the jade egg, and seeing Ji Feichen’s success, casually asked, “Where will you undergo your ascension?”

“By Lady Chen’s side. With an Earth Immortal as protector, all dangers can be avoided.”

Thus, the two returned once more to Nine He Mountains. Along the way, they took care to accumulate merit, preparing to dispel the tribulation in the days to come.