Chapter 75: My Master Seems Different (Part One)
Chapter 75: My Master Seems a Bit Off (First Update)
Watching his own master, layer upon layer, both inside and out, set up defensive formations.
Then he took out bottles and jars, strange and peculiar objects, and laid ambushes on the mountain and below.
The silver-white little snake shivered, nervously asking, “Master, do you have any enemies?”
Daoist Tianyi shot him a glare. “Your master treats others kindly. In the martial world, I am known as the Honest Young Lord. How could I have enemies?”
“You must know the martial world is treacherous. My actions are merely precautions, preparing for unforeseen circumstances. Like today—if I hadn’t come out, you would surely have lost your life here. The world is not as peaceful as you imagine; you must learn more.”
Recalling the monk with two hearts and the various schemes, the master’s words seemed to make sense.
The silver-white little snake nodded fervently. “Master is wise, your disciple will heed your teachings.”
The world truly is treacherous. Only by learning from the master can one survive—best to be a cautious cultivator.
After a moment’s thought, the silver-white little snake asked warily, “Master, we captured cultivators from the Heart Delight Sect today. Will the Heart Delight Sect seek vengeance?”
Daoist Tianyi nodded in satisfaction. This disciple, though a bit slow, at least isn’t completely clueless. To think of the Heart Delight Sect’s revenge—not bad.
As for the Heart Delight Sect—there is no such sect.
Those two monks were merely puppets.
Daoist Tianyi smiled gently. “You needn’t worry about the Heart Delight Sect. I have some acquaintance with Sect Leader Ma from the Heart Delight Sect; we did business years ago. In a while, I’ll pay them a visit to resolve any grievances.”
“I see.” The silver-white little snake breathed a sigh of relief, though he still asked with some doubt, “Master, what kind of sect is the Heart Delight Sect? I’ve never heard of it—perhaps it’s not in the Thousand Islands Sea?”
Daoist Tianyi raised his eyelids, then smiled. “The Heart Delight Sect lies in the far south, not here. These two monks must have strayed here by accident.”
“Oh.” The silver-white little snake nodded, gazing at Daoist Tianyi expectantly.
His intelligence only went so far; he couldn’t think of any other questions.
...
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Daoist Tianyi sighed softly in his heart.
How was he supposed to extract information?
He knew almost nothing about this world, only that it was a high-level world of immortals.
Place names, cultivation realms—he knew none of the common knowledge. He’d be exposed the moment he spoke.
This little snake was truly uncooperative!
His thoughts shifted, and Daoist Tianyi smiled inwardly, a plan forming.
He swept his robe aside, revealing a single finger.
He softly recited a verse: “Difficult, difficult, difficult—the Way is most mysterious. Do not treat the Golden Core lightly; without a true master to pass on secret techniques, you will tire your tongue in vain.”
He then sat with the bearing of an immortal, eyes closed, resting, speaking no further.
The silver-white little snake’s heart trembled—was this a test?
...
After half a day, Daoist Tianyi managed to extract from the snake’s mouth much common knowledge about this world, including cultivation realms.
Demon race realms: Little Demon, Great Demon, Demon General, Demon King, Grand Demon King.
Human race realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Primordial Spirit.
These were the mortal realms; above them lay the Path of Immortality.
The Path of Immortality was lofty and mysterious, far beyond what a country-bumpkin Demon General like the silver-white little snake could know.
Luo Feng pondered—this world’s realms seem rather superficial.
A first-level ultimate puppet equates to a Golden Core Demon General.
By that measure, Daoist Tianyi, at the twentieth level, must be at the Primordial Spirit stage.
This world, it seems...
Danger abounds—even in the Thousand Islands Sea backwater, there are three Primordial Spirits.
Outside, perhaps immortals are everywhere, and great powers are as common as dogs!
Luo Feng’s heart, which had dropped a centimeter, now soared tens of thousands of feet.
Continuing to probe, Daoist Tianyi feigned some concern. “I see. Your master understands now. Little Bai, tell me about the current situation in the Thousand Islands Sea.”
“I haven’t emerged in a thousand years. Alas, all may have changed.”
“As you command.” The silver-white little snake silently admired his master’s profound cultivation—his closed-door cultivation spanned millennia.
Is this an immortal’s dilemma? How enviable!
Having lived eight hundred years as a Demon General, the silver-white little snake was quite familiar with his home, the Thousand Islands Sea.
“The Thousand Islands Sea has about a thousand islands, and currently three Grand Demon Kings, each at the Primordial Spirit level—truly extraordinary.”
He continued, “The Southern Grand Demon King, Lord Black Crystal, occupies four hundred islands, majestic and formidable... The Northern Grand Demon King, Lord Yin-Yang, holds six hundred islands, truly remarkable... Then there is Lord Thousand Spirits, who roams alone...”
...
“Of course, if Master were to act, mere Primordial Spirits would be easily subdued!”
At the end, the silver-white little snake cleverly flattered his master.
He expected praise, but Daoist Tianyi rewarded him with a flick of dust.
“Cultivators must avoid arrogance and rashness.”
Daoist Tianyi admonished, “How can we indulge in violence? We pursue immortality—survival is most important!”
“How can you be so competitive!”
“I understand, Master.” The silver-white little snake bowed in apology, though inwardly he didn’t care.
He was the embodiment of ‘I’ll do better next time.’
Daoist Tianyi sneered, “Don’t be defiant. Let me ask you: If you fought a Foundation Establishment cultivator, who would win?”
The silver-white little snake answered proudly, “Naturally, your disciple.”
Daoist Tianyi asked, “What if that Foundation Establishment disciple was an immortal hiding his cultivation?”
The silver-white little snake paused. “What kind of immortal would do such a thing?”
Daoist Tianyi shook his head in disappointment, then continued, “What if the Foundation Establishment cultivator had a powerful magical weapon?”
“What if he was skilled in poison? What if the Foundation Establishment disciple was merely bait, with a Nascent Soul or even a Primordial Spirit cultivator waiting to capture you?”
“What if he had already laid a trap, waiting for you to walk right into it?”
...
“This world is full of dangers, any one of which could take your life.”
A barrage of questions left the silver-white little snake dizzy; after a while, he murmured, “Your disciple understands.”
Daoist Tianyi sighed, “No, you don’t.”
“The world is full of dangers. You must always be cautious. For every step you take, think a thousand steps ahead.”
“Let me give you another example: If the three Grand Demon Kings of the Thousand Islands Sea went to war, which side would you choose?”
The silver-white little snake originally thought to choose the strongest, Lord Yin-Yang, but considered and said, “Lord Thousand Spirits—he has cultivated the longest and is the strongest.”
Daoist Tianyi shook his head. “What if Lord Black Crystal had already become an immortal and set up this scheme on purpose?”
The silver-white little snake stared blankly, murmuring, “Then I would side with Lord Black Crystal.”
Daoist Tianyi sighed, “Have you considered that Lord Yin-Yang might have killed Lord Black Crystal, and now Black Crystal is just a puppet…”
The silver-white little snake was stunned.
Daoist Tianyi went on to explain countless possible scenarios.
In short, the silver-white little snake’s fate was always death.
The silver-white little snake wailed, “Master, what should I do?”
Daoist Tianyi solemnly replied, “Naturally, you must flee the Thousand Islands Sea, find a place to—well, quietly cultivate and become immortal.”
The silver-white little snake froze.
At this moment, he realized his master truly was not quite right.
This was far beyond mere caution!
Daoist Tianyi continued, “Entering my sect, though you are a Daoist novice, you must remember eight words.”
“Cultivate with caution, achieve the Dao steadily. That is our lineage’s rule.”
The silver-white little snake swallowed nervously. “Master, does our lineage have a name? What is my generation?”
Daoist Tianyi smiled calmly. “The mountain gate has no name; naturally, the sect has no name.”
“As for your generation, the sect rule is your generation. I grant you the ‘Cautious’ generation—how about Cautious Heart?”
The silver-white little snake stood there, dumbfounded for a long time, as if a new world had opened before him.
[That’s all for today.]
[Only one update for now. Tomorrow will be made up.]
(End of this chapter)