One lotus signifies summer

Chapter 470 - 244: Spreading the Dao, Rebellious Spirit (Part 2)

Chapter 470: Chapter 244: Spreading the Dao, Rebellious Spirit (Part 2)


This faction, with beliefs opposed to those of the Celestial Emperor, mostly belongs to the type of sacred beings with rebellious tendencies.


In the past, Master Yuan believed that the Celestial Emperor was supremely fair and should not have ’secrets.’ The Nine Heavens Secret Scripture has a ’secret’ character, preventing others from studying it, doesn’t this prove that the Celestial Emperor has selfishness?


Master Yuan, with his innate rebelliousness, unwilling to follow conventions, stole the Nine Heavens Secret Scripture to the lower realms, recording it in Baiyun Cave.


Once the Celestial Scripture is inscribed, it cannot be erased. Master Yuan wanted the beings of the lower realm to also learn the Celestial Scripture monopolized by the upper realm, but doesn’t such an act equate to treasonous rebellion?


If it weren’t for Master Yuan’s teachings from the Profound Lady, he might have been suppressed in Baiyun Cave as well, paired with that old fox!


Reflecting on Master Yuan’s past theft of Celestial Scriptures and linking it to his current choices, Xu Qing somehow feels a sense of rationality about it.


"Such matters aren’t really secrets. You lack profound roots, and without proper teachings, naturally you wouldn’t know the news of the upper realm."


"..." Xu Qing had no words to respond.


Can he be blamed for this?


If one day he could receive the corpse of an immortal divine being...


Sinful thoughts, sinful thoughts, for the moment, Xu Qing’s power doesn’t permit him, so he decisively extinguished this dangerous notion.


Upon learning the reason for the imbalance between yin and yang in the mortal world, Xu Qing posed one last question: "Since you said the divine beings who remained in the mortal realm have returned to their positions, why does your incense-fire incarnation still exist in the lower realm?"


"..."


Master Yuan remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly: "Back in the day when I stole the Celestial Scripture, committing a heinous crime, the Celestial Emperor punished me with the five elemental scourges: namely, wood harm, fire burn, earth bury, metal damage, and water inundation. This is the celestial’s ordeal, which cannot be revoked."


"Although I’ve returned to the heavenly realm with my merits completed, the metal damage and water inundation ordeals haven’t been fulfilled. Heavenly laws cannot be altered, hence the Celestial Emperor specially permitted me to endure punishment through an incense-fire incarnation, with a divine statue bearing the penalty."


"Back then, Baiyun Daoist committed evil, killing and harming, deceiving the masses to offer incense to me. That incense was a poisonous potion to me. Incense made from grass and wood appropriately fulfilled the wood harm ordeal."


"What you see now, my shattered body thrown into deep ravine by Baiyun Daoist, contaminated with evil techniques, fulfilling the water inundation ordeal."


Master Yuan chuckled: "Today you helped me escape, the disaster has been dispelled and the difficulties filled."


Xu Qing suddenly realized that Master Yuan’s past rescue of Xuan Yu equated to today’s replacement of the Moon with the Demon Core by Xuan Yu, illuminating this deep gorge, completing Master Yuan’s ordeal with him.


All these encounters seem without reason, yet they are intricately connected.


"This Spirit Cat helped me out of my predicament, our gratitude is complete, but the benefaction from the layman is yet to be repaid." Master Yuan eagerly observed Xu Qing: "While I still have a trace of divine power, tell me if you have any wishes."


Any wish? Then I want to have endless corpses every day, and if funerals could stretch from the street to the city gate, even better!


Xu Qing suppressed his inner urge, ultimately not daring to voice his true thoughts.


"Senior, this junior wishes to seek a share of immortality together with the Profound Jade Immortal Family I accompany."


"You truly consider your company!"


Master Yuan chuckled, Xu Qing’s words were cleverly spoken, clearly he was asking for a share of immortality but in fact he was dragging along two people.


Especially since Xuan Yu had some destined ties with him, Xu Qing truly asked, and Master Yuan couldn’t easily refuse.


"So be it."


Master Yuan sighed deeply and said: "Transmitting you the method of immortals isn’t an issue, but there are some words I must say first."


"Junior is all ears."


Master Yuan pondered and said: "All things in the world have solutions. In the past, Shennong tasted a hundred herbs, reaching a perilous cliff, where he picked a poisonous herb, known as the gut-breaking grass! Shennong tasted it and realized its toxicity, then experienced stomach pains that no detoxifying remedy could cure."


"In his apparent state of desperation, he discovered a flying insect that fed on poison on the toxic grass."


"The insect born from poison must be the antidote, yet Shennong, with poison entering his body, stiff as dry wood, could never catch the flying insect."


Master Yuan lamented: "The insect spread its wings and flew off the cliff’s edge before Shennong’s eyes, and only when he came to his senses did he see that below the cliff, the gorge was filled with countless glowing insects of phosphorus."


The Herbal Classic says, north of Shennong’s Ridge, there is a perilous cliff, every stormy night, the mountaintop often emits a faint bluish phosphorus glow. If a flying insect seeks its master, locals all say: ’This is the unfinished thought of Emperor Yan.’


Listening to Master Yuan’s narration, Xu Qing vaguely understood in his heart, yet like Emperor Yan, he couldn’t grasp the insect that could resolve his confusion.


"Nowadays, the heavenly path is severed, yin and yang disconnected, it is precisely when the Baiyun Cave demon fox emerges. This matter may be delayed but cannot be avoided; the fox was always a star of calamity, suppressed for hundreds of years, and heavily resentful. Once it emerges, it will certainly bring disaster to the world."


Master Yuan seemed to hint: "Yet with all poisons there is a hidden antidote, just as cosmic mysteries are balanced."


"Today I impart to you all methods of protector duties. If someday you encounter similar difficulties, remember these words, and do not lose your courage."


"Junior remembers the senior’s teachings."


Xu Qing readily agreed, yet as for any deeper meaning in Master Yuan’s divine statue words, he was completely uninterested and did not inquire further.


He came for the mystical teachings, not to take on the burden!


Master Yuan’s owed favor will be squared away today, and as for destiny bestowed upon him, Xu Qing shows no interest.


Currently, he only wants to manage his small temple and take care of his business and domain. If asked to leave Jin Sect, abandon his domain to run off to Qian Province to guard Yunmeng Mountain, like Master Yuan once imprisoned here, he would rather let Master Yuan’s statue remain buried until purification restores order before considering these old matters.


In conclusion, if Xu Qing could thoroughly handle Baiyun Cave’s mess, he wouldn’t stay out of it, but to abandon his thriving business to live in Yunmeng Mountain where not even birds drop, is absolutely impossible!


Yunmeng Mountain is not as convenient as Jin Sect’s commercial port, where corpses arrive from all directions.


————————


Master Yuan lamented: "The insect spread its wings and flew off the cliff’s edge before Shennong’s eyes, and only when he came to his senses did he see that below the cliff, the gorge was filled with countless glowing insects of phosphorus."


The Herbal Classic says, north of Shennong’s Ridge, there is a perilous cliff, every stormy night, the mountaintop often emits a faint bluish phosphorus glow. If a flying insect seeks its master, locals all say: ’This is the unfinished thought of Emperor Yan.’


Listening to Master Yuan’s narration, Xu Qing vaguely understood in his heart, yet like Emperor Yan, he couldn’t grasp the insect that could resolve his confusion.


"Nowadays, the heavenly path is severed, yin and yang disconnected, it is precisely when the Baiyun Cave demon fox emerges. This matter may be delayed but cannot be avoided; the fox was always a star of calamity, suppressed for hundreds of years, and heavily resentful. Once it emerges, it will certainly bring disaster to the world."


Master Yuan seemed to hint: "Yet with all poisons there is a hidden antidote, just as cosmic mysteries are balanced."


"Today I impart to you all methods of protector duties. If someday you encounter similar difficulties, remember these words, and do not lose your courage."


"Junior remembers the senior’s teachings."


Xu Qing readily agreed, yet as for any deeper meaning in Master Yuan’s divine statue words, he was completely uninterested and did not inquire further.


He came for the mystical teachings, not to take on the burden!


Master Yuan’s owed favor will be squared away today, and as for destiny bestowed upon him, Xu Qing shows no interest.


Currently, he only wants to manage his small temple and take care of his business and domain. If asked to leave Jin Sect, abandon his domain to run off to Qian Province to guard Yunmeng Mountain, like Master Yuan once imprisoned here, he would rather let Master Yuan’s statue remain buried until purification restores order before considering these old matters.


In conclusion, if Xu Qing could thoroughly handle Baiyun Cave’s mess, he wouldn’t stay out of it, but to abandon his thriving business to live in Yunmeng Mountain where not even birds drop, is absolutely impossible!


Yunmeng Mountain is not as convenient as Jin Sect’s commercial port, where corpses arrive from all directions.