In the 446th year of the Ming calendar, on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
As Cheng Xinzhan stepped out of the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, a gust of wind and snow greeted him.
The winter sun had set early, and by the time of You hour (5-7 PM), the sky had already darkened.
Cheng Xinzhan rubbed his face, washing away the fatigue.
Today was his last day on duty at the Yingyuan Mansion for the year, so he had dealt with a lot of matters.
But starting tomorrow, he would be on a break—a full fifty days! It was a long-standing tradition for the Yingyuan Mansion to close during the first month of the lunar year.
Looking back at the grand and magnificent Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, he smiled.
From spring to winter, he had spent nine months on duty here, and he had gained so much.
At the very least, he had walked through every corner of the mansion dozens of times.
He didn’t know everyone inside, and there were many rooms he hadn’t entered, but he was now very familiar with the structure of this towering building.
So familiar, in fact, that he had mentally constructed three different types of Thunder Palaces in his mind.
After bidding farewell to Jianxian, he returned to Mingzhi Mountain.
As soon as he landed in the Shuilu Forest, he heard no sound, but a blur of flower-like shadows darted across the snowy ground and leaped into his arms.
"Meow~"
The slightly plump calico cat pressed its head against Cheng Xinzhan’s neck and nuzzled him.
He stroked the cat, feeling its warm, fluffy fur, and chuckled, "Third Sister, you came to pick me up again. Such a good girl!"
Third Sister lay in her master’s arms, her front paws gesturing in the air.
Cheng Xinzhan watched carefully and understood what she meant.
"You’re saying Deng Ge’er is hiding and you can’t see him?"
Third Sister nodded, her large eyes still covered with a bluish-white film.
He knew, however, that Third Sister wasn’t completely blind.
It was more like her eyes were veiled with a thin layer of gauze, allowing her to see faint outlines.
Cats, of course, loved playing hide-and-seek, and Deng Ge’er often indulged her.
Normally, Third Sister, being small, light-footed, and with her mottled fur, won most of the time, especially since Deng Ge’er often let her win.
But in winter, with the ground covered in snow, even if Deng Ge’er went easy on her, Third Sister still had a hard time finding him.
Cheng Xinzhan, being kind-hearted, couldn’t bear to see Third Sister upset.
He pointed in a direction, but poor Deng Ge’er, wagging his tail so hard it seemed like it might fly off, was still invisible to Third Sister.
With a swift motion, Third Sister jumped out of her master’s arms and dashed toward a snowdrift.
"Woof! Woof!"
Soon, Deng Ge’er barked, signaling that he had been found.
"Meow~"
Third Sister also let out a triumphant meow.
Soon, both the cat and the dog were by their master’s side, following him closely as they entered the Carefree Cave.
Cheng Xinzhan sat down in the cave, directly facing the entrance.
The spot looked empty at first glance.
But with a few hand seals, a gentle breeze swept through, and a table and cushion appeared out of thin air.
It turned out he had used an illusion to conceal them.
Behind the table and on the cushion sat a young man, sitting cross-legged with his palms facing upward.
His expression was relaxed, and he was still breathing.
Upon closer inspection, one could see streams of spiritual energy flowing around his nose and mouth, as if he were still absorbing qi.
Strangely, this young man looked exactly like Cheng Xinzhan, who had just entered the cave.
This bizarre scene, however, was nothing new to Deng Ge’er and Third Sister.
When they first saw another "master," they had been terrified, but over time, they had grown accustomed to it.
Moreover, the clever cat and dog had noticed that when both masters were together, the seated one was the better master—warm, fragrant, and always ready to scratch their itches.
But when the two masters were apart, the seated one, though still warm and fragrant, would no longer play with them, sitting motionless instead.
The master who went out would play with them for a while, but his body was cold, carrying a faint bamboo scent, and he was always running off, never staying home.
Now that the two masters were together again, Third Sister immediately jumped into the seated master’s lap, while Deng Ge’er lay down close to his side.
Both looked expectantly at the standing master.
Then, a shimmering light began to float around the standing Cheng Xinzhan.
A human-shaped spiritual light "stepped out" of "Cheng Xinzhan," as if shedding a layer of clothing.
It seemed as though this spiritual light was the true master, while the now motionless "Cheng Xinzhan" was merely a shell.
The human-shaped spiritual light took a few steps forward, its lower half overlapping with the seated "Cheng Xinzhan."
Then it sat down, assuming the same posture as the seated figure.
With another shimmer of light, the spiritual light vanished, and the seated "Cheng Xinzhan" opened his eyes.
He reached out to pet the cat and dog, who immediately closed their eyes in contentment.
At the same time, he began to inspect his inner world, checking on the progress of his inner deities during the time his Hun and Po souls had been absent.
The Yuandan Daoist was no longer in the heart mansion but sat atop the waves of the blood river, transporting blood essence into the meridians that had been opened by the thunder essence.
The thunder essence was now dissolving the true evil at an increasingly rapid pace, and the inner deities in the heart mansion were busier than ever.
His lower body was still immobile, but the true evil in his head, neck, arms, right abdomen, and left chest had already been dissolved.
Three thunder chariots, starting from the nasal cavity, gallbladder cavity, and the spot between his eyebrows, raced through these meridians, with the heart mansion as their central hub.
The chariots were a flurry of electric sparks and blood fire, creating a lively scene.
He then turned his attention to his nasal cavity, which emitted the sound of thunder.
This was the first cavity he had opened after breaking through the true evil blockage, and it had been opened during midsummer.
Thus, he had constructed a bright green Thunder Palace here, with thirty-three levels shaped like a pagoda.
At the top level sat a deity, the inner deity of this thunder cavity.
The deity was dressed as a military general from the Northern Song Dynasty, wearing brocade robes and armor, with a giant drum by his side.
The deity held a drumstick in his hand.
The plaque on the green palace was inscribed with four characters in thunder script: "Water Thunder Summer Palace."
As the deity struck the drum, thunder rumbled, and the thunder essence from the summer palace poured out, repairing the damage inflicted by the true evil.
Next, he looked at the spot between his eyebrows, which glowed with thunderous light.
This cavity had been opened in early autumn, so he had built a bright yellow Thunder Palace here, with thirty-four levels.
The deity inside was also dressed as a Northern Song general, holding a precious mirror in his arms.
The plaque on the yellow palace read: "Divine Thunder Autumn Palace."
As the deity shook the mirror, bolts of lightning shot out, illuminating the surroundings.
The divine thunder from the autumn palace poured out, eroding the true evil.
Finally, he turned to his gallbladder cavity, which had only recently been opened during the heavy snow season.
Here, he had built a silver-white Thunder Palace with thirty-five levels.
On the thirty-fifth level sat a deity, tall and robust, yet with a scholarly air.
His eyebrows were like swords, his eyes like a tiger’s, with golden pupils, and a long beard that reached his chest.
He was dressed in the official robes of the Northern Song Dynasty, with a purple robe, jade belt, golden fish pendant, and a black hat.
A ceremonial sword hung at his waist.
The plaque on the silver palace read: "Thunder Commander-in-Chief."
Under the gaze of the deity, the thunder essence raced like chariots, swift yet orderly.
Cheng Xinzhan was satisfied.
He withdrew his consciousness from his inner world and looked around the cave.
On the table before him were stacks of thick books, piled up to half a person’s height on both sides.
Some of these books he had borrowed from the Fangtang Library, some he had bought at the Dongtian Dao Market, some he had borrowed from fellow disciples at the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, and others he had specifically requested the External Affairs Court to collect from the mortal world.
He had read so many books for one purpose: to write a biographical account, or rather, a collection of biographies of a family of three.
In the center of the table stood a crane-shaped lamp, the very one He Jiyuan had gifted him when he first entered the sect.
Under the lamp’s light, a thick biographical account lay quietly in the middle of the table.
On its cover, written in the official script of the Ming Dynasty, was the title of the book:
"The Chronicles of Thunder and Demon Subjugation."
To the left of these five large characters were several smaller lines, serving as a footnote:
"A record of the Thunder Commander-in-Chief, the Divine Thunder Autumn General, and the Water Thunder Summer General, reincarnated as the Northern Song civil and military official Zhang Shuye and his sons Zhang Bofen and Zhang Zhongxiong, as they vanquished demons, quelled rebellions, and pacified nations."
This was a fictional novel, interspersed with exquisite illustrations.
The main characters in the illustrations were dressed identically to the deities in his thunder cavities.
As far as he knew, such novels were immensely popular throughout the Ming Dynasty.
Storytellers in every street and alley were recounting tales of gods reincarnated as mortals to perform extraordinary deeds.
After all, even the emperor of the Ming Dynasty claimed to be the reincarnation of the True Martial Emperor.
Cheng Xinzhan, of course, knew that these stories were fabrications.
If there were truly reincarnated individuals, they would have been taken to the mountains long ago, not left to achieve great deeds in the mortal world.
But in the pursuit of cultivation, one often used fiction to seek truth—a path not unlike that of the Yuandan Daoist.
Moreover, these three figures weren’t entirely fabricated by Cheng Xinzhan based on Miao folklore, as the Yuandan Daoist had been.
Instead, there had been rumors of their existence from the Song Dynasty all the way to the Ming Dynasty.
Cheng Xinzhan had merely compiled these stories and added some scenes of thunder soldiers and generals using thunder techniques to sweep through demon cities and ghost kingdoms.
Now that the three inner deities in his body had been fully visualized, the book was also nearing its conclusion.
He flipped to the latest page and picked up his brush, writing:
"... And so, Zhang Shuye and his two sons, leading thirty-six thunder generals and one hundred thousand thunder soldiers, finally cleansed the Netherworld Ghost Kingdom and returned victorious to the capital... The Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty conferred upon Zhang Shuye the title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi and promoted him to Duke of Yan... With peace restored to the land, weapons stored away, and horses grazing on the southern hills, Duke Yan finally felt at ease and ascended to the heavens, transforming back into the Thunder Commander-in-Chief, the Divine Thunder Autumn General, and the Water Thunder Summer General, before paying homage to the Nine Heavens Thunder God to report their mission accomplished..."
"The End."
He closed the book and set down his brush, smiling with satisfaction.
When he first thought of visualizing the inner deities of his thunder palaces, he had naturally considered the Thunder Ancestor.
But he quickly abandoned the idea.
The Thunder Ancestor’s status was too lofty—he couldn’t even begin to visualize its form, let alone its divine essence.
Moreover, he had never heard of any tales of the Thunder Ancestor reincarnating in a lower form, leaving him with no starting point.
Then, during a trip to Huangshan, he heard from his teacher Jianxian about the mortal world’s legends of the Thunder Ancestor’s chief disciple, the Thunder Commander-in-Chief, and his two attendants, the Divine Thunder Autumn General and the Water Thunder Summer General, reincarnating as Northern Song officials.
This immediately caught his interest.
After returning to the sect, he gathered numerous portraits, divine deeds, and anecdotes of the Demon-Subduing General and his two attendants, as well as historical records and battle accounts of the Northern Song civil and military official Zhang Shuye.
The more he thought about it, the more suitable it seemed.
Considering the unique effects of the "Thunder Chariot and Fire Banner Transporting Technique," he decided to construct three thunder palaces to visualize the three inner deities.
In addition to the gallbladder and nasal cavities, he consulted the "Zhou Tian Hundred Cavities Inner Scripture" and sought advice from his fellow disciples at the Yingyuan Mansion, ultimately choosing the spot between his eyebrows as the location for the third thunder palace.
Once he reached the second realm and began to comprehend the mysteries of life, he could consider opening a "Dharma Eye" there.
After finalizing the cavities and inner deities, he recalled the method he had used to visualize the Yuandan Daoist.
This time, however, instead of painting, he decided to write a book.
Indeed, writing helped him organize his thoughts more clearly.
After penning over a million words, he had successfully visualized all three inner deities.
Moreover, with the successful visualization of the three inner deities, summoning thunder had become much easier for him.
Since his first thunder summoning, he had encountered Liang Zhenjing from Longhu Mountain twice more, and each time, Liang had summoned more thunder than he did, leaving Cheng Xinzhan fuming with envy.
Summoning more thunder, combined with the multi-chariot transporting technique of the "Thunder Chariot and Fire Banner Transporting Technique," allowed him to dissolve the true evil at an increasingly rapid pace.
Now, most of his upper body could move freely.
But what truly accelerated his cultivation progress was Mingzhi Mountain’s foundational text, the "Longevity Embryonic Origin Divine Secret" and the Staff Liberation Method.
The "Longevity Embryonic Origin Divine Secret" stated that humans have three Hun souls and seven Po souls.
The three Hun souls are called: Tai Guang (胎光), Shuang Ling (爽灵), and You Jing (幽精).
The seven Po souls are named: Shi Gou (尸狗), Fu Shi (伏矢), Que Yin (雀阴), Tun Zei (吞贼), Fei Du (非毒), Chu Hui (除秽), and Chou Fei (臭肺).
The three Hun souls govern one’s nature, while the seven Po souls govern one’s life.
There is also the concept of wandering Hun souls and anchored Po souls, meaning that the Hun souls can leave the body, but the Po souls must remain within the flesh.
Among the three Hun souls, Tai Guang is the soul of life, governing lifespan and commanding the seven Po souls.
As long as Tai Guang remains, life continues, and the seven Po souls remain intact.
If Tai Guang leaves the body, the seven Po souls scatter, and the body dies.
If one wishes to return to a corpse after Tai Guang has left, they must re-nurture the seven Po souls, which is an extremely difficult task.
Previously, when the Tongxuan Patriarch and Master Sukong extracted Cheng Xinzhan’s soul and placed it into a bamboo staff, they had only taken Shuang Ling and You Jing.
At that time, Cheng Xinzhan’s Tai Guang and seven Po souls were in a dazed state, operating purely on instinct.
Thus, when Shuang Ling and You Jing left his body, his physical form became like a living corpse, giving the illusion that all three Hun souls and seven Po souls had been extracted.
Shuang Ling is the soul of wisdom, and You Jing is the soul of emotion.
Their meanings are self-explanatory.
After cultivating the "Longevity Embryonic Origin Divine Secret," Tai Guang was no longer in a dazed state.
Even when Shuang Ling and You Jing left the body, Tai Guang could still command the seven Po souls to perform their functions, maintaining normal breathing, blood circulation, and even qi absorption for cultivation, in coordination with the inner deities.
Once the body’s true evil was fully dissolved and the "Longevity Embryonic Origin Divine Secret" was cultivated to a deeper level, even when Shuang Ling and You Jing were out wandering, the physical body could move freely and perform cultivation techniques, though it might appear somewhat vacant.
Over the past few months, Cheng Xinzhan had been using Tai Guang, the seven Po souls, and the inner deities to control his body, autonomously absorbing qi and dissolving the true evil.
Now, most of the meridians from the lung cavity to the twelve-story tower had been cleared.
The next step would be to open the Golden Mansion.
At the same time, he used Shuang Ling and You Jing to control the bamboo body, cultivating thunder techniques, sword techniques, wind techniques, and more.
His progress in cultivation was astonishingly rapid.
This was the confidence behind Mingzhi Mountain’s rule of accepting disciples only at the fourth realm.
It was the reason why, despite having few disciples, Mingzhi Mountain remained one of the eight major sects of the Lotus Sect.
It was also the reason why the sect’s leaders emerged one after another!
But at the same time, it was also the reason why Mingzhi Mountain had so few disciples and such peculiar initiation trials!
Cheng Xinzhan carefully stored away "The Chronicles of Thunder and Demon Subjugation," planning to send it to the External Affairs Court for printing at a Taoist temple on Mount Sanqing in the mortal world.
Once published, it would help promote the thunder path and enhance the divine nature of his inner deities.
He had already chosen a pen name: the Humble and Prudent Studio Master.
Looking out of the cave, he saw snowflakes drifting down, while the red fruits on the persimmon tree grew even more vibrant.
Inspired, he cleared the table, spread out a large sheet of white paper, and began to sketch the scene, reciting:
"Autumn fades, winter comes, all things rest, Only the persimmon tree hangs lanterns bright."
Third Sister stirred in his lap, signaling that her master’s absent-minded scratching had stopped.
Cheng Xinzhan laughed, scratching the cat with his left hand while painting the persimmon tree with his right, continuing his poem:
*"In the Carefree Cave, the crane lamp