On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Cheng Xinzhan set down his brush and blew on the paper to dry it.
He had just completed another painting titled "The Daoist Subduing Demons on New Year's Day."
He had promised to provide the Lixi Village in the Miaojiang mountains with new door paintings every year.
Last year, he had painted many in Miaojiang, so he had enough to last this year without making a special trip.
However, he still needed to prepare for the coming years.
Compared to last year, his painting skills hadn't improved much, but the yang fire essence in his paintings had grown stronger.
The old village chief would surely be pleased when he saw it.
Outside the cave, heavy snow was falling, and Cheng Xinzhan had no intention of venturing out.
This was a good time to plan his future path.
Back when he was still far from the Bihuo Mansion, he had already been thinking about the Golden Mansion's inner deity.
He had long been interested in the Golden Corpse and had planned to search for it in the northwest.
However, fate had other plans.
By chance, he witnessed the Golden Qilin Corpse Immortal ascending in Qingzhou, which led to the formation of his Qilin Golden Corpse inner deity.
If he hadn't already been planning for this, he wouldn't have paid such close attention to the Qilin Corpse or asked the Corpse Immortal, "What is the nature of gold?"
Now that his Golden Mansion's inner deity had been established, he only needed to dissolve the thunder essence to open the Golden Mansion's true evil.
Thus, it was time to plan for the next organ.
Fire generates in the air, and metal is refined in fire.
Now, only earth, wood, and water remained.
After some thought, he realized the next steps were clear.
Metal generates water, earth generates metal, and metal overcomes wood.
Unlike fire refining true metal, which is a process of mutual overcoming but also mutual benefit, metal has no beneficial relationship with wood.
Therefore, according to the five elements' sequence, the next step should be water or earth.
Looking at the heavenly stems and their yin-yang nature, he currently had Bing Fire and Xin Metal.
Following the yin-yang sequence, the next step should be yang, which would be Wu Earth or Ren Water.
However, considering the Heart Mansion's Bing Fire, in the five elements, fire and water correspond to yin and yang, and in the five organs, the heart and kidneys represent the two poles.
Since yang fire was already established, the next should be yin water.
If it were Bing Fire and Ren Water, yang would be excessive while yin would be deficient, leading to an imbalance.
That wouldn't be ideal.
Thus, after Xin Metal, it could only be Wu Earth, followed by Gui Water, and finally Jia Wood.
Moreover, the Spleen Mansion, being the third to open, aligns with earth's position in the five elements.
Finally, Jia Wood would circle back to enhance Bing Fire's power, completing the five elements' cycle and the mutual generation of yin and yang.
With the five mansions settled, the Crimson Palace would be within reach.
Wu Earth.
Cheng Xinzhan wrote these two characters on a fresh sheet of paper.
In his sequence of opening the mansions, Wu Earth lay between Xin Metal and Gui Water.
If applied to a person's fate, this would be an extremely noble destiny.
The Daoist classic "Di Tian Sui" states: "Wu Earth is solid and heavy, balanced and upright. In stillness, it gathers; in motion, it opens. It governs the fate of all things."
Putting it all together, the Spleen Mansion that matched Cheng Xinzhan's would be a mountain of balance, solidity, and life-and-death authority.
A name immediately came to his mind.
Mount Tai.
Mount Tai was the mountain where emperors of past dynasties performed their Feng and Shan rituals, a place of unparalleled nobility.
As the chief of the Five Sacred Mountains, it naturally embodied balance and solidity.
Mount Tai determined life and death, overlooking the East Sea, which also aligned with the presence of Xin Metal and Gui Water.
Upon further reflection, Mount Lao was also a possibility.
Mount Lao was the first immortal mountain near the sea, known as the ancestral home of sea dragons and the gathering place of myriad ghosts.
It also carried the connotations of nobility, solidity, life and death, and proximity to water.
Interestingly, both of these immortal mountains were located in the Qilu region.
As for which deity to choose as the inner deity, that required careful consideration.
Perhaps it would be better to visit the mountains in person before deciding.
With the Spleen Mansion roughly planned, he next needed to think about the Wind Mansion.
He had been practicing wind techniques for nine months now.
Wind, being formless and shapeless, had initially felt even more challenging than thunder techniques.
The "Tian Gang Di Xun Ren Ling Zhang Shen Ben Jing" was written in obscure language and set an extremely high standard for wind.
The scripture stated that wind in the heavens was known as Gang Wind, the force that drove the movement of clouds, stars, and constellations, a power on par with the river of time.
The turning of stars, the shifting of seas, and the passage of time were all the result of Gang Wind blowing countless times.
On earth, wind was known as Xun Wind, the force that drove the flow of spiritual energy, life, and death.
When Xun Wind blew, spiritual energy flowed; when it ceased, miasma and toxins accumulated.
Within the human body, wind was known as Inner Wind, even more elusive.
The scripture stated that the beating of organs, the flow of blood, the circulation of spiritual power, and even chaotic thoughts could all generate wind.
This wind was divided into righteous wind and evil wind.
Righteous wind brought clarity of thought and health, while evil wind brought confusion and illness.
Honestly, he didn't fully understand it and would need more time to comprehend it.
Compared to the abstract "Ben Jing," the more practical "Summoning Wind and Transporting Luck Talisman Secrets" was much easier for him to grasp.
He could now perform many wind techniques, and some incantations and talismans came naturally to him.
As for the Wind Mansion, the "Ben Jing" stated that wind could be stored in any of the body's hundred apertures, but the ear apertures and Wind Pool were the most recommended.
The ear apertures stored outer wind, while the Wind Pool stored inner wind.
Outer wind was easier to understand than inner wind, so he decided to open the ear apertures first.
However, he still had no clue about the inner deity for the ear apertures.
As for the Twelve-Storied Tower, he had been consuming morning mist and evening twilight daily and had now opened six layers.
Yet, he still hadn't chosen a suitable inner deity.
Thinking of this, he sighed deeply.
The road ahead was indeed long and arduous.
"Xinzhan!"
"Xinzhan!"
Someone was calling from outside the cave.
He looked out and saw the trumpet flowers planted by Daoist Brother Ji Hu at the cave entrance.
Despite the snow, the trumpet flowers were still in bloom, unfazed by the seasons.
Some were blue, some purple, and some yellow.
Now, one of the flowers was emitting Daoist Brother Ji Hu's voice.
"Xinzhan, are you there?"
"I'm here! What's the matter, Brother?"
Cheng Xinzhan replied.
"Come to the Fishing Rock at East Heaven Path. We're going on a trip."
Cheng Xinzhan was surprised.
Why the sudden trip? "Where are we going?"
The trumpet flower emitted laughter.
"I don't know. You'll find out when you get here. Daoist Brother Miao Shu organized it. He said it's a fun place. Oh, and Miao Yuan asked you to bring Third Sister. He said he misses her."
"Alright!"
He agreed.
Since it was Daoist Brother Miao Shu's gathering, it was likely the same group that had gone to Mount Huang last time.
After that trip, they had grown much closer and often met privately to discuss the Dao.
Since Cheng Xinzhan practiced at the Yingyuan Mansion, he often went on duty with He Jiyuan, who had also joined their group.
His body shimmered as Shuang Ling and You Jing reattached to the bamboo body.
Deng Ge immediately noticed and looked over.
Third Sister, being blind, reacted more slowly, only realizing something was amiss when the hand petting her suddenly stiffened.
He smiled.
"I'm taking you both with me this time!"
Third Sister meowed and leaped from the physical body's lap into the bamboo body's embrace.
Deng Ge wagged his tail.
He set up another illusion and then left the cave.
Soon, he arrived at the Fishing Rock at East Heaven Path.
A massive rock extended into the sea of clouds, with a short pine tree on top that from a distance resembled a fisherman in a straw hat and raincoat, hence the name.
Feng Ji Hu, He Jiyuan, and Wang Miao Yuan were already there.
As soon as Wang Miao Yuan saw Cheng Xinzhan, he called out,
"Third Sister!"
Third Sister hid in her master's arms, pretending not to hear.
"Hehe, Third Sister, look what I have. Come here."
Wang Miao Yuan pulled out a handful of fragrant grass, the scent of which immediately broke Third Sister's resolve.
She leaped from Cheng Xinzhan's arms into Wang Miao Yuan's and began munching on the grass.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Miao Yuan quickly started petting her, left and right.
Soon, Third Sister finished the grass and immediately jumped back into her master's arms, showing no attachment.
"Third Sister, oh Third Sister, you truly have a heart of stone!"
Wang Miao Yuan lamented.
Just then, Sun Miao Shu, Xu Jishen, and Zhu Jianmo arrived.
"Miao Shu, where are we going?"
Wang Miao Yuan asked, showing that he too was in the dark.
"Follow me, and you'll find out when we get there."
Sun Miao Shu said with a smile.
The six of them then mounted their clouds and soared into the sky.
Zhu Jianmo moved closer to Cheng Xinzhan.
"Little Daoist, have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
Cheng Xinzhan was puzzled.
Zhu Jianmo smiled mysteriously.
"I've done some digging. The current emperor has been ill for over a decade, his health deteriorating year by year. The imperial physicians and Daoist healers have tried every remedy to no avail. He hasn't attended court in over a decade. After Senior Jin Mingzi ascended, the emperor's illness mysteriously vanished. The emperor believed it was his ancestors' divine intervention and ordered the imperial tombs to be renovated. He also began to govern diligently, seemingly trying to make up for the lost years."
Cheng Xinzhan smiled.
"That's good news for the people."
Zhu Jianmo nodded, then asked, "Little Daoist, have you ever looked into your own origins...?"
Cheng Xinzhan shook his head and said slowly,
"My father's name was Ting Xian, from the Ting family, a lineage of officials and scholars. My mother's name was Ming Jun, from the Ming family, though she never spoke of her origins. As for me, I was named Yun Qi, the ethereal mist, the free clouds."
Zhu Jianmo pondered this.
"When I was young, the books my parents used to teach me to read were Daoist texts, not Confucian classics. As I grew older, they only taught me music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, never the eight-legged essays for the imperial exams. I had thought they were simply weary of the bureaucracy and the rigid hierarchies. But after Senior Jin Mingzi revealed my identity, I understood there was another reason."
My parents never told me the truth before they left, surely because they didn't want me to know.
Why should I trouble myself to uncover it now?
"Zhu Jianmo agreed, praising his wisdom, and silently chided himself for prying. The group flew over the Rainbow Sea and the Milky Sea, still ascending."
Brother, are we going to explore the end of the mountain's protective array?
"Xu Jishen asked with a smile. To everyone's surprise, Sun Miao Shu nodded and said,"Exactly.
"The others were astonished. Feng Ji Hu said,"The end of the mountain's protective array must be near the Third Heaven!
"Sun Miao Shu smiled."
We're going to the Third Heaven.
The mountain's protective array leads directly there.
It's the most convenient path.
If we were outside the sect, we'd have to brave thunder and Gang Wind.
""Ah!
"Xu Jishen exclaimed."
Miao Shu, you've broken through to the second realm! You're taking us to the Jade Capital, aren't you?!
"Sun Miao Shu laughed heartily."
Indeed!
You figured it out before I could say it!
"The others congratulated him. Cheng Xinzhan also offered his congratulations but was still confused."
Brother Jishen, what does Brother Miao Shu's breakthrough have to do with going to the Jade Capital? And what is the Jade Capital?
"The others were equally puzzled and looked to Xu Jishen for an explanation. Xu Jishen explained,"The First Heaven is where clouds, rain, and thunder originate.
The Second Heaven is where Gang Wind rages.
The Third Heaven has no rain or wind, just clear skies and endless white clouds.
The Jade Capital is located in the Third Heaven.
Reaching the Third Heaven is a significant milestone.
One must pass through wind and thunder, and it's so high that ordinary cloud-riding techniques can't reach it.
Only by breaking through the first realm and achieving the continuous cycle of the five elements within can one ascend using the skill of riding the void.
"As for what the Jade Capital is, I've only been there once with my senior brother. You'll see for yourselves soon."
He left it at that, not elaborating further.
By now, the air was extremely cold.
Cheng Xinzhan, being in his bamboo body, didn't feel it, but Wang Miao Yuan, with his chest exposed, was shivering yet stubbornly enduring.
Seeing this, Sun Miao Shu activated his five-element spiritual power, forming a multicolored bubble that enveloped everyone, providing some relief.
As they ascended further, their cloud-riding speed slowed, and eventually, they abandoned their clouds altogether, standing on Sun Miao Shu's protective bubble, their curiosity growing.
After passing through a thick layer of clouds that seemed to stretch to the heavens, their vision suddenly cleared.
They found themselves in a vast, cloudless expanse, with clouds beneath their feet and no wind or clouds above.
"Thankfully, we're traveling within the sect. It's much easier. The last time I went to the Jade Capital from outside the mountain, I nearly exhausted all my spiritual power. It was terrifying."
Sun Miao Shu sighed in relief.
He then led the group eastward.
After flying for a while across the boundless sky, something unusual appeared in their vision.
He Jiyuan rubbed his eyes, watching as the object grew larger.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"What is that?"
Cheng Xinzhan was also stunned, unsure if it was an illusion or a mirage.
It looked like... a city?
Was there a city in the Third Heaven?
As they drew closer, they realized it was neither an illusion nor a mirage.
There truly was a city here.
The city was built on the clouds, five hundred miles above the ground.
Its walls were eighty feet high, and from a distance, they could see the towering buildings and bustling streets.
It was a marvel of immense power to suspend such a massive city in the sky.
"Is this the Heavenly Realm?"
Zhu Jianmo asked.
No one laughed.
Cheng Xinzhan had the same thought, and Sun Miao Shu had felt the same way during his first visit.
"The Jade Capital in the heavens, with twelve towers and five cities. This is one of the five cities, the Peacock City in the southeast."
Sun Miao Shu murmured.
This was his third visit, yet it still filled him with awe.
Under Sun Miao Shu's guidance, they flew toward the nearest city gate.
"What exactly is the Jade Capital?"
Someone couldn't wait and asked before they even entered the city.
Sun Miao Shu replied, "I haven't been here many times myself, so I can't say for sure. But I've heard it was built by the wealthiest families in the cultivation world."
"When was it built? Has it always been here?"
Cheng Xinzhan asked.
Sun Miao Shu shook his head.
"The Jade Capital was built during the Shoutang era, only four thousand years ago."
"What is it for?"
He asked again.
"To visit immortals, gather with friends, drink, listen to music, dance, trade, and spend extravagantly. It's a place of pleasure, a den of indulgence."
End of Chapter.
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