Three months ago
Chapter 53: Dream of Incense in the Cauldron (Part 1)
Vast waves of mist, an endless sea.
In an instant, amidst the unceasing wild winds, a solitary boat cuts through the waves.
Occasionally, waves surge, splashing white froth from the sea onto the light and drifting boat, yet suddenly, a spiritual light bursts forth from the boat's hull, swirling and dispersing all the rising mist.
Looking again, at the bow of the boat, there stood Chu Weiyang, leaning on his cane, curiously gazing out at the boundless ocean.
Earlier, having heard snippets of conversation from ordinary people in Dao City, he felt that stepping into the outer sea alone was akin to walking into a realm of certain death; but as he listened more, hearing the detailed accounts about the outer sea that had been passed down through many hands, he became even more bewildered, and thus feared the ignorance that followed that bewilderment.
Yet at this moment, truly entering the outer sea, standing at the bow of that solitary boat, Chu Weiyang found it merely interesting.
Today, he was able to break through the barriers in his heart, surpassing even the five layers of cloud stairs amidst the misty waves!
The wild winds, the sea waves, the myriad wonders beneath the boundless water.
Everything was so intriguing!
While pondering, Chu Weiyang raised one hand, transforming the emerald fire into the form of a white swan, which soared away and returned in an instant, causing him to toss a fish into the wooden barrel behind him.
After glancing around and seeing no traces of swimming fish, Chu Weiyang then flipped his wrist, holding a compass, and awkwardly attempted to discern the direction.
The compass was left behind by Chunyu Huai, and the method of discernment and usage was something he had just learned from Chunyu Zhi's spiritual memory after boarding the ship.
This was the marvel of Tingchang Mountain; if it were anyone else, they would have to ask the Qianyuan Sect cultivators for sword techniques, the Shenxiao Sect cultivators for thunder techniques, or the Danhe Valley cultivators for fire techniques.
Yet Tingchang Mountain, a place of a Golden Core Grandmaster, was not even a holy land, yet it could still proclaim the grand momentum of "Transforming Thousands of Tribulations, Mastering All Methods," precisely because the teachings passed down within the mountain were so diverse and complex that it was almost unimaginable.
This was the advantage that Danxia Laomu had gained by fighting her way out of the Sea of Blood and Mountains of Corpses, but it was also the downside that now, as the situation grew closer, she had to exert great effort in planning—mastering all methods, yet having no single method to pass down and teach, hence the incense burned brightly, but the lineage was hard to continue.
However, for Chu Weiyang, what he needed was precisely this complexity, this kind of almost all-encompassing inheritance.
Fortunately, Chunyu Zhi had all of this, and fortunately, Chu Weiyang could almost use the method of revealing his heart and spirit to "learn" directly whenever needed.
Of course, all of this hinged on not doing so too frequently to the point of truly harming Chunyu Zhi's true spirit; if her soul were to dissipate even slightly, the lost memories would mean that many of Tingchang Mountain's marvelous methods would be beyond Chu Weiyang's reach.
Similarly, when Chunyu Zhi was gradually savoring the vivid sensations from that intense pain, she did not forget to remind Chu Weiyang:
"Chu Weiyang, you must understand, there were many people in the Demon Suppression Cave who entered later than you and were in better condition than you; why did the elders of your sect still choose to pass the 'Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique' to you?
Often, the so-called incense, the so-called lineage, the so-called inheritance—those intangible things that make people feel ethereal—actually exist in reality, existing within the changes of heavenly secrets, existing within the entanglements of cause and effect; this method is cause and effect!
You are the heir of the Panwang Sect, learning the ancient scriptures of your sect is a natural progression; you are an escapee from the Demon Suppression Cave, and you already have a cause and effect with the Sword Sect, so learning the Four Seasons Sword becomes trivial; as for the Dao Fruit remnants, after all, that person has already passed.
But only the many methods of Tingchang Mountain—had it not been for that day... I might not even have taught you the 'Five Phoenix Summoning South Ming Spell.' But once this door is opened, it may never end; I am not trying to dissuade you, but merely want to teach you to understand—
The more methods you learn from me, the deeper your entanglement with Tingchang Mountain, more precisely, your entanglement with Danxia Laomu will become, until it turns into a knot that cannot be untied; at that time, this tangled mess will be your or her calamity!"
At that time, hearing Chunyu Zhi's admonition, Chu Weiyang merely smiled as he contemplated the vivid memories revealed in his heart, without responding to Chunyu Zhi.
After all, for someone who might collapse under the explosive internal malevolent energy tomorrow, discussing the suffering of ten or twenty years later was indeed too ethereal.
The path is walked step by step; having already stepped into the ocean alone, he feared no wind or waves, but he needed to ensure that he was still alive when taking this step!
This grand sentiment gradually took on a hint of the ocean's vastness and depth.
At a certain moment, Chu Weiyang began to look forward to the official arrival of summer.
Lost in thought, another wave surged forth.
The spiritual light of the restrictions set on the solitary boat avoided the waves, but the wild wind still whipped at Chu Weiyang's robes, making them flutter.
His slender figure swayed slightly under this natural force, and the young man steadied himself, carefully discerning the direction, then cast several seals into the boat's spiritual light of restrictions.
As he rode the wind and waves, the solitary boat slightly veered, seemingly having a target, and sped towards a certain direction.
At the same time, Chu Weiyang retracted the compass in his hand, bent down to lift the wooden barrel, and walked towards the cabin.
-
Inside the cabin, perhaps due to years of being worn by the boundless outer sea, it was dark and quite damp.
The darkness was somewhat reminiscent of the once difficult-to-survive stone caves, a ghostly and eerie atmosphere; however, this dampness was vastly different from the previous harshness, bringing Chu Weiyang a unique and different sensation.
Yet in a moment of distraction, recalling the past, Chu Weiyang felt a fire in his heart, burning fiercely in his stomach's cauldron; the scorching essence of the cauldron almost inexplicably heightened his hunger to seven parts!
As Chu Weiyang's memories continued to unfold, this feeling intensified.
Until, accompanied by the swaying of the boat, a fragrant aroma of fish soup gradually wafted from the large cauldron before him, Chu Weiyang finally awakened from his reverie.
He lowered his head, disregarding the boiling hot fish soup in the cauldron, scooped up a large spoonful, and directly tilted his head back, swallowing both soup and fish whole.
It was as if he were using a blazing flame to extinguish another flame that lingered and refused to die out.
When Chu Weiyang finally let out a long breath, he turned his head to look at the only wooden table in the cabin, where a treasured sword lay horizontally in the center, and closely beside the sword's body were several jade slips he had taken from Miss Qinghe.
Upon closer inspection, the spiritual light surrounding the jade slips still belonged to the secret methods of restrictions.
Thus, Chu Weiyang's voice passed through the chains of restrictions and entered the sword.
"Miss Zhi, these past few days, I've been talking about the marvelous methods of Tingchang Mountain every day; why is it still so difficult to break a restriction secret method? Miss Zhi, no one has any tricks up their sleeves, but this is akin to a contest of skills, a battle of methods from afar; I can't just lose to her like this! After all, she is merely at the Qi Refinement stage, while you are a seasoned alchemist!"
Before Chu Weiyang could continue, the slightly anxious voice of Chunyu Zhi transmitted back to him.
"I know! This is about breaking the restriction secret method; I am discussing with the founder of the ancient methods, the venerable sages of Baihua Tower, from afar! Where is there any matter of cultivation realm here? Where is there any matter of that little girl? Beyond the Qi Refinement stage, how much can you truly understand!"
Perhaps truly enraged, Chunyu Zhi's voice even carried a rare hint of mockery.
Chu Weiyang merely smiled, not continuing to engage with Chunyu Zhi, but it was evident that as soon as he finished speaking, the spiritual light flowing along the sword's body suddenly surged, continuously emanating spiritual resonance from the sword's edge, enveloping each jade slip within.
Because he truly could not comprehend these, Chu Weiyang only took a moment to marvel at them before turning back to focus on the bubbling fish soup, indulging himself.
After a while, having finished the soup and enjoyed the fish, just as Chu Weiyang set the large cauldron down, Chunyu Zhi's voice immediately followed in his mind.
"Ha—! The methods of the sages are exquisite, but they were created in ancient times, and their variations have long been exhausted! Although I am only at the Dan Tai realm, I can still evolve boundless mysteries, and today I surpass them! Moreover, that little girl has many tricks, yet her cultivation methods are crude, leaving behind flaws, which ultimately allowed me to penetrate this restriction secret method!
The restriction on the first jade slip has been broken; for the rest, I still need to re-derive it, but I am already familiar with this secret method, so it won't take much effort. However, Chu Weiyang... do you still remember what I just said? This jade slip records the 'Lotus Flower Sinking Evil Ren Gui Anfu Secret Scripture,' which is a water attribute flower evil cultivation method!
If it weren't for that punch you landed on her forehead, if it weren't for that emerald fire revealed in your palm, perhaps after seeing you, that girl would have used her wits to find a way to hand this jade slip, and the methods within it, directly to you, rather than the current situation where there is an extra layer!
But even so, you have seen the method jade slip; the path of water and fire harmonizing is laid out before you. However, after refining the flower evil, you will merely lose the integration of the five qi refining evil, but the path of harmonizing water and fire to directly verify yin and yang is also a method within the alchemical path; this is cause and effect, but also opportunity!"
Upon hearing Chunyu Zhi's words, in almost an instant, Chu Weiyang's hand fell upon that jade slip.
The spiritual light of the restriction secret method dissipated, revealing the shallow ancient script engraved on the jade slip.
"Lotus Flower Sinking Evil..."
Murmuring softly, Chu Weiyang's fingertips pressed against the jade slip, sometimes pressing hard enough for his knuckles to turn white, sometimes lightly brushing as if to wipe away dust.
But at this moment, it was only Chu Weiyang who had to face the torment of choice alone.
Thus, after a long silence, Chu Weiyang instead let out a long sigh and withdrew his fingers from the jade slip.
The young man shook his head.
"Logically speaking, someone in my situation shouldn't be picky about anything; I should tightly grasp the fated methods that come my way. However... Miss Zhi, perhaps your words have illuminated me, or perhaps there truly exists a causal power of incense and lineage in the dark, silently influencing me...
The method of harmonizing water and fire in the alchemical path is indeed good, but one is the scripture of Baihua Tower, and the other is the secret method of Tingchang Mountain; even without cause and effect, these are all theirs. Even if I cultivate them, looking ahead, it all feels like a grass mat laid on the water's surface, and one step could lead to emptiness.
What truly allowed me to survive from that eerie ghostly realm is the 'Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique,' the sword intent refined from the cauldron, and the precious pills forged in the flames. I think perhaps these are truly my roots, the essence of my struggle for life; the five qi steaming, this is also a thoroughfare!
Refining the water attribute flower evil means I cannot cultivate the water attribute poison evil method, thus completely losing the path of refining poison into the five organs and meridians, and the path of continuous refining amidst life and death! Baihua Tower, Zichan, and even Tingchang Mountain are all methods of demonic cultivation, and the pinnacle of demonic cultivation lies not in inner alchemy, but in refining evil!"
At this point, Chu Weiyang's voice suddenly became resolute.
It was as if he had broken through another layer of confusion, and all his thoughts became clear in that instant.
Immediately after, he suddenly smiled with abandon.
"Perhaps it sounds very unrealistic; I haven't even fully stepped onto the path of survival yet, and I'm already thinking about the pinnacle path of demonic cultivation... How should I put it? Ambition? Aspirations? Foolish delusions? Self-inflicted suffering and trouble?
It doesn't matter how to say it!
Just like pain teaches me to truly feel alive, if I don't have this heart's energy, how could I see the path of escape? If I don't have the ambition to gaze upon the pinnacle path of demonic cultivation, how could the causes and effects with the Sword Sect, Tingchang Mountain, Guo Dian, and Ma Sandong be resolved?
So, refining flower evil? Miss Qinghe has gone to great lengths to place this method before me, and I will not choose it!"
As his words fell, Chu Weiyang picked up the jade slip, not even glancing at it, and stored it directly into his Qiankun pouch.
At the same time, Chunyu Zhi's voice immediately followed.
"One after another, all merely at the Qi Refinement stage, yet their ambitions are soaring to the heavens. Fine, you make sense; what about the remaining jade slips?"
Chu Weiyang waved his hand nonchalantly, lazily leaning back in the wooden chair, entirely resembling someone else.
"The remaining jade slips must of course be examined carefully; everything must be scrutinized word by word! What just now was a debate on the path, but now we are probing into the roots of others; if there truly is any benefit, naturally, I will not let it go for free!"
Just as his words fell, Chu Weiyang suddenly felt the boat sway.
In the cabin, the faint spiritual light swirled, and Chu Weiyang suddenly flipped his wrist, grasping another jade slip in his hand.
This was the detail concerning the ancient cultivation cave that Dong Heng had imprinted into the jade slip after making his vow before his demise.
At this moment, Chu Weiyang gently pressed the jade slip against his forehead, and after two breaths, he suddenly stood up.
"We have arrived at that island!"
-
On the shallow beach, the solitary boat remained motionless in the gravel; Chu Weiyang stood at the bow, holding a long sword.
The stars rotate as the night deepens, the bitter rain finally clears.
Who decorates the sky and sea? The heavens and sea are originally clear.
Only the old man Lu remains, intent on riding the waves, vaguely recognizing the music of Xuanyuan.
I do not resent the nine deaths in the southern wilderness; this journey is uniquely extraordinary in my life.
Many books are already hard to find; cherish them while you can.