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墨書 Inktalez
The moonlight was bright, and the night over Qingliang Mountain was like water. I was alone in the Disciples' Quarters, with only a beast by my side.
Five was my best brother, even more understanding than Huzi, who had grown up with me. Though he usually acted carefree, he never joked around when it mattered. He had been begging with the Beggar Gang for a long time and had witnessed countless human behaviors.
So many people sacrificed their lives for someone who was destined to die, all in the name of so-called justice. It seemed utterly pointless.
Offering my head to Song Qianqiu for self-preservation was the most rational and correct choice.
I knew this well. I intended to do so, yet I still felt a pang of sadness in my heart.
The door creaked open, and Five stepped inside while the others waited outside.
The beast also heard Five's earlier words. Upon seeing him enter, it bared its teeth and stood protectively in front of me, like an angry cat.
I looked at Five and said, "I hit you too hard that night; did I hurt you?"
Suddenly, Dao Qi surged from Five, and I collapsed, losing consciousness.
Aside from the beast, I heard no cries from anyone. During my unconsciousness, I experienced a long, long dream.
In the dream, from the moment I began to speak, I followed Futu Ridge's mother as she weeded in the fields. She often turned back to make funny faces to make me laugh.
I dreamed of running with Huzi into the Pine Forest of the Forbidden Area of Futu Ridge for an adventure. I dreamed of Douding playing under Zhang Scissors Uncle's shop. I dreamed of being chased by members of the Serpent Cult and fleeing to Azure Cloud Mountain, where a kind old woman helped me. I dreamed of the awe I felt when I first met Yunxi and the sorrow when I buried her beneath Mountain Snow Pool.
I also saw the figure I had encountered with Yang Sanqian and May Day when we first ventured into the Underworld, emerging from the Red Spider Lily.
It is said that the Red Spider Lily allows one to see their greatest love in life.
The scenes in my dream were vibrant, filled with both joy and sorrow.
Until I opened my eyes again and heard faint cries from outside, reminiscent of Douding's voice.
"I'm not dead?" I thought to myself, unsure why this was happening. My Dao Qi had recovered, my injuries healed; aside from the Injury of the Dao still lingering, my Nascent Soul had returned to its original state, my power significantly increased, and my life force surged like an ocean, the threat of death lifted.
I felt someone holding my right hand. Turning to look, it was Zhou Manman. She placed my hand against her face, her delicate fingers gently encircling it as if afraid to disturb my peaceful slumber.
I gently withdrew my hand, my fingers brushing against her face as I called out softly, "Manman?"
Zhou Manman felt like a cold corpse, devoid of any life force. I sat up and embraced her, tears streaming silently down my face. "Why did this happen?"
I turned inward to examine my body. I sensed the source of my power: a Warm Jade-colored Inner Dan with two cracks floated above my Qi Sea.
In Daoist cultivation, there are Nine Major Realms. The Dantian opens the Qi Sea; the Qi Sea generates the Primordial Spirit; the Primordial Spirit condenses into the Golden Elixir. The Golden Elixir transforms into the Nascent Soul; the Nascent Soul becomes the Dao Body. Cultivation is about refining the soul. When one reaches the Mahayana Realm, the Nascent Soul transforms into the Dao Body. However, there are rumors that when a person's power reaches its peak and surpasses the Tribulation Realm, their cultivation returns to its essence, allowing the Dao Body to refine an Ascension Elixir and thus achieve immortality.
Thousands of years ago, before Guanyin Monastery was established, the Mud Buddha rose to prominence with an invincible presence that overshadowed all of Kyushu. No one could rival him across the seas. After achieving perfect Merit, he faced calamity by summoning nine thunderbolts to strike him down. Using the Mud Bodhisattva's Form to block a fatal blow, he survived despite not ascending to another realm. For many years, the Ascension Elixir has been passed down through generations; each master of Guanyin Monastery has been an unparalleled expert.
During the Dark Turmoil Period, the abbess of Nanhai Guanyin Monastery fought valiantly against numerous foes alone. In the end, a crack appeared in the Ascension Elixir after months of battle. Some time ago, Old Scholar used One Qi Transforming into Three Purities to severely injure Miao Guanyin, causing more cracks to appear on the Ascension Elixir.
That night, Miao Guanyin brought Zhou Manman to a mountaintop. She entrusted Zhou Manman with the Ascension Elixir and warned her about certain matters concerning her future. Just before passing away, Miao Guanyin hesitated for a moment and said: "The Ascension Elixir already bears cracks. The reason I cannot pass it on to others is that if it is extracted from your body again, you will die. Your beloved has been harmed by Dao; even the Ascension Elixir cannot save him. However, it can heal all injuries and greatly alleviate the threat of Injury of the Dao. Yang Hao is extraordinary; he comprehends Dao and although he touches danger, what he understands about Taoist Arts is indeed powerful. If one day we encounter an irretrievable chaotic world, I will take peace for Southern Sea Lineage as my duty; sacrificing myself is not out of question. My master does not impose any demands; everything is up to your heart's desire."
That night when Wu entered my room, Zhou Manman had already prepared the Ascension Elixir for me.
In the two hours following Song Qianqiu's ultimatum, everyone was discussing strategies to deal with him.
Wudao said, "How about we send Yang Hao's head to Song Qianqiu? That's the only method we have right now."
Seeing everyone frowning at Wu, Wudao continued, "Of course, we don't actually kill him. We just need to find a corpse's head and disguise it to look like Haozi's. Then I can present it to Song Qianqiu. After all, he is still human. Any Daoist Arts require casting time, including the Great Wilderness Scripture. Before he can use the Great Wilderness Scripture, I will catch him off guard with the Yin-Yang Binding Technique and then trap him in the Linglong Tower for refinement. Without the Great Zhou Compass, Song Qianqiu won't escape from the Linglong Tower using the Great Wilderness Scripture."
Huzi frowned and said, "But Song Qianqiu specifically named Yunxi to deliver Hao's head."
Wudao replied, "Song Qianqiu can't stand Haozi. His own Golden Core came from Haozi, yet he pretends to be so grand. Besides, he was suppressed by Yunxi at Azure Cloud Mountain. Having Yunxi deliver the head isn't the goal; he just wants Yunxi to suffer a crushing defeat and despair. At that point, Yunxi can follow behind; Song Qianqiu won't pay attention to that detail."
Guo Daozhen remarked, "This idea isn't bad, but your cultivation is only at the early Mahayana Realm. If you make a move, Song Qianqiu will notice immediately. After all, he is already Supreme; to catch him off guard, you need to be stronger than him."
"Isn't that stating the obvious? If I were stronger than him, why would I need to act so lowly?" Wudao retorted.
Guo Daozhen explained, "From what Dongfang Yuqing has observed, Song Qianqiu's rapid progress in cultivation is due to absorbing too much of others' power. Although he tries to eliminate the Corpse Qi of the dead, he cannot refine such mixed powers into a cohesive whole quickly. Thus, while he possesses Supreme power, his Dao Body isn't as strong as mine."
"You mean you want to deliver Haozi's head?" Wu asked.
"No," Guo Daozhen replied. "There are still significant risks in restraining Song Qianqiu. If he sees it's you delivering the head, he won't be on high alert. If I present it instead, he'll be extra cautious. We can swap our Dao Bodies; when he lets his guard down, I'll ensnare him while you control the Linglong Tower to envelop both of us inside. How long will it take for Linglong Tower to refine a Supreme?"
Wudao answered, "If there are no surprises, it will take three hours to turn a Supreme into blood water. However, I don't know how to get you out of the tower afterward. Once I open Linglong Tower, Song Qianqiu will escape through the spatial rift along with you."
Guo Daozhen said firmly, "Then let's refine together!"
“Ah?” May Day's face was filled with despair. “I still have Rouer waiting for me. How can I face Rouer after taking over your old body?”
Iron Bull said, “How about I take over instead? I don’t mind.”
Guo Daozhen replied, “No way. If it’s you, I might as well do it myself. The reason I need to switch bodies with Wu is twofold: first, to catch Song Qianqiu off guard; he wouldn’t expect a Mahayana Realm Wu to possess Supreme Realm abilities. Second, Wu’s Dao Body is within me, but he can cast spells the fastest through his own body. When we capture Song Qianqiu in the Linglong Tower, it will take him by surprise. In a battle between experts, one mistake can lead to defeat. As long as our plan succeeds, we have a great chance of killing Song Qianqiu.”
Dongfang Yuqing said, “But even in the Linglong Tower, Song Qianqiu can still use the Great Wilderness Scripture, right? Plus, there are Miao Guanyin and the White-Robed Old Scholar.”
Guo Daozhen continued, “That’s the second issue I want to address. Song Qianqiu’s greatest reliance is on the Great Wilderness Scripture and those two Supremes. When he’s trapped in the Linglong Tower, those two Supremes will still follow his commands. The Supremes will become Puppets, greatly reducing their combat power. At that point, it will depend on all of you.”
Everyone nodded and clenched their fists.
Guo Daozhen went on, “To prevent Song Qianqiu from using the Great Wilderness Scripture inside the Linglong Tower, once we trap him, Wu, you need to send the Linglong Tower far away immediately to avoid affecting everyone else. Yunxi’s Tai Xu Ling can Shuttle through Time Barriers, so Yunxi must stand at a distance. If anyone gets trapped in a Time Barrier, you must rescue them immediately. Our mission is extremely dangerous; if one link goes wrong, we could lose everything.”
Wudao said, “We can’t let Haozi know about this. I’ll knock him out, and then we’ll set off tonight. By the time we reach Taishan, it should be just right.”
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