Wet viviparity

Chapter 897 An Attempt, Dexuan Cave
Once inside the Taipingshan area, Wen Kong followed a specific route and traveled without hindrance, without seeing a single person.

Wen Kong understood that in this vast Taiping Mountain, a place frequented by elites from various sects in the south, only his master could have carved out a route for him that no one else in the world had ever traveled.

Within a hundred miles of the Divine Palace, I felt a sudden increase in wind resistance in the air.

In the distance, several flying bridges extend down from the clouds, guiding the orderly flow of light from all directions.

Guided by a blue crane boy by the bridge, the order was perfect. The streaks of light came from all corners of the world, their colors and shapes varied greatly. Some were accompanied by celestial clouds, some spun like whirlwinds, and some were like shuttles with pointed ends. All of them converged on the invisible divine palace in the clouds.

The current situation is a clear indication that the grand council is approaching and that various denominations are coming to pay homage.

Wen Kong led the spirit crane up to the sky. When they crossed the flying bridge, they saw a stele at the bridgehead inscribed with the words "Tong Hui". The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, with a hint of sharpness. Wen Kong recognized that the characters were written by Luo Ji of Taiping Mountain.

A young monk dressed in the wide-sleeved robes of a cabinet steward came to greet him. After verifying Wen Kong's talisman, he respectfully led the way, addressing him as "Mr. Wen Kong" instead of "Zen Master," and said, "My master already knew that you were coming and specially ordered Mingyue to wait for you here."

Although this path is relatively new, the demeanor is humble and the rules are well-established, quite different from the current optimism and wealth of the young people in Taiping Mountain.

"Moonlight Boy!"

Wen Kong already knew this person's identity.

Along the way, we passed several palaces and pavilions, which seemed to be constructed from blurry light and shadow, their shapes unseen, only their colors visible.

Here you'll find cultivators, demons, and even the occasional person dressed in barbarian village attire, all hurrying about, some carrying scrolls, others holding jade slips, moving between the various halls. When they meet, they mostly address each other as fellow Daoists, bowing and exchanging pleasantries. The topics they discuss are mostly loan amounts, mortgage verification, and the allocation of spiritual materials.

When Wen Kong was here, he did not feel like he had entered a blessed land of immortals, but rather felt like he was in a neat and orderly machine.

The guiding boy pointed to a secluded jade mountain behind the palace in the distance. The mountain was not particularly tall or majestic, but its rocks emitted bursts of emerald light. Upon closer inspection, one could vaguely see a row of dragons outside the mountain and two lines of cranes slowly circling around it.

“Mr. Wen Kong, please look, that is Lingcui Mountain of Shen Gang Palace. The Dexuan Cave on the mountain is where my master is in seclusion.”

"Dexuan Cave!"

"Exactly."

Speaking of the name of the cave, Mingyue Tongzi's face lit up, and he couldn't help but laugh proudly: "This name was personally bestowed upon the cave by Ancestor Ganxiong. The word 'Xuan' means black and deep, and the two characters 'De Xuan' refer to the profound merit of my master."

“Exactly.”

Wen Kong clasped his hands together and said.

When Wen Kong was led to De Xuan Cave, he suddenly felt a gaze from the mountain. He saw a person with a round, fleshy mole on his forehead. With such a distinctive feature, and who could appear in the Lingcui Mountain of the Divine Gang Palace, there could only be the Dinghai Demon Leng Cuishan.

Wen Kong and Leng Cuishan exchanged glances and bowed to each other from afar.

"Senior Leng was invited by his master to often discuss Taoism in the mountains."

Mingyue Tongzi said something, then paused for a moment, and then said, "The cabinet has already decided that after the Great Council of Shen Gang Palace, Senior Leng will take up the post of Director of Dao Yi Si. At that time, the weight and influence of Dao Yi Si will be raised to a new level."

When they arrived at the cave, Mingyue Tongzi pointed to Ding Ruyi, who was standing in front of the cave, and said to Wen Kong, "My senior brother Ding Ruyi, you must have already met him. He is the one who sent the final approval of the cabinet documents to Dexuan Cave, and he led the team to negotiate the aid between the Five Immortals Sect and Taoxiu Cave."

"Ok!"

Wen Kong nodded and began to remain silent.

He had been living in seclusion at the White Lotus Temple. Because of the master, many people began to pay attention to him, hoping to curry favor or form a good relationship with him. Within the Crane Temple, around the master, many people "deified" him, believing that his influence was comparable to that of the late Lord Shande. Therefore, they held him in awe and dared not show him any contempt because of his ghostly origins.

Mingyue Tongzi's words were clearly intended to increase his affection for Ding Ruyi.

Even though Mingyue Tongzi was Master's disciple, an outstanding figure of Taiping Mountain, and a person who had undergone the transformation of the Fubei Gong, he was still cautious in front of Wen Kong, hoping to win his senior brother's support.

In the past, Wen Kong would never have dared to imagine such a delicate situation of being second only to the emperor.

At some point, even the underworld officials and spirits of Haoli sought to befriend him by virtue of their shared identity as spirits. Even the Baofa Temple, a Buddhist temple in the south, secretly contacted him and offered him Buddhist guidance without expecting anything in return.

"Grandmaster!"

In front of Dexuan Cave, Ding Ruyi solemnly performed the salute, then glanced at Mingyue without leaving a trace, and said to Wen Kong, "Master, you don't need to pay attention to my junior brother's words."

"Haha, well done, well done."

Wen Kong returned Ding Ruyi's greeting with his palms together, then faced the cave entrance, became serious, and devoutly knelt and crawled into the cave.

Inside Dexuan Cave was a warm and lustrous jade chamber, like a nest or a deep cave. All around and above it was made of jade, with light shining through. There were no tables or chairs.

A pure lotus bloomed within it, its ethereal essence dissipating to the ground and transforming into a pool of clear water. Wen Kong knelt and crawled to the pool in front of the lotus, clasping his hands together and saying, "Master, Wen Kong has arrived."

"Wen Kong, let me ask you, forty years have long passed, why haven't you undergone the next tribulation?"

"Master, I would rather never be reborn and be trapped in the Netherworld than leave your side," Wen Kong said, weeping.

Ji Mingxing was highly skilled and could perceive Wen Kong's true feelings. He said on the lotus, "You little devil, I gave you the Tribulation Elixir back in Guangyuan Water Palace, which will allow you to reincarnate forty years. At that time, I will use the method of calculation to find your reincarnated body and find you in the mortal world to continue our old relationship."

"People in the world fear separation, and so do I, a humble monk."

Once the cycle of rebirth begins, my physical form will completely change. Even though the Buddha said that all forms are merely manifestations of the Dharmakaya according to conditions, that they are empty and illusory, this humble monk is truly dull-witted; after decades of meditation, I still cannot fathom this mystery.

Ji Ming leaned against Yuan Pi Ruyi in his arms and said to Wen Kong, "After the great calamity of the Three Realms, I entered a deep meditation in a cave and obtained a method that may ensure your spirit remains intact during the tribulations. However, this method is not yet perfect. I have summoned you here in secret to ask for your opinion."

"I'm willing to try."

Wen Kong replied decisively.

"Think it through carefully, there's no need to worry."

I chose you to try this method, firstly because it offers a chance to fulfill your wish, and secondly because you are my trusted confidant. However, there is someone else who can be replaced in this matter. Our friendship is rare and unlikely to be repeated in the future, so you can be more free and do as you please.

Ji Ming's words came from the bottom of his heart, and of course he knew that Wen Kong would not refuse.

"I am willing to try, this is my heartfelt wish."

Wen Kong said with absolute certainty.

Ji Ming didn't say anything more, exhaled, and rippled the surface of the pool.

Beneath Wen Kong, a six-armed, grotesque figure appeared in the rippling water; it was the true form of the Earth God of the Perilous Path.

(End of this chapter)