Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 338 A Gathering of Heroes, A Dragon's Roar in the Nine Heavens (I feel pretty good about this chapter, so I'm shamelessly asking for monthly votes~)

A mountain is not famous for its height, but for the immortals who dwell there.

It’s not the depth of the water that makes it magical, but the presence of a dragon.

This is a humble abode, but my virtue makes it fragrant.

Clouds, water, light, and wind enter; gaze upon the vast ocean.

His conversations included those of the learned and talented, and he associated with no uncultured people.

In my leisure time, I play the simple zither; when I have nothing to do, I read Taoist scriptures.

—From *Kuodi Guangji—Qilu Chapter—On the "Map of Crossing the Sea at the Nine Peaks of Tiecha Mountain"—Part Two*

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Just as he established a temple in Xikang, his reputation naturally spread when he was willing to open his gates wide. He started from scratch as a hermit and still managed to make the Kanli Mountain Temple and Xuan Temple famous in the southwest. This time, he no longer concealed his identity, and the name of the Yunguang Cave on Tiecha Mountain naturally spread throughout the Huaibei region and the Yellow Sea at the fastest speed.

Two years ago, in the dead of winter, at the coronation banquet for the Crown Prince of Laodong, he established friendships with the Taoist masters of Laoshan and the local kings of Huanghai. They talked about many things and came to understand two things.

The first thing is that there's no need to deliberately conceal the tribulation anymore.

To be honest, my first Core Refining Tribulation took place in western Hunan. I survived the Yellow Heaven Tribulation of the Thirty-Nine Thunders in front of everyone, opening the Purple Palace of my Primordial Spirit. This caught me off guard, as did the onlookers. Because both the "Yellow Heaven Tribulation of the Thirty-Nine Thunders" and "Opening the Palace and Refining the Spirit" are things that, in the eyes of ordinary people, require three or four tribulations to complete. Unfortunately, I was too young, so outsiders couldn't easily determine which tribulation I had undergone. Some people who knew the ins and outs of the matter did know, but they would never speak carelessly about it.

No one knew about the second tribulation of the Golden Core. Even when the Dragon Lord noticed the abnormality when the Golden Core Dharma Form was being formed, he only thought that he was refining a supernatural power to ward off the sea creatures of the water veins, and did not know that he was undergoing a tribulation.

After news of his exorcising demons and even killing the Five Poison Heavenly King in Xikang spread, outsiders had no idea what stage of the Golden Core he was at, and they had no way of predicting when he would pass the Core Tribulation.

With the advantageous location of Tiecha Mountain and the auspicious time of the Awakening of Insects, when the clouds shroud the mountaintop and thunder roars across the sky, no one will know that they are undergoing tribulation. This has already been verified last time.

Last time, I was worried and even asked Wu Qingbo to be my protector in case of any unforeseen circumstances, so there's no need to do that this time.

Because Tiecha Mountain is located at the eastern end of the Qilu Peninsula, bordered by Laodong Road to the south, Chengbei Road to the north, Chengnan Road to the east, and Laoshan Mountain to the west. In recent years, he had been entertaining guests and friends at Yunguang Cave, where the saying "his conversations were filled with learned men, and no uncultured person was among his acquaintances" perfectly described them. Therefore, even though the tribulation he underwent was so significant that even favorable timing and location couldn't conceal it, with friends from all directions, Cheng Xinzhan truly couldn't imagine any unexpected events.

Having understood this, Cheng Xinzhan decided that instead of hiding in the mountains like before, he should open the mountain gates wide and make friends to discuss the Dao.

Making friends and discussing philosophy was the second thing Cheng Xinzhan figured out.

Ultimately, we are different from others, so regional prejudices should not become barriers or obstacles to our well-being.

He possesses dragon blood, dragon scales, dragon thunder, dragon aura, and dragon supernatural powers. He cultivates water magic and Taiyin magic, visualizing the Moon Palace Emperor as the master of all water palaces in the world, and visualizing the Eastern King Wood Duke as a primordial deity of the sea.

He felt more at ease in the sea than ordinary aquatic creatures or even dragonborn, so the sea was not a limitation for him.

Since it's not a restriction, then we can naturally deepen our relationship with Huang Hai and thus turn our attention to the overseas demonic sects in Southeast Asia.

The Eastern Daoist sect currently has only two enemies: the Southern Demonic Sect and the overseas Demonic Sect. Although the overseas Demonic Sect is not making much noise now, it doesn't mean they will remain quiet forever. Especially the Three Corpses; if they wanted to be quiet, they should have gone into hiding long ago. Why did they have to go to the East China Sea to occupy an island and establish a sect, causing such a big commotion?

Therefore, it is necessary to plan ahead and take the initiative when dealing with overseas markets.

The East China Sea is not a limitation for me, nor is Huaibei.

To reiterate, I am somewhat special. No, I should say that the Sanqingshan Wanfa Sect is somewhat special in its communication with the Northern Dao.

There is communication and exchange between the Northern and Eastern routes. Nowadays, the Eastern route also practices internal alchemy, and the Northern route also practices talismans and rituals. However, these are not the mainstream practices in their respective traditions, except for Sanqing Mountain.

Master Ge Hong came from the Eastern Dao, and his lineage is very clear: Master Zuo Ci passed it on to Master Ge Xuan, Master Ge Xuan passed it on to Master Zheng Yin, and Master Zheng Yin passed it on to Master Ge Hong.

The most well-known characteristic of this lineage is its emphasis on both alchemy and talismans. Initially, everyone believed that the Ge family's fundamental cultivation lay in talismans, with "alchemy" referring to external alchemy.

However, as early as when Master Zuo Ci transmitted the "Golden Elixir Classic", he mentioned the concepts of "Golden Elixir Returning to the Elixir" and "Regulating Kan and Playing with Li" in the classic. Therefore, this classic is essentially "explaining the external and internal aspects, and using the internal aspect as a metaphor for the inner elixir".

When the alchemical texts were passed down to the patriarch Ge Hong, the immortal elder placed even greater emphasis on internal alchemy practice and sought guidance from Wei Boyang to explore the path of internal alchemy together.

But that's not all. Before establishing his own school, Master Ge Hong traveled far and wide, studying various Taoist methods. He inherited the One-Stop Method from his teacher, Master Zheng Yin, and the Talisman Method from his ancestor, Ge Xuan. He also sought the Corpse-Dissolving Method and the Method of Prophecy from his father-in-law, Bao Taixuan. He and his Taoist partner, Bao Qianguang, studied medicine together. These are just a few examples of his many achievements. Master Ge Hong integrated all his knowledge, thus earning the title of Master of All Methods and establishing the unique Internal Alchemy Taoism of Sanqing Mountain.

In his founding text, "Baopuzi," the patriarch Ge Hong clearly transmitted the method of cultivating internal alchemy, instructing his disciples to "cultivate internal alchemy diligently and practice all methods externally." This resulted in Sanqing Mountain being the only immortal sect among the various sects of the Eastern Way that regards internal alchemy as its mainstream method.

It was precisely because of this connection that Cheng Xinzhan and the Taoist priest from Laoshan got along so well, discussing the similarities and differences between Quanzhen Neidan and Sanqing Neidan. Both benefited greatly and considered each other as fellow Taoists.

Through his conversations with the Taoist priests of Laoshan, Cheng Xinzhan gained a deeper understanding of the Northern Tao and the Northern School.

As the saying goes, "He who does not plan for the long term cannot plan for the short term; he who does not plan for the whole cannot plan for a part."

Cheng Xinzhan understood this principle from the very beginning of his cultivation. That's why he traveled to the Southern Wilderness, explored the Hehuang region, went to the sea and entered Sichuan, and today, he is making friends with Huanghai and Beidao again. All of this is to broaden his horizons and have a global perspective.

Only by having a holistic view can one know where the key points are, when the opportune moment is, and what the next step should be.

As Cheng Xinzhan discussed the North and the East, played the zither, and read scriptures, time flew by, and two years passed in the blink of an eye. Now it was spring of the year of Wuzi.

As the Awakening of Insects approached and the spring thunder rumbled faintly, Cheng Xinzhan had already closed the mountain and prepared for the calamity.

Cheng Xinzhan had no real idea what to expect from this tribulation lightning. The first tribulation of water balanced the water and earth elements, the second tribulation of fire tempered the metal element, and he guessed that the third tribulation of pills might be a metal tribulation to further enhance the metal element, or it might be a wood tribulation to stimulate vitality and even generate pill energy. As for whether there were any other possibilities, he couldn't guess and could only respond to all changes with the status quo.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the second month of spring in the 468th year of the Ming Dynasty, on the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects), the dragon raised its head.

The thunderstorm arrived as expected, and sea fog rolled ashore, revealing only nine peaks of Tiecha Mountain.

Inside the Cloud Light Cave, Cheng Xinzhan, who had been meditating, opened his eyes. He rose and walked out of the cave, onto the platform at the entrance, and sat down again. His body naturally radiated spiritual light, protecting him from wind, rain, and mud.

He flipped his hand and produced a brocade handkerchief.

This is a nine-inch square handkerchief, white, cool to the touch, delicate and smooth, as elegant as snow, with a pearly luster. In the center of the handkerchief, there is an embroidered serpent and a flying bird.

The serpent is outlined with silver lines and filled with cloud patterns, almost blending into the white background, appearing and disappearing. The birds are depicted in a more freehand style, with just a few gray lines, showing a bird flapping its wings and soaring in the wind, but it is difficult to identify what kind of bird it is.

The flying serpent and the windbird circled and flew, one silver and one gray. If viewed from a distance, they clearly resembled a yin-yang symbol.

This is the magic handkerchief that Cheng Xinzhan made over the past two years using Yun brocade as the base material and combining eight kinds of spiritual elements, including five-colored poisonous miasma, Yuntang Gangqi, Chongyun Gangqi, Rotten Peach Shaqi, Fengma Gangqi, Yanshu Shaqi, Tengshe Fayi, and Fengniao Shenyun.

He named it "Babao Yunguang Pa".

Cheng Xinzhan tossed the handkerchief lightly, and the magic weapon shone brightly. After flying into the sky, it suddenly dispersed into clouds and mist, which quickly spread and submerged the nine peaks of Tiecha Mountain that were exposed above the sea mist in the blink of an eye.

The clouds and mist blend seamlessly, reaching from the sky to the sea, creating a vast expanse. Only a flying serpent and a wind bird soar and dart through the clouds and mist.

Chenshi.

In the sky, amidst the clouds and mist, wisps of purple aura appeared out of nowhere.

It was another Purple Heaven Thunder Tribulation. Cheng Xinzhan offered his Golden Elixir, which floated high in the sky.

The purple aura quickly coalesced into thunderclouds.

"hold head high--"

After the thunderclouds formed, the tribulation lightning was generated, but instead of the expected thunder, a dragon's roar was heard.

Cheng Xinzhan was surprised and looked up. He saw blue lightning crackling, but it was a dragon's roar that was clearly emanating from it.

One bolt of lightning after another erupted, accompanied by the resounding roars of dragons.

Looking at the somewhat familiar lightning in the tribulation clouds, Cheng Xinzhan finally understood that his three tribulation lightning strikes were actually dragon lightning.

But he was also a little confused.

How could I possibly be undergoing the Dragon Thunder Tribulation?

The Dragon Tribulation is a tribulation that only dragon descendants with pure bloodlines undergo! A snake transforms into a dragon, and a dragon transforms into a dragon—that's what it means to undergo the Dragon Tribulation. I'm just a human, and I have absolutely no connection to dragon descendants, so how could I possibly undergo the Dragon Tribulation?
At this moment, he suddenly remembered that two years ago he had boasted of his extraordinary abilities, thinking that he possessed dragon blood, dragon scales, dragon thunder, dragon energy, and dragon supernatural powers, and how he would roam freely across the ocean, turn the clouds and rain, and cleanse demons. Could it be that the Heavenly God and Thunder Ancestor heard these words and wanted to play a joke on him?
He was at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated.

Could it be because the golden core contains the thousand years of cultivation of the dragon?
Could it be because the Heavenly Dragon Thunder killed the Dragon Centipede not long ago, thus incurring a karmic debt to Heaven and Earth?

He was still thinking.

It can't be because today is the second day of the second lunar month, the day the dragon raises its head!

……

The dragon roared sixty-three times.

Purple Cloud Seven Nine Azure Dragon Thunder Tribulation.

Regardless of his thoughts, the tribulation lightning had already taken shape. The arrow was on the bowstring, and it had no choice but to be released.

"hold head high--"

Another high-pitched dragon roar rang out, and a bolt of azure lightning flew out of the tribulation clouds, shaking its head and wagging its tail like an azure dragon, flying towards the golden core as if it wanted to devour it.

Faced with the unexpected dragon lightning, Cheng Xinzhan dared not be negligent, nor did he dare to let the golden core directly meet the lightning. He immediately summoned the "Taiyi Qinghua Umbrella" to shield the golden core and share the burden.

But the next moment, something unexpected happened. The dragon lightning ignored the magic umbrella as if it were nothing, and the lightning actually passed directly through the umbrella and struck the golden core hard.

The golden core was washed by the lightning and immediately began to tremble, shaking like a leaf.

At the same time, Cheng Xinzhan suddenly heard the roar of a thunder dragon, or like a dragon chariot rushing through the void. A tingling and stinging sensation swept through his body. At this moment, his blood seemed to be burning, his bones seemed to be growing, his skin seemed to be about to burst, and his internal organs were churning.

Cheng Xinzhan's inner world was extremely lively.

Especially in the Heart Palace, the surging river of blood within transformed into a blood dragon, soaring and crashing wildly, trying to break free. In the Yin-Yang Hall and the Thunder Residence, the Dragon Qi, Dragon Sha, and Dragon Thunder all materialized into dragon forms at this moment, all clamoring and cheering, eager to leave this cramped acupoint and fly to the heavens. Meanwhile, the dragon scales on their chests seemed to be growing, unbearably itchy, and burning like branding irons.

Cheng Xinzhan had thought he would no longer fear pain after the True Fiend Acupoint Breakthrough, but at this moment, he felt he might have been wrong again. In addition, he suddenly understood what Xiao Liu had said: the dragon descendants at sea preferred to stay in the Four Realms rather than transform into dragons, not only because of the pressure from the Demon Saint, but also because of the tribulation of dragon transformation itself.

"How did you end up undergoing a dragon lightning tribulation out of nowhere?!"

A surprised voice rang directly in Cheng Xinzhan's mind.

After that voice rang out, the blood dragon in his mind became much more obedient.

Cheng Xinzhan recognized it as the Dragon Lord's voice.

He forced himself to endure the pain, composed himself, and replied with difficulty.
"I don't know either, Uncle, why my magic weapon couldn't withstand the tribulation lightning?"

The Dragon King's voice rang out again.
"Dragon Thunder is a process of cleansing the marrow and transforming the body, directly targeting the physical body and the Dragon Pearl. Of course, magic weapons cannot stop it."

So, does that mean we have to tough it out?
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan felt a bitter taste in his mouth, but at that moment, the second lightning bolt struck down. He felt as if a whole Buddhist and Taoist ritual was being performed in his mind: cymbals, bells, and drums all rang out at once.

However, this also ignited Cheng Xinzhan's spirit. Within his Purple Palace, his primordial spirit shone brightly, his divine fire surged, and his will was as firm as a rock. He refused to believe that he would be frightened by a burst of dragon thunder along the way. He would just tough it out.

At this moment, the Dragon King's voice continued to ring out.

"I think your dragon breath is too complex. You have all kinds of dragons, including the Brocade Dragon, the Chi Dragon, the Qiong Dragon, the Zhe Dragon, the Water Dragon, and the Thunder Dragon. Are you going to open a general store? Oh, and you even have a human-dragon. You are of imperial lineage. No wonder you have to undergo the Dragon Thunder Tribulation. Your dragon aura is much stronger than that of ordinary true dragon bloodline."

Towards the end, the Dragon King's tone became extremely surprised.

But Cheng Xinzhan was powerless to explain any of this at this point. He simply held onto his inner energy and silently endured the bombardment of the dragon lightning.

"Do you have any treasures within you that can suppress dragons or lightning? If so, use them quickly to suppress it. Your dragon breath is too mixed. These dragon breaths are all exerting their strength under the stimulation of dragon lightning. You don't want your body to be torn apart and fly away as different dragons."

"I must remind you," Long Jun said, his voice somewhat hurried.

The Dragon Lord's words sent a chill down Cheng Xinzhan's spine. He couldn't quite imagine what that scene would be like, and then he quickly began to think about what within his body could suppress dragons or lightning.

Speaking of suppressing thunder, there are very few things in the world that can suppress thunder. Thunder is the most powerful of all laws, outside the Five Elements, and is the ultimate Yang of Heaven and Earth. We have only heard that thunder can suppress other things, but we have never heard of anything that can suppress thunder. If we have to say something, it is something that is the other extreme, the ultimate Yin and evil. Cheng Xinzhan certainly does not have that.

As for the dragon-related element, Cheng Xinzhan's first thought was dragon thunder, but if he were to unleash dragon thunder at this moment, it might have the opposite effect and could even amplify the power of the dragon thunder calamity.

As for magic weapons, Cheng Xinzhan didn't have any magic weapons specifically for slaying dragons. He did have spells, though. The Jingming Sect's scriptures contained spells specifically for slaying dragons, but at this moment, he needed to use them to suppress the dragon's breath within his body. He couldn't very well use them to stab himself, could he?

A flash of inspiration struck him.

Preserving the spirit!
Practical magic is difficult to use, so perhaps abstract methods of visualizing the spirit will work! If Xu Zhenjun's magic cannot be used, then how about directly visualizing Xu Zhenjun's dignified image in the inner world? Xu Zhenjun was conferred the title of Celestial Master, ranked among the immortals, and had countless dragon blood on his hands. Such a person should be able to suppress dragon breath?
wrong!

Cheng Xinzhan's thinking changed again.

If you're going to visualize, why bother visualizing Master Xu? Wouldn't it be better to directly visualize "Thunderbolt and Fire Lord Deng" from the Thunder Department?
Master Xu attained enlightenment relatively late, yet he possesses a lineage of teachings passed down through generations, making the visualization of cause and effect far too profound. Deng Tianjun, on the other hand, is an ancient revered deity, the Thunder God, who has long been in seclusion. Moreover, in the Thunder Palace, he is in charge of the Dragon Thunder among the Five Thunders, wielding thunder and striking dragons. Visualizing this Thunder God is perfectly appropriate for the present moment!
"Have."

Cheng Xinzhan roused himself and managed to reply to the Dragon Lord.

"So fast!"

Judging from the Dragon Lord's tone, he seemed to have breathed a slight sigh of relief.

However, the Dragon King certainly couldn't have imagined that the "existence" Cheng Xinzhan spoke of meant that at this very moment, during the tribulation, in an instant, he would conjure up a new inner vision deity.

At the beginning of his cultivation, Cheng Xinzhan chose the Pleiades star official as his first inner deity. He successfully visualized it in less than a year and was able to consume the fire of the sun. To date, Cheng Xinzhan has visualized eleven inner deities, almost all of whom are ancient gods. He is regarded by Juqu Mountain as an unparalleled talent in the way of preserving the gods and was hired as the chief lecturer outside the mountain to transmit the two foundational scriptures of the teaching, "Huang Ting" and "Shang Qing". Cheng Xinzhan is probably the only person in the world who has the potential to do so.

This has nothing to do with cultivation level, it only depends on talent.

　Requesting monthly votes and recommendations! Comments and messages are welcome!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)