Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 361 A Crowd of Appeals and a Gathering of Attention (5 words, requesting monthly votes at the beginning of the month~)

The next day.

After listening to Douchong's explanation of the origins of the benevolent corpses in the several corpse houses, Cheng Xinzhan had also set up the altar array. All that was left to do was wait.

At this moment, he noticed the Fire Dragon Island token in the virtual realm humming, so he took it out.

"Is he in seclusion? If you can get away, come over."

It was Tang Yusheng's voice. It sounded like they were discussing something, but Cheng Xinzhan knew that if someone two levels above him took the initiative to come to him, then it definitely wasn't a discussion.

"Come here."

Cheng Xinzhan responded.

He got up and left, leaving behind an "Eight Treasures Cloud Light Cloth" to cover himself.

"Friend He?"

He arrived outside He Lingfu's cave.

"Please come in."

He Lingfu answered, and at the same time removed the restriction on the door.

Cheng Xinzhan did not approach, but stood outside the doorway.
"Fellow Daoist He, I'm about to go out for a bit and would like to ask if you'd like to come with me to check on the situation on Demon Island. If you wish to continue your meditation and cultivation, that's fine too; you can go out once you've recovered sufficiently."

"Wait a moment, it'll be right there."

In about ten breaths, He Lingfu came out.

Cheng Xinzhan handed her the corpse-locking talisman.
"Fellow Daoist, please take this first. If someone wants to examine the body, they'll need you to put on an act. After all, given my current status and cultivation level, I wouldn't dare remove all the talismans from your body."

He Lingfu understood his meaning and readily accepted the stack of talismans that she found quite repulsive.

"In addition, I must trouble you to first sit in my body bag. The bag will not be sealed, so you can see what's going on outside. We can then communicate with each other through telepathy."

“Master, there’s no need to be so polite. You know the Demon Cave better than I do. Just tell me directly.”

He Lingfu seemed to be a straightforward person. After speaking, she transformed into a wisp of green light and flew into the corpse bag at Cheng Xinzhan's waist.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and then walked out of the cave.

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.

As soon as Cheng Xinzhan stepped outside, he sensed something was wrong. The sky was as red as blood, and the island's protective formation was fully revealed, like countless huge red ribbons hanging down from the sky, covering the entire Fire Dragon Island.

Looking up, one can clearly see a crimson dragon weaving through the blood-red clouds.

“It wasn’t like this before. It looks like the island’s protective formation has been activated at full power, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. I estimate it’s related to the Ming Sect’s establishment of its sect yesterday, or perhaps a demon king has directly attacked Fire Dragon Island.”

Cheng Xinzhan spoke to He Lingfu from the bottom of his heart.

"Is that the Red-Haired Ancestor in the sky?"

He Lingfu asked.

"Yes."

"That dragon corpse horrified me."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded silently, then flew towards Funiu Guard. Because Tang Yusheng had personally summoned him, he went directly to the General's Mansion.

Having been here a few times before, Cheng Xinzhan entered the council hall with ease. He found quite a few people inside, mostly small leaders from various branches, as well as some capable fighters, such as Liu Jushui. In addition, there were some people who should have been there but were not.

"Youde has arrived, please have a seat."

Tang Yusheng looked weary, an expression rarely seen on this general's face.

Cheng Xinzhan saw an empty seat next to the old hall master, which was probably reserved for him, so he sat down. Liu Jushui was behind him.

"What's going on? I see the entire formation is activated. Which side has come to attack? The Alligator King or the Turtle King?"

Cheng Xinzhan leaned closer and asked the old hall master in a low voice.

The old hall master glanced at him.
"Didn't you hear what was going on yesterday?"

"Yesterday? That Xi Ming faction? They can still attack from Hunan?"

Cheng Xinzhan pretended to be stupid.

Upon hearing this, the old hall master shook his head and said softly.
"It's not that they want to attack, it's that our people want to go there."

"In the past? There are several borders between the East Sea and Hunan. How can we fight our way there? The Divine Lord said we should fight?"

Cheng Xinzhan scratched his head.

The old hall master sighed helplessly upon hearing this, then thought that since he was from Yellow Sulfur Island, it was normal for him to be slower to react to matters of Yin Corpses. He then put his mouth close to the man's ear and whispered...

"It was one of our people who ran away and went to join the Xi Ming faction!"

Cheng Xinzhan stared wide-eyed at the old hall master.

The old hall master nodded slowly.

He wanted to ask something else, but by then everyone had arrived, and he heard Tang Yusheng speak.

"Let's all report how many left."

The first to speak was the leader of the True Yin Hall, who said in a muffled voice...

"Three people from the third realm escaped, and two of them had survived a tribulation lightning strike. Forty-seven people from the second realm and fifteen people from the first realm escaped. They were all outside the island at the time, some at the Fish-Dragon Bridge and some at the Black Abyss Sea."

Tang Yusheng nodded, then looked at Qi Xiuyuan.

The old hall master stood up and answered.
"Two from the third realm escaped; one was undergoing purification, and the other had just formed his core. Thirty-four from the second realm and twenty-eight from the first realm escaped. They were all outside at the time, on the Fish-Dragon Bridge."

Tang Yusheng's face darkened even more, and he turned to look at the people from Faqiutang.

The head of the Faqiu Hall wasn't there, so the deputy head stood up to speak. His face was even darker than Tang Yusheng's; he looked like he was about to cry.

"Yesterday, our guild didn't get any combat missions; most of us were out searching for bodies. But since that sound was heard, as of now, the guild leader is missing, 96 second-level cultivators are missing, and 273 first-level cultivators are missing. This doesn't even include those who replied to me yesterday saying they'd be back soon but haven't returned yet."

“General! My Faqiu Hall is already small, consisting of only myself and the Hall Master. Now the Hall Master has not returned, half of my men have left, and the rest were on the island yesterday. Now everyone is in a state of panic, and I don’t know what to do!”

Upon hearing this, the other hall masters, deputy hall masters, and team leaders all began to clamor.

Cheng Xinzhan was pleasantly surprised. He never expected that the power of the patriarch's words yesterday would be so astonishing! This was the way to subdue the enemy without fighting! It was far more effective than attacking an island and engaging in battle.

However, an expression of disbelief and shock appeared on his face. He then turned to Liu Jushui and asked in a low voice,

What happened outside yesterday?

Liu Jushui remained as taciturn as ever, keeping his head down and silent as everyone discussed the matter. However, it was clear that he couldn't remain completely unmoved by such an important matter, so when Cheng Xinzhan asked, he answered...
"I don't know about other places, but when I was leading my men to fight the people of Jintanghai on Yulong Bridge, I suddenly heard the voices of Ximing Sect establishing their sect, and then everything went into chaos."

“Some people immediately jumped into the sea and ran away, while others hesitated. Several leaders and I who were present at the time told them not to fall for the righteous path's tricks, as it might be a conspiracy by the righteous path. We tried to stop them, but the sea monsters came to stop us. Then, some of the hesitant people jumped into the sea and ran away, some were killed by the sea monsters, and some were killed by our own people. It was all very chaotic until the island told us to retreat.”

"So many people ran away?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked in surprise.

Liu Jushui nodded.
"More than half of our new recruits have left."

So Cheng Xinzhan turned around and asked the old hall master curiously,
"Master, what was the situation on the island at that time? As you know, I had just taken out two new corpses. When that sound came, I had already returned to my cave and didn't take it seriously. I immediately sealed the door and went into seclusion to refine the corpses. It was only after the general sent me a message that I was woken up. What happened at that time? Please tell me quickly."

Seeing that everyone was talking, the old hall master, without any reservations, spoke to Cheng Xinzhan...

"Some people on the island also ran away, and the protectors and elders tried to stop them, but they couldn't. Then the Divine Lord couldn't sit still anymore, but at this time the Alligator King and the Turtle King also appeared, wanting to spar with the Divine Lord."

"After the Divine Lord was restrained, he awakened the Divine Dragon. The Divine Dragon activated a great formation and circled the island, which finally stopped everyone."

"That……"

Cheng Xinzhan wanted to ask more questions, but at that moment, Tang Yusheng, who was sitting in the superior position, shouted loudly.
"Okay! Stop arguing!"

The hall fell silent.

The burly general rubbed his temples vigorously and said,
"Our situation isn't too bad; the commander of Changshan Guard has already fled."

The moment the general opened his mouth, another uproar erupted in the hall. The four guardians had all fled? "I knew it! That old bastard always acted so aloof, finding fault with everything, constantly offering advice to the Divine Lord, trying to appear as a loyal minister! A loyal subject! But in reality? A traitor!"

The leader of the True Yin Hall cursed loudly, spitting everywhere, indicating that he had not gotten along well with the commander of Changshan Guard in the past.

"Alright, stop complaining. It happened so suddenly, no one expected the righteous path to pull such a drastic move. Not only did the Divine Lord not expect it, but the Yin King and the Qing King also did not expect it and suffered losses. So, although the Divine Lord is angry, he will not take it out on us, the Funiu Guard, for the time being."

Tang Yusheng paused, then continued,

"The Divine Lord has given instructions to seal off Fire Dragon Island. All islands near the Sea of ​​Fire that have already been marked with flags will have their formations activated, allowing entry but not exit. As for the unfinished Fish-Dragon Bridge, it will have to be put on hold for the time being."

"Each hall, quickly investigate the people stationed on the outer islands. If you suspect anyone of having designs on the righteous path, immediately transfer them back to Fire Dragon Island and replace them with trustworthy ones. Hall leaders, He Zhiyuan, you are now the hall leader of the Faqiu Hall. Once you have suspected individuals and proposed replacements, each hall leader should personally report to me. Only after I approve will you lead your men out to relieve them."

"The Faqiu Hall, suspend all outings. Those who are already out must be called back. As long as they return, the promised benefits will be given. This is not only for the Faqiu Hall, but also for the other two halls. If anyone is out and has not returned, you must find a way to call them back."

"Furthermore, all the corpse houses of Faqiu Hall are sealed off and locked, and no one is allowed to enter or leave. I think everyone understands this and should be mentally prepared. Now that the source of corpses has been intercepted by the righteous path, we will probably not be able to fight as many battles as before. Regardless of how many corpses there are, whether they are dead or alive, the conditions for claiming corpses in the future will definitely be more stringent."

"These prohibitions will remain in effect for now, pending further instructions from the Divine Lord. I'd like to remind you that the Divine Lord is in a bad mood lately, so none of you should provoke him. Keep a close eye on your subordinates. Anyone who tries to bring the Divine Lord's anger to the Funiu Guard will be severely punished! Do you understand?"

"Here!"

Everyone stood up in response.

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.

"You're lucky, kid. You only managed to get two good corpses out before the burial site was locked up."

After everyone left the general's mansion, the old hall master spoke to Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan thought to himself that being in two different places and having access to better information would definitely have some advantages, so he replied verbally.
"It really was a coincidence."

"Go back and stop your seclusion. These are turbulent times. Prepare yourselves for action."

"Yes."

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.

Return to the cave.

Cheng Xinzhan released He Lingfu.

"I never expected that the founding of the sect by the patriarch would elicit such a strong response."

Cheng Xinzhan said.

He Lingfu was not surprised, but simply smiled faintly.

"That's not surprising at all."

"Appreciate further details."

"Demons, spirits, ghosts, and monsters—these four types of beings are all incredibly difficult to enlighten and awaken. Our Yin Clan ranks second to last, only above the Metal and Stone Spirits, which shows how difficult it is. Moreover, Metal and Stone Spirits are born of nature, attain enlightenment naturally, are close to nature, and are considered auspicious. Therefore, whenever they are born, they are eagerly sought after by the major sects."

"As for us Yin Clan, not only is awakening our spiritual power difficult, but we are also Yin Clan of the Yang Realm, hated by people and subjected to scorn. 'The law is not passed on to six ears, and the way is not passed on to non-humans.' This is what describes our Yin Clan."

"Therefore, most of the Yin race in the world have no way to seek the Dao, live in ignorance, follow their instincts, absorb the Yang energy of others, and eat the Yang blood of others. Thus, they are regarded as born demons. Occasionally, there are lucky ones like me who are fortunate enough to receive the legacy and embark on the path of cultivation. They are also very careful in every way. They either make many good connections or live in seclusion. Otherwise, they are easily regarded as evil demons and eliminated."

"For my Yin Clan, turning to good is difficult; it is a perilous path. It is common to see people willingly degenerate, turn to demons, kill, and seek momentary pleasure. Therefore, when the Three Corpses establish a religion and impart their teachings, they receive an overwhelming response."

"Among them, there are certainly those who have good intentions but are driven away by the righteous path. Or there are those who are eager to seek the Dao and secretly harbor their ambitions while studying the Three Corpses Teaching Method, compromising and seeking to please others."

"Even worse, some people don't care about good or evil, they only seek longevity. When the demonic path spreads its teachings, they join the demonic sect. Now that the righteous path has its own methods, they are naturally more willing to go to the righteous path. After all, there are many dynasties in this world that have lasted for five thousand years, but demonic sects that can live past eight hundred are very few. Furthermore, my Yin clan are creatures of Houtu, and we can take root on land. Why should we drift at sea?"

"Now that your esteemed master is determined to spread the Dharma and teach the good corpse, it will naturally be met with enthusiastic responses and a large following."

Cheng Xinzhan listened and nodded repeatedly.
"Fellow Daoist's insightful views have greatly benefited this humble Daoist."

Cheng Xinzhan was speaking from the heart. Initially, his intention was to stop the Three Corpse Sect from growing further at its source, while also alleviating the corpse calamity on land. He hadn't expected that simply announcing the establishment of the Ximing Sect would have such a huge impact on the Three Corpse Sect.

I had underestimated the predicament faced by the Yin Clan.

Therefore, it seems that the establishment of the Ghost Sect and the Bone Sect by the righteous path should be put on the agenda even further.

"Fellow Daoist, you are a high-ranking cultivator of the Yin Clan and a model of benevolent corpses. The Ming Sect has just been established, and it is a time of great complexity. I wonder what your insights are on establishing a sect of Yin Corpses? For example, rules, structure, positions, rewards and punishments, promotion and demotion, and so on."

Cheng Xinzhan asked, "The new sect is newly established. If I don't ask about such a legitimate corpse cultivator by my side, it would be a dereliction of duty for me as the vice leader."

He Lingfu was surprised to hear this and said,
"Master is joking. The immortal sect of Sanqing Mountain has existed for six thousand years, and the Wanfa School is spread throughout the world. How can I, a mere wandering cultivator from the mountains, presume to offer any advice or comments on the matter of establishing a sect?"

Cheng Xinzhan then said,
"My sect has been blessed by our ancestors and can be considered to have grown to a considerable size. It is the first time that we have been able to establish a sect of Yin Corpses. Therefore, we cannot simply follow the past and must explore things on our own. So I hope you will not hesitate to give me your guidance."

"Um--"

He Lingfu paused for a moment, then said,
"Since that's the case, I'll offer my humble opinion, offered as a presumptuous statement, and I hope Master will take it with a grain of salt..."

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.

"Shangxian?"

Just as Cheng Xinzhan was discussing matters of the Yin Sect with He Lingfu, Huang Laosan's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

He had previously left a seed of "Mind-to-Mind Flame" within Huang Laosan's body. Although it canceled the ability to eavesdrop, it still allowed for long-distance telepathic communication, at least within the Fire Dragon Island area. He had told Huang Laosan that he could communicate directly through telepathy.

So he divided his attention and began to discuss things with He Lingfu while also talking to Huang Laosan.

"What's the matter?"

"Immortal, I have good news and bad news."

"Good news."

"Yes, I have just been appointed as a protector. I have been transferred from the Office of the Head of the Household to the Office of the Protector to replace the escaped Protector Chang and take charge of Changshan Guard. I haven't had time to change my name yet."

"You? Why did I choose you?"

Cheng Xinzhan was surprised.

Then Huang Laosan explained,
"I suspect that the Crimson Corpse no longer trusts the Yin Corpse and the Corpse Raisers, fearing they might escape and attack the Ming Sect. Only I, having reached the Middle Three Tribulations, have no connection with the Yin Corpse and cannot possibly defect to the land. Furthermore, Huangliu Island betrayed the Demon King, so it's impossible for them to defect to the sea. Therefore, I have gained the Crimson Corpse's trust."

"Moreover, it's not just my subordinates; I've also inquired, and none of the old people from Huangliu Island left during this exodus. Today, many of them have been promoted to fill vacant positions. The successor to the Huangliu Guard after I leave is also one of our own. I think it won't be long before you, Immortal, are also entrusted with important responsibilities."

Cheng Xinzhan was delighted upon hearing this, and he also felt that Huang Laosan's explanation made sense. He really didn't expect that one day, the marginalized people of Huangliu Island would be given important positions simply because they were outsiders.

Could this be considered an unintended consequence?

"I told you before not to be idle, to develop your own power. Are you still in contact with your old subordinates?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked.

Huang Laosan quickly replied,

"I dare not neglect the instructions of the immortal. Moreover, with the support of Manager Che, my old subordinates treat me with even greater respect than before."

"That's good."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded to himself, then asked,

"And what bad news are you talking about?"

Huang Laosan then answered,

"Just now, I received news that underwater fire has been unearthed in the waters around Huangliu Island! I wonder if my subordinate's promotion is related to this."

"Huh? Dead or alive?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked repeatedly, "Huangliu Island is rich in sulfur and has a white sulfur mine, so there's no doubt that it has geothermal activity. Geothermal activity naturally comes from underground fire, but the key question is whether it's caused by the residual heat of a fire vein that died many years ago, or by a thriving underground fire vein that is now revitalizing."

The difference lies in the fact that the former is of little use, at most giving rise to sulfur deposits and poisonous fumes. The latter, however, allows the Crimson Corpse to see hope for achieving Dao on this vast ocean.

"Live."

Huang Laosan said.

　I need your monthly votes! My ranking was too low at the beginning of the month, so please give me a push. Thank you!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)