Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 385 Carrying on the Past and Ushering in the Future, Dragon Awakens and Pill is Completed (5K words presented, please support with monthly votes at the beginning of the month~)

"it is good."

Cheng Xinzhan accepted the jade box.

He originally intended to have Lion retrieve this item, but a few days ago, some friends from Juqu Mountain who were in charge of the Haoran Alliance came to visit. He learned from them that his two disciples had been exorcising demons in the Miao region during this time, so he sent a message to the two of them to go to Fuxia Lake to retrieve the item and made a special trip for them.

It just so happens that my two disciples are about to form their cores, so I should show them some concern.

"If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, please feel free to ask."

Lin Mingxu and Zhu Mingyue exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. In cultivation, how could there be no problems? Some could be solved through self-study, while others were simply incomprehensible. But who was their Master? The Master of Ten Thousand Laws, the Master of Broad Laws, the one who wrote "Master Broad Laws' Explanation of the Essential Meaning of Preserving the Spirit in the Shangqing Realm" and "The Star and Moon Bright Light Purification Mantra," which were included in the Shangqing Daoist Canon—was there anything he didn't understand?

So the two of them eagerly asked questions.

Feeling indebted to his two disciples, Cheng Xinzhan answered their questions with great detail, and always took the opportunity to teach them a spell after elaborating on the topic. This long-awaited discussion between master and disciples lasted for seven days and seven nights before finally concluding.

Lin Mingxu and Zhu Mingyue suddenly understood.

After answering their questions, Cheng Xinzhan took out four lead bottles and handed them to his two disciples, saying,

"Mingxu, you cultivate the Way of Star Attack and have a great love for archery. With the Arc Star Official and the Broken Army Star Lord of the Purple Palace as your inner divine beings, you are unstoppable. I will give you one copy each of the 'White Rainbow Piercing the Sun Gang' and the 'Earth Fire Heavenly Star Fiend,' which can be used to forge weapons or form cores, all at your disposal."

"Mingyue, you initially cultivated the Meteor Heavenly Fire Path, and your first inner vision visualization was of the Void Sun Star Lord. However, you later advanced further, visualizing the Dangerous Moon Star Lord, broadening your path and transitioning to the Yin-Yang Radiance Path. I am very pleased to hear this. I now bestow upon you one copy each of 'Crimson Cloud Purple Qi Gang' and 'Tide Moon Illusionary Wave Fiend.' Whether you use them for Core Formation or Refining Techniques is entirely up to you."

The two disciples were overjoyed, their gratitude and respect overflowing. They had assumed their master was too busy to take on disciples. They knew perfectly well that their master was preoccupied with the affairs of the world and had no intention of accepting disciples in the first place. He had only accepted them because of an agreement with Juqu Mountain, a matter he was forced to do.

As you can see, our master, even now, holds the lineages of the Meiji, Lixue, Langshan, and Huolong schools, yet he has no third disciple besides himself and his companion. Even the two young boys he raised from childhood are now being cared for by others.

Therefore, neither of them held much hope for serving their master or listening to his teachings.

But today, Master directly presented four Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiends that were perfectly suited to their respective paths of cultivation! Doesn't this prove that Master has actually been silently watching over and caring for them all along?

"Thank you Master!"

The two bowed deeply.

Cheng Xinzhan helped the two up and then instructed them,
"You two entered the sect at the same time and are cultivating the Inner Realm Star Path together. This is a rare fate. You should continue to support each other on your cultivation path. Your master is indeed very busy. You two should ask Cheng Yan and Cheng Yi for help more often. I see that they are teaching you both very diligently. Haha, Juqu Mountain is also your second home!"

"While you're young and your cultivation level is low, your responsibilities are also light, so you can still explore more and meditate less. Once you've formed your core, you won't have as much free time. Putting aside everything else, at the very least, you'll have to take charge of Pear Snow Mountain for me and become your own masters, accepting disciples. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for Pear Snow Mountain to have fewer disciples than Mingzhi Mountain, would it?"

"The higher the realm, the more things there are to do, and the less time you have to yourself. Just like me now, I have so many things to do that I feel overwhelmed. And look at the fourth and fifth realms in Juqu Mountain and our sect, they are even busier."

"The burdens of worldly life are a common occurrence in old age; the joy of nature is a youthful pursuit. Therefore, cherish your youth, immerse yourself in nature, and remember this well!"

"I will obey my master's orders!"

The two kowtowed again.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, and finally said,

"Alright, you two are both sensible. I won't say any more. Whether you want to stay at the beach or go somewhere else is up to you. Remember the three prohibitions and two things you shouldn't do, and always keep in mind the importance of doing good and promoting the Way."

"Yes, the disciple retire."

The two left the main hall.

Cheng Xinzhan watched his two extremely easy-going disciples leave with a smile, feeling truly satisfied. Once they were out of sight, he transformed into flames once more and returned to the fiery cloud.

He sat down on the dragon's head and opened the jade box that Hong Changbao had given him.

The jade box was only slightly ajar, yet a dense, blood-red light emanated from it, blasting away the surrounding fiery clouds and illuminating Cheng Xinzhan's face in crimson. At the same time, the dragon corpse beneath Cheng Xinzhan, startled by the blood-red light, let out a roar, but quickly fell silent again.

"Bah!"

A mournful cry came from the jade box.

Shubao crawled out of the dragon corpse's nostrils and asked,

"Master, what happened just now?"

Uncle Bao felt the frame momentarily lose control.

Cheng Xinzhan replied,
"It's nothing, just old friends seeing old things."

Uncle Bao responded and prepared to go back to sleep inside the dragon's corpse.

"Shubao, wait a minute."

"What's wrong, sir?"

"There's no need for the dragon chariot. I plan to awaken the dragon corpse and make it a true corpse cultivator. After I finish casting the spell and the dragon corpse wakes up, you should remove the effects of the chariot-drawing pill and your aura."

"Good!"

Uncle Bao didn't care much. He had already gained enough benefits from controlling the dragon corpse and had consumed so many earthly evil spirits that he had already formed his core. He didn't ask for anything more. He flew to Cheng Xinzhan's shoulder, lay down, and continued to sleep.

Cheng Xinzhan then opened the jade box completely.

"Whoosh!"

A streak of blood-red light leaped out of the jade box, condensing in mid-air into a crimson curved blade. The blade had no handle, was shaped like a moon, and shone with divine light.

It was the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade, a personal weapon and heirloom of the Red-Haired Ancestor.

The divine blade, imbued with spirit, clung to the dragon's corpse, wailing and weeping.

There was also a letter in the box, which Cheng Xinzhan took out.

It says:

Respectfully addressed to Mr. Guangfa of Huolong Island.

Cheng Xinzhan opened the letter and read it carefully.

"To Mr. Guangfa:"
Changbao bows deeply. Your noble character is as majestic as a mountain and as vast as the ocean. I will never forget your two acts of saving me. Today, I present to you the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade, a relic of my master, to assist you in your magic. I also express my heartfelt sentiments and humbly request your understanding.

I recall the day Redwood Ridge collapsed, its demonic flames raging, and our sect was decimated. We fled in panic, nearly driven to the brink of despair, trapped on a sandbar in the river, our lives hanging by a thread. Fortunately, the Master led the chivalrous heroes of the Daoist sect, divine soldiers descending from the heavens, sweeping away the demons from the perilous cliffs. Even more fortunate was his guidance, enabling us to establish the Fuxia Spiritual Land to continue our Daoist lineage. This is the first of many acts of grace that gave us a second chance.

Misfortune never comes singly. My master was attacked by a villain and perished at the hands of a demonic corpse, his remains desecrated. When his spirit was tainted, he was saved by the Master's exorcism at sea, who restored his body and granted him miraculous healing powers. This is the second of his life-saving grace.

Upon hearing of Master Wen's flying sword technique, Changbao prostrated himself on the ground, weeping blood, overjoyed. He now presents the Blood-Transforming Divine Blade, a treasure forged from Master's blood, which can be used by Master Wen to perform his spells.

Your kindness is as deep as the sea, beyond words. The waves of Fuxia Lake surge as before, and I vividly recall your sage-like figure. Changbao has already built an altar and hung your portrait within the clan, burning incense and praying, wishing you peace and safety.

Hong Changbao of Fuxia Lake wept blood and bowed again.

The 16th day of the twelfth lunar month in the year of Gengyin.

After reading the letter, Cheng Xinzhan folded it and put it away, secretly admiring Hong Changbao's filial piety. He had sent a message saying that the Red-Haired Ancestor's body had been destroyed by Wu Lao, leaving no trace of his spirit. Even if he were to be reawakened and cultivate the path of the corpse, he certainly wouldn't be able to inherit all of his memories from his previous life. However, if he wanted a new spirit to inherit the Red-Haired Ancestor's personality and temperament, to inherit his appearance after transformation, and to obtain some of his spells and a few vivid fragments of memory, he could do that.

If Hong Changbao wants to see this scene, he can send over a piece of the Red-Haired Ancestor's belongings.

However, he also made it clear that Fire Dragon Island and Fuxia Lake could form an alliance, and in return, the reborn dragon corpse would remember Fuxia Lake's kindness. However, the dragon corpse would not be directly returned to Fuxia Lake, but would remain on Fire Dragon Island as the guardian marshal of the True Meaning Sect, cultivating the Great Dao of Yin and Yang and inheriting the Ming Dynasty's lineage.

I thought that even if Hong Changbao wanted to show his filial piety and make a good connection, he would only send some ordinary relics. But I never expected that he would send such a treasure as the Blood Transformation Divine Blade.

This is the most prized possession of Fuxia Lake today.

Hong Changbao has had a tough time these past few years. He continued his Daoist lineage at Fuxia Lake in Miao territory, using a secret method that required him to survive at the brink of death to break through to the next realm. He also secretly conceived the child by borrowing the fetal voice of a naive boy. Even after entering the fourth realm, he barely managed to stay afloat, making friends everywhere, resisting the demonic sect, and seeking survival in the cracks.

It's truly remarkable that he was willing to use his strongest offensive treasure under such circumstances.

Since others are so generous and kind, I certainly won't let them down.

Cheng Xinzhan took out the two talismans used to imprint on his eyes and began casting the spell. ————

Three months later.

The 471st year of the Ming Dynasty, the fourth day of the second month, the day of Jingzhe (Awakening

A fierce storm raged, with thunder rumbling incessantly.

"hold head high--"

Amidst the wind, rain, and thunder, a dragon's roar resounded, drawing in all the rain clouds that gathered around Fire Dragon Island.

The numerous demon kings of the four realms at sea leaped into the air, all glancing sideways with expressions of surprise and uncertainty. They could all tell that this dragon's roar was different from the previous roar of the corpse dragon.

On the island of Earthly Shadows, thousands of miles away, the Crimson Corpse also heard the dragon's roar, and his face turned extremely pale.

"Don't think too much, let's build up our strength first."

Beside him, Gu Chen spoke expressionlessly.

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.

On Fire Dragon Island, amidst fiery clouds.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist."

Cheng Xinzhan bowed to the giant man before him.

This man, dressed in blue with red hair, was imposing, with a lion-like face and a fierce aura, exuding a unique power that belonged to the four regions.

He bears a striking resemblance to the red-haired patriarch from his previous life, but is considerably younger, appearing to be only in his thirties.

This person was already at the fourth realm strength upon waking up, so unlike Zhong Yuan and Ji Zhen, who had to wait for a tribulation lightning strike to transform, this person directly transformed from a dragon corpse into human form.

The "Red-Haired Ancestor" quietly looked at Cheng Xinzhan, then suddenly bowed and said,
“My benefactor.”

Just as he made a move, Cheng Xinzhan stepped forward to support him and said,

“Fellow Daoist, there’s no need for that. We have a past relationship, and you are still my senior on the path of cultivation. From now on, we will treat each other as equals and not mention the master-servant relationship.”

Upon hearing this, the "Red-Haired Ancestor" did not feign insistence, but solemnly said,

"I will never forget your kindness in saving me, even if I am shattered to pieces!"

Cheng Xinzhan smiled, not lingering on the topic of gratitude or obligation, and instead said,

"Fellow Daoist, now that you've been reborn, do you still wish to retain your former name?"

The "Red-Haired Ancestor" didn't think much, shook his head, and said...

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, the past to the past. Now that I am reborn, I will live a new life. I will not change my surname to commemorate this life, nor forget the old grudges I have come from. But I should change my name. Hmm, let's call me Lan Yizhou. I will use myself as a boat to float on the four seas."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan was genuinely happy for Lan Yizhou and said,

"Congratulations, fellow Taoist!"

At the same time, he took advantage of the momentum to build the railway.
"Fellow Daoist Yizhou, my True Intent Sect takes 'Earth of Earth' as ​​its essence and 'Lead and Mercury of Water' as its medium. Its aim is to manipulate creation, regulate Yin and Yang, and cultivate the Great Dao of Yin and Yang and the Immortal Method of Corpse Liberation. I hold the position of sect leader. I wonder if you would be willing to stay in the sect and study the Great Dao together?"
"If you agree, fellow Daoist, I am willing to appoint you as the sect's Guardian Marshal, a position equivalent to the Vice Sect Leader."

Lan Yizhou laughed loudly.

"You're too kind, Master. Just call me Yizhou."

Cheng Xinzhan laughed heartily upon hearing this, for today was truly a day of double joy.

On the day of the Awakening of Insects, life is vibrant and stimulating, which not only awakens Lan Yizhou, but also sprouts new buds on the Crimson Palace Cloud Bed within his body.

A brand new look.

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.

April arrived, the height of summer, hot and humid.

The weather at sea changes extremely quickly; torrential rain comes and goes in an instant, and after a brief respite from the heat, it becomes hot again. Fire Dragon Island, with its fiery pits below and fiery clouds above, is even more so, like a sauna.

Atop this steaming basket, amidst the fiery clouds of the island, stood a colossal alchemical furnace, ten feet tall, with three legs, a large belly, and a flame-shaped lid. The furnace was enveloped in swirling, crimson light. The furnace walls were adorned with bas-reliefs of fiery clouds and firebirds. At this moment, these fiery clouds merged with the fiery clouds of the Fire Dragon Island's grand formation, and the firebirds flew out, circling the furnace—a truly beautiful sight.

Suddenly, the lid of the furnace flew open, and a purple light shot into the sky, transforming into a purple cloud that stretched for hundreds of miles, standing out prominently against the rain-soaked sea and sky.

Immediately afterwards, six more blue cranes flew out of the alchemy furnace, circled and soared upwards, and cried out loudly in the purple clouds.

A unique fragrance filled the sea.

Just then, a golden light suddenly appeared on the sea to the south, transforming into a giant dragon claw that swiftly reached out to grab the flying blue crane.

"presumptuous!"

Then a sharp shout came from the island, and a red light flew out to strike the golden dragon claw.

However, even faster than the red light was a white sword light that flew out from the island. Almost as soon as it appeared, it tore through the void and struck the dragon's claw.

With a deafening roar, the dragon claw shattered.

The red light that followed missed its target.

Lan Yizhou, emitting a red glow, soared into the sky, protecting Zixia and warily surveying their surroundings.

The one who unleashed the white sword light was none other than Master Baoyuan, who hadn't shown his face for two years. Master Baoyuan knew that the Alligator King might be taking this opportunity to test whether he was still there, but he didn't care. Because a pill that could trigger a celestial phenomenon once refined was absolutely not to be lost. If he was exposed, so be it. Besides, he really couldn't help but want to come out and take a look.

The immortal flew into the fiery clouds, stood beside Cheng Xinzhan, looked up at the purple clouds and blue cranes in the sky, and asked curiously,

"What kind of precious elixir have you refined?"

Cheng Xinzhan's face was also beaming with joy. He took out a jade bottle, waved it towards the sky, and six blue cranes flew down, transforming into six shimmering jade-like pills that fell into the bottle. At the same time, he replied...
"Minor Corpse-Dissolving Pill".

He was also somewhat moved at this moment. This pill was indeed not easy to refine. No wonder, no wonder the recipe for the Lesser Corpse Dissolution Pill was passed down in the mountains, but it had been lost for several generations and no one had been able to refine it.

This is called alchemy, but it actually involves many magical arts and supernatural powers. One must understand the changes of life and death, master the wonders of essence and energy, and at the same time know yin and yang, understand changes, conceal the secrets of heaven, and then combine it with medicinal materials and the timing of fire, only then can it be successful.

Over the past few years, I have cultivated several fine corpses, dabbling in both the Primordial Method and the Method of Past Knowledge. In particular, a few months ago I enlightened a dragon corpse, which greatly benefited me, and only then did I dare to claim to understand the transformation of life and death. At the same time, my realm has reached a certain level, including stopping mercury, transforming into true mist, condensing essence seeds, and sprouting immortal buds. After going through this series of processes and creating a method like "Sun Burning Palace," I can finally be considered to have mastered the wonders of essence and energy.

As for understanding Yin and Yang, comprehending changes, and concealing the secrets of Heaven, these are all things that I have accumulated and cultivated over the years.

The principles of Yin and Yang have permeated my entire cultivation journey. In the past few years, I have successively created the "Essentials of Refining the Spirit and Returning to Truth in Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang" and the "Three Lights Divine Illumination Method," which have enabled me to take a new step on the path of Yin and Yang and have also initially formed my own Yin-Yang philosophy. Only then do I dare to say that I have "knowledge."

As for understanding transformations and concealing heavenly secrets, these were gradually acquired over the years through repeated transformations, perilous journeys through demonic caves, clever schemes, and calculations of heavenly secrets. To understand transformations and conceal heavenly secrets, one cannot do without the Three Gods and Three Bodies, the spells of "Transformation" and "Concealment," the art of resurrection, the method of the Hidden Wind Corpse Cicada, the divination method of the Wind Bird, the Mysterious and Leak-Free Talisman that has accompanied one since the early stages of cultivation, and the various celestial and terrestrial magical intents on the Eight Treasures Cloud Light Cloth.

It is truly a case of broad reading and selective application, deep accumulation and concise expression.

Master Baoyuan was naturally surprised upon hearing this, and his face lit up with joy.

"Is it Ge Xianweng's Corpse-Dissolving Pill?"

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head slightly and corrected him.
"It's a Lesser Corpse Dissolution Pill, a simplified version created by our elders. The real Corpse Dissolution Pill is an immortal pill, which is much more complicated and difficult to refine. I can't refine it right now."

Master Baoyuan was overjoyed upon hearing this. He understood that it meant it couldn't be refined now, not that it would never be possible. His eyes lit up with anticipation.
"If you can refine the small one, you can refine the big one too. This is a treasure; it can lock in essence and conceal the secrets of heaven. If you refine it sooner, we old fogies won't have so many reservations when we make a move!"

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and said
"I try my best."

"Hahaha, great news, great news! It can't be wrong, it can't be wrong!"

Master Baoyuan laughed loudly and flew away, landing back on the island.

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(End of this chapter)