Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 386 The Corpse Returns to Its Original Owner, the Man Returns to the Immortal Mountain (5.4K words presented, please support with monthly votes at the beginning of the month~)

"Then I'll leave the village to you all to look after."

In front of Zhenhe Palace, Cheng Xinzhan bid farewell to the people opposite him.

Those who came to see him off were none other than Wu Qingbo, the vice leader of the Zhurong Hall; He Xiangu, the vice leader of the Jumang Hall; and Lan Yizhou, the guardian marshal.

Upon hearing this, Lan Yizhou laughed heartily.
"What are you saying, Sect Leader? What do you mean by 'trouble'? Isn't the True Meaning Sect ours?"

Cheng Xinzhan smiled upon hearing this.
"Yes, yes, I misspoke."

"Please go ahead with your journey, Master. Nothing will go wrong in the sect."

He Xiangu also laughed.

"Rest assured, Master!"

Only Wu Qingbo remained serious and unsmiling, his eyes resolute.

Cheng Xinzhan wasn't really worried. With the experience of the Three Corpse Sect and the Ximing Sect, he was quite adept at managing a sect of Yin Corpses. Especially with Langshan setting an example, the framework of the Zhenyi Sect was quickly established.

For the past two years, aside from my spiritual practice, my main focus in religious affairs has been dealing with those who have surrendered to the sect. I assessed their crimes and determined their punishments: some were killed, some imprisoned, some punished, and those who were essentially innocent were brought into the sect.

Finding the right balance here is quite challenging. A lenient sentence would be immoral and disrespectful to the deceased; a harsh sentence would stifle any sense of remorse and push some of the undecided corpse cultivators towards the Underworld Island.

This matter consumed a lot of Cheng Xinzhan's energy.

The second thing is to "return the corpse to its rightful owner".

The Three Corpses Cult has been established for over thirty years and has a vast number of followers. The True Meaning Sect now governs the islands of the Fire Sea and the waters around Red Cloud Island, with countless Yin Corpses. Among them, some are corpses created by demons through murder, some are corpses stolen from the Tomb Raiders Hall, and some are corpses that came to the cult willingly.

This raises a question: many of these corpses were righteous disciples in life.

This wouldn't be a problem for the Three Corpses Sect, but now that the True Meaning Sect is a major righteous sect, this is a crucial question—should these corpses be sent back to their original sects?
Those corpses sealed away in the corpse-filled houses, or those that hadn't yet developed sentience, were easy to deal with; they were simply sent back to their respective homes and politely seen off. The difficult ones were those corpses that had been stolen by the Three Corpses Cult and then given sentience, or those that had been killed by the Three Corpses Cult and then given sentience.

Some corpses were willing to return, some were not, and some were undecided; some sects were willing to take them in and came to collect them, some sects never mentioned it, and some sects resolutely refused.

This is also a headache.

Despite the difficulties, Cheng Xinzhan managed to accomplish this within two years. Moreover, all the Yinling disciples, whether they left or stayed, were grateful to him. The various sects also owed him a debt of gratitude. It was precisely because these two matters were completely resolved, and with Lan Yizhou protecting the sect, that Cheng Xinzhan dared to venture out of the sect.

Now that the immortal bud has been conceived, it's time to consider the fourth tribulation of alchemy this year. The sect is too densely populated, and the sea demon kings are all around, so undergoing the tribulation in the Azure Sea is not suitable; we must go ashore.

He is currently planning to go to Tiecha Mountain, where there are fewer people, he is familiar with the area, and it is safe.

After bidding farewell to the three, Cheng Xinzhan rode a lion and left Fire Dragon Island.

However, he did not go far, but came to Huangliu Island and sought out Fayizong.

Huangliu Island is currently the temporary training ground of the Fayi Sect, lent to them by the Zhenyi Sect. In reality, to the west of Huangliu Island, disciples of the Shenxiao Sect are expanding a small island located south of the Dragon Ridge Road; that will be the true future headquarters of the Fayi Sect.

The reason is simple: it's not that Cheng Xinzhan is reluctant to part with the land, but rather that the Li Yuan Fire Cave below leads to Huang Liu Island. Cheng Xinzhan's plan is to provide Wu Qingbo with a place for future Dao Integration, and it would be inappropriate to build a separate sect or clan on it, especially since the other party would not be willing to do so.

Therefore, while the patriarch was stationed here, the Fayi sect quickly set up the framework, and once the island was expanded and largely completed, they would move the entire group there.

Cheng Xinzhan and Zhenyi Sect were happy to see this happen. When Fayi Sect moved out, they wouldn't be able to take everything with them. Zhenyi Sect could directly take over and use the buildings, streets, fields, etc. that remained. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

His first stop after leaving Fire Dragon Island was here because of the matter of "returning the corpses to their rightful owners," and there were still two unresolved issues.

One of them belongs to this family.

Since the leaders of the Shenxiao Sect were all here, Cheng Xinzhan was too lazy to make another trip to Bingfeng Mountain.

Although he is now famous, he is not as easy to recognize as a lion. When the guards at the gate of Fayi Sect saw a Taoist priest riding a green-maned snow lion, they immediately knew that this was Master Guangfa and went forward to pay their respects.

"I request an audience with the True Man Yixuan. Please inform him of this."

Cheng Xinzhan said.

The man then led Cheng Xinzhan inside.

Before long, he arrived at the secluded place of Master Yixuan.

Master Yixuan appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, dressed in a purple robe and rather thin, with neatly combed silver hair and a Five Thunder Crown. He had long, snow-white beard and eyebrows, and was extremely vigorous. He smiled as he looked at Cheng Xinzhan.
"Sir, you've arrived. Please have a seat."

"A real person."

Cheng Xinzhan greeted them and sat down opposite the real person.

"Sir, your learning is profound and your knowledge is extraordinary. You can awaken the dragon corpse and refine precious elixirs. You truly make us old folks ashamed!"

The real man smiled and said, looking very kind, showing no sign of the majesty of someone who controls the Five Thunders.

Cheng Xinzhan said a few words of modesty, and then asked the master for guidance on thunder magic. Of the five thunders, he was quite familiar with the Heaven, Earth, and Dragon thunders, but he actually used the Water and Earth thunders less often, so he took this opportunity to ask the senior for advice.

The master was naturally generous with his guidance. Although this was their first face-to-face exchange, Cheng Xinzhan's name was familiar to him. From the earliest incident involving the Celestial Master's Seal of the Soul, to the "Star and Moon Bright Light Purification Mantra" benefiting numerous female thunder magic practitioners, and now to lending land overseas for the Shenxiao Sect to spread its teachings, each and every one of these acts was a great favor to the Shenxiao Sect.

After discussing for most of the day, Cheng Xinzhan benefited greatly, while the True Man was amazed by Cheng Xinzhan's mastery of thunder magic, and looked at him with exceptional gentleness.

Once they had become more familiar with each other, Cheng Xinzhan revealed his purpose.
"Master, do you still remember when I sent the various righteous sects to return the remains and spirits?"

Master Yixuan nodded and thanked him.

"Your Majesty has truly gone to great lengths for this matter."

Cheng Xinzhan then said,
"It's not hard work, but I just hope there won't be any mistakes. Master, the reason I've come to see you today is because this matter is still unresolved. I still have the remains of a senior from the Shenxiao Sect, but because this matter is of great importance, it's not good to disclose it, so I haven't entrusted my disciples to return them all at once. In addition, the sect is newly established and there are many things to be done, so I can't get away for the time being. That's why I've come to return them now. Please forgive me."

Regarding the remains of the Supreme Elder of the Shenxiao Sect, Cheng Xinzhan had previously considered that the theft of a senior master's body by a demon, regardless of the reason, was an extremely disgraceful act. If this elder died within the sect and was stolen by the Red Corpse, it would mean that the Shenxiao Sect couldn't even properly guard the tomb; if this elder died outside and was found by the Red Corpse, it would mean that the Shenxiao Sect was unable to collect the elder's body in time.

This doesn't make sense.

So he thought it best not to send it through someone else, and not to let the Shenxiao Sect come to collect it. It would be most appropriate for him to go alone, return the Dharma body, and not ask any questions, as if nothing had happened.

When Master Yixuan heard Cheng Xinzhan say this, his expression became serious. If Master Guangfa had to make a special trip and come directly to him, how could this Dharma transformation be ordinary?

"Please, sir, bring out the rubbings of the Dharma body."

Master Yixuan said solemnly.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded and took the jade coffin out of the body bag.

The coffin was specially prepared by him, decorated with carvings of clouds and cranes, and in accordance with rituals. It was lined with cloud-patterned cloth inside and covered with a star map on the outside.

Cheng Xinzhan gently placed the jade coffin on the ground between the two. Master Yixuan naturally didn't touch the coffin, but instead used his divine eye to see who was inside.

The body of the Taoist priest was well preserved. He wore a white stone crown, a blue robe, and a three-colored purple crane silk sash around his waist. The Taoist priest still retained his slender frame and crane-like posture.

"Grandmaster Jian Hong!"

Master Yixuan cried out in surprise and abruptly stood up. Then, swaying unsteadily, he knelt down with a thud beside the jade coffin, his fingers gripping the coffin tightly, and he tried to snatch it away with his head.

Cheng Xinzhan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Master Yixuan recognized the person in the jade coffin at a glance; as long as the identity was correct. Then, seeing how excited Master Yixuan was, he thought that this person might be a direct descendant of the master.

He then stood up, bowed respectfully, and said...

"The deceased is gone, and the living grieve forever. May the deceased find solace and accept the inevitable. It is truly a blessing in disguise that the great Daoist has been able to return to his roots and homeland."

Having said that, he stepped forward, bent down, and whispered in the man's ear.

"The Dharma Body belongs to the Crimson Corpse Wu Lao, but the clothes worn by Jian Hongdao before his death were very simple, and it is quite old, so no one in the Demonic Sect knows his true identity except me."

He said this in a low voice, then stepped back and said it again.

"I earnestly hope that you, my esteemed master, will suppress your grief and pain, take good care of yourself, and keep in mind the purpose of carrying on my legacy, for this is the essence of loyalty and filial piety. I take my leave now."

After saying that, he turned and left.

"gentlemen!"

He had only taken a few steps after turning around when he heard Master Yixuan call out behind him.
"What a great kindness, I will never forget it!"

Cheng Xinzhan paused, turned around and bowed again, then left.

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.

After leaving Huangliu Island, Cheng Xinzhan did not head north along the coast to Tiecha Mountain, but instead chose to go ashore and head inland. There was still one body to return to its rightful owner, and he needed to go back to his sect.

He rode a lion across Kuaiji and soon arrived at Sanqing Mountain.

It was already dusk when we returned to Meiji Mountain. The house was bustling with activity. Xinshu and Yongliang, the two homebodies, were always there. Zhaoli had finished her studies at Danxia Mountain, and Bailong, who had been traveling, had also returned to the mountain. It was the most people together in many years.

"Brother!"

Xin Shu was the first to spot Cheng Xinzhan and came forward to greet him on a cloud.

"master!"

The other three, upon hearing Xinshu's call, all came to look and then came forward with delight to greet her.

"Good good."

Surrounded by children, Cheng Xinzhan was overjoyed to see them again after so long. The four little ones chattered excitedly, asking questions that Cheng Xinzhan couldn't answer immediately. She could only smile and respond politely.

Once he finally landed, he began to take out gifts. These were his accumulated wealth and spoils over the years, belonging to both the leader and the deputy leader. He had many treasures in his arms, and everyone received a share.

First, there were the two younger ones, who hadn't yet entered the third realm, so Cheng Xinzhan treated them the same way he treated his two disciples, giving them the same powerful aura. Zhao Li cultivated the Dao of Fire and Metal, so he gave him the "Shouyang Crimson Smoke Aura," and Bai Long cultivated the Dao of Wind and Earth, so he gave him the "Fertile Harvest Aura."

This was certainly not the first time Cheng Xinzhan had gifted cats and dogs with spiritual energy, but these two were newly acquired in the last two years, and he still had some left over, so he took them out. As for whether the spiritual energy on the cats and dogs was enough for Core Formation, Cheng Xinzhan thought it should be enough. However, no one ever complains about having too much spiritual energy; it provides more options for Core Formation and makes weapon crafting and techniques more convenient. Cheng Xinzhan also gifted Yongliang a large bag of gemstones, including fire crystals from Fire Dragon Island, white sulfur crystals from Yellow Sulfur Island, and some jewelry specialties from the East Sea. He knew that Yongliang usually liked to collect these kinds of things.

This bag of stones was made from top-quality stones carefully selected by Cheng Xinzhan. When placed on the ground, they radiated a brilliant, multicolored light, brimming with spiritual energy. If these were on the market, they would be more valuable than their weight in gold.

Sure enough, Yongliang was immediately captivated by the treasure's brilliance, his mouth agape in a wide grin.

Cheng Xinzhan looked at Xinshu one last time, took out nothing, simply touched Xinshu's forehead with his finger, and handed the item over.

Xinshu touched her forehead and then asked,

"Senior brother, why are you giving me a mirror?"

Cheng Xinzhan then answered,

"You don't need to worry about it normally. When it's time for it to play its role, it will naturally play its role."

However, it's best if it never comes into play.

he thought.

"Oh."

Xin Shu responded with a word.

"Is Master here?"

he asks.

"here I am."

My heart is at ease.
"Then I'll go to Master's place first, and we'll talk in detail when I get back."

Cheng Xinzhan said, and then went up to the top of the mountain.

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.

The place where Zhan Biyun hid bamboo.

"Master."

Cheng Xinzhan arrived at the bamboo pavilion, bowed, and greeted the guests.

Wen Sukong smiled as she looked at her disciple. She knew that this disciple underwent tremendous changes every time she left and returned to the mountain, making leaps in both her cultivation and her state of mind. She knew that this time, her disciple had surpassed her, her master, in every aspect.

“Meijiyama has been greatly developed and expanded under your leadership.”

Wen Sukong said.

The Jianxi Ming School established two dojos: one in Langshan, Hunan, and the other on Huolong Island in the East China Sea. They practiced the education of Yin-Yang corpses, transmitting the Great Dao of Yin and Yang and the immortal techniques of corpse liberation, thus popularizing the art of corpse cultivation. If this isn't considered a great achievement, then what is?

This single sentence is the highest praise a master can give to his disciple.

Cheng Xinzhan was naturally delighted to hear such praise. However, he did not become arrogant because of it. Meiji Mountain was known for its four realms of immortals, and he was still far from being able to reach that level.

"Master, you are too kind."

"Have you come to return the Emperor's corpse?"

Wen Sukong asked.

Two years ago, when the great battle ended, Cheng Xinzhan informed Wen Sukong of this news.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

"Let's go then."

Wen Sukong walked out of the bamboo pavilion.

The two stopped in front of the stone tablet inscribed "Zhan Biyun's Hidden Bamboo Place," and entered a talisman. A hole of light appeared on the surface of the tablet, and the two went inside.

They carved mountains into tombs, used gold and jade as coffins, their works as numerous as the stars in the sky, forming a Tai Chi symbol.

It was a sight that always shocked Cheng Xinzhan.

"Just leave it there."

Wen Sukong pointed to the yang fish's yin eyes and said,
"Ordinary imperial corpses are placed in yin fish, but yours is a true Ji Earth imperial corpse, so put it in the yin eye of a yang fish."

Cheng Xinzhan took out his ancestor's body, which had already been placed in a golden coffin. At this moment, he used his magic to lift the golden coffin and place it into the slowly rotating yin eye of the yang fish.

When the golden coffin approached the yin eye of the yang fish, the formation automatically detected the coffin, emitted a suction force, and autonomously took the coffin away. It then floated among the coffins and slowly rotated with the tai chi diagram.

“Over the past few decades, I have been to the Earthly Yin Island four times. I couldn’t even get onto the island the first two times. I finally got in on the third time, but I couldn’t find the Emperor’s corpse. The fourth time, I found the Emperor’s corpse underground, but there were strict restrictions protecting it. I couldn’t escape the restrictions and was forced out. I didn’t expect you to get it on the first try.”

Wen Sukong said.

"It was also a stroke of luck."

"No need to be modest. There's no such thing as luck involved. This is your ability."

Wen Sukong praised her, and then said,

"You know the identity of this imperial corpse?"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

Wen Sukong paused for a moment, then said,
"If you want to come and pay your respects in the future, just come in by yourself. Anyway, you know the talisman to open the secret realm."

Cheng Xinzhan felt that even if he had the time, he would only pay respects to his adoptive parents. As for his blood ancestors who were a dozen or twenty generations removed, he would simply maintain his respect and there was no need to worship them all the time. However, at this moment, he didn't say much, but just nodded.

After the two came out, Cheng Xinzhan shared some more good news.

"Master, I have successfully refined the Lesser Corpse-Dissolving Pill."

"what?!"

Wen Sukong exclaimed in surprise, finding it even more unbelievable than when she learned that Cheng Xinzhan had retrieved the Emperor's corpse.

Cheng Xinzhan took out a medicine bottle, poured out three pills, and handed them to Wen Sukong.

"Please examine this, Master."

Wen Sukong didn't need to check. There were still remnants of the Lesser Corpse Dissolving Pill in Mingzhi Mountain. Although not much, it was enough for Wen Sukong to become familiar with the Lesser Corpse Dissolving Pill, so she recognized it at a glance.

"It really is a Lesser Corpse-Dissolving Pill!"

Wen Sukong did not answer, but said,
"This is a good thing for taking refuge and delaying disaster, you should keep it."

At the same time, her gaze towards Cheng Xinzhan became increasingly different, and she realized that she had been absolutely right when she said that Xinzhan was going to carry forward and promote Meiji Mountain. This disciple was truly a source of many pleasant surprises for her.

Cheng Xinzhan did not take back the pill; instead, she pushed it forward and said,
"Master, please accept them. I refined six in one batch. I'll keep one for myself in case of emergency, one for the Sect Leader and one for Ancestor Tongxuan, and the rest can be arranged by you, Master."

"This……"

"Master, please accept this. Are you being too formal with your disciple? If it weren't for Master exchanging the Lesser Corpse-Dissolving Pill for the magic sword and talisman book, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Cheng Xinzhan said earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Wen Sukong stopped insisting and accepted the pill.

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.

Sanqing Palace.

"Master Cheng has arrived!"

Ji Hehe was overjoyed when he saw Cheng Xinzhan.

Helpless, Cheng Xinzhan bowed and said after greeting the man.

"Sect Leader, please stop teasing your disciple."

Upon hearing this, Ji Hehe's face immediately hardened, and he said,

"The sect leader was only smiling because he was happy to see you, not because he was making fun of you. You are the true founder of a sect, who would dare to laugh at you? Has someone been gossiping about you since you've reached the third realm? Who? I'll tear their mouth apart!"

Cheng Xinzhan waved his hand repeatedly and said,

"No no."

Then Ji Hehe smiled again and said,
“Xinzhan, it’s a good thing to establish your own sect, but look, now the Corpse Dissection lineage has two branches, Langshan and Fire Dragon Island. And you know so many techniques. Next time you have an idea, shouldn’t you consider other lineages?”

Cheng Xinzhan smiled bitterly.
"Sect Leader, it won't be that fast. The connection between Langshan and Fire Dragon Island is a matter of chance."

Ji Hehe nodded repeatedly.
“I know, I know. What I mean is, if there is another chance, we should still consider other lineages. I heard you have refined the Lesser Corpse Dissolution Pill? Look, alchemy is also something to consider, as are swordsmanship, thunder magic, and talisman magic. You can do all of those.”

Cheng Xinzhan nodded helplessly upon hearing this and offered a Small Corpse-Dissolving Pill.
"The sect leader heard it from Master Baoyuan, didn't he? This disciple was just about to offer the elixir."

Ji Hehe did not refuse. He knew that Xin Zhan had refined six, so he accepted this one directly. The sect needed this item in large numbers. Moreover, in the future, this item would slow down the tribulations of the sect, and it would also accelerate the tribulations with the help of the gale. It could even control the tribulations. How could Sanqing Mountain not prosper?

And all of this is thanks to the person in front of me.

Although he was very embarrassed, Ji Hehe still shamelessly urged him on.
“Xinzhan, if you can refine the Lesser Corpse Dissolving Pill, the True Corpse Dissolving Pill should be ready soon, right? You already have the Immortal Fire, so I can think of more ways to obtain the Immortal Materials.”

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