Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 388 Sudden Blessing, Shocking Change (5.3K words, please support with monthly tickets~)

When the vast sea thaws, the jade pendants and ornaments jingle in disarray.

Life is like water beneath ice, flowing day and night unnoticed.

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 the east wind thaws the ice, along the coast of Tiecha Mountain, the sea ice melts and cracks into round ice discs three or four feet in diameter, resembling glistening lotus leaves. These ice lotuses sway with the waves, colliding with each other and then breaking into smaller pieces, producing a melodious tinkling sound, reminding people that another year has passed and spring has arrived.

In truth, time is like an undercurrent in the sea, never ceasing for a moment. When you don't consciously look at it or think about it, it's as if the sea surface is covered by a layer of ice, making it difficult to notice. Only when a certain moment arrives, such as when the sea ice thaws and makes a tinkling sound, do you belatedly realize—that yet another period of time has quietly slipped away.

This applies to mortals, and even more so to those who cultivate immortality.

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 inner world, within the Yellow Court Palace.

The elixir is like a lamp, and its energy is like smoke.

Cheng Xinzhan subtly focused his mind, almost imperceptibly, and slowly inhaled. As he gently inhaled, his Huangting Palace gradually contracted, propelling the dan qi upwards like a bellows. When he exhaled, he relaxed his entire body, and the magical power circulating in his body returned to his Huangting Palace, causing it to slowly expand.

Use intention, not force; let the dantian act as the heart and lungs. This is the "fetal breathing" method advocated in internal alchemy.

As Cheng Xinzhan breathed through his dantian, the brilliant dantian energy, as dazzling as the essence of the sun and flowing fire, slowly rose, leaving the Huangting (Yellow Court) and ascending along the Ren meridian.

Danqi is the purest essence of one's magical power and spiritual energy; it is Yang, Li, mercury, and dragon. The Ren meridian belongs to Yin, and Yang flows within Yin, aiming to eliminate dryness and transform it into Lesser Yang.

In the beginning, the innate essence and true essence of the flying spirit entered the Crimson Palace from the Kidney Palace, following the Yang Du Meridian. It was tempered using the method of "Burning the Palace with the Sun," which is the same principle. It is to refine Yin within Yang, with the aim of removing Yin evil Qi and transforming Taiyin into Shaoyin.

Huangting—Qihai—Shenque—Jianli—Zhongwan—Shanzhong—Jiangong.

This is the Qi circulation route for Cheng Xinzhan's "Danhuo Entering Jiang".

The cinnabar fire had already washed away the impurities and restlessness along the way. After entering the crimson realm, it no longer leaped like flames, but transformed into a wisp of soft and soothing yellow smoke, falling towards the center of the cloud bed like a gentle breeze and fine rain.

In the center of the cloud bed, there is a tender white bud, like the first snow, like willow catkins, like jade lotus root. Although it is only a small bud, it is full of vitality.

This is the immortal sprout grown from the innate essence and true essence. It is the true essence of the body's blood and vital energy, and is Yin, Kan, lead, and tiger.

The elixir-like vapor and yellow smoke gently drifted down onto the immortal bud, nourishing the spiritual seed.

As the elixir and yellow smoke nourished the buds, the fairy sprouts gradually turned from white to light pink, like the delicate skin of a baby.

This is:
The peaches ripen, golden liquid swirls, and the cinnabar fire flows into the Crimson Capital.

When the dragon and tiger unite, lead and mercury appear, forming a life embryo that resides in a precious vase.

When the fairy buds turned completely pale pink, Cheng Xinzhan finally awoke from her meditative state.

However, this is only the first stage of the life embryo formation—the "flesh bud." It must undergo six more transformations before it can grow into a "life embryo." Only when the "life embryo" is illuminated by divine light and completes its final transformation, emitting fetal sounds, can it transform into a "spiritual embryo."

This entire process is called "Nine Transformations of Embryo Formation," and Cheng Xinzhan has only just completed the first transformation.

During the entire process of "Nine Transformations of Embryo Formation," if the elixir energy is insufficient, the embryo will stop changing, resulting in a deformed, monstrous, or bad embryo with almost no chance of surviving and transforming into a fetus. It will almost always be miscarried, and all previous efforts will be in vain. At this stage, if a strong external force damages the embryo, the same applies; the embryo may stop changing or it may be miscarried on the spot.

Therefore, cultivators at this stage rarely go out and restrain themselves from fighting with others, and are jokingly referred to as "the stage of sitting in the womb".

Having completed his first transformation while in the initial stage of embryonic development, Cheng Xinzhan awoke from his cultivation of vital energy and wanted to go outside for some fresh air to relax his mind and body. At that moment, he heard the sound of cracking ice and jade pendants outside the cave, knowing that spring had arrived. He got up and went outside, only to be greeted by a refreshing spring breeze.

Time really flies.

He sighed, feeling that he had only just begun to circulate his inner energy and nurture the embryo after the completion of the purification process. This was the first stage, which was also the simplest and shortest stage. And yet, a winter had passed just like that.

"Ding Ding Ding-"

Just then, Cheng Xinzhan noticed that the jade bell he had placed in the illusory realm was ringing, indicating that a fellow disciple was looking for him.

He took out the bell and saw the words "Ji Hu" appear on it. He couldn't help but smile, then activated the seal between the two bells and said,

"Brother Dao..."

"Ren Ying has betrayed Xuan and joined the demons."

Before Cheng Xinzhan could finish his greeting, Feng Jihu interrupted him, delivering a piece of news that caught everyone off guard in an extremely urgent and low voice.

His smile froze, stiffening on his face. He remained stunned for a few moments before finally speaking.

"what?"

"Ren Ying betrayed Xuan, massacred the Xun family of Chongning, and then marched south, tricked Biji Mountain, killed all the Emei elders who were stationed there, and led the entire Biji Mountain sect to join the Southern School. Overnight, the southwest was turned upside down."

Cheng Xinzhan felt deafened and his mouth went dry. He asked repeatedly,
"Are you still at the Badong Pharmacy?"

"Yes."

"I'm coming to find you now."

"Okay, be careful on the road."

Cheng Xinzhan responded, then put away the bell and leaped away, calling out to the lion in his heart. Immediately, a streak of azure light pierced through the Yellow Sea, merging with Cheng Xinzhan in the air before rapidly heading southwest.

Although the lion was lazy, it could distinguish between what was important and what was not. Knowing that something urgent had happened, it ran with all its might, turning into a streak of blue rainbow that stretched across the sky. Soon it arrived in the Badong area and landed in a valley.

Feng Jihu had been operating here for many years, and his reputation as a pharmacist resounded throughout the Ba, Wu, and Miao regions. This medicine shop was no longer the simple place Cheng Xinzhan had seen when he first left Western Shu. The valley was filled with colorful medicinal gardens and dazzling butterflies, and from afar, a fragrant aroma wafted through the air.

A gate stele stands at the entrance to the valley, inscribed with three large characters:

"Butterfly Valley".

As Cheng Xinzhan approached, a crimson light shot out from the valley and rushed towards him. He immediately recognized what the crimson light was, so he didn't pay it any mind. But the crimson light's actions angered the lion, who roared and howled through the valley, forcing the crimson light to stop.

A crimson light appeared in the sky, transforming into a large centipede with golden whiskers and red scales.

How old is this centipede? About six years old, right? But it's already thirty or forty feet long. What do you feed it every day, fellow Daoist? Moreover, it's only been a few years since it was born, but its aura is already approaching that of a Golden Core cultivator. It seems that its mother poured all her life essence and a thousand years of cultivation into the egg before she died, laying a truly solid foundation for this insect. I imagine the insect's future achievements will far surpass those of its mother.

Despite his young age, Longwu was quite fierce. He was stopped by the lion's shout and dared not go forward, but he did not back down. He stood guard at the entrance of the herb garden, staring fiercely at Cheng Xinzhan and the lion, preventing them from entering.

"Chi Shao, step back!"

A shout came from the herb garden, and then Feng Jihu flew out.

Upon hearing the reprimand, the centipede knew that it was an acquaintance of its master. It called out once and left, its massive body meandering through the medicinal field without crushing any flowers or plants. With a few flicks of its tail, it disappeared.

"Come in and let's talk."

The herb garden was bustling with activity, filled with many creatures, some of whom were humans, some were transformed monsters, and there were also some clever monkeys and squirrels who had gained sentience but had not yet taken human form, yet they were helping to tend the herb fields, either watering and weeding or harvesting and drying herbs.

These creatures all addressed Feng Jihu as Valley Master. "When I was practicing medicine in Sichuan, I saved many people. Some of them were skilled in medicine themselves. When they heard that I had set up a hermitage here, they volunteered to help me. I couldn't handle everything by myself, so I took them in. I plan to take a few of the younger ones back to the mountains. As for the spirits, they are all from the nearby mountains, coming here to beg for food. I picked out the kind-hearted ones and took them in as well."

Feng Jihu offered an explanation.

He led Cheng Xinzhan deeper into the pharmacy and they arrived at a wooden pavilion overlooking a spring.

The lion saw snow in the shade of the valley and wanted to cool off there. Cheng Xinzhan told it not to damage the flowers and plants, and then let the lion go.

The two brothers entered the pavilion and took their seats.

"What happened? Such a huge mess? Renying shouldn't be like this! When did this happen? Is he still alive? How can Emei let him get away with this?"

As soon as he sat down, Cheng Xinzhan began asking questions in rapid succession.

Feng Jihu's expression was also heartbroken. If he were to name a Xuanmen disciple in the Emei Sect worth befriending, Yan Renying would definitely be the first choice. He was a true gentleman, a person who was "strict with himself and lenient with others," a motto that was also the Yan family's family precept.

"Ren Ying is alive. He's currently at Biji Mountain. After the incident, Xun Lanyin went on a rampage like a madwoman. But as you know, Biji Mountain is right by the Nanpan River. Ren Ying joined the Southern Sect, so the Green Robe Ancestor is naturally protecting him to the death. By the river, let alone Xun Lanyin, even if Qi Shuming came in person, he couldn't do anything to the Green Robe Ancestor. And don't forget, Ren Ying also has a celestial sword."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, then asked again.
"When did this happen?"

"Just last night at midnight."

Feng Jihu sighed deeply, and then began to explain to Cheng Xinzhan in detail.
"I've settled here, with Wuling behind me and facing Bashu and Miaojiang. Besides the abundance of medicinal herbs here, I also want to get information quickly and widely. I maintain contact with both orthodox and unorthodox sects in Bashu and Miaojiang, and I've also kept some special informants. I started receiving the news last night around 1 AM. At first, I wasn't sure, but as more and more information came in and the whole picture gradually became clear, I confirmed it was true, so I told you and also passed it on to the Zongli Tongchasi."

Cheng Xinzhan listened intently.

"The Yan family is a prominent clan in Sichuan. Their genealogy can be traced back to an immortal during the Western Han Dynasty. They lived in Pingluo Mountain in Pixian County, northwest of Chengdu, and were known as the Pingluo Yan family. Renying was the most outstanding member of the Yan family in his generation, so he was taken in by the Drunken Taoist from a young age and raised as his last disciple."

"And next to Pixian County, there is Chongning County, where there is also a great clan called the Xun Clan of Chongning. This family was unheard of before, and only began to prosper after the Ming Dynasty. It reached its peak in the last hundred years, and for a time it was unparalleled in its influence. Many aristocratic families in Sichuan with thousands of years of heritage had to show them respect."

Cheng Xinzhan then said,
"Is it Xun Lanyin's family?"

Feng Jihu nodded and continued.

"Chongning is considered a prosperous place in Sichuan. The Xun family was just an insignificant family in Chongning before. However, a few hundred years ago, Xun Lan suddenly appeared and became a disciple of Emei, making a great name in Sichuan. Naturally, the Xun family also rose in status."

"Later, Xun Lan entered the third realm and became a Daoist partner with Qi Shuming. Then she entered the fourth realm, and Qi Shuming entered the fifth realm and took over as the sect leader. When she herself entered the fifth realm, she became the rotating leader of the Xuantian Alliance. With each step she took forward, the Xun family expanded. Now, people in Sichuan say that the Xun family is from Chongning, not the Xun family from Chongning."

Cheng Xinzhan could vaguely guess the cause of the matter; it was nothing more than insatiable greed.

Sure enough, Feng Jihu said,

"The Xun family occupied Chongning, but they were not satisfied. They then set their sights on the more prosperous neighboring area, Pixian. However, Pixian was a place that the Yan family had been managing since the Western Han Dynasty and had a good reputation, while the Xun family's reputation in Chongning was rotten to the core. So the Yan family was naturally unwilling to do so."

"The Yan family has a long and distinguished lineage, and there is even a living immortal among them, so they are not afraid of Emei, and naturally they are not afraid of the Xun family either. They have repeatedly embarrassed the Xun family and injured their henchmen. However, Shu has been a separate country for thousands of years, and the two are intertwined. Although the Xun family is greedy, Yan Renying is Qi Shuming's first disciple, so the Yan family is helpless against the Xun family. Even though the Xun family has repeatedly provoked them, the Yan family always lets them off lightly. However, it is conceivable that one is greedy and the other is unwilling to give up their territory, so the enmity between the two families is deepening day by day. They have only restrained themselves because of the powerful figures on both sides and have not made a big fuss."

Cheng Xinzhan was somewhat surprised. He had never heard Yan Renying mention his family background before, and he hadn't expected his family to have such a profound heritage, with a lineage spanning thousands of years and even immortals living in the world. However, this made sense. No wonder Renying's cultivation was so remarkable. With such a family tradition and the guidance of renowned teachers, it was no wonder.

"The incident happened last month. The immortal from the Yan family ascended to heaven in broad daylight with his primordial spirit."

Feng Jihu said.

"what?"

Cheng Xinzhan was surprised again. An immortal ascended to heaven? No, that's not right. What a commotion an immortal's ascension would be! The whole world would celebrate, and the spiritual atmosphere of heaven and earth would definitely change. I should be able to sense it.

Oh, right!

Cheng Xinzhan suddenly realized that last month was the crucial period when the immortal seed in the Crimson Palace was transforming into the first stage of the "Nine Transformations of the Spiritual Embryo"—the "Flesh Sprout." At that time, he had entered a meditative state and might have actually overlooked the changes in the spiritual atmosphere outside.

"Correct."

Feng Jihu nodded and said,

"At that time, everyone in Sichuan could see it by looking up. I also witnessed it with my own eyes: a golden primordial spirit soared into the sky, flew into the Heavenly Gate, and ascended to the Immortal Realm."

"What is the name of this extraordinary person from the Yan family?"

"I only know her by her pseudonym Biwenzi, but not her common name."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded and secretly made a note of it. This was the third person he knew of who had ascended to the Immortal Realm since he began cultivating, following the two seniors Jin Mingzi and Huanzhu Louzhu.

However, at this moment, Feng Jihu shook his head and sighed.

"It is certainly a cause for celebration that you have ascended to immortality, but it is not a good thing for the Yan family. As you know, bloodlines are somewhat important to the demon race, but for us humans, they are only useful in the first three realms. However, if we want to enter the fourth or fifth realm, the power of bloodlines is of little help. This is also why cultivation families today are not as good as those with master-disciple lineages."

"The Yan family is the same. They have quite a few cultivators at the third realm, and their strength is formidable, but they lack a fourth or fifth realm cultivator to lead them in the current era. Ren Ying is their greatest hope. Before, when the immortal was alive, things were fine, and the Yan family had confidence, so the Xun family didn't dare to go too far. Now that the immortal has passed away, the Xun family can't hold back anymore, and conflicts have followed."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan immediately said,

"The immortals have ascended to heaven, they're not dead, how could they be so bold?"

Feng Jihu then returned.
"Compared to immortals, Emei has far more than the Yan family. Now, the Xun family is in charge, and it's the Emei sect leader's wife. What's there to be afraid of?"

Cheng Xinzhan frowned upon hearing this.

"Emei, a great sect with a thousand-year history, is a leader in Sichuan. How could they really let Xun Lanyin, the sect leader's wife, make the decisions?"

Upon hearing Cheng Xinzhan's question, Feng Jihu's expression was complicated, and he said,

"I've heard a few different opinions about your question."

"How to say?"

"The first theory is that Qi Shuming was focused on his teaching duties and was unaware of Xun Lanyin's actions. Sometimes, when he noticed something amiss, he would stop him. For example, when Xun Lanyin wanted to dismiss Renying and Qingyun from their posts, it was Qi Shuming who stopped him. More often than not, Xun Lanyin was a bully, deceiving his superiors and subordinates. He kept his evil deeds from Qi Shuming, and no one dared to report him. Moreover, ordinary people could not even see Qi Shuming, so where would they go to report him?"

"The second theory is that although Qi Shuming was a highly accomplished cultivator of his time, he was extremely henpecked. However, some say that Qi Shuming and Xun Lanyin met when they were young and were deeply in love. Furthermore, Xun Lanyin, having reached the Daoist realm, bore Qi Shuming two children. In short, whether it was out of henpeckedness, love for his wife, or consideration for his children, this theory suggests that Qi Shuming was fully aware of Xun Lanyin's actions but deliberately indulged them and ignored them."

"The last theory is even more insidious, saying that Xun Lanyin's actions were actually secretly orchestrated by Qi Shuming. This couple, one openly and legitimately carrying out their business under the banner of Emei, and the other bearing the infamy of using underworld methods to eliminate dissidents, seize wealth and territory, but their goal was the same: to make Emei dominate Sichuan and unify the Xuanmen sect!"

Cheng Xinzhan listened, nodded slowly, and then said,
"Which one is it, the second or the third, or perhaps a combination of both? It's hard to say, but the first one is definitely impossible. Qi Shuming is a very young Fifth Realm cultivator in charge of teaching affairs. He's not an old man in seclusion. How could he be deceived?"

Feng Jihu nodded as well.
"That's what I think too. Anyway, after the Yan family immortal ascended to heaven, the Xun family had no more scruples and rushed into Pixian, forcibly seizing and plundering. The Yan family, on the other hand, was unwilling to swallow their anger and rose up in resistance. After half a month of open and covert struggles, the two families finally broke out last night. But this time, without a high-level expert to stop it in time, the commotion grew bigger and bigger, and finally a big mess occurred, resulting in the deaths of many people."

Feng Jihu looked at Cheng Xinzhan and said in a low voice,
"Ren Ying's parents both died. His mother had the strength of the Middle Three Tribulations, but she was born deaf and was attacked and killed. His father was so grief-stricken that he charged into battle and died from exhaustion."

"The immortal of the Yan family ascended to heaven, and the two families have been clashing frequently. Renying should have received his family's plea for help back then. However, as the master of Zhuanxu Sword Pavilion, he was caught up in the war against Yunnan and could not get away for the time being. It must have been last night that he took the time to rush north back to Pixian overnight, hoping to mediate the conflict. But when he returned home after leaving the battlefield, he found that both his parents had died."

Cheng Xinzhan was saddened upon hearing this.

"Ren Ying could no longer control himself. He flew to Chongning, went to the Xun family, and unleashed his family's heirloom, the 'Immortal Raft' sword. He essentially turned the Xun family upside down, leaving corpses strewn across the land."

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(End of this chapter)