Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 405 Smoke Leads to Ascension, Heavenly Gate Reopens (5.6K words presented, please support with monthly votes~)

On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month in the 472nd year of the Ming Dynasty, during the Great Cold season.

Outside the mountains, snow falls like cotton wool; inside, green grass carpets the ground.

The sage said: "Thirty spokes share one hub; it is because of its emptiness that the wheel is useful. Clay is molded into a vessel; it is because of its emptiness that the vessel is useful. Doors and windows are cut out to make a room; it is because of its emptiness that the room is useful. Therefore, what is present is used for advantage, and what is absent is used for function."

"Xin Zhan, the sage's words fully reveal the mysteries of the Void Law. It is precisely because of its 'emptiness,' its 'nothingness,' and its 'inclusivity' that it can be used. This is both the wonder of the 'Tao' and the principle of the 'Art.' Only by understanding this can one unleash truly great magic."

"The principle is simple. For a cultivator, no matter how good their Golden Core is, how large their Yellow Court is, or how many acupoints they have, can they still contain as much 'qi' as this world? I'm glad you asked me about the Void Method; you've asked the right question. The Void Method is a method that directly points to the Great Dao. You could say that most of the world's truly great supernatural powers and spells are Void Methods."

With a smile on his face, Qu Zu imparted his insights on the Void Law to Cheng Xinzhan in detail without reservation.

Cheng Xinzhan listened and nodded. The sect leader had mentioned that Qu Zu was the sect leader's grandmaster, who came from Ziyan Mountain and specialized in the Void Technique. Since the last few days were reserved for him to ask questions, he should of course ask about the Void Technique.

However, listening to Master Qu's words, Cheng Xinzhan chuckled inwardly. He realized that all his teachers were like this. His master said the Yin-Yang method was the ultimate principle of heaven and earth, Master Fu said the Thunder method was the origin of all methods, Master Jiao said a single sword could break all methods, Master Ren said the Dao of Alchemy encompassed all methods, and now Master Qu said the Void method was the origin of the Great Dao. Everyone claimed their own Dao was the best, and each one seemed to make perfect sense.

However, this is understandable and harmless; as long as you know how to do it, it's fine.

The two of them, one teaching wholeheartedly and the other learning wholeheartedly, passed the time exceptionally quickly. On this day, as Qu Zu was speaking, his body uncontrollably lifted off the ground and floated upwards involuntarily.

"Time is up."

Qu Zu said regretfully.

Although they had only spent a few days together, Cheng Xinzhan felt he had gained a great deal and was very reluctant to part with Qu Zu. However, he didn't show it on his face, not wanting to add to his sorrow. Instead, he deliberately put on a cheerful posture and smiled.

"When Ancestor Qu descended to the mortal realm, the ancestors in heaven probably thought you were just looking after the family business. They certainly didn't expect that you would make even greater progress in the mortal world. This time, when you go up, you will definitely give the ancestors a big surprise!"

"Hahaha, absolutely! Absolutely!"

Qu Zu laughed heartily upon hearing Cheng Xinzhan's words. He stood up and placed the bird's nest in his arms on a branch that served as a support for his hut. The kingfisher on his lap seemed to realize that the immortal was about to leave, so it pecked at his sleeve to stop him from going.

Qu Zu used a gentle magical power to keep the bird there, and laughed.
"I have been sitting here for forty years, watching your family pass down for more than ten generations, starting from ordinary birds, each generation more spiritual than the last. Just stay here and see what kind of spiritual seed your family will produce in the end."

The birds seemed to understand, and stopped flapping their wings to peck at the tree. Instead, they landed on the roof of the hut and quietly watched Qu Zu, as if bidding him farewell.

Qu Zu smiled, waved to the birds, and then said to Cheng Xinzhan,

"Xinzhan, you will stay here as a guest of honor and watch me ascend."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and agreed.

Immediately, Qu Shansheng stopped suppressing his aura, and a powerful aura of immortal energy spread out, causing his figure to rise rapidly.

The protective array of Mount Sanqing covers the mountains, connects to the heavens and clouds, and leads directly to the third heaven, completely concealing any trace of ascension. This is sometimes necessary; for example, the ascension of Huanzhu Louzhu was kept secret to avoid attracting attention, so he ascended through a secret realm, and even now, the world is unaware that this sword immortal has gone to the immortal realm. Similarly, if the Yan family immortal could conceal his ascension, the Xun family would likely be wary and wouldn't dare to be so arrogant in their visit for a while. However, the Yan family immortal's ascension was a "spiritual ascension," which was indeed too tumultuous, and since the Yan family doesn't have an array as powerful as Mount Sanqing, it's understandable that they couldn't completely conceal it.

In the history of Sanqing Mountain, some predecessors disliked ostentation and would deliberately suppress their aura, using grand formations to conceal celestial phenomena, and quietly ascend to immortality. In fact, Master Qu's first ascension was such a case. His close friend had failed in his attempt to transcend the tribulation of immortality using the "Soldier's Dissolution Technique," dying instantly and vanishing completely. Master Qu, grieving for his friend, ascended quietly in sorrow.

However, most of the time, immortals ascend without concealment. This is because it is the pinnacle of their cultivation journey, and the world should witness it; as the saying goes, "A thousand years of cultivation, one day of ascension. Silent until the moment of triumph." This is the meaning. In addition, a grand ascension is also of great significance to the sect, as it proclaims the sect's profound heritage to the world—a sect is only a sect if its immortals continue to exist.

Judging from the commotion surrounding Qu Zu's ascension this time, it is clearly the latter.

This was exactly what Cheng Xinzhan had expected. The mortal realm was far from peaceful, with demonic forces surging. The ascension of immortals was a powerful deterrent to those still living—unlike the Yan family, where only one immortal had emerged every few thousand years, leaving the family empty. But in places like Sanqing Mountain, where someone ascended roughly every hundred years, who would dare to come looking for trouble?
At that moment, Qu Zu's robes fluttered as he lifted off the ground. At the same time, amidst the swirling snow, the eastern sky suddenly shone brightly without warning. A vast purple aura emerged from the depths of the East Sea, then spread across the sky like the purple glow of the rising sun, sweeping across the horizon from east to west, heading towards Sanqing Mountain.

Along the way, in the southern part of Jintang Sea, the northern part of Heiyuan Sea, the northern part of Dadu Sea, both sides of Longji Road, the southern part of Kuaiji, and the northeastern part of Yuzhang, everyone can see purple clouds filling the sky when they look up.

Purple clouds rise from the east, stretching three thousand miles.

The purple mist, filling the sky above Mount Sanqing, condensed into a towering, ethereal staircase. The staircase ended precisely at Qu Zu's feet, its top piercing the clouds. Above the layers of clouds, one could vaguely see that at the end of the staircase stood a magnificent, golden gate.

The image of the eighth rank ascending to heaven: "Smoke leads to ascension."

At this moment, a misty staircase guided the immortal upwards without Qu Zu needing to exert any further power or magic. Qu Zu stood atop the purple mist, watching as the mortal realm receded further and further away, a hint of melancholy appearing on his face. The immortal gazed down upon the mountains and rivers, surveying the entire land, and sighed with emotion:

"I was originally a carefree man living in the mountains, but the Heavenly Emperor has repeatedly urged me to ascend."

If the celestial official asks why I'm late in returning, a pine tree in the wind will carry the crane's body.

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.

"Shan Sheng is reluctant to leave, but if he doesn't leave, how can I have the chance to relax and listen to the wind?"

Cheng Xinzhan watched as Qu Zu entered the Heavenly Gate, and as the Heavenly Gate and the smoke staircase slowly dissipated, he was about to turn his gaze away when he heard a laugh coming from behind him.

He turned around and saw two people appear behind him at some point.

One was the sect leader, while the other was unfamiliar, appearing to be around forty or fifty years old. She wore a blue-and-white polka-dot silk robe with square patterns, paired with a plain black lower garment, and hemp shoes. Her black hair was styled in a Daoist bun, adorned with a black wooden hairpin, giving her an extremely simple and elegant appearance. Among the female cultivators Cheng Xinzhan had ever seen, she had never seen anyone dressed so simply.

This person, who appeared to be an ordinary mortal, was able to arrive silently behind him and address Qu Zu by his Daoist name. His identity was obvious; he must be another celestial being who had come to succeed Qu Zu.

Cheng Xinzhan stepped forward and bowed.
"Greetings, Immortal Ancestor; Greetings, Sect Leader."

"No need to be polite."

The immortal reached out and helped Cheng Xinzhan up.

Ji Hehe introduced Cheng Xinzhan to the immortal without going into unnecessary formalities, as everyone in the sect, whether in the mountains, blessed lands, or mysterious grottoes, recognized the Scripture Master. Therefore, he simply explained the immortal's identity to Cheng Xinzhan.

“Xinzhan, this is Master Mi, from Moya Mountain. He is a patriarch of the Shang generation and has an honorific title, ‘Master Baoguang.’ We’re all family, so you can just call him Master Mi.”

Ah!
So this is Mr. Baoguang! He has also descended to the mortal realm!
Cheng Xinzhan then bowed again separately, his expression respectful, and said...
"Mizu".

Mi Zu smiled and nodded, then flipped her hand, conjuring up a book of magic, and handed it to Cheng Xinzhan.
"Since it's our first meeting, I don't have much to give you. But I've heard you have the title 'Yi Fu,' so I'll give you a book explaining characters. Please don't find it offensive."

Cheng Xinzhan glanced at it and saw these words written on the cover of the calligraphy book.
A Study of the Meanings of Words in All Daoist Scriptures.

Beside these large characters, there are also a few delicate smaller characters, which read:

"Mi Shanglian made his own annotations."

Upon seeing this book, Cheng Xinzhan's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes lit up.

Although he had never met this Mr. Mi Zu, he had long admired him and held him in high esteem, and he was very familiar with this book.

This book, "A Study of the Meanings of All Daoist Scriptures," is a work by Mr. Bao Guang. It is used to explain the various characters in the Daoist Canon, including cloud script, thunder seal script, rain script, wind script, insect script, bird script, dragon script, phoenix script, star script, ghost script, and the Five Elders Red script, etc. It covers all common characters in the Daoist Canon, and details the origins, connections, and substitutions of these characters. It also explains their connection with talismans and incantations. It is a comprehensive book.

In layman's terms, this is a dictionary of Taoist canon interpretations. Mi Fu's writing of this book lowered the barrier to reading the Taoist canon, allowing more later generations to understand the classics of the sages and be blessed by their wisdom. This is a benevolent act that greatly benefits the Taoist community and the vast number of Taoist followers.

This book caused a great sensation in the Taoist community after its completion and was included in the Taiping section of the Taoist Canon. Mi Fu was honored with the title "Master Baoguang" by Gezao Mountain for his work in organizing and compiling talismans. The title was taken from the "Nanhua Jing" which says, "It is poured into yet not full, it is drawn from yet not exhausted, and its origin is unknown. This is called Baoguang." This title was used to praise Mi Fu's wisdom and merit.

Cheng Xinzhan had certainly read this book. In the early days of his study of the Dharma, he read books that explained the characters, such as "Leiyun Yidian", "Longzhang Leizhuan Cizuan" and "Kuangfeng Yeyu Tie". It was not until he was granted the title of Master of Ten Thousand Dharmas that his access to the secret scriptures of the sect was greatly expanded, which allowed him to find "Yiqie Daojing Ziyi Kao", a book that explained the characters. He was amazed by it.

Such a magnificent work, with its author-annotated version, is undoubtedly extremely precious.

Seeing Cheng Xinzhan's expression, Mi Shanglian knew he knew his stuff and was quite satisfied. Before he could refuse, she pressed the book into his arms.
"What is there to think about? I dare not refuse the elder's gift."

Upon hearing this, and finding it genuinely appealing, Cheng Xinzhan accepted the book without hesitation.

Then, as if remembering something, he took out a thick book from the illusory realm, held it with both hands, and handed it to Mi Shanglian, saying,

“Master Mi, inspired by you, I have also written a book in recent years, modeled after your ‘Study on the Meaning of Words in All Daoist Scriptures.’ As for this kind of macro-level overview, I believe that your cataloging, volume, structure, and writing style have reached the pinnacle and are beyond surpassing, requiring no modification. Therefore, I have written a book called ‘Study on the Pronunciation and Meaning of All Daoist Scriptures,’ which focuses on explaining incantations, using the same structure. I have only written the second volume so far, and I would appreciate your corrections!”

When Mi Shanglian saw this, she was overjoyed and immediately took the book, saying...

"I will definitely read it carefully!" Ji Hehe, standing to the side, looked at Cheng Xinzhan and said quietly, "I will definitely read it carefully!"
I had no idea that Xinzhan had a new work in the works.

Cheng Xinzhan's expression stiffened, then she looked at Ji Hehe, forced a smile, and gave an awkward one.
"Because I have only just started writing and there is not much content, I originally planned to ask the headmaster to review it after I had written half of it. Today I happened to meet Master Mi, so I thought I would ask Master Mi to take a look at whether the structure of the 'Phonetic and Semantic Study' is appropriate in imitating the 'Characteristic Study'."

Ji Hehe nodded upon hearing this, his tone still somewhat subdued.
"When there's more content, remember to call me. Actually, you don't have to wait until it's more than halfway through..."

"well!"

Cheng Xinzhan readily agreed.

"So this is the ginseng fruit tree. It grows so fast. Last time I saw it, it was just a small seedling."

Mi Shanglian changed the subject, walked to the ginseng fruit tree, and looked up at the big tree.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan knew that the immortals in the cave had probably secretly visited Wufu Mountain before.

"Yes, we'll have to rely on Mizu for care from now on."

Ji Hehe said.

Mi Shanglian nodded and said,
"Don't worry, having such a precious treasure rooted here is a blessing for our entire Sanqing Mountain. We must not let others lay a finger on it. In the past forty years, Shan Sheng has only encountered one attempt to covet it. I wonder how many times I will encounter it when it's my turn."

"what?!"

Ji Hehe and Cheng Xinzhan asked in unison in surprise.

Someone is actually spying on us?!
"What, didn't Shan Sheng tell you?"

Mi Shanglian was slightly surprised by the two's strong reactions.

The two looked at each other and shook their heads.

Seeing this, Mi Shanglian was somewhat annoyed and said,

"It was my fault. It was right that Shan Sheng didn't tell you. I made you worry for no reason. I thought you two knew about it."

"Mizu, is this from Longhu's side?"

Ji Hehe asked tentatively.

Mi Shanglian nodded.
"They must be immortals from the lower realms. However, when they descended to the lower realms, the number and selection of the Zhengyi Sect members were not discussed with us. After descending, they did not contact each other in their respective grotto-heavens. Moreover, they only made a move once, so we still cannot guess who it is."

"But don't worry, they didn't see the specific situation inside Wufu Mountain. With the mountain-protecting array and multiple restrictions in the secret realm, spells like 'Mirror Flower Water Moon' definitely can't penetrate it. According to Shan Sheng's deduction, they were probably just doing some calculations, like figuring out where the Immortal Tree is and whether there are any results. However, as soon as that mysterious sense of being watched entered Sanqing Mountain, Shan Sheng discovered it and dispersed it."

"Like father, like son! The younger generation is shameless, and the older generation is despicable too!"

Ji Hehe was also hearing this news for the first time, and inevitably lost his composure, immediately bursting into a tirade of curses.

Mizu seemed quite philosophical about it, she said.
"This is only natural. Longhu Mountain is a special case. It is a family-run business. The Celestial Master's Mansion is surnamed Zhang and does not accept outsiders. Blood ties are more important than character. Do you really expect a family to be wise and virtuous generation after generation? Since there are virtuous people like Mr. Xu Jing, there must also be villains like Zhang Yuanji."

"The celestial beings descended from the Zhang family are probably not of high moral character. Zhang Yuanji has already done what he did, and now that they know about the ginseng fruit tree, they will definitely choose to protect him. Now that the celestial beings can't come down from the heavens, and the sword seal in the Celestial Master's Mansion is still intact, who in the mortal world can bring down Longhu Mountain?"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan let out a soft exclamation.

Mikami Rei and Ji Hehe looked over.

Cheng Xinzhan said,

"I remember that investigation into the seal-stamping incident at Longhu Mountain revealed that the seal-observation ceremony at the Longhu Dharma Assembly started more than four hundred years ago, right? Did the Celestial Master's Mansion take immediate action as soon as they realized the celestial beings couldn't descend? The Zhang family reacted very quickly!"

Upon hearing this, both Mi Shanglian and Ji Hehe showed thoughtful expressions.

"If that's the case, then it's hard to say whether the mastermind is Zhang Yuanji or those few immortals from the lower realms."

Mi Shanglian said.

"It doesn't matter anymore, they're all birds of a feather."

Ji Hehe said.

They all nodded in agreement; that was indeed the case.

Mizu also said,

"When Shan Sheng goes up this time, he will also tell the celestial immortals about the seal of the Celestial Master's Mansion. Although Mr. Xu Jing in the heavens just happened to be living in seclusion, the Sazu is still here, and he will uphold justice."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, but in his heart he was thinking, with the upper and lower realms blocked, the celestial beings were innocent, and punishment couldn't reach the mortal realm. Even if it were Sa Zu, how could he uphold justice? Did they have to wait until those wicked people ascended to the celestial realm before being punished? Furthermore, once those people were in heaven, Master Xu Jing would be gone. Would the Zhang family truly be willing to sacrifice their own family to bring them to justice? Moreover, the celestial realm was already in turmoil. Would everyone be willing to tolerate each other and suppress this matter again?

The Taoist's eyes were dark. He had never spoken of the grudge of having his soul stolen by the seal years ago, but that didn't mean he was truly indifferent. On the contrary, he harbored a deep resentment. It could be said that that incident was the greatest crisis he had ever faced in his cultivation journey. To be manipulated was something far more terrifying than death!

This revenge must be taken!
"Ok?"

Just then, Mi Shanglian's expression suddenly changed. She lowered her head and began to calculate something with her fingers. Then, she abruptly looked southwest and said...
"really!"

Seeing this, Cheng Xinzhan and Ji Hehe also turned their heads to look in the same direction as Mi Zu, but they didn't see anything unusual.

"Mizu, what's wrong?"

Ji Hehe asked.

Cheng Xinzhan also looked nervously at Mi Zu. The southwest direction was the direction of Longhu Mountain, which they were discussing. Could it be that they saw Qu Zu ascend to immortality and took the opportunity to spy on the Immortal Tree?

"Someone from Longhu Mountain has ascended to immortality."

Mi Shanglian said in a deep voice.

Ji Hehe and Cheng Xinzhan's expressions changed drastically. They turned to look again, activating their divine eyes, but still couldn't find anything.

At this moment, Mi Zu said,

"You can't see it. That person ascended in secret. It's just that the Heavenly Gate was opened in Shan Province just now, and now it has reopened. The time interval is too short, and the Heavenly Secrets are fluctuating, which is why I was able to detect a slight anomaly."

"He's gone to deliver the message!"

Cheng Xinzhan and Ji Hehe immediately realized what was happening and said in unison.

Mi Shanglian nodded.
"That's exactly what I thought of just now. Shan Sheng is bound to reveal the matter of the seal in Heaven, and all the major sects will inevitably cause trouble for the Zhengyi Sect. Xin Zhan just reminded me that if the matter of the seal is indeed a scheme by the Zhang family's immortals descending to the mortal realm, and if they really reacted so quickly, then when they see Shan Sheng ascending to Heaven, they must have chased after him to inform the Zhengyi Sect. Otherwise, the Zhang family immortals above will be kept in the dark. That's why I made the calculation, and I didn't expect that I would actually catch a trace of the leaked heavenly secret."

Cheng Xinzhan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. The fact that the Zhang family dared to go and report the news meant they were indeed confident they could get protection from those above. It seemed his initial assessment was correct; this revenge would have to be taken in the mortal realm!
"The heavens were already in chaos, and this is just adding fuel to the fire."

Ji Hehe sighed helplessly.

“Master Mi, I shall take my leave now. This disciple wishes to travel to Yuyang to cultivate the Dao and exorcise demons.”

Cheng Xinzhan bowed and took his leave.

He couldn't control the turmoil in the heavens, but he couldn't stand idly by on earth. Besides, if he were to actually march on Longhu Mountain one day, he would have to deal with the demons first.

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