Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 431 The sky is high and the clouds are light, the vast Dharma is profound (5.6K words, sorry for being late)
The Great Sage Who Supports the Sky in the Desert!
It’s really her!

Good, good, none of them are pushovers. This Great Sage Who Supports Heaven has the best plan, and his timing is perfect.

With the Sand Sea and the South China Sea at odds, and taking advantage of the South China Sea's vulnerability, she took control of the Wave Chaser and stormed ashore. Not only would she obstruct her own tribulation, but the entire Cliff Gate Waterway would also be destroyed. Most importantly, she is a true Sea Dragon King, utterly unburdened by the prospect of flooding the land; she truly kills two birds with one stone!
Are the Hu brothers still alive?

The man in green robes questioned Tuotian, his tone filled with rage.

However, it wasn't the Great Sage Who Supports Heaven who answered him; instead, it was Hu Haitao's voice coming from the sea.

"Ancestor! Please don't take offense! You insisted on sending us to our deaths, but the Great Sage of Heaven allowed us to live. If you have to blame someone, blame your heart for being too cruel!"

Upon hearing this, Green Robe was so angry he almost spat out a mouthful of blood, but he didn't want to say anything more. The sea waves had already surged for over four hundred miles and were now being controlled by a fifth-realm true dragon, continuing to rise. Even if he went to the sea himself, he wouldn't be able to calm it down. Right now, the most important thing was to figure out how to protect the Cliff Gate waterway.

Besides, there's no need for me to try and calm it down. I'll see how that Taoist tries to stop the thousand-foot-high waves driven by the Fifth Realm True Dragon! When the Taoist fails to break through, the seawater floods the Lingdingyang, and those three river-dwelling dragons will all fall from their realms. Then, I'll settle all the old and new scores one by one!

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.

At the top of the Heavenly Ladder, Cheng Xinzhan watched the West River churning and knew that the Green-Robed Ancestor was also taking countermeasures. So the music he played on his zither changed again, from high-pitched and passionate to urgent and short, urging Lan Yizhou to take the opportunity to quickly cross the Dragon Gate.

The Beijiang River branches off at Humen, Jiaomen, Hongqimen, and Hengmen, all of which flow into the sea, with the Hongqimen branch being the widest. However, Lan Yizhou wasn't foolish; no one knew if the other waterways had their own "Dragon Gate" entrances. Therefore, taking the Humen route was the safest option. So, upon reaching Dishuiyan, he unhesitatingly diverted the floodwaters eastward, filling the Humen channel, and then leaped into the water—

Then, the golden dragon gate reappeared, and the sky was filled with rosy clouds once again.

"hold head high--"

Then a dragon's roar was heard, and a bright red brocade dragon soared into the sky, leaping towards the Dragon Gate atop the clouds. Of the three dragons that traversed the river today, Lan Yizhou's origins were superior to the wooden dragon's, his cultivation level was higher than the Chi dragon's, and given that he was of the fire element and his destiny corresponded to the south, leaping over the Dragon Gate was the easiest for him.

The crimson glow above the Dragon Gate, like blood, bathed the Tiger Gate in a fiery red light. The brocade dragon soared out of the clouds; its excessively long red mane had transformed into crimson fins, bringing it one step closer to becoming a true dragon. Moreover, its corpse reformed into flesh and blood, and the lost dragon pearl was reassembled at that moment.

With a leap over the Dragon Gate, Lan Yizhou returned to the peak of his life.

If he has another opportunity in the future, he can attain the Southern Fire Virtue Red Dragon by taking another step forward.

Having broken free from his shackles and been resurrected, Lan Yizhou looked up to the sky and let out a long cry, releasing all the bitterness and resentment he had suppressed for many years. Then, he threw himself into the Lingdingyang, leading the two-hundred-foot-high flood peak of the Beijiang River to chase the first wave.

Having returned to his peak, Lan Yizhou possessed extraordinary abilities. Even though he was far behind, he caught up with the leading wave in no time. At this moment, the leading wave, propelled by Gu Yi and Shi Yujun, two fourth-realm dragon descendants, had already reached a height of seven hundred feet.

The waves of the North River caught up, instantly pushing the first wave to a height of eight hundred feet. Lan Yizhou joined them, immediately taking the lead and continuing to push the waves forward.

Once the Crimson Dragon entered the South China Sea, it seemed to truly come alive, its entire body radiating a fiery crimson aura. Under its control, the giant waves continued to rise rapidly.

At this time, the waves from Lingdingyang were only 120 li away from Yunti Mountain, and 800 zhang high, while the waves from the South China Sea were only 150 li away from Yunti Mountain, and 1400 zhang high. Even though Lan Yizhou was exceptionally powerful after entering the sea, the time and room left for him were ultimately too short.

The two massive waves were about to collide. With such a vast difference in strength, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that the outgoing wave would be instantly crushed by the incoming wave. At that time, the 800-zhang-high outgoing wave would be shattered into a torrent of floodwater that would fall onto the shores of the Lingdingyang, while the 1,400-zhang-high incoming wave, after having some of its momentum reduced, would still surge onto Yuyang. In that case, there would be widespread devastation.

At the top of the Heavenly Ladder, Cheng Xinzhan had stopped playing the zither; he had now completely entrusted the control of the waves to the three dragons. He hadn't been unaware of this dire situation; with the massive waves about to collide, the Taoist priest swiftly made a hand seal, pointed south to the sea, and chanted an incantation:

"As the saying goes, without the sea there is no dragon, and without the dragon there is no sea."

"It is said that if a good man or woman has the Dragon King in mind, writes down the Dragon King's name, visualizes the Dragon King's form, possesses the Dragon King's power, makes offerings at the right time, recites scriptures, and offers clean water, he can summon the Dragon King."

"I have heard that the South Sea is one of the four seas, possesses the virtue of fire, and has a true dragon named Ao Qin who lives in the sea as king, builds a palace and rules the country."

"I say that a wicked demonic dragon has seized the South China Sea, stirring up waves to attack the land, a truly horrifying sight. Now, a descendant of the South China Sea dragon, the Southern Red Dragon Lan Yizhou, has entered the sea to vanquish the demon, calm the winds and stop the waves, and eliminate the floods."

"I have heard that those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help. There are also gods three feet above one's head; therefore:"
"I beseech the Dragon King of the South Sea, Ao Qin, to appear before me, possess my descendants, and quell the floods."

"My command is the decree of the Supreme Dao Lord, the Heavenly Venerable Lingbao!"

The Taoist priest's incantation was extremely profound, like chanting scriptures, like the roar of a dragon, like thunder. With the blessing of fetal sounds, the incantation seemed to be continuously amplified, reaching all the way to the depths of the South China Sea.

As a result, the South China Sea became turbulent.

About three breaths later, in the depths of the South China Sea, in what is now known as the open ocean, a crimson light leaped out of the sea like a red sun, and then shone like sunlight, instantly traversing thousands of miles to arrive at the foot of Cloud Ladder Mountain.

The crimson light condensed into a huge phantom before Cloud Ladder Mountain, transforming into a short, stout old man in a crimson robe. The old man had a large belly, a red beard, and a broad nose, with his hands behind his back, surveying the surroundings.

The dragon's might permeated the air, and the waters surged. This old man was like a standing sea.

Green Robe, Sky-Supporting, the Two Fiends of the South China Sea, and the Three Dragons of the River—none of them dared to meet his gaze.

The old man glanced at the South China Sea, then at the East China Sea, and finally surveyed the land, his expression remaining unchanged, making it impossible to discern his thoughts. Finally, he looked down at the Taoist priest atop the Heavenly Ladder, a slight smile appearing in his eyes, and replied:
"I obey the decree of the Great Dao Lord."

After saying this, the Dragon King's phantom image dissipated, transforming into a beam of red light that attached itself to the Crimson Dragon.

In that instant, the Crimson Dragon's aura surged, breaking through the fifth realm on the spot and unleashing the might of a true dragon. Lan Yizhou let out a long roar, and the South China Sea churned, with the giant wave beneath him rising to 1,500 feet, instantly revealing the bottom of the Lingdingyang.

At this moment, atop the surging waves of the South China Sea, the Great Sage Holding Up the Sky stared intently at Cloud Ladder Mountain, hardly believing her eyes. It wasn't until the opposite wave suddenly surged and blocked her view that she snapped back to reality.

Seeing this, the Great Sage Who Supports Heaven turned and left without saying a word.

This demon had no intention of using her supernatural powers again. She understood that today was the opportune moment, and all she could do was to push things along. As the Dragon King of the sea, she couldn't possibly actually attack the land. However, the phantom of the ancient Dragon King made her extremely uneasy. If the South China Sea could summon the phantom of the ancient Dragon King, what about the East China Sea? Everyone knew that the legendary Dragon King of the East China Sea was the most powerful of the four seas. If this Taoist priest used his powers against the East China Sea in the future, how would she cope? It was more important to go back and figure this out first.

The demon saint left swiftly and disappeared in an instant. The two villains of the South Sea followed closely behind, flying towards the eastern sand sea.

Immediately afterwards, two waves, as large as mountain ranges at sea, collided.

"boom--"

A deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart, echoed across the South China Sea, lingering for a long time.

Two roughly equal giant waves collided, sending spray soaring into the sky. The clouds along the entire South China Sea coast were instantly dispersed, and the sunlight, unobstructed, shone down on the sea, becoming exceptionally dazzling.

Immediately afterwards, a torrential downpour began.

The blazing sun shone on the torrential rain, reflecting off the raindrops and creating dazzling rainbows.

"Rumble--"

After the neon lights filled the sky, a tremendous commotion, like an earth-shaking dragon, traveled from the sea to the shore, shaking the entire city of Yuyang. Immediately afterward, a giant wave, two hundred feet high, surged back to the shore and towards the Lingdingyang.

This was not the residual force of a giant wave caused by demons, but simply the reclamation of seawater after the nearshore area was drained.

The seawater was pumped out quickly, and it was returned just as quickly.

The aftershocks of the collision between the two waves brought torrential rain, earthquakes, and tsunamis all at once. The entire land area spanning thousands of miles in central and eastern Yuyang and along both sides of the Lingdingyang was like a raft in a storm, violently rocking.

That attack was equivalent to two True Dragons of the Fifth Realm fighting in the near sea, which is also equivalent to two Immortals of the Land clashing head-on less than 150 miles from the coast of Yuyang. The power of such a commotion reflected back to the shore is unimaginable.

At this moment, all three dragons suffered varying degrees of internal injuries when they collided with the giant waves, and fell into the sea, swept away by the powerful underwater currents. Moreover, Lan Yizhou's aura had already weakened, making it impossible for him to suppress the backflow of the tide as he had done with the sudden surge of the waves earlier. The three dragons struggled desperately, flying towards the shore with all their might, trying to catch up with the backflow of the tide and stabilize the three rivers.

But it was clearly too late.

"hold head high--"

At this moment, another dragon roar resounded, this time from the west of Cloud Ladder Mountain.

Everyone turned to look.

But then a true dragon, hundreds of feet long, appeared on the cliff gate waterway. The dragon was covered in dark green scales, and as soon as it appeared, clouds and mist immediately arose in the void behind it, surrounding and enveloping it, making it impossible to see its head or tail.

Green-Robed Ancestor! Five Realms Black Dragon!
After the dragon appeared, it coiled itself on the cliff on the left bank of the Yamen Waterway, emitting bursts of dragon roars, and a powerful aura of a fifth-realm dragon and vast magical power spread out. As a result, the surging tide into Huangmaoyang gradually subsided, and the turbulent Xijiang River gradually calmed down.

At the same time, as the Green-Robed Ancestor forcibly stabilized the West River, a tremendous force also spread horizontally eastward from underground, causing cracks to appear in the mountains on both sides of the Lingdingyang, with the largest crack pointing directly to the Cloud Ladder Mountain.

That wretched creature! He was adding fuel to the fire, taking advantage of the instability of the earth's veins in Yuyang to unleash his supernatural powers, splitting the earth and shattering mountains.

But just then, two beads flew out from the top of the Heavenly Ladder. One emitted golden light and white glow, seemingly more dazzling than the sun in the sky; the other emitted a soft, ethereal light, appearing as a hole in the void amidst the white glow.

The two beads swirled and danced, forming a black and white yin-yang symbol, emitting a mysterious yin-yang light that gradually brightened, making it impossible for people to look directly at them, and they all closed their eyes.

When the blinding light disappeared and everyone opened their eyes again, they were all speechless with shock:

The Yin-Yang Mystic Light had vanished, replaced by a Dharma Image—

A giant statue, 128 feet tall, with a purple jade waist, human body and bird head, standing tall and upright.

The Dharma Image stands before Cloud Ladder Mountain, on the shore of the South China Sea. It is clad in a purple robe with eight trigrams and nine palaces, a purple-gold lotus crown on its head, and a jade belt cinching its waist. The illusory images of mountains and rivers float in the air behind it. The Dharma Image has a bird's head, blue feathers, and a white beak. Its eyes are as black as lacquer. It gazes down at the ocean with a resolute expression.

Everyone was stunned, and even the Panshan Lilong, which was not far away, turned pale with fright.

The Buddha was seen making mudras and chanting mantras:
"Zhen Yuan Yuan Zhen, proclaim to all spirits."

The mountains and rivers are true officials, and the land is spiritual.

All in their positions, await my command. The land is safe and sound; there is no need for alarm.

Imperial decree! Imperial decree! Imperial conferment! Imperial prohibition!

Beneath the earth, the fetal heartbeat still resounded, echoing the incantation and broadcasting throughout Yuyang.

Silence reigned between heaven and earth; the sounds of water and dragons were no longer heard, nor were the roars of earthquakes and tides. Only the echoes of incantations and the sounds of the fetus remained.

Then, the tide receded, the waves calmed, the earth stilled, the soil clung together, the clouds dispersed, and the rain stopped.

In a short while, everything returned to normal.

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 both sides of the Lingdingyang, many onlookers had come to witness the renowned Master Guangfa's ascension to the fourth realm. Some were at higher realms, others at lower, and the series of earth-shattering events had filled them with excitement, making their trip worthwhile. Some had genuinely believed Yuyang was about to collapse, and many had scattered and fled, while others had actively prepared to defend against the tsunami and stabilize the earth's veins. However, at this moment, all of them stopped, staring blankly at the colossal Dharma image towering before Cloud Ladder Mountain, including the fourth-realm cultivators.

A Dharma image that is 128 zhang tall?

Is there any record of this in historical books?
Bird-headed human body, which true-to-life illustration book includes it?

Unheard of!

Before this, none of the grand events had ever shocked them like this; it was a shock that came from extreme movement to extreme stillness.

This Dharma image clearly stood still, without moving an inch, merely reciting a mantra, and a tsunami and earthquake that required the Five Realms' incarnations to suppress and even fueled by it was quelled. This gave people a great sense of unreality, as if the scene of the sky collapsing and the earth sinking just now was merely an illusion.

After the storm subsided, Faxiang glanced at the dragon in the west with indifferent eyes, then suddenly disappeared, transforming back into two beads and flying back to the top of the Heavenly Ladder.

Yes.

The one who remained motionless was not Faxiang, but that gentleman.

Having figured this out, everyone struggled to look up and turn their gaze to the top of the ladder.

The Purple Emperor's chariot, the earth's primordial sounds, the zither's melody stirring the tides, talismans being issued and proclamations burned, a dragon leaping over the Dragon Gate, the Dragon King being summoned, a hundred-foot-tall divine image, calming the sea and suppressing the tides. These onlookers, recalling the various supernatural powers displayed by the Taoist priest on the mountaintop over the past few days and the scenes they had witnessed, all felt a sense of temporal and spatial distortion, and a question naturally arose in their minds:
Could this person be an ancient immortal from the Tang Dynasty reborn?
The methods he used did not seem to be commonly used in the current cultivation world.

Everyone watched in silence, lost in thought. And so, the entire city of Yuyang fell silent.

Only the fetal heartbeat, which had never stopped since the first sound, continued to echo over Yuyang.

In silence, the long fifth day passed.

Eight Grand Masters of the Fourth Realm and three Dragon Descendants of the Fourth Realm returned to the foot of Cloud Ladder Mountain, guarding the Taoist priests on the mountaintop.

After the Dharma Image disappeared, the dragon also vanished, and now no one knows what the leader of the Southern School is planning. Some are hoping there will be some big commotion or excitement to watch, while others are hoping there won't be any more trouble.

The sixth day passed in silence.

Nothing unexpected happened.

Then the seventh day passed, then the eighth day, and then the tenth day.

The two sides of the Lingdingyang were unusually peaceful, a stark contrast to the intensity of the fifth day, which felt somewhat jarring.

However, as the twentieth, thirtieth, and fiftieth days arrived, everyone gradually grew accustomed to the silence. Moreover, as the fetal heartbeat continued to resonate, the entire Yuyang became increasingly silent. At this point, even speaking softly seemed abrupt and disruptive.

At this time, the area around Yunti Mountain was filled with people, and there was nowhere to put one's feet on either side of the Lingdingyang River.

Sixtieth day.

Day ninetieth.

Day 120.

It spans from spring to autumn, covering the entire summer.

Until the dawn of the 128th day, at sunrise.

A vast purple aura, stretching for 19,000 miles from the east, spreads out from the East China Sea all the way to the foot of Yunti Mountain in the South China Sea.

At this point, the fetal heartbeat disappeared.

A gentle breeze rustled across both sides of the Lingdingyang, and all the onlookers breathed a sigh of relief.

Congratulations to Mr. Guangfa on your profound understanding!

Someone shouted something, breaking the long silence that had lasted for more than four months.

Congratulations to Mr. Guangfa on your profound understanding!

Some people began to respond sparsely.

Congratulations to Mr. Guangfa on your profound understanding!

Everyone shouted in unison, like a surging tide.

At the top of the Heavenly Ladder, the Taoist priest stood up, walked to the eastern cliff edge, appeared before the crowd, and then bowed in all directions to express his gratitude, both to Heaven and Earth and to thank everyone in return.

Then, with a wave of his hand, 19,000 miles of purple energy flew down from the sky, condensing into a purple scarf that fell into his hand.

"Hongmeng Zixiao Gang. Haha, I never thought that I would be able to see the number one Gang in the world in my lifetime."

A Taoist priest emerged from the main hall behind him.

Cheng Xinzhan turned around and bowed.
"It is tiring for the sect leader to sit with his disciples for so long."

"What was he tired about? He kept smiling, his heart was already bursting with joy."

Master Chengchu followed him out of the hall.

"Oh, congratulations to you too!"

Ji Hehe laughed happily.

"Young people these days are really amazing. We're all getting old, so old."

An old Taoist priest with white hair and beard emerged last, then looked around and shook his head.

"What a pity. They were all too cautious. Three Lesser Corpse-Dissolving Pills are so precious, yet they exchanged them for the three of us going out to meditate for four months. It's such a waste."

“Master Rongyi, you can’t say that. At least in these four months, we have been at ease. Otherwise, how could we have dared to let you break through to the next realm outside?”

Master Chengchu said with a smile.

Ji Hehe nodded in agreement.

Cheng Xinzhan also looked annoyed, and he said guiltily,
"I made my plan too straightforward, constantly pushing them to take action, which only made them more wary. If I had deliberately found a secluded place, or pretended to be injured, they might have been more proactive."

"That's a bad word."

Master Chengchu disagreed, saying,
"Your breakthrough in front of the world this time brings far more benefits than ambushing one or two demons. Your supernatural powers and achievements are evident to all, greatly enhancing the prestige of our Daoist sect. Continue to perform such acts of public display. In this way, in the future, if there are those who enter the Dao, switch cultivation, submit to the Dao, or have talented individuals in their families, their first thought will be of our Eastern Daoist sect, not the Northern Daoist sect, the Xuanmen sect, the Buddhist sect, the unorthodox sects, or the demonic sects. In this way, if there are great calamities or disasters in the future, people will naturally think of our Eastern Daoist sect to take the lead. Thus, the incense of our Daoist sect will naturally flourish and never decline."

"In fact, that's the real reason why the three of us are willing to go out and accompany you to break through your cultivation level. As for the demons, it would be best if we could gain something, but it doesn't matter if we can't. They can run away one day, but they can't hide the next. So you don't need to worry about it."

Master Cheng Chu's words were indeed comforting. Cheng Xinzhan felt much better after hearing them, and a smile appeared on her face as she replied,

"I have learned a great deal from your teachings."

At this moment, his heart was open and free, and a cool autumn breeze swept across the mountaintop, making him feel even more refreshed and invigorated. He looked around and saw the vast sky and the distant sea, with wild geese flying in formation, which inspired him to write poetry.

He looked down again and saw a striking ring of wild chrysanthemums along the cliff edge, their bright yellow petals blooming and releasing their fragrance in the autumn wind, invigorating the spirit. Below the cliff, the tide surged in, crashing against the rocks and splashing water, but it could not truly shake the mountain and had to retreat helplessly.

Upon seeing this, words welled up in his mind, and he began to recite.
"The sky is high and the clouds are light, and I can only watch the wild geese fly south."

Demons and monsters cannot be ignored, the Gui water stops at the Wu bank.

On the peak of Yunti Mountain, yellow flowers bloom proudly against the west wind.

"Today we hold the long spear in our hands, when will we bind the azure dragon?"

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(End of this chapter)