Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 438 The Three Pure Ones' Grotto-Heaven, Walking Together on the Great Dao (Seeking votes at the beginning of the month~)
It was past noon when Gan Jingquan sent someone to deliver the "Three Essentials of Thunder Talisman Explanation." However, Cheng Xinzhan had many more divination slips waiting to be answered on his desk, so he didn't have time to look at them and could only wait until night.

At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), Cheng Xinzhan heard a shout.
"Xinzhan, come here for a moment!"

This was the sect leader's voice, but it wasn't transmitted from the void; the voice came from nearby, like the shout of an elder neighbor.

"Just come!"

Cheng Xinzhan responded and dispatched his Qi body once again.

He left Chunyang Hall with his Qi body, turned a corner, and walked a few steps to Sanqing Palace. This is the advantage, or rather the disadvantage, of working on Pingdingshan. It's very convenient to consult the sect leader on ordinary days, but if the sect leader has any instructions, it's just a matter of a shout.

what!
This is unprecedented. The sect leader did not sit on the prayer mat in the palace as usual, but stood in front of the palace gate waiting for me.

He strode forward and asked,

"What's wrong, Sect Leader?"

"Come on, I'll take you to pick them up."

After saying this, Ji Hehe leaped up and transformed into a streak of light, flying southwest.

Cheng Xinzhan immediately followed and asked,
"Who are you picking up? Where are you picking them up from?"

"Go to Sanqing Cave Heaven to receive Duxing."

Ji Hehe replied.

Cheng Xinzhan was delighted upon hearing this.
"Is Master Lu finally alright? When he was about to be released two years ago, he said there had been another mistake, which gave me a fright."

At the same time, Cheng Xinzhan also felt a little excited. Was he finally going to see the legendary Sanqing Cave Heaven?

However, Ji Hehe sighed softly after hearing Cheng Xinzhan's words and said nothing more. This made Cheng Xinzhan's heart skip a beat again. Could it be that Sect Leader Lu had suffered some hidden injury as a result?
The two flew southwest and arrived at the thick sea of ​​clouds west of the Western Heaven Path.

This is a forbidden area within the sect. The sea of ​​clouds that has remained unchanged for thousands of years makes this place exceptionally mysterious and dangerous. If ordinary disciples come here to explore and seek their way out, they are very likely to lose their way. Moreover, looking at the boundless sea of ​​clouds all around, with no end in any direction they fly, they are easily plunged into a state of emptiness and powerlessness, often unable to recover for months.

When Cheng Xinzhan first entered the sect, he was warned never to go too far. For the disciples of the sect, Shouyin Mountain was the western boundary of the sect.

However, at this time, Ji Hehe was still leading Cheng Xinzhan westward, while also continuing to ascend.

Is the Sanqing Grotto Heaven in the heavens?
Cheng Xinzhan was puzzled.

"Look carefully at the road. The clouds here are different from those elsewhere. You'll be able to come here by yourself next time."

Ji Hehe reminded.

So Cheng Xinzhan focused intently on Ji Hefei's unhappiness, knowing he was deliberately waiting for him. He quickly noticed something amiss: along the way, some clouds were stationary, some drifted back and forth, and some changed shape. By finding these reference cloud markers along the route, he could determine the approximate direction of travel.

"The path I'm taking you on appears to be flying through the clouds, but it's actually a long, empty corridor constructed by cloud barriers. Only a Qi body capable of 'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones' can pass through this corridor. When your physical body wants to come here in the future, you must also conceal it with the 'One Qi Concealing Turbidity Talisman' and carry it as a Qi body. Otherwise, when you reach the halfway point, the entire mountain-protecting formation will suddenly activate, annihilating everything that is not a Qi body."

Ji Hehe reminded him and pointed a finger at his forehead, passing on the method of making the "One Qi Concealing Turbidity Talisman" to him.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. With this route passed down by word of mouth and the restriction that only allowed Qi to enter, it was basically guaranteed that no outsiders would be able to sneak in.

Because Ji Hehe had been learning the way through the tutorial, it took them quite a while to arrive. After they encountered a cloud shaped like a standard ruyi (auspicious symbol) pattern, their vision suddenly opened up, and they saw:

White clouds float like jade in the sky, and the rosy clouds shimmer with light, creating a magnificent spectacle. Further up, one can faintly see a constellation of stars, with the sun and moon appearing together. On the ground, green hills undulate, and green waters flow like ribbons. There are thousands of ancient cypress trees, their green branches shimmering in the rain; and ten thousand bamboo groves, their branches shrouded in mist, their color a deep, verdant hue.

Looking closely into the secluded mountains, one finds rows of jade palaces and magnificent buildings, each a pearl-adorned hall, exuding an ethereal atmosphere—truly a beautiful and enchanting paradise.

"Is the cave filled with primordial Qi?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked in surprise.

Ji Hehe smiled and said,

"It's not that bad. How can you create a primordial secret realm in the acquired world? Acquired energy can never be completely removed. The primordial energy here is all refined from acquired Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang return to the primordial state. It accounts for about 60% of the spiritual energy of the cave heaven. However, this proportion is indeed not low. It is one of the top among the major cave heavens. You should know that even the immortal realm only has 80%."

Cheng Xinzhan understood immediately. It seemed that the grotto-heavens of the major immortal sects were kept secret. The thirty-six great grotto-heavens that were widely known were all determined by the opinions of the world. Places like the Three Pure Ones Grotto-Heavens were known to very few even within the sects themselves, and no outsiders had ever entered them, so they had no way of participating in the evaluation. He had been to the Zhu Ming Lotus Grotto-Heavens in Mount Luofu, and the innate Qi there was less than thirty percent.

"However, this is nothing to boast about. Maintaining innate Qi comes at a great cost. Several immortal treasures in our sect, forged at great expense, are specifically designed for this purpose. More than half of the power of the Mountain-Protecting Cloud Restriction Array is also used in the cave heaven. Ordinary sects cannot build such a system, and even if they could, they couldn't maintain it. Moreover, while maintaining a high concentration of innate Qi is certainly beneficial for cultivators' practice and cultivation techniques, the benefits are actually not significant compared to the price paid. The main reason why the major immortal sects do this is to preserve immortals for posterity."

"After passing the tribulation to become an immortal, whether an immortal who does not ascend to immortality for the time being or an immortal who descends to the mortal realm, if they are further tainted by acquired energy, their time in the mortal world will be greatly shortened. Conversely, if the place they are in is closer to the immortal realm in terms of innate energy, the immortal will naturally stay in the mortal world for a longer period of time."

Ji Hehe explained.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded, indicating that he understood.

As they were talking, two figures, one tall and one short, flew out from the celestial palace among the mountains and came to Ji Hehe and Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan was somewhat surprised, because the adult was not Master Lu, and the child himself did not recognize him.

“Called Bai Zu”.

Ji Hehe introduced Cheng Xinzhan.

"I have met Bai Zu."

Cheng Xinzhan bowed and greeted him. Needless to say, this was another celestial being who had survived to this day.

This immortal, surnamed Bai, was dressed entirely in white: a white stone crown, white silk robes, white silk ribbons, white silk stockings, and white wooden clogs. His skin was as white as jade, and his teeth were as white as white jade.

The immortal looked to be around thirty years old, with a handsome and refined appearance.

“You call me ‘ancestor,’ but I should call you ‘grandpa.’ How do we settle this?”

Immortal Chongcheng Xinzhan blinked and said with a grin.

Cheng Xinzhan repeatedly said he dared not, and at the same time he had a preliminary impression of this immortal. Unlike Qu Zu and Mi Zu, this one seemed to be a cynical person.

"What's there to be afraid of? You're so young and acting all old-fashioned. How about this, do you have a Taoist name? Let's address each other by our Taoist names. My name is Bai Lingzi, how about that, not bad, right? What's your name? If you don't have one, I can give you one."

The immortal looked at Cheng Xinzhan, eager to try. Cheng Xinzhan quickly replied,
Yes, yes.

"When did you take a Taoist name? How come I didn't know?!"

Ji Hehe shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan felt helpless and offered an explanation.
“I have been working at Chunyang Palace all these years. Where would I need to use a Taoist name? I can’t just grab someone and tell them, so of course you don’t know.”

Ji Hehe grunted twice, then said,

"What is your Taoist name?"

Cheng Xinzhan wasn't lying; he had indeed thought it through beforehand and answered immediately.
"Guangweizi".

Guangweizi.

Ji Hehe and Bai Lingzi were both silently repeating the same phrase.

"An ancient saying goes: 'A virtuous person honors morality and pursues knowledge, reaching the broadest understanding and delving into the most minute details, attaining the highest wisdom while adhering to the mean.' You have two honorific titles, 'Guanghong' and 'Guangfa,' which, by combining 'broad' with 'minute,' is indeed excellent and also echoes your studio name, 'Qianshen.'"

Ji Hehe made his assessment, nodding repeatedly.

"Not only that, if Guangweizi uses 'humility and prudence' as his name, then his Daoist name might be taken from the *Honglie*: 'The sage is respectful of small things and cautious in small matters, never missing the opportune moment in his actions, and he takes great care in all things, so that disaster will not arise.' Guangweizi is emulating the virtues of the sage."

Bai Lingzi clapped her hands and said.

"Si Xian is merely reflecting on his own actions; please don't flatter this junior."

Cheng Xinzhan begged for mercy. He was already struggling to deal with one unruly sect leader, and now this eccentric immortal had appeared. He simply couldn't handle it.

The two burst into laughter upon hearing this.

The sage said: "What cannot be seen and named is called 'Yi'; what cannot be heard and named is called 'Xi'; what cannot be grasped and named is called 'Wei'."

At this moment, the child standing next to Bai Lingzi suddenly spoke.

All three of them were immediately drawn to the scene.

Cheng Xinzhan was already curious about the child. Looking at this exquisitely beautiful little child, only five or six years old, yet possessing an aura of Golden Core cultivation, and with pure, innocent eyes that didn't seem like those of an old monster in the guise of a virgin, it was truly astonishing. He wanted to ask, but Bai Lingzi had kept interrupting him, preventing him from asking. Now, the child uttered words of a sage, which was even more surprising, so he seized the opportunity to ask.
"Bai Zu, who is this?"

"Master Cheng, please just call me Bai Lingzi."

Bai Lingzi spoke in a very formal and methodical manner.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan's face fell, and he looked at the sect leader for help.

Ji Hehe shook his head.

"Why are you looking at me? It's true that Uncle Taixuan is your junior, but he is also my elder. I can't persuade him."

The child looked up at the adults with curiosity, not understanding what they were talking about.

Cheng Xinzhan had no choice but to say,
"Bai Lingzi, may I ask for your guidance?"

Bai Lingzi smiled upon hearing this, and then said,
"This child's surname is Lu, and his given name is Tongxing. He is my distant nephew. He was entrusted to me when he was young. Now that he has reached the age for cultivation, I asked the sect leader for help in finding a suitable master to take him under his wing and raise him. It seems that the sect leader has chosen you."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan's pupils contracted sharply.

He clenched his fist tightly, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, then slowly relaxed it, and asked Ji Hehe in his mind.

"Sect Leader, is this Sect Leader Lu?"

A sigh from Ji Hehe echoed in Cheng Xinzhan's mind.
"Yes."

"How did it come to this?"

Cheng Xinzhan found it hard to understand. The importance of a fourth-level cultivator to a sect was self-evident, especially for a vice sect leader who had been in charge of Jade Capital Peak for hundreds of years and had rich experience in emergency response. Precisely because of this, the sect had been extremely cautious in the cleansing of Sect Leader Lu's primordial spirit, sending him to the Three Pure Ones Grotto-Heaven immediately for direct intervention by immortals. It had taken decades in total, so how could it have ended up like this?
Ji Hehe's tone was low and somber.
"Duxing is too emotional. Two years ago, we assured him that we could completely erase the influence that Longhu Mountain had exerted on his primordial spirit without any mistakes, and then we awakened him. But, but, we never expected that the moment Duxing awoke, he realized that he had done something wrong, and that he had revealed a lot of the secrets of Longhu Mountain over the past few hundred years, including the ginseng fruit tree. He was overwhelmed with grief, shame and indignation, and the first thing he did after waking up was to dissolve his primordial spirit, only wishing for a quick death."

"What……"

Cheng Xinzhan was shocked. Although he had little contact with Master Lu, in his impression, Master Lu was a very kind person, caring towards the younger generation, and a benevolent elder. But why did such a person have to endure so many tragic events?
At that moment, it felt as if a huge rock was lodged in his chest, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"The immortals acted immediately, gathering his fragments of primordial spirit, and then stabilized his true spirit with great magic and immortal medicine, thus saving his life. However, the primordial spirit is a matter of life and death. His primordial spirit had just been shattered and cleansed, and after being pieced together, it had undergone dissolution and reshaping, causing great damage. The most crucial point was that his desire to die was too strong, so he lost a lot of memories and thoughts."

"Furthermore, the immortals feared that he might recall his past and have a self-destructive streak upon awakening, so they simply erased his memories of the seal. However, as you know, human memory is continuous, especially at the fourth realm of cultivation, where memories are as clear as turning the pages of a book. If there's a gap, it will definitely be detected. Therefore, to ensure no further mistakes, the immortals sealed off most of his remaining memories and suppressed his mind to the age of a child. They nurtured his will to live first, then allowed him to slowly reacquire his old memories. When he recalls that blank past on his own, his desire to die should have faded. Correspondingly, the immortals reshaped his physical body, transforming him into the size of a child, which is what you see now."

"Just now, we were discussing your Taoist name, which involved some scriptures. After he heard that, related memories were released. So from now on, you can teach him cultivation very quickly. The key is to show him the world and cultivate his will to survive."

"The reason you were chosen is because you are the youngest among the fourth and fifth realm cultivators in the sect. Moreover, your view of this world is different from ours; you love this world more. Perhaps under your tutelage, his will to survive will be stronger."

"Furthermore, I won't hide it from you, there's another reason. Duxing can only be taught by someone at the fourth realm or above, so that he can be brought back to the fourth realm as quickly as possible. His remaining lifespan won't last much longer. Right now, the other fourth and fifth realm cultivators in the sect are spending most of their energy and time on their own cultivation, and with a little bit of general affairs, they have no free time. Only you, we can't see where your limits are. Only you can manage the affairs of both the Pure Yang and Yuan Yin Palaces so easily. Therefore, the heavy responsibility of teaching Duxing can only be placed on you."

Cheng Xinzhan understood, and of course he wouldn't refuse. He nodded silently, and then asked again.
"Why did the cultivation level of Sect Leader Lu also drop so drastically?"

Ji Hehe explained,
"Du Xing's desire to die was too strong. When his primordial spirit dissipated, his nascent soul also withered rapidly. The immortal did his best to protect the primordial spirit, but could not take care of the nascent soul. By the time he was brought back to life, the nascent soul had already died. Fortunately, his golden core was of high quality and had a strong will to live, so the immortal transplanted it into his new body, preserving his cultivation at the third realm. From now on, when you teach him cultivation, you will have to teach him from scratch, teaching him how to use the power within his body."

"understood."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.

Both of them were powerful cultivators, and their communication via telepathy was incredibly fast. By the time Ji Hehe had explained the whole story to Cheng Xinzhan in detail, only a brief moment had passed. At this moment, a smile spread across his face. He stepped forward, knelt down, took the child's hand, and softly asked,

"The sect leader said he had a peerless fairy flower to offer me, and it turns out he was referring to Xiao Lu. I would be more than happy to have it. I wonder if Xiao Lu would be willing to cultivate with me?"

The child turned to look at Bai Lingzi, then turned back to look at Cheng Xinzhan carefully, and then nodded obediently.

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(End of this chapter)