The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 288 Soaring Through the Clouds
Dust haze, or condensation nuclei.

Ding Lin's thoughts drifted across the sea, an endless world of water, thankfully with a few mountain peaks rising above the surface.

Indeed, the foundation of creation—earth, water, wind, and fire—is indispensable.

Ding Lin seemed to be deep in thought. With a thought, a huge rock rose from the mountain where the lotus flowers swayed at the junction of the mountainside and the water's edge. It then flew up into the clouds and exploded, scattering into countless invisible dust particles.

The steam in the air finally found a place to rest, and Ding Lin didn't need to do anything else. A few moments later, a few white clouds were embedded in the azure blue.

Just as those clouds took shape, a "whoosh" sound came from the soul level. In the inner world, another chain emerged from the void, extending forward and ending in the void. This time, without any surprises, the chain did not collapse but solidified.

This chain extends slightly lower than the previous one.

Laws also have hierarchy; clouds are, after all, merely a derivative of water. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call the law of cloud formation a lower-level law of water.

This is the second law that Ding Lin has mastered, but it is also the first law that he has actually comprehended. The previous law, which he used to advance to the Golden Immortal realm and represented the calm side of water, was inherited from his bloodline and was a completely different path. Therefore, a completely new understanding naturally reappeared in his mind.

Comprehending the laws is not something that can be achieved simply by observing and "learning". Take Cheng Yun for example. The so-called clouds follow the dragon, and the wind follows the tiger. The ability to summon clouds and rain is an innate supernatural power of the dragon race. They don't even need to be true dragons. As long as they belong to the dragon family, they can be naturally close to it. They can summon a few drops of rain from many water veins, rivers, lakes and cauldrons in the Yuan Shen realm.

They know how to do it, but they only know how to do it. They know what it is, but not why it is. The understanding of the law is not only about knowing how to do it, but also about thoroughly understanding and implementing it. It is like a precise experiment. From the principle to the final result, every step must be clear and every step is indispensable. Only in this way can the paper be recognized and resonate with the law, and then manifest in the inner world, and be completely transformed into one's own use.

Next, Ding Lin did the same thing, and soon in the inner cave, right next to the clouds, another chain formed – it was mist.

Thus, just a few days after achieving the Golden Immortal realm, Ding Lin possessed two more laws, bringing his total to three. All three laws were of the water element and were related to clouds and mist, complementing each other. They could be integrated into one of the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang. With both of them, he naturally achieved the supernatural ability of riding the clouds and mist.

Ding Lin opened his eyes, and with a thought, countless wisps of cloud and mist appeared in the room, concealing him within them.

These variations are mysterious and can replace the escape light. Of course, traveling by cloud-riding is not very fast; it just provides another option, but its effect is not significant.

The true essence of this supernatural power lies in concealment, transforming into the clouds and mist. Every wisp of cloud and every strand of mist can be the main body. As long as the clouds and mist do not dissipate, one remains invincible. In essence, this is a supernatural power that is more inclined towards defense.

Furthermore, when your opponent enters the fog, since you have transformed into the fog, his every move will naturally be under your control. The enemy is in the light, and you are in the dark. You can attack or defend, just like now.

As the room filled with mist, a familiar presence suddenly appeared in his senses. It was right outside the main hall, right next to the threshold. After concealing its presence, it simply used an invisibility spell, or perhaps it could be called spying. But at such a close distance, it was blatant and extremely confident, as if it was certain that Ding Lin would not be able to detect it—the Stone Monkey.

Ding Lin's consciousness fluctuated slightly.

"Go! Go!" the stone monkey shouted, waving his sleeves to disperse the sudden gust of rain that made his fur tremble. He knew that Ding Lin had noticed him, but looking around, all he could see was the mist filling the room; he felt nothing else. "What kind of trick is this? It's quite amazing! Heh! I, Old Sun, underestimated you, you mudfish. I've fallen for your trick before I knew it!"

Ding Lin emerged from the clouds, his face ashen: "I should be asking the Great Sage this question. I have not offended the Great Sage, yet the Great Sage first trespassed into my residence, then eavesdropped on my conversation, and then spied on my cultivation. Now he speaks so frivolously and doesn't seem to care at all. I wonder what the Great Sage intends to do?"

"Hey!" The stone monkey chuckled, revealing two canine teeth in a forced smile. "We've been acquainted for a while now. How come you've become so bold after just becoming a Golden Immortal? You're no longer the same person who was immobilized by me, Old Sun. You actually dare to question me, Old Sun. Do you think you can now challenge me? I can enter your mansion whenever I want, without needing any reason. It seems you haven't learned your lesson and want me to teach you a lesson again. Fine, you're a Golden Immortal now, you won't be beaten to death with a few blows."

A flash of light appeared in the stone monkey's palm, and with a shake, the golden cudgel was in his hand. Suddenly, he held the cudgel horizontally and pointed it at Ding Lin.

Naked malice is not concealed.

The stone monkey disliked Ding Lin. Ever since witnessing the seven fairies' protection of Ding Lin at their farewell ceremony, he had been resentful of Ding Lin. So, he casually made up a few words, found an excuse, and was about to take action to teach Ding Lin a lesson.

With a thought, Ding Lin's figure formed from clouds and mist dissipated. The golden cudgel stirred in the room, clearing away the clouds and mist, but in reality, it did not cause Ding Lin any harm.

The next moment, the stone monkey suddenly felt a chill on the back of his head. He swung his golden cudgel horizontally, and with a crisp clang, a celestial weapon longsword emerged from the side, about to pierce his back, but was blocked by the golden cudgel. The stone monkey understood what was happening. He turned around and blew out a long breath. A gust of evil wind swirled and parted the clouds behind him.

However, the clouds and fog are unpredictable, and Ding Lin can intentionally guide them, so they disperse on one side and gather again on the other.

After blowing away the clouds behind him, the stone monkey sensed something again. He pointed his golden cudgel at the top of his head, and half of the blade extended out, colliding with the staff once more.

They went back and forth like this for about ten rounds.

Ding Lin had only recently mastered the transformation of soaring through the clouds, and his magical power was weaker than that of the stone monkey. He had only comprehended three laws, which was inferior to the stone monkey's mastery of the Seventy-Two Transformations of Earth and Water, with the four laws of earth, water, wind, and fire protecting him. He was only able to entangle with the stone monkey by relying on the profoundness of the transformation of soaring through the clouds.

The stone monkey, unable to hit its target for a long time, naturally realized something was amiss. Suddenly, it stopped, as if it had become the eye of a storm, with countless gusts of wind shooting out from the pores of its body, clearing away all the surrounding clouds and mist.

"Great Sage, perhaps you can speak properly now." Ding Lin's figure flashed and he appeared in the main seat of the main hall.

"A mere trick, using clouds and mist to conceal oneself, a coward who hides his head and shows his tail." The stone monkey showed disdain, but this exchange also made him realize that Ding Lin was no longer the ignorant fool he once was, at least not someone he could easily defeat. He put away his staff, only his words remained defiant, but his actions showed no intention of continuing the fight. "What do you want to say to me?"

"Great Sage, you haven't answered me yet. What brings you to my residence?" Ding Lin asked again. "Hmph!" The stone monkey sneered, looking at Ding Lin with a mocking smile. "You don't think your actions are so secretive that you can fool the heavenly soldiers and generals, but you actually want to play tricks right under my nose, do you? So many peaches, everyone says I, Old Sun, steal peaches ruthlessly, but you didn't hold back at all when you started. What, do you think I didn't notice anything just because I left?"

Ding Lin's eyes flickered.

“You are very bold. You are a monster born in the mortal realm. You will seize any opportunity and have a ruthless streak in your bones. But why did you choose to steal at this time, and steal so many peaches at once? Do you dare to say that you didn’t intend to frame me, Old Sun?” the stone monkey said again.

Ding Lin remained silent for a while.

“Since the Great Sage has arrived long ago, he should have heard what I just said to my subordinate. I didn’t frame the Great Sage for this matter; rather, I used the mutiny to pin the blame on my other subordinate,” Ding Lin said calmly.

"If that weren't the case, why do you think I, Old Sun, haven't taken any action? Do you really think I, Old Sun, am easy to bully? It's your duty to report the truth. Although I'm not happy, I did eat those peaches, so I won't blame you. But if you think I'm a fool and that you can pin anything on me, then you're sorely mistaken!"

“I, Old Sun, have eaten so many peaches. Even if you report it, I will be fine. But you have stolen them from your own turf…” A cold smile appeared on the stone monkey’s lips.

Is it...

A sudden inspiration struck Ding Lin, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Why do you think I was assigned here? What kind of logic is it to have a monkey guarding a peach orchard? Although I don't know why, these peaches were deliberately delivered right to my mouth, for me, Old Sun, to eat. It's laughable that all your predecessors, except for the woman in red at the beginning, who had some sincerity and could be loyal to her duty, the rest all treated me like a fool. Why do you think they were demoted or given sinecures? Whether they were high-ranking or low-ranking officials, they were all incredibly audacious. It's one thing for that Golden Immortal to take a hundred or two, but those two little immortals even dared to steal a few. They're all dishonest, and they all want to pin it on me. How could I possibly help them settle accounts?" the stone monkey said.

"What does the Great Sage intend to do?" Ding Lin asked. Now, his cultivation and laws were inferior to the stone monkey. He could only barely keep up with the stone monkey by relying on his ability to ride the clouds. Apart from his pale words, he really had no good way to deal with the stone monkey.

"If I, Old Sun, were to make a move, do you think you'd still be standing here, talking to me properly?" The stone monkey's face showed disdain. "Indeed, all crows are black. Those who serve in the Heavenly Court are all black-hearted. However, as long as you don't involve me, I'll just enjoy my own life and won't bother with your meddlesome affairs!"

"Then... Jin, I thank the Great Sage in advance." Ding Lin's expression remained unchanged, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking, but outwardly, he bowed slightly to the stone monkey.

There is no such thing as the Great Sage Who Balances Accounts.

Nobody is a fool. Even if you have too many lice and don't feel the itch, or too many debts and don't worry about them, it won't affect you at all. But who would be so noble as to willingly take on someone else's burdens and blame for nothing?

However, the stone monkey's words gave Ding Lin more confidence. He had taken more, but the previous Golden Immortal had also taken more than a hundred. Regardless of the quantity, they were the same in nature.

Now that he's a Golden Immortal, he might be punished more severely because of the enormous amount involved, but it shouldn't be too severe.

Admittedly, the peaches of immortality are extremely precious, but ultimately, their greatest effect is only to prolong life, which is aimed at those below the Golden Immortal level. The preciousness of these peaches is actually quite exaggerated, as they are only geared towards the lower and middle levels. For the higher-ups in the Heavenly Court above the Golden Immortal level, the peaches of immortality are only good for satisfying their appetites, in addition to replenishing their magical power.

Therefore, the Golden Immortal who took one or two hundred peaches was only reassigned to a sinecure. This was more of a punishment for his attitude and behavior than for the peaches themselves. However, the other immortals were directly demoted to the lower realm, their fate uncertain. Peaches are extremely important to their level. They were originally meant to be centrally allocated and used as a gift at the Peach Banquet, but they dared to take them without permission. Naturally, they would be severely punished.

"Although I won't interfere with you, you've stolen so much. Even if you've become a Golden Immortal now, if you're discovered, you probably won't get any good jobs for the next ten thousand years. Judging by the time, the immortal officials who are inspecting Yaochi will be here in the next few days. You'd better think carefully about how to explain yourself."

The stone monkey gloated. After speaking, he leaped up and disappeared from the small building. It was unknown what kind of mysterious change had led to his ability to ignore the restrictions.

Ding Lin activated the Cloud Riding Transformation, filling the entire small building with clouds and mist. After confirming that the stone monkey had completely left, he sat down in the main seat of the main hall. Having gone through this ordeal, he decided not to withdraw the clouds and mist. He curled his right index finger and unconsciously tapped the back of his hand behind his back.

Even if he couldn't hide it any longer, being transferred to a sinecure wouldn't matter. He had already planned to process everything properly for the next period of time, and he had to completely transform all the accumulations from his previous life before his heart could be at peace.

But ultimately, this kind of handling is just his own speculation. The specifics still depend on what happens from above. Perhaps it can be covered up, or perhaps the punishment will be severe. Before it is actually implemented, speculation is just speculation. Who can say for sure?

Ding Lin stared blankly, deep in thought.

After a while, he straightened up, reached out and pulled a book of brocade from the corner of the table, unfolded it, laid it flat on the table, and then infused it with his magic power to slowly grind the spiritual ink beside him. He took a magic brush, dipped it in the thick ink, and began to write a memorial.

……

One day later.

Xin Jia was inspecting the Peach Garden. Although he was only acting as the head of the group, he was still wearing a red cloak that symbolized his leadership.

Life is going well.

How long can this smugness last?
Xin Jia raised his head.

A white cloud seemed to drift in from the horizon.

(End of this chapter)