Mythology

Chapter 288 Why Not Just Ask the Tongtian Sect Leader?
Yang He's expression was solemn; his sudden speculation was made without any evidence.

The decorations of the fishing village were completely different from those of later generations, yet there seemed to be a connection in some mysterious way, as if there was a hidden... eeriness.

pat.

Raindrops fall.

Yang He looked up at the sky. Thick dark clouds had spread out, and the sea breeze blowing in his face was getting stronger and stronger, making a whistling sound.

He opened his mouth and spat out a large number of eye worms, which swarmed towards the houses and deeper into the mountains and forests.

"I don't know how to get to Lü Yue's cave."

Yang He walked slowly toward the shore and noticed that many courtyards still had dried fish drying in the sun. Judging from the freshness of the dried fish, it was clear that there were still people in the fishing village ten days ago.

It's like having to leave temporarily due to an emergency.

Or did it simply vanish into thin air?
Yang He looked puzzled. He only found a dock on the outskirts of the shore, which was simply built of wooden planks.

There were no boats moored on the shore, and he stared blankly at the vast, boundless sea for a few moments.

The only unusual thing about the entire fishing village is the sea, where one's spiritual vision will slightly increase.

"coral?"

"Could it be related to the Tongtian Sect Leader?"

Yang He had faced the Tongtian Sect Leader directly. Although he hadn't seen the leader's body clearly, it was covered in coral and was enormous.

"This sect's story not only involves Kowloon Island, but may also be related to the Tongtian Sect Master's dojo, the legendary Biyou Palace."

"Well."

Yang He groaned, opened his eyes, and looked out at the mountains and forests.

Just ten miles outside the fishing village, the eyeworms died without warning, and countless skeletons lay scattered all around.

There are many human bones.

Yang He suspected that the villager had died ten miles away, and judging from the way he fell to the ground, he must have collapsed without any warning.

"Strange."

A continuous drizzle fell, and thick fog rose from the sea.

The eyeworm searched every nook and cranny and found several books in the thatched hut, which contained information about the Mountain and Sea Sacrifice.

The Mountain and Sea Festival does not have a specific time; it is mainly held on a day during the summer solstice.

Crash.

The rain poured down, and the sea breeze lashed against the fishing village.

Yang He hesitated slightly. If he continued to wait, he felt it would be difficult to gain anything in a short time, but he was unwilling to give up.

suddenly.

The frequency of spiritual vision growth has intensified.

Yang He was already used to focusing his attention on the increase in his spiritual vision, and could even use his spiritual vision to identify the source of the influence.

It's definitely not caused by evil spirits; it's more like... something that happens when you come into contact with a deity.

Yang He simply concealed his aura and stared intently at the mist.

After a while.

He saw a lone boat slowly approaching, but the boat was not the source of his spiritual vision. What caused the spiritual vision to become strange was actually the old man rowing the boat.

The old man's yang energy was dim; he wore a straw hat and raincoat, and was just an ordinary mortal.

However, the song he sang a cappella was somewhat unusual.

“The Jade Palace has fallen into the dark abyss, and the flesh crawls and knocks on the Jade Capital.”

"The robe, stained with the stench of the Dao, is shed; the eyes open to the abyss, the sword swallows the sound."

"The mirage swallows and spews starlight and foam, and ten thousand eyes peer at the name of chaos."

"Suddenly, I heard the madmen slaughtering themselves, and the sea and mountains collapsed at the end of Penglai."

Snapped.

A lone boat is moored at the dock.

The old man stood at the bow of the boat, surveying the fishing village, while tremblingly taking out a porcelain bottle. His exposed skin was covered with fine scales.

The cork at the bottle opening was removed, and two or three flying insects crawled out.

As soon as the flying insects disappeared into the fishing village, the vitality of life began to wane.

"Ugh"

The old man sighed, put away the porcelain bottle, and prepared to row away. His every move was strange, clearly indicating that he knew what had happened. "Old man, what should I call you?"

The old man was so frightened that his face turned pale and he almost collapsed into the sea.

He looked closely and found that a Taoist priest had appeared out of nowhere in front of him. He had three eyes, and flying insects were constantly flying around his mouth and nose.

"what!!"

Yang He jumped onto the lone boat, saying, "I am a disciple of Kowloon Island who has returned from an outing. Please give me a ride, sir. I'll give you plenty of money."

The old man was filled with doubt and suspicion, muttering to himself that it was impossible.

Seeing that Yang He meant no harm and that his imposing appearance was unlike that of an ordinary person, he hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "You... how come you're alright?"

"Tell me more, sir. I've been cultivating in a cave not far away for decades. When I woke up, I noticed that the village was completely deserted."

The old man clearly didn't trust Yang He, but he didn't dare to be negligent.

"Master, I have never been to the heart of Kowloon Island; I have only ever operated in the shallow waters!"

The old man gripped the long pole tightly, his knuckles turning white. Rain dripped from the edge of his straw hat, splashing onto the boat deck and leaving fine watermarks.

The rain began to subside.

Yang He sensed the old man's fear, as if there was some kind of taboo surrounding the weakening of the rain.

"Old man, I mean no harm. Just keep rowing the boat."

"Thank you... thank you, Immortal Master."

The old man dared not linger, letting the lone boat cut through the water and sail into the vast fog.

The mist, like gauze, clung to the hull of the boat, and the silence was so profound that only the gentle tapping of the waves on the wooden planks could be heard. Not even fish or shrimp could be seen in the sea.

"Old man, where did you get those words you recited earlier?"

The source of my spiritual growth was that seemingly plausible but actually misleading poem.

The old man shuddered, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the gunwale covered with a dense swarm of flying insects, their wings trembling and buzzing like a tidal wave.

His legs gave way and he knelt on the wet deck.

“Immortal Master, that is… the sacrificial text of the Mountain and Sea Sacrifice, passed down from our ancestors, said to ensure safe sailing.”

Yang He raised an eyebrow. "Are you from the village? What happened?"

"I...I don't know, Immortal Master, I have absolutely no idea!!!"

Yang He helped the old man up. The eye worm was parasitizing the old man's body, mainly to help stabilize his weak body. However, judging from the dimness of his yang fire, he would not live long even with miraculous medicine.

“Immortal Master, on the day they held the Mountain and Sea Festival, I went out to sea and encountered a storm that prevented me from returning to the village. By the time I got home, everyone was already gone.”

The old man became agitated at this point.

"Immortal Master, they're all dead! Everyone's dead!!"

"I have searched every village in the East China Sea, but none have escaped this fate. If you are truly a celestial master from Kowloon Island, please, I beg you, save us!"

Yang He looked up and saw that the rain had completely stopped.

Whom are you worshipping?

"saint!"

The old man spoke with fervor, “He is a saint who reigns supreme over the sea; the sea breeze is his eyes, the seawater is his blood, and the islands are his body…”

"The Master of Heaven." Yang He understood who the old man was referring to.

His face was beaming with an uncontrollable smile, and he began reciting a eulogy as if possessed.

"The Jade Palace has fallen into the dark abyss, crawling on its wrists, knocking on the Jade Capital. Its robes are stained with a foul stench, its eyes open to the abyss, its sword swallows its voice, a mirage..."

Amidst surging waves, the lone boat is pushed by the spray towards an unknown distance.

Yang He was in a daze, and the Nine Dragons Island Dharma Seal in his Niwan Palace flickered with a faint light.

He belatedly realized that the calm sea and turbulent waves were all illusions; the old man was lying in the cabin, and the stench of his corpse assaulted his senses.

It seemed as if I was constantly talking and communicating with the corpse.

The body's knees were sunken, indicating that it had been kneeling for a long time before its death.

"The entire ocean... is part of the Tongtian Sect Master."

"Why bother searching far and wide for Lü Yue's cave when you can master the Nine Refinements Gu Insect Technique?"

"Why not just ask the Tongtian Sect Leader directly?"

(End of this chapter)