Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 227 The Wooden Man Who Transmits the Dharma
Song Yan frowned, turned around, and looked at Wang Ke.

His eyes held a hint of disbelief.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, what was the name of the game recorded in the golden pages of this chess manual?"

Wang Ke was still lying on the ground, and he was somewhat puzzled when he heard Song Yan's question.

"Hmm?" He waved the chess manual in his hand. "You mean this?"

"Correct."

“It’s called… ‘The Five Stars Grasp the Pulse and Change the Bright Diagram’.”

Song Yan pondered, how could the name of this chess manual's golden page be so similar to the name of the method for cultivating divine consciousness in the Spirit Transformation Chapter?

Wang Ke glanced at the pages of the book in his hand, then at Song Yan.

He said, "The game recorded in this score does not resemble a game, nor is it one of the twenty-four ancient game scores I wanted to collect."

"If Fellow Daoist Song is interested, I will give it to you."

It's clear that Wang Ke has little interest in it.

He handed the ancient score and gold pages to Song Yan, and then set up the last game of chess he had played with Yuan Zhen during the final match.

Song Yan glanced at Wang Ke's retreating figure and put the ancient golden pages into his Qiankun bag.

"Thank you."

Wang Ke waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to worry: "I can leave at any time. Just call me when you're ready."

He then focused his attention back on the game of chess in front of him.

Song Yan left Wang Ke's residence.

When he returned to his own courtyard, he found Xiao Ju standing outside, looking around.

"Senior Song."

"What's wrong? Why are you standing outside?"

Xiao Ju replied softly, "Your two old friends from the Wu family have come to visit. To avoid any impoliteness, I have already welcomed them inside. Xiao He is currently entertaining them. I was just about to go to Brother Wang's place to call you."

It must be Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng; I never expected them to come to visit today.

"Is Xiaohe entertaining guests?"

never heard of that.

As Song Yan walked towards the attic, she tried her best to imagine Xiao He politely serving the two guests pastries.

Unfortunately, people cannot imagine scenes they have never seen.

Attic tea room.

When Song Yan brought Xiao Ju in, Xiao He was making tea for two guests.

"This is Yan Yan's favorite and most expensive spiritual tea. Please have a taste."

She stuffed her entire hand into the tea bag, scooped out a handful, and stuffed quite a bit into the cups in front of Wu Huaguo and Rong Xiaofeng.

After spilling the tea, they rubbed their little hands on the cup to rub the tea leaves stuck to their hands into it.

The couple looked at her from behind with a half-smile, and Song Yan suddenly lifted Xiao He up from behind.

"Hey?"

Snake Baby turned around and saw a familiar face.

"Hey, hehe..." she said somewhat guiltily, "People come here specifically to play with you, don't, don't be so stingy."

Song Yan took the small packet of spiritual tea from her hand: "Let's go out and play."

"Oh."

It responded, transformed into a small snake, and quickly escaped, wrapping its arms around Xiao Ju's hand before leaving the tea room.

Song Yan glanced at the small bag; the already limited amount of spiritual tea was now almost gone.

This was a gift from a junior sister in the sect when she visited me after the Sword-Touching Tournament; it was a specialty from her hometown.

This spiritual tea tastes completely different from other spiritual teas, with a refreshing and sweet aftertaste.

Rong Xiaofeng noticed Song Yan's subtle expression as he stared at the empty tea bag and couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

He cleared his throat lightly: "Fellow Daoist Song likes spiritual tea?"

"When Guo'er first took over as the head of the Wu family, an elder in the clan who was an expert in tea ceremony sent some spiritual tea. It just so happens that my husband and I don't drink this kind of thing, so I sent a servant to deliver it to us."

Song Yan placed the tea bag on the table and shook her head: "No need, no need..."

"Fellow Daoist Song, please don't stand on ceremony with us." Wu Huaguo suddenly said, "That demonic monk Yuanzhen almost skinned me alive, pulled out my tendons, and refined my essence blood. If you hadn't intervened, I would be rotting by now."

Wu Huaguo also had a strong heart. He had just escaped death that day, but came down the mountain unharmed and continued to direct and arrange the follow-up matters of the Yidao Conference as usual.

I simply treated it as witnessing a spectacular magical duel up close on the mountain.

All I can say is that this person certainly has the demeanor of a head of household.

The three chatted and laughed.

For Song Yan, it was truly invaluable to encounter two equally sincere people when he first started out.

During their conversation, Rong Xiaofeng and Wu Huaguo exchanged a glance.

Before Yuanzhen died, in order to beg Song Yan to spare him, he said that Wu Huaguo had a treasure on him.

You must understand, something that would be coveted by Buddhist cultivators in the Central Region could not possibly be an ordinary treasure.

However, Song Yan had no intention of holding back at the time, and now he never mentions the matter again, which makes the two of them admire him even more.

In fact, Song Yan didn't take this matter to heart at all.

After all, who in the cultivation world doesn't have a few secrets?

If he had to uncover the secrets of everyone he knew, what would be the point of practicing swordsmanship?

The couple's purpose in visiting him was simple: to express their gratitude for saving their lives.

They sent some versatile spiritual items and resources, as well as five hundred spirit stones.

This was a considerable resource for the two of them, but Wu Huaguo didn't feel the slightest bit heartache.

When a person dies, everything is gone.

Song Yan accepted everything without question. He had a good relationship with the two of them, so there was no need for false politeness; it would only make him seem pretentious.

"Fellow Daoist Song, won't you stay a few more days?"

"No, I will escort Fellow Daoist Wang Ke to the capital of Chu tomorrow at noon."

"Very well, have a safe journey. When you pass through Beiya Mountain, please be sure to visit my residence for a cup of tea."

"must."

After seeing the couple off, Song Yan went into the training room alone.

Actually, it wouldn't have been impossible to leave today.

Firstly, the battle with Yuanzhen had taken a toll on him, and he hadn't had time to catch his breath. Secondly, leaving immediately would be too hasty, unlike Liang Feng, who had no other commitments.

Perfect timing, let's sort through the spoils we've taken from Yuanzhen.

Yuanzhen's storage artifact was not a Qiankun bag, but a wooden fish.

This is something he only discovered after struggling for a long time.

However, to Song Yan's disappointment, the wooden fish contained very few spirit stones.

There was only one mid-grade spirit stone and forty or fifty low-grade spirit stones, totaling around one hundred and seventy or eighty.

He had originally thought that everyone in the Central Region was wealthy, but it seems that this is not always the case.

What he didn't know was that Yuanzhen's cultivation had been stripped by the head monk of Jingye Temple, and all his belongings had been confiscated.

This wooden fish was secretly given to him by a young novice monk who was close to him before he was expelled from the Zen temple.

Furthermore, he needs to rebuild his magical power, which will consume a large amount of spiritual resources.

Naturally, not much will be left.

In addition, there were some magical artifacts among the wooden fish that he hadn't had time to sell, perhaps taken from other cultivators. Song Yan glanced at them a few times, but found none of them interesting, so he sorted them out one by one, keeping only a small protective mirror and a delicate white flying sword, intending to give them to Xiao Ju later.

The rest, once we get to Chu Du, we'll find a market nearby and sell them all for spirit stones.

We're about to start laying the foundation, and it's good if we can make the foundation even a little bit solid.

In addition, the wooden fish also contained some materials from the monsters, as well as two demon cores.

One of them, Song Yan recognized, was the heart essence of the ape demon, which could be used to refine medicine.

As for the demon core, he naturally left it for Xiao He.

Song Yan sorted everything out into categories, leaving only two items.

A toy figurine and a Buddhist scripture.

The toy figure seemed to be a small wooden doll, and it felt cool to the touch.

The wooden figure is about three inches tall, with a dull gold color all over its body, and many fine cracks on its surface, indicating that it has weathered countless years.

The doll sits cross-legged, with its hands forming the lotus mudra in front of its abdomen, and nine small dots on its head symbolizing ordination scars.

This wooden figure has no eyes, nose, mouth, or ears; it has no face.

But every joint in the body is complete, and even the five fingers are delicate and distinct. With a slight movement, it feels lifelike and quite agile.

"What is this?"

I suffered from my lack of knowledge again.

Yuanzhen's various miscellaneous items were all quite valuable, except for this one, which he couldn't quite see the value in.

Could it be some kind of treasure used as a substitute?

His first thought was of the scapegoat puppet he had once seen in the Earth Treasure Vault.

In his view, if it wasn't, then it might be something like a shapeshifting puppet.

In short, let's try refining it first.

A wisp of spiritual energy entered it, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, without any reaction.

After a moment's thought, Song Yan separated a wisp of divine consciousness and placed it on the top of the wooden figure's head.

In that instant, he suddenly felt a tremendous attraction coming from him, and his consciousness was being drawn by something!
This feeling was familiar to him; it was the same when he first entered the Yin-Yang Realm.

He allowed his consciousness to be drawn in by the suction force.

He remained conscious, but the scene before him suddenly changed.

At this moment, Song Yan's surroundings had turned into a void.

Above the vast sky, six sharp golden beams of light descended like stars, each containing a completely different power.

It possesses a restrained and subtle quality, with its sharpness concealed within.

It also possesses a majestic and imposing presence, like cutting through jade and dividing gold.

"This……"

Song Yan gazed into the distance and saw a young-looking monk sitting cross-legged, suspended in the sky.

Despite the raging winds, the monk's robes only fluttered slightly.

His eyes were closed, his hands formed a lotus mudra, and his brows were furrowed.

Just as Song Yan was wondering, he suddenly heard the monk sigh deeply, and Song Yan was even infected by his sorrowful mood.

"Having observed the sword for a hundred years, I have only glimpsed a glimpse of emptiness; how clumsy

The monk was clearly very far away, yet his voice seemed as clear as if it were right next to my ear.

At the same time, the six beams of spiritual light falling in front of Song Yan suddenly transformed into golden runes, which swirled and converged in the air, vaguely forming the shape of a scripture.

At the same time, the figure of the little wooden figure appeared between the six sword lights.

The wooden figure moves slowly, sometimes waving its arms, sometimes forming hand seals, and sometimes flipping its five fingers.

Its movements became faster and faster, so fast that it left afterimages that Song Yan could not see it clearly.

He was about to concentrate on looking at it, trying to understand its mysteries, when his consciousness was suddenly jolted.

hum-

An invisible resistance suddenly descended, as if a thin veil had been placed over his eyes, making it impossible for him to truly see the wooden figure's movements and the scriptures floating in the sky, no matter how hard he tried to concentrate his divine sense.

At the same time, the spiritual energy and sword energy around him began to stir restlessly.

Beneath the Zhendao Sword Mansion, sword energy surged and dissipated uncontrollably.

Within the meridians, spiritual energy surged in reverse, causing a faint stinging sensation.

A tremendous repulsive force came, and Song Yan's consciousness was repelled from that void by some inexplicable power.

"call--"

He quickly adjusted his breathing, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

After circulating the Qi Condensation Technique and properly regulating his breathing for half an hour, the discomfort caused by the uncontrolled flow of sword energy and spiritual power gradually disappeared.

Emerging from his meditative state, Song Yan slowly opened his eyes and looked at the wooden puppet sitting quietly in front of him.

He took a deep breath, thinking to himself, "Could this be a 'wooden mannequin'?"

Although he had never seen the actual object anywhere, the scene and the scripture felt somewhat familiar to him.

The Complete Record of Immortal Customs contains several strange and wonderful stories.

It is said that in the world of cultivation, there were people who obtained extraordinary opportunities and inherited unparalleled skills, and from then on, their path to immortality flourished and they rose to great heights.

It mentions several items called "things for transmitting the Dharma".

Those are special magical artifacts used in the cultivation world to pass on cultivation techniques and secret arts. They are usually crafted by high-level cultivators to preserve core inheritances or secret supernatural abilities.

The items used for transmitting the Dharma are mostly made by large sects and given to their core disciples for study and comprehension.

Some are crafted by high-level rogue cultivators and hidden in caves or ruins, awaiting a destined person. These kinds of treasures for transmitting teachings often test the inheritor's comprehension or character.

For example, the scroll of transmission recorded in the Records of Local Customs uses a realistic and illusory painting to convey the cultivation method. Only by relying on their own high level of comprehension to decipher the mystery in the painting can the cultivator inherit it.

For example, the sound cultivation tradition of cracking mechanisms through specific musical notes, and even the sword tablet inside the Yin-Yang Pearl can be considered a kind of transmission of teachings.

The one in front of me is just a wooden figure.

The inherited items can not only show practitioners the full picture of the scriptures, Taoist arts, supernatural powers and secret methods, but can even reflect the understanding of this Tao by some of the people who transmit the teachings.

Very precious.

However, Song Yan had some guesses as to why he was ultimately unable to comprehend the profound mysteries within.

It's likely that his spiritual sense is barely sufficient, but his cultivation level is far from adequate. Forcing himself to comprehend it will only cause both his sword energy and spiritual power to go out of control, posing a risk of backlash and death.

That's why the puppeteer drove him out.

This can be considered a form of protection for those who practice Taoist arts.

He guessed that the minimum requirement for cultivating this method was the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The reason is also very simple.

Since visiting the Sword Sect ruins, and combining this with his previous observations and experiences, Song Yan had a vague feeling about something.

In the Central Region or in ancient sects like the Sword Sect, "Foundation Building" is generally the starting point for cultivating immortality.

Sword Sect members are not allowed to leave their homes until they reach the Foundation Establishment stage, and the Thousand Pill Formulas are compiled starting with the "lowest-grade" Foundation Establishment Pill.

All signs indicate that cultivators at the Qi Refining stage are not considered to be of much importance.

Unlike places like Chu, where people in the mid-stage of Qi Refining could already travel down the mountain and be treated as immortal masters by mortals.

Therefore, Song Yan had actually speculated that Wang Ke might also be a Foundation Establishment cultivator whose cultivation had been sealed.

However, this cannot be verified.

This secret technique must have been brought from the Central Region by Yuanzhen, and it would take at least until one reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, or even higher, to learn it.

Before I even had a chance to cultivate, Song Yan benefited from it.

(End of this chapter)