Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 356 Viewing Mountains and Seas

This jade slip has a warm and smooth feel to it, and the patterns carved on it are extremely simple and ancient, indicating that it has been around for a long time.

At that time, in Xinshan's cave, Song Yan glanced at it casually and decided to take it back.

Its content is about monsters and mythical beasts.

The word choice, sentence structure, and writing style felt very familiar to Song Yan.

Many years ago, at the Lingyuanze Night Market, he bought a book from Shao Sichao's bookstall called "Complete Record of Immortal Customs".

It was a book that described all sorts of strange and wonderful stories in this world of cultivation, and recorded many mysterious legends from all over the world.

The complete biography of immortals and their customs at that time was unsigned, and we do not know who the author was or what their name was.

However, judging from the writing style, the content of this jade slip is very similar to it.

Therefore, Song Yan speculated that perhaps these two works were written by the same person.

Within this jade slip, there is a short opening section that mainly explains why this classic text was compiled.

At the end of this opening section, a name is left.

Liang Ze Sanren.

Song Yan had never heard of this name before, which was perfectly normal.

In the world of cultivation, everyone is most concerned about cultivation techniques, Taoist arts, or elixirs and weapon crafting.

Even if some people enjoy reading these strange tales, they usually just flip through them casually in their spare time and rarely pay special attention to the editor's name.

Song Yan immersed his divine sense into it and examined it closely.

As he casually read a few lines, a sense of natural beauty enveloped him.

There are no obscure cultivation techniques or incantations, no Taoist formulas for circulating spiritual energy, and no relentless pursuit of cultivation realms.

The opening is a self-narration that reads like a casual conversation between old friends.

"When I was young, I would gaze at the stars and often think about how vast the universe is. As a young man, I traveled and was always amazed by the wonders of the mountains and rivers."

"People are eager for the path to immortality and compete for the highest level of magical power, but I, Liang, am of little talent and shallow learning and have no great ambition. I only love the beauty and spirit of every blade of grass, every tree, every insect and every beast in this world."

"Drinking the morning dew on the summit of the eastern mountain, listening to the cries of monkeys in the western ravine at dusk. Wind, flowers, snow, moon, birds, beasts, insects, and fish can all be teachers and friends, and can all comfort one's life."

"The Great Dao is formless, or it may be hidden within a mustard seed. Why bother searching for it in the alchemical furnace?"

Song Yan watched intently; this Liang Ze Sanren's interests were completely different from those of most cultivators he knew.

Between the lines flows a sense of detachment from worldly affairs and a sincere love for humanity and nature.

He didn't talk about realms or supernatural powers, but only about his observation and love for all things in heaven and earth. This pure mind touched Song Yan.

It's as if, through these words, one can vaguely see a free and unrestrained figure wandering among mountains and rivers.

As Song Yan continued reading, he learned that "Viewing Mountains and Seas" was the most unique of Liang Zesanren's many works.

What makes it special is not just that it depicts monsters from this world.

According to Liang Zesanren's description, in the era he lived in, the relationship between humans and demons was far from the clear-cut boundaries and mutual wariness it is today.

Powerful demons occupy the sacred mountains and marshes, while weak spirits dwell in the forests and streams, often interspersed with the settlements of human cultivators.

Although there are frictions, most of the time they keep to themselves and even respect each other and share resources.

In fact, many cultivators know or have heard of a legendary sacred land of the demon race somewhere in this world.

That is, between mountains and sea.

Legends about it occasionally circulate among cultivators, full of mystery, and it is regarded as the ancestral home of the demon race.

Liang Ze Sanren is clearly not one of those people who are "heard of".

He then shifted his focus, recounting a bizarre experience with a touch of pride and emotion.

He said he had been to the mountains and the sea.

Whether it's bragging or not, even if this person is fabricated, Song Yan wants to see what kind of story he'll create about the mountains and seas.

According to him, the place between mountains and seas is elusive and difficult to find; ordinary cultivators simply cannot find a way to reach it.

Liang Ze Sanren wrote in the jade slip that he was able to glimpse the beautiful scenery between the mountains and the sea entirely thanks to his close friend "Feng Huai".

This friend, Feng Huai, was a great demon with an open-minded personality and unfathomable cultivation whom he met while traveling through the beautiful mountains and rivers of the world.

They became close friends because of their shared fascination with the ways of nature.

Liang Ze did not know what level Feng Huai was at or how old he was, nor had he mentioned these things to Feng Huai.

Neither of them cared; they became close friends simply because they shared similar interests.

The saying goes, "High mountains and flowing water seek a kindred spirit." Good mountains and waters are easy to find in this world, but a kindred spirit is hard to find.

Knowing that his friend loved mountains and rivers, Feng Huai, who was about to leave the mainland one year, surprisingly suggested that he could take Liang Ze to visit the mountains and seas.

This made Liang Ze extremely happy.

The mountains and seas are so mysterious; to be able to see them in one's lifetime would be worth dying for.

However, allowing him to enter does not mean that he will know where the mountains and seas are located.

Therefore, the process of entering into it was a huge ordeal for Liang Ze Sanren.

Feng Huai used a spiritual object belonging to their demon race to seal Liang Ze's five senses and six perceptions.

The text describes how, "When this object is brought close, its light instantly shifts, heaven and earth are reversed, and all things vanish! The eyes cannot see, the ears cannot hear, the nose cannot smell, the mouth cannot speak, the body cannot feel, and even the mind becomes much slower."

"It was as if I had sunk into a chaotic void, unaware of the passage of time, and disoriented. Only a wisp of Feng Huai's divine consciousness accompanied me."

Only then did they take him to the mountains and seas, and this correspondence lasted for five years.

For five whole years, Liang Ze Sanren waited in this state, having lost control of everything, supported only by a wisp of divine thought from his close friend Feng Huai and his intense curiosity about the mountains and seas.

This almost torture-like method made Song Yan gasp, and at the same time, he felt sincere admiration for Liang Ze Sanren's strong will and his persistent pursuit of knowledge.

People often say that those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.

Even when dealing with family members, this kind of action, which is tantamount to handing over one's entire life and fortune to the other party, is extremely dangerous.

However, Liang Ze Sanren thus handed himself over to a demon.

Perhaps it was this pure heart and absolute trust that enabled Liang Ze Sanren and the demon cultivators to become close friends.

Feng Huai did not disappoint his trust and expectations.

"Then one day, a sudden clarity appeared in my mind, like ripples on water. The feeling of being shrouded in mist receded like the tide, and my five senses and six consciousnesses returned to normal, as if I were reborn! When I opened my eyes, the world was no longer the same as yesterday..."

When the illusion was finally lifted, the scene that unfolded before Liang Ze Sanren was one he would never forget.

This seems to be another world altogether.

The mountains rise majestically, otherworldly scenery, some like emeralds, others tinged with golden hues. Waterfalls and springs cascade down from the heavens, rainbows span across the landscape, and a mystical aura pervades the air.

Ancient trees reach for the sky, and fireflies flicker among their leaves, all transformed from the essence of life.

Exotic flowers and rare herbs are everywhere, their fragrance filling the air and making one feel refreshed and invigorated.

The little demons and spirits in the forest roamed and played, each with its own unique form—some majestic, some agile, and some endearingly clumsy—all devoid of any ferocity.

This is the sacred land of the demon race, nestled between mountains and seas. Liang Ze emphasized that Feng Huai's position was crucial to his ability to live peacefully here and even be relatively accepted by the demon race.

According to him, there are many demon races in the mountains and seas, among which three major races jointly rule the mountains and seas and are known as the Lords of the Mountains and Seas.

Shaomeng Mountain, where Feng Huai is located, is one of the three domain lords.

And he was none other than the young master of the mountain.

Feng Huai held a prestigious position in the mountains and seas, and his introduction ensured that Liang Ze Sanren, a human, was not seen as a threat and was not expelled.

What's even more surprising is that Liang Ze Sanren himself is "non-aggressive" and his love for nature quickly won the favor of many small monsters.

"Most of the demons I have encountered here are pure of heart, especially the young demons."

"Most of them have never set foot on human territory, and they are full of curiosity about me as a 'human'."

“Often three or five little demons, transformed into human-shaped children with fluffy animal ears and bushy little tails, would sit around the gnarled roots of an ancient tree, listening to me tell stories of the human world.”

For a little demon who has never been to the human world, being born and raised here naturally makes it long for the human world.

Liang Ze's arrival was like opening the door to a new world.

The more Song Yan looked at Liang Zesanren, the more he felt that this senior was extraordinary.

Although he himself mostly glossed over his arrival in the mountains and seas and his encounter with the demon race.

But Song Yan knew that going from being an outsider to being accepted by the monsters was not that simple.

Keep reading.

Liang Ze Sanren quickly became friends with many of the local demons, telling them many interesting stories and anecdotes he had collected about the human world.

In return, these little monsters became Liang Ze's best guides and sources of information.

The monsters led him to explore hidden valleys, climb strange peaks, and visit adult monsters with different personalities, but most of them were gentle.

For Liang Zesanren, who loves exploring the world, this is truly a perfect fit.

Although he wasn't a particularly skilled artist, when he felt something in his heart, he couldn't help but draw.

When encountering a monster with an unusual appearance and unique personality, one would draw it with the monster's permission.

Liang Ze Sanren would also carefully observe and record the habits of some monsters he had spent a long time with.

For example, what are their preferences, what type of residence do they like, and whether they are quiet or active.

Occasionally, there are records of their unique sorcery or innate supernatural abilities, but these are only mentioned briefly.

Day after day, year after year, Liang Ze Sanren immersed himself in the wondrous life amidst the mountains and seas for about thirty years.

The space between mountains and seas is vast, like a unique world, so he dared not say that he had seen the entirety of the space between mountains and seas, but his brush and jade slips had accumulated a great deal of information.

He meticulously organized and described what he saw, heard, felt, and understood, and eventually wrote it down.

The book features lifelike portraits of yokai, detailed descriptions of their daily habits, and descriptions of spiritual plants, the environment, and even unique customs within the yokai race.

These eventually came together to form this unique book, "Viewing Mountains and Seas".

It is not mentioned here when Liang Ze Sanren left the mountains and seas, or what happened to him after returning to the human world.

Song Yan flipped through these monsters, which may have existed thousands of years ago, with great interest.

"I wonder if Xiaohe and the others have found Shan Hai Jian by now."

Ok……

Probably not yet.

It took Liang Ze Sanren five years to arrive, even with Feng Huai, an indigenous person from the mountains and seas, leading him.

However, it's possible that it took so long because it was inconvenient to bring humans along.

"The 'class' looks like a raccoon dog, but it has longer fur on its head. In the human world, some cultivators call them spirit cats."

“'Xingxing'…”

Song Yan looked at them one by one, wondering if Xiao He would encounter these monsters, or perhaps their descendants, and become good friends with them when she went to the mountains and seas.

Perhaps, he had "seen" them even earlier than Xiao He.

……

At this very moment, in the Yanran Mountains.

Nanshan Temple, behind the mountain.

The former Nanshan Temple, though not a particularly nice place, was quiet and peaceful. Now, however, it is permeated with an inescapable sense of deathly desolation.

The corpse puppet A Yuan knelt before the graves of his many disciples, his eyes lowered, and remained silent.

Not far away, Sheng Nian and Chen Jiping were also watching him silently.

Just as they were about to leave Huanling Cave, the corpse puppet A Yuan suddenly suggested that he wanted to return to Nanshan Temple to pay tribute to the deceased disciples.

It wouldn't interfere with anything, and Sheng Nian nodded in agreement.

This is where Lu Yuan, the former abbot, devoted all his efforts.

Now, he no longer needed to breathe, but his chest heaved violently, and a dense aura of corpse energy spread uncontrollably, seemingly carrying the scent of sorrow.

Sheng Nian didn't speak, but just looked at him, wondering to himself, "Old Xie, how can a corpse puppet retain its consciousness and emotions? Why is it A Yuan of all people?"

He had seen many corpse-refining processes, and apart from A Yuan, they were all in a daze, acting only on instinct or their master's orders.

Is that so strange?

Old Xie's voice rose slowly: "Kid, your knowledge is still too shallow. The world is vast and full of wonders."

"All you need to know is that the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth allows any situation to occur."

“There was once a great demon in the Demon Ruins. His true form was a celestial corpse that was born with a spirit. Not only did he have intelligence, but he was also extremely ferocious. Even I was wary of his corpse demon powers.”

"This A Yuan must have experienced some kind of special opportunity."

Old Xie paused for a moment: "What? You're not interested in this Corpse Puppet Dao, are you?"

"If you really want to find out the truth, why not try cultivating the demonic path? The demonic path is best at these things, and studying the Yin energy of corpses is their specialty. If you are willing, you can join the demonic path and study for decades or even centuries, and maybe you can create something similar."

Mentioning this, Sheng Nian's mind stirred.

Three palm-sized tokens were taken out and floated in front of him.

These three tokens bear patterns representing the three lineages of the Demon Ruins.

The Path of the Underworld, the Path of Demon Seeds, and the Path of Asura.

Xin Shan had been operating in the State of Chu for many years. Although he hadn't done anything earth-shattering, he had been constantly making small moves and his contributions were still quite respectable.

Even if one has not made any great contributions, one has still put in a lot of hard work.

All three schools of thought had extended olive branches to him, which could be considered as leaving him a way out.

Now that he is dead, these things naturally became ownerless and fell into Sheng Nian's hands.

(End of this chapter)