Chapter 124: Heavenly Firmament

Mu Yuan did not know what the Black-Robed Demon Sage really meant, but the other party seemed to have no hostility towards him at all. So he relaxed and asked loudly, “May I ask, Elder, what is the difference between them?”

The Black-Robed Demon Sage laughed. “Chaotic Heaven’s Might is difficult to cultivate, but it is also powerful. Pure single Heaven’s Might, however, points directly to Eternal Life. In ancient times, there were many Cultivators, unlike now where they are carefully selected. But very few could stand out and achieve the Longevity Dao Fruit. Chaotic Heaven’s Might easily obscures spiritual awareness. When forming the Golden Core, they need to harmonize with each other. Without guidance from an elder of the same path, it is almost impossible to succeed.”

“So that’s how it was!” Mu Yuan muttered.

“Cultivators who refined Heaven’s Might through heavenly tribulation also had extremely violent temperaments. This is why there were constant wars in ancient times, and Cultivators fought each other. Unlike now, even if there are disagreements, they are like undercurrents and do not cause major conflicts.”

Mu Yuan had never heard anyone talk about such things. He was still very curious about the true identity of the Demon Sage, but he felt it was not appropriate to ask. He hesitated for a long time but eventually said nothing!

The Black-Robed Demon Sage finally said, “I have said all I need to say. You may go now!”

Mu Yuan felt a surge of immense force, and he could not help but float up. He was sent out of the Grotto-heaven. The scene outside was still one of bloody slaughter. The city had been captured, and those Cultivators were long gone. Mu Yuan was momentarily at a loss. He looked back and saw a trace of the Grotto-heaven Treasure where the Black-Robed Demon Sage resided. It looked completely different from the previous Stone Jar. What appeared before him was a square object, shining with golden light. There was a faint funnel-like opening on it, radiant with flowing colors. The edges of the opening were carved with ancient patterns, very beautiful!

“What is this thing? A Grotto-heaven Treasure—even the Longevity Palace doesn’t have one. This Demon Sage is truly powerful!” Mu Yuan sighed to himself and flew away.

Not long after Mu Yuan left, the Black-Robed Demon Sage reappeared. The treasure in the sky fell into his hand, and he murmured softly, “Primordial Chaos Golden Chalice, oh Primordial Chaos Golden Chalice, how many years has it been since I last saw her? I wonder how she is now?”

He whispered to himself. Seeing the city ahead had been breached, the Demon Sage showed no expression on his face. “Breaking through the Great Thousand Worlds and escaping to the Demon Realm… but with my current power, going there would be useless. I should go search for great magical arts. I wonder how the inheritance in this world is?”

After saying this, the Black-Robed Demon Sage’s figure became faint and elusive, fading into the world.

Mu Yuan traveled north for over a hundred miles and stopped on a mountain peak. He felt bitter inside. Originally, he planned to go with Shangguan Shuiqing and pretend to be a disciple of the Clear Water Palace to have a better chance. He never expected to inexplicably attract a heavenly tribulation. By the time he came to his senses, everyone had disappeared. He didn’t know if they were killed by the Demon Sage or had left. Immediately, he used the Great Art of Yin-Yang Soul Shackling and Qi Sealing to seal all his Zhenqi. He stood quietly.

After this incident, the Clear Water True Qi in his body was completely transformed by his original Gang and Evil Qi. There were no more hidden dangers. Even with the cultivation of the Pure Stream Heart-Cleanse Truth Art, he had truly reached the Refining Righteous Energy stage. With a thought, he could manifest the power of Yin Cold Ice Evils and True Solar Heaven’s Might, two opposing forces of water and fire, which was quite rare.

“What should I do next?” Mu Yuan’s mind was also blurry. All his treasures were sealed into the Gourd as before. Only the Five Great Curses still rotated in his Dantian, digesting various Gang Qi. But when he thought about the “Eternal Art,” he had no clue at all.

“If it really doesn’t work, I could go steal the Weapon Armor Technique. At least it’s a metal-based spell. But if I do that, I would only have three of the Five Elements Path inheritances. It would be neither here nor there, quite ridiculous.”

Thinking of Tie Ling, Mu Yuan had a good impression of this honest man. After much thought, he still couldn’t decide. While he was troubled, he suddenly heard the sound of hoofbeats from the foot of the mountain. They were urgent. He glanced down unintentionally and saw that the newcomer was someone he had seen before!

A group of six people—the five who had ambushed Shangguan Shuiqing and one disciple who escaped from the Heavenly Demon Palace. They all rode sleek, strong black horses with smooth, glossy coats. It was unknown where they found them. They were galloping north at high speed!

“Forget it, let them go!” Mu Yuan withdrew his gaze. After the group had gone far away, he descended the mountain peak. He bought a green-maned horse in a nearby town and headed west.

Since the inheritor of the “Eternal Art” was in the west, of course he had to go try his luck.

Although Cultivators could ride clouds and control Qi, for long journeys, those like Mu Yuan who couldn’t come and go freely still preferred to rely on mounts. Besides, Mu Yuan didn’t have a clear direction.

The Tianlong Kingdom had only a narrow strip of land in this section. Mu Yuan passed through towns and cities, and in just two days, he arrived in the Tianyu Kingdom!

The Tianyu Kingdom had a different customs and appearance compared to the Tianlong Kingdom and the Tiandu Kingdom. The people liked to wrap their heads with scarves, unlike in the Tiandu Kingdom where they tied their hair with silk ribbons or in the Tianlong Kingdom where they left their hair loose. Mu Yuan found it novel and admired it inwardly, but he wasn’t used to it himself. He still used a white band to tie his hair behind his back.

In the Tianyu Kingdom, Buddhism was more prevalent, and Daoist Sect disciples were rarely seen. Unlike in the Tiandu Kingdom where Buddhist Sect disciples were few. Correspondingly, the Realms and State Preceptors in power were also distinctly Buddhist. Temples could be seen everywhere, with pointed white pagodas standing tall, just like the Taoist Temples commonly seen in the Tiandu Kingdom!

Buddhist Sect Cultivators on the road were highly respected, while someone like Mu Yuan, who dressed neither as a monk nor a Daoist, was treated about the same as a commoner.

One day, in a place called Treasure Lotus City in the Tianyu Kingdom, Mu Yuan led his green-maned horse and walked aimlessly. It had been over a month, and he still had no clues. Even Mu Yuan couldn’t help but feel dejected and lost.

“Hurry, hurry! Master Kongming is performing Dharma today, healing those with long-standing illnesses. If we go early, we might have a chance!”

He heard noise and commotion all around. A crowd surged forward. Mu Yuan overheard people whispering and chattering, and he roughly understood. Having nothing else to do, he followed along to see what was happening.

Following the crowd, Mu Yuan arrived in front of a tall shop. A group of people gathered there, but it was eerily silent. In the middle was a monk with a large head and big ears, smiling, with fair skin, wearing a bright yellow kasaya. On a table in front of him was a three-eared bronze tripod, with several sticks of incense burning, sending up continuous wisps of blue smoke.

This Master Kongming chattered on, talking about some cultivation good deeds and forming good karma. His hands weren’t idle either. Anyone around with chronic or stubborn illnesses could come forward and ask for treatment.

Mu Yuan watched for a while. He saw several people with stubborn illnesses. They all had their illness roots removed by this Master Kongming with a casual gesture. He also prescribed some medicines. When he removed the illness roots, Mu Yuan could faintly sense a gentle and kind fluctuation of Magical Power from this person, very soft and full of compassionate wisdom. As Master Kongming treated people, faint, ethereal colored lights drifted from the surrounding people and stored into the three-eared bronze tripod in front of him.

“So he’s collecting faith and incense offerings. I suppose Western Buddhist Sects love to play with this!” Remembering the Infinite Void Great Hand Seal of Monks Yuan Neng and Yuan Jue, this thought flashed through Mu Yuan’s mind.

Buddhist Sect cultivation was quite varied, and their Divine Abilities were countless. This monk’s cultivation method was completely different. Not knowing the other’s background, Mu Yuan couldn’t gauge his depth. But judging by his aura, he wasn’t very powerful. He used the method of Zhenqi circulating around the body to help heal and treat illnesses. After watching for a while, Mu Yuan lost interest and considered leaving.

“Make way, make way!”

Suddenly, two middle-aged men carrying a stretcher squeezed through the crowd. Mu Yuan glanced casually and was somewhat surprised to see a man with a sallow complexion on the stretcher. He looked about thirty years old, ordinary in appearance and height—the type you wouldn’t notice in a crowd. But with this casual look, Mu Yuan noticed something unexpected!

There was a faint, elusive aura flowing around this yellow-faced man. And this aura was continuously eroding his Soul and Spirit and vitality. Although the speed wasn’t fast, for an ordinary person, it was enough to make him unconscious.

“Master, save him!” the two men carrying the stretcher cried out. A few people who were originally in line were cut in front of by these two, but they showed no displeasure. Instead, they seemed especially concerned. Mu Yuan couldn’t help but admire the simple and honest folkways.

Master Kongming kept smiling as he bent down to examine the yellow-faced man’s condition. Soon, the smile on his face disappeared and turned serious.

“How was this benefactor injured?” Master Kongming asked gravely.

Seeing his serious expression, the two men grew more panicked. One tall, thin man said, “Master, this morning the three of us went into the mountains to hunt. We chased a deer to a mountain stream. My injured cousin has good archery skills. He shot the deer there. When he went forward to capture it, unexpectedly, a gust of wind rushed out from a cave in the mountain wall. As soon as the wind blew on him, he became like this.”

“So that’s what happened.” Master Kongming lowered his eyebrows and thought for a moment. He pointed a finger, and a dim golden light vanished into the yellow-faced man’s chest, spreading out. Mu Yuan saw clearly that the aura running rampant on the man’s body was suddenly locked, unable to pass through the chest to erode the brain.

“This benefactor was affected by the mountain wind, which triggered a hidden chronic illness. This humble monk needs to go into the mountains to gather some herbs to treat him. Please carry him to my temple to rest and wait for this monk to return. Everyone, please disperse. After treating this benefactor, this monk will continue to help everyone.”

The crowd was very understanding. Those waiting for treatment remained calm and dispersed as instructed. Master Kongming asked for the location of the mountain stream. After everyone had left, he put away the three-eared bronze tripod on the table, straightened his clothes, and headed out of the city.