Shen Xiaoyu suddenly widened her eyes as a fiery-red seal, reminiscent of an abstract symbol composed of the Red Spider Lily, the Red Lotus, and the fierce flas, slowly surfaced between her brows.
"This is..."
Feeling the knowledge flowing within her heart, she subconsciously ford a seal with her hands:
"Yin Palace Fierce Fla, Fire Emperor Burning Sky, Upper True Fire, Lower Netherworld Fire. Eastern Sun Fire, Western Golden Fire. Southern Fierce Fire, Northern Divine Fire.
Flowing Elixir Fortune envelops the fuzz, the Heavenly Gate unfolds with Nine Layers cascading like Red Maple! Imperial Decree!"
Teng——!
The next mont, her body was suddenly enveloped in a crimson fla as red as blood.
The fire did not burn a single hair on her head, nor did it ignite the cotton clothes on her body. However, it initiated a tamorphosis from within, transforming her as if shedding an old skin for a new body.
Seeing this scene, Wang Yuan nodded in satisfaction:
"I knew that the ’Red Spider Lily Blooming Skill’ would be the most compatible Daoist skill for Xiaoyu.
With such compatibility, once sufficient Yin Morality is accumulated, the ’Heavenly Departnt Divine Position of ng Po’ is likely to have a successor."
According to legend.
After death, one first arrives at the Ghost Gate, and crossing the Ghost Gate steps onto the Netherworld Road, along which the Red Spider Lily, also known as the Guiding Flower or Red Spider Lily, blooms in abundance on both sides.
From a distance, it appears like a carpet laid with blood, akin to a "Fire Illuminating Path" where fierce flas burn incessantly.
It is also the only scenery and color on the Netherworld Road.
When a ghost soul steps onto the Netherworld Road and passes the San Tu River, they beco intoxicated by the alluring fragrance emitted by the Red Spider Lilies growing alongside the road and riverbanks.
And they dream a dream about the "Red Spider Lily."
This dream revives the buried emotions of regret, pain, helplessness, despair... and so on from the depths of the ghost soul’s heart, making them relive their entire life.
There is a saying that just before one’s mont of death, one’s life flashes before their eyes, and its origin lies here.
Based on this, Wang Yuan initially chose the ’Red Spider Lily Blooming Skill’ as a bridge to perate the ’Six Desires Red Dust Umbrella’, breaking through the barrier between the Yin and Yang realms.
Unlike the ’Three Vultures Power Technique’, which excels in intelligence collection, can clone infinitely, and borrow Yin Morality; or the ’Six Paths Reincarnation Technique’, which governs reincarnation with endless might.
The ’Red Spider Lily Blooming Skill’ of the Yin Mountain Taoism, representing the unity of ’Magic and Martial Arts’, signifies the most direct combat power and destructive force—Karmic Fire!
Its core is: Burn! Burn! Burn!
Transmit heart-to-heart, fire-to-fire, sending it to the other shore!
As long as the sinner bears debts, it can invade their heart, uncover the cracks of their spirit, and ignite the Karmic Fire.
In this process, the sinner is forced to recall all the sins they have committed.
So that their soul can experience the pain once inflicted on innocent victims by their own hand, achieving judgnt and equivalent punishnt.
Heinous sinners will undeniably be burnt to death outright, while the lighter cases will suffer a substantial drain of their Primordial Qi.
Once the Karmic Fire starts burning, it won’t be extinguished midway until it completely consus the other party’s ’Debt’.
Furthermore, the flas can be condensed into various weapons, or attached to magic artifacts and deceit objects, significantly boosting their power.
The highest realm of this practice is the ’Karma Fire Red Lotus’!
It is sowhat similar to mortals using firearms; cultivators can rely on this terrifying fire seed to eliminate enemies above their level with ease.
Taboo:
"Although spellcasters will not be hard by ’karmic fire,’ they will deeply empathize with the pain in a sinner’s heart."
"Without the resolve to carry all the sufferings of the world, it won’t be long before one turns oneself into a madman."
"Moreover, once one has started on this path, there’s no longer the possibility to resign and start anew like with Xiangsi and Forget Sorrow."
"If one goes mad and mutates, only the karmic fire seed within will burn one to ashes."]
Shen Xiaoyu, who had suffered much in her decade-plus years of life and had a robust nature, was the perfect match for this [Red Spider Lily Blooming Skill].
"Look how fast she is! Has she already established her [Dao Foundation]?
Xiao Yu’s compatibility with the [Red Spider Lily Blooming Skill] might rival your own with the [Earthly Que Golden Book]," she couldn’t help but praise as she sensed the violent changes within the flas.
When establishing the [Dao Foundation] through the cultivation of such a dharma sect,
the more one had lingered between life and death, the more perfect the Dao Foundation, which bears the Taoist Inheritance Talisman, would be.
After the attack from [Zi Buxu], Shen Xiaoyu had two places on her head and three on her body,
as a mortal, she had a total of six near-death experiences, almost reaching the other shore.
Naturally, this laid the most solid foundation for her Dao Foundation through the [Red Spider Lily Blooming Skill].
"There’s just one flaw; the path of ’Magic and Martial Unity’ requires the simultaneous cultivation of magic and martial arts and places great emphasis on the body in the early stages.
Xiao Yu’s body was severely deficient when she was younger. Before she attains her [Dharma Body], her body might beco her weakness.
I shall lend you a hand then."
Huang Wu gently waved her arms, soared into the air, and with a spin, revealed her [Taiyin True Phoenix Dharma Body].
Silver eyes, silver feathers, and a tail of five colors, it was a [Netherworld Phoenix] on par with the True Dragon Bodies of her mother and aunt.
Opening her golden beak, she let a mouthful of sweet, fragrant Phoenix Saliva fall into the flas, causing them to burn even more intensely.
It was her expertise, the Taiyin Refining Technique.
The ferocious flas touched by moonlight didn’t scorch Shen Xiaoyu’s clothes but used their power of ’rebirth from fire’ to help her cleanse her marrow and reform her body.
As the nearly fatal wounds she had received from childhood began to twitch, new flesh overtook the old hardened skin and dead flesh.
Shen Xiaoyu’s body crackled, and she gradually grew from a skinny turnip head into the figure suitable for a fourteen-year-old girl.
Wang Yuan also helped her balance the Five Qi of her internal organs, refining her blessings, prosperity, and longevity, adding years to her life.
In just a short while, Shen Xiaoyu was completely renewed from head to toe, from inside to out.
A palm-sized oval face, a pair of clear, distinctly black and white apricot eyes, skin so white and rosy it seed it could be broken by a blow, like that of a newborn.
Although she was far from a unparalleled beauty like Huang Wu, given a few more years, she would at least be a pretty jade of a house.
At the sa ti,
A Taoist Inheritance Talisman jumped out of the [Small Book of Life and Death], like a brilliant sun, slowly descending onto Shen Xiaoyu’s head.
It signified the initiation of the Receiving Talisman enlightennt ceremony right after achieving the Dao Foundation.
In just a few breaths,
she, like Wang Yuan before her, took one step to establish her foundation, another step to undergo the Receiving Talisman enlightennt, and beca a [Red Seal Mage]!
Wang Yuan and Huang Wu, as Taoist partners, were reaching higher and higher heights in their cultivation, and their thods were becoming increasingly powerful.
This third disciple, Shen Xiaoyu, naturally enjoyed far more generous treatnt than the two senior brothers.
From this, it’s clear that disciples of major sects have an easier ti excelling due to inherent reasons.
After thousands of years and dozens of generations of accumulation, loose cultivators without sect or clan can hardly close the vast gap with re talent and effort.
Unless one has a "Golden Finger" like Wang Yuan, it’s nearly impossible to break these layers of hierarchy, which are a thousand tis more rigid than those of the secular world.
After the promotion had ended.
Huang Wu soon walked out of the "Cloud Tower Ghost Market" with Shen Xiaoyu, who had freshened up a bit and changed into a lightweight dress.
The three disciples paid their respects to their master and mistress once again, with utmost reverence.
Although the cold wind outside was still biting, Shen Xiaoyu, who had advanced to a "Red Seal" rank in what felt like a dream, was no longer afraid of the cold or heat.
Especially when the girl learned of her master’s identities as the "Star Lord Taibai," "King Yanluo," the Cloud Tower Ghost Market owner, the Master of Dushuo Immortal Mountain, the Yin Mountain Taoist Master... and so on.
When she thought of "Dragon Elephant Tao" again, a sect of imnse magnitude, she felt less of the unapproachable awe and more curiosity.
Wang Yuan’s expression, however, turned stern as he admonished her,
"You can’t get involved in this matter.
It may pertain to the internal strife of the righteous path’s leaders. If handled poorly, even the ’Green Seal Sage’ may be in jeopardy.
You should forget the news you’ve heard; I have my own plans."
"Dragon Elephant Tao" was secretly supporting a monstrous army called "Crow Army" to create disturbances.
This secret originally seed like re speculation and even if shared, might not be believed by others.
Now, with "Zi Buxu" taking action, the secret slyly confird itself.
Zi Buxu: Strange Power and Chaotic Gods, respectively corresponding to: Abnormality, Courage, Rebellion, and affairs of Ghost Gods.
This matter isn’t about Abnormality, nor Courage, nor the Ghost Gods – the most likely possibility is... Rebellion!
Wang Yuan, of course, knew the intel even more clearly than Shen Xiaoyu, who could also guess at it.
Crow Army, "Fire Crow Soldier," "Beast Creation Technique," "Zi Buxu"... and the systematic cultivation of magicians in the reserve.
No matter how one looks at it, it doesn’t seem like the work of a re 24-year-old rebel, Yuan Suifeng, acting alone.
It’s more like sothing orchestrated by a group over many years.
To say nothing else, just the cultivation of "Daoist Soldiers" requires at least a ten-year head start.
And this Yuan Suifeng has been too conspicuous.
According to intelligence gathered by the Ghost Market, those big incidents rumored in the market—stealing treasures, Heavenly Departnt Daoist Skill, spreading the "Red Spider Lily Blooming Skill," stealing the mistress...
He likely really did each of these things!
"According to Sister Ruan,
’Dragon Elephant Tao’ only ntioned that the matter was of grave importance, and they want to summon the "Nine Soldiers" strong enough to capture Yuan Suifeng alive.
They even specifically requested my support as a leading fighter of the ’Dou Departnt.’
But now, it seems the murky waters of the Dragon Elephant Tao are teeming with dark secrets.
I need to be extra careful moving forward. Otherwise, being sold out and counting the money for the seller would turn into a joke."
One could say this chance encounter had been lucky for Shen Xiaoyu, as well as for Wang Yuan himself.
Ard with foreknowledge, he wouldn’t be unknowingly outmaneuvered.
Besides.
Originally, Wang Yuan had hidden in Dushuo Mountain and the Underworld till now, just because he had seen Ruan Hongxiao’s alluringly white legs which all the beasts of the ’Dou Departnt’ coveted.
So much ti had passed, he had almost forgotten about it.
But this unexpected discovery made him highly suspicious whether Sister Ruan was seeking revenge in a roundabout way.
Just like sending Du Sanbei, who was all talk and no action as the "Wine Star Lord," to block the No-Life Old Buddha.
This foremost person in divination might have detected so slight indication but couldn’t be certain, so it was perfect to use him to probe the waters.
Wang Yuan put the matter aside for the mont and turned his attention to his third disciple, who had grown significantly and looked quite tall and graceful in her new outfit.
"Xiao Yu, I’m about to handle so affairs in Liangzhou and it’s inconvenient to take you with .
Do you have any plans of your own?" he asked.
At his words, Shen Xiaoyu bowed deeply and said firmly,
"Master, I want to find my father and bring him back!"
Wang Yuan couldn’t help but sigh softly.
He had personally witnessed Shen Xiaoyu’s father being parasitized by a "Parasitic Shell."
After so much ti, his soul had long been digested completely; there was no chance of saving him at all.
Not even he as King Yanluo had this power, and even the "Corpse Dissection Immortal" couldn’t manage it!
Wang Yuan pondered for a mont but didn’t burst her final bubble of obsession.
Instead, he gifted her a large Thunderclap Talismanic Treasure Bag produced by the "Mystical Weapon Temple."
He took out the "Heavenly chanism Mirror," which had been shelved since it helped them find Qingyan, and taught Shen Xiaoyu how to use it.
He also filled the bag with his personal collection of Mixed Elent Thunderbolts, which included the "Gun · Truth" capable of killing entities in the Divine Transformation Realm, crafted from various "Rashamon Bones"...
Along with a pile of various "Deceit Objects," Talismans collected from battlegrounds with ghostly and demonic foes, cramming them all into the treasure bag.
He equipped the young disciple to brim with "explosives," transforming her into a treasure-laden child.
Listening to her master detail the use of each item, Shen Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled, who had already mastered "Laido Slash" on her own, and it seed as if a brand-new door was opening in her heart.
Artistry is...
As they bid farewell with a wave of his hand,
Wang Yuan, before climbing onto the carriage, did not forget to routinely remind his disciple:
"Xiao Yu, even though you have two senior brothers who started their path earlier, the son of the poor and the daughter of the rich, you are the most tender spot in my heart, I..."
This hackneyed speech had barely reached the halfway point when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
Echoing in his ears were the "ting-a-ling" of bells and the "snip-snip" of large scissors.
He imdiately changed his speech:
"I... along with your mistress, will surely keep you in our thoughts!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)