Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Every Cause Has Its Effect
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Time flew by, the years like a weaver’s shuttle.
In the blink of an eye, another thirty years had passed.
When Lu Yang opened his eyes again, though his face showed no signs of aging, a single streak of white had appeared in his once-thick black hair.
“In a flash, I’m already eighty years old.”
Although Qi Refining cultivators lived longer than mortals, it was only by about one hundred and fifty years—not a significant extension. Eighty was well past middle age.
In another twenty years, Zhao Xuhe’s Stealing Heavenly Secrets would be unlocked.
“Though I have no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this life, once I’ve mastered Sage's Plunder, I can make an attempt just to accumulate experience beforehand.”
The path of the Dao was in sight. It was truly in sight.
Even with the *True Method of Corpse-Shedding under the Lunar Yin*, after thirty years of secluded study, he had successfully devised a clever shortcut with the help of the Jade Slip of Enlightenment.
“To truly master the *True Method of Corpse-Shedding under the Lunar Yin*, one must undergo ‘shedding after death.’ But if I die, it will trigger the Book of a Hundred Lives to restart… However, this ‘death’ isn’t so absolute. The technique can’t truly require the cultivator to die.”
“The so-called ‘death’ is limited to the physical body.”
“The body is refined underground after death, its hair and nails continuing to grow, the corpse appearing as though alive, eventually achieving the Dao over time… It’s just that for others, the death of the physical body is true death.”
“After all, the body is the vessel for the soul. Once the body dies, the soul will gradually dissipate. Death is only a matter of time.”
“But in other words, as long as I can keep my soul conscious and intact at the moment my physical body dies, I won’t trigger the Book of a Hundred Lives.”
“This might be the opportunity I need for ‘shedding after death’.”
This was the solution provided by the Jade Slip of Enlightenment, and Lu Yang felt it was highly feasible. The only problem was the shortcut technique created for this purpose.
“Although the Jade Slip’s deductions suggest this secret art is enough to keep my soul stable and prevent it from dissipating after my body dies, I’ve never seen a soul that could truly exist without a physical form. If I could witness one, record it with the Jade Slip, and gather data, then the secret art would be perfected…”
More importantly, Lu Yang knew such beings existed in this world.
Foundation Establishment Perfected Beings!
A Foundation Establishment Perfected Being had a natural lifespan of three hundred years, but this was merely the lifespan of the body. The soul’s lifespan was far longer, which was why they often chose to reincarnate after death.
Although a reincarnated Perfected Being had to start over, their cultivation falling from the Foundation Establishment realm, they were not afflicted by the confusion of the womb. Their past memories would awaken before the age of eight, and their cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. As long as they could reach the Foundation Establishment realm again, they would gain another three hundred years of life.
Of course, this could not continue indefinitely.
Each reincarnation was a drain on one's karmic merit. If a Perfected Being’s Dao attainment did not grow, they would only become weaker and weaker.
The first reincarnation would surely be a child favored by the heavens.
The second could still be an elite among mortals.
The third would be just an ordinary genius.
By the fourth or fifth life… if the Perfected Being’s cultivation had not improved, they would completely fade into mediocrity, their former transcendence lost.
Thus the saying: The legacy of a Perfected Being is severed after five lives.
Moreover, there was no guarantee of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment again after reincarnation. Once a Perfected Being reincarnated, they could no longer suppress their destiny, and the karma from their past lives would come rushing in.
A single misstep could easily lead to a premature death.
Therefore, every Perfected Being was extremely cautious when reincarnating. They would conceal the heavenly secrets and rarely inform outsiders, lest they be unexpectedly struck by a karmic calamity.
Under these circumstances, how difficult would it be to witness the soul of a reincarnating Foundation Establishment Perfected Being? Thinking of this, Lu Yang felt another headache coming on. He could only set the matter aside for now and turn to calculating the progress of his grand plan to spread his teachings.
“Supreme Tenuosity Treasure Register, Edict of Heavenly Pardon…”
Lu Yang formed a hand seal and chanted the incantation. The Supreme Tenuosity Treasure Register began to divine the heavenly secrets, and his mind quickly sank into the omnipresent great web of karma, beginning a keyword search.
Soon, the relevant information surfaced in his mind:
“In the final years of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a foolish emperor ruled without virtue, plunging the people into misery. A heavenly scripture appeared in the world, divided into four volumes and scattered across the land, inspiring the hidden dragons of the realm to rise.”
“When the chaotic era was pacified, the four volumes of the heavenly scripture found their owners. One volume is held by the Grand Righteousness Academy, transcribed by generations of scholars. One was obtained by the Suspended Monastery, becoming a supreme scripture of Buddhism. One was annotated by the Celestial Master Mansion, serving as a token for successive Celestial Masters. Only the final volume was lost to the mortal world, its whereabouts unknown.”
Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—the three schools shared the world, becoming the wellspring of the martial ways of the age!
“Excellent, excellent!”
A look of delight appeared on Lu Yang’s face. He immediately activated Sage's Plunder. The next second, he felt a tremendous wave of destiny sweep over him, instantly submerging his body.
In an instant, Lu Yang’s body exploded.
Yet, strangely, his exploded body did not turn into flesh and blood, but into a sky full of fine dust. Lu Yang’s consciousness resided at the very center of this dust cloud.
He could feel that every single particle of his physical body was being tempered and refined by the searing fire of destiny.
The mortal world's fire forges the Sage's Golden Body!
This continued for a long time, until the vast wave of destiny was completely consumed. Only then did the dust particles begin to gather, re-forming Lu Yang’s body.
This time, however, his body had undergone a world-shaking transformation.
“The Sage’s Plunder Golden Body has reached minor completion!”
A sharp glint flashed in Lu Yang’s eyes. He then stomped his foot, and in an instant, a terrifying ripple of power, strong enough to shake mountains, spread out from him!
Under the impact of this terrifying shockwave, the mountain cave where Lu Yang resided seemed to experience an earthquake. Boulders tumbled down as if an invisible storm were raging. Countless fierce birds and beasts were startled into looking toward the peak where Lu Yang was in seclusion, before fleeing in terror.
“…Feels pretty good.”
Lu Yang exhaled deeply, feeling a sense of “solidity” from his body for the first time. Right now, his physical body alone was probably comparable to that of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator!
The next second, however, his expression turned grave.
“According to Senior Brother Luo’s experience, Sage's Plunder uses the people of the world as fuel, which severely damages one’s merit. Minor completion might be overlooked, but major completion will inevitably invite a calamity.”
“Many who practiced Sage's Plunder failed because of this calamity. The lucky ones might escape with their lives, but the unlucky, like that true disciple who was killed by the natives of the secret realm, died a violent death… But now that I am behind the scenes, who in this secret realm could possibly be my calamity?”
Thinking of this, Lu Yang sank into deep thought.
…
Jiangnan, Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion.
Yun Zhiqui stood on a balcony. Compared to the heroic figure he had been sixty years ago, he now looked like an old man on the verge of death.
Just then, a flying message streaked through the air.
Yun Zhiqui caught the message and took a look. His expression changed dramatically. He immediately summoned a streak of escaping light and, a short while later, arrived at the Yun family’s ancestral home.
As soon as he entered, a young man with a mournful expression came out. Upon seeing Yun Zhiqui, he burst into tears.
“Grand Martial Uncle! The Ancestor… he’s not going to make it! He has already lit the Seven Star Lamp just to see you. When the lamp goes out, he will have to reincarnate. There isn’t much time, please go in and see him!”
“How can this be!” Upon hearing this, Yun Zhiqui’s face filled with sorrow.
And panic.
The Yun family’s Ancestor, their only Foundation Establishment Perfected Being, the pillar of the Yun family in the Sword Pavilion for hundreds of years, had reached the end of this life!
(End of Chapter)