Chapter 379
Chapter 379
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 380
Chapter Title: Ulterior Motives
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"Chen Shi" neither denied nor admitted it, simply walking out of the crowd.
Qingyang followed him, his heart filled with shock and doubt.
Dan Chengzi was not from the True King era but from over three thousand years ago, the palace lord of Taihua Qingyang Palace, from the same era as Qingyang, of equal seniority.
Back then, Qingyang was not yet the ancestral master, just a young lamb scampering across the mountains and fields, leaping onto the roofs of Qingyang Palace to gaze at the ranges, or nestling under his parents' knees to frolic.
Dan Chengzi had died young, before reaching a hundred years.
Qingyang's parents had also passed away, never seeing him reach adulthood.
After that, Qingyang grew much steadier, no longer bounding wildly across the hills but sitting in vigil at Qingyang Palace, receiving incense from the Daoists and faithful followers.
He gradually became the Qingyang Ancestral Master of Taihua Mountain, seeing off generation after generation of Daoists.
None of these cultivating Daoists had become immortals; even with every trick at their disposal, they only lived one or two hundred years.
"He really is Dan Chengzi?"
Qingyang kept scrutinizing "Chen Shi," murmuring inwardly, "How did he turn into a calamity? Why did he end up in the underworld? How did he enter Little Ten's body? Why does he call Little Ten 'Your Majesty'?"
Dan Chengzi moved with ethereal grace amid the Taihua peaks.
He arrived at Qingyang Palace and saw only ruins, letting out a wistful sigh before heading to Ascension Cliff. Legend held this as the place where the Three Sages sought the Dao and attained eternal life, standing here to merge with heaven and earth before ascending.
"It's fake, all of it is fake." Dan Chengzi shook his head with a laugh.
Qingyang cried out in shock, "The Three Sages' ascension was fake?"
"The Three Sages followed the traditional cultivation system and could not merge with the Dao, so of course their ascension was fake."
Dan Chengzi chuckled and turned to leave. "The Three Sages are either still in this world or were slain by the True King. Ascension is impossible."
He came to the Demon-Suppressing Grotto, reminiscing about his time guarding it, then to the Eighty-Eight Demon Peaks, paying homage to the traces left by the ancestors' battle against the demons.
"Demons—are they truly demons?" He gazed at the eighty-eight demon peaks and shook his head.
Dan Chengzi returned to the main peak of Taihua and came to the quarters for the young Daoists, Qingxu Temple. Novices who had just joined Taihua Qingyang Palace often lived here; some would stay for a dozen or even decades, grinding themselves into middle-aged Daoists or old ones.
Dan Chengzi had lived here for a long time, so he held deep affection for Qingxu Temple.
"We've found the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword!" came the jubilant cry of Qiongyang Ancestor.
Qiongyang Ancestor had also suffered this time, affected by Jinghong's evil transformation and falling into her own metamorphosis. But she had tumbled into the forest, and no one noticed her change. Once the evil transformation ended, she awoke, found her shed skin, and hurriedly dressed.
The True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword had fallen not far from where she transformed. Back then, Chen Shi had borrowed Qingyang's mana and nearly slain Jinghong with a single strike.
The immortal sword flew from his grasp and embedded itself in the mountain; without a careful search, it was hard to find.
Dan Chengzi walked over, his expression somewhat excited. "I've never seen this immortal artifact before."
Qingyang followed him, eyes flickering as he said, "This sword was the treasure the True King used to slay Tianzhen Daoist. Whoever wielded it must have been an unparalleled expert of our Qingyang Palace."
Dan Chengzi pondered. "Then the one who wielded it was probably the palace lord of that time. He must have acted on the True King's orders to slay the immortal."
"Do you know when Tianzhen Daoist died?"
Qingyang said, "If we know the time, we can identify which palace lord it was."
Dan Chengzi shook his head.
Qingyang said, "Little Ten came here at Tianzhen Daoist's request to return the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword. He also asked Taihua Qingyang Palace to welcome Tianzhen Daoist's bones back to Taihua Mountain."
Dan Chengzi sighed. "Zhenyang Ancestor's fire-tending boy back then was so formidable that the palace lord had to deploy the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword to kill him. If he hadn't died, he might truly have forged a new path to merge with the Dao."
He finally saw the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword, stepping forward to stroke its blade, feeling the boundless power of the immortal artifact. He praised it effusively. "Worthy of an immortal sword. After all this time, it still hasn't been eroded by this world's heaven and earth or undergone evil transformation."
Qiongyang Ancestor, standing nearby, was stunned at his words and fixed her gaze on him. Suddenly, she said, "You're not Little Ten! Who are you?"
Dan Chengzi looked her up and down and smiled. "Great Mighty Virtue Divine Incantation? You've refined it well. And the Ascension Divine Incantation within it—have you refined that?"
Qiongyang Ancestor trembled in body and soul, exclaiming, "How do you know the Great Mighty Virtue Divine Incantation contains an Ascension Divine Incantation? Chen Yindu once told me this technique was missing a segment of incantation, and completing it would allow ascension! He tried to complete it but failed at the last step—no, wait. Who exactly are you?"
Dan Chengzi smiled faintly. "Want to learn it? I can teach you. I've found the complete Ascension Divine Incantation—guaranteed authentic."
Qiongyang Ancestor was overjoyed and about to ask when Qingyang's face darkened. He barked, "Qiongyang, mind your manners. Stand down!"
Qiongyang Ancestor itched unbearably to learn the Ascension Divine Incantation; it was a major flaw in her technique and her life.
She had spent much time with Chen Yindu studying it but never completed the technique.
But Qingyang was her ancestral master, and with his order, Qiongyang could only withdraw.
Qingyang eyed Dan Chengzi. "Cultivating the Ascension Divine Incantation in your Great Mighty Virtue Divine Incantation—won't that turn her into someone like Jinghong Daoist?"
Dan Chengzi laughed. "Very likely."
"You want to harm her!" Qingyang said coldly.
Dan Chengzi shook his head. "How is that harming her? The purpose of cultivation is to seek eternal life. If she lacks even the courage for evil transformation to attain it, how does she deserve eternal life?"
Qingyang gave him a deep look. He had been overjoyed earlier to hear the calamity was Dan Chengzi, but only now did his reason return.
Though Dan Chengzi was an ancestral master of Taihua Qingyang Palace, he was still a calamity—more dangerous than demons, more terrifying than Jinghong!
He had been influenced even more deeply by the world's evil qi and harbored ill intentions.
"Dan Chengzi, what technique did you cultivate?"
Qingyang suddenly asked. "It couldn't be the Golden Cicada Shedding Shell Heavenly Immortal Chart, could it? Did you deliberately place the Heavenly Immortal Chart in your coffin? It was just your experiment, wasn't it?"
Dan Chengzi clasped his hands behind his back and walked outside the palace, laughing. "The Heavenly Immortal Chart is a path to eternal life. Those who cultivate it can indeed achieve longevity. Whoever dares dig up my grave must be defying the greatest taboo under heaven—they must have talent and ambition. They might even succeed with this method."
Qingyang sneered. "But you didn't expect the one who dug up your grave to disdain the Heavenly Immortal Chart you left, deeming it only capable of fake immortality. In the end, the technique fell into Jinghong's hands. Leaving the Heavenly Immortal Chart showed your ill intent!"
Dan Chengzi scoffed. "It's the heavens and earth undergoing evil transformation—what does that have to do with cultivation methods? Or with cultivators? I merely followed the mandate of heaven, nothing more."
Qingyang quietly gripped the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword. "So you're saying you became a calamity in pursuit of eternal life?"
Dan Chengzi's gaze fell on the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword. "Qingyang, with the evil transformation of heaven and earth, how can cultivators merge with the Dao without transforming themselves?"
Qingyang looked down at the sword. "You passed us the Primordial Star Chart to help us merge with the Dao?"
Dan Chengzi laughed. "Qingyang, you've cultivated the Primordial Star Chart. Tell me—is it an evil art or a righteous one?"
Qingyang gripped the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword tightly, his face clouding over.
The Primordial Star Chart was not an evil art.
But the Golden Cicada Shedding Shell Heavenly Immortal Chart was not evil either!
Yet it was a hundred times more pernicious than any evil art!
Dan Chengzi walked outward. "Wasn't the True King's sealing of immortals meant to make all cultivators under heaven practice new methods and merge with heaven and earth?
Qingyang, what wrong is there in what I've done?"
A fierce glint flashed in Qingyang's eyes. He raised the sword and turned toward him.
Dan Chengzi's back was to him, seemingly oblivious to the killing intent. He laughed. "Have you forgotten whose body this is?"
Qingyang hesitated.
It was Chen Shi's body—he couldn't strike.
Dan Chengzi laughed. "Rest assured, I won't wreak havoc in the yang world."
As he spoke, Chen Shi suddenly collapsed stiffly to the ground, becoming a soulless corpse.
Qingyang thrust the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword into the earth and reached out to check Chen Shi's breathing. He found Chen Shi's heart still beating, his vital energy slowly recovering—Dan Chengzi must have revived his body.
But Chen Shi's primal spirit had not returned; it was merely a living corpse.
"What a strange calamity. What are his true aims? And why did he call Little Ten their emperor?"
Qingyang pondered for a moment and summoned a Daoist. "Go invite some experts skilled in soul-summoning rites."
After Chen Shi's death, his primal spirit drifted aimlessly to the underworld, returning to his skeletal body.
In this time, the Blood Lake Hell of his skeletal body had cultivated to a radius of a hundred li, its mana immensely profound, nearly rivaling a peak God-Refining Realm expert!
The Blood Lake Hell even showed hints of the Void Vast Realm's aura.
Especially the skeletal body's bones, tempered a thousand times over— even powerful treasures could scarcely damage them. Every gesture gave the sense of shifting stars and swapping moons.
This tiny skeleton exuded a powerful oppressive force!
However, the Blood Lake True Scripture was still far from advancing to Blood Sea Hell; it would be impossible in the short term.
Chen Shi was absent-minded, too preoccupied with the yang world to check his skeletal body's cultivation progress.
His mind was in turmoil as he paced back and forth.
"Was that young man who killed Jinghong Despair Slope's senior brother Wuwang?"
"The divine embryo he wielded—was that my innate Dao embryo? As expected, incredibly powerful!"
"Is Uncle Qingyang safe? If he seeks revenge on that man, he's in grave danger!"
"After my death, will the calamity that emerged harm others? Will he be eliminated by Wuwang?"
He paced restlessly, muttering to himself. After a long while, Chen Shi stopped and said softly, "Uncle Qingyang, I don't need you risking your life for me. I'll avenge myself personally! I'll reclaim my divine embryo with my own hands!"
He was clearly a skeleton, yet his chest cavity felt scorching hot.
"I've only cultivated for three years, and in three years, I've reached the Body Integration Realm!"
"Give me ten years, and I'll crush Wuwang underfoot!"
"Uncle Qingyang, don't do anything foolish!"
He waited silently, every moment an agony.
After an unknown time, Chen Shi suddenly felt a peculiar pulling force—not as strong as Granny Sha's soul-summoning, likely from others.
He paid it no mind and followed the pull at once, leaving his skeletal body in Tianchi Kingdom.
The skeletal body, under a single thought's command, continued its methodical cultivation, its power growing daily.
Chen Shi awoke faintly to find himself surrounded by ox-nosed Daoists. The leading elder was Jingyue Daoist of Taihua's Four Elders, skilled in soul-summoning. But fearing any mishap, Qingyang had gathered all of Taihua Mountain's soul-summoning experts to call Chen Shi's spirit together.
Seeing Qingyang, Chen Shi let out a long breath of relief, a weight lifting from his heart.
"My deepest thanks to all you Daoists for your aid." Chen Shi rose and bowed to them.
"No need!"
They all returned the courtesy. Jingyue Daoist hastily bowed back, smiling. "Top Scholar Little Chen returned the True Martial Evil-Slaying Sword and sacrificed himself to save us. Summoning your soul is the least we can do."
Chen Shi said, "Elder, you're too kind. If you don't mind, next time call me Top Scholar Chen or Lord Chen. Our family has only one top scholar—my father didn't pass the exam."
Jingyue Daoist thought, "Just like his grandfather back in the day, always showing off. But who can blame him? He's our benefactor."
Thus, he addressed him as Top Scholar Lord.
Chen Shi was delighted, feeling that Taihua Qingyang Palace's enduring strength had its unique merits.
Qingyang walked over, and Chen Shi bowed slightly. "Uncle Sheep."
Qingyang looked him up and down and smiled broadly. "As long as you're unharmed, I'm relieved."
Chen Shi smiled faintly. "Seeing you all safe relieves me too."
Qingyang laughed heartily. "I've thought it through. I already gave my life once working for your grandfather—I can't foolishly throw it away again for you. Avenge yourself. If you can't win, then I'll step in."
Chen Shi stepped forward and hugged him tightly, refusing to let go.
"Let go, Little Ten, let go! It hurts, it hurts!"
Qingyang cried. "I'm still injured—ow, it hurts!"
Chen Shi released him, eyes reddening, a bit embarrassed. "Uncle Sheep, I thought I'd never see you again. I was worried sick in the underworld..."
As he spoke, tears fell.
Qingyang was silent for a moment, then laughed. "I'm not that foolish. Don't worry—in the face of danger like that again, I won't charge ahead."
Though he said this, Chen Shi knew that if it happened again, Qingyang would still be the first to rush in.
Among the Six Great Villains of the Five Lakes, Qingyang had the harshest tongue but the warmest heart, always leading the charge. Facing danger, he was always first, taking the enemy's strongest blows to give the other five a chance to survive.
"Little Ten, one more thing."
Qingyang hesitated, then recounted Dan Chengzi's appearance in detail. "Dan Chengzi passing us the Primordial Star Chart might harbor ill intent. When your grandfather and I dug up that grave back then, we found the Golden Cicada Shedding Shell Heavenly Immortal Chart—he must have placed it there deliberately."
Chen Shi's heart stirred, blurting out, "He wanted to test if cultivating new methods to merge with the great Dao could achieve immortality! But it was too dangerous, so he tested it on others! My grandfather saw through the method's mediocrity and wasn't fooled. Jinghong found Grandfather's copied technique and treated it as treasure, leading to this disaster."
Qingyang nodded slightly. "One more thing: when I mentioned Tianzhen Daoist to him, he showed no surprise, as if he knew of him. Changying Daoist was also a palace lord, but even Changying didn't know Tianzhen Daoist."
Chen Shi puzzled, "You mean—"
Qingyang said, "The immortal fire that burned Tianzhen Daoist's seal might be connected to him. Even if he didn't set it, he likely knows who did."
Chen Shi fell silent, murmuring, "Calamity Dan Chengzi released Tianzhen Daoist to wreak havoc on the yin and yang realms—what is he plotting?"
Qingyang hesitated, then revealed it all. "Little Ten, Dan Chengzi called you 'Your Majesty.' In the underworld, did you do something illegal?"