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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
When Yang Sanqian heard that the White Snake had been released from Futu Ridge, he sighed and said, "With the White Snake released, aside from the Old Scholar, the people of the Daoist World probably don't know yet. Perhaps the calamity for the Daoist Sect is about to arrive."
Huzi asked, "Is that White Snake really that powerful? With so many extraordinary figures in the Daoist Sect, can't they subdue it together?"
Yang Sanqian replied, "The might of the White Snake is beyond human resistance. Right now, it is severely injured and surely in recovery. There are fierce beasts in this world that have existed for a thousand years, but there is only this one beast that currently controls the fate of the Central Plains' Dragon Vein. The reason I left Hao at Futu Ridge was partly for revenge against the Yang Family for treating me this way, but also because I wanted Hao's Book of Life and Death to suppress that White Snake. Now that the White Snake has gained strength, it is likely already comparable to a true dragon."
Huzi inquired, "What about Guo the Blind? He orchestrated the conspiracy at Futu Ridge, killing everyone and even leading my grandfather's army to their doom."
Yang Sanqian sighed again and said, "The reason I appeared at Futu Ridge back then was indeed for this matter. The Old Scholar suppressed Guo the Blind's Dao Body within the Futu Stupa. Guo the Blind is of the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse Life; his Dao Body is a powerful seal capable of suppressing demons. The Old Scholar possesses Divination Technique and foresaw that no matter what, he would have to kill Immortal White Snake. Thus, out of necessity, he chose to abandon his vehicle to protect himself, allowing the White Snake to be suppressed for as long as possible."
"Then what about Guo the Blind's Dao Body?" Huzi asked.
Yang Sanqian said, "Perhaps the Old Scholar didn't anticipate that so many changes would occur after Guo the Blind's Dao Body was taken away. When I appeared at Futu Ridge, I intended to send Hao to a good family but ended up encountering so many issues. I know Guo the Blind's temperament well; once I released his Golden Body, he would undoubtedly bring devastation to Futu Ridge. I initially wanted to kill him, but after some conversation, I ultimately let him go. Unexpectedly, he managed to endure; his Dao Body has been cultivated to perfection. Just as he returned to his physical form, he became a top-tier expert at the Daoist Grandmaster level. The Old Scholar feels guilty towards him and thus passed on all his skills. Now he has also perfected his Divination Technique; we can see from how he intercepted us that he is already in control of the situation."
"Guo the Blind intercepted you?" Huzi exclaimed.
Mr. Chang explained, "We heard news about the Martial Dao Classic appearing in Central Plains. Even Divine Hero anticipated Yang Hao would emerge due to its appearance and that there would be a calamity. We hurried here, but halfway we were stopped by Guo the Blind. He trapped us in an array for three days, delaying our arrival at Azure Cloud Mountain."
"I didn't expect Guo the Blind to have become this formidable. Back at Futu Ridge... But most people were innocent in this matter. My relationship with Hao and him has always been ambiguous—neither enemy nor friend. Perhaps Guo the Blind has shown mercy towards Hao because he fears the Book of Life and Death or perhaps because they share a common plight; they are similar kinds of people," Huzi remarked.
Yang Sanqian asked, "How have those two been living at Futu Ridge all these years?"
Huzi fell silent for a moment before saying, "Uncle Yang, although I don't know what happened to Auntie, Hao has held grievances against you all these years. He is a strong-willed person who can endure more than anyone else for a goal. Given his mature mindset, I'm afraid he won't hate you."
"Isn't it good if he doesn't hate me?" Wudao interjected.
Mr. Chang added, "It's been twenty years since I've returned home while leaving a widow and orphan living alone in the mountains. Yang Hao's mother supported him through school without enjoying any good days herself. With the White Snake escaping its confinement and killing everyone at Futu Ridge—even if it doesn't kill Yang Hao's mother—she has been cursed by Divine Hero such that if she leaves Futu Ridge, she will die instantly. Knowing Guo the Blind's temperament, he must have told Yang Hao everything. And given Yang Hao's nature, upon seeing Divine Hero, he might just treat him as a passerby; not seeking revenge would already be considered good."
"Wudao: 'My buddy Haozi, he wouldn't be like this. He's a calm person; if you're good to him, he'll naturally change. People from the Daoist Sect are often lonely; I don't even have my parents, right, Brother Huzi?'
'Get your hands off me!' Huzi snapped, swatting Five's hand off his shoulder. 'Hao has been with me for a long time; he sleeps for sixteen hours straight.'
'When did I ever sleep for sixteen hours?' May Day exclaimed in frustration.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chang respectfully asked, 'Divine Hero, what should we do next?'
Yang Sanqian replied, 'Let's observe the situation. Hao is fine; we just don't know where he is. His skills have been improving steadily. I've tried to calculate his whereabouts based on his birth chart, but it's no longer possible. The destruction of the Azure Cloud Sect will surely cause a stir. From the disciple of the Serpent Cult we intercepted earlier, we learned that Hao is famous for this incident at Azure Cloud Mountain. My only fear is that Hao will face the Underworld Sect's pursuit now. The Book of Life and Death is safe with me, but with him...'
At that moment, at Mountain Snow Pool on Nameless Peak, heavy snow was falling.
I sat still in the cold wind, untouched by the storm, a faint aura of clear energy radiating from my body, barely visible under the gentle touch of the snowflakes.
I took out a blue star-like stone from my Qi Sea; this stone was the Martial Dao Classic that I had extracted from Zhang Jianzi's ribcage.
The Martial Dao Classic is a book but not just a book; it is something with spirit.
Cultivation methods and Daoist arts are typically choices made by practitioners, but the Martial Dao Classic is different; it cannot be chosen. Only those chosen by it can cultivate.
I closed my eyes and focused on understanding the Dao, withdrawing the protective Dao Qi around me. The snow fell on my face without melting; I stood like a stone in the river of time while the Starlight Stone floated around me. I could feel a strange power drilling into my body—this power was uncontrollable yet wholly mine.
I didn't know how long I sat atop the mountain in meditation. When I awoke, thick snow had buried me, and the Starlight Stone surrounding me had merged into my being, becoming part of me.
As I perceived everything around me, I saw layers of snow accumulating over countless years. I observed the changes in the rocks and soil beneath the snow over millennia and watched as the mountain gradually rose due to tectonic movements. I even witnessed the birth of a girl named Zhuoma at the foot of the mountain—from her mother's water breaking to her sprouting her first tender shoot.
Beside Snow Pool, the Mountain Snow Lotus bloomed and wilted repeatedly."
"Turns out the Martial Dao Classic is not a secret manual for countering Daoist Arts, but rather a method of learning that allows one to see through the essence of things," I murmured, glancing back at the Snow Pool before walking out of the mountains.
In the midst of wind and snow, I walked alone.
Three days later, in the Qinling Mountains, at the Southern School, an ancient hidden sect.
I stealthily infiltrated the Southern School, sitting quietly in the Scripture Repository. The knowledge recorded in all the Taoist Classics flowed into my mind continuously, as if the pages were being turned by an invisible force.
"Three volumes of Cultivation Method, one hundred seventy-two Taoist Classics, and sixteen volumes of notes on cultivation and travels from predecessors of the Southern School." I stood up and opened a Dao Jing from a shelf; all the words on it had vanished, with only faint impressions remaining.
I stepped out and appeared at the mountain gate of the Southern School. A Mountain Guardian Disciple suddenly saw me emerge and pointed at me, asking, "Who goes there?"
I did not turn back and vanished from his sight in an instant. The Mountain Guardian Disciple rubbed his eyes and said to a nearby disciple who was dozing off, "Brother, wake up! I think I've seen a ghost."
The disciple opened one eye to glance at him and replied, "I think you're just itching for trouble again. Let me remind you once more: unless it's the Sect Leader or the Jade Emperor himself, don't bother me."
That night in the Qinling Mountains, I had visited all seven hidden sects' Scripture Repositories that I learned about from the notes of predecessors at the Southern School. The Martial Dao Classic was not an extraordinary Cultivation Method, but it allowed one to comprehend all surrounding Cultivation Method texts and imprint them in my mind.
After exiting from the seventh hidden sect, I looked at the night sky and said, "Although these hidden sects in Qinling are mysterious, they clearly pale in comparison to the major sects of the Daoist World. So many ancient Cultivation Methods are mostly useless; even if they have some utility, they consume too much Dao Qi. It seems I need to explore some renowned major sects."
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