Dao Heart: Clear Mirror, Still Water

Before the White Emperor's Legacy appeared, something major had happened at Suiyang Immortal Market.

At that time, Chen Ganliu had not yet joined the Immortal Encounter Sect. Although he had heard some rumors after entering the sect, it had nothing to do with him, and the matter was also a sect taboo. The disciples were forbidden to discuss it recklessly. As a Servant Disciple, how could he dare openly defy the sect's rules?

Besides, he had been wholeheartedly devoted to cultivation and had never taken it to heart. Even after being reborn, he had still overlooked the matter, thinking only about the White Emperor's Legacy.

The key figure in this matter was a banished disciple of the Immortal Encounter Sect.

He had cultivated the Clear Mirror Dao Heart and had been the Immortal Encounter Sect's foremost genius at the time.

One of the Immortal Encounter Sect's ancestors had a beloved granddaughter who had cultivated the Still Water Dao Heart.

Those who cultivated a Dao Heart could easily comprehend any Dao method and cultivate any spell at will. When engaging in Magical Combat, all sorts of spells came naturally, each one perfectly suited to the situation. Even when facing opponents of higher cultivation, they could still win with ease. They were geniuses among geniuses, phoenixes and dragons among phoenixes and dragons.

However, Dao Hearts also had ranks. The Clear Mirror Dao Heart was a second-grade Dao Heart, while the Still Water Dao Heart was third-grade. For the sake of his granddaughter's Dao Path, this ancestor had taken action and dug out the first genius's Clear Mirror Dao Heart, giving it to his granddaughter and preparing for her to fuse it into a first-grade Dao Heart, Clear Mirror, Still Water.

Originally, this first genius would have been secretly executed by the sect. However, the person in charge of the matter was his master, who ultimately could not bear to kill the disciple he had raised from childhood. His master secretly released him.

The Immortal Encounter Sect's foremost genius then vanished without a trace. Several centuries later, he suddenly cultivated an extremely powerful Demonic Cultivation Technique and returned for revenge. His first appearance in the Great Gan Dynasty was at Suiyang Immortal Market, where he was said to have slaughtered dozens of rogue cultivators.

Not long afterward, he stormed the Immortal Encounter Sect and slaughtered hundreds of disciples. Trapped beneath the sect-protecting grand formation, he fought bitterly for thirteen days and nights. Although gravely wounded, he still broke out and escaped. To this day, he remained the Immortal Encounter Sect's greatest threat and a taboo within the sect.

Chen Ganliu could not help letting out an "Ah!" He thought, Who would have thought I'd actually run into the debut performance of such a Great Demon? It's just a pity that those who had the good fortune to witness it had no hope of surviving. Truly, one could not have both blessings.

The moment he made a sound, Chen Ganliu regretted it and hurriedly covered his mouth. After a while, when it seemed no one had noticed, he finally relaxed slightly. Just then, a streak of Black Qi swept across the sky, unfurling and coiling like a sash. Countless human silhouettes writhed within it, wailing. His heart suddenly tightened, and he thought, Is this the Great Demon's Escape Light?

The Black Qi swept across the heavens and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Chen Ganliu let out a sigh of relief, then thought, That Great Demon passed right over my head. Ling Xiaozi must have seen it too. He'll definitely come to his senses. What I said earlier about tracking down Demonic Cultivators was a lie.

How could I possibly track down a Demonic Cultivator that powerful?

I wonder what he's feeling right now.

At that moment, Ling Xiaozi was fleeing in a sorry state. He had naturally seen the Great Demon's Black Qi Escape Light, but unlike what Chen Ganliu imagined, whenever the Daoist thought of Chen Ganliu, his whole body trembled. It was not from anger, but from seven or eight parts fear.

Ling Xiaozi secretly exclaimed, Chen Ganliu came to Suiyang Immortal Market not long ago. Aside from his talisman techniques, he has never displayed any spells and only sells low-grade talismans. But this person hides his depths. I suspected long ago that he sneaked into Suiyang Immortal Market with some unspeakable secret.

Now that I think about it, he must have colluded with the demon and plans to destroy Suiyang Immortal Market. Perhaps he even has an even greater scheme.

No wonder he was willing to spare my life. He probably thought that since I kill people and seize their possessions, I was also a member of the Demonic Sect. He doesn't know that I have my own difficulties. If we meet again, I'll certainly meet a grisly end.

After this demonic calamity, Suiyang Immortal Market will probably fall apart. I'll find another place now and never return to this Immortal Market.

Ling Xiaozi went around Suiyang Immortal Market and hurriedly fled into the distance.

Later, he heard some inaccurate rumors and developed a huge misunderstanding. Terrified, he even left the Great Gan Dynasty and went to another country to make a living.

Chen Ganliu hid in his hiding place until deep into the night. After pondering for a long while, he finally gritted his teeth and slapped a Light Talisman onto himself. His entire body transformed into a wisp of light smoke as he returned to Suiyang Immortal Market.

Although returning to Suiyang Immortal Market might bring many dangers, such as encountering Ling Xiaozi, it also offered tremendous opportunities.

That Demonic Cultivator had killed dozens of rogue cultivators. The other cultivators who lived at Suiyang Immortal Market must have fled long ago, meaning the Immortal Market was certainly empty now.

That Demonic Sect bigwig would surely disdain the possessions of those rogue cultivators. If Chen Ganliu could pick them all up, it would be a windfall.

Chen Ganliu had suffered so much in his previous life that it had left a shadow on him. He was willing to take this risk.

He carefully stepped into Suiyang Immortal Market. Sure enough, it was deathly still, without another living thing in sight.

Chen Ganliu had lived here for six months and knew every corner of Suiyang Immortal Market by heart. He searched carefully according to the layout, and before long, he found the first corpse.

This person was not a rogue cultivator who lived at Suiyang Immortal Market. He had come specifically to attend the small market. Even with his cultivation estimated conservatively, he had been seventeen or eighteen times stronger than Chen Ganliu. Yet the aftershock of that demon's power had shaken his entire body into what was practically a pool of flesh and mud. His death was terribly miserable.

Chen Ganliu felt sorrow in his heart and bowed several times. He first took the storage gourd from the cultivator who had died such a tragic death, then searched his body and found two small magical treasures. Only then did he dig a pit on the spot, bury the man, and place several stones there as a tombstone.

Since he had taken the man's wealth, he ought to show some respect for the man's remains.

Chen Ganliu kept busy until the blazing red sun rose and illuminated the whole of Suiyang Immortal Market. He already had seventeen "merits" in hand. By then, he had searched the entire Immortal Market and could find no more corpses. He guessed that beneath the demon's earth-shaking strike, the corpses and their accompanying magical treasures had all been burned to ashes. His heart was filled with emotion as he thought, I wonder what cultivation realm that demon reached?

The Spirit Embryo Realm certainly wouldn't be enough to cause trouble at the Immortal Encounter Sect.

Even the True Yang Realm might fall short. As for the Grand Unity Realm, that's impossible...

I remember the Immortal Encounter Sect doesn't even have anyone in the Grand Unity Realm.

If that demon were in the Grand Unity Realm, the Immortal Encounter Sect would probably have been destroyed.

In a dozen or so years, I wouldn't have had any chance to become a disciple either.

Chen Ganliu circled Suiyang Immortal Market once more. First, he wanted to check for omissions and see whether he had missed any "merits." Second, he bowed three more times to every cultivator he had buried, adding one more gesture of respect.

After finishing all this, he left with his head held high.

He knew that Suiyang Immortal Market would reopen before long. There would be no hurry to return until then.

Over the next few months, he planned to find a place to cultivate properly and also open a round of "blind boxes" for fun.

After living three lifetimes and cultivating in two, he had never been this wealthy before.

Not long after Chen Ganliu left Suiyang Immortal Market, seven or eight streaks of Escape Light descended. At their head was a female cultivator with brows that swept into her temples and cold, imposing phoenix eyes. Her features were extraordinarily beautiful. Dressed in plain clothes with cloud-like sleeves and surrounded by swirling clouds and rosy light, she was a powerful cultivator in the Golden Core Realm.

She looked around Suiyang Immortal Market, faintly revealing a look of surprise, and said, "Someone actually gathered the remains of the cultivators who met with disaster."

As everyone knew, although it might not actually be known by everyone...

The original story had not been like this. The original setting was meant to connect with the Martial Exiled Immortal, immortals, and those with boundless magical power. It was about a native of a small world obtaining things from the world of the Martial Exiled Immortal, the immortals, and those with boundless magical power...

Well, after readers launched a full-force attack right in my face, I changed it into this purely classical xianxia story.

The original plot direction will inevitably need a major overhaul...

So the early stages will be slower. Once it goes on sale, I'll be able to speed things up...

I'll do my best to write another chapter before midnight...

Mm, strike that—around midnight...

I'll work harder and write another chapter.

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