Supreme Edict

When Qi WuHuo closed the door, the warmth outside suddenly turned quiet, almost to the point of awkwardness.

Though the door was low, it inexplicably gave off a sense of [blocking sight].

The many people outside this courtyard, whether they were wealthy landowners or rich households from this town, and the most well-informed people in the entire settlement, were first startled by the gale that swept through the town today. Afterward, when those who had gone to the Li family's banquet left, the matter of Qi WuHuo befriending the Mountain God quickly spread.

They were surprised, disbelieving.

Then, with the apprehension of their past condescension towards this youth, and the desire to gain some immortal connection.

Bringing their daughters of marriageable age.

Dressed in fine silk robes, like immortals.

Carrying gifts worth more than the entire house of this fallen family seeking immortal connections.

They plastered on bright, enthusiastic smiles and came over.

Hoping to forge a good relationship.

But they were met with a huge shut door!

"Truly, what an impolite fellow!"

"Arrogant fool!"

"Thinks he's all that just because he's gotten friendly with that Mountain God, doesn't know his own worth, and even dares to give me the cold shoulder! He's asking for it, asking for it!"

The faces of these landowners and rich households were stiff and unsightly.

What was their status in this town? When had they ever been treated like this by anyone?

They felt they had already "lowered their stance" to come here. Seeing this scrawny-clothed young man still acting so high and mighty, they couldn't help but feel indignant – they had already condescended to come in person, bringing gifts and expressing their desire for friendship. Shouldn't the young man opposite them be grateful and accept the gifts, building a connection with them?

Wouldn't that make him swim with the current in this town?

Even in the prefectural city, he could establish himself!

This was an excellent opportunity in anyone's eyes. Who knew this young man would be so arrogant – the arrogance stemmed from their unfamiliarity with being rejected by such a "peasant," hence their anger.

However, at this moment, even though their hearts were filled with rage and they had said all their resentful words, they still had to put on a show of everything being fine. They greeted each other with smiles before leaving.

"It seems Immortal Qi is a bit tired today."

"Haha, yes, yes, after all, he experienced some unpleasantness today."

"Huh? Why is it suddenly so cold?"

"Yeah, why did it suddenly get so cold?"

They shivered subconsciously. When they looked up, they saw that the weather had somehow become gloomier, and the wind was blowing, chilling them to the bone. Thinking of the rumored events at the Li family today, they couldn't help but shudder. After exchanging a few forced pleasantries, they all took their leave.

What they didn't see was an old man standing at the alley entrance after they left.

Wearing robes with simple but luxurious patterns, his hair was completely silver, and he held a finely textured wooden staff. It was Elder Tao, the Earth Deity, who had rushed over after sensing the change. He stroked his beard and looked from afar at the dark energy swirling above the residence, his expression growing solemn: "This is... the dark energy I saw before..."

"So, what I saw earlier wasn't the evil cultivator."

"But the vengeful spirits driven by that evil cultivator."

Elder Tao stroked his beard, sighing.

"Alas, alas. Tempered by the evil cultivator's secret arts and using gold infused with the aura of Underworld ghost messengers as a lure, they bypassed the Underworld's detection of these souls. The latter thought these souls had already been taken away and entered the cycle of reincarnation in the Underworld. These people's souls are beyond saving..."

"Either they will be taken by the cultivator to raise an army."

"Or they will be refined."

"Or they will dissipate into the heavens and earth..."

Elder Tao had been a Fortunate Earth Deity for a long time.

His judgment was sharp. With a single glance, he guessed the truth. Stroking his beard, he sighed. Although he felt pity, his strength was insufficient, and it would come at a cost. To pay such a price just to guide ten departed souls—

He did not yet possess such a state of mind or resolve.

"What a pity."

"If you had met me back then, perhaps it would have been different."

"No..."

"Even then, I would have been powerless."

The old man shook his head, scoffed at himself, and turned to leave.

Just then, he suddenly sensed a slight change and paused.

In the courtyard, Qi WuHuo referred to himself as "this poor Daoist" for the first time.

The blue-robed youth's demeanor, and his previous gentle compassion towards these spirits.

It all erupted because of the solemn two words, "this poor Daoist." For some reason, even though it was an evil cultivator who had harmed them before, when Qi WuHuo said these words, accepting the responsibility, they felt an indescribable sense of peace, as if when this youth spoke these words, he would definitely fulfill them.

Nothing, not even life and death, could stop him.

The many spirits bowed in return.

Qi WuHuo carefully put away the paper recording their regrets. He then sat back down before the guqin, his fingers finding their place on the strings. The music flowed gently, but he soon realized it could only dispel the resentment and madness Qi that Tantai Xuan's evil magic had manifested in them. What should he do next?

His strength wasn't enough.

His knowledge was even less.

The old man, holding his tea, watched him perform and suddenly chuckled, "To bear their karma and fulfill their dying wishes, that is how one guides them."

"Supreme goodness, supreme goodness."

"But just playing the zither, you can't completely guide them to peace... can you?"

Qi WuHuo replied, "No..."

The old man stroked his beard with regret and said, "Ultimately, your current cultivation realm is still a bit too low."

"To directly cross through the Underworld and guide over a dozen souls with a single melody."

"Your realm needs to be raised a bit to achieve that."

A bit?

Crossing the Underworld to guide souls?

For some reason, even though Qi WuHuo didn't understand much about cultivation, And didn't know how difficult it was to directly cross the Underworld to exercise the authority to guide souls, He still felt that the word "a bit" here needed careful consideration.

It seemed to mean something different from what he understood.

He stood up and cupped his hands. "Please, elder, teach me."

The old man stroked his beard, pondering, and smiled gently. "It's not impossible for me to help you. What you've done today carries the spirit of my Dao."

"I'll help you this once."

"If you don't want to encounter situations in the future where you feel helpless, you'll need to cultivate diligently."

"This isn't passing down a teaching, so I'm not breaking my word."

"Breaking my word? Passing down the Dao? Haha, not at all, not at all."

The old man said jokingly.

Then, as if thinking about how to help, he stroked his beard and pondered. "How about this."

"While playing the zither, circulate Primordial Qi in your mouth and chant along with me."

Qi WuHuo asked in surprise, "Just chanting is enough?"

The old man smiled. "Naturally."

Seeing that he was ready, the old man began to chant four words.

Qi WuHuo's zither music paused slightly.

He lowered his gaze and continued to play.

Then, he began to chant along with the old man—

Outside the alley, the Earth God, who had already started to leave, paused. He suddenly felt an indescribable, suffocating pressure. For some reason, his heart became extremely restless and unsettled.

Something has changed, I must leave!

Without any hesitation, he turned and walked away quickly.

After walking dozens of steps, he felt the Primordial Qi stagnate, with a faint tendency to flow backward, as if all things were condensing.

Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward.

Ten more steps, and as Elder Tao lifted his foot, he found himself unable to move.

In the eyes of a cultivator like him, everything seemed normal. People walked on the roads, discussing trivial matters. Birds flew overhead the town, and smoke curled from cooking fires. But on another level, everything seemed to have stopped. The entire small town, or at least this part of the world, had its Primordial Qi frozen. It was as if it had been captured in a still frame, sealed in amber.

Unseen, unheard, unspoken.

Movement and stillness.

Action and inaction.

Two diametrically opposed Dao rhymes seemed to overlap in that instant.

Suddenly, a zither melody, like a tearing sound, broke through the stillness.

Zheng!!!

The Earth God, Elder Tao, spun around abruptly.

He panted, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Heaven and earth fell silent.

The wind whispered through the plum branches.

There was the resonant sound of the zither, the mundane world as it was, and a young man's clear, gentle voice, saying—

"Supreme Edict."

This was the first time he chanted a Daoist scripture.

The first words he spoke.

Just these four words, light as a breeze, calm as water.

Vast and mighty!

Elder Tao's pupils contracted sharply, yet all he felt was his scalp tingling.

He retreated step by step.

His emotions churned within him.

He felt as though he could barely hold his staff, dropping it to the ground.