The Tree Python was enormous, its nearly hundred-meter-long body weighing perhaps over ten tons. It was comparable to the largest adult elephants in the Age of Declining Dharma. Dragging it along made quite a racket.
Molting Beasts along the way were startled by the Tree Python's scent and fled in panic.
Now and then, a sika deer so terrified it had lost its wits ran straight into Yuan Tianzong, completely off course. When it saw him and the giant python, which still radiated a fearsome aura even in death, its legs gave out.
They were too weak, and their vital essence wouldn't even make a mouthful. Yuan Tianzong had no intention of bothering them. He passed them by and returned to his wooden hut.
As with the previous division of the True Ape's remains, all the flesh went to Yuan Tianzong, while Bone got the python's bones.
Yuan Tianzong had already realized that after Bone refined the bones of a powerful Molting Beast and somehow made them part of his own skeleton, those bones could provide Bone with a particular power.
The True Ape, for example, was a ferocious, powerful Molting Beast with a formidable body.
After Bone replaced his own bones with the ones he had refined from the True Ape, the whole character of his skeleton changed. It became sturdy and seemed brimming with strength.
He wondered which part Bone would make from the python's bones.
Come to think of it, Bone's head was still made from python bone.
Yuan Tianzong didn't pay much attention to Bone's refining process. He turned his attention back to the meat.
As usual, he roasted it. It wasn't that he couldn't cook it another way; roasting was simply quick and easy, probably the most convenient cooking method of all.
He wasn't fussy about flavor. As long as the meat was cooked, that was enough. At most, he sprinkled on some cumin and black pepper. What mattered was getting the nutrients from the meat and, above all, its vital essence.
He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and entered the state of the Breathing Method.
In this state, Yuan Tianzong's entire body engaged in a special kind of breathing. Every aspect of his physical abilities increased dramatically, allowing him to refine the meat quickly and absorb its inner substance.
He absorbed vast quantities of vital essence, and inner qi emerged.
The Tree Python might have been enormous, but it hadn't contained much vital essence for Yuan Tianzong. His body was far more advanced than the python's; he had already undergone a transformation once.
Radiance flowed across his skin as the vital essence gradually strengthened his life force.
As his life force grew, his inner qi increased with it.
More and more inner qi surged through him, nearly forming waves that poured forth and burst outward.
He had once read in some ancient books about the highest state of the physical body: sainthood.
They said that at that stage, the body became indestructible and the flesh contained immense energy. Eating it was said to be tremendously nourishing.
Perhaps the Tang Monk's flesh in Journey to the West hadn't been pure fiction.
With the body becoming sacred and the undying turning into medicine, he was now on the path to finding out whether the stories were true.
By the time Yuan Tianzong had consumed the entire Tree Python, Bone was still refining its bones.
Still cautious, he lay low for the time being and didn't continue hunting Molting Beasts in the mountains.
Yuan Tianzong was someone who repaid both kindness and resentment. The Breathing Method had shown him a path for cultivating inner qi, and he owed it a great deal. So he decided to protect Bone and help him grow.
Perhaps if they had been somewhere safe in the city, Yuan Tianzong would have left on his own. But this was Wangwu Mountain, where Molting Beasts roamed and many cultivators and superhumans were active. It wasn't safe.
Suddenly, the sound of helicopter rotors echoed overhead.
Yuan Tianzong looked up from the valley and saw several uniquely designed military helicopters speeding toward a part of Wangwu Mountain.
"Military forces."
His keen eyesight let him make out an insignia on one of the helicopters.
Not long ago, he'd seen a similar introduction while scrolling through videos. He hadn't watched closely, but he remembered it. After a moment's thought, he took out his phone, found the video, and watched it carefully.
"The Jin City Wang Family."
Yuan Tianzong found the insignia's owner: a prominent cultivation family based in Jin City, within Shanxi Province, north of Wangwu Mountain.
He had already briefly looked over China's history during the years he'd been asleep.
When the world began to transform and living beings regained the ability to cultivate, a great war had broken out.
The Noble Families and financial clans had contributed greatly to the war and taken part in many efforts.
That history had established their special status today. Later, as Molting Beasts emerged, the fighting had continued.
As a result, the Noble Families and clans had gained a special privilege: they were the only organizations officially allowed to possess weapons capable of inflicting lethal damage.
The Noble Families and financial groups had also driven the development of technological and martial enhancements. With these advantages, their combat strength was beginning to catch up with that of the ancient powers.
Based on what he had learned online, religious sects were mostly established in the mountains and wilderness, while the Noble Families and financial groups were based in cities. In the past, the two sides had rarely interacted. Since the appearance of the strange fruits, however, they had begun dealing with each other much more often.
Sometimes they fought; sometimes they worked together and formed alliances.
Yuan Tianzong looked away, giving it no further thought. Whether the Jin City Wang Family had clashed with the sects in Wangwu Mountain or joined forces with them, it had nothing to do with him.
A few days later, Bone finished refining the bones.
He had turned the entire Tree Python skeleton into a head, just as Yuan Tianzong had expected.
Excited by his newly upgraded skull, Bone eagerly showed Yuan Tianzong its power. He suddenly opened his mouth, and his python jaws rapidly expanded until they could swallow a giant elephant. His densely packed, backward-curving teeth would have been a dream come true for anyone with trypophobia.
Crack, crack!
With a single bite, he seized a boulder weighing dozens of tons and crushed it to pieces.
He even bit through a towering tree, sending it crashing into the forest.
"Da-da~" Bone returned to normal and looked to Yuan Tianzong for approval.
"Not bad, not bad. You can take on a Tree Python by yourself now." Yuan Tianzong spoke frankly. Bone had reached the strength to fight Molting Beasts on the Tree Python's level and could now protect himself in Wangwu Mountain.
Bone was delighted to have earned Yuan Tianzong's approval.
"All right, you've refined another strange bone. Rest at home for now. I have to visit Celestial Master Temple tonight and look for some books, so I won't be back early. Don't go wandering around."
Not long ago, he had met several Celestial Master Temple disciples in the forest and overheard their conversation.
From what they said, Yuan Tianzong learned that the temple had more places containing Daoist scriptures than just the Scripture Pavilion. There was another place called Celestial Master Cave, whose collection was even more valuable than the pavilion's.
The disciples had made it clear how much they wanted to enter Celestial Master Cave.
After learning that, Yuan Tianzong had decided to take another look around Celestial Master Temple, hoping for a better haul this time and some insight into the road ahead.
Bone nodded and wrote a line with a small wooden stick: "All right, Master. I'll keep an eye on the home."
"Mm."
Night fell, and the moon shone bright in a sparse field of stars.
Yuan Tianzong entered Celestial Master Temple with practiced ease.
"It's a truly fine place. The primordial qi grows denser by the day, and many areas have already begun to show signs of transformation. I'm sure it won't be long before even more dramatic changes take place. Becoming the legendary paradise is only a matter of time."
Muttering to himself, Yuan Tianzong began searching for Celestial Master Cave.
He searched the area, but found nothing.
"Where is Celestial Master Cave?"
Yuan Tianzong was starting to get a headache. He believed he had searched nearly every corner of Celestial Master Temple. Could it be outside the temple after all?
He stood at a high point in one of the temple's pavilions, with an unobstructed view of the surroundings.
From the disciples' conversation, it was clear that Celestial Master Cave held a high status within the temple. Almost no one was allowed to set foot inside.
By rights, a place like that couldn't be outside the temple.
Yuan Tianzong trusted his judgment and searched the temple again, but still couldn't find it.
At last, he gave up on searching by himself and decided to find someone who could help.
With a few leaps, he reached the Scripture Pavilion as casually as if he were strolling through a courtyard.
The people guarding the place were elders of Celestial Master Temple. They must have entered Celestial Master Cave before.
At this point, Yuan Tianzong no longer cared if anyone discovered that an outsider had secretly entered the temple. Cultivation came first; pride came second.
Where was everyone?
Why had they all disappeared?
When Yuan Tianzong arrived at the Scripture Pavilion, he found that the five elders who had been stationed there earlier were gone.
The Scripture Pavilion was such an important place. The five elders must have guarded it and cultivated there for years. There was no reason for them to leave without warning, let alone all at once.
"Something must have happened at Celestial Master Temple," Yuan Tianzong concluded, and continued searching the temple out of curiosity.
As he searched, he noticed that the disciples seemed no different from usual. Some chatted in pairs or threes about cultivation; others diligently attended their nightly lessons or read Daoist texts aloud, swaying their heads.
He had to admit that although Celestial Master Temple had few disciples and was nowhere near as large as Quanzhen Sect, the other Daoist sect in Wangwu Mountain, its cultivation atmosphere was excellent. Its disciples had good aptitude and character.
"All the elders have disappeared, but the disciples are carrying on as usual."
Muttering to himself, Yuan Tianzong headed toward a secluded bamboo grove on the east side of the temple.
The evening breeze stirred, and a few bamboo leaves drifted down, dancing with the wind. The grove was peaceful and harmonious, its primordial qi far richer than in the ordinary parts of the temple.
In a clearing at the center of the grove, a young Daoist in the robes and hair crown of Celestial Master Temple sat cross-legged. A pure, righteous aura flowed around him.
Earlier, in the mountains, Yuan Tianzong had overheard several Celestial Master Temple disciples say that Celestial Master Cave was forbidden ground, and only core members could enter to receive its inheritance.
The elders were gone, but the disciples were still here.
So Yuan Tianzong had no choice but to focus on disciples who might have entered Celestial Master Cave.
Celestial Master Temple's disciples were divided into three groups.
First, the true disciples.
Second, the inner sect disciples.
Third, the outer sect disciples.
The three groups had different ranks and status. The easiest way to tell them apart was by their robes.
True disciples wore azure robes embroidered with cloud patterns.
The young Daoist sitting before him wore just such an azure robe. He was a true disciple.
Perhaps because he was accustomed to cultivating at Celestial Master Temple, the young Daoist had not stayed alert while practicing and hadn't noticed anyone approaching.
There was a stone table beside the clearing, and Yuan Tianzong walked over quietly.
One shouldn't do to others what one wouldn't want done to oneself. Since he didn't want others disturbing his cultivation, he wouldn't casually interrupt someone else's practice either.
Besides, Yuan Tianzong wasn't in a hurry. He could wait.
There was a teapot and some simple tea-making equipment on the table. Making himself at home, Yuan Tianzong brewed a pot.
Time passed, one second at a time.
It wasn't until midnight that the young Daoist slowly opened his eyes, ending his nightly cultivation. His breath was long and his aura deep; his cultivation was impressive, already at the Five Elements Realm.
One more step beyond this realm was the current peak of cultivation: the Dragon Opening Realm.
To reach this level at such a young age, he had excellent talent.
As his true qi circulated through his meridians, he felt refreshed. But the instant he opened his eyes, the young Daoist, who should have been relaxing, tensed up and sprang to his feet. The righteous true qi that had withdrawn into his body surged back around him.
A moment later, he exhaled and relaxed.
He had smelled the calming fragrance of tea.
The tea he'd brewed that afternoon had long since gone cold. The aroma rising with the steam showed that the other person had been there for some time and hadn't disturbed his cultivation. That was polite behavior, not the mark of a great villain.
Once he realized this, the young Daoist let his true qi dissipate and returned the greeting politely. "Fellow Daoist, I'm Xue Ding, a disciple of Celestial Master Temple. May I ask your name, and what brings you here so late at night?"
Yuan Tianzong twitched a finger. A cup of fragrant tea flew over and landed in Xue Ding's hand.
Looking at the cup, filled to the brim without spilling a drop, Xue Ding was astonished. What incredible control. He hadn't sensed even a trace of true qi throughout the process. A top expert!
As a cultivator at the Five Elements Realm, he was an insider. That simple-looking technique alone made it clear that he couldn't beat the other man.
If Xue Ding had known Yuan Tianzong hadn't used true qi for the trick, relying purely on extraordinary control, he might never have been able to keep his expression composed.
"My surname is Yuan. I came here to ask you one thing: where is Celestial Master Cave?"
Hearing this, Xue Ding remained silent for a long time. Faced with an outsider seeking to enter the temple's forbidden ground, he stayed calm.
"Fellow Daoist Yuan, Celestial Master Cave is forbidden ground in our temple. Even our own disciples have great difficulty entering, let alone outsiders. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."
Yuan Tianzong abruptly set his teacup down on the stone table. The cup remained intact, but the table shattered, smoothly revealing his top-tier strength once again.
"I'll ask you one more time. Where is Celestial Master Cave?"
Xue Ding looked at the shattered table and unscathed teacup, once again marveling at Yuan Tianzong's strength. He knew the other man was threatening him.
"Fellow Daoist Yuan, you can kill me, but I don't know where Celestial Master Cave is."
Not afraid of death?
Yuan Tianzong raised an eyebrow and waved a hand. Bamboo leaves broke free from their stems and hovered in the air, like thousands of green arrows all pointed at Xue Ding. "You really won't tell me?"
Xue Ding took a deep breath and shook his head again. "I don't know."
Whoosh, whoosh!
Hundreds of bamboo leaves shot toward Xue Ding, piercing him like a thousand arrows.
A drop of blood welled up between his brows and slid down his fair cheek. One bamboo leaf had pierced the skin between Xue Ding's brows, but hadn't gone deep. The leaves hovering around him came to a stop.
A gust of wind passed, and the bamboo leaves drifted to the ground.
Yuan Tianzong smiled. "Your cultivation is impressive. I only want to look for a few things in Celestial Master Cave; I'm not here to cause trouble. Why be so stubborn that you'd risk your life? You really aren't afraid to die, are you?"
Xue Ding shook his head. "Of course I'm afraid of dying. But as the Senior Disciple Brother of Celestial Master Temple, I have a duty to uphold the rules of the temple."
"Good, good. You have principles. I like that."
"But aren't you afraid I'll lose my temper and kill not only you, but everyone at Celestial Master Temple? Or do you think I wouldn't dare?" Yuan Tianzong's smile faded, his eyes turning cold.
Xue Ding raised an eyebrow. "No. I believe you have the strength to do it, and the ruthlessness as well. But why did you come to me?"
"What do you mean?" Yuan Tianzong asked, puzzled.
"As the Senior Disciple Brother, I have to take responsibility. Even if I'm afraid to die, I have to stand firm and set an example for my junior brothers and sisters. Rather than make things difficult for me, why not find another true disciple? They're afraid of dying and don't have my responsibilities. Things would be much simpler, wouldn't they?"
Hearing this, Yuan Tianzong laughed.
"You're an interesting one. Fine, take me to a true disciple who knows where Celestial Master Cave is."
Xue Ding thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right, but could you agree to one thing?"
"What?"
"Don't tell anyone I helped you find them. As the Senior Disciple Brother, I have to set a good example for my junior brothers and sisters. Doing this would betray my fellow disciples."
The coldness vanished from Yuan Tianzong's face, and he burst out laughing again. "The Senior Disciple Brother's burden is pretty heavy, huh?"
Xue Ding sighed. "My master has been as kind to me as a mountain and placed great hopes in me. I don't want to disappoint him. He hopes to restore Celestial Master Temple to its former glory, so I must set a good example for everyone."
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