Incense ash and strange soil, the winds rose.
Pair after pair of eyes stared at the figure within the swirling incense-ash wind. They were jealous and envious, their expressions sour. Many gritted their teeth in anger, but all they could do was seethe; none dared make a move.
"He really intends to absorb and refine all the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao there!"
"That's far too reckless! Someone revealed ages ago that the Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao would assault the mind, as if a massive amount of information were forcibly crammed into it. Being able to withstand even one wisp and refine it is already impressive. What a lunatic."
"I think I understand why he's so formidable. He's practically risking his life!"
"How can you call that risking your life? A cultivator should be content to hear the Dao in the morning and die by night!"
"There are twenty-three wisps of Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao in that strange soil. The mental impact of absorbing them all would be enormous. I doubt he can endure it!"
"Maybe his dying here would be good news for both of us..."
"He's dead for sure!"
Many people fell silent as they gazed at the strange soil. In their hearts, they hoped Yuan Tianzong would die there. He was too much of an eyesore, his brilliance blinding. Just standing there without moving could become a mental demon for many, leaving them feeling powerless.
Time seemed to slow.
At last, as the wind within the strange soil subsided, a figure that radiated immense pressure emerged. He stood tall and straight, lightning coursing around him, making him look extraordinarily mighty and imposing as a king.
Those who had hoped to see him fall gathered their courage and looked toward his eyes, which flickered with lightning. Their clarity filled them with disappointment.
He was not dead, nor had his mind collapsed. He was perfectly lucid.
He had endured the mental impact of twenty-three wisps of Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao. It was unbelievable.
Yuan Tianzong said nothing as he walked out of the strange soil. His perception of the world had surged, and he sensed that more Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao was still forming throughout Wangwu Mountain. He meant to keep absorbing it.
His mind had awakened and undergone a transformation, reaching the extraordinary. He could now leave his physical body and use his mental power to survey the surroundings.
Thin strands of lightning spread around him, a sign that his mind was expanding.
The world opened its doors to him, and he formed a close connection with the lightning.
After sensing his surroundings for a moment, Yuan Tianzong discovered more places where Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao was still forming. He bent his knees, then sprang forward, soaring over the crowd and landing in a distant forest.
"His mind has fully awakened and ascended. Just being in his line of sight puts immense pressure on you!"
"Indeed. The Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao is truly amazing!"
At that moment, many people rushed toward the strange soil.
Someone asked, baffled, "What are they doing? The cultivator has already refined all the divine smoke. Why rush over there now? To eat dirt?"
"Foolish. That incense ash isn't ordinary. Even salvaging a little would be a gain!"
"True enough. It's better than getting nothing!"
In an instant, quite a few people reached the strange soil and reached for the ash.
"No, something's wrong!"
The incense ash could be scooped up, but it would vanish within moments.
Everyone looked at the strange soil and saw it shrinking rapidly. The incense ash that had given birth to the divine smoke was about to disappear completely, leaving no trace, just as it had when it first appeared.
The spiritual treasure in their hands was like a flower in a mirror, a moon reflected in water. Unwilling to give up, some people redoubled their efforts and dug with both hands, sweeping the ash outward in the hope that a large enough amount might leave something behind.
Some were even bolder. They opened their mouths and swallowed, only to find themselves choking on a mouthful of ash, their eyes watering.
"What kind of damn spiritual treasure is this?!"
"It's just incense ash! Nothing but ash!"
"You can have it."
"If it can't be taken away, I guess we weren't meant to have it."
Just then, someone sharp-eyed spotted a person in the corner who had successfully taken away a box of incense ash. He pointed and cried, "Brother, how did you do that? Tell me!"
The man had meant to slip away, but he hadn't expected anyone to notice.
All eyes turned toward him. If he didn't explain, they would surely gang up on him.
"Jade containers can hold the incense ash." After leaving them with that remark, he quickly departed.
Jade containers?
Where could they find jade containers in such a hurry? By the time they made a round trip, the incense ash before them would be gone.
Suddenly, someone realized something and turned around. By then, disciples of the Celestial Master Temple had already rushed out, carrying numerous jade containers. This was their own doorstep, after all; they could fetch them and return in no time.
"Celestial Master, I'll pay a high price! Sell me one!"
"I'll pay a high price too!"
The Sect Leader Celestial Master paid no attention to their pleas. Compared with the incense ash, what was money worth?
One disciple of the Celestial Master Temple after another arrived beside the shrinking strange soil, filling jade containers with incense ash.
"Don't push, there's plenty!" One disciple was getting jostled and couldn't help speaking up.
The others ignored him. He turned and called, "Senior Disciple Brother, look! This place... a monster?!"
The disciple jumped back in fright. Reflected in his eyes was a Skeleton Monster with a python's head and a human skeleton. It was kneeling on the incense ash, its two bony hands sweeping it up like shovels and pouring it into a jade urn.
The disciple's sword flashed as he drew it and struck at the monster, which dared to appear in broad daylight.
"Stop."
The voice halted the disciple's movement.
Xue Ding raised a hand, signaling for him to stand down.
"Senior Disciple Brother, this monster..." The disciple's face was full of shock. Though he was a disciple of the Celestial Master Temple who followed the creed of exorcising demons and vanquishing evil, this was the first time he had seen a genuine monster or evil spirit.
"Don't speak nonsense."
"Yes, Senior Disciple Brother."
In just a moment, Bone had filled the jade urn in his arms with incense ash. A hint of regret seemed to show on his fleshless face. He couldn't take all the ash before him. What a shame.
He bowed to Xue Ding to show his gratitude, then glanced down at the jade urn and turned to leave. It was too small; it couldn't hold enough!
Whoosh, whoosh!
Figures darted through the forest. Branches swayed, and green leaves drifted down.
All of Wangwu Mountain had grown lively, with living beings stirring everywhere.
It was because the strange soil was appearing at random in various places. Though the patches were nowhere near as large as the first one outside the Celestial Master Temple, some still gave birth to one or two wisps of Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao.
"Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao!"
In a valley, three strange folk who were active in the area were overjoyed. They thought, At last, this opportunity has landed in our hands!
"Move!"
A domineering voice rang out.
The three men's faces changed. They looked up and, sure enough, saw the cultivator who had refined the smoke appear like a ghost. He charged toward the strange soil and deftly snatched away the wisp of divine smoke above it.
Facing this murderous fiend, how could the three of them dare resist?
Only after he had gone did the three weak strange folk dare to curse.
"What a bandit! He's snatched so much divine smoke already, and it still isn't enough? Damn it!"
"Quick, we can't let the incense ash go to waste. Someone said it can stabilize the mind."
As the trick of using jade containers to preserve incense ash spread, many people managed to get their hands on jade containers in a short time.
"Forget it. We were unlucky enough to run into the cultivator, but at least he was decent enough to leave us the ash~" One strange folk tried to make the best of things, staying optimistic.
"I heard the price of incense ash has gone through the roof. If nothing else works, we can sell it and go home to enjoy ourselves."
Some people were ambitious, others content with what they had. Such was the variety of life.
Just as the three were busy digging up the incense ash, one of them suddenly noticed a shadow quietly appearing beneath his feet.
Oh no!
He was about to react when the other side made the first move.
Any head was a good head. The sound rang out crisp and clear.
After three knocks, the three strange folk immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Tok, tok~"
The sound of a wooden fish rang out. Who could the sneak attacker be but Bone?
He put the "rib" he'd used to commit the deed back in place, set down the crudely made Jade box on his back, and rubbed his hands together. Then he picked up a hoe and started shoveling the incense ash.
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