Granting the Way

Li Fan was knocked to the ground by the Cangsong tree and was still in a daze.

At this moment, the abbot made a hand seal and chanted an incantation. With a flick of his wrist, a square stone box appeared in his palm. Simultaneously, a whirlwind arose from the ground, sweeping away all the skin, true qi, and cicada shells that had scattered on the ground when the pine tree had just Cangsong. He then collected them into the stone box, sealed it, and handed it to Li Fan.

"Cangsong Lord Cangsong has completely ascended to immortality, and his days in the mortal realm are numbered. Since he wishes to pass on his remains to you, Qingyue, you should accept them."

No, he has no intention of passing on the torch; he's just deliberately trying to contradict me, isn't he?

"... Yes, disciple will go home and prepare a cicada-shaped tomb for the Immortal Lord to enshrine."

Li Fan got up and took the box containing the skin of the Cangsong pine tree. He thought about how the golden cicada shroud used for disintegration was made from these things, and how the ascension to immortality literally turned into a moth. He felt a little strange.

The abbot flicked his sleeve, and with Li Fan, they soared into the clouds, flying towards the direction of the Ink Bamboo Mountain Grotto-Heaven. Knowing that this was the first time Li Fan had seen such a grand scene, he casually offered some pointers.

"The remains of Feather Transformation Immortal have a wide range of uses. They can be used not only to make cicada molts but also to refine elixirs and make medicine. As for the remains of Cangsong Lord Cangsong, they can be used to assist in cultivating his unique skill, the Heavenly Silkworm Skill. Since you have a deep connection with the Qin Family, you may find it useful in the future."

"Heavenly Silkworm Skill? I wonder what kind of supernatural power that is?"

The abbot did not hide anything, "It is not a supernatural power, but rather a supreme internal skill that has been passed down in the martial arts world since ancient times. Its origin is unknown. Although it is a martial art of the mortal world and has no effect on prolonging life, each time one completes a full cycle of cultivation, one can be reborn from the ashes and increase one's power more than tenfold."

The Qin Family originated from the martial arts world and was a renowned martial arts family. Before he entered the Daoist path, it is said that Cangsong Lord Cangsong was almost elected as the Wulin League Master in the Central Plains. However, he received a predestined opportunity to become a disciple of Emei and cultivate there. As a result, he integrated a large number of martial arts techniques from the martial arts world with the Daoist arts of the Xuanmen, refining and perfecting them, which greatly increased the strength of Emei. The Heavenly Silkworm Skill is one of the most outstanding techniques among them.

I have personally witnessed a true master of Emei, who, upon unleashing the power of the Fifth Rank Heavenly Silkworm Skill Technique, swept aside all the elites of his realm. Almost no one could withstand a single blow from him. In the end, he was ambushed and many people sacrificed their lives to save him. The Tianjue Dao Lord just spoke is said to have now reached the Seventh Rank. There are probably only a handful of people in the world who can rival him in swordsmanship.

As for the Cangsong Lord Cangsong, he had already achieved the ninth level of cultivation. I think it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he is undoubtedly invincible in the world.

Good heavens!... That old moth was so awesome, it scared him a little... I'm afraid his Ninefold Success only counted to nine...

Li Fan glanced at the box in his arms, then at how the two of them had already flown back to the Ink Bamboo Mountain Grotto-Heaven in the blink of an eye. Thinking that after so many twists and turns, they had finally met the Abbot himself, and could 'discuss the details upon meeting him,' he didn't delay any longer and asked directly.

"Master, you just said you witnessed it with your own eyes. Could you be referring to the sword fight between the Luo Sect and the Three Great Sects back then? I heard from the manifestation that you and the Mountain Lord also rescued Yan Xingyun of the Luo Sect from the Three Great Sects back then. Could it be that you were also...?"

The abbot shook his head and said, "The Manifestation Dao Lord is too kind. Although we were both at the Nascent Soul Realm, the mountain lord and I were just rogue cultivators in the South Border Frontier at that time. In terms of strength, we were naturally no match for those true disciples. It was only because they fought so fiercely and exhausted their Qi and blood that we were able to escape with our lives."

Actually, neither the Mountain Lord nor I are members of the Luo Sect. We were just acquainted with Brother Xing Yun. Although he invited us, the South Border was too remote, so we couldn't make it in time for our sworn brotherhood and oath of peace, which we regret. Later, we heard about the four cults' sword fight and came to help, but unfortunately, our strength was too weak to get involved. We could only watch from afar and secretly collect the bodies of our friends."

Is that so? Collecting corpses... Brother Yan probably disintegrated around that time and was reincarnated as a demon...

By the way, physical death, reincarnation, Yan Xingyun, abbot...

Li Fan hesitated, recalling what Xuan Tian and Cangsong had said earlier.

"Master, you've taken me in and are protecting me so much. Could it be because I might be Brother Yan's...?"

The abbot raised his hand and patted Li Fan's shoulder, saying...

"Qingyue, the rights and wrongs, the killings and grudges of the past are all fleeting clouds. I know that hatred is the hardest thing to let go of, but if people die and the grudges are not settled, and they are reincarnated and still pursue old grudges for revenge, then this world will truly never have a peaceful day..."

Therefore, when I, Ink Bamboo Mountain, accept disciples, I don't consider past lives. Who you were in the past is not important, and any debts you had in the past are no longer important. I only remember that you are now, and that you are Qingyue, a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain.

What kind of person you want to be and what path you choose to take are all up to you.

As long as you remember your original aspiration and live up to the expectations of heaven, earth, and people, that is enough.

The abbot's tone was very calm and ordinary, without any dramatic or profound emotion. But Li Fan was still struck by the bald man's words.

If he hadn't just opened the Three Flowers Cave, his Dao Heart would probably have been refreshed once again.

Li Fan then nodded solemnly and bowed to the abbot.

"Thank you for your instruction, Master. I, Qingyue, will remember it."

The abbot nodded slightly. "Very good. I have always been confident in your comprehension and virtue. I was worried before that you hadn't had enough experience. But you went to the Central Plains and saw the world. Now you are the leader of Moshan appointed by the mountain lord. Senior Brother Liang has already passed on the Lou Guan lineage to you. You just survived the tribulation of Emei. With good fortune on your side, the future of my Ink Bamboo Mountain can be entrusted to you."

However, our sect has too many confidential matters to tell you all at once, so let's take it one step at a time. First and foremost, the most urgent matter..."

So the abbot, along with Li Fan, flashed into the mountain lord's courtyard. The three flower fairy maids also appeared and kowtowed. Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Li Fan realized what was happening, took out a flowerpot containing the heads of the entire Mo Shan family, and handed it to the abbot.

The abbot held the flowerpot in his left palm, his eyes half-closed, and his right hand making calculations.

"Tianyu's cultivation is alright, but the others will need some time to regain their true selves. We can't help them reshape their bodies yet; we need to nurture them further..."

Then the abbot reached into the flowerpot with his right hand, and with a splash, lifted the masked mountain lord's enormous head, blood overflowing from the flowerpot and splattering all over the ground. He then handed the mountain lord's head to a maid and instructed her...

"Please, fellow Daoist, sacrifice yourself to feed the beasts, but do not feed them to the most ferocious ones; choose those at the Nascent Soul Stage."

The maid who received the mountain lord's head knelt and said yes, overjoyed, and hugged the huge head to her chest, rubbing it vigorously against the mountain lord's messy hair. She didn't care that her face and body were splattered with blood. She laughed sweetly and ran into the backyard and disappeared.

The other two stared at her retreating figure with envy, jealousy, and hatred, as if they wished they could steal her head and exchange it for hers.

Li Fan's expression of "Holy crap??" made his mood drop a little...

Then the abbot pulled a girl's wrist from the flowerpot, dragged half of Yue Lanzi's body out, and called out, "Tianyu."

Yue Lanzi's neck was torn open, as if a human face had grown out, and she spoke through her vocal cords, "Master... Master..."

Li Fan's expression was one of utter disbelief, and his mood dipped slightly...

The abbot urged, "Tianyu, come out and be reborn."

The man spoke each word clearly, "Yue Lan... has lost... I must... disintegrate..."

The abbot frowned. "Have you thought this through? There are risks involved in self-dissolution."

The man's face was filled with a chuckling laugh, like a leaky trumpet; he just kept chuckling.

"Fine, do as you please," the abbot sighed, gripping Yue Lanzi's wrist. He dipped his index finger in blood and drew a talisman on her pulse point, then turned his head and said, "Bring me the object to which the soul resides."

Li Fan subconsciously reached for the golden cicada, but a maidservant nearby had already taken out a pair of broken, scimitar-shaped blades.

The abbot swiftly chanted a talisman, shouting "Hurry!" The human face, like a parasitic wandering spirit, rolled beneath Yue Lanzi 'Yue Lanzi skin, moving along the meridians of her arm. The instant it passed the blood talisman at her pulse point, a sharp scream suddenly echoed from the darkness. The blood talisman then severed her pulse, and a stream of blood shot onto the broken blades of the curved swords, staining the maid's face crimson!

Wow...

The abbot looked at Li Fan, who had a "WTF" expression on his face, and shouted, "Qingyue, you come here!"

"Me?" Li Fan was taken aback, only then realizing that Yue Lanzi's hand had gone out of control and swelled up like a purplish-red balloon!

The wrist that the abbot was holding down was still normal, but the palm on the other end was rapidly ulcerating and regenerating. A large number of tumor blood vessels were uncontrollably expanding and growing from the cross-section of the wrist, and large clumps of fresh flesh and blood spurted out like a fountain!

"Kill him!"

The abbot gave a cold shout, and Li Fan subconsciously waved his hand, unleashing Sword Qi. However, the Sword Qi was of course ineffective against this Non-Thing Dao body! It merely cut through the flesh, and in an instant, it regenerated a hundredfold!

"That's not the right move! How do you usually slay demons!"

Li Fan's heart tightened, his Crimson Eyes glared, and a red line shot out, piercing the tumor like a steel needle. With a bang, flesh exploded on the ground, leaving a rotten mess.

This attack severed Yue Lanzi's wrist, but it also directly killed the out-of-control Non-Thing body, eliminating the risk of the Non-Thing going berserk.

"Yes, this divinely bestowed power is indeed swift and efficient in exorcising demons, much more convenient than the Daoist methods of Ink Bamboo Mountain."

The abbot skillfully took out a pill, ate half of it himself, blew on Yue Lanzi's severed wrist, made a hand seal to stop the bleeding, and then put her back in the flowerpot.

The two maids skillfully wrapped the scimitars in talismans and put them away, while simultaneously cleaning up the blood and flesh on the ground and packing it into a large vat for pickling...

"Go and retrieve a Dan Ying Divine Fetus. Water it day and night with Immortal Spirit Jade Marrow. Report to me immediately when a head grows out." The abbot placed the flowerpot in the courtyard of the mountain lord's villa, set up a magic array and sealed it with talismans, and instructed the remaining two women.

"As you command, Abbot." The two maids cleaned up the blood and flesh scattered on the ground, then embraced the pair of curved swords and vanished into the clouds.

Li Fan was completely bewildered as he watched the abbot perform a series of incredibly detailed and fluid rituals.

"Let's go. Your master had two bodies destroyed by the Manifestation Dao Lord and was knocked down to the Nascent Soul Realm. His vital energy was greatly depleted, but it's not a big problem. He can recover in about a hundred years after he goes to the Tai Su Realm to rebuild himself."

He originally wanted to live another Tianyu, but he left his primordial spirit to Yue Lanzi for nourishment, and then went on to reincarnate through the path of military liberation. Whether he can return is only a matter of fifty-fifty; it can only be said that everyone has their own ambitions..."

The abbot, however, didn't linger. With a flick of his sleeve, he gave Li Fan a jade slip, then rolled him up and flew away.

"Here you go, this is the <Moshan Nourishing Embryo Technique>, which is a secret teaching on how to use the nascent Nascent Soul Stage to conceive Devil Embryo, a beast embryo, or a divine embryo. It is what the mountain lord and I prepared for the Moshan disciples to be reborn from this calamity of death today."

If any disciples of Moshan are defeated by the demon in their hearts in the future, you can also use this method to sever the demonic body and use the remaining human body to regenerate the person. However, Yue Lanzi is too badly injured, and the others are not good enough. We have to wait until they first eliminate the demon in their hearts and overcome their own tribulations before we can help them reshape their Dharma bodies.

If someone survives the tribulation and becomes a fetus, and I am not in the mountains, you can use this method to identify them and help them cultivate their Tai Su Dao Body to revive.

Alright, that settles one matter. Now, next one.

Li Fan, mouth agape, hadn't even had a chance to look at the secret manual the abbot had given him before the abbot swept him up and carried him into the mountains, landing him in a shrine.

This ancestral hall is located on the top of a mountain peak carved into a square platform in the bamboo forest. The ancestral hall is not large and is built like a local earth god temple. Compared with the other Heavenly Immortal in the Ink Bamboo Mountain Grotto-Heaven, which are filled with spiritual energy, it is particularly inconspicuous.

But inside the shrine, there was a huge deity, the kind that would make your head spin just looking at it. Fortunately, the statue was currently stored in a cabinet, sealed tightly with talismans and ink lines, so it couldn't be seen with the naked eye; one could only observe it with the blind.

Yes, the Thousand-Faced Immortal.

"The previous abbot and the seven generations of leaders summoned the Thousand-Faced Immortal from the outer realm right here," the abbot said, leading Li Fan to offer incense to the Thousand-Faced Immortal and bow. Then, he took out a yellow book from the shrine and showed it to Li Fan.

"When you come here to Moon Worship, you can go to a cave within a cave, Beyond Heavens, a secret realm of another world. That is where the Thousand-Faced Immortal preached. Although the immortal is no longer here, my Ink Bamboo Mountain still has many secret treasures collected there. Such as the Sword Casting Pool, the alchemy furnace, the treasure-refining workshop, the heavenly crafting workshop, and other rare items such as the extraterrestrial flying boat, which are the forbidden areas of my Ink Bamboo Mountain sect."

There are several more entrances here. In the past, the mountain lord was stationed there, and Lou Guan and the True Person Realm disciples of Moshan took turns guarding them. Now I will also be stationed there for a long time, but the sect is short-handed right now. If you have time, please come and patrol.

"When it's your turn to guard the area, you must not be careless. That Jade Toad Granny has sneaked in to steal several times and has been torn apart by the Mountain Lord a few times. But now that the Mountain Lord is not here, I probably won't have any free time either..."

"Don't worry, Abbot! Leave it to me! If I ever run into that old toad again, I'll tear her apart!" Li Fan immediately patted his chest and guaranteed.

The abbot shook his head. "Her fate is not yet over. When the time comes, the truth will be revealed. There's no need to force it. On the contrary, our Ink Bamboo Mountain will soon open its Xuanmen (mysterious gate) to invite cultivators from the Central Plains to Ink Bamboo Mountain for exchanges and to support the war in the Ten-thousand-mountains. There will inevitably be a mix of good and bad among them, and there may be spies among them. Be very careful not to fall for a diversionary tactic."

"Yes, as the Abbot commands..."

Li Fan thought it was over, but unexpectedly, he heard the abbot say...

"These are all minor matters. If you have any questions in the future, just ask Xuanzhou. I won't go into details. The next matter is the most important."

Upon hearing this, Li Fan was taken aback. What? The Thousand-Faced Immortal, the Sword Casting Pool, and the extraterrestrial flying ship weren't the most important things? Then what the hell was it??

Then the abbot made a hand seal, leading Li Fan down into the ground. They plunged into a deep abyss, traveling hundreds of miles before finally landing in a deep ravine.

Li Fan looked up in a daze. On both sides were dark rock walls, and he could see a man-made stone Plank Road leading up to a vaguely visible ancient building in the valley.

In such a deep underground place, there should have been no light at all, but there was a strange golden hue in the air, which stained the towering rock walls a deep, blood-red color.

So Li Fan turned around in a daze and looked behind him. At the end of the mountain path was a mountain gate that had collapsed most of the way and whose inscriptions were illegible.

Outside the mountain gate stretched a fiery inferno, a sea of golden and crimson flames. His face was bathed in the golden-red light of the flames, and even with his Nascent Soul Realm, he found it difficult to withstand the intense heat and fire. Lava... was it from a volcano...?

The abbot considerately gave Li Fan ten seconds to compose himself before urging, "Let's go, there are still many things I need to tell you."

Li Fan could only swallow hard and follow the abbot, stepping up the stone steps and entering the temple.

Li Fan could feel the immense pressure from his surroundings. He could see blood-stained incantations on the rocks on both sides. Under the dual pressure on his mind and body, he unconsciously circulated his internal energy to resist. He even had to dismantle a portion of his newly cultivated Returning to Emptiness True Essence to repair his Tai Su Dao Body in order to withstand this immense pressure, suppress his many questions, and follow the Abbot's steps across the stone steps.

Finally, after crossing the mountain path and reaching the inner hall, the oppressive feeling dissipated, and he felt as light as a feather. However, the questions in his heart grew heavier, and with the scene before him, they became stuck in Li Fan's throat.

This is an ancient Daoist palace, an ancient Daoist palace built of stone.

Upon entering, in the first Lingguan Hall, the spirit official on duty was shattered on the ground, but it was still discernible that he was roughly a demon god with three heads, six arms, a human Head-Snake, a blue face and fangs, and fleshy wings on his back...

"Tai Xuan Temple..."

The abbot did not turn around, but simply shook his head slightly and corrected him.

"No, this is the ancestral temple of my Lou Guan, Zhenyang Temple."

Damn it... all I know are these ancient Daoist sects! They're all ancient lineage masters! Their backgrounds are incredibly deep!

The abbot did not stop, leading the dumbfounded Li Fan into the main hall. He pushed open the stone door, stepped aside to let them pass, and revealed the words carved on the smooth, white jade-like stone wall.

'Road'

"Bye."

Like the sound of a morning bell and an evening drum striking his heart, Li Fan's legs went weak, and he bowed deeply in reverence.

The abbot nodded and gently stroked the top of his head.

"Qingyue, you have already mastered Lou Guan's 'Huashu,' achieving the state of 'transforming the void with the spirit and returning to the root of life.' From now on, I will teach you the true teachings of our sect, the 'Supreme Righteous Zhenyang Technique.'"

This is the highest secret transmission of our Lou Guan school, based on emptiness and taking the cultivation of nature as its principle. It is the highest vehicle among alchemical methods.

The initial stage of cultivation begins with the highest level of the True Person Realm, Refining the Spirit and Returning to Emptiness. The main focus is on cultivating one's own True Yang Qi to connect with the True Yang Qi of Heaven and Earth, and to steal the void from Heaven and Earth to replenish the true Qi of one's own spirit.

It teaches people to have nothing, to do nothing, to cling to nothing, to reach the ultimate emptiness and the limitless, so that one cannot see the sky above, nor the earth below, nor oneself within, nor others without, seeing nothing at all. Then one is connected to heaven and earth, and heaven and earth are connected to oneself. One is in harmony with heaven and earth, yet also separate from them, in the same great unity, where self and others are one with heaven and earth.

The Way is complete.

Li Fan's mouth gaped open in an "O" shape as he knelt there, stunned. Before him, the surging power of the universe poured forth from the abbot, igniting him like a torch!

"Tai Chi is limited by Heaven and Earth, shackled by Qian and Kun! Spiritual Qi is scarce, limited to the Nine Qi! The Great Dao is lacking, and cultivators in the world can only take the unorthodox path of ascension and corpse liberation! My True Yang Technique would have been impossible to cultivate in this world! But! Today, Heaven has opened! Fate has changed!"

The abbot's face slowly revealed a smile that was unprecedented, genuine, and incredibly Pleasure, even somewhat eerie.

The smile first burned like fire, then shone like light, and finally transformed into a ball of blazing liquid, like a newborn sun, magnificent and illuminating the entire dark world!

"Now, it is the era of my Way."

End of this volume

This volume is complete! Thank you for your support, fellow readers!