Qingting Peak

Zheng Zetian opened his eyes and found himself in a deep purple fog. There was nothing beneath him, and he felt light and airy, as if he were sitting cross-legged on a cloud, or as if he were in a deep pool, as if he were being pulled down by some invisible thread.

He tried to adjust his body, spreading his arms and legs to control his posture, like a kite riding the wind, passing through the thick smoke and clouds, and finally slowly landing, stepping onto a pitch-black wilderness. It was as if he was stepping on thick ink, the pure black earth almost without a trace of light, so much so that it was illuminated by the purple sky.

Then a voice came from the void.

"Fellow Daoist, what do you think? Are you comfortable using this Dao body?"

"Hmm, it's alright." Zheng Zetian looked Fourth Department. "Is this your Dao Domain?"

The voice from the heavens, intrigued, said smugly,

"That's right, it is indeed me who traversed the Great Dao! So! Fiend! Empty Star! Awesome!"

Zheng Zetian nodded. "Oh."

"..."

Then the purple mist in the sky condensed and transformed into a Daoist robe, which landed in front of Zheng Zetian. However, the robe was empty inside, as if someone was wearing it, but no one could be seen.

"Oh? Fellow Daoist, do you have any other comments? Let's discuss them."

"I'm just a child now, I don't remember anything from before."

Zheng Zetian looked at the empty Daoist robe and shook his head.

"Besides, you've only stepped halfway into the Dao Realm, and you haven't even stabilized your Dharma Body yet. What's there to discuss? You should worry about yourself first. If this drags on too long, you'll go crazy sooner or later."

The Daoist robe seemed to choke on its contents, and he said with dissatisfaction.

"That's not how it works. I haven't followed your path. Besides, I've already gained some insights. Here, taste the fruits of my enlightenment."

Then the Daoist priest rolled up his sleeves and took out a deep purple apple. It was called an apple only because of its appearance. It was indeed like crystal, and its peel reflected the endless void and countless stars like a mirror.

Zheng Zetian didn't stand on ceremony, took the Empty Star Fruit, took a bite... and then another...

The Daoist priest asked expectantly, "How is it?"

"I already told you I'm just a kid, what kind of enlightenment can I possibly have?" Zheng Zetian continued eating, "But it's quite delicious."

The Daoist priest, enraged, flicked his sleeves.

"Damn it! You think I got my stuff for free?! Go back and test how powerful my magic is!"

A strong wind blew, Zheng Zetian opened his eyes.

He found himself back at Qingting Peak, in the Revered Heavenly Demon's dojo at the summit. This mountain peak was a magnetite mine, and thunderclouds surrounded the peak all day long. However, the Revered Heavenly Demon had set up a clear sky in the thunderclouds, allowing the bright purple moonlight to sweep down and illuminate the blue scales on the Revered Heavenly Demon's body, making them shine brilliantly.

The dragon god has a human head, horns three feet long, eyes like mirrors, and a color like cinnabar. When it swells its belly, thunder roars. This is the god of thunder and rain, the Lei Shilong.

The Revered Heavenly Demon Thunder Master came to life under the moonlight, but instead of going berserk and roaring, he simply coiled up in the shrine array, absorbing the lightning and thunder drawn from Qingting Peak by the array flags to increase his cultivation. He occasionally enjoyed blood offerings, but paid no attention to the young Daoist boy sitting quietly on the futon in front of him, Moon Worship, as if he couldn't see him at all.

"To be able to Abyss-Gazing on the first Moon Worship? No wonder it's Dao Seed... Speaking of which, are we producing too many Dao Seed that are said to be rare even once in a thousand years at Ink Bamboo Mountain? Is this really normal...?"

Late at night, Song Dayou, carrying a black paper umbrella made of animal bones covered with red talismans and wearing round sunglasses that reflected the purple moonlight, limped into the formation, muttering to himself.

"Ze Tian, how did it go? Did you go to Lei Marsh? Did you see Lei Shi?"

Zheng Zetian glanced at the dozing Thor in front of him, then looked back at his master and shook his head.

"Huh? They went somewhere else?"

Song Dayou became serious, squatted down in front of his disciple, and raised his sunglasses.

"So what did you see? Was it an object, or Non-Thing?"

Zheng Zetian thought for a moment, "I saw a piece of clothing."

"Clothes? So those are objects?"

Song Dayou frowned.

Zheng Zetian: "It even offered me some fruit."

"... Are you really not asleep?"

Song Dayou checked his disciple's pulse. His cultivation level had indeed increased due to Moon Worship's influence, but he couldn't find any problems. His body hadn't mutated, and his meridians were normal... But the fact that Moon Worship hadn't changed was the biggest abnormality...

"Hmm... I thought that with your talent, you could try to cultivate the Thunder God Transformation after just one night of Moon Worship and entering a dream, observing the Thunder Master. The Forty-Nine Transformations of the Revered Heavenly Demon are the protective techniques of our sect's disciples. If you can learn them, you will have the power to protect yourself in front of the Xuanmen when you reach the Nascent Soul Realm... But it's alright, your talent is exceptional, and you can cultivate the Way of Transformation by Moon Worship at any time in the future."

Song Dayou, holding an umbrella, pointed to the sleeping Revered Heavenly Demon on the shrine.

"Among the Revered Heavenly Demon of Moshan, this body of the Lei Marsh God is most suitable for our Thunder Magic cultivation. When it appears in battle formations, it can not only be wrapped in wind and thunder, with lightning enveloping it, and summon wind and rain to increase the power of our magic, but it can also ride the clouds and mist, take the place of the dead, and gain an extra life."

Once you've mastered your skills, if you feel the spiritual energy here is insufficient, you can do what I did and go to the nearby Lei Marsh in the south to breathe in thunderclouds and lightning to accelerate your cultivation. I must say, this Ink Bamboo Mountain is truly a treasure land for cultivating thunder magic.

However, thunder is the subtle movement of Yin and Yang, and lightning is the intense brilliance of Yin and Yang. The essence of the Way of Thunder is not about soaring through the clouds and summoning wind and rain, but about harmonizing Yin and Yang and refining one's foundation. Nowadays, cultivators are greedy for quick results and neglect the cultivation of the true methods, which is also the way of Heaven, and there is nothing that can be done about it.

But Ze Tian, remember this: only through diligent cultivation and rigorous practice, comprehending the orthodox methods of the Xuanmen and refining superior Dao Breath, can one unleash righteous thunder. Otherwise, relying on transformation techniques and the art of inhalation and exhalation, what is produced is nothing but heretical thunder. When it encounters the orthodox methods, it will be utterly destroyed and will even harm the practitioner. Therefore, one must never neglect either the orthodox or heretical paths. Remember this well."

"Yes, disciple understands."

Song Dayou said that he would not teach thunder magic without the patriarch's permission, but in reality, he taught all thunder magic. He hadn't taught the techniques yet, but he had passed on all the proper mental techniques.

After all, if the mystical arts value aptitude, then thunder magic values aptitude even more. Think about it, can just anyone create thunder? If a spell doesn't work, it doesn't work; if you summon thunder but it doesn't come, it doesn't come. That's fate, and there's no way to change it.

The fact that Ink Bamboo Mountain, such a suitable place for cultivating thunder magic, has now been reduced to only two Qingting Sect speaks volumes. If it weren't for the Grand Master's favor in bestowing a Daoist prodigy upon them, their lineage would almost have been lost...

So although Song Dayou didn't have much money, he doted on his disciple, providing him with Tu Lou blood puppets and transformations of the Thunder God—all methods of substitution, precisely because he feared that Dao Seed with such outstanding talent as Ze Tian would be envied by the heavens and hated by others, thus suffering an early calamity and death.

Therefore, after the moon worship ceremony, he took Zheng Zetian directly to the cave and brought out all the treasures that Qingting Peak had kept hidden for his disciple's self-defense.

He first took out a roll of sky-blue, silk-like, thin and perforated fabric. When he unfolded it, it covered Zheng Zetian's body like a mosquito net. It was as thin as a cicada's wing and as fine as silk gauze. But when he picked it up and looked closely, he found that it was woven using the four-warp gauze weaving method. That is, four warp threads were woven together, each of which was made of real silk, and then the gauze pattern was woven into symbols.

Although this treasure does not have a so-called artifact spirit and cannot be considered 'graded', it is clear that this item is closer to equipment like immortal clothing than a magic weapon. Moreover, it is different from those ordinary items that are bought and directly enchanted and tempered with talismans. These layers upon layers of runes clearly show that they were specially made by cultivators, starting from the raw silk material.

"This treasure is called the Divine Azure Haze Smoke Net. It is actually a treasure net. Although it looks like only a thin layer, it can control wind and thunder, dispel magic, avoid heavenly tribulations, and is impervious to swords and blades, water and fire. It is even unafraid of ordinary Nascent Soul Realm flying swords and magic treasures. Back then, my master befriended people from the Luo Sect and was expelled from the sect. He was chased all the way and was able to escape from the Central Plains to the South Border. It was all thanks to this treasure that he survived."

However, times have changed, the malevolent energy is too strong, and new methods of the Tai Su Dao are emerging one after another. I can't say how much protective power this treasure still has. In addition, this treasure must be scattered in advance to wrap around the body, and the incantation must be recited while making hand seals for it to take effect. If the opponent is the kind of hothead who doesn't say a word and suddenly throws a punch, you will suffer if you are caught off guard.

"Alas, my master and I both suffered the same fate back then. Relying on the Azure Sky Escape Shadow and the protection of our supreme treasures, we were too arrogant and almost got killed in a moment of carelessness... In short, Ze Tian, you should also take this as a warning and never be careless or negligent when fighting with swords."

"Oh." Zheng Zetian saw his master start rambling again, so he grabbed two oranges from the table, peeled them, gave one to his master and ate the other himself.

Song Dayou shook his head and smiled wryly. He gave the oranges and the Divine Firmament Divine Azure Haze Smoke Net to his disciple, putting them in a bundle for him to carry close to his body so he could take them out and wrap himself with them at any time. He also taught him the incantation and secret method for using the magic weapon. Seeing that Zheng Zetian learned it in one go, he nodded in satisfaction and went to the secret room to retrieve another magic weapon that was enshrined there.

This is a bracelet made of thirty-six magnets, each with two lightning symbols (yin and yang) engraved on it. It was wrapped around Zheng Zetian's left wrist three times.

"This item is called the Supreme Thirty-Six Divine Thunder Fire Banner. Your current cultivation level is too low, and you cannot unleash its power at all. Moreover, when Master was fighting in the Central Plains, he over-activated this item, and its spirit has been damaged and is now dormant. It requires a lot of resources to repair it."

Our sect only recently moved here, and our foundation is too shallow. We can't raise that much money yet, and our resources are too limited. It's not worth spending money to repair such old things. In short, just use it to smash people. Even a powerful demon god in the Divine Transformation can be injured.

Furthermore, carrying these thirty-six thunder beads will enhance the power of palm strikes. In case you suffer a qi deviation during cultivation and are attacked by the backlash of thunder and fire, you can use these thunder beads to absorb the power of the thunder and fire, preventing damage to your meridians... Although I think with your aptitude, it's unlikely you'll suffer a qi deviation..."

"Kindness."

After finishing the orange, Zheng Zetian grabbed a walnut and cracked it with his Thunderfire Banner; it was quite useful.

"This is a treasure passed down through generations of masters and disciples of our sect. Don't just use it to crack walnuts! Oh well, whatever, do as you please..."

Song Dayou rubbed his eyebrows, then did some calculations with his fingers.

"It's almost dawn, I need to do my morning prayers. After I pass on the Daoist teachings to you, you must also get up at the hour of Yin and Mao (3-5 AM) for breathing exercises, without missing a single day. I'll call it a day for now, you can go out and play, but don't leave the territory of Qingting Peak. After noon I will take you to Moshan to pay respects to your master."

"Yes."

So Zheng Zetian bowed, took two oranges, went out to lead his sheep, and began to stroll around the mountain.

It couldn't be called strolling around; it was more like looking for food.

Although the Qingting Sect's cave dwelling had some pastries, steamed cakes, vegetarian food, wheat, and other dried rations, Zheng Zetian still preferred to eat something fresh and natural. So he rode the Tu Lou, let go of the reins, and let it run wild across the mountain.

Although most of the ley lines of Qingting Peak had been taken to Lou Guan City, and Song Dayou rarely returned to cultivate, it was still once a sacred mountain and a treasure land for cultivation. Moreover, because of its relatively remote location and the lack of an industrial park like Heavenly Craft Peak, it was constantly struck by thunder and lightning, and hardly anyone lived there. As a result Qingting Peak lineage couldn't even collect much land rent.

But at least the environment here is relatively quiet. Under the protection of thunderclouds covering the mountains, the moonlight doesn't shine very brightly, and some flowers, grasses, birds and wild animals can grow in the mountains and fields.

This Tu Lou, born in the icy, snowy, and fiercely windy environment of Kunlun, is naturally adept at foraging and has a Divine Beast keen sense of smell, as if it were born knowing where there is food.

So the Tu Lou would dig here and there, and soon it would find something to eat. If it was a small snack like a snake, insect, lizard, or mouse, Zheng Zetian wouldn't compete with it and would let the goat eat it all by itself. If it was a berry or a vegetable, he would wipe it clean with his robe and share it with the goat. They ate and ate their way through the mountains.

It wasn't because Zheng Zetian was particularly greedy—well, maybe a little bit—but mainly it was for practicing his martial arts.

The <Azure Haze Azure Sky Heaven Origin Technique>, while not particularly outstanding in terms of its refined Dao Breath, possesses a unique advantage: it can completely transform even the most chaotic Purple Radiance spiritual energy into Bi Xia Dao energy. Furthermore, it can refine even naturally grown immortal vegetables and fruits containing only a trace of spiritual energy, skin and all. In a sense, it truly allows one to eat without excretion, satisfying one's cravings without bloating or stomach pain, directly refining the food into true energy. Moreover, compared to consuming Devil Embryo, which carries the risks of indigestion and bodily mutations, cultivating this technique also provides vitamins with virtually no adverse effects—isn't that wonderful?

Zheng Zetian was quite pleased with himself. He didn't care about not eating meat. Although he lacked the methods of Daoist magic, he could also cultivate the lightning magic that required blood and food to avoid, perfectly making up for the lack of damage output. It was as if someone had specially designed this leveling-up strategy for him.

Of course, Tu Lou don't have that ability; they simply eat and excrete along the way...

The Tu Lou suddenly stopped.

Zheng Zetian, who was sucking on a mulberry, also looked up and saw that the goat had stopped halfway up the mountain and was peering into the valley hidden in the mountain stream.

This canyon is perpetually shaded, with only a narrow pass exposed to the elements, as if it had been cracked open by an earthquake. Below, the forest is dense with broad leaves, and there is a faint, eerie atmosphere and a chilling aura. If one is not careful, one might easily slip and fall.

The Tu Lou turned its head to look at its owner.

Zheng Zetian understood; there was treasure below, but also a demon. So he reached out and gave it a handful of mulberries.

"Walk."

So the lamb continued its trotting journey, walking directly down the steep ravine as if on flat ground, and soon reached the bottom of the valley.

There was a large, fat man with a big head and a short body, lying face up in the rotting soil and fallen leaves. He was surrounded by evil energy, his skin was brownish-yellow and black, covered in mud like a big potato, and his head was swollen like a fish head, with a human face growing out of it, with a distinct mouth and nose. At first glance, it was hard to tell whether he was a person imprisoned in the ground or some kind of Moon Worship spirit.

It was almost dawn, and the fat man, who had probably been gazing at the moon all night, was fast asleep with his eyes closed.

The Tu Lou hopped and leaped from the cliff onto the fat man's belly, sniffed it, and couldn't resist biting off the fat man's nose.

There was no blood, only white fluid splattering out; that must be a spirit. It's so big, almost human-like; even if it was created through Moon Worship, it must have over a thousand years of cultivation.

The fat man suddenly opened his eyes and saw a sheep gnawing at his face. He screamed "Wah--!" so loudly that the earth shook and the trees trembled! The leaves of the entire mountain were blown by the eerie wind and rustled loudly!

The monster's entire body rose from the ground! Standing upright, it was over two zhang tall. It turned out to be a tree spirit or something similar, with most of its roots buried deep in the ground, its head sticking out as if swimming on its back. At this moment, it wildly lashed out with its whip-like tentacles, sweeping across the area, smashing the surrounding rocks to pieces, cutting the vegetation, and kicking up dust and flying stones, as if trying to grab the goat on its face and smash it to pieces!

The scene is like someone lying in bed, opening their eyes to find a huge cockroach crawling on their face, and then jumping up and swaying wildly.

Meanwhile, Tu Lou and Zheng Zetian chewed on mulberries expressionlessly, waiting for the fat man to dance for a while. Tu Lou saw his chance, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he did a goat leap in place, bending over in mid-air and crashing down headfirst like a torpedo!

With a loud 'boom!', the headbutt slammed into the fat man, making him see stars. He stomped backward, and most of his body sank back into the mud. White fluid gushed from his mouth and nose, and he was unable to move for a moment!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zheng Zetian leaned over the sheep's back, raised the string of thunder beads in his left hand, and swung it around. His Dao Breath condensed and refined in his palm, lightning and electricity intertwined, Dao Breath energy enveloped the thunder beads in his hand, illuminating half of one of the thunder beads... a thunder imprint. He then struck the fat man directly on the head!

Then a flash of blue light appeared in the canyon, followed by a bolt of lightning. A sharp 'bang!' rang out, instantly shattering the fat man's skull, splattering fluids everywhere, and killing him on the spot. A faint burnt smell still lingered.

After casually eliminating the monster, Zheng Zetian jumped off his mount and found a small braid-like root at the skeletal remains of what appeared to be the fat monster's head. At the end of the root was a bright red fruit, resembling the monster's inner core.

"Ginseng?"

Can ginseng grow in the south?

Zheng Zetian wiped the ginseng fruit clean, took a bite of the flesh, chewed it twice, frowned, and spat it out.

The taste is off; every bite produces blood. It's probably been artificially fertilized.

So he threw all the ginseng spirits he had killed to the Tu Lou to deal with, and Zheng Zetian wandered around the valley twice, but did not find any human skeletons.

It seems this monster escaped from somewhere else while Qingting Peak.