Dao Citizens

Yang Huai was profoundly shaken by this!

Was this the Fuxi Clan he had imagined?

He leafed through the impoverished memories of this young Daoist acolyte.

The young acolyte had not seen much of the world. He only knew that the leader of the Xi Huang Kingdom was the Fuxi Clan; he knew nothing else.

Beyond that, he had heard that the lands surrounding the Xi Huang Kingdom were filled with countless evil entities and demons, perilous beyond measure.

The world outside was cruel.

Only by becoming a Dao Citizen could one rise above the masses and gain the ability to protect oneself—or even explore the outside world.

Countless speculations flashed through Yang Huai's mind, but he swiftly answered Qingli's doubts.

"I'm not some evil entity. I'm the one here to help you go home!"

Within the sea of consciousness, Yang Huai's tone was natural and gentle.

"Didn't you desperately want to return to Linwan City, to your parents' side? We already made an agreement. You should be able to see it!"

"I can help you return to your homeland—and even win back your childhood sweetheart!"

There was not a trace of temptation in his voice. Instead, it was utterly certain.

At those words, Qingli fell silent for a moment, as if he were examining an intangible sheet of azure beast-hide floating up from the depths of his sea of consciousness.

It was the secret contract Yang Huai had formed with him through the treasure mirror.

As a Daoist acolyte, Qingli had two dreams. One was to return to his parents' side; the other was to win back his childhood sweetheart.

In exchange, his body would temporarily be handed over to Yang Huai to "operate."

This was also the treasure mirror's most crucial ability. Yang Huai called it Reflecting All Beings. So long as he encountered someone fated with him, their form and spirit could merge, allowing them to briefly become another self of his!

Of course, according to Yang Huai's own speculation, this might not necessarily be a temporary other self. It might have been an other self from another dimension all along—otherwise, how could they fit together so perfectly?!

The previous "fated person" had been a cowherd boy.

But Yang Huai had gained little from that boy. He had only learned how to herd livestock and take a beating...

After a while, Qingli finally spoke, his voice carrying a trace of hope.

"Fine. As long as you can help me win A Yu back, even if I have to offer my body to demons..."

His voice seemed to turn into a murmur at the end, quickly fading away.

"What a lovesick fool! But I'm no demon. I'm just here to deliver warmth..."

Yang Huai chuckled.

At the same time, he noticed an entirely different status panel appearing in the depths of the treasure mirror, like an auxiliary panel beneath the main status.

After one glance, Yang Huai's spirits immediately rose.

"This time, it shouldn't be a world-ending start of starving and freezing!"

Anchored Subject:

[Name: Qingli]

[Age: Eleven]

[Main Fate: Innate Sword Bones (Gold)] (Born with two innate sword bones, one in his right arm and one deep within his niwan palace. Those who possess innate sword bones are naturally physically powerful, and cultivating secret arts related to sword-shaped weapons yields twice the results with half the effort!)

There was also a hidden sub-panel.

With a thought from Yang Huai, he could unfold it.

[Twenty-Two Primordial Glyphs (1/22)]

Yang Huai's attention lingered noticeably on [Main Fate: Innate Sword Bones] for quite some time.

This golden fate was highly unusual. It was not only a fate, but had also given rise to a corresponding special physique.

It was truly remarkable!

But compared with [Twenty-Two Primordial Glyphs (1/22)], Yang Huai could only shake his head.

Qingli had been blessed with an excellent fate, yet he had turned into half a useless wreck.

"But now that I'm here, you're still a genius... No, I'm the genius!"

Yang Huai familiarized himself with the body and quickly adapted to its state. At that moment, a jade chime rang out in the hall, and an elderly Daoist in a lake-blue robe, carrying the lofty air of an immortal, leisurely walked forth. He strode directly onto the high platform, swept his gaze across the crowd, then took out a diagram covered in strange, intricate pictographic patterns. He said calmly,

"Good, everyone is here. As usual, today I will explain the second diagram among the Twenty-Two Primordial Glyphs. This is both a diagram and a character!"

"This character most resembles water among the Five Elements. It is formless yet formed, ever-changing in a thousand ways. What this old Daoist will teach you is to comprehend this ever-changing structural diagram from a unique angle. Quiet your hearts, cast away selfish thoughts and stray distractions, and observe this diagram with the pure eye of the heart. Understand the essential mysteries within it. This will be of tremendous benefit when you decipher primordial glyph diagrams of a higher level!"

"Remember, most structural diagrams must be approached through spiritual intent. Guard your minds firmly!"

"For those whose hearts harbor other thoughts, this old Daoist advises you to give up early. Becoming an ordinary sweeping acolyte on the mountain is not necessarily a bad path!"

Having said that, he added in a relaxed, teasing tone,

"Heh heh, there are also those among you with exceptional talent. Let this old Daoist speak plainly: this diagram also contains the transformations of heaven and earth. If you can comprehend it to great completion, directly enter the Dao through it, and find your foundation, that is no empty boast."

Upon hearing this, not only were the few acolytes unafraid, they became even more earnest.

Yet some of the acolytes remained unconvinced.

This was all old news. Some had repeatedly failed to decipher the diagram and had already completely let themselves go.

Others had long since finished deciphering it and merely regarded it indifferently.

Yang Huai listened with rapt attention.

Such explanations of diagrams by a Daoist master only took place twice every thirty days. The opportunity was exceedingly rare.

Yet whenever such rare opportunities arose, Qingli would usually let his mind wander, imagining every tender moment with his childhood sweetheart, or dreaming of all manner of joyful times with her.

Yang Huai was different.

He had never coveted anyone else's childhood sweetheart, nor was he some wife-conquering general.

He suppressed his stray thoughts and focused his entire mind upon the pictographic diagram.

The source-structure diagram that had seemed so obscure in Qingli's memories quietly began to change in his eyes.

Every part of his soul seemed to begin pulsing bit by bit along with the patterns in the source-structure diagram.

This was different from ordinary writing. It did not begin with sound or form, but with spiritual resonance. Its shape could change in a thousand ways, yet the spiritual resonance had traces to follow. At the most fundamental level, it remained largely unchanged.

It was a power of discernment and memory granted by a different mode of consciousness.

Before long, Yang Huai felt a thread of gentle light appear in the depths of his sea of consciousness. The ice-blue glow gradually formed a blurry silhouette within the pitch-black sea of consciousness. It belonged to the soul, nourished the soul in turn, and increased the power of his soul by a thread.

The sensation was exceptionally clear.

"I've successfully recognized it!"

Yang Huai's eyes lit up slightly as he thought to himself.

"It wasn't that hard. This brat has first-rate aptitude, yet he's such a lazy good-for-nothing!"

"I'm not lazy! It's just that this stuff is far too dull and boring!"

The other voice in his mind sounded somewhat unconvinced.

"Then it seems the only explanation is that I'm even more talented than you..."

"Bah! You shameless demon! You're obviously so powerful, of course you can easily learn primordial glyph patterns!"

Qingli still refused to admit defeat.

Yang Huai could not be bothered with him.

This was truly not knowing happiness while standing in its midst.

From Qingli's memories, he had already learned that the Twenty-Two Primordial Glyphs had been compiled by the great sages of the Xi Huang Kingdom after gathering the conclusions of countless sages from Dao kingdoms. Every single character contained immensely profound power.

If one were lucky, one might even comprehend some wondrous mystical arts from them.

Those with the finest talent could even awaken to certain principles, combine them with their own foundation, excavate their own potential, and form all kinds of extraordinary aptitudes, laying a solid foundation for cultivating a foundational method.

According to the Daoist temple's rules, recognizing eight primordial glyphs generally meant one had mastered the method of deciphering primordial glyphs. After that, one could independently read more profound scriptures, or enter the inner hall to listen to the exalted masters dispatched from the Dao kingdom expound the teachings, and cultivate a foundational method.

Once one had entered the gate of a foundational method, one could cultivate superior Dao arts, gain an even higher method of entering the Dao, and become qualified to pursue seeing the Dao and attaining the Dao.

Naturally, one would also be qualified to descend the mountain.

This brat's heart was brimming with restlessness. While he thought of mastering everything overnight, he also thought about how to return home and frolic with his little companions—especially his childhood sweetheart. He simply could not settle down, so naturally his progress was slow and he found it difficult to learn these profound, wondrous primordial glyphs.

Yang Huai could not help sighing inwardly.

Qingli was truly useless. He did not want immortality, but wanted some childhood sweetheart instead?

Looking around, most of the Daoist acolytes in the temple had learned roughly three glyphs within a year. Some exceptionally gifted ones had already approached five.

Only Qingli, a Daoist acolyte, had learned merely one and a half character-forms.

Other than the first Wood Element character.

The other was half a Water character.

He had only managed to understand the Water of the Five Elements.

Fortunately, now that Yang Huai was here, their progress should be swift.

After the old Daoist master in the hall had explained for half an hour, he left directly, clearly having no time to pay attention to the young acolytes below.

The acolytes also began to leave one after another.

"Qingli, are you still going to Hundred Beasts Cave?"

As he was leaving, a skinny acolyte beside Yang Huai invited him.

He looked eleven or twelve years old, his face sallow and body thin, but his eyes gleamed with cleverness.

Hundred Beasts Cave was where the Daoist temple raised beasts. It contained no shortage of rare and exotic creatures, including remnants of heaven and earth. Yet most of those remnants had become cultivation materials for the exalted masters in the temple, or delicacies upon their dining tables.

The young acolytes all liked visiting the place to see whether they could pick up any scraps. Even some beast blood could greatly benefit their cultivation.

When Yang Huai did not speak, the boy hurriedly added,

"I heard that Exalted Master White Crane caught another pure-blooded dragon turtle this time. Aren't you going to watch the excitement?"

A pure-blooded dragon turtle was a pure-blooded remnant of heaven and earth!

After a pause, he spoke mysteriously again. "I heard from my brothers that the beast's shell contains a wondrous map of heavenly patterns. Everyone is going for that. Who knows, perhaps we might gain something from it!"

His tone was filled with temptation.

"No. I'm planning to return to my room first and study that new primordial glyph a little more!"

Yang Huai shook his head and refused outright.

What kind of powerful remnant was a pure-blooded dragon turtle? How could beings like them possibly stare directly at it? Even if they went in, they would only be there to hear the commotion.

At this, Bai Jian stared at Qingli in surprise.

Had this guy changed his nature? He had never been the type to shut himself away and study hard. If anything, he liked excitement even more than Bai Jian did.

Had an evil entity possessed him?