Celestial Master's Ordination upgrade

When Zhang Xuan followed Monk Sanjie past the boundary marker of Phoenix-Cry Mountain in the last lingering rays of sunset, he looked for all the world like a wandering ghost that had just crawled back from the underworld. He slumped onto the marker, panting weakly.

Over the past two days, he and the monk had trudged back and forth through the mountain forests until they were utterly exhausted.

They had stumbled upon the Demon Suppression Bureau's plot to sacrifice people to an evil god like livestock. Although Xu Ming had not died at their hands, the Buddha Treasure had most definitely ended up in their pockets. To avoid drawing the bureau's attention, they had been forced to travel through the night, and only now had they finally made it out of Phoenix-Cry Mountain.

Zhang Xuan stretched, every bone in his body seeming to groan.

"Monk, that haven of tender pleasures you mentioned... ahem, I mean Yao County's county seat. Can we get there today?"

The monk had told him earlier that, although Yao County was called a county, it was densely populated and sat alongside a canal. A renowned trading hub in Chongzhou, it was even more prosperous than an ordinary prefectural capital.

There was the grand Fuding Fresh restaurant, opened by a retired imperial palace chef; the Apricot Blossom House, filled entirely with beautiful young women; and the Pleasure Quarter, where one could compose poetry while enjoying singing and instrumental performances. They had truly left the sheltered Zhang Xuan itching with anticipation.

Pretending not to see through Zhang Xuan's little thoughts, the monk shook his head. "No. According to Master Li, once we leave Phoenix-Cry Mountain's territory, we still have a day's walk along the main road before we reach Yao County!"

Unlike Zhang Xuan, whose eyes were sunken and whose steps were unsteady, Monk Sanjie was still as vigorous as a dragon and fierce as a tiger. Carrying his enormous cloth bundle, which concealed who knew how many things, he walked ahead to lead the way.

At those words, Zhang Xuan's face fell.

These past few days, he had eaten in the wind and slept beneath the dew, never getting enough to fill his belly. On top of that, strange incidents had plagued Phoenix-Cry Mountain, with Chang Ghosts, Corpse Buddhas, demons, and ghosts appearing one after another. His nerves had stayed taut as a bowstring, and both his physical strength and mental energy were completely spent.

Truly... not a single drop remained.

In the three full days since leaving the Celestial Master's Mansion, he had slept for no more than four hours altogether.

Now that he had finally escaped Phoenix-Cry Mountain alive, all Zhang Xuan wanted was somewhere to settle down and enjoy a good night's sleep.

As for everything else—how to start making the Marrow-Washing Body-Refining Pill, investigating the Demon Suppression Bureau's conspiracy, helping the monk look into the missing daughter of an elderly wealthy gentleman in the neighboring county, and so on...

Those matters could all wait their turn. Heaven was vast and earth was vast, but sleep mattered most!

Now that the monk had said they still could not reach Yao Town tonight, Zhang Xuan felt that it was no longer just his body that was tired. His heart was growing tired too...

Seeing this, the monk smiled and reassured him. "We do have somewhere to stay tonight. There's a village just another two cups of tea's worth of walking away. We can ask to spend the night there."

Only then did Zhang Xuan feel relieved.

After that, neither spoke as they pressed onward with their heads down.

Each had his own thoughts and a different purpose for this journey. The monk wanted to investigate what had caused the outbreak of demonic horrors and avenge his master.

As for Zhang Xuan, he was pondering how to make the Marrow-Washing Body-Refining Pill. The Buddha Treasure was only one of its main ingredients. For the remaining materials, he would have to ask the Celestial Master's Ordination again.

His life depended on it!

That morning, after burning down the Mountain God Temple, he had followed the monk without stopping. During their midday rest, Zhang Xuan had found a chance to enter the [Inner Landscape].

But before he could speak, the [Inner Landscape] had given him an enormous shock...

For some unknown reason, the Blood Moon in the pitch-black sky had changed from a crescent into a full moon!!!

Not only that, the Blood Moon's surface was covered in fine, closely packed markings, like countless blood vessels winding and intertwining. Each pulse made the moonlight tremble faintly, as though a gigantic heart were beating.

The pitch-black night sky hung heavily over the horizon like a thick curtain, allowing not a single glimmer of light through. Only the Blood Moon hung high above, radiating an uncanny glow that stained the entire world with an eerie red haze.

Zhang Xuan stood on the ink-dark surface of the lake. Beneath his feet, the water was black as ink and smooth as a mirror, reflecting the Blood Moon overhead. The two enormous, uncanny Blood Moons shone upon one another, one above and one below, as though some mysterious force had joined heaven and earth.

Not a ripple disturbed the lake. Its silence made his heart quail. Only when Zhang Xuan's footsteps landed softly did rings of ripples spread, yet, eerily, they made no sound at all.

A faint scent of rust hung in the air—the smell of blood, rich and pungent.

Zhang Xuan lowered his head to look at his reflection, only to find it blurred, as though swallowed by the inky darkness. All he could vaguely make out was a pair of blood-red pupils, exactly like the Blood Moon overhead.

A shudder ran through him, and Zhang Xuan involuntarily backed away two steps, sending ripples across the water beneath his feet. By the time he gathered his wits again, the blurred reflection with its crimson eyes had vanished.

Far too sinister...

Before Zhang Xuan could speak, countless markings on the Blood Moon converged into a line of densely packed tiny characters.

[As the honored inheritor has slain the Phoenix-Cry Mountain God (fallen), spiritual essence has reached the threshold. Celestial Master's Ordination will now undergo an upgrade lasting twelve hours.]

[Note: the honored inheritor's use will not be affected during the upgrade.]

After reading the tiny characters on the Blood Moon several times, Zhang Xuan paced back and forth in the middle of Ink Lake, countless thoughts swirling through his mind.

"Killing the Headless Corpse Buddha gave me spiritual essence. What is spiritual essence?"

As Zhang Xuan muttered under his breath, the Blood Moon overhead twisted, and the tiny characters on it changed...

[After Celestial Master's Ordination is upgraded, the honored inheritor may view his own attributes at will, including spiritual essence. Would the honored inheritor like to expend a daily question opportunity now to obtain an answer?]

"No. Don't mess around. I refuse."

Zhang Xuan shook his head like a rattle drum.

After that smooth triple denial, Zhang Xuan simply crossed his legs and plopped down onto Ink Lake.

Ring after ring of ripples spread silently across the inky surface...

Zhang Xuan sat cross-legged on the ink-black lake with his arms folded, his mind racing.

Since the upgrade will finish in twelve hours, why not just wait? Those three daily question opportunities are precious. How could I waste one so carelessly?

Although he was bursting with questions, Zhang Xuan decided to hold off and see how things stood after the Celestial Master's Ordination finished upgrading.

But there was one question he absolutely had to ask. His life depended on it!

"Given my current resources and strength, give me a genuinely feasible plan for obtaining a Marrow-Washing Body-Refining Pill!" Zhang Xuan deliberately stressed the words "genuinely feasible," afraid that the Celestial Master's Ordination would offer a plan beyond his abilities, such as... robbing the Great Zhou imperial treasury.

As for whether the Great Zhou imperial treasury contained a Marrow-Washing Body-Refining Pill, Zhang Xuan believed it probably did. After all, it was the treasury of an entire nation. But surely he could not be expected to charge headlong into the imperial capital and fight his way into the palace treasury single-handedly?

If that really was the plan, Zhang Xuan could only say regretfully, Sorry, that's beyond this little brother's abilities!

He did not want the Blood Moon to provide an answer beyond his capabilities. Surely the "ordination" in "Celestial Master's Ordination" did not mean ordaining his passage into the afterlife?