Mystic Prayer Thunderwood

Everbright Mountain rose in strange, precipitous grandeur north of Green Luo. Its towering summit seemed to occupy half the western sky, screening the low-lying Dapan Mountains and making noon arrive there a little late.

The mountain's earthly qi was thin, its rocks jagged. Only a few spirit fields lay halfway up its slopes, suitable for growing spiritual herbs.

Xu Xuan descended on a cloud and saw a dozen or so early Fetal Breath disciples at work. Most were well advanced in years. Led by a girl in a green skirt, they were tending the earth veins, straightening the spiritual herbs one by one and watering them with the school's Little Cloud-Rain Art. It was only a first-grade art, capable of little more than gathering water vapor and summoning clouds and rain.

Even so, the disciples struggled greatly and could only take turns. The girl in green, who had reached the Middle Fetal Breath stage, managed with relative ease.

"Greetings, Sect Leader."

As soon as Xu Xuan arrived, the disciples bowed. These outer disciples rarely saw the Abbey Master more than a few times in an entire year, and they were all greatly heartened.

"Gao Xia, where is your martial uncle Xi Wei?"

Xu Xuan told the others to continue working and called only Zhang Gaoxia, Wen Si'an's True Disciple, forward.

Zhang Gaoxia was only three years older than Liu Xiaowen, yet she had been overseeing Everbright Mountain for a long time.

She was pretty and endearing, with a round face and two shallow dimples that appeared whenever she smiled. Yet she was composed and quietly steady, keeping the spirit fields in perfect order and earning Wen Si'an's deep regard.

"Reporting to the sect leader, Martial Uncle Xi Wei went to the back of the mountain. He said he needed to repair the formation."

"These spirit fields yield a surplus every year. The school has seen how wholeheartedly you devote yourself to your work. If Xiao Wen handled things as steadily as you do, I could rest easy."

Xu Xuan felt a little wistful. After Lotus Temple seized Dapan, the monastery's harvest of spiritual herbs had all but dried up. Fortunately, things had improved at Everbright Mountain, easing the pressure on the school.

"Everbright Mountain only yields a harvest because of my master Si'an's careful attention. I wouldn't dare claim the credit. Junior Brother Xiaowen has extraordinary talent. In the future, we will still have to rely on him to uphold our school out in the world."

Zhang Gaoxia spoke humbly, a faint smile appearing as she mentioned her master.

Afterward, Xu Xuan gave her a few reminders, then rose on a cloud, cleaving through the daylight toward the back of the mountain.

Mist filled the mountains, its waves sweeping across and curling back, rising and sinking. Xu Xuan traveled through those white billows of cloud and vapor, following the fluctuations of the spirit vein until he found Wang Xiwei.

"Junior Brother, you're here. Wait a moment."

Wang Xiwei was forming hand seals and casting spells. Formation Disks floated up at his thought. The earth and stone in the mountains trembled like rippling water, and the disks sank into the earth veins.

Xu Xuan waited quietly nearby. The art of formations was intricate and profound. Only Wang Xiwei had a rudimentary grasp of it within the monastery, and even he could do no more than repair this [Golden Light Formation]. If they wanted to lay a new formation, they would probably have to seek out the Duan Clan, known for its expertise in formations, on the Great Scenery Plains.

Once Wang Xiwei finished the repairs, the two rose on the wind. Looking north, they saw the low Mount Dapan, lush with vegetation and veiled in verdant haze.

"Junior Brother, do you see it?"

Wang Xiwei's words carried a pointed meaning, which Xu Xuan understood. Though they were far away, he could just make out a temple of gold lacquer and jade masonry already standing in the northern mountains. Villagers clustered beneath it, kowtowing without cease.

"They're deliberately trying to disgust us."

Xu Xuan frowned. These Buddhist cultivators dulled people's minds. They called it guiding souls, but in truth they bewitched them. Ordinary mortals abandoned wives and children, dishonored fathers and deceived husbands, leaving their homes to enter the temple. In the end, they became skeletons beneath it, raising that Buddhist temple a little higher.

"The monks of Lotus Temple seized Dapan, then Old Master Chen frightened them off. They swore not to attack us, but they certainly know how to get under our skin."

Wang Xiwei's indignant words carried a killing intent as bitter as the cold mountain mist.

"We'll make our plans once I reach Foundation Establishment. When that time comes, Lotus Temple will repay us double."

Xu Xuan's voice was heavy. A viciousness like that of a flood dragon or serpent emerged on his somewhat aged face. Flecks of lightning danced in his stark black-and-white eyes, as though a demon were choosing someone to devour, and even the mountain wind seemed to choke for an instant.

Both martial brothers loathed those monks to the bone. Unwilling to linger, they rode the wind back to Green Luo together and soon arrived inside the True Abode Hall.

Once inside, Xu Xuan recounted the Autumn Gourd School's visit in detail. Delight appeared on the bearded man's face; he was evidently quite pleased with the marriage.

"I've met Shen Shu too. She's a direct-line disciple of the Autumn Gourd School. Wen Xiuyun certainly has courage, agreeing to marry her into our school."

Seeing that he welcomed the arrangement, Xu Xuan considered his words, then asked softly:

"Qiyun said he would follow our instructions. If you think they're a good match, Senior Brother, I'll write a letter and settle on an auspicious date."

The man seemed somewhat evasive whenever his son came up. He spoke only of the school's interests, as though he did not care.

"The Autumn Gourd School has always been close to us. Our monastery is weak now, and a marriage alliance would benefit both schools. Naturally, it's a good thing."

Seeing his awkwardness, Xu Xuan said no more. He prepared to write a letter and have someone deliver some Spirit Treasures as betrothal gifts.

"Chen Weiyuan's birthday celebration is approaching. Have you decided how to handle it, Junior Brother?"

After discussing Qiyun's marriage, Wang Xiwei turned to their future plans with Xu Xuan.

Chen Weiyuan's birthday celebration was only a few days away. Xu Xuan had already made preparations and would go alone to pay his respects.

No one would dare take up arms during the Chen Household's celebration, but Xu Xuan still instructed Wang Xiwei to lead the disciples back to defend Green Luo at that time. Even if Black Wind Valley truly went mad and attacked, it would struggle to break through the formation.

Seeing that Xu Xuan had arranged everything properly, Wang Xiwei felt much more at ease and took a length of pitch-black deadwood from his robes.

The moment it appeared, Xu Xuan felt his qi sea tremble and [Cinnabar Thunder] leap with joy. Even the circulation of magical power throughout his body grew smoother. Normally, he only experienced this sensation during thunderstorms.

Lightning flowed over the deadwood. Amid its deathly stillness, a single thread of life remained. It looked quite extraordinary, its grade at least no lower than that of the [Earth Mother's Benevolent Pearl].

"Senior Brother, what is this?"

Xu Xuan was surprised. Though Senior Brother Wang was highly accomplished in artifact refining, most of the spiritual resources he had earned over the years had gone into the school. He had not even provided additional cultivation resources for Wang Qiyun. He could truly be called a man with nothing but clean sleeves, yet now he had produced a spiritual treasure like this.

"[Mystic Prayer Thunderwood]. I prepared it for your breakthrough to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining."

"The Thunder Radiance Spirit-Inquiry Method belongs to the path of [Shock Thunder], but it isn't a true inheritance of our monastery. An elder obtained it through a chance encounter. The cultivation method is incomplete. Back then, most people in the school who cultivated this path suffered calamity while seeking their [life foundation], ending up either grievously injured or dead."

"I've refined quite a few artifacts for various households over the years and made some connections. I learned of this method through them and began preparing ten years ago."

Wang Xiwei explained patiently, laying out the plans he had made over the years to help Xu Xuan obtain his [life foundation].

The path of [Shock Thunder] slew wickedness and subdued evil, awakened life and carried on its succession, and spread its power unhindered for a hundred miles. It sent mighty thunder rolling through the heavens and stirred resounding echoes across the earth, using yin and yang as charcoal and heaven and earth as its furnace. Its sound rumbled, its force surged in waves, and its virtue was deep and pure.

Ordinary people who sought it from heaven mostly met with calamity. But this [Mystic Prayer Spiritwood] was wood struck by lightning.

Wang Xiwei had used Foundation Establishment-grade peach-willow spiritwood, setting it on the mountaintop each year at the Awakening of Insects to draw down lightning, refining it by bringing forth a spark of life amid deathly stillness.

Peach and willow were mostly wood spirits and belonged to the path of [Taboo Wood]. They lacked the vast, vigorous vitality of towering [Jia Wood], but could bring spring back to withered wood and transform calamity when struck by lightning. Thus, they became this [Mystic Prayer Thunderwood], which would be of great use when Xu Xuan sought his [life foundation] and drew down heavenly lightning.

"Senior Brother, this-"

Xu Xuan had never expected Wang Xiwei to care so deeply about his Dao Path, preparing everything so far in advance. After all, this senior brother of his seldom even asked after Wang Qiyun's cultivation.

"You needn't wear yourself out over every little thing. I'm your senior brother, yet I still leave you fighting others day after day, unable to cultivate in peace. I feel ashamed. I only wanted to do what I could."

Xu Xuan accepted the [Mystic Prayer Thunderwood], feeling that this spiritual treasure was far too heavy-far heavier than the [Earth Mother's Benevolent Pearl]. He could scarcely hold it steady.

Wang Xiwei abruptly raised his head, straightened his back, and opened his tiger-like eyes wide. His words came in sharp, broken beats, as though he were holding a lump of raw iron between his teeth.

"Back then, Master still had elders to shelter him from wind and rain. When he finally succeeded and broke through to Foundation Establishment, Sword Qi entered his life foundation and sword intent dwelled in his nature. He crushed Blood-Burying Mountain. What a glorious triumph!"

"After three generations of accumulation, our school finally produced another Foundation Establishment cultivator in him. Everyone called him the master who would restore our fortunes, a seed of the immortal Dao! Every school and sect came to congratulate us, ready to help us move our seat to the Great Scenery Plains."

"Hmph, the Demon Calamity? They were only Foundation Establishment demons, with flimsy foundations and cultivation methods that weren't even worth mentioning. How could they kill him! How could they kill him!"

"Junior Brother, I saw it. I saw it! A single decree came down, and that was enough to take his life. His dharma body shattered and turned into a blaze of golden fire that burned the peaks of Dapan until they collapsed."

The man clenched the Red Jade Mallet at his waist with a death grip. The artifact roared in response, streaming fire.

"Enough! You must never mention this again. We absolutely cannot let Junior Sister Wen find out."

Xu Xuan shouted angrily, helplessness surfacing on his weary, careworn face.

"Keep silent for now. Leave it for another day."

With that, Xu Xuan walked straight out of the True Abode Hall and headed up the mountain toward the Founders' Hall.

The green pines stood as they always had, stirring in the wind.

Behind him came faint, stifled sobs, setting the mountain birds shrieking without cease, as though possessed by madness.

(End of chapter)