Daoist Mu

A few dozen steps uphill from the spirit spring stood Linghua Abbey. The mountain was high and the winds fierce; without restrictive formations, why would anyone build an abbey on its summit?

The abbey had two courtyards, front and rear. The front courtyard was spacious, its bluestone paving level and smooth.

At its center stood a cast-bronze incense burner, four feet tall, with three legs and two handles. Wisps of blue smoke curled upward and spread through the air, lending a sense of peace and serenity.

Directly to the north, Yuanhua Hall stood in imposing splendor. Its roof swept high at the edges, covered in golden glazed tiles. Bronze bells hung beneath the eaves at its four corners, ringing pleasantly whenever a breeze passed.

An altar stood at the very center of the hall, bearing a tall, solemn statue of Immortal Venerable Yuanhua, to whom the hall was dedicated.

The Immortal Venerable's statue was majestic yet kindly, its gaze resting on the living beings below as though silently watching over them.

An incense table and burner stood before the altar. The burner held only a handful of ash.

Side halls and guest quarters flanked the front courtyard, lodging visitors whenever they came.

Beyond a moon gate lay the rear courtyard, where Zhao Yi and the other two lived.

Linghua Hall stood directly to the north of the rear courtyard, slightly lower than Yuanhua Hall. When guests visited, Linghua Hall served as both a reception hall and a place for discussions.

A polished bronze vat, six feet tall, stood on either side of Linghua Hall's entrance. A few pink-and-white lotuses floated in them, with small fish occasionally swimming among the leaves and stems.

Three blue-brick, tiled-roof rooms stood on either side of the rear courtyard, serving as living quarters for Zhao Yi and the others.

Beyond the rear courtyard stood another small building: the ancestral hall, which housed the spirit tablets of their grandmaster and master.

A red maple grew at the southern end of the courtyard, with a stone table and several stone stools beneath it.

The three passed through both courtyards and went straight to the ancestral hall.

Zhao Yi stood in the hall, looking up at the portraits of their grandmaster and master hanging on the wall without saying a word.

Seeing this, Liu Yu and Wang Qing also fell silent, standing quietly behind Zhao Yi and looking at the portraits.

A moment passed.

"More than half a year has passed since Master died."

"What is it, Senior Brother?" Liu Yu asked softly.

After winter began last year, their master, Chen Yihua, had taken Zhao Yi to work on Azure Cloud Island.

As it happened, demonic beasts from the outer sea invaded Azure Cloud Island. While protecting Zhao Yi, their master was struck by a Demon Cultivator's spell and died on the spot.

Zhao Yi hid in the ruins and only emerged to retrieve the body after the cultivators stationed on the island drove the Demon Cultivators back.

Afterward, he brought his master's ashes back to Linghua Island, chose a bright day with gentle winds, and scattered them in the surrounding waters.

The waters around Linghua Island were called the Yunsha Sea Region, a sea region opened up a hundred years ago.

Demon-hunting ships roamed unchecked throughout the Yunsha Sea Region. Whether their cultivators chose to hunt demonic beasts or other cultivators was decided by a single turn of thought.

By now, no one knew how many islands had been targeted by demon-hunting ships, resulting in one island-annihilating massacre after another.

Their master had been known as the "Mountainweight Sword." His swordsmanship was incisive and unstoppable, earning him some renown in the Yunsha Sea Region.

Now that their master had passed away, the three fellow disciples lacked strength and naturally dared not reveal news of his death.

"Master's friend, Daoist Mu of Jade Pearl Island, has visited Linghua Island four times over the past three months, each time more anxious than the last."

"According to him, he discovered a treasure island in the outer sea, with a patch of spiritual land bearing a hundred or so spirit medicines."

"Unfortunately, demonic beasts guard it, and he can't deal with them alone. Over the past few months, he's invited four or five friends, and he came especially to invite Master to the outer sea to seize the spirit medicines."

"What's wrong, Eldest Senior Brother? Daoist Mu and our master were close friends. He visits the island several times every year. Last time, he even gave me a talisman arrow!"

Zhao Yi shook his head and sighed. "Wang Qing, it isn't that simple!"

"Senior Brother, do you mean Daoist Mu deliberately came to probe us?"

Liu Yu frowned, hesitated a few times, then spoke gravely.

Zhao Yi nodded, his expression solemn.

"He probably suspects something about Master's condition, but doesn't know whether he's alive or dead. That's why he's come to inquire several times. Each time, I told him Master was in seclusion recovering from his injuries."

"But even the gravest injuries should have healed after several months."

"He knew Master for years and is familiar with our Linghua Island. He knows Master never left the island during the first half of the year."

"If Master really was injured, once he recovered and heard about the spirit medicines, he would certainly come out to see him. Since he still hasn't appeared, he's probably met with disaster."

Zhao Yi looked at Liu Yu and Wang Qing. Liu Yu's expression was extremely grave, while Wang Qing looked bewildered.

Liu Yu was two years older than Wang Qing. Whenever their master and Zhao Yi were away from Linghua Island, Liu Yu looked after Wang Qing.

"Senior Brother, are you saying he's set his sights on us?" Liu Yu raised his head, his face filled with shock.

"Yes!" Zhao Yi nodded heavily.

"Eldest Senior Brother, what should we do? If he really dares attack, we're no match for him. Daoist Mu has the same cultivation as Master did—Perfection of Meridian Opening."

"Senior Brother, Wang Qing is right. Daoist Mu's cultivation is higher than ours. Even if we know he's coming to attack, I'm afraid we won't be able to stop him."

"We cannot sit and wait for death. Our only choice is to strike first. Tonight, we'll go to Daoist Mu's Jade Pearl Island. Prepared against the unprepared, we'll surely be able to kill him."

"No!" Liu Yu and Wang Qing objected in unison.

"If we launch a sneak attack, I'm ninety percent confident."

As he spoke, Zhao Yi revealed his cultivation: Great Completion of Meridian Opening!

"Eldest Senior Brother, you broke through too?" Wang Qing asked in delighted surprise. Liu Yu also looked astonished.

"Yes. I broke through two months ago. Lately, I've been consolidating my cultivation."

"Senior Brother, even so, it's still not quite sound. Daoist Mu is a cultivator of Master's generation. He reached Perfection of Meridian Opening many years ago. After so many years of cultivation, who knows how much strength he's hidden? If we rush over, even with a sneak attack, I'm afraid we'll be no match for him."

Liu Yu stared fixedly into Zhao Yi's eyes as he spoke slowly.

"Master spoke about Daoist Mu. He has a wood spiritual root and specializes in trapping people with wood spells."

"Master went exploring at sea with him many times. Whenever they encountered demonic beasts, he would scatter a few seeds and activate a spell. Vines would grow in an instant to trap the beasts, then he would attack them with wooden spikes. Beyond that, Master never saw him use any other spells."

"Even so, we can't rule out his having concealed his strength," Liu Yu said again.

"I know. But we have no other choice. The longer we delay, the more dangerous our situation becomes. We have to strike and kill him."

"Then, in that case, Senior Brother, I'm coming with you."

"Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, I'm coming too!"

Zhao Yi lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked up with a faint smile. "In that case, we'll all go. Whether we live or die comes down to this!"

Jade Pearl Island lay west of Linghua Island, more than fifty li away. A clear spring nestled on the island like a jade pearl, giving the island its name.

Jade Pearl Island was much smaller than Linghua Island, only a quarter of its size.

A mountain rose at the island's center and stretched all the way to the sea. Only the island's eastern side had a stretch of sloping ground, where the spring was located.

Daoist Mu had cultivated for many years and reached Perfection of Meridian Opening. He had once had a disciple, but that disciple had died at the hands of demonic beasts years ago. Since then, he had cultivated alone on Jade Pearl Island.

Several dozen households also lived on the island, having moved there from Linghua Island.

Daoist Mu's abbey stood on the sunny side of a mountain hollow in the island's southeast. Few mortals usually approached it.

After discussing matters, Zhao Yi, Liu Yu, and Wang Qing decided to climb onto Jade Pearl Island from the north.

The northern side consisted of sheer cliffs, but they were not especially high. With a few means at his disposal, Zhao Yi could climb them.

As for why Zhao Yi knew Jade Pearl Island so well?

It was because Daoist Mu had only arrived in the area several decades ago, buying Jade Pearl Island from Linghua Island.

Their grandmaster, Chen Changdao, had given Jade Pearl Island its name.

Over the following decades, their master had befriended Daoist Mu and regarded him as a confidant.

After becoming his master's disciple, Zhao Yi had accompanied him on many visits to Jade Pearl Island, so he knew its terrain and features very well.

Beyond that, Zhao Yi also had to make some preparations for battle.

Zhao Yi's weapon was a Dharma Weapon Long Ji, while Liu Yu wielded a Dharma Weapon longsword.

Wang Qing carried a Dharma Weapon bow and arrows, along with five explosive talisman arrows and one freezing talisman arrow. The freezing talisman arrow was the one Daoist Mu had given him.

Dharma Weapons were not magic artifacts. Magic artifacts had restrictions inscribed within them and were expensive. Even the cheapest low-grade magic artifact with a single restriction cost dozens of spirit stones.

Magic artifacts were divided into high, middle, and low grades according to the number of restrictions inside them. Those with one to three restrictions were low-grade, those with four to six were Middle-Grade Dharma Artifacts, and those with seven to nine were high-grade. Above magic artifacts were Dharma Treasures.

Dharma Weapons, by contrast, were weapons forged through repeated refinement and inscribed with runes. Runes were the foundation of restrictions, with multiple runes making up a single restriction.

Individual runes were inscribed on these refined weapons. A cultivator's true qi could pass through the runes to unleash tremendous power, making slicing metal and severing jade a trivial matter.

Zhao Yi also prepared three pieces of inner armor.

This inner armor was simply fashioned by Zhao Yi from the inner hide of demonic beasts. Worn on the body, it could withstand some spells or blows from blades and swords.

But Zhao Yi knew nothing about artifact refining. He could only cut the inner hide into pieces, pierce holes in them, and thread them together to hang over the front and back of the body, resembling a two-panel cuirass that protected the upper body.

He also prepared two low-grade Sharp Metal Talismans, one low-grade Gale Talisman, one low-grade Golden Light Talisman, and one Mid-Grade Spirit Talisman, a Water Dragon Talisman.

Spirit Talismans were drawn by cultivators at the Spirit Attraction Stage and divided into high, middle, and low grades according to their power.

A low-grade Spirit Talisman cost three spirit stones, a Mid-Grade Spirit Talisman cost ten, and a high-grade Spirit Talisman cost thirty.

The prices were not to be considered expensive. A low-grade Spirit Talisman had one-tenth the power of a spell cast by a Spirit Drawing cultivator, a middle-grade one had thirty percent, and a high-grade one had fifty percent.

Beyond those were supreme-grade Spirit Talismans, whose prices and power were both several times those of high-grade Spirit Talismans.

Cultivators at the Meridian Opening stage had no Divine Sense and could not draw upon the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, so naturally they could not draw talismans.

Of course, they could not ritually refine magic artifacts either. They could cast spells, however. Spells had incantations, through which they could guide the true qi within their bodies to cast them, but these spells only traveled straight ahead and could not be freely controlled.

After cultivators at the Meridian Opening stage drew spiritual qi into their bodies through Spirit Attraction into the Body, Divine Sense would arise. From then on, they could command magic artifacts, soar through the skies and burrow through the earth, and study the hundred arts of cultivation, including pill refining, artifact refining, talisman crafting, and formation laying.

Only upon entering the Spirit Attraction Stage did one truly set foot in the cultivation world. Heaven and earth were boundless; soaring through the skies and burrowing through the earth, one could go anywhere.

The Meridian Opening stage was merely being confined to a corner of the world.

The path of cultivation was like climbing: only after crossing a lofty mountain did one discover that each mountain stood higher than the last.

When Immortal Venerable Yuanhua spread the Dao across the Northern Sea, he once said, "Refine essence into qi, refine qi into spirit, refine spirit to return to the void, refine the void to unite with the Dao-these encompass all the mysteries of cultivation."

Later, in ancient times, a sage, moved by the difficulties all living beings faced in cultivation, divided the realms before immortality into nine great realms: Qi Nourishing, Meridian Opening, Spirit Drawing, Dao Foundation, Core Condensation, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Primordial Spirit, and Pure Yang, showing all living beings the path to attaining the Dao and becoming immortals.

Who that sage was, the Immortal Venerable did not say.

Grateful to the Immortal Venerable for transmitting the Dao, the Northern Sea Immortal Dao collectively honored him as their ancestral master. The Immortal Venerable refused, so afterward they established halls to worship him instead. Yuanhua Hall in Linghua Abbey was one such hall.