Green Mountain Daoist Temple, beneath a withered tree.
Qi Yun sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, his aura completely blending into the secluded Daoist temple courtyard.
If it weren't for the occasional ripples in his dark blue Daoist robe by the mountain wind, he would have been like a rock weathered by countless ages, silent, still, and undisturbed.
More than three months have passed since I returned from abroad.
In March, he declined all visitors, canceled all sect meetings, and even locked the Great Void Jade Tally, which symbolized the authority of the Holy Sect Sect's leader, in his quiet room with a Primordial Unity Seal.
All external disturbances, tests, attempts to win over, and even clandestine spying were kept at bay.
He needs time.
Although the spirit of the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron has awakened, it is as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, and needs to be nurtured day and night with the power of Primordial Unity in order to slowly recover.
This is a slow and meticulous process; it cannot be rushed, nor can it be neglected.
What worried him even more than the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron was the cryptic message from True Lord Contemplating the One.
"Flowers will bloom, fruits will fall—"
Qi Yun pondered these eight words repeatedly in his heart, his eyes sometimes sparkling and sometimes silent.
What kind of flower?
What fruit?
What was True Lord Contemplating the One's mindset when he said these words? Was it a reminder? An urging? Or perhaps—some other, more subtle hint?
He recalled the gentle smile on the ordinary face of the True Lord Contemplating the One on Long Ages Immortal Island that day, his candid demeanor when he recounted the secrets of the Dao King, and his generosity when he bestowed the map and treasures upon him.
But the more this happened, the more tense Qi Yun became.
"Qi boy."
A golden light shone from the ancient bronze coin ornament hanging at his waist, quickly condensing into the phantom image of Cai Shen's embroidered robe of the God of Wealth.
"Fourteenth Brother—you're feeling better today."
"Hmm." Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron, which was quietly suspended in the corner of the courtyard and had Xuanhuang flowing around it.
The nine coiled dragons on the body of the cauldron are no longer as lifeless as they were at the beginning.
Their bodies were no longer stiff, but moved slowly and gently.
Although the light in the dragon's eyes was still dim, it was no longer flickering.
The "Vast Landscape of China" painting at the bottom of the cauldron has become even more vivid.
The pedestrians in the city in the picture no longer walk mechanically, but with their own unique rhythms; the birds flying in the mountains and rivers no longer follow fixed paths, but begin to circle, swoop, and soar high; on the river, the oars of fishing boats cut through the water, creating circles of tiny ripples, which even faintly reveal the body of the cauldron, spreading extremely faintly in the void.
But the ripples are real.
Everything is like a painting that has been sealed away for eternity, slowly regaining its "life."
"The spirituality is recovering faster than expected." Qi Yun nodded slightly. "At this rate, it should be able to operate on its own in another three to five years."
"Three to five years—" Upon hearing this, Cai Shen's face showed a hint of relief, then he hesitated and rubbed his hands together. "Young Qi, there's something—I don't know if I should ask."
"Ask."
" True Lord Contemplating the One said—" Cai Shen's voice was extremely low, as if afraid of disturbing something that shouldn't be disturbed,
Do you understand now?
Qi Yun did not answer immediately.
He raised his gaze, looking past the withered old tree in the courtyard, past the low eaves of the Daoist temple, and towards the distant horizon tinged with twilight.
There, the clouds were thick, like a leaden-gray curtain, stitching the sky and earth together.
Beneath the clouds, several streaks of light could be faintly seen piercing the sky; these were disciples of the Holy Sect on their routine patrol.
Everything seemed so peaceful.
But how many undercurrents are hidden beneath this calm surface?
"The flowers will bloom, the fruits will fall." He slowly repeated these eight words, his voice flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"If we follow what the Demon Master Kunpeng said, the realm of the Dao King is to break away from the Xuanhuang Master and form a world of one's own."
So, the so-called "flowering" may be a sign that the Dao Fruit is ripe and about to fall from the branch.
9
Upon hearing this, Cai Shen's expression changed slightly. "You mean—someone's Dao Fruit is about to ripen?"
Qi Yun did not answer, but the color in the depths of his eyes shifted even faster.
After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, looked at Cai Kun, and changed the subject. "What do you think of what the Demon Master Kunpeng said that day?"
Cai Shen was taken aback, then frowned, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "What he said—may not be entirely false."
"At least what he said about the Dao King and the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree vaguely matches some fragments of the secret texts of the Great Tang that I remember."
"Moreover—" he paused, his voice lowering even further, "If he really wanted to harm you, with his High Antiquity demon master background, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths."
If he had joined forces with the Lord of the Ancient Coffin that day, you might not have lost, but you certainly wouldn't have come out unscathed.
"So," Qi Yun interjected, his voice calm, "At least half of what he said is true."
"What about the fake half?" Cai Shen pressed.
Qi Yun did not answer.
He simply stood up slowly, brushed away non-existent dust from the corner of his robe, and walked to the quietly floating Mountains and Rivers Cauldron in the corner of the courtyard.
On the body of the cauldron, the most proud dragon sensed his approach. Its eyes flashed slightly, and it moved more vigorously, as if to greet him.
The map of the land and grain at the bottom of the tripod perfectly reflects the outline of a majestic city. The main gate of the city is wide open, and thousands of people line the road, as if they are welcoming something.
Qi Yun raised his hand and gently placed his palm on the body of the cauldron.
The Primordial Unity energy flowed from his palm, like the warmest spring water, silently seeping into the depths of the cauldron.
Wherever the colorful energy passed, the Xuanhuang energy that had been slowly flowing on the surface of the cauldron suddenly became lively, as if it had been injected with new life.
The Mountains and Rivers Cauldron trembled slightly, emitting a very light, low hum that carried a sense of comfort.
The buzzing sound wasn't loud, but it caused a ripple in the air throughout the courtyard. A few remaining yellow leaves from the withered branches fell softly, swirling in the air and refusing to touch the ground for a long time.
"How was your fourteenth brother sealed away back then?" Qi Yun suddenly asked, his voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the slowly awakening spirit within the cauldron.
Cai Shen's expression froze for a moment.
He was silent for a moment before saying in a hoarse voice, "I... I'm not quite sure."
"That year, the Great Tang collapsed, and the Imperial Weapon scattered to all sides, each fleeing for their lives."
I was lucky; I managed to escape into the desolate northwest and avoid being pursued.
Fourteenth Brother—all I know is that its last known location was the battlefield of that Demon-Subduing Great Tribulation.
"And then?" Qi Yun asked.
"Later—" Cai Shen's voice lowered even further, almost inaudibly, "And then there was no more news of it."
Until you find it in that stele forest.
Qi Yun remained silent for a moment, then withdrew his hand from the cauldron, turned around, and looked at Cai Kun.
Dusk spread behind him, stretching his shadow long, all the way to the mottled earthen wall at the end of the courtyard.
"Over a hundred True Lord joined forces to seal an Imperial Weapon." His voice was calm, yet carried a sharpness that pierced through the fog. "This defies common sense."
Cai Shen was taken aback. "That doesn't make sense?"
"Even the mighty Imperial Weapon is still just a weapon." Qi Yun slowly walked back to the withered tree. He did not sit down immediately, but stood with his hands behind his back in front of the tree, looking up at the crisscrossing withered branches. "With more than a hundred True Lord joining forces, let alone sealing an Imperial Weapon, completely shattering it would be an easy task."
Why do they need to go to such lengths?
Cai Shen opened his mouth, but found himself unable to refute it.
Yes, why bother with over a hundred True Lord?
The seals were interconnected and nested within each other, each one exquisitely crafted and could not have been done hastily.
unless----
"Unless..." Qi Yun's voice became deep and cold, like water drawn from an extremely deep ancient well.
"What they want to seal away is not just the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron itself."
"And—things it knows."
Upon hearing this, the courtyard became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Cai Kun's expression immediately turned serious.
The golden patterns on his embroidered robe seemed to have dimmed slightly, and his spirit trembled slightly, as if intimidated by the chill contained in those words.
"That... that Fourteenth Brother..." His voice trembled slightly, as if he were afraid of disturbing something.
"Don't worry," Qi Yun said calmly, his voice as steady as an ancient, unmoving mountain.
"It has simply been dormant for too long, and its spirituality has been severely damaged; it needs time to recover."
As for what it knows, it will tell us when it wakes up.
He paused, then turned his gaze back to the distant horizon, now tinged with twilight.
There, the last rays of the setting sun were slowly sinking below the horizon, leaving only a faint line at the boundary between heaven and earth.
The golden-red hue, on the verge of destruction.
Before that----
"Then I'll spend time with them and let them have some fun."
Looking at the smile on Qi Yun's lips, Cai Shen felt a strange tension ease in his heart.
He recalled that back in the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm, when Qi Yun was just a junior who needed to borrow money from him, Qi Yun had this same expression—the more dangerous the situation, the more composed he smiled.
At that time, Qi Yun was facing the incarnation of the World-Honored One, hundreds of Arhat, and the entire trend of Buddhism's eastward journey, but he never backed down.
Now, he is an unparalleled being who wields the Primordial Unity and can slay True Lord with a single sword strike.
But that core quality has never changed.
"Alright." Qi Yun turned around, flicked his sleeves, and walked back to the withered tree, sitting down cross-legged. "Go keep your fourteenth brother company."
It has been asleep for too long, and is not yet fully awake.
But with you by its side, it feels more at ease.
Upon hearing this, Cai Shen nodded hurriedly, transformed into a golden light, and disappeared into the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron.
The moment the golden light entered the cauldron, the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron trembled slightly, and the nine divine dragons raised their heads in unison. Although their dragon roars were faint, they carried a hint of joy.
The courtyard returned to silence.
As dusk deepened, the distant mountains appeared as dark as ink.
The last ray of light was swallowed by the night, leaving only a deep, almost solidified darkness between heaven and earth.
Only the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron still radiated a warm yet resolute Xuanhuang in the darkness, like an inextinguishable lamp illuminating this small courtyard.
Qi Yun sat alone beneath a withered tree, his eyes slightly closed, his aura completely blending into the secluded courtyard of the Daoist temple.
But his mind was like an invisible and intangible yet omnipresent giant net, quietly covering the entire Wuji Sacred Sect, the Central Land, the Northwest, and the four seas and eight wastelands.
He is perceiving.
Sensing every subtle fluctuation of Spiritual Qi in the world, sensing every faint thread of cause and effect, sensing those gazes hidden in the shadows, peering into the mysteries of the Xuanhuang.
Those gazes came from the World-Honored One, from the Demon Master Kunpeng, from the True Lord Contemplating the One, and from those beings hidden deeper in the Long River of Time whom he had not yet seen clearly but could vaguely sense.
They are waiting.
Waiting for that "flower".
Waiting for the "fruit" to fall.
This ancient game of chess has finally come to an end.
Qi Yun is also waiting.
Waiting for that "flower".
Waiting for the "fruit" to fall.
When those hidden chess players could no longer contain themselves, they entered the game.
By then----
He also opened his eyes.
In his eyes, a chaotic, colorful light swirled like a river of stars, then suddenly receded, returning to a bottomless darkness.
In that darkness, there was the glint of blades, the shadow of swords, the earth-shattering slaughter, and the decisive power to govern all laws.
The mountain workers approached slowly, their bare branches rustling softly.
A withered leaf drifted down from the branch, twirled a few times in mid-air, and gently landed on Qi Yun's knee.
He did not brush it away.
But the faint curve at the corner of her mouth never faded.