Senior Brother Zhou's Heavenly Peng Is Truly Majestic

"Huh?"

The old Daoist stroked his beard and gave a drawn-out exclamation of surprise. His face was a picture of astonishment and doubt, though he had noticed it long ago.

"Jingxuan, take a quick look. Could yesterday's wager be settled today?"

Li Jingxuan raised his brows, then slowly relaxed them, growing ever more curious.

Just now, he had been so intent on admiring that nascent trace of fist intent flowing through Senior Brother Yu's practice that he had overlooked one crucial point.

Senior Brother Yu's current realm was precisely that "ascent to heaven in a single step" attained by those who first entered Meditative Concentration and only then practiced a visualization method.

Wisdom Born of Concentration.

This realm was also known as Embracing the Origin and Guarding the One.

At this stage, the body was like a great pill. Sinews, bones, muscles, and will were united into a seamless whole, giving one near-perfect control over the body and allowing its strength to be brought to bear perfectly.

It was a realm every Form Refinement martial artist dreamed of reaching, as well as the threshold for seeking the Dao Embryo in the future.

But the most crucial part of this realm was not Form Refinement, but spirit refinement.

Compared with entering Meditative Concentration through stillness, it preserved the spirit, secured Qi, and nourished essence. It kept the essence, Qi, and spirit within a martial artist from consuming one another or escaping outward, leaving all three to fill the body over the long term and unite with the physical form, like a dragon nurturing a pearl.

And Senior Brother Yu had now grasped the meaning of the body being like a great pill, his internal Qi round and complete as a golden pill.

Unfortunately, Senior Brother Yu's cultivation was still shallow, and he could not yet bring out much of its effects.

At the same time, however, this also meant that Senior Brother Yu had successfully cultivated a visualization diagram.

Li Jingxuan recalled the previous night. He remembered that the will which had made the air and natural phenomena between heaven and earth resonate and roar had not lasted long at all. In fact, it could be said to have been very brief.

He had assumed Senior Brother Yu had stopped after a cursory attempt and had not truly tried.

But now...

Could he have subdued the Heavenly Peng's True Intention in such a short time?

Even he felt his doubts growing.

He did not suspect that Yu Tunzhou had cultivated some other visualization diagram and joined forces with the old Daoist to deceive him. After all, such a thing might fool him for a while, but not forever.

It seemed this Senior Brother Yu was not as "free of secrets" as Senior Brother had said.

And thinking again of the style of that fist technique just now...

"I never thought that after I, Li Jingxuan, entered this grotto-heaven, my first gain would be a senior brother in his third life."

Li Jingxuan sighed. Though his heart had long since entered a Pure Land, he still felt a jumble of emotions. Had this senior brother schemed against him? Not really. More than anything, he marveled at the countless extraordinary people in the world.

He could not help saying sincerely, "Senior Brother, your eye for talent really is excellent."

The old Daoist stroked his beard and smiled. "I just get by. Second in the Highest Purity, that's all."

Li Jingxuan asked curiously, "Then who's first?"

The old Daoist shot him a sidelong look full of disdain. "If I call myself second, who dares call himself first?"

With that, he turned and returned to the Daoist temple with his hands clasped behind his back.

Li Jingxuan was left speechless behind him.

He was utterly convinced, in heart and words alike.

Li Jingxuan suddenly looked toward the mountain path.

A white-bearded elder was hurrying up the mountain, his feet flying. It was none other than Zhou Tianchen of the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple.

He had kept watch at the temple all night and had come up the mountain at daybreak, intending to find Yu Tunzhou at once, confirm whether that diagram was the ancestral diagram, and remind the youth to think thrice before acting.

If the youth still decided to cultivate it, he would not stop him, but he had to stand guard beside him.

First, he did not want the young man favored by the spirits of the founding masters to perish here.

Second... he was also curious what the ancestral diagram left by the founding master actually looked like, and whether, as legend claimed, a remnant thought of the founding master's Primordial Spirit truly lay hidden within it.

As soon as he reached the mountainside, Zhou Tianchen saw that Yu Tunzhou was already practicing his fists in the open courtyard. He could not help nodding, appreciation on his face.

Their Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple had long been in decline. Most of its disciples, himself included, came from ordinary backgrounds and had only passable talent, but everyone worked exceedingly hard.

Rising to practice martial arts at the rooster's crow, never stopping through heat or cold-that was a rule carved into their bones.

Their backgrounds could not compare with those of disciples from great clans, and their talent fell short of those born with Buddha roots and Dao bones. If they did not know to forge ahead, how could they gain a foothold in the world?

Zhou Tianchen lightened his steps and did not disturb the youth's practice. So long as he was not rushing to comprehend the visualization diagram, all was well.

He watched the youth practice from the side, and gradually began to wonder.

Why were his fists so soft?

Slow and unhurried, light and airy, with no sign of force being released or drawn back.

His movements were open and flowing, though, and had a certain grace to them.

They were pleasant enough to watch, smooth and easy on the eyes.

If he had not seen how steady and settled Yu Tunzhou's breathing was, almost as if he had entered Meditative Concentration, he would have suspected the youth was just playing around.

He wondered whose household had led the youth astray by teaching him such a fist technique. When he competed against disciples of the other thirty-nine households in the future, how could he hold his own relying on this alone?

Zhou Tianchen, a Dao Embryo Realm martial artist from the Heavenly Peng Daoist Temple, shook his head as though he could bear to watch no longer. Then he could not help pondering something.

Yu Tunzhou had entered Meditative Concentration through stillness entirely on his own. Did that not mean that once he cultivated a visualization diagram, he could ascend to heaven in a single step and attain the realm of Embracing the Origin and Guarding the One, just like their eldest senior brother back then?

At that thought,

Zhou Tianchen felt both wistful and bitter. There was no justice in heaven, none at all.

He had cultivated painstakingly for decades, yet had only mastered the essence of this realm and had made no further progress since. The youth, on the other hand, needed only to cultivate a visualization diagram, and he would naturally enter it as water flowing into a channel...

By the time Yu Tunzhou finished ten full sets of the fist technique, then slowly drew breath and brought his Qi back to his Dantian, sweat was already pouring off him like rain.

When the morning spring breeze blew over him, he did not feel cold. Instead, a warmth spread through his limbs and bones, soaking through his whole body.

He let out a long breath of turbid Qi that reached nearly three feet.

He suddenly sensed something and looked in Zhou Tianchen's direction.

"Senior Zhou?"

Zhou Tianchen was just about to answer when he abruptly remembered that Yu Tunzhou now called Li Jingxuan junior brother...

"There's no need to call me senior. The spirits of the founding masters hold you in such high regard that, in the past, one of them might well have taken you as a disciple. It would be more fitting for me to call you senior."

Zhou Tianchen spoke with feeling. These words were not mere flattery; in the past, it really would have been quite possible.

Unfortunately, there were few people of high seniority left in their lineage now. Otherwise, it would never have fallen to him to take charge.

Yu Tunzhou was taken aback. "Then what would be more appropriate for me to call you?"

Zhou Tianchen hesitated for quite a while. "Just call me... Senior Brother Zhou."

His voice was a little uncertain, and he glanced toward the Daoist temple.

He coughed. He could hardly have Yu Tunzhou call him junior brother, could he?

Martial nephew made even less sense.

That person probably would not mind too much.

Alas, his skin was still too thin.

Yu Tunzhou blinked. He had planned to go down the mountain to find him, but had not expected him to come of his own accord.

"Senior Brother Zhou..."

Yu Tunzhou had wanted to invite him inside to sit, but when he considered the state of his home, there was not even a decent stool. So he pointed to a large rock nearby and said sincerely,

"Please, have a seat."

Zhou Tianchen waved a hand, unconcerned with such trifles, and said gravely, "I came up the mountain for you this time. Quickly, bring me that visualization diagram and let me have a look. You haven't rushed into cultivating it yet, have you? The spirits of the founding masters were really too... eager!"

He had instinctively wanted to say "reckless," but when he saw a breeze blow past, he hurriedly changed his wording.

Yu Tunzhou hesitated.

Seeing this, Zhou Tianchen waved a hand. "Don't worry. I won't take your visualization diagram. Since it was given to you by the spirits of the founding masters, I, as a junior disciple, have no reason to take it back."

Though he said that, his heart was still bleeding a little...

Yu Tunzhou looked troubled. "Senior Brother Zhou, you came a step too late."

Zhou Tianchen froze. What did he mean?

"While comprehending the visualization diagram last night, I gained some insight and successfully cultivated it."

Zhou Tianchen's expression remained unchanged. He shook his head and sighed. "Junior Brother Yu, you really are worrying too much. Even if only out of regard for the old Daoist and young Master Li, I could never do something like taking your diagram."

Yu Tunzhou was at a loss for words. This fellow did not believe him?

Seeing that something was off with Yu Tunzhou's expression and that he did not seem to be pretending, Zhou Tianchen felt a wave of shock and doubt surge through him. His expression changed.

"You really cultivated it?!"

"Yes."

"The visualization diagram the ancestral spirits placed in your hands?"

"Yes."

"The Heavenly Peng Bearing the Azure Diagram?!"

"I think... that's right?"

Zhou Tianchen's eyes went wide. He stepped up to Yu Tunzhou and said in a low voice, "Let me see your Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth!"

Realizing he might have been a little presumptuous, he quickly added, "There may be a problem with your visualization diagram. Otherwise, I wouldn't have rushed to find you the very next morning!"

Yu Tunzhou's expression turned serious. So there was a problem with the diagram. Hmm... there had been a problem with it in the first place!

He did not refuse, allowing Zhou Tianchen to send a wisp of his Primordial Spirit into his Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth.

Zhou Tianchen's Primordial Spirit took the form of a magnificent Heavenly Peng. Though it lacked the wondrous, unbridled majesty of the one in yesterday's visualization diagram, whose bearing could swallow the eight wildernesses, its wings were fully feathered, and its every glance radiated might.

The Heavenly Peng slipped into a brand-new world. At the sight before it, its eyes widened, and it stared in disbelief.

Where the hell had he ended up?

Above was an endless azure sky, stretching beyond sight. Below seemed to be another sky, but its color was deeper, with layers to it...

Wait, was that the vast sea?!

Why was there such a boundless sea in the Heavenly Peng Bearing the Azure Diagram, as wide as the heavens themselves?!

Could he have entered the wrong door?

After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Tianchen withdrew. He stared fixedly at Yu Tunzhou, then asked after a long pause, "Just now, I entered your Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth, didn't I?"

Yu Tunzhou's eyes were full of envy. "Senior Brother Zhou, your Heavenly Peng is truly majestic."

Zhou Tianchen fell silent and remained speechless for a long time.