Demon Sect

On Earth, Liu Zhijian had formed a [Kan Water] aspect on his own, and in the immortal cultivation world, he had also earned the favor of the Heavenly Dao.

When it came to cultivation, even if he could not be said to have divine help, it should at least have been smooth sailing.

But now, when Li Chengxuan looked at him with the [Qi Observation Technique], he was astonished.

Liu Zhijian's [Kan Water] aspect was as dense as ever.

But it looked rather troubling.

The once clear, clean [Kan Water] had turned murky.

The vision of fish and shrimp swimming beneath the surface and lush aquatic plants had vanished as well.

It was like a pool of stagnant water, its life fading away as a rotten stench arose.

Liu Zhijian was alarmed to hear this and hurriedly asked, "Could something really have gone wrong?! Can it still be fixed?!"

Li Chengxuan did not answer. Instead, he frowned and pondered.

In the past, he would most likely have been at a loss.

After all, aspects and fate were profoundly mysterious.

How could a minor Qi Refining cultivator in charge of a fallen sect hope to fathom them?!

But ever since Li Chengxuan obtained the [Two Worlds Pearl], he had experienced much and read quite a few Dao treatises. Comparing the two, he had made considerable progress in his understanding of the Dao.

After pondering for a moment, he did indeed come up with a few ideas.

"There's no need to worry."

Li Chengxuan looked up and reassured him with a smile. "If I'm not mistaken, the problem isn't serious. There should be a way to resolve it."

Liu Zhijian breathed a sigh of relief.

He had finally managed to set foot on the path of cultivation.

It would be a shame if he had to stop here.

Li Chengxuan gathered his thoughts briefly, but instead of proposing a solution, he changed the subject and spoke of meeting Duanmu Ren on Earth.

Although Liu Zhijian was somewhat puzzled, he listened attentively to the end and could not help laughing. "I'm going to have a county magistrate for a junior brother?!"

Li Chengxuan nodded and smiled as well.

His eldest disciple truly had an excellent disposition.

If someone else had suffered a major setback in cultivation, they would most likely have been scared half to death and overcome with fear, with no mind to joke as Liu Zhijian did.

Li Chengxuan put away his smile and said solemnly, "The [High Shaman] lineage is an ancient Dao lineage. It flourished even before the Five Elements."

"Duanmu Ren's disposition, his experiences, and even the official position you mentioned are all highly compatible with [High Shaman]."

Liu Zhijian knew his master intended to guide him. He frowned and pondered carefully, a vague idea forming in his mind.

Li Chengxuan did not question him. He went on to speak of the upheaval in the Hua Household of Rejuvenation Valley and the history of the [Yi Wood] Dao lineage.

He touched only briefly on the events of High Antiquity, focusing instead on the Hua Household's Foundation Establishment cultivator [burning himself to death] and the present-day division between the legitimate and secondary branches.

Liu Zhijian fell into thought after listening.

[High Shaman] was primitive and ancient. It had also been lost for a long time and no longer appeared in the world.

[Yi Wood], on the other hand, was right before them, making it an excellent point of reference.

"Burning himself to death was meant to fulfill the image of [fire cannot burn it all away]?"

"And the Hua Household's Dao lineage being lost and falling into the mortal world was also... using the image of [Yi Wood's] [leaves falling and stems withering, roots buried in the soil] to build up fortune?!"

Liu Zhijian made no attempt to hide his shortcomings. At first, he spoke somewhat hesitantly, but the more he said, the firmer and more fluent his voice grew. His eyes lit up. "Then wouldn't the present division between the legitimate and secondary branches be like cutting the stems and dividing the branches to cultivate new plants?!"

This old fishing enthusiast truly had considerable wisdom in the Dao. He grasped the point at a hint.

Li Chengxuan nodded with a smile and added, "Besides that, Yi Wood also has the image of [clinging to rocks and climbing trees]."

"The Hua Household's legitimate branch sought refuge on Supreme Mystery Mountain, attaching itself to the Southern Verge Immortal Alliance and the old methods."

"The secondary branch went to the Azure Cloud Sect, which reportedly cultivates wood methods as its main discipline. Naturally, they're drawing on the strength of the Central Continent Dao Alliance and the new methods."

At this point, he paused. "In truth, the Hua Household may not have planned so far ahead."

"It's just that the old methods have not yet exhausted their allotted time, and the Heavenly Dao has only just manifested in the Southern Edge Continent."

"Of all that has happened here, how much was calculated by people and how much was ordained by heaven is beyond my sight."

Liu Zhijian nodded after listening, understanding Li Chengxuan's meaning. "So, since I cultivate [Kan Water], I also have to do my utmost to conform to the imagery of its Dao lineage?!"

Li Chengxuan nodded. "Naturally."

Liu Zhijian frowned in deep thought. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him, and he clapped his hands in realization. "The imagery of [Kan Water] is found in streams, in rivers, in rushing water..."

"So the reason I've hit a setback in my cultivation and can barely make any progress isn't a problem with my aptitude, talent, or cultivation method, but because I've spent too long sitting in seclusion and cultivating all day, going against the [Kan Water] aspect?"

Seeing that he had grasped the cause on his own, Li Chengxuan nodded with a smile.

Both anxious and hopeful, Liu Zhijian asked, "So I need to go down the mountain to cultivate?!"

"I haven't opened my meridians yet. Wouldn't that be too early?!"

Li Chengxuan laughed and shook his head. "What do you think it's like down the mountain?! Foundation Establishment cultivators everywhere, and Qi Refining cultivators worth less than dogs?!"

"In truth, cultivation has already become a legend in the world."

"The vast majority of ordinary people never encounter a cultivator from birth to death."

"Now that you've learned the basics of the Meridian Opening Method, you'd be a Peak Houtian martial artist in the mortal world."

"As long as your luck isn't too terrible, you can travel far and wide, helping the weak and upholding justice, without running into much danger."

Li Chengxuan was worried that Liu Zhijian might grow conceited after hearing this.

So there were some things he did not spell out.

As the first child of fate to come to the immortal cultivation world from Earth, Liu Zhijian had certainly earned the favor of the Heavenly Dao.

Once he went down the mountain, as long as he did not court death himself, even if he did not encounter fortuitous opportunities one after another, he would at least be safe and free from worry.

Liu Zhijian was greatly reassured, and he actually began to feel a little eager. He could not help saying, "Cultivation is all well and good, but I still prefer fishing."

"After cultivating in the mountains for so long, my hands are itching, and my heart even more so."

Li Chengxuan laughed when he heard this. Rather than worrying that Liu Zhijian would lose his ambition to idle pursuits, he agreed. "Everything must have a beginning."

"In ancient cultivation methods, even greater importance is placed on letting one's thoughts flow freely."

"Since you wish to leave, go down the mountain."

Liu Zhijian descended Supreme Mystery Mountain, got his bearings, and headed east.

His master had told him that there was a great river to the east, one that crossed the Southern Reach and flowed straight into the South Sea.

The Meridian Opening Method was indeed useful.

He could walk across level ground as fast as a galloping horse.

Even steep slopes and sheer cliffs posed no problem.

But the farther he got from Supreme Mystery Mountain, the more desolate and run-down everything became.

Vegetation was sparse, and the land was bleak.

For a time, Liu Zhijian could not make sense of the situation.

After walking for a long time, he finally came upon signs of human habitation.

The people were all impoverished, their faces sallow and bodies thin.

After asking around, he eventually arrived at a small town on the bank of a great river.

"Finally, I'm here!"

Liu Zhijian was so excited that his hands trembled a little.

Using the long staff his master had given him for self-defense as a rod, he carefully took out the fishing hook and line he had prepared long ago and deftly assembled them.

He baited the hook with nothing but a tender green leaf and cast his line. He could not help shivering all over. "This feeling is wonderful!"

Liu Zhijian had once traveled around the country fishing and was fairly experienced in dealing with people.

Now that he had also cultivated the Meridian Opening Method, he could handle things in the mortal world with ease.

So he settled down in this small town called Danzhou.

Every day, he traded his catch in town for food, continuing to cultivate the Meridian Opening Method only at night.

He clearly spent far less time cultivating than he had on Supreme Mystery Mountain.

Yet Liu Zhijian could distinctly feel that he was opening his meridians several times faster than he had on the mountain.

In just one month, he had opened twenty percent of the meridians throughout his body.

Liu Zhijian grew ever more convinced of the teachings on the Dao that Li Chengxuan had imparted to him.

As a newcomer unfamiliar with the place and its people, Liu Zhijian naturally encountered some hostility.

But with his mature judgment and considerable martial prowess, he dealt with it easily.

He even made three or five friends, all of them deeply loyal.

One in particular, a man named Deng Gang, also loved fishing. He and Liu Zhijian had hit it off at first sight and got along splendidly.

Out in the wilderness beyond the town, the two built a fire, grilled fish, opened a jar of cloudy wine, and drank together.

As the wine went to their heads, the two chatted casually.

That they had hit it off at first sight was naturally due not only to their personalities and shared interests, but also to their similar circumstances.

Liu Zhijian could tell that there was something rather mysterious about Deng Gang.

Although Deng Gang had not entered the Dao to cultivate, he too had practiced the Meridian Opening Method.

Deng Gang took a drink of cloudy wine and looked at the river surging before them. "Brother Liu, did you know that a few months ago, this great river flowed backward and dried up, all the way to its bed?!"

Liu Zhijian was startled, then said in realization, "No wonder life along the banks looked so hard and the vegetation was sparse. They suffered a natural disaster."

"Heh, a natural disaster..."

"Pah!"

Deng Gang sneered and spat out a fish bone. "What natural disaster? It was clearly a man-made calamity!"

"A man-made calamity?!"

Liu Zhijian looked out over the broad river and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Could it be that two countries went to war and breached the river mouth?"

"No."

Deng Gang shook his head and said bitterly, "There's a Supreme Mystery Demon Sect to the west. For its own selfish ends, it has brought disaster upon the world!"

"What?!"

Liu Zhijian was truly shocked this time. "The Supreme Mystery Demon Sect..."