Chapter 392 - 66: Tribulation Cultivator

The night was deep and silent.

A bonfire crackled atop the cold, lonely mountain peak.

The kind-faced Huike sat cross-legged to one side, while the gruff Zhishou busied himself nearby, cooking porridge.

"Fellow Daoist."

Zhu Ju added a few pieces of wood to the bonfire and asked,

"From what I know, the Jade Void Cave Heaven is the Grotto Heaven Blessed Land of the Jade Void Sect. Why is it that you both use the True Words Spell?"

The True Words Spell is the heritage of the Buddhist Sect’s True Words Sect.

The two don’t match.

Furthermore, according to the records in the Bright Void Sect’s Jade Disc, the relationship between the Jade Void Sect and the True Words Sect wasn’t good.

One could even say they were mortal enemies.

"It’s a long story." Huike sighed upon hearing the question.

"In the Ancient Era, the Great Dao changed, and the Immortal Group fell. The Jade Void Cave Heaven also suffered a calamity. The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi became a poison that was fatal on contact. Any Method that attempted to refine the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi for one’s own use became a Demon Skill."

"Under these circumstances, many inheritances were lost. Only the True Words Sect’s heritage, which does not cultivate the body itself, survived."

Zhu Ju had a flash of understanding.

’No wonder!’

’No wonder the people here have such poor Cultivation, yet their control over the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi is so exceptional.’

’It’s because they don’t dare to refine the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.’

The True Words Spell uses Divine Soul Power to control the Power of Heaven and Earth, but it doesn’t use the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to temper the body.

That explains it.

They don’t have to fear the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi being poisonous!

"One more thing."

He pointed to the spot between his eyebrows and asked,

"Are you both from the Three-Eyed Divine Race?"

"No." Zhishou looked up and said,

"The ancient sages left behind a proverb: The Great Dao is poisoned. Only the Physical Body and the Divine Soul can avoid calamity."

"We are of the Human Race, but we possess the bloodline of the Three-Eyed Divine Race."

"Correct." Huike nodded.

"When the Grotto Heaven was sealed and the three sects fled, two members of the Three-Eyed Divine Race were left here to stand guard. Those two divine predecessors knew they couldn’t escape their fate, and before they died, they scattered their bloodline among the ancestors of the Human Race."

"We have inherited the bloodline of the Three-Eyed Divine Race, but we must reach a certain level of Cultivation before we can open our Celestial Eye."

"Yes!" Zhishou’s spirits lifted as he said,

"There are a total of three people who can open the Celestial Eye—the Three Sages. Master is one of them."

"Oh!" Zhu Ju’s gaze paused on Huike.

"Impressive!"

There were falsehoods in their words, and they were hiding something.

For instance.

’To refine the bloodline of the Three-Eyed Divine Race and make it one’s own... a Method like that is in no way inferior to a Nascent Soul inheritance, yet they just glossed over it.’

’This Grotto Heaven World has numerous towns, and every single one has Heavenly and Earthly Treasures. Why is that?’

The two of them hadn’t mentioned that either.

’Then again, we’ve only just met. It’s only natural for there to be a lack of trust and for them to hold back.’

"I am merely a bit slow-witted, it is nothing remarkable." Huike shook his head, then asked,

"Fellow Daoist, you come from the outside world. I wonder what the situation is like out there?"

"The outside world..." Zhu Ju sighed.

"The Dao wanes as demons thrive, and life is plunged into misery. This story begins several hundred years ago..."

He didn’t intentionally hide anything. As he spoke, the expressions on Huike and Zhishou’s faces grew increasingly grim.

The Great War of Righteous and Evil!

The Dao waning as demons thrived!

...

"The Bright Void Sect is an offshoot of the Jade Void Sect, so we share a deep connection with the Jade Void Cave Heaven. Unfortunately, the Sect has declined over the years. The good news is that our current Sect Leader has already achieved the Golden Core. She is also in this Grotto Heaven. The Sect Leader is of good character and would never kill the innocent. If you can find her, she should be able to offer some protection to the people of the Grotto Heaven."

Pausing his story, Zhu Ju once again added wood to the fire, giving the two men across from him time to think.

After a long while,

Huike finally spoke in a low voice,

"According to you, Fellow Daoist, the people who entered the Jade Void Cave Heaven this time it appeared are all Loose Cultivators?"

"More or less." Zhu Ju nodded.

"Even if they aren’t Loose Cultivators, they have no hope of controlling the Grotto Heaven, which is why they are plundering it so unscrupulously."

"In my opinion, Fellow Daoist, you should have the people of the Grotto Heaven go into hiding and avoid this calamity for now."

"Hmph!" Zhishou, ever the hothead, snorted coldly.

"So what if they’re Golden Core Grandmasters? The worst that can happen is we die!"

Hmm?

Zhu Ju’s head shot up.

Across from him, Huike had also sensed something. He first glanced at Zhu Ju, then looked into the distance.

"That direction is..."

"Gou Town!"

His expression darkened.

"Something’s happened!"

On the horizon, flames shot into the sky, illuminating the night and making the mountains seem to glow from within.

"Master!"

Zhishou was alarmed. With a backhand flick, he threw his cloak forward, and it transformed into a Flying Carpet that hovered in mid-air.

"Let’s go, quickly."

Huike leaped onto the Flying Carpet. The carpet carried the two of them away like a bolt of lightning, shooting straight toward the glow of the fire.

Zhu Ju stroked his chin. The Wind and Thunder Blade Wings unfurled on his back, and with a gentle wave, he extinguished the bonfire.

"CRACKLE!"

Lightning danced, and his figure vanished from the spot.

...

"Run!"

"Run for your lives!"

On the narrow mountain path, terrified commoners fled in a frenzy.

Behind them, the screams grew closer as figures fell to the ground, their lives extinguished.

Several eerie figures, like Demons from Hell, brandished scythes and reaped human lives.

"How dare you!"

Zhishou leaped down from the Flying Carpet, landing among the crowd and roaring at the pursuers behind them,

"Stop this at once!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a refugee beside him revealed a cold glint in his eyes, whipped a dagger from his robes, and stabbed at him.

An assassin!

The assassin hidden among the commoners was ruthless, his attack silent yet swift and vicious.

By the time Zhishou realized something was wrong, it was too late to defend himself.

"Back!"

The shout was like thunder.

Holding his bowl, Huike descended from the sky. He uttered a True Word, and an Invisible Power instantly sent the assassin flying.

At the same time,

the bowl in his hand burst with golden light, enveloping both of them and blocking several incoming attacks.

"Be careful."

Huike’s eyes lowered.

"It’s not the Demons from the outside world. It’s the Demon Monk Lingxuan!"

’Demon Monk Lingxuan?’

Zhishou’s expression changed.

The Jade Void Cave Heaven had its Three Sages, but the three were not all virtuous men. The title was merely a symbol of power.

Aside from the highly respected Huike,

the other two were the Court’s Dharma King Zhen Wu and, right before them, the Demon Monk Lingxuan.

Demon Monk Lingxuan was an Evil Cultivator who had gathered a group of crooked individuals, claimed a mountain as his own, and made a living by murdering people for their treasures.

Because of his formidable methods, he had remained at large for many years.

"How could he dare..."

Zhishou gritted his teeth, his face contorted.

"That Demon Monk deserves to die!"

"He’s taking advantage of the chaos." Huike narrowed his eyes and said slowly,

"With the outside Demons throwing the world into turmoil, it would be strange if he *didn’t* seize the opportunity to gain some benefits."

"Huike!"

From the crowd, a bare-chested, bald-headed brute stepped forward, holding a Vajra Pestle.

"I heard you were nearby. I made a little commotion, and sure enough, you showed up."

"Perfect!"

He grinned.

"Let’s use this opportunity to settle the old scores between us."

Huike didn’t speak. Instead, he looked back toward the canyon behind him, his expression growing even more somber.

"You actually colluded with the outside Demons?"

"Heh..." Ling Xuan sneered.

"As if you didn’t do the same. But this is fine too. We each have our own opponents now."

In the valley.

Zhu Ju, who had transformed into a flash of lightning, came to a sudden halt and frowned at the sky above.

An enormous, ancient-yellow Talisman had appeared at some point, hanging in the void like an unfurled curtain that covered the entire valley.

The Three Talents Technique!

A trap!

At the same time, three figures appeared from three different directions, sealing off Zhu Ju’s path of retreat.

*

*

*

"BOOM!"

Under the impact of a Giant Power, the long-sealed palace let out a painful cry and collapsed with a roar.

Hong Kan and Miao Yang strode inside.

"So this is the so-called Saint Hall they were talking about."

Miao Yang stroked his beard and said slowly,

"In the Ancient Era, the Immortal Group fell. The higher one’s Cultivation, the faster one died. Some powerful individuals built forbidden lands, isolated from the outside world, hoping to escape the decay of the Great Dao."

"Unfortunately..."

He shook his head gently.

"It wasn’t the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi that was poisoned, but the Great Dao itself. Anyone at or above the Nascent Soul Realm comprehends the Great Dao, so without exception, they all perished."

"But the people of the Jade Void Cave Heaven held on for a while and even improved upon a Bloodline Secret Technique." Hong Kan’s face broke into a smile.

"The Ten Thousand Spirits Body Forging Technique!"

"To absorb the wonders of the bloodlines of ten thousand spirits and forge an immortal golden body... It’s a shame the technique was never fully developed."

"It’s enough." Miao Yang glanced over, his voice laced with envy.

"Brother Hong, with this technique and the bloodline of the Three-Eyed Divine Race, you’ll surely be able to cultivate the Illusion-Breaking Dharma Eye. In the thousands of years of the Profound Clarity Sect’s history, very few have ever cultivated this Divine Technique in the Golden Core Realm."

Hong Kan smiled and gently stroked the spot between his eyebrows.

"I’m still a bit short. Another few hundred ’eyes’ should do it."

Once he perfected the Illusion-Breaking Dharma Eye, he would have no fear, even when facing a Mid-Stage Golden Core Cultivator.

...

On the mountain summit.

A frigid wind howled as snow filled the sky.

Pei Jingque stood atop the snow, wreathed in Fierce Flame. Yet the snowflakes around her did not melt.

Across from her, a man and a woman hovered in the empty air.

The man was handsome, the woman beautiful. They looked like a perfect couple.

"I never thought..."

Pei Jingque’s gaze fell on the woman as she spoke slowly,

"Fellow Daoist Qin, that you had already advanced to the Golden Core."

"It was a stroke of luck. I achieved Core Formation in a Secret Realm, so no one sensed it." Qin Zhiruo smiled faintly and gestured to the man beside her.

"This is my friend, the Loose Cultivator Yuan Zanfeng."

"Oh?"

Pei Jingque raised an eyebrow.

She had heard of this Yuan Zanfeng. A Dao Foundation Perfection Cultivator, a Loose Cultivator with hopes of advancing to the Golden Core.

However...

Qin Zhiruo was the Dao companion of Shii Xuan, a True Inheritance disciple of the Profound Clarity Sect, yet now she was acting intimately with Yuan Zanfeng.

’What are these three up to?’

Qin Zhiruo had no intention of explaining. Her beautiful eyes glanced at the Spiritual Medicine below as she spoke slowly,

"There are three stalks of Pot Heaven Snow Lotus here, and there are three of us. How about we each take one?"

"One each?" Pei Jingque chuckled.

"You must be joking, Fellow Daoist. You and I are both Golden Core, so one each for us would be fine. But I’m afraid Fellow Daoist Yuan isn’t entitled to a whole stalk."

"How about this: I take two, and the two of you get one?"

As she spoke,

she gently raised a hand, and the Three-Flame Simurgh Fan appeared in her palm.

The might of the High Grade Magical Treasure was like a monstrous wave, instantly engulfing a hundred miles of empty space and making one feel a sudden, scorching heat.

The swirling snow turned into a fine rain and fell.

SCREECH!

A Vermilion Bird appeared in the void. It slowly unfurled its wings, enveloping Pei Jingque.

Qin Zhiruo’s beautiful eyes narrowed.

A High Grade Magical Treasure!

’The Bright Void Sect actually has a High Grade Magical Treasure?’

The Flying Sword in her body, which had been stirring restlessly, instantly stopped its throbbing and obediently retracted into her Dantian.

"I can offer some compensation."

Yuan Zanfeng suddenly spoke up, flipping his hand over to reveal an object.

"How about this?"

Pei Jingque’s beautiful eyes lit up.