Chapter 283 - 155: Immortal Body? Cause and Effect (Part 2)

Chapter 283: Chapter 155: Immortal Body? Cause and Effect (Part 2)

He spoke without waiting for a reaction, simply instructing, "Go."

Zhi Xing immediately bowed in acknowledgment, then turned and left the great hall, heading straight out of the Cloud Palace.

Just as he exited the palace gates, he saw a young Daoist descending through the swirling clouds. As the man walked, a deep yellow divine light, shaped like a treasured sword or perhaps a peacock’s feather, faintly pulsed behind him. Such a sight was a rare marvel, but the man’s face was familiar. It was the very person Zhi Xing had come to greet: Xuzhuang.

Even though he had seen such things many times, Zhi Xing was still in awe of the Primordial Spirit True Man’s foresight. He hurried forward to greet him, "I greet you, Junior Martial Uncle Xu."

To conserve his Magical Power, Xuzhuang had only used the Five Elements Escape Skill to ride the wind, not flying at his top speed. Still, it only took him half a day to return to Yunmeng Marsh.

After all, Yunmeng Marsh was home to the Tai Su Orthodox Sect. It was already one of the world’s finest Spirit Vein Blessed Lands, and after ten thousand years of nurturing by the Tai Su Sect, it could truly be called an Immortal Mansion.

As soon as he entered Yunmeng Marsh, the abundant spiritual energy in the air greatly alleviated the strain on Xuzhuang’s Magical Power. He considered this for a moment, then flew directly across the sea of clouds toward the Cloud Palace.

Although he no longer had to worry about exhausting his Magical Power, it was no solution to keep expending so much effort suppressing the white carp. Besides, he had fought several fierce battles with the Demon Sect Saint Child during his time away from the sect. He figured he should report this to the Master, so he decided against going to Langhuan.

Upon arriving at the Cloud Palace, he saw Zhi Xing approaching. Xuzhuang returned the bow and asked, "You were waiting here for me, acolyte. Does the Master have instructions?"

"Indeed," Zhi Xing replied. "By the Master’s decree, he requests that Junior Martial Uncle meet him in the Upper Truth Hall."

"The Upper Truth Hall?" Xuzhuang’s eyebrows raised slightly. Daochen Zhenren had received him many times before, but this was the first time he had been summoned to the Upper Truth Hall. ’So formal. Could it be because of my recent trip?’

After a moment of thought, Xuzhuang cupped his hands and said, "Understood. Thank you for informing me, acolyte."

Zhi Xing hurriedly returned the bow. "I was merely following the Master’s decree."

Xuzhuang nodded and said no more. He produced the Three Hall Seals and gave them a shake. A golden bridge materialized beneath his feet, carrying him up into the clouds. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he passed through a thick curtain of clouds and arrived in the precincts of the three halls.

As soon as he entered, the golden bridge extended toward the highest point, leading him to the Upper Truth Hall. When he landed, a youth dressed as a Daoist Child was already waiting. He approached and asked, "Are you the Jade Cauldron Hall Master, Junior Martial Uncle Dao Miao?"

Xuzhuang was slightly surprised. Though the youth was dressed as a Daoist Child, his cultivation was quite profound. He was young, yet he had already entered the Refining Realm. ’And he’s on duty in the Upper Truth Hall,’ Xuzhuang thought. ’His background must be impressive.’

Xuzhuang nodded in acknowledgment. The young Daoist Child said, "The Master is already inside. Junior Martial Uncle, please follow me into the hall."

Xuzhuang followed the young Daoist Child through the entrance. This was his first time in the Upper Truth Hall. While the decorations had their own exquisite charm, in truth, there was no practical difference between it and the other two halls, the Hall of Upper Law and the Hall of Upper Affairs.

Arriving in the main hall, Xuzhuang looked up and saw Daochen Zhenren sitting serenely on the main seat, a Duster cradled in his arms. Also in the hall were an elder and a young Daoist, standing on either side. They were not seated. As Xuzhuang entered, they all turned their gazes upon him.

His expression unchanging, Xuzhuang walked to the center of the great hall and bowed to the throne. "Your disciple, Dao Miao, greets the Master."

Daochen Zhenren smiled and nodded slightly, then spoke. "Junior Brother Xu, I have summoned you to Upper Truth because this concerns an official matter that must be attended and recorded. You and I can speak as we normally do. There is no need for excessive formality."

Despite his words, it was a formal occasion, and the hierarchy could not be ignored. Xuzhuang cupped his hands and replied, "I will obey the Master’s decree."

Daochen Zhenren smiled and didn’t press the issue. He gestured with his Duster. "Junior Brother Xu, tell me what happened from start to finish during your time away from the sect."

It had been less than half a day, but Daochen Zhenren already knew what he had done. Xuzhuang was not surprised. He cupped his hands and replied, "Yes. I originally left Li Mountain because..."

As Xuzhuang recounted the full story of his departure from Li Mountain, Daochen Zhenren simply listened with a smile.

The young Daoist in the hall, who was listening in, was writing furiously, seemingly not missing a single word. When he heard Xuzhuang describe his battles with Chi Ming, Lesser Yin, and even the Grey-bearded Taoist, his brush suddenly paused.

He looked up in astonishment, only to see Daochen Zhenren looking perfectly composed, a faint smile on his face. Xuzhuang was recounting the events as if they were a matter of course. The elder opposite him had his eyes slightly closed, making it impossible to tell if he was even listening, appearing to just be going through the motions.

The young Daoist shook his head, speechless. ’As expected of Venerable Dao Miao...’ he thought, then resumed writing without pause.

After hearing Xuzhuang’s entire account, Daochen Zhenren slowly nodded. He asked the two on either side, "Elder Zhang, Nephew Cui, do you have any questions that require clarification from Junior Brother Xu?"

The young Daoist, Nephew Cui, put away his brush and paper and replied respectfully, "Reporting to the Master, I have no questions."

Elder Zhang, however, opened his eyes. He cupped his hands and said, "If I may ask Venerable Dao Miao, can you describe the appearance of the Grey-bearded Taoist you mentioned?"

Xuzhuang calmly returned the salute, then pointed a finger in the air. With his Magical Power, he sketched the face of the Grey-bearded Taoist. "Elder, please look."

Elder Zhang glanced at the image in the air, his face twitched, and he stroked his beard. "This old Daoist has no more questions."

The young Daoist was rather confused by this, but he had no choice but to sketch the face from the air as well.

Seeing that neither of them had any more questions, Daochen Zhenren said with a faint smile, "Junior Brother, go ahead and release that white carp."

Xuzhuang’s eyebrows raised slightly, but he wasn’t surprised. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, the sword-feather-like Earth Element Divine Light behind him unfurled. The white carp, seeing an escape route, shot out like an arrow. But just as it left the range of the divine light, a wisp of thin mist suddenly drifted over and enveloped its head, trapping it tightly as if in a net.

Daochen Zhenren beckoned with his hand, and the mist brought the white carp before him. He examined it closely, then nodded slightly. "So, it was this thing."

This white carp, which could cause upheaval within the Earth Element Divine Light and which Xuzhuang’s Magical Power could barely suppress, couldn’t even make a ripple in the hands of a Primordial Spirit True Man.

This outcome, however, was not unexpected for Xuzhuang. He simply clasped his hands in a salute and asked, "May I ask, Master, what exactly is this carp?"

"This thing..." Daochen Zhenren glanced at Xuzhuang with a smile and replied, "It is a terrifying demon from ten thousand years ago, one who claimed to have an immortal body."

"What?"

"An immortal body?"

Seeing the looks of shock on all three faces in the hall, Daochen Zhenren continued leisurely, "Of course, this is only a small part of it."

Xuzhuang’s eyelid twitched. He cupped his hands. "If I may be so bold, could the Master please elaborate?"

Daochen Zhenren smiled and replied, "It’s not a forbidden topic, but my own knowledge of it is incomplete. I only know that this demon was called the Six-Eyed Demon Lord. He did indeed possess a terrifying immortal body and once ravaged the Profound Yellow world in ancient times, before finally being suppressed by the seniors of the Mystic Sect."

He pointed at the white carp. "Legend says that before the Six-Eyed Demon Lord was suppressed by the ancestors of the Mystic Sect, his Primordial Spirit escaped. To prevent our ancestors from finding him, he split his Primordial Spirit into six parts, using six Great Divine Techniques as vessels to carry the pieces away. If one could gather these parts of his Primordial Spirit, it might be possible to resurrect him."

"Such a thing exists in the world?" Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed. "Could it be that the Demon Sect’s plot is to resurrect the Six-Eyed Demon Lord?"

Daochen Zhenren toyed with the white carp, then suddenly chuckled. "Whatever their plot, the Demon Sect must have had it all planned out. Even the Zhenren of our Tai Su Sect failed to notice a single clue, yet their plans were so easily foiled by you, Junior Brother."

Xuzhuang frowned. "How can anything in this world be ’planned out’ with certainty?"

Daochen Zhenren said leisurely, "Naturally, nothing in this world is certain. But the deviation in a plan must have its cause and effect. There must be a reason why the Demon Sect’s plot was foiled by you, Junior Brother."

Xuzhuang fell into thought. "A major reason for my departure from Li Mountain this time was a personal grudge. Could it be related to this?"

"Oh?" Daochen Zhenren said. "Junior Brother, can you explain in detail?"

"Yes." Xuzhuang cupped his hands in reply. After a brief moment of thought, he explained the prior events in detail. He hesitated at the end. "The treasure mirror that the Demoness used to capture this thing felt very familiar to me. But its appearance was different, so I can’t be sure if it was the same magical treasure from the Dragon Palace."

Daochen Zhenren listened intently, nodding slightly from time to time. When he heard Xuzhuang’s words, he didn’t respond directly, but said thoughtfully, "The ways of cause and effect are truly mysterious. Perhaps it is because that woman plotted against you, Junior Brother, and borrowed your Magical Power to steal a treasure, that we have arrived at this point today."

"In any case, this thing ultimately fell into your hands, Junior Brother." He pointed to the white carp again. "Whatever the Demon Sect’s plot, this piece is now lost to them. Even if they succeed in their broader goal, it will surely be incomplete."

Xuzhuang said solemnly, "In that case, I ask the sect to take custody of this item."

Daochen Zhenren did not refuse. He nodded, then said thoughtfully, "This thing is formed from the Primordial Spirit and a Divine Technique of the Six-Eyed Demon Lord. If we can figure out how to use it, it would be no less valuable than a magical treasure."

"You have foiled the Demon Sect’s plot and offered this prize to the sect, Junior Brother. The sect cannot simply ignore such a great service. I, as your senior brother, will take the liberty of deciding. You may choose one magical treasure from the sect’s treasury."