Chapter 362 - 194: Luoyan Mountain

No spring, no autumn, only perpetual heat.

This described a colossal mountain range that branched off from Mang Mountain—Luoyan Mountain, home to the Celestial Fire Sect, one of the Three Sects and Six Schools.

According to legend, thousands of years ago, Luoyan Mountain was a place of verdant hills and clear waters. A single Celestial Fire descended upon its peak, burning without end. It resonated with the celestial phenomena above and connected to the terrestrial veins below.

Gradually, the climate of the mountain range changed drastically. Earth Fire began to spring up everywhere. Any cave or crevice could potentially lead straight to the Earth Lungs. Every mountain spring and pool was warm, even scalding hot, an environment that gave rise to countless fire-aspected Spirit Veins.

It was within this very mountain range that the Celestial Fire Taoist cultivated his Dao and eventually founded the Celestial Fire Sect.

Whether this story was true or false might be impossible to verify, but it was at least the official account of the Celestial Fire Sect. Over time, it became a well-known legend throughout the Divine Continent.

Deep within the Celestial Fire Sect, in a Kong Cave connected to the belly of the earth, the ground had been smoothed and leveled. An octagonal Magic Altar stood there. At every corner, except for the one facing due north, a bright lamp was lit, bestowing a bit of light upon the cavern.

Yang Huai Venerable stood in the center of the Magic Altar. His head was slightly bowed, but his body remained ramrod straight. He raised his clasped hands high in a salute and said in a deep voice, "I beseech Great-Father to grant me the technique!"

"..."

After a long while, the cave remained silent. There was no response. Yang Huai Venerable couldn't help but raise his head and look upward.

In the faint light, one could see a high platform protruding from the cliff face, like a divine shrine. Within the shrine sat a colossal Dharma idol. Its left arm formed a Dharma Seal, while of its two right arms, one held a sword and the other pointed toward the ground.

Below the Dharma idol, a Daoist whose features were indistinct sat cross-legged, facing the idol, showing only his back.

Yang Huai Venerable spoke again. "I beseech Great-Father to grant me the technique!"

"..."

After a good while passed with no response, an old woman emerged from the shadows and said, "Big Brother, let it go."

Yang Huai Venerable remained silent, his burning gaze fixed upward. Seeing this, the old woman tried to persuade him again. "Big Brother, this is the third day you have come, and you have received no answer. Do you still not understand Great-Father's intentions?"

"Is now really the time for fighting and aggression? The correct path is to focus on your cultivation and wait for the opportunity to forge your Primordial Spirit."

Yang Huai Venerable whipped his head around, his eyes nearly weeping blood. He said resentfully, "My most beloved, most accomplished son, the one most likely to inherit my legacy—Lian'Er—was killed by Xuzhuang! If I don't avenge him, how can my spirit find peace? How can I focus on cultivation? How can I forge a Primordial Spirit?"

The old woman was visibly stunned. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, sputtering for a moment before a thought surfaced in her mind: 'Has Yang Huai Venerable lost his mind?'

She still remembered the absurd words Yang Huai Venerable had spoken when he came yesterday—

"I had intended to refine Lian'Er into a great medicine to supplement my cultivation. Only then could I take that next step and gain more foundation for achieving the Primordial Spirit."

At the time, Yang Huai Venerable had said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Who would have thought that Xuzhuang would harvest my precious medicine first? Not only must I take revenge for this, but I must also seize Xuzhuang's own fortune to serve as the resource for my path to the Dao…"

Although the Celestial Fire Sect was not one of the Three Major Sects, it was still a righteous sect of the Mystic Gate. The Yang Family was also a prominent clan within the sect with a long heritage. How could they allow Yang Huai Venerable to spout such words that defied all human morality?

Great-Father had flown into a rage, harshly reprimanded Yang Huai Venerable, and sent him away.

In fact, she felt that Great-Father had already shown immense mercy by not punishing Yang Huai Venerable. She never expected him to dare come again today and say such things.

'Does he really think he can spout nonsense in front of Great-Father and pull the wool over his eyes?'

Seeing the genuine and heartfelt emotion in Yang Huai Venerable's expression, the old woman felt a strange mix of absurdity and disbelief rise within her.

Several thoughts turned in her mind. Seeing that Great-Father still hadn't responded, she sighed softly and followed Yang Huai Venerable's line of reasoning. "But borrowing the Dharma idol's primordial qi to forge a technique is harmful, not beneficial, to achieving the Primordial Spirit. Big Brother, aren't you putting the cart before the horse?"

Yang Huai Venerable said firmly, "The harm from the Dharma idol's primordial qi can be slowly purged in the future. But if I cannot resolve this knot of grief in my heart, I will truly have no hope of ever reaching the Primordial Spirit."

"..." The old woman was about to say more when her expression suddenly shifted.

"Enough." A faint voice drifted down from above, interrupting their conversation. It said coolly, "Huai Zun, you have pleaded with me three times. I will ask you one last time: must you remain so obstinate?"

The old woman was shocked, but Yang Huai Venerable abruptly raised his head, a look of joyful excitement in his eyes. He answered in a clear voice, "Yes. I ask Great-Father to bestow upon me the Dharma idol's primordial qi."

"..."

From the cliff face above, a faint, almost imperceptible sigh seemed to echo, but no more words were spoken.

BOOM!

A sudden rumble sounded, followed by a rustling noise. The colossal Dharma idol slowly lifted one of its right arms—the one pointing to the ground—and aimed a single finger down at Yang Huai Venerable!

Yang Huai Venerable looked directly at the Dharma idol. With a sudden thought, a Gangyun rose from the crown of his head. The next moment, a downpour of intensely refined fiery qi rained down, landing precisely on the space above him.

A look of exhilaration appeared on Yang Huai Venerable's face. The Gangyun unfurled in the air and devoured the fiery qi in a single gulp. Only then did Yang Huai Venerable let out a muffled grunt and take an involuntary half-step back.

The intensity of the Dharma idol's primordial qi seemed to have exceeded Yang Huai Venerable's expectations. His face suddenly turned crimson, and two streams of fresh blood flowed from his nostrils. In moments, they ran past his lips and teeth, down his chin and neck, showing no sign of stopping.

After a good while, Yang Huai Venerable finally recovered. His eyes showed not alarm, but joy. He clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Thank you, Great-Father, for your generous gift."

The Daoist on the platform merely said coolly, "Go."

Yang Huai Venerable didn't dally. He performed a final bow, descended from the Magic Altar, and left with heavy steps.

"Great-Father!" Only then did the old woman speak again, asking, "Why did you agree to Big Brother's request?"

The Daoist on the platform never turned his head. He replied coldly, "On his first visit, he spoke of seizing his son's fortune. On his second, he spoke of using his son in alchemy. On his third, he was suddenly full of genuine emotion, speaking of a deep father-son bond and swearing he cannot achieve the Dao without revenge. Every day, a different reason. He is incoherent and utterly unaware of his own state."