Chapter 378 - 203: Dao-Preaching Stone Statues, Mixed Cave True Method

Chapter 378: Chapter 203: Dao-Preaching Stone Statues, Mixed Cave True Method

The lake stretched for hundreds of miles, a blessing to the region. Water surrounded a green mountain. This was a small spiritual land with a modest reputation in the Guangyuan Realm—

Huangshan Lake.

The mountains were green and the waters verdant, yet it was named Huangshan—Yellow Mountain—simply because the Spirit Vein within it was predominantly of the earth attribute.

Three days later, Xuzhuang appeared at Huangshan Lake. He slowly walked past the Treasure Palaces and Daoist Temples built by each of the Seven Friends, finally stopping before a simple stone staircase.

The Seven Friends of Huangshan Lake lived a dangerous life and lacked the ability to set up a powerful Mountain Protection Array. Naturally, they wouldn’t keep all their wealth in their own lair.

Besides, Xuzhuang wasn’t the kind of person to covet the meager wealth of these Independent Cultivators. He had come here for another reason entirely.

Xuzhuang glanced down the stone steps. Although they were wreathed in mist, the clouds certainly couldn’t obstruct his Dharma Eye. After confirming that everything matched Li He’s description, Xuzhuang flicked his sleeve and drifted down the steps, reaching the bottom a short time later.

There, in a flat basin, stood dozens of strange stone statues of varying heights. The statues were all top-heavy, as if a small torso was supporting a massive head, and bore carvings that clearly resembled eyes, brows, ears, and a nose.

Xuzhuang walked up to one of the statues, raised his hands in a bow, and asked, "Your Excellency, can you offer me guidance on Dao skills?"

A slight breeze swept through the basin, carrying away a few fallen leaves. Other than that, all was silent. It was as if nothing had happened.

Xuzhuang had been prepared for this and paid it no mind. He continued asking the statues one by one in order. When he reached the third one, a short statue, it suddenly spoke: "Today’s lecture is on the Earth Escape Skill."

"The earth is that which births all living things. It represents that which is below and that which is within, from which all things take form. All that is of the earth attribute follows from earth."

"This Earth Escape of mine is no ordinary movement technique. One need only toss a handful of sand, and in the moment the skill is cast, the ends of the earth will seem but a step away..."

Xuzhuang’s brows rose slightly as he listened intently. This statue was clearly lifeless, to say nothing of having any intelligence, yet it could explain a Qimen Dunjia Skill in a clear and orderly manner.

This was the secret Li He had told Xuzhuang about. The stone statues in Huangshan Lake were the source of the Seven Friends of Huangshan Lake’s great opportunity, and the real reason they were all united in cultivating here.

According to Li He, each statue here would lecture on a Dao skill, but only to those with whom it had an affinity. What each of the Seven Friends had learned here was completely different.

It was for this very reason that Xuzhuang had made a special trip here. He had questioned two statues before finally being taught an Earth Escape Skill by this third one.

Xuzhuang listened carefully to the statue’s lecture, then, following Li He’s advice, asked it several questions that had come to mind. As long as the questions weren’t deliberately obtuse, the statue was able to answer them all. Although it had the air of reciting from a script, the experience was still exceedingly strange.

However, this Escape Technique wasn’t particularly profound. Given Xuzhuang’s own mastery of Dao skills, he already understood most of it just from listening. After the statue’s explanations, he felt a sense of complete clarity.

’I don’t even need to practice this,’ Xuzhuang thought. ’This skill is merely a variation of the Earth Escape Skill, which is itself encompassed by the Five Elements Escape Skill. Since I already understand the principles, I should be able to cast it with just a little practice.’

That being said, after the statue finished its explanations, Xuzhuang still said respectfully, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency."

The statue did not reply, but Xuzhuang paid it no mind. He walked over to the next statue and asked, "Your Excellency, can you offer me guidance on Dao skills?"

Upon hearing his words, the statue spoke up. "Today’s lecture is on the art of combat with a Flying Sword..."

The statue was lecturing on the path of Swordsmanship. However, compared to the Earth Escape technique, while Xuzhuang listened carefully, he felt he was merely broadening his horizons and didn’t gain much of substance.

Xuzhuang still offered his thanks and continued down the line, asking each one. Aside from the first two statues, a surprising eight or nine out of every ten would speak and lecture to him. Xuzhuang gradually realized that regardless of whether the skills were useful to him, they were all Dao skills that he was suited to cultivate.

’Perhaps the only condition for these statues to lecture is whether one has the aptitude to cultivate their respective Dao skills. That would explain the illusion of them choosing to only pass on their skills to those with an affinity.’

And Xuzhuang’s aptitude, of course, was exceptional. He possessed the nine apertures, and his path of cultivation was broad and far-reaching. The variety of skills he had mastered far surpassed that of an ordinary cultivator, which was why he seemed to be especially favored by these statues.

Whether the Dao skills were profound or simple, the strange experience was quite novel for Xuzhuang. He felt no impatience and consulted every single statue, gaining a great deal in the process. Soon, he arrived before the final one.

Xuzhuang went through the same motions as before. He bowed with his hands clasped and asked, "Your Excellency, can you offer me guidance on Dao skills?"

This statue, which was particularly tall, slowly began to speak. "Today’s lecture is on the Primordial Venerable’s Dao Transmission Mixed Cave True Method."

"In the time before the two primal forces were divided, all was a vast, nebulous expanse. Chaos reigned without light, form, or sound, deep and profound in its darkness..."

’Primordial Venerable? Mixed Cave?’

’Is this the Dao skill Wang Jiao cultivates?’

In an instant, Xuzhuang had caught a few words that greatly piqued his interest. His spirits lifted, and he simply sat down cross-legged on the spot, focusing his mind to listen.

’That which opens is Yin and Yang, that which is extinguished is the Mixed Cave? The external is the Mixed Cave, and the internal is Yin and Yang?’

Xuzhuang frowned slightly. It wasn’t that he questioned the principles, but rather that while the opening of the Primordial Venerable’s Dao Transmission Mixed Cave True Method was lofty and profound, the quality plummeted when it came to the practical applications. It wasn’t just incomplete or vague; it was a sheer drop in standard.

Based on his own mastery of Dao skills, Xuzhuang could judge that the Primordial Venerable’s Dao Transmission Mixed Cave True Method could likely be cultivated to the Primordial Spirit realm, but even then, it would be a low-grade method. Never mind comparing it to the *Five Elements Origin Fusion Art*, it was far inferior even to the other auxiliary arts of the Tai Su Orthodox Sect.

Soon, however, Xuzhuang’s brow smoothed. ’No matter,’ he thought. ’It’s still a Primordial Spirit-level Dao skill. It would be an excellent contribution to the sect.’

Moreover, the Dao of the Mixed Cave it described was a transformation of Yin and Yang, which offered considerable inspiration for his own Yin Yang Dao. Xuzhuang listened until the statue finished its lecture, silently reviewed it in his mind several times, and then fired off more than a dozen questions in one go.

However, perhaps because Xuzhuang’s Yin Yang Dao Skill was already beyond the scope of the statue’s programmed responses, it only answered about half of his questions. Its answers were also heavily skewed toward explanations contained within the Primordial Venerable’s Dao Transmission Mixed Cave True Method itself. Finally, as if it had exceeded its allotted lecture time, the statue simply fell silent.

Xuzhuang was taken aback for a moment, then smiled freely. "So be it."

He raised his head to look at the sky and suddenly thought, ’It seems my business here is concluded. Perhaps it’s time to return to Profound Yellow.’

Xuzhuang didn’t feel tired from his journey, just a bit weary of it all. The idea of returning to his sect for closed-door cultivation suddenly bloomed in his mind. ’It would be best not to be disturbed by any trivial matters until I’ve perfected my Nascent Soul.’

He flicked his sleeves and rose to his feet, casually smoothing his robes. He scanned the area one last time, confirming that there were no statues left that he hadn’t questioned. A clear breeze suddenly rose at his feet, swirling without disturbing a single leaf, and lifted him into the air. He then flew straight for Weiyun Immortal City.