Chapter 386: Taixuan Profound True Monarch

Chapter 386 -210: Taixuan Profound True Monarch

「That night.」

Xuzhuang had taken up temporary lodging in the Yi Hall arranged for him by Xuan Cheng Taoist. Before 5:00 AM, he lit some incense and began to bathe.

For a cultivator of Xuzhuang’s realm, whose body was immaculate and whose immortal form was naturally fragrant, bathing was typically unnecessary.

He was acting in accordance with the Tai Su Etiquette for important occasions: fasting, scenting himself with incense, bathing, and changing his robes. Afterward, he would recite the nine classics to clear his mind and purify his spirit, all to show his solemn respect.

In his entire life of cultivation, Xuzhuang had only met his own sect’s Jade Longevity True Monarch once, during the True Monarch’s Innate Tai Su Realm demonstration. His only connection to True Monarch Guangcheng of the Guangyuan Realm was a brief, fated encounter when the latter held a sermon.

This was the first time he had ever been summoned for a private audience with a Pure Yang True Monarch. Even though the Taixuan Profound True Monarch was the patriarch of another sect, he was a sacred figure who had traveled much farther down the Heaven-Reaching Dao. Xuzhuang could not afford to be the least bit disrespectful.

By the time he completed the entire ritual, it was nearly 7:00 AM. Xuzhuang went to the main hall and sat in quiet meditation, awaiting a guide from the Taixuan Sect Members. To his surprise, no one came. But Xuzhuang’s temperament was profound; seeing that the appointed hour had passed, he remained perfectly calm and unhurried, sitting motionless as 7:00 AM arrived.

A sliver of light penetrated his slightly closed eyelids. A stir in his heart, Xuzhuang slowly opened his eyes, only to find that his surroundings had completely changed.

He found himself in the middle of an azure sky, standing upon clustered cloudbanks. Boundless vital energy drifted and swirled around him as if it were alive. The wondrous music of a zither filled the air, seemingly accompanied by the song of a Celestial Maiden. The ethereal, immortal music was soothing and delightful, as if he were in a Celestial Palace.

‘He knew without a doubt that the Pure Yang True Monarch must have used a Great Divine Technique to summon me here directly.’ Xuzhuang did not panic. He slowly stood up and felt a curious sensation in his Spiritual Sense, guiding him through the clouds and mist. He journeyed inward, deeper and deeper, until he suddenly spotted a clear pond.

Beside the clear pond, a simply dressed Daoist was fishing with his back to Xuzhuang. A bamboo cage rested casually at his side. Xuzhuang’s heart stirred, and he slowed his pace as he cautiously approached.

Just as he came up behind the Daoist, the man suddenly flicked his fishing rod. The silver line, glistening with water, flashed through the air. A small fish shaped like a Yu Kun flew out and landed neatly in the bamboo cage.

“What is this?” Xuzhuang couldn’t help but glance into the bamboo cage. Inside were two or three creatures. Besides that Yu Kun, there were two small snakes. Looking closer, he realized they were all draconic in nature.

Xuzhuang felt a tightening on his arm; Lieyun, hidden in his sleeve, was tense to the extreme. But he had no time to pay it any mind. As if a thought had struck him, he looked back at the clear pond. Suddenly, his vision seemed to pierce through the layers of clouds, and he saw a vast expanse of emerald waves, with Immortal Mountains and Spirit Islands dotting the surface like stars. He saw the myriad beings of the Sea Race thriving within, and the Crystal Palace standing eternal guard on the seabed—

This clear pond was, in fact, the boundless and sprawling East Sea!

‘An Immortal sitting atop the clouds, fishing in the Vast Sea… The power of a Pure Yang True Monarch is truly no different from that of an Immortal.’

Seeing the Daoist slowly reel in his line, Xuzhuang finally spoke, bowing respectfully. “This junior, Xuzhuang, pays his respects to the True Monarch.”

The Taixuan Profound True Monarch smiled faintly and gestured to his side. “Have a seat.”

Xuzhuang obediently sat down cross-legged. The Taixuan Profound True Monarch cast his line into the East Sea once more. Only then did Xuzhuang notice that the hook was straight and unbaited. It was, as the saying goes, a hook for the willing.

“Xuzhuang.” The Taixuan Profound True Monarch was nothing like the boundlessly domineering figure Xuzhuang had imagined—a man who could challenge the Upper Profound Orthodox Sect and trample upon the dignity of the Dragon Palace. Instead, his tone was amiable, as if he were chatting with a junior family member. “I was wondering why I sensed a thread of master-disciple karma between us. Now I see.”

Before Xuzhuang could even register his astonishment, the Taixuan Profound True Monarch had already turned to him and asked slowly, “Are you willing to take me as your master?”

Xuzhuang had never imagined that this would be the first question the Taixuan Profound True Monarch would ask him. However, he was no longer the naive youth he once was. He composed himself and replied calmly, “This junior has already been taught the Tai Su Taoist Technique and is counted among the direct disciples…”

“It matters not,” the Taixuan Profound True Monarch said serenely. “You already carry multiple Daoist Techniques; you can inherit my legacy as well. As for the matter of your official sect registry, should you join my sect, we will handle the negotiations with the Tai Su Sect ourselves.”

Xuzhuang couldn’t help but give a wry smile. ‘To be looked upon with favor by a Pure Yang True Monarch is the greatest honor in the world.’ Still, without much deliberation, he replied, “I am beyond honored by the True Monarch’s esteem. However, this junior grew up within the Tai Su Sect and truly has no intention of leaving it for another.”

The Taixuan Profound True Monarch nodded slightly. A being of his stature would naturally not feel any displeasure at the rejection. He simply said softly, “Very well.”

Just as Xuzhuang breathed a small sigh of relief, the Taixuan Profound True Monarch suddenly asked, “You cultivate the Primordial Venerable Dao Technique. Did your sect not give you any warning?”

Xuzhuang’s heart sank. First, he answered, “No.” Then he asked respectfully, “If this junior may be so bold as to ask the True Monarch, who exactly is this Primordial Venerable? And what is wrong with his Dao Technique?”

“It would not benefit you to discuss such a sacred being,” the Taixuan Profound True Monarch replied. “But know this: the Primordial Venerable Dao Technique is a path of finality. To cultivate it is to needlessly complicate matters and ultimately sever your own path to the Dao.”

“What?” Xuzhuang was horrified. Though he was completely in the dark about the secrets behind it, the phrase “sever your own path to the Dao” was the most terrifying thing a seeker like him could hear. He asked at once, “If this junior stops cultivating it now, is it still possible to recover?”

“No.” The Taixuan Profound True Monarch glanced at him and said coolly, “However, reversing the damage is not difficult.”

Xuzhuang asked without hesitation, “May I ask the True Monarch what must be done?” Though proud, he wasn’t so foolishly arrogant as to think ‘one man’s poison is my Immortal Pill.’ Since the Taixuan Profound True Monarch had condemned the Primordial Venerable Dao Technique as a path that ‘severs one’s Dao,’ he would not choose a trivial branch over the fundamental root.

The Taixuan Profound True Monarch gave an enigmatic smile. “I have three methods: a superior, a middling, and an inferior one. Do you wish to hear them?”

Xuzhuang’s expression turned solemn. “Please enlighten me, True Monarch.”

The Taixuan Profound True Monarch said serenely, “The inferior method: have a Primordial Spirit Practitioner sever that Dao Technique from you, then find a strand of Pure Yang Qi to mend your foundation.”

Xuzhuang was instantly in a bind. No wonder it was the inferior method. Asking a Primordial Spirit True Man to sever the technique wouldn’t be hard, but he knew all too well how incomparably precious Pure Yang Qi was.

“For an ordinary person, this would indeed be next to impossible. But for you, that might not necessarily be the case.”

Xuzhuang’s heart stirred as the Taixuan Profound True Monarch added meaningfully, “In my opinion, you could just sever the Dao Technique directly. With a few hundred years of diligent cultivation, you should be able to restore your foundation. At worst, your future potential would only be slightly diminished.”

This answer seemed to be within his expectations. Xuzhuang wasn’t surprised; instead, he let out a long breath. Wasting a few hundred years of hard work was nothing compared to the Heaven-Reaching Dao. He had already secretly resolved to take this path if the middling and superior methods were unattainable.

With a course of action settled in his mind, Xuzhuang was no longer anxious. He asked respectfully, “May I ask the True Monarch, what are the middling and superior methods?”

Since the Taixuan Profound True Monarch had already mentioned three methods, he didn’t hold back his guidance. “As for the middling method,” he said lightly, “you actually don’t need to rush.”

The Taixuan Profound True Monarch smiled. “If you can reach the Primordial Spirit realm, I imagine Jade Longevity True Monarch would not be reluctant to cleanse the technique for you. By that point, your Primordial Spirit will have been formed. Even if it takes several thousand years to recover your lost cultivation, that’s still better than letting it hinder your progress at this critical stage.”

Xuzhuang nodded slowly. It seemed this method was indeed better than the inferior one. After all, Primordial Spirit Practitioners enjoy long life, and they have other ways to avoid the Three Calamities. Besides, he still had the Cyan Tribulation Pearl Fruit.

Moreover, if Xuzhuang could refine the ‘Great Freedom Profound Monarch Six Marvelous Jade Muddy Heavenly Son’ into a Celestial Will Demon Form Talisman, he would gain another powerful Dharma treasure comparable to a True Form. Even at the cost of several thousand years, it seemed an acceptable price for a Primordial Spirit True Man.

‘Come to think of it, the sect never warned me about practicing the Primordial Venerable Dao Technique. Perhaps they didn’t foresee it, or perhaps they had this very solution in mind. After all, the Tai Su Orthodox Sect has always allowed its disciples to follow their own karmic paths.’

But since the middling method was already much more to his liking, what then, was the superior method?