Chapter 255: The Foundation of the Martial Dao

Leaving Shenlong Temple and following the woman onto the road once more, Wang Ping finally understood her intent: was she planning to take him to visit all four major sects of the Martial Dao?

The next stop was the Ganzhou Circuit.

Unlike Shenlong Temple's universal reverence in the Chanzhou Circuit, the Ganzhou Circuit was an untamed wilderness of rolling mountains and dense forests. The local people were fierce, and incense was sparse.

Of the four major sects, the Qingtian Cult was located here.

To Wang Ping's great surprise, however, the Qingtian Cult was a far cry from the magnificent Shenlong Temple—it was nestled deep in the clouds, hidden within an old forest on a desolate mountain.

From front to back, it consisted of no more than a few Daoist temples and two or three thatched cottages.

"The Qingtian Cult is different from Shenlong Temple."

Walking ahead, the woman spoke leisurely. "Shenlong Temple is grand and magnificent, not because they care for such things, but because anything less wouldn't be enough to settle the hearts of the people."

"When the monks of Shenlong Temple travel, they wear luxurious kasayas to display solemn majesty. After all, without that robe, the masses would have no reverence. Shenlong Temple distributes alms widely and governs the Chanzhou Circuit relying not solely on compassion, but also on a wrathful visage. Only by balancing kindness and sternness can they maintain a century of peace."

"However, all of that is just for others to see."

"The monks know clearly in their hearts that Shenlong Temple's foundation does not lie in wealth and glory. Therefore, even if the Sixteen-Foot Golden Buddha were replaced with a wooden one, they wouldn't care."

"What is the surface, and what is the substance."

"They distinguish the two very clearly."

Hearing this, Wang Ping fell into deep thought, seemingly gaining some understanding. Seeing his reaction, the smile on the woman's face grew brighter, and even her footsteps became a bit lighter.

"Compared to them, the Qingtian Cult's philosophy is entirely different."

"They have no need for the surface; they value only the substance. During peaceful years, they merely sit quietly and cultivate in the deep mountains. Only in times of chaos will they step out of these thatched cottages and Daoist temples."

The woman seemed to recall some past events, her tone turning emotional. "In their eyes, a peaceful world means the Heavenly Dao is stable. It's a prime time for cultivation, and one shouldn't let the mortal world disturb their state of mind. When the world falls into chaos, it means the Heavenly Dao has shifted, and they should step forward to bring order out of chaos."

"To restore peace to the world and return the Heavenly Dao to its proper path."

"Then, they can continue cultivating in peace."

The woman shook her head. "Perhaps in the eyes of the People of Heaven, this is laughable. That's perfectly normal. After all, the founding patriarch of the Qingtian Cult only had a half-baked understanding of it himself."

"Because when he first started out, it was by accidentally discovering the ruins of a Loose Immortal sect and finding a pile of useless cultivation scriptures."

"However, much like the patriarch of Shenlong Temple, he was an unparalleled martial prodigy of his era. Relying on those scriptures, he forcibly pioneered the Martial Dao of the Qingtian Cult. Before founding the sect, he was a chivalrous wanderer of the martial world, so when he compiled the Qingtian Cult's ideology, it naturally carried a bit of that chivalric spirit."

Before her voice faded...

A loud clang echoed as the Daoist temple's main doors were pushed open. A middle-aged Daoist priest strode out. He possessed not a shred of magic power, only a surging Blood Qi True Gang.

"The First Seat graces us in person; please forgive my failure to welcome you sooner." The priest formed a Daoist hand seal and bowed.

Good heavens.

His bulging muscles stretched his Daoist robes so tightly that Wang Ping suspected the fabric would burst apart on the spot if the priest so much as flexed.

The woman got straight to the point as usual. "I am here to borrow the Purple-Azure Tushita Fire."

Hearing this, the middle-aged priest's eyes suddenly lit up. He nodded immediately. "I understand. Please wait a moment, First Seat. This poor Daoist will go fetch it for you."

Purple-Azure Tushita Fire?

"It is the very culprit that destroyed the Loose Immortal sect the Qingtian Cult's patriarch discovered. Just like the meteorite iron of Shenlong Temple, it fell from the sky."

The woman explained, "This fire is extraordinarily divine. The Qingtian Cult's patriarch had tremendous luck and accidentally grasped a method to command it, turning it into the sect's foundation. Normally, drawing the fire into the body can temper one's Blood Qi True Gang, and visualizing it can elevate one's Divine Intent."

A moment later, the middle-aged priest walked back out.

Wang Ping's gaze instantly landed on the object cupped in his hands: a spark of fire swirling with purple and azure colors. Its flames rippled like water, and its core was no larger than a grain of rice.

'A heaven-and-earth spiritual fire!'

'Just like the Crimson Glaze, it's a heavenly treasure directly related to fire qi... No, it's a higher grade than the Crimson Glaze. What path of qi does this belong to?'

Wang Ping couldn't identify it.

But without a doubt, this spiritual fire was absolutely no mortal item. It was likely on the same level as that Spiritual Treasure fragment housed in Shenlong Temple!

'This Martial Dao really does have some substance!'

Before this, Wang Ping had always felt that the Martial Dao had risen to prominence solely because of the First Seat. Now, it seemed the four major sects were absolutely not incompetent either.

"Take it."

The woman spoke up. Only then did Wang Ping step forward and reach out to receive the spiritual fire from the middle-aged priest. However, the instant he did, the fiery light sank directly into the space between his brows.

"Hiss!"

Wang Ping's pupils shrank abruptly. He realized the firelight hadn't entered his sea of consciousness; instead, it had plunged into the unseen void and begun to roast his Mind Monkey Divine Intent!

'Incredible...!'

Unlike the sea of consciousness, a martial artist's Divine Intent existed in the unseen void. Unless they reached the Manifesting Divinity stage or relied on external forces, theoretically, only the martial artists themselves could perceive and control it. Yet now, this Purple-Azure Tushita Fire had actually touched his exclusive Divine Intent, and could even temper it!

Seeing this, the middle-aged priest nodded slightly.

"At such a young age, your Divine Intent already far surpasses that of ordinary people. No wonder the First Seat chose you. I only hope this fire can lend a bit of strength to you, Fellow Daoist, and to the First Seat's upcoming endeavor."

With that said, he bowed once again.

Wang Ping could tell this gesture was adapted from Immortal Gate etiquette, but it featured a lot of clever little tweaks that made it look like neither fish nor fowl. In the Immortal Gate, doing this would only end up leaving oneself open to ridicule by experts.

However, he returned the bow with utmost solemnity.

"Thank you."

By now, Wang Ping completely understood the First Seat's intentions. This journey to measure the world was a fortuitous encounter she had specially prepared for him!

Under the First Seat's instruction, the four major sects that led the contemporary Martial Dao cooperated with all their might. Shenlong Temple had taken down the Spiritual Treasure fragment and the Sixteen-Foot Golden Buddha they had worshipped for thousands of years; the Qingtian Cult had brought out a world-rare heaven-and-earth spiritual fire. All of this was likely related to what the First Seat had told him before they left.

"I will personally forge a suit of Divine Armor for you."

His Divine Powers were locked tight, and his cultivation had stalled. The First Seat must have long known his hope of using the Martial Dao to break the deadlock, which was why this long journey had come about.

Judging from the reactions of the four major sects, this was clearly not an abrupt visit, but a premeditated plan.

'They... are doing this to help me, to help the First Seat.'

Compared to the boundless and endless Immortal Gate, and compared to the high and mighty Qi Refining practitioners, the newborn Martial Dao was so fragile that it would shatter at the slightest touch.

Even so, the Martial Dao still brought out all its foundational reserves, scraping together everything they had and doing their utmost to help him topple the massive mountain the Immortal Gate had pressed upon him.

At this thought, Wang Ping felt the Purple-Azure Tushita Fire entwined around his Mind Monkey Divine Intent suddenly become incomparably heavy. He couldn't help but close his eyes slightly... Perhaps because the spiritual fire was tempering his Divine Intent, or perhaps because of his recent epiphany and surge of emotion, he seemed to vaguely see it.

His own heart.

It was a certain obsession beneath his Divine Intent, his deepest-rooted one to date. He seemed to have grabbed hold of it, yet it was indescribable and unclear, still lacking that final kick to break through.

"Phew!"

Opening his eyes, Wang Ping let out a long breath. He didn't force it. Instead, he bowed once more to the middle-aged priest before following the First Seat out of the Daoist temple.

...

The third stop was the Jiangnan Circuit.

Upon arriving here, local commerce and trade became much more prevalent, and the region was simultaneously far more prosperous. It was fundamentally different from both the Chanzhou Circuit and the Ganzhou Circuit.

As Wang Ping traveled along, he ran into three separate groups of scholars out on spring excursions, to say nothing of the traveling merchants and farmers. Among them was a significant number of martial artists. Almost everyone carried a saber or a sword, showing how prosperous the martial culture was here. Moreover, the closer they got to their destination, the higher the frequency of martial artists appearing on the road.

"The Corpse Liberation Ground."

This time, Wang Ping took the initiative to speak. "Among the four major sects, this one is the most unique. It passes down its legacy through a single lineage, producing only one martial artist in each generation."

"Yet every generation's martial artist is a Great Grandmaster."

"Correct."

Hearing this, the woman nodded. "The martial artists of the Corpse Liberation Ground call themselves Tomb Guardians. However, they don't guard the tombs of the dead, but the tombs of weapons."

"As for the founding patriarch of this sect, he was different from both the Qingtian Cult and Shenlong Temple. He was a lone wanderer. Even before founding the sect, his martial arts had already reached perfection; he was the number one expert in the world at the time... But suddenly one day, blood rained from the sky and sparks of starlight filled the air, as if immortals and deities were waging war."

"One of those sparks fell right into what is now the Corpse Liberation Ground."

"Because its might was so vast and difficult to disperse, the entire Jiangnan Circuit suffered a severe drought for three years. Not a single blade of grass grew, and it was practically scorched earth... until the patriarch of the Corpse Liberation Ground arrived."

"To suppress that spark of fire."

"He snapped his own divine weapon, exchanging it for a heavy downpour across the Jiangnan Circuit. After that, he spent his entire life collecting weapons and burying them here to maintain the suppression over the fire."

"Until finally, he underwent corpse liberation here."

"His successors inherited his dying wish, inviting martial artists from all over the world to come here. They are allowed to take and use the weapons freely to build their renown. After they die, the weapons are recovered and used to suppress the spark of fire once again."

"As time went on, the Corpse Liberation Ground amassed countless weapons. The worst among them are Sharp Weapons; Famous Treasures are too numerous to count, and there are quite a few divine weapons as well."

Speaking up to here, the woman suddenly laughed.

"Speaking of which, Xuanhe actually tried to come here back in the day, wanting to take away a divine weapon dharma treasure. In the end, however, he was scared off by the spark of fire suppressed within."

Hearing this, Wang Ping was instantly startled.

"That spark of fire... Thousands of years have passed, and it's still there?"

"Of course."

The woman's tone was leisurely. "The mighty power of the Immortal Dao is indeed grand beyond words... Just like before, there is also something in the Corpse Liberation Ground that we need to borrow."

"However, I won't take you up there this time. You'll have to go up and fetch it yourself."

As her voice fell, Wang Ping finally realized they had reached their destination. Looking out, he saw a stretch of barren mountains and rivers where not a single blade of grass grew, looking just like scorched earth.

Upon closer inspection, however, he could see all sorts of weapons impressively planted throughout the landscape. Sabers, spears, staffs, swords, halberds, hammers—all eighteen standard martial weapons were present without exception, along with some unconventional weapons. They spread out just like this from the edge of the mountains all the way into the depths. The further in, the higher their grade.

Aside from this, a massive crowd was gathered outside the mountains.

Almost every moment, martial artists would roll up their sleeves—some apprehensive, some confident, some resolute—muster their spirit and energy, and charge into the mountains.

"These are all people here to seek a weapon."

The woman explained, "This is the rule of the Corpse Liberation Ground. Everyone is allowed to come here and choose a weapon. If they earn a weapon's recognition, they can take it out with them."

"Normally, it would be a bit more orderly, but the Tomb Guardian of this generation is currently not at the Corpse Liberation Ground, so it appears a bit chaotic."

Hearing this, Wang Ping raised his eyebrows slightly.

'That's right... Even though I've already visited three of the four major sects, I haven't seen a single one of the four legendary Great Grandmasters so far.'

Shenlong Temple's Chan Master Longshu.

The Qingtian Cult's Daoist Tianxin.

The Corpse Liberation Ground's Tomb Guardian.

Guanchao City's King of Linjiang.

Once upon a time, when he was still a lowly constable in Longxing County, he had heard of the renown of the four Great Grandmasters and had even engaged in some flights of fancy about them.

Looking at it now, he didn't know what level their strength had actually reached. Theoretically, they were definitely stronger than Chenlong, but maybe only by a very limited margin?

However, the past was the past, and the present was the present. In the past, Great Grandmasters might have had to hide from the Immortal Gate. But now, even the First Seat—who could wrestle with the Heaven-Stealing Thief and rival a Tribulation Transcending Third Layer cultivator—had stepped forward to accept the Immortal Gate's imperial edict. Even if the four Great Grandmasters were incredibly strong, they didn't need to keep hiding anymore, right?

The Immortal Gate truly wouldn't necessarily care about a few Martial Dao Divine Powers.

It was a bit strange, unless...

"What are you still standing there in a daze for?" the woman suddenly urged. "Go quickly and return quickly."

"Uh... Then, Master, this disciple will go now."

Hearing this, Wang Ping hurriedly gathered his thoughts, tossing the stray distractions to the back of his mind. Then, he quickened his pace and strode in the direction of the Corpse Liberation Ground.

Meanwhile, she watched his retreating back.

The woman's gaze narrowed slightly. A thin thread of voice suddenly reached her ears. It was old and hoarse, yet brimming with anticipation. "How far do you think he can go in there?"

"What do you think?" the woman asked in return with a smile.

"Ten thousand weapons will hum and resonate!"

The old voice spoke without hesitation. "His age, aptitude, and Divine Intent are all exceptionally outstanding. I was far inferior back in my day. Ten thousand weapons resonating is only to be expected."

"I don't think so."

The woman shook her head. "I think that until he reaches the top of the mountain and sees that spark of fire, not a single weapon will hum and resonate with him."