Chapter 133: A Fortuitous Encounter Refines Xuanhuang Qi

The pangolin seemed to have noticed the arrival of Li Shun and Li Qing. It turned its head and cast the two of them a quiet glance.

Yet immediately afterward, it acted as though they did not exist. Turning back around, it resumed its solemn, reverent posture of worship.

"This pangolin has actually gained sentience?" Li Qing exclaimed in astonishment.

The creature before them was as large as a fully grown man.

Its expressions were vivid and lifelike, making the sight all the more uncanny.

However, the opportunity to break through that Li Shun had sensed did not lie with the pangolin.

Instead, it came from the three skeletons seated within the cave.

Unlike ordinary remains, the three skeletons emitted a gentle white radiance, their bones gleaming with the luster of polished jade.

Even more astonishing was the posture in which they sat.

It was identical to the three phantasmal figures Li Shun had witnessed above the clouds at Three Elders Peak.

It was as though an indescribable force still sustained these hundred-odd weathered bones, preserving the bearing they had possessed in life despite the passage of countless ages.

From the three skeletons, Li Shun sensed that faint trace of Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth.

"Unfortunately, it hasn't fully taken shape yet. It can't be absorbed."

After observing them carefully, he could not help feeling somewhat disappointed.

"So this is the opportunity to break through..."

Li Shun examined himself inwardly.

The Gate of Heaven within him remained firmly shut, showing no signs of movement.

Just as he was hesitating, the pangolin, having finished its worship, suddenly looked toward Li Shun.

Then, in an astonishingly human manner, it made a gesture of invitation.

Li Shun fell into thought.

He slowly walked toward the three skeletons and, imitating the pangolin's earlier actions, respectfully cupped his fists and bowed with complete sincerity.

In that instant, the world before his eyes changed dramatically.

It was as though he had crossed through time itself, returning to the era when the Three Elders first opened up the Shangyu Plains.

Above the clouds stood three elderly figures.

Looking down upon the countless common people below, they sighed.

"Master once said that the people of Nanxu lived difficult lives. We had long heard the tales, but never imagined they suffered to such an extent."

"Our three brothers have reached the end of our lifespan. We originally sought only a place of fine geomancy in which to end our lives peacefully."

"Who would have thought we would encounter such misery?"

"Then before we die..."

"Why not do one final good deed?"

"That is exactly what I had in mind."

"Though we were the least accomplished disciples under Master's tutelage during our lives, if our deaths can bring prosperity to one region, then we will not have disgraced Master's name."

As those words fell, the three figures each unleashed their final act of creation at the very last moment of their lives.

Amid barren mountains and harsh lands, they forcibly carved out a fertile plain.

Faced with the boundless gratitude of the people, the three merely exchanged smiles.

Then they quietly withdrew into the mountain cave, waiting peacefully for the day they would pass away.

"Yan... Lie..."

"It seems our time has finally come."

"Do either of you still have any regrets?"

"My only regret is that I will never witness Master attain Sagehood with my own eyes."

"Indeed."

"We followed Master across the various kingdoms from the time we came of age. In the end, we were simply not fortunate enough to witness the day he ascended to the realm of a Sage."

"But upon reflection, there is nothing truly regrettable."

"It was destined from the very beginning."

"Master's wisdom rivals Heaven itself. His attainment of Sagehood is only natural."

"If Master can truly become a Sage..."

"Perhaps peace will finally return to the world."

"Ever since Heaven and Earth were severed from one another, the common people have suffered far too much."

"It will happen."

"It certainly will..."

Their murmurs gradually weakened.

Until at last...

Silence.

Li Shun also emerged from the illusion, returning to reality.

"They were..."

"Disciples of the Confucian Sage?"

Recalling everything he had just witnessed, Li Shun's heart stirred.

The pangolin had likewise finished paying its respects.

It now began mimicking the motions of reading from a book before sitting cross-legged to cultivate, as though it were desperately trying to convey something to Li Shun.

"Brother, I think it's trying to tell you to..." Li Qing scratched his head, only half certain of his own guess.

"I understand."

Li Shun took a deep breath.

He slowly circulated the Principle Qi within his body, allowing it to spread outward.

The instant this unique power of the Confucian lineage appeared, the three skeletons seemed to come alive.

At first, they all stirred simultaneously, as though carefully examining Li Shun.

But gradually...

They seemed to sense something utterly inconceivable.

Their bodies began trembling violently.

Then, before everyone's eyes...

The three skeletons struggled to their feet.

And immediately knelt before Li Shun.

The scene was so bizarre that both the pangolin and Li Qing stood dumbfounded.

Only Li Shun understood the truth.

The Three Elders were not kneeling before him.

They were kneeling before the stone statue of the Confucian Sage within the Fangcun space.

Seeing that the skeletons remained kneeling without rising, Li Shun's heart stirred.

With a thought, he collected all three skeletons into the Fangcun space.

They did not appear within the central core region.

Instead, they occupied an entirely new blank region.

The three skeletons resumed their seated positions.

All of them faced toward the Threefold Self-Reflection stone statue.

The Threefold Self-Reflection statue seemed to sense their arrival.

A mysterious fluctuation rippled through it.

The ripple vanished almost immediately.

Moments later, the phantom image of the Sacred Words Slips, which had long floated quietly beside the statue, suddenly flew toward the three skeletons.

However, because the regions within the Fangcun space were separated from one another, it remained blocked outside.

Li Shun's thoughts shifted.

The phantom Sacred Words Slips immediately appeared beside the Three Elders' skeletons.

This phantom had originally been left behind when Zhao Chengzheng deceived him into entering the Imperial Mausoleum.

Protected by the Threefold Self-Reflection stone statue, not only had the Sacred Words Slips failed to brainwash him, but Li Shun had instead managed to seize a faint remnant of it.

Originally, he had assumed this remnant might help repair the stone statue.

Only later did he discover it was completely useless.

Thus, it had remained floating beside the Threefold Self-Reflection statue ever since.

Never had he expected it would undergo such a change upon encountering the Three Elders' remains today.

"Master guided others patiently and tirelessly."

The Three Elders' skeletons gazed upon the Sacred Words Slips.

Then they began reciting aloud in resonant voices.

For a time, the Fangcun space echoed with bright, vigorous sounds of reading, filled with boundless righteous energy.

As they continued chanting...

The Sacred Words Slips, which had previously existed as nothing more than a faint phantom, gradually began showing signs of solidifying.

The process was exceedingly slow.

Yet at this rate, as long as the Three Elders continued reciting without interruption, one day the phantom would undoubtedly become a genuine Sacred Words Slips.

Li Shun had originally been heartbroken over what he believed was the waste of an entire Fangcun region.

Now, however, delight filled his heart instead.

"The Sacred Words Slips is a remarkable treasure."

"I've heard it can even influence Celestial Phenomena cultivators."

"If it can eventually be mass-produced, then sacrificing one Fangcun region will have been more than worthwhile."

Just as Li Shun was rejoicing, he suddenly noticed movement in the outside world once again.

The pangolin had finally recovered from its shock.

It began dancing excitedly in front of Li Shun, repeatedly pointing at itself.

Its entire demeanor resembled someone eagerly recommending themselves for an important position.

"Brother... I think it's trying to say..." Li Qing once again attempted to interpret its intentions.

Li Shun hesitated briefly.

In the end, he reached out and gently touched the pangolin's head.

In an instant, the pangolin was also taken into the Fangcun space.

This time, however, it did not occupy another region.

Instead, it appeared directly within the same area as the Three Elders' skeletons.

Upon seeing them again, the pangolin immediately became overjoyed, waving its limbs excitedly.

Then, just as before, it respectfully knelt and began faithfully attending to the three skeletons.

"It seems the pangolin still isn't qualified to become a true puppet."

"In essence, it's no different from the gnats or the Lengshan Grass. I can summon and dismiss it at will."

"Still..."

"This little beast truly does possess remarkable spirituality."

Just as Li Shun was thinking this...

He suddenly sensed a familiar aura within the Fangcun space.

One he had yearned for beyond measure.

"Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth?"

Li Shun's heart shook violently.