Free Web NovelChapter 83: Chapter 56: Burning the Elixir of Longevity in a Jade Censer
’The three people brought in by a single Decree are being separated?’ Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow. With a flick of his sleeve, he stirred up a gust of wind and swept down the stone steps. It wasn’t long before he passed through another layer of clouds and spotted a pavilion on a mountain path at the end of the stairs.
Xuzhuang walked down the stone steps at a leisurely pace. The winding steps descending from the clouds vanished piece by piece behind him, but Xuzhuang couldn’t be bothered to even glance back. He briefly scanned his surroundings, then stepped out of the pavilion and followed the path. After rounding a bend, the view suddenly opened up. He had reached a mountain peak.
Xuzhuang gazed out to see a continuous range of mountain peaks, dotted everywhere with palaces and temples that shimmered with a jeweled, glassy light.
The distant mountain range stretched on and on. Though the terrain rose and fell with many towering peaks, the general trend was that each peak was higher than the last, all leading toward a central, cloud-piercing summit. A scan in all four directions revealed the same pattern: the mountains rose from low to high, converging on the central Celestial Pillar.
’Could this be the mountain gate of the Ancient Dharma Origin Sect? To think it’s hidden within a Grotto Heaven!’
Xuzhuang’s expression flickered. He suddenly leaped up and drifted down before a large hall on the mountainside. Looking up, he saw a golden plaque above the door and jade pillars on either side, both inscribed with patterns of water and fire, along with the talismans for Kan and Li.
Xuzhuang nodded thoughtfully. As far as he knew, the Ancient Dharma Origin Sect’s inheritance was precisely the Water and Fire Daoist Skill. He strode into the hall. The first thing he saw was a Brass Incense Burner, also carved with water and fire motifs and as clean as if it were new.
There was, of course, no incense burning in the burner. Xuzhuang walked around it and froze. On the altar where a statue should have been, a Daoist in a tall hat sat cross-legged. His hair was jet-black and glossy, his skin fair—he looked as if he were still alive!
The Daoist’s eyes were tightly shut. One hand formed a seal, while the other pointed at the ground, as if he were in deep meditation. Xuzhuang swept his Spiritual Sense over the body several times before confirming that there was no life force within it. A trace of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
Xuzhuang took two steps forward, his gaze falling to the ground. He saw a line of text carved where the Daoist’s finger pointed: "Three kowtows and nine prostrations to accept my karma and receive my inheritance, the Immortal Body Dao Technique..."
’Could this Daoist be a cultivator from the Ancient Dharma Origin Sect? To have his physical body remain uncorrupted and so lifelike after tens of thousands of years? If that’s true, why would he pass away here and leave behind an inheritance?’
Xuzhuang shook his head. He had no intention of performing three kowtows and nine prostrations for some Dao technique of unknown origin. Besides, there was no way to investigate what kind of karma this Daoist carried. He walked past the body and searched the area. The main hall was quite spacious, but aside from the Daoist’s corpse, the altar, the Incense Burner, and all the other objects were just ordinary items.
After a moment of contemplation, Xuzhuang turned and left the hall. He transformed into a gust of clear wind, instantly sweeping across the mountain path. He passed several peaks and more than a dozen palaces and pavilions. The objects inside were all intact, and some places even had leftover Daoist Scriptures and Magical Artifacts.
Everything he saw indicated that this Grotto Heaven was indeed the abandoned mountain gate of the Dharma Origin Sect. The strange thing was, there wasn’t the slightest sign of decay anywhere. It was as if the Ancient Dharma Origin Sect had simply abandoned this place overnight, leaving it completely deserted.
Suddenly, Xuzhuang’s eyes flickered. His Spiritual Sense probed a certain area, and his spirits immediately lifted. He changed direction, whipping up a gust of wind to sweep along a mountain path. As expected, he gradually felt the spiritual activity around him grow stronger. Not only was the Spiritual Qi abundant, but it was also very active.
Before long, Xuzhuang arrived at the foot of a mountain. He felt a refreshing sensation wash over him, and even his Magical Power stirred slightly. Looking up, he saw the mountain was covered in lush, vibrant greenery. Perhaps because it had been uninhabited for so long and the Spiritual Qi was so rich, the ancient trees were all coiled and powerful, like crouching dragons.
Xuzhuang followed the mountain path upward, occasionally having to avoid overgrown tree trunks blocking his way. He was surprised to find almost no buildings on this mountain. The few pavilions he passed were merely for sightseeing. He continued up without any discoveries for a full quarter of an hour until he reached the mountainside, where the path suddenly ended.
Xuzhuang stopped. The path ended before a clear pool. Behind the water rose a sheer cliff face, hundreds of yards high. It was perfectly smooth from top to bottom and completely barren, a stark contrast to the lush, wild greenery surrounding it.
Xuzhuang studied the cliff for a moment, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. He raised his sleeve, extended a hand, and formed a Magic Formula. A layer of purple, glowing mist covered his body. The light did not stop there; it grew thicker and brighter until it almost obscured his figure. He had donned the Purple Qi Xiaoyi, and it seemed he had expended a considerable amount of his core power to manifest it.
Once this was done, Xuzhuang flicked his hem and stepped onto the surface of the water. He walked across the clear pool as if on solid ground, stopping before the cliff face. He reached out and gently pressed a hand against the wall.
Just as he expected, the moment he touched it, the cliff wall flashed with spiritual light. Sparks flew like fireworks, transforming into streams of Fire Swords that shot straight down at him.
Xuzhuang had anticipated this. The purple qi protected his entire body. As the Fire Swords rained down, they struck the qi, causing it to ripple like water, but they ultimately failed to harm him in the slightest.
The spiritual light on the cliff face continued to flicker, and Fire Swords formed one after another, hacking down like a torrential downpour. Protected by his glowing vestment, Xuzhuang remained completely unmoved. With his hand still on the wall, he suddenly surged his immense Magical Power.
Magical Power rushed forth like a tidal wave from the deep sea. The cliff wall trembled slightly, and the restrictive seals within were instantly and effortlessly shattered. Immediately after, the wall began to shake and RUMBLE, splitting apart to the sides like a gate opening, revealing a cave entrance dozens of yards high.
Xuzhuang looked up and saw a couplet inscribed on the two sides: "Elixirs of Longevity are fired in jade furnaces; immortal bodies are refined in golden cauldrons."
"What arrogance." Xuzhuang’s eyebrow twitched. With a casual flick of his large sleeve, he pushed the gates fully open, revealing a hall inside the mountain. Perhaps due to the protection of restrictive seals, the hall was still spotlessly clean. Xuzhuang swept his Spiritual Sense inside and instantly understood the entire layout of the cave manor.
This cave manor was not only impressive but also vast inside. A brief scan revealed dozens of chambers of varying sizes. Some were a hundred yards square, while others were no more than two yards across.
This layout resembled the residence of a High-Achieving Cultivator who enjoyed being surrounded by disciples, descendants, Daoist Children, and servants. Combined with the fact that this single manor monopolized the dense spiritual activity of the mountain, he could basically confirm the high status and profound cultivation of the Mansion Master.
Xuzhuang stepped through the gates. He only gave the empty main hall a cursory glance before walking straight through it. Since all the corridors were interconnected, he didn’t overthink it and simply chose one at random. He opened the door to a chamber and swept his gaze inside.
Inside the chamber, several gourds hung from racks on the left and right, and a few other items were laid out. A casual scan told Xuzhuang they were just a few low-grade Magical Artifacts, some Elixir Bottles and medicine jars, and Scripture Daoist Scriptures. In the very center of the room, however, sat a bronze furnace.
"Oh?" Xuzhuang’s eyes flickered as he thought, ’Elixirs of Longevity are fired in jade furnaces... Could it be that the cultivators in this manor were all Pill Masters?’
