Journey to the head

“Sect Leader Ding Shu, there’s no need for this.” Wei Zhaixing’s heart stirred, but he still said, “The Qingzhou riots and the Nascent Soul attacks were ultimately not caused by the Ciji Sect. Your sect is also a victim, so what responsibility do you have to bear?”

"To be honest, the enemy's main target is our Yunshan Sect. It was only because Senior Brother Xiao and I were here that Ying Ronglingjun was able to come up the mountain. On the contrary, we have affected the safety of your sect."

Upon hearing this, Master Ding Shu felt a warmth in his heart, and his resolve strengthened: "Sect Leader Lu embodies the spirit of Yu Heng, and the entire Yunshan region is imbued with the virtues of a gentleman. We are deeply grateful for your sect's magnanimity."

"But as the saying goes, 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.' This riot proves that our Magnetism Sect is powerless to protect itself. Even if we keep this secret, it will only bring disaster upon ourselves."

"The treasure belongs to the virtuous, and our sect is willing to offer it with both hands. Even if there is no need for apologies, we will be eternally grateful if the Magnetism Sect will take any help from us in the future."

Before Wei Zhaixing could speak again, True Man Ding Shu said solemnly, "Is that pseudo-immortal artifact, the Stealing Fortune and Destiny Pill Cauldron, currently in Yunshan?"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone present changed their expressions. Originally, the alchemy cauldron was a secret of the Yunshan Sect, known only to its core members. The people on Liangyi Mountain had never heard of it before.

However, upon hearing the words "pseudo-immortal artifact," Wei Zhaixing knew it was of great importance and couldn't help but curse inwardly.

This Master Ding Shu is even more dull-witted than I imagined!

As expected, Ye Xiao chuckled and said, "Since it's such a confidential matter, how can I listen in? I'll take my leave now."

Wei Zhaixing sighed helplessly and could only smile and say, "Fairy Ye is already family, so it's naturally fine."

The Bottomless Taoist suddenly bowed: "I am willing to guarantee with my life that Ye Xiao will never reveal any secrets."

Only then did Master Ding Shu realize that in his emotional turmoil, he had made a grave mistake, and could only remain silent. Wei Zhaixing shook his head: "Sect Leader Ding Shu, rest assured, everyone present is reliable. Please speak frankly."

So Master Ding Shu braced himself and said, "Well, this isn't exactly a secret. Our sect's most treasured heirloom, the Stealing Fortune and Destiny Elixir Cauldron, was stolen by the Tiger-like Mysterious Lord Ji Chuan of Cangzhou more than two thousand years ago. The two states fought a war over it for two thousand years afterward, and the Nascent Soul and Primordial Spirit forces in both states all know about this."

"Later, Jichuan Xuanjun fell like a shooting star. No one could find the place where he died. Everyone coveted the treasure cauldron, but it disappeared without a trace."

"However, sixteen years ago, amidst the chaos of demons, Sect Leader Lu used his unparalleled divine power to awaken the Mysterious Lord of Jichuan to reappear and slay the great demon. Afterwards, he erected a monument and wrote a biography for the Mysterious Lord of Jichuan, offering devout worship and proclaiming to the world that his family had inherited the Jichuan lineage."

Wei Zhaixing was startled. If that's the case, then large forces in Qingzhou, Cangzhou, and even a wider area had already guessed that the treasure cauldron was in the hands of the Yunshan Sect!

However, after the chaos caused by the demons, the status of Lu Qian and the Yunshan Sect was no longer the same. With the Taiyi Paradise paying attention to them, who would dare to cause trouble for Yunshan?

In that sense, it really isn't a true secret.

After making a few more attempts to smooth things over, and seeing the change in everyone's expressions, Master Ding Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his speech became much more fluent.

"Regardless of whether the treasure cauldron is in Yunshan or not, although Jichuan Xuanjun took the treasure cauldron, my sect's founder was careful back then and taught Jichuan Xuanjun the wrong way to use it."

"This matter has always existed in the succession of the sect leader, and after generations of succession, it was passed down to me."

"Now, our sect will present the true method of using the treasure cauldron. Although we do not know if the Yunshan Sect has the treasure cauldron, please accept it as a token of our sect's goodwill."

This time he finally learned his lesson and, with a thought, carved a jade slip, which he carefully handed to Xiao Tianci.

Even though Xiao Tianci was usually calm and indifferent, and only focused on his sword, he was momentarily excited when he received the jade slip. After all, it was a "celestial artifact", which was probably a treasure to Yunshan!
Unexpectedly, this trip to Qingzhou, besides breaking free from the shackles in my heart and transcending the tribulation to become an Infant, has also brought such great gains to Yunshan.

The fact that the Magnetism Sect willingly handed over this item was directly related to Junior Brother Wei's strategy. Letting Junior Brother Wei return to Yunshan was indeed an absolutely correct decision.
He didn't read the contents, but carefully put the jade slip away and then became lost in thought.

Helpless, Wei Zhaixing had no choice but to speak on behalf of the sect again: "Sect Leader Ding Shu has presented such a precious treasure, and the Yunshan Sect will certainly repay it handsomely. However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by just a few of us. Please wait a moment while we report to Biluo Peak for a decision. But please rest assured, Sect Leader Ding Shu, the Yunshan Sect will never fail to live up to this kindness."

Master Ding Shu smiled: "The Yunshan Sect keeps its word, and I naturally believe it. However, this is not the only secret we are about to hand over."

Everyone was stunned.

A moment later, Master Ding Shu led several people to the rear hall of Liangyi Mountain, where the past masters and leaders of the Ciji Sect were enshrined.

Master Ding Shu respectfully knelt and offered incense, while Wei Zhaixing and the others also performed the disciple's salute.

Master Ding Shu offered a soft prayer, then carefully explored, using a unique secret technique of the Magnetic Extreme Sect to transform spiritual power into magnetic force, activating the acupoints and opening one restriction after another.

Finally, with a soft click, a paving stone sank down, revealing a deep stone path.

This area is made of extraordinary materials and was refined using the secret techniques of the Magnetic Extreme Sect, isolating it from divine sense, making it difficult for outsiders to perceive its secrets. Even when the great demon hastily occupied it during the demonic chaos, it remained undiscovered.

Master Ding Shu gestured for them to proceed: “Fellow Daoists, rest assured. Over the past two thousand years, countless generations of cultivators have studied this place, numbering in the tens of thousands. There is absolutely no danger. However, those two statues are too large and heavy for us to remove. We can only go and observe them.”

After saying that, he took the lead and went inside. Wei Zhaixing and Xiao Tianci exchanged a glance, and Xiao Tianci nodded, staying outside.

Wei Zhaixing led Xiang Kong, Wudi Daoren, and Ye Xiao into the room. Ding Shu Zhenren noticed, but he was upright and honest, so he had no complaints.

The five of them continued downwards, gradually venturing deeper into the mountainside. They found the passageway ancient, with many chisel marks worn away, indicating its great age.

Ding Shu Zhenren lit a ball of light and led the way, exposing his back to Wei Zhaixing and the others to show that he had no intention of harming them.

He talked about the old stories of his sect, and before they knew it, the group had gone hundreds of feet into the heart of the mountain.

"The two statues were buried here at an unknown time. The precious cauldron was unearthed next to the statues. Inside the cauldron was an ancient jade tablet with instructions on how to use it engraved in ancient seal script."

“Our clan has a long history and many learned people, but for more than two thousand years, we have not been able to recognize who this statue is or what its origin is.”

"Furthermore, no matter how we probe, using spiritual power, divine sense, or various secret techniques, the statues remain completely unresponsive. It's only because this precious cauldron was unearthed near the statues that our sect was able to find it; otherwise, we would probably have already dismantled and destroyed them." "In any case, these two statues should be related to the mystery of the precious cauldron. Today, we will display them to the Yunshan Sect. We have long heard of the Yunshan Sect's profound lineage, even possessing remnants of the Heavenly Monarch's legacy. Tian Yuanzi's reputation for being learned in ancient and modern times is also legendary. Perhaps he can identify it?"

Just then, the narrow stone path suddenly opened up, revealing a huge, quiet, dark space before them.

Master Ding Shu extended his finger and gently pointed, causing the ball of light to bounce into the darkness. The chain of lights that appeared spread like a tide, instantly dispelling the gloom and revealing the entire underground space to the group without reservation.

Even though Wei Zhaixing was a disciple of True Lord Heming and had traveled through the Immortal Spirit Cave Heaven, and was considered knowledgeable, he couldn't help but hold his breath, his mind captivated by what he saw before him.

This is a massive hall formed by hollowing out the mountainside, the aura of time etched on every inch of its cold rock walls. In the very center of the hall stand two enormous stone statues, so large that one can only look up at them.

They were entangled together in a breathtaking manner, forming a scene of fierce fighting.

Below, a statue stands with a face as handsome as jade, adorned with a tall crown and wide belt, dressed in an ancient and flowing robe. Its expression should have been ethereal and otherworldly, but at this moment, it is frozen with determination and ruthlessness. It grips a longsword without a guard, its blade engraved with the trajectory of stars, the tip pointing straight upwards, piercing the throat of the being above.

And pressing heavily on him was a hideous and terrifying demon!

Its eyes were wide open in fury, its fangs bared, and its muscles twisted like a coiled dragon, exuding a ferocious aura that seemed ready to devour its prey, gathering boundless rage. One of its giant hands gripped the neck of the immortal below, while its other hand held a rough, heavy short pestle, which was deeply embedded in the immortal's heart.

The two appear to have perished together!

The two stone statues are made of ordinary material, no different from the rocks inside Liangyi Mountain, as if they were carved by a skilled craftsman using local materials. But every fold of their clothing, every strand of hair, every inch of their skin texture is so exquisite and lifelike, exuding an indescribable antiquity and desolation, bearing the weight of countless years. How could human beings have accomplished such a feat?
Their tragic moment of mutual destruction is eternally frozen in time, telling a shocking secret buried in the long river of time!

"I wonder who you two are?" Master Ding Shu murmured to himself. Even though he had seen you several times, he was still deeply shocked.

Wei Zhaixing frowned, desperately searching his memory for records of these two beings, but to no avail. Wudi Daoren and Ye Xiao also looked surprised and doubtful, clearly having never seen such figures before.

The legendary pseudo-immortal artifact, which supposedly stole fortune and wealth to create an elixir, was unearthed next to these two statues. Who was its owner? Was it the person suppressed beneath them, or the ghost above?
The True Man Ding Shu said, "Judging from their appearance and demeanor, the person below seems to be a sage, while the evil spirit above is ferocious and terrifying. The evil spirit suppressed the sage, and it was feared that it would wreak havoc on the world. Fortunately, at the last moment, the sage sacrificed himself and perished together with the evil spirit. It was truly a stroke of luck."

This deduction was quite reasonable, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Wei Zhaixing made a decision: "The fact that a precious cauldron was unearthed alongside these two people means they must have been very important! The fact that the stone carving survived the passage of time is also quite strange."

"With the Heavenly Sovereign's power frequently manifesting in the world, the realm is extremely unstable. We must proceed with caution. Sect Leader Ding Shu, I will write a letter suggesting that the Yunshan Sect report the existence of this statue to the Taiyi Paradise. What do you think?"

Master Ding Shu withdrew his gaze, remained silent for a moment, and nodded: "Since I have already informed the Yunshan Sect of this secret, let the Yunshan Sect decide how to handle it."

Wei Zhaixing felt it was inappropriate to look any longer and called for everyone to leave, but suddenly noticed that Xiang Kong was staring blankly at the evil ghost statue.

The jade prayer beads in his hand had stopped spinning and were tightly clenched in his palm. The long, narrow scar on his face was trembling, and his expression was filled with disbelief.

"Senior Xiang Kong?" Wei Zhaixing was immediately surprised.

"Boundless Holy Master," Xiang Kong's voice trembled with disbelief, "This is the Wrathful Vajra."

"One of the eight forms of the wrathful Vajra form of my Holy Teacher who established the direct teachings! How could he be here?!"

He never imagined that he would see the image of the Boundless Holy Master worshipped by the Zhijiao sect in the belly of this alien mountain, far from his homeland and buried deep underground!
Moreover, the Holy Master perished in such a tragic manner, taking another being with him!
Upon hearing this, the group was greatly surprised.

They didn't know Xiang Kong's true origins, but they had heard him spread the doctrines of the Righteous Teachings and knew it was a righteous sect that guided people towards goodness. They could never have imagined that this evil spirit was actually the Holy Master of the Righteous Teachings!

The immortal saint he pinned down was actually a demon?
Shock and faith drove Xiang Kong to clasp his hands together, offering the jade rosary to his chest. The four large and three small beads burned hot in his palms as he rapidly and clearly recited the four core tenets of the Direct Teachings:

The Holy Teacher said: Speak frankly without falsehood! Be calm and undisturbed! Perform good deeds without ceasing! Hold fast to your principles without wavering!

"Boundless Holy Master"

Each word carried immense power, echoing through the vast mountainside, embodying his lifelong cultivation and purest faith.

Golden light rose from Xiang Kong's body, and amidst the flowing golden runes, the four-headed, ten-armed Vajra form unfolded. This was his innate divine power, but it was also another form inherited from his holy master—the Demon-Slaying Vajra Form!
Amidst the golden light, everyone's hearts pounded!
In that instant, something unexpected happened!
hum-

The entire space inside the mountain was shaking violently, with a grand and sacred hum originating from beyond the heavens.

A dazzling golden light swept across the sky, engulfing the entire hall. The bluish-gray rocks seemed to turn into transparent glass under this golden light, and countless fine and mysterious golden runes appeared out of thin air, flowing and weaving in the golden light as if they were alive.

"Be careful!" Wei Zhaixing shouted, his Starry Sky Robe gleaming as he, Wudi Daoist, and Ye Xiao prepared to flee. Ding Shu Zhenren was horrified; the Magnet Extreme Sect had controlled this place for thousands of years, and the two statues had never changed.

However, there was no time to react. The golden light that appeared out of nowhere was not an attack, but rather a kind of high-level guidance.

There was no sound, only a strange feeling of space being gently transformed. Wei Zhaixing, Xiang Kong, Wudi Daoren, Ye Xiao, and Dingshu Zhenren instantly lost all sense of direction, floating lightly and without any force, and in a flash, they found themselves in a golden ocean.

Beneath your feet lies a warm, jade-like golden ground that exudes a gentle warmth, stretching to the horizon where an endless golden lotus pond lies.

The clear, golden pool water, exuding a faint sandalwood scent, rippled gently. Enormous golden lotuses bloomed quietly, their petals unfurling, radiating a soft and sacred light. Crystal-clear dewdrops rolled on the lotus leaves, reflecting the omnipresent peaceful golden light that permeated the space.

A faint chanting filled the air, a low murmur of the Great Dao, cleansing the dust from the depths of the soul.

Warmth, light, compassion, and peace permeate every inch of the space. Here, all anxiety, fear, and strife are quietly soothed, leaving only inner peace.

He knelt down respectfully towards the sky, his voice filled with anticipation and excitement.

"This is the Pure Land of Light Lotus that I taught!" (End of Chapter)