Chapter 202 - Then Lets Go All the Way

Chapter 202 - Then Let's Go All the Way

Yan Kongcheng asked warily, “Brother Xu, why are you asking about Uncle-Master Feng’s grave?”

Noticing the suspicion in his own voice, Yan Kongcheng added, “I trust you, but far too many of my ancestors’ graves have been robbed. Consequently, whenever someone asks about the graves, I cannot help but ask for more details. In fact, I’ve buried several curious folk back in the rear mountains.”

Xu Ying replied politely, “I simply wish to pay my respects to the deceased. After all, as you know, my memory constantly fails me, and I remember so few people.”

Suspecting nothing, Yan Kongcheng pointed him toward Uncle-Master Feng’s grave.

Xu Ying stepped forward to pay his respects, secretly memorizing the grave’s location. I’ll come back to visit him later.

Yan Kongcheng was no blockhead. Fresh off learning the Dragon Tracking Technique from Xu Ying, he immediately set to work hunting for his six secrets.

He was currently in the Second Gate-Knocking Stage. This realm was rather dangerous. The next step was the Twelve-Story Pagoda Stage, where he would refine his Primordial Spirit. Once refined, he would lose his chance to unlock those six secrets forever.

Even without refining the Primordial Spirit, as his cultivation increased, unlocking the six secrets became harder. An expert of Yan Kongcheng’s caliber still had to rely on powerful artifacts to crack open his Secret Troves.

Moreover, unlocking each Secret Trove would significantly increase his cultivation, rendering the remaining ones even harder to open!

That was why, when Xue Ying’an first unlocked his six secrets, he could unlock the first one with an ordinary artifact, while cracking the later ones required the Carefree Sword, his sect’s supreme treasure.

However, the Emei’s foundation was truly robust, completely dwarfing a tiny faction like the Carefree Sect of Mount Jiulong. They undoubtedly possessed a vault full of treasures matching the Carefree Sword. In fact, Xu Ying suspected Emei anchored its very destiny with immortal artifacts!

As such, he wasn’t worried at all about whether Yan Kongcheng could unlock his Secret Troves.

He cared about only two things: Emei’s true teachings and the Great Dao of Golden Core, and Uncle-Master Feng’s grave.

Relying only on his Golden Core, Yan Kongcheng could command countless Dao arts. His divine abilities and mystic arts were absolutely flawless, and their power was unbelievably immense. A single Golden Core containing ten thousand arts truly impressed him.

As for the grave, if Xu Ying failed to avenge this grudge, he couldn't call himself human!

Because he was eager to unlock his six secrets, Yan Kongcheng brought Xu Ying inside Mount Emei. The mountain's interior was hollow and incredibly spacious, about three li wide.

A golden palace hall stood on the opposite cliff wall.

Yan Kongcheng broke through the restrictions along the way and led Xu Ying into the golden hall. Inside, thousands of books were stacked high, housing Emei’s vast archives. Categorized cultivation manuals filled the room, too numerous to count.

Yan Kongcheng hauled out a golden chest and handed it to Xu Ying. “Brother Xu, the most crucial aspect of our Great Dao of Golden Core lies in the Golden Vault Supreme Immortal Book. The supreme patriarch left it behind. Rumor has it that he authored it, but some rumors say he discovered it as an immortal text.”

A golden seal-shaped chest held the Golden Vault Supreme Immortal Book, its top inscribed with golden characters above a square base.

Opening the chest revealed a jade bamboo slip that recorded the Great Dao of Golden Core!

This was yet another jade slip Dao book!

Xu Ying was utterly astonished. The last time he saw a jade slip Dao book was at Zhou Qiyun’s Zhou clan, which recorded the Supreme Yin Primordial Nurturing Art!

Rumor said that the ancient Qi Cultivators used these slips as the physical mediums to record the Dao!

Since then, he had only encountered Immortal Dao runes transcribed on golden pages. He never expected to find another jade slip Dao book here at Emei!

Yan Kongcheng pointed at the other manuals inside the golden hall. “Emei’s past patriarchs left these commentaries. Each had a different understanding of the immortal text, and the principles they derived were also different, but each has its own unique merits. Don’t think of this as a hassle. When my master taught me, he said...”

Imitating his elderly master’s tone, he continued, “The truth of the Great Dao is recorded within the immortal text, but first study the annotations of the ancestors. Though each interpretation remains partial, studying them resembles calculating a circle's area through division: the finer you slice it, the closer you get to perfection.

“Read every commentary, and you will piece together an almost flawless circle. Contemplate the text from that foundation, and you will approach the ultimate truth of the Golden Core.”

Xu Ying nodded. “If I could understand the Golden Vault Supreme Immortal Book directly, would I still need to read through these commentaries?”

Yan Kongcheng chuckled. “Of course not. However, when the patriarchs annotated the immortal book, they referenced other Dao arts. So, reading through these texts will be highly beneficial for you when you comprehend other divine abilities or Great Dao.”

Xu Ying fell into deep thought.

Yan Kongcheng left, leaving him alone in the hall within the mountain. He wasn’t worried about Xu Ying stealing the Great Vault Supreme Immortal Book.

This hall in the mountain was only one of Emei's countless library halls. The texts kept here were only the commentaries on the Great Vault Supreme Immortal Book. Other halls held various arts no inferior to the immortal book.

After a moment's hesitation, Xu Ying settled into this hall to study the supreme immortal book.

The immortal book contained six bird-worm seal script characters: True, Spirit, Void, Stillness, Emptiness, and Clarity.

As Xu Ying gazed upon them, he immediately understood their meanings and could chant the six Dao sounds. Though he had successfully grasped the profound mysteries of the supreme immortal book, he still didn’t understand what the Great Dao of Golden Core actually meant.

So Xu Ying flipped open the past ancestors' commentaries and read them one by one.

The successive patriarchs’ commentaries were indeed interpretations of these six bird-worm seal scripts. However, they were still based on the circulation paths of true primordial, which greatly inspired Xu Ying upon reading them.

The six characters on the supreme immortal book represented the comprehension of the Dao, while the successive patriarchs’ commentaries were the application of the Dao.

Xu Ying had previously understood the Dao but did not know how to apply it. These texts finally showed him how to wield it.

“I’ve neglected the aspect of application in the past.” Xu Ying suddenly realized.

He had struggled in his battle against Yan Kongcheng and had no choice but to rely on his pure cultivation level. It wasn’t because Yan Kongcheng possessed superior divine sense, primordial qi, physique, strength, Yin and Yang, or soul.

In fact, it was the opposite. He far surpassed Yan Kongcheng in each of these aspects. Even in their understanding of the Dao, they each had their own merits. Xu Ying possessed greater depth, while Yan Kongcheng held greater breadth.

Xu Ying had struggled solely because he lacked skill in applying the Dao.

“Although I had advanced to divine abilities through the martial Dao, my research into the application of the Dao is not as thorough as a powerhouse like Emei.”

He plunged into the texts one by one, losing all track of time until half a week had passed. With every page, his grasp of the Great Dao of Golden Core deepened.

Yuanqi also worked hard inside the golden hall, transcribing the texts while pondering their meaning, asking Xu Ying whenever he was stumped.

Only Dazhong remained idle. He “borrowed” Xu Ying and Yuanqi’s vital energy to cultivate for a while, then grew restless again and tried to fly out of the hall.

Dazhong flew back, fuming. “Ah Ying, Ah Cheng is treating us like crooks and guarding against us! The seals set by the successive patriarchs outside the hall have been reactivated. I can’t get out!”

Xu Ying grew angry as well. “Ah Cheng is guarding against gentlemen like us? Outrageous! Master Qi, get ready. We’ll go rob his Uncle-Master Feng’s grave!”

Yuanqi was startled and looked up from the sea of books. He asked politely, “Ah Ying, didn’t we turn over a new leaf?”

Xu Ying walked up to the hall entrance and said, “Even those who have turned over a new leaf can relapse. It’s not like we’ve washed our hands in a golden basin[1] And even if we did, dirty hands just need another wash!”

Yuanqi slithered over from the sea of books. Ah Ying is so wicked. Did I lead him astray, or was it Master Zhong... No, wait, that’s not right. They led me astray!

Realization hit the snake demon. Back at Mount Wu Wang, he had lived as a simple serpent dabbling in cultivation, never harming a soul. Yet ever since joining Xu Ying, he had mastered everything from slaying gods to slaughtering demons!

Xu Ying closed his eyes and focused. After a brief thought, he walked out of the hall.

Yuanqi and Dazhong quickly followed. He raised a finger and carved the air. Radiant Immortal Dao runes sprang from his fingertips, imprinting themselves onto the empty void. Like custom keys fitting invisible locks, his runes dismantled the terrifyingly powerful seals layer by layer.

Xu Ying had only seen Yan Kongcheng use these unsealing Immortal Dao runes once. Yet, he had completely figured out the profound mysteries of each Immortal Dao rune and committed them to memory. Now, he walked through the threshold without encountering a shred of resistance!

They came outside and found no one on Mount Emei. Yan Kongcheng was likely still in seclusion, cultivating diligently, while the other Emei disciples were just Qi Cultivators who had only recently joined the sect.

Xu Ying went straight to Uncle-Master Feng’s grave. He took out the broken wooden door and pushed through. He smiled. “Fellow Daoist, it’s been three thousand years. I’ve come to visit you. Let’s unbox you!”

Dazhong followed closely behind him, while Yuanqi hesitated for a moment before slithering in. When you enter a village, you follow their customs. I have no one but myself to blame for boarding this pirate ship...

The seals on Uncle-Master Feng’s grave were set up outside to deter grave robbers. Little did they expect Xu Ying to possess an immortal’s artifact like the wooden door, which bypassed every defense and opened directly into the tomb's inner chamber.

Uncle-Master Feng’s tomb wasn’t large; it was like a small grotto heaven. The interior wasn’t luxuriously decorated. It only enshrined his artifacts, clothes, and other personal belongings.

Xu Ying collected them and stored them in Yuanqi’s stomach.

As they walked forward, they suddenly felt a sense of inner peace. The area ahead was filled with bright light. An old, unkempt Qi Cultivator sat facing a stone wall that reflected an Immortal Realm manifested through a Dao avatar. Immortal mountains floated in the sky, clouds drifted between the sun and the moon, presenting a majestic, ever-changing landscape.

Yuanqi’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed in awe, “This is the Immortal Realm from Uncle-Master Feng’s imagination that he had manifested. He had fused the principles he had comprehended throughout his life into this diagram. It’s the most valuable treasure in the tomb!”

Xu Ying praised, “Master Qi is indeed a snake of culture. Now, we won't be leaving this place empty-handed!”

A line of text ran along both sides of the stone wall. Xu Ying stepped closer, looked up, and read it softly, “My Dao heart shines through the ages, flickering bright and dim, yet it always returns to the truth.”

He looked at the elderly Qi Cultivator seated before the stone wall. Uncle-Master Feng’s eyelids hung low, his physical body had not yet withered, and his flesh still looked lifelike.

Amazed, Dazhong said, “His attainment in the Dao was extremely high. He’s already reached the realm where his physical body is indestructible. Ah Ying, this man was a real master of the Dao.”

Xu Ying snorted in displeasure. “Would an enlightened master of the Dao plan to eat me? Would an enlightened master of the Dao think of a scheme to use me to withstand the heavenly tribulation?”

Dazhong was at a loss for words. He had once revered Li Xiaoke as an enlightened Dao master, only to discover that Li Xiaoke devoured people, too.

Xu Ying stepped forward and plundered everything valuable, but left Uncle-Master Feng at least a set of clothes.

Standing before the stone wall, he used his sword qi to carve through it carefully. He intended to cut out the entire stone wall and bring it away, storing it in Yuanqi’s mouth.

The Immortal Dao diagram was definitely an incredible artifact, containing all of Uncle-Master Feng’s insights into the Dao in his lifetime. He had drawn it on his deathbed, so its power was undoubtedly immense. Refined properly, it could serve as a formidable weapon for both offense and defense.

He cut around the Immortal Dao diagram and channeled his mystical power, sending the entire stone wall flying. Just as Xu Ying was about to store the stone wall into Yuanqi’s mouth, he suddenly let out a soft gasp as he found another chamber hidden behind the stone wall!

Xu Ying set down the Immortal Dao diagram and said hurriedly, “Master Qi, swallow it!”

Yuanqi also perked up upon seeing this. He swallowed the Immortal Dao diagram quickly and followed Xu Ying and Dazhong into the other chamber.

The two tomb chambers were right next to each other, separated only by the stone wall. It seemed that Uncle-Master Feng had carved out his tomb right before his death, unaware someone else was buried next to him.

This tomb chamber was dazzlingly brilliant and luxurious, possessing a grand style. It was much larger than Uncle-Master Feng’s tomb chamber, which didn’t even have a coffin. This one, however, featured architecture, a rock garden, and flowing water. It even had an actual waterfall pouring down one of the stone walls.

Huge pearls the size of baskets were embedded in the walls, radiating a moonlike glow that gave off a serene, mysterious atmosphere.

Yuanqi whispered, “Pearls formed within the shells of dragon-turtles, known as Bright Moon Pearls. Extremely rare. Among the ancient texts I was transcribing, one of Emei’s patriarchs recorded that he once obtained twenty-four of these pearls and refined them into the twenty-four Mountain River Bright Moon Pearls.

“Ah Ying, check if these pearls have mountains and rivers sealed inside. If so, then this tomb probably belongs to that Emei patriarch.”

Xu Ying activated Heavenly Fate runes and used the Eyes of Heaven to examine each pearl. “What is that Emei patriarch’s name?”

He stopped in his tracks and stared intently at one of the pearls. A mountain range was indeed within it, winding and twisting like a crouching dragon.

Another pearl contained a great river. Its rushing waters poured down from the highlands, resembling falling snow.

Another pearl held a calm lake with a divine tree growing in the center. Its red blossoms resembled flames, dazzling to look at. From afar, it looked like a tree of red fire.

Dazhong scanned the distance and said, “Ah Ying, there’s black water up ahead, and a coffin is floating on it!”

Xu Ying cautiously made his way toward the coffin. The water surface appeared pitch-black, yet the water itself was clear. The darkness didn't stem from the liquid, but from the deep below.

Xu Ying couldn’t shake the feeling that something lurked beneath the surface. But when he tried to probe with his divine sense, he couldn’t even perceive the bottom!

This pool was terrifyingly deep!

Yuanqi didn't have a very good memory. Coiling on Xu Ying’s shoulder, he took out the book he’d transcribed, flipped through its pages and laughed. “I found it! This Emei patriarch is the thirty-fourth-generation patriarch. His name is Qiao Zizhong; his Daoist name is Azure Frost.”

Xu Ying arrived before the coffin, and his heart skipped a beat. The lid was gone.

The coffin was empty. No skeletal remains, no buried artifacts. Instead, it was lined with bedding and brocade!

The veins on Xu Ying’s forehead throbbed wildly. The indented brocade clearly bore the outline of a body that had recently rested upon it!

He reached out to touch it; it was still slightly warm.

“We're retreating immediately! Don’t touch anything!”

Beads of sweat formed on Xu Ying’s forehead, but the next instant he forced the sweat back inside his skin to keep his scent from spreading.

Dazhong and Yuanqi also immediately realized they were in trouble, and their hearts pounded with fear. They watched as Xu Ying retraced his steps, even secretly restoring the dust on the floor to its original state!

Yuanqi warned him, “Ah Ying, the stone wall! The stone wall can’t be restored!”

Xu Ying’s heart jolted. The stone wall had been cut off; there was absolutely no way to restore it. Moreover, the stone wall was Uncle-Master Feng’s compensation to him, so how could he return it?

His expression darkened further, rapidly changing. “Since it can’t be restored, it will surely be discovered... Then we won’t restore it! Master Qi, Master Zhong, let’s empty this place!”

1. A classic idiom meaning to permanently retire from a life of crime or the martial world. ☜