Chapter 132 - 125: Celestial Master Enters the Capital

Chapter 132: Chapter 125: Celestial Master Enters the Capital

Inside Jade Capital Temple, Chen Sha’s Daoist robe snapped in the night wind. With his hands behind his back, he closed his eyes and felt the power transmitting from the Beidou Seven Stars in the distant sky.

It felt like a type of Qi mechanism, yet it was not an Innate Qi Mechanism. It seemed like Star Power, but it was not simply Star Power. This power carried an extreme Killing Power and murderous aura, as if it could dictate the life and death of people in this world.

"Beidou Killing Body, Beidou Killing Power..." Chen Sha thought, feeling a slight stir in his heart.

Upon the awakening of this physique, an intense sense of stimulation immediately arose from four organs in his body. These four locations were the heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs. He faintly came to a realization.

He thought, "Beidou governs killing, and its killing intent rotates through the four seasons. Our Daoism speaks of the mutual correspondence between humanity and heaven and earth. As the saying goes, ’The human body is a Little Heaven and Earth, and heaven and earth are a grand human body.’ If heaven and earth have spring, summer, autumn, and winter, then the four organs of the human body perfectly correspond to them."

In the Yellow Court Scripture, the cultivation of the Heart Spirit, Liver God, Lung God, and Kidney God among the Middle Scenery Eight Gods corresponded respectively to spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Cultivating these four areas during their appropriate seasons yielded twice the result with half the effort.

Nourish the liver in spring, the heart in summer, the lungs in autumn, and the kidneys in winter.

In spring, all things revived, and vitality belonged to the wood element. The liver also belonged to wood, so human liver energy was most vigorous during this season. This was the time when one needed to follow specific visualizing cultivation methods to cultivate the Liver God, Kai Juntong.

Summer was scorching hot, making people irritable and prone to blazing heart fire. This made it most suitable for cultivating the Heart Spirit, Huan Yangchang.

In autumn, all things withered. The climate was dry, breathing could become constrained, and lung energy accumulated, making it ideal for cultivating the Lung God, Suu Lingsheng.

Winter was for nourishing the kidneys. It was the season when all things were sealed and stored. Therefore, the kidneys, acting as the foundation of the human body, were most easily nourished during this time. Thus, winter was suitable for cultivating the Left Kidney God, Chun Yuanzhen, and the Right Kidney God, Xiangta Yuan.

Looking at the starry night, Chen Sha could not help but smile. "I didn’t expect the Beidou Killing Body to help me find a method to rapidly manifest five Body Gods."

There were four organs, yet there were five Divine Spirits.

This was because the kidneys were the fundamental root of humans. Under normal circumstances, a single kidney was enough for normal function, but humans inherently possessed two distinct kidneys—an innate advantage. Humans also had two lungs, but they functioned as a single unified system, unlike the kidneys which were completely independent. Even if one kidney was removed, the other could maintain bodily functions normally. Therefore, there were two Kidney Gods.

The Left Kidney God was named Chun Yuanzhen, courtesy name Dao Qing, associated with five colors.

The Right Kidney God was named Xiangta Yuan, courtesy name Daoist Lord, associated with white and black.

After laughing heartily, Chen Sha turned and walked into his room. "These fifty years of Innate Power can be used while cultivating the Divine Ghost Seven Kills Sound. At the same time, I can utilize the Beidou Killing Body’s four-season killing aura to stimulate my heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, nurturing the five Great Gods."

The Beidou Killing Body was a type of physique, but it still required the host’s own Qi Power to unleash its true might. The stronger the host’s Qi Power, the more devastating the killing body’s abilities would become.

While Chen Sha immersed himself in refining his fifty years of power and stimulating the cultivation of the five Divine Spirits in his body, over in the Zhao Country Capital City:

Zhao Danyang, who had been busy for days, finally received news from the Imperial City Department, the Six Gates, and other agencies regarding Woodcutter Bai Zancang, one of the top ten experts in the world.

"He’s in Nanyang?" Zhao Danyang, who had been forced to reside in the Imperial Palace ever since Chen Sha occupied Jade Capital Temple, said upon hearing the report. "I met this man several times five years ago. I have some understanding of his temperament, so I know you won’t be able to invite this world’s tenth-ranked expert on your own. It’s best if I go personally."

Several days later.

In Yangzhou, which was three provinces away from the Capital City.

Since ancient times, mountains were considered Yang, and rivers were considered Yin. Nanyang earned its name because it was situated south of Funiu Mountain and north of the Han River.

Inside an inn in the Nanyang Suburbs.

"Grandpa, tell me the story of when you challenged Chen Canxuan again," requested a little girl of about eleven or twelve with her hair in ox-horn buns. Holding a stick of candied hawthorn, she looked up at a white-haired, woodcutter-like old man in his sixties or seventies.

The old man had coarse skin—the dark reddish-brown complexion typical of fishermen, woodcutters, and farmers who worked year-round. A rusty woodchopping knife hung at his waist.

The little girl sucked on her candied hawthorn without biting into it. Seeing the old man just smile without speaking, she added, "Or you could tell me the story of when you went to the South Sea to challenge the new number one in the world, Yuan Ruhua. I want to hear that one too."

However, the old woodcutter stopped his steps on the street.

Dozens of feet away at the end of the road, an old Daoist in a yellow Daoist robe had suddenly appeared, blocking their path.

A moment later, in a street-side tavern.

Zhao Danyang looked at the old woodcutter sitting across from him and slowly poured him a full cup of tea. "Brother Bai, it has been five years since we last parted at Kuqiao Mountain, hasn’t it?"

Sitting on a chair with her legs dangling in the air, the little girl sucked on her candied hawthorn while curiously sizing up the old Daoist. In her young mind, she was simply puzzled. Having followed her grandfather for so long, she knew there were very few people he would ever show a pleasant face to.

The old woodcutter, Bai Zancang, grinned and said, "Old Nose Zhao, I know your intentions clearly. Don’t you just want me to help you save the Emperor of this Zhao Country?"

Zhao Danyang’s expression remained calm, not trying to hide anything. "I am indeed here for that, but it is only one of the reasons. Someone under the Dao Yi New Sect Leader Chen Sha is cultivating the Qi Stealing Technique. Furthermore, he has openly declared that the top ten experts in the world can all seek him out for a decisive battle. Wouldn’t these top ten experts include you, Brother Bai?"

The old man smacked his lips as he drank his tea. "What does it matter to me if his sect members cultivate the Qi Stealing Technique? It’s not like he can steal my power anyway. As for challenging the top ten experts, I’m not the only one. Consider this—I’m just a woodcutter who managed to scrape my way into the tenth position. If the nine people ranked above me aren’t anxious, why should I be?"

Zhao Danyang raised an eyebrow. "Has Brother Bai heard of the young Sect Leader’s battle record and lost the courage to fight him?"

The old man chuckled. "You, of all people, should know exactly what kind of person I am."

"Of course I know," Zhao Danyang said softly. "Brother Bai is the only person to have survived challenging Chen Canxuan. Afterward, you also challenged the new number one in the world, Yuan Ruhua. Therefore, I absolutely do not believe that Brother Bai would be cowardly."

"It has nothing to do with cowardice," the old man replied. "I’m just well aware that your Jade Emperor Mountain’s Sect Leader has descended the mountain. Your Senior Martial Brother Zhang Shouren, who is ranked ninth in the world and sits right above me, will arrive at the Zhao Capital in less than ten days. With him taking action, what need is there for an old man like me?"

The underlying meaning was clear: if his Senior Martial Brother, the ninth-ranked expert, defeated Chen Sha, there would be no need for Bai Zancang to fight.

Conversely, if the ninth-ranked expert lost to Chen Sha, what chance of winning would he, the tenth-ranked expert, have if he went?

Zhao Danyang maintained his calm composure. "I do not object to the rankings of the top ten or the top three experts in the world. However, the positions of the latter few might not truly reflect their actual strength. Take you, for example, Brother Bai. I’ve never believed that you, as the world’s tenth, are much weaker than my Senior Martial Brother.

"Even my Senior Martial Brother admitted that if it were him, he wouldn’t have had the confidence to survive a fight with Chen Canxuan. Yet, you managed it, Brother Bai. Furthermore, last year you challenged the new number one, Yuan Ruhua, and despite failing, you still retreated completely unscathed.

"Judging from all this, your title as the tenth in the world doesn’t match your true capabilities at all. These two feats you accomplished are things even the top five experts might not be able to do."

Inside the tavern, the atmosphere seemed to liven up.

The old man chuckled, seemingly quite pleased by the flattery. "Since you’ve put it that way, it would feel like a disservice to your praise if I didn’t go."

Zhao Danyang slowly stood up, picked up his teacup, drank from it slowly, and said, "Then this old Daoist will await Brother Bai’s arrival at Jade Capital Temple."

After watching the old Daoist leave, the little girl tilted her head back and asked, "Grandpa, why are you going? Didn’t you say you were perfectly satisfied just being the tenth in the world?"

The old man ruffled the little girl’s hair and said, "I’m going, yes, but I definitely won’t make a move until Zhang Shouren does. If Zhang Shouren fights and loses, it means he gets kicked out of the top ten rankings first, and that young man takes over as the ninth in the world. When I step up then, I’ll be challenging the ninth rank. Even if I lose, won’t your grandpa still be the tenth in the world?"

The little girl scrunched up her face and tilted her head back, seemingly struggling to put together a difficult word. Unable to recall it immediately, it took her a long time to finally say, "Grandpa, you’re really... really...

"Sly."

The old man wasn’t angry; he just burst into laughter. "Sometimes being number one in the world is the most exhausting thing. You have to worry about being surpassed all day long. Similarly, living as number two is tiring too, because nobody wants someone else pressing down on their head.

"Following this logic, the third wants to be second, the fifth wants to be fourth... They all want to step over the person right above them while leaving the people behind them in the dust, making their own status carry more weight.

"But only for your grandpa, as the tenth in the world, there’s no one to shake off behind me. Conversely, because there are already so many people ahead, I don’t even have the drive to think about surpassing them.

"Yet I feel that I am the happiest. I don’t have to worry about being chased, and I don’t have to strain myself trying to overtake others. Since I’m already in the last position, as long as I do a good job as the Gatekeeper, I’m still one of the world’s top ten, respected by millions. Who can say I don’t live an easier, more carefree life than those guys above me?"

The little girl looked bewildered, not entirely understanding.

From Jade Emperor Mountain to the Zhao Country Capital, if a First-grade Great Innate Expert traveled day and night, it would take less than three days to arrive.

However, the three Celestial Masters who descended from the mountain chose to travel at a normal pace.

This was because they clearly understood their purpose in heading to the Capital City: to engage in a world-shaking battle with a young man who was suspected to be terrifyingly powerful. Therefore, they absolutely could not afford to be rash or expend all their mental energy on traveling.

If they did so, even with four Great Innates—including the Sect Leader, the ninth in the world, holding the fort—they would have already lost the psychological battle before it even began.

Thus, the three Celestial Masters took this journey to the Capital City without any rush or impatience. By the time they arrived, more than twenty days had already passed since the Imperial Palace Case.

Yet, even though over twenty days—nearly a month—had elapsed, the very moment Jade Emperor Sect Leader Zhang Shouren, the Grand Celestial Master, stepped through the gates of the Capital City alongside the two other Celestial Masters of Jade Emperor Mountain, the entire city was thrown into an uproar.

During this period, Martial Artists from all walks of life and Jianghu factions had long since rushed over from various places, ready to witness this staggering clash. Today was the day they had all been waiting for.

The Celestial Masters had entered the capital.

The earth-shattering duel between two Daoist Sect leaders was at hand!

Zhao Danyang personally came to the city gates to welcome them. Looking at the tall, elderly Sect Leader and Celestial Master standing before him, he could hardly suppress his emotions. "Senior Martial Brother... you’re... finally here."

He looked just like the youngest brother in a family who had finally waited for his eldest brother, the one who could make all the decisions, to arrive.