Chapter 132: Investigation

Heavenly Edict?

Whose edict?

The edict of heaven and earth? Or the edict of the Heavenly Master?

And what kind of edict is it?

A good edict, or a bad edict?

Regardless of whose edict it was or what kind of edict it purported to be, Cheng Xinzhan was resolutely determined to allow no one to brand any external will onto his soul!

Besides, what kind of auspicious blessing required such secretive concealment?

Why did it specifically create the illusion of consciousness annihilation through the Dharma seal several times beforehand, only to strike when a person sank into utter darkness?

Had he not possessed the secret twin-path soul-nurturing techniques of the *Esoteric Decree on the Manifestation of the Divine Immortal Embryo* and the *Secret of the Golden Flower of the Taiyi*, which caused his soul to sound a warning and snap him out of the boundless darkness, and had he not achieved a sudden flash of insight to conceive the method of the mental-soil divine fire, that branding upon his soul would have been completed quietly and seamlessly.

Had he awakened naturally as he did the previous few times, no one would ever have known what had transpired.

The mere thought of it revealed how terrifying it was!

What was the Youjing?

The emotional soul!

If another person's "edict" were imprinted upon the emotional soul, his future passions, desires, loves, hates, affinities, and aversions would no longer be entirely—or even partially—under the control of his own mind.

Would he still be himself?

And what about others? The Heavenly Master's seal secretly imprints the Youjing. Those minor cultivators of the first and second realms—and without boasting—could they possibly possess methods like his?

What did Mount Longhu intend to do?

Was this something unique to his generation's Longhu Dharma Assembly, or had it been practiced in all previous ones?

In that instant, Cheng Xinzhan was overwhelmed by a multitude of doubts, accompanied by an endless, surging fury!

Rage birthed fire.

The Pure Yang divine fire that swept through his inner scenery world was mobilized by Cheng Xinzhan, transforming into a raging river of fire that poured entirely into the Purple Palace, rushing upstream and washing violently against the Dharma seal.

The great seal seemed to falter, yet perhaps it did not; like a pillar standing firm against a torrent, the river of fire scattered upon colliding with it, while the seal continued its descent.

Though anxious, Cheng Xinzhan did not lose his composure. With a thought of his mind, the Pleiades Astral Official could no longer sit still; stepping across the river of fire, he strode out from the heart palace straight into the Purple Palace, bearing the great seal upon his shoulders.

Another thought, and the Golden Qilin stamped its hooves, advancing from the lung palace into the Purple Palace, propping up the great seal with its horns. Flying forth alongside the Golden Qilin was the forest of soul-depriving golden light sabers from the lung palace.

The golden light transformed into a river of flying sabers, bombarding the great seal.

The descent of the seal slowed slightly.

Pulling one hair moved the whole body.

Crown Prince Bingling entered the Purple Palace. He flew beneath the great seal, extended a single finger, and touched the base of the seal, as if commanding the mountains to retreat.

The descent of the great seal visibly slowed.

Emperor Sovereign Taiyin entered the Purple Palace, piercing the great seal with her sword. Behind her, turbulent waves towered into the sky as if the Heavenly River were flowing backward, attempting to overturn the seal.

The rivers of water and fire converged, forming spiraling, intertwined ribbons that burst forth with dazzling brilliance.

The great seal showed signs of coming to a halt.

Dongwang Mugong entered the Purple Palace, flying up above the great seal. Grasping the Yinglong seal knob, green light surged across his palms as countless vines extended to wrap tightly around the seal, resembling a giant attempting to uproot a mountain.

At last, the great seal came to a complete stop.

And at this moment, the suspended seal hovered a mere hair's breadth away from the Youjing, which had been frozen in place, unable to move due to the suppression and killing intent radiating directly from the Dharma seal.

Cheng Xinzhan still dared not lower his guard. The five inner scenery deities radiated the five-element light, their five-colored splendors connecting end-to-end in the order of palace-opening, revolving rapidly around the great seal.

Like a hoop.

The Five-Element hoop revolved around the great seal while slowly contracting.

This was a spell he had comprehended when he opened the Palace of the Vermilion Bird through the convergence of the Five Qi.

He named it the "Yin-Yang Five-Element Hoop."

Unlike common spells of the five elements generating one another, his five elements were refined and connected end-to-end according to the order of palace-opening, with the alternation of Yin and Yang deeply embedded within them.

In addition, having practiced for a long time beside the ginseng fruit saplings on Mount Wufu, he had comprehended the Dharma intents of dissolving upon meeting water, falling upon meeting metal, entering upon meeting earth, charring upon meeting fire, and withering upon meeting wood, seamlessly integrating them into this spell.

When the "Yin-Yang Five-Element Hoop" contracted, it meant the Yin and Yang of the five elements exerted force together; regardless of whether one was forged of fine gold and iron, or possessed form or formlessness, they would inevitably be bound by this hoop and crushed to powder upon tightening.

Ever since he comprehended this spell, he had never deployed it against an enemy; today was the very first time.

Yet the spell did not disappoint him. Under the tightening squeeze of the "Yin-Yang Five-Element Hoop," the illusory Dharma seal slowly disintegrated, shattering into specks of spiritual light.

The crisis was finally averted.

Looking at the disintegrating spiritual light, Cheng Xinzhan's consciousness made an extraordinarily bold decision.

He had to figure out what this truly was.

With a thought,

"Swallower of Thieves" opened its mouth and swallowed all the shattered spiritual light of the seal in one gulp.

At the same time, the "Yin-Yang Five-Element Hoop" slipped around the neck of the "Swallower of Thieves."

Should the "Swallower of Thieves" show any sign of abnormality, he would rather abandon this soul aspect right then and there; as long as his primordial soul remained intact, he could simply nurture this soul aspect anew in due time.

However, amidst this misfortune came great fortune—matters had not deteriorated to that extent. The shattered Dharma seal had lost its capacity to brand; after the "Swallower of Thieves" devoured and digested the fragments of the Dharma seal, Cheng Xinzhan came to understand the true efficacy of this seal.

***

His heart sank heavily.

The Heavenly Master's Mansion was audaciously bold!

"Jingle bell!"

A peal of bells entered the inner scenery world.

Cheng Xinzhan's three souls and seven魄 shivered simultaneously.

The sound of the bell could startle the spirit!

In an instant, he understood that this bell was likely not meant to keep track of time, but rather to awaken one's consciousness from that illusory darkness!

Furthermore, was it somehow related to that seal mark?

Cheng Xinzhan had no time for further contemplation.

His consciousness returned to his physical body, back inside the Hall of Presenting Seals.

He gazed at the "Seal of the Governor of Yangping."

This Dharma seal had allowed him to comprehend many things, yet it had also nearly driven him to irrevocable destruction.

He turned and left without looking back.

Stepping out of the Hall of Presenting Seals and facing the crowd, a satisfied smile hung upon his face, as though he had gained immense rewards. An aura of suppressing everything emanated from him, akin to walking mountains and seas, causing the crowd to involuntarily clear a path for him.

"It seems Daoist brother Cheng has already grasped the true essence of the Dharma seal!"

The young Heavenly Master smiled in congratulation, his gaze filled with admiration.

Cheng Xinzhan cupped his hands in return,

"It is entirely thanks to the grace of the Heavenly Master!"

The young Heavenly Master smiled and nodded, as if he were the one who had harvested the greatest rewards.

Next, the disciples of the Shenxiao Sect happily stepped inside.

Just like those before him, Cheng Xinzhan waited right by the entrance.

During the wait, the young Heavenly Master introduced the guardian of this courtyard to everyone—the person he referred to as Aunt Bao.

She was none other than Madam Baoxiang, an honored patron of the Heavenly Master's Mansion.

Finally, when the last person, Meng Xuyi, walked out with a smile,

the assembly bid farewell to Madam Baoxiang, the guardian of the courtyard, and under the guidance of the young Heavenly Master, traversed numerous Dharma restrictions to depart the Heavenly Master's Mansion.

The second day of the Dharma Assembly thus concluded, and the guests remained for yet another night.

When the third day arrived, the guests successively bade farewell and departed. From beginning to end, Cheng Xinzhan had neither urged haste nor thought of leaving alone, nor had he sought out his teachers of the third and fourth realms.

Everything proceeded as usual.

According to the original plan, the group boarded bamboo rafts back to Mount Sanqing, and subsequently returned to their respective peaks.

Cheng Xinzhan did not return to the Carefree Cave, but instead headed straight to find Wen Suokong.

"Master, this disciple has returned."

A disciple returning from abroad to report on his mission was the most normal thing in the world.

"You're back. How was the Dharma Assembly?"

Wen Suokong asked with a smile.

"I truly benefited immensely."

Cheng Xinzhan replied, recounting the schedule of the Dharma Assembly before casually inserting a question midway,

"Master, did you ever participate in the Longhu Dharma Assembly back in your day?"

"Never."

Wen Suokong shook his head. "The Longhu Dharma Assembly takes place once every three triple-cycles. Those who participate in the Dharma demonstration are all disciples of the first and second realms; by the time of the last assembly, your master was already in the third realm."

A massive boulder dropped in Cheng Xinzhan's heart, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Things were not yet at their worst.

However, he still dared not voice his encounter at this moment.

He didn't even dare to go to the External Affairs Hall to check the rosters of those who had attended the Longhu Dharma Assembly over the years.

After chatting with his master for a good while, Cheng Xinzhan took his leave of Wen Suokong and subsequently traveled to Mount Wufu to seek out Grandmaster Tongxuan.

After another round of casual conversation, he inadvertently asked the grandmaster if he had ever attended the Longhu Dharma Assembly.

The answer remained: never.

This time he felt even more reassured and dared to ask more boldly, considering this was his grandmaster and this was Mount Wufu.

"Grandmaster, has the sect master ever attended the Longhu Dharma Assembly?"

Grandmaster Tongxuan was a millennial fox; hearing this, his expression shifted abruptly. With a flip of his hand, a miniature, exquisite pagoda appeared in his palm. He cast the treasured pagoda above their heads, and countless mists cascaded from it, enveloping them both.

Cheng Xinzhan looked on in astonishment. Could it be that the grandmaster didn't even trust the Dharma restrictions of Mount Wufu?

"What is going on? Is there something wrong with the Longhu Dharma Assembly? When Tuxing said Mount Longhu specifically named you to participate, I sensed something was amiss. Did something really happen?"

Tongxuan asked with a furrowed brow.

***

Cheng Xinzhan quickly thought of another problem, and cold sweat instantly drenched him,

"Grandmaster! Among those who know about the ginseng fruit, has anyone attended the Longhu Dharma Assembly?!"

Hearing this, Tongxuan's brows furrowed even deeper.

Searching through his past memories, Tongxuan spoke only after a long moment,

"Neither the sect master nor Shouren attended. They are of similar age to me, and when they were in the first and second realms, it wasn't the time for the Longhu Dharma Assembly.

"Tuxing and Tuyi are a bit younger than us; during that period, I should have been in seclusion, so I truly don't know if they went. Weihe and Weigong did not go—I remember that quite clearly. They were quite brilliant children of the 'Wei' generation, but after they entered the mountain, it happened to coincide with the transition from the end of the Song to the beginning of the Yuan dynasty. The world was in great chaos, with righteous sects and demons fighting a chaotic war, so that session of the Longhu Dharma Assembly was not held.

"What on earth is going on?"

Cheng Xinzhan fell silent for a moment, intending to tell the truth.

"Wait, I will call the sect master over. No matter what the matter is, he ought to know."

Grandmaster Tongxuan said.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. Without seeing the grandmaster make any discernible movement, the sect master suddenly appeared beside him after just a few breaths. The void looked like a curtain, and he seemed to appear from the backside of the void, lifting the curtain and stepping right out.

He truly had no idea what kind of communication and escaping technique this realm possessed.

Ji Hehe stepped into the misty veil cast down by the pagoda and pinched an incantation himself. Instantly, Cheng Xinzhan noticed that this patch of the void had mottled.

"Speak."

Ji Hehe looked at Cheng Xinzhan and said.

In his mind, this child was exceptional in every way, save for the fact that every time he went out, he brought back earth-shattering news. The previous times had been auspicious, but listening to Tongxuan's tone this time, it didn't seem good.

However, the habit of reporting matters at the very first opportunity was commendable.

Cheng Xinzhan took a deep breath and began his narration, briefly explaining that because he placed in the top three during the prayer for clear skies and rain demonstration, he was granted entry to the Hall of Presenting Seals to observe the Heavenly Master's seal up close.

From the very first moment he stepped into the Hall of Presenting Seals and laid eyes on the Heavenly Master's seal, he described everything in meticulous detail: including the illusions of being "suppressed and killed" by the array during his previous visits, the process of being "suppressed and killed" during the final visit, how he was startled awake in the darkness, how he broke free from the darkness, how he used the "Yin-Yang Five-Element Hoop" in the Purple Palace to shatter the illusory Dharma seal, and subsequently used the "Swallower of Thieves" soul aspect to completely devour the fragments of the Dharma seal, thereby discovering the seal's true function, right up until he was chimed out by the bell.

He detailed everything thoroughly, both to consult the two elders and to self-examine whether any step had gone awry.

After listening, the two elders remained silent for a long time.

Eventually, Tongxuan said,

"Methods like this can be said to be foolproof against anyone below the third realm; even those in the third realm would mostly be unable to avoid it. Xinzhan, you truly are an exception. Where else would you find someone in the second realm with soul cultivation like yours, capable of firmly guarding the mental soil and cultivating the Pure Yang divine fire? This is not just a matter of cultivation methods and comprehension; it is also related to your innate soul strength. Suokong told me you have the strongest innate soul strength she has ever seen. Hehe, did you possess such ability back then?"

Sect Master Ji shook his head. "Forget about soul strength; even acquiring the five inner scenery deities and the self-comprehended 'Yin-Yang Five-Element Hoop'—I couldn't have managed that in the second realm."

Tongxuan nodded, then turned to Cheng Xinzhan,

"As for your 'Swallower of Thieves' swallowing the illusory fragments of the Dharma seal, you need not worry about that. As long as the 'Swallower of Thieves' dared to swallow it and was able to swallow it, there will definitely be no problem. This is determined by the innate divinity of the human body's Dao embryo. The Heavenly Master's seal, even if it is a spiritual treasure, at most amounts to a acquired spiritual treasure; it cannot subvert this rule."

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. This had been his greatest concern, and now that the grandmaster assured him there was no issue, it put his mind much more at ease.

"So, what exactly did your 'Swallower of Thieves' taste?"

Ji Hehe asked.

After weighing his words, Cheng Xinzhan replied,

"The Youjing governs aversions and affinities. A person who receives the seal will first develop a sense of reverence and belonging toward Mount Longhu and Celestial Master Zhang. This feeling does not come suddenly; it is naturally established as one observes the majestic power of the Heavenly Master's seal through several life-and-death illusions. As one repeatedly contemplates the majestic power of the Heavenly Master's seal in the future, this reverence and sense of belonging engraved deep within the Youjing will only grow deeper and deeper.

"There is one more point: I believe that among the treasures of the Patriarchal Heavenly Master, aside from the Heavenly Master's seal and the Heavenly Master's sword, there should also be a bell. I do not know whether the bell in the young Heavenly Master's hand that day was it, but one thing I can be certain of: when the bell that forms a set with the Heavenly Master's seal is activated, and when a person whose Youjing has received the seal harbors reverence and belonging to Mount Longhu and Celestial Master Zhang deep in their bones, they will be directly driven by the bell."

Ji Hehe and Shi Tongxuan furrowed their brows deeply. The killing intent in their eyes made even Cheng Xinzhan feel a biting chill.

"Mount Longhu is attempting to undermine the very foundation of our lineage!"

Ji Hehe said word by word.

Shi Tongxuan had lost his benevolent demeanor at this moment as well, stating,

"The top three finishers of every schedule at the Dharma Assembly are the paragons of our Yuzhang sects, yet they are thus bewitched by Mount Longhu. What a brilliant scheme! What ruthless means!"

Frowning deeply, Shi Tongxuan recalled something and said,

"The bell Xinzhan speaks of probably does exist. I suddenly recall reading in some classic that when the Patriarchal Heavenly Master was preaching in Shu, demon kings and ghost commanders came to attack. The Patriarchal Heavenly Master suppressed them with the Ducong Seal, and then shook a bell, whereupon the demon kings and ghost commanders obeyed his commands.

"The Patriarchal Heavenly Master possessed vast and boundless divine powers, yet his descendants have lost their minds, actually attempting to drive us like demons and monsters!"

Ji Hehe's face was dark and gloomy,

"We must investigate this thoroughly. We must find out when this rule of observing the seal at the Longhu Dharma Assembly began, and find out which members of our sect have observed the seal. Observers from other sects outside the mountain must also be investigated—secretly!

"In my impression, when I first entered the mountain to cultivate, the Longhu Dharma Assembly did not include this matter; it must have begun in recent sessions. The current Heavenly Master is audaciously bold!

"Moreover, regarding such matters, I refuse to believe that not a single flaw has ever occurred over thousands of years. Besides, not every observation of the seal necessarily deploys such methods; the mixture of truth and falsehood makes it all the harder to investigate."

Ji Hehe was angry, yet also harbored a trace of fear. Had Xinzhan not possessed such capabilities and avoided having his Youjing branded, what would have happened if all of this had occurred entirely unawares?

For such a sapling to be poached away like that—furthermore, with a damaged soul, it would ruin one's Dao path! How could one ever hope to ascend to immortality thereafter?!

And how much of Mount Sanqing's secret lore would have been leaked?

If given even more time, with the paragons of Yuzhang having their Youjing sealed, once they ascended to the positions of sect masters, wouldn't this Yuzhang region become the domain of a single family?

"Xinzhan, you need not concern yourself with this matter any further; act as though you know nothing, and I will investigate it personally. Furthermore, until this matter is clarified, do not leave the sect. If you lack anything, come find me—even if you want the moon-漿 star essence, I will procure it for you.

"Coincidentally, as soon as you returned, Wushi of Danxia Mountain came to look for me, saying he wishes to teach you alchemy. You should go. The Dao of alchemy is profound and abstruse, not easily mastered. You should study and comprehend it diligently; it would be best if you remained settled there for five or ten years!"

(End of this chapter)