Chapter 80
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Silence, silence, silence!
True Person Xuanwei, listen in silence!
Yun Qin raised her hand, her finger pressing lightly against her lips, making a gesture for quiet.
After Qi Wuhuo sat quietly and upright, she took a slight breath, closed her eyes, and seemed to be preparing for something.
Then she began to speak—not after careful thought, but reciting directly from memory, as though drawing forth faint and nearly forgotten knowledge from the depths of her mind in one continuous flow. The words were so arcane that, while she had memorized them, she could not comprehend their meaning. Resolutely, she simply repeated verbatim the teachings imparted to her by the Qingyang Miaodao Heavenly Lord.
She even included the three thousand Cloud Seals that originated from this Supreme Scarlet Spirit Script.
Without pause.
Her pace was lightning fast!
When the girl finished reciting, she let out a breath but still remained on edge, nervously looking at Qi Wuhuo:
“Did you get it all down?”
“Hurry, before I forget!”
Qi Wuhuo closed his eyes, pondered briefly, then nodded gently and replied: “I believe I’ve committed it to memory…”
“Phew…”
“That’s good, that’s good.”
Yun Qin let out a sigh of relief.
She raised her fair hand to wipe at the cold sweat that didn’t actually exist on her forehead.
Ah, how exhausting this was for me.
The young Daoist thought for a moment, still perplexed, and asked: “But why did you teach me this?”
“Wasn’t I supposed to learn a Xuantan spell?”
Yun Qin froze mid-action.
“Ah? Oh, right. Why did I teach you that…”
The girl lowered her head, pinched her forehead, and muttered as she tried to recall: “Let me think.”
“I first sought the Xuantan techniques, and then the Heavenly Lord said the foundation of Xuantan techniques lies in the Supreme Scarlet Spirit Script.”
“Then I asked if the Supreme Scarlet Spirit Script could be taught.”
“And I ended up being pulled into studying Could Seals and Spirit Script…”
“Finally…”
Yun Qin looked a little embarrassed as she said: “Because the Supreme Scarlet Spirit Script was so difficult, I was afraid I’d forget it. I kept repeating it in my mind, over and over again. In the end, I had just one thought: hurry and recite it for you.”
“Everything else slipped my mind.”
“Everything else?”
The young Daoist couldn’t help but laugh. Still, he was grateful. Rising to his feet, he cupped his hands and said:
“Then I must sincerely thank you.”
“Truly, my thanks to the Celestial Maiden Yun Qin of the Northern Dipper Constellation.”
Yun Qin coughed lightly, assuming a dignified posture. With a graceful wave of her hand, she replied:
“True Person Xuanwei, you’re too courteous.”
The young man and the girl exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter together, finding the whole exchange amusing.
They couldn’t bear such titles yet. Using them jokingly with one another didn’t feel awkward at all.
After their laughter subsided, Yun Qin sat atop a cloud, legs crossed, propping her chin on one hand. She said: “Still, it’s really hard, isn’t it?”
She thought about how much effort it had taken her to memorize it through sheer force of will, and the memory still made her uneasy.
The young Daoist nodded. “Yes, it’s incredibly difficult.”
He recalled the things he had memorized.
The comprehension of it all felt extremely abstruse.
Right now, he had merely committed it to memory, but to truly understand it was an arduous task. Though it was merely a word, it seemed to contain boundless and profound principles. Just the slightest contemplation stirred countless insights in his mind, welling up chaotically like tangled threads, making Qi Wuhuo feel dizzy, unable to grasp a clear path at first glance.
It felt as though he could interpret it from this angle, or from that angle—its profundity stretched in myriad directions, impossible to fully grasp.
And yet, it was like glimpsing the vast grand cosmos, an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Utterly unforgettable.
He couldn’t help but offer a heartfelt sigh: “It is exactly as you said.”
Yun Qin, as if receiving the highest form of validation, nodded vigorously. “Right?! I knew this thing was ridiculously difficult!”
Resting her cheeks in her hands, Yun Qin let out a long sigh. “Too difficult.”
So hard to memorize.
The young Daoist nodded in agreement. “Too difficult.”
So hard to master.
He planned to properly meditate on it after ending the [Round Light Manifestation Technique].
There was a vague sense of comprehension within him, yet his understanding always felt fragmented, incomplete.
Even as he idly chatted with Yun Qin, his mind instinctively drifted toward the text. His fingers moved unconsciously, attempting to trace that profound and enigmatic script, just as Yun Qin had done earlier upon the surface of the bronze mirror, writing it out in one seamless stroke before beginning her explanation. Yet despite its seemingly simple strokes, Qi Wuhuo found it immensely difficult to reproduce.
It should have been written in a single fluid motion.
But every time he was done, something felt wrong. Off.
Each time he attempted to write it, new insights surfaced.
He would realize that what he had written before was incorrect.
Meanwhile, the girl finally seemed to set down a great burden in her heart. Her tone lightened as she casually chatted about trivial matters of daily life with her rare friend of the same age.
She spoke of how, thanks to Uncle Niu’s maneuvering and assistance, the issue regarding the method formula had been successfully smoothed over.
She had never expected that Uncle Niu had so many connections and acquaintances, spreading the news like crazy in a short period of time.
He even went so far as to create multiple versions of the [Dao Sovereign Wuhuo’s Sublime Arts Profound Chapter]—fragments, of course—selling them through various channels.
From the Azure Lion of Manjushri Bodhisattva, to the mount of some Daoist Heavenly Venerable, to the Nine-Headed Lion of the Taiyi Salvation Heavenly Venerable.
Even the Tiger-Subduing Arhat’s big cat, which hasn’t left home for 800 years, fell for it.
These few who were particularly fond of collecting ancient books suffered a great loss.
They purchased Uncle Niu’s counterfeits—and were even grateful to him for it.
Thus, not only did the Old Yellow Ox subtly spread the name of Dao Sovereign Wuhuo, allowing it to take root unnoticed…
He also made some money.
And, he even promised Yun Qin that the profits would be split fifty-fifty with Qi Wuhuo.
“You wouldn’t believe it—when Uncle Niu scams people, he doesn’t even turn red!”
“I asked my old man about it.”
“He said, ‘Uncle Niu is a yellow ox. His skin is naturally yellow—of course, he won’t blush.’”
“And he knows so much. Whether it’s about mortal affairs or celestial matters, he always seems to be in the know. Like, for example—lately…”
The girl suddenly paused, glanced around cautiously, and lowered her voice. “Do you know?”
“The Divine Firmament Jade Purity Thunder Mansion is in trouble.”
Qi Wuhuo repeated: “Divine Firmament Jade Purity Thunder Mansion?”
Yun Qin nodded. “Yes. The Thunder Mansion is one of the most authoritative places in all of the Heavenly Court.”
“Mm, Wuhuo, you know this, right?”
“Heaven is divided into thirty-six heavens, and these thirty-six heavens are divided into Nine Firmaments.”
“That’s why people always say [Beyond the Nine Firmaments]—it means something has ascended beyond the Thirty-Six Heavens.”
“The Nine Firmaments consist of [Divine Firmament], [Jasper Firmament], [Luminous Firmament], [Grand Firmament], [Purple Firmament], [Azure Firmament], [Emerald Firmament], [Crimson Firmament], and [Jade Firmament]. They were all established and enlightened by the Shangqing Dao Ancestor, one of the Three Pure Ones. Every bit of spiritual essence within the Nine Firmaments was transformed into human form and accepted as disciples by the Shangqing Patriarch, ultimately cultivating to become Celestial Monarchs and True Lords.”
Qi Wuhuo was stunned. “Enlightening the Firmaments and transforming them into disciples?”
Yun Qin responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Of course! The Shangqing Treasured Text states it clearly—it says that [His Venerable Self opened the Nine Firmaments through the Scarlet Writ of Primordial Chaos].”
“It’s the very thing I taught you. Using the Supreme Scarlet Spirit Script to enlighten the Nine Firmaments!”
The girl suddenly jumped up in joy, but then hesitated, lowering her voice to add:
“Of course, there were six hundred sixty–eight characters of the Supreme Scarlet Spirit Script. I only managed to memorize one.”
“I doubt I could enlighten the Firmaments with just that.”
The young Daoist was momentarily speechless before smiling warmly. “Just this one character is already enough for me to study.”
“You’ve already gone through so much trouble for me.”
“I just never imagined… that the Shangqing Dao Patriarch would take the Firmaments themselves as disciples…”
Yun Qin replied matter-of-factly: “Oh, that? That’s just how the Shangqing Dao Patriarch is. He takes disciples purely based on his whims. Maybe he simply thought the Nine Firmaments had potential, so he enlightened them. Or maybe, he got tired of teaching disciples and stopped. He once said that all things in the world are born from the same Dao essence—if all things come from Dao, then what difference is there between the Nine Firmaments and humans?”
“If humans can seek the Dao, why shouldn’t clouds and mist be able to cultivate as well?”
“The Dao makes no distinctions. The myriad beings born from Dao should have no distinctions either. Only [spiritual nature] creates differences between beings.”
“The Shangqing Dao Patriarch once said—All of my disciples are born of the Great Dao.”
“And in the end, they will perish and return to the Great Dao.”
“If all beings originate from Dao, then why bother with lineage? Why concern oneself with fate and karma?”
“His only concern was teaching what the Dao truly is.”
“If all beings are formed by Dao, then who is unworthy of entering his tutelage?”
“It is nothing more than Dao arising and Dao perishing—such is the way of things.”
“In the end, all shall perish in calamity.”
Qi Wuhuo murmured thoughtfully: “Dao arises, Dao perishes. In the end, all shall perish in calamity…”
These characters contained an immense sense of equality.
His fingers twitched slightly, as if he had gained a different understanding of the Supreme Scarlet Spirit Script that Yun Qin had told him about.
The young girl raised her hand and patted her forehead, saying: “The words of the Shangqing Dao Patriarch are many. If you want to know more, I can look them up for you. But the key point is the Thunder Mansion—the Thunder Mansion!”
“The original Thunder Palace should have been in [Emerald Firmament].”
“Within the Supreme Brahmic Qi of Emerald Firmament, in the Jade Purity True King’s Palace, about 2,300 li from the palace, stands a city with a height of 81 zhang.”
“Officials and envoys held their respective duties, overseeing the birth of all things, commanding the abyssal prisons of the seas, regulating the four seasons, and governing the ascension and descent of yin and yang, recording virtue and punishing evil.”
“Its rank was already of utmost importance, an incredibly, incredibly exalted position! Yet, the Divine Firmament was even more formidable. Divine Firmament was the thirty-sixth heaven, and even the [Divine Firmament Jade Purity Thunder Mansion], which held a status even higher than the [Thunder Palace], was alarmed—naturally, this was an unprecedented event.”
“As for what exactly happened, Wuhuo, do you know?”
Her eyes were filled with the anticipation of sharing news with a friend.
The young Daoist shook his head.
Yun Qin said: “Then we must begin from another matter.”
“It is the rain!”
“Someone has secretly altered the rainfall.”
“Do you understand? At times, rain is not merely rainfall—it represents the shift between righteous and evil qi. The water that falls is merely its outward manifestation.”
Qi Wuhuo recalled the words of an old man he had met before. The elder had once said that with the first rain of the year, the turbid qi would be suppressed, gradually dissipating the accumulated dryness of the past year. Thinking of this, he nodded. Yun Qin then counted on her fingers and continued: “Uncle Niu once said that the first rainfall of the year not only suppresses dryness and epidemic qi but also nourishes and refreshes the clear qi.”
“But this is still considered ordinary. The Water Officials in various regions can handle it themselves.”
“Once every hundred years, a great rainfall is required to cleanse the mortal realm of evil qi. At such times, the dragons of each region must personally summon the clouds and spread the rain.”
“Once every five hundred years, an even greater rainfall occurs.”
“It falls under the jurisdiction of the Water Envoy of the Penglai Department, who commands the officials and enforces its governance.”
“Ah, the Penglai [Department] is a division established by the Heavenly Court. It is specifically responsible for water affairs, overseeing the distribution of clouds and qi, and managing rivers, seas, lakes, and springs.”
“However, it seems that many of the Earth Deities do not heed the commands of the Penglai Department. So, in reality, it only manages cloud dispersion, qi distribution, and the descent of rain, such as the five-hundred-year Great Rain Ritual.”
“This is because the mortal realm undergoes a great transformation every five hundred years. The Heavenly Court does not interfere in worldly affairs, but it does suppress evil qi and unorthodox forces in its own way, to prevent the emergence of fiends and heretical beings. Instead of allowing evil qi to corrode living beings and transform them into monsters before hunting them down, it is better to dispel the evil qi beforehand and maintain peace in the world.”
Qi Wuhuo suddenly recalled the fortune teller and the one who had their fortune read.
“So, is it the five-hundred-year rainfall that has gone awry?”
Yun Qin shook her head. “You’re half right.”
“It is something even greater.”
“Once every 3,600 years, the Lords of Thunder conduct a Grand Rain Ritual, spreading rainfall across the mortal realm to expel demons, drive away evil, and reinforce the world’s righteous qi. This forms a vast formation that requires the cooperation of the gods of mountains, rivers, and waters. However, this time, several key rainfall points failed, causing imperfections in the grand formation… allowing strands of evil qi to escape.”
“At present, Tianyi Great Deity, Diyi Great Deity, Taiyi Great Deity, Yue Du Great Deity, Feilian Great Deity, Houwu Great Deity, Great General Tianyou of the Thunder Division, Xusheng Great General, Yousheng Great General, Taiyi Five Thunder Great Deity, and Zhiyu Jianyu Great Deity, along with 300,000 Heavenly Ding Mighty Warriors and 300,000 Heavenly Armored Troops, have begun using thunder to reinforce the formation and exorcise demons.”
“Uncle Niu said—”
“No matter who it is, no matter their reasons—”
“This matter will be thoroughly investigated.”
PS:
[Penglai Department] and [Thunder Palace] are described in Daoist Canon: Compilation of Daoist Methods, Volume 56 – Supreme Purity Jade Palace Five Thunder Grand Law and Jade Pivot Spiritual Glyphs.
The names of the Thunder Division deities come from Daoist Canon: Compilation of Daoist Methods, Volume 215 – Yuan Emperor Moon Comet Secret Methods.
