Chapter 97
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The young Daoist’s words fell, and the so-called Great Strength Ox King Bodhisattva’s posture froze in an instant, before slowly lowering its head.
Its large, gentle eyes flickered with a trace of light. “The second volume…?”
The young Daoist took out a carefully written scroll and answered:
“Mm. After cultivation, it can make the skin smooth and radiant, the eyes clear and refreshed, and forever free of eye sores.”
The breathing of the ‘Great Strength Ox King Bodhisattva’ suddenly grew rapid. “Smooth and radiant skin, clear and refreshed eyes, forever free of eye sores?!!”
“Mm.”
The young Daoist’s voice was gentle. “Do you want it?”
These three words seemed to carry an indescribable, boundless allure.
Crack, crack—
Yun Qin suddenly heard a strange, continuous series of fine cracking sounds.
She looked around, but when she lifted her head, her expression turned blank with confusion. Behind the Old Yellow Ox, the radiant wisdom halo was splitting apart with crisp cracking noises. His breathing became unsteady. “I—I am a monk, a cultivator. I must not harbor greed. I should—should uphold the precepts, should uphold grand aspirations, and seek to deliver all living beings…”
He regained his statue-like figure once again and resumed his long-eyed, large-stoned form.
“Wealth and desire are nothing more than the struggles of mortals.”
“This humble monk harbors no such worldly cravings.”
The young Daoist moved a finger.
Hua-la—
Like a peacock unfurling its tail, the scroll suddenly expanded—revealing not just one, but five volumes, originally stacked together, now completely spread out.
“I wrote a little more in the later volumes as well.”
The breathing of the Great Strength Ox King Bodhisattva hitched.
In the next moment, a powerful energy surged and exploded forth, its eyes regaining their original divine brilliance.
Crack!!!
The fine cracking noises suddenly became endless, unceasing.
The radiant halo behind him split open straight down the middle, forming a chasm-like crack.
The Old Yellow Ox reached back with one hand, grabbed hold of this massive radiance, and with bulging muscles, let out a furious roar. With a rip-crack, he tore the great halo in half. Then, with a single kick, he overturned the lotus pedestal, flinging the two halves of the radiant halo away. They shot off like blazing streams of light and disappeared in an instant. Gritting his teeth, he roared:
“Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata!!!”
“You damned, balding old monk destined to have no descendants!!!”
“To hell with your schemes! Only a fool would sit on your lotus pedestal!!!”
As if because he uttered that name, a voice drifted in with the wind:
“An old monk takes no wife, has no heirs, so being without descendants is only natural. You’re absolutely right, little ox.”
“So clever, even saying it ahead of time.”
“Such a good boy. Do you want to eat some lotus flowers?”
This slow-tempered old monk, impervious to persuasion, made Old Yellow Ox’s forehead twitch. Then, as if the monk had completely enraged him, he stomped his foot, instantly setting up layers of Pure Realm Barriers, linking them with the Mandala Grand Barrier of the Buddhist Womb Realm, ensuring that neither Yun Qin nor Wuhuo could hear a sound.
Only then did he open his mouth—what followed was a solid incense stick’s worth of time filled with the pure, unfiltered filth of a great demon’s most vile and unspeakable curses.
“You damned baldie, your mother ****”
“I ****”
By the end, the Old Yellow Ox was panting heavily, nearly out of breath.
From beyond the sky, the old monk’s voice remained as slow and unhurried as ever: “Take your time, no need to rush.”
“Do you want some water?”
“Are you hungry? I can pick some lotus flowers for you to eat.”
“What color do you want? A green lotus, or a white lotus?”
The Old Yellow Ox’s fur bristled in fury.
In the end, the old monk seemed to leave, quite satisfied. Even though the ox had cursed for a full incense stick’s time, he now sat on the ground, wiping cold sweat from his brow, looking utterly defeated. “Damn it, that was some real sorcery!”
He cursed under his breath, then quickly turned serious. “Ah, that—Yun Qin, Wuhuo, you two mustn’t learn it.”
“That’s something only adults can say!”
“Children shouldn’t listen to such things.”
Yun Qin nodded seriously, obediently taking his words to heart.
Then, she asked: “Uncle Niu, what happened to you? You scared me to death.”
The Old Yellow Ox let out a long sigh. “Just had a chat with that Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata. Listened to his endless mumbling and ended up getting converted.”
“That old baldhead is even more ridiculous than back in the day.”
“He didn’t even try to convert me, didn’t use any divine powers.”
“But just listening to his words felt like seeing his Dharma. And seeing his Dharma was like walking his path.”
“And in the end, I became like that.”
The Old Yellow Ox’s expression turned solemn. “Among the thirteen branches of Buddhist teachings, that ever-smiling old monk is the most troublesome.”
“But well… as the saying goes, ‘a thief never leaves empty-handed’—ahem, I mean, an ox never leaves empty-hooved! Since this old ox dared to wander over there, how could I return empty-handed? Come, come, take a look at what I got.” His voice suddenly brimmed with smugness. With a casual motion, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a feather. Its aura shimmered and shifted, carrying an extraordinary presence.
“This is the feather of the Buddhist guardian divine beast—the Golden-Winged Garuda.”
“It’s also a strand of its essence.”
“Snatched it right off that Garuda’s head while I was making my getaway!”
“Hah? You’re asking why I had to run?”
“Hmph, this is where experience comes in. You have your dead-end traps, I have my escape routes. I knew that old bald donkey was planning to convert me, so I planted a seed of inner discord in myself beforehand. When the time came, I took advantage of that old thief’s distraction and turned tail! With my reputation in the Demon Kingdom, how could I leave empty-handed? Of course, I had to grab something from that manifested Golden-Winged Garuda before I left.”
“That thing isn’t the same lineage as our Great Roc.”
“It just happens to look similar, so people also call it a Golden-Winged Peng. You can use this to temper that little bird egg of yours.”
“Uncle Niu treats you well, doesn’t he?”
The Old Yellow Ox puffed up with pride.
Yun Qin let out a breath of relief.
The young Daoist, on the other hand, was speechless.
The Old Yellow Ox coughed lightly and asked: “So, about those remaining parts…”
Qi Wuhuo replied: “Actually, they’re not finished yet.”
“Just now, I only wanted to help you regain clarity. But after that, I’ll definitely give them to you, Uncle Niu.”
The Old Yellow Ox burst into hearty laughter. “Good, good! That’s what I like to hear—wouldn’t want to waste all my kindness on you two for nothing. Ah, right. The things you wanted, Uncle Niu has already prepared them for you. Part of it, I can give you now. But for the rest, it’s a bit sturdier.”
“I’ll have to head to the Thunder Department and find a few familiar Thunder Gods and Fire Lords.”
“Borrow one of their Tribulation-Hounds to refine it in lightning and fire.”
“Do you know about the Tribulation Hound? It’s a type of hound. Those from the Thunder and Fire Divisions love raising them. Whenever they go out to summon lightning, they always bring along the [Rain Worker] and the [Tribulation Hound]. The [Rain Worker] is an exotic beast resembling a sheep—just a single rub against it, and thunder is born. As for the Tribulation Hound, it consumes fire and excretes fire as well.”
“Hahaha, you say you can refine pills too?”
“Uncle Niu naturally knows that you can refine pills, but this won’t work.”
The Old Yellow Ox kindly reassured the puzzled young Daoist, saying: “The materials we gathered—all those creatures are quite resilient. Being impervious to water and fire is merely a trivial matter for them. Forget about your fire—even the flames condensed and unleashed with a cultivator’s own Primordial Qi wouldn’t be enough to burn their bodies. The fire of the Tribulation Hound, on the other hand, is one of the thunderfires. Only through rolling and tempering within it can one achieve extraordinary results.”
“When the time comes, Uncle Niu will personally send it back to you.”
“As for this, I’ll reverse the ritual altar later and send it over to you.”
The Old Yellow Ox fumbled through his robe sleeves and pulled out several small bottles, saying: “This one—this belongs to Nine-Headed Lion Primordial Lord. This one was brought to me by the subordinates of the Southern Vermillion Bird Divine Lord. Ah, and this here—it’s a feather shed by the Vermillion Bird itself. I paid a great price for it! That old phoenix, who should’ve been losing feathers ages ago, is still ridiculously vain—he cherishes every single plume on his body.”
“Especially the tail feathers. It’s said that each one has a name. Who knows if that’s true or not? I spent a hefty sum acquiring this.”
“And this—this carries the aura of the Golden-Winged Garuda.”
“This one is the lotus seed of the Green-Eyed Peacock Great Bright King.”
“And this one…”
The Old Yellow Ox listed off several more materials in one breath—all infused with the essence of various exotic beasts. Then he said: “But Wuhuo, you must remember—[Fortune lies in human effort, not in destiny]. Those objects will strengthen the foundation, while these here can be gradually fed to its spiritual nature. In time, they will bring great benefits.”
After all, the old ox had once been born of a great demon lineage.
These were the methods of the great demons of the demon race.
The foundation can be changed, but the state of mind cannot.
If that weak little peacock can endure a few rounds of refinement by Qi cleansing, then at the very least, its mental resilience should improve. It wouldn’t be so frightened at the mere presence of a creature with a trace of noble blood, trembling all over and fleeing in panic, would it? Otherwise, wouldn’t that expose the lie I, this old ox, painstakingly crafted? But how much of the aura that little peacock can endure—even I, Old Yellow Ox, do not know.
If it truly proves to be of no worth, then there’s nothing more that can be done.
Thus, a ritual altar was once again set up, and those items were delivered to the young Daoist.
As for how to operate and use them, a round of instructions naturally followed. Then came countless reminders—if he were to create a new spell, he must seek out Uncle Niu to handle it, ensuring absolute safety. Absolute safety, no exceptions.
Uncle Niu—utterly reliable!
The young Daoist smiled and agreed. Only then did Old Yellow Ox revert to his usual honest and simple demeanor. After concluding the [Round Light Manifestation Technique], he wasted no time, shouldering his belongings and heading straight to the Thunder Mansion to seek out the [Three-Five Fire Spirit Great General] and borrow his Tribulation Hound for a task. Meanwhile, Yun Qin, seeing Old Yellow Ox behaving as usual, finally let out a sigh of relief.
Leisurely, she made her way to the Shangqing Library Pavilion. Recently, she had passed the Danhua Fuying Celestial Monarch’s examination, officially becoming a disciple within the sect. With heavy coursework, she needed to intensify her cultivation. Moreover, Qi Wuhuo’s actions had placed great pressure on her. Originally, she should have been at the ‘Heavenly River Washing My Feet’, daydreaming in peace. But just thinking about how that young Daoist was diligently cultivating, creating incantations and divine abilities, she felt that she should also read more books.
Yet today, upon arriving, she found that the Qingyang Miaodao Heavenly Lord was absent.
Curious, she took a few steps forward and walked into the second level.
At first, she was surprised, but then she recalled the black-clothed Daoist who was always slacking off and sleeping. With that thought, she happily continued on, just as before, ignoring the rows of glowing jade slips on either side for the second time and heading straight to the innermost area.
Sure enough, she saw that black-clothed Daoist sitting cross-legged atop a Taiji Diagram. That Daoist always seemed so lazy and carefree. He had been dozing off, but when startled awake, he showed no annoyance. Instead, he simply smiled and said:
“Haah… as expected, it’s you again, little one.”
“The first time, you came looking for the [Scroll of Flowers, Birds, Fish, and Insects], but there was nothing you wanted nearby.”
“But this is the second time—why don’t you take a look at the incantations around you?”
The girl replied as if it were obvious: “I didn’t come here to seek techniques or divine abilities, so why would I stop to look at them?”
“I just came to find you.”
The black-clothed Daoist clapped his hands and laughed. “You came to find me? Hahaha, good.”
“And what do you need me for?”
He was already prepared to reach out and take out a gift.
But who would have thought—the girl was faster this time.
She cast a divine ability, drawing a wooden box from her sleeve. A small jade bird on the lid exhaled a wisp of cold air. Then, as she opened it, inside lay crystal-clear osmanthus cakes. “We agreed on this—I was supposed to bring you some. But a few days ago, when I came looking for you, you weren’t here, so fate didn’t allow you to taste them. Today, I happened to get some from a friend.”
“I’ll share them with you, Uncle!”
The middle-aged Daoist, dressed in black robes, refined and naturally composed, couldn’t help but smile.
He even felt an urge to chuckle.
Interesting. Truly interesting.
To think that someone who had the fate to meet him twice and not take a gift from him—but instead, offer him one.
Yet, just as he reached out to take the osmanthus cake, his gaze lifted toward Yun Qin, sensing a faint wisp of aura clinging to her.
He had already noticed it before.
But he had been sleeping too comfortably and was too lazy to bother investigating.
Who had comprehended the Supreme Scarlet Spirit Script? And even grasped the method of Lingbao?
The black-clothed Daoist lazily glanced at her. He had no need to divine fate—just a casual look at the faint aura left behind was enough to glimpse countless images.
He saw many regrets in the mortal world. He saw that youth murmuring as he refined the red dust into a Lingbao.
Finally, he saw that young Daoist sweep his sleeve, issuing a decree that dispersed the lingering intent.
“It is the Dao of Lingbao.”
“But it is not my Dao.”
“To observe without seizing. To follow my own heart.”
The black-clothed Daoist raised an eyebrow.
Meanwhile, the girl cheerfully introduced her pastries, explaining that osmanthus cakes came in different textures—the clearer ones had a better mouthfeel, while the less translucent ones often had a richer flavor. The best way to eat them, she said, was to alternate—a bite of something light and sweet, then a bite of something rich and fragrant, finishing with a sip of tea to bring out the delicate sweetness.
Seated upon the Taiji Diagram, the refined Daoist picked up a piece and placed it in his mouth, chewing slowly. The sweetness melted on his tongue, and he smiled approvingly.
But when his gaze shifted to the girl’s lingering aura—to the imprint left by that young Daoist—
His smile became something deeper, something not quite a smile.
“To look upon what is mine, yet take nothing?”
“Interesting… quite interesting…”
