Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

On the third day of awakening the cauldron, the disciples of each palace gathered outside early to wait for their Master to come out.

As Gong Wu opened her spiritual vision, she saw the once dusty Duan Gan Ding now floating in the air, its outline glowing with a deep golden light.

Before the appointed time, Master Ancestor suddenly opened his eyes.

"Begin!"

The higher-ranking disciples immediately tossed the Three-Colored Offerings into the cauldron, while the six Masters simultaneously shifted and stepped out of the formation.

Gong Wu pondered how they would refine their offerings without fire, then stood on her toes to look down and noticed that the blood slots connected to numerous strands of spiritual energy had already ignited fiercely beneath the cauldron.

Different inner powers gathered entirely on Master Ancestor, who refined them and injected them into the altar, melting all the offerings within the cauldron.

She had helped prepare these three items earlier.

The five elements corresponded to five colors: wood represented green plum branches, earth represented yellow clam mud, and water represented black swamp liquid.

Not long after, spiritual mist began to rise from the cauldron, hovering without dissipating, like a swarm of bees resting above it.

Disciples not involved gathered to watch the spectacle while the Masters who had exited the formation either stepped back or left steadily.

Tu Xuixin walked weakly, and Ji Yang supported him, grimacing as he looked at Gong Wu. The little girl, understanding the situation, raised the Food Box.

"Master! Food!"

The three of them seemed detached from the bustling crowd and found a clean step to sit down and eat. Lifting the lid revealed tender, oily pig trotter sprinkled with sesame.

Tu Xuixin took the chopsticks, downed three cups of hot yellow wine, and quickly dug into his food, eating in a hurry.

Ji Yang crouched down to pat Master’s back.

"Don’t mind me," Tu Xuixin said, "Stand up quickly; your Master Ancestor is about to ignite the flowers to inquire about souls."

No sooner had he spoken than a line of remarkably handsome disciples approached, carrying flowers. Each held a clean plate adorned with dew-covered flower wreaths of varying lengths.

In the southwest, flowers and trees flourished, and people loved wearing floral hairpins. In spring, the valleys bloomed with hundreds of flower varieties, all reaching toward the sun.

Master Ancestor closed his eyes and casually picked up a cluster of camellias, placing them before the altar. With a simple touch, spiritual fire ignited.

To the naked eye, the pure white petals appeared to undergo an incredible shriveling, burning like a stick of incense.

Gong Wu handed a handkerchief to her Master to wipe his mouth and heard Master Ancestor’s deep voice reciting a prayer.

"Virtue as the bones, the path as the body, I summon Duan Gan to enlighten and command the Bi’an—"

Though he seemed far from them, his aged voice echoed in everyone’s ears, making their chests resonate.

"I ask why the Eye Serpent Plague arose, and I ask who caused Lin Aoshuang’s tragic death!"

Before his words faded, the flames on the camellia intensified, burning at a speed several times greater!

Gong Wu gasped in shock and softly asked, "Master, what happens if the questions aren’t fully stated before the flower burns out?"

"It will backfire on the owner." Tu Xuixin picked up his second bowl of rice and finally allowed himself to take a bite of stir-fried bok choy. "Can we switch to a bigger bowl?"

At the same time, the blue smoke above the spiritual cauldron changed abruptly, resembling an intricate portrait being drawn with varying shades!

Ink bamboo patterned silver robes, southern pearl gold crowns, willow leaf brows, almond eyes, even a mole on the right cheek was depicted.

This spiritual cauldron could indeed distinguish grievances and identify the real culprit hidden within the fog!

Master Ancestor took a step back, his reaction markedly different from the younger disciples.

"Is it really him…"

"How is that possible?! No way!"

The crowd quickly parted like a tide, with some shouting about his whereabouts, anxious to prevent the suspect from escaping in the chaos.

Gong Wu stood beside her Master and instantly felt countless stares directed at her—not at her specifically but at her side.

She nervously tightened her sleeves, wishing to lean closer to her Master, but when she looked ahead, she abruptly saw a face formed by the swirling blue smoke above the cauldron.

Everything was identical to Tu Xuixin except for the mole.

Master Ancestor stood on the other side of the cauldron, his face pale, while the side Masters who witnessed everything shared complex expressions.

Tu Xuixin sat on the steps, still eating the bok choy, calmly wiping his mouth as hundreds of eyes stared at him.

"Master, please explain to them that I have an older brother."

The young disciples understood the situation, murmuring in realization.

However, the older generation remained tense, not easing their emotions.

As the flower burned down to nothing, the blue smoke suddenly dissipated.

The wilted flower ashes fell onto the tiles, slowly transforming into floating dust carried away by the wind.

Using his cane, Master Ancestor walked step by step toward Tu Xuixin and said solemnly, "But your brother has already died."

"Ninety-two years ago, we all witnessed it, did we not?"

Tu Xuixin had cleaned his fingers and stood up to face his Master’s oppressive gaze.

"Master, this has nothing to do with me." He spoke calmly, "I am an alchemist and cannot learn these deceptive tricks."

"If you do not believe me, you can strip me of my cultivation and see if future chaos is quelled."

"It can’t be him!" Cheng Ji rushed out from the crowd, still bearing a sorrowful expression. "Master, you and I both know Xuixin’s nature; it’s absolutely not him!"

"Could it be that someone is secretly sabotaging and deceiving the cauldron?! Master, please investigate this thoroughly!"

As Master Donglu pleaded, more and more voices joined in support, one after another.

In no time, a flurry of conspiracy theories began to surface.

Some claimed his brother was not dead at all, while others suggested that outsiders were sowing discord.

Amidst the cacophony of voices, Master Ancestor stepped forward and forcefully rubbed his thumb across Tu Xuixin’s face.

The old man’s immense spiritual energy caused the lower-ranking disciples nearby to feel uneasy, instinctively stepping back.

Though Ji Yang and Gong Wu also felt their hearts racing, they stood firm beside their Master.

He rubbed once more, but still, there was no trace of the mole.

Master Ancestor lowered his gaze and released Tu Xuixin, murmuring, "One year of confinement. No contact with outsiders."

Tu Xuixin sighed softly and nodded, casting a worried glance at his two disciples.

"Senior sister, please look after these two children."

Cheng Ji nodded firmly, his expression filled with reluctance.

With the Master’s decree issued, Tu Xuixin was to be confined in the Duan Gan Ding, cut off from all communication with the outside world.

The tower was specifically designed for such confinement, equipped with a well for water and storage for grain, and surrounded by a sealing Magical Formation. Higher-ranking disciples took turns guarding it in three shifts each day.

Though the situation was shrouded in mystery, Duan Gan Ding placed the blame squarely on Tu Xuixin, leaving little room for others to plead on his behalf.

Tu Xuixin changed into simple robes for meditation and made his way to the tower. Many came to see him off, including Master Ancestor.

…After all, it was a bond forged over a hundred years of master and disciple.

He stood before the towering structure, glancing first at his Master, then at his two disciples.

"Master, may I speak a few words to them?"

Master Ancestor nodded and cautioned, "No whispering."

"Understood."

Tu Xuixin adjusted Ji Yang’s collar and smiled faintly. "It’s fortunate that you’ve awakened early and discussed your future cultivation with the Master."

"The Path of Emotionless demands the severing of emotional roots and the abandonment of all attachments. Few have ever succeeded in this since ancient times."

"But once achieved, one ascends to immortality, preserving both body and divine consciousness, transcending the Three Paths."

Ji Yang, who usually met his Master’s gaze with a smile, now frowned and remained silent.

Tu Xuixin shook his head gently.

"It’s still a long way off."

He turned to Gong Wu, studying her for a long moment before uttering just four words.

"Live well."

Gong Wu understood the deeper meaning behind her Master’s words and nodded softly in acknowledgment.

As expected, after Master Ji Qing was sealed within the spiritual tower, the situation showed no signs of improvement.

Patients afflicted with the Eye Serpent Plague continued to deteriorate, and the disease began to spread beyond the region, alarming even the distant authorities. Letters pleading for remedies were sent, as everyone worked together to suppress the growing crisis.

Earlier, people merely suspected that there were external enemies with malicious schemes, and the related speculations intensified after Ji Qing was sealed in the tower.

—What kind of powerful figure could even deceive Master Ancestor’s spiritual cauldron!

Seeing that this illness was draining people’s vitality, could it be that people from the Demon Realm were behind this?!

Master Ancestor did not dare to be careless. He summoned the precious Wuzhen Duheng Cauldron stored in the valley and led his disciples to concoct medicines to save lives.

In no time, villagers used donkeys and mules to carry the herbs they gathered to help, while government officials and servants hurriedly came to gather information, fearing that this disaster would spread and deepen.

This illness was truly strange.

The younger and stronger individuals were the ones more easily drained of their energy and blood, withering away and dying.

Instead, the Master of Yuncang Palace came up with a unique method, using poisonous herbs to bring patients to the brink of death and providing healing treatment only after the Eye Serpent Plague had receded.

When they tried this method, it proved effective.

As soon as the patients weakened to near death, the Eye Serpent Plague quickly subsided, as if it found little value remaining to extract from its hosts.

However, this poisonous remedy required precise control of the dosage according to different bodies; a misstep could easily lead to someone being poisoned to death ahead of time.

Master Ancestor summoned the medicinal cauldron to brew a good cure for thousands of people, going many days without sleep.

As the fifth day of the fifth month approached, the situation was finally about to change.

The Dragon Boat Festival was the day when plant medicine potency was at its peak; there was a folk saying, "On Dragon Boat Day, herbs cover the land; eat some grass and all ailments will heal."

The day before had seen heavy rain, and today the sun blazed down to dispel toxins—things couldn’t have been better.

Gong Wu followed behind Master Donglu to learn about preparing medicine, and while weary, she lifted her gaze to look at the sun.

In that moment, she spotted a swarm of dark shadows flying across the sky, resembling a group of crows!

At the same time, many disciples practicing in the courtyard also saw this strange occurrence and quickly whistled sharply.

"Form a formation!! Defend against the enemy!!"

"Hurry, report to all the palaces, form a formation!!"

"People from the Demon Realm have come, quickly shield those patients—"

In the urgent cries, dozens of disciples soared into the air, rising high up while holding magical tools and quickly setting up a defensive formation.

The dark shadows soon approached and revealed themselves to be a group of cavalry, with battle flags fluttering!

A man cackled loudly and arrogantly proclaimed, "The Abyss Master celebrates his birthday, quickly present your gifts!"

As soon as he spoke, over a thousand black armored soldiers shouted loudly in response.

"—May the Abyss Master have a long and unchanging life!!!"

In the midst of this challenge, the two Masters had already flown forward, one wielding a sword and the other holding a talisman, not daring to be negligent.

"The little valley has no wealth or treasures; please, noble one, be merciful!"

The commander glanced disdainfully, agreeing somewhat.

"You are indeed quite poor."

"However, your failure to celebrate the Abyss Master’s birthday over the years has been a great disrespect!"

He idly picked at his nails, tilting his neck dismissively.

"I think that medicinal cauldron looks quite impressive. Do you wish to apologize on your own, or shall we proceed with the formalities and allow my people to rush in and seize it?"

Seize? Deliver? What nonsense!

Once Moonfire Valley falls into a disadvantage, how much extortion and plundering from the evil path will they endure in the future!

Even if it costs them their lives today, they must protect everyone in the valley!

The leading Master roared in anger and charged forward!