Chapter 27
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Chapter 27: Senior, Please Save Me
“Daoist friend, you guessed correctly. This opportunity to become a saint truly concerns the Ziwei Saint,” said Ye Xu.
Yang Xuanzhan grew unbearably excited.
The Ziwei Saint’s origins were mysterious, and his power was formidable. Otherwise, thirty thousand years ago, he wouldn’t have provoked the united front of the Southern Sea’s saints, who forced him into exile in the Southern Wilderness.
What Yang Xuanzhan did not know, however, was that the Ziwei Saint had been severely injured and shortly after, met his end.
The Ziwei Saint’s cave residence lay within the Southern Wilderness.
For over thirty thousand years, no one had discovered his place of passing, clearly indicating it was exceedingly well-hidden, concealed within another space-time.
“System, inquire about the Ziwei Saint’s cave.”
Ding!
[Cave of the Ziwei Saint: Thirty thousand years ago, the Ziwei Saint was severely wounded by the united efforts of the Southern Wilderness’s saints. Twenty-three years later, he passed away at Mount Taicang.]
[Within the saint’s cave lies a Holy-tier formation, the Big Dipper Killing Array. The cave contains the remains of the Ziwei Saint, an inner world…]
Twenty thousand heavenly secrets points were immediately deducted. Ye Xu’s heavenly secrets points became sixty-eight thousand.
Ye Xu felt a pang of regret.
“Then… Senior, may I ask where the Ziwei Saint’s cave is?” Yang Xuanzhan inquired cautiously.
“This jade slip,” Ye Xu said, “records the location of the Ziwei Saint’s cave, as well as the method to dismantle the Big Dipper Killing Array.” As he spoke, a jade slip flew towards Yang Xuanzhan.
Yang Xuanzhan was overjoyed.
“I thank the Senior for your guidance.”
Yang Xuanzhan bowed deeply until his hands touched the ground. “If this junior achieves sainthood, I will certainly return to pay my respects.”
Having said that, Yang Xuanzhan prepared to leave Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.
“Wait.”
Ye Xu spoke slowly.
“Does the Senior have instructions?” Yang Xuanzhan asked, puzzled. He stopped in his tracks and turned his gaze to Ye Xu.
“Daoist friend, fortune resides in misfortune, and misfortune lurks within fortune,” Ye Xu said cryptically. “For you, attaining sainthood now might not be good news.”
Hearing this, Yang Xuanzhan’s brow immediately furrowed, his heart tightening and hovering mid-air.
“Senior, please speak plainly,” Yang Xuanzhan said, cupping his hands in salute.
“Very well,” Ye Xu sighed lightly. “In recognition of your sincerity, I shall reveal one more thing to you.”
“Your attempt to become a saint this time very likely carries the peril of death.”
“Maintaining the status quo might still allow you to cling to life.”
Yang Xuanzhan’s pupils abruptly constricted. He regarded Ye Xu’s words as absolute truth, believing them without the slightest doubt. These words stripped the joy from his face, leaving only fear behind.
“Senior, how… how can this be?” Yang Xuanzhan asked desperately.
Compared to the grand plan of achieving sainthood, preserving one’s life was naturally more important.
If he were dead, what use would achieving sainthood be?
"There are two Saints in Xuanfu Palace, correct?" Ye Xu inquired.
Yang Xuanzhan, puzzled by the question, gave a firm nod.
"What does this have to do with Xuanfu Palace?" Yang Xuanzhan asked, confused.
"One of these Saints is named Jade Sky Saint," Ye Xu continued lightly. "He cultivated the Tai Chi Yuanfu Sutra, became a Saint twelve hundred years ago, and is currently at the early stages of the saint realm. Am I right?"
"Young Master sees clearly. My Uncle Master, Jade Sky, indeed attained sainthood twelve hundred years ago," Yang Xuanzhan confirmed.
"The other Saint is your own master, Gu Lingxiao," Ye Xu stated plainly. "The problem lies with him."
"My master?" Yang Xuanzhan was incredulous. "My master is related to my death? This is impossible."
"I was taken as a disciple by my master when I was very young. I am his only direct disciple. He treated me like a son, imparting all his skills to me. How could he possibly harm me?"
Yang Xuanzhan struggled to accept Ye Xu’s answer.
"There is no need for haste," Ye Xu remarked lightly, smiling. "I will explain the reasons to you."
"Xuanfu Palace possesses two Holy tier techniques. One of them is the Tai Chi Yuanfu Sutra, created by the founding patriarch, Xuanfu Saint. Correct?"
Yang Xuanzhan nodded blankly. This was common knowledge across the Southern Wilderness, hardly a secret.
"The second Holy tier technique," Ye Xu’s tone shifted, becoming sharp, "is the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra. The problem lies with the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra."
Yang Xuanzhan looked up. This was the very technique he cultivated.
After the first founding patriarch of Xuanfu Palace ascended, a prodigy rose to prominence. This man, named Lu Fengming, became Xuanfu Palace’s second Saint.
Having mastered the Tai Chi Yuanfu Sutra completely yet unable to progress further, Lu Fengming dedicated his entire life to forging a new path and created the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra.
Despite this achievement, Lu Fengming failed to advance beyond his current state. He eventually exhausted his lifespan and passed away within Xuanfu Palace.
However, though Lu Fengming died, his Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra was preserved. Over more than a hundred thousand years, it produced eight Saints for Xuanfu Palace.
The Tai Chi Yuanfu Sutra, in contrast, had only produced five Saints.
The technique pioneered by Lu Fengming clearly surpassed that of the founding patriarch.
Yang Xuanzhan’s lineage had always practiced the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra.
"Young Master," Yang Xuanzhan asked cautiously, "are you implying my death stems from the conflict between these two lineages?"
Ye Xu shook his head.
"I have already told you," Ye Xu stared at Yang Xuanzhan, "the one who will bring about your death is your master." A low chuckle escaped him. "Do you wish to know exactly who your master really is?"
Yang Xuanzhan frowned; he certainly knew the background of his master, but Ye Xu’s words obviously had a different meaning.
"Please be clear, Senior."
"The root cause was Lu Fengming, the creator of the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra. Your master, now known as Gu Lingxiao, is Lu Fengming," Ye Xu declared emphatically.
"Impossible!"
Yang Xuanzhan could not believe it; this was absurd.
Lu Fengming had been dead for over a hundred thousand years; how could he have become his master?
Looking at the distraught Yang Xuanzhan, Ye Xu sighed with pity.
If it were him, he would not believe it either.
But the Heavenly Secrets revealed, and they absolutely could not be wrong.
Yang Xuanzhan’s master was indeed Lu Fengming.
"Everything starts from one hundred and seventy thousand years ago, with this Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra,"
Ye Xu narrated smoothly.
"One hundred and seventy thousand years ago, Lu Fengming cultivated the Tai Chi Yuanfu Sutra but encountered a bottleneck; his cultivation level stopped at saint level perfection, unable to advance further to Saint King.
Thus, he created the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra.
As the name implies, practicing this method brings nine tribulations; passing through nine nirvanas allows one to transcend and become a saint."
Yang Xuanzhan trembled.
Ye Xu’s analysis was completely accurate.
"But for the creator, those who cultivate the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra are his nourishment. Once they become saints, Lu Fengming will devour them.
Devouring one is clearly insufficient; he must devour nine to break the bottleneck and advance to Saint King.
Now, he has already devoured the eighth.
You are about to be the ninth."
Yang Xuanzhan’s mind roared; he had completely lost control of his thoughts. His whole body collapsed to the ground like a pool of sludge; he dared not think further.
Painstakingly, the master who raised him from childhood had actually treated him as nourishment, solely waiting for him to become a saint before devouring him outright.
The truth was too cruel.
If Yang Xuanzhan had not experienced the great terror of life and death, his mind likely would have shattered.
Even so, Yang Xuanzhan remained on the verge of collapse.
"You may recall that when Lu Fengming was alive, the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra produced its first saint. Thirty years later, Lu Fengming passed away.
After the third saint emerged who practiced the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra, the previous one also perished thirty years later.
This was because Lu Fengming needed thirty years to fully consume the disciple’s divine soul, spiritual essence, and laws, to achieve his goal of occupying nests."
Ye Xu spoke calmly, but his heart surged with turmoil.
In this fantasy world, the strong preyed on the weak; compared to his previous life’s world, it was more naked and cruel.
Here, the powerful held the truth.
By now, Yang Xuanzhan fully trusted Ye Xu’s account.
Ye Xu’s words matched reality perfectly.
"Then what should I do?"
Yang Xuanzhan’s lips quivered, with both fear and anger; the master he had revered throughout his life had actually been a demon who occupied nests and murdered successors.
This caused Yang Xuanzhan’s beliefs to crumble.
"Senior, please save me!"
Yang Xuanzhan prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing in absolute submission.
