Chapter 1289: Having Chosen The Exclusive Position (II)

"

Ah?

"

Ning Wan finally felt the sound of wind, louder even than the earlier thunder. Her clothes fluttered as the old man shot out of the cave dwelling with a whoosh. Ning Wan did not even have time to react. She turned her head blankly and watched Si Boxiu soar into the sky.

Si Boxiu flew higher and higher. His flight was not straight southward, but like a nimble bird, circling in arcs as he angled obliquely toward the south. The old man used neither mana nor divine ability. He merely held his arms level at his sides, carefully maintaining his balance as he gradually became a black dot on the horizon.

Jade green rain fell from the sky. Ning Wan stood amid the swaying wind and rain, her robes fluttering. She extended one hand, palm facing upward, catching the jade green rainwater. Fear still lingered in her pupils, yet an ever deepening look of confusion welled up on her face.

The rainwater quickly gathered into a small pool of green liquid in her palm. The woman stared blankly and murmured, "Pristine Water... how is this possible... This is Clear Dusk Rain. Why is it falling... Why is Clear Dusk Rain falling?! This is Orthodox Wood!"

Yet she had no time to dwell on her doubts. Si Boxiu, the Purple Mansion Realm Grand Daoist Master of the Azure Pond Sect, the great consummator of the Orthodox Wood Dao in this age, and the foremost talisman master of Jiangnan, was seeking Fruition Attainment today.

She raised her hand and flicked her finger. The great bell at the side immediately began to sway.

Clang, clang, clang...

The rapid tolling of the bell rang throughout the entire Mount Azure Pond range. Panicked footsteps rang out, drawing ever closer. Ning Wan stood on the mountain peak, gazing at the drifting jade colored rainwater.

Sect Master Tantai Jin almost crawled and rolled as he bowed before her, without the slightest hesitation or doubt, saying in fear, "Greetings, Daoist Master!"

Ning Wan lowered her gaze slightly and instructed, "You are the sect master. Whether to see the senior off or to broaden your understanding, you should go with me."

————

Southern Sea, Northern Dan.

Waves surged violently at the Ten Thousand Mile Stone Pond. When Ning Wan tore open the great void and descended, winds rose and dense dark clouds churned across the sky.

She raised her head to see black dots circling in the sky. Layer after layer of cultivators stood suspended in the air, gazing toward the heavens with reverence and fear.

The waters of the entire sea region surged as wave after wave spiraled across the surface. The sky grew dark and the spirit winds became increasingly difficult to ride. Cultivators kept falling from the air, and all colors grew ever dimmer. Only streak after streak of brilliant divine ability dharma light shot out from the great void, hanging suspended in midair.

Ning Wan stood in place as fierce winds swept past her. Beside her, Tantai Jin looked shaken. He stared at the circling black dots at the horizon, his mind completely blank,

Senior Yuanxiu... is he attaining the Dao? Why is it so fast?!

Yet he had no time to think further. The snow clouds beneath his feet were already rising. Thunder rumbled across the sky. Looking into the distance, Tantai Jin saw brilliant multicolored lights rising amid the fierce winds and dark clouds. Dozens of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators surrounded the Stone Pond Sea, advancing side by side as they ascended together into the heights.

Dense, fine sounds began to fill his ears, deafening in their chaos. Tantai Jin noticed jade colored rain beginning to fall from the sky. By now, they had risen to an extreme height, nearing the zenith. Only then did he see the old man circling in the air.

This... old senior...

The Yuanxiu Tantai Jin had known was always meticulous and precise, yet now he was hunched over, spreading his arms as he soared through the air. His eyes were frighteningly large, with several black crickets crawling within his pupils, while branches and leaves sprouted all over his body, filling any onlooker with dread.

Senior Yuanxiu!

Tantai Jin watched in silence. He had not been sent here on short notice. Yuanxiu and Yuandao had made arrangements long ago. When Tantai Jin was six years old, his path had already been decided, and he had taken Yuanxiu as his master. He revered this old man even more than his father, who had spent most of his years in seclusion.

Yet the old man who had once lifted him up from among the many Tantai children seemed to have vanished long ago. Tantai Jin looked at the sky filled with shadows of divine abilities, his vision swimming, while Ning Wan suddenly lifted her head and glanced to the side, where two indistinct, blurred figures landed one after the other upon the clouds.

Ning Wan knew that people from the Underworld had arrived. Si Boxiu's condition was abnormal, so naturally no one went to receive them. Yet the two showed no concern, gazing from afar at the circling Si Boxiu, as one of them said, "What tremendous audacity!"

The other let out a sigh, his voice sharp, "He was truly aided by the heavens. Who would dare scrape against Lord Du's[1] Pristine Water inherent rank like this? It is only because several lords are in the Outer Heavens at this moment, unable to spare attention, that he has managed to borrow a bit of the power of Pristine Water. Otherwise, how could one speak of his courage? It is nothing more than courage."

Ning Wan listened quietly, when a gentle voice arose from her other side, "He was also driven to desperation. Without this, how could he seek the Dao?"

"

Hm?

" Ning Wan was startled. She was now a dignified Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. How could someone approach her without her knowing? Her figure instantly dissolved into ice and snow, paused for a brief moment, then condensed again at the same spot. She spoke in slight embarrassment, "Greetings, grand uncle master."

The man in a green robe with golden tassels turned his face slightly toward her. He seemed carefree and transcendent as a faint blue green light glimmered in his pupils, giving him an air more sinister than immortal. He smiled faintly and replied, "Chougui Hidden Form."

Ning Wan had seen him in her youth. It was none other than the long missing Chi Buzi. She nodded awkwardly. Chi Buzi was clearly explaining how he had suddenly appeared at her side. Now that he was a Grand Daoist Master, there was truly nothing Ning Wan could do besides stand respectfully by his side.

The entire Chi Family was exterminated while Chi Zhiyun was dug out of his cave dwelling and killed, yet none of that could make this Grand Daoist Master move a single step. Only when Grand Daoist Master Si sought a breakthrough, with no prior sign at all, is it clear that he had already been waiting in the Southern Sea.

Chi Buzi did not spare even a glance for the two Underworld emissaries beside him, leaving them hanging like air as he said quietly, "Ning Wan. Not bad. You have also reached the Purple Mansion Realm. It seems Senior Yuansu's spiritual endowment was quite abundant to benefit you as well."

Ning Wan felt the hairs all over her body stand on end as she almost turned to flee. Yet Chi Buzi softly laughed twice. This man's Dao was merciless and his nature cold and cruel, yet his laughter sounded pleasant as he said, "You need not be afraid. I do not covet this trifling thing of the senior."

"The Orthodox Wood Dao. Do you know what it is called?"

Ning Wan naturally did not dare to leave. She could not discern the other party's intent and hesitated as she shook her head. A smile appeared on Chi Buzi's face as he explained, "Dui Metal is the orthodox position of Shenyou Metal. Orthodox Wood is the orthodox position of Yi Wood. Its full name is the Orthodox Maoxun[2] Wood Exclusive Position. Just hearing the name tells you it is upright and uncompromising. To seek this position while hoping to patch it up with substitutions or side paths can only be a fool's dream.

"And yet, the Orthodox Wood Dao has only been sparingly passed down. Forget five Daos, gathering even three is extremely difficult. The Sima Family has held one such Dao for so many years, yet no one has ever attained Fruition through it.

"And so Senior Yuanxiu could only seek an Intercalary Position. Though I do not know where he obtained the Pristine Water, he intends to use Pristine Water to harmonize Orthodox Wood in hopes of attaining a Dao of Wood Virtue."

Only then did he raise his brows. A trace of melancholy lay between them as he added quietly, "With neither certainty nor a method to seek metal, relying solely on a wisp of conjecture, there was nothing left but to fill this Dao with his own body."

Ning Wan lowered her head silently, yet the storm brought forth by the old man in the sky grew ever more terrifying. He raised his head, both eyes bulging as he stared straight into the heavens. His lips worked, and at last he spat out that index finger.

The moment the finger flew out, it transformed into an infant, then in an instant into a youth, and in another instant into a vigorous young man. His appearance was seventy percent similar to Si Boxiu, and was almost certainly his younger self. The two stirred their divine abilities and sat facing each other. Wood and water converged in the sky, trembling without end.

After a long while, the indistinct figure beside Ning Wan finally looked away and shook his head with some disappointment. He took out an item, seemingly some kind of net like object, concealed it in his hand, and merely said, "What a pity. He did not know that the thing could only be expelled after it had fully formed."

The other watched coldly and replied, "How could he know? He is not Lord Du, after all. How many such people exist? Lord Du achieved success by learning the methods of predecessors. He has no Dao transmission. To merely borrow Pristine Water already counts as remarkable.

"And even if he knew, what then? He does not have the ability to achieve it and then expel it again. If he truly had that ability, he would have been able to greet us."

He plucked something out of the air with one hand, then passed it to the other hand and scattered it outward. Ning Wan noticed nothing at all, yet Chi Buzi had already stepped back, his expression complex as he gazed at the Dao seeker in midair.

Si Boxiu quickly withered away as his hunched body curled into a pitch black ball like a woodlouse. The fine quality Dharma robes were dragged into it and torn into shreds. On the other side, the young man grew ever taller and more robust. A triumphant smile appeared on his face as he extended a fair hand and snapped his fingers in midair.

Snap!

The wind, wood, and water of heaven and earth all surged toward his body. His garments grew increasingly magnificent and noble, while black veins surfaced across his face. His height continued to increase until he gradually no longer resembled his former self.

The man glanced around, then suddenly reached out and lifted the barely breathing Si Boxiu across from him, smiling as he said, "Having already followed the Exclusive Position, why seek an Intercalary Position?"

The cricket within Si Boxiu's pupil finally broke free of its shell and crawled down his cheek. His lips opened and closed in silent murmuring as the final wisp of vitality flowed from his body into the other's.

"

Hahahahahahahaha!

"

The man appeared magnificent and noble, yet a piercing and terrifying laugh erupted from his throat. The nearby Purple Mansion Realm cultivators all retreated a step in unison. The indistinct figures on either side vanished instantly, and the final wisp of sunlight between heaven and earth faded away.

"Monster!"

Boom!

Thunder roared across heaven and earth as gales swept through. Bolt after bolt of lightning illuminated the sky. Within the light that pierced the darkness, a figure could faintly be seen standing to the east.

The man appeared youthful and tall, with an uncanny appearance and faintly red pupils. He wore a dark robe, a pale green white sash tied at his waist, and long black hair bound behind his head.

Boom!

When the next bolt of lightning flashed, the man had already vanished. All the multicolored divine abilities lights above the surging sea disappeared at once, leaving only endless darkness and the man laughing wildly in midair.

1. Referring to Du Qing. ☜

2. 卯 (mǎo) refers to the east and the time of dawn; among the Twelve Earthly Branches it belongs to Yin Wood, symbolizing the beginning of growth. 巽 (xùn) is one of the Eight Trigrams, governing the southeast and wind; its nature is Wood, symbolizing movement, growth, and diffusion. ☜