Chapter 212: Parting Is Inevitable
The text on this scroll was not extensive. After roughly scanning through the words, many principles regarding the cultivation of the soul and spirit settled into his mind.
Dutian Demon King had told him the book contained the sorcery of Youdu—another lie meant to lure him into a trap.
"When I speak, at least one sentence in ten is true. When Dutian Demon King speaks, only one sentence in a hundred is true."
Qin Mu thought to himself: "Of everything he told me, only that bit about the Youdu language was true. Everything else was false!"
He pondered carefully. If one were to fully comprehend the mysteries of the text, one could indeed glean some soul-related sorcery. But the more important purpose of this scroll was to strengthen the soul itself—the soul sorcery was merely secondary.
Qin Mu committed the text to memory, closed the scroll, and sank into deep contemplation, trying to decipher the mysteries within and attempting to comprehend a soul-type spell.
The Dayu Demon Scripture contained soul-related sorcery. The great shamans of Mandi Kingdom also had such arts. There were also the Eight Thunder Sounds passed down to him by Master Ma, and the Demon Race's Great Freedom Seal—all possessed wondrous methods targeting the soul.
The Soul-Chaining Guide of the Nine Nether Gate was among the most outstanding of these divine abilities.
If he could cross-reference these with the text on this scroll, he might amplify their power even further!
Qin Mu meditated for a long while, then slowly began to pace around the courtyard, gesturing as he walked. He was attempting to integrate the principles of the Youdu script into the move "Sunlight Refining the Yang Soul in the Void."
"Sunlight Refining the Yang Soul in the Void" was one of the Eight Thunder Sounds, the pinnacle combat technique of the Tathagata Great Vehicle Sutra. Its power was supremely fierce and mighty, already evolved to its absolute limit by successive Tathagatas—there seemed to be no room for improvement.
Yet now, Qin Mu was attempting to refine this technique. He had never cultivated the Tathagata Great Vehicle Sutra, but ever since he had fused the Dayu Demon Scripture with the Overlord Three Elixirs Art, unifying his cultivation system, the power of the Eight Thunder Sounds had grown stronger and stronger, no longer inferior to the Tathagata Great Vehicle Sutra.
He practiced the move over and over, throwing punch after punch. The fist's mother seal was the Heart Seal, and the Heart Seal was the Great Sun. With each punch, thunder rolled, the blazing sun blazed fiercely, refining the yang soul, its power gradually increasing.
The move "Sunlight Refining the Yang Soul in the Void" had no effect on the physical body. Despite its grand display, it only attacked the soul.
Qin Mu practiced repeatedly, and gradually a hint of fire began to emerge from his fist seals. That flame was different from ordinary fire—it was karma fire that burned the soul itself.
Every punch carried karma fire. Gradually, the karma fire grew more intense, condensing around his fists into a blazing crimson sun.
The more he practiced, the smoother it became. He could not help but let out long cries, and suddenly he threw a punch—a great sun exploded in the air, flames rolling outward in all directions, karma fire flooding the entire courtyard.
Qin Mu withdrew his stance and exhaled a turbid breath. Suddenly his heart stirred, and he opened the door to find the Sword Hall Master striding toward him quickly.
"Sword Hall, what's the urgency?" Qin Mu invited him in and asked.
"King Lu has been injured."
The Sword Hall Master's expression was grave. He said in a low voice: "He is currently at my place. King Lu wishes to see the Holy Master. His condition... is very bad!"
Qin Mu's heart leaped. He walked with him toward the Sword Hall Master's courtyard.
"Holy Master, this old man is ashamed. I come bearing injuries to see you. My wounds are quite severe, and I cannot properly pay my respects." King Lu lay on the bed, struggling to rise but failing, speaking with shame.
Qin Mu waved his hand and stepped forward to examine his injuries, frowning slightly. His clothes were tattered and torn, with traces of blood on his white hair and white beard.
King Lu's injuries were even more severe than National Preceptor Yankang's. He must have clashed with several Holy Master-level experts and been struck down!
His wounds were not merely physical—his divine repositories were also damaged, and the injuries to his soul were extremely grave!
All seven of his divine repositories had suffered nearly catastrophic blows. His Spirit Embryo had turned to stone, three of his Five Elements deities had been destroyed, only two pillars remained in his Six Harmonies repository, and his Seven Stars, Heavenly Human, and Life-Death repositories were all in ruin. As for the flying bridge within his Divine Bridge repository—it had already snapped.
If it were only these injuries, it might be bearable. But the key issue was his advanced age. His body was no longer what it once was, and his physical form could barely contain his soul, which was on the verge of scattering.
King Lu took a deep breath and said: "Holy Master, I have discovered the whereabouts of King Qian..."
"Don't speak for now."
Qin Mu took out two bottles of dragon saliva, using them to treat his physical wounds, and had him drink one bottle. He pondered for a moment, then wrote out a long list of medicinal ingredients and had the Sword Hall Master go to the storehouse to fetch them according to the prescription. As for whether these herbs could cure King Lu, he himself had no confidence. The best-case scenario was becoming a cripple, and the worst-case...
The Sword Hall Master left at top speed. King Lu's physical wounds improved somewhat, but the injuries to his soul and divine repositories grew worse. He panted heavily: "King Qian is already dead. I was investigating his whereabouts when someone took his clothes and lured me into a pursuit. I walked straight into an ambush..."
Qin Mu frowned: "Who set the trap for you?"
"They never showed their faces, but I recognized their divine abilities."
King Lu's body convulsed—the soul injuries flaring up, causing him intense pain. King Lu gritted his teeth and endured it, his white hair shaking along with his body. He laughed hoarsely: "They were after my sect's teleportation arts... Holy Master, I can no longer assist you. I have failed the founder's instructions—"
"Don't worry. You won't die, and you won't be crippled."
Qin Mu's eyes twitched at the corners. He said in a low voice: "Even if you do die, I will drag your soul back from Youdu!"
"Among those who wounded me, one of them is a first-rank official of the imperial court!"
King Lu's body calmed down: "I recognize his cultivation method—it's the Spirit Treasure Unmoving Zen Art. Among the first-rank officials, the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Sun Nantuo, has cultivated this art to its peak. He sits within a thousand-tiered pagoda, his spirit treasure unmoving."
Qin Mu moved with lightning speed, his hands flashing as he tapped points across King Lu's body. His ten fingers danced, leaving trails of afterimages in the air. In an instant, he sealed King Lu's soul within his body, preventing it from leaving.
He was using the Creation Demon Art. The Demon Sect's experts used this art to flay skin and make garments, but in his hands, it was a life-saving technique.
King Lu's three souls and seven spirits were sealed, but it still could not halt the trend of his soul scattering.
"Holy Master, even though you are a divine physician, you cannot save one who is fated to die."
King Lu smiled, trembling as he rose from the bed and stood on the ground. He sat before the hall, a flush of red appearing on his face. He laughed: "No need to waste your effort. My soul is about to scatter, and my divine bridge is broken. I cannot hold on any longer. I had hoped that after the founder left, I could assist you in revitalizing the sect. I never thought I would not live to see that day."
A rumbling collapse sounded from within his body—his Divine Bridge repository, without the support of the bridge, was beginning to cave in.
The collapsing Divine Bridge repository crushed the Life-Death repository, which then crushed the Heavenly Human repository, layer after layer of divine repositories collapsing in succession.
Grief welled up in Qin Mu's heart. Even if the Sword Hall Master returned with the medicine now, it would be too late to save him.
Blazing flames erupted from King Lu's body, his soul tearing apart. This tearing was irreversible. His injuries were too severe, and the wounds to his soul even more so—he was on the verge of utter annihilation.
If his soul scattered completely, he could not enter Youdu. Once the soul dissipated, he could not even become a ghost.
"Blazing sacred fire, burn my withered body..."
King Lu murmured amidst the flames: "Life and death are impermanent; parting is inevitable. I will not live to see you become a Holy Teacher. How I wish to return to Holy Lin Mountain, to see that Holy Teacher Tree once more... I can hear the woodcutter's axe..."
The old man shivered in the fire, then smiled: "Holy Master, I am so cold..."
Qin Mu reached out his hand, wanting to grasp the old man's hand, but all he touched was a handful of burned-out ashes.
The flames gradually died down, leaving behind gray-white ashes.
Outside, the sound of the Sword Hall Master's footsteps approached, carrying bundles of medicine large and small. Qin Mu turned around and said woodenly: "Sword Hall, no need. King Lu has already passed on..."
The medicine bundles in the Sword Hall Master's hands fell to the ground. This nine-foot-tall man dropped to his knees with a thud, bowed his head deeply, his shoulders heaving continuously—but no sound of weeping came.
A long time passed.
Qin Mu swept up King Lu's ashes, placed them in a green urn, and stood blankly before it.
He had been pushed onto the stage, sold to the Demon Sect by Granny Si, and had become the Holy Master of the Demon Sect in a muddle. He did not hold much affection for the Demon Sect. If there was any affection at all, it was for Granny Si and the young founder.
But as his understanding of the Demon Sect deepened, he had slowly come to love the sect's doctrines, to love the colorful array of people within it, to appreciate their character, to appreciate their way of doing things.
He had already come to see himself as a member of the Demon Sect, striving to become a qualified Holy Master.
He had not known King Lu for long. Perhaps King Lu had never truly regarded him as the Holy Master, but rather as a mischievous disciple—running around Holy Lin Mountain, cleaning up after his messes, tidying up the chaos he left behind.
He was more like an elder who cared for his juniors, his reproachful gaze tinged with indulgence.
And now, he was dead, reduced to a handful of ashes in a green urn...
"Sword Hall..."
A hint of sharpness emerged in Qin Mu's dull eyes. He said slowly: "Order the disciples of the sect to mobilize all resources and investigate for me. I want all information on the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Sun Nantuo—his life, his family, his sect, his disciples, everything about him!"
The Sword Hall Master rose: "As the Holy Master commands!"
Qin Mu continued: "Take King Lu with you as well. He wanted to return to the Holy Teacher Tree—so bury him there."
The Sword Hall Master left with the green urn.
Qin Mu walked out of the Sword Hall's residence, found Si Yunxiang, who had already returned to the Scholars' Residence from the Heavenly Records Tower, retrieved his book token, and headed toward the Heavenly Records Tower.
In the tower, he went to the third floor. The classics here were few, only about a hundred scrolls. Many white-haired secretaries were studying the various cultivation methods within, innovating and refining them.
Qin Mu located the Spirit Treasure Unmoving Zen Art and read through it carefully. He did not rest, reading for two full days, then left the tower and returned to his quarters to sleep deeply.
The next day, the Sword Hall Master arrived with thick volumes of files.
Qin Mu read through them carefully, spending half a day reviewing all the information about the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Sun Nantuo. Then he closed his eyes.
The Sword Hall Master waited quietly by his side the entire time. After a long while, Qin Mu opened his eyes and said: "Nantuo Temple, Sun Nantuo, Spirit Treasure Unmoving Zen Art... Wiping out his entire household in the capital would cause too much of a stir. We'll do it outside the city."