Chapter 305 Dream Soul Rebirth It was a smiling corpse.
A strange dripping sound came from inside the hall.
"Lord Mountain Moving, I am willing to dedicate everything to the Dao Lord, but if I lose my life, I will no longer be able to serve the Esoteric School."
He paid no attention to the sound of water, focusing only on struggling and trying to soften the heart of the silent monk before him.
"Whatever people the Holy Maiden wants, just let me out, and I'll definitely capture ten or a hundred for her. One for a hundred, it's a very good deal!"
However, the monk who captured him did not utter a single word in response.
Despite being a high-ranking member of the esoteric Buddhist sect and possessing a considerable level of spiritual attainment, he was dragged along like a chick by the burly and tall Mountain Moving Master, utterly powerless to resist.
In the ensuing silence, he finally came to his senses and immediately looked around.
The surroundings were completely dark, and he had stared wide-eyed, his pupils filled with spiritual energy, but he still couldn't see anything. However, he could feel the speed at which the mountain-moving technique was gradually slowing down.
They should be arriving soon.
His forehead was already covered in cold sweat, which quickly condensed and dripped down, mingling with the dripping sound.
Suddenly, he heard a whistling sound, and the darkness was instantly covered by a blinding white light. His eyes were swollen and painful from the light, but he still forced himself to look through the darkness.
It turns out that there was a paradise hidden inside this palace.
They were standing in a snow-white temple, with neat stone steps leading up to the sky in front of them. Gray banners stood on both sides of the steps, each bearing a single eye formed by swirling clouds, a totem of esoteric Buddhism.
Behind them lay dense forests, overlapping like dark shadows. From behind the forests came the crashing sound of waves against the cliffs. A breeze blew from above, but instead of the smell of the sea, it carried a pure and ethereal fragrance.
Under this refreshing breeze, many rare and precious flowers and herbs grow under trees, by the roadside, and even in the cracks of rocks at the edge of the temple. These precious things seem as cheap as weeds here.
Suddenly, several rare and exotic beasts emerged from the forest, leisurely munching on the surrounding spiritual herbs as if foraging for food.
The cultivator was almost stunned. The sight instantly lessened his anxiety and fear. Just as he was in a daze, the hand that had been on his shoulder gently squeezed him and pulled him a few inches away.
"Let's go, there's no point in looking." With that, the Mountain-Moving One led him up the steps one by one.
The stairs were also very strange. With each step he took, he felt his body grow heavier and the flow of spiritual energy in his meridians began to stagnate. In less than a quarter of an hour, he felt as if he had returned to being an ordinary person, with no spiritual energy left and his body exhausted.
There must have been hundreds of steps. At first, he still had spiritual energy and walked relatively easily, but after his spiritual energy was blocked, he became heavier and heavier as he walked. Before he had even passed the halfway point, he was already panting heavily and could not even beg for mercy. He was only able to move forward because of the physique of someone like the Mountain Moving Man.
The higher he went, the darker the colors of the banners on both sides became. He was too exhausted to be flustered. Sweat soaked his clothes, and his legs were trembling. He forced himself to look up. He had originally wanted to count how many steps were left, but he saw the plaque hanging above the palace.
Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top.
He paused, immediately stopping in his tracks and gasping for breath: "This...this is the Celestial Palace?!"
The mountain-moving man glanced back but didn't answer. He stopped, adjusted his straw sandals, and then continued to drag him uphill without saying a word.
Every disciple who enters the esoteric sect will learn more secrets as they grow older, and once they sit in the position of incense master, they will know about the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top.
According to esoteric Buddhist legends, the Dao Lord is the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao.
He awoke from the three thousand Daoist arts, and with pure eyes looked upon heaven and earth, upon this unjust world, and saw the impending collapse of the future. Thus, filled with compassion, he transformed into a human and walked among heaven and earth in the form of Daoist arts, intending to save the world.
All cultivators who follow him can comprehend the true essence of Taoism, and those who assist him can also accumulate merit. Taoism is boundless, and the more merit one accumulates, the more one will receive in return. One can use this to petition the esoteric sects.
When one's merits reach a certain level, one will be able to meet the Lord of the Dao, and all wishes will be fulfilled.
To meet the Dao Lord, one would be guided by the Holy Maiden to the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top, for this is where he was originally born.
Upon seeing this plaque, a strange sense of calm flowed through the cultivator's heart, as if all his panic and helplessness could be dispelled here, as if by offering himself up, he could become the embodiment of the Dao.
Attaining enlightenment is the long-cherished wish of every cultivator.
The closer he got, the more he could feel the joy and satisfaction of his impending sainthood. The pain on his face faded, the fear in his heart vanished, and his fighting spirit was completely dissolved.
When he had reached two-thirds of the way, a calm and longing smile appeared on his face. He had even forgotten his physical exhaustion. He gently brushed away the hand of the mountain-moving man and walked forward as if on a pilgrimage.
He was panting heavily, his face was pale, and his legs were trembling, but he was still so happy and didn't notice anything unusual.
The Mountain-Moving Man withdrew his hand and slowly exhaled. If someone were to observe closely at this moment, they would see the bulging veins on his forehead and the side of his neck.
It was a subconscious reaction of suppressing one's emotions.
Even he needed to suppress and endure it, lest he also become immersed in such illusory illusions.
But he also knew in his heart that he wouldn't last until he reached the palace.
While he was still somewhat lucid, he tapped an iron bracelet on his wrist. Instantly, countless fine threads sprouted from the Taoist flag beside him and quickly connected with the iron bracelet, becoming inseparable.
With a sharp twang, the thin thread tightened, instantly lifting him high into the air, like a suspended puppet, and sending him back to the highest palace.
Having reached this point, there's no need for him to lead the way anymore; no one can avoid getting lost here.
The person beside him was sent away, but the remaining cultivator seemed oblivious. He continued walking upwards, and after walking for an unknown number of steps, his foot suddenly tripped over something hard, causing him to stumble forward. He quickly regained his balance by bracing himself against the stone steps.
He showed no anger or displeasure, but instead rose with a neat smile and looked down.
It was a smiling corpse.
He was wearing the familiar esoteric Buddhist robe, though it was slightly grayish. His eyes were still open, his gaze unfocused as he looked somewhere. He looked very happy, but no one would believe that he was still alive.
On that human body, a stony bluish-gray color spread from its eyes, turning them into stone eyes. This mottled gray color was also present all over the body, some of which was flesh that was about to rot, while others were smooth stone surfaces.
The cultivator chuckled twice for no apparent reason, his pupils trembling for a moment, but he quickly smoothed it out. He patted non-existent dust off his hands and looked up.
Many people lay sprawled on the blood-red stone steps, all exhibiting the same symptoms as the person at your feet.
Some people are mottled with gray, some have become completely dull, and some are left with only decaying flesh.
This is the middle section of the stone steps. No one can come here, and no one can stay here, but there are many unintelligent spirit beasts surrounding it.
They still retained their animal instincts. Although they didn't understand the fantasy of this place, they were attracted by the smell of meat. They playfully climbed over from nearby and licked the corpses lying on the ground, but they also disliked the rotting flesh.
When these spirit beasts saw him, they merely looked up, stared for a few seconds, and then lowered their heads again, completely unaware of his presence.
If an ordinary person saw such a scene, they would have been terrified and fled in panic, but he no longer felt fear. Even if he were to be eaten, he would still walk toward the palace above as if on a pilgrimage.
He smiled as he stepped over the corpses and pushed aside the spirit beasts. He staggered along the way, but still managed to climb to the front of the palace.
The plaque of the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds became increasingly eye-catching, a huge piece hanging overhead. The palace in front of us was still an empty, snow-white expanse, with no carvings or doors in front of it, so the interior was completely visible.
He continued walking forward, his clear eyes reflecting the scene inside the hall.
The hall was very spacious, and the ground was cast in the shape of a divination array. The center was divided into yin and yang, with the yang side being a smooth stone ground and the yin side being concave, filled with clear spring water.
The Yin-Yang area is surrounded by the eight trigrams, including Qian, Kun, Xun, and Kan. The rest of the surface is also made of stone, except that the trigram-shaped areas are concave and filled with clear spring water.
At the far end of the main hall, snow-white stone steps were stacked upwards to form a high position, where the Daoist Master, dressed in gray robes, sat. From a distance, he appeared as if floating in the clouds and mist, like an immortal descending to earth.
Several of the Nine Swordsmen stood on either side of the steps.
On the left is the Mountain Moving Master, who was brought here early on. He is holding his forehead, seemingly still recovering from his shock. Below him is Qi Chen, who has no expression on his face.
On the right is Pei Yu, dressed in a long robe and wearing two bracelets on her wrists. She is looking down at the pool in the hall, seemingly lost in thought.
The person closest to the Dao Lord was dressed in purple leather armor, with a cold expression. The cultivators could recognize that this person was the Holy Maiden.
The moment he stepped into the hall, everyone's eyes turned to him. Their expressions may have changed for a moment, but it was all too fast for anyone to see what caused those fleeting emotions.
When Bi Sheng saw him enter, she opened a register in her hand, looked at it for a moment, and then looked up.
"Are you Feng Chang?"
The monk smiled, paused for a moment like a puppet, and then stiffly replied, "Yes, Holy Maiden."
With a few clattering sounds, the register was easily closed, and the unremarkable name was quickly buried in the pages, never to be remembered again.
Bi Sheng's expression was slightly cold, clearly indicating that she was in a bad mood. She said quickly, "I called you here today because the Dao Lord needs you. If you are willing to offer up your energy, your merit will increase by one or two taels. Are you willing or not?"
Whether he was willing or not, it no longer mattered. He raised his hand, smiled, and nodded.
"Disciples of the Esoteric School are willing to go through fire and water, and even sacrifice their lives, for the sake of the Great Dao."
Bi Sheng then asked, "Is there any unfulfilled wish?"
This was supposed to be a simple question, but he paused for a long time as if he had been stuck. The others were not surprised; they were just used to it.
Everyone who comes here speaks their deepest, most sincere wish at this moment. For a cultivator who has practiced for a long time, seeing one's true nature is always difficult.
Even though he was no longer afraid, he was still able to think, and countless hopes from the past arose in his mind: he wanted to break through to a higher realm, he wanted to become a saint, he wanted to be invincible, he wanted all the rare and precious treasures in the world...
But these thoughts vanished like flowing water, leaving no trace.
Until the very last moment, the dust in his heart was swept away, leaving it as pure and white as this immaculate palace. His eyelashes trembled slightly as he spoke, word by word, the traces of his heart buried deep within, seemingly forgotten, yet already etched in his memory.
"I hope that the Dao Lord can protect my mother and sister in this chaotic world. They are mortals and do not have much time left to live. May they pass away peacefully in their final days."
The hall fell silent for a moment. The people on the stone steps had different expressions. The person at the highest point, whose face was not visible, spoke up and gave permission.
"good."
Upon hearing his agreement, Bi Sheng lowered his eyes, opened the booklet again, and wrote these words at the top.
The next moment, the cultivator knelt on the ground and whispered, "I am willing to offer my vital energy, for the Dao is boundless."
His mind seemed very peaceful. He remained kneeling on the ground without raising his head, but the water in the shady side of the pool quietly reflected his figure and the figure of Bi Sheng walking slowly towards him.
She walked up to the cultivator, holding an ancient bronze jar in her hand. She then formed a hand seal and made a spell. In just a few breaths, a thick white mist appeared above the cultivator's head, carrying boundless vitality.
She pointed out, as if she had seized the mist by the waist, and then pulled it back. The cultivator's drooping head was suddenly pulled up, and he knelt on the ground, leaning back, watching helplessly as his energy was drawn out of his body and dissolved into the bronze jar like mist.
Although a cultivator's energy is robust, it is not inexhaustible. As the energy dissipates, his body undergoes some visible changes.
First, he went blind, and frost appeared all over his body. Then he shivered uncontrollably from the cold. Until one moment, sharp ice spikes grew from his blood vessels, piercing his flesh and blood. Blood dripped down, seemingly icy, but turning gray in an instant.
Before long, his eyes were filled with gray matter, which began to solidify from the delicate area around his eyes. The gray matter spread downwards, making his face mottled, and his body quickly developed the same gray and decaying color.
Even after all his vital energy was extracted, Bi Sheng turned and left. He was still not dead, but he felt a chill that went from the inside out, reaching his very soul. At this moment, his thoughts seemed to be shrouded in a fog, everything was in a daze, as ignorant as a newborn.
He knew nothing and remembered nothing; he had only one strong thought in his mind: to find a source of heat.
He stood up abruptly and staggered out of the main hall like a walking corpse. In the warm sunlight outside, he paused briefly, then quickened his pace and walked towards the even hotter light ahead.
He didn't know that this warmth from the sunlight was called vitality.
He simply chased after them, then lost his footing on the stone steps and tumbled down with a thud. His life gradually faded, and he finally rolled into the pile of corpses, gazing at the rising sun high in the sky, bathed in its warmth, and passed away with a smile.
...
"There are already so many people, isn't that enough?"
Inside the main hall, Qi Chen's expression was extremely grim. He looked at Bi Sheng standing below, his voice seemingly suppressing something.
Bi Sheng turned to look at him, her eyes calm: "Not enough."
She stepped onto the street, her gaze gradually meeting his, her voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm: "You seem very unhappy, but what can you do? Your wife seems to be nearing the end. If you want to see her again, you'd better keep it to yourself."
She continued walking, lightly passing by Qi Chen, stepping onto a higher stone step, looking down at him, and sighing.
"We had no choice but to go this far. The amount that was originally meant to be filled by the whole world can now only be filled by this little bit. Is there any other way but to drain it all?"
Blame Lin Feiran; she was the one who cut off our lifeline first.
Bi Sheng looked at the bronze jar in her hand, her eyes darkening slightly. If it weren't for the fact that the Dao Lord was at a critical moment and the supply of energy could not be interrupted or made any further mistakes, she would not be stuck here, suffering such frustration!
She turned to look at the group: "There's no need to play the cultist act anymore. You take your men and infiltrate the town. Catch as many as you can."
Qi Chen slowly closed his eyes, but remained silent. Bi Sheng sneered: "Those of you who have come this far with us are not people of great kindness. Are you questioning me today really for the sake of these former 'colleagues'?"
Qi Chen opened his eyes and finally spoke: "Since you don't like me here either, then let me go back. I've been gone for a long time, and Cheng Hua is still waiting for me at home."
Bi Sheng spoke up: "I kept you around before because you were indeed useful. Now you don't need to anymore. But don't think I don't know what you and Ji Changying are thinking. You've made a vow and swallowed this curse, so you can leave naturally."
These methods were not unfamiliar to Qi Chen, and he quickly finished them before hurriedly leaving through the passage opened by the Dao Lord.
Bi Sheng watched his retreating figure, a mocking smile appearing on her lips. After hundreds of years together, did she not know that Qi Chen was only in such a hurry because he was worried about his wife after being trapped here for too long?
The cold hatred in his eyes was not for the cultivators who died unjustly, but for the cold illness.
How fickle fate is! Only now does this devoted man realize that the illness that has tormented his wife for lifetimes was originally related to esoteric Buddhism, and it was he who had helped her to create it.
Love has become a knife. If it weren't for his concern for his wife, he probably would have already attacked her here. This man should not be used again, but there's no need to use him anymore either.
When the Great Dao is completed, the Nine Swords will no longer be necessary, and everyone will eventually become a stepping stone for the Dao Master to transform into the Dao.
Even she herself was willing to sacrifice herself for this eternal enlightenment, becoming a part of the Dao Lord.
She stepped forward and asked, "Master, is Lin Feiran still in that cliff?"
“She’s not here.” He answered quickly, as if he had been watching us the whole time. “We haven’t shown up yet, she won’t just sit here and wait to die. She must have set off to look for us.”
Bi Sheng looked at him and said, "Dao Master, now is the crucial moment for your transformation into the Dao. Your body is very weak and you cannot use your Heavenly Eye for an extended period of time. We will find out about her."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "As long as you don't open the door for Jinlan like you did before, she won't be able to find this place."
The Dao Lord opened his eyes, a hint of gold gleaming in his dark pupils: "I didn't open it for her. She found this place herself. You know, I can't stop someone who finds the entrance."
Bi Sheng's eyes flickered slightly, filled with an indescribable fervor: "It doesn't matter. Whether it is or not, once your body stabilizes, I will personally bring Lin Feiran here and replace your spiritual veins."
"At that time, the true Tao will appear in the world."
Author's Note: [Kiss]
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