Chapter 330 The Great Calamity of Impermanence
Because I was away for a while, the climate around Moonshadow Mountain has become quite cool, and it is estimated that it will continue to cool down until it returns to its original low temperature.
Although I'm back here now, the temperature hasn't shown any signs of rising. I can now control my own celestial phenomena, choosing whether or not to let the natural climate change because of my presence. When I returned to Saltwater City before, I also consciously controlled the impact of my celestial phenomena on the city's climate.
The reason I was able to instantly teleport everyone to this place is actually related to the skill "Law of Heaven and Earth".
"Could this be...Mount Tsukihime?"
Zhu Shi also knew about the big news that had happened in the Moon Hidden Mountain area. When she saw the devastation of the broken mountains and rivers, she realized where she had been taken. She then looked very puzzled and said, "Was the ability that teleported us here just now Zhuang Cheng's Flame Teleportation? But I remember that your Flame Teleportation should only be able to teleport your own body and personal belongings, and not be able to teleport anyone else with you, right?"
“No… the ability just now didn’t seem to be based on the power of fire for teleportation. Instead, it seemed more like a ritual spell related to the earth’s veins…” Old Master Zhu pondered. “In the magic of the natural realm, there is a means of movement that is to move through the spiritual veins that are spread throughout the earth’s mountains and rivers, or rather, the earth’s veins.”
"This method of movement usually requires multiple witchers to perform extremely complicated ritual steps, but top witchers who have spent a long time honing this skill can skip most of the ritual steps, turning the ends of the earth into a stone's throw, and arriving at any place in the human world in a single step."
"This spell is sometimes confused with the Buddhist concept of divine speed. Although they are not the same skill, it is also considered a type of supernatural power and is the highest-level movement technique in Taoist magic. It corresponds to the 'Shrinking the Earth' technique of the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang in mythology and the 'Divine Speed' technique of the Seventy-Two Transformations of the Earthly Fiends."
"If my judgment is correct, Zhuang Cheng, the reason you can perform this supernatural power is because you impose laws on nature itself, causing it to cooperate with itself to accomplish this miracle, right?"
I admit: "That's pretty much it."
The impermanent laws governing heaven and earth are to redefine the laws governing heaven and the form of earth. This not only enables natural climates to exhibit changes that conform to its own attributes, but also allows it to command heaven and earth themselves.
If Zhu Shi and Xiao Wan, as children, needed to consult with nature and ask for its help when performing the Heavenly Manifestation of Heaven and Earth rituals, then Da Wuchang only needed to issue a simple command. He didn't even need to say it aloud; he could issue orders directly through his own magical power.
Actually, this was the first time I had done this. Although I felt that "this might work", I was just trying it out first.
In addition, I should also be able to give commands to the plants and animals in nature, such as making animals understand my commands, or making plants grow according to my wishes within a certain range.
My luck will likely improve in the future. When I travel, I won't encounter wind or rain; when I go fishing, I won't come back empty-handed; and when I encounter difficult problems, I'll easily find inspiration to solve them. On the other hand, those who are my enemies will have very bad luck. They will become more prone to illness, have nightmares, and may even be struck by lightning when they go out.
The changes after becoming the Great Impermanence are not limited to this, and as I become more familiar with my own power, there may be even more new changes.
Once power accumulates to a sufficiently high level, countless wonders will naturally manifest themselves—this old saying is gradually becoming a reality.
After hearing Mr. Zhu's explanation, Zhu Shi nodded knowingly, then looked at me speechlessly: "Senior Brother Zhuang, you just wanted to show off your skills, right..."
I immediately changed the subject: "Anyway... here you don't need to worry about your surroundings, you and Ma should go and try it out."
Zhu Shixian and Ma Zao went to a nearby open space to try to reset their talents using the power of return, while Mr. Zhu and I stood at a distance and watched.
Just then, I had a question that I was particularly interested in asking Mr. Zhu. He also seemed to have something to say to me, as he turned to look at me while reaching into the lining of his clothes, as if trying to pull something out.
"—You seem to have a question for me?" He noticed my expression. "Don't mind me, tell me your question first."
"Actually, it's not a particularly important issue, and it might offend your Zhu family a little," I said.
“It’s okay, what kind of relationship do we have? Just ask me,” he said.
"Thank you. What I want to know is... why did Zhu Yi die?" I asked.
This is a problem that I've only recently come to realize.
Zhu Yi was an ancestor of Zhu Shijiu nine generations ago, a powerful figure known as Da Wuchang (Great Impermanence) who lived two or three hundred years ago. After his death, he left behind the weapon Yama's Sword. Initially, when I learned of this, I didn't have many doubts. It's quite normal for someone from two or three hundred years ago to be no longer alive today. I was bound by my own common sense.
Later, I came into contact with Silvermoon and Fufeng, who were said to have lived for hundreds of years, and Xuanwu, the naval commander who was said to be active in the same era as Zhu Yi. Only then did I slowly come to understand. In the world of Witchers, extending one's lifespan doesn't seem to be an insurmountable difficulty.
While it might be difficult for demon hunters at the Master level and below to achieve godlike longevity, living for several hundred years from the Grand Master level onwards doesn't seem too far-fetched. And after becoming a Great Impermanence, one can live as long as heaven and earth. Unless one is a character like the Fate-Turning Demon who has a fixed lifespan through a contract with Naraku, the concept of dying of old age simply doesn't exist.
In other words, if someone at the Great Accomplishment stage or the Great Impermanence stage dies, it's almost always a violent death; dying of old age is the exception.
Although it's a bit impolite to ask how someone's ancestor died a violent death, I still asked. Perhaps this matter involves some dangerous secrets, and if it's something that could cause trouble for the Zhu family, I might be willing to step in and help resolve it.
"Regarding this matter... actually, after hearing about what you've been going through recently, I was planning to tell you about it," Mr. Zhu said.
"Are the things I've recently experienced related to the death of the Zhu family ancestor?" I wondered. "Could Zhu Yi's death be related to Xuanwu? Or is it...?"
"No, it has nothing to do with Xuanwu," Mr. Zhu denied.
"If it's not Xuanwu, then..." I suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "...could it be the Yin and Yang of the Mountain?"
I had originally planned to ask Mr. Zhu to help me collect information related to the two polarities of mountains and rivers. The Zhu family is the only group of people I can ask for help from and can trust right now.
Therefore, during our previous conversations, I frankly shared all the information I had about the Two Elements of the Mountain, including the fact that I should be a descendant of the Two Elements.
“It is indeed the Two Elements of the Mountain.” Old Master Zhu nodded. “Zhuang Cheng, let me ask you a question first. Why are you so sure that you are the successor of the Two Elements? Is it just because Xuanwu insists that you are the successor of the Two Elements?”
"It's because of the power dynamics that counteract each other," I answered truthfully. "Even if my power and Xuanwu's power are completely incompatible, there should still be at least a slight misalignment in the power dynamics. Because we are two people with completely different ideas and concepts, our understanding of water and fire will also be different, and this difference will inevitably be reflected in our magical power."
"One is a highly experienced demon hunter born in ancient times, who has lived for hundreds of years and experienced countless vicissitudes; the other is a college student born in modern times, who is not yet twenty years old and has only been in contact with the strange world for a little over a month... It is impossible for our thoughts and magical powers to be completely the same."
"Therefore, if we have reached the same consensus on the interaction of our powers, it can only mean that our powers are 'defined' by the same source. Since he is defined by the Black Tortoise Seed, then I can only be defined by the Vermilion Bird Seed."
Mr. Zhu sighed, "I see. If that's the case, then the evidence couldn't be more conclusive."
"Are you worried that one day the Mountain Two Elements will appear before me, take away all my power, and turn me into an ordinary person, or even kill me?" I asked.
"Although I have such concerns, that's secondary," said Mr. Zhu. "In the world of Witchers, there's a consensus that every Great Impermanence is destined to experience unimaginable hardships in their lives. Just like how mortals must undergo a great calamity before or after ascending to immortality."
"As the saying goes, 'Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to those who are destined for them...', even the most unpredictable things cannot escape this fate. Perhaps the Mountain and Yin-Yang are your destined tribulations, but even without the Mountain and Yin-Yang, other unacceptable tribulations will inevitably appear out of nowhere. In any case, the Zhu family will definitely support you wholeheartedly, so you don't need to have any other thoughts."
"So... what you're trying to say is?"
Following the direction of this topic, I had a pretty good idea of what Mr. Zhu was going to say next.
The mountain's duality, enough to be a great calamity of impermanence; the Zhu family ancestor Zhu Yi, who died prematurely; the Yama Sword, which is reminiscent of the "Golden Elixir" of the naval Xuanwu... all sorts of clues converged in my mind, forming a surprising conclusion.
“According to the records passed down through generations of the Zhu family, our ancestor Zhu Yi, like you, was also a successor of the Yin-Yang lineage,” said Mr. Zhu.
(End of this chapter)
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