Just then, a hunched and frail old man emerged from a dilapidated temple on the mountain. He was covered in dust and appeared to be repairing the temple, which was on the verge of collapse.
"It's time to take on disciples again!" The old man's eyes were cloudy, and he looked extremely ordinary, not like a cultivator, but more like an old farmer.
"Disciple Jiang Liu greets Peak Master!" Jiang Liu bowed respectfully.
The old man, his face filled with sorrow, said, "Five hundred years have passed, and the lineage has yet to reappear, nearly severed. I don't know when it will be able to continue. Your coming here may only result in wasting your life..."
"This disciple is not afraid. I am still very young and can wait!"
"I'm afraid I'll wait a lifetime, until my black hair turns to snow, until water drips on stone until it wears away my life, only to find it all in vain!"
"This disciple has just walked step by step down the mountain and read twelve characters!"
"Oh! Tell me about it."
"A great achievement is like a lack, a great gain is like a rush, a great skill is like a clumsy..."
The old man remained silent for a long time, then pointed to the distant immortal mountain, where cranes flew, white clouds swirled, and immortal palaces were hidden. He said, "With your talent, it would have been better to choose those main peaks. Perhaps in a few years you could have competed with the disciples of the Holy Land. Here, you've wasted your talent!"
"I came here for the Nine Secrets; I have no interest in the other main peaks!" Jiang Liu said frankly, without any attempt to hide anything.
The old man smiled and nodded, saying, "You are quite upright, but its tradition has been broken for many years... So stay here! However, life in the mountains is tough, and you will have to take care of your own food, clothing, and lodging."
This thin, somewhat frail old man was Li Ruoyu, the only disciple of Zhuofeng. After accepting Jiang Liu's offer, he returned to the main hall and replaced several broken blue tiles.
Zhuofeng Peak is 3,000 meters high and has many palaces on it, but many of them have collapsed. Ancient trees weigh it down, vines are everywhere, and the wild grass in the courtyard is as tall as a person.
The old man was repairing it alone; the progress was slow, but he was very focused.
Jiang Liu looked around, found a sickle, and began to tidy up the main hall that was covered with weeds.
"I went into seclusion for a while, but I never expected to end up like this again..."
"Master, leave it to me, you can rest!"
Looking at the brick walls eroded by wind and rain, and at the half-collapsed main hall, the old man sighed: "I'm not so old that I can't move yet. They're all going to watch the battle between the Ji family's divine body and that young Hua. Aren't you going to go and see?"
"The Ji family's divine body!" Jiang Liu's heart skipped a beat. This frail old man was not as weak as he looked!
At the very least, without taking a single step beyond Zhuofeng, one could see through Ji Haoyue's divine body.
Jiang Liu couldn't tell how strong they were, but it was definitely beyond everyone's imagination.
This seemingly declining Zhuofeng Mountain has an extremely ordinary old man who is already a half-step into a great power.
Chapter 319 Standing on the Peak and Enjoying the Scenery
As the sun began to set, the main hall, having been renovated by Jiang Liu and Li Ruoyu, no longer appeared so dilapidated.
Standing on the eaves of the main hall, you can see the main peak of Xingfeng in the distance.
Star Peak, at its peak, now ranks among the top three of the 108 main peaks. At this moment, various strange phenomena are emanating from the direction of Star Peak.
Night had not yet fallen, and the full moon had not yet hung high, but starlight, like water, poured down from the direction of Xingfeng, making the mountain appear ethereal, shrouded in endless radiance.
Such a strange phenomenon could be seen throughout the entire Tai Xuan Sect. Jiang Liu looked into the distance and was somewhat surprised. The star peak actually drew out the stars in the sky, and endless starlight condensed, its radiance as clear as water, like a fairyland.
It seemed that the sound of a zither could be faintly heard.
Li Ruoyu rose from the rubble, gazing towards Xingfeng. His eyes seemed to pierce through the clouds and starlight, landing on the place where the zither music had been played. He said, "That is the inheritance of Xingfeng. It uses the myriad stars as its source of power. When cultivated to its ultimate level, one can even communicate with the stars, allowing starlight to enter the body, achieving an unparalleled immortal body and unmatched combat power. If you enter Xingfeng, you are more than capable of competing with Hua boy!"
"But ultimately, they cannot compare to Zhuofeng. Five hundred years ago, Zhuofeng produced numerous masters, which laid the foundation for Taixuan Sect's current position in the Eastern Wilderness. Every five hundred years is a cycle, and Zhuofeng is about to rise again! You shall wait and see!"
Jiang Liu naturally looked down on the Starry Sky Secret Technique; he was only interested in the Nine Secrets. In terms of cultivation methods, for body refinement he had the "Present Tathagata Sutra" and the supreme method for cultivating acupoints; in martial arts he had the "Six-Character True Technique of Destruction" and the majestic fist intent; in swordsmanship he had Guang Chengzi's Yi Sword Way and the sword intent of the Star River Myriad Swords; in Taoist magic and supernatural powers he had the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Orthodox Method, the Five Elements Sword Fiend, the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Image, and the path to godhood through incense offerings.
How could he possibly take a mere Star Power Master seriously?
"I don't know if keeping you on Zhuofeng is a blessing or a curse." Li Ruoyu looked at Jiang Liu as if trying to see through his soul, and said, "Your talent is comparable to the statues of the Holy Son and Holy Daughter of the Holy Land. The Divine King Body of the Ji family is only about equal to yours!"
"Master, do you know what kind of constitution I have?" Jiang Liu asked, slightly surprised.
“I don’t know, but I can feel the power of your blood energy. Although you are only at the other shore of the Sea of Wheels realm, your combat strength is not limited to this. You are emulating the ancient sages and cultivating a single secret realm! Moreover… I am certain that you have already achieved great success. Not to mention the Dao Palace, even the strongest experts from the Four Extremes would not be your match if they were careless,” Li Ruoyu affirmed.
“A single secret realm? No…” Jiang Liu immediately shook his head and said, “I have only cultivated the Sea of Wheels to its limit. In fact, I am preparing to cultivate the Dao Palace, but I do not have a suitable cultivation method. I can only continue to cultivate the Sea of Wheels and the physical body.”
"Therefore, you also look down on my humble cultivation method, and my path is not suitable for you. The strongest cultivation method in the Dao Palace is found in the Yaochi Sacred Land, but obtaining it is not easy..."
"Where there's a will, there's a way!"
“You are truly honest!” Li Ruoyu’s expression did not change much: “My Zhuofeng is almost extinct, and you are the first person to come to Zhuofeng to seek the Dao. Although you have greed in your heart, you are indeed very honest.”
Jiang Liu thought to himself: You're almost a half-step great master, you've seen through the ways of the world, even if I wanted to pretend, I couldn't fool you, why bother? If you won't teach me, I'll leave, I suppose you won't make things difficult for me.
Just then, another strange phenomenon occurred in the direction of the star peak.
Night suddenly fell, everything was pale, and in the starlight, an extremely strange scene appeared: the blue sea was surging, and a bright moon was slowly rising, casting down holy silver light.
Li Ruoyu also looked up at the full moon, his slightly hunched back seemingly straightening up, and said, "The bright moon rises over the sea! The Ji family's Divine King Body is indeed powerful..."
"A very strong power, with a dangerous aura!" Jiang Liu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing calmly at the moon and starlight vying for dominance.
The old man glanced at it, then looked back at Jiang Liu and said, "This is the manifestation of the Sea of Wheels of an ancient great being, truly worthy of a divine body! May I see your manifestation of the Sea of Wheels? Can you contend with it..."
Jiang Liu smiled, and all eighty-one acupoints within his body simultaneously erupted. In a brief instant, it was as if a red sun was slowly rising from the east, its heat and blood energy soaring into the sky. But Jiang Liu's eruption was as swift as his withdrawal, and he stood quietly, saying, "In truth, whether it's a divine body or a holy body, as long as one has an unwavering and tireless heart, one can reach the other shore! One can shine through the ages, leaving a brilliant radiance in the sky!"
“I heard that Lingxu Cave Heaven has taken in an Ancient Sacred Body. Your physical body may be comparable to it. But… I feel that you are not limited to this!” Li Ruoyu sighed, shook his head, and was extremely disappointed. His cloudy eyes were filled with sadness.
Jiang Liu remained silent for a moment, knowing the old man's character, and then truthfully said, "My Sea of Wheels is a chaotic star sea, capable of encompassing all things!"
"You are truly open and honest! I will not accept you as my disciple, but I will keep you here. As for the Nine Secrets of Zhuofeng, I do not know anything about them. I only know that how much you can comprehend in these mountains depends on your destiny!" After saying this, the old man jumped off the roof and disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Looking out over the river at Xingfeng Peak, the main peak seemed even more dazzling. Starlight, pure white and translucent, fell from the sky, like snowflakes fluttering down or white jade settling, giving one a sense of immense stellar power.
As the starlight condensed and the music of the zither swept through, various murderous auras overflowed.
"Hua Yunfei!" Jiang Liu slowly uttered the three words.
As the youngest grandson of the Star Peak Master, Hua Yunfei possessed extraordinary talent. At the age of eighteen, he became the number one young person of the Star Peak. By his early twenties, among the 108 main peaks of the Tai Xuan Sect, no one of his generation could suppress him.
Ji Haoyue, possessing the divine body of the Ji family, cultivated the ancient powerful phenomenon of "the bright moon rising from the sea," which had been hidden away for twenty years. This was his first experience, and he was about to become famous throughout the Eastern Wilderness.
The bright moon hung in the sky, releasing its immense power to rival the starlight.
This battle lasted for a long time, until the bright moon was high in the sky, at which point the struggle on the star-studded peak finally subsided.
Who wins and who loses is not important to Jiang Liu.
Whether it's Hua Yunfei or Ji Haoyue!
Jiang Liu didn't take it to heart. Although he was just a wisp of divine soul that had descended to this world, he had accumulated experience from several transmigrations, possessed scriptures that led directly to the Great Dao, and had various methods of killing, which were enough for him to compete with them.
Whether they are divine kings, holy sons and daughters of holy lands, or descendants of ancient emperors, how can their fighting skills compare to Jiang Liu's? He fought against "dragons and snakes," entered "Shushan," and fought to the death against "Yang Shen." His combat experience is no less than that of the older generation of strongmen.
Chapter 320 The Nine Secrets are All Word Techniques
Zhuofeng has no spiritual herbs, no spiritual fruits, no spiritual springs; it is no different from a barren mountain. But it gives people an extremely unique feeling; when you are deep in it, you feel that everything is the Dao.
The gnarled roots of an old tree are the Way, the horizontally placed stubborn rock is the Way, the babbling brook is the Way, the coming of autumn and the passing of spring are the Way, the rolling and unfolding of clouds are the Way.
The Tao follows the way of nature!
The Dao of Zhuofeng is the Dao of Nature, the Dao of all things and every little thing.
Jiang Liu absorbed the "seed of origin," and his innate Dao body was already fully formed. He could see the difference in this mountain peak, just like a Dao scripture, constantly presenting the Dao to the cultivators on Zhuofeng.
But seeing something doesn't mean you can enter the path. It's like giving you a calculus book and expecting you to understand it immediately.
The battle between Ji Haoyue, the Divine Body of the Ji Family, and Hua Yunfei has long since ended. The fledgling Divine Body shone brightly, achieving fame in one battle and defeating Hua Yunfei by a narrow margin.
Jiang Liu knew that Hua Yunfei had not used his full strength. The Devouring Heaven Demon Art could not be used lightly, and the legacy of the ruthless man could not be revealed to the public, otherwise there would be great disaster.
Three more months passed, and the Demon Emperor's Tomb was stained with blood, with several more Holy Land elders dying tragically within its depths. News spread that the Holy Lands seemed to be eyeing the Sacred Fruit Spring in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land. Some Holy Land elders, injured in the Demon Emperor's Tomb and nearing the end of their lives, were seeking the Sacred Fruit Spring from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land to survive.
As for Ye Fan, Jiang Liu had not received any news from him, and he was obviously hiding in some remote corner in seclusion.
A year of seclusion in Yandu had already tempered his temperament. For Jiang Liu, the three months of quiet enlightenment at Zhuofeng were but a fleeting moment, and he found great joy in it.
Watch the ants move their nest, watch the arc of a falling leaf across the sky, watch the ripples created by a spring droplet falling onto the water's surface.
Over the past three months, Jiang Liu has searched every inch of Zhuofeng. Everything is so ordinary, nothing extraordinary. Even the ancient bow in Jiang Liu's hand looks plain and unadorned. It's pitch black, as if it's been burned, and even has several wormholes on it, making it look somewhat rotten, as if it might fall apart at any moment.
The extraordinary can be found in the ordinary.
This clumsy bow was found by Jiang Liu in a badger den halfway up the mountain. The badgers there had used it as firewood.
"A clumsy bow, a clumsy peak... Great perfection seems imperfect, great fullness seems empty, great skill seems clumsy. Mountains are scriptures, transmitting secret methods. One needs a corresponding state of mind, in harmony with them, to imprint immortal techniques. The great way of nature, the way of nature, only a wise and unassuming person like the old master can comprehend it..."
With a slight pluck of the bowstring, the vibrations caused the surrounding space to distort, as if an invisible force field was spreading in all directions.
"Quack quack quack..."
As the bowstring vibrated, nine crows circled overhead from time to time.
"A spirit of the weapon! This clumsy bow is comparable to a top-tier immortal artifact. It's a pity that it can only be used on Clumsy Peak. With the mountain as its bow and the Great Dao as its string, it can pierce through the heavens..."
Jiang Liu gazed at the cawing crows overhead and quietly contemplated. Those nine crows were spirits born from the ancient bow, deities born from the "weapon." If shot, they could pierce the clouds and split the sky, invincible in all directions.
Without comprehending the Great Dao of Nature, one cannot obtain the inheritance of Zhuofeng, and the Nine Secrets of Words will naturally not appear.
In the end, Jiang Liu still gave the clumsy bow to Li Ruoyu.
"The fact that you were able to find the Clumsy Bow means that you are truly destined to meet the Nine Secrets!" Looking at the Clumsy Bow in front of him, the old man's eyes welled up with tears.
"Senior, I cannot comprehend it; I still need your enlightenment. I feel that as long as one can comprehend the Great Dao of Nature, one can unlock the inheritance. You possess great wisdom, more than enough to unlock the inheritance!"
Li Ruoyu stroked the clumsy bow, gave a wry smile, and said, "It's easier said than done! I'll give it a try! But don't get your hopes up too high..."
Li Ruoyu placed the clumsy bow on the nine-step heavenly ladder and sat cross-legged.
At the summit of Zhuofeng Peak, a void appears, extremely tranquil, where vegetation flourishes and withers, sometimes lush and verdant, sometimes withered and desolate.
The nine-tiered heavenly ladder, hazy and indistinct, kept expanding, and even magnificent palaces and pavilions appeared above, lying across the void.
Li Ruoyu sat there cross-legged like a fossil, facing the nine-step heavenly ladder.
On the peak of Zhuofeng, the nine-tiered ladder to heaven continuously expands, transforming into nine platforms, upon which magnificent palaces and pavilions are surrounded by swirling clouds and mist.
Li Ruoyu slowly rose, drawn by a force, and entered that ethereal palace.
On the mountain peak, the extreme emptiness and profound tranquility seemed to be an evolving world, where inexplicable "Tao" and "principle" were intertwined.