Chapter 311: Enfeoffing The Divine Son
“Rumors can kill. I haven’t cultivated it to Great Accomplishment; I’ve only just reached Entry Level.” Li Weiyi explained with a bitter smile.
Just a few days of time, and he’d cultivated a Great Technique—that was too shocking. It might invite disaster from envy and jealousy.
Entry Level, Minor Accomplishment, Great Accomplishment.
Three realms, worlds apart.
At An Xianjing’s eye signal, Li Weiyi put on a show of performing it properly. The other party’s cultivation and discernment were extraordinary; the more he faked it, the more likely it was to backfire.
Recalling the ancient texts he’d read before, he formed a finger seal with his left hand, fingers like a Buddha picking a flower, magic energy circulating in his body along a special route toward his left hand.
The magic energy flowed to his palm, like entering a vortex, spinning three circles.
Then a scorching power was born in his palm, as if burning up.
“Ember Extinguishing Finger Technique!”
“Swish!”
A burst of finger force.
A brilliant beam of light flew out from his fingertip.
With a boom, a decorative mountain stone several zhang away was pierced through, leaving a hole the size of a bowl.
An Xianjing nodded lightly: “Indeed the First Layer Entry Level. How long have you cultivated it?”
“I haven’t even started cultivating it yet! I plan to finish reading all the ancient texts, then allocate some energy to study and practice it more.” Li Weiyi felt An Xianjing’s gaze sharp, piercing straight to his heart. Lying about this would be impossible to cover up.
“…”
Black lines appeared on An Xianjing’s forehead: “Be serious. How long exactly have you cultivated it?”
“It was about eight or nine days ago. I went to Spirit Valley Hall with Master and read books for half a day. But later I was busy cultivating mind power and put this off, never getting around to delving deeper.”
Li Weiyi said earnestly: “Before that, I hadn’t even come into contact with the Six Burning Karma Technique.”
An Xianjing stared at him intently, recalling their first meeting two years ago and the drastic changes in him now.
Back then, he was at most a warm-hearted young man, twenty years old and still in Spring Gushing Realm, unlikely to achieve anything in his lifetime.
But now, he had an extraordinary, handsome aura that attracted women’s attention all over his body. His wisdom, Martial Way, and mind power all matched the top figures of the same age. He could face a Great Longevity cultivator of hundreds of years with composure.
Such cultivation speed was simply unbelievable.
Could his aptitude be even more exceptional?
An Xianjing inwardly digested her shock while feeling puzzled.
Elder Xu had clearly said he’d reached First Layer Great Accomplishment—why was it only Entry Level?
Seeing An Xianjing silent for a long time, Li Weiyi feared this greatest backing he had in the Twin Rice Cult might suspect something, so he hurriedly explained: “It must be a misunderstanding on their part! They thought I’d cultivated the Six Burning Karma Technique’s First Layer to Great Accomplishment probably because I combined mind power and Golden Crow Flame into the Daoist Arts.”
A blank look appeared in An Xianjing’s eyes: “What did you say? You can incorporate mind power into the Six Burning Karma Technique?”
Li Weiyi said in a discussing tone: “This is how I understand it. The Six Burning Karma Technique is a legacy of the Pojia Luo Cult. From what I know of Buddhist cultivators, they cultivate both inner and outer, mind first then body, so they must value mind power greatly. How could they not research a Daoist Art that unifies Martial Way and mind power?”
An Xianjing pondered, then said: “Demonstrate it.”
Li Weiyi did as told, releasing the Fusang Divine Tree Light Shadow.
He performed it again: the Six Burning Karma Technique First Layer’s Ember Extinguishing Finger Technique. With one finger thrust, he instantly fused mind power, magic energy, and Golden Crow Flame into one.
Power condensed and exploded outward.
Scorching heat waves swept in all directions.
“Swish!”
“Boom!”
That three-or-four-meter-tall decorative mountain stone collided with the finger force, erupting into a cloud of fire, then exploding. Gravel fell to the ground, some showing signs of melting.
The entire world seemed to fall still.
An Xianjing’s expression froze at that moment, like the dark clouds always shrouding her mind had been pierced and scattered by this finger, giving her a sudden sense of clarity.
She had also cultivated mind power.
But that was because her Martial Way progress was slow, cultivation had become dull, and she’d done it to seek another perception of the Great Dao, without seriously engaging in hard cultivation.
Even so, with two or three hundred years of accumulation, her mind power had preliminarily reached Saint Spirit Mind Master realm.
Compared to Martial Way, it was dispensable.
“If the sixth layer of Six Burning Karma Technique could advance further, perhaps deriving a seventh layer, it might open the gate to Transcendent realm in one go.”
An Xianjing sank into her inner world and immediately tried, forming the flower-picking finger, letting magic energy and mind power converge in her palm.
But it ended in failure.
The magic energy instantly overwhelmed the mind power.
The second time, she mobilized magic energy and mind power of equal strength, but the two powers clashed against each other.
The third time, she imitated Li Weiyi, making the mind power slightly stronger than the magic energy. The result was she couldn’t even perform the Ember Extinguishing Finger Technique.
Li Weiyi waited quietly to the side, full of questions.
Because An Xianjing opposite him stood in place, left hand slightly raised at her waist, repeatedly forming finger seals but not unleashing them.
Afraid the destructive power would be too strong if unleashed?
An Xianjing noticed his gaze and stopped. As a senior expert, she naturally wouldn’t ask for guidance. Composing herself, she asked flatly: “How did you think to combine mind power and Six Burning Karma Technique for use?”
Li Weiyi said: “Senior An, I already explained earlier!”
“I know! I mean, you haven’t even cultivated it—why could you combine the two powers?” An Xianjing said.
Li Weiyi understood her meaning and said: “The first time I performed this finger technique, I felt all my mind power being drawn. So the second time I tried fusing them, and it actually worked. Hasn’t Senior An, who has cultivated Six Burning Karma Technique for three hundred years, ever tried?”
An Xianjing had long tried all sorts of methods, but none had produced the situation Li Weiyi described.
“Swish!”
Her figure flashed, appearing beside Li Weiyi, one hand on his shoulder: “Perform it once more?”
Li Weiyi inwardly grumbled. He’d thought her cultivation was too high to perform Six Burning Karma Technique in Southern Clear Palace. Now it seemed her earlier finger-forming there had simply failed to condense.
Cultivated for centuries and still couldn’t fuse magic energy and mind power?
At An Xianjing’s instruction, Li Weiyi performed the Ember Extinguishing Finger Technique over a dozen times in a row.
Next, she tried alone, forming finger seals, but after several hours, there seemed to be no progress.
Elder Xu came to Southern Clear Palace to report from afar, bowing without daring to look directly: “Hall Master said earlier today was when you’d return to the ground. Someone from Under Heaven Hall came asking when Hall Master would set off?”
“Tell Under Heaven Hall that this Hall Master has important matters and will be delayed for some time. For Eastern Territory, have them go to Coffin Mountain to ask Senior Disciple Brother to handle things temporarily,” An Xianjing said.
Elder Xu cautiously asked: “Then how long will Hall Master be delayed? So we can reply to them.”
“I don’t know. You go first!”
For An Xianjing, pursuing Transcendent realm outweighed everything.
Elder Xu naturally didn’t dare ask more. Before the three-hundred-and-sixty-year cultivator An Xianjing, the gap between them was like mortal and immortal.
Li Weiyi escorted Elder Xu to the entrance of Southern Clear Palace, cupping his fists with a smile: “Thanks to Elder Xu for speaking up for me that day.”
“We’re our own people; no need to stand on ceremony.”
Elder Xu lowered his voice and sent a transmission: “What’s going on with Hall Master?”
“Hall Master seems to have had a sudden insight and entered a critical phase of cultivation,” Li Weiyi said.
Elder Xu was moved, then overjoyed: “Hall Master must have comprehended that realm; otherwise, she wouldn’t abandon outside matters. These are turbulent times. Your Highness the Divine Son, Southern Clear Palace is yours now—take good care of Hall Master. If you need anything, just send word.”
Li Weiyi had a massive headache. An Xianjing staying in Southern Clear Palace was like a timed bomb. If she discovered Tang Wanzhou, Tang Wanzhou would surely die. He probably wouldn’t fare well either.
Others at most hid a mistress in a golden house.
He was hiding a Young Lord in a golden house—and borrowing Yao Qingxuan’s at that. “Audaciously bold” didn’t begin to describe it.
Suddenly snapping out of his distracting thoughts, Li Weiyi said: “What did Elder Xu just call me?”
Elder Xu smiled broadly: “Hasn’t Hall Master told you? You killed the Fourth Divine Son, and Heavenly Principle Hall and Ku Rong Hall are very dissatisfied, seeing it as a major loss to the Divine Cult. To compensate for the loss, you’re now the Fourth Divine Son!”
Li Weiyi had a huge headache: “Such a big thing as appointing a Divine Son was decided just like that with a few words from them?”
“Their Hall Masters gathered together—naturally they decided it directly.”
Elder Xu added: “Your Highness the Divine Son, be careful when leaving Southern Clear Palace next. You’re now Fourth Divine Son, which means Fifth-ranked Sikong Jingyuan and Sikong Yanlun can challenge you anytime. Of course, challenges don’t dare kill easily, but if you lose, them taking your treasures is within Divine Cult rules.”
Li Weiyi said: “Making me Fourth Divine Son—isn’t that purely pitting me?”
From inside Southern Clear Palace came An Xianjing’s voice: “Li Weiyi, come see me.”
“Your Highness the Divine Son is truly the one Hall Master values above all; we normally have no qualification to see her. One pointer from Hall Master benefits a lifetime.”
Elder Xu showed an envious look and took his leave.
Li Weiyi turned and returned to the palace.
An Xianjing sat by the rice paddy of golden rice. Seeing Li Weiyi enter the formation light gauze: “When I cultivated the first and second layers of Six Burning Karma Technique, I absorbed much ash spirit fire to reach Great Accomplishment. How did you cultivate the Golden Crow Flame in your mind power?”
She was pondering the difference between her and Li Weiyi, seeking the reason from it.
Li Weiyi said: “Isn’t the light of the sun just Golden Crow Flame?”
“Then how did you cultivate your Fusang Divine Tree Light Shadow?” An Xianjing said.
“This is a meditation method I created myself: imagining I’m the Fusang Divine Tree, absorbing the sun’s brilliance.” Li Weiyi said half-truthfully.
A self-created meditation method?
An Xianjing thought this unrealistic, but she’d never heard of anyone else cultivating a Fusang Divine Tree Light Shadow spirit god.
Naturally, she couldn’t switch meditation methods now. Her face suddenly grave, she sank into contemplation.
Li Weiyi cautiously said: “Hall Master, you don’t need to follow my path…”
“What did you say? When did I say I’d follow your path? Whether your path even works is unknown.” An Xianjing naturally had her own dignity and pride. In her view, Li Weiyi was still just a big boy.
Even Li Weiyi could tell An Xianjing was denying it despite herself. Afraid she’d keep studying him—she’d already noticed the Golden Crow Flame and Fusang Divine Tree. In a few more days, she’d probably examine his whole body or notice the Dao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish and Yellow Dragon Sword.
Thus, he said: “Hall Master has cultivated Buddhism for many years—do you know the true meaning of Six Realms?”
An Xianjing pulled out of her contemplation and looked at him.
“Six Realms”—wasn’t that just the name of this Great Technique?
Li Weiyi naturally didn’t know the true meaning of Six Realms, but he knew that familiar scriptural saying: “All conditioned phenomena are like dream, illusion, bubble, shadow, dew, lightning; one should contemplate them thus. So, Six Realms refers to dream, illusion, bubble, shadow, dew, lightning. Hasn’t Hall Master heard this famous Buddhist saying?”
“The Buddhist classics excavated from the Underground Immortal Mansion are vast as a sea of smoke—how could I have read them all? Where did you hear it?” An Xianjing asked.
Li Weiyi said: “From a wandering monk.”
An Xianjing seemed to suddenly remember something, muttering to herself: “Such Contemplation, Such Contemplation… I think I’ve seen it somewhere…”
“Swish!”
Her movement technique turned into light mist, and she had already vanished.
Soon, she returned hugging a heavy jade material scroll, sat back on the ridge, and read it carefully.
The front of the scroll had exactly the three ancient characters “Such Contemplation.”
