Chapter Eighty-Three: The Undying Spiritual Radiance
Xu Zhong leapt toward the palace, only to be swept into the Ren Water waterfall. The force of the Ren Water surged against his body, ultimately erasing him completely!
Water rushed backward into his body through his nostrils and mouth, but the instant it flowed through him, the deity of Thunder Marsh within his Water Luminary Reservoir opened its eyes, unleashing the full power of the Water Luminary and absorbing the endless Ren Water energy.
In that moment, the Ren Water energy erupted into colossal waves within the Water Luminary Reservoir!
Within this Ren Water energy, a current of Xin Metal energy was also present.
Water generates Metal, but Xin Metal is Yin Metal, infused with a chilling, icy aura that merged with the Metal Luminary Reservoir inside Xu Zhong's body.
The Xin Metal energy stirred up the Geng Metal energy within him, causing the latter to erupt, and the two began to clash.
The Geng Metal energy within Xu Zhong was linked to his cultivation, but Xin Metal was different, endlessly generated, seemingly perpetual.
The imbalance of Yin and Yang caused the Metal Luminary Reservoir to spiral out of control.
At that critical moment, Xu Zhong’s Earth Luminary Reservoir activated, transforming the Xin Metal energy within him. In a flash, the Geng Metal energy surged, eventually matching the Xin Metal energy.
Geng Metal and Xin Metal energies circulated simultaneously within the Metal Luminary Reservoir, colliding and devouring each other. These two diametrically opposed forces—pure Yang and pure Yin—clashed, turning the Metal Luminary into a battlefield.
Faint explosions rippled through him, barely perceptible but wreaking havoc.
The Metal Luminary Reservoir within Xu Zhong was riddled with pits and craters from the explosions, his lungs suffering the same fate. He exhaled more than he inhaled, appearing on the verge of death, and the deity of Thunder Marsh in his Metal Luminary Reservoir was nearly destroyed by the onslaught.
“This is bad!” Xu Zhong thought to himself.
Soon after, more Qi Refiners entered behind him.
Some were caught off guard and had their Water Luminary Reservoirs blown apart by the overwhelming Ren Water energy. Before the Xin Metal energy could even scour their bodies, their flesh collapsed due to the absence of one of the Five Luminaries, their entire magical power rebounding into the heavens and earth.
Xu Zhong cleared his mind, gazed inward, and shut off his six senses, severing all connection to the outside world, his spirit isolated.
But this did not mean his physical body was fully detached from external influence.
At this moment, his internal magical power was in chaos.
The deity of Thunder Marsh within his Water Luminary Reservoir could not withstand the force, its surface cracking—a direct reflection of his kidneys beginning to fail.
From the Ren Water energy, Xin Metal energy was continuously generated and absorbed by the Metal Luminary Reservoir.
A heavy pressure weighed on Xu Zhong’s chest, blood rising in his throat.
“I need to divide Yin and Yang!” he thought.
“The Five Luminaries within the soul should also be filled with magical power.”
With a shift of intent, his mirrored mind projected scenes of the Mud Pill Palace.
He split his consciousness into three parts!
One part to control his body, maintaining normal life functions.
Another to exercise his cultivation, keeping the Five Luminaries in proper rotation.
The last to direct the Five Luminaries of the human soul.
In that instant, the Five Luminaries of the soul seemed to breathe in spiritual energy.
Suddenly, the Xin Metal energy within the Metal Luminary Reservoir was diverted!
At that moment, Xu Zhong became like a swordsman wielding a blade, cleaving a towering mountain, splitting the river’s course, and using the duality of Yin and Yang as a barrier!
Sweat broke out on his forehead, though lost in the water, it could not be seen. Yet excitement surged within him.
The Yin and Yang Metal spiritual energies split and flowed within him, his body seemingly divided into two clashing halves, as if one body housed two consciousnesses.
They fused and destroyed each other simultaneously.
In this cycle of birth and destruction, Xu Zhong glimpsed an indestructible spiritual radiance flowing within the Mud Pill Palace.
All things embrace Yin and hold Yang; balance is achieved through vital energy.
The indestructible radiance connected body and consciousness.
---
Xu Zhong endured the restlessness within, single-mindedly attuned to the indestructible radiance birthed from the clash of Yin and Yang.
That undying radiance flowed within the Mud Pill Palace.
In that moment, Xu Zhong became like a painter, using the cycle of Yin and Yang as his palette and his consciousness as the brush.
He took up the brush, dipped it in golden ink from the palette, and painted a blazing sun within the Mud Pill Palace.
The brush tip’s indestructible radiance surged forth, piercing through darkness and illusion, illuminating the Mud Pill Palace, anchoring the “One” within.
The Metal Luminary Reservoir in the soul became a massive vortex, ravenously devouring the Xin Metal energy. In that instant, the soul’s surface and interior radiated the power of Xin Metal.
The Metal Luminary Reservoir within the Yin aspect of the Five Luminaries was opened.
Thus, Xu Zhong’s soul seemed to acquire a glimmer of spirit.
“So the soul stands independent from the body because it possesses power—power that can exist separately from the flesh.”
Xu Zhong’s mind trembled.
“I think I now understand how I should cultivate my Golden Core.”
He spoke to himself,
“Beyond the Five Luminaries, there are the two of Yin and Yang.” Xu Zhong’s gaze burned. “The Golden Core must not only connect the Five Luminaries, but also the dual Yin and Yang.”
He thought of the indestructible radiance.
“I’ll directly use the indestructible radiance to connect the Seven Luminaries!”
With this idea, Xu Zhong began to attempt it,
But there was too little indestructible radiance in the Mud Pill Palace; he could not connect the Five Luminaries, not even the Yin and Yang dual aspects.
He had to give up.
At that moment, he burst forth from the Xin Metal waterfall.
He stood before the palace.
The palace was magnificently carved and painted, grand in scale and splendid in appearance.
Behind it, more palaces stretched out, each with a unique configuration and a distinct aura.
“Are these spells?” Xu Zhong felt the palace’s power and sensed waves of magical energy.
He thought of the many imprints within himself.
Each imprint in his body was a spell.
All were anchored to the Five Luminaries.
If this palace was likened to a spell imprint, then the string of palaces forming a cave-heaven would be a hidden reservoir in the human body.
Xu Zhong shuddered, unable to fathom someone treating another’s Five Luminaries as their own palace.
Just then, a rolling cloud leapt from the sky behind Xu Zhong, transforming into a Qi Refiner wielding a halberd. She spotted Xu Zhong instantly.
Xu Zhong summoned a treasured sword, intent on striking her down, but the halberd-wielding Qi Refiner hurriedly said,
“I’m not here to hunt you.” She was sweating in panic. “I’m being pursued myself and just ran in here.”
She continued, “I suppose you still don’t know what’s happening outside!”
She then recounted everything: the statues’ awakening, the man-eating demon ape.
Xu Zhong, half-believing, finally sheathed his Cloud-Swallowing Sword.
The halberd-wielder sighed in relief. “My name is Shiyue. Like you, I’m from Yu Kingdom.”
Meeting a countryman in a foreign land, Xu Zhong was delighted and about to introduce himself, when Shiyue continued, “I recognize you. You may not remember me, but I remember you.”
Xu Zhong studied Shiyue’s face carefully, gradually dredging up a figure from his memory.
“You’re the female Qi Refiner from the Ghost Mother’s seal site?”
---
Xu Zhong remembered this woman, who had once brought a group of young Dragonfolk before him amidst the Ghost Mother’s lice eggs.
His heart immediately grew wary.
“It’s me!” Shiyue saw his guarded look and knew the past had caused a misunderstanding. After much explanation, she managed to clarify matters.
“How did you get from Yu Kingdom to Tianyuan City?” Xu Zhong asked.
“The Ancient Yue Heavenly Dao forged illusion into reality, refining the Thunder Ancestor’s cave-heaven into the real world. We all know about it now,” Shiyue replied calmly.
Such things could be hidden from common folk, but not from Qi Refiners.
“After Canglang Sage and Prince Yang established the route between Yu Kingdom and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, more and more Qi Refiners from Yu Kingdom ventured into the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths for training.”
“I was originally transiting through Tianyuan City, preparing to head to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.” Shiyue said helplessly, “But I couldn’t resist the allure of the secret realm and entered it with a group of companions.”
“We were lucky, teleported in front of this palace from the start.”
Some of them stayed outside the palace to comprehend the divine beasts’ Dao, while others entered the palace to seek fortune, until the demon ape appeared and forced them inside.
Xu Zhong, after hearing Shiyue’s account, grudgingly trusted her.
Shiyue relaxed as well.
Though their cultivation was similar, Shiyue had no desire to fight Xu Zhong here.
In an unfamiliar secret realm, forming alliances was wise. In her view, flaunting strength was foolish.
“But what about your companions?” Xu Zhong asked.
“They must have entered other locations.” Shiyue retracted her halberd and took out a star chart.
On the star chart, several red dots moved.
Some were scattered, some overlapped, and a few red dots coincided with the place where Shiyue and Xu Zhong stood.
She rotated the star chart, and the space began to separate.
Xu Zhong saw layers upon layers of space.
These spaces became neat little grids, shifting like waves under a mysterious power.
“It seems our space is nested in layers.” Shiyue put away the star chart and looked at Xu Zhong. “Any ideas?”
“I have none,” Xu Zhong shook his head.
Shiyue pinched her chin thoughtfully. “Neither do I. We’ll just have to take things step by step.”
With that, they turned their gaze to the palace.
The hall was vast and empty. In the center stood a massive red copper brazier, from which sparks flew, accompanied by a fragrant aroma of medicinal herbs—evidence that the wood burning was unusual.
Beside the brazier was a lacquered gold redwood chair, upon which a figure sat cross-legged!
This person’s body was shriveled, skin stretched taut over bone, eyes sunken deep into the skull, giving a ghastly, terrifying appearance—a corpse, mummified over many years.
He sat by the brazier, seemingly warming himself.
His outstretched hand was hooked, the bone visible through the skin.
The bones were translucent, like jade.
“How long do you think he’s been here?” Xu Zhong asked.
“No idea, but judging by his appearance, he must have died long ago,” Shiyue replied.
The two cautiously entered the hall.
Suddenly, three masses of black vapor erupted from behind Xu Zhong’s head, swirling and tumbling. The aura gave both of them an uneasy feeling, as if something sinister lurked within.
No sooner had they sensed this than the three black masses inhaled the fire from the brazier, entwined, and transformed into a humanoid figure, drifting toward them.