Chapter 49: A Half-Life, Already a Legend
Li Jindou was in utter shock as the porcelain transformation continued creeping over his body. Though his upper body had returned to flesh, his legs remained porcelain, and the encroaching transformation threatened to reach his thighs and waist. Desperately, he steadied his mind and focused on resisting the change, but his thoughts remained turbulent.
The Master of Qianyang Mountain was a living legend of Xiniu New Continent. No one knew his real name—only his epithet.
He was the creator of the Heavenly Heart Righteous Qi Method, a foundational cultivation technique universally adopted by private academies across the continent. It was simple, reliable, and easy to build upon, allowing practitioners to easily sense qi, form a foundation, and attract True Gods to bestow Divine Embryos. Though seemingly ordinary, its solid foundation made it highly respected among cultivators.
The method’s accompanying spell, the Ziwu Evil-Slaying Sword, comprised six basic moves. While less intricate than the spells of noble clans, it was considered the most powerful foundational technique available. Many believed the Ziwu Evil-Slaying Sword could evolve into more sophisticated techniques far surpassing those of the great families.
For this reason, cultivators revered the Master of Qianyang Mountain as a teacher, a title he earned even greater acclaim for through his magnum opus, The Compendium of Talismanic Texts.
This monumental work was a must-read for all talisman masters and spellcasters. Talismanic techniques and spells were deeply interconnected—each talisman’s structure mirrored the design of a spell. For instance, the Taishang Eight Trigrams Protective Talisman, when drawn on paper, functioned as a physical ward, but when activated through spellcasting, became a potent defensive technique.
The Compendium contained thousands of talismans, each representing a spell or magical technique, making it a comprehensive guide to the mystical arts. Even the great noble houses regarded it as essential reading.
“I was injured by the Master of Qianyang Mountain—what an honor!” Li Jindou marveled, his shock giving way to awe. “Should I bow to him to express my respect? No, that’d be too obvious... I must act composed.”
Yet his mind remained puzzled. Why had the Master of Qianyang Mountain, at the height of his fame, suddenly vanished from the public eye?
Elsewhere in the mountains, Chen Shi and Li Tianqing were hunting mayou together. With teamwork, they had already captured four of the strange creatures.
Li Tianqing’s jade wheel techniques were precise, felling mayou from towering trees with ease. Chen Shi, quick on his feet, would pounce on the stunned creatures, tie them up, and hand them over to Black Pot for safekeeping.
The mayou, resembling oversized monkeys or small horses, were as large as adult men and just as strong, but they cowered obediently under Black Pot’s watchful gaze.
Nearby, a group of young scholars from Qiaowan Town’s private academy also hunted mayou. They eyed Chen Shi and Li Tianqing enviously, impressed by their haul. Capturing mayou not only honed one’s magical skills but also supplemented household income.
By midday, the pair had caught six mayou.
“That’s enough for today! Let’s head to town and sell them,” Chen Shi suggested.
At the bustling market, they sold the six creatures for three taels of silver. Though it wasn’t much, both boys were thrilled.
As they strolled through the crowded streets, Chen Shi treated Black Pot to two pounds of spirit beast meat and took Tianqing to sample food from various stalls. They ate a little from each, savoring the variety.
By the time they reached the market’s west end, Tianqing’s belly was round, his hands greasy, and his face glowing with satisfaction. “We’ve eaten so much... Did we spend all our money?”
Chen Shi laughed. “Not even half. Most of the cost was Black Pot’s spirit meat—one tael for two pounds!”
Spirit beast meat was prized for its rich spiritual energy, essential for cultivators. Chen Shi recalled the time he had gifted every household in Huangpo Village several pounds of spirit beast meat, a gesture equivalent to a small fortune.
After their feast, Chen Shi hired an ox cart for ten copper coins to take them back to the village. Lying on their backs in the cart, they gazed at the clear blue sky, enjoying the rhythmic creak of the wheels.
“I wish life could always be like this,” Tianqing sighed. “But I need to grow up quickly to take care of my mother and grandfather.”
“I feel the same,” Chen Shi replied. “I need to grow strong for my grandfather. He’s getting weaker.”
Tianqing turned to him and said earnestly, “I don’t think your grandfather is as weak as you imagine.”
Chen Shi chuckled bitterly. “You’ve only just met him. He hides it well, but he’s not as strong as he seems. Adults are like that.”
Tianqing nodded thoughtfully. “My mother’s the same. She acts tough, but I’ve caught her crying in secret.”
To lighten the mood, Chen Shi grinned. “Tomorrow, let’s go fishing for gun! I’ll buy a stronger rope so they can’t bite through it.”
“Great idea!” Tianqing exclaimed. “Tie the hook to my back—I’ll be the bait!”
Black Pot rolled its eyes at their antics, silently questioning their grasp of mortality.
“Not you,” Chen Shi corrected. “We’ll use Black Pot as the bait.”
Meanwhile, Zhao Yanlong, the Xuanying Manor’s head, led a retinue of elite guards into the southern foothills of Qianyang Mountain, heading for the kiln factory. He had carefully prepared protective talismans and organized his forces into rotating shifts to ensure they could face any threat.
As they reached the factory, Zhao Yanlong dispatched scouts. The first guards to step into the domain were instantly transformed into porcelain dolls.
“So, it’s true,” Zhao Yanlong mused, picking up one of the dolls. He crushed its leg to test its hardness, nodding thoughtfully.
After setting up camp outside the factory, Zhao Yanlong led a group of his siblings into the domain. Each carried powerful talismans, but even their Nascent Soul cultivation couldn’t resist the domain’s transformative power.
“Our goal,” Zhao Yanlong said, his porcelain voice clear to his companions, “is the domain’s essence—a colossal four-headed, eight-armed Bodhisattva statue. If we control it, the entire factory will be ours, and the path to the True King’s Tomb will open!”
Back on the ox cart, Chen Shi and Tianqing were jolted awake as the cart stopped abruptly. Two merchant caravans had collided ahead, blocking the road.
Frustrated shouts filled the air as the merchants argued over who was at fault.
Suddenly, Tianqing pointed to the nearby stream. “Red fish!”
Chen Shi followed his gaze, noticing the fish sinking to the bottom as if paralyzed. He reached in and pulled one out—it was porcelain.
His eyes widened in realization. Looking toward the kiln factory, he saw a pillar of crimson light shoot skyward. The oppressive aura of a demonic domain spread outward, transforming everything in its path.
From the distant factory, the colossal Bodhisattva statue loomed, its eight arms wreaking havoc as it crushed Zhao Yanlong’s forces with ease.
In Huangpo Village, Li Jindou felt the surge of power and turned pale. “Who awakened the Eight-Armed Doumu Bodhisattva? Are they mad?!”
His voice dropped to a whisper. “No... It’s not just a statue. There’s a demon sealed within. Its domain is expanding!”