Beginning with the Ubume Bird
Chapter 703 - Chapter 703 Chapter 11 Preparation

Chapter 703: Chapter 11 Preparation Chapter 703: Chapter 11 Preparation Two days later. Ta Kong Temple.

“Since it is a matter entrusted by Mr. Zhao, I shall of course do my utmost.”

The hands of Wuwei Sanzang stayed submerged in the murky, cold white water for a good while before he took them out. As he spoke, he began to knead the raw material onto the plate.

“My surname is Li, Li Yan. We met in Luoyang last time. I haven’t had the opportunity to ask for The Master’s name.”

“Fire Treasure.”

Wuwei Sanzang, or rather Fire Treasure Monk, answered with a smile.

“You just wait for me.”

The Fire Treasure Monk was wearing a russet monk’s robe, but the majority of his arm was still exposed to the air. Although it was the afternoon, it was already very cold in the courtyard, and while they spoke, they could even see their breath.

Three hours passed by, with Li Yan sitting opposite the Fire Treasure Monk. He watched as the monk mixed various colored oils, eventually shaping a softly clustered oil pastry flower that transitioned from red to white.

Unexpectedly, the Fire Treasure Monk picked up some iron wires and a bamboo frame and started fiddling with them, paying no mind to Li Yan’s intentions.

“…”

Night fell, and the stars and moon were desolate. The temperature in the courtyard dropped below zero. Finally, the Fire Treasure Monk signaled, and several young monks from outside the yard brought in the finished oil pastry flower.

Only then did the Fire Treasure Monk turn to look at Li Yan.

“Have you been waiting long? My apologies; it was impolite of me.”

Li Yan shook his head, “Not at all, the weather is cold and freezing. Fire Treasure Master should take care of his health first.”

Li Yan indicated with his eyes the Fire Treasure Monk’s hands, which were red from the cold, and still bore the scars of chilblains accumulated over many years.

“Speaking of which, I don’t understand. Among the ten types, the flesh of the Spiritual Five Immortals indeed does not compare to the Stubborn Five Insects, but it shouldn’t be to this extent…”

Li Yan’s Destiny Yak was about sixty to seventy percent cultivated. Even from several meters away, he could clearly hear every movement of Fire Treasure Monk’s joints, his pulse, and even the sound of blood flowing through his veins. He was sure the Fire Treasure Monk was suffering from severe arthritis and muscle atrophy.

If Li Yan’s own body was a surging volcano, then the old monk before him was a candle burning to its end, physically even worse off than an average person.

“The Five Insects and the Five Immortals differ by only one character, yet the error is a thousand miles apart. The Five Insects rely on tendons and bones for their power, while the Five Immortals do not need to. There’s nothing surprising about this. Furthermore, Esoteric Buddhism advocates for ascetic practice, the board of nails and fire, lightning strikes and stone grinding, all to weaken the flesh and ponder Buddhist teachings. It should be this way.”

After a moment of thought, the Fire Treasure Monk continued, “I’ve heard about Mr. Li’s actions and seen your facial features today. I concluded that Mr. Li is an avaricious and reckless man. I deliberately neglected you, and even if you are scheming, you do not show it on the surface. Inwardly, however, you should have some calculations. Though I am not talented, I would be able to perceive it. But I didn’t expect that you could sit stoically for most of the day without a hint of impatience or resentment. Seeing my declining energy, you even felt a touch of empathy. It’s rare indeed. No wonder Mr. Zhao is willing to help you.”

Li Yan mulled it over for a while, not sure whether the Fire Treasure Monk was insulting or praising him. Having a request to make, he could only smile and say, “I have always respected my elders.”

The Fire Treasure Monk poured two cups of hot water from a warmer and handed them to Li Yan, then added, “However, this makes it difficult. If you were to become annoyed with me and unsettled, I would be able to find a way to diagnose your Niwan Palace without you being aware. Now that you are calm and steady, I wonder, are you willing to open your Niwan Palace for me to probe into the truth directly?”

“`

Li Yan didn’t hesitate, “To seek a doctor is to trust a doctor, otherwise why would I bother coming? Please proceed, Master.”

“Good.”

The Fire Treasure Monk acted efficiently, reaching towards Li Yan’s head. Since Li Yan had agreed, he naturally did not resist. He closed his eyes tightly, only to see a half-red, half-golden Buddha leap into his Niwan Palace.

The red side of the Buddha seemed to be constructed from flesh and white bones, standing on human heads, with a circle of bones around its waist and a meat lotus in its hands. The various cruel and frightening desires were unbearable to look at directly. The golden side had a dignified appearance, exuding a strange fragrance, with a kind and noble face.

“Mr. Li, there is no need to panic. In the past, before my Dharma was fully accomplished, there were no Dharma bodies of Wuwei Sanzang left in the great Daqian Yanfu, so I had to cobble together a fake one called the Esoteric Buddhist demon king.”

As the Fire Treasure Monk spoke, voices of men, women, old, and young echoed throughout the entire North Pole lantern within Li Yan’s Niwan Palace. Yun Zhongjun, Wu Zhiqi, Gu Huo Bird, and even the soul of Li Yan himself holding the Three-Five Demonic Slayer Sword all felt as if facing a formidable enemy. The normally incompatible four phases surprisingly gathered together.

“Eh?”

The two-sided Buddha saw the Magical Sword in the hands of the original body and also became uncertain for a moment.

Among the four phases, Wu Zhiqi was the most rebellious. Now that the two-faced Buddha had entered the Niwan Palace, it was the most infuriated. It sneezed directly, and a white lightning bolt from its nose and mouth shot straight at Wuwei Sanzang.

The red-faced demon raised the meat lotus high, and when the lightning touched it, it dissipated in an instant.

Wu Zhiqi wanted to act again but was stopped by Yun Zhongjun. The two confronted each other. The presence of the golden-red Buddha was so great that it dominated over the four, and even Yun Zhongjun, with his high spirits and pride, knew he had no chance of winning in a fight and did not dare to strike first.

“…”

Wuwei Sanzang’s gaze lingered on Li Yan’s original form for a long while before turning and exiting Li Yan’s Niwan Palace.

Li Yan opened his eyes, and the Fire Treasure Monk had his hands clasped together, appearing deep in thought.

“Master?” Li Yan called out.

The Fire Treasure Monk then raised his head, “Ah, I have just recalled the sealing of the Scale-Ding You Twenty-Four fruit. At that time, I found it strange. Even if Zhang Yichu could deceive everyone, a part of that fruit’s right should belong to you. It turns out you had these two unique Magical Swords. No wonder, at that time you were not even a Proxy Traveler, and to be without a soul and a spirit was as good as dead. Without the support of these two Magical Swords, Yan Fu would not have acknowledged an event that, once completed, allowed you to die as soon as you walked.”

Li Yan forced a smile. Back then, did he have a choice? Even to this day, there were people in the Yan Zhao Club who believed that he and the enigmatic one conspired to pluck the fruit, yet he had no way to refute that.

“Master, let’s save the idle talk for later. How am I now?”

Li Yan didn’t wish to bring up the past. He had a feeling that he would have to return to Great Ming sooner or later.

“Ha, it’s complicated. Those two Three-Five Evil-Slaying Male and Female Swords are like fish bones stuck in your throat, blocking your Divine Court Road.”

This was no different from Earth Endurance’s assessment.

Li Yan nodded, “So, what should I do?”

However, the Fire Treasure Monk did not answer; instead, he changed the subject: “Mr. Li, as the second seat, you have also seen a lot on the Mother Crown. How much do you know about the Sixth Judicial Commissioner of Fundamental Laws and the Dharma itself?”

“`

Li Yan answered truthfully, “The Dharma required the consumption of a Sixth Judicial Commissioner of Fundamental Laws and demanded the same kind and origin from the heritage. As for the Dharma, it integrates the physical body, the soul, and the heritage as one, recreating heaven and earth. Henceforth, there’s no such thing as vital points, as even a single hair or drop of blood from a Dharma could potentially be restored. Sharing the same rank as the Sixth Judicial Commissioner, the Dharma naturally possesses greater strength.”

“Indeed. However, initially, there was no concept of the Sixth Judicial Commissioner of Fundamental Laws. Without exception, they were all Dharmas. The origin of the Sixth Judicial Commissioner, though, is linked with the Divine Court.”

“Oh?” Li Yan became interested, “Master, would you elaborate?”

The Fire Treasure Monk said, “The entire development of Yan Fu proceeds at an accelerated pace. Over a hundred years ago, those who walk the path of Yan Fu had no knowledge of the concept of the Five Directions Elder, with only a very few talented Five Insects capable of stepping into the realm of the Six Ministries with the methods of the Dharma. Mr. Zhao, when he first entered Yan Fu, was from such an era. Upon his arrival in Yan Fu, he resolutely chose to pursue the Divine Court first. Unfortunately, the situation was too tense, and with Sifan’s relentless pursuit, Mr. Zhao had to abandon the Divine Court and instead cultivate the Spiritual Five Immortals.”

“At that time, Mr. Zhao was just one step away from the third stage of the Divine Court’s great achievement. Had he completed it, he might have been the first in the history of Yan Fu to be on par with the Five Directions Elder. Back then, only a tiny fraction of the natives, along with the current Sifan Master, were considered to have the strength of the Five Directions Elder. Regrettably, he didn’t complete the journey.”

“Even if he started from scratch and cultivated Spiritual Five Insects again, Mr. Zhao still stood out, ranked first among the Five Immortals at the time. In that era, Yan Fu could not confront Sifan Master head-on, only able to utilize various authorities of the Spiritual Five Immortals to evade and distract, hence the revered status. But the physical body of Five Immortals was weak, and at that time, without Su Ling’s rigourous winter medicine, it was nearly impossible to achieve the Sixth Judicial Commissioner status through Dharma, and the one who created an entirely new approach for this was Mr. Zhao, who had experienced the Divine Court.”

“Being the lord of the Divine Court does not necessarily require one to personally combine the many immortal insects within, but merely to bestow and command. The so-called first stage of the Divine Court, View of Heaven and Earth, only requires the soul to combine with the physical body. As for how to subdue the immortal insects in the Divine Court, that’s a matter for later. Mr. Zhao then thought if the union of the three–soul, body, and heritage–is Dharma, and the integration of the soul and body is Divine Court, and if saying the heritage took over the body is to become possessed, then what if we just combined the soul with the heritage, would it work? This became the embryonic form of the Sixth Judicial Commissioner.”

“There were setbacks at the start, but ultimately success was achieved. The so-called Sixth Judicial Commissioner only needs to refine the heritage and the soul into one, then find a mind-erasing Dharma to combine with, and this immediately increased the number of Six Ministries in Yan Fu. It also allowed many of the Spiritual Five Immortals to suddenly enter the realm of the Six Ministries, including myself.”

“Therefore, the first stage of the Divine Court, View of Heaven and Earth, Dharma, and Sixth Judicial Commissioner, these three cultivation methods are said to originate from the same source, just with different combinations.”

“Among them, the Dharma is the most difficult, demanding a natural affinity with the heritage, such as one who combines with Zheng must have the noble spirit of vanquishing evil and promoting goodness, and one who combines with Peng must possess the courage and willpower to swallow the sky and spit out the earth. It is most reliant on innate talent and cannot be forced.”

“Next is the Sixth Judicial Commissioner, which requires an external, mind-erasing aspect to allow the soul and heritage to merge, easily causing a drastic change in temperament.”

“The easiest is the Divine Court, as the soul and physical body naturally share the same origin. Given the appropriate stimulus, their combination is merely a matter of course, a trifle. In my Esoteric Buddhism, there are many methods that can bring the soul and body into unity. Precisely because of this, Mr. Zhao asked you to come to me.”

Li Yan forced a smile, “You say the Divine Court is easy, so why am I finding it so difficult?”

The Fire Treasure Monk sighed and then changed his tone, “Mr. Li, do you realize that you are gravely ill?”

Li Yan blinked, “What do you mean by that?”

“If you had completed your soul earlier and then came to me, I could have helped you expel the two unclaimed divine swords from the Niwan Palace. In doing so, not only would you have easily crossed into View of Heaven and Earth, but you would also have gained two unique level sanctified items of the Dao. But now, things are different.”

“During the View of Heaven and Earth, your soul should have been stimulated to join with your body, strong enough to resist Taiyi Thunder. But your soul was incomplete, and your body, after being strengthened by Destiny Yak, was too domineering. The compatibility between the two wasn’t high. Lacking a substitute wouldn’t have been a big deal, like pre-arranged marriages, complacent whether marrying a chicken or a dog. However, there was a Three-Five Exorcising Heroic Sword Soul that was well-matched with the Three-Five Evil-Slaying Female Sword Soul in your soul, even more so than your physical body! Now that they’ve combined, they are like a wildfire igniting tinder, inseparable and vehemently denying a third party. Not even gods or ghosts recognize such a bond, what about Yun Zhongjun or Taiyi Thunder, or the Sixth Judicial Commissioner body itself? All these are decayed constraints of conventional morality. Tell me, can you still proceed with the Divine Court as before?”

Li Yan was a bit stunned, “Fire Treasure Monk, your metaphor is quite vivid!”

The Fire Treasure Monk just smiled without speaking.

But Li Yan wasn’t willing to give up, “Does that mean there’s no solution?”

The Fire Treasure Monk answered decisively, “Why not start afresh since there is no precedent? Take the path of the Sixth Judicial Commissioner and bring this resentful couple of swords into the Dharma. You can also become a Sixth Judicial Commissioner, and even more formidable than the average one.

Li Yan caught the implication in Fire Treasure Monk’s words, “So there is a method that has no precedent, right?”

“Of course, there is one–imitate the Dharma! Who cares about any issue, let’s combine the paired Three-Five Swords, soul, and body all together! But the Three-Five Swords and the heritage are like fine gold and jade. They’re not of the same kind. No one has ever tried it, and without any conceivable method, I, too, am powerless. How exactly to combine them, I can only say that in the vastness of Daqian Yanfu, there’s nothing too strange, and you must search for the answer within the various fruits.”

In the vast Daqian Yanfu, where no oddity is too strange, this proverb really isn’t much different from ‘there is a law beyond every law.’

Li Yan grumbled in his heart, wondering if the Daqian Yanfu fruit also bore the seeds of the Yan Fu fruit tree. After finding them, could he transform into a spokesperson for the will of Yan Fu, and from then on, punch Cao Yuanchao and kick the Sifan Master at will?

Seeing Li Yan silently brooding, the Fire Treasure Monk patted his shoulder comfortingly, “When Mr. Zhao sought the path to the Dharma, he too traveled throughout the vast Daqian Yanfu. You shouldn’t lose heart either.”

Li Yan took a deep breath, “Regardless, thank you, Master.”

…

No lengthy speeches needed, since Fire Treasure Monk admitted his helplessness, Li Yan also left the Ta Kong Temple. He stood for a long while, towering upon a snow-capped mountain, doing nothing but waiting for a suitable cloud.

To say he was riding the clouds, Li Yan had stood the entire night. As he watched the clear skies and pure waters, he felt his gloominess dissipate considerably. Suddenly, a message popped up–it was from Cha Xiaodao.

“Hello?”

“Aren’t you home? Man, I’ve undergone a complete transformation!”

The familiar sound of Xiaodao’s voice was a great comfort to Li Yan.

Back then, confined to a video store waiting for death, he didn’t become hysterical. Death was just that, death. Now, what was a somewhat non-fatal complex problem in comparison?

“Complete transformation?” Li Yan laughed, “What do you mean?”

“You’ll know when you come back! By the way, how many points did you borrow? Spent them all? Let me tell you, I spent every last bit!”

“No, I didn’t borrow much. Are you crazy? One and a half million? Did you bring out two Six Ministries? Did you spend it all?”

“Whoa! You have no idea, let me tell you something, but don’t have a heart attack. Hurry up and open the auction house! Just buy anything.”

Li Yan opened the auction house, clicked on the Yan Fu Heritage category, and what he saw made him stare in stun.

[Heritage: Bright Bird’s Beak Fire Phoenix]

Price: Ten thousand Yan Fu points!

The lowest level Yan Fu heritage component was being sold for a price that was nearly as high as Wu Zhiqi’s!

“See what I mean now?”

Cha Xiaodao was exultant, “Everything in the auction house has gone up like crazy. The Yan Fu Heritage category has tripled in price, and I didn’t pay nearly this much when I bought mine. Shocked, aren’t you?”

“Let’s talk when I get back.”

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, feeling both lucky that he had spent five hundred thousand for a 2000% Awakening Degree and sensing that a storm was approaching.