Dragon Canon

“This humble Daoist goes by the name Chu He (Dig Grain). I hail from the Jianmu Hall of the Palace of Absolute Beginning. I have a bit of history with your grandmaster; that old rogue Fen Hai.” The Daoist introduced himself with a broad smile—one so wide that his eyes nearly disappeared.

Wei Yuan hurriedly bowed. “Greetings, Trueman Chu He.”

Wei Yuan’s manners were impeccable, his voice was sincere, and his expression was respectful. He dared not reveal the slightest flaw from head to toe.

Setting aside the fact that anyone could have a grudge against Trueman Fen Hai and still be alive and kicking—not to mention running about and proclaiming it everywhere—had to be a force to be reckoned with, the name “Jianmu Hall” alone possessed a powerful allure. Like the Mastercraft Hall, it had been on Wei Yuan’s mind for quite some time. Now that a Trueman of the Jianmu Hall was actually standing before him, there was no way he was going to let this guy esca—ahem. Correction, there was no way he could afford to offend this esteemed senior.

On the surface, Wei Yuan was extremely respectful, but inwardly he was muttering to himself: He has ‘a bit of history’ with Grandmaster Fen Hai? I wonder how badly he was beaten up back then. Man, I hope he doesn’t take it out on a junior like me. I mean, I don’t mind him beating me up, but what if he storms off in a huff?

Yet though Trueman Chu He appeared simple-minded, he saw right through Wei Yuan’s thoughts. Frowning with displeasure, he asked, “Do you know why, when people speak of the Skyblue Hall, they always describe it as one of the most formidable halls? Why is there that ‘one of’?”

Wei Yuan answered honestly, “This junior doesn’t know.”

Trueman Chu He’s beady eyes sharpened as he declared, “That’s because the Jianmu Hall exists!”

Wei Yuan listened in utter disbelief. He never would have imagined that a hall whose members made their living as farmers could actually be on par with the Skyblue Hall when it came to fighting. Even peasants had another side these days!

However, realizing he might have exaggerated things a bit and felt slightly embarrassed, Trueman Chu He tried to make up for it by adding, “And also the Mother Nature Monastery, Heavenly Mysteries Hall, and Clear Sky Monastery.”

Wei Yuan looked skeptical. Apart from the Clear Sky Monastery, the rest didn’t sound like they would amount to much in a fight.

Trueman Chu He’s face darkened. “What, you still don’t believe me? Why don’t you call your grandmaster over and ask him yourself! This humble Daoist has eight immortal swords covering all the elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, ice, wind, and thunder. Has there ever been a time when we didn’t end up mutually battered? Has he ever gotten the upper hand even once?”

Wei Yuan was genuinely taken aback. Why would an old Daoist from the Jianmu Hall wield eight immortal swords? The rest were one thing, but the thunder sword was definitely an immortal foundation.

“Senior... aren’t you wielding a bit too many swords?”

Trueman Chu He replied, “No, not at all! Now you know this old Daoist isn’t just bragging, right? Your teacher has four immortal swords as well—he’s already surpassed his master. Once he becomes an Avatar, that old rogue truly won’t have much standing left. Oh right, you cultivate immortal swords too, don’t you? How many do you have now?”

Weren’t immortal swords valued for their quality, not quantity? Speaking of the quantity of his immortal swords, Wei Yuan found it hard to speak up. He stammered, “W-well, it’s n-not worth mentioning....”

Trueman Chu He let out a heavy grunt and said, “And here I thought you were a decent young man. I didn’t expect you to be the type to keep your feet off the ground[1]! Just say how many you have. Even if it’s only one or two, no one will laugh at you, so what are you afraid of? Speak already!”

Left with no choice, Wei Yuan answered, “This junior has a total of one... thousand and twenty-four immortal swords.”

Trueman Chu He was twirling his beard with a smile, but when he heard the following numbers, he lost control and accidentally snapped off a few strands.

Seeing that the old Daoist had lost his composure and was about to explode at any moment, Wei Yuan hurriedly brought out a bundle of immortal swords and added, “This is just a small portion.”

The old Daoist’s mouth opened and closed, momentarily lost for words. He felt as if a breath was stuck in his chest, and he was unable to spit it out for ages.

A long time later, he finally forced out a smile and said, “These immortal swords are a bit subpar in quality, aren’t they? Show me the good ones.”

Wei Yuan looked ashamed. “These are the best I have. The remaining types are worse. Would you like to give them a look?”

The old Daoist opened his mouth, but once again found himself unable to speak. After a long time, he finally said, “No, thank you. No offense, but what good is collecting so much junk? A thousand pieces of junk is still....”

The rest of his sentence trailed off.

It was because the old Daoist suddenly realized something: a single piece of junk was junk, but a thousand pieces put together? That was a different story.

“Let me take a look at your fields first,” the Trueman declared, choosing not to pursue the topic further.

As he walked into the field, Trueman Chu He suddenly seemed like a different person. At times, he would crouch down to stroke the young shoots, as tenderly as if caressing a lover’s thigh. At other times, he would speak to a few stunted seedlings, encouraging them ceaselessly, as if they could truly understand his words.

But strangely enough, the seedlings he had spoken to actually became more vibrant and grew faster. It wasn’t just a bit of growth either—it was growing several times faster than before!

Occasionally, the old Daoist would stand up to gaze at the sky, observe the flow of the earthly veins, and note the direction of the wind. At times, he would dig up a clump of soil to examine it closely, or even put a bit in his mouth to taste it.

He busied himself like this for two ke straight, stranding Wei Yuan. Luckily, he was in no hurry and just waited patiently. Just then, someone standing near Wei Yuan spoke up, “Junior Nephew Wei, is it okay if we join our shifu and take a look inside as well?”

Wei Yuan turned to see four cultivators—some in Daoist robes, and others in secular attire—standing nearby. Their Dao energy bore some similarities to that of Trueman Chu He. They clearly shared the same lineage.

Wei Yuan smiled and agreed, “Do as you please, Senior Uncles.”

The four disciples immediately rushed into the field; only the youngest of them remembered to be polite and paid Wei Yuan a simple bow.

Watching them from the sidelines, Wei Yuan noticed that their auras were remarkably similar to those of plants. If one was relying solely on their spiritual senses, then those with weaker perception could easily mistake them for ordinary vegetation found everywhere. Not only that, the deeper their cultivation, the more their auras resembled that of ordinary plants.

For instance, Wei Yuan could distinguish the four disciples to some extent, but Trueman Chu He? The guy was nothing more than a blade of grass to his perception; the kind that could be found anywhere. That was why Wei Yuan had missed his arrival completely.

Finally, after the master and his disciples had surveyed the entire field, Trueman Chu He went up to Wei Yuan and asked, “Are there any other spirit fields? Take me to see them.”

When he entered, the Trueman’s face was radiant with joy. But when he emerged, his brow was deeply furrowed. Wei Yuan’s heart sank at the sight, but he did not ask. Instead, he led the group to the herb garden.

Trueman Chu He spoke highly of the Wood Spirit Ginsengs, but when he stood before the Star Dragon Tree—the one bearing white-gold veins—he fell into deep thought. After a moment, he said, “The Sky Dragon Tree is typically classified as middle-grade among spirit plants. Since its discovery over a hundred thousand years ago, little has changed. Yet this particular specimen has, for reasons unknown, absorbed a trace of the spirit qi of the Bay Laurel Immortal Tree. Now, it should probably be called the Bay Laurel Dragon Tree, an upper-grade spirit plant.”

His gaze fell on another patch of black soil, and he suddenly out a startled “Eh?” He walked to the edge of the plot and sniffed deeply, a look of astonishment slowly spreading across his face. “Has the nether soil been added here?”

“A small amount, yes.”

“Where did the nether soil come from? Let me see it.”

In Wei Yuan’s perception, Ji Liuli and Zhang Sheng both nodded. So, he materialized a handful of nether soil in his hand.

However, this wasn’t the original soil he had brought from the Realm of Coldbelow. Rather, it was created from mixing one part nether soil and nine parts the soil of the Great Realm. He even made sure to stir them thoroughly before materializing it for the Trueman to see.

While he was stirring the soil, Wei Yuan couldn’t help but feel as though a stick was missing from his hand.

Upon seeing the handful of soil, Trueman Chu He’s face shifted again and again. He accepted it cautiously, sensing the quietude energy within. A long time later, he finally said, “So that’s how it is.”

He looked at Wei Yuan and asked, “How did the quietude energy of nether soil come to be within your Dao Foundation?”

Wei Yuan shook his head. “This disciple does not know.”

“How much more of this nether soil can you manifest?”

Wei Yuan made a rough estimate. Assuming he didn’t alter the current proportions, he could likely manifest enough soil to cover several hundred mu. So, he replied, “I still have some left.”

Trueman Chu He scooped up a handful of dark soil and asked, “How much is some, exactly? Take this plot for example. How many plots like this can you cover with your current stock?”

“Three.” Wei Yuan was going to say one, but then he remembered he’d already given Sun Yu several dozen catties of nether soil.

Trueman Chu He immediately declared, “Find me a place to stay. This old Daoist is staying!”

Overjoyed, Wei Yuan promptly arranged for him to stay at the mountaintop. But to his surprise, the Trueman shook his head after inspecting the site. In the end, he chose a plot in the Liang rice field and ordered his disciples to build their houses there.

“Why did you choose this spot, Trueman? Wouldn’t the herb garden be better?” Wei Yuan asked.

“The spirit plants in the herb garden are of a higher grade, but there are too few of them. There isn’t enough spirit qi for my disciples to cultivate. But these spirit fields are different. They span several thousand mu and produce enough spirit qi to form a stream. Besides that, completing this project would result in a great virtuous achievement.”

Wei Yuan did not quite understand what he was saying. “I humbly request your guidance, Trueman.”

Trueman Chu He explained, “Those spirit herbs are reserved for the select few, whereas these Liang rice can be enjoyed by everyone. It is also the key for mortals to transform their mortal shells and temper their physical bodies. The vast majority of mortals aren’t cultivating not because they’re incapable of cultivation, but simply because they lack access to spirit food.

“You may not like hearing this, but in this old Daoist’s opinion, it would be a better use of your time and effort to increase the Liang rice harvest by ten percent than planting a couple more spirit ginsengs or Star Dragon Trees. Enabling more people to transcend the mundane and enter immortalhood—that is what truly benefits heaven and earth.”

Wei Yuan was genuinely impressed. “What noble virtue you display, Trueman!”

Chu He suddenly recalled something and said in a hurry, “The other Star Dragon Tree; the one that’s planted in the nether soil. You need to station guards around it. It’s highly likely that it has already touched on the threshold of an immortal tree!”

After settling everyone in the Jianmu Hall, Wei Yuan returned to the central peak and met with Zhang Sheng. After the customary greetings, he asked, “Trueman Chu He said he possessed eight immortal swords and can hold his own against Grandmaster Fen Hai. Is that truly the case?”

Zhang Sheng, not bothering to look up from his history book, replied calmly, “Boast and bluster! His thunder sword is passable, but the rest are utterly mundane. If he is only wielding those swords, your grandmaster will trounce him eleven out of ten times. However, the Jianmu Hall also raises many spirit beasts, and a good amount of spirit plants are carnivorous as well. When a member of the Jianmu Hall fights another, they often unleash a swarm of spirit plants and beasts to overwhelm their opponents. The reason that old Daoist was able to hold his own against your Grandmaster is because he possesses two spirit beasts in the Avatar stage.”

So that was how it was.

At that moment, Zhang Sheng was sitting by the window with a book in his hands. Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on his hands and casting a jade-like glow.

Suddenly, Wei Yuan noticed that his teacher’s hands were slender and white, supple yet strong. Be it in the bone structure, flesh, or aura, they were in no way inferior to Bao Yun’s or Ji Liuli’s.

It was this very hand that had swung the sword that severed the Sky Snow Hawk and saved his life that day. Back then, blood had gushed from between its fingers, like red plum blossoms against white snow.

Back then, despite the haze of pain and exhaustion, Wei Yuan clearly remembered how beautiful it had looked.

Suddenly, he felt the urge to touch it.

1. He’s criticizing Wei Yuan saying that he’s a dreamer who runs before he walks; unwilling to put in the time and effort to grind for success. ☜