Chapter 495 - 130: Sealing the Wood Spirit
High above the clouds, in a region approaching the void of space beyond Wang Ping’s perception, an invisible light curtain constructed from a Divine Technique was taking shape. It connected to the pillars of light that shot skyward from the Xiao Shan Lord’s Golden Body Divine Statues across the south.
Beneath the enormous Divine Technique Light Curtain gathered a mass of Divine Technique spells too complex to be memorized. These spells formed countless independent Divine Technique Formations, all linked to the faith of the millions of people on the Zhongzhou Continent.
It was a true connection to the consciousness and faith of the people. If the Xiao Shan Lord wished, he could even wield this vast, collective consciousness. But doing so would undoubtedly cause the torrential flood of memories and information to burst his Spirit Sea. At best, he would become an idiot or a madman; at worst, his Primordial Spirit would be annihilated on the spot.
Even so, the possibility was terrifying enough, as no one could be certain that the Xiao Shan Lord wouldn’t suddenly unleash this power.
「Above Qingpu Road.」
Ao Bing, in pursuit of his brother, suddenly halted his enormous draconic form beneath the clouds. His massive, slitted pupils turned back to look toward the southern horizon as his Primordial Spirit Consciousness instantly blanketed the world for hundreds of miles.
’So this is a true Divine Technique?’
Ao Bing’s enormous draconic form shifted into that of a man, allowing him to contemplate the world he was observing from a human perspective.
Within his Primordial Spirit Consciousness, he perceived another state of the world’s spiritual nature—a state that was stable, yet also relatively frenzied. It possessed supreme power and was brimming with humanity, yet this multifaceted humanity also seemed to be a form of absolute reason.
Just then, Guang Zuo Taoist materialized beside him in a streak of fiery red light. He too gazed at the southern horizon and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao Shan has more courage than we imagined. Judging by the methods he’s displaying, it seems he has only just reached the Fourth Realm and is already laying the groundwork for his advancement to the Fifth."
"My father said that to reach the Fifth Realm, I need both a rich sense of humanity and absolute reason. The rich sense of humanity is so that during my advancement, I’m reminded that I’m still a living being, not a monster," Ao Bing said, gazing in fascination at the great net of the Divine Technique forming on the southern horizon. "The absolute reason is to prevent myself from being devoured by the desires that arise during the process."
Guang Zuo Taoist fell silent for a few moments before speaking. "So, is that why the Dragon Monarch must constantly live out new lives?"
Ao Bing nodded. "When my father advanced, he took a shortcut. He transformed himself into a remote island and had people live on it, allowing him to observe their lives from up close and feel the rich humanity born from their joys and sorrows. Unfortunately, since he didn’t experience it himself, he could never truly comprehend those emotions. That is why, after his advancement, he must periodically live out new lives to repay the debt he incurred."
Upon hearing this, Guang Zuo Taoist straightened his Daoist robe with a flick of his sleeves. "In that case, Fellow Daoist Xiao Shan’s debt will be even greater. This Divine Country of his is too contrived. He should have been more patient."
Ao Bing shook his head. "It’s not that he lacks patience, but that others won’t give him the time. This world, after all, is..."
He left the thought unfinished, his tone shifting as he continued, "Personally, I feel that Fellow Daoist Xiao Shan will succeed this time. Some things have to change. Otherwise, how can the world’s resentment ever be dispelled?"
Guang Zuo Taoist didn’t respond. He folded his hands before him, his profound gaze fixed on the southern lands.
At that moment, tens of millions of people across the southern lands were gathered around hundreds of the Xiao Shan Lord’s Golden Body Divine Statues. Their consciousnesses were connected to the Divine Technique Light Curtain in the sky, and, unconsciously influenced by the Xiao Shan Lord’s will, they offered up their most devout prayers.
「In Zhonghui County Town, at the foot of Qianmu Mountain.」
Outside the County Government Office, tens of thousands of people from the surrounding villages and towns knelt with their families around the Xiao Shan Lord’s Golden Body Divine Statue. They had come because the County Government had announced that they could collect grain from the County Magistrate’s Office, with the amount corresponding to the number of people present.
What began as an incentive had now become genuine devotion, because the Divine Technique had given them something in return!
Directly beneath the Golden Body Divine Statue sat a cultivator in an ornate Daoist robe, deep in meditation. A Wood Spirit Array, currently active, was engraved upon both his robe and his skin.
The cultivator’s soul had merged with the activated array, connecting to the divine radiance of the Golden Body Divine Statue. Through the Divine Technique, his consciousness was being transmitted up to the Divine Technique Light Curtain that shrouded the skies of Zhongzhou.
On a distant peak of Qianmu Mountain, Yu Cheng Taoist gazed with a grim expression at the cultivator beneath the Golden Body Divine Statue. "He intends to bring ruin upon all of Zhongzhou!"
The ’he’ Yu Cheng Taoist spoke of was, of course, the Xiao Shan Lord.
Beside him, Ruan Chunzi spread his Primordial Spirit Consciousness over the entirety of Qianmu Mountain and shook his head. "It shouldn’t come to that, unless he actually uses the consciousness of the people to battle a True Monarch. But that’s highly unlikely!"
Yu Cheng Taoist fell silent, then asked, "If an opportunity was placed before you—a chance to reach the Realm of True Monarch, but at the cost of all the people of Zhongzhou—what would you choose?"
This time, it was Ruan Chunzi who was left speechless.
Just then, Yu Cheng Taoist’s expression shifted. He looked up at the sky and said with even greater gravity, "The Wood Spirits in this world have been locked down!"
Ruan Chunzi didn’t immediately understand. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Exactly what it sounds like. The Divine Technique Light Curtain covering the world contains a Sealing Array. He has sealed all the Wood Spirits. Now, any Wood Spirit Cultivator attempting a breakthrough will find it requires twice the effort for half the result!"
Upon hearing this, Ruan Chunzi’s figure rose into the air on a cloud, as if wanting to get a more direct view of the light curtain above.
Yu Cheng Taoist followed behind him.
A dozen breaths later, Ruan Chunzi spoke in disbelief. "He has stationed at least one Second Realm Cultivator at every single ritual site. They’ve used the Divine Technique to lay this Sealing Array across more than half of Zhongzhou... What a grand undertaking! Where did he find so many Second Realm Cultivators? And they’re all practitioners of the Taiyan Talisman!"
Yu Cheng Taoist, however, was perfectly calm. He replied, "You yourself just said that he practices the Taiyan Talisman."
Ruan Chunzi’s eyes widened in realization. He muttered, "Are you saying they’re all his puppets? That’s hundreds of Second Realm Cultivators! Given the difficulty of the Taiyan Talisman, training hundreds of practitioners at the same time is nearly impossible. Not even True Yang Mountain could produce that many Second Realm Fire Cultivators at once!"
"I told you, he stops at nothing. Think about everything that’s happened in the Southern Four Roads over the years. Who knows how much spiritual essence he harvested by secretly colluding with ’First Heaven’?"
"But you can’t reach the Second Realm in the Taiyan Talisman with spiritual essence alone!"
Yu Cheng Taoist clearly held a biased view of the Xiao Shan Lord, one that stemmed from the time Xiao Shan Lord had stood by idly while Qianmu Mountain suffered a catastrophe.
He looked at the golden pillars of light that seemed to prop up the very heavens and said, "My apologies. I can be biased at times. But right now, more than anyone, I hope the Xiao Shan Lord succeeds."
Ruan Chunzi followed Yu Cheng Taoist’s gaze toward the golden pillars of light propping up the heavens. Each one represented a Second Realm Cultivator.
The Wood Spirit Array they had built was channeling its power through the massive Divine Technique Light Curtain, gathering it all toward Shangjing City. It converged beneath the composite array that the Xiao Shan Lord had constructed with Wang Ping, Zi Luan, and Xiu Yu. Seated in the center of a golden hall, the Xiao Shan Lord surveyed his surroundings before his gaze finally came to rest on a single, blank Talisman.