Chapter 165: Three Immortalities

Qin Mu was startled. He looked at Si Yunxiang, then at Granny Si beside him, his mind reeling. He had always believed Granny Si was Si Yunxiang, but now another Si Yunxiang had emerged, who was none other than the current Saintess of the Heavenly Devil Cult!

His mind was in a turmoil. This current Saintess also bore the surname Si, and he had harbored a preconceived idea that she might be Granny Si. Consequently, he had repeatedly tested her, even deliberately teasing the Saintess on several occasions to observe if she would blush.

It wasn't until Si Yunxiang had tested him previously that he became certain she was Granny Si. And now…

"This generation's Saintess is far safer than the last. The previous Saintess was a true calamity."

A white-haired elder sighed, "Though both are from the Si family, this Saintess won't bring misfortune upon our Sacred Cult."

Granny Si glared angrily.

The elder turned his head, feigning ignorance.

Si Yunxiang stepped forward, approached Qin Mu, still with a touch of shyness, and bowed gracefully. "Young Cult Master," she said, "Saintess Si Yunxiang greets the Young Cult Master."

Qin Mu quickly returned the bow. "You are too kind, Junior Sister," he said.

"This Saintess is indeed graceful and poised."

An old man exclaimed with emotion, "Unlike the last one, who, as a wife, actually murdered the Sacred Cult Master."

Granny Si flew into a rage. "This old woman is still here, you old fogey, what do you want?" she bellowed.

The old man promptly fell silent, not daring to argue with her.

"Saintess Si Yunxiang is no ordinary person."

Qin Mu's eyes flickered. He glanced at the seemingly delicate and shy girl beside him, thinking, "Her thoughts run deep. She must have been the one to defeat the Buddhist Son, and then she came to show off and test my abilities. She already knew I was the Young Cult Master, yet she still flaunted her prowess and probed me. What is her motive?"

Granny Si chuckled. "Yunxiang is from my Si family; the Grandmaster personally tutored her for several years. The Grandmaster had found you even before he found her. After meeting her, he even remarked that if he had met her earlier, he would not have chosen you."

Qin Mu looked towards Si Yunxiang, just as Si Yunxiang looked back at him. Their gazes met, and from her seemingly gentle eyes, Qin Mu discerned a flicker of defiance.

Qin Mu smiled faintly.

Si Yunxiang was likely groomed by the Young Grandmaster according to the Cult Master's succession protocols. Having her and Qin Mu take the Grand Imperial College Examination in the same year probably also served as a means to compare their abilities.

Qin Mu had never realized there would be a competition between him and this girl.

Alas, Qin Mu's performance in the examination was simply too astounding; he defeated Daoist Ling Yun all the way to the Emperor's very presence. No matter what Si Yunxiang did, she would inevitably be overshadowed by him, making it impossible for her to outshine his achievements.

In the subsequent Grandmaster's Examination, which assessed Qin Mu's suitability as a Cult Master, the Young Grandmaster's preferred candidate became clear, and it was not Si Yunxiang. Qin Mu was deemed more fitting to be the Sacred Cult Master than she was.

However, Si Yunxiang was likely unconvinced, which is why, after defeating the Buddhist Heart Son, she chose to flaunt her skills and test Qin Mu.

The Young Grandmaster scanned the surroundings. "Has King Qiantian not arrived yet?" he asked.

"Not yet."

The Young Grandmaster frowned. King Han was known for his impetuous nature, always rushing to the forefront of any situation. His absence now indicated he was unable to come.

What could possibly be more significant than the Cult Master's enthronement?

There was only one possible reason for King Han's absence from the Cult Master's enthronement ceremony.

"Young Cult Master, in the future, you must treat King Han's descendants kindly," the Young Grandmaster whispered.

Qin Mu's heart quivered slightly, and he was about to inquire further when the Young Grandmaster declared in a deep voice, "Three hundred and sixty halls, unfurl your banners and gather at Sacred Arrival Mountain!"

Large banners unfurled, completely obscuring the entire City Lord's Mansion. With a sweep of the banners, the City Lord's Mansion in Yongzhou City vanished without a trace, leaving only an empty expanse where it once stood.

Once the banners covering them disappeared, Qin Mu looked around, utterly astonished. They had left the bustling Yongzhou City and arrived at a place that seemed otherworldly.

Here, a circular dome arched overhead, and square ground lay beneath their feet. A mountain stood tall in a misty, ethereal realm, neither touching the sky above nor the earth below.

The green mountains were verdant, but looking up, there was no sun, and looking down, no earth. This mountain seemed to exist outside the mortal realm.

"Is this Sacred Arrival Mountain?"

Qin Mu gazed around, observing rolling peaks and palaces hidden deep within the mountain forests, likely structures built by the Sacred Cult. However, the Young Grandmaster did not lead them to those halls but instead brought them to a pine and cypress tree.

The pine and cypress were lush and vibrant, having stood there for an unknown number of years. Beneath them was a thatched hut, remarkably clean and showing no signs of decay despite the passage of time.

A large stone also lay beneath the pine and cypress. The Young Grandmaster positioned himself under the ancient trees, while the three hundred and sixty Hall Masters, twelve Cult-Protecting Elders, eight Great Inspection Envoys, three Great Cult-Suppressing Heavenly Kings, and the Left and Right Protectors took their seats below him.

The Young Grandmaster gestured for Qin Mu to come forward. "This mountain," he began, "was originally part of the mortal world. Long ago, the founding Grandmaster of our Heavenly Sacred Cult arrived here and witnessed a woodcutter felling trees. He was chopping this very pine and cypress. The woodcutter's axe strokes were orderly and appeared to contain infinite profound principles. And each time the pine and cypress was struck, it would regenerate and return to its original state. The founding Grandmaster realized he had encountered a sage and sought his guidance. The woodcutter then imparted his wisdom to him under this very tree for several decades. The founding Grandmaster gained boundless enlightenment but remained unsatisfied, so he asked the woodcutter, 'How does one become a sage?'"

Qin Mu listened intently. The Young Grandmaster paused, then continued, "The woodcutter replied that to become a sage, one must establish virtue, achieve merit, and articulate wisdom—these 'Three Establishments' lead to 'Three Immortalities.' The founding Grandmaster then asked how to achieve these Three Immortalities. The woodcutter answered, 'By discerning principles, acquiring knowledge, and imparting teachings—these 'Three Understandings' make one a master to thousands.' It was then that the founding Grandmaster achieved profound enlightenment."

The Young Grandmaster looked up at the ancient pine and cypress, which had endured countless years. "The founding Grandmaster understood that to become a sage, he first needed to embody the 'Three Understandings' to become a master to thousands. Therefore, he compiled the Sage's Teachings, organizing them into chapters and records, which is known to the outside world as the Great Education Heavenly Devil Scripture."

"The founding Grandmaster wrote the Great Education Heavenly Devil Scripture, thereby achieving the understanding of principles."

"He then traveled the world for centuries, imparting the principles taught by the sage to others. These principles, once transmitted by him, became his own. When one speaks to your ears, and you speak to another's, this is knowledge. The founding Grandmaster achieved the understanding of knowledge."

"As for imparting teachings, the founding Grandmaster established our cult, grateful for the woodcutter's guidance, and named it the Heavenly Sacred Cult, laying down its doctrines. The way of the sage is no different from the daily lives of ordinary people; any deviation is heresy! To act according to one's nature, purely and spontaneously, is the Way. This is the fundamental origin of our cult's doctrine."

Below, although the various Hall Masters, Protectors, and Elders were all high-ranking members of the Heavenly Devil Cult, most were experiencing a Cult Master's enthronement for the very first time. Even the Cult-Protecting Elders and Cult-Suppressing Heavenly Kings were not entirely familiar with this segment of history.

They had anticipated an earth-shattering ceremony for the Cult Master's enthronement, but to their surprise, the Young Grandmaster began recounting the cult's founding history instead.

They had occasionally encountered brief accounts of the founding Grandmaster's legendary tales in the cult's ancient texts, but these were mere glimpses, lacking the detail and emotional resonance of the Young Grandmaster's narrative.

"'Imparting teachings' means to instruct and educate. The founding Grandmaster established the cult with the aim of transmitting the sage's wisdom to all people. He achieved the 'Three Understandings' and became a master to thousands—discerning principles, acquiring knowledge, and imparting teachings. He established virtue and articulated wisdom, but he did not achieve merit, and thus did not become a true sage."

The Young Grandmaster continued, "In his later years, he reflected deeply, wondering where his ultimate merit lay. Although the founding Grandmaster never became a true sage, by articulating wisdom for the sage, establishing his own cult, and cultivating complete virtue, he achieved the 'Three Understandings' and two of the 'Three Establishments' (virtue and wisdom), thus two of the 'Three Immortalities.' He had already surpassed countless ordinary individuals. Qin Mu, are you willing to inherit the founding Grandmaster's virtue and wisdom, his principles and knowledge?"

Qin Mu bowed, cupped his hands, and extended them forward. "This disciple is willing," he affirmed.

The Young Grandmaster smiled. "Then the Cult is yours," he said, "you must take on this burden."

"This disciple will bear it," Qin Mu replied with a deep voice.

The Young Grandmaster smiled faintly. "Sit on the stone," he instructed.

Qin Mu stepped forward and sat on the stone beneath the pine and cypress.

The Young Grandmaster looked down and stated in a solemn voice, "This stone is the Sage's Stone, the Sage's Seat. The woodcutter who guided the founding Grandmaster was a sage descended from the heavens, sharing no blood ties or personal interests with the Grandmaster. He simply became a teacher because the Grandmaster sought the Way, imparting his wisdom and craft to him. The one who sits upon this Sage's Stone is not only the Cult Master but also the Sacred Teacher of our cult."

His gaze swept across the Hall Masters, Cult-Protecting Elders, Inspection Envoys, Heavenly Kings, and Protectors. He then declared in a deep voice, "All of you, perform the disciple's bow and greet the Sacred Teacher."

The three hundred and sixty Hall Masters, twelve Cult-Protecting Elders, eight Great Inspection Envoys, three Great Cult-Suppressing Heavenly Kings, and the Left and Right Protectors all performed the disciple's bow. Saintess Si Yunxiang hesitated for a moment but also bowed in deference.

"Disciples greet the Sacred Cult Master!"

Their unified voices echoed throughout Sacred Arrival Mountain.

The Young Grandmaster looked at Granny Si. "Li Tianxing," he said in a deep voice, "the new Cult Master has been enthroned. Why do you not reveal yourself? Will you not transmit our cult's cultivation methods? Do you intend to take our cult's sacred techniques to your grave and bury them forever?"

Granny Si's body trembled slightly, and an ancient voice emanated from within her. "This disciple… obeys the teacher's decree."

Though clearly a woman, she spoke with the rough, domineering authority of an old man, yet she dared not be presumptuous in the Young Grandmaster's presence.

Granny Si approached Qin Mu. Just as Qin Mu began to stand, Granny Si's palm pressed against his forehead. Streaks of golden light pulsed from her brow, and simultaneously, a cacophony of voices resonated within the golden light, piercing into Qin Mu's glabella and filling his mind.

"Cult Master Li…" someone whispered from below.

At this moment, it was none other than the former Cult Master Li Tianxing occupying Granny Si's body. Although Granny Si had ambushed him, he had also planted himself within her Dao heart, becoming her inner demon, biding his time to take control and become the woman he cherished most.

Qin Mu's mind was filled with a chaotic and complex medley of sounds, as if a deity was expounding principles from beyond the nine heavens, a demon was whispering in his ear, and a Buddha was chanting scriptures in his heart—an indescribably strange sensation.

"The voice of a sage?"

His heart quivered, and a possibility suddenly occurred to him: this was the voice of the woodcutter. What Cult Master Li was transmitting to him were the very scriptures the woodcutter had preached when he imparted wisdom to the founding Grandmaster!