Chapter 1150: 兑 in the Deficiency

In the distance, the lake shimmered with vibrant colors. The divine Heavenly Gate had stood for fifty-eight days; its white bricks were pure, bright, and crystalline. Two white gateposts were submerged in the lake water, and in the center, a bright light flickered, vaguely shifting.

It was like an ancient, unchanging gate of merit and imperial legacy, standing unyieldingly to this day.

"I hear from my subordinates that the water level of Salt Lake has dropped another inch. Fish-dragons hide, and malevolent spirits avoid it."

A cool breeze swept across the Xuan Yue Mountain Gate. For the seventh time, the old man emerged from the hall to look. His slightly clouded eyes were wide open, trembling as he gazed at the scene on the lake. Then he turned his head and asked,

"There will be a fight, won't there?"

Standing beside him was Kong Xiaxiang, the Head of Xuan Yue Gate. His face, once reckless and despairing, was now profoundly mature. Yet, facing the mysterious Heavenly Gate with its profound patterns, a palpable apprehension still showed.

"Yes… they all say so. Li's Jade Court Guards have already mobilized troops; they're just down the mountain."

The old man and the younger man fell silent.

Kong Guxi looked dazed. He stood up from his seat, feeling at a loss. He looked closely at Kong Xiaxiang, seeing the apprehension in his brows, then turned his head, hesitated several times, and asked with a trembling voice,

"We haven't repaid their great kindness, yet we are to turn our blades against them?"

Silence fell over the mountain. Kong Xiaxiang didn't know how to answer him. Then a gentle breeze swept by, and the woman in teal robes appeared. Kong Guxi fell to his knees with a thud, crying,

"Your Excellency... True Immortal! How can I ever face the Old True Immortal below!"

He wept, his silver hair trembling.

Kong Guxi knew full well how Xuan Yue Gate had survived until now. But he knew even more clearly that without True Immortal Zhaojing, Xuan Yue would have been crushed like an ant long ago!

For a long time, the Kong clan had used the Southern Diagram to survey their mountain territory, and Xuan Yue had lulled itself into a false sense of security for self-preservation. But as the situation changed again and again, until that Heavenly Gate was erected in Salt Lake, their sole benefactor was about to become their enemy. Kong Guxi's burdened heart finally collapsed.

The old man knelt on the mountaintop, helplessly covering his face and weeping. Kong Tingyun, meanwhile, looked down at him, her eyes clouded and silent.

Her breakthrough had brought the fragmented Xuan Yue Gate together and preserved its lineage. But Xuan Yue Gate remained like a frail old man whose life was barely sustained, struggling with a lack of new talent. Even more lethal was the ensuing conflict between North and South, slowly lifting this frail old man by a noose to the rafters.

She was an intelligent woman, and now she had sensed the scent of danger. She faintly felt the thin rope around her neck tightening, as if it could take her life at any moment.

But Northern Cultivation, Guan Hua, and even Qi Lanyan, behind her, didn't care. That monk's words back then sounded good: the key to breaking the deadlock lay in cultivation. If Kong Tingyun had possessed that talent, she should have broken through earlier, and Xuan Yue Gate wouldn't have faced this tribulation!

Facing the old man's words, Kong Tingyun could only remain silent. The old man wiped away his tears, straightened up, and, fearing to trouble her, said,

"I've considered this for ages, but dared not speak, fearing to disturb the True Immortal's judgment – a sin I could never atone for. You don't need to mind this old man."

Kong Xiaxiang helped him up and quickly retreated. Then, the sky lit up. From the Great Void, divine powers surged, and clouds galloped, bringing forth a host of True Immortals.

The leader, with a calm expression and dressed in a Daoist robe with mystic black cloud patterns and gold trim on a white background, was naturally Qi Lanyan. But what truly caught his eye was the Daoist beside him, with sharp eyes and stroking a white beard.

It was Wang Ziya of the Lingbao Dao lineage!

Her gaze lifted. Wang Ziya, descending from the clouds, was also looking at her, glancing sideways, as he heard Qi Lanyan calmly say,

"This is Kong Tingyun, a descendant of the Tongxuan lineage."

Hearing the words "descendant," Wang Ziya's heart stirred slightly, and he asked,

"Also a descendant of our sect, I wonder who her master was?"

Kong Tingyun's gaze flickered, and she replied,

"My Ancestral Master was Luo Yuan, under the esteemed True Immortal Lü Bai."

"So, a successor of the Second Lü!"

Wang Ziya cupped his hands and politely said,

"I am Wang Ziya of the Lingbao Dao lineage. My Ancestral Master is Wu Ni, ranked third in the Daoist canon, and I inherited my teachings from True Monarch Xuxiang of Ever-Nourishing, Drink-Wondrous, and Profound-Treasure."

Kong Tingyun felt a bitter taste in her mouth and whispered,

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

After so many years under Northern Cultivation, how could Kong Tingyun not understand the origins of her own lineage?

Her own lineage's True Immortal Luo Yuan was merely a nominal disciple of Lü Bai. Despite his modest talent, he possessed excellent swordsmanship, which earned him a considerable reputation. True Immortal Changxi placed the lineage under Luo Yuan's name precisely because he valued this ancient cultivator who had roamed the world as a chivalrous figure, died in battle, and had imparted countless teachings!

In contrast, the Guan Hua Heavenly Tower Dao, to which Qi Lanyan and Wei Xuan belonged, even though it had fallen to the status of a mortal lineage, could trace its origins back to True Monarch Guan Hua, a direct disciple of the Tongxuan Master!

The Lingbao successor before her was no less distinguished. True Monarch Xuxiang was renowned; who didn't know his name?

Although Guan Hua and Tongxuan now acknowledged Xuan Yue's identity, Kong Tingyun understood how low that acknowledged status was. Wang Ziya seemed indifferent, yet the moment he uttered "Luo Yuan," he had already categorized her as someone who had barely managed to claim a connection.

Her mind reeled with a thousand thoughts, but Wang Ziya secretly felt pity.

'Nephew Qi is truly ruthless. When introducing her, he said "a descendant of the Tongxuan lineage" instead of "a direct disciple of the Tongxuan lineage"... A single word's difference, yet a world apart! Descendant families of the Tongxuan lineage are scattered throughout the North, but how many are truly recognized as successors!'

Qi Lanyan could boast freely to others, but he was extremely cautious with Wang Ziya's words. The Daoist stroked his beard, his expression complex, and only said,

"It's been hard on you, guarding this place."

At these words, Qi Lanyan's expression shifted slightly. Kong Tingyun responded politely, but the young man waved his hand, looked to the South, and said softly,

"It's almost time... Murong Yan!"

As his voice fell, the brawny man appeared. Though his heart was filled with intense hatred and disgust, he appeared polite, saying with a forced smile,

"What are your orders, Lord Qi?"

Qi Lanyan gestured for him to come forward, then turned his head back and whispered,

"I wonder where Zhelu Mahālaya is?"

The Great Void subtly shifted, and the monk, clad in a kasaya, appeared. His eyes and brows were full of sinister strangeness, and he smiled,

"Does Lord Qi have any use for this humble monk?"

Qi Lanyan's expression grew cold.

"The Heavenly Gate on the lake is conspicuous, but we must guard against his trickery. If he uses some deceitful art, we might just walk into an empty trap. You, Mahālaya, and you, practitioner of Vinshui, immediately enter the lake and test him."

Zhelu's eyes flickered, his expression unfathomable. Qi Lanyan, however, smiled.

"Your Kongwu Dao's treasure is still in his hands. If you don't exert yourselves, you won't get it back!"

Zhelu had been waiting for this very sentence. Hearing Qi Lanyan confirm the news, he was instantly overjoyed. The monk, with his refined human face, nodded with a smile. Qi Lanyan then turned to Murong Yan and smiled, half-seriously, half-jestingly,

"Fellow Daoist Murong, in today's battle, I appoint you as the Protector of the White Sea, to command all cultivators. Succeed, and it's a great achievement; fail, and the White Sea is lost..."

Murong Yan's expression subtly changed. He was about to decline, but then he raised his brows to look. He saw the young man's gaze sweep over him, cold and severe, yet his expression remained composed. His lips subtly moved, his divine power enveloping his words:

'I have endured you for eighteen years, and the Murong clan has also endured you for eighteen years. How many chances do you think you have left? If the White Sea falls, and a scapegoat is needed, I will certainly sacrifice you!'

Murong Yan was both startled and enraged, his face tightening. Yet, under Qi Lanyan's cold gaze, he remained silent.

'You stubbornly refuse to enter the Buddhist path, but when the time comes, let the Murong clan carry your head back, burdened with the karma of the lost Jianghuai region, and see if they are willing to venerate you as a Golden Statue of Great Compassion and Reluctance to Kill... and carry you into the Buddhist Pure Land!'

"Boom!"

A fierce wind raged, and the rain poured down. Gloomy thunder exploded within the clouds. Above Sword Peak, a silvery-white essence condensed, strikingly vivid.

Sword Peak was once a place of cultivation for Duijin, where golden energy converged, summoning mystic thunder. Even with the protection of Hornwood, rolling thunder lingered, weaving through it.

Cheng Jiuwen had knelt quietly beneath the tree for fifty-eight days. The weather was cold and clear, despite the sudden downpour. Yet, not a single drop of rain touched the table, and the surface of his cup was smooth as a mirror, reflecting his eyes.

His heart held only worry.

"After all, it is... the Dao of using Geng to supplement Dui!"

The Sword Gate's lineage was the Great Yu Fu Xing Scroll. It was originally a grand Dao with all five metals complete, except that the last metal aperture heart had been devoid of energy from early on, leaving it empty.

This lineage could certainly be considered complete. However, Sword Gate cultivators who reached the True Immortal stage were pitifully few. Besides Cheng Liuxing and his disciples, the only other person in later generations to reach the True Immortal stage was Yan Ying, but she was neither Duijin nor a Sword Immortal. Sword Gate had few divine abilities, and even less experience concerning the cultivation of ZI.

Among divine abilities, the merging of dissimilar types was most taboo. While Geng and Dui often complemented each other, carelessness could frequently affect one's temperament and Dao path. Not to mention that at this very moment, Ling Mei also had to contend with the "Confusion in the Womb"!

He knew from the Underworld's attitude that his elder was bound to succeed. But these specters of the netherworld wouldn't care about any consequences!

As if sensing his anxiety, the Mystic Pine tree swayed, and a mellow voice resonated within the thunder:

"The merging of Geng and Dui, especially when the old departs, poses no great problem. Duijin favors incompleteness; it is not easy to achieve perfection. Throughout history, those who achieved the True Immortal stage with all five Duijin paths are few and far between. This also deviates from the true essence of Duijin, which is not a good thing, nor can it lead to the Dao. Four Dui and one Geng, that is the true path."

"If this path can be cultivated to completion, his Duijin will become even stronger."

These words flowed like a stream, allowing the True Immortal to breathe a slight sigh of relief. Yet, a profound voice echoed again:

"True Monarch said: 'Dui lies in deficiency, in destruction, in instruments as sharpness, in people forgetting both, in earth not following earth, in autumn not being autumn, in things having the will to change and gallop, in the body having the heart to kill... Disperse the form to vanish, transform into a treasury; emit the form to perish, transform into Geng; contain the form to conceal, transform into emptiness; achieve fullness of form to transform into Qian.'"

His words were like a resounding great bell, shaking the surroundings. They caused autumn dew to fall profusely, forming pearls that clinked and rolled upon landing, then seeped into the ground like thick liquid, dissolving malign energy and transforming minerals.

Cheng Jiuwen, who had been blind to what was right under his nose, unable to see the clear truth, now felt as if he had received a divine revelation and suddenly understood!

'This Elder is not merely a grand cultivator of the Hornwood lineage with perfected divine abilities,' he thought. 'He has also listened to lectures and studied the Dao before a True Monarch, comparable to a direct disciple. His Duijin cultivation will certainly not be inferior to Hornwood!'

Indeed, the thunder in the heavens and earth momentarily ceased. A desolate autumn wind swept in, carrying with it a change in atmospheric phenomena, secretly completing the transformation of the person inside the cave dwelling!

"Qian (Heaven) is majestic and vast, as full as the heavens, hence it is Qi. In ancient times, Qianjin was Qi Jin. Cultivators used gold to represent perfected cultivation. However, the true nature of Metal virtue does not inherently lean towards perfection. If one must make a forced analogy and choose one, Qi Jin is more suitable."

This Spirit Pine had cultivated for countless years in the mountains, its tone calm and gentle. The former part of its discourse had shaped the phenomena to complete Ling Mei, while the latter part had enlightened Cheng Jiuwen. This caused the True Immortal to instantly calm down, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you for your guidance, Esteemed Elder!"

But all these changes had not yet ended. This miraculous mystic sound became the final impetus for completion. The surging autumn dew in the night grew increasingly intense, showing no sign of stopping.

All the winds between heaven and earth surged into the mountain, turning a pale white, like swamp water, drifting past. This caused his robes to flutter, and faintly, the sound of breaking could be heard coming from within the stone gate, as handfuls of sand and soil poured down from the cracks.

"Creak."

The stone gate opened.

Following that were steady footsteps. A figure in white robes was gradually revealed in the light. The middle-aged man stepped forward, one pace at a time, treading through the Duijin energy that was thick as water waves.

Cheng Jiuwen heard no words, and slowly raised his head.

That face was utterly calm, undisturbed as an ancient well to an astonishing degree. His cheeks were thin, yet his cheekbones were not prominent. Beneath two eyebrows sharp as swords were a pair of bright white sword-pupils.

Between his brows was a small, pitch-black dot the size of a soybean, without edge or sharpness.

Under spiritual perception, the four golden virtue divine abilities behind this True Immortal shone like the midday sun, glaring brilliantly, causing one's eyes to ache. This was the Sword Gate's first Duijin True Immortal in three hundred years: Cheng Xunzhi!

Duijin was the manifested Dao of this era, the Dao of slaughter and destruction, the true nature of Metal virtue... And Cheng Xunzhi — was also a Sword Immortal!

Even if his fourth divine ability was Gengjin, and even if it wasn't yet complete, for the Sword Gate, a figure of this caliber was second only to the founding ancestor, Cheng Liuxing!

'Martial Uncle... he succeeded.'

Cheng Jiuwen felt no great joy; instead, he was filled with more trepidation. His eyes reddened slightly as he shifted his knees, lowered his brows, and wept,

"Congratulations, Martial Uncle!"

This sound seemed to pull the Duijin Sword Immortal back to reality. He looked around as if from another world, then stepped forward, already standing beneath the Mystic Pine.

At some unknown point, a golden sword had been placed squarely on the table.

This blade was three chi and eight cun long, simple and unadorned throughout. It had a pear blossom wood hilt, and its blade was as white as snow, adorned with faint golden pear blossom patterns resembling cracks.

White Pear.

The sword trembled, emitting a buzzing sound like weeping. As the Duijin Sword Immortal quietly lifted it, a sharp, soaring sword cry filled the heavens and earth. Streaks of sword intent, like light, traversed the world, purifying the cosmos!

"Martial Uncle!"

The sword cry faded, and Cheng Jiuwen stepped forward. But in the mountain, there was only the faint sound of wind rustling through grass and trees. After a long silence, he heard a sharp, cold voice, like clashing metal:

"For fifty years, Senior has not responded to me. I thought it was due to a Golden One affliction, or a great Geng-Dui barrier."

His words, like iron and stone, drifted into the layered pine needles. They struck the verdant, pale green, and subtly golden branches, causing them to rustle. Cheng Xunzhi stood for a long time, but received no answer.

Complete silence.

Cheng Jiuwen knelt for a long time, then raised his head. The Duijin Sword Immortal was gone. The layers of green light shrouding the treetops had also dispersed like smoke. Only the overlapping pine needles still stubbornly swayed slightly in the silent night.