The next morning after waking up, He Yun was practicing Qigong and felt like a high-level cultivator.
A small square table outside the hall was covered with a variety of food items.
I first bowed and saluted to He Youtian, then sat down to eat. After finishing, I noticed a few people standing far outside the hall, as if they wanted to come in but hadn't received permission.
At this time, He Youtian finally finished his Qigong exercises.
"Manifest the divine, go to the Leishen Cliff. That day there were still many disciples of other Daoist observatories. They were trapped by the ancestor of Zi Xu Yin and lived on the cliff like puppets with strings pulled, without freedom. The Yunjian Ju of Zi Xu Yu should be able to unlock it." He Youtian looked at me.
I finally understood the reason for the arrival of those disciples; it must have been requested by the Second Elder.
This matter, Si Yane also mentioned it to me, and I almost overlooked it.
Hurrying towards those disciples, I went straight to the Leishen Cliff.
The Leishen Cliff is actually quite small; the cliff platform can accommodate a few people, the cave can hold some more, while the others have to stand on the plank road.
All thirty-odd people had a numb expression and walked back and forth continuously, making the Leishen Cliff appear very crowded.
I used the Zi Xu Yu scripture to untie one of them. When he became conscious, he was about to fall. My disciple beside me immediately rushed forward to support him and placed him on his back.
Following the same procedure, I untangled one person, and they took another person. In no time, most of the thirty-odd people were free. As the mountain wind blew over, the Leishen Cliff finally seemed to become refreshing.
I walked to the cliff platform and saw the body of Zi Xu An, looking like withered branches.
Before, I didn't know it, but now I understand that his yang spirit has been here all along. Ancestor Zi Xu has been watching me, watching over the Four Rules Mountain.
I brushed off my clothes, bowed respectfully and knelt down to bow.
By the time I lifted my head, Zi Xu An's body had already disappeared.
As expected, he had returned to where he belonged.
I didn't immediately descent down the Leishen Cliff, but walked to the cliff platform and sat cross-legged, meditating quietly. Gradually, I immersed myself into a state where I observed the nose from the eye, and focused on the heart from the nose, completely letting go of myself.
When I got out of this state, I opened my eyes and it was already dark, fully allowing me to experience the saying "Mountain without sun and moon."
However, I still wanted to enter the realization I had after questioning my heart at that time, but I couldn't find it.
The three types of thunderous laws I had realized before - Heavenly Thunder, Earthly Thunder, and Cloud Thunder - I could basically use proficiently. Heavenly Thunder could damage one's lifespan, not just because I promised He Youtian, but also because of my own reasons. I couldn't use it frequently to avoid premature aging.
The subsequent two thunders have their own unique techniques. For example, within this misty realm, Cloud Thunder can be considered as utilizing the timing and location advantages from nature, with the least amount of consumption and undoubtedly the strongest technique.
I sighed softly, thinking to myself that it's still not my time yet.
After leaving the Leishen Cliff, I returned to the Liuzhen Palace. He Youtian was meditating inside the hall, clearly waiting for me to return.
"Little Brother, it seems like you've been meditating all day. You look invigorated and refreshing, indeed commendable. You're almost at the realm of detachment from material things." He Youtian's tone was approving.
"What retirement from eating, oh... It's just that sitting in a place where vital energy is dense let the vital energy penetrate my body, temporarily replacing grains and vegetables. Even Daoists can talk like that," Old Gong popped up and muttered.
"Hehe." He Youtian wasn't bothered, patting his beard and appearing even more gentle.
"Old He, how is Wuling doing? Is he dead yet?" Old Gong asked.
He Youtian shook his head and said, "You guys were too heavy-handed, but he's not dead. I couldn't even see it. Manifestation, what methods did you use? Make sure not to leave any clues."
"Old He, you misunderstand. I didn't get involved. I actually brought him some good stuff from Jinyang. He likes picking up discarded shoes, so let him pick them up and enjoy himself," Old Gong said seriously.
Then, he whispered to himself: "However, he is really hard to kill. Although I know he won't die, but such a technique used on others, have already died ten times or eight times. Does Mr. Qu really squeeze out a little something from Xu Nu's body? Old Jun's command?"
Old Gong's words caused my expression to flicker slightly.
He Youtian's hand suddenly froze in place.
"Old He, where is the body of Sun Zhuo? Was it taken by Wuling?" Old Gong asked He Youtian again.
The Liuzhen Palace instantly became unusually quiet.
This matter was actually ignored by me because I have always believed that Miao Sanhui needs Sun Zhuo, and Wuling would definitely send him away. There's no need to doubt it.
"Sun Zhuo is a criminal and should not have his body brought back to the Four Rules Mountain, nor should he be buried in the Shuzong Temple. He should be buried in the Jianfengling. All traitors or serious offenders will be buried there." He Youtian had barely finished speaking when he asked in a solemn voice, "Your implication is that Sun Zhuo has an old commandment from the Taoist Emperor?"
Regarding the issue of Sun Zhuo's destiny, none of us had ever told He Youtian about it.
Old Gong appeared to be indecisive. He didn't answer He Youtian and instead said, "Where is the Jianfengling? I should go check. If the body is problematic, Wu Ling this little guy won't be able to keep it secret. Old Jun's command... Xu Nu can only extract a little more from him if he does a bit of artistic rearrangement and uses it as a repair material..."
Even before he finished saying this, Old Gong was interrupted.
He Youtian said no more and walked directly in one direction.
We left the range of Daoist temples on Four Rules Mountain from a different direction and followed the downhill path for about two hours before we reached another slightly smaller peak.
During the walk, Old Gong was muttering all sorts of swearing.
When we arrived near the Jianfengling mountain, we found that there were smaller peaks on the mountain, like a row of jade-like tips. Looking at them made one's mind unsettled. There were no plants on top, but mostly rough stones. The bottom was a row of graves made of stone, looking very monotonous and lifeless.
The wind was very fierce and strong, as if the tips of the jade-like peaks were slicing through the skin!
Standing there for a long time was uncomfortable for a person, let alone for the bodies buried there.
He Youtian swept his eyes across and pointed to a new grave, saying, "Among the recent problems in Four Rules Mountain, there are only Sun Zhuo and Zheng Ren. However, Zheng Ren committed suicide with his Tianlei and was eventually buried in the temple. Therefore, Sun Zhuo should be buried there."
Old Gong glanced at me, and the meaning was obvious.
I went up and quickly pried open the stones, and only then did I notice the details. The stones were actually painted with seals of containment. This place not only prevented rest but also made it impossible for the bodies to become ghosts and haunt. This punishment was a typical method of containment used by Taoists, ensuring that they would never be reborn in this world.
Very quickly, all the stones were moved aside, revealing the tragic body of Sun Zhuo on the uneven ground. There was a deep finger-sized hole at his forehead.
This evil geomantic location, coupled with the fact that Sun Zhuo died very vengefully, his body was surprisingly not decayed but still fresh.
But... At this moment, Sun Zhuo looked very pitiful.
He had many key bone positions missing, especially his Dantian, which was completely empty and had a blood hole dug out.
"The little bastard never expected that, after taking his own life, he would be torn apart once again. This Wu Ling... He's still not obedient. It's interesting."
