Chapter 162

“Since we are both wanderers fallen to the ends of the world, how about we explore this place together?”

Fang Qing took control of the flying sword and made the suggestion.

“Just what I was thinking.”

Liu Junyan nodded repeatedly. The two descended onto the mountain peak and immediately felt a pulling force settle upon their bodies, drawing them before the gates of a cluster of buildings.

“There is a remnant restriction within these structures… flight is forbidden here.”

A glimmer flashed in Liu Junyan’s eyes as he spoke.

“You understand array formation as well, Benefactor Liu?”

Fang Qing showed a hint of pleasant surprise.

“Only a little, only a little.”

Every bit of that investment had been real.

“And yet, with a single decree from the higher sect.”

Liu Junyan shook his head silently, then forced himself to focus on the formation before them.

“The power of this restriction has already loosened considerably. As long as we do not attempt forced flight, there should be no danger.”

As he spoke, he pushed open the door and entered.

Fang Qing followed without hesitation.

The buildings stretched across the area, most of them collapsed and in ruins, with only a few structures still standing.

Fang Qing casually picked up a fragment of dull yellow material. “This seems to be a fragment of a Dao Foundation spiritual artifact. Could the master of this place have been a Dao Foundation cultivator?”

“To occupy an entire peak within a Blessed Land… it was likely more than that.”

Liu Junyan spoke with a trace of anticipation. Unfortunately, after searching through the ruins, they found no Dao Foundation-level treasures. Only a few decorative items of Qi Ingestion rank remained, which he casually collected.

At last, they arrived at the final room.

The chamber was empty and spacious. At its center stood a shrine, and above it hung a painting.

The figure in the painting wore golden armor and held a long mace, radiating an indescribable aura of authority. Yet the face was completely blank.

“Who is this?”

Liu Junyan suppressed the unease in his heart and asked.

“Perhaps, the ‘Divine Lord Dongyuan, Spiritually Responsive Registrar of Fate.’ Also known as the Kitchen God.”

Fang Qing smiled faintly.

He had already seen San Ji and personally visited the Yanbo Blessed Land. He had some guesses about the truth behind all this.

“A True Lord? The one associated with [Stomach Earth]? I heard that position has long since been lost.”

Liu Junyan’s expression grew complicated.

“Why? Do you share some karmic connection with this True Lord, Benefactor?”

Fang Qing asked with a smile. For an esoteric practitioner to ask about fate was never a harmless matter.

Liu Junyan hesitated before letting out a bitter laugh. “This was originally a family secret, but since my clan has treated me unjustly, there is no need to keep it anymore. I cultivate the [Liu Earth] path. This earth governs growth and benefits vegetation, also known as ‘Heavenly River Earth.’ It once held the orthodox position of earth virtue!”

“The orthodox position?”

Fang Qing was startled. “Isn’t that now held by [Stomach Earth]? Could it be, that the orthodox positions of the Five Virtues can actually change?”

“I do not know either.”

Liu Junyan stared at the Kitchen God painting and murmured, “In ancient times, our [Liu Earth] lineage had a True Lord who manifested in the world, possessing great mystery. There was also the meaning of ‘“bearing all with profound virtue.’ But later, [Stomach Earth] took the orthodox position and changed ‘bearing all things’ into ‘bearing the people,’ introducing the concept of conflict between heaven and man. From that point on, the ‘Bearing Virtue’ Dao Foundation passed down in my Liu family could no longer be cultivated. Our family declined and could only turn to inferior Dao Foundations, making a living cultivating plants for others.”

“I wonder what this ‘conflict between heaven and man’ truly means?”

Fang Qing clasped his hands, his gaze sharp.

“I do not know. The Dao texts simply record it this way. But the ancient Kitchen God likely held some compassion for those below. As for now, among the four aspects of earth virtue, [Di Earth] and [Nu Earth] have fallen into demonic paths, while [Liu Earth] has declined.”

Liu Junyan gave a bitter smile.

“So… could it be that among those who cultivate [Stomach Earth], there are some rare decent people among demonic cultivators?”

Fang Qing could not help but laugh. “Do you not know that in recent ages, cultivators are not divided into righteous and demonic by lineage, but by their actions?”

After laughing, he suddenly stepped forward, took down the Kitchen God painting, and infused it with mana, refining it on the spot.

“Have you lost your mind?”

Liu Junyan was so frightened he dropped to the ground. “That is the image of a True Lord. If even a trace of residual might remains, we would both be reduced to dust!”

“It is indeed as heavy as a mountain.”

Fang Qing weighed it in his hands. Without his second-rank Body Refinement, he truly would not have been able to hold it steady.

But now, he acted without restraint. Once he thought of something, he simply did it.

After infusing his mana, he realized the painting itself was quite ordinary. It merely carried a trace of profundity, making it heavy as a mountain and resistant to fire and water. However, within the scroll, there was actually a cultivation method hidden.

“‘Precious Earth Returning to Origin Scripture’? A scripture… a Purple Mansion method?”

Fang Qing’s heart stirred. After skimming through it, he confirmed that it was indeed a [Stomach Earth] Purple Mansion cultivation technique, forming a Dao Foundation known as the “Primordial Refining Cauldron.”

Moreover, this technique possessed a unique property. Even if one’s original true qi was of poor quality, one could continuously refine and temper it by consuming [Stomach Earth] spiritual materials, gradually improving its grade over time.

Of course, this only worked for [Stomach Earth] true qi.

And judging from the required resources, it was only slightly less demanding than obtaining something like “Heavenly One Gives Birth to Water.”

He glanced at the still trembling Liu Junyan and smiled. “Since you do not want it, I will take it for now.”

Yet inwardly, a thought arose.

“As expected of a Grotto Heaven… it truly contains Purple Mansion methods.”

‘Compared to the locals, I lack a certain sense of reverence toward higher cultivators and True Lords. I wonder if that is a good thing or a bad thing?’

Taibai Island.

“Since the position of Earth virtue can be altered, why can Water virtue not change as well? And what about the sun and moon?”

Fang Qing murmured softly, increasingly sensing the chaos and terror within the Dao systems of Ancient Shu.

Choosing the wrong path by even a single step would lead to eternal damnation.

Even if one chose a Dao lineage filled with boundless promise, if the great figure presiding over its Golden position were to encounter misfortune, the entire lineage could fall into ruin overnight. Just like [Liu Earth]!

“Oh? So I can switch freely? Then that is fine…”

He let out a long breath. “As for Fajian, he actually stumbled upon a Purple Mansion cultivation method so easily. Could there be a trap?’

‘Whether there is a trap or not, it is certainly an opportunity.’

Fang Qing’s gaze shifted, landing on Liu Junyan. ‘Someone capable of forging an Earth-virtue Dao Foundation and then being sent here must be the true child of fate, one favored by the Taihuang Heaven… So it is not that Fajian and I are lucky, but that we are borrowing his destiny?’

‘In that case, Fajian should continue to follow Liu Junyan. Fachuan should also take the opportunity to draw closer to such a child of fate. Conveniently, Fang Wuchen can also be considered one of the fated.’

Fang Wuchen wandered aimlessly through a stretch of forest, his mind muddled and unclear.

“How did an underground palace suddenly become an entirely different world?”

“Master… where are you?”

He drifted without direction, until his gaze suddenly sharpened.

On the horizon, a strange peak rose abruptly, growing larger and larger until it seemed like a pillar supporting the heavens. It radiated a yellow earthen glow, clearly extraordinary.

“This divine mountain is so unusual. It feels like a landmark. Any cultivator who sees it would approach. I may as well go and ask around.”

Having made up his mind, Fang Wuchen flew at full speed toward it. Upon reaching the base, he felt a suppressive force that forbade flight.

He followed the natural course and landed, beginning his ascent on foot.

At the foot of the mountain stood a gate, upon which two characters were inscribed:

[Heavenly Pillar].

Before long, Fang Wuchen encountered a cultivator at the peak of Qi Ingestion, his robes stained with blood.

“Fellow Daoist…”

He had barely spoken when the cultivator’s face twisted in terror. The man immediately raised his hand and hurled a magical artifact.

Boom!

The artifact was a stone, radiating a dizzying light that caused Fang Wuchen to lose focus for an instant before it smashed into his head.

Crack!

His head exploded.

Yet his body did not fall. He calmly scooped up a handful of dirt and pressed it onto his neck, reattaching his head. At the same time, he seized and suppressed the attacking artifact.

“A mere magical artifact cannot harm me. This is a Dao Foundation spiritual artifact!”

“Fortunately, I have cultivated the ‘Primordial Refining Cauldron.’ My vital point has already shifted to my internal organs. Otherwise, this would have been troublesome.”

Fang Wuchen adjusted his head and opened his eyes, staring at the artifact in a daze.

“God-Striking Stone?”

A wave of sorrow surged through him.

“No, the God-Striking Stone is only a Qi Ingestion artifact. This one is a Dao Foundation spiritual artifact and larger by a whole circle, larger by a whole circle…”

He seemed unwilling to believe it, but soon noticed that the stone appeared to be formed by fusing two pieces together. One half bore patterns and texture that were painfully familiar.

“Master…”

His eyes reddened as he turned toward the Qi Ingestion cultivator.

“Ah!”

A scream suddenly rang out.

Yin winds surged, and black soil churned as a corpse clad in iron armor emerged. Its face was green, its fangs exposed, and its black claws were sharp as blades. It clutched a head and gnawed on it. The face of the corpse’s victim was none other than that Qi Ingestion cultivator.

From behind the iron-armored corpse stepped forth a refined young man in white robes.

“Greetings, fellow Daoist. That lower cultivator dared offend you, so I took the liberty of dealing with him first.”

“Are you a Dao Foundation cultivator from the Yin Corpse Sect? What do you want?”

Fang Wuchen’s voice turned ice-cold.

“Haha, nothing more than wishing to travel together and seek mutual assistance.”

The young man smiled. “I am Yin Xuanzi, cultivating the [Nu Earth] path. Compared to your [Stomach Earth] path, I have certain advantages within this Kitchen God Grotto Heaven.”

“Kitchen God… Grotto Heaven…”

A flash of realization passed through Fang Wuchen’s eyes, and his expression gradually calmed.

“So it has finally come to this. Is this the core of the Grotto Heaven?”

On Taibai Island, within the cave abode.

Fang Qing watched as Fajian followed Liu Junyan into the region of Heavenly Pillar Mountain. His thoughts stirred.

With a child of fate leading the way, this place surely contained many treasures.

And with Fajian serving as a reference point, Fachuan would also be able to arrive quickly.

“Within this Grotto Heaven, spiritual qi is abundant. The sun and moon cycle naturally. There are countless plants and beasts, yet there are no humans.”

Recalling everything he had seen along the way, Fang Qing fell silent.

[Stomach Earth] governs the rightful position of Earth, bearing all living beings with great virtue. Yet here, there were no “people.”

Most likely, that Kitchen Lord had perished long ago.

Only then would a group of Purple Mansion cultivators dare to covet this Grotto Heaven.

After all, it was the legacy of a True Lord. Who knew how abundant it might be?

“It is just…”

Fang Qing’s thoughts drifted back to the Yanbo Blessed Land.

“That strand of [Stomach Earth] divinity from before… who ultimately obtained it?”