Chapter 382: Ling’er Out At Sea
Xu Qing quietly picked up the Go piece his Master had dropped and put back into the correct place on the board. He looked up.
“The Ghost Emperor mountain looks like me now.”
Master Seventh closed his eyes and muttered to himself for a short time. Truth be told, he was completely astonished. He knew his apprentice had shocking powers of understanding. That much had been evident to him when they were at the Ghost Emperor mountain. He had also heard about everything that happened with Xu Qing in Netherflight City, for instance, him gaining enlightenment of nearly 300 battle spirit symbols. Despite that, he was still completely shaken by what Xu Qing just said.
He had originally wanted Xu Qing to just have a god in his sea of consciousness to control the random bits of will that would result from using the Gruegloom Daoseizing Art to seize gold cores. But this result was akin to him expecting Xu Qing to build a log cabin, only to have him end up building an entire city.
And then he comes and asks me what’s going on??
Master Seventh suddenly felt very tired. After a long moment in quiet contemplation, he cleared his throat.
“It comes down to your heart and mind,” he said casually. “They’re very strong, and thus, that exerts an influence on what is essentially an addition to yourself. Because of that, you have increased control. That’s why it’s changed. You don’t need to worry about it.
“Think of it in terms of levels. The first level is just getting that thing inside of you. The next level is building it up and turning it into your own personal object. That said, you still have to work hard. You can’t get complacent! After all, this first step is the simplest.
“From ancient times until now there have been a lot of almighty individuals who did similar things. They also were able to visualize but not personalize. Thus, they got possessed. Their dao was taken away. This whole thing is a very difficult process, and for you, it might be a fantasy to think it would actually happen.
“And that’s because the Ghost Emperor actually isn’t complete. His dao was never fully realized. Therefore, you would actually have to give the Ghost Emperor mountain another external item to make it complete. Only in that manner—”
“Master,” Xu Qing interrupted, “the mountain has a staff now. That’s an external item, right? It looks like the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar.”
Master Seventh’s jaw dropped as he was assailed by massive waves of astonishment.
Xu Qing suddenly felt nervous. A long moment passed.
“Fourth Sib,” Master Seventh said in a hoarse voice, “you have a very bad habit. Next time, explain the whole situation up front!”
Xu Qing blinked a few times and then nodded.
“Are there any other changes?” Master Seventh asked impatiently.
“No...” Xu Qing replied. He hesitated. “Oh, by the way, Master, I get the feeling that under the right circumstances I could get the Ghost Emperor mountain to do something. I’m not at that point yet, though. Master, what should I do?”
Master Seventh stood, his eyes glittering as he closely examined Xu Qing. At this point, he wasn’t just astonished. He was absolutely flabbergasted.
Could this kid possibly be the reincarnation of the Ghost Emperor? There’s no way. He’s not from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. He was born in South Phoenix, so he doesn’t have any Ghost Emperor blood in him. I confirmed that already. Can a person’s powers of understanding really be pushed to this extent? What kind of an apprentice did I take in? Or is it that he has an innate human ability related to enlightenment?
Noting Xu Qing’s hesitant expression, Master Seventh cleared his throat again. Trying to look extremely casual and relaxed, he walked to the window and looked out at the clouds.
“Fourth Sib, look at the clouds in the dome of heaven.”
Xu Qing looked over at them.
“You can see the shape of each cloud, right? Except the reality is that clouds don’t really look like that. They’re made of water vapor. In other words, they’re countless droplets of water stuck together. Their external appearance is more related to dust in the air, which causes the droplets to stick together.
“The same principle applies to the Ghost Emperor mountain in your sea of consciousness. Don’t try to complete it in one big rush. And don’t pay too much attention to the shape and appearance of the mountain. That’s the wrong way to go about things.
“You actually need to open up the Ghost Emperor mountain. Release the energy within it. Just like you would with a cloud. Release the water droplets. Then you can observe them and figure out a way to bring them to life.
“Later, you can use mutagen to complete the job. Find a place where both spirit energy and mutagen are strong, and then form the image of the Ghost Emperor. Also, I suggest you try to change what that image looks like. Anything will do, as long as it’s not you. That way people won’t recognize it, and will assume it’s just some sort of divine ability.”
Xu Qing was already reeling. His Master’s words had made everything very clear. Looking out at the clouds, he realized that he understood it all. He had achieved sudden understanding. His thoughts were clear. His eyes suddenly glittered with enlightenment and admiration. It was like the ringing of a bell. He stood and bowed at the waist with clasped hands. His attitude and expression caused Master Seventh to suddenly feel a lot better. Laughing heartily, he sat back down and picked up another game piece.
Xu Qing happily sat back down as well, and they started playing again. Then Xu Qing asked his second question, which was about how godliness related to plants and vegetation.
The question caused Master Seventh’s eyes to gleam. After thinking for a moment, he gave his answer.
“Spirit plants adapted quickly to the arrival of the broken face of the god. They adjust much faster than flesh and blood creatures.... As for that experimental god body, my research corresponds perfectly to your supposition. Godly plants are definitely something worth studying further. Studying gods, or rather, godly plants, is definitely a key.”
Both Master and apprentice benefited greatly by the conversation. Xu Qing felt very happy, and Master Seventh was also in a great mood. Eventually, they started talking about the swordsage recruitment event. Master Seventh was obviously very curious about the answer Xu Qing gave to get a 30,000-meter-tall pillar of light.
“A son of a bitch!” Master Seventh roared with laughter, and his eyes overflowed with admiration when he looked at Xu Qing.
“I just wonder what Eldest Brother said to get only one meter,” Xu Qing said, sounding puzzled.
“You don’t need to guess about that,” Master Seventh said. “He definitely did some reckless boot-licking. Except, even ordinary boot-licking shouldn’t have resulted in a one-meter light.” His lip curled up in disgust. “Based on how well I know him, I bet he called the Grand Emperor a god. Taking your 30,000-meter beam of light into consideration, that means your Eldest Brother essentially insulted the Grand Emperor.”
Xu Qing blinked a few times. It seemed highly likely that Master Seventh was correct.
“In three months, you’ll head to Sea-Sealing County, where the coalition has a subsidiary sect. The capital city there is the core of the entire county. The Eight Sect Coalition is an apex power in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, but considering the county as a whole, it doesn’t count for much. As usual, you’ll need to rely on your own talent to make a name for yourself there.
“Though the subsidiary sect there doesn’t have a very high standing, they’ll be able to take care of you. Because of that, the patriarch and I have come up with a plan. You’ll be heading to the county capital with a delegation. You’ll be temporarily assigned to the subsidiary sect there, with a patriarch-level figure overseeing everything. As for which one it will be, that hasn’t been decided yet.
“The peaklord of the Fifth Peak will be going as well. Both coalition swordsages are from Seven Blood Eyes this time, and we need to handle the details of getting our level of control over the spell formations and teleportation portals there.”
Xu Qing nodded. The Captain had talked a bit about what was to come, but hadn’t been privy to many details. Now Xu Qing had a better understanding of what would happen.
“Also...” Master Seventh said, picking up a Go piece. After thinking for a moment, he continued, “I got some information. The capital city of Sea-Sealing County is actually the manifestation of a high-tier taboo treasure.”
“High tier?” Xu Qing asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Taboo treasures are divided into levels,” Master Seventh said coolly. “In Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, all taboo treasures are low-tier. As you can imagine, low-tier treasures are far less dangerous than the high-tier variety. That said, their function and operation are basically the same. If you go to the capital without an understanding of the principles governing the operation of taboo treasures, you’ll have an automatic weakness.
“Remember this, Fourth Sib. Even the smallest details can have a dramatic effect on your future. Don’t be careless. You must plan carefully in advance to prevent others from seeing your most powerful hidden assets. Preparation is the key to being truly, truly deceptive. And that’s also how you can launch fatal blows when it really counts.
“Don’t ever forget the true spirit of the Seventh Peak.”
Xu Qing nodded gravely.
“Considering you have three months before you leave, don’t spend time dawdling in the sect. I want you to go to the Seven Blood Eyes taboo treasure and serve as the treasure custodian there. That’ll give you a good chance to see how the taboo treasure works. That way, when you get to the county capital, understanding of taboo treasures won’t be a weakness for you. By the way, given how close you are to your Eldest Brother, I don’t think I need to remind you to keep an eye on him.”
“Yes, sir,” Xu Qing said respectfully. He stood.
“I also need to offer you a warning. During your time as the treasure custodian, do not use the taboo treasure to look at the broken face of the god. Similarly, do not use it to look at the sun or moon. No one in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture is powerful enough to do that. Also, do not look into the depths of any of the forbidden grounds. That said, feel free to look at the Forbidden Sea or any of the forbidden regions, though don’t let your gaze linger too long.”
Xu Qing was slightly confused about those instructions, and figured they must have something to do with the structure of the taboo treasure.
“Don’t overthink it,” Master Seventh said. “You’ll understand in due time.” With that, he placed a piece on the board and smiled. “You’ve improved at Go, Fourth Sib. But you’re still not as good as your Master.”
Xu Qing looked at the board and plastered a look of admiration onto his face. “You’re as formidable as ever, Master.”
Master Seventh laughed heartily.
***
Far away from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, somewhere on the Forbidden Sea, a green-skinned, long-fanged ghost soared through the clouds. It was 3,000 meters tall, with red eyes and scales covering its body. It was also wrapped up in chains, and it howled as it sped along. Wherever it passed, massive waves rolled out on the water below.
Two people stood atop the ghost’s head.
One was an old man wearing a gray robe. His back was a bit hunched, and he had age spots on his face. His skin was sallow, and he looked sickly and weak.
Next to him was a young woman in a white gown. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, and was flawlessly beautiful in a simple and pure way. She was as fair as fine jade, and glowed like a fine pearl. At the same time, there was something childish about her. There was innocence in her eyes, and a complete lack of impurity. They were like clear waters that would cause anyone who looked into them to feel tender affection.
The old man was currently giving some hard advice to the young woman, who looked impatient and didn’t want to listen.
“Papa, I still want to go to Emperor-Receiving Prefecture!”
The innkeeper from Plankspring Way cleared his throat and decided to change tactics. “I never said we couldn’t go there, silly girl. But we need to go to the county capital first. You have to accept the legacy there. After that we can go to Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. That way Xu... er, your Big Bro Xu Qing will like you even more when he sees you. After all, once you accept that legacy, you’ll become very powerful.”
“Really?” Ling’er said, looking stunned. The idea of Big Bro Xu Qing liking her even more got her heart racing.
“Of course!” the innkeeper said, thumping his chest. “Papa would never trick you!”
Ling’er looked at him suspiciously. Then she turned and looked in the direction of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. A moment later, she nodded.
The innkeeper breathed a secret sigh of relief. Silly girl! Papa has severed all outside connections for your sake. All because I’m worried about people tracking you down. I absolutely, positively cannot allow you to go to Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. And I have to keep you away from that little bastard!
I broke my own heart for your sake, little girl. Later on, you’ll understand that I’m doing this for your own good.
As for that little bastard, I’ll make sure to never go to the same place as him. There’s no way that punk will ever make it to the county capital. Hmph! Since I can’t afford to provoke him, I’ll just hide from him!