Chapter Seventeen: The Patriarch of Pure Yang

Because Mount Tai is the place where all things begin, from the Warring States period to the Han dynasty, it remained the sacred site where ambitious rulers of several dynasties proclaimed their mandate to heaven. Yet, these are, after all, legends and myths. The fact that this old man claimed to be a descendant of such mythical figures made Feng Yisheng ponder. If what the old man said was true, then the tales of Pangu splitting heaven and earth might not be so far-fetched after all.

As expected, those so-called experts outside are all frauds.

...

The ancient voice, seeing Feng Yisheng remain silent, assumed he did not believe him and explained further, "A thousand years ago, I had already reached the late stage of Nascent Soul. Yet, for nearly six hundred years, I could not comprehend the laws of heaven and earth. Just as I was about to break through to the Spirit Severing stage, I was gravely injured by a traitor within my sect, which left me disheartened. Thus, I came to the mortal world where my ancestors were born, to temper my heart amidst the dust. Five hundred years in the mortal world passed like a single morning. Yet, a hundred years ago, after exhausting my five-thousand-year lifespan, I still failed to ascend to the immortal realm and ultimately faded into obscurity with the passage of time.

Since you have come here, you are fated. In my lifetime, I, the Patriarch Chunyang, have taken countless disciples, and have seen innumerable geniuses, but never did I expect that in the end, it would be an ordinary man from the mortal world to inherit all I have learned. Truly, born here and passed on here."

When the patriarch finished, Feng Yisheng was overcome with a sense of shame—ordinary people were being looked down upon again. Still, he could not help but complain in his heart: What's wrong with being ordinary? It's not as if ordinary people eat your rice.

The patriarch continued, "I saw how frail your body was, like an ant, so I used my Golden Bones to forge your physique and nurture your bloodline anew. Now, you can be counted among the descendants of the Pan lineage.

For the past hundred years, I had a lingering resentment in my heart. Thus, after my death, I refused to let my soul dissipate and reincarnate. This is because that traitor still roams the cultivation world. Once you reach the Nascent Soul stage and master the Chunyang Sutra, you will surely be able to kill him.

That traitor joined the ethereal Nine Heavens Sect many years ago and is now a Supreme Elder of that sect. When you arrive in the cultivation world, it will be easy to find him. But right now, you are just an ordinary man. Though that traitor was seriously wounded by me back then, after four hundred years, his injuries must have mostly healed, and his strength ranks among the top ten in the cultivation world.

Although I have just reforged your Golden Bones, cleansed your marrow, and given you the strongest body, it will still be extremely difficult to reach the Nascent Soul stage within a thousand years, despite your rapid progress.

I have cultivated for over five thousand years and created the Chunyang Sutra, which contains all my insights. It can guide you from the Qi Refining stage to the Nascent Soul stage, and now I will pass it on to you. I will imprint it upon your divine sense. After you master it, you must not pass it on to others, especially to those with wicked hearts."

The patriarch's voice reverberated like a Buddhist chant. "Remember, never use what you have learned to act against the will of heaven."

"I..." Feng Yisheng was about to speak but recalled after reading so many web novels that this was the moment to address himself as a junior. So he said, "Your junior understands."

The patriarch seemed to remember something else and said, "But you, young man, have already lost your pure Yang energy. Otherwise, the cultivation of the Chunyang Sutra would have yielded twice the result with half the effort."

"I will remember your instructions, Patriarch," Feng Yisheng replied respectfully, though he wondered in his heart how the patriarch could have known.

The patriarch spoke again, "Are you still calling me 'senior'? Address me as Patriarch. Since you now possess the Golden Bones of the Pan lineage, from this day forth, you are the third master of the Lingxiao Hall. I had intended to accept you as my disciple, but after I impart the Chunyang Sutra to you, my soul will disperse, and I will be unable to teach you further.

From now on, you must cultivate diligently, reach the Nascent Soul stage as soon as possible, and go to the cultivation world to rid me of that traitor. But by then, it will likely be a thousand years from now.

One last thing—Mount Tai is the very root of the Golden Bones!"

"Yes, Patriarch, I will remember your words always," Feng Yisheng replied sincerely.

"Let me leave you with eight final words—‘Never forget your original intention, and you will always reach your goal.’" The old voice echoed in the cave. As soon as the patriarch finished speaking, he fell silent. As his soul dissipated, he imprinted the Chunyang Sutra into Feng Yisheng's divine sense.

...

Every ordinary person possesses divine sense, but until the Qi Refining stage, one cannot look inward and is unaware of its existence. The patriarch had imprinted the Chunyang Sutra into Feng Yisheng's divine sense—unless Feng Yisheng revealed it himself, no one would know he possessed it. Of course, there are soul-extracting techniques in the cultivation world that allow cultivators to enter another's sea of consciousness.

...

The patriarch had been missing from the cultivation world for over four hundred years. Many knew that he had passed away, but the wealth and knowledge he left behind became a mystery. None had expected he would pass away in the mortal world.

Of course, some in the cultivation world suspected he might be in the mortal realm, but the laws of the mortal world restrict cultivators, preventing sect members from entering in large numbers. The few spies they sent were insufficient to uncover the patriarch’s whereabouts, which ended up benefiting Feng Yisheng.

Every word the patriarch spoke had shaken Feng Yisheng to his core. He knelt at the spot where the Golden Bones had been, bowing in deep reverence.

After a long while, Feng Yisheng said, "Patriarch above, I, Feng Yisheng, will dedicate myself to cultivation. Once I reach the Nascent Soul stage, I will enter the cultivation world and thrash that traitor for you."

Feng Yisheng also thought to himself that last night, he had just lost his virginity, and even that had been seen through by the patriarch. It seemed what happened in his dream last night was real after all. But the patriarch had lived for over five thousand years—surely he wasn’t still a virgin himself?

...

Feng Yisheng glanced at the stone table beside the bagua array. On it lay an ancient bronze ring, inconspicuous and reminiscent of those nine-yuan, postage-included trinkets sold online.

"This must be the patriarch’s storage ring," Feng Yisheng said.

He placed the ring in his left palm, bit his right middle finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto it. Because the Chunyang Sutra was already in his sea of consciousness, the ring resonated with it and easily acknowledged him as its master.

He slipped the ring onto his right middle finger. At first, he thought of hiding it in his pocket, but fearing he might lose it, he decided to wear it for now and later thread it on a string to hang around his neck.

After all, wearing this ancient bronze ring on his finger would certainly arouse suspicion, and acquaintances would surely mock him.

Though the ring had recognized him as its master, Feng Yisheng had not yet reached even the first stage of Qi Refining.