UGB Chapter 1 The Seven-Day Term
Chapter 1 The Seven-Day Term
Qingyang Mountain is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces an abyss on one side.
Looking out, the sea of clouds surges among the mountains, and at dawn, the rays of light shine in all directions, turning the lush green mountains into gold and red.
There is a Taoist temple in the mountains called Qingyang Temple. Its white walls and black tiles are hidden among the ancient pines. From a distance, it looks like a blessed land of immortals.
The front yard is a pond paved with bluestone, in which several red carp swim and lotus leaves sway in the breeze. However, although the mountain spring water flowing into the pond is clear and sweet, not a single blade of grass grows on its banks. Ancient pines reach for the sky, creating a picturesque scene, yet no birds are ever seen perching on their branches.
Xu Changqing stood in front of the bronze mirror and examined himself. The person in the mirror was about twenty years old, with a handsome face, eyebrows like distant mountains, and eyes like bright stars.
Although the blue Taoist robe was plain, it gave him an air of otherworldly elegance.
Looking at his appearance alone, anyone who sees him would praise him as "a disciple of a celestial being," but would never suspect that he is a heretic.
The original body of the Taoist priest known as Xuming was able to deceive people into offering incense and making them willingly give him millet and silver coins by relying on his face and his extraordinary evil magic. They regarded him as a real living god.
Even Zhang Xiao'e, the daughter of hunter Zhang San, born on an unlucky day and in an unlucky month, year, and hour, secretly fell in love with him, completely unaware that beneath this ethereal face lay the evil art of "Heavenly Void Nourishing Life Method" and a sinister scheme.
Xu Changqing raised his hand and touched the mirror. The icy touch from his fingertips confirmed that this was not a dream.
He had been in this world for an hour, and fragmented memories of the original owner of the body floated in his mind.
Xu Changqing closed his eyes, suppressing the surging disgust in his heart, and looked at the two letters on the table, opening them one by one.
The first letter was on peach-colored paper, with lotus patterns drawn in gold powder along the edges, but the handwriting exuded an inexplicable sinister quality: "To Fellow Daoist Xuanling: It has been three months since we last met, and I have missed you dearly. This humble monk has recently obtained the wondrous method of 'Joyful Zen,' and having heard that your great elixir is nearing completion, I wish to study it with you. On the night of the ninth day of the fourth month, I brought my Dharma carriage to the temple. Joyful Buddha, palms together."
The second letter was in a black envelope, the edges stained with a viscous substance, emitting a bitter medicinal smell: "Brother Lin: Since our last parting, I have longed for you day and night. I have recently refined a batch of 'Seven Emotions Gu,' which requires a person born in an unlucky year, month, day, and hour to test it. I have heard that you have such a woman, and I wish to study the Great Dao with you. Respectfully submitted by Poisonous Lady on the night of the ninth day of the fourth month."
The ninth day of the fourth month is three days from now.
The original owner of Xu Changqing folded the letter expressionlessly, and the promise he made with those two people came to mind.
Zhang Xiao'e gave her primordial yin to the Buddha of Joy, and her physical body to the Poisonous Lady for testing medicine. In return, he harvested her yin life and destiny, and all three parties got what they needed.
As for Zhang Xiao'e? She's just the daughter of a lowly hunter; who would care?
"But now, we need to really settle things," he said in a low voice, already harboring murderous intent towards those two.
Xu Changqing closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into a pure black void.
There floated a huge, pitch-black altar, its surface covered with dense, ever-changing, eerie patterns.
This object is called the Demonic Path Altar. Xu Changqing survived by sacrificing the soul of that evil path with it and took over this body. The reward for the sacrifice was part of the original body's memories and a great scripture book.
Although its origins were unknown, it was Xu Changqing's only way out at the moment. He touched the altar with his consciousness, and a list of cultivation techniques appeared before his eyes.
The Scripture of Becoming an Immortal from White Bones, The Golden Immortal Technique of Karmic Desire, The Five Poisons Celestial Immortal Technique...
He was overjoyed, but as soon as he saw the contents of the techniques, his face darkened.
"The Scripture of Becoming an Immortal through White Bones: The Great Scripture of Immortal Observation through White Bones, the mind contemplates the form of white bones, the body refines the white bone form. Refining the bones of living people, absorbing the Qi of death, each time a white bone is refined, the cultivation increases by one point. On the day of great success, one can summon the Dharma form of white bones, the Dharma form is a hundred feet tall, with ten thousand bones following."
"The forbidden consequences are: First, one must not eat meat while practicing this method. Eating meat will cause the bones to regrow, inflicting the pain of being devoured by the bones. Second, for each skeleton refined, one must relive its moment of death at midnight that same night. One skeleton, one death; a hundred skeletons, a hundred deaths; a thousand skeletons, a thousand deaths; each death is different. Third, one must remain conscious during the rebirth."
Note: If the taboo is broken, at best one will lose all cultivation, at worst one will be devoured by countless bones, and one's mind and spirit will be forever plunged into an endless hell.
When Xu Changqing saw the third item, his throat tightened a little.
Isn't this just self-torture? Hundreds of ways to die every day, and he has to stay conscious while dying. How many times can he endure that?
"Get out of my way, get out of my way!"
He quickly shifted his gaze to the next section of the cultivation technique, but after reading only two lines, he sensed something was wrong. When he read further about the forbidden price, his face turned completely dark.
"The Golden Immortal Method of Karmic Desire: One must endure eighty-one layers of karmic entanglements, but must not engage in sexual intercourse. One gathers the yin and yang energies at the moment of karmic birth, and uses the fire of desire to refine true gold, thus achieving supreme golden nature. On the day of great success, one can attain the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit."
"Isn't this just a self-inflicted green hat technique?" Xu Changqing couldn't help but curse. "And we have to just watch and not touch it?"
He took a deep breath and flipped through a few more books, becoming increasingly frustrated with each one. These techniques were more and more wicked and torturous than the last.
He couldn't help but burst into curses: "I can only say, this truly lives up to its name as the Altar of Devious Paths! The cultivation techniques they give out are all increasingly wicked!"
Despite his cursing, he knew in his heart that although these techniques were evil, their quality was far superior to the original owner's "Heavenly Void Nourishing Life Method." Moreover, the "Heavenly Void Nourishing Life Method" was involved in a huge conspiracy, which he absolutely could not touch again.
He calmed down and went through the original owner's memories, eventually settling on an old Taoist priest with a kind face and a stout figure.
This person, whose Taoist name was Xingxiu, also known as Xingxiu Laodao, was originally from Nanrao Mountain. He had the cultivation level of Golden Core and had done good deeds in his youth, even earning the reputation of "a mortal immortal master". Later, for some unknown reason, he joined the evil sect Seven Fiends Path and practiced the "Seven Elements Crossing Calamity Mysterious Scripture".
The Seven Killings are greed, anger, ignorance, resentment, jealousy, fear, and attachment, corresponding to the seven constellations in the sky: Sirius, Seven Killings, Guansuo, Ketu, Mars, Xu, and Rahu.
The original owner's cultivation method, "Heavenly Void Nourishing Life Method," was precisely the Void Destiny within it.
The Seven Fiends Path has only one rule: the seven constellations devour each other, and the strongest reigns supreme.
On the surface, the old Taoist priest Xingxiu accepted disciples and passed on his teachings, but in secret, he treated his disciples like Gu worms, waiting for the Seven Constellations to mature before harvesting them.
Unfortunately, the original owner and several fellow disciples were no pushovers either. They had already sensed something was amiss, but each harbored their own ulterior motives, plotting to devour the other's destiny. The old Daoist Xingxiu was fully aware of this and had already laid out a backup plan, waiting only for it to blossom and bear fruit so he could reap the rewards.
"What a loving master and filial disciple relationship, a bond that can kill and steal souls!" Xu Changqing sneered, feeling a tightness in his chest.
He walked to the window and pushed it open.
A mountain breeze carrying the fragrance of pine resin blew towards him, causing his sleeves to flutter.
In the pond in the courtyard, lotus flowers sway gently in the morning breeze, their petals and leaves complementing each other, and the air is filled with their fragrance.
Xu Changqing looked at the pond full of lotus flowers, admired it for a moment, and then suddenly grinned.
"My esteemed sages, there is no time to lose; it would be best to set off as soon as possible. I have avenged you, and all grudges are settled."
He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Please bless me on the way, so that I can find a usable cultivation technique."
As soon as he finished speaking, a mountain breeze swept through the hall.
Lotus flowers sway in the pond, their green leaves rippling on the water. Occasionally, delicate lotus blossoms rustle softly, as if answering or sighing.
Xu Changqing returned to the altar in his sea of consciousness and reached out to brush over the rows of evil merit names. Just as he was getting anxious, his fingertips suddenly stopped.
The name of a precious scripture came into view.
"The Scripture of Killing to Refine the World"
He uttered these words in a low voice, and felt an invisible killing intent emanating from the name of the scripture, causing his sea of consciousness to tremble slightly.
"One of the Heavenly Venerable's Treasure Scriptures: He transcends the tribulations of the mortal world, refining the medicine of all living beings with his blood. He ignites a wisp of killing fire, burning away all the unrighteous people in the world."
As the scripture was unfolded, a figure appeared before one's eyes.
Adorned in a grand crown and flowing robes, wielding a blood-red sword, the Taoist priest exuded a palpable killing intent. He traversed the void, sword in hand, and wherever he went, all those who defied the Way were annihilated.
As the sword flashed, Xu Changqing seemed to smell the stench of blood, and he seemed to see a lotus flower blooming in a sea of blood.
He abruptly broke free from his murderous intent, his body drenched in cold sweat. But when he saw the taboos of cultivating this precious scripture, his pupils suddenly contracted, and then he burst into laughter.
"Ha ha--"
Laughter echoed in the vast emptiness of his mind, carrying a sense of exhilaration and madness.
"Excellent! Excellent 'The Scripture of Killing to Refine the World'!" Xu Changqing's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he reached out and made a grasping motion towards the scripture. "I choose you."
Because the forbidden price of the "Scripture of Killing to Refine the World" is clearly written in eight characters—
The Heavenly Venerable bestows blessings, and all taboos are lifted.