Chapter 20: Taishang Sect's Plan

Having activated his Heavenly Comprehension and comprehended "A Bright Moon Rises Over the Sea," Lin Jiufeng snapped out of that profound, mysterious state.

Rather than leaving the lake bottom, he lay there quietly and began examining the insight he had gained.

This was not a cultivation technique — it was a phenomenon.

Lin Jiufeng recalled reading a book that spoke of how heaven and earth record certain special moments: breathtaking natural scenery, a fragment of a great person's life, a snapshot of an entire era...

What heaven and earth record in this way are called phenomena.

Phenomena exist between heaven and earth, waiting to be comprehended — it all depends on one's own ability.

Of course, there are also those blessed with great fortune, or those born under auspicious signs, who manifest phenomena from birth. Their futures are beyond measure.

The phenomenon Lin Jiufeng had comprehended — "A Bright Moon Rises Over the Sea" — depicted a vast sea of stars, with a full moon rising from within that stellar ocean, outshining all the stars of heaven.

"The Dao Rhythm I comprehended is 'A Fish Leaps in This Sea.' Now, combined with the phenomenon of 'A Bright Moon Rises Over the Sea,' if the two are unleashed together, the power will be absolutely tremendous." Lin Jiufeng thought with delight.

He immediately executed "A Bright Moon Rises Over the Sea."

In a moment, the calm lake transformed into a churning expanse of surging waves and towering swells.

Then, a full moon could be seen slowly rising from within the waters.

Moonlight spilled across the surface of the lake, radiating a sacred brilliance and emanating a terrifying, oppressive might.

A bright moon rises over the sea!

This moon could rival the luminous moon hanging in the sky above.

Beneath the moon, Lin Jiufeng walked upon the waves, his bearing free and graceful — like an immortal exiled to the mortal world.

The next instant, Lin Jiufeng raised his hand and gave a slight turn of his wrist.

Boom!!

Beneath that full moon, from within the churning, jade-green waves, a great white crucian carp suddenly leapt forth, its eyes holding the mystery of yin and yang, embodying the natural order of the Dao.

A fish leaps in this sea!

Sure enough, Lin Jiufeng's guess had been correct — "A Bright Moon Rises Over the Sea" could be unleashed together with "A Fish Leaps in This Sea," and when the two were layered atop each other, their combined power was even greater.

"A pity I haven't broken through to the Seventh Seal." Lin Jiufeng gazed at the moon and the great white crucian carp, letting out a faint sigh.

This time, by peering into his Divine Soul and comprehending "A Bright Moon Rises Over the Sea," he had reached the peak of the Sixth Seal.

But he had not broken through to the Seventh Seal.

Because he had yet to excavate the treasure buried within his Divine Soul, he could not reach the Spiritual Sanctuary within.

Still, Lin Jiufeng only felt a brief moment of wistfulness. If he couldn't break through to the Seventh Seal this time, there would be a next time.

The gains from this session were already substantial. Lin Jiufeng did not linger further in the Small World, and returned to the Canon Pavilion with the books written by the founding patriarch.

The moment he returned to the Canon Pavilion, Lin Jiufeng extended his Divine Soul outward to check on the three young ones and make sure they were safe.

These three were the hope for Yuhua Sect's continued legacy, and since he had personally guided their growth, he naturally worried about leaving them alone in the Canon Pavilion.

After all, Yuhua Sect still faced the looming threat of the Taishang Sect.

Especially after Bai Yunfei had slain Dao Ancestor Changsun Yu of the Eighth Seal, shocking the entire world — yet the Taishang Sect had, uncharacteristically, made no response whatsoever.

That was deeply abnormal.

As the saying goes, the dog that bites doesn't bark.

If the Taishang Sect were howling threats of vengeance, at least there would be nothing to worry about — one could simply face them head-on.

But the Taishang Sect hadn't said a single word. No one knew what they were quietly scheming in the shadows.

Lin Jiufeng naturally dared not spend too long inside the Small World.

Seeing that the three young ones were fine, Lin Jiufeng returned to his study and continued reading.

And so, the days passed as simply as ever.

Lin Jiufeng spent most of his time in the Canon Pavilion.

He cultivated, contemplated the Dao, nurtured his Qi, practiced his sword, practiced calligraphy, and savored his tea.

A small portion of his time was spent entering the Small World, where he practiced certain techniques — the commotion he caused there would not disturb Wen Xinyun and the other two.

And so, a month slipped quietly by.

The Great Dao is like a journey; I too am but a traveler upon it.

Throughout this period, Lin Jiufeng had been cultivating in seclusion. He did not force himself to comprehend anything, nor did he obsessively activate his Heavenly Comprehension — he simply accumulated, quietly and steadily.

He believed that once he had accumulated enough, the Seventh Seal would come naturally, like water finding its channel.

Outside the Canon Pavilion, the trees were lush and green, the flowers and grasses in full bloom.

Summer had arrived, and the temperature had risen — yet inside the Canon Pavilion, it remained as warm as spring. This was the influence of Lin Jiufeng's own aura and state of mind upon the feng shui of the building.

As his cultivation deepened and his realm advanced, Lin Jiufeng had gradually come to understand this kind of aura shift.

Every person possesses an aura. An ordinary person's aura is too faint to be perceived, but a cultivator's aura is far more pronounced — especially one of great cultivation, whose aura can even alter the seasons and affect the growth of plants and flowers.

Lin Jiufeng had now become such a presence.

A month of arduous cultivation had not yielded a breakthrough to the Seventh Seal, but he had indeed gained much.

Standing by the window, Lin Jiufeng gazed toward the golden-roofed main hall of Yuhua Sect.

Bai Yunfei had been in seclusion for a month now. He wondered whether the man had broken through.

"The Taishang Sect has been far too quiet — so quiet it frightens me a little. Junior Brother really needs to break through sooner rather than later." Lin Jiufeng's thoughts drifted.

The Taishang Sect was not an easy adversary. They acted with extreme ruthlessness, and the death of Changsun Yu would absolutely not be settled so simply.

If they weren't making a move now, they were certainly plotting something sinister.

"Junior Brother, you'd better break through quickly — otherwise I'll soon be at the same realm as you." Lin Jiufeng said with a light chuckle, taking a sip of tea, his expression calm as he gazed at the golden-roofed main hall.

* * *

Ninety thousand li from Yuhua Sect, there stood a Dao mountain renowned throughout the world.

It wasn't that the mountain itself was particularly famous — rather, it was because the mountain was home to the Taishang Sect, the foremost Daoist faction in the entire cultivation world today.

The Taishang Sect had begun its rise three thousand years ago. Before that rise, they had already occupied this place — but at the time they were merely a third-rate minor sect, and no one paid them any attention, so the mountain was equally unknown.

Yet as the Taishang Sect rose to prominence, this Dao mountain became a famous landmark, remembered by all.

Taishang Sect. The Sect Master's main hall.

Black was the dominant color — solemn and austere, carrying a trace of decisiveness and cold ruthlessness.

"Sect Master, word has been spreading wildly outside. Yuhua Sect's Sect Master Bai Yunfei has comprehended the [Yuhua Ascension Scripture] and slain Dao Ancestor Changsun Yu. Should our Taishang Sect not strike back in some way?" A Daoist priest with a hooked nose asked, his expression grim.

The current Sect Master of the Taishang Sect was called Taixuan Zhenren — also a Dao Ancestor of the Eighth Seal. He coldly studied the intelligence in his hands and said, "An ordinary Eighth Seal Dao Ancestor going up against Bai Yunfei, who possesses the [Yuhua Ascension Scripture], would gain no advantage. The [Yuhua Ascension Scripture] is far too formidable. We would need at least two Eighth Seal cultivators acting together to ensure nothing goes wrong."

The hooked-nosed Daoist priest frowned. "But right now, all of our Eighth Seal Dao Ancestors have gone to the Million Mountains to search for and capture the juvenile Qilin. There are no other Eighth Seal Dao Ancestors to spare for Yuhua Sect. Is the Sect Master planning to go personally?"

"If the Taishang Sect's people cannot be freed up, then we go and invite outsiders. The three Santong Wanderer brothers of the Demon Sect are all Eighth Seal Dao Ancestors, but they are nearing the end of their lifespans. Go and act as our envoy — tell them that the [Yuhua Ascension Scripture] has the power to seize the creative forces of heaven and earth. If they obtain it, they will surely be able to extend their lives and may even have a chance at breaking through to the Ninth Seal." The Taishang Sect's Sect Master instructed.

The hooked-nosed Daoist priest's eyes lit up with admiration. "The Sect Master truly has a way. The three Santong Wanderers may be of the demonic path, but that Yuhua Sect Master has also fallen into demonic ways — so let them set dog against dog. I will go and persuade them at once."