Chapter 26: The Rain Sigil
Chapter 26: The Rain Sigil
Lin Jiufeng was deeply interested in the events that had unfolded three thousand years ago. He felt that the battle from that era was no simple affair — otherwise, the contrast between the cultivation world then and now would not be so devastating.
Yet books documenting that period were scarce.
It was as though someone had deliberately erased all traces of what had happened. Even the texts that did exist offered only scattered fragments, woefully short on detail.
Lin Jiufeng had combed through every corner of the Canon Pavilion and the Small World alike, and had only managed to find a few dozen books related to that battle from three thousand years ago.
Of those few dozen, most were shallow in content — they spoke only of how brutal the battle had been, how it had shattered the cultivation world as it stood today. Beyond that, there was precious little else.
"Everything related to what happened three thousand years ago has been deliberately erased." With that, Lin Jiufeng confirmed his suspicion.
If someone had not intentionally wiped it away, that period of history would certainly have been recorded by someone. Yuhua Sect in particular — though it had been founded after that battle, the gap was not great, and the sect had endured to the present day. Even if its strength had withered to its lowest point, its lineage had never been severed. It was simply impossible that not a single piece of information could be found.
"To erase this so thoroughly without raising widespread suspicion — whoever is behind this must be terrifying." Lin Jiufeng mused. He buried the matter deep in his heart. Since someone had gone to such lengths to conceal it, he would have to wait and investigate later.
For now, he needed to grow stronger. At the very least, he had to break through to the Eighth Seal — only then could he prove worthy of Bai Yunfei's trust.
Setting aside the events of three thousand years past, Lin Jiufeng threw himself into cultivation with even greater diligence.
Each day, he pored over scriptures, drawing wisdom from the insights of those who came before, then cultivated steadily to consolidate his foundation, carefully reviewing every technique he had learned.
He also devoted himself earnestly to calligraphy, nurturing his state of mind.
Beyond that, he meditated deeply on heaven and earth, gradually learning to follow the ways of nature.
He rose when the morning sun first crested the horizon, and sat in meditation when the bright moon hung high overhead — as though he had truly become a hermit dwelling in the mountains, indifferent to the outside world, devoutly seeking the Dao.
Lin Jiufeng was no longer confined to the Canon Pavilion. Now that Bai Yunfei had drawn away all the external pressure bearing down on Yuhua Sect, no one came near the mountain gate, and Lin Jiufeng was free to wander as he pleased.
He had spent the past several decades shut inside the Canon Pavilion. While it was a fine place — with countless scriptures to study — sometimes one needed to embrace nature: to watch the turning of the seasons, the churning of clouds, the rising and setting of the sun.
And so, in this manner, the days slipped quietly by.
A single day in the mountains; a thousand years in the world below.
In this state of mind, Lin Jiufeng quietly passed an entire year.
He witnessed the cycle of the four seasons — the warmth of spring, the cool breezes of summer, the full moon of autumn, the gentle sun of winter — and then spring came around once more.
All things awakened; life surged with vitality.
On this particular day, a light spring rain fell in a gentle drizzle. Lin Jiufeng stood before the Canon Pavilion with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the rain rouse the sleeping world and nourish the mountains and rivers below.
Everything from winter was washed clean, and a new year had arrived.
Lin Jiufeng stood there, his entire being radiating a subtle and profound aura — the accumulated insight of an entire year.
Over the past year, Lin Jiufeng had not activated his Heavenly Comprehension even once. He was in no hurry; in fact, he was quite content with this.
Accumulate deeply, then release all at once.
What Lin Jiufeng had in mind was to channel an entire year's worth of accumulated insight into a single activation of Heavenly Comprehension. That way, the result would surely be no small thing.
So for now, he was still gathering.
Inside the Canon Pavilion, the three little ones — Wen Xinyun, Yue Dashan, and Zhou Tianzi — had clustered together, staring at Lin Jiufeng's back and whispering among themselves.
"Senior Uncle is just standing there, but somehow he feels so far away," Yue Dashan said.
"I know. It's only a dozen or so steps from here to the door, but I have a feeling that even if we walked our entire lives, we'd never close that distance," Zhou Tianzi nodded.
"Is Senior Uncle about to break through again?" Wen Xinyun asked, astonished.
The three of them had grown up considerably over the past year, shedding their childlike appearances and youthful innocence. All three were now at the Fourth Seal.
Yue Dashan, having cultivated the Dragon-Elephant Power, had grown to a towering three meters in height from the terrifying strength coursing through his body. Standing there, he was like a mountain — immensely imposing.
Zhou Tianzi, who cultivated the Ten Kings of Hell, had already found his footing in the technique. His entire bearing now carried the air of a sovereign of the mortal world, radiating great authority.
Wen Xinyun cultivated the Grass-Wood Sword Art, and had grown ever more ethereal with time. She had always been beautiful, but the Grass-Wood Sword Art lent her an otherworldly, drifting aura — like a celestial maiden.
Yet now, as all three of them looked toward Lin Jiufeng, they found him utterly unfathomable. It simply felt as though their Senior Uncle existed in a different world from them.
Close enough to see, yet as distant as the horizon.
The rain continued to fall in its gentle drizzle. Lin Jiufeng gazed at the spring rain and gradually let his mind open wide, entrusting his spirit to heaven and earth.
In that moment, a subtle and profound aura radiated from his entire being, as though he had merged with the soft, pattering spring rain.
He perceived the teeming vitality within the spring rain, and also felt its surging, turbulent power — the crashing of great waves.
Lin Jiufeng melded into the spring rain, like a single drop of water entering a vast river and sea, drifting with the current, letting the waters surge and churn around him.
He was sensing the changes within it.
Gradually, Lin Jiufeng — standing before the Canon Pavilion — raised his hand and began to trace lightly in the empty air. Dao patterns stirred and rose, sketching themselves out, forming a single Dao sigil.
"Rain can contain all things. Gentleness is it. Fury is it. Stillness is it. Hidden undercurrents are it as well."
"This rain can merge into all things, and yet transcend all things."
Lin Jiufeng contemplated carefully, and insight welled up in his heart. A line of text appeared before his eyes:
[Your accumulated insight runs deep. Heavenly Comprehension activates — you have comprehended the Rain Sigil.]
Lin Jiufeng opened his eyes. Seeing the notification, he then looked at the Dao sigil he had just drawn.
This was the Rain Sigil he had comprehended.
With a gentle push, the Rain Sigil shot forward and merged into the softly falling spring rain.
Boom!!
In an instant, a torrential downpour descended — lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the rain crashed down in sheets.
Along with it came Spiritual Energy of extraordinary density, pouring down together with the rain.
Witnessing this, Lin Jiufeng said in amazement, "The Rain Sigil I comprehended can actually draw Spiritual Energy down from the sky — incredible."
The Spiritual Energy carried by this rainfall was several times greater than anything before. Lin Jiufeng could tell with certainty that the Spiritual Energy in this rain was not the ambient energy of the world — it had come from the heavens above, newly manifested.
After just a few breaths, Lin Jiufeng felt the energy within his body surging upward in a powerful tide.
He immediately turned and called out, "You three — come here at once! Sit cross-legged and absorb the Spiritual Energy. This is an opportunity you cannot miss."
The three little ones came running over with quick, eager steps. The moment they felt the surging Spiritual Energy within the rain — a single breath of it equaling half an hour of ordinary cultivation — they froze in stunned disbelief.
The next instant, their faces lit up with joy as they sat cross-legged beside Lin Jiufeng, circulating their techniques and absorbing the Spiritual Energy to strengthen themselves.
Lin Jiufeng was absorbing Spiritual Energy as well, but he did not compete with the three little ones. Instead, he entrusted his Divine Soul to the void, merging it into the torrential rain, and began drawing in Spiritual Energy of a higher order.
In that moment, the cultivation realm that had been stagnant for an entire year began to stir — slowly, steadily rising.