Chapter 397: Cloud Mountain Temple Welcomes Guests

Seeing Ji Yuan's craving for wine, the old dragon couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mr. Ji, your craving for wine is certainly growing stronger."

Dragon's saliva was, after all, precious, and Ji Yuan couldn't bear to drink too much at once, fearing it might diminish the wine's potency. Hearing the old dragon's question, Ji Yuan raised his left hand.

"Of course I have a craving for wine," Ji Yuan replied, "but it's not truly as exaggerated as it seems. I had some lingering injuries on my hand earlier, and I wanted to test if the dragon's saliva had any effect. It certainly lives up to its name; it actually worked a little!"

"Injuries? You're injured! Who could possibly injure you? Who did this, and how long ago?"

The old dragon was half astonished, half concerned. In his opinion, at their level of cultivation, like his and Ji Yuan's, one either remained unharmed, or if injured and unable to recover quickly, it signified a serious matter. It was just like that true demon from years ago, who, after being struck by his dragon claws and Ji Yuan's immortal sword, would likely suffer for a century.

Ji Yuan extended his left hand, clenched his fist, and revealed a faint trace of the heavenly tribulation's residual aura, then gave a wry smile.

"If you insist on knowing who struck the blow," he said, "then it can only be myself, I suppose!"

The aura of this lightning tribulation still carried a heart-palpitating sensation, and faint purple-gold electric sparks flickered across Ji Yuan's arm. However, Ji Yuan's magical power cleverly isolated it to prevent it from growing stronger by consuming his own spiritual energy.

Upon seeing this thunderous aura, the old dragon's expression immediately grew much more serious.

Heavenly tribulation doesn't solely refer to lightning tribulation, nor does it only refer to what falls from the sky. There are also various other forms of tribulation, such as golden winds, black waters, fierce fires, inner demon tribulations, and immediate karmic retribution. However, lightning tribulation is one of the most direct and immensely powerful forms.

Back then, Ying Ruoli's trial of the heart, which earned her the Dragon Heart, was essentially Ji Yuan helping her overcome a major tribulation. This meant her future transformation into a dragon would be much smoother.

When it came to overcoming tribulations, the old dragon had the most authority among those Ji Yuan knew. Even though the dragon race had long evolved various methods to cope with tribulations during cultivation, becoming a true dragon also involved enduring great perils, with the final one being an incredibly narrow escape from death.

As for the lightning tribulation on Ji Yuan's hand, although it was well suppressed by him, even if only a tiny bit was revealed, the immense heavenly might within it was still extremely evident.

However, it was not surprising. After all, this was a lightning tribulation capable of threatening Ji Yuan and truly injuring him.

"Lightning tribulation from the heavenly tribulation? Purple-gold lightning—that's no small matter... Mr. Ji, what exactly did you do? Your essence is pure and flawless, and your cultivation is supreme; it's impossible for you to have provoked a lightning tribulation!"

Ji Yuan did not conceal anything from the old dragon. With a raise of his right hand, a yellowish scroll emerged from his sleeve and gently landed in the palm of his right hand.

The scroll itself didn't exhibit any special aura; it appeared unremarkable, even somewhat ancient. If the old dragon hadn't seen Ji Yuan's hand injury before, he might not have understood, but now he could sense a faint, similar aura.

That's right, it was by scent. It wasn't that he sensed anything miraculous, but rather a similar, faint scorched sensation.

"I visited Master Huitong at Daliang Temple in Tingliang State, the one who caused you to lose your wager back then," Ji Yuan began. "It just so happened that the Mingwang incarnation of Daliang Temple was about to manifest..."

The old dragon's eyes narrowed, then widened. Recalling the rumors that a Mingwang might personally arrive when their incarnation manifests at a Buddhist temple, he didn't rush to ask about the heavenly tribulation and instead said,

"Knowing your temperament, you must have stayed to watch the spectacle, didn't you? So, did a Buddhist Mingwang truly come?"

Although this rumor had always existed, and it was rare to encounter a Buddhist temple exactly when a Mingwang incarnation was about to manifest, it wasn't unheard of for people to specifically wait for such an event.

However, there weren't many rumors about forging a connection with a Mingwang at that moment, so the old dragon wasn't sure if a Mingwang would truly arrive in person.

"Heh heh, that's right," Ji Yuan chuckled. "I just happened to stay and watch, and indeed, I witnessed the arrival of the Buddha Seal Mingwang!"

"Hmm, so this relates to what's in your hand and the heavenly tribulation?"

Ji Yuan's smile faded, but his expression remained serene.

"Previously, I immediately connected with Master Foyin as if we were old friends," Ji Yuan explained. "We sat and discussed the Dao under a large tree in the inner courtyard of Daliang Temple. More than a month passed in the blink of an eye, and we were both filled with joy. I truly benefited immensely, and many past problems became clear to me. After Master Foyin departed, I set up a desk at a distance to write, deducing everything I had learned, and compiled it into this volume, 'The Genesis of Heaven and Earth'. It is also the first half of my 'Wondrous Laws of Heaven and Earth'!"

This wondrous law was Ji Yuan's most proud creation to date in his life. He felt a sense of ease when speaking about it, and, rarely for him, a hint of pride.

Such a shift in Ji Yuan's words and emotions naturally did not escape the old dragon's observation. That the usually calm and humble Ji Yuan would show a hint of pride indicated how immensely pleased he was with the wondrous law in his hand.

The old dragon was now even more curious about 'The Wondrous Laws of Heaven and Earth' and this volume, 'The Genesis of Heaven and Earth'. Hearing Ji Yuan's words, he immediately blurted out,

"At the instant of its completion, heavenly lightning appeared?"

Ji Yuan's expression turned serious for a moment. He nodded and repeated the phrase, but this time with a tone of certainty.

"At the instant of its completion, heavenly lightning appeared!"

Recalling the three heavenly lightning bolts whose power increased incredibly dramatically, he now thought that if he hadn't possessed a highly unique decree thunder spell, even if that lightning bolt wasn't directly aimed at him, the result of directly taking it on would have been extremely dangerous.

"Moreover, the lightning tribulation was astonishingly powerful," Ji Yuan added. "It seemed as though heaven was determined to destroy this book. Fortunately, I had some tricks up my sleeve and barely managed to withstand it, preventing my painstaking efforts from going to waste!"

Solely based on Ji Yuan's few words and the thunderous aura of his injury, the old dragon could almost imagine the peril of that moment.

Looking at the scorched yellow marks on the scroll, it was clear that Ji Yuan hadn't been able to completely obliterate the lightning tribulation at that time. Of course, it might have been intentional, allowing some lightning to remain so the scroll could truly "undergo tribulation." But at the very least, Ji Yuan couldn't perfectly control it at that moment, as he himself was injured and marks were left on the scroll.

If it were someone with a lower cultivation, let alone being reduced to ashes, not even dust would be left.

Ji Yuan watched the old dragon in thought, then shook the scroll in his hand with a smile.

"Would you like to take a look?"

The old dragon was clearly intrigued.

"Is it alright for me to read this book?"

"Hahahaha..." Ji Yuan laughed. "What's the need for such formalities between us? It's just a glance!"

As Ji Yuan spoke with a smile, he tossed the scroll over. The old dragon quickly reached out and caught it. Seeing that his friend wasn't joking, he, with a rare hint of excitement, slowly unfolded the scroll with both hands.

The handwriting was indeed Ji Yuan's. At first, the text seemed unremarkable, but the more it was revealed, as he read, it surprisingly conjured various illusions in the old dragon's mind. It was important to remember he was a true dragon, and even without actively resisting, this was quite remarkable.

Subsequently, some of the characters themselves flickered with purple and gold colors, and a mysterious, unfathomable aura swept through, along with a magnificent display of heavenly might. The old dragon understood almost instantly that if one's resolve was not firm or their heart was impure, they would surely be terrified.

And as the scroll fully unfolded, the more than three thousand words of small, intricate text of 'The Genesis of Heaven and Earth' were laid out before the old dragon. With a single glance, profound and wondrous transformations appeared alongside the text, clearing his mind of distractions and pointing directly to the essence of the law itself.

"The Genesis of Heaven and Earth, the Genesis of Heaven and Earth," the old dragon exclaimed. "Earth, mountains, rivers, sky, constellations... wondrous transformations of heaven and earth, wondrous essence of heaven and earth! So that's it, so that's it!"

The old dragon exclaimed repeatedly, then slowly rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Ji Yuan.

"No wonder it's called 'The Genesis of Heaven and Earth'," the old dragon mused. "This method reveals such wondrous signs of heaven and earth, yet it is already intolerable to heaven and earth. Truly unmatched and wondrous!"

The old dragon's praise was simple but carried immense weight. He could discern all this from just one reading, while its true extraordinary nature would likely require practitioners to experience it intimately.

Ji Yuan turned his head to look at the sky high above, thinking of the thunderous rain that day that seemed to weep and laugh simultaneously, and thought to himself,

'It's not truly intolerable, is it...?'

Neither of them was in a hurry. When they arrived above Yunshan Mountain in Bing Province, it was mid-afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set in the west.

As soon as they approached Yunshan Temple, before even descending, the old dragon sensed that the temple was different from before—or rather, the people inside were different.

"Mr. Ji, have you made up your mind?"

Back then, the old dragon and Ji Yuan had brought Qin Zizhou to Yunshan Temple together. Besides allowing Qin Zizhou to recuperate and accept his identity, and to use Taoist celestial records to deduce the path of a Boundary-Traversing Deity, the old dragon naturally understood that Ji Yuan had also entertained the idea of leading the Taoist sect, or at least the Yunshan Temple lineage.

Now, it seemed Ji Yuan was no longer hesitating.

"That's right, I have decided," Ji Yuan confirmed. "Moreover, this 'Wondrous Laws of Heaven and Earth' will be the fundamental basis for cultivation at Yunshan Temple."

The old dragon turned his head, looking with a powerful gaze at the small temple on Yunshan's Misty Peak. To be able to receive 'The Wondrous Laws of Heaven and Earth' meant that this small temple's lineage, as long as it didn't suffer a premature demise due to extreme bad luck, would in the future...

As if knowing what the old dragon was thinking, Ji Yuan's voice gently sounded.

"I only ask that Yunshan Temple cultivates steadily and modestly, without arrogance or impetuosity," Ji Yuan said. "That it can steadily progress further and further on the path of cultivation, and in the future, become a proper and respected Daoist sect!"

"A Daoist sect, huh..."

The old dragon suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked at Ji Yuan.

"I've long had a suspicion, and now it feels even stronger," the old dragon remarked. "Mr. Ji, are you playing a grand game?"

Ji Yuan neither confirmed nor denied it. After a moment of thought and silence, he finally uttered a phrase.

"It's possible!"

At this moment, Qin Zizhou had already noticed the old dragon and Ji Yuan. He was the first to ascend to the summit of Misty Peak, standing on the giant rock and cupping his hands in greeting towards the two approaching figures on the clouds.

"Qin Zizhou pays respects to Mr. Ji and Mr. Ying!"

Ji Yuan and the old dragon returned the greeting in unison.

"Greetings, Master Qin!"

Qin Zizhou's inherent qualities were evident, and coupled with his noble character, even the usually proud old dragon would show him due respect.

A moment later, the three of them descended the mountain, chatting and laughing, approaching Yunshan Temple halfway up the mountain. Meanwhile, Qi Xuan and Qi Wen had eagerly rushed out of the temple to greet them.

"Mr. Ji, Mr. Ying! You've arrived!"

"Greetings, Mr. Ji and Elder Ying!"

The two greeted them while bowing, their faces filled with joy. Although their recent cultivation hadn't fully taken off, the sensation of sensing the rhythm of heaven and earth's spiritual energy was truly indescribable.

"Hahahahaha, Daoist Priest Qingsong," Ji Yuan laughed, "it's time for you to showcase your cooking skills again. Here!"

Ji Yuan waved his sleeve, and a watery bubble enclosing three large carp from the Tongtian River, still breathing and blowing bubbles, draped in seaweed, were flung out. Qi Xuan and Qi Wen instinctively reached out with both hands to catch them together.

Thump...

The two stumbled back together, their faces showing caution and a hint of panic. They swayed a few times before regaining their balance, realizing that their four palms touching the water bubble had not broken it. Though heavy, it wasn't impossible to lift.

"Quick, quick, put them in the water tank!" Qi Xuan urged. "Right, right, let's go!" Qi Wen agreed.

The two excitedly carried the large fish inside, along with the bubble, and dropped them into the large water tank in the kitchen.

Splash!

The bubble burst, directly filling the tank, which had only been partially full. The three fish, still draped in seaweed, happily thrashed about inside.

"Swim, swim," Qi Wen cheerfully said to the fish, "not for long now!"

At this moment, two gray shadows darted past from the direction of the temple's main hall. They scurried all the way into the kitchen, then darted onto the water tank. They were two small martens. They lay on the edge of the tank, gazing into the water, having never seen such large fish in their lives.