Chapter 789: 計緣棋動

Ji Yuan wasn’t sure what had just happened to Li Feng, but he always held the boy in high regard and naturally wouldn’t overlook such a situation. He instinctively felt that Li Feng shouldn’t pursue that sensation further, figuring it must have been quite unpleasant for the child, and thus he wouldn’t act recklessly.

After a moment’s thought, Ji Yuan opened the door and stepped outside. He gently tapped his foot on the ground, sending a faint ripple of Dao essence outward like water. Simultaneously, he spoke an invitation.

“I invite the local Earth God to appear before me.”

As Ji Yuan’s words fell, a wisp of green smoke instantly billowed from the stone slab ground beside him. A small, thin, slightly hunched old man appeared before Ji Yuan. He wore a landowner’s cap, and his attire, though not extravagant, was well-tailored.

However, at this moment, the old man’s face was etched with astonishment as he surveyed his surroundings.

‘This is… Mud-Dust Temple?’

The Earth God then suddenly snapped back to reality, turned, and upon seeing Ji Yuan beside him, immediately bowed low.

“This humble deity greets the Immortal. May I know why the Immortal has summoned me?”

The Earth God had long known that a distinguished individual resided within Mud-Dust Temple, someone respectfully brought by the highly accomplished National Preceptor Monk. He had never dared to disturb this person and had not expected to meet him in this manner today.

The Earth God exuded a strong earthly aura; he was neither a ghost nor a spirit, and bore few traces of a monstrous being. While his specific cultivation might not be exceedingly high, he had evidently practiced for many years.

“Earth God, there is no need for such formality. My surname is Ji; you may simply call me Mr. Ji.”

“Yes, Mr. Ji! How may I assist you?”

The Earth God knew he was undoubtedly facing a formidable figure; he hadn’t even grasped how he’d arrived, which made him somewhat nervous.

“Earth God, there’s no need to be so formal. It’s nothing major. There is a prominent family here, surnamed Li, who has a son named Li Feng. I hope you can keep an eye on him.”

So, it was merely a matter of looking after someone. Such a task was not difficult, which brought a slight sense of relief to the Earth God.

“Then this humble deity will keep a frequent watch.”

Ji Yuan looked at the Earth God, and his gaze made the latter’s heart begin to pound again. Had he said something wrong?

“Not merely a frequent watch. My intention is for you to watch him constantly, never leaving his side, but without easily revealing yourself. If he attempts any cultivation, you must find a way to interrupt him!”

“Ah? This… Immortal, as the local Earth God, I have numerous petitions from mortals and various other duties. My magic is weak and my powers are shallow; I cannot possibly be in two places at once.”

A true Earth God naturally possessed the capabilities of his divine office. From beneath the ground, he could perceive events on the surface over a vast area; if he paid attention, many things would not escape his notice, such as simultaneously "seeing" laundry being washed at one end of the village and a fight breaking out at the other. However, the Earth God understood that the distinguished individual's request was not for such broad perception, but for a meticulous and unceasing watch.

Ji Yuan nodded.

“I understand your difficulties. This task is indeed not easy, but only you are truly suitable. Rest assured, there will be significant benefits for you if you perform this duty well.”

With that, Ji Yuan generously produced a stack of ‘Dharma Coins,’ twelve in total. They emitted no dazzling light, only the weighty, dull copper-yellow of ancient wear. Yet, the moment these coins, slightly larger than ordinary coppers, appeared, the Earth God’s eyes widened. A distinct aura of the “Dao” emanated from them.

“I call these Dharma Coins. Hmm, in certain circles within the cultivation world, they are also known as ‘Wish-Fulfilling Coins.’ They possess marvelous uses for performing profound spells and even for one’s own cultivation. They can even fetch a good price in some immortal shops. Of course, I don’t recommend selling them. I haven’t refined too many recently, so please accept these, Earth God.”

Although the Dharma Coins before him lacked a brilliant glow, in the Earth God’s eyes, the aura of the Dao emanating from them was dazzling beyond measure. He rubbed his hands repeatedly on his clothes, then carefully cupped them to receive the coins.

“Thank you, Immortal—ah, no, thank you, Mr. Ji, thank you, Mr. Ji!”

Feigned humility like "I cannot accept this" was for mortals. The Earth God was far more practical at this moment. As soon as he took the coins, they felt incredibly heavy, as if weighed down by a thousand catties, yet a second later, the sensation seemed to be merely an illusion.

“Then, Mr. Ji, shall this humble deity proceed to the Li residence to watch the child now?”

“Yes, go.”

After Ji Yuan nodded, the Earth God stated, “This humble deity takes his leave,” and transformed into a wisp of green smoke, vanishing underground. From that moment on, the Earth God had made guarding Li Feng his primary duty. As for the minor responsibilities of his divine office, they weren’t truly impossible to manage concurrently; at worst, he still had a few subordinate minor spirits to delegate to.

Seeing the Earth God depart, Ji Yuan finally felt a bit more at ease. He couldn’t constantly watch over Li Feng himself, and the Earth God was far more convenient. Furthermore, Ji Yuan would still spend most of his time observing from within Mud-Dust Temple, so Li Feng should be temporarily safe. The primary concern remained the opponent’s strategy within Tianyu Continent.

It was at this moment that a sudden insight stirred within Ji Yuan’s heart. His spirit entered the profound realm of mountains and rivers, and his Dharma form observed the heavens. A few previously ethereal stars subtly brightened. Rather than lighting up automatically, they seemed to respond to Ji Yuan’s thoughts, their positions signifying Yan Fei, Zuo Wuji, and others.

“In that case…”

Ji Yuan murmured softly, his words trailing off. He recalled the contents of Xuanjizi’s previous message, delivered by flying sword. After long contemplation, he immediately returned to his room, retrieved his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and swiftly penned a letter before heading out.

Inside Mud-Dust Temple, it was the elder of the two young monks who was cleaning the courtyard that day. Upon seeing Mr. Ji, who rarely ventured out, he quickly set down his broom and bowed respectfully.

“Praise be to the Great King of Light Buddha, Mr. Ji, are you leaving today?”

Ji Yuan smiled and nodded, then walked closer to the monk and handed him the letter.

“I will be away for a few days, returning in three days at the earliest, five at the latest. If Xiao Feng comes looking for me, you may give him this letter and tell him he can read in my room.”

“Yes, this humble monk will convey the message.”

“Very well, thank you.”

Ji Yuan left the letter, walked directly out of Mud-Dust Temple, and with a few swift steps, was already far in the distance within moments. Then, stepping upon a clear breeze, he ascended into the sky.

Once high in the sky, the Azure Vine Sword, in perfect sync with Ji Yuan’s mind, let out a soft hum and settled beneath his feet. The next instant, the immortal sword, glowing like a meteor chasing the moon, sped towards the Heavenly Mechanism Grotto-Heaven.

Ji Yuan wasn’t merely flying on his sword; he was performing a ‘sword escape,’ a technique of extraordinary speed. He didn’t need to fly to the previous location of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; he only needed to reach one of the Grotto-Heaven entrances.

The moment Ji Yuan executed his sword escape, the Heavenly Mechanism Wheel within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion seemingly sensed his approach and began to rotate automatically, a phenomenon even Xuanjizi was unaware of.

A day and a night later, Ji Yuan, still in the sky, had a thought and immediately began to descend. Below lay a deep, ancient forest. His gaze caught a faint reflection: a mountain spring.

Ji Yuan put away his immortal sword, waved his sleeve, and plunged headfirst downwards, a streak of light leaping into the mountain spring.

“Plop…”

At that moment, the sound of something entering water echoed, startling a wild rabbit grazing nearby into looking up. Yet, strangely, the spring water remained perfectly still; there were no splashes, not even a ripple. Only a faint, shimmering halo swayed a few times before quickly vanishing, like a phantom sight and sound.

The Heavenly Mechanism Grotto-Heaven was entirely controlled by the Heavenly Mechanism Wheel. Ji Yuan had clearly entered the Grotto-Heaven from a remote location, yet upon reaching the other end of the Grotto-Heaven, he could directly see the pavilion in the sea. The distance between these points was clearly far greater than thousands of miles.

“This certainly saves trouble, but it’s a pity it can’t encompass the entire world, only useful in a small part of the Southern Wilderness Continent…”

Thinking as he flew, Ji Yuan temporarily set aside his thoughts about the Heavenly Mechanism Wheel and flew directly towards the sprawling sea pavilions. It was then that Xuanjizi suddenly sensed something, and with a thought, realized Ji Yuan had arrived.

However, Ji Yuan hadn’t come specifically to see Xuanjizi. A short while later, after a brief exchange with Xuanjizi, the two approached a small pavilion next to Ji Yuan’s former temporary cabin.

As soon as they arrived before the pavilion, the person inside, who had been meditating cross-legged, opened his eyes. He then stood up, walked to the entrance, and opened the door.

“Mr. Ji, I thought you had forgotten about me, Ju.”

The person inside the small pavilion was none other than Ju Yuanzi, who had been cultivating alone here in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for over half a year.

“Fellow Daoist Ju is joking. I would never think such a thing!”

“Mr. Ji, Fellow Daoist Xuanjizi, please come in.”

Ju Yuanzi smiled, gesturing for the two to enter. A mere half-year was nothing for a cultivator of his stature, akin to simply meditating for a short while with eyes closed.

In fact, Ju Yuanzi wasn't the only one temporarily residing in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; there was also a contingent of cultivators from the Weimei Sect. However, their reasons differed: the Devouring Beast's transformation made it unsuitable for frequent movement, so they had simply established formations and made preparations within the Heavenly Mechanism Grotto-Heaven, planning not to leave for at least one or two years, possibly even three to five.

After the three entered the room, Ji Yuan did most of the talking, with Ju Yuanzi and Xuanjizi listening intently. After a long while, once Ji Yuan finished, Ju Yuanzi spoke in a deep voice.

“Mr. Ji, your meaning is for me to return to Cloud Continent, find them, subtly test their progress, and then gently give them a push?”

“Precisely.”

“Then when should I depart?”

Ji Yuan answered without hesitation.

“The sooner the better.”

Ju Yuanzi looked at Xuanjizi with a smile, then turned to Ji Yuan, spreading his hands.

“But the Southern Wilderness Continent is separated from Cloud Continent by vast oceans; its distance is immeasurable by thousands of mountains and rivers. Even at my fastest pace, it would take one or two months to arrive, not to mention the subsequent events. Entering Tianyu Continent would be even later. How about using my Jade Embrace Mountain’s Heavenly Soul Lamp secret art to sense and transmit a message instead?”

Ji Yuan also smiled, noting that Ju Yuanzi was even joking with him now.

“Since Fellow Daoist Ju possesses such a secret art, why tease me? You should have mentioned it earlier! That would certainly be for the best!”

“Hahahahaha…”

Xuanjizi watched Ju Yuanzi laugh and couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

“Fellow Daoist Ju, you’re nearly a thousand years old, and you’re still acting childish. Oh, you…”

Ju Yuanzi simply smiled, already beginning to prepare the secret art.

This Heavenly Soul Lamp secret art, as its name suggests, involves the Heavenly Soul. Within Jade Embrace Mountain, it is also referred to as a ‘life lamp.’ Typically, if an outer disciple perishes, the lamp extinguishes itself, serving as an alert to fellow disciples in the mountain that someone has passed. Occasionally, it can also draw back some residual qi. Beyond these functions, it should have no other uses.

However, at Ju Yuanzi’s level of cultivation, the minor life lamp art of Jade Embrace Mountain could be made to perform certain special functions in his hands, such as transmitting messages in this manner. Though it had limitations and should absolutely not be used frequently, it was sufficient for the task.

“Fellow Daoist Ju, does this art have any adverse effects on you?”

Ji Yuan asked this, and Ju Yuanzi, his smile fading, shook his head.

“The minor effect is simply that my Heavenly Soul Lamp will become less sensitive. It might not register any qi returning to the mountain should I die, and might even stay lit for a long time. I’ll just need to return to the mountain later and perform a spell in the Sky Lamp Pavilion to repair it.”

That settled the matter. Ji Yuan was relieved.