Chapter 59: Three Awakenings

At the entrance of Disabled Elderly Village, the Village Chief, Old Ma, the Deaf, the Blind, and others stared blankly at the grand ceremony in the neighboring village, their hearts inevitably stirred. Who would have thought that the Demonic Sect, the most prominent demonic cultivation sect, would find its future leader in such a remote, impoverished backwater? And a young leader not even twelve years old?

Witnessing this event, they felt as if they were watching a legendary tale unfold. Even the bright sunlight seemed to take on a fantastical hue.

Granny Si suddenly burst into tears, sobbing, "He will leave us..."

"This is a good thing, Granny," the Apothecary smiled gently. "A young bird must grow up eventually. It must fly out to see the wider world, brave the storms, and leave home to witness the dangers outside. We can't keep him with us old disabled folks forever."

The Blind man's expression was serene as he leisurely said, "The legend begins the moment he steps out of the village."

The Mute, smiling, gestured twice with sounds. The Deaf man chuckled, "You're right. Mu'er's future will undoubtedly be much more vibrant than ours."

***

Surging River, by the riverbank.

Magnificent and luxurious multistory boats sailed in and docked by the riverbank. Many villagers from Tianmo Village gradually left the village. Some departed by walking on air, others left on the boats, some transformed into strange beasts and merged into the mountains, others vanished as streaks of light, and some disappeared by submerging into the water.

Each of them possessed unique abilities. Qin Mu watched, dazzled. Although he had surpassed them in the Spirit Embryo realm, he didn't possess their peculiar and wondrous methods.

"Farewell, Young Sect Master!" A woman waved to him, then leaned back and fell into the river, transforming into a splash that drifted downstream.

Qin Mu waved back. He didn't know if they were good or bad people, only that he had become their Young Sect Master. He wondered if he would meet them again when he left the Great Ruins.

"Our Sacred Cult has been searching for the Sect Master's wife in the Great Ruins for forty years, and now our mission is finally complete. Brother Dao, Sect Master's wife, you must know that our Sacred Cult has been stagnant for forty years without a Sect Master to maintain order or a backbone. Now, the Sacred Cult is in grave danger."

The Young Ancestor also stood up to take his leave, addressing the Village Chief, Granny Si, and others: "Electing a Young Sect Master now is merely a temporary measure to stabilize morale, but it won't last long. The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace is eyeing our Sacred Cult, intending to subjugate and use us. While I am still alive, I can stall for a few more years. Therefore, after the Young Sect Master comes of age, he must leave the Great Ruins and formally become the Sect Master of the Sacred Cult."

The Village Chief looked at Granny Si, and Granny Si nodded, saying, "Ancestor, rest assured. Since I killed one Sacred Cult Master, I will certainly return another one to you. He will go to the Sacred Cult when he comes of age, assume full authority, and fulfill your wish!"

The Young Ancestor summoned the Enforcement Elder, bowed to everyone, then turned and walked towards the Surging River. The old and the young, dressed in simple cloth and straw sandals, walked on the river with their staffs, drifting away gracefully.

The Blind man, leaning on his bamboo staff with both hands, sang loudly, his desolate voice echoing back and forth across the banks of the Surging River.

"A straw cloak, a straw hat, a tiny boat; a ten-foot line, an inch-long hook; a soaring song, a flask of wine; one man fishing alone in an autumn river! Demonic Cult Ancestor, you and I are old. Who knows if we'll meet again? Farewell!"

In the middle of the river, the Young Ancestor stopped, turned around, and waved to everyone, "Everyone, farewell! Haha!"

He sang loudly, "Eight hundred old men sing of leisure's sorrow, their ambitions fulfilled, they rest now; after death, they'll ascend triumphantly, clouds fly high and water flows freely!"

The Blind man praised, "As expected of the Demonic Cult Ancestor, he views life and death lightly, feeling his life complete, and even after death, he will watch the world's changing tides from above with a smile!"

The Village Chief said leisurely, "That is what a Grandmaster is. Blind man, you are not far from reaching such a state of mind."

"Still sentimental."

The Deaf man chuckled, "The Blind man just spouts random verses, nonsensical and neither fitting the mood nor the scene. The Demonic Cult Ancestor's poem, on the other hand, perfectly fits the mood and scene, and doesn't lack boldness."

The Blind man stammered, "You don't understand poetry; you only understand how to muddle through!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Qin Mu also smiled, looking at these optimistic people. Although they were all more or less disabled, their spirits were incredibly strong and sound.

"My dear ones..."

Suddenly, he felt a surge of powerful energy emanating from his glabella. Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he quickly focused his inner sight on his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure. He couldn't help but be slightly stunned: "My spirit embryo has awakened again!"

His spirit embryo had awakened three times already. The first time was when it merged with his consciousness, leading to its initial awakening. The second time was during his observation of fire and water at the blacksmith's shop, when the spirit embryo fell silent before reawakening for the second time.

This time, after enduring the refinement of the 360 rooms, the spirit embryo once again absorbed the golden light from the divine treasure and fell silent again.

However, this period of dormancy was longer, and only now had it finally awakened!

What changes would this awakening bring?

"Awakened again?"

Everyone's expressions were strange. When Qin Mu told them about his spirit embryo's third awakening, the Village Chief, the Apothecary, Old Ma, and the others looked very peculiar. Other people's spirit embryos only needed to awaken once, so why did Qin Mu's spirit embryo keep going dormant and reawakening?

"Do the Four Great Spirit Physiques also awaken three times?" Qin Mu asked.

Everyone exchanged glances, shook their heads, and then all simultaneously looked at the Village Chief.

The Village Chief's head throbbed. He muttered to himself, 'It would be fine if Qin Mu only awakened once, but he keeps awakening over and over again.' His third awakening now made even the Village Chief feel bewildered.

"It's the Hegemon Body."

The Village Chief coughed, directly attributing what he didn't understand to the Hegemon Body. He said calmly, "You are simply too ignorant. What is the Hegemon Body's cultivation technique called? Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique! What are the three elixirs? The first awakening is the first elixir, the second awakening is the second elixir, and the third awakening is the third elixir. Now that Mu'er has awakened for the third time, it shows that his Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique has achieved minor success. Mu'er, don't get arrogant!"

Qin Mu quickly nodded, "I definitely won't be arrogant."

The Apothecary chuckled, not quite smiling, "What if Mu'er awakens a fourth time? Will it be four elixirs then?"

The Village Chief, furious with embarrassment, wished he could pounce on him and stab him twice in the ribs.

But the Apothecary wasn't wrong. What if the boy's spirit embryo really did awaken a fourth time?

How would he cover up his lie then?

"Ahem, Mu'er, what's different about your spirit embryo now that it has awakened for the third time?" the Village Chief asked, changing the subject.

Qin Mu carefully sensed his spirit embryo. It seemed no different from before. The only difference was that the golden light ocean within his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure had become much fainter.

The golden sea was now very thin. The golden light within it no longer seemed to generate automatically; each time the spirit embryo absorbed some, there was less of it.

As Qin Mu circulated his vital qi, his spirit embryo also mobilized vital qi. At times, he was wreathed by a green dragon; at others, he stood on a black tortoise draped with a large snake; sometimes, wings sprouted from his back. His vital qi actually changed according to his will, no longer requiring him to observe water, fire, or dragons!

Qin Mu told everyone about this. The Village Chief and the others also exchanged bewildered glances, not understanding why such a change had occurred.

"This is a good thing," the Village Chief exhaled a breath of stale air and said, "The Hegemon Body's spirit embryo awakening three times means that various attributes can be switched at will. During combat, you can freely unleash the power of various moves. This is the profound application of the Hegemon Body Three Elixir Technique."

Everyone nodded in agreement. The Apothecary was about to speak but was glared at by the Village Chief. He had to swallow his words, grumbling inwardly, "When Mu'er awakens a fourth time, let's see how you'll explain that!"

***

"Breath enters and exits the nose like smoke, the body and mind are internally clear, the rounded world becomes vast and pure, like glazed glass..."

Beneath the waterfall in Cuiyun Valley, a slightly immature voice reciting came from a thatched hut. Looking through the window lattice of the hut, one could see a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy holding a scroll in one hand, pacing and reading inside the room. A snow-white fox watched him intently.

The boy was Qin Mu. The white fox was Fox Linger, a great demon of Cuiyun Valley.

Before long, Fox Linger's breath grew longer. Two streams of white mist, like smoke, moved in and out beneath the little fox's nostrils. With each inhale and exhale, the white mist went in and out.

Fox Linger's vital qi became increasingly pure and rich, its quality reaching an extremely high level, with her breath like smoke.

Two years and eight months had passed since the Demonic Cult's visit. Winter had just ended, and everything was revitalizing. It was still the biting cold of early spring. The surface of the Surging River had not completely thawed. Broken ice drifted downstream with the current.

Bends in the river downstream were often blocked by ice floes. The river ice accumulated, piling higher and higher, forming an ice dam. The water level would rise progressively. When the ice wall could no longer hold, a massive flood would erupt, sweeping through the lower reaches of the Surging River and drowning countless people and strange beasts.

In recent days, the Blind man, Granny Si, the Cripple, and others had gone downstream along the river to find the ice dammed lake. Since they were not in the village, Qin Mu came out to find Fox Linger and explain scriptures to her.

Over two years, his height had caught up to the Blind man's, though he was still a head shorter than the powerfully built Apothecary.

Suddenly, a roaring sound came from outside the window, shaking the forest. Qin Mu closed his scroll and placed it on the bookshelf. The white fox was also startled awake by the roar. The boy and the fox stepped out to look. They saw a gigantic beast, over ten zhang long, galloping towards them, heading straight for the thatched hut!

The beast was covered in bony plates, galloping like thunder. Its head was like a dragon's, its legs like an elephant's, and its strength was boundless. It was a Dragon-Elephant, a hybrid born from a dragon and an elephant. But riding on its back was a pitch-black demonic ape, thick-bodied and muscular, holding a twelve-ringed Buddhist staff. It rode the Dragon-Elephant, charging aggressively towards the thatched hut!

Fox Linger leaped in front of Qin Mu, opened her mouth to inhale, and then pursed her lips to blow forward.

*Whoosh!*

A fierce wind howled, heading directly for the Dragon-Elephant and the demonic ape. Fox Linger wagged her tail, and the wind intensified, whistling and swirling into a tornado that swept the Dragon-Elephant and the demonic ape into the air.

The demonic ape leaped from the Dragon-Elephant's back, gripped its staff with both hands, and the staff grew larger and larger!

"Sikira—"

The demonic ape roared, plummeting from mid-air like a small mountain. It plunged its staff forcefully into the earth with both hands. Violent currents of air instantly burst forth in all directions, shattering the little fox's tornado spell!

The demonic ape pulled out its staff, leaped with incredible speed, and swung the staff towards Fox Linger. With a resounding clang, Qin Mu raised his hand, blocking the attack for Fox Linger.

But at this moment, Fox Linger leaped away. She opened her mouth and exhaled, creating wind blades over a zhang long. Six or seven such crescent blades flew up and down, not attacking the demonic ape, but instead slashing towards Qin Mu!