Chapter 87: Master-Disciple Legacy
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“Disciple Yu Zhao pays her respects to Master.”
Yu Zhao lifted the hem of her robe, knelt on the ground, and bowed deeply.
After being expelled by Master Qing Yan, Yu Zhao was left without a mentor, becoming an inner disciple with no formal teacher. Naturally, she could take another master.
What’s more, her cultivation was based on the Illusory Tides Technique taught by Bright Moon Hermit. Even if their relationship lacked an official title, in essence, they were already master and disciple.
This ceremony was meant to fill the void.
Bright Moon Hermit smiled as Yu Zhao completed the bowing ritual. “After a thousand years of cultivation, I am finally complete. Yu Zhao, thank you for fulfilling my heart’s desire. From this moment, Bright Moon has no regrets.”
As the words fell, a purple spiritual light shot into Yu Zhao’s forehead.
“This contains all of my insights and reflections. It is the final help your teacher can provide. Remember this: the immortal path is endless, and the Dao heart must endure.”
When the purple light fused into Yu Zhao’s Sea of Consciousness, she entered a peculiar state.
Her spirit seemed to detach from her body and then entered the form of a young girl.
The girl, around four or five years old, was as delicate as jade, with bright, clear phoenix eyes. Most notably, she possessed the rare Water Spiritual Root, marking her as an unparalleled genius in cultivation.
Her name was Bie Bright Moon.
Bie Bright Moon was an oddity within her family. Not long after being sent to the sect, she voluntarily left and returned to her family.
Then, in ten short years, she emerged from the remote western town where her family resided and began carving a path through the cultivation world.
She traveled to countless places, met innumerable people, teetered on the brink of death many times, and obtained countless fortuitous encounters.
Just as she thought she would continue wandering, she met a peculiar man. For the first time, her restless soul found a sense of belonging.
From within Bie Bright Moon’s body, Yu Zhao screamed wildly.
“Don’t trust him!”
“Don’t trust any man!”
“He wants to kill you!”
Sadly, Bie Bright Moon couldn’t hear Yu Zhao’s cries. She was ensnared in the gentle trap the man wove for her, hopelessly entranced.
Until the man ruthlessly unveiled the truth with a short blade.
The man cultivated the Path of Emotional Detachment, which required him to kill his wife to achieve enlightenment. Bie Bright Moon was the sacrificial pawn he had carefully chosen.
At that moment, Yu Zhao heard the sound of something breaking from within Bie Bright Moon’s body.
Though their cultivation levels were similar, Bie Bright Moon’s innate talent far surpassed the man’s. When she plunged her sword into his heart, she instinctively comprehended the true essence of the Path of Emotional Detachment.
From then on, Bie Bright Moon renamed herself Bright Moon Hermit and created the Illusory Tides Technique.
“The complete Illusory Tides Technique should have nine layers,” she murmured. “But with my abilities, I could only comprehend five. I hope future generations can refine and advance it.”
Suddenly, the space around Yu Zhao twisted, a crushing pressure enveloped her, and her spirit was forcibly ejected.
Yu Zhao trembled violently. When she opened her eyes again, her spirit had returned to her body.
“Master!”
Yu Zhao frantically looked toward Bright Moon Hermit.
The vivid illusion from moments ago had reverted to its proud and domineering form.
Yu Zhao instantly understood: the final remnant of Bright Moon Hermit’s soul in the cultivation world had dissipated.
A deep sorrow surged within her. She bowed once more to the fading illusion.
Though she had only met her master once, their legacy spanned nearly a thousand years during the transmission. Her master had left her not only the first five layers of the Illusory Tides Technique but also priceless, cherished memories.
After bidding farewell to Bright Moon Hermit, Yu Zhao sat cross-legged to meditate and calm her emotions.
As the grief gradually peeled away, a sudden transformation occurred in her state of mind.
While witnessing Bright Moon Hermit’s trials, had she not undergone her own tribulation?
The struggles of her past life now seemed as fleeting as morning dew or reflections on autumn water.
Whoosh!
In the sealed stone cave, the sudden sound of wind broke the silence.
Around Yu Zhao, spiritual energy surged intensely, forming a small vortex centered on her. The energy from all directions sensed her presence and rushed toward her in waves.
At the Five Elements Dao Sect, Yu Zhao had already stabilized her cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Through external tempering, she advanced further, nearing the peak of Foundation Establishment—just a step away from forming a Golden Core. Her original plan required at least another year of preparation to overcome this bottleneck.
However, the opportunity granted by Bright Moon Hermit had unexpectedly saved her considerable time.
Raging torrents of spiritual energy flowed through Yu Zhao’s limbs and seven apertures, surging into her body. Enduring the sharp pain from her meridians expanding rapidly, she directed the energy to circulate through her body in a grand cycle before channeling it into her dantian. As the vast energy condensed, it transformed into drop after drop of spiritual liquid.
Time passed unnoticed. Gradually, the spiritual liquid in her dantian accumulated to the size of a fist, forming the embryonic shape of a Golden Core.
Yu Zhao took a deep breath, her gaze firm. Having prior experience, she knew the critical step in forming the Golden Core was condensation. Once the core solidified, she would have half a foot into the Golden Core stage.
Yet, she faced a dire challenge. The breakthrough had come too suddenly, leaving her unprepared, and the sparse spiritual energy in this location had been nearly exhausted after her prolonged absorption. The external energy was no longer sufficient to support the next stage.
An arrow already on the bowstring could not be halted.
Determined, Yu Zhao’s eyes shone with resolve. She retrieved a handful of alchemy pills, swallowing them in one go. Then, she emptied her storage pouch of all its spirit stones, immersing herself completely in the shimmering energy they emitted. With the continuous infusion of spiritual energy, the Golden Core began to solidify.
On this fateful day, thunder rumbled fiercely.
A violent wave of spiritual energy erupted from the desolate mountains, its intensity reverberating far and wide. Nearby cultivators, alarmed by the phenomenon, rushed toward the source in droves.
“Such a powerful commotion—could it be a rare treasure descending upon the world?” one cultivator exclaimed excitedly, racing toward the energy fluctuations with lightning speed.
Others, more cautious, hung back, observing their surroundings warily.
Before they could reach their destination, the overwhelming spiritual energy suddenly dissipated, restoring peace to the remote wilderness.
“What happened? Why did it vanish so abruptly?” someone questioned in confusion.
“Someone must have gotten there first and seized the treasure!” another speculated bitterly.
“Honestly, the disturbance didn’t feel like a treasure appearing but more like someone breaking through to a higher realm,” a third suggested hesitantly.
“Impossible! This barren place is so lacking in spiritual energy—who would choose such a location for a breakthrough?” came the retort, skepticism lacing the words.
As debates broke out, the crowd grew restless.
“Enough with the chatter. Let’s go and see for ourselves!” someone urged, taking the lead to fly toward the site.
The others followed suit eagerly. However, they had barely taken a few steps when an immense pressure swept over them. Overwhelmed by the terrifying force, they were crushed to the ground before they could react.
“Those who block my path… die!”
The icy voice of a woman rang out abruptly, carrying an unyielding authority. Blood surged within the cultivators’ bodies as a stabbing pain pierced their ears. A constant ringing echoed, leaving them trembling.
“Please, senior, spare us!”
“We beg for mercy, senior!” The crowd, now realizing they had intruded upon a senior expert’s cultivation ground, were stricken with terror and pleaded repeatedly.
Among them, the more experienced could vaguely gauge the senior’s cultivation level, and their regret deepened. What kind of Nascent Soul elder would choose such a desolate place to undergo seclusion? It was truly baffling… truly unfathomable!