Chapter 1476: Beyond the Heavens, Another Self

If among the divine beings within the Mountain and Sea Realm, there is one whom none can ignore,That name must be "Zhuzhou Yin."For every time its eyes open and close, every breath it draws and exhales, influences the entire Mountain and Sea Realm.None is unaware of Zhuzhou Yin!Chaos described Zhuzhou Yin's crimes, saying it "deems itself the supreme. Above, it deceives the Heavenly Mandate, below, it oppresses the myriad gods."Earlier, it also spoke of the Mountain and Sea Realm's ruin at the hands of those fools, and mentioned the collapse of the Divine Era...It seems a vast shadow has been drawn out.The Mountain and Sea Realm is not merely an Arena of Dharma solely created for the Heavenly Chosen of Chu. This world does not cease its operation whether people come for trials or not.It has its own laws and workings.Those mountain gods and sea gods within the Mountain and Sea Realm are not merely symbolic marks, some ethereal representations. Rather, they are tangible existences, possessing their own tales, their own lives.Such as Tricross seeking vengeance for its son, or Chaos's animosity towards Zhuzhou Yin.Those astonishing and perplexing unknown changes have their own underlying causes."Might there be some discord between Your Divinity and that divine being?" Jiang Wang cautiously inquired."Discord?" Chaos seemed to be laughing, yet also crying: "Aye, what discord could there be?""Naught but that all the world becomes subjects, and I am not."Its voice grew impassioned: "Naught but that all the world suffers, yet dares not speak. Only I am indignant, and stand firm in this Southern Abyss!"It breathed heavily several times, as if laboriously resisting something, then spoke: "Upon the Sea God's Wall behind you, there are characters I left carved in those years... have you beheld them?"Only then did Jiang Wang and the others turn their heads, and saw upon the pitch-black Sea God's Wall, indeed a row of characters emerging—"The Mountains and Seas converge here, shifting southward. Of the Four Quarters under heaven, only the South submits not!"These words possessed an extraordinary arrogance, a momentum of soaring towards the heavens.One could almost picture the grandeur and audacity of that time and moment.Then, looking upon this oddly formed Sea God before them, blind in two eyes, capricious, emotionally tumultuous... it could not but evoke sighs in one's heart.The victor becomes king, the defeated becomes outlaw; this holds true throughout the world."We have beheld them," Jiang Wang sighed, "Your Excellency truly possesses bone that props up the heavens.""Uh hoh hoh..." Chaos laughed oddly, then gasped for breath: "It has been a long time since I have been flattered, this taste... truly I miss it! Young one, you must know that in the battles concerning life, you must win. If you lose, even that which you despise the most will not kiss your boots again.""I am enlightened," Jiang Wang said, "However, I must emphasize one point: my reverence for you is entirely from the heart, with no intention of flattery whatsoever.""Uh hoh hoh!!" Chaos said: "You repeatedly remind me that you have a request of me. An old fellow trapped and withered in the Southern Abyss for nine hundred years is very willing to display value... but you must do something for me."It repeated: "You must do something for me.""Emotionally, I am very willing to serve, however..." Jiang Wang said with difficulty: "Zhuzhou Yin rules this realm, and throughout the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, only you dare not submit. The three of us are even of mediocre strength, we cannot even handle any random mountain god who comes knocking... What can we do for you?"Yue Tiannu and Zuo Guangshu remained silent, allowing Jiang Wang to represent their will entirely.Regardless of any differing thoughts in their hearts, at this juncture, they granted Jiang Wang sufficient trust.Chaos slowed its voice and said: "I am fixed here, unable to move. But when Zhuzhou Yin invaded the South in those years, I bit off its tail. It was also injured, severely injured.""Outside, the weather is fair and the seasons are regular, day and night constant; Zhuzhou Yin does not appear injured at all..." Jiang Wang had a pained expression: "Furthermore, even if it were severely injured, it is an existence we cannot withstand even with a mere breath.""Constant day and night is the duty of its divine office, how could it be negligent? Let alone being merely injured, even if it were about to die, it would have to persevere!" When Chaos mentioned Zhuzhou Yin, it easily became ill-tempered and malicious.It recovered for a good while before saying: "I do not ask you to directly confront it."It opened its mouth and spat out a triangular, ghastly white spire. The spire floated up and slowly flew before Jiang Wang."You merely need to place this Spire of Withering upon the summit of Bell Mountain."Jiang Wang looked at Zuo Guangshu.Zuo Guangshu spoke to explain: "Zhuzhou Yin presides over two divine mountains: one is Mount Zhangwei, the other is Bell Mountain. I believe they are similar to Tang Valley and Yu Abyss, one for sunrise, one for sunset. This is because Zhuzhou Yin is also the god who governs the changes of day and night..."Since Chaos had already spat out the spire, there was naturally no room for refusal.Simply placing the Spire of Withering at a certain location was not entirely impossible...The Spire of Withering before them was of an unusual shape, its tip adorned with ferocious bone spurs. However, there was no strange odor, and the entire structure was clean and pure.But the moment Jiang Wang thought of this object being spat out from Chaos's belly, a slimy sensation lingered, unable to be dispelled.With a smile on his face, he randomly found an outer garment from his storage box, and with a posture of respectful offering, carefully wrapped this small spire. He attempted to place it in the storage box, but found it could not be stored. He had no choice but to wrap another layer around it and tuck it into his bosom.Only then did he speak with melancholy: "I feel like an old friend upon meeting Your Divinity, and I am very willing to do something for you. However, the journey to Bell Mountain is fraught with peril. Parting today, I know not if we shall ever meet again. Even more, I fear my strength is insufficient and will ruin your great endeavor.Why not... you first help us obtain the Chapter of Nine Phoenixes. When we have strengthened ourselves, we shall then go to Bell Mountain. As the saying goes, sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of wood; with your wisdom, you surely understand this principle."He subtly changed "providing clues to the Chapter of Nine Phoenixes" to "helping to obtain the Chapter of Nine Phoenixes.""Hmm, sharpening the knife, correct, I understand." Chaos's words were somewhat disordered at this moment, as if its thoughts were beginning to clash again.It spoke in a state of strained effort: "Leave this place of mine, and walk in the direction the Sea God's Wall faces, keep walking, and you will see Ji Xuan. Regarding the Chapter of Nine Phoenixes... you will obtain more from it. This place has many wicked thoughts, all the pains exiled by Zhuzhou Yin. However, you carry the Spire of Withering upon you, there will be no danger on the way."If they could meet Ji Xuan, one of the Nine Phoenixes, then the clues to the Chapter of Nine Phoenixes would naturally be more reliable.Jiang Wang was overjoyed: "Many thanks, Your Divinity!"Chaos gasped for breath: "Go... go.""Additionally... I am truly embarrassed to say this," Jiang Wang spoke with embarrassment, but said with great ease: "Could I perhaps excavate a piece of this Sea God's Wall of yours? I am in great need of this material, it would also be very helpful for me going to Bell Mountain later."Chaos was momentarily stunned, perhaps a little slow to react: "I, you, this..."Jiang Wang immediately said: "If it is truly inconvenient for you, I shall only dig one piece!""Very well then... agree to dig only one piece," Chaos said.It seemed to have not noticed at all that Jiang Wang had given it no option to refuse.Perhaps the conflict of thoughts was already very intense at this moment.Chaos had barely agreed when Jiang Wang was already beside the Sea God's Wall, and his Samadhi True Fire burned directly upon it.The process of "completing the Samadhi" was slow, but progress was being made after all.And the designated area... was a little large."Wait."Chaos suddenly spoke.The Samadhi True Fire on the Sea God's Wall immediately extinguished.A fist-sized piece of flowing sand wood detached and fell into Jiang Wang's hand."Take it, go," Chaos said.Although it had been so impolite, Jiang Wang still bade farewell with overflowing enthusiasm: "Then we shall not disturb you further for now, may Your Divinity recover your physique soon, defeat Zhuzhou Yin, and restore your glory!"After throwing out a string of effortless pleasantries, he then called to Zuo Guangshu and Yue Tiannu to leave.Before leaving, he saw that Chaos's belly was greatly distended, and the shadow of something within its belly was darting about wildly, as if it were about to explode...What was it that had tormented Chaos into such a state?Jiang Wang dared not look any further, nor did he turn back.The Southern Abyss of Withering is a deep and secluded sea area.Not long after the three of them left Chaos, they began to feel the presence of the sea water.It was as if they had passed through an invisible barrier, from a waterless environment to being submerged in water.The heavy profound environment here was inverted and chaotic, causing their bodies to fluctuate unstably. Yet, the sea water here was tranquil. It was as if the heavy profound power, sometimes heavy and sometimes light, only affected these outsiders like Jiang Wang.Large masses of seaweed drifted gloomily, like some aggregation of insects, bringing a sense of eeriness.The three of them had remained silent, just as Chaos had instructed, walking in the direction the Sea God's Wall of the Southern Abyss of Withering faced.They left the deep water area, stepping upon the water as if ascending steps, moving towards the surface of the sea.A chilling sensation of being spied upon, which had appeared since their arrival, had never vanished. And the spying gazes were growing more numerous... Jiang Wang could feel the weight of the gazes, and could also sense the malice within them.Chaos said that these were all the pains exiled by Zhuzhou Yin.Even in a clean and tidy city, there are sewers. Beneath the sunlight, there are still shadows. The dark side of the world always exists.Aside from being vigilant and responding, there was no other way.Leaving the deep water area and reaching the surface of the sea, the oppressive feeling did not diminish in the slightest.The sky was dim, the sea was murky.A feeling of melancholy seemed to be an eternal state. Constantly accumulating, constantly accumulating...Making you want to go mad, to give up, to... die.Dying here, perhaps, would be a release.A life of suffering, what benefit is there in being born?Fortunately, Jiang Wang's will was unwavering, Yue Tiannu possessed her own Chan heart, and Zuo Guangshu was not lacking in means to deal with such situations.Those chaotic, wicked, and decadent atmospheres could not infiltrate this team.However, the prolonged silence inevitably brought a sense of withering.They had walked for a long time, so long that Zuo Guangshu finally spoke: "I have already established a connection with this water area. However, the range is very small, the water here is not pure, there are many forces pulling at it... It's not just because the divine handle is controlled."The team seemed to have come alive.As an elite team, they had of course been resisting in their own way all along.For Zuo Guangshu to successfully establish a connection with the water area, in essence, was to carve out a private domain within the Southern Abyss of Withering.Allowing the people around him to be more free and at ease."This place has heavy resentment," Yue Tiannu said."The Southern Abyss of Withering stands against the entire Mountain and Sea Realm with its own strength, the casualties must be immense," Zuo Guangshu said: "After all, even Chaos has become like that, and there are other existences killed or exiled by Zhuzhou Yin... Heavy resentment is inevitable."In other places, it would not be so difficult for him to communicate with the water area.Jiang Wang only advised: "Do not attempt to resolve it, don't throw sparks into the oil pan.""I naturally understand this," Yue Tiannu looked left and right, and sighed: "Furthermore, with my current cultivation, I cannot resolve it either. This place... has accumulated too much, and has been entangled for too long."Jiang Wang thought for a moment and asked: "Master Yue, with your extensive knowledge, is there a similar place in the current world?"Yue Tiannu was silent for a moment and said: "The Scourge Water."Jiang Wang asked again: "How did the senior predecessors deal with it?""This matter is too long to speak of, it cannot be explained clearly in a short time," Yue Tiannu said: "One can only say that the current tranquility of the Scourge Water is due to the Three Punishments Palace suppressing it and the Blood River Sect governing it.""Blood River Sect?" Jiang Wang's eyebrows raised slightly.The first time he had heard this name was because of the man-eating demon Xiong Wen. That former Ninth Demon who died under Zhu Weiwu's spear was precisely a renegade from the Blood River Sect.The second time he heard of it was when the Blood River True Monarch, as one of the helpers gathered by the Deep Metropolis True Monarch, jointly attacked the Myriad Eyes and returned after severing the dragon horn. In that upheaval of the mystic realm, the Blood River True Monarch desired to take Chong Xuanzun as his disciple.He smiled: "Speaking of which, I used to always think this was a heterodox sect, but later I finally understood a little, and knew it was also a great sect of the present age. However, I never expected it to bear such a heavy responsibility..."Yue Tiannu said calmly: "There is no need to讳言, many of the Blood River Sect's Taoist techniques are indeed somewhat violent and easily lead to the wrong path. However, when it comes to techniques, if used right, they are right, and if used evil, they are evil.""I am enlightened," Jiang Wang slightly bowed his head."The most important thing is," Yue Tiannu said: "When a sect is defined as a side gate or heterodox, it means it has lost its right to speak. In essence, it has lost its strength. Such a sect cannot exist for long, much less develop and grow."Speaking of this, she was somewhat meaningful: "Therefore, what side gates exist in the world? So-called side gates are mostly because they cannot reach the stage."That the Buddhist master Yue, with profound understanding of Buddhist dharma, would utter such a principle was unexpected by Jiang Wang.When people speak of the Buddhist school, they speak of compassion. But to think they are not clear-minded is a great error.Zuo Guangshu shook his head: "Then are right and wrong, good and evil, not distinguished?"This was actually the question Jiang Wang wanted to ask.However, upon further reflection, even a cult like the White Bone Path, the vast majority of its followers consider themselves to be saving the world, and also pursue the dissemination of "fairness.""Distinguish, of course, we must. Without distinguishing black and white, where would there be day and night? Without restraint on good and evil, where would there be clarity?" Yue Tiannu said: "However, the principles of the world cannot be constant. Even in a single person's body, good and evil are mixed, let alone a power, a region? Think carefully, which great sect under heaven is a side gate, which great nation is an evil nation?"Zuo Guangshu could not respond for a moment, only saying: "Buddhism often speaks of karma and retribution, I thought the Chan master saw black and white very clearly.""The black and white of the world, how dare I say I see clearly? I, too, often... know not right from wrong," Yue Tiannu sighed, and then said: "Look at us now in the Southern Abyss of Withering, is it black or white? The Mountain and Sea Realm at this moment, is it black or white? And the present world at this moment, is it black or white? A body stands in a thousand layers, outside the heavens, outside the body... How can one distinguish?""A body stands in a thousand layers, outside the heavens, outside the body," this Buddhist verse is precisely a famous saying left by Master Zhaowu of Mount Sumeru.It means that a person finds it very difficult to distinguish their own right and wrong, and in different "heavens," relative to different "bodies," there may be completely different answers.Holding three thousand worlds in the palm, bringing the palms together is a simple action, yet it may destroy billions of living beings.Jiang Wang said impassively: "The Chan master has already distinguished very clearly."Yue Tiannu was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly put her palms together and smiled: "Layman Jiang's words are reasonable."Where the body is, inquire of that place, and so it is.Master Zhaowu, when he left this verse, was merely speaking of the original heart.Such questions, after all, do not have a constant answer.Having cultivated to their current realms, the three of them had long since contemplated their own paths and would not be easily persuaded or changed by anyone.Therefore, they merely touched upon the subject lightly before moving on.Zuo Guangshu asked again: "These Fei Que, Ji Xuan, Kong Yuan, Lian Hong, are they truly phoenixes, despite not being known in the world? This 'Nine Types of Phoenixes' is also the first time I've heard of it. I feel... Chaos does not seem very clear-minded.""Do you know the clue to the Chapter of Nine Phoenixes?" Jiang Wang asked."Are you Chaos's opponent?" Jiang Wang asked again.Zuo Guangshu could not answer either.Jiang Wang then said: "Then whatever it says, so be it. Any doubts there may be, wait until we meet Ji Xuan before discussing them."This dark and secluded sea area seemed to be hiding some unknown danger.More bizarre than any environment they had experienced so far in the Mountain and Sea Realm.Murky, deathly silent, cold.It was as if the root of everything was destruction, with not a single place that was desirable.A stark contrast to the azure sea and blue sky, the strange flowers and stones outside the abyss.Perhaps only in such a place, only in such an extremely difficult environment, could one "not submit" to Zhuzhou Yin.Not conforming to the rules of the Mountain and Sea Realm.And thus, there was no alternation of day and night, only eternal night.The long night was without light, the tranquil sea without sound.Walking on the dim sea surface, every step was taken with utmost caution. Although they could clearly feel being spied upon by some terrifying existence, they could not discover anything.The Spire of Withering, tucked in his bosom, Jiang Wang had not touched again, but he could feel that it was this not-so-pleasant-looking object that ensured the path ahead was clear.Representing that Chaos, in the Southern Abyss of Withering, at least still held some authority."The Spire of Withering is like the Sea God's command, all evils are intimidated and dare not invade," Zuo Guangshu said with a smile: "Are we also basked in divine light now?"Jiang Wang said impassively: "But even Chaos itself, which gave us the Spire of Withering, seems unable to maintain clarity for a long time. Thus, how long this Spire of Withering's usefulness will last is also questionable...""The inscription on that Sea God's Wall reminds me of something," Zuo Guangshu said at this moment."What is it?" Jiang Wang asked casually."Brother Jiang is well-versed in history, he should know," Zuo Guangshu said: "It was also like this at the peak of the Jing Dynasty... all under heaven submitted, only the South did not."He emphasized: "Only Chu did not submit."Jiang Wang glanced at him: "Are you saying... the Southern Abyss of Withering is to Zhuzhou Yin as the former Chu was to Jing?""Quite similar... isn't it?""It is likely that most people from Chu would have this association," Jiang Wang said: "It's just that I don't know if those characters were left by Huang Weizhen or by Chaos itself.""Huang Weizhen?" Zuo Guangshu was puzzled: "Didn't Chaos tell us to look at them? How could it be Huang Weizhen? Did you identify it from the handwriting?"Jiang Wang thought to himself, the Mountain God's Wall and the Sea God's Wall are the existences that best embody Huang Weizhen's will, and receiving the Bi Fang Seal and Huo Dou Seal through the Mountain God's Wall is proof.It would likely not be so easy for Chaos to leave characters upon it.But he only said: "I do not have the ability to distinguish. It is merely that since the Mountain and Sea Realm is closely related to Huang Weizhen, it is within reason for him to leave such a line of characters, entrusting his feelings for the State of Chu. Chaos asking us to look at that line of characters shows its ambition, but it did not say it carved the characters itself.""That also makes sense..." Zuo Guangshu said: "Brother Jiang, should we help Chaos?""People from Chu are likely to be moved by this spirit," Jiang Wang smiled and said: "Let's first meet Ji Xuan and find the Chapter of Nine Phoenixes before saying anything further."Chaos only said to keep walking in the direction the Sea God's Wall faced, it did not say for how long.Perhaps for it, time was not something important. Or perhaps, in its constantly conflicting thoughts, the concept of time had been lost.Day and night were indistinguishable in the Southern Abyss of Withering, and the three travelers could only silently note the passage of time in their hearts.They spoke less and less, becoming more and more silent. Even with the help of the Spire of Withering, they had to dedicate more and more energy to resisting the environment of the Southern Abyss of Withering.It was not just the extremely chaotic heavy profound environment, nor just the invasion of deathly silent and oppressive emotions.There were also the occasional gusts of cold wind that blew through, cutting like blades.The usually deathly silent sea water would sometimes suddenly "collapse." Like quicksand in a desert, there were places in the water where the water would sink.Zuo Guangshu only felt the presence of a terrifying aura on the other side of the "water sinkhole," but could not discern it clearly.Later, they no longer stepped on the water, but directly walked in the air. This undoubtedly consumed more meta-stones in their struggle against the extreme heavy profound environment—For Zuo Guangshu, this was the least of his worries.But they did not dare to fly too high, because the sky was truly very dark, and within the low-hanging clouds, something clearly filled with malice was hidden.They continued walking forward like this.Until a certain moment—Zuo Guangshu remembered, it was after a full thirty-five hours.They indeed saw a phoenix.At that time, the sky was lightless, and the sea was without clarity.They were all feeling weary, but none complained, only moving forward in silence.Then, upon raising their eyes, their field of vision was already occupied.It was a black phoenix, a hundred zhang in length.With the forehead of a qilin, the hindquarters of a deer, the head of a snake, the tail of a fish, the pattern of a dragon, the back of a turtle, the jaw of a swallow, and the beak of a chicken.Its body bore five patterns, appearing as characters.The pattern on the head was 'Virtue', on the wings 'Compliance', on the back 'Righteousness', on the belly 'Trust', and on the breast 'Benevolence'.Noble, mysterious, magnificent...But it had been dead for a long time.Ps: Regarding Zhuzhou Yin, the original text of the Classic of Mountains and Seas records two locations. In the Northern Classic of Overseas, it speaks of Bell Mountain and Zhuyin. In the Northern Classic of Great Desolation, it speaks of Mount Zhangwei and Zhuzhou Yin, Zhulong. The descriptions of its form and abilities are consistent, so it should be an error. Here, I'll integrate them.