“Buddhist friend Zhenheng, having spent years in ascetic wandering, might be unfamiliar with the disciples of various regions. Several new Imperial Children were crowned last year, and I’d like to introduce them to you.”
The regions held different views on the matter of Imperial Children. The position of Emperor and the Crown of Mountains and Seas were supreme treasures of the world, naturally inspiring competition. Some weaker regions, knowing they were merely participating in the show, took this opportunity to socialize.
The sky palace had already set off for Dao Birth Heaven. Mo Xingzheng led Zhenheng inside. Though not a formal welcoming banquet, several sociable regional representatives had emerged, gathering in small groups to converse.
Mo Xingzheng, placing great importance on the Buddhist cultivator, accompanied Zhenheng and said, “You already know our closer regions, so I won’t elaborate. The one by the window drinking, with legs fully covered in mechanical armor, is Lu Sheng, the Imperial Child of You Region. His mechanical armor skills are unrivaled among his peers. See the four Qiankun bags he carries? He’s likely the most unpredictable.”
“And there’s Chu Ning, the Imperial Child of Hai Region. Usually surrounded by companions, this time he’s only brought his newly wedded Dao partner. While his strength hasn’t improved much, his partner is truly formidable. In less than half a day, she’s become familiar with people from five or six regions. Don’t underestimate her.”
Nan Yan looked up curiously and indeed saw a slightly chubby man squinting as he drank and ate. Beside him, the increasingly alluring Meng Ying was chatting animatedly with people from several regions. After saying something, she drained her wine cup, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Nan Yan was about to join the conversation when suddenly a cup shattered nearby, drawing everyone’s attention to a purple-haired individual.
The cup-breaker, speaking with suppressed anger, said, “Before coming, my master agreed with your uncle, instructing you to cooperate with me in the Mountain Sea Forbidden Decision. How can you back out now?”
His target was none other than Cloud Nian, the Imperial Child of Shen Region, whom Nan Yan had previously met at the Red Emperor’s Jade Palace. Though the youngest among the Imperial Children, he was the most orthodox genius, his cultivation no weaker than anyone else’s.
Cloud Nian replied calmly, “While I dare not refuse an elder’s command, I absolutely cannot agree to risk others’ lives for my cultivation.”
Many people wore strange expressions. Nan Yan overheard a Daoist disciple whispering nearby:
“There are many secret treasure spots in the Mountain Sea Forbidden Decision. Yuan Ang must have made some secret arrangement with Shen Region, but this Cloud Nian is too naive, probably not wanting to sacrifice his subordinates’ lives for his opportunity.”
“What a fool. If he could form a ninth-grade Nascent Soul, directly accessing the path to the Nascent Soul stage, Shen Region would gladly sacrifice hundreds or thousands of lives.”
Mo Xingzheng glanced at the Daoist disciples, who immediately fell silent. He then put on the typical peacemaking smile of Zi Region and wrapped an arm around Cloud Nian’s shoulders, saying, “Before coming, I was worried the wine at Dao Birth Heaven would be too weak to intoxicate you prodigies. Brother Yuan Ang has saved me the trouble. If you’re not satisfied, I can have someone set up a platform for you two to sign life-and-death contracts. If we’re lucky enough to see you both severely wounded, the rest of us would have one less major concern.”
Cloud Nian replied helplessly, “Senior Brother Mo…”
Seeing Mo Xingzheng offer a way out, Yuan Ang sneered, “This wine is indeed weak. I’ve brought strong liquor from the Wu Region. If any fellow Daoists are interested, I’d be glad to share it.”
With that, he left in a huff. To Nan Yan’s surprise, after he left, some people from You Region’s Lu clan of mechanists and Hai Region’s Chu clan followed him out.
“Yuan Ang cultivates elemental magnetic force, capable of breaking most barriers in the world. In the Mountain Sea Forbidden Decision, there might be places that rely on his abilities.”
The remaining people didn’t go so far as to disrespect Zi Region. After some more drinking, the atmosphere eased again.
This noisy environment wasn’t very suitable for Buddhist cultivators. After greeting everyone, Zhenheng prepared to return to his room for meditation. Seeing Nan Yan chatting happily with acquaintances, he said, “Zhengyuan, since you have familiar company, your senior brother won’t supervise your evening practice. However, after the banquet, you still need to diligently practice the fourth level of the Dharma Bodhi.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. Take care.”
Mo Xingzheng watched from afar, then turned back to chat with Nan Yan again: “The Dharma Bodhi is a secret technique of Choushan Temple. It rarely shows results without thirty or forty years of cultivation. Earlier, I thought we had a chance encounter, but now I see that Sister Zhengyuan is determined to follow the Buddhist path for life.”
After listening to his lamentations, Nan Yan smiled and said, “Brother Mo, are you my long-lost brother? Why are you so concerned about someone else’s life choices?”
The people of Dao Birth Heaven often had a talent for making profound statements about simple things. Nan Yan carefully compared Mo Xingzheng with Ji Yang; the former appeared more lively and cheerful, but his eyes still held a coolness and probing quality.
“If we don’t meet in life, it’s like clouds chasing the moon. If I had such a sister, I wouldn’t let her practice Buddhism and live such an ascetic life. Don’t you agree, Cloud Nian?”
Cloud Nian’s gaze swept over Nan Yan. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but upon hearing Mo Xingzheng mention Zhengyuan, he had been stunned for a while.
“Cloud Nian?”
“…My apologies. I just never imagined that Sister Zhengyuan’s true appearance would so closely resemble the portrait I’ve seen of my aunt.”
Mo Xingzheng said, “Indeed. I remember seeing Nan Fragrance Lord when I was young. Unfortunately, I was too young then, and Nascent Soul cultivators have a primordial aura surrounding them, so I couldn’t remember clearly. If my cultivation wasn’t somewhat higher than yours now, Sister, I wouldn’t have recalled it either.”
Cloud Nian looked at her hesitantly: “Could it be that Daoist Friend Zhengyuan is really…”
Nan Yan mentally calculated the generations. Although there was no blood relation, Cloud Nian indeed should call Nan Fragrance Lord “aunt.” As she was considering how to phrase her response, Meng Ying sauntered over gracefully.
“…Daoist Friend Zhengyuan’s imitation of Nan Fragrance Lord’s appearance is quite good, but your lip color is too light. You should use Snow Plum Red from Suhua Studio. I heard the owner is a fox spirit cultivator who’s quite particular about these things.”
The men were astonished: “Can one look so similar without using transformation pills?”
Meng Ying covered her mouth and laughed, “Transformation pills are so harmful to the body. Not everyone can be born looking like Nan Fragrance Lord. Learning to apply makeup later in life can make up for it. In our Hai Region capital, eight or nine out of ten female cultivators have learned to imitate Nan Fragrance Lord’s makeup.”
Nan Yan: “…”
Nan Yan: “That’s right, this is the latest trend among us female cultivators.”
Meng Ying wasn’t lying. A couple of years ago, the news of Nan Fragrance Lord having an orphaned child caused quite a stir. People who didn’t know better ransacked their fathers’ and grandfathers’ studies, eventually unearthing a few portraits of Nan Fragrance Lord before she reached Nascent Soul stage and returned to a primordial state. Especially when people heard that such a beautiful woman had passed away, they overlooked her past controversies. For a time, many Confucian scholars wrote elegies to express their feelings.
Though… these Confucian scholars were among those who criticized her most harshly back then.
“Ying’er, who are you chatting with so happily?”
Nan Yan glanced back to see a drunk young man speaking. Noticing his blind eye, she realized it was Chu Ning, the Hai State prince whom Meng Ying had married.
“Husband, I was just asking Brother Mo about the Mountain Sea Forbidden State,” Meng Ying replied.
Chu Ning said, “Brother Mo, you’re considered a veteran of the Mountain Sea Forbidden State. Song Zhu is known for his odd temper and cold demeanor, so we’re reluctant to ask him. Since you’re the host, why not tell us about the dangers inside?”
Among this year’s participants in the Mountain Sea Forbidden State, only Mo Xingzheng and Song Zhu had experience. They could have formed their Nascent Souls earlier, but their elders had suppressed their realms. Though not at the Nascent Soul stage, they could kill Nascent Soul cultivators.
“Very well. There will be a detailed explanation when we reach the sect,” Mo Xingzheng sat down and began. “The Mountain Sea Forbidden State was discovered by the Dao Venerable before his ascension and later opened by the Mystic Ruler. However, the Mystic Ruler only created an entrance and couldn’t enter due to his high cultivation. He sent junior Foundation Establishment disciples to explore. At that time… our Dao Sheng Tian sent over 500 Foundation Establishment disciples, but only four returned.”
The danger was undeniable, and Nan Yan had prepared herself for it. However, she was more concerned about whether the Mountain Sea Forbidden State was truly the legendary entrance to Fengquan River.
In her two years of studying ancient texts, she had learned that among the Nine Hells, Fengquan was particularly special. It was said to be controlled by the Prison Lord and also called Fengmo Heaven. Many legends about Fengdu were related to this.
“…Those four Foundation Establishment disciples formed their Nascent Souls within a year of returning, and their strength far surpassed others. One exceptionally talented disciple even formed a seventh-grade Nascent Soul and reached Deity Transformation in just ten years. Seeing this, our sect sent more disciples to the Mountain Sea Forbidden State. This time, the Mystic Ruler paid a great price to send a divine sense avatar with a Foundation Establishment disciple… and discovered a supreme treasure within.”
Hai State Prince Chu Ning’s eyes flashed with greed. “The Mountain River Sea Crown, one of the three realm-breaking treasures along with the Red Emperor’s Beast Heart and the Reversed Reincarnation Mirror. With the Mountain River Sea Crown, even a mediocre person can know everything under heaven.”
Mo Xingzheng nodded. “Correct. Wearing the Mountain River Sea Crown allows one to know heaven’s will, cut off the seven emotions, and administer justice to the world.”
Yun Nian’s face flushed slightly, her voice tinged with a mix of admiration and regret. “Brother Mo must have witnessed Brother Shao Cang’s coronation, right?”
Brother Shao Cang…
Nan Yan’s ears perked up instantly, her face calm but her heart in turmoil.
Mo Xingzheng frowned and lightly tapped Yun Nian’s forehead. “You call him ‘Brother Shao Cang’ so sweetly, but what about your Brother Xingzheng? Who brought you food at night when you were punished for failing to recite techniques?”
Yun Nian quickly covered her forehead. “Alright… I understand. We shouldn’t casually use the Emperor’s name. I was wrong.”
Mo Xingzheng clicked his tongue and continued, “You all know about my senior brother. Usually, the imperial selection takes at least three to five months. But when my senior brother participated in the last selection, while 90% of the geniuses were still struggling in the Nine Tribulation Sea, he had already made a round trip to Ten Karma Mountain. The elders at the entrance of the Mountain Sea Forbidden State came to send their children for selection, but before they even left, the selection was over.”
Chu Ning seemed somewhat unconvinced. “No matter how talented he was, he’s still the previous emperor…”
Seeing Mo Xingzheng’s smile fade slightly, Meng Ying quickly intervened, “If the Emperor were still alive, we wouldn’t have the chance to gather here today. But what are the Nine Tribulation Sea and Ten Karma Mountain?”
Mo Xingzheng explained, “The Mountain Sea Forbidden State is divided into two major trials: the Nine Tribulation Sea and Ten Karma Mountain. In the Nine Tribulation Sea, there are countless demonic beasts and spirits. Killing one grants a thread of spiritual energy.”
“Spiritual energy?”
“Ah I forgot to mention,” Mo Xingzheng smiled strangely. “The moment you enter the Mountain Sea Forbidden State, everyone is scattered across the 100,000-li Nine Tribulation Sea. All your spiritual energy rapidly dissipates due to the realm’s earth energy. Even taking pills won’t help.”
Hearing this, many less-informed cultivators furrowed their brows.
Yun Nian worriedly asked, “Spiritual energy is the foundation of cultivators. Without it, how can we use techniques?”
“Good question. Back then, Song Zhu and I landed in the same place. Within half a day, our spiritual power was gone, and we were like ordinary people. For ten days, we lived like wild men…” Mo Xingzheng’s eyes reflected unpleasant memories. “Fortunately, Song Zhu was reckless enough. His sword skills were impressive, and he managed to kill a Jade Spirit Snake. The moment the snake died, a special spiritual energy automatically dispersed and returned to our bodies.”
Mo Xingzheng’s expression turned serious. “This spiritual energy is the key to forming our Nascent Souls… It carries the essence of heaven and earth. The Mystic Ruler said the spiritual energy in the Mountain Sea Forbidden State comes from beyond the void barrier. The more spiritual energy you accumulate in the Nine Tribulation Sea, the better your chances on Ten Karma Mountain… Some people even absorb spiritual energy beyond the Foundation Establishment limit in the Nine Tribulation Sea, allowing them to display mid-Nascent Soul power on Ten Karma Mountain. Even if they don’t get the Mountain River Sea Crown, they can form their Nascent Soul immediately after leaving the secret realm.”
“Then what about Ten Karma Mountain…” Meng Ying was about to ask when suddenly the floor trembled slightly, and powerful auras of other imperial children from various states were felt outside.
“What’s happening?”
Mo Xingzheng stood up and opened a side window. It was midnight, typically a beautiful time, but more enchanting than the moonlight was a mesmerizing river of light flowing across the night sky.
“Welcome, everyone, to Dao Sheng Tian,” he announced.