This Human Immortal Is Too Serious

Annihilation Sect, in front of the newly repaired Sect Master's grand hall.

Zhang Moshan and Yang Wudi set up a fire, warmed two jugs of fine wine, and roasted two Spirit Rabbits, letting the fragrance drift in all directions as they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Yang Wudi lamented, "The Sect Master not being home... is really great."

"Indeed. When the Sect Master is around, there's always something to worry about. Cultivation isn't peaceful, and every day we have to make offerings to our ancestors, hoping everything is alright with them."

Yang Wudi cursed, "You haven't been deducted though."

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Zhang Moshan laughed heartily. "That's because seeing you get fined makes me a bit frightened too. Why does the Sect Master single you out, Wudi?"

"Alas..." Yang Wudi let out a deep sigh. "It was that year when I couldn't help showing off the various magical artifacts passed down from my ancestors in front of the Sect Master. He took a fancy to them, leading to a decision that violated our ancestral principles. I gave the Sect Master a share of those treasures.

"From then on, the Sect Master felt that I wasn't a proper Demonic Cultivator.

"How am I not proper?

"I'm clearly a loyal heart with a shining head reflecting the bright moon."

Zhang Moshan said, "The Sect Master disciplining you is also for your own good."

"Is that disciplining? Why not just hit me directly? Can't he not deduct Spirit Stones?

"If I can't save enough Spirit Stones, how will I have the courage to greet a fellow Daoist I fancy in the future?"

Yang Wudi picked up the wine jug, went GLUG, GLUG, GLUG for a bit, then sighed, "With the Sect Master not home, I can finally relax."

"Is that so?"

A lazy voice wafted into the ears of both men. Yang Wudi and Zhang Moshan shivered together, immediately jumping up from beside the fire.

A wisp of pink smoke drifted by, and Elder Miao stepped out from within the smoke. Her red attire was striking, yet it made these two sturdy men afraid to look directly at her.

"The Grand Elder has ordered that both of you immediately go north to report to the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion. The Sect Master is short of people to command."

Yang Wudi's face immediately fell.

Zhang Moshan held back a laugh and called out loudly, "Your subordinate obeys the order!"

Elder Miao said indifferently, "Be smart about it. The Benevolent Emperor Pavilion isn't like the Sect. Follow the rules in everything. Don't disgrace our Annihilation Sect. Otherwise, this Elder has her ways of punishing, understand?"

The two sturdy men's foreheads were dripping with cold sweat as they replied in unison, "Yes, yes!"

"Go on then. Don't keep the Sect Master waiting too long."

Elder Miao casually tossed two Treasure Sacks to them and walked a few steps forward, vanishing into the light smoke.

Yang Wudi clenched the Treasure Sack, straightened his back, and sighed deeply.

"Let's go," Zhang Moshan laughed. "Not just anyone can enter the Main Hall of Benevolent Emperor Pavilion. Following the Sect Master, we've been graced with another shining opportunity, haven't we?"

"Alas..." Yang Wudi stuffed the Treasure Sack into his chest, smacking his lips as if he hadn't had his fill. "These treasures from Elder Miao aren't even enough to cover two deductions by the Sect Master."

"Let's get on the road quickly!"

"Why 'on the road'? That sounds so inauspicious! Can't we just say 'let's set out'?"

"What could possibly happen to us? Let's go, let's go."

Yang Wudi slapped his head, muttering, "That's not necessarily true. Best to be cautious. Should we hide some of our cultivation power and disguise ourselves?"

Zhang Moshan snorted, "Hmph, completely unnecessary!"

"Aw, come on, Moshan!" Yang Wudi wheedled.

"Argh, you! A grown man whining like that, isn't it disgusting? You're giving me goosebumps all over!" Zhang Moshan shuddered. "Fine, fine, we'll disguise ourselves, we'll disguise ourselves! Good grief, what a day! You're an absolute disgrace to the term 'sturdy man'!"

「And so, half a month later.」

"Ha!"

"Not bad, lad!"

In the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, in the training ground beneath the Pavilion Master's residence, two figures collided back and forth. Bursts of energy exploded, causing the six-sided Protective Array to keep flashing.

Ling Xiaolan quietly floated in the corner, watching Wu Wang's figure with a trace of contemplation in her eyes, her delicate hands constantly making gestures.

A moment later, Wu Wang was once again slapped to the ground by Liu Baiyi. He spat out a few mouthfuls of blood, then immediately swallowed a nourishing Elixir.

Fairy Ling instinctively drifted forward, but upon seeing Wu Wang's complexion had returned to normal, she decided not to disturb him.

Liu Baiyi quickly restrained his punches, gave an embarrassed smile, and wondered aloud, "Why did I exert a bit too much force today, even making you vomit blood?"

"The force... rebounded..." Wu Wang immediately got up, sat down cross-legged, and began moving his arms in circles, one soft and one firm, bringing up two strands of energy before combining them in front of himself, merging them into one.

Liu Baiyi laughed and said, "The moves you've come up with on your own, I must say, are quite interesting."

Wu Wang gave a composed smile. This is a precious treasure from the elderly in Blue Star's parks, guided by the core theory of 'receiving, transforming, and launching.' It adopts Blue Star's Daoist theory of yin and yang: a balance of hardness and softness, the interconversion of yin and yang, a defense that leaves no openings, and counterattacks as swift and fierce as fire. If I hadn't forgotten most of the TV shows I watched in my past life, I might now be able to develop 'Tai Chi Sword,' 'Tai Chi Staff,' or even 'Drunken Fist: Monkey Steals the Peach Designated Move,' and so on. This is the essence of 'folk science' cultivation.

"However, I always feel that your technique is just skimming the surface."

"Oh?" Wu Wang asked with a smile. "How so?"

Liu Baiyi sat down in front of Wu Wang, mimicking a few moves with his large hands and copying Wu Wang's previous actions.

"It seems you've put effort into controlling force, taking the power I struck with, redirecting it, and then adding it to your own force to push it back.

"That's what made me misjudge my attack, using more force than you could withstand, which in turn broke your own equilibrium and made you vomit blood.

"But this is merely maintaining balance with your own strength and energy; it hasn't touched upon the level of the Dao."

Liu Baiyi hummed thoughtfully, then added, "This idea isn't bad; it's quite profound. It's an area untouched by the current Five Element techniques or any Body Refining Techniques in the Human Domain.

"What do you call it? It's certainly worth exploring."

"Let me think about it." Wu Wang pondered for a moment. I'd like to discuss it at length, but I'm afraid Liu Baiyi's Dao Realm is too high. A few words from me might cause him to suffer cultivation deviation or achieve a sudden breakthrough. The fate of the Annihilation Sect's former Sect Master is a clear warning.

Wu Wang said, "This is the Path of Two Principles."

"Two Principles?" Liu Baiyi's eyes brightened. He laughed, "That's a good name indeed. Two Principles Fist Technique? Do you have any insights? I can help you refine them."

"I do have some insights." Wu Wang carefully chose his words, conveying the theories of water and fire unity, and yin and yang he had encountered in his previous life. But before he finished speaking, Liu Baiyi's expression had become extremely grave.

Liu Baiyi said, "Wu Wang, did you realize all of this on your own?"

"I heard about it," Wu Wang responded. "Is there something amiss with it?"

"This is the Yin and Yang Path that Emperor Fuxi has deduced," Liu Baiyi frowned deeply. "Wait for me. I'll go to the Scripture Hall to find some things to show you."

With that, Liu Baiyi hurriedly got up, whisked his robe onto himself, and vanished from sight with a SWOOSH.

Wu Wang was somewhat puzzled. Why did Liu Baiyi look so solemn?

Ling Xiaolan drifted over from the side, placed a meditation cushion on the ground, tucked her skirt, and sat down slowly, her face also showing contemplation.

She asked, "How can a person who simultaneously cultivates two opposing Great Daos maintain balance between them?"

"By maintaining balance."

"If most of one's attention is on maintaining balance between the two Daos, how can there be the energy to break through the Dao Realm?"

Ling Xiaolan said softly, "Master said that cultivation is about cultivating oneself, but the self is spirit, not Dao rules. One must focus on a main Dao, and the process of mastering that Dao is the process of transcending the ordinary.

"If one pursues balance between two Daos, it might seem infinitely ingenious, but it's a path already proven unfeasible by the ancestors of the Human Domain."

Wu Wang considered carefully, then said, "Perhaps it is not broadly applicable, but for some cultivators, it might be just right."

"Hmm," Ling Xiaolan smiled. "That is also possible."

"Cough, I have returned!"

Liu Baiyi's voice floated over, his figure already at the entrance of the corridor. He hopped over to Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan's side with several thick stone slabs and sat down cross-legged. His voice preceded his arrival; Pavilion Master Liu indeed paid great attention to detail.

"Here, the handwriting of Emperor Fuxi. This is a priceless treasure of our Benevolent Emperor Pavilion."

Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan's eyes lit up as they carefully took and spread out the several stone slabs, only to see different Eight Trigrams Pictures on each, each more perfect than the last. The symbols at the top kept changing, ultimately settling into 'Qian and Kun define north and south, Kan and Li define east and west.'

The last Eight Trigrams Picture notably featured a Tai Chi Diagram in the center, with a very clear division of Yin and Yang.

Master Liu said slowly, "After Emperor Fuxi deduced this final Eight Trigrams Picture, he was too weak to continue—the oil spent, the lamp burnt out. He was unable to explain its principles to those around him before he perished.

"Later, we pondered over it and, based on the principles of Yin and Yang, created several major Formations for combat, which can be considered a trump card for us in the Human Domain today.

"Unfortunately, on the day Emperor Fuxi perished, the Heaven Palace gathered experts from the Hundred Races to breach the Human Domain's defenses, initiating a dark and turbulent era. The important scriptures left by the Emperor, as well as several of his heirs, all vanished in the chaos.

"Take a look. Do these inspire anything in you? The principle of the Two Principles you spoke of seems very similar to this."

Wu Wang nodded with a solemn expression, staring at the stone slabs before him, as if he could see strands of Immortal Light wandering constantly in the grooves of the slabs.

He suddenly asked, "What exactly are the Eight Trigrams that Emperor Fuxi spoke of?"

Master Liu's eyes widened. You don't even understand the basics!

Ling Xiaolan spoke softly, "The Eight Trigrams are Emperor Fuxi's description of the myriad things of Heaven and Earth: Qian is Heaven, Kun is Earth, Xun is Wind, Gen is Mountain, Li is Fire, Kan is Water, Zhen is Thunder, and Dui is Lake.

"The Eight Trigrams correspond to Heaven and Earth, wind and thunder, water and fire, mountain and lake.

"Beyond that, there are countless interpretations of the Eight Trigrams. Some say they represent male, female, youth, vigor, and age. Others say they represent the changes of the stars; and still others say they are simply the pure transformations of the symbols themselves."

Master Liu said, "All principles are interconnected."

Wu Wang slowly nodded, gazing at the stone slabs in front of him, many interpretations of the Eight Trigrams he had read before surfacing in his mind.

Gradually, a faint Immortal Light began to radiate around Wu Wang, with stars twinkling on his forehead and a hint of Dao charm spreading around him.

Ling Xiaolan and Master Liu exchanged glances, both somewhat astonished.

Master Liu transmitted in admiration, "To have an insight just from this? This young man is indeed somewhat fearsome."

"He is indeed out of the ordinary," Ling Xiaolan conveyed in a soft voice, her apricot eyes shining brightly as she stared at Wu Wang's solemn face.

An hour passed, and Wu Wang opened his eyes, but his gaze was filled with confusion.

For a moment, he seemed to have grasped something, holding onto an elusive thread.

But when he tried to focus, Wu Wang felt as if he had comprehended nothing, sensing his own knowledge was too shallow.

He then asked, "The scriptures of the Human Domain I have come across mostly involve the spell methods of the Five Elements. Then, what are the Four Symbols?"

Master Liu replied, "Tai Yin, Tai Yang, Shao Yin, Shaoyang."

Wu Wang asked in puzzlement, "Isn't it Suzaku, Xuanwu, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger...?"

Master Liu was puzzled, "Aren't those four different mythical beasts?"

"This?" Wu Wang stood up, glared at Master Liu, then frowned and sat down again, rubbing his temples as notions of Cultivation Methods related to the Star Dao came flooding to his mind.

The Star Dao encompasses everything, and because the main Star Dao was locked by the Star God, it instead incited Human Domain cultivators to explore in various directions with determination.

At that moment, Wu Wang suddenly realized: The Cultivation methods of the Human Domain, which I'm familiar with, share similarities and closeness to the ancient culture passed down by my people on Blue Star, yet there seem to be deficiencies.

Emperor Suiren provoked the Ancient Fire God by drilling wood to make fire, ultimately slaying the Fire God and turning the Dao of Fire into a pillar of the Human Domain.

Emperor Fuxi deduced the Eight Trigrams, using them to develop all the Cultivation methods of the Human Domain. Under the cover of the Dao of Fire, he actually surpassed it, leading the Human Domain to its current prosperity.

His Majesty Shennong's contributions weren't in Cultivation Techniques but were focused on refining Elixirs and finding medicinal herbs, strengthening the Human Domain from a different angle.

So, the very foundation of the Human Domain's Cultivation Methods still lies in the myriad techniques Emperor Fuxi deduced using the Eight Trigrams.

Is the essence of the Great Dao found in the Cultivation methods deduced by Emperor Fuxi?

What is lacking in the Human Domain's Cultivation methods?

Wu Wang said, "Setting aside Yin and Yang and the Four Symbols for now, the Eight Trigrams contain more than just a simple division of heaven and earth, wind and thunder, mountains and lakes, water and fire."

Master Liu replied, "Indeed, the Eight Trigrams encompass Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. But His Majesty once said that it's not necessary to pursue conformity between them; the Eight Trigrams and the Five Elements each have their own emphasis.

"The Five Elements focus on internal cultivation, while the Eight Trigrams focus on Formations. This is the mainstream of Cultivation methods in the Human Domain today."

"Senior," Wu Wang looked at Master Liu, his eyes exceptionally bright, "I would like to see all the handiwork left by Emperor Fuxi!"

Liu Baiyi's thick brows knitted tightly as he said, "This matter likely needs to be reported to His Majesty."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior," Wu Wang said. "I won't just look without merit. If I attain any enlightenment, I won't keep a single secret."

Liu Baiyi smiled slightly, though it was clear he wasn't truly concerned about this.

The Pavilion Master walked to a corner, cradling a Jade Talisman in both hands and slightly bowing his body forward. He called out a few times to His Majesty, stating all of Wu Wang's requests, followed by a series of "Yes," "Yes," "Alright," "Alright."

Thereupon, the Pavilion Master turned around, wiping the hot sweat from his forehead, and raised his eyebrows at Wu Wang.

"Go ahead then. Fairy Ling can accompany you. His Majesty said that it's not only the relics left by Emperor Fuxi that you may peruse, but also the tortoise shells left by The Ancient Emperor of the Suiren Clan," Liu Baiyi said.

He added, "You are only to peruse them, though. You cannot take them away."

"Many thanks!" Wu Wang pressed his hands together in thanks, while beside him, Ling Xiaolan pursed her lips and chuckled lightly, as if reluctant to bask in Wu Wang's limelight.

But Wu Wang spoke, "Fairy, let us proceed now."

Ling Xiaolan immediately nodded her head and said, "I shall go bathe and change first, so as not to neglect propriety."

Yet at this moment, Wu Wang was somewhat impatient. He ran to Liu Baiyi's side, grabbed his robust arm, and started walking ahead.

That kind of frustration, clearly having the answer on the tip of one's tongue yet unable to speak it, was truly unbearable.

「...」

Ling Xiaolan first returned to Wu Wang's residence, where she bathed and changed into her most dignified long dress. She removed her vermillion hairpin and only wore a simple wooden hairpin through her blue-black hair, yet it brought out another kind of beauty.

Not knowing how long Wu Wang would stay in the Scripture Hall and not being able to disclose such a secretive affair to Lin Suqing or Immortal Mu, after greeting them, she went alone to the Scripture Hall in the southwest corner.

The Scripture Hall was heavily guarded, surrounded by the residences of more than a dozen Transcendent Realm masters, all covered by Formations.

From a distance, the Scripture Hall looked magnificent and imposing, with six or seven floors in total. The ground floor was the most spacious, supported by one hundred and eight sturdy pillars, without any walls, where many Immortals could be seen practicing cultivation.

The second floor was also an 'open-style' structure, with seventy-two pillars supporting rows of neatly organized bookshelves and groups of three or two Immortals moving among them, mostly elders and crones.

But from the third floor upwards, it was isolated by private Formations, and outsiders couldn't see the inside.

The Scripture Hall of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion didn't contain all current Cultivation Techniques from the Human Domain.

The place known as 'Ten Directions Hall' that houses all Cultivation Techniques of the Human Domain also resides within the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, but it's not guarded as stringently.

The Scriptures housed within the Hall of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion included top-level Cultivation Methods or profound insights from Transcendent masters.

As well as various top-level techniques from the time of Emperor Fuxi, including Spiritual cultivation, Body Refining, Elixirs, Formations, Artifacts, Treasures, Talismans, Gu, Imperial, and God, among others.

As Ling Xiaolan approached the Scripture Hall, Master Liu was already waiting there to prevent her from being stopped by the guards.

"Pavilion Master," Fairy Ling asked softly, "where is he?"

"He's inside," Master Liu smiled and transmitted his voice. "This young man is truly bold. He requested to see the Emperor's relics outright, and His Majesty is really indulgent, actually letting him roam freely."

Fairy Ling nodded with a smile and said, "I actually don't know what I will gain from entering."

"His Majesty allowed you to go in; surely there are His considerations." Master Liu gestured with his hand. "Let's go, I will accompany you inside."

"Thank you for your trouble, Pavilion Master."

Waving his hand, Liu Baiyi turned into a beam of flowing light with Ling Xiaolan, directly colliding with the protective array at the very top of the Scripture Hall and entering into the Formation.

This place was set with an illusionary array. Once inside, the walls and wooden windows were out of sight; only a sea of clouds and a starry sky remained, where all sorts of bamboo slips and stone tablets were floating around.

At this moment, Wu Wang was kneeling in front of a portrait, hands pressed together solemnly, and murmuring without cessation.

Drawing nearer, Liu Baiyi heard him chanting, "Great Emperor Fuxi, bless me, so I may join hands with a maiden soon. Great Emperor Fuxi, bless me, so I may join hands with a maiden soon."

A shadow fell over Liu Baiyi's forehead.

Ling Xiaolan was puzzled, looking at her own gloved hands and getting a bit lost in thought for a while.

"You two stay here. To exit, just walk to the edge, then you may leave the Formation on your own," Liu Baiyi instructed, shaking his head and sighing.

His Majesty, after all, has overestimated this Little Golden Dragon.

「Meanwhile, at the main gate of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion.」

A shadow dropped from the clouds, covered in blood, and was immediately surrounded by a host of Immortal Soldiers.

"Wu Wangzi... My sect... Sect Master... I am Zhang, Mu..."