Dragon Canon

In the northern reaches of the Shattered Realm, the mountains were so rugged and perilous that even birds struggled to cross them.

Here, towering peaks and deep gorges often stretched for thousands of zhang, and it wasn’t uncommon for the elevation difference between a mountain peak and a valley floor to exceed ten thousand zhang. Both the humans and the Shamans occupied only the relatively flat southern regions of the mountains. Even the Shamans could not survive in these treacherous mountain ranges, which stretched for tens of thousands of zhang.

Wei Yuan and his two companions flew into the mountains, soaring higher and higher until, in the blink of an eye, they had reached a height of over three thousand zhang above the ground. Upon reaching this altitude, their surroundings suddenly became still and windless.

Wei Yuan had learned in the Heaven and Earth Theory that this calm wind zone was actually the last peaceful zone in the sky. If they flew any higher they would enter the eerie and unpredictable origin magnetic layer, where all manner of dangers lurked. In truth, ferocious beasts roamed the calm wind zone as well, but within the human inhabited regions—especially within range of the realm stones—the natural environment was distorted, leaving these types of beasts without a habitat, making an encounter with them quite rare.

After entering the mountains and flying for a short while, Wei Yuan spotted a jade-green peak that stood out starkly against the surrounding dark-gray mountains up ahead. Sure enough, halfway up the slope stood a small temple—the place where the Xiang Marquis had arranged to meet him.

The peak was somewhat lower than the surrounding peaks, but its slopes were sheer and vertical, with cliffs rising hundreds of zhang on all sides. Only an accomplished Dao Foundation-stage cultivator could hope to traverse it. If Wei Yuan had brought his three hundred cavalrymen with him, only the dozen or so who had joined him at the very beginning could accompany him until the end.

Beside the ancient temple stood a pavilion, the Xiang Marquis was already waiting with his maidservant and elderly servant in tow. Wei Yuan landed outside the pavilion, stepped under the roof, and made the introductions. “These two are my seniors from my sect. This is the Xiang Marquis, who will be a great benefactor to me in the future.”

The Xiang Marquis rose to greet them, showing not the slightest hint of condescension despite the fact that his so-called “seniors” from Wei Yuan’s sect were merely at the Dao Foundation stage. Ji Liuli and Zhang Sheng returned the greeting and, quite naturally, took their seats first. Not only that, they proceeded to size up the Xiang Marquis—a rather rude gesture.

Though the Xiang Marquis was well-travelled and worldly, he found himself feeling slightly uneasy at this moment.

He had reviewed the basic profiles of Wei Yuan’s so-called seniors beforehand, but records were one thing, and people were another. Now that they were face to face, the Xiang Marquis realized that the impression they gave him was completely different from what was on paper.

The Xiang Marquis’ older sister was a Zhao consort. Siblings often resembled each other, which was why his appearance and bearing were among the finest in the world as well. Combined with his illustrious status, he attracted countless glances from both men and women wherever he went. In this sense, Zhang Sheng and Ji Liuli were no exception.

However, Ji Liuli’s gaze was roaming freely over the Xiang Marquis. Like a scoundrel encountering a beautiful woman who had strayed off the beaten path, she was staring wherever she shouldn’t. At first, the Xiang Marquis assumed that cultivators were generally free-spirited and unrestrained, and Ji Liuli was no exception. However, he was naturally perceptive and quickly noticed something unusual in her eyes and demeanor.

What is this unsettling feeling, exactly?

The Xiang Marquis pondered this, drawing upon his perception—which was formidable even by the standards of Avatar—and his vast interactions and observations with countless people. Finally, he pinpointed the exact source of that feeling.

Ji Liuli’s expression was the very same as a butcher’s standing before a freshly slaughtered pig and wondering where to make the first cut.

The Xiang Marquis didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt his hair standing on end. He actually felt a bit unnerved and was taken aback by this realization—could this woman really pose a threat to him?

Zhang Sheng, dressed as a scholar, gave off a different vibe. He was also observing the Xiang Marquis, but unlike Ji Liuli, who was solely focused on sensitive areas, Zhang Sheng was examining his hat, clothes, sash, thumb ring, jade pendant, and more. In short, his gaze always lingered a moment longer on anything of value.

Sitting before Zhang Sheng, the Xiang Marquis felt as though he had become an antique, waiting to be appraised and sold.

Ironically, Wei Yuan’s gaze was the most sincere, warm, and normal of the three. At the very least, he was looking at him like a human being.

Once everyone was seated, Wei Yuan spoke up, “So, what is this opportunity you were talking about, marquis?”

“Follow me,” the Xiang Marquis rose to lead the way.

Both the maidservant and the elderly servant were somewhat taken aback. It was because the Xiang Marquis was acting unusually direct today—no opening remarks, no build-up, not even the customary verbal biscuits to entice them. It was very different from his usual style.

What they didn’t know was that the Xiang Marquis felt thoroughly uncomfortable under the gaze of Wei Yuan’s two seniors. He would’ve been fine with a casual glance or two, but these two just kept staring endlessly—it was downright rude.

Wei Yuan followed the Xiang Marquis toward the small temple, but Ji Liuli and Zhang Sheng remained seated in the pavilion. The marquis might as well had the words “Don’t follow me” written over his face.

The small temple was built of stone but had fallen into disrepair over the years. The outer wall had long since crumbled away. There was a single main hall and a side room inside the temple, and nothing else.

The Xiang Marquis entered the main hall first. It was about the size of an ordinary household’s living room, and inside stood a Buddha statue.

In this world, Buddhism was not as flourishing as Daoism, but it still possessed considerable influence. It boasted many great Daos that led to the ultimate destination, as well as powerful sects such as the Exquisite Blossom Pure Land, which ranked among the immortal sects.

Because of this, Wei Yuan had learned a fair amount of basic Buddhist knowledge. At the very least, he recognized most of the well-known Bodhisattvas and Arhats, as well as their famous Dharmas—the Buddhist equivalent of Daoist Avatars[1]. This was part of the Palace of Absolute Beginning’s education not because they intended to teach their disciples Buddhism, but to prevent them from being caught off guard during their trials. Dharmas were passed down through generations of reincarnation. As a result, their power far surpassed that of Avatars cultivated through one’s effort.

But Wei Yuan did not recognize the Buddha status in the temple. It looked like a gaunt-looking old man with one shoulder bare. It bore a bit of resemblance to the living Buddhas[2] often enshrined in small mountain temples, but living Buddhas were not typically enshrined in the main altar. This living Buddha was the one and only Buddha in the entire temple.

The Xiang Marquis looked up at the statue with a strangely complicated expression. It took him a while before he finally turned to Wei Yuan and said, “Long ago, a single drop of an Arhat’s true blood fell here....”

An Arhat’s true blood?!

Buddhist cultivation differed that of Daoist. Attaining the rank of Arhat was equivalent to attaining Ultimate Unity, thereby severing all ties with the mortal coil. By the standards of the Palace of Absolute Beginning, an Arhat was not merely an ordinary Immortal Lord and equivalent to a fully realized immortal.

A Buddhist’s true blood was no ordinary substance. At the level of an Arhat, some said it corresponded to the three immortal souls of the human body[3], while others said it corresponded to Trikāya, the three bodies of a Buddha. In any case, an Arhat possessed only three drops of true blood in total, so to lose even one was to have their very foundation compromised.

The level of existence of this drop of Arhat’s true blood far surpassed that of the dead branch of the Bay Laurel Immortal Tree, and nearly on par with a fully matured immortal tree.

“Why didn’t you keep such a treasure for yourself, marquis?” Wei Yuan asked.

The Xiang Marquis replied with a complicated expression, “Buddhist treasures require karma. To take it without such destiny often invites disaster.”

Wei Yuan couldn’t help but feel a bit skeptical.

He had long learned about the concept of “karma” during his centralized studies. It stemmed from the nature of Buddhist cultivation methods. Most so-called Buddhist treasures carried extremely heavy karmic consequences. If one could not bear that karma, then it was only natural for disasters to occur. When put so bluntly, the matter didn’t seem nearly as awe-inspiring.

“Whose true blood is this?” Wei Yuan asked. Knowing the Arhat’s title would reveal their Ariya-phala[4] and achievements, allowing him to roughly guess the nature of the karmic consequences involved.

To his surprise, the Xiang Marquis replied, “It is not from an existing Arhat.”

A storm of shock surged through Wei Yuan’s heart.

1. In reality both Dharma and Avatar share the same Chinese words, but Daoism SPECIFICALLY excludes the word Dharma from its teachings. That is why I couldn’t just call them all dharma whatever. This is good anyway, it makes it easier for readers to differentiate between Buddhists and Daoists. ☜

2. Buddhist mummies, also called flesh body bodhisattvas, full body sariras, or living buddhas refer to the bodies of Buddhist monks and nuns that remain incorrupt, without any traces of deliberate mummification by another party. Many were destroyed or lost to history. ☜

3. There are three immortal souls and seven mortal forms in Daoism, contrasting the spiritual and carnal side of man. ☜

4. The term Ariya phala is used to refer specifically to the fruition of following the Buddhist path. ☜