vstars Chapter 44 Losing a Horse is Not a Calamity
Chapter 44 Losing a Horse is Not a Calamity
With a thought, Zhong Xuan slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.
Within his lower dantian, the unique magical power belonging to the Tai Xuan Dao surged forth.
It transformed into a thick wisp of smoke in front of him, like a serpent in the lake of his heart.
Just then, Abbess Jingyuan and Xiaoqingyue walked to the bedroom door.
The two came early in the morning, firstly to greet Zhong Xuandao, and secondly to continue their discussion on talisman techniques and the method of refining the small bell, something they had agreed upon the night before.
The bedroom door wasn't closed tightly, making the occupant inside seem quite open.
Little Qingyue, still a child at heart, playfully pushed him away.
Master Jingyuan initially wanted to speak up and stop them, but then she thought again—
She was also curious about Zhong Xuan's cultivation progress!
So, following Xiao Qingyue's movements, he secretly peeked inside.
This glance caused Abbess Jingyuan's eyes to widen instantly, filled with astonishment.
She saw the thick plume of smoke transform into a snake shape in mid-air!
There wasn't actually a giant snake; she was certainly knowledgeable about them.
It was clearly a subtle and precise manipulation of condensing qi into a snake!
Moreover, it requires magical power to refine and solidify it before it can be done.
At this moment, the large, magically powerful serpent is naturally being guided by Zhong Xuan.
Guided by divine will, the energy was condensed into form, and the outline of the magical power was constrained into the shape of a snake.
Even now, the smoke and the snake's body still faintly tinged with a bluish-red hue.
It is precisely the wood and fire elements in the five internal organs' energy mechanism.
Now, upon closer inspection, Abbess Jingyuan was even more alarmed.
The snake's blue scales are formed from wood energy, but each scale also has a faint reddish tinge, which is due to the presence of heart fire.
Between the blue and red scales, a shimmering luster gently rippled, an invisible trend.
A thought inexplicably arose in her mind: the wind.
This flowing luster is precisely the wind that connects the two attributes of wood and fire!
It allows wood and fire to complement each other, creating a harmonious whole.
Comparing herself to the situation, Abbess Jingyuan was momentarily filled with envy.
Even she herself probably doesn't wield magic with this ease.
Such a method of controlling one's Qi with divine will is truly far beyond that of ordinary cultivators.
Xiao Qingyue stared at the blue and red smoke snake in mid-air and asked curiously, "Master, what level of strength is this?"
Master Jingyuan immediately lowered her voice and admonished, "Don't ask questions, and don't casually compare your strength with others, otherwise you'll easily get into trouble."
Upon hearing this, the monkey interjected, "Don't you dare ask? Does that mean there's no difference in strength?"
Master Jingyuan was taken aback and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Xiao Qingyue happily chimed in, "Yes, yes!"
Just then, Zhong Xuan, a smile playing on his lips, slowly stood up.
With a thought, he manipulated the blue and red magic snakes in mid-air to slowly coil.
Amid Xiao Qingyue's gasp, the snake gently coiled around her and tenderly lifted her up.
The young nun rose from the ground and hovered in mid-air.
She was bold enough to immediately touch the "big snake" on her body out of curiosity.
For a moment, she felt as if she were kneading a soft, real object, and it didn't feel fake.
Zhong Xuan replied, "I have not yet reached the Innate Foundation Establishment stage; I have only reached the Qi Induction stage."
Xiao Qingyue couldn't help but exclaim, "But none of the other senior brothers in the nunnery are this powerful! Even those who have already established their foundation can't use their magic to lift me up and fly like this!"
The monkey, its face beaming with pride, shouted, "My brother is a genius, of course he's amazing!"
Abbess Jingyuan raised her hand and chanted Amitabha, saying with deep emotion, "Truly, you are a prodigy. The solidity of your magical power far surpasses that of ordinary cultivators. The vastness and solidity of your magical power are already comparable to some cultivators who have just entered the Foundation Establishment stage."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Xuan nodded thoughtfully.
With a thought, he released Xiao Qingyue.
He then manipulated the blue and red magic snake, slowly coiling it toward a rock in the courtyard garden that was as tall as a reclining ox, and said, "I also have a vague premonition that if this magic snake grows to three zhang long, it will probably reach the limit of my current lower dantian. At that time, I will have to find a new path."
Master Jingyuan watched as the heavy reclining ox stone was gently coiled by the magic snake and actually floated up slowly, confirming that this magic power was real and genuine.
To be able to move hundreds of kilograms of weight using only one's magical power, without using spells—this is indeed something that even a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Induction Realm, or even a typical Foundation Establishment cultivator, would find difficult to do.
The nun's eyes were filled with amazement as she asked curiously, "Why did it reach its limit? However, your exquisite manipulation of condensing qi into a snake is truly astonishing. In my humble opinion, once the snake grows to ten feet long, it will be enough to attempt to condense the first of the three flowers, the golden flower of essence."
Zhong Xuan was about to respond when he suddenly stopped and looked towards the outside of the courtyard wall.
Suddenly, a strange gust of wind rose from outside the wall.
As the wind subsided, a figure landed steadily on the wall; it was none other than Rakshasa.
She looked at the people in the courtyard with a sullen face, her expression showing some displeasure.
He wanted to speak, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
She flew here as fast as she could, her heart filled with thoughts of him.
But at first glance, Zhong Xuan seemed to get along well with the Buddhist nuns and young nuns—
A strange sense of unease arose in her heart, an unease as if a demon had suddenly appeared within her!
The disturbance nearly caused the centuries-old tranquility of cultivation to be lost, and his expression darkened as well!
Without uttering a word, the Rakshasa woman lightly touched the wall with her toes and leaped off the top of the Qingyang Temple wall.
The wind brushed against my veil, but could not dispel the gloom in my heart.
She had been flying swiftly, searching for Zhong Xuan, but a feeling of joy and warmth gradually welled up in her heart.
But when I looked up, I was surprised to see him laughing and chatting with Buddhist nuns.
In an instant, I felt like an outsider, having intruded into someone else's home, utterly alone and helpless.
But it just so happens that at this very moment of turning around.
The Rakshasa woman looked up.
Clouds drift across the sky, but cannot illuminate the bewilderment in my heart.
Returning to Cuiyun Mountain? The maidservant in the cave will surely ask about the opportunity; how should she answer?
Does it mean that if you were to confess that you stumbled upon the person you were looking for, who was getting along well with others, you wouldn't even have the courage to take a step forward?
Such thoughts, whether spoken or unspoken, are both unbearable.
If you try to find an excuse, you'll only make yourself look ridiculous.
Only if he returned to Qingyang Temple did he finally decide to jump over the wall and leave?
Now that they've turned back, they look even more pathetic and embarrassed, only making themselves a laughingstock.
As my thoughts raced, my heartache deepened, and my steps became increasingly restless.
She walked aimlessly toward the gates of the city of Jisa.
The bustling city streets at dawn are filled with the vibrant energy of everyday life.
An elderly couple with white hair entered the city together, their hair intertwined, their eyes and brows full of gentle warmth.
In an instant, the lingering image of the red ribbons and the joyous atmosphere of the village wedding that night surged into her mind, stinging her eyes and making her nose sting.
These are illusions that should be seen through on the path of spiritual practice, but now they feel like an impending calamity, inescapable.
Suddenly, she recalled the judgment her master had written for her in the past; each word resonated deeply within her heart:
"Keeping oneself pure and undisturbed for a hundred years, infatuation weaves a net that imprisons the heart."
"Stubbornly clinging to worldly desires, one must break free from the cocoon to find the true path."
She had maintained a pure and tranquil mind for hundreds of years, but her heart was disturbed and she could not find peace for a while.
The cocoon locks the mind, making it impossible to even find the direction to move forward.
Just as I was feeling lost, a sudden burst of crying and shouting pierced the morning market's hustle and bustle.
With her cultivation level, her hearing and eyesight far surpassed those of ordinary people, and she could see through the scene ahead at a glance.
A family, young and old, knelt on the street, weeping bitterly, surrounded by a group of onlookers.
She patiently approached and quickly learned the whole story from the crowd's discussion.
This is the Zhou family, horse breeders in the city. The fighting outside Qingyang Temple last night startled the herd of horses, causing them to break the lock on the stable.
When I got up this morning, the black cloud snow horse, worth hundreds of taels, was nowhere to be found.
This horse was a gift prepared by Master Ye to present to the general in the army. If it cannot be found, the Zhou family will not be able to afford the huge sum of money to compensate.
At that time, the whole family would be sold into slavery.
The neighbors gathered around, some offering feigned condolences, saying, "Please accept my condolences, it's fate."
Some people watched coldly, sighing, "That's fate; there's no point in fighting it."
Each word of destiny pierced the Rakshasa woman's heart like a needle.
She was already irritable, and hearing these words of passive acceptance only ignited her anger.
She gave a cold laugh, her voice clear and sharp, cutting through the noise of the crowd:
"If this is fate, then so be it!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a clear, cold female voice followed, filled with disdain: "Nothing in this world is not ordained by fate; cause and effect are predetermined."
Rakshasa looked up and saw a female warrior in blue walking out of the crowd, carrying a sharp sword on her back, with a small, delicate face.
Her gentle and charming eyes revealed a heroic spirit, and her aura was calm and profound.
Their eyes met, sharp as lightning.
Based solely on their vital energy and spirit, it was merely a clash of mental strength contained in their gazes.
They both understood that they were both at the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top cultivation level.
He is a true master, qualified enough to establish a Taoist temple and teach disciples.
"It was their fate that they lost their horses; what's the point of forcing it?" the blue-clad female warrior replied coldly.
The woman in blue was coldly staring at the veiled woman in white in front of her, clearly extremely dissatisfied with her words of "not believing in fate".
Rakshasa was already in a terrible mood, and seeing someone publicly confront her, she didn't back down at all, coldly saying, "I refuse to believe in fate."
"It was just a horse, so I went to retrieve it."
"Even if I only find a skeleton, it will be a way for me to break this so-called fate."
The Rakshasa woman's words were sharp and unyielding.
Upon hearing this, the woman in blue merely snorted coldly.
Just as she was about to say something, her expression suddenly changed slightly.
Everyone instinctively turned their heads and looked in the direction of the city gate.
Three people and a monkey were seen walking towards the edge of the crowd.
Master Jingyuan walked slowly ahead, while Xiao Qingyue skipped and hopped along beside her.
Zhong Xuan walked at the back, while the monkey carried an iron rod on its shoulder, walking with an air of indifference.
The monkey's eyes and brows carried a hint of arrogance, as if it were invincible.
Xiao Qingyue spotted the blue-clad female warrior at a glance, and her eyes lit up instantly.
She shouted "Senior Brother Ye!" and broke free from Abbess Jingyuan's hand, rushing towards him.
The blue-clad heroine's originally cold expression melted away the moment she saw Xiao Qingyue, like a snow lotus blooming on an iceberg.
She smiled gently, opened her arms and hugged Xiao Qingyue, her voice softening: "Run slowly, don't fall."
It turns out that this female knight in blue is actually a disciple of Abbess Jingyuan of Shuiyue Nunnery.
It was Ye Quanzhen, whom we mentioned before.
Master Jingyuan walked closer and clasped her hands together in front of the Rakshasa woman.
She chanted Amitabha Buddha's name and gently advised, "Please forgive me, benefactor. This lay disciple of mine is straightforward."
"Last night, despite the danger, you used your precious fan to extinguish the Samadhi Fire and save the officials and monks, which shows your kind heart."
"But everything in this world has its own destiny and cause and effect. The Zhou family losing their horse is also a matter of fate."
"If you forcibly intervene, you will be going against orders, which will only bring trouble. Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
Master Jingyuan's expression was both resolute and compassionate.
The Rakshasa woman wanted to lash out at her, but she kept recalling the previous night.
This nun was truly compassionate; she risked her life at the time.
Even though the Rakshasa woman had anger, she couldn't vent it; it only fueled her growing rage.
However, Abbess Jingyuan's identity was quickly recognized by the crowd.
Someone who knew her shouted out:
"This is Abbess Jingyuan of Baiyun Nunnery."
"A living Buddha!"
"They brought the dead back to life and healed the wounded last night; they were amazing!"
In an instant, everyone clasped their hands together in prayer.
They bowed to Abbess Jingyuan with great devotion.
The differing opinions that were initially expressed instantly turned into unanimous agreement.
"The nun is right."
"Losing a horse is fate; it cannot be forced."
"Yes, yes, if you force everything, nothing will go right."
"Even if the Zhou family finds the horse, they'll probably get into other trouble. They might as well just accept it."
Dozens of mouths, hundreds of mouths, suddenly spoke in unison.
Almost everyone is saying "accept fate" and "don't force things".
These sounds overlapped one after another, like an invisible net, and following the trend, they all seemed to be pressing down on the Rakshasa woman.
Although she possessed formidable magical power and a profound spiritual realm.
Yet, amidst the mundane opinions of ordinary people, I felt a sense of powerlessness.
The Rakshasa woman instinctively took two steps back, her body slightly staggering.
She suddenly looked up and walked through the crowd.
Suddenly, I looked at the boy who was standing silently to the side.
It was Zhong Xuan.
The Rakshasa woman's thoughts were hard to fathom; her bright, clear eyes held a hint of stubbornness, a hint of grievance, and a barely perceptible expectation.
Those eyes seemed to be asking: Do you also agree with this so-called fate?
"If we're talking about cause and effect, wasn't last night's fight itself cause and effect?"
The Rakshasa woman felt a sense of impending doom and cried out loudly.
She suddenly thought of this and blurted it out.
Just as Rakshasa's heart was churning,
But then the crowd's opinion suddenly reversed again.
Suddenly, someone pointed at Zhong Xuan and exclaimed, "I remember now!"
"This immortal was also present during the fight outside Qingyang Temple last night!"
"That's the immortal who beheaded the True Man of Longhu Mountain!"
"It was their fight that destroyed everyone's houses on the street!"
These words were like a wake-up call; the Zhou couple instantly realized what was happening.
Last night's fight startled the horses, and the source of this was related to these cultivators.
The man surnamed Zhou, who had just been echoing the idea of "fate," immediately brightened up.
He pulled his wife up from the ground and rushed to Zhong Xuan in a few steps.
The woman knelt down and grabbed Zhong Xuan's trouser leg.
She pleaded loudly, each word trembling with tears: "Immortal Master! Please have mercy and help us."
The man also knelt down and pleaded, "That BMW was lost because of the fight last night. If it weren't for you, our family wouldn't have suffered this misfortune."
The couple's child, a clever boy, also cried out, "Please help us find a horse! Otherwise, our whole family will have to be slaves to Master Ye, never to rise again!"
The family of three suddenly put the teenager on a morally charged fire.
The surrounding mortals also joined in the commotion:
"The immortal is incredibly powerful, so please help them."
"After all, it was caused by you, so we can't just stand by and watch someone die."
"Exactly! When immortals fight, mortals suffer!"
In an instant, Zhong Xuan became the target of everyone's criticism in this farce.
He looked down at the woman clutching his trouser leg.
He looked up again and gazed at the Rakshasa woman at the other end of the crowd.
A feeling suddenly came to mind.
Cultivating magical power is relatively easy, and cultivating supernatural abilities and spells is also quite simple.
Only the various hardships that intertwine with human nature come unexpectedly.