Who Let Him Cultivate Immortality

“The seniority of this monk is extremely high; he belongs to the ‘Ming’ generation of masters. His heart is as lofty as the sky, and his Dharma name is Ming Tian. Everyone who knows him addresses him as Master Tomorrow.”

(TL Note: The Ming here is “明” and combined with the word sky “天”, becomes “明天“ which means tomorrow)

“At the time, both Master Tomorrow and I were interested in the same woman. Since one woman cannot have two husbands, we began competing—mostly to see who had more Spirit Stones. Back then, I had already applied for many patents and wasn’t afraid of anyone when it came to Spirit Stones.”

“Master Tomorrow realized he couldn’t outmatch me in Spirit Stones, so he asked if I could let him have her. He said that he saw potential in me and was willing to give me the Desireless True Fire. I said it wasn’t necessary, but he insisted and practically forced the Desireless True Fire on me.”

“At that moment, I realized that beauty was nothing but a fleeting illusion, so why waste my time in a brothel? I left.”

“Later, I wanted to find Master Tomorrow to discuss this matter and, if possible, teach him a lesson.”

“Unfortunately, Master Tomorrow’s understanding of the Dharma was so profound that he left me speechless. And most importantly, his cultivation was far superior—already at the Tribulation Crossing Stage. Both the Third Elder and I couldn’t stand up to him.”

Lu Yang: “…”

So, the Third Elder’s Heaven Shaking Six Forms weren’t created to challenge the heavens but to challenge Master Tomorrow?

(TL Note: The “天” in the word “明天” which means Tomorrow, can also mean Heaven)

Lu Yang then turned to the Everlasting Fairy and asked, “Fairy, did your time have Buddhism?”

“Of course.”

Lu Yang was surprised. According to historical records, Buddhism had existed since ancient times. But after meeting the Everlasting Fairy and learning about the Five Ancient Immortals, he had always assumed Buddhism was just a fabricated story to elevate its reputation.

If Buddhism truly existed in ancient times, with a Buddha and all, why had Everlasting Fairy never mentioned the Buddha?

And none of the Five Ancient Immortals seemed like they could match the figure of a Buddha.

“Really? So Buddha existed too? Was he an immortal?”

“I remember reading that Buddhism speaks of Buddhas, countless Bodhisattvas, and the thirty-three heavens, right?”

“Yes, all of that is recorded in various texts.”

Everlasting Fairy grinned mischievously and said, “Now, doesn’t that setup remind you a lot of the Heavenly Court?”

“!!!” Lu Yang’s face showed extreme shock as a certain possibility dawned on him.

Everlasting Fairy, satisfied with his reaction, laughed and said, “That’s right. We five made it all up together.”

No wonder Everlasting Fairy confidently believed her Monk Fruit Fist was more authentic than the Arhat Fist.

As one of the founding members of Buddhism, her authority was unquestionable. If she said her technique was the real deal, then it was the real deal.

Lu Yang gasped in disbelief. The trickery of the Five Ancient Immortals was far beyond what he had imagined.

They had created multiple versions of the Heavenly Court that didn’t spread far, but the Buddhism they fabricated not only survived but was passed down and flourished.

The Fifth Elder, unaware of the conversation between Lu Yang and the Everlasting Fairy, noticed Lu Yang’s changing expressions and found it quite odd.

However, such things weren’t too unusual in the Dao Seeking Sect.

When the Ninth Elder was about Lu Yang’s age, he used to fantasize that an ancient beast was sealed within his body. He claimed that if the beast’s aura leaked out, it would destroy the world. He would walk around with a cold, expressionless face, telling people that he had sealed off all emotions.

Sometimes, he would grip his wrist in agony, saying that he could no longer suppress the beast inside and telling everyone to run.

Nowadays, if anyone mentioned this to the Ninth Elder, he’d get furious and chase them with his sword.

Compared to the Ninth Elder, who would often kneel and wail for no reason, Lu Yang’s changing expressions seemed relatively normal.

“Perhaps it’s the fate of those with the Sword Spirit Root passed down from master to disciple,” the Fifth Elder muttered.

“Huh? Fifth Elder, what do you mean by the fate of the Sword Spirit Root?” Lu Yang snapped out of his thoughts, his heart tightening at the mention of this so-called fate. Could it be that there was some hidden destiny associated with the Sword Spirit Root? Something like a lifelong rival that every wielder of the Sword Spirit Root had to face, only to fail time and again, leaving them with endless regret?

Was Lu Yang’s master wandering the world as a way to express his own regrets and frustrations?

The more Lu Yang thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

“The Desireless True Fire is the one I use most often in refining. Treasures forged with it allow the wielder to remain calm during battle, which greatly enhances their chances of success,” the Fifth Elder explained, believing firmly that calmness was the key to victory.

Raising his hand again, the Fifth Elder pulled out another True Fire from a different small bottle. “This is the Six Deities Divine Fire, passed down from one generation to the next among the masters of Hundred Refinements Peak. It’s perfect for refining since it can consume impurities. The Firestone and Mountain Peak Spirit Stone in this sword need to be separated using the Six Deities Divine Fire.”

(TL Note: The Six Deities refer to a group of six celestial deities or spirits who serve as protectors and assistants in Taoist practices, especially in rituals and magical works. These deities are often associated with the control of natural forces and protection from evil influences. They are typically paired with another set of deities called the 六甲 (Liu Jia), who have complementary roles in Taoist cosmology and magic. It’s too complicated so I’m not going to explain it here. Feel free to google it for more context.)

He placed the Six Deities Divine Fire at the center of the refining chamber, activating the formations engraved beneath their feet and on the walls. The temperature in the room soared instantly, forcing Lu Yang to activate his Three Flavours True Fire to protect himself from the intense heat.

The Fifth Elder, unaffected by the heat, kept his focus entirely on the sword. As the flames licked at it, the sword’s outer layer of immortal gold powder melted away and was consumed by the fire.

The true form of the sword was revealed: a dull gray-black, completely unremarkable. There was no sign that it had been forged from two rare and precious stones.

Under the scorching heat of the Six Deities Divine Fire, the sword began to melt, splitting into two pools of molten metal—one red and one black, both radiating a subtle liveliness. The Fifth Elder swung his hammer, striking the molten metal repeatedly.

Each time the metal was struck, it exploded in the fire, but it could never escape the confines of the Six Deities Divine Fire.

With a flick of his left hand, the Desireless True Fire shot into the Six Deities Divine Fire, and the two fires merged, combining their unique properties.

Lu Yang, unaware of the significance of this technique, couldn’t appreciate the skill involved. But any experienced artifact refiner watching would have had their worldview completely overturned.

Gradually, the two pools of molten Firestone and Mountain Peak Spirit Stone fused into one, forming a sword embryo.

The Fifth Elder reached into the True Fire and pulled out the sword embryo. With two fingers, he gently stroked the sides of the blade, causing intricate patterns to emerge clearly. These were sword veins, which helped reduce the wear and tear of the spirit sword and extended its lifespan.

Each magical artifact had its own specific pattern. However, most refiners didn’t possess the skill to engrave such veins, and those who could effortlessly bring them out, like the Fifth Elder, were exceedingly rare.

Sss—

The sword embryo, glowing red-hot, was dipped into water multiple times until its temperature dropped, revealing its true silver-white blade.

The Fifth Elder then added a hilt, a tassel, and other finishing touches, finally completing the sword.

“Here, give it a try,” the Fifth Elder said with a smile, tossing the spirit sword to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang took the sword and gave it a few swings, immediately noticing how light it felt, as if it were an extension of his own arm. Each movement was effortless and fluid, bringing him immense satisfaction.

“Break!”

“Slash!”

“Cut!”

Lu Yang executed several sword techniques one by one, his movements smooth and precise. It felt as though he had been using this sword for years.

After completing a full set of sword techniques, Lu Yang sheathed the sword behind his back, a broad smile on his face. “What a fine sword!”

“Give it a name,” the Fifth Elder said with a laugh.

Lu Yang studied the sword’s veins and smiled. “A sword is a weapon of death, and this blade shines silver-white, like a moon hanging in the sky. Let’s call it the Underworld Moon Sword.”

The Fifth Elder nodded approvingly. “Qingfeng Sword, Underworld Moon Sword—the two go quite well together.”