C14 Burp

Two figures glided down with a whoosh.

Upon seeing Ding Yue's current predicament, Liu Wuya's brow furrowed in concern. He demanded in a stern voice, "Mountaincrush Vine, what exactly happened here?"

His shout snapped the bewildered Wood Vine out of his daze. Grasping at Liu Wuya like a lifeline, he clutched his arm and, with a hand wiping the sweat from his brow, quickly recounted everything that had occurred since their departure.

After finishing, he added with urgency, "Two powerful energies are clashing inside the young master's body. If the meridians are damaged, he'll be ruined."

The sharp, anxious voice caused the old ghost, who had been deep in thought, to look up abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he murmured, "That must be it."

"What do you mean?" Liu Wuya and the others asked in unison. The old ghost stepped forward, extended a finger, and a thread of black light shot from his fingertip toward the light barrier.

"Puff!" As soon as the black light touched the barrier, it dissipated into a wisp of smoke. Returning to his original position, the old ghost reassured the two anxious men, "Don't fret. There's an old saying: fortune and misfortune are intertwined. To save the young master, we must seek the help of the old wood."

Liu Wuya, trying to quell his unease, said with dissatisfaction, "Get to the point. Spare me the riddles."

The old ghost smiled, then his face turned serious as he explained, "Buddhist arts are often known for their intensity, and the Mountaincrush Force sealed within the young master is equally formidable and intense. When two strong forces collide, only the harmonizing, nourishing, and balancing nature of the wood element can hope to help the young master through this ordeal."

Hearing this, Wood Vine looked utterly bewildered.

Liu Wuya, fixing his gaze on the old ghost, said gravely, "Make it clear. If it will save Ding, I won't hesitate to lay down my life." His final words were resolute.

The old ghost, locking eyes with Liu Wuya, smiled at his determination. He playfully punched Liu Wuya in the chest, noting his impatience, and then quickly explained, "As an alchemist, you understand the art of combining ingredients. Some prescriptions contain dozens, even hundreds of herbs. When many are combined, their properties can conflict. However, certain herbs, though not highly potent on their own, can harmonize the properties of the others, preventing conflict and even enhancing the overall efficacy of the medicine."

"These herbs are typically referred to as supplementary herbs in the formula," Liu Wuya nodded, grasping the old ghost's point.

"How much Wood Spiritual Qi does Ding need in his current state, in your estimation?"

The old ghost held up a finger. "One hundred years," he said, pausing briefly before adding, "Within that time, you have no hope of advancing to the eighth level, and your strength will significantly diminish. You must understand this."

Wood Spiritual Qi, also known as Wood Origin Qi, is a type of Heaven and Earth origin energy. It's the vital essence for all flora, trees, and Shadowmancers. Only with a sufficient accumulation of Wood Spiritual Qi can they awaken their sentience.

Once sentient, they can begin to cultivate and eventually transform into their true forms. This process requires a considerable amount of time and fortune. Thus, Wood Origin Qi is the fundamental essence for all plant-based Shadowmancers, the cornerstone of their existence.

After hesitating briefly, Liu Wuya levitated above the light barrier.

"If it will aid Yue'er, what is a hundred years of Wood Spiritual Qi?"

His soft exclamation reached the old ghost's ears, who paused, then murmured, "Yue'er, that's an unusual name."

At that moment, the bewildered mud vines approached the old ghost and offered, "I possess Wood Spiritual Qi as well; I can transfer some to the young master."

The old ghost smirked and gave the mud vines a sidelong glance, remarking, "Your loyalty is admirable, but your power is insufficient."

His dismissive comment made the mud vines' expression stiffen.

Moments later, pointing at the old ghost, they retorted indignantly, "You, you old fiend, have you been overindulging in garlic?"

The old ghost chuckled, "Hehe."

Then, he sobered up and said, "It's not about giving a little; it requires a hundred years of Wood Origin Qi. Remember, Master exhausted so much effort to enable your transformation. If you revert to your original form, how will you continue to serve and protect the young master in the future?"

The mud vines let out a sigh and lamented, "Ah, the human tongue can argue any point. You must have bamboozled many when you were in charge."

"Get outta here," the old ghost chided with a chuckle. "Enough chit-chat. Keep a close eye on the young master. If anything goes awry, be ready to assist at a moment's notice."

Liu Wuya soared into the space above the cylindrical aura, his fingers dancing, trailing wisps of green light. With a hand gesture, he closed his eyes in concentration.

Moments later, his eyes snapped open. His index and middle fingers came together at his forehead; with a pull, he drew forth a fist-sized orb of green light from between his brows.

"Go!" he commanded softly. The orb glided through the air, heading straight for Ding Yue's crown.

It hesitated briefly as it penetrated the golden shield, then disappeared into Ding Yue's forehead.

Another orb of green light zipped into the acupoint at the center of his chest. Then, a third orb of light detached from Liu Wuya, split into two mid-flight, and surged into the acupoints on the soles of Ding Yue's feet.

Having completed the task, Liu Wuya, still suspended in the air, wobbled and nearly plummeted to the ground. He quickly regained his balance and gently descended.

Woodvine hurried over to steady Liu Wuya, whose face was now pale and streaked with strands of white hair. Concern was etched deeply on his face.

"Are you okay, Valley Master?"

After catching his breath and wiping the sweat from his cheeks, Liu Wuya popped a pill into his mouth and gestured dismissively, "I just need a moment to recover my energy, and I'll be fine." He then sat down cross-legged.

Within a few breaths, color returned to his pallid complexion.

Woodvine exhaled a sigh of relief, turned, and approached the old ghost, inquiring, "Young Master, how did it go?"

The old ghost, hands clasped behind his back, stepped forward to see Ding Yue, who had been suspended, now grounded. The golden and silver lights were slowly being absorbed into his body.

A smile crept onto the old ghost's face as he stepped back and responded, "My practice is in the Ghost Arts, and this Buddhist light is quite potent; it negates the Divine Sense. But judging by his outward appearance, it looks like we've succeeded."

"That's great news," Woodvine said, rubbing his hands together and stepping forward with a nod and a smile playing on his lips.

"It wasn't in vain, the Valley Master's century of nurturing the wood essence." He murmured softly before looking up.

His heart, which had settled, suddenly surged with anxiety.

After Liu Wuya infused his wood spiritual energy into Ding Yue, the silver glow receded, and the golden Sanskrit merged into the golden light.

At that moment, the light barrier, stripped of its Sanskrit, began to spin rapidly, faster than before. A ring materialized at the top of the barrier, spinning and pulling more light curtains towards it.

In a short time, it formed into a dazzling, disc-shaped light pastry.

Moments later, the golden light ceased to burst around the stone platform; the light pastry, aglow with golden radiance, gently descended toward Ding Yue's chest as he lay on the stone surface.

Old Ghost broke out in a cold sweat at this sight, his usually placid face now darkened with concern.

He swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

He thought, "I can't let the Buddhist light enter any further. If the balance is broken, there's no turning back! It seems I must risk my very life."

Resolved, Old Ghost looked heavenward and sighed, "Master, I've done all I can." With that, he rose to intercept the light pastry, ready to sacrifice his entire cultivation to block the Buddhist light.

Suddenly, a squeal of sheer joy pierced the air. Little Mountain, the monkey who had been in deep slumber, opened his eyes wide with delight, leaped up, and snatched at the light pastry with his paws.

In an odd turn of events, the light pastry, briefly resisting, was subdued by the monkey's grip. Little Mountain landed on his hind legs, opened his mouth wide, and took a bite of the light pastry.

"Crunch!" The sound echoed as a groove was bitten into the pastry. In no time at all, he gobbled it down, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Erp!" He belched contentedly, patted his round belly, reclined on the ground, and almost instantly, soft snores could be heard.

Old Ghost, dumbfounded and speechless, struggled to swallow his saliva.

Snapping back to reality, the usually composed and refined man couldn't help but exclaim, "Damn, that's just too melodramatic." He clapped his hands against his backside, leaping up in astonishment.

"Clap! Clap!" Two sharp slaps echoed.

Mu Teng delivered a pair of slaps to his own face, one on each cheek. He had used a bit too much force, causing the corner of his mouth to twitch involuntarily.

"Ouch. This isn't a dream. This is utterly outrageous."

"What are you two howling about?" Liu Wuya, who had just finished his meditative breathing exercises, approached with his complexion back to normal and a frown on his face as he rebuked them.

"Little Mountain swallowed the Buddha light," Mu Teng recounted the recent events.

"Could the legends actually be true?" Liu Wuya pondered, recalling snippets from books he had once read.

"The ancient tales speak of apes with the bloodline of the Diamond Ape, which have a deep connection with Buddhism from its very inception," Liu Wuya explained.

The old ghost's eyebrows lifted, a sign that something had clicked in his mind, yet he remained silent.

"We should head back. Ding needs a few days of quiet recuperation," Liu Wuya suggested, sweeping up the still unconscious Ding Yue with a flourish of his sleeve before striding off into the air.

The old ghost was quick on his heels.

Mu Teng hoisted up Little Mountain, exclaiming, "Wow, you're heavy!" as his arms dropped under the weight.

Ding Yue remained motionless on the soft bed for a full day and night, showing no signs of awakening.

However, the next morning, Little Mountain awoke from his deep sleep and darted out of the room. He went about his usual routine, foraging for wild fruits and sipping from the mountain springs.

What was odd, though, was that instead of seeking rest beside Ding Yue as he used to when weary, Little Mountain had now taken to the high cliffs. He settled atop the rock that radiated the Buddha light, making a nest with a thick layer of grass, a thin blanket dragged from inside the house, and a round stone for a pillow.

Mu Teng followed him back to the cliff's peak, and upon witnessing this peculiar setup, he could only shake his head with a wry smile.

The library was where Liu Wuya kept the vast collection of books he had amassed since the founding of the valley.

At that moment, he was seated at the table, fingers rhythmically tapping on the surface as he mulled over something. Meanwhile, the wooden vine recounted the monkey's odd behavior. Yet his hands were busy, using the gathered dew to brew a fragrant tea.

Soon, a delicate aroma filled the air; a cup of tea was set before Liu Wuya. He lifted it, closed his eyes for a brief moment to savor the scent, then took a gentle sip before gazing into the distance.

Outside the loft, the sky blazed with crimson hues, and the sparrows danced in flight.

The mountains, bathed in the glow of the fading sun, appeared draped in a veil of red gauze, their splendor tinged with an air of mystery.

"The old ghost has gone to the Maple Leaf Forest," the wooden vine said, pouring himself a cup of tea. "He took two pills with him." He then refilled Liu Wuya's cup.

"Mm," Liu Wuya murmured, emerging from his reverie with a noncommittal grunt.

After a pause, he added, "We don't understand Sanskrit."

"I've heard that Master Jingchan was once a disciple of the Boneroses. For reasons unknown, he ventured far into the Western Region and remained there for nearly a century. Upon his return, he established a monastery in the Maple Leaf Forest, known as..."

"The Vajra Sect is formidable indeed! Though West Peace County lies on the fringes of the Central Region, it's still a stronghold of the Taoist orthodoxy."

Liu Wuya's sigh carried a trace of respect.

West Peace County was home to three sects and four schools: the Heavenly Feather Sect, the Myriad Sword Sect, the Grand Xuan Sect, and the schools of the Flowing Cloud, the Yellow Sand Valley, the Ink Bamboo Forest, and the Vajra Sect.

With six of these seven being Taoist, the challenges Master Jingchan faced in founding his sect were evident.

It was this very struggle that earned the somewhat proud Liu Wuya's admiration.