C10 Searching for the Solar Mantras

"Yes!"

"Master, what..." Soong Yuanqiao began, but he stopped short when he realized something was off about the voice—it was unmistakably that of a young man. He quickly turned towards the sound and saw that the response had not come from his master, but from the enigmatic Immortal.

"Immortal, you have a way?" Zhang Sanfeng said, sensing that this mysterious Immortal might just have a method to save young Wuji.

"Well, since you address me as Immortal, I suppose I should have some tricks up my sleeve, right? We're only talking about the Solar Mantras here. I know where they are," Su Chen replied with a smile.

"Immortal, please reveal the location of the Solar Mantras," Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu implored, kneeling in unison.

"Enough," Su Chen interjected, unable to bear the ancient formalities any longer. "Please, rise! We're merely discussing the Solar Mantras—a simple matter."

With that, Su Chen led Zhang Sanfeng, Zhang Cuishan, Yin Susu, and Zhang Wuji towards Mount Kunlun. Su Chen had a general idea of where the Solar Mantras could be found, but the exact location would require some searching by Zhang Cuishan and the others. The remaining Six Heroes of Wudang would stay behind, as the martial world was currently unstable, and it was uncertain who might come seeking Su Chen.

"Immortal, are you certain the Solar Mantras are there?" Yin Susu asked, her skepticism showing. Once a renowned "witch" in her younger days, she harbored some doubts about Su Chen's claim.

"Susu, show some respect," Zhang Cuishan chided, concerned that his wife might be offending the Immortal.

"No harm done," Su Chen assured, waving off the concern. Understanding a mother's worry, he added, "I'm quite confident it's the right place."

"In the time of Yang Guo, the Condor Hero, Xiao Xiangzi and Yin Kexi managed to steal this scripture from the Tripitaka Sutra Pavilion at Shaolin Temple. They were pursued by Master Jueyuan all the way to the summit of Mount Hua. Cornered and desperate, they came across an Azure Ape and decided to conceal the scripture within its belly by cutting it open."

Later on, Jueyuan, Zhang Junbao—who is your master—and Yang Guo searched Xiao Xiangzi and Yin Kexi's bodies but found no scriptures. They released them along with the Azure Ape to descend the mountain. Xiao Xiangzi and Yin Kexi, along with the Azure Ape, traveled to the Western Regions. Each harbored suspicions, fearing the other would master the martial arts from the scripture first and kill them. They restrained each other and dared not retrieve the scripture from the Azure Ape's belly. Eventually, they reached the Shocking God Peak on Mount Kunlun. There, Yin Xiao and Yin Kexi turned on each other, resulting in mutual injury. Thus, the practice of the Solar Mantras remained within the Azure Ape.

"Immortal, how did you come to know all these secrets?" Zhang Sanfeng was somewhat astonished, as he had been one of the participants in those events.

Seeing that her master's demeanor appeared genuine, Zhang Cuishan and his wife were quickly convinced.

"Come on, if you're addressing me as Immortal, it's only right that I have some information to live up to the title! And please, don't call me Immortal anymore; it feels awkward. Just call me Su Chen." How could he live up to the title of Time Jumper without knowing the details?

The group of five reached Shocking God Peak, took out the ropes they had prepared, and had Zhang Cuishan and his wife descend to search. Zhang Sanfeng and Su Chen waited above. Initially, it was supposed to be Zhang Cuishan and Zhang Sanfeng going down, but Su Chen felt that Yin Susu's martial arts skills were lacking. Even though Yin Susu could easily handle someone like Su Chen, for the sake of his own safety, it was better to have Zhang Sanfeng stay close by. Let's not forget, the Zhu family was nearby, and they were far from benevolent. In pursuit of the Dragonbane, they put on performances worthy of an Oscar, utterly confounding the naive Zhang Wuji.

"Su Chen," Zhang Sanfeng said, still uncomfortable with using Su Chen's name so informally, "after all this time, I still haven't asked what the name of your organization is, or where on Immortal Island you practice your cultivation."

"Uh, that?" Su Chen sheepishly scratched his head. "I haven't really thought about it yet. Maybe you could come up with something, and I'll see if it fits."

Despite Zhang Sanfeng's nearly four decades of discipline, he almost lost his composure. What kind of sect have I joined that doesn't even have a name? Surely we must have a headquarters, right?

"As for our base? We do have one, located on the 13th unit of the 6th floor in the 8th building of the North Road District in Ekranbu, J City."

"Thank goodness," Zhang Sanfeng breathed a sigh of relief. Though the name was a bit odd, it was a blessed place nonetheless. It ought to have its own unique charm.

"What an odd name," remarked Zhang Wuji, who was sitting nearby, attentively following the conversation between his Forefather and Su. He made a mental note of the peculiar name.

"Strange? Not really, it's a common name where we come from," Su Chen replied, somewhat embarrassed. He was still in the early stages of building up the business, but he was confident that Immortal Island would grow and attract more people in time.

"Sage Zhang, if I may inquire, what level have you attained?" Su Chen quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, realizing he was running out of fabrications.

"I am but a humble practitioner. After nearly twenty years, I managed to pierce through the Bridge to Heaven, transitioning from the Acquired state to the Innate. Then, I spent another forty years refining my vital energy, reaching the pinnacle of the Innate state. However, in the last thirty-plus years, I've hit a bottleneck, my potential seemingly exhausted, with no further progress." Zhang Sanfeng spoke with a hint of pride about his earlier achievements, but his tone turned to one of resignation when he discussed his current impasse.

"Ah, the Acquired and the Innate, that's all correct," Su Chen mused to himself. "Since you, Sage Zhang, have reached the summit of the Innate, have you ever encountered someone who has ascended to an even higher level?"

"No," Zhang Sanfeng shook his head, not out of arrogance, but simply because he had never met such a person. Even the legendary Condor Hero was likely only in the late period of the Innate state, and now, he had surpassed even that esteemed figure.

Su Chen reflected on the possibility that the zenith of this world might be the peak of the Innate state. A question suddenly occurred to him, "Sage Zhang, do you know whether attaining the Innate state can extend a person's lifespan?"

"It's difficult to say," Zhang Sanfeng replied, shaking his head. "Warriors employ a myriad of methods to refine their bodies. Some techniques can indeed prolong life, while others sacrifice the body's well-being for power. There are warriors who pass away in their twenties, yet others, like myself, can live to be a century old."

"Once someone reaches the Innate Realm, the nourishment from the Innate Qi should offer some improvement. However, if the foundation was damaged early on, even the Innate Qi cannot fully restore it. It can only suppress the issues, not eliminate them. A hundred and fifty years is the maximum limit. Without a breakthrough, even I am bound to a lifespan of one hundred and fifty years."

"One hundred and fifty years isn't too short," Su Chen mused, then he posed another query. "What about Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü? Do you think they might still be alive?" Su Chen recalled that a young girl, rumored to be Yang Guo's descendant, would appear later on.

"As for that," Zhang Sanfeng said, "the Condor Hero has been absent from the martial world for nearly sixty years. I'm not certain if he's still among the living."

"That settles it. I'll find time to visit the ancient tomb. If Yang Guo hasn't died of old age, I'll bring him back. If he has, perhaps I'll encounter him in another world." Su Chen clapped his hands, seemingly envisioning the future addition of two new members to their group.

Zhang Sanfeng realized that he could no longer keep pace with Su Chen's rapid strides. The notion of taking someone away if they hadn't died of old age, although true, sounded rather peculiar. And then there was the matter of these other worlds.