The Nine Revolutions Earthfire Art

After being shocked so many times over the course of the last few moments, Wuxian felt like nothing else could affect him. The revelation that standing before him was the ghost of his ancestor did not manage to cause waves within his heart.

Looking at Black Emperor Mountain Hermit's unsightly grin and expectant expression, Wuxian was doubtful that he had spoken the truth.

'If he's my ancestor, I'll eat my shoe.' Wuxian thought, gazing darkly at the old man.

"Oh my, that's a bit harsh, isn't it? You know, the Sir Lv you met is also just a part of me. Since you respect him so much, you should respect me equally too." Black Emperor said, rubbing his palms together.

Feeling repulsed, Wuxian shook his head. "You have ruined Sir Lv's image in my mind. Please never refer to him and yourself in the same sentence, lest you cause me to commit suicide on the spot."

He then glanced around the room, taking in the sight of many unrecognisable contraptions.

"Right, how long will this inheritance take? I have to get back to the fight. The fate of my two brothers is unknown. I have already spent too much time down here- they might even be looking for me."

Black Emperor gave a rare look of solemnity. 

"Inheritance will take a while. I plan on teaching you everything you'll need to survive in the immortal world."

Wuxian lowered his head voluntarily and gave a bow.

"For me, life is not worth living without my two brothers. We grew up together and have been through thick and thin together. I would give my life to preserve theirs and they would no doubt do the same." 

He paused for a second to mull his next words over before continuing. 

"Surely, throughout your lifetime, you must have had one or two close friends who you could not bear to part with? If you wish for me to wholeheartedly accept your tutelage, would you not allow me to go back to the battlefield? Once I have ascertained the fate of my two brothers, I will return right away. I can even swear to the Heavens if necessary."

Wuxian bowed deeper, refusing to raise his head until he received an answer.

He heard the ghost sigh, a sound full of various emotions. 

"I am sorry, Wuxian."

Hearing this, his heart sank. He fell to his knees, hands raised above his head in supplication. Being young and prideful, it was hard for Wuxian to do these actions, yet he did so nonetheless. He felt it was necessary in order to convey his feelings.

Black Emperor had a remorseful expression, stroking his white beard in an agitated manner.

"It is not that I do not wish to help you save your friends, but that I cannot. Though I am the remnant of a great immortal, I am merely that- a remnant. In fact, my existence in this plane goes against the will of Heaven itself."

Wuxian looked up in confusion. His 'ancestor' had previously displayed the power to read minds. He assumed that the reason he had not taken any other action was out of fear of injuring Wuxian, not that he could not.

Black Emperor shook his head slowly. 

"All those years ago, my main body was about to die without a successor. He, or, I, had been heavily wounded and was on the run. Truth be told, I had lived a carefree life. Contemplating the Dao, stirring up trouble where and when I pleased and carousing. On the day that I died, I was still on the 'Rising Dragon' leaderboard, which was exclusively used to rank the youths of the current generation. 

Being in the prime of my life, I had not even considered the notion of death, let alone finding a successor." He explained.

Before Wuxian could say anything, the ghost continued.

"When I was struck down, I used a secret life preserving art, transforming my remaining energies into what you see before you. Using my mystic techniques, I found a high quality earth vein and using its untapped energy as fuel, I created this room that you see now. This is my inheritance chamber.

Using the spiritual energy of the earth vein, I created seventy two different array formations with various purposes, with the most important being concealment. My life preserving art has transformed me into something that is neither man nor ghost. I am an abomination that cannot be allowed to live by the Heavens.

To leave this chamber, you would have to step out of the array formations, exposing my location. In doing so, you will undoubtedly incur the wrath of Heaven, and we will both be annihilated under the rain of tribulation lightning.

In bringing you here, I had to risk the fate of certain death. My remaining powers cannot be used outside of the chamber for this reason- once the will of Heaven senses that I am still alive, it will smite me down."

Then, all of a sudden, Black Emperor switched to a jesting tone.

"And you wouldn't want to see your old master die, would you?"

Once he finished speaking, he instantly turned glum again. He sighed aloud, rubbing his beard frantically. 

"This is a side effect of my life preserving art and the incarnation technique. As a human or a ghost, one can repair their soul over time but being the not-man-not-ghost that I am, separating my soul will cause irreparable damage."

Looking at the spectral figure's unstable countenance, Wuxian felt a pang of sorry deep down. Though he did not exactly understand each word, he understood the overall situation well enough.

'But it doesn't make sense. If I cannot leave without attracting the ire of Heaven, then whether I leave now or after inheriting his power is irrelevant.' He thought, accurately pinpointing the issue.

Reading his thoughts, Black Emperor nodded. "Normally, you would be right. However, I have a method to allow you to leave undetected, but the price to pay will be the destruction of my soul and this entire chamber. By resolving myself to the fate that I have long evaded, you will be able to escape. I will have my final wish fulfilled, you will gain the power to save your friends and Heaven shall be none the wiser."

The gravity of the situation finally set in. To Wuxian, the inheritance was something he was uninterested in. Certainly, the allure of magic powers and eternal life was something difficult to pass up to the ordinary person, but Wuxian thought differently.

'What is the point of mystic arts and immortal magic if I have nobody to protect? What is the point of living forever if I have nobody to live for?'

Perhaps an ordinary person would have accepted the fate of their two friends and prepared to move on, but this was how Wuxian was. He was fiercely loyal, innately and also on principle. He felt that by making preparations to move on and continue his life, he was silently condemning his two brothers to death.

At the same time, Wuxian felt guilty. If what Black Emperor Mountain Hermit had said was the truth, then he was his ancestor. His ancestor had made the effort and taken the risk to not only save him, but provide him with the chance to obtain ultimate power at no cost of his own, no strings attached.

'Looking at this from another angle, I am ungrateful and undeserving. My life already did not belong to me the moment I fell from the top of the gorge. When there is only one path forward, one must tread it without looking back.'

With a look of determination, Wuxian cupped his fists and bowed. This time, sincerity emanated from his body. 

"Master." He said, speaking in neither a casual nor a pious tone.

Yet the weight of that word could be felt all the same.

Black Emperor turned away slightly, appearing to be wiping away tears. After a few moments, he returned the bow with a salute.

"My dear disciple… how long I've waited for this moment. My dying wish has been fulfilled…"

All of a sudden, his spectral body began to be covered in a misty haze. Light refracted off his form and he appeared to be disintegrating into the air.

Wuxian looked on with wide eyes.

'What's going on?'

He stepped forward. "Master, wait! You still need to teach me, you can't pass on yet! If you disappear now, how will I leave this chamber? How will I save my brothers?!"

His master's body instantly condensed again, wearing a cheeky grin.

"Haha, just joking, just joking. Don't look at me like that, I was just making sure you were being sincere!" Black Emperor guffawed.

Wuxian gave him a look, before turning away and walking off. 

"I quit. I'm quitting your tutelage, you unreliable ghost."

"Wait wait wait wait! Come back!"

———

Some time later.

"I will now begin teaching you my cultivation technique. This is the method through which you will harness your inner power, your qi, as well as utilise the spiritual energy in your surroundings." 

Wuxian nodded. He was seated on a cultivation pillow, legs crossed and arms placed on his legs.

Black Emperor Mountain Hermit floated in the air above him, stroking his beard as usual. He raised a hand and placed a finger tip on Wuxian's forehead.

Soon, green energy began moving from the master to disciple through this arm, with a few wisps and threads of the green energy breaking off into the surroundings.

As he guided, Black Emperor also narrated what was happening for the benefit of Wuxian, who's eyes were shut.

"Like me, you are blessed with innate wood element qi. Wood qi is the gentlest of the five elements, possessing the greatest healing power of them all. It is the element most closely related to nature and the Earth."

Wuxian felt a soothing sensation passing into his head and across his body. He seemed to be able to feel that coolness as it travelled with his bloodstream, revolving through his body.

"Now, just because wood qi is innately restorative does not mean it can't possess the capacity to destroy. Your innate qi is merely the source of your power, but it is the cultivation techniques and mystic arts which determine its application. The cultivation technique I'm going to teach you is called the 'Nine Revolutions Earthfire art'. Using it, your inner qi can be used to fuel the burning of fire qi and then transmuted into earth qi. 

With it, you will gain the ability to manipulate three of the five elements, possessing the advantages of all and the weaknesses of none."

The ghost cleared his throat.

"Now, listen to my lecture. 

Heaven is the source of all things, Man is perfectible. To become perfected, unify Heaven, Man and Earth and become one with the Dao. But what is absolute unity? What are Heaven, Man and Earth? 

Earth is the interconnection of the eight trigrams. Man respects the Earth and employs the elements to create metal, forming the five element cycle. The Earth respects Heaven for it is the source of all things. Heaven respects neither Man nor Earth, judging both as it pleases, but doing so impartially. Thus the laws of nature are formed. 

Absolute unity is the connection of Man, Heaven and Earth. Man employs the power of Earth according to Heaven. When Heaven supplies in abundance, Man prospers. When Heaven is harsh, Man declines. This is in accordance with the abundance of nature and Earth. 

The prosperity of Man harms the vitality of the Earth. The will of Heaven harms the prosperity of Man. The nature of Earth resolves the destruction of Heaven. 

Absolute unity is to follow the will of Heaven by enduring suffering. 

Absolute unity is to enjoy the bounty of the Earth and its creations. 

Absolute unity is to take neither more nor less than what is needed, thus all of Man may thrive equally.

Thus, Man is perfectible. Thus, Man may unite with Heaven and Earth to embody the world."

Wuxian's eyes opened and he gave his master a confused look.

Seeing this, Black Emperor Mountain Hermit immediately gave up.

"Forget it. Take this cultivation manual. Read it thoroughly. Let me know if there's anything you don't understand, I'm going to go rest." He said, waving his hand in a dandy manner.