Chapter 14: An Epiphany

The night was cool as water.

In a serene courtyard, Daoist Fu Feng was quietly sitting and sipping tea. This was the high-grade Immortal Tea offered by the Red Tide Sect, yet Fu Feng drank it without tasting, his mind preoccupied with several names that spun repeatedly in his thoughts. Now, unexpectedly, another name that shouldn't have been on his mind had appeared: Wei Yuan.

Thinking of Wei Yuan, Daoist Fu Feng felt a bit restless. He irritably placed the teacup on the table, planning to take a walk in the courtyard. The small Red Tide Sect indeed had a quaint and elegantly arranged courtyard.

The moment the teacup touched down, Daoist Fu Feng's body suddenly stiffened, and then he slowly stood up, managing a forced smile as he said, "Master Zhang... brother! If there is anything you need, just command me, and I will come to visit at once..."

Zhang Sheng stepped into the room, as if he hadn't heard Fu Feng's greeting, and directly sat down on a nearby chair.

At that moment, Sun Yu also appeared at the door, repeatedly saying, "Don't be rash! Everything can be discussed!"

Seeing Sun Yu's anxious expression made Daoist Fu Feng's heart skip a beat. He stole another glance at Zhang Sheng, and was startled, "Brother, has your Dao Power been restored?"

Zhang Sheng replied indifferently, "Although brother and I haven't interacted much, you should know me well. I am here only to find out one thing: how were Yuan'er's scores determined?"

Daoist Fu Feng's face changed several shades, cursing silently in his heart as his worst fear had indeed come to pass. Although he had been cultivating for much longer than Zhang Sheng, sitting next to him felt like sitting beside an incomparable Immortal Sword, making him bristle with apprehension. Suddenly, he recalled all the past acts of Zhang Sheng, which made his heart beat even faster.

Daoist Fu Feng forced a smile and said, "Brother, why this sudden interest? The assessment this time was quite fair..."

He couldn't continue his sentence. Looking at the composed Zhang Sheng and Sun Yu standing aside, his expression grew stern as he asked, "Brother, do you really want to know?"

Zhang Sheng replied coolly, "This is a struggle of the Great Dao, I will not give ground!"

Daoist Fu Feng sighed and recounted the Dao Test and Literary Test assessment processes. He had rated Wei Yuan slightly below the standard to prevent him from entering the top three of the Taichu Palace, confessing everything in detail.

After listening to the whole story, Sun Yu stamped his foot and exclaimed, "It's mainly those two Confucian Scholars who are despicable! But brother Fu Feng, you... alas!"

After hearing it all, Zhang Sheng finally said, "Thank you brother for telling the truth."

Zhang Sheng stood up and walked to the desk, spread out some paper and ink, and dipped the brush heavily before saying, "Over the past six years, my Dao Power was sealed, allowing me to calmly observe the world. Though I had some insights, it's thanks to the various Gate Valves today that this piece was possible."

As Zhang Sheng started writing, the tip of his brush barely touched the paper when suddenly, a ghostly white light appeared outside the window, and a lightning bolt streaked across the night sky!

Unperturbed, Zhang Sheng's brush danced like a dragon or snake, and in a blink, he had written an extensive technique. With each character inked, his face grew paler, soon as white as paper. Only halfway through, another thunderclap roared in the sky, a thick bolt of lightning struck directly above the protective Formation of Red Tide Sect. The entire sect shook, almost dispersing the protective Formation from the force of this natural power!

Zhang Sheng grunted, blood dripping from his nose.

"Brother! Your injury..." Sun Yu exclaimed in alarm, reaching out to help. But halfway through, he retracted his hand as if shocked.

Zhang Sheng seemed not to notice and continued writing. After an unknown length of time, he finally finished with a press and a hook, completing the last character.

A drop of fresh blood fell, blossoming into a blood flower on the paper, with specks of starlight shimmering within it.

Seeing that Zhang Sheng had no intention of concealing it, both Sun Yu and Daoist Fu Feng looked towards the blood-stained technique on the paper. Sun Yu glanced at it and the opening four characters stung his eyes.

Heaven and Earth Madman!

As a more advanced cultivator, Daoist Fu Feng continued reading. Each word, each sentence struck his spirit like thunder, ruthlessly assaulting his mind. After reading just a portion, he couldn't help but say, "Is this a Luck Secret Technique? But it's so overwhelmingly fierce, who could possibly wield it?"

"Yuan'er can."

Sun Yu said, "This... surely not, right?"

Daoist Fu Feng also said, "I have met Wei Yuan, truly a brilliant and incomparable talent, but to wield such a Heaven and Earth Secret Technique seems still beyond his reach. Brother, this secret technique is unparalleled and magnificent, but just because it's so, any slight deficiency in Luck, any slight mishandling, would be a huge calamity leading to death and dispersion of one's path!"

Zhang Sheng extended a finger, and a strand of black air slowly emerged from the jade-like tip. As soon as this black air appeared, both Sun Yu and Daoist Fu Feng's faces drastically changed, as if they saw their own instant demise! The feeling was so real that, despite their firm Dao Hearts, they involuntarily trembled.

Zhang Sheng said, "This was what sealed my Dao Power for six years. With it, Yuan'er can surely wield 'Heaven and Earth Madman.'

Looking at the strand of black air on Zhang Sheng's fingertip, Daoist Fu Feng was both envious and fearful, saying, "What kind of Luck is this? Why have I never heard of it before?"

Sun Yu, however, said, "This is a treasure of Heaven and Earth! If brother used it himself, his cultivation would soar within three years, and attaining a Dharma Image would be as easy as reaching into a bag! Using it to enable someone else to wield a Luck Secret Technique seems too much of a waste."

"It's merely an external object, what is there to regret?" Zhang Sheng picked up the technique and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.

Sun Yu felt a sudden void at his waist; the waist badge that granted him free access was gone without a trace. Daoist Fu Feng looked in the direction where Zhang Sheng's figure had vanished, deep in thought, and said, "Brother truly cares deeply for this disciple."

Sun Yu asked, "Brother, what do you plan to do tomorrow?"

Daoist Fu Feng gave a wry smile and said, "I had some hesitations before, but having seen 'Heaven and Earth Madman,' tomorrow I shall do my utmost."

"Aren't you afraid of those families blaming you?"

Daoist Fu Feng spread his hands and said, "At worst, I will just return the collected Immortal Silver and compensate with all my possessions; it's merely a loss of money. On one hand, we have the creator of the 'Heaven and Earth Madman,' and on the other, someone capable of using it. My immortal path is still long, how should I choose? Do I even need to think about it?"

Sun Yu then said sarcastically, "People from your Heavenly Mechanism Palace are indeed all slick, always riding the fence!"

Daoist Fu Feng laughed heartily, not the least bit ashamed, and said, "This is called acting in accordance with Heaven! It's impossible to explain this to you folks from Xuanming Palace, a bunch of geomancy fools. Those who do not share the same path do not scheme together!"

Sun Yu, unable to do anything about Daoist Fu Feng's thick skin, had to say, "Then I shall rely on my fellow disciple tomorrow."

Daoist Fu Feng said, "Brother, rest assured! The martial test values most how one performs in the evaluation, and tomorrow you will see this brother's methods!"

However, after saying this, Daoist Fu Feng suddenly remembered the 'Heaven and Earth Madman' and his expression changed as he said, "Perhaps... I won't be needed tomorrow."

Sun Yu, contemplating something, suddenly sighed and said, "What a pity indeed!"

Daoist Fu Feng, empathizing deeply, felt pain in all his flesh and said, "Indeed, a pity!"

Within the dormitory, many candidates busily came and went, uniting and strategizing for the last stretch of effort before tomorrow's martial test.

Wei Yuan, as usual, kept his door tightly shut, focusing on comprehending the Southern Vermilion Bird Unspecified Technique, occasionally standing up to circulate it through his body. Although the technique states that the Luck Secret Technique should not be overused, Wei Yuan found that no matter how much he used it, that invisible mass inside his body, the Luck as mentioned in the technique, remained unaffected. He still had as much as he had initially, and it was unclear what exactly the Southern Vermilion Bird Unspecified Technique was drawing from. The technique also specifically noted a great consumption, yet Wei Yuan was unclear where this consumption lay.

While engrossed in his practice, Wei Yuan suddenly felt something and turned around, only to see Zhang Sheng appearing in the room at some point.

He hurriedly greeted, asking, "Master, what brings you here?"

Zhang Sheng had actually been observing him for a while and said, "You've cultivated the Southern Vermilion Bird Unspecified Technique well, but the current situation has changed. You must now switch to this technique."

Zhang Sheng handed 'Heaven and Earth Madman' to Wei Yuan, then a wisp of black air floated from his fingertip and said, "This Outer Heaven Destiny once sealed my Dao Power for six years, extremely fierce and overbearing, but it's perfect for initiating 'Heaven and Earth Madman.' I will give it to you now. Soon, you will experience soul rending, body burning, and chaotic heart pain amongst various agonies. You must endure."

Wei Yuan nodded and said, "Disciple is not afraid of pain."

Zhang Sheng, knowing Wei Yuan's character, then pressed a finger to Wei Yuan's forehead and transferred the wisp of destiny into him.

Wei Yuan only felt a chill entering his brain, which then diffused into his limbs and torso, disappearing like a drop of water into the sea.

Under Zhang Sheng's concerned watch, Wei Yuan simply stood there, and nothing happened.

"Is there a soul tearing?"

"Is there a heart burning by Karma Fire?"

"Is there any confusion arising? Is the Heavenly Demon dancing?"

Zhang Sheng asked several times, and Wei Yuan shook his head each time.

Zhang Sheng had anticipated many possible outcomes, even prepared to protect Wei Yuan's Primordial Spirit at all costs in a crisis, but he never expected that nothing would happen.

But no matter what, nothing happening was always good. Although Zhang Sheng was puzzled, he set it aside for the time being and started explaining 'Heaven and Earth Madman' to Wei Yuan.

This Luck Secret Technique integrated Zhang Sheng's experienes and sensations from walking in the mortal world over the past six years as a mortal, inspired by the various injustices he encountered, melding the ruthlessness of heaven and earth and wild fierceness into one furnace. It had substantial requirements for Luck and could easily affect the caster's temperament and mind.

Zhang Sheng explained in detail until Wei Yuan understood it completely.

Wei Yuan, with his early enlightenment, listened to Zhang Sheng say that the situation had changed but had not specified what exactly changed, so he did not ask. Only after Zhang Sheng finished teaching 'Heaven and Earth Madman' did Wei Yuan finally ask, "What am I to do in tomorrow's martial test?"

Zhang Sheng, standing with his hands behind his back, said, "Flatten them for your master!"

"Who are 'they'?"

"Everyone!"

Leaving the dormitory, Zhang Sheng's face had already turned as pale as paper, with a slight scent of blood beginning to emanate from his nose. Zhang Sheng had already been injured from advancing stages prematurely, and creating 'Heaven and Earth Madman' had further drawn upon the heavenly mechanism, adding injury upon injury. At this point, he was somewhat unable to hold on. After instructing Wei Yuan, Zhang Sheng immediately returned to his room to meditate. Tomorrow morning, the master and disciple each faced a great battle.

In the early morning hours, Immortal Mountain became bright again; several thirty-feet-tall immortal cranes circled around a distant Immortal Peak, while a group of candidates had already left the dormitory, urged by Daoists to head to the testing hall.

Inside the hall, several hundred meditation cushions had been placed, with each of the four giant pillars coiled around by a large snake, its glassy eyes lazily watching the candidates enter the hall.

As usual, all the candidates saw their numbers and promptly took their seats.

The elder Daoist stood at the top, struck a small bronze bell next to him vigorously, and then announced in a loud voice, "The martial test, begins!"