Chapter Twenty-Two: Twenty-Four Beads Praying for Heavenly Rain

One day later, Ji Feichen returned to Chenghuang Mountain as promised.

It was the height of summer, with intense heat growing stronger day by day. Compared to yesterday, Chenghuang Mountain was even more scorching; even Ji Feichen’s demonic dragon physique was beginning to feel the strain.

Standing beneath the shade of a tree, he waited, but saw no sign of Jing Xuan.

“It seems I’ve returned earlier than him.” With nothing else to do, Ji Feichen began to explore the area surrounding Chenghuang Mountain out of idle curiosity.

From his deductions, this widespread drought was likely the work of a practitioner of the demonic path.

“Immortals cultivate spiritual energy; demons refine baleful energy. There are faint traces of scorching baleful energy lingering in the soil. I wonder which distinguished master of the demonic sect was here.”

It certainly couldn’t be someone from the Underworld Sect—their methods leaned toward the Nether River, and disasters of fiery nature were unrelated to them.

Ji Feichen felt no pressure, pondering aloud, “The Brilliant Sun Demon Sect? They wouldn’t dare—how could they trespass so boldly in the heart of the Central Plains? Unless it’s some lone demonic cultivator?”

The area was devastated, and Ji Feichen planned to summon a rain to show goodwill before leaving freely. Confronting the demon would be the last thing he wanted.

“Could it be a great demon seeking the Fruit of Human Immortality?” With the rise of the Mystical Sect and the flourishing of the Immortal Way, even demonic practitioners often used terms like Human Immortal and Earth Immortal to compare cultivation realms.

“My dear brother, you’ve returned so early,” Jing Xuan descended from the sky, handing a treasured pearl to Ji Feichen. “Here, take this.” The pearl glowed with emerald light, endless vapor rising from it.

Ji Feichen was astonished at the amount Jing Xuan had gathered. “So much, truly impressive.”

“I went far afield and borrowed water from several great lakes. Will it suffice?”

“It’s more than enough,” Ji Feichen replied. He too had collected a fair amount of water vapor on his way back. What he had gathered would suffice for a rain, but with Jing Xuan’s addition, the range could be greatly expanded—a deluge was possible.

“I originally planned to summon rain within a mile radius, but since you’ve prepared so much lake water, I’ll have to show some real skill!”

With that thought, Ji Feichen selected twenty-four centuries-old trees from Chenghuang Mountain, carved them into round wooden stakes, and inscribed each with a set of “Rain Summoning and Water Gathering Spells.”

Talismans and magical implements shared a common origin; Ji Feichen was treating the wooden stakes as implements for ritual. However, due to their material, each stake could only be used once, essentially serving as a unique rain-summoning charm.

“Brother, I’ll trouble you to bury these at twenty-four points,” Ji Feichen handed Jing Xuan a map he had just surveyed, marking the locations. The twenty-four points formed a perfect circle.

Jing Xuan carried the stakes to their positions, while Ji Feichen constructed a wooden platform and sat cross-legged upon it, raising the twenty-four treasured pearls.

The emerald light was pure and still, water clouds swirling and rolling. Within the brilliance, a black dragon seemed to writhe restlessly.

“The traces of baleful energy in my cultivation method are too apparent.” The profound baleful energy condensed into an ink-black dragon pattern; had Jing Xuan not ventured far, he might already have noticed something amiss.

Ji Feichen shook the pearls, and streams of golden virtue surged forth from them.

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Profound Yellow, so named for Heaven and Earth—Heaven is profound, Earth is yellow.

The Profound Yellow Virtue was the blessing Ji Feichen received for acting in harmony with Heaven and Earth. With virtue upon him, he could temporarily mask the traces of baleful energy.

Once Jing Xuan finished burying the twenty-four stakes, Ji Feichen summoned a blast of Water Divine Thunder: “Heaven and Earth without limit, move the waters of ten thousand streams! By the order of my will—come!”

Thunder struck the Emerald Tide Pearls, and all twenty-four radiated brilliant light. Each pearl revealed twelve talismanic symbols.

The Emerald Tide Pearls, a combined magical treasure, were even more favored by Ji Feichen than his Demonic Dragon Mace. Each pearl contained twenty-four formation diagrams, imprinted with the great dragon patterns derived from the ink dragon’s scales. With twenty-four pearls and twenty-four diagrams each, they amounted to over five hundred talismanic formations, allowing for countless possible combinations.

Hundreds of radiant talismans surged ceaselessly, stirring wind and cloud in the sky. In an instant, the heavens darkened, wild winds arose, and dense clouds billowed.

Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a torrential rain poured down.

“Go!” Ji Feichen unleashed another thunderbolt, sending the twenty-four pearls spinning away to the distant stakes. Each pearl infused its power into the stake, activating the rain-summoning spells and further intensifying the downpour.

Jing Xuan watched by the stakes as the rain thoroughly covered the territory encircled by the twenty-four stakes. Beyond them, the heat and sun remained unbroken.

“Only three miles?” The young man looked disappointed, then rallied, “Three miles is not bad—at least it eases the pressure somewhat.”

Raindrops, as large as beans, drenched the parched earth, as if the Milky Way poured down, rivers reversed their courses. For a full hour it continued, finally restoring some moisture to the land. When the rain ceased and clouds dispersed, the earth was refreshed, the heat subdued, and water once more filled wells and riverbeds.

Sweating profusely, Ji Feichen withdrew his power and began to recuperate. “This is the limit of my strength—I can do no more.”

In the unseen, Heaven and Earth bestowed Profound Yellow Virtue, which Jing Xuan and Ji Feichen shared.

It was merely a rain to avert disaster, so the virtue was sparse. Ji Feichen casually infused it into the Emerald Tide Pearls, and before Jing Xuan returned, quickly swallowed Star Dew to restore his energy.

Jing Xuan returned to thank him, while Ji Feichen, with a look of compassionate sorrow, appeared as a sage transcending the world—bathed in the glow of virtue: “Brother, the creatures here suffer. As proper heirs of the Mystical Sect, how can we stand idly by?”

Just as he shamelessly tried to claim credit for himself, a clear voice called from the sky: “Who summoned rain here just now? May I ask which fellow cultivator?”

Ji Feichen and Jing Xuan looked up to see two men and a woman arriving on cloud-cranes.

Jing Xuan was surprised, “People from the Tranquil Void Sect? And Sister Li?”

“Sister Li?” Ji Feichen gazed at the woman. She wore a pale blue dress, her appearance unremarkable, save for bright eyes and a peaceful, serene demeanor.

“Someone from the Virtue Sect!” The dragon soul in Ji Feichen’s spiritual palace leapt, and he instantly guessed her identity.

The Virtue Sect, one of the Thirty-six Heavenly Caverns, resided in the Pure Void and Vast Splendor Cavern, also direct heirs of the Supreme Way, cultivating the “Classic of Virtue.”

Every disciple began by reciting the “Classic of Virtue,” then copying it ten thousand times until they understood its mysteries and opened their spiritual palace.

It could be said that the Virtue Sect initially taught no method of energy cultivation, only requiring disciples to seek enlightenment from the “Classic of Virtue.” If enlightened, they entered the sect; if not, they left.

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Upon comprehending a thread of true virtue, all the copies of the “Classic of Virtue” from the past years would automatically merge into the spiritual palace, raising a Virtue Jade Palace. This method of refining the soul through writing was a unique “Talisman Storage Method” of the Mystical Sect. The Virtue Sect simply replaced special talisman storage with the “Classic of Virtue,” infusing essence, energy, and spirit into the text and forging the Virtue Jade Palace.

The Jade Palace was the dwelling place of the primordial soul, where thousands of virtuous texts were rearranged to form one’s own unique “Classic of Virtue”—the sect’s fundamental magical implement.

The three descended from their cloud-cranes. Li Jingxun beckoned, transforming the cranes into three paper birds, which she tucked into her book—the “Classic of Virtue.” That book was her life-bound treasure.

Within it were five thousand virtuous texts. When three thousand were refined, one could attain the Fruit of Human Immortality. Further distilling the talismanic texts and expressing one’s own understanding of the “Classic of Virtue” led to Earth Immortality. To achieve Heavenly Immortality, the “Classic of Virtue” must be refined into three hundred and sixty ultimate texts.

Constantly concentrated, ever more refined, until the five thousand texts were condensed into a single “Way” character. According to the Virtue Sect, this achievement of the ultimate character signified true attainment of the supreme Way—unfettered and eternal.

The two beside her were from the Tranquil Void Sect. Not long ago, Ji Feichen had visited the Cloud Market of Emerald Screen Mountain, which belonged to the Tranquil Void Sect—one of the Seventy-two Blessed Lands, venerating the Tranquil Void Master as founder.

Jing Xuan looked at the three, suddenly puzzled, “How did Sister Li come from the Virtue Sect?”

The Virtue and Supreme Purity Sects were called the Twin Supreme Sects, pillars of the Supreme lineage. Jing Xuan and Li Jingxun were acquainted.

“Brother Jing,” Li Jingxun stepped forward and explained, “I was traveling with several fellow disciples when we encountered this drought. We discussed plans for rain-summoning and demon-purging. Seeing someone summon rain here, we came specially to visit.”

Ji Feichen listened and inwardly felt uneasy. If these Mystical Sect people came to rescue, he might be at a disadvantage. He began to plot an escape, but Jing Xuan clapped his hands loudly, “Sister, you arrived at the perfect moment. We were troubled by our weakness and unable to combat the drought. If many fellow cultivators descended, it would be a blessing for all!”

“Brother, shall we join with the others and discuss plans for drought relief?”

Ji Feichen cursed Jing Xuan internally: Why drag me into your upright endeavors!

But his face remained thick-skinned, and he replied with righteous conviction, “Brother speaks truly. If we can quell this drought, what hardship would we fear?”

The two from the Tranquil Void Sect looked at Ji Feichen, noting the aura of virtue around him, and approached for conversation.

Jing Xuan smiled, “Although Brother Qinghong is a lone cultivator, he is also of our Supreme lineage. Let us address him as a fellow brother.”

In Jing Xuan’s eyes, the three thousand branches of the Supreme Way were one family. As long as one’s heart followed the righteous path and the will of Heaven, all were fellow cultivators.

Thus, after mutual introductions, the five journeyed together to the Mystical Sect’s encampment.

Within five hundred miles of Chenghuang Mountain, all were afflicted by drought. The disaster was first discovered by a Virtue Sect disciple, who summoned many fellow sect members to aid refugees. Additionally, nearby cultivators were invited to gather and discuss relief efforts.

Ji Feichen saw he had no chance to escape, and consoled himself: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If I can use this opportunity to infiltrate the Mystical Sect, it would be greatly advantageous. The Virtue Sect elders all pride themselves as men of virtue; if I act properly, they won’t trouble me directly.

The Mystical Sect’s encampment was on a barren mountain. As the saying goes, “A mountain is not lofty, but is sacred if inhabited by immortals.” Because cultivators had gathered, using great magic to grow flowers and trees, the mountain was now lush with greenery and blossoms, with a jade platform atop where a dozen cultivators were discussing drought relief.

As Ji Feichen and his companions arrived, his lips twitched—he spotted a familiar face among them: a white-clad youth with crossed legs, a fox’s tail wagging behind him, munching on candied beans and listening to the conversation with a smile.