The deepest part of the Shinto is called Paradise. The temple of the ancient Dongyue God is in that Paradise.
According to legend, there are natural treasures and opportunities left by the ancient gods there. If you get any of them, you will be able to ascend to the Tao in no time.
Of course, these are just rumors. Very few people have actually entered Paradise and returned alive, and there are many different opinions about what is inside the park.
Unlike the Sea of Lust and the Path of Death, the outside world has long been circulated with the monsters and ghosts that will be encountered in them, as well as some ways to deal with them, so people can prepare in advance.
"I think it might be a place with fairy music and beautiful scenery, where people would linger there and never want to leave?" Miao Hong'er pondered as she walked.
"Judging from the name, there might be some confusion, so you must be more careful," said Fu Yun.
Mu Xue asked, "What is the state of delusion?"
"After we open the Huangting, we will have our own world. In this world, we can call the wind and rain at will, and control the rotation of the sun and the moon. We are like gods, and everything is within our thoughts." Fu Yun patiently explained to her,
"When one's cultivation reaches a certain level, everything in Huangting will be as real as it is. Once you are there, you can get whatever you want, and you will be satisfied with everything you desire. Life is blissful and there is nothing more to ask for. If you are not careful, you will be addicted to this illusion and unable to extricate yourself. Some people even choose to live here for their entire lives and never want to return to reality."
Mu Xue: “Ah.”
Miao Honger continued, "So after we entered the sect, our master repeatedly reminded us not to rush to improve our realm, but to focus on training ourselves and keeping our minds. He was afraid that even if our cultivation level improved, our state of mind would not keep up."
She licked her lips. "Take me for example. If I were in Huangting, I could do whatever I wanted. I could lie there every day without doing anything, and all the delicacies from the land and the sea would be delivered to my mouth one after another. Hahaha, think about it, I might really not come out."
"The same thing happened in the Impermanence Realm of the Dead Path before. But what he showed us was the most miserable state in one's heart, which is relatively easier to break free of." Miao Honger suddenly remembered and asked everyone, "By the way, what did you see in the Impermanence Realm of the Dead Path?"
Mu Xue was vague, "I just... saw some unhappy things in my childhood."
Fu Yun coughed and said nothing.
Cen Qianshan raised his hands to cover his eyebrows and turned his face away.
Miao Honger saw that no one was willing to talk, so she had to spread her hands and said, "I guess I'm the worst. I walked alone in the desert for a long time, thirsty, hungry and tired.
I finally saw a pool of mellow wine in the desert, but no matter how hard I bent, I couldn't get a drink from it. In front of me was a round table filled with delicious food, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach it. I was so sad that I woke up crying. "
As Shintoism became more widespread, buildings inhabited by humans became fewer and fewer.
Appearing nearby are the remains of an altar used to worship gods in ancient times. On the collapsed walls of the ruins remain huge and primitive reliefs and obscure ancient runes.
There are caves of various sizes carved out on the stone walls of the surrounding mountains. The caves are painted with murals of various gods and demons, and are covered with cliff carvings of various strange statues.
And those ghosts and gods that were previously wandering around in the form of shadows began to become substantial as the Shinto approached.
They still had those empty and lifeless delicate faces as they drifted slowly across the wilderness.
But you must be extremely careful and stay away from them. If you accidentally step into their perception range, those dull faces will instantly turn into furious expressions, and they will rush over and launch a crazy attack.
A headless figure as tall as a mountain was walking towards them from a distance, and every step he took shook the earth.
The huge noise echoed in the deserted wilderness, scaring away a group of wild beasts, which fled in all directions.
Everyone hid behind the stone wall of an altar, holding their breath and watching the huge feet of the headless god raised high, crushing one forest after another, leaving behind one huge footprint after another, and slowly moving away.
Mu Xue was sure that the tall demon god had not discovered them, so she breathed a sigh of relief and just walked out of the stone wall.
A pale and strange face turned around from the other side of the stone wall.
He just happened to bump into Mu Xue face to face.
She was a very beautiful woman, with beautiful eyebrows and long hair, wearing colorful clothes, standing on auspicious clouds, holding a glittering golden basket in her hands, like a fairy who flew into the world from an ancient mural.
But her skin was pale with a porcelain texture, her face was stiff, and her eyes were dark and lifeless. She didn't look like a living person, but rather like a clay or porcelain sculpture on an altar.
The strange woman tilted her head and looked at Mu Xue in mid-air, and let out a soft "hmm".
Cen Qianshan pushed Mu Xue behind him and drew his sword to meet the enemy.
The long blade was frost-soaked, leaving a blood-red mark on the blade edge. The blade shadow swelled like a bloody crescent moon, and two blades flew towards the strange-looking enemy.
The man raised his arm to block, but his arm was cut off by the knife. However, no blood flowed from the broken arm, which remained smooth and white as porcelain.
Even though her arm was broken, her expression remained unchanged as she flew backwards on auspicious clouds, holding up the flower basket with one arm.
The flower basket emitted golden light, which seemed inconspicuous. No matter whether it landed on a hard stone wall or a thick ground, it could silently make a finger-thick hole there. If it hit a person, it would probably pierce a hole in the person on the spot.
Miao Honger quickly rolled Mu Xue to the side. There were several blood marks on her hands and face, but she first confirmed whether Mu Xue was safe.
Along the way, they have encountered several such battles. Every time, Mu Xue became the first person to be protected. She felt that she was not able to display her full combat ability.
She had no choice but to prepare water and medicine to play a logistical role after the war.
The battle ended quickly under the cooperation of Cen Qianshan and Fu Yun's swords, and the strange statue that was chopped into several pieces was scattered on the grass. The broken face fell quietly in the weeds, still blinking and looking at the sky.
It didn't take too long for the fragments to slowly come together and return to their original appearance.
Cen Qianshan stepped on the flower basket and cut it into pieces that were not so easy to restore, and sheathed the knife. When he looked up, he saw Mu Xue busy bandaging her senior sister's wound.
She lowered her head, so attentive and serious, with a look of concern and tenderness on her little face, and she disinfected the wound and stopped the bleeding with swift movements.
Miao Honger looked at the bandaged wound on her arm and praised: "Our Xiaoxue is really capable. She does everything very well at such a young age. She bandaged the wound as if she had done it countless times."
Mu Xue smiled embarrassedly.
She doesn't look like Master at all. Cen Qianshan thought a little aggrievedly, when has Master ever treated others so gently
Her passionate gaze has always been focused on the world of weapon refining. If there is anything else, it is only directed at herself.
While setting up camp and resting, Mu Xue and Miao Honger set up a stove on the shore, while Cen Qianshan and Fu Yun caught fish in the stream.
The setting sun dyed half of the stream red, and under the sparkling water, fish were swimming freely.
Cen Qianshan was standing in the stream, holding a sharpened bamboo pole, staring at the fish swimming in the water, and chatting with Fu Yun seemingly nonchalantly: "In our place, a child as young as Xiaoxue would not be accepted as a disciple unless he is an orphan."
Fu Yun happened to catch a fish, and lifted the lively fish out of the water. He answered him casually, "It's not like that in our fairy world. Children over six years old with excellent qualifications are often selected to join the sect. Xiaoxue's parents are still alive and occasionally come to the sect to visit her."
Cen Qianshan's brows twitched slightly, his arm moved, and he accurately caught a big fish with one rod into the water.
When she came out of the ghost gate, the woman was in tears and murmured that she had seen her deceased mother.
Her parents are still alive.
"Then... it seems that Xiaoxue has not been in your Guiyuan Sect for long?"
"It wasn't long, just a few months. I didn't allow her to come here, but she was disobedient and followed me quietly."
Just a few months? Two months ago, the purple-gold dragon-patterned chime summoned the master's soul.
I see.
It’s you, it’s really you.
Cen Qianshan's arm, wrapped in a white bandage, remained motionless, allowing the black fish, with a strong desire to survive, to splash stream water all over his head and face.
On the shore, Mu Xue finished lighting the fire and looked up to see her senior sister Miao Honger leaning against a tree stump reading a book.
"Tsk tsk, although there are some demon cultivators who value loyalty and righteousness, there are still many who are heartless and disloyal." Miao Hong'er didn't know what she saw, and she muttered, "They took advantage of people and tarnished their innocence, and then left them alone. It's really a scumbag."
Mu Xueqi asked, "Senior Sister, what are you talking about?"
Miao Honger closed the book, and Mu Xue found the cover of the book very familiar.
"I found it under the bed in the room we stayed in last time. I don't know who threw it there." Miao Honger smiled at Mu Xue embarrassedly, "You can't read this book yet. It's about a demon cultivator named Mu Xue who eats from the bowl but keeps his eyes on the pot."
"Do you know what this sentence means?" Miao Hong'er closed the book and made a circle. "It's like there is a pot of delicious lobster balls on the table. One is not enough for everyone, but someone already has one in his bowl, which is fresh, fragrant and delicious. But he only takes a bite and throws it away, thinking about the one in the pot again. Do you think this person is hateful?"
Mu Xue covered her face, "Damn it, this person is too hateful."
There was a faint ripple in the cool stream, and Cen Qianshan and Fu Yun exchanged glances.
Sure enough, not long after, several huge fish monsters suddenly jumped out from the bottom of the water, opened their big mouths with sharp teeth, and bit the two people standing on the bank of the stream.
The frost blade flashed, and two crescent-shaped wind blades crossed and cut open the fish's belly.
At the same time, the fangs of another big fish were in front of him. Cen Qianshan, who should have been able to avoid it calmly, stopped for some reason and watched the sharp teeth pierce his arm.
The battle in the water ended easily. In an instant, the streamside was filled with a huge fish carcass.
Cen Qianshan walked back to the campfire and sat down in silence. His bloody arm rested on his knees, and no one could fail to see it.
Mu Xue came over with a medicine box in her arms, "Why are you so careless? Can I pack it for you?"
Although Xiaoshan didn't say anything, at least he didn't pull his hand back with resistance like he did last time. He sat there and moved his arm slightly, and took the initiative to raise his bleeding arm.
The slender fingers stained with blood trembled slightly when Mu Xue touched them.
Mu Xue took his hand and first removed the bandage that had been wrapped around his arm, revealing the skin covered with countless cross-shaped scars.
Mu Xue couldn't help but frown, and asked while cleaning the wound: "What's the matter with these scars?"
"My master once taught me that if you keep many things in your mind, they will fade away over time and you will gradually forget them. If you want to remember something, you must record it somewhere else." He didn't look at Mu Xue, his eyes fell on his toes.
"Every time I try to gather my master's spirit, I leave a mark like this on my arm. This way, no matter how long time passes, I will never forget it."
Mu Xue paused in bandaging the wound.
Cen Qianshan turned his head and leaned over to look at her. His eyebrows were so close to her, and his amber eyes were immersed in a pool of autumn water, shimmering and shining.
Mu Xue could almost see through those clear eyes and saw ripples in her heart again.
"You... this doesn't seem worth it." Mu Xue avoided those captivating eyes.
"How can it not be worth it?" Cen Qianshan said softly, "If one day, Master sees this, maybe she will be a little touched and will look at me more and stop looking at her good brothers."
He himself may not know that being so handsome and speaking in such a tone close to someone's ear is too tempting.
Mu Xue began to lose focus. Did she really have any relationship with other men besides Xiao Shan? She thought of the book that her senior sister had just taken in her hand. In that book, "The Story of the Mu Family's Brutal Destruction of Disciples", she was clearly arranged. There were all kinds of people, such as the young master of the Yan family and the second young master of the Liu family.
Thinking back carefully, she could no longer remember what the young master that the head of the Yan family wanted to give to her looked like.
All I remember is that he was a delicate and handsome young man. I couldn't stand his delicate appearance, so I avoided him in time without even meeting him twice.
Of course, because he is a handsome and gentle man, I must be polite and not rude when facing him.
As for the young master of the Liu family, there is no need to mention him. He inherited the family tradition of the Liu family and his methods were somewhat inferior. Mu Xue turned against him and left at the banquet at that time, so there was no question of any entanglement between them.
Where did those good brothers mentioned by Xiaoshan come from
Could it be that there was something in the past that she had completely forgotten? Mu Xue was so confused by the thought.
Despite his injury, Xiaoshan still managed to prepare a pot of fresh, fragrant and smooth fish soup for everyone. After eating and drinking, the people continued their journey.
Some roads on the sacred road were not easy to walk on, with isolated stone beams and steep mountain roads everywhere. Whenever they came to these sections, Fu Yun would always pick up six-year-old Mu Xue and walk through these dangerous areas without any explanation.
The injured Miao Honger followed behind the team.
Cen Qianshan walked in front to lead the way. He remained silent and didn't even turn his head.
For some reason, Fu Yun looked a little unhappy after walking for a while today. He felt that his stomach was a little uncomfortable. Everyone drank the same fish soup for lunch, so why was he the only one who felt uncomfortable in his stomach
Although it was not serious, he was born into an aristocratic family and was too ashamed to speak of it in front of his friends because he strictly followed the etiquette.
All he could say was, "You go ahead, I'll follow."
Walking down from the top of the mountain, the terrain was very steep. Cen Qianshan, who went down first, turned around and raised his arm towards Mu Xue.
Does this mean that he is going to carry her along
Her senior brothers and sisters always liked to carry her and walk with her. Although she was not very willing, she got used to it.
But it would be too awkward if Xiaoshan were to hug her.
Xiaoshan looked at him with eager anticipation and uncontrollable excitement, and the fingers he raised in front of him were slightly uneasy.
The hand was wrapped in circles of white bandages.
Mu Xue immediately softened her heart.
Never mind, he doesn’t know who I am anyway.
She closed her eyes and let Cen Qianshan hold her in his arms.
A familiar smell came from Xiaoshan's body. It was the unique smell of a refiner who had spent many years at the smelting table and in the workshop. It brought with it the nostalgic scent of his old home, lingering in Mu Xue's nose.
Mu Xue put her little hands around Xiaoshan's neck, rested her face on his shoulder and looked back.
I did the same thing back then, letting the skinny little Xiaoshan sit on my arms and carrying him all the way back home in the heavy snow.
Now Xiaoshan's shoulders are strong and broad, and his steps are steady, but for some reason his neck is flushed.
Mu Xue felt sleepy as Xiaoshan's footsteps swayed, so she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. In her dream, she seemed to have returned to the past and heard Xiaoshan gently calling her "Master" in her ear.
When Fu Yun caught up, he wanted to take Mu Xue over.
"Since Brother Fu is ill, it would be fine for me to help him a little." Cen Qianshan avoided his arm calmly, but looked at Fu Yun with an inexplicable anger in his eyes.
"Since she is asleep, there is no need to wake her up."
The temperament of the demon cultivator is really like a barometer, sometimes good and sometimes bad, it is really unpredictable.
Fu Yun was completely confused.