CH 56

C56 – To be Benevolent Is to be Free

When Liu Yuan entered the cave, he coincidentally encountered Gu Chang, who frequently visited Ding Huan to bring food or engage in conversations with him, despite already acknowledging Liu Yuan as his master in front of others.

It was no surprise that Ding Huan had chosen Gu Chang as his inheritor from the start. Ding Huan possessed a keen judgment of character. Gu Chang’s companion was well-behaved and kind-hearted compared to his peers, likely due to his independent nature resulting from a humble upbringing.

Unfortunately, one’s personality can be influenced and altered by their surroundings and life experiences.

In the end, Gu Chang became a big villain in the game plot.

“Master!”

Seeing Liu Yuan approach, Gu Chang stood up and respectfully greeted him.

Liu Yuan walked over and nodded. He bowed to Ding Huan, who was still in meditation, and said, “Senior Ding.”

Ding Huan appeared even older than a few days ago. He resembled a piece of withered wood. The black mist behind him had subsided and was sealed by a golden light. It seemed devoid of vitality, except for his eyes, which continued to shine brightly with remarkable clarity.

In a raspy voice, Ding Huan spoke, “You’ve come at the right time. I have been recuperating in the past few days and have regained some of my strength. We must not waste any more time. I will teach you the remaining chapters.”

Although Liu Yuan had something to ask, upon seeing Ding Huan’s current state, he felt too embarrassed to speak. He simply nodded obediently and sat down cross-legged, focusing on learning the cultivation technique.

With Liu Yuan’s extraordinary perception, he could grasp it almost instantly upon seeing it. There was no need for memorization or prolonged learning.

At first, Ding Huan was also surprised, but later on, he seemed to comprehend something. The more he observed Liu Yuan, the more pleased he became. He treated Liu Yuan as a disciple who had fortuitously stumbled upon him by the roadside, gradually transforming him into a precious gem. The details of the cultivation technique were not overly intricate. Ding Huan imparted the knowledge to Liu Yuan gradually.

Despite the extensive content, the pace of instruction was exceedingly swift, with no breaks whatsoever. If an ordinary person were present, they would experience the sensation of staring at a chalkboard after waking up from a challenging math class.

However, Liu Yuan learned it with great interest.

It was only now that he realized the reason why learning had been so arduous: it was because he hadn’t been able to comprehend it. But when knowledge could be absorbed effortlessly, like a sponge soaking up water, learning became an enjoyable endeavor.

After six hours, Liu Yuan managed to cram the entire Jade Void Daoist Canon into his mind.

“It feels like there are hundreds of Oxford Dictionaries in my brain… Strange, it feels a bit bloated.”

Liu Yuan shook his head, contemplating that if he were to acquire such a vast amount of knowledge, he might either become mentally slow or transform into an Immortal Cultivation Forbidden Book Catalog in the future.

“This is my life’s accumulation. I hope that young friend will treasure the ten thousand years of inheritance of my Soaring Wisdom Sect. If one day, you gain something and accomplish great things, I have a bold request to make.”

Ding Huan’s gaze fell upon Liu Yuan, and with a sincere expression, he cupped his hands.

Liu Yuan promptly helped him up and nodded. “Senior, please tell me. To be frank, I obtained this cultivation technique for free, but I also understand its immense value. Naturally, I will study it diligently.”

Ding Huan expressed, “I hope that you can contribute your evolved skills to the Soaring Wisdom Sect’s Heritage Tablet. The reason why the Soaring Wisdom Sect has thrived for ten thousand years is because of the continuous enrichment of this Heritage Tablet. However, only the inner sect disciples have contributed their creations, and no outsider has ever done so.”

He let out a sigh and continued, “In that case, this Heritage Tablet cannot truly be considered a Heritage Tablet.”

Liu Yuan didn’t hesitate and nodded his head in agreement.

Ding Huan regarded Liu Yuan with a gaze that seemed to see a bright future, one that would bring illumination.

He once again cupped his hands and said, “The Heritage Tablet is a secret of the Soaring Wisdom Sect. It contains records of techniques and spells created by the sect. It grants you the privilege to peruse everything others have contributed to the tablet. Please forgive me for purposefully concealing it. I wanted to test if you were worthy of my trust. I never expected you to be the true righteous individual.”

Ding Huan displayed a self-deprecating expression. “This humble Daoist feels regretful within his heart.”

“…” Liu Yuan’s expression remained composed, and he could only respond with a greeting, “Senior praises me too much. I simply feel that I should not have received such a gift without reason.”

Naturally, he was unaware that Liu Yuan only knew about the special mechanism of the Soaring Wisdom Sect from the game.

Many players chose to join the Soaring Wisdom Sect. After all, the sect’s disciples appeared dashing and elegant, with their long robes billowing in the wind.

Alternatively, they could choose based on combat prowess. Venturing to the Twin Ridge Temple, renowned for its exceptional fighting strength, to learn powerful techniques like the Great Strength Vajra Palm was also a viable option.

However… whether they possessed strength or not was a matter of time. Whether they appeared handsome or not was a matter of appearance.

Consequently, there were numerous players who willingly sacrificed combat prowess in favor of joining the Jade Void Sect. Still, there were many individuals like Liu Yuan who opted not to join any sect and instead formed their own power, bringing together leaders from various families.

In the future, he would undoubtedly seek out the Soul Jewels mine that he would later claim as his own. However, for now, he decided to set it aside temporarily.

Inside the cave, Liu Yuan had fulfilled his mission and taught Gu Chang several basic mantras for him to memorize.

Gu Chang wore a bitter expression, resembling an elementary school student given the task of memorization. With a reluctant “oh,” he retreated to a corner, fully immersing himself in learning. This allowed Liu Yuan to satisfy his desire for teaching and secretly find solace in it.

Liu Yuan turned his eyes back and said, “Senior Ding.”

Ding Huan had expended all his strength over the past few days, and his weary eyes showed signs of fatigue. However, upon seeing that Liu Yuan had something to discuss, he maintained a kind smile and said, “Young friend, if you have anything to say, please do. I will do my utmost to help as long as I am able.”

In any case, his time was running out, so it was a good thing to preserve some benevolence. Moreover, Ding Huan saw limitless potential in Liu Yuan’s future.

Despite having imparted all his knowledge and teachings to Liu Yuan, Ding Huan and Liu Yuan still referred to each other as Fellow Daoists. This was Ding Huan’s request. When Liu Yuan expressed his intention to change their form of address, it carried symbolic significance. Ding Huan shook his head and stated, “With the talent of a young friend like you, your cultivation base will surpass mine sooner or later. I am unworthy to be your teacher, so I will humbly take the role of a senior for the time being.”

Liu Yuan cleared his throat and proceeded to disclose everything about the Wide Ocean Sect to Ding Huan. Of course, he added some embellishments to portray his actions as an effort to eradicate spies from the devil sect.

“So, it is like this…” After meditating for a while, Ding Huan commented, “But the forbidden technique of reincarnation is not something that a Nascent Soul cultivator like him can touch. Soul summoning is even more preposterous. The entrance to the Spirit Forest Palace has been sealed. I only possess limited knowledge from the senior cultivators of the past. I am unaware of when the Lord of the World of Spirits and Souls resumed the path of reincarnation. The entire World of Spirits and Souls vanished long ago without a trace. Once a soul enters, it cannot leave. It can only return to the cycle of heaven and earth and undergo reincarnation.”

Liu Yuan narrowed his eyes. “In other words, it is impossible for the blood sacrifice to summon souls?”

Ding Huan nodded. “Correct. As for his true intentions, we remain clueless. I could have made some divinations initially, but alas, my strength has waned… Sigh… My young friend, at such a tender age, you already possess the courage to fight against evil and uphold your Dao… As for this humble Taoist…”

Liu Yuan hurriedly said, “Senior has already helped me a lot.”

Even so, Ding Huan couldn’t shake off his guilt. He had actually transferred half of his remaining Spiritual Energy to Liu Yuan, causing his own lifespan to be further shortened, leaving him with just one day.

In the blink of an eye, he was on the verge of breaking through to the Foundation Establishing Stage. Without bidding farewell to Ding Huan, Liu Yuan first checked Gu Chang’s progress on the assigned task, confirming that he had successfully absorbed the Qi. Then, he asked Gu Chang to join Ding Huan for a chat.

This senior, who had remained single for many years, seemed to have a fondness for children. Leaving an inheritance behind after his life came to an end could be considered a desire fulfilled.

Liu Yuan sat silently in the cave, facing the elderly man who had exhausted his life force. He listened attentively as Ding Huan slowly shared his desires in life. There was only one word: “freedom.” However, it held captive a Heavenly Devil capable of wreaking havoc on the world. Each lock represented several hundred years of imprisonment. Although Ding Huan would spend the rest of his life confined to the cave, unable to move, he found great solace in his heart.

A day later, as Ding Huan was still engaged in lighthearted banter with Liu Yuan, he sensed his fate drawing near. Suddenly, he laughed out loud towards the sky. “Seeking benevolence… hahahaha… Freedom!”

Golden light enveloped his entire body, and cracks appeared on his form. The Heavenly Devil behind him let out a final roar and struggled, but it was futile. In an instant, Ding Huan’s decaying body shattered into pieces, turning into dust that filled the air.

Thus, the Five-legged Heavenly Devil, one of the most formidable experts and a vanguard of the Devil World invasion, met its quiet and heroic demise here.

Due to Liu Yuan’s arrow, the entire course of the game’s storyline had been dramatically altered.