Volume One: The Dragon Awakens in the Wild Chapter Eighty-Eight: Spring Is in Full Bloom

“…I did not previously allow you to cultivate the spells in the appendix to the Celestial Dipper Scripture because you understood nothing. You had only just begun on the path, like an infant learning to walk. You could not afford the slightest distraction and had to proceed step by step. Now that you have entered the gate of the art, and your first Seven Slaughter Sword Aura move, Martyr’s Strike, can be said to have achieved a modest measure of success, I may as well explain to you the method of cultivating the Celestial Dipper Shield, as well as the insight behind Martyr’s Strike…”

In the reed pavilion beside the pond, Yu Ye stood leaning against the railing.

The wind of early spring brushed past him as he gazed far off at the vast dimness of the mountains and near at hand upon the quiet charm of fields and homesteads, savoring a rare stillness. Though he appeared at ease, a trace of gravity rested on his face. Within the sea of his consciousness, the Flood Dragon Shade’s voice kept sounding without pause.

The last time he had returned wounded, she had been furious, yet powerless to do anything about him. She could only patch what he lacked and prepare against dangers ahead, lest the fool of a boy suffer another loss.

“The Celestial Dipper Scripture has nine great realms, and each has spells appended to it. Fasting needs no further explanation; now, even if you go ten days or half a month without food, hunger will not break you. As for the Celestial Dipper Shield, it is a spell unlocked only in the middle stage of Qi Refinement. The fourth, fifth, and sixth levels of Qi Refinement belong to that middle stage. Though you are only at the third level, your cultivation and magical power rival those of the fifth. To count you among the middle stage is not entirely unreasonable. The Celestial Dipper Shield is a body-protecting art, yet it differs from true qi body protection. The latter arises from true qi and is an innate divine faculty; the former arises from spellcraft and magical power. Their might cannot be mentioned in the same breath…”

On the wooden table in the pavilion sat a jug of wine and a heap of dried mountain fruits.

Ever since Tianbao and Renliang had learned Yu Ye’s identity, whenever he fell silent or sat alone, they would keep far away, lest they disturb his peace.

The brothers had taken it upon themselves to kill Hong’an. Yu Ye had only shown a flicker of surprise and said nothing more. If Hong’an had been left alive, there would have been nowhere to keep him; and should anything unforeseen occur, it might bring disaster upon an entire household, even an entire clan. Yet in Hong’an’s eyes, Yu Ye was no better than a despicable rogue, a petty man who broke his word.

He had first become bound to the brothers through wine, and so in the days they spent together, wine was naturally never absent.

Yu Ye turned and sat at the table, lifting the bowl in one hand. He took a light sip. Sourness, heat, and bitterness rushed straight into his mouth, harsh enough to make him frown; yet once he exhaled the fumes, a thread of sweetness remained upon tongue and lips, lingering long and inviting endless aftertaste.

The flavor of sweetness after bitterness was like the harvest of wasted years, like life’s own consolation. That scorching pungency was like thunder over a level lake; once it burst forth in violence, the clamor receded and all beneath heaven returned to quiet. Ah—through the vast world, I alone drift on in solitude, while one clear river reflects the bright moon.

So this was the delight of drinking?

“…The first move of the Seven Slaughter Sword Art is Martyr’s Strike. What is Martyr’s Strike? It draws upon the meaning of meeting death head-on, of offering one’s own body to death, of perishing together in utter resolve. Once the sword is loosed, it must kill; ghosts and gods alike are shaken. If even the first move is so fierce, the remaining six may be imagined. The immortal sects also possess arts of sword aura, but the Seven Slaughter Sword Aura is unique. It is too vicious, too overbearing, too terrifying in power, and for a time it was even lost to the world. That you obtained the sword art was fortune. How far you may cultivate it depends upon destiny…”

What, then, was fortune?

Perhaps in order to preserve the remnant soul within the flood dragon core and save the life of an ignorant youth, the Flood Dragon Shade had, in her urgency, passed on the Seven Slaughter Sword Art. Now she seemed to regret it a little—or perhaps to fear it—for the power of the Seven Slaughter Sword Aura and the breadth of its ancient renown far surpassed anything that youth could once have imagined.

“…To cultivate the Celestial Dipper Shield, you must first understand how the realms of the Celestial Dipper Scripture are divided. The scripture has nine great realms: first, Qi Refinement; second, Foundation Establishment; third, Core Formation; fourth, Nascent Soul; fifth, Spirit Transformation; sixth, Void Refinement; seventh, Body Union; eighth, Union with the Dao; ninth, Great Ascension. Each realm is further divided into early, middle, and late stages, making nine minor levels in all, for a total of eighty-one lesser realms. Only when nine times nine return to one may one attain the realm of Great Ascension. Does your head ache just hearing it? Are you frightened, thinking the road of cultivation stretches without end? Hmph, I think so too. Eighty-one lesser realms are like a towering mountain ten thousand zhang high, enough to make anyone draw back. That is the price of an easy beginning…”

One bowl of wine stirred the heart with fierce feeling; two more dried mountain fruits added another shade of sweet and tart. The dim world before him seemed richer in color, and even the birdsong riding the wind carried a note of gladness.

Dusk deepened, and still Yu Ye sat alone in the pavilion, wine in hand, facing the wind.

“…The easier the beginning, the harder the latter stages. Such is the law. But you are an exception. The flood dragon core within your body is the equal of a golden core or a nascent soul. When you are weak, it will inevitably absorb your vital essence and suppress your progress. As you gradually grow stronger, however, you will eventually refine it and make it your own. When that day comes, the advancement of your cultivation will far surpass that of ordinary men…”

Night descended, and lamps were lit throughout the manor.

A single lantern led the Tianbao brothers across the wooden walkway toward him.

“Third Brother, I have instructed everyone in the household not to come near this place. Have you been at ease these past two days?”

Yu Ye rose to greet them and smiled as he nodded.

Tianbao hung up the lantern, while Renliang pulled two jars of wine and a food box from under his arm.

With easy familiarity, Yu Ye took the wine jars and poured three bowls.

The three sat down at the table. Their bowls clinked together. “Drain it!” they shouted in unison, then emptied them at one gulp, set down the bowls, seized the braised meat, and ate with relish. As they drank and feasted, each began speaking in turn—

“On the eighth day of the fifth month will be the day of the ceremony at North Qi Mountain. There is only a little over a month left. We three brothers should discuss what to do next.”

“I’ve heard a great many men of the Dao and people from the martial world have already set out for North Qi Mountain. The inns in North Qi Town are full to bursting.”

“Damn them, a pack of weathercocks currying favor with the powerful!”

“The times are stronger than men. No one dares offend those cultivators. Once the immortal sect is established on North Qi Mountain, it will surely dominate the whole Great Marsh.”

“Hah! If they want to dominate the Great Marsh, have they asked my brothers for leave?”

“Didn’t Elder Brother say he was quitting the martial world…”

“I did say I was quitting it, but the martial world can’t do without me. Enough idle talk—let’s speak of business. I’ve already learned the order of the ceremony. Three days before the eighth of next month, North Qi Mountain will open its gates to receive guests. On the morning of the eighth, at the Hour of the Rabbit, all parties will head to Black Tortoise Hall. At the Hour of the Dragon, the auspicious time for the grand immortal ceremony arrives. If we can ruin that ceremony, we can spoil those bastards’ plans.”

“And how do we ruin it?”

“Well… set a fire and burn the place to hell!”

“You make it sound easy, Elder Brother. There will be many masters of the immortal sect there. If we are exposed, the consequences will be unthinkable!”

“Third Brother…”

Yu Ye tossed aside a gnawed bone, drank a mouthful of wine, then looked at Tianbao and Renliang and slowly exhaled the fumes.

The brothers knew of his enmity with the cultivators of Qi Province, and they knew of his intention to seek revenge. They had all along been helping him gather news from every quarter. But as for what exactly he planned to do, they knew nothing.

“My thanks to you both for your help. I will go alone to North Qi Mountain…”

Yu Ye had already made up his mind to go there alone. Bringing the Tianbao brothers with him would make things inconvenient and might drag innocents into harm’s way. Yet before he had finished speaking, a furious roar interrupted him—

“Third Brother, do you take Tianbao for a man to be shamed? To deal with those unscrupulous outsider priests and save our martial world from fire and flood is the duty of men like us. We are honor-bound to it. How dare you disregard the code of the martial world and trample the hot blood in my breast?”

“Elder Brother speaks true! The two of us have been running about for more than a month, and not for your sake alone, Third Brother, but for the Great Marsh, for the whole martial world. No matter what you decide, Elder Brother and I will never stand by with folded arms!”

Yu Ye was left speechless.

He lifted his bowl and drained it in one swallow, then rose and gave them a deep bow. Turning, he strode out of the pavilion, raised one hand, and called aloud, “Then together to North Qi Mountain!”

At once the brothers’ anger vanished. They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“Haha! We three brothers shall go together to North Qi Mountain!”

…

To return to North Qi Mountain was no small matter.

To bring Tianbao and Renliang along added yet more uncertainty. But whether for brotherhood or for the code of the martial world, he could not refuse them. Besides, this martial world still belonged to the two brothers; he himself was fated to be no more than a passing traveler.

Still, now that the winds had risen and the storm surge was on its way, it was only natural to prepare in advance.

Inside the guest chamber.

Yu Ye sat upright on the couch, eyes half-closed, as though in meditation. Yet his hands moved continuously, forming one seal after another, tracing the patterns of incantations and spells.

As he busied himself with cultivation, the Flood Dragon Shade busied herself with warning him of the dangers to come.

“…As for the Qi Province cultivator you captured alive—Hong’an, the one Tianbao and his brother later killed—I have inferred the following from his words. First, Nanshan and Bu Yi’s journey to the Great Marsh was the work of the Cloud River Immortal Sect alone. Since the other immortal sects knew nothing of it, this shows that the Cloud River Immortal Sect had its scruples, perhaps because of some treasure from overseas. The details remain unknown… Second, that treasure came from Yan Province, and thus it must be connected to the immortal sects of Yan Province. If you wish to uncover the truth, wait for another fortunate chance in days to come… Third, as you said, Nanshan and Bu Yi are not on good terms. The wandering cultivators and sect disciples they brought with them have long harbored grievances against one another as well. Nanshan’s haste in founding an immortal sect is an act of reckless ambition; he may not obtain what he desires after all. And now, with every faction gathered at North Qi Mountain, many come merely to watch and weigh the situation. Act according to circumstances, and you may yet accomplish something. But you must promise me one thing: do not be foolish and stake your life recklessly. Whatever happens, you must withdraw whole and alive. Do you hear me…”

“I hear.”

Yu Ye answered aloud, and suddenly his hands, which had been weaving spell seals, spread apart.

In that same instant, his cross-legged body slowly lifted into the air, and a mass of white radiance enveloped him. As the glow flashed into being, a faint azure dragon shadow emerged within it.

Yu Ye opened his eyes in surprise. “This is the Celestial Dipper Shield…”

To his astonishment, the Flood Dragon Shade was equally startled. “This… the magical power feels the same, so it must indeed be the Celestial Dipper Shield, yet it is utterly unlike the one I know. Ah…” After a moment of puzzled silence, she suddenly understood. “It must be the power of the flood dragon core. Just as it altered your protective true qi, so too has it transformed the Celestial Dipper Shield. Its might may even surpass the original!”

“If that is so, then it is not bad at all.”

“The name Celestial Dipper Shield no longer fits. Shall we call it… the Heavenly Dragon Shield? What do you think?”

“Heavenly Dragon Shield.”

“Your Heavenly Dragon Shield has already reached a modest level of mastery, though it took half a month. What do you intend to do next?”

Yu Ye cast one final spell seal, and the radiance vanished. Taking advantage of the motion, he extended his legs and drifted lightly down to the ground. After steadying himself, he flicked his sleeve, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced to the window.

Outside, spring had already grown rich and full.

“There are still half a month left before the eighth day of the fifth month. I intend to set out ahead of time and leave tomorrow for North Qi Mountain…”