bookbashuk Chapter 34 The Myriad Paths Weaving Machine
Chapter 34 The Myriad Paths Weaving Machine
2020 AD.
ancestral hall.
On the rustic wooden table, wisps of smoke curl from the incense burner.
The paper figure Zhao Yan sat upright on the table.
He recounted to the two men before him his past as a guest of the Three Truths:
"Then, that kid took me in as a guest elder of the three of you."
Zhou Liuqing and Duan Xinglian listened intently, even their breathing became soft.
Zhao Yan caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall out of the corner of his eye, and his paper-thin face lit up with joy, his voice becoming lighter:
"That's all, that's all, the time has come."
He turned to look at Bai Xiaoxiao standing to the side, his tone filled with barely concealed urgency:
"Xiaoxiao, open the door quickly, I need to see my senior sister."
Bai Xiaoxiao nodded with a smile.
She raised her right hand, and her magical power surged silently, drawing a mysterious rune in the void.
Deep inside the ancestral hall, the black banner hanging in the center trembled slightly, its surface shimmering with a dim light.
The paper figure of Zhao Yan gradually dissipated in the light, turning into a wisp of green smoke and disappearing into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
Zhou Liuqing watched the wisp of smoke disappear, her eyes already red-rimmed.
She sniffled, her voice trembling with tears:
"Senior Zhao Yan and Senior Shangguan Xiao are truly a loving couple."
She secretly glanced at her junior brother beside her.
Duan Xinglian's eyes were also slightly red, and his nose felt sore.
"What a tragic couple."
He sighed softly, then secretly glanced at his senior sister before quickly looking away before she noticed.
This senior Zhao Yan upheld righteousness during his lifetime and lived in harmony with his beloved wife.
Even in death, he remained devoted and unrepentant, battling demons, rescuing his beloved wife, his love entangled with others, a bond that transcended life and death.
As for what kind of demon they were fighting?
Don't worry about these minor details.
Tell me, is it demonic or not?
Thinking of this, Duan Xinglian suppressed the emotion in his heart and turned to look at Bai Xiaoxiao:
"Aunt Bai, how did Senior Shangguan Xiao come back to life?"
"And what about Senior Zhao Yan's current condition?"
"They weren't given this by the patriarch..."
Duan Xinglian got stuck; he didn't know what to say.
Bai Xiaoxiao smiled and shook her head:
"Senior Zhao Yan's current state is not a true resurrection, but rather a primordial spirit form."
"He can only communicate with us by possessing part of his primordial spirit in this paper figure."
"As for Senior Shangguan Xiao—"
She paused, her gaze becoming distant:
"This is all thanks to our later acquaintance with a disciple of Penglai named Haishan."
Upon hearing this name, Zhou Liuqing was speechless:
"Is that the Supreme Being of Penglai, hailed as the reincarnation of Jiang Mingzi?"
Bai Xiaoxiao nodded: "He is also a guest of my sect."
Oh, he's also the Supreme Being of Wangchuan Academy.
Zhou Liuqing felt her soul tremble.
Over the years, due to the decline of their family status, the Three Immortals have received considerable assistance from Penglai, both openly and secretly.
Zhou Liuqing always thought it was because of their good family relationship, with the two families being on good terms for generations.
I never expected there to be such a connection—the guest of the Three Truths is actually the Supreme Being of Penglai?
Goodness gracious, the connections I have with the three immortals are truly astounding.
How come I never knew this before?
Bai Xiaoxiao nodded with a smile and continued:
"Ah Hai spent several days studying with your Ancestor Xia Chuan and Ancestor Hao Guang."
"In the end, the Myriad Soul Banner was forged, and the remnant souls of Senior Zhao Yan and Senior Shangguan Xiao were incorporated into it."
It was gently nurtured using special supernatural powers.
She looked at the black banner deep inside the ancestral hall, her gaze gentle:
"Now, a hundred years have passed, and the remnant soul of Senior Shangguan Xiao has been restored."
"That's why I brought Senior Zhao Yan with me today."
Looking at Bai Xiaoxiao's smile, Duan Xinglian sighed slowly, his gaze sharpening.
"It's not that simple, Aunt Bai."
Zhou Liuqing was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Duan Xinglian did not answer immediately.
He stood up, walked to the banner of ten thousand souls, looked up at the dark banner, and remained silent for a moment.
Then, he turned around and his gaze fell on Bai Xiaoxiao's face:
"This secret shrine has never been recorded in our Three Truths lineage, not even my senior sister knows about it."
"It's a bit strange that Aunt Bai suddenly brought us here today."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
"But what really made me suspicious was Senior Zhao Yan."
"Since it's a meeting with his former beloved wife, given Senior Zhao Yan's personality, how could he possibly use a paper effigy to meet her?"
Duan Xinglian paused, his gaze becoming even sharper:
"Moreover, Aunt Bai said that he was only a part of his primordial spirit residing in this paper figure."
He narrowed his eyes and slowly uttered his conclusion:
"The only explanation is that something forced Senior Zhao Yan to come here in this way."
"Am I right, Aunt Bai?"
The ancestral hall fell silent for a moment.
Zhou Liuqing turned to look at Bai Xiaoxiao, her eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
Bai Xiaoxiao remained silent for a long time.
She looked into Duan Xinglian's clear eyes, and finally sighed, her tone tinged with helplessness and relief:
"In the end, I couldn't hide it from you, you perceptive little star-refiner."
She paused, her expression turning serious:
"Bringing Senior Zhao Yan here is not just to let him see his beloved wife again."
"More importantly, what we urgently need now is another great master."
"Because a major war is about to break out."
Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing exchanged a glance and said in unison:
"What happened?"
Bai Xiaoxiao did not answer directly.
She walked to the window, pushed open the carved wooden window, looked at the old locust tree in the yard, and watched the sunlight dance among the leaves.
Then, she slowly opened her mouth, but first brought up another seemingly unrelated topic.
"As you should know, a cultivator's practice can be roughly divided into three categories: talismans, treasures, and body."
"That is, talismans, magical treasures, and the Dharma body."
The two nodded.
These are the most basic things; the instructor taught them on the very first day of my training.
Looking at the two of them, Bai Xiaoxiao's gaze became distant, as if she were recalling something from a very, very long time ago:
"Excluding innate supernatural abilities that vary greatly from person to person."
The differences in the practice of these three methods reflect the differences in the strength of the seekers of the Dharma.
It is generally believed that there is no end to the practice of these three.
Therefore, there is no absolute ceiling to the ability of those who seek the Dharma.
Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing nodded again.
This is the consensus in the world of supernatural powers—
No one knows where the finish line is, because no one has ever reached it.
"However, a hundred years ago, there were three people in the supernatural world who were once thought to have reached the end of their cultivation."
Bai Xiaoxiao's voice was very soft, as if she were telling an ancient legend.
Duan Xinglian's eyes widened, his voice trembling: "How is this possible?"
His first reaction was disbelief.
A cultivator's practice is like studying, while combat is like taking an exam.
Sometimes, there are top students who consistently score higher than everyone else in every exam.
But no top student would ever claim to have mastered subjects like physics, mathematics, or chemistry.
That's absurd.
The path of a cultivator has no end; this has been a consensus for thousands of years.
Duan Xinglian could not imagine that anyone could make the entire world of supernatural powers believe that they had reached the end of a certain path.
Zhou Liuqing seemed thoughtful, a faint guess forming in her mind, her voice trembling slightly:
"Could it be... those three?"
Bai Xiaoxiao nodded, her tone serious and solemn, speaking each word clearly:
"At the end of the magic talisman, the Supreme Immortal Lord of All Laws, Gao Haoguang."
"At the end of all magical treasures, the Eternal Treasure Creator True Lord, Haishan is finished."
"At the pinnacle of the Dharma body, the Pure Yang Forbidden Law Heavenly Venerable, Xia Chuan."
Three honorific titles, three personal names.
Each one felt like a mountain, weighing heavily on Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing's hearts.
Bai Xiaoxiao smiled slightly as she looked at their shocked expressions:
"The six-character honorific title is merely an empty name."
"The only ones qualified to be given honorific titles are those who cultivate the Three Paths."
She held up three fingers, then bent them down one by one:
"Talisman! Treasure! Body!"
Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing were completely shocked.
They simply cannot imagine what level it would take for people to willingly bestow honorific titles upon others using the names of roads.
Even more terrifying is—
Why are they all disciples of my Three Truths Sect?
Duan Xinglian swallowed hard, his mind a complete mess.
Patriarch Xia Chuan, Patriarch Gao Haoguang, and Guest Elder Hai Shan—
The three people were recognized as having reached the end of their cultivation journey. Two of them were direct disciples of the Three True Ones, and the other was a guest of the Three True Ones.
My ancestors were so wealthy.
Zhou Liuqing opened her mouth as if to say something, but found that her voice was trembling.
Seeing the expressions on her two disciples' faces, Bai Xiaoxiao smiled gently:
"However, this statement, except for the 'body' part, was later overturned by them themselves."
Duan Xinglian was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Bai Xiaoxiao smiled slightly:
"Your Patriarch Gao Haoguang's 'End of the Magic Talisman' and Elder Haishan's 'End of the Magic Treasure',
They were later surpassed by themselves.
Bai Xiaoxiao's tone carried a hint of emotion:
"So they can only say that they achieved a 'false endpoint,' not a real endpoint."
Duan Xinglian remained silent for a moment, processing this information.
Then, he frowned:
"But what does this have to do with the great battle you mentioned, Aunt Bai?"
Bai Xiaoxiao sighed, her gaze returning to the two of them:
"Well, you all know that."
"Now, of the three, Fu and Shen are nowhere to be found, and Bao doesn't get involved in worldly affairs."
Her tone became heavy:
"But the artifacts that were once thought to mark the achievement of their pseudo-end point still exist in the world."
"The Dharmakaya and the Dharma Treasure, the means of attaining enlightenment, are each in the hands of their respective owners."
Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing held their breath.
Bai Xiaoxiao's voice was very low:
"But the talisman, the object of enlightenment, has now been lost outside for some unknown reason."
She paused, her gaze sharp as a knife:
"And it will appear in the world soon!"
The two were incredulous and exclaimed:
"What?!?!"
Duan Xinglian felt a chill run down his spine.
The artifact used by Patriarch Gao Haoguang to attain enlightenment was actually left outside.
Was it initiated by the patriarch?
still……?
Is it related to the reason why Senior Zhao Yan could only meet Senior Shangguan Xiao through paper dolls?
Seeing the two younger people react this way, Bai Xiaoxiao sighed:
"That thing must not fall into the wrong hands."
She paused, her gaze shifting from the old locust tree outside the window to Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing's faces:
"That's why I'm in such a hurry to find Senior Shangguan Xiao, to see if I can offer another helping hand."
Duan Xinglian frowned, quickly processing what Bai Xiaoxiao had just said in his mind.
The end of the Dharma talisman, the end of the Dharma treasure, the pinnacle of the Dharma body—three people recognized as having reached the end of their spiritual practice.
But what exactly does "end" mean?
What is at the end of the talisman?
He looked up and asked the most crucial question:
"Then, what exactly is this object of enlightenment?"
To Duan Xinglian's surprise, Bai Xiaoxiao smiled slightly:
"That's one of the reasons I brought you here."
She stood up, turned around, and walked to the antique mahogany cabinet in the corner of the ancestral hall.
"Let me look for it, I remember putting it here."
Not long after, she returned carrying a box.
The box wasn't large, about the size of two palms, and it was made of wood. The edges were worn smooth and shiny, indicating that it was quite old.
Bai Xiaoxiao placed the box on the table and opened the lid—
Inside, there was a thick stack of black and white photos, at least several dozen.
"Look, there are photos here too."
Bai Xiaoxiao pushed the box of black and white film photos in front of the two of them, her tone tinged with smugness:
"Back then, Haoguang asked me to film it, and it took a lot of effort to finish it."
Duan Xinglian and Zhou Liuqing exchanged a glance and leaned over to take a look.
The first photo.
The background is a black sea—the water is dark, like solidified ink, and the waves have a heavy texture.
Where the sea meets the sky, a faint line of gray light can be seen, making it impossible to tell whether it is sunrise or sunset.
On the beach, a square object stands in the sand.
The thing was square with sharp edges, about half a person's height, with several raised buttons on the top and gaps on the sides, like the paper output slot of some kind of machine.
The old photo was a bit blurry and grainy, but the familiar shapes still made Zhou Liuqing frown.
"Is this the end of the magic talisman?"
She tilted her head, stared at the object for several seconds, then suddenly her eyes widened:
"This thing looks like—"
She opened her mouth, then uttered three words incredulously:
"A printer?!"
Zhou Liuqing stared in disbelief, turning to look at Bai Xiaoxiao, her voice rising several octaves:
"The final destination of the magic talisman is actually a printer?!"
Outrageous
But while it seemed outrageous, Zhou Liuqing also felt that something was amiss.
A printer can copy text, copy images, and mass-produce.
and many more.
Mass production method?
Something clicked through Zhou Liuqing's mind.
Even the simplest minor magical talisman can only be produced in a few talismans per day.
However, if there is a printer, it can print legal symbols.
The output that day was probably enough to make toilet paper!
How many powerful sorcerers would need a lifetime to produce the magical talismans that this tiny printing press could generate in a year?
She looked down at the photo again, and her gaze had changed.
Just then, Zhou Liuqing heard Bai Xiaoxiao's confused voice.
"what?"
"Only one? Didn't I take pictures of them all?"
Bai Xiaoxiao leaned closer to the photo and squinted at it for a long time.
Then she breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the photo, explaining:
"It's not just one machine; look, there are them all behind here."
Following Bai Xiaoxiao's finger, Zhou Liuqing and Duan Xinglian's expressions froze.
The low resolution of the old-fashioned camera made it difficult for the two to notice at first glance, until Bai Xiaoxiao pointed it out, at which point they were surprised.
That Black Sea isn't a sea at all!
The square black boxes stretched endlessly, reaching all the way to the horizon.
This whole area is full of printers?!
The two of them felt a chill run down their spines.
Seeing their expressions, Bai Xiaoxiao pouted:
"Look, there's something written by Haoguang back then on the back."
Upon hearing this, Duan Xinglian carefully turned the photo over.
The calligraphy, flowing like dragons and snakes, with powerful strokes and a sharp, imposing aura, immediately struck the reader:
"The weaving machine experiment was successful; it can produce 36,000 talismans in one breath."
—Gao Haoguang.