Twilight Boundary-Chapter 495 - 487: The Vest of Great Master Daliang
The last time Hu Ma entered the Lifebound Spirit Temple, he felt it was just an ordinary place. It only felt familiar because it resembled his own Lifebound Spirit Temple.
But this time, upon entering again, a sense of connection emerged.
He had already cultivated his Dharma Form, and now that his Divine Soul was within the painting, it naturally appeared in the form of his Dharma Form. Yet, upon entering this Lifebound Spirit Temple, he immediately saw the tattered remnants of the Big Red Robe before him suddenly scatter as a gentle breeze passed through, decaying instantly.
The dust that spread from the decay seemed to transform into a conscious mist, drifting around, enveloping the Lifebound Spirit Temple.
His heart jolted at first, but then he immediately understood. Wasn’t this the mist from the Lifebound Spirit Temple?
Around his own Lifebound Spirit Temple, there was such a dark red mist. To communicate with other Reincarnators, one needed to use Life Incense to penetrate this mist to find them and exchange information.
Hu Ma had even thought before that Reincarnators might rely on the Lifebound Spirit Temple to prevent certain disturbances and Divine Soul damage.
This mist seemed to serve this purpose as well.
Originally, this Lifebound Spirit Temple was dilapidated, devoid of mist. With the decay of the Big Red Robe, however, the mist appeared.
But the appearance of the mist was only the beginning. Although Hu Ma was in a Divine Soul state, he suddenly felt his heart beating—a subtle change seemed to appear in the long-decayed Lifebound Spirit Temple.
Life energy circulated as if echoing with his Divine Soul. Immediately, he noticed the source of this resonance: the big seal he had obtained from the old elm tree.
This seal was originally blank, but now it seemed to have life, resonating with the Lifebound Spirit Temple. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
It seemed as if this seal was what the Lifebound Spirit Temple had possessed all along. Now that he had brought it in, a subtle connection between them emerged. Following this, his own Dharma Form unexpectedly gathered spiritual light.
The spiritual light rotated around his Dharma Form. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to contain countless voices of prayer or worship, filled with scenes of kneeling and incense-burning.
Is it that stone horse? His heart trembled sharply as he realized.
The stone horse outside Shima Town was originally a clay-sculpted stone figure with no spiritual essence. But because the surrounding villagers believed in the legend, the stone horse received countless offerings and incense until he rode to slay the plague. The incense had found its destination.
From that moment on, he felt something extra had emerged within his Divine Soul.
Only at that time, its purpose was unknown. But here in the Lifebound Spirit Temple, the spiritual light slowly gathered, rotating bit by bit until it finally converged upon the incense table.
It measured about three feet long, wrapped in delicate patterns, imbued with spiritual light. Seen from a distance, it gave an impression of sacred awe.
So that’s how it is... he thought. Looking at the single Life Incense, then at the incense burner on the nearby incense table, how could I not understand?
I haven’t seen the Three Volumes of Heavenly Books from the Great Virtuous Master, but with this seal, have I obtained his Lifebound Spirit Temple? However, this Lifebound Spirit Temple is merely a withered shell. Only Life Incense can activate it, and as for the Life Incense... is it the offerings from those villagers?
Having figured this out, he became immediately excited. He fixed his gaze on the Life Incense on the incense table before him and slowly moved forward.
THUMP, THUMP.
As he drew closer, even his heart couldn’t help but accelerate. When he finally reached out to touch the Life Incense, an invisible rumbling and impact surged forth within him.
His Divine Soul, now within the painting, even sensed that outside, his physical body, sitting cross-legged before the painting, began to tremble slightly. His face turned paler, and his body’s foundation rapidly crumbled.
Yet Hu Ma, in his Divine Soul form within the Ghost Cave, felt a slight tremor in his hands. This seemingly simple Life Incense became increasingly heavy, its weight nearing the limits of his Divine Soul.
Not good... he thought. He quickly released the Life Incense before his body could collapse, even retreating a few steps himself.
PHEW... Breathing deeply, Hu Ma knitted his brows tightly. He felt rather annoyed.
My cultivation is too low... he thought.
To think, after awakening the stone horse, obtaining the big seal, and acquiring the right to activate this Lifebound Spirit Temple, the problem would be something so ridiculous! I only have Three Columns of Tao; I lack the foundation to use this Lifebound Spirit Temple!
Three Columns of Tao, a Sixty Years of Skill, is already a mortal’s limit. But no matter how extreme, I’m still an ordinary person. Earlier, I was ridiculed by Monkey Wine for being unable to call Reincarnators from afar. I suffered in duels due to insufficient cultivation, mocked by the second son of the Meng family. Little did I expect that now, trying to inherit this Lifebound Spirit Temple, I’d be mocked by the predecessor who left it behind...
Does having Three Columns of Tao mean one can’t even be considered a person anymore? No, it means one *has* to stop being a person to gain cultivation exceeding Three Columns! What kind of logic is this?
He internally mocked himself. It’s like having the password and gold coins in the account, but the keyboard is broken!
Moreover, although I didn’t succeed, I can’t help but look at the incense table with some anticipation. When the Life Incense is inserted into the incense table, the Lifebound Spirit Temple will be fully activated. The Lifebound Spirit Temple can be used to call other Reincarnators. So, could I possibly use the title of Lao Junmei—or rather, the Great Virtuous Master—to summon other Reincarnators?
The Big Red Robe said that ’Great Master Daliang’ is a title they all borrow, though Lao Junmei used it more often. So, if I activate this spiritual temple, wouldn’t that mean I am the true Great Master Daliang?
And if so, using the status employed by the previous generation of Reincarnators, combined with the Life Incense forged from decades of faith from the villagers around Shima Town, how far would the call reach? Could it be a call to all Reincarnators?
Entertaining this possibility, a phrase leaped to mind: The Third Volume of Heavenly Books: Summoning Divine Weapon Descending?
Damn it! If I could truly call all Reincarnators, wouldn’t that mean I’d have help wherever I go? How would that be any different from Summoning Divine Weapon Descending?
「...」
Having confirmed the use of this Lifebound Spirit Temple, Hu Ma pondered for a while before gradually withdrawing from the painting.
Previously, my low capability didn’t make me feel the limitations of my Three Columns of Tao. However, after Entering the Mansion and encountering more skilled opponents, I’ve vaguely realized this cultivation level is becoming my biggest weakness, constraining everything I do... But how do I advance beyond Three Columns of Tao? The skills I’ve learned lack the necessary dharma methods, and there are no records of it even in the Age Suppressing Book. Should I really go find Monkey Wine and have him implant a worm in my head?
After some deliberation, no immediate method came to mind. He quietly organized his thoughts, planning to return to the blood food mine first. There was still a subdued entity in his left arm awaiting interrogation—something he couldn’t delay for long. As he was silently contemplating, a notion suddenly struck him, and he immediately sank back into a state of focused meditation.
This time, he returned to his own Lifebound Spirit Temple and heard a sobbing voice:
"Senior..."
"Senior Old White..."
"..."
"Uh..."
Hearing this familiar voice, Hu Ma grew alert and cautiously asked, "Sweet Potato?"
"It’s me..." Sweet Potato’s voice was filled with an indescribable grievance. "I’ve arrived..."
Hu Ma was momentarily puzzled. "Arrived where?"
"Shima Town..." Sweet Potato said, her voice thick with unshed tears, "I traveled day and night, wore out two horses, and the insides of my thighs are rubbed raw with blood blisters! I finally made it to this town..."
"But you all..." As she spoke, she sounded more and more wronged, finally bursting into tears, "How could you not wait for me?!"
What on earth is going on...? Listening to her words, it took Hu Ma a moment to react, a mix of amusement and helplessness washing over him. On the day the great Hall Officer appeared, he had already asked Monkey Wine to deliver a message asking them to come and assist.
Of course, the journey was indeed long, and he empathized with the hardship. But nonetheless, both Er Guotou and Miss White Wine had arrived by the late hours of the third night. Yet Sweet Potato...
The show’s over, sis, and you’re only just arriving?
"It’s not that we didn’t wait for you; it’s that the Meng family and the Shousui Hall Officer didn’t wait..." Hu Ma said, trying to comfort her with a helpless, wry smile. "But at least, the matter was resolved successfully."
"The Meng family? The Hall Officer?" Sweet Potato exclaimed, taken aback. "Is that the Tongyin Meng family? And the Hall Officer must be the Shousui Hall Officer, right? I did hear some talk about that."
"Yes," Hu Ma replied. "Neither of them were easy to deal with, so it’s just as well you didn’t encounter them..." With your level of skill, you really wouldn’t have stood a chance against those two...
"My heavens..." But before Hu Ma could finish his comforting words, Sweet Potato sounded even more aggrieved. "Think of all the treasures those two must have had on them...!"
Hu Ma was struck dumb by her question. He then heard her continue, both anxious and upset, "And more importantly, this was such a huge event! So much excitement! I heard the Martial Artists leaving town talking all about it..."
"I was just having a bowl of bean curd jelly in this town, and even the old man selling it was saying how this Lantern Festival featured a Divine Weapon Descending, someone riding a horse to slay the plague, and... and..."
"...This is exactly the kind of grand spectacle I’ve always dreamed of, and I just had to miss it!"
"..." Hu Ma was momentarily at a loss for how to console her and could only sigh, "There should be other chances in the future..."
"Can’t wait for the future! Now that I’m here, I have to score big!" Sweet Potato wouldn’t hear his attempt at consolation. There was the faint sound of her sniffling and wiping her tears as she said, "Since I’m already here... the One Coin Sect in this place seems pretty well-established. Senior, how about we hit them for a score?"
"?" Hu Ma felt his hackles rise. He quickly said, "No, no! Be more prudent! If it really comes down to it, just wait a bit. As it happens, I do have something I might need your help with?"
