Chapter 21: Forbidden Lands, Becoming Mortal, Self-sealing Heavenly Cavern
"Seizing an opportunity?"
Could it be that this old man has some secret method?
Zhang Kai looked at the old fortune teller with a peculiar expression. "How do you mean by 'seizing an opportunity'?"
The old fortune teller smiled mysteriously. "Forbidden lands."
Seeing Zhang Kai's bewildered expression, the old fortune teller asked in disbelief, "You don't know about forbidden lands?"
Zhang Kai nodded and said frankly, "To be honest, I stumbled into the Maoshan Sect's inheritance without much understanding and found a place with spiritual energy by accident. That's how I embarked on this path. Later, I thought that Wudang Mountain was a sacred place for Daoism, where I could find what I was looking for. That's why I came here. As for forbidden lands, I know nothing about them."
This time, it was the old fortune teller's turn to widen his eyes in disbelief. He wore an expression of astonishment. According to what this kid said, he seemed like a blessed child of fortune. Before the resurgence of spiritual energy, he obtained an inheritance, encountered spiritual energy, and entered the path of cultivation. It all seemed so perfectly arranged, as if he were the chosen one. Although he had a complete inheritance and the guidance of many predecessors, the difference in treatment was quite obvious.
He felt a mix of envy and jealousy, but also excitement. Having good luck meant he had a high chance of success, and this time, it seemed to be a sure thing.
"A forbidden land, as the legends say, is related to demons, monsters, immortals, and Buddhas. Even though the world appears peaceful and free from evil spirits, in reality, those demonic beings, immortals, and others are still around. They've just hidden themselves using various mysterious methods to evade calamity," the old fortune teller explained.
Zhang Kai was surprised. "Is that so? I've traveled to many places and heard strange legends, but I've never seen any demons or monsters."
The old fortune teller chuckled, "If you could find them, how could they avoid calamity? According to the Wudang secret records, a long time ago, a different kind of calamity emerged, known as the Yin Calamity. It's like a blunt knife cutting meat. It mainly manifests as a decline in spiritual energy, the disappearance of the heavenly path, and certain death when encountering calamity. The reasons for its occurrence remain unknown. However, once the calamity appeared, gods, immortals, demons, and monsters all began to save themselves. According to the information left by the predecessors of Wudang, there are three methods that gods and demons use to escape this calamity: forbidden lands, becoming mortal, and self-sealing heavenly caverns."
"Forbidden lands are similar to tombs. They bury themselves, cutting off their own cultivation and entering a state of pseudo-death. In this state, these godly beings or demons are very weak and unable to move. They can be easily killed. Therefore, these forbidden lands have various protective mechanisms set up by these godly beings or demons."
"Becoming mortal means integrating into the mortal world, taking the form of an ordinary human, and using the aura of mortals as a disguise. They drift along with the flow of the world, like floating duckweed, unable to act independently."
"Self-sealing heavenly caverns are the most radical approach. They transform their entire being into a separate heavenly world, inextricably linked to the main world but separate enough to avoid the calamity."
"These three methods have their own peculiarities, and even previous generations couldn't fully comprehend them. They only knew that very few were capable of doing them. Without a certain level of cultivation, it's difficult to succeed. Even if one succeeds, it's hard to recover afterward."
Listening to the old fortune teller's explanation, Zhang Kai suddenly understood. So that's why, even in a world where cultivation was possible, with gods, immortals, demons, and monsters, they all suddenly disappeared. They were all in hiding. He wondered whether his control over the God-Sealing List and his resealing of gods had affected these gods and demons in any way.
With speculations in his mind, Zhang Kai asked the old fortune teller, "I understand now, but what does this have to do with us seizing an opportunity?"
The old fortune teller wore an expression of disappointment. "How can it not be related? Those gods and demons, during their lifetimes, possessed many treasures. Even if they chose to hide and evade calamity, could they really abandon their treasures? They must have taken them along, hoping to use them when they return to the world. So, these forbidden lands, although dangerous, could potentially contain many treasures that no longer exist in our world today. Even if we find just one or two items, it would put us ahead of other cultivators. In the current era of spiritual energy resurgence, we could become leaders."
Zhang Kai laughed and said, "You're right, but as you mentioned, these forbidden lands might have protective mechanisms. Isn't the risk too great? What if one mistake leads to death and no chance for rebirth?"
"We cultivators go against the natural order. There is no guaranteed path to immortality. If you don't take the initiative, you'll eventually lose out to others. But I understand your concern. After all, you're a wealthy person who values life. Well then, let's pretend I never mentioned it," the old fortune teller said with a meaningful look, then calmly sipped his tea.
Zhang Kai said, "Old man, you're quite impatient. I'm not refusing; I'm just worried. Since you have a way, and we're willing to cooperate, we can discuss it. How much do you know about these forbidden lands?"
The old fortune teller smiled. "That's the spirit. To cultivate against the heavens, one must be willing to risk it all. I have information on the locations and some details of three to five forbidden lands. Most of them are extremely dangerous, but there's one with lower risk and decent rewards. I've also partnered with a wealthy businessman. He provides equipment and manpower, while I provide feng shui knowledge and divination. With your assistance in Maoshan symbol dao, our chances of success are even higher."
Zhang Kai widened his eyes in surprise. "A wealthy businessman? He also wants to grab treasures from gods and demons?"
The old fortune teller replied, "Well, think about it. If you were a terminally ill patient with billions in assets and you heard about a chance for extended life, wouldn't you be willing to try it? The forbidden land we're going to investigate was created by a mountain god, and it surely contains various rare treasures. If we find them, he might have a chance at salvation. Although this opportunity is risky and somewhat superstitious, it's also a chance for survival."
Zhang Kai smiled. "You truly have a comprehensive plan, and you can persuade anyone. I agree to participate. What do I need to do, and can you provide me with materials such as yellow paper, rooster blood, or black dog blood, cinnabar, and other items? I'll try to produce as many authentic symbols as possible."
"Great! That's settled, then. Come, young friend, have some tea," the old fortune teller warmly offered Zhang Kai a refill of tea.
Zhang Kai accepted the tea with a smile but began to contemplate. Regardless of the old fortune teller's intentions, this was a rare opportunity. He might obtain treasures, and for him, god positions were the true treasures. Moreover, he remembered the message left by the skeleton in the back mountain of Wudang, which mentioned several dangerous forbidden lands. Perhaps he could start with this one and see if it was worth developing.