Chapter 126: Manifesting in Countless Forms, Hearing Every Cry and Responding to Every Feeling (Please Vote)

As the incense was lit, wisps of green smoke drifted and curled into the air. Cao Kong recited the holy name of his master, the Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (Heavenly Venerable of Great Oneness Who Saves from Suffering), within his heart, relaying the news of the Taibai Jinxing’s imperial mission.

In an instant, the smoke billowed violently. In a daze, Cao Kong’s spirit drifted away, traversing the boundless void until he arrived at the Palace of the Eastern Pole’s Wonderful Perfection.

"You are quite the sly one," a voice filled with gentle laughter echoed.

Cao Kong looked up at the Daoist before him, who wore an imperial crown and robes of rosy clouds, his true form radiant with purple-gold auspicious light. Both pleasantly surprised and slightly embarrassed, he performed the disciple’s bow. "Master."

"Hmm, so True Monarch Cao has encountered a puzzle and finally thought of your master?" Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun teased, though his gaze remained as kind and affectionate as if looking at his own foolish child.

Hearing this, Cao Kong felt his face grow hot. "Master, please do not mock your disciple."

The Heavenly Venerable laughed heartily. "Do not be shy, my disciple. Your title of True Monarch is legitimate and bestowed by the Emperor himself; anyone who comes to you must address you as such. Now then, I have a method that uses the power of incense vows to condense an avatar, possessing the ability to hear prayers and respond to calls. Would you like to learn it?"

Cao Kong was overjoyed. He was well aware that his master had achieved profound mastery in the art of manifestation, a level few in the Three Realms could ever hope to match. He nodded eagerly, "Disciple wishes to learn, and begs for Master’s instruction."

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun smiled, drew a willow branch from the vase in his hand, and flicked drops of precious nectar toward Cao Kong. As the droplets entered his spirit, they manifested as a profound and intricate technique. Cao Kong was elated and bowed once more to his master.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun’s expression softened. "Excellent. You have already attained one of the Five Qi converging to the origin, and the others are not far off. Once all five are complete, you shall attain the merit of longevity equal to Heaven itself."

"It is all because I am fortunate enough to be under your tutelage and receive your teachings, Master. Yet, I have failed to serve you even in the slightest; I truly am unworthy."

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun stroked his beard and laughed. "You have your own path to practice and your own karmic fate. It is enough that you hold this sentiment in your heart. As for me, if you can perform acts of saving the suffering whenever you have time between your studies, I shall be most pleased."

Cao Kong paused, recalling the Heavenly Venerable’s reputation for great compassion and mercy. This was the master’s benevolence toward the world; though the world is a sea of bitterness, one can still save lives one by one. He bowed his head low, "Disciple will take this to heart."

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun looked into him with deep, piercing eyes, sensing his thoughts. "My path is my choice, not yours. Go and find your own path, and do what you wish to do." The Heavenly Venerable’s words were as gentle as ever, yet they stirred an indescribable emotion in Cao Kong. To have such a master was truly his fortune.

"Now then, aside from this, you must have other matters to attend to, do you not?"

Cao Kong asked, "Master, may I share the medical texts from the Realm of Azure Splendor and Long-Lasting Joy with my younger brother, Cao Xiang?"

The Heavenly Venerable mused, "As the saying goes, the Dharma should not be passed on lightly."

Cao Kong remained silent, and the Heavenly Venerable’s face showed a hint of regret—his disciple was too clever to be teased easily. He relented, "Very well. Whatever number of medical books you can read, you may take out."

Cao Kong laughed and kowtowed. He had known all along that his master was merciful; if something could benefit the world, he would never be stingy.

Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun pointed a finger at him with a smile, "You, you are far too clever. Go on, go on."

Cao Kong chuckled and bowed once more. The Heavenly Venerable vanished, leaving him alone in the Long-Lasting Joy Realm. Cao Kong thought for a moment; instead of rushing to study the avatar technique, he set out to find the medical texts.

Fifteen leisurely days later, Cao Kong returned to the Zhe Yue Cave. Beside him appeared a small mountain of medical books—all those he had perused during his time away. Cao Kong was astonished; he had assumed "taking them out" meant he would have to copy them by hand, not that he would receive the physical objects. Realizing this was the power of the Heavenly Venerable, he found it less surprising.

He waved his sleeve to store them and brought them to Cao Xiang. When the little leopard saw the pile of medical books, he jumped for joy and pounced on Cao Kong like a cat.

"The Shennong Materia Medica, the Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases, the Canon of Difficult Issues..."

"Brother, you are incredible! How did you find so many rare treasures? I have traveled to many cities practicing medicine and never encountered them."

Cao Kong laughed heartily; the sense of accomplishment as an elder brother reached its peak. "Study them well. One day, you shall write your own medical masterpiece," he encouraged. Cao Xiang nodded vigorously.

...

Time turned from the summer solstice to autumn, and half a year passed in the mortal realm without notice.

Cao Kong often sat upon the mountain peak, hidden within the clouds. As the wind caught his robes, he looked like an immortal from the mountain to any lucky traveler who might catch a glimpse of him—a truly ethereal sight. However, this "mountain immortal" was currently troubled, his brow furrowed as he wrestled with the avatar technique in his Niwan Palace.

This technique, the [Myriad Manifestations of Responsive Connection], had only two functions, yet these two alone were enough to be called a Great Divine Ability.

The first was the avatar itself: using incense as a foundation, one could refine an external body. One could condense a thousand incense vows into one, or split them into a thousand avatars. At the peak of mastery, one’s avatars could be as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

The second was the ability to hear prayers and respond to calls: one could sense the vows of sentient beings, anchor their location, and descend beside them using the power of those incense vows.

Of course, whether it was manifesting numerous avatars or responding to calls, both required immense cultivation and a vast accumulation of incense vows. Cao Kong had no such wild ambitions; he only sought to refine one avatar to carry his divine path. Even so, it was incredibly difficult. He had spent half a year in contemplation, yet he remained outside the threshold.

Cao Kong continued to meditate and derive the technique, but he always felt something was missing. After another hour of fruitless effort, he set it aside.

"Hoo..." Cao Kong exhaled softly. It was a difficult entry. Yet he was not discouraged; the method was vast, and he could clearly feel that he was getting closer. It was only a matter of time. He mused, "I wonder if I will master this technique first, or if my accumulation of incense vows will reach the threshold required to practice it."

According to the [Myriad Manifestations of Responsive Connection], one needed a deep accumulation of incense vows to condense an avatar. If the vows were insufficient, one could still refine it by seeking spiritual objects from heaven and earth to serve as a foundation.

Thinking of this, Cao Kong looked back at the fire-jujube tree. The blossoms had already opened; once the fruit set, exchanging them for a spiritual object should be no problem.

He continued to drink spiritual nectar, entering the state of Samadhi and practicing the art of sitting in oblivion. He gathered the fire energy of the South to fill his heart’s residence. When the heart is still, the energy remains solid, and the essence of the Bing and Ding fire in his heart grew stronger.

Refining the avatar was a matter of the divine path, but Cao Kong never slacked in his fundamental practice—the Golden Elixir path. He practiced daily without fail. When he first met his master, Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun had said that while the three hundred and sixty side paths could lead to a correct fruit, only the Golden Elixir path led to true immortality. Cao Kong kept this firmly in his heart. After all, it was not just his master who said this; the Bodhi Patriarch, who hid himself within the Three Realms, had said the same.

He consumed the energy once more, harvesting the spiritual mechanisms of heaven and earth and the mysterious patterns of the sun and moon. His cultivation advanced once again.