Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 701-Chapter 833)

He was in a rush to find out what had happened, but out of caution, he did not use any daemon abilities on the way here. Instead, he intentionally gave off Li Qingshan’s aura. When he left the Mist province, he even went out of his way to report this to his superiors, just to guarantee there would not be any holes in his story.

However, with his current cultivation, he did travel rather quickly if he spent day and night on the road. He returned to the Ruyi commandery several days later, arriving in a mountainous forest with beautiful scenery and dense with spiritual qi. He knew this was where Chu Shidao cultivated in peace in the past.

“Danqing, I’m here,” Li Qingshan arrived before the formation and called out.

Only a while later did the formation open, letting Li Qingshan in. All he saw was a hut on the white, sandy shore of the blue lake. They seemed simple, but they merged with the surrounding scenery, forming a natural and harmonious landscape. The hut was surrounded by grass and weeds that swallowed the path. It seemed extremely dilapidated. Clearly, no one had tended to the hut in a very long time.

Li Qingshan’s face sank. The dwelling bore great significance to Chu Danqing, yet he actually could not even find the time to tend to it.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Li Qingshan knocked on the door.

“Qingshan, there’s no need to be so polite. Come on in!” A feeble voice rang out from inside. It was so weak that it sounded like it could drift away any time.

Li Qingshan made his way through the door, only to see someone sitting on the bed by the window. When he saw his appearance, he could not help but be taken aback. “Danqing, how can you end up like this!?”

Chu Danqing was not exactly stunning like Hua Chengzan, but he did have delicate features, and his appearance did stand out. However, right now, his face was covered in wrinkles, his eyes were murky, his hair was a greyish-white, and his skin was pale and withered. He seemed like he had aged several decades. At that moment, Li Qingshan basically thought he was seeing Chu Shidao, except even Chu Shidao looked better than him.

Most importantly, he had already undergone the first heavenly tribulation and become a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but right now, his aura had declined to the level of a Qi Practitioner that had not even condensed a sea of qi.

Seeing Li Qingshan, Chu Danqing stood up excitedly. He tottered about, almost falling. Tears welled up in his eyes. He opened his mouth, but he said absolutely nothing.

“Don’t be in such a hurry to say anything. I told you to repair the Three Absolutes Calligraphy. There’s no need for you to end up like this!”

Li Qingshan rushed over to support him and injected spiritual qi into his body. He could sense that his cultivation had regressed severely, where even his soul was damaged. He was basically in a state even worse than when Milliped blew up his daemon core.

“Qingshan, I did it, I did it!” Chu Danqing gripped Li Qingshan’s wrist firmly. After saying that, he downright fainted.





Chapter 828: The Three Absolutes Calligraphy Complete | Legend of the Great Sage




Li Qingshan was shocked and tended to him in a hurry. He was afraid this dear friend of his had hung on just to catch one last glimpse of him and speak his last words before passing away.

A while later, Chu Danqing finally woke up slowly. He sighed heavily. “Qingshan, you’ve screwed me over good. The good fortune you gave me was far too heavy, almost to the point where I couldn’t bear with it. It almost cost me my life.”

“How have I both screwed you over good and given you good fortune that’s far too heavy for you to bear? Haven’t the repairs all been carried out smoothly in the past?” Li Qingshan had no idea how to respond.

“This is the Five Absolutes Immortal’s great creation, not a simple puzzle to assemble. If it were not for my master’s many years of guidance, if I did not possess the Jade Blood of Vermillion and Black, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Do you know how I’ve lived for the past few years? The amount of blood I’ve used up can fill an entire pool. However, this is a colossal fortune too. It’s allowed me to witness the true path of painting. It’s utterly startling. I really don’t know whether I should hate you or love you.”

Chu Danqing moved between gloominess and excitement before looking at Li Qingshan in the end in a sad manner.

“If you have to make a choice, I’d rather you hate me!” Li Qingshan found this unbearable.

“Take it!” Chu Danqing fished out a scroll from his hundred treasures pouch with great reluctance and handed it over to Li Qingshan with his eyes shut.

Li Qingshan slowly unfurled the Three Absolutes Calligraphy, revealing a meter-long sword that was as black as ink. The design of the sword was simple and unsophisticated. There was nothing particularly special about it, nor did sword intent rush into his face. It was sedated and self-containing, revealing absolutely nothing about what it hid. Li Qingshan could not help but praise, “What a fine sword!”

Chu Danqing said, “It’s called the Three Absolutes Calligraphy, but there’s still a difference among them. It uses the path of calligraphy and painting to display the path of the sword, such that even I am rather accomplished in the way of the sword now, no less than any regular sword cultivator. Even if I end up in the Sword Collection palace, I can become an inner courtyard disciple.”

Li Qingshan sat down eagerly and began refining the Three Absolutes Calligraphy again.

In that moment, sword qi flowed into his body, and sword intent filled his mind.

In his sea of consciousness, the ink sword sometimes split into a thousand parts, assembling into a profound sword formation. At other times, it merged together, pointing upwards and painting the ground.

Li Qingshan was already prepared, suppressing with the spirit turtle.

During the several months of cultivation, he reflected on everything that happened in the dream, particularly on his life of frustration. It could not be as impressionable as a life he had actually lived, but he still comprehended something. Even the spirit turtle that was behind the ox demon and tiger demon managed to benefit, become even more tranquil and steady in aura. On the contrary, the Phoenix’s Scripture of Nirvā?a that was the weakest did not benefit much.

There was nothing Li Qingshan could do about it. His temperament coincided with the ox demon and tiger demon the most. He also possessed much of the spirit turtle’s calmness and forbearance too. Instead, the phoenix’s heart of nobility just did not catch on with him. What five virtues, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and trustworthiness? Was there really a need to have so many restrictions in life? What never perching unless it was a wutong tree and never drinking unless it was morning dew? If he were sleepy, then even the wilderness worked. If he was thirsty, then even muddy water could do. Why did he have to be so fussy? His progress with the Phoenix’s Scripture of Nirvā?a had always been very slow, where even reaching the first and second layer took him forever. It was not merely an issue of balancing water and fire.

The sword intent of the Three Absolutes Calligraphy was powerful, but it was still masterless after all. It could not be more powerful than the Myriad Poison Ancestor’s soul nascence. After some effort, he suppressed it all.

As for the sword qi, that went even more without saying. After reaching the fifth layer of the ox demon, his body had become extremely tough. He drew the sword qi through his meridians before forcing it out through his acupoints.

With a swish, a bloody cut appeared on Chu Danqing’s face, making him leap in fright and scramble away at once. Sword qi criss-crossed right behind him. Right now, he was only a Qi Practitioner. Any single strand of sword qi could take his life. He had spent many years and so much effort to finally repair the Three Absolutes Calligraphy, only to end up dying to its sword qi. Now that would be called a grievance.

With a plop, he leapt into the lake.