Chapter Eight: The Divine Path Questions the Heart, The Life Gate Guides the Qi

For example, the astrolabe in Song Liyou's hand is one of the methods to determine the position of the divine path

Flora deities, river deities, sea deities, or even spring deities such as the Azure Emperor

Perhaps it is recorded here that the Farewell Palace is involved... However, I have been missing for so long, so Yun Qing must be anxious by now

He did not notice that the white mist emanating from the jade ruyi transformed into various shapes, all of which entered his body

It seemed like a stone tablet... Xie Yao wiped his forehead with his sleeve and began to decipher the inscriptions on it

All things in the world possess a spirit, thus every blade of grass and every tree can become divine. Everything in the world has its own established pattern, which gives rise to the existence of laws and regulations, that is to say, the divine.

Therefore, the most important achievement of Song Liuyou's efforts over the past century is that star chart

Thus, the movement of one affects another, which is called response; the answer from one to another is termed reaction. If it is in accordance with the Way, one should advance; if it is not in accordance with the Way, one should retreat. One should point to the three luminaries and observe the sun and moon for a long time

Yun Qing has been gone for quite some time, yet Song Li You remains motionless in place, a sinister smile on his face

He rubbed his bottom and realized he was lying on the cold stone floor. When he looked up, he was instantly stunned

He precisely used this astrological chart to lead the two individuals into the divine path

Xie Yao crouched down, getting closer, and only then did he see the uneven characters on it. He rolled up his sleeves and bent down to begin clearing away the sticky plants

Oh dear

Xie Yao only felt a darkness before her eyes, and in a daze, it felt as if someone had grabbed her collar and spun her around in the air for dozens of times, before forcefully throwing her down to the ground

Xie Yao was taken aback, and faintly heard a voice, indistinguishable in gender, whispering in his ear.

A fierce look flashed in his eyes: "Either there are more detailed records."

Xie Yaozhen was lost in thought when suddenly she stumbled and nearly fell.

Aman saw her coughing severely and immediately panicked, standing in place not knowing what to do, a vague whimper escaping from his throat

Yun Qingmei furrowed her brows again, a deep mark appearing at the center of her forehead. She had always been far removed from the carefree nature typical of her age.

"Let’s go, let’s go, Aman, I feel much better now." Yun Qing patted the back of the big man's head, "Perhaps we can find something here to alleviate the situation."

The "Path of the Divine" refers to the way of the deities, filled with myriad illusions and countless transformations. While it is invisible to corporeal humans, it is not entirely impossible to discover.

***

Xie Yao shook her hand, feeling a sense of helplessness and wanting to cry without tears

There are also distinctions in the quality of astrological charts; a more detailed chart can help one avoid many fatal obstacles

Before me stands a magnificent palace that cannot be described in words. A massive block of white stone outlines the general shape of the palace, with no other colors present except for pale blue and light ink.

Amang took large strides and walked quickly, soon leaving Song Li You behind as she ventured deeper into the forest. In truth, Yun Qing had initially intended to walk alongside Song Li You, but she did not anticipate that her injuries were more severe than expected. Fearing that Song Li You might take the opportunity to strike, she had no choice but to make a swift escape

However, he moved forward step by step, walking steadily and with a moderate pace

Xie Yao approached the strange object, gaining a clearer view of it

A single thought that strays from the right path leads to hell. Respectfully reciting this text, one may feel a chill down their spine

Xie Yao tried to prop himself up, but his hand accidentally touched something warm and smooth. Looking down, he saw that it was the jade ruyi.

As soon as the jade ruyi was held, it emitted a faint glow, and a warm sensation surged from the hand to the heart

Previously, I was pursued by the white-clad envoy at the border of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. I had to forcibly merge the celestial book I had just stolen to escape a calamity, but since then, my health has been deteriorating. Yun Qing extended her hand, and A Mang leaned his head into her palm, quietly allowing her to stroke him. "Fortunately, I found the Fangcun Lamp on the corpse of that white-clad envoy, cough cough... only then was I able to travel directly from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to the ancient city over a distance of thousands of miles.

Is this... could it be that an extraordinary encounter has arrived?" Xie Yao swallowed hard, feeling somewhat uneasy as she placed the jade ruyi into the groove and pressed down firmly.

Oh no!" Xie Yao exclaimed in pain, looking at her hand, which had been cut deeply by the thorn.

The eaves alone possess an imposing presence that seems to overshadow the sky, rendering the entire palace invisible at its peak. Surrounding it are steps paved with blue stones, flanked by countless lifelike stone statues of rare birds and exotic beasts. Upon closer inspection of the white stone floor, one can see it adorned with flowing clouds and vibrant colors, with deities dancing in chaos. The dome is adorned with intricate ink lines resembling a spider's web, yet it appears entirely orderly. In the center lies a pool, shrouded in thick white mist, which dissipates and rises in the form of nine flying dragons. The dome is adorned with intricate ink lines resembling a spider's web, yet it appears entirely orderly. In the center lies a pool, shrouded in thick white mist, which dissipates and rises in the form of nine flying dragons.

This place is densely wooded, and there is only this one small path. Following it down should surely lead to them... Oh dear!" Xie Yao comforted herself.

"That kid was intentionally led away by me, so be it." Song Liuyou looked at the position of the star chart to determine where he should go, "But that little girl actually dared to walk ahead so self-absorbedly, either she is unaware of the danger, or..."

Aman dared not disobey, supporting her little leg, and ran forward along the path.

Xie Yaonian read the text intermittently; the characters above are in an ancient style, and even now, very few people can recognize them. Furthermore, due to the areas that have been worn away or damaged over time, he could not discern what this was specifically referring to

Xie Yao let out a tragic cry and fell heavily to the ground

She spoke indifferently, yet Ah Mang was even more flustered, making continuous murmuring sounds that startled the birds in the mountains and forests, causing them to scatter in flight

Yun Qing felt his gaze, smiled, but there was a hint of worry in his expression: "Do not look anymore, no matter how much you see, it will not change my condition. I must find a method of cultivation now; relying on a mortal body to bear the treasures of heaven and earth will ultimately lead to my downfall."

The nature of a person is serene and complete. When encountering the external world, all phenomena are but illusions

Xie Yao walked very slowly

Aman appeared to understand nothing, only looking up at her in panic, fearing that she would spit blood again

The sound grew increasingly loud, almost deafening.

The degree to which this stone tablet is buried underground appears to be about half, with the exposed portion located approximately in the center of the tablet. Upon closer inspection, Xie Yao noticed a strangely shaped groove in that area

This feels somewhat familiar..." Xie Yao thought while shaking his head, and suddenly his eyes lit up, "That's right!"

"That's all there is to it. There are quite a few people in the world who are skilled in divination and fate calculation," Yun Qing shook his head, realizing he had no time to ponder further. "However... since Uncle Cha was able to deduce my whereabouts, then perhaps others can as well. In this quest for immortality, although I have borrowed Daoyuan's fate to conceal myself, I must be increasingly cautious in the future."

He looked down and saw a vine lying across the center of the road. Xie Yao followed the vine's direction, and amidst the lush green, there was a hint of lime white.

"Smoldering heart of embers, taming the spirited horse..." Xie Yao found herself involuntarily reciting this voice.

He has rarely left his home since childhood, and his frail health makes climbing mountains quite a challenge for him

Thus, the powerful use the stars to determine the location of the divine path. The movements of the stars in the sky are numerous, and compared to terrestrial references, they are preserved for a longer time and are easier to distinguish

Oh! Just now, as he brushed against the vine beside him, a section of the stone tablet unexpectedly revealed itself.

"Amang, let's stop for a moment," Yunqing said, pressing one hand on Amang's shoulder while covering his mouth with the other to cough.

***

Hmph, I have the star chart positioning in my hands. I just need to follow the scattered soul fragrance around that girl to find her. When the time comes, I will devise a way to ambush... I must obtain the item she has in her possession.

This tree is so large that its top is not visible, and it is unknown how long it has been growing. This stone appears to be even older than the tree.

Xie Yao rubbed her sore shoulders, but when she raised her hand, she accidentally brushed against the nearby vines

The grayish-white rock appears to be an incomplete square. Half of it is slanted into the soil, while the other half is partially engulfed by a massive tree. The exposed area is also covered with moss and similar plants

The Palace of Farewell was the place where the Azure Emperor relied on during his lifetime, and it is also his burial site after his demise. For countless years, there have been innumerable seekers attempting to find this place, yet an existence like the Azure Emperor, even in death, can have its divine realm endure forever. As long as the divine realm does not perish, the only way to find the Palace of Farewell is to traverse the divine path

He is completely unaware that Yun Qing is currently preoccupied with his own matters, and he is quite relieved about his disappearance.

As soon as Xie Yao thought of someone thinking of him, his motivation surged. He quickened his pace, removing the fine debris and began to deal with the vines. The vines were covered with dense small thorns; Xie Yao avoided these while casually picking up a stick to push the vines aside.

If someone were to gradually explore the divine path, comparing its position with the stars and meticulously recording it on a star chart, then it could be passed down to future generations, enabling them to know its location

Xie Yao was uncertain whether to carefully observe the stone or to hurry on his way

Forget it, even if I catch up with them now, I won't be able to help much and will only hold them back. It would be better to investigate this stone and see if there is anything useful. After struggling for a while, Xie Yao finally made up her mind

This little girl is quite peculiar, and without absolute certainty, one cannot take action. For now, we can only rely on this person with the surname Xie. Song Liuyou took out a small star chart from her pocket

Yin Tianshan, the Palace of Farewell. This is no longer the world of mortals; it is the so-called "Divine Realm"

When leaving the ancient city, that old tea master gave me the Tiandi pot. It seems to be a pair with the Fangcun cup. Yun Qing reached down and touched the pot hanging around A Mang's neck, saying, "I wonder what that old man is. It seems he anticipated that I would pass through that place and specially prepared such a grand gift for me."

***

Mortal beings typically identify locations with descriptions such as "under the big tree at the village entrance" or "in the well behind the house". However, these things cannot withstand the ravages of time; they change too quickly, and for the deities, they may vanish in the blink of an eye

Nurture the embers of the heart, tame the spirited horse. Reflect upon oneself, and also inform those who come.

"Do not panic, do not panic... cough cough cough..." Yun Qing reassured, "It won't be like last time when you fainted. A-Mang, do you still remember the old tea vendor in the ancient city at the border?"

Xie Yao was stunned before he had the chance to examine these closely, but a sudden sharp pain in his spine immediately brought him back to his senses

He reached into his bosom and took out the jade ruyi, comparing it with the groove for a while, and found that the two matched perfectly.

After spending half a day on it, Xie Yao was exhausted and drenched in sweat, finally managing to clear away most of the tangled vines.