15: Preaching brings merit.
Immortal Volcano.
Qing Wu sat upright in a valley.
Listening closely, one could hear the pulsing deep within the earth veins.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, like a heart, neither hurried nor slow, never ceasing.
A slower pace was better, indicating the volcano was in a stable period.
If it beat too fast, then...
Boom—
By then, the entire mountain would be covered in a layer of volcanic ash.
This was something Qing Wu did not want to see.
Having settled here for a long time, it seemed the Immortal Volcano also regarded him as a reliable partner.
Without Qing Wu having to ask, the volcano would automatically tell him things.
For instance, its current mood, or where treasures were appearing.
Regarding this, Qing Wu didn't mind spending some time periodically communicating with the Immortal Volcano.
Maintaining their bond and asking about Opportunities and the like.
The Immortal Volcano had revealed to him that a great Opportunity might exist deep within.
It was just that with his and Yuan Feng's current strength, they weren't yet enough to withstand the explosive undying divine fire within the volcano.
So, Qing Wu hadn't told Yuan Feng about this matter.
Whether this was true remained unknown; with the volcano's muddled consciousness, there was no guarantee it wasn't talking nonsense.
Even if it were true, if Yuan Feng learned her Opportunity was right beneath her feet...
Given her personality, being unable to obtain an Opportunity right before her eyes would cause her to worry daily, affecting her Cultivation.
Therefore, Qing Wu decided to tell her about it only after Yuan Feng's strength had increased to a certain level.
At the very least, she needed to reach the level of a Hunyuan Golden Immortal to withstand the undying divine fire inside.
By then, as her own connection with the Immortal Volcano grew tighter, Yuan Feng should be able to discover the location of the Opportunity herself.
Over the years, as the Immortal Volcano became more prosperous, the Life Qi here also grew denser.
Previously, some creatures from elsewhere, seeing the Immortal Volcano gradually stabilizing, wanted to migrate here.
But to take root here, they needed the consent of the two current mountain lords.
In fact, only one was in charge.
Ever since that fellow Yuan Feng decided not to follow the Dao of Dominion, she seemed to have completely lost interest in such matters.
Aside from Cultivation and treasure hunting, nothing else could pique her interest.
Thus, the authority over the entire Immortal Volcano fell upon Qing Wu alone.
As for those creatures' requests to move in, Qing Wu did not agree.
Many spiritual things in the mountain had already birthed sentience; they only needed some tempering to transform and emerge.
These could be considered the original inhabitants of the Immortal Volcano, the property of the Immortal Volcano.
If other creatures were let in, it might obstruct this fated connection.
Qing Wu took out a Green Jade Flute from his sleeve.
The flute's body was entirely translucent green, with the flow of Life Qi faintly visible inside.
He gently caressed the flute, his fingertips tapping lightly on the finger holes, producing a crisp sound.
A mountain breeze gradually rose, brushing through the valley with a scorching breath.
Qing Wu held the jade flute to his lips, his eyes slightly closed, and a strand of melodious flute music slowly flowed out.
The flute music carried his own dao rhyme, spreading out in all directions.
This was him preaching the Dao to all living beings in the mountain.
The flute music echoed through the valley, and the earth veins of the Immortal Volcano seemed to tremble gently in response.
The Fire Spiritual Plants hidden in the rock crevices were the first to react.
Their slender leaves unfurled, swaying gently with the melody.
The Red Crystal Stones by the lava lake gradually glowed with spiritual light, fine patterns appearing on their surfaces.
A crimson Fire Lizard poked its head out from a cave, its golden vertical pupils staring intently at Qing Wu.
It had been Cultivating in this volcano for tens of thousands of years; hearing the flute music now, the spiritual power within its body actually began to circulate involuntarily.
The Green Wood dao rhyme contained in the flute music blended with the volcano's fire Spiritual Qi, forming a marvelous balance that loosened its long-stagnant cultivation.
The flute music gradually quickened, like a torrential downpour.
The temperature in the valley began to rise, yet it wasn't the usual dry heat, but a gentle warmth.
Dozens of Fire Lingzhi bloomed simultaneously, spitting out tiny sparks that formed mysterious patterns in the air.
A Crimson Flame Vine growing on the cliff suddenly shook violently, and the fruits on the vine burst open one after another, actually ripening rapidly in a short time.
The flute music gradually awakened the sentience of the living beings, guiding them to Breakthrough their own shackles.
The first to transform was a piece of translucent Red Jade.
It gradually softened in the flute music, finally turning into a red-haired boy with jade patterns still remaining on his forehead.
He looked at his hands blankly, then bowed deeply toward Qing Wu.
Next was the Fire Lizard; it rolled in pain, scales falling off piece by piece, finally transforming into a lean man with crimson scale patterns still on his skin.
He let out an excited long howl, the sound echoing in the valley for a long time.
More and more beings began to undergo metamorphosis.
Fire Crows shed their feathers to become boys, girls stepped out from Flame Spirit Flowers, and even the flowing lava condensed into crimson figures.
Though they took various forms, their eyes all sparkled with the light of intelligence, a symbol of awakened sentience.
The flute music gradually slowed, like a spring breeze brushing over the face.
Qing Wu opened his eyes and saw the valley filled with transformed beings.
They sat quietly around him, their eyes full of piety and gratitude.
An old man transformed from a Fire Lingzhi stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Daoist Venerable, for the grace of enlightenment; we shall never forget it."
The man transformed from the Fire Lizard also cupped his fists: "If not for the true meaning of the Great Dao within the Daoist Venerable's flute music, we wouldn't know how many more years we would have wasted before attaining the Dao."
Qing Wu put away the jade flute and smiled gently: "Since you have all transformed, you are now part of the Immortal Volcano. I hope you cherish this Opportunity and diligently Cultivate the Great Dao."
The spirits responded in unison, their voices echoing in the valley.
Although they had just transformed, they all carried the unique fire spiritual aura of the Immortal Volcano, merging seamlessly with this world.
Qing Wu could feel that with the transformation of these beings, the spirituality of the Immortal Volcano seemed to have strengthened, and the earth veins' pulses became more powerful and steady.
This Immortal Volcano seemed to have truly come alive.
Yuan Feng had arrived behind Qing Wu at some point, leaning against a stone pillar with her arms crossed, watching this scene with a smile.
Her red eyes reflected the figures of the newborn beings, and she said softly, "In this way, it has added quite a bit of Life Qi to the Immortal Volcano."
Qing Wu turned to look at her, spinning the flute on his fingertip: "These are the original inhabitants of the volcano; we occupied this Immortal Volcano without their consent."
"Preaching the Dao now can be considered resolving a piece of Karma."
As he spoke, auspicious Qi covered the sky above the Immortal Volcano.
The sky was shrouded in clouds of Mysterious Yellow Golden Clouds, with billions of rays of light raining down.
Karma descended from the heavens, drawing all spirits to stop and watch.
The vast majority fell into Qing Wu's body.
About ten percent fell into the bodies of the beings who had listened to the Dao.
No one expected that just listening to the Dao would grant them Karma.
Thus, they bowed and thanked Qing Wu once again.
When the golden clouds dispersed.
Before long, layers of golden Karma clouds gathered once more above the heads of Qing Wu and Yuan Feng.