356: Chapter 356 Reincarnation and Re-cultivation, the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament

After three rounds of drinks, Chu Sheng set down his cup, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Master Xuandu, I, a Junior, did not see Master Xuan Yin's spirit tablet in the ancestral hall earlier. I wonder if it has not been carved yet, or if there is some other reason?"

His tone was light, and after asking, he did not stare at Master Xuandu.

He simply picked up his teacup and took another sip, as if waiting for the most natural of answers.

Master Xuandu's hand holding the teacup did not pause, his movements remained steady, but the rhythm with which he set down the cup was a fraction slower than before.

A moment later, he spoke: "My elder brother has not died."

Chu Sheng's hand paused slightly.

He looked up at Master Xuandu.

Master Xuandu's gaze was calm, and his tone remained unchanged, as if he were stating a fact that had been confirmed many times.

"He merely… changed his skin."

This sentence was spoken very softly, yet it was like dropping a single drop of thick ink into tea soup, slowly spreading and changing the color of the entire cup of tea.

Chu Sheng did not rush to ask further, simply waiting quietly for him to continue.

Master Xuandu set down his teacup, remained silent for a moment as if organizing his thoughts, and then spoke.

"Benefactor should know that although the Wanfo Sect was founded on Buddhist teachings, not all of its Disciples are of the Human Race."

"The Jinchan Island lineage, tracing back to its roots, is actually the last descendant of the ancient Golden Cicada clan."

"Our clan, upon Cultivating to the Divine Ability realm, is born with an innate Divine Ability—"

"Reincarnation."

Chu Sheng's gaze tightened slightly.

"In every lifetime, when near death, one will transform into a golden cicada, enter a deep sleep, shed the old shell, and reshape the Physical Body. The old shell becomes an empty husk, devoid of any vitality, which is why no spirit tablet is erected."

Master Xuandu spoke to this point and glanced at Chu Sheng, as if confirming if he understood the meaning of these words.

Chu Sheng was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "So Master Xuan Yin reincarnated early?"

"Yes."

Master Xuandu's voice remained steady. "He had long calculated that he would face a tribulation at the Dragon Palace, so he prepared a path of retreat in advance."

"The old shell has been discarded, and the new shell is still in deep slumber. He should currently be in a very deep earth vein, lying dormant in the form of a golden cicada."

"As for when he will wake up—"

Master Xuandu paused. "It could be decades, or it could be centuries. It depends on how deep the Foundation he accumulated in this lifetime is."

After listening, Chu Sheng did not immediately reply.

He picked up the now half-cold cup of tea and took a slow sip, as if digesting the weight of those words.

He did not ask more, nor did he bring up the matter of the spirit tablet again, simply giving a slight nod.

"I see. No wonder there was no spirit tablet for Master Xuan Yin in the ancestral hall."

The topic ended naturally there, but his understanding of the complexity of the Wanfo Sect deepened by another layer.

After the teacups were cleared away, Master Xuandu did not immediately see him off, but instead took a white jade thumb ring from his sleeve and put it on his thumb, as if contemplating something.

A moment later, he spoke: "Benefactor previously mentioned wanting to repair the cracks in your Dao Palace."

Chu Sheng did not deny it: "Yes."

Master Xuandu nodded: "I have just thought about it, and there is something that might be suitable for you."

Chu Sheng's gaze lifted slightly.

"In the Western Domain, one naturally cannot find such a thing. Although Jinchan Island is situated in a remote corner, it is not the core of the Central Domain."

"However, I can tell you a piece of news."

"The Central Domain holds the Number One Martial Arts Tournament every twelve years, and the next one is in half a year."

"The prize for second place is 'Withered Wood Meets Spring'. It is a spiritual item that can repair the Foundation of a Dao Palace. No matter how deep the cracks are, as long as the Dao Palace has not completely collapsed, it can be mended."

Chu Sheng's gaze shifted.

He did not immediately reply, but quickly weighed the significance of these words in his mind.

His current Dao Palace was indeed nearing Perfection, with only a tiny crack at the bottom of the third level remaining unrepaired.

That crack was not fatal, but it was like a hidden fissure in a wall; while it did not affect usage, it always left one feeling uneasy.

"Withered Wood Meets Spring."

He had heard this name before; it was an extremely rare spiritual item, said to only condense a single drop within the core of certain extremely ancient spirit trees.

He had not expected such an item to be the prize for the Number One Martial Arts Tournament.

"The Number One Martial Arts Tournament…" He repeated the name. "Is it jointly hosted by the twelve giants of the Central Domain?"

Master Xuandu shook his head: "Nominally, it is co-hosted by several major Sects in the Central Domain, but the one truly responsible for organizing it is the Star Gazing Tower."

"Star Gazing Tower?" Chu Sheng had an impression of this name, but was not very familiar with it.

Master Xuandu explained: "The Star Gazing Tower is also one of the twelve giants of the Central Domain, though it ranks towards the lower end. It excels in intelligence, has few Disciples, but is spread throughout the Five Regions. They are not good at frontal warfare, yet they have cooperative relationships with almost all Sects."

"Tens of thousands of years ago, the Star Gazing Tower was once an upstream power in the Central Domain, but later, after experiencing the fall of the Taixu Divine Sect and the great tribulation of resisting the Void Beasts, it suffered heavy losses to its Origin Qi and gradually retreated to a mid-to-lower position."

"Even so, they remain one of the twelve giants. Any mid-to-lower tier Sect, when placed before ordinary powers, is still an existence that cannot be easily shaken."

Master Xuandu spoke to this point, his tone remaining steady, as if stating something unrelated to himself.

Chu Sheng listened and remained silent for a moment.

He certainly remembered the matter of the Taixu Divine Sect.

That was Old Grandfather's Sect, once one of the top powers in the Central Domain, yet it was destroyed due to the Void Beast tribulation.

He thought for a moment and asked: "Then, can everyone participate in the Number One Martial Arts Tournament?"

Master Xuandu shook his head: "One needs to be recommended by one of the twelve giants to register. Loose Cultivators cannot participate directly."

Chu Sheng did not reply.

Master Xuandu seemed to have long anticipated his thoughts, picking up the cup of cold tea in front of him without drinking, just holding it in his hand: "If Benefactor needs a recommendation, Jinchan Island can represent the Wanfo Sect and serve as your recommending party."

Chu Sheng looked up at him.

He knew the weight of these words, and he was also clear that the other party would not give such a promise without a reason.

But he did not refuse, simply saying: "I, a Junior, need some time to consider."

Master Xuandu set down the teacup and did not urge him further.

The night had completely darkened, and the shadows of the trees outside the window swayed gently in the wind.

Chu Sheng sat there, his gaze falling upon the cup of completely cold tea on the table, his mind already rapidly calculating the path he would take next.

Half a year later, Central Domain, Number One Martial Arts Tournament, Withered Wood Meets Spring.