"This has nothing to do with me!" Zhang Sheng cried out in his heart.
Yet he could no longer move, unable even to speak. The myriad Daoist arts and divine powers in his consciousness were being erased in vast swaths.
Sensing something amiss, Perfected Fenhai took flight and shielded Zhang Sheng with his body. But the instant the raging flames blazing across him came into contact with the giant bird's gaze, they were extinguished in great swathes, exposing his chest and vital organs in the blink of an eye.
Just then, a colossal hand spanning dozens of zhang suddenly reached out from the sky and seized the bird's head in its grip!
The avian head let out a furious roar, vanishing grudgingly within the giant hand, and the shadows within the full moon finally dispersed completely.
The giant hand opened. Its little finger, ring finger, and middle finger suddenly shifted color, then crumbled away. True Monarch Xuanyue let out a soft grunt and withdrew the giant hand.
All the Perfected were visibly shaken. Never had they expected the otherworldly fortune to be so terrifyingly potent—a mere illusory phantom manifested by it was beyond what any of them could withstand. Even with True Monarch Xuanyue's formidable might, he had been injured, and not lightly at that. Had the True Monarch not intervened, everyone present might have perished on the spot!
True Monarch Xuanyue lowered his gaze upon Zhang Sheng and asked, "Why does that otherworldly fortune refuse to let go of you?"
Zhang Sheng was equally depressed. He answered, "This disciple does not know. Perhaps it is merely bad luck?"
True Monarch Xuanyue pondered for a moment, then said, "That is indeed quite possible! Pay a visit to the Hall of Heavenly Secrets later and have them turn your fortune around."
Zhang Sheng said, "I have no money!"
True Monarch Xuanyue fell silent, and the matter was dropped without another word.
Between heaven and earth, the colossal jade toad coldly regarded the Perfected. The Perfected looked at the toad, then at Perfected Fenhai, then back at the toad, and back again at Perfected Fenhai.
Perfected Fenhai flew into a rage on the spot. "Why are you all staring at me?"
Right away, someone said, "Congratulations to the Perfected on taking in such an exceptional disciple. However, I fear the resources for Body Casting are not something your apprentice can provide alone. As his grandmaster, you ought to do your part as well."
Perfected Fenhai glared, threw his hands wide, and said, "An exceptional disciple is also a disciple of Sky Azure Hall and Water Moon Hall! Everyone should contribute—none of you can think of getting away!"
"What does this have to do with my Water Moon Hall?"
Perfected Fenhai pointed at the colossal jade toad that stood reaching between heaven and earth. "With such a massive bottomless pit, how could I fill it alone? Naturally, we should pool our efforts together, if only for the sake of being fellow sect members!"
Several Perfected immediately made excuses, and someone even tried to slip away quietly.
How could any Perfected fail to recognize what was before them? There were strict principles governing the size of a visualization chart; one could not make it as large as one pleased. Wei Yuan's chart had already exceeded a hundred zhang. Even if its substance was insubstantial and each square zhang required somewhat less spiritual qi to fill than an ordinary disciple's, it would at most require half as much. Taken seriously, by the time the entire visualization chart was filled and Wei Yuan achieved great completion in Body Casting, the resources consumed would probably be enough to nurture several hundred ordinary Dao Foundations!
No matter how ordinary those Dao Foundations were, no Perfected could afford hundreds of them; not even the founding patriarchs of the Palace of Grand Beginning could achieve such a feat.
This was no ordinary bottomless pit, so naturally everyone was terrified of getting entangled. While the Perfected made every effort to deflect, they were secretly waiting anxiously for True Monarch Xuanyue to speak.
To their utter surprise, True Monarch Xuanyue said, "Everyone, let us chip in!"
Although the True Monarch had spoken, the matter was of enormous consequence. A Perfected of Water Moon Hall spoke up, "If we truly wish to fill this foundation solid, I fear it will devour more than half of Sky Azure Hall's accumulated wealth. Yet otherworldly fortune is nebulous and intangible; there is no telling what kind of Dao Foundation it will ultimately form. If the Dao Foundation he establishes in the future turns out merely passable, wouldn't Sky Azure Hall's years of savings have been thrown down the drain? Granted, Sky Azure Hall has been poorly managed in recent years, running at a deficit, its reputation plummeting while creditors come knocking every day... but a centipede dies hard, and there are still a few family assets left."
Perfected Fenhai roared in fury, "What do you mean 'poorly managed, running at a deficit'?"
The Water Moon Hall Perfected replied coldly, "Exactly what the words mean. If Senior Brother Fenhai has read too few books, I can spare half a day to clear up your confusion."
Another Sky Azure Hall Perfected said, "Senior Brother keeps talking about Sky Azure Hall this and Sky Azure Hall that, but do you not know that under Patriarch Xuanyue, both halls are one entity? In nurturing Wei Yuan, Water Moon Hall naturally shares the responsibility."
A female Perfected of Water Moon Hall retorted at once, "You keep claiming he is a disciple of your Sky Azure Hall, so what does that have to do with my Water Moon Hall? Otherwise, have him acknowledge me, Lanhua, as his master, and then we might consider it."
"In your wildest four-seas dreams!"
Several Perfected argued back and forth, refusing to yield an inch. True Monarch Xuanyue did not show himself, lost in thought. The Perfected of the two halls bickered ever more fiercely, looking as though they were about to settle the debate with their fists.
For a century, Sky Azure Hall had produced an abundance of talents, but its expenditures were just as immense. It truly spent more than it took in; though it ranked high among the twelve halls, it harbored numerous hidden crises. Water Moon Hall possessed a different style entirely: steady and sure, it produced a surplus year after year, stepping up to a new level every twenty to thirty years. Although Water Moon Hall sat at the bottom of the rankings among all halls, its upward momentum was undeniable. When it came to revenue in immortal silver, Water Moon Hall completely outclassed Sky Azure Hall.
Filling Wei Yuan's bottomless pit was not an issue that involved merely one or two Perfected; it would severely affect the cultivation of every Perfected in the hall. After all, the entire Palace of Grand Beginning only produced around a hundred Dao Foundations every five years. Thus, the Perfected of Sky Azure Hall sought to drag Water Moon Hall along with them, while Water Moon Hall was bent on keeping itself out of it.
At this moment, True Monarch Xuanyue, who had remained silent for a long time, finally spoke. "Zhang Sheng, he is your disciple. What do you have to say?"
Zhang Sheng walked silently to the center of the hall, knelt, touched his head to the floor, and said, "This disciple is willing to pledge his own Dao Foundation and immortal path to plead with Patriarch to grant Wei Yuan a chance! No matter what Wei Yuan achieves in the future, this disciple will repay every bit of resources he consumes!"
"And if I refuse?"
Zhang Sheng fell silent, then answered, "Then this disciple will earn the resources himself. If I have one portion, he shall have one portion."
True Monarch Xuanyue sighed. "You clearly possess an immortal path that reaches the heavens. Why must you do this to yourself?"
"As a teacher, it is only right!"
The corner of Perfected Fenhai's eye twitched. Stepping up beside Zhang Sheng, he bowed deeply and said, "This disciple is also willing to offer all his resources. What is mine will be Wei Yuan's!"
Unexpectedly, a giant hand descended from the air, seized Perfected Fenhai, and tossed him aside. "Sky Azure Hall's deficit in recent years—is it not all because of your antics? Your annual stipend has already been docked for the next fifty years. What resources could you possibly have?"
The Perfected had sharp eyes; amid their gloating, they all noticed that the giant hand descending from the air was the left hand, whereas the one that had gripped the bird's head earlier was the right hand.
Perfected Fenhai stood awkwardly, at a loss for words. Sky Azure Hall's deficit over the years was primarily due to compensating the people Perfected Fenhai had beaten and injured.
Perfected Fenhai looked at Zhang Sheng, who remained prostrate on the floor. Gritting his teeth, he dropped to his knees with a thud and said, "This disciple is willing to be driven in service to the palace for a hundred years, braving boiling water and stepping into fire without a second word! I implore Master to grant him a chance!"
At this, all the Perfected were visibly shaken.
A True Person of the Dharma Idol realm held an exalted status. Within the Palace of Grand Beginning, aside from rare occasions such as their own master's birthday or palace ceremonies paying homage to the patriarchs, they never had to kneel. Perfected Fenhai possessed supreme combat prowess and held significant status in the palace, yet at this moment, he had actually dropped to his knees!
Perfected Fenhai had a fiery temper and would never kneel for his own sake. This kneel was half for Zhang Sheng, and half for Wei Yuan.
Hearing the word "Master," True Monarch Xuanyue fell silent for a long time. Perfected Fenhai was his last personal disciple, someone he had watched grow up. In a daze of memory, both of them had grown old.
True Monarch Xuanyue sighed and said, "Back when you first entered the sect, you were only seven years old—just a scrawny child. In the blink of an eye, you have a grand-disciple of your own. Rise."
A gentle force lifted Perfected Fenhai and set him to the side, leaving only Zhang Sheng kneeling where he was.
True Monarch Xuanyue said, "Zhang Sheng, since you are willing to stake your immortal path as collateral, I will ask you once more. No matter what kind of Dao Foundation Wei Yuan achieves in the future, the resources consumed will be borne jointly by you and Wei Yuan. This is no small matter. Are you willing?"
Zhang Sheng did not hesitate in the slightest. "This disciple is willing!"
"So be it. From now on, the hall will do its utmost to supply Wei Yuan's needs, drawn from the public treasury. Whatever the hall lacks, everyone will pool together from their personal reserves."
Every Perfected felt the gaze descending from above, and the three Perfected of Water Moon Hall were no exception. Since True Monarch Xuanyue had made his decision, though the Perfected felt a sting in their pockets, they raised no further objections. The matter was thus settled. When the Perfected looked at the jade toad again, it no longer seemed quite so pleasant to look at.
Someone suddenly remarked, "This visualization chart doesn't seem to have any anomalous phenomena, does it?"
Perfected Fenhai snorted and retorted coldly, "It's already huge to this extent—what other phenomena do you want?"
The Perfected were at a loss to refute him; after all, no matter how miraculous an ant might be, it would still be crushed under an elephant's foot.
The jade toad still faced the full moon overhead, but in its eyes was the figure of Zhang Sheng kneeling on the ground.
With the matter settled, True Monarch Xuanyue's presence faded away, and everyone dispersed.
Chapter 48