The Nine Cauldrons - Observer

“Not yet.” Honglin shook her head as she answered.     

“Perform the ‘Nine Wood Elemental Forms’ for me. Let me see how you have improved for the past two months.” Teng Qingshan said with a smile. Honglin grinned brightly. She immediately leaped to a spacious area nearby and started performing the ‘Wood Elemental Fist,’ a technique created by Teng Qingshan.     

Li Jun, Hongwu, Lei Xiaoru, and their child Xiuxiu came over. The group of people chatted and laughed around as they watched Teng Qingshan teach Honglin.     

“Sister, you still can’t perform this move?” Whenever Teng Qingshan instructed and corrected Honglin, Hongwu would tease and laugh at Honglin.     

“Hmph, Little Wu, how dare you tease me! You haven’t even reached the Grandmaster Realm.” Honglin said intentionally.     

Hearing this, Hongwu rubbed his nose. He had no comeback.     

There was nothing he could do. After all, his sister did reach the Grandmaster Realm first. However, it was not because he was slow. According to Teng Qingshan, Hongwu, who was very intelligent, would spend more time thinking about his cultivation. He would practice the Bursting Fist, the Cannon Fist, the Slashing Fist, and Horizontal Fist carefully and examine his cultivation of each elemental fist art with the cultivation of the other elemental fist arts.      

Teng Qingshan had created many techniques and cultivation forms for the Xing Yi Sect. Usually, the ordinary disciples would focus on the cultivation of one.     

Teng Qingshan had previously arranged everything for Hongwu. Yet, he was often distracted and ended up being slower than his sister.     

“Linlin, remember what I told you. Practice well. If you do what I say, you will surely generate the Supreme Force within one month.” Teng Qingshan said with a smile. Li Jun, who was at the side, couldn’t resist smiling as she said, “Qingshan, you have been cultivating for the past two months. Why don’t you rest? Come with me. I have just cooked lunch. Let’s go eat.”     

Teng Qingshan and his family immediately went to eat lunch. As for Teng Qingshan’s parents, they went back to the Teng Jia Village because Teng Qingshan’s closed-door cultivation went on for too long. Teng Yongfan and Yuan Lan would find others of similar ages back in their own village.     

For the past two months, Teng Qingshan had been immersed in the cultivation of Dao. He rarely had the chance to eat with his family. Throughout the entire meal, Teng Qingshan was in a very good mood. Laughters sounded constantly in the dining room. During the meal, the little girl Xiuxiu, who would stumble as she walked, even learned to call Teng Qingshan grandpa.     

In the Land of the Nine Prefectures, it had always been normal for someone to get married at the age of 16 and have a kid the year after marriage. Therefore, many people became a grandpa at around thirty years old.     

During the evening, Teng Qingshan went to his office.     

Quite a number of reports and letters piled up on his desk. Some of these letters were very important and Teng Qingshan would read them whenever he was done with his closed-door cultivation.     

“Eh?” Teng Qingshan looked up and smiled as he said, “Come in.”     

Creak!     

The door opened. Teng Shou, Yang Dong, and Xue Xin walked in together in a respectful manner. As the three direct disciples of Teng Qingshan, Teng Shou, Yang Dong, and Xue Xin held extremely high status in the Xing Yi Sect. Many years have passed and these three were no longer the ignorant and naive young boys. With the passing of time, they have become much more mature.     

“Why did you three come together today? What is it? Tell me.” Teng Qingshan said with a smile.     

The three exchanged glances. The eldest disciple Teng Shou then moved a step forward.     

“Teacher.” The eldest disciple Teng Shou said respectfully, “It is already December. There are two months left before the fight with Pei San of the Heavenly God Palace. We three have discussed among ourselves and we think that this is a scheme devised by the Heavenly God Palace. They know how powerful you are and how incredibly quick you progress in your cultivation. They want to kill you. And so, Pei San challenged you to a duel.”     

Yang Dong immediately went forward and hastily agreed, “Yes, Teacher! Pei San of the Heavenly God Palace is much older than you. If you could cultivate for a few hundred years, Pei San would be no match for you. How can someone who cultivated for over thirty years compete with someone who cultivated for a few hundred years?”     

“Teacher, the Xing Yi Sect could totally…” Xue Xin was about to speak when Teng Qingshan interrupted.     

“It’s alright.”     

Teng Qingshan shook his head and said, “Say no more.”     

The three disciples froze.     

“I know you three are worried for me. You all are worried that I might follow the footsteps of Huang Tianqin and Qin Shiqi.” Teng Qingshan knew what his disciples were thinking.     

“Teacher.”     

Teng Shou, Yang Dong, Xue Xin immediately knelt down. Their eyes became red and teary.     

The eldest disciple Teng Shou was raised as a wild animal. When he was found, he didn’t speak or understand the human language. Teng Qingshan was the one who saved him and taught him the Internal Martial Art. He was the one who transformed Teng Shou from a beast to a human being. And now, Teng Shou even got married.     

Yang Dong was just a low-ranking bandit. He followed Teng Qingshan and eventually became the Substitute Sovereign of the Xing Yi Sect in the Land of the Nine Prefectures.     

Xue Xin had been a vengeful young man who had disguised as a bodyguard and had fled throughout the land. He became a high-ranking disciple of the Xing Yi Sect. Teng Qingshan had been the one who had supported them and had imparted them the skills. To the three disciples, their teacher was as important as their own parents. And so, they really didn’t want Teng Qingshan to participate in the fight with Pei San.     

“Teacher, that’s not fair. Even you have to compete, we should be the one to decide the details of the fight.” Yang Dong said hastily.     

“Say no more. I, your teacher, have my own plans.” Teng Qingshan waved his hand and said, “Go.”     

The three disciples looked at each other.     

“Leave.” Teng Qingshan instructed.     

“Yes, Teacher.”     

The three disciples then left helplessly.     

…     

When Teng Qingshan was done reading the reports, it was already midnight.     

“Creak!” As he opened the door, a gust of wind blew into the room. He then walked out of the study room. At this moment, the lights in the East Flower Garden shone faintly. The sky was pitch black. Little white specks floated around and some fell on Teng Qingshan’s face, instantly becoming icy water.      

Teng Qingshan looked at the sky…      

“It is snowing.” Teng Qingshan said internally.     

When the three disciples arrived, Teng Qingshan already knew what his disciples were thinking. Actually, most people in the Land of the Nine Prefectures think that Teng Qingshan was no match for Pei San. This was indicated by the fact that Pei San had the courage to make that public announcement.     

The people, who thought that Teng Qingshan could win, did so because they believed that a miracle would happen.     

However, miracles don’t always happen.     

The three disciples logically thought that it would be unlikely for their teacher to win. And so, they tried to convince Teng Qingshan.      

Their disciples weren’t wrong. Most people thought that Teng Qingshan would lose.     

“It has been one year.” Teng Qingshan stared at the tiny snowflake floating around as he thought to himself, “I have been cultivating arduously for the past year, but I just can’t make a breakthrough. I have studied everything about life and death. I know that life and death are absolutely set against each other. There is simply no way to integrate life and death. How should I do it?”     

Pei San did it and Qin Shiqi did it during the fight.     

However, they have only merged a portion of life and a portion of death. They didn’t completely merge life and death together. If they had succeeded in doing so, they would reach the Omnipotent Realm.     

“No… This won’t work.”     

“I have spent so much effort cultivating, but I have gained nothing. If I continue cultivating, I am afraid I won’t be able to make a breakthrough even if I spend another two years.” After cultivating arduously for the past year, Teng Qingshan realized that his cultivating method was not useless.     

As he stood in the dark and allowed the snowflakes to fall freely on his body, Teng Qingshan kept thinking about what he could do to achieve a breakthrough.     

He thought for a long time…     

“Qingshan, why are you standing in the snow? It is snowing heavily. Come inside.” Li Jun shouted as she stood on the veranda.     

At this moment, Teng Qingshan had already stood outside for almost two hours. When he heard Li Jun, he immediately came back to his senses.     

“Stand in the snow?” Teng Qingshan lifted his head. It was snowing heavily and a great amount of snow covered the earth.     

“Yes. I am standing in the snow. I should leave.” Teng Qingshan suddenly thought about something, “I have to understand the Dao of the Omnipotent Realm. The Dao of the Omnipotent Realm is the Perfect Dao of Heaven. What is the Dao of Heaven? It is the Dao of how the Land of the Nine Prefectures operates. If the Dao of Heaven was broken down into smaller pieces, the smaller pieces could be Yin and Yang, Life and Death, or the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. However, essentially, the Dao of Heaven is the Dao of how Heaven and Earth operates. If I want to understand the Dao of the Omnipotent Realm, shouldn’t I break away from the world and observe this world from the outside?     

“I cannot see the pathway clearly because I am in the world.”     

Teng Qingshan instantly had an idea.     

A feasible solution.     

“Haha.” Teng Qingshan’s body swayed and he instantly appeared beside Li Jun. He was so excited that he held Li Jun closely and kissed her hard.     

“What are you doing?” Li Jun was shocked. She blushed and said shyly, “We are already old. What are you…”     

“Haha. Little Jun, all thanks to you, I came up with a feasible solution.” Teng Qingshan grinned widely.     

“What solution?” LI Jun froze.     

“The Yearly Sacrifice is almost here. After the Yearly Sacrifice, I will be leaving the Great Yan Mountain temporarily.” Teng Qingshan said, “I plan to travel across the Land of the Nine Prefectures alone and see everything that happens in the Land.     

“Leave the Great Yan Mountain?” Li Jun froze.     

…     

Soon, the Yearly Sacrifice was over.      

On the 6th of January, Teng Qingshan was ready to leave.     

Teng Yongfan, Yuan Lan, Li Jun, Teng Honglin, Teng Hongwu, Lei Xiaoru, and Xiuxiu all came to send Teng Qingshan off.     

“Father, aren’t you bringing your weapon?” Teng Hongwu asked.     

“I am not going to kill or practice my spear art, so why should I bring my weapon?” With his hair untied, Teng Qingshan wore a loose white cloak. He stood barefoot on the ground, clearly sensing the power of the earth.     

Teng Qingshan then bade his family farewell.     

“Qingshan, when are you coming back?” Li Jun couldn’t help but ask.     

“I will come back whenever I have achieved Dao. Even if I didn’t achieve Dao, I will be sure to come back by December next year.” Teng Qingshan said.      

“Little Jun, take care of the house.”     

Teng Qingshan immediately turned and waved as he said, “You all can stop here.”     

His figure blurred and he vanished.     

A great amount of snow accumulated on the official road.      

Teng Qingshan, dressed in a white cloak, walked barefoot. However, he didn’t leave a single footstep on the snow. Suddenly, the quickening pace of hooves sounded and several cavalrymen could be seen galloping swiftly. None of them saw Teng Qingshan. Like a strong gust of wind, they charged forth in Teng Qingshan’s direction. The cavalrymen just dashed past Teng Qingshan and soon disappeared down the official road.     

It’s true. None of them saw Teng Qingshan!     

Because Teng Qingshan bent the rays of light in the surrounding with the power of his world, he was able to become invisible. This was something only experts who had achieved Culmination of Emptiness Realm could do. It was even easier for an Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert.     

“I will just pretend I don’t exist in this world.”     

“People can’t see me.”     

“I will watch the Land of the Nine Prefectures from an outsider’s perspective.”     

And so, Teng Qingshan continued his journey around the world quietly.