novelraw Chapter 342: Spreading the Teachings at the Dao Field
Chapter 342: Spreading the Teachings at the Dao Field
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation.
After leaving the Great Hall, Yu Zhao decided to visit the Grand Elder, but unfortunately, he was in seclusion, and her visit bore no fruit.
With her initial plan thwarted, she turned her steps toward the residence of the Green Wood Sect. Upon learning the purpose of her visit, Master Wu Sang was taken aback. However, believing Yu Zhao was acting on Sect Master Ji Yuan’s orders, he didn’t hide anything and shared everything he knew. As expected, his knowledge was limited and did not reveal much.
Yu Zhao spent an entire day and night in deep thought before making a decision. She resolved to visit every faction within the One-Sect Two-Schools Four-Factions, both to gather clues and to broaden her horizons while tempering her state of mind. Given the distances between sects, she chose Harmony Sound Temple as her first destination.
Silence, upon hearing of Yu Zhao’s plan to visit the temple, was overjoyed. Although he had been expelled by Master Jie Chen, his teacher at the temple, he believed that returning with Yu Zhao and her companions would make it difficult for his master to turn him away again. Furthermore, he felt a certain Buddhist affinity in Yu Zhao, sensing that her visit might yield unexpected blessings.
When Yu Zhao shared her plan with her companions, their reactions varied. Ji Han Zhou firmly decided to accompany her to Harmony Sound Temple, while Mu Ye opted to return to the Green Wood Sect with Master Wu Sang. Yao Wu Ji chose to travel with Hermit Bao Hua, and Zhou Jin Yue stayed behind to stabilize her cultivation.
In the end, it was Yu Zhao, Silence, and Ji Han Zhou who set out together.
Before departing, Yu Zhao visited the Archive Pavilion to bid farewell to Elder Gu. Upon hearing of her journey, Elder Gu fell silent, his expression contemplative. Yu Zhao noticed this and asked, “Elder Gu, is there something you’d like to tell me?”
He regarded her briefly before responding with another silence. After some time, he stood and gestured for her to follow him.
Elder Gu led Yu Zhao to his private quarters, where he retrieved a yellowed scroll from a drawer and handed it to her. Taking the scroll, she asked softly, “May I open it?”Elder Gu nodded. Yu Zhao carefully unrolled the scroll, her gaze drawn immediately to the artwork within. She couldn’t look away.
Elder Gu made no effort to interrupt her, allowing her to study the scroll in detail. Nearly half an hour passed before Yu Zhao returned to herself, exclaiming, “This… this is the Preaching Map of the Dao Field, isn’t it?”
The painting had held her in thrall, immersing her in the solemn and sacred atmosphere of a Daoist sermon. Yet, it lacked the insights or emotions of the artist who had created it, offering her only the most superficial understanding.
Elder Gu’s eyes reflected a trace of melancholy as he replied, “Yes, this Preaching Map was something I stumbled upon during a training expedition with an old friend.”
Yu Zhao’s demeanor turned serious. It was clear that Elder Gu had a specific purpose in showing her this map.
“At the time, my friend and I immediately sensed its uniqueness,” Elder Gu continued. “Years of study allowed us to decipher its secrets, eventually leading us to the location of the legendary Ancient Dao Field.”
Even with her tempered heart, Yu Zhao barely restrained a gasp. The Ancient Dao Field was a site sought after by countless cultivators, a place long lost to the annals of history.
She had always thought the two keys she possessed were destined to remain useless relics. Learning from Elder Gu about the Dao Field’s whereabouts was a wholly unexpected boon.
“Don’t celebrate just yet,” Elder Gu warned, his tone sobering. “This may not be as fortunate as you think.”
Yu Zhao immediately composed herself, ready to listen.
Elder Gu sighed heavily. “When my friend and I uncovered the Dao Field’s location, we set out at once. However, we were ambushed along the way. I was separated from my friend during the attack. We had agreed to rendezvous at the Dao Field in case of such an event. I reached the location and found traces he had left behind, but he was nowhere to be found.
“I assumed he had found the entrance and went in, so I searched the area tirelessly. But I found nothing. After a year, I lost patience and returned to the sect, reasoning that if he had succeeded in obtaining its teachings, he would return in time.”
Here, Elder Gu shook his head, his sorrow palpable. “But he never did…”
Yu Zhao grasped the implications. Elder Gu’s friend had likely vanished without a trace.
“I went back a dozen times,” Elder Gu continued, “even bringing trusted companions, but to no avail. Everyone advised me to give up, but I felt—I still feel—that my friend is alive. Perhaps trapped somewhere, awaiting rescue.”
A sudden determination lit Elder Gu’s aged eyes. “Yu Zhao, from the moment I first saw you, I felt you bore a striking resemblance to my lost friend. I believe you may be the one to find him. Will you go to the Dao Field for me?”
“Yes.”
Yu Zhao’s response came so swiftly that Elder Gu was momentarily stunned. His expression was almost comical.
But Yu Zhao’s heart was heavy. Elder Gu had been her first benefactor upon her rebirth, gifting her the Illusory Tides Technique, which had made her re-cultivation journey smoother. He had also provided the materials for crafting her life-bonded artifact. She had long felt indebted to him and welcomed this chance to repay him.
Elder Gu laughed heartily, though tears soon streaked his cheeks. The disappearance of his friend had weighed on him for years. Even if Yu Zhao failed to bring his friend back, her willingness was already a great comfort.
“Elder Gu,” Yu Zhao said gently, “please tell me more about your friend.”
The elder nodded, recounting his tale.
Elder Gu’s friend, Lou Yu Shan, was born with a pure fire spiritual root, making him a direct disciple upon entering the sect. However, his fiery and stubborn temperament alienated his master and peers. Instead, he formed a close bond with the equally stubborn Elder Gu, and the two became fast friends.
Despite becoming a marginalized figure in the sect after offending his master, Lou Yu Shan remained undaunted. He taught himself what others refused to, and the Archive Pavilion became his and Elder Gu’s refuge. Lou Yu Shan even helped Elder Gu rise from an inner disciple to a direct disciple.
To Elder Gu, Lou Yu Shan was not just a dear friend but also a mentor. His disappearance left a void that no passage of time could fill.
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