Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Time flowed past like a rushing river, and Lu Yu opened his eyes from his quiet cultivation. Lightning flickered within his gaze, dissipating only when it was three meters from his body.

He slowly exhaled a breath and lifted his head to see the richly foliaged Enlightenment Tea Tree frantically swaying its branches, welcoming Lu Yu's awakening.

"I wonder how long this cultivation session lasted." Lu Yu sighed slightly as he underestimated the profundity of the Way of Thunder. Once his mind entered into the cultivation state, a flood of insights came to him, rendering time meaningless. In his perception, it felt like an instant, but he knew in his heart that a long time had passed.

Slowly rising to his feet, he stretched his body and walked out of his cave dwelling. He discovered it was already deep autumn, with layers of forest fully dyed in seasonal colors, displaying stunning beauty as red, yellow, and green blended together in the woods.

The autumn wind blew against his clothes, but it could not make him feel the chill. Since he cultivated an Immortal's body, he was no longer affected by heat or cold; such temperatures could not alert his body anymore.

Lu Yu looked up, his gaze directed towards the northeast. His vision crossed tens of thousands of miles of land to that mysterious place, the birthplace of the human race and the land of their great prosperity. It was where Da Yu had established the Nine Tripod Barrier to protect the reproduction and thriving of the human race.

With a faint flicker of lightning in his eyes, he saw the distant land of Kyushu, where three Dragons of Fortune stood upright, though they now looked somewhat weary. Around the Dragons of Fortune, the seal of Kyushu had begun to weaken.

"So much time has passed?" Lu Yu was a bit surprised; he had not anticipated that his cultivation retreat would span such a lengthy period. It was the first time he felt the truth behind the saying that there are no years in cultivation.

With a thought, auspicious clouds appeared beneath his feet, and he flew towards the land of Kyushu.

As soon as he entered Kyushu, he saw the stars in the sky shift slightly, with the seven stars of the Big Dipper shining bright rays of light. Starlight descended continually toward a certain place in the land of Kyushu.

"Someone is using a formation to borrow life from the heavens," Lu Yu muttered to himself.

He was immediately reminded of a major event from the Three Kingdoms era, the death of Zhuge Liang at Wuzhang Plains. He became interested and descended from the clouds, using a Deceptive Technique to slowly walk into the large tent and observe this famous historical figure.

With a fan in hand, dressed in a scholar's hat, his white face and long beard set within, he sat in the tent with an air of dignity. But now, he was nearing the end of his life; his breath was growing weak, lacking the once gallant spirit, yet those eyes brimming with wisdom remained unchanged.

This Prime Minister of Shu Han was somewhat pale and exhausted. After dealing with some state affairs, he couldn't help but squint his eyes. It was during this moment he seemed to catch sight of a young Scholar standing before him, curiously observing him.

He couldn't help but speak out, "Who is there?" Yet, when he opened his eyes, he found no one there—as if he had been speaking to the air.

However, his words startled the people outside, and a guard ran into the tent, asking hastily, "Prime Minister, do you have orders?"

Zhuge Liang waved his hand to dismiss the guard and muttered to himself, "It appears my end is near, seeing phantoms and Ghost Deities."

Having been proficient in The Art of Qimen Baguazhang from a young age, he was deeply knowledgeable of matters regarding Ghost Deities. He knew that such beings preferred to draw near people whose lives were about to end, as people would convert all their energy to strengthen their Soul and Spirit to protect themselves from external harm before death.

This was the cause for what people often called the phenomenon of one's last burst of energy.

For the Ghost Deities, this overflowing energy was also a tremendous source of nourishment. Hence, they would follow those on the brink of death, waiting for their passing to steal a portion of their energy.

"My great enterprise is unfinished, my heart is unwilling!" Zhuge Liang sighed softly, becoming more sentimental as time passed. Recently, he kept reminiscing about the past, with the scenes of his lord making three visits to the thatched cottage repeatedly flashing through his mind.

As the saying goes, "A scholar dies for those who appreciate him," and Liu Bei was such a person for Zhuge Liang. He did not disdain him for his youth and gave him the opportunity to fulfill his ambitions. Because of this, Zhuge Liang had long resolved to dedicate himself to the utmost, even unto death.

This time, he had decided on a last desperate attempt, borrowing life from heaven. If successful, he could extend his life by another decade, giving him room to maneuver.

Today was the last day, and as long as the light in his tent remained lit, his effort would be successful, but he felt uneasy in his heart.

As expected, Sima Yi attacked the camp at night, and in his panic, Wei Yan burst into the tent and caused the light to extinguish.

Zhuge Liang completely lost heart. He stopped the already angered crowd, comforting them, "Life and death are predestined, and I was defying nature. It is only normal to encounter difficulties."

That night, after arranging his affairs, Zhuge Liang slowly closed his eyes and completed his magnificent and brilliant life.

His soul and spirit slowly left his body. Zhuge Liang looked curiously at the crowd wailing around him, knowing he had died. Turning his head, he saw a Scholar in a green robe standing in the tent, observing the scene with a strange emotion. It was then he realized he had not been mistaken earlier.

"I wonder which ghost deity is here waiting for me."

"Ghost deity?" Lu Yu heard this term and smiled slightly.

"Those who barely cling to life by stealing the last breath of a dying person can also call themselves ghost deities," Lu Yu said with disdain. In his knowledge, such beings hadn't even entered the Immortal Path of Ghost. The common folk fear them, thus they call them ghost deities, but in truth, they are just lonely spirits and wandering ghosts.

Of course, if a ghost receives enough offerings from many people, it can transform into a deity and truly step onto the Path of the Immortals. However, once a deity's potential is exhausted, advancing further in cultivation is harder than reaching the heavens.

Zhuge Liang looked at Lu Yu in surprise, not expecting this man before him to speak so loftily, trivializing what was normally said about ghost deities.

"Then, Scholar, what kind of existence do you think is worthy of being called a ghost deity?" Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire

"Ghost deities are also immortals. If they cannot live long and view the ages, how can they have the face to call themselves ghost deities? Beings called ghost deities should comply with the Way of Heaven and Human Path, build a Golden Body with the incense offered to them, co-exist with the Human Path, and live long," Lu Yu explained calmly.

"It seems I have been ignorant indeed. I was unaware there was such a distinction within the Way of Ghost Deities," Zhuge Liang said with an expression of having learned something, bowing to Lu Yu.

"The Way of Ghost Deities is easy to speak of but extremely difficult to achieve. Only those who are wise and upright, who command the respect of multitudes, have a chance to enter this path."

"If we speak of all the beings here, I fear you are the only one who could possibly attain the Way of Ghost Deities."