"What in the world is going on?"
Fu Ruhai remained silent for a long moment before asking.
Liu Sandao didn't know how to answer. He felt like a meek mortal, his Dao heart no longer stable.
"Ai~~"
Seeing Liu Sandao's silence, Fu Ruhai could only sigh deeply.
"Let's go to the Fu Palace! Perhaps there are answers there!"
Liu Sandao suddenly said.
Fu Ruhai didn't know why, but as soon as he heard there might be answers, he decided to try.
...
In the Fu Palace, Ancestor Fu Ling was contemplating a tree root in front of him.
He would sigh occasionally, and then shake his head and stroke his beard.
Fu Ruhai and Liu Sandao entered the main hall and immediately saw Ancestor Fu Ling.
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
"Eh, what wind blows you here?"
Ancestor Fu Ling turned his head, saw Liu Sandao and Fu Ruhai, and asked in surprise.
"We apologize for the intrusion, Ancestor. We have something we wish to ask your advice on."
Liu Sandao replied.
"What is it?"
Ancestor Fu Ling asked directly, without beating around the bush.
"It's like this..."
Liu Sandao recounted everything that had happened recently, including the encounter with Qianlai and how the Fude Manual had turned into a small yellow blade.
Fu Ruhai finally understood. It turned out Liu Sandao was still Liu Sandao, not the traitor Qianlai claimed him to be.
Ancestor Fu Ling listened to Liu Sandao's words and began stroking his beard again, remaining silent for a long time.
Liu Sandao and Fu Ruhai exchanged glances, then looked back at Ancestor Fu Ling, waiting for him to explain the doubts.
"Oh, I understand, I understand! So that's how it is! Hahaha!"
Ancestor Fu Ling suddenly patted his forehead and muttered to himself.
"We beg you, Ancestor, please explain!"
Liu Sandao urged again.
"Ay, Ancestor, can't you just speak plainly? Tell us quickly and save us from worrying!"
Fu Ruhai, lacking patience, urged anxiously.
Ancestor Fu Ling smiled, but showed no intention of speaking, his eyes fixed on the black tree root he had been examining.
"Could it be related to this root?"
Liu Sandao couldn't help but voice his thoughts upon seeing this.
"Mhm."
Ancestor Fu Ling nodded slightly.
"Follow me!"
Saying this, he picked up the tree root and walked towards a room behind them.
The Fu Palace had many rooms. Although they all looked alike, the worlds within them were vastly different.
The few rooms they had entered before were all green; but this time was different. The decor in this room was light blue, leaning towards cyan in a sense.
Upon entering, the room was completely empty.
Ancestor Fu Ling held the black tree root and placed it in mid-air. The root immediately underwent a change.
A dazzling radiance emanated from it.
Ancestor Fu Ling pointed his palm towards the root enveloped in light, extended his hand, and gently pushed.
Dense blue light threads appeared on the black tree root.
They coiled around it like some kind of magical power.
A "zizizi" sound emerged.
Slowly, the black color began to fade, revealing a pure white branch.
Liu Sandao and Fu Ruhai watched intently, not daring to be distracted in the slightest.
At this moment, Ancestor Fu Ling raised his other arm, drew a circle in front of his chest with his palm, and then pushed forward with both hands.
The white branch began to spin rapidly.
The blue light on the branch disappeared, replaced by green light.
A moment later, with a "ding!", the white branch transformed into two green diamond-shaped markers.
"Quick, meditate and enter samadhi! Accept the markers!"
Ancestor Fu Ling urged them with some urgency.
Liu Sandao and Fu Ruhai quickly sat down and, following Ancestor Fu Ling's instructions, entered samadhi.
A yellow halo surrounded each of them.
In his samadhi, Liu Sandao saw a green diamond-shaped cursor flying towards him.
"Accept it, do not resist!"
An elder's voice echoed.
Liu Sandao closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing. The green marker slowly grew larger and flew towards him with increasing speed.
In an instant, it pounced upon Liu Sandao.
If he were not a cultivator, such an impact would have surely jolted him out of samadhi.
Though the green marker looked fearsome, the moment it entered his body, it dissolved into nothingness, instantly integrating within him.
Liu Sandao felt a surge of heat wave through him, his chest churning with a tumultuous qi.
"Maintain a calm mind, slowly adjust your breathing, and circulate it through three heavenly cycles!"
The elder's voice continued.
Liu Sandao followed the instructions. The vital energy circulating within his body was initially excruciatingly difficult to bear.
It felt like rats gnawing and ants biting, extremely uncomfortable.
But after circulating through one cycle, his breath gradually stabilized; after two cycles, he could feel a sense of pleasure throughout his body; after three cycles, his entire body was filled with vigor and energy.
When Liu Sandao and Fu Ruhai concluded their samadhi, Ancestor Fu Ling was seated in the center of the Fu Palace, his eyes closed in meditation.
"Ancestor!"
Liu Sandao called out softly.
Ancestor Fu Ling slowly opened his eyes and looked at them.
"Finally, everything is back to normal!"
"Ancestor, what was going on?"
Fu Ruhai asked, eager to know the reason.
"You were both afflicted with ač (gu), known as 'Bone Gu.' The green markers just now were Cleansing Bone Pills. Without a complete cleansing of your bones and marrow, you would have never been able to control the Fude Manual again."
Ancestor Fu Ling said calmly.
"So that's how it is. Does that mean Qianlai the Asura Dao Tribulation also has the ability to cast spells? But with his current strength, no immortal could contend with him, unless the Heavenly Emperor himself intervened."
Fu Ruhai spoke, then fell into a daze.
Things were no longer as simple as before.
Zhao Qiansun and Jia Sidao had both witnessed the Fude Manual harvesting root essence. Though they hadn't erupted in fury on the spot, they likely wouldn't trust them anymore.
Furthermore, if Qianlai could truly control the Fude Manual, then he and Liu Sandao would have no reason to exist.
"Hehehe, that's not necessarily true. Didn't I just help you cleanse your bones and marrow?"
Ancestor Fu Ling said with a smile, appearing confident.
"Ancestor, do you mean we will no longer be afflicted by Qianlai the Asura Dao Tribulation's spells?"
Liu Sandao asked doubtfully.
"Mhm."
Ancestor Fu Ling nodded slightly, stroked his beard again, and said:
"Of course not. My Cleansing Bone Pills took nine thousand seven hundred days and nights to refine. They exist solely for bone cleansing. They can sense even the slightest trace of evil energy within the body."
"That's wonderful! Let's see what Qianlai can do to us now!"
Fu Ruhai exclaimed happily.
"However, Ancestor, this junior still has one matter that is unclear and wishes for your guidance."
"Speak, and I shall listen."