Chapter Forty-Three: The Festival of the Black Tortoise

The throbbing pain in his head had barely begun to fade when Huasheng heard Taishang Little Lord shout loudly from behind, “By urgent decree, release!”

The Huashengs, locked firmly in place by the immobilizing spell, began to stir. Some, like his present self, clutched their heads, suffering intense headaches no doubt from their proximity to the current timeline and the repeated crossings.

“This time, the giant wolf spider will finally know our true strength!” Huasheng growled through gritted teeth.

A thunderous chorus erupted as dozens of his own voices resounded together—a revelation to Huasheng, who had never before experienced the shock of hearing so many versions of himself shout in unison.

Taishang Little Lord then drew a deep trench in the earth with the treasured sword Ganjiang-Moye, and the swarm of Huashengs surged forward. They drew energy threads from the undulating ground and charged straight at the giant wolf spider.

Though Huasheng’s immortal power was still shallow, the sheer numbers wielding the energy threads gave them the upper hand. Groups seized the threads, some weaving them beneath the spider’s feet, others threading them through its fangs, and three or four together shrouding its eyes. Weiyu and Taishang Little Lord were equally diligent; in less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the massive spider was bound tight as a rice dumpling.

Taishang Little Lord clapped his hands in delight. “Huasheng, this suggestion of yours is surely the best of the year. In fact, we hardly needed to lift a finger—just you, no, just all of you, were enough to subdue it!”

The giant wolf spider lay immobilized, its large eyes rolling helplessly, unable to escape. As it was subdued, the color of the energy threads began to fade, finally vanishing with the spider into thin air.

With the dissolution of the energy thread formation and the temporal wormhole, the multitude of Huashengs scattered across the ground began to disappear one by one.

Suddenly, Weiyu rushed forward and grasped the hand of one Huasheng, holding tight, refusing to let go.

The Huasheng held by Weiyu looked a little shy and asked, “What is this?”

“I’m afraid all of you might vanish,” Weiyu bit her lip.

Within three seconds, all the Huashengs from other time-spaces vanished into the air, save for the one held in Weiyu’s hands.

Huasheng asked, “But how did you know the one you held would be the last one left?”

“Of course I knew!” Weiyu’s eyes curved into a crescent, childlike and innocent. “Whichever one I hold, that’s the one who stays!”

A flush rose to Huasheng’s face.

Weiyu spoke softly, “Come closer, I want to tell you something…”

Huasheng turned, leaning his ear near.

Weiyu whispered gently beside his ear, “Weiyu hasn’t forgotten you, and you mustn’t forget Weiyu either.”

With Taishang Little Lord distracted by the Bodhi tree, Weiyu stole a kiss on Huasheng’s earlobe.

Huasheng felt as if struck by lightning; his entire body shuddered instinctively! His heart pounded erratically, threatening to leap from his throat.

As Weiyu’s face withdrew, her silver hair brushed against Huasheng’s cheek, leaving a faint, intoxicating tickle and a lingering fragrance that nearly made him lose his balance.

His face burned, blood boiling, and just as he was about to speak—

Weiyu pressed her forefinger to her lips, signaling for silence, then glanced sidelong at Taishang Little Lord.

Huasheng remembered—he mustn’t let Taishang Little Lord suspect anything.

Just then, the web-like formation gradually dissipated. Taishang Little Lord stood by the tree, stroking its bark and murmuring, “This tree is remarkable—it seems to breathe and pulse.”

Huasheng patted his face, trying to steady himself, yet the trace of Weiyu’s fragrance lingered, its magic soothing his wounds and easing his headache.

He approached and touched the Time Bodhi tree, feeling its warmth, gentle as jade. As Taishang Little Lord had said, he sensed the rhythmic breathing from within.

Then, Huasheng leaped onto a branch, attempting to climb higher. The closer he drew to the Time Bodhi, the calmer he felt within. The fruit was no bigger than a fingertip; as he reached out, it fell softly into his palm.

Huasheng cradled the thousand-year Bodhi seed with utmost care.

“So, how do I recover my memories now?” He jumped down and examined the Bodhi. “Am I supposed to eat it?”

“Nonsense. The Time Bodhi is a magical artifact, not something to be eaten. You need to use immortal arts,” Weiyu replied. “If we find Dao Ling Star Lord, he’ll surely have a way.”

“Dao Ling Star Lord? Who is he?” The name was unfamiliar to Huasheng.

Taishang Little Lord shot him a disdainful look. “You’ve been here this long and don’t know who the head of the Arts and Dao Academy is?”

“I’m just a peripheral figure, far removed from the academy’s core,” Huasheng admitted, embarrassed.

His main contacts at the academy were Immortal Yuran, and the accident inspectors at Si Immortal Pavilion—Jueguang and Huo Lei Immortals. Though he’d been at the academy for over half a year, he’d never met the dean and naturally paid little attention.

Weiyu explained, “Dao Ling Star Lord is usually in seclusion; only a handful of immortals in the academy can meet him directly. Fortunately, the Black Tortoise Festival is coming soon, and he’ll preside over the annual ceremony at Black Tortoise Spirit Mountain. He won’t leave immediately afterward, so we can catch him then.”

Huasheng asked, “He must be the most powerful immortal in the academy. How old is he?”

Taishang Little Lord replied, “Over eighteen thousand four hundred years.”

Huasheng stared, stunned, taking time to grasp it. The dean must truly be an elder of immense cultivation. But he hesitated, “If we tell him we’ve obtained the Time Bodhi, wouldn’t that violate the sacred laws?”

Taishang Little Lord answered, “Just ask in general terms—don’t say we already have the Bodhi.”

The three of them then left Panxian Cave and returned to the Arts and Dao Academy.

Huasheng kept the Time Bodhi close to his chest, fearful of losing it. Since it came from the legendary Saint Peaceful Forbidden Land, he dared not take it out, lest anyone see it.

Upon their return, the academy was abuzz. Everywhere, voices mingled as disciples from the immortal, spirit, and human clans busied themselves preparing for the Black Tortoise Festival. Huasheng and Taishang Little Lord were soon called to help.

The academy was festooned with colorful banners; every road teemed with people and vehicles. Teams transported supplies, erected structures—a lively festive scene.

Led by the Students’ Committee, the annual festival had inspired disciples to organize peripheral events. Taking advantage of the rare holiday, the academy brimmed with spontaneous activities, artisan markets, and forums for exchanging immortal arts. Main avenues and lawns were crowded, vibrant with life.

What Huasheng found most delightful were the youngest disciples—though only six or seven years old and speaking in childish tones, they donned academy robes and recited spells with practiced seriousness. All over the festival marketplace, these children could be seen tidying scattered scraps and offering handmade cloth bags to passing disciples, for carrying books and scrolls.

Huasheng joined his cohort in setting up a small stall at the market. Taishang Little Lord and several disciples packed their homemade salves into wooden buckets, and Huasheng spread the salves onto paper, dried and packaged them for free distribution.

Though these health salves lacked the miraculous resurrection effects of the Nine-Turn Elixir, they worked wonders for everyday pains among humans and spirits—a patch applied, and the ailment vanished.

During breaks, Weiyu’s bright, bell-like greetings and sunny smile always refreshed Huasheng. The two would steal away to the mountain summit, freezing a corner of the lake with ice magic to cool off, sitting on the ice to escape the heat. Weiyu, seeking more atmosphere, conjured a small snow cloud, and together they watched snowflakes drift as they ate shaved ice atop the frozen lake in midsummer.

In a blink, the Black Tortoise Festival arrived. After two busy days at the stall, Huasheng felt weary, but the sight of banners flying atop Black Tortoise Spirit Mountain—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—like a sea of clouds, revived him. This grand event was held annually at the academy, and its splendor swept away his fatigue.

All staff at the academy observed seven days of bathing, vegetarian meals, incense, and prayer to prepare for the festival. On the day itself, at dawn, Huasheng and Taishang Little Lord rose early to wash and meditate. The thought of meeting Dao Ling Star Lord filled Huasheng with excitement.

To be head of more than a hundred immortals, overseeing tens of thousands of disciples, he must be gentle, compassionate, yet awe-inspiring. Rarely did the great immortal emerge from seclusion, and Huasheng hoped to edge forward for a clear glimpse. When the ceremony ended, he planned to seize the moment to inquire about the Time Bodhi.

Climbing to the mountain summit, Huasheng saw the lake surface crowded with floating platforms, beautifully arranged. These platforms, connected by jade bridges and flanked by the imposing Lingyan Stone Tower, created a wondrous scene. Mist lingered among the bamboo groves, cranes flitted and perched, presenting a true immortal’s paradise.

Between the platforms and Lingyan Tower stood a broad ceremonial stage, and on either side of the tower, two tall platforms had quietly appeared.

Disciples assigned to the site had already lit three tall incense sticks before the stage, filling the air with a refreshing scent.

Since the ceremony was early, Huasheng chose a front-row seat. He had barely settled when someone tapped his back.

“Hey! Did you use the shifting shadow technique? I left late and couldn’t even catch your shadow.” It was Taishang Little Lord.

“I wanted a good seat, so after the ceremony I can go straight to Dao Ling Star Lord to ask about the Time Bodhi.”

“You’re really dedicated. I’ll help you surround the dean later!”

Soon, more disciples gathered at the summit, and the front platforms were quickly packed. After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the mountain was crowded. Huasheng glanced back—everywhere was a sea of heads; latecomers had to stand at the back, with much poorer views. He silently congratulated himself for arriving early.

He was still looking around when the sound of a bell tolled ahead; the bustling summit instantly fell silent—the ceremony was about to begin.

As the bell stopped, the ceremonial platform slowly rose, forming a grand stage with nine stone steps. Huasheng looked forward and saw the master registrar Tianji Zi and vice registrar Weiyu, both wearing cloud shoes and fresh academy robes, appearing on either side of the steps.

Each held a tray—Tianji Zi’s gold tray contained six items: silk, towel, fruit, mirror, banner, bow and arrows. Weiyu’s silver tray held six others: paper, ink, brush, inkstone, fresh flowers, and a long sword.

The two walked in perfect sync up to the platform. With the trays in hand, they placed their left foot on the Departure Hexagram, right foot on Earth Hexagram; left foot on Thunder Hexagram, right foot on Joy Hexagram, left foot joining right on Joy Hexagram; right foot on Mountain Hexagram, left foot on Water Hexagram, right foot on Heaven Hexagram; left foot on the Gate of Heaven, right foot on the Gate of Man, left foot joining right on the Gate of Man, then inhaled deeply and recited a spell.

Taishang Little Lord explained to Huasheng, “Before the Black Tortoise Festival, the steps of altar-setting, offering, lighting, incense, and elevation must all be followed. The two guardians move one step at a time, alternating, yin and yang in harmony, their feet forming the character ‘丁,’ symbolizing the alternation of yin and yang, and boundless magical power.”

Then Tianji Zi and Weiyu placed the items on the ceremonial table; Tianji Zi stepped to the platform’s left.

After setting down the items, Weiyu raised the sword and intoned:

“Radiant spirit shines upon sun and moon, the honored one wields the sword to sweep through heaven and earth.”