allendalepharm Chapter 22: Seizing the Peach Blossom Immortal Technique
Chapter 22: Seizing the Peach Blossom Immortal Technique
At the bottom of the river, the colossal shadow of the Bronze City lies dormant like an ancient, slumbering deity, shrouded in eternal darkness and pressure. Here, the water flows thick and viscous, and time itself seems to freeze under the weight of the immense water, leaving only a silent eternity.
Zhou Yi stood quietly before the brass jar, his black robes spreading like ink in the water without causing a ripple. Behind him, the ancient-looking Three Truths Myriad Laws Sword floated on its own, its blade flowing with a deep, mysterious light, becoming the only source of light in the darkness, illuminating the ancient, ferocious dragon reliefs on the jar's surface.
The contents of the jar seemed to sense the impending threat and began to stir restlessly. A deep throbbing transmitted through the heavy metal, each beat stirring the water and forming ominous whirlpools, as if the imprisoned heart of a dragon king was pounding wildly.
"A fleeting moment... Peach blossoms."
The four-word mantra, as light as a sigh, yet heavier than any law. Zhou Yi did not wield the sword, yet the sword responded on its own. A pinkish-white radiance suddenly burst forth from the sword's blade, its light seemingly as gentle as peach blossoms in spring, yet containing within it an absolute tyranny capable of devouring creation and altering the very foundation. The radiance extended like a living thing, ignoring physical barriers, directly "entwining" the scorching, violent source within the jar, symbolizing the ultimate authority of "bronze and fire."
The devouring began. The jar trembled violently, emitting a silent yet piercing shriek that reached the very soul. A miniature dragon silhouette, composed of pure flames and flowing molten gold, could be vaguely seen struggling and crashing within the jar, attempting to break free from the insidious pink light. The terrifying dragon's might and extreme heat emanated from the jar, instantly vaporizing the surrounding river water with a series of explosions, yet it was firmly imprisoned within a small area by an invisible barrier surrounding Zhou Yi, creating a spectacular underwater boiling inferno.
However, all resistance was ultimately futile before the laws of "Seizing the Moment." This great supernatural power of Penglai Island did not seize tangible things, but rather the "fruits" forged by time and rules. Within Constantine's authority, the absolute command over "fire" and the shaping power over "metal"—those imprints deeply engraved in the underlying rules of the world—were forcibly stripped and analyzed strand by strand by the Peach Blossom Immortal Light, then transformed into a surging torrent, flowing along the sword as a bridge, and pouring into Zhou Yi's body.
Zhou Yi's eyes were slightly closed, his face expressionless. Only the aura around him was undergoing a tremendous transformation and sublimation. An ancient, majestic source, possessing both creative and destructive qualities, was taking root and sprouting deep within his life.
The light and struggle within the jar quickly dimmed and weakened. The Dragon King's power, which had once made the entire Secret Party take a high stand, and the mighty authority capable of burning cities and boiling seas, was now like a moth caught in a spider's web, only able to emit a final, feeble tremor before being completely drained and squeezed dry.
The brilliance subsided.
The enormous brass jar instantly lost all its mystique, its color turning ashen and its touch icy cold, like a massive piece of scrap iron, slowly sinking into the deeper darkness.
Zhou Yi opened his eyes, a blazing gold light flowing like molten lava deep within his pupils, vanishing in an instant, returning to the calm of a deep pool. The invisible pressure emanating from his body caused the water within a hundred meters to fall into absolute stillness, even the smallest planktonic creatures instinctively fleeing away.
Having absorbed Constantine, Zhou Yi made further progress in the realm of Central Divine Power. In terms of "quality" alone, he had even stepped halfway into the realm of Great Divine Power, but this half-step was like an insurmountable chasm. With his aptitude, he would never be able to take that step, even until his death. Moreover, even if he completed his "quality," his "quantity" would still be far from sufficient. He would need at least another twenty years to cultivate his magical power before he could truly enter the realm of Great Divine Power and become a supreme being of a sect.
Almost at the same moment that Constantine's power completely vanished.
In a budget apartment in Brooklyn, New York, North America.
Old Tang, who was staring at the computer screen, suddenly froze. A flash of uncontrollable golden light flickered deep in his pupils, then vanished just as quickly. A sudden, overwhelming emptiness and sorrow gripped his heart, as if some vital part of his life had vanished forever. He stood there, unfocused, in front of the screen, a moment that felt like an eternity. Memories resurfaced in his mind.
Two days later, at Kassel College, in the principal's office.
Sunlight streamed through the enormous arched windows, casting bright patches of light on the polished floor, but it couldn't dispel the somber atmosphere in the room. Principal Hilbert Jean Angers, his fingers interlaced on the table, listened quietly to Ye Sheng and Jiu Deya's reports.
Ye Sheng recounted in detail his harrowing experience fifty meters underwater after escaping from Bronze City:
"...A person dressed in a black robe, his face obscured, his entire figure shrouded in the robe. Behind him...a huge bronze sword, with only a hilt and no blade, hung horizontally. He floated silently in the water outside the exit, without any diving equipment."
"It seemed like he was waiting for us. The jar that Aki was holding flew over to him with a wave of his hand. Then, a point of golden light flew out from his sleeve—it was very dazzling underwater. Only when it got closer could we see that it was a talisman radiating golden light."
"The talisman flew in front of us, parting the surrounding water to form a stable air cavity. It hovered silently in front of us. The person didn't say anything, but we felt our bodies lighten, and we were lifted up by a gentle force, rising to the surface of the water along with the talisman."
"Before leaving, I glanced back... In the darkness behind him, a huge shadow lurked. It was a pair of... golden, enormous dragon eyes. I instinctively wanted to warn him, but all his attention seemed to be focused on that jar."
Angers nodded slightly, his gaze shifting to the large screen on one side of the office. It was playing a video of the Moniach's forward cabin, the image frozen on the moment Ye Sheng opened his palm and the golden talisman dissipated into specks of light.
"Norma, refine the image and extract the rune pattern," Angers ordered.
The screen image sharpened and magnified rapidly, revealing the details of the talisman with extreme clarity: a golden background covered with incredibly intricate and dazzling patterns painted with some kind of dark red pigment. The crisscrossing lines were neither from any known dragon script system nor from the construction of modern semiotics, and were filled with an indescribable sense of mystery.
"What were the results of the database comparison?" Angers asked.
A cold, electronic female voice announced: "Global comparison has been completed. This includes secret talismans from various schools of Chinese Taoism, Tibetan Buddhist mantras, ancient Egyptian and Kabbalah symbols, and known patterns from other major religions and mystical systems. No match was found. The logic behind the talisman's pattern structure has no direct connection to any existing system, suggesting it may be an independent and highly encrypted unknown system."
The office was silent. The vanished golden talisman, along with its mysterious owner, was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that were difficult to quell in the core of Kassel College.
A mysterious being capable of easily slaying dragons, seizing the Dragon King's egg, and using a completely unknown power system is like a chess piece thrown onto a chessboard, outside the rules, bringing enormous and unpredictable uncertainty.
After absorbing Constantine, Zhou Yi set his sights on Norton. He had held back before because he was afraid of being unable to defeat Old Tang, who might awaken at any moment. Absorbing Constantine first was a safer option.
His figure appeared in the gloomy streets of Brooklyn, New York. Following an inexplicable intuition and clues from his investigation, he found the cheap apartment hidden in a poor neighborhood. The door was ajar, and the interior was empty. A thin layer of dust covered the simple tables and chairs, the computer screen was black, and only the intermittent neon light from outside the window illuminated the dust particles floating in the air. All signs indicated that the occupant had been gone for some time.
"Did they notice...? They avoided it in advance." Zhou Yi muttered to himself, not particularly surprised. There was a mysterious connection between the Dragon Kings; Norton might already know about Constantine's complete annihilation.
After his search failed, Zhou Yi did not linger. His figure faded like ink in a painting, returning to the dark depths of the Three Gorges. He assumed Norton would return here as in the original story. He carefully scanned every inch of the water and the ruins of the Bronze City with his divine sense, his own aura merging with the river, as if transforming into an ancient rock, beginning a silent vigil.
One day, two days... the river flowed on, accompanied only by swimming fish and undercurrents. The figure who was expected to return, carrying boundless rage and sorrow, never appeared. Norton seemed to have completely disappeared into the vast sea of people, or perhaps, due to his intervention, the trajectory of fate had slid onto an unknown fork in the road.
He waited patiently for four or five days, hoping for a miracle, but Norton still hadn't shown up. It wasn't until Mans reminded him that his leave of absence from school had far exceeded the permitted timeframe, and without a reasonable explanation, it would attract the attention and scrutiny of higher levels of the school administration.
Looking at the silent bronze city before him, Zhou Yi knew that waiting passively was pointless. Norton wouldn't come, at least not now.
"Fine."
He took one last look at the silent waters, his figure disappearing silently into the darkness of the river like ink. A few days later at Kassel College, all was calm. Zhou Yi, an "A" grade student who had been on leave for a long time, returned to his dormitory quietly, like a drop of water flowing into the ocean.
He took one last look at the water before disappearing without a trace. A few days later, amidst the uneventful routine of Kassel College, Zhou Yi, an "A" grade student who had been on leave for a long time, quietly returned to his dormitory.
"If you need any help, just say so," Chu Zihang called out to him, his tone calm but earnest. "We're friends."
The Book of Changes was just an excuse; what difficulty could there be? He smiled faintly and politely declined.
"Oh, by the way, it was Nuonuo's birthday a couple of days ago, and we celebrated it together." Chu Zihang paused, as if mentioning it casually, "I sent you an email, but I haven't seen you reply. If you missed it, remember to send her a gift."
Chu Zihang rarely spoke so much. Last time, on his own birthday, among the gifts they gave each other, there was a fountain pen. He later learned, after quietly inquiring, that Nuonuo had prepared it for Zhou Yi. This made him vaguely aware of the difference in Nuonuo's treatment of Zhou Yi. But Zhou Yi didn't seem to realize it—at least not on the surface.
Zhou Yi then realized he hadn't checked his email recently. He took out his phone, and unread notifications popped up one after another on the screen. In addition to Norma's usual notifications, there were also reminders from Susie and Chu Zihang: Nuonuo's birthday was coming up.
"I've been busy lately and haven't checked my phone." Zhou Yi put away his phone. "I'll make up for the gift later."
"Susie said that Nono likes red," Chu Zihang added.
"Okay." Zhou Yi felt that Chu Zihang was talking too much today. He went back to his dormitory to catch up on his missed coursework. Kassel College was never ambiguous about this; serious lag could lead to expulsion. Only after everything was temporarily over did he go to the cafeteria for dinner.
He sat by the window, his usual spot, and ordered a braised pork knuckle and a steak, eating slowly. Not long after, Chen Motong appeared—carrying a cup of cola, his gait still arrogant, followed by a slightly flustered follower carrying two buckets of KFC family coffee.
Upon seeing Zhou Yi's retreating figure, Chen Motong paused almost imperceptibly. She raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and her flamboyant aura suddenly subsided, revealing a hint of gentleness.
She led the people to sit down opposite Zhou Yi.
"Oh, the busy man is back." His tone sounded nonchalant.
She patted the boy next to her on the shoulder and introduced him, "My new little brother, Lu Mingfei, S-rank! Call him senior." Her manner was somewhat like that of someone going to see a long-lost ex-boyfriend, deliberately bringing along a barely acceptable follower to bolster her image, so as to show that she wasn't without suitors after the breakup.
"Hello, senior!" Lu Mingfei hurriedly put down the family bucket, looking somewhat reserved.
"Hello, just call me Zhou Yi." Zhou Yi nodded to him. This wasn't the first time he had seen Lu Mingfei. Back in Shilan Middle School, he had seen this protagonist from afar and had also observed him secretly. He was pretty much as described in the original work.
Zhou Yi took out a red bracelet from his pocket. He wasn't sure what to give a girl, and had no idea about clothes or cosmetics, so he just casually made a piece of jewelry, which could also be considered a little protective trinket.
"I thought you'd forgotten long ago. Even wishing someone a happy birthday requires a reminder." Chen Motong took the bracelet, her tone devoid of emotion. "...Giving me this? Do you even know my wrist size?"
She casually slipped it onto her wrist, and to her surprise, it fit perfectly. She was momentarily stunned.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness." She turned the red bracelet on her wrist; its warm luster made her skin appear even whiter. "I really like it."
She displayed it as if no one else was around, and Lu Mingfei felt a pang of sadness watching from the side. Even though he didn't know much about jade, the luster and craftsmanship of the bracelet told him at a glance that it was no ordinary piece, and its price was outrageously high.
He never expected that his senior from Shilan Middle School, like Chu Zihang, was also a wealthy second-generation heir. Of the three, he was the most ordinary.
"Chu Zihang reminded me," Zhou Yi said truthfully. "Susie said you like red."
"You don't need to add that last sentence." Chen Motong glanced at him. "If you hadn't said that, you would have scored much higher on me."
"What score?"
"My suitors' scores," she said, resting her chin on her hand with a sly smile. "I've been scoring all my suitors lately, and the one with the highest score might just become my boyfriend."
Zhou Yi glanced at Lu Mingfei, who suddenly became nervous, and casually added, "Then please be sure to exclude me from the list."
"Hmph, dream on." Chen Motong bit her straw, seemingly annoyed by Zhou Yi's obvious relief, her face saying, "You dog of a man, you've messed with me."
Zhou Yi, unusually free, asked a question on behalf of Lu Mingfei, who wanted to ask but dared not:
So, how many people are currently on the list? Who has the highest score?
"Oh, weren't you indifferent just now?" Chen Motong raised an eyebrow.
"I won't tell you the number of people, nor will I tell you the highest score." She stuck her tongue out at Zhou Yi, like a girl who had just pulled off a prank.
Zhou Yi smiled and casually guessed, "I don't know the number of people, but the highest score... I guess it's Caesar."
"Honestly, if a girl like Caesar—rich, beautiful, with a great figure, and relentlessly pursuing me—it would be hard for me not to be tempted."
Chen Motong immediately pulled out her phone, tapping the screen as she read, "Got it. I'll have Caesar dress up as a woman and confess to you, and tell him it's one of the essential tasks for pursuing me."
"Hahaha—" Zhou Yi imagined that scene in his mind and finally couldn't help but chuckle. Those who knew him knew that he was introverted and preferred quiet, so such an outward laugh was rare.
"Hmph..." Chen Motong rolled her eyes at him and put away her phone.
Lu Mingfei watched the natural flow of conversation between the two, unable to interject. A typical unrequited lover is always very sensitive, like now. The senior sister Nuonuo in front of him was completely different from the distant "boss" she usually was with him. She was more relaxed, more vibrant, her eyes sparkling. The two chatted and laughed. He, however, simply sat silently to the side, clutching two buckets of increasingly cold family-sized buckets of food.
My days in Kassel flowed by peacefully, and two months passed in the blink of an eye.
Until the Bronze City project was restarted.
During this period, the school had organized more than one dive, bringing back numerous items from the Bronze City. However, not long ago, Norma detected an abnormal rise in the water temperature of the Three Gorges Dam, which continued to climb.
The Bronze City project was thus put back on the agenda.
Despite strong opposition, the principal decided that the task would not be handled by the executive department, but rather by the students currently enrolled in the school.
Led by Professor Mans, the team selected elites from the Student Union and the Lionheart Society. Since it was a selection process for elites, these two student organizations were naturally involved.
Zhou Yi had originally planned to ask for leave again to rush to the Three Gorges to deal with Norton. However, the unexpected turn of events disrupted his plans.
Because the mission required the use of specially made alchemical weapon bullets from the Equipment Department, regulations stipulated that at least one member of the Equipment Department must accompany the mission. However, none of the group of reclusive men in the Equipment Department were willing to go out.
Thus, the task fell to Zhou Yi—he was both a student and a member of the equipment department.
He represented the Equipment Department in this mission, responsible for the maintenance and use of the alchemical weapons. Of course, that was only in name; in reality, he was merely a figurehead. The final authority over the use of the alchemical weapons rested with the mission leader, Caesar.
The core members of this mission are as follows:
- S-class Lu Mingfei, A-class Chen Motong, A-class Chu Zihang, and A-class Su Qian were responsible for the dive;
- A-level Caesar oversees the overall situation;
- Level A Zhouyi is responsible for logistical support;
- Rank A Natasha assists Caesar in command and control.
Years later, Zhou Yi suddenly recalled the Ultraman Daigu that he had watched as a child. He had even come up with a reason for his disappearance at a crucial moment.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
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