Chapter 112: Ancient True Person Realm
Late at night, a deserted rice barn.
Chen Shun’an sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, concentrating his spirit, and summoned the Precious Proclamation.
【Grass Talisman（50/100）】
【Wish: 7—>191】
The wishes gained from delivering Blessed Water these past two days were only a little over eighty points.
At the Orphanage, due to the Chicken Head Pearl needing to absorb the essence of the surrounding medicinal herbs and flowers to nourish the Sweet Water, it would take three to four days. Therefore, wishes could not be obtained from it for the time being.
And the biggest source of these newly gained wishes was surprisingly the fear and awe generated by Lin Shou Zhuo and Zhou Qing and the others after they tracked Chen Shun’an following his underwater demon slaying!
Whispers echoed in his ears.
“The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. That day, while delivering water, perhaps a Great Demon was hidden nearby. Instructor Lin almost walked through the gates of hell? That was close!”
“Another powerful demon has appeared on the water delivery route. With just myself, oh, and that blockhead Lin Shou Zhuo, we probably couldn’t hold on. I must report this to the Landlord so he can find a solution.”
“Wuqing County is in peril! The incense ash of the God of Wealth can only track and gather birds and beasts. No, I must go and borrow Spirit Official Wang’s Golden Whip to whip the demons of the Three Realms!”
Chen Shun’an was somewhat dumbfounded.
What, one moment he was an Elderly Heavenly Pride, the next a Mysterious Expert, and now Chen Mou was a Great Demon from underwater?
Chen Mou had been wandering the Martial World for many years, why did he have so many identities and aliases?
However, the existence of a Great Demon in the water was not false.
Below the Funiu Water Marsh, a wounded demon was indeed hiding!
Looking at it this way, Chen Shun’an had, by chance, inadvertently warned Wuqing County in advance?
Chen Shun’an’s face showed a hint of bewildered amusement, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Moreover, what was this incense ash the Temple Keeper spoke of, that it had the ability to track and gather birds and beasts?
Spirit Official Wang’s Golden Whip also seemed to possess some supernatural ability?
Chen Shun’an suddenly became alert.
He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but ever since he came into contact with Azure Gang Yang Huo, this Immortal Fate had begun.
Various extraordinary powers had been coming one after another.
The Spirit Official temple housed over ten deities, large and small, who feasted on countless incense offerings.
It was said that the most efficacious were the Spirit Official Idol, Emperor Huaguang, and the God of Wealth in the main hall.
Not only could they protect believers, but the Golden Whip, the demon-subduing spear, and the Gold Ingots on the idols, having been seasoned by incense for so long, had become divine objects.
However, Chen Shun’an, relying on the Status of Water Origin Great Emperor, vaguely perceived that the Heaven and Earth were empty of Divine Edicts, with no deities present.
Then what were those deities who manifested divine power and feasted on the incense of all beings from their high divine positions?
“Hoo… this Sacred Dynasty is truly full of pitfalls and dangers everywhere. The more you know, the less happy you are.”
Chen Shun’an’s heart sank slightly.
His current Strength, having slain three bandits, was not bad, only one Realm lower than seasoned veterans who had roamed the Martial World for many years like Red Fifth Master.
But for Chen Shun’an, it was still far from enough.
Perhaps only reaching Perfection in slaying the Six Thieves, becoming a Martial Dao Grandmaster, or even Entering the Dao through Martial Arts, could provide Chen Shun’an with a little sense of security.
“Therefore, cultivate!”
…
After converting a hundred points of wishes into incense and offering them to the Grass Talisman.
Chen Shun’an maintained his Intent and fell into a cool and clear state.
In his stomach, the Si He Fu Shi Mu, after being heated and then soaked in liquor, slowly dissolved.
The Si He Fu Shi Mu was actually magnetite.
It was also a type of Spirit Disrupting Great Medicine.
Chen Shun’an had also heard that some other magnetites, after being dug out from underground, would emit strange Mysterious Light. Martial Artists who were exposed to it would develop unusual physical manifestations, undergo Houtian Transformation, and possess peculiar endowments.
However, it came with the drawback of shortening one’s lifespan, and most people would die violently.
Chen Shun’an speculated that this magnetic light might be a form of Immortal Fate.
Suddenly,
Chen Shun’an’s hearing became exceptionally clear and strange.
It was as if thousands of ants were crawling on his earlobes, then all drilling deep into his ear canals.
Thus, the previously silent rice barn suddenly became cacophonous, unbearably piercing.
The sound of the autumn wind blowing through pine needles, the water flowing in the channels, and even the gurgling of his own Qi and Blood…
What was originally subtle and imperceptible was now like the beating of drums and bells, accompanied by indescribable strange sounds, all surging in!
Hearing is seeing the internal scene.
The greatest sound is silent, the greatest image is formless.
Boundless confusion and a sense of insignificance welled up in Chen Shun’an’s heart, like a monstrous wave, vast and immeasurable, while he was but a tiny boat, without any support, only able to be swept along by the waves. A slight carelessness would lead to the ship’s destruction and the loss of his life.
The clearer his hearing became, the more apparent the Ear Thief was, and the more intense the humble fear stemming from hearing the true nature of the world became.
Chen Shun’an, sitting cross-legged, his eyelids trembled slightly, his facial muscles twitched, appearing neither awake nor asleep.
He always felt that something, perhaps a demon, perhaps an unseen evil spirit, was whispering and murmuring by his ear.
At times, it was like honeyed words, making his mind restless and his Qi and Blood surge.
At other times, it was mournful screams, filled with immense fear, chilling him to the bone.
Sometimes, it was Wan Niang’s voice, calling him, “Brother, stop practicing, aren’t I beautiful…”
In the first-rate Realm, slaying the Six Thieves, each additional thief slain brought a tremendous leap in strength.
The further one progressed, especially beyond the realm of three thieves, the gap between minor realms was even greater than the gap between major realms before.
It was precisely because of this that the process of slaying the Six Thieves became increasingly difficult and obscure.
There were all sorts of illusions, inner demons, and temptations brought by the Six Thieves, alternating and rotating.
Even the Ear Thief would collude with the Body Thief and Eye Thief that had already been slain… all six senses were in disarray, making it impossible to distinguish reality from illusion.
For those with weak minds, Qi Deviation was common, and they might even become half-human, half-ghost imbeciles!
Strange noises continued in his ears.
Chen Shun’an focused his Intent on the Mud Pill, a inch of Mysterious Light generated on his body, and Innate Qi flowed like smoke in the Mud Pill. At the same time, he visualized the Six Sceneries Rotation True Cultivation Manual, preventing the sounds in his ears from invading his mind, always maintaining a sliver of clarity.
After an unknown amount of time, the chaotic phenomena in his ears seemed to subside.
Chen Shun’an could even gradually control the sensitivity of his hearing, and his Intent could also manage and discern the vast information brought by his hearing.
Then, Chen Shun’an suddenly heard hurried, rustling footsteps again, as if carrying a Lantern, its flame flickering erratically.
The rice barn door was pushed open, and the owner of the footsteps went straight up to the attic, quickly approaching Chen Shun’an, and finally stopped by his ear.
Wan Niang’s pathetic, almost pleading voice came,
“Brother, something terrible has happened! Below Funiu Water Marsh, that Great Demon is leading countless Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals, flooding Wuqing County. Instructor Lin is dead, Landlord Zhao is dead, everyone is dead!”
“Stop practicing. You’ve eaten the family into ruin, and now the demons are going to eat me too!”
“Brother, wake up, wake up! Stop practicing, Wan Niang is scared…”
Chen Shun’an’s eyeballs rolled rapidly, his eyelids twitched, and goosebumps rose all over his body.
“Brother, save me quickly, that Snake Demon has found me, ah!!”
This was followed by the sound of some beast gnawing, as if Wan Niang’s smooth pelvis, as it passed through the Snake Demon’s throat, was crushed and shattered, then with a wriggle, it was slowly swallowed whole into its belly.
Wan Niang’s screams lingered, not dissipating for a long time.
And within Chen Shun’an’s Intent, a visualization appeared.
Dragons and tigers thrashed and roared, charging and crashing towards him.
And seated atop the dragons and tigers was a figure with features similar to Chen Shun’an.
It was the Ear Thief!
“Slash!”
Chen Shun’an roared in his heart, concentrating his Intent into a Heavenly Blade, and immediately slashed at the Ear Thief. His momentum did not wane as he also repeatedly struck down the increasingly rampant Body Thief, Eye Thief, and Nose Thief!
Heaven and Earth suddenly became clear.
All illusions vanished.
The ‘Wan Niang’ also ceased to exist.
The somewhat chaotic and turbulent Intent quickly solidified and grew stronger.
A scorching wave of Qi and Blood rose from the depths of his bones and flowed into his Dantian along the meridians.
Wherever it passed, the meridians expanded, the skin and membranes became lively, the internal organs leaped, and all his limbs and bones seemed to awaken simultaneously, as if immersed in a warm spring current.
“Hoo…”
After a long while, Chen Shun’an slowly opened his eyes, his exhale like a dragon’s roar, forming two streams of Qi that struck the stone slab on the ground, scattering sand and stone, creating two finger-sized holes, clearly visible!
Surging power instantly filled his entire body, but it was immediately controlled by Chen Shun’an’s Intent, rapidly receding like a retreating tide.
“The wonders of Heaven and Earth are vast. The ancient sages possessed great wisdom, finding secret medicines corresponding to different realms to aid cultivation, saving ten years of arduous practice for ordinary people.”
“However, the risks are also high. One wrong step and all previous efforts are in vain, it is difficult.”
Chen Shun’an sighed softly.
In fact, Chen Shun’an did not believe the illusory words spoken by the phantom Wan Niang at all.
Given Wan Niang’s personality, if she encountered such great danger and felt that even Chen Shun’an was not an opponent, she would simply run far away, trying her best not to implicate Chen Shun’an.
How could she say such absurd words as ‘stop practicing martial arts’.
However, this also served as a reminder to Chen Shun’an.
He needed to make Wan Niang, more than others, clearly understand his strength.
Otherwise, if something happened due to unequal information, where Chen Shun’an saw her as insignificant while Wan Niang saw him as a fearsome deity, leading to a melodramatic situation where Wan Niang endured injuries silently and paid a price behind his back, that would not be ideal.
The night was deep, all was silent, and the sounds of gongs and drums drifted from the end of the long street.
Chen Shun’an breathed in the musty, moldy fine dust in the rice barn, feeling mentally exhausted and a stinging pain in his glabella, as if he had fought a fierce battle for hours, leaving him depleted.
If it were usual, Chen Shun’an would have had to take expensive Spirit Nurturing Great Medicine to barely recover his depleted Intent and Divine Intent.
But now, Chen Shun’an had a better option.
‘Pop…’
The stopper was removed, the water pouch was shaken, and clear well water splashed against its leather wall.
With a thought from Chen Shun’an, a fierce-looking Ran Yi Fish suddenly swam out from his glabella.
The Ran Yi Fish stared blankly at Chen Shun’an.
Chen Shun’an, without any pity, pulled off a scale from the Ran Yi Fish and threw it into the water pouch.
Chen Shun’an tilted his head back, his throat gurgling, and in a few gulps, he drank the Ran Yi Calming Water.
The true person of antiquity did not dream in their sleep, and had no worries when awake.
Those who have truly attained the Dao have peaceful souls during sleep, not having chaotic dreams; when awake, their minds are free from attachments and they do not dwell on worries.
One can refine the ‘great medicine’ within the human body, achieving the union of Yin and Yang, and generating innate Qi.
Hence the legends of dream immortals and sleeping arhats.
And at this moment, as the Ran Yi Calming Water went down, Chen Shun’an also seemed to enter this state of ‘not dreaming in sleep, and having no worries when awake’.
His breath was faint, and he slept soundly without dreams.
