Chapter 186: Chapter 112: The Term "Cultivating Immortality" (2)
It’s reasonable to think so, after all, this world is under the divine suppression by gods, who would casually come out to parade?
"The martial dao heritage is at its end; our generation’s martial path is broken." Chengyu’s little face was full of sorrow.
She was extraordinarily talented, having already refined her Huajin. Next was Core Embracing, and then exploring the Seeing God realm left by predecessors, but no matter how outstanding she was, the era limited her vision, and she couldn’t see the future path at all.
"As long as you study hard with me and with my guidance, senior sister guarantees that in five years, you’ll integrate all your strength, and in ten years, refine Dark Force to become a martial world master." Chengyu patted Zhang Chen’s shoulder, eyes full of pride.
"Ten years? It actually takes that long?" Zhang Chen was a bit dissatisfied, feeling that ten years was too long, enough for him to advance further on the path to divinity.
"Ten years for Dark Force is too long? Look at those fools in the Daoist temple, many have trained for thirty or forty years and only managed to integrate the strength of one or two arms." Chengyu’s smiling face collapsed as she sternly lectured upon hearing Zhang Chen’s complaint: "Kid, don’t be too eager for quick success, martial dao is about mind sensing, whether integrating whole body strength or practicing Soft Force that strikes across mountains, it all depends on a subtle feeling. If the feeling is right, perhaps you’ll suddenly be enlightened overnight, and directly master it."
Zhang Chen pondered upon hearing this, Chengyu’s so-called feeling was actually a power exertion technique, or it could be understood as the soul growing stronger, deepening the sense perception of the body, thus enhancing control.
As one practices martial arts over many years, qi and blood subtly nourish the soul. All the training is essentially to strengthen and nourish the soul, in preparation for the final Seeing God realm. If the soul is strong, then whether it’s power exertion techniques or other trainings, they all come as naturally as water flowing in a stream.
Seeing God is the true goal of martial dao!
Zhang Chen at that moment stood at a high vantage point, viewing from a divine perspective, using his mastery of the Blood Control Technique to reflect on martial dao, surprisingly gaining his own insight.
Seeing Zhang Chen standing there in a daze, Chengyu thought he felt practicing martial arts took too long, so she said with a hint of annoyance: "Certainly, if you find martial arts training too time-consuming, you could also cultivate immortality; it’s short and effective! Within a year you can have the ability for summoning wind and rain, mastering wind and thunder. By then, mountains could be moved and seas filled, taking stars and picking the moon, isn’t it delightful?"
Zhang Chen, upon hearing Chengyu’s words, was shocked, as if a muffled thunder exploded in his mind, eyes full of disbelief: What did he hear? Cultivating immortality?
What an ancient term?
Seeing Zhang Chen’s expression, Chengyu thought he was tempted, and said with annoyance: "Do you really believe it! Cultivating immortality is nothing more than tales in storybooks, never heard of anyone succeeding in it."
"Where did you hear the term ’cultivating immortality’?" Zhang Chen cautiously inquired.
Chengyu rolled her eyes upon hearing this: "Our Daoist temple’s Huangting Scripture is an immortal cultivation technique. You can simply look at it, it’s a common item even printed widely in the city below."
As she spoke, Chengyu seemed to remember something, and looked towards the table corner, squatted down, lifted the table corner, took out a crumpled book, and threw it to Zhang Chen: "Each person in our Daoist temple has a copy of the Huangting Scripture. If you want to cultivate immortality, take it to recite."
Zhang Chen hurriedly caught the Huangting Scripture, held it preciously, and upon opening it, found the book filled with something like ghost runes, not understanding a word.
"Pfft~" Chengyu saw Zhang Chen actually open the book and immediately, with a hint of annoyance, said: "Are you stupid?"
"Hmm?" Zhang Chen looked at Chengyu blankly.
Chengyu looked around, then leaned in and sternly scolded: "The so-called Huangting Scripture is just a fabricated book by the Yellow Heaven Dao to deceive ordinary people and swindle incense money. This scripture is nonsensically compiled by the Yellow Heaven Dao, and you actually believe it? Is there a hole in your head? The so-called immortals are merely alchemists deifying abnormal people to deceive the public."
Upon hearing Chengyu’s words, Zhang Chen was stunned, eyes blankly staring at Chengyu, with a hint of astonishment.
Zhang Chen woke from the seduction of cultivating immortality, carefully pondering, and detected several flaws. First, if there were really immortality in this world, why would the Yang God true men still cultivate, wouldn’t they directly pursue it instead? Moreover, with the means of Yang God true men capable of rewriting heaven and earth, even if there were immortals, they might not be any more than that, right?
Even if there really were immortals in the world, could they withstand the Yang God true men? Could they withstand the True Dragon?
He doubted it strongly!
The earlier actions of the Yang God true men, with their overwhelming power, were truly impactful and memorable.
Moreover, the appearance of the word ’immortal’ was initially a very impactful thing.
"Could the so-called immortals be a description of Yang God true men? Describing beings stepping into mysterious domains?" Zhang Chen showed a hint of contemplation.
"What are you thinking?" Xiaodouding kicked Zhang Chen’s leg.
Zhang Chen looked at Xiaodouding; this one was naturally friendly, quite amusing: "I’m thinking I’m so hungry, I want to eat."
Indeed he was very hungry, as he hadn’t eaten enough just now under the offering table.
Xiaodouding stroked his belly, showing a bit of helplessness in his eyes: "Then we have to wait, the Daoist temple’s meal timing will take another hour."
"Let me teach you the True Dragon Form first, this is the foundational martial cultivation of our Huangli Temple, the origin of everything. However, depending on each person’s talent, the effect of practicing the True Dragon Form differs. I’ll teach you the first three forms first; these three forms are for integrating the muscles of both hands. Once you memorize them well, I’ll teach you the subsequent practice techniques." Chengyu touched her belly and said this to Zhang Chen.
Upon hearing Xiaodouding’s words, Zhang Chen showed a hint of surprise, feeling a bit puzzled, as martial dao inheritance is typically secretive, passed internally and not externally, typically from men not to women, why was it so easily imparted to him?
"You are a disciple taken in by the master, naturally you have the qualification to receive true martial arts." Chengyu seemed to sense Zhang Chen’s doubts and explained.
Seemingly feeling her explanation was insufficient, she added: "This kind of martial cultivation technique is the core and foundation, traditionally requiring strict evaluation and many tests, to qualify for even a single move being taught, and gaining great merit to hope for more advanced learning. However, ever since sixty years ago, Yellow Heaven Dao suddenly decreed that the sect’s cultivation techniques were no longer to be kept secret as before, just by entering the main line of Yellow Heaven Dao’s elders, one could be freely taught true martial skills."
"It’s truly strange why the sect suddenly opened doors, as if our martial techniques were no longer valued." Chengyu was somewhat confused.
"I think the reason is that the sect no longer values this technique, probably finding a better replacement. So the technique is no longer important, but serves to gather disciples and win their hearts." As Zhang Chen spoke, he suddenly paused, thinking of Elder Wu from Yellow Heaven Dao, who was once in the underground cave surrounded by incense qi...
Zhang Chen suddenly had a thought, feeling he found the truth, if Yellow Heaven Dao discovered the use of the Power of Incense, using it to step into the extraordinary, then indeed mortal martial techniques seemed no longer important.
"Moreover... the dynamic between Elder Wu and Xie Xuan is quite off, their Yang Gods are not the same." Zhang Chen pondered carefully, finally noticing something amiss.
Was Elder Wu’s Yang God truly a Yang God?
Upon detailed thought, Zhang Chen felt Elder Wu’s Yang God wasn’t really a Yang God! It was clearly a soul wrapped in Power of Incense.