12dz Chapter 52 The So-Called Immortality
Chapter 52 The So-Called Immortality
Chapter 52 The So-Called Immortality
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency - 100]
"So noisy!"
Chu Qianfan glanced at the suddenly appearing numbers in front of him, a hint of impatience flashing through his mind.
As the hallucinations deepened, these inexplicable things became increasingly annoying to him.
He understands the level of proficiency.
There's nothing special about it; it's simply a matter of practice makes perfect.
But he didn't understand the Lesser Concealing Breath Technique.
It's just a basic spell, isn't it?
He had already mastered it to perfection, and even innovated upon it, creating his own unique method of breath control by borrowing from "The True Understanding of the Seven Emotions of the Supreme Being to Generate True Water and Attain the Dao".
Although it cannot compare to the legendary Heavenly Divine Power of Standing Still Without a Shadow, it is more than enough to conceal one's cultivation level and deceive the group of miscellaneous disciples of Mount Luofu.
"Wake up, my husband, wake up!!!"
Chu Qianfan ignored him and turned the pages of the book "The Secret Mantra of the Five Yin Heavenly Demons".
boom!
The door to the cave was kicked open.
The steward stood at the door, his face contorted with anger, and said, "Chu Qianfan! What time is it? The herb garden needs watering today, are you blind or deaf?"
Chu Qianfan closed the book and said, "The herb garden was watered last night."
The steward sneered, "Last night? Just because it was watered once doesn't mean it can't be watered again? Those three acres of red-bearded grass are for the inner sect's alchemy hall. If they dry out, can you afford to compensate for it?"
"Red-bearded grass prefers dry conditions; overwatering will cause root rot."
"You're telling me how to do things? A lowly handyman is trying to teach me how to do things! Just water it when I tell you to, stop with the nonsense."
A mere ant with only five layers of energy.
Chu Qianfan's fingertips twitched slightly.
Suddenly, the steward's face contorted for a moment—transforming into Chu Yao's likeness, clad in black robes and wielding a long sword: "Godfather, there is a difference between immortals and mortals. Mortals cannot defy immortals."
Chu Qianfan closed his eyes and suppressed the surging black mist within his body.
You must not use your hands.
The hallucination hadn't dissipated; if I made a move now, who knows what kind of trouble it would cause.
Seeing his silence, the steward snorted and said, "What? You're still not satisfied after I said a few words to you? A menial disciple with mixed spiritual roots, who can't even fully sense spiritual energy, letting you stay in the herb garden is already a great favor. What's with the sour face? If you don't want to do it, then get out. There are plenty of people to replace you."
Chu Qianfan opened his eyes and gave the steward a cold look.
The steward felt inexplicably uneasy under his gaze, then became enraged and shouted, "What are you looking at? Get up here!"
Chu Qianfan lowered his eyes and said, "Yes."
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
【————】
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
In the days that followed, whenever Chu Qianfan had the thought of touching the "Five Yin Heavenly Demon Summoning Secret Mantra," an unexpected event would occur.
The first time, just as he turned the page of the book, the alarm bell outside the cave, which had not rung for ten years, suddenly rang out, its sound echoing through the mountains and fields.
The entire household of servants came out, saying that a monster had broken into the mountain, and everyone lined up in a defensive formation for the whole night.
The second time, he set up a restriction around the cave under the cover of night. As soon as his fingertips touched the cover, the restriction collapsed on its own. The shattered spiritual light rebounded and made his blood and qi surge.
The third one was even more absurd.
He was reading a book in the cave when, just as he turned to the first page, a sword light fell straight down from the horizon, smashing through the roof of his cave.
An inner disciple crawled out of the rubble and said, "Junior brother, I'm sorry, I just learned the sword control technique, I'm still a bit rusty."
After saying this, he transformed into a beam of sword light and disappeared, leaving behind a cave with a large hole in its roof.
Chu Qianfan sat amidst the rubble, and lines of characters appeared before his eyes: [Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
【————】
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
On another occasion, he took the book and went deep into the mountains, found a deserted cave, and set up several concealment spells.
Just as he sat down cross-legged, a demonic beast at the ninth level of Qi Refining, having somehow sensed his presence, barged in.
The most outrageous time was when he did absolutely nothing but simply approach the book.
His mind suddenly trembled, and the power of the seven emotions within his body suddenly went berserk, like a wild horse running rampant through his meridians.
He coughed up blood on the spot, and all he could see was a [Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
【————】
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
[Minor Breath Concealment Technique (Beginner): -50/100]
The characters were stacked one after another, densely filling the field of vision, even obscuring the bloodstains on the ground.
Chu Qianfan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gradually began to savor the taste.
These accidents were not fatal, but each one occurred just as he was about to touch the secret incantation book.
And after each unexpected event, those inescapable characters would reappear before my eyes.
It was as if an invisible force was simultaneously increasing his proficiency in the Minor Concealment Technique and doing everything in its power to prevent him from touching the secret incantation book.
He sat cross-legged in the cave, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingers, and suddenly laughed.
"I don't want you to touch it, but I'll touch it anyway."
"Godfather".
Chu Qianfan turned around.
Chu Yao stood behind him, still dressed in red, with the glass bracelet on her wrist.
Chu Qianfan's expression turned cold. He said, "Yao'er, are you going to stop your father too?"
Chu Yao shook her head and said, "Has Godfather forgotten? From childhood to adulthood, when has Yao'er ever stopped Godfather? Godfather wanted to cultivate immortality, so Yao'er accompanied you to Mount Luofu. Godfather said it had to be this way, so Yao'er did not struggle."
She walked towards Chu Qianfan, her glass bracelet dangling gently on her wrist.
"So, if my godfather wants to practice this secret incantation, Yao'er won't stop him. However..."
She reached out, her fingertips almost touching the back of Chu Qianfan's hand, but she didn't.
"Godfather, do you really want to practice this secret mantra, or do you just not want to?"
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
【————】
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
[Minor Breath Concealment Technique (Beginner): -10/100]
Chu Qianfan turned his head away without answering.
When she turned around again, Chu Yao had already disappeared.
He looked down at the "Five Yin Heavenly Demon Summoning Secret Mantra" in his hand.
Then turn to the first page.
Snapped!
Fang Shi slammed the "Five Yin Heavenly Demon Summoning Secret Mantra" shut, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
"That was close, that was close."
He let out a long breath and murmured, "I almost got trapped in the illusion and couldn't come back."
Fang Shi looked down at the black-covered book of secret incantations in his hand.
The cover was unremarkable, but when you touched it with your fingertips, you felt a strange chill.
Those memories just now—white hair, adopted son, spirit-testing stele, falling off the cliff, white bones in the cave, room shrouded in black mist, Chu Yao—
Chu Xun, Chu Zheng, Chu Yao—those repeated calls of "godfather" flashed through his mind, as clear as if he had experienced them himself.
But that wasn't his memory.
It is the memory of Chu Qianfan, the previous cultivator of "The True Understanding of the Seven Emotions of the Supreme Being and Their Transformation into True Water".
Fang Shi did indeed actively seek out the most exquisite interpretation of the scripture, every word of which contained the supreme method of controlling water and creating life. After obtaining the first fragment, he couldn't help but continue to pursue it, the second fragment, the third fragment—relying on the reminder of the Minor Concealing Breath Technique, he unknowingly collected the entire scripture.
But while he took the initiative, that greed wasn't entirely his.
The turbid air contained an inexplicable power that quietly seeped into his mind the moment he touched the fragment, silently pushing him forward and making him even more unwilling to stop than before.
Is it the power of joy?
Of the seven emotions, joy is the hardest to guard against.
It is not as violent as anger, as chilling as fear, or as devastating as sorrow, and it does not arouse any wariness. It simply makes people feel good, feel right, and feel unable to resist.
and-
Fang Shi recalled the words that had echoed in her ears again and again, "Wake up, husband, wake up."
And what about all the unexpected events that happen every time Chu Qianfan tries to touch this secret book? Could this be the gift Qi Xueyi was talking about?
Fang Shi recalled that the explosion of the earth veins had revealed an unusual aura from the very beginning.
The initial problem must have been caused by Zhou Yan.
Everything he has experienced now has proven—and it involves not only Zhou Yan, but also his master.
The consequences of this incident are far more complex than simply being polluted by turbid air, as Sanpan Temple claims.
Fang Shi then looked at the book of secret incantations in his hand.
If he wasn't mistaken, both the "Supreme Seven Emotions Respond to Transformation and Generate True Water to Attain the Dao True Understanding" and the "Five Yin Heavenly Demon Summoning Secret Mantra" have one thing in common—they are both able to utilize turbid energy.
And yet, he somehow obtained Chu Qianfan's memories from the turbid air.
Could this turbid energy be the vessel for Chu Qianfan's power?
After his death, the power of his seven emotions did not dissipate, but instead dispersed into the earth's veins, transforming into turbid energy that sealed away all his memories within it.
The earth's veins are now shaking, and turbid energy is surging forth.
Everything about Chu Qianfan also came to light.
In the past, Fang Shi would have thought this idea was utterly absurd.
When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. How can memories be so easily sealed in turbid air? Even cultivating immortality is not something that can be done so easily, right?
But now, after reading through that article, "The True Explanation of the Seven Emotions of the Supreme Being Responding to Transformation and Generating True Water to Attain the Dao," I have come to understand its true meaning.
Fang Shi had already realized that this was something he was capable of doing.
The magical power refined by cultivators is the result of their own essence, energy, and spirit combined with spiritual energy.
Every trace of magical power contains the cultivator's unique mark.
If that's the case, what will happen after the magic power is depleted?
"When the vital energy dissipates, it returns to heaven and earth; when the essence is exhausted, it transforms back into nothingness."
Based on the common sense that Fang had previously acquired through his oath.
The mana that a cultivator exhausts will dissipate back into the purest spiritual energy, returning to the world like a stream flowing into a river or sea, becoming one again.
But is it really that simple?
Fang Shi recalled the second law of thermodynamics he had learned in his previous life.
Energy dissipation always occurs during the transformation process.
Heat cannot spontaneously transfer from a low-temperature object to a high-temperature object; ordered structures will always tend towards disorder; and entropy increase is irreversible.
Magic power is the manifestation of essence, energy, and spirit, and is an extremely ordered form of energy.
When it is consumed, can it really be completely reversed back to pure spiritual energy?
Does not.
They will become more disordered and almost unusable.
Unlike the turbid air that is the other side of pure air, those residues are the mortal air that is completely unusable.
The mortal realm is a place where worldly affairs converge.
Humans are born here and die here; every breath they take is a remnant that cannot be used by the immortals.
This is precisely why mortals cannot cultivate immortality in the mortal world.
Advanced techniques, in the flow of magical power, can completely preserve the essence, energy, and spirit imprints within, incorporating them into one's own cycle. Even if they dissipate into the world, they still form a great cycle with the world.
From then on, the cultivator's essence, energy, and spirit are inexhaustible, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither defiled nor pure—this is called longevity.
boom!
The door to the cave was kicked open again.
The steward stood at the door, his face contorted with anger, and said, "Chu Hao! What time is it? It's your turn to clear the weeds from the herb garden today. Are you blind or deaf?"
Fang Shi subconsciously tried to answer according to Chu Qianfan's memory.
But he stopped abruptly when he was about to speak.
Memories that were so clear just moments ago, as if experienced firsthand, have now become hazy and indistinct, like a mirage.
Fang Shi felt a sudden chill and then realized what was going on.
Those memories were carried by turbid energy, imprinted with Chu Qianfan's essence, energy, and spirit.
If he only vaguely remembers, it's not a problem.
But if one truly remembers everything clearly and acts according to Chu Qianfan's memory—perhaps it's just imitation once or twice, but what about ten or eight times?
The essence and spirit of Chu Qianfan, sealed within that turbid air, would seep into his mind little by little.
At that time, what difference would there be between that and being possessed?
Therefore, it is not a bad thing for the memory to become blurred.
Seeing that he didn't answer for a long time, the foreman's face darkened and he said, "What? You won't answer when I ask you a question? You're a piece of trash with mixed spiritual roots. Sending you to clear weeds is an opportunity for you to accumulate contribution points, and you're putting on airs? If you don't want to do it, just say so. There are plenty of people in the servants' quarters waiting to fill your vacancy."
Fang Shi steadied himself, suppressing the chaotic memories in his mind, and based on his experience, said, "Yes, Steward. I was in deep meditation just now and didn't hear the time. I'll go right away."
The manager snorted and turned to leave.
Fang Shi followed behind him, passing through the narrow alley of the servants' quarters, heading towards the medicine garden.
On the way, Fang Shi's heart was still churning.
Spiritual root?
In the desolate land where the Three Plates Temple is located, mortals are born with the ability to sense Qi, the only difference being whether they develop it at five or fifteen years old, and they never need any spiritual roots.
But in the illusion just now, the first test for entering Mount Luofu, where Chu Qianfan was, was to test one's spiritual root.
Without spiritual roots, no matter how wealthy you are, you can't even cross the first threshold of the immortal sect.
Qi Xueyi mentioned that she and her father had visited Mount Luofu.
That is not a fictional illusion, but another real cultivation realm.
But even though they are both cultivating immortality, why is there such a big difference between the two places?
Perhaps, just like in a past life, once you cross the border, you'll encounter different systems and different languages.
Perhaps the cultivation world is the same.
Suddenly, Fang Shi paused slightly, then quickly followed.
The story Qi Xueyi told—the two sisters, Sunset Glow and Morning Dew.
Qi Xueyi — Is it really Qi Xueyi?
He had personally witnessed Zhou Yan and Qi Xueyi's interactions.
The relationship between the two was definitely more than just that of ordinary senior and junior brothers and sisters.
Fang Shi recalled the scene with Qi Xue in the restaurant and quickly stopped himself from thinking about it.
The scene was far more exciting than inside the tent, no wonder he was somewhat pale at the time.
After all, according to Qi Xueyi's casual conversation with Zhou Yan, Zhou Yan was at the eighth level of Qi Refining.
Having reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, one's senses and perception are far more acute than those of ordinary people.
Let alone a table, even if separated by a stone wall, someone with that level of cultivation could easily detect any movement if they wanted to investigate.
If Qi Xueyi was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, how could she not be exposed when she did those things to him under Zhou Yan's nose?
unless-
Qi Xueyi is not Qi Xueyi, so whether she has six levels of Qi Refining or not doesn't matter.
Putting all that aside for now.
The scene before him was clearly an illusion, so how could he possibly escape it?
"Hurry up and clear all these weeds away, not a single root is left. If you don't finish, you'll be sleeping in the herb garden tonight and won't be going back to your cave."
Upon arriving at the herb garden, the manager pointed to the path of weeds with frosty white veins in the ground.
Fang Shiding took a look.
Isn't this the Frost Grass?
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