"Just because the ancients had to make things mysterious, when we later generations dug up the secret manuscripts, practicing without understanding them, countless heroes ended up practicing themselves to death. Some became mentally deranged, some were completely burned by flames, some turned into ice shards and dissipated into the universe. After decades of attempts and deductions, someone finally found the key, abandoned the Qi Cultivation Technique, then progressed rapidly, eventually opening up a true path of cultivation for all beings." The Fox Spirit said.
However, Zhang Chen, who was listening nearby, couldn’t help but have his pupils rapidly contract, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief: What was he hearing? Was there really talk of practicing Qi to cultivate immortality?
"That Secret Technique for Soul Cultivation is authentic, but the Qi Cultivation Technique seems interesting too, so it was simply used as a classic for preaching, to deceive the common folks." The Fox Spirit said with a smile, "The Huangting Scripture you’re holding must be the Qi part, it’s just a bunch of mystical nonsense, what’s precious about it? I wouldn’t even use it to make a fire for cooking."
Looking at the chattering Fox Spirit, Zhang Chen’s heart was beating rapidly but was quickly suppressed, and he forced himself to calm his excitement, seemingly casually asking, "Since the Qi Cultivation mantra and the Soul Cultivation mantra are together, surely the ancients weren’t so bored? Could it be that the cultivation method is wrong? Is there not a single successful cultivator under heavens? Could there be someone who succeeded and is hiding out somewhere?"
Upon hearing this, the Fox Spirit paused from its action of stewing meat, turned to Zhang Chen, "Boy, now that you’re also delving into the mysterious cultivation, you must not harbor such thoughts, these ideas are really dangerous!"
"Those Twelfth Tier Great Cultivators have long been able to harness the Sun and Moon Essence, mastering all kinds of incredible feats. Once their cultivation reached Great Success, they naturally turned back to study the Qi mantra. Like using Moonlight, there’s a human Twelfth Tier Great Cultivator named Tao Qian, who directly manipulated Moonlight into his body, following the Qi mantra’s practice, but unexpectedly, he lost one soul and two spirits, rendering himself completely useless?" The Fox Spirit’s voice was filled with solemnity:
"Twelfth Tier Great Cultivators could already harness the Sun and Moon Essence and have long proven through various experiments that these Qi parts are nothing but Ghost Runes, totally a form of deception. Just like how your human Martial Dao is filled with things to deceive outsiders in the true teachings. If practiced, one might end up in a death with no burial ground."
"If you achieve something in your cultivation in the future, you definitely shouldn’t act foolishly and try, or you might practice yourself into oblivion and drag me down with you." The Fox Spirit’s voice was full of anxious admonition.
She wasn’t afraid of Zhang Chen injuring himself through reckless practice; she feared he would practice himself to death, and then she would suffer the consequences too.
Looking at the fearful Fox Spirit, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless. He picked up some wood and added it to the furnace, increasing the firepower, then glanced at the book in his hand, suddenly recalling the Celestial Book that the mysterious figure unfolded in the cave, and the two runes he had forcefully recorded.
"Could it really be a talisman?" A thought crossed Zhang Chen’s mind.
"Do you recognize the language in this book?" Zhang Chen asked the Fox Spirit.
"I only recognize Demon Language, how could I know your human language?" The Fox Spirit replied curtly, then turned her head towards Zhang Chen, "Haven’t I explained everything to you? Why are you still hung up on this scripture?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen said nothing, merely lowered his head to look at the book in his hand, while a thought sprouted in his mind: I want to cultivate immortality!
He felt that the Qi Cultivator path wasn’t a lie, perhaps it was just missing some conditions, or maybe everyone misunderstood the key.
"You better not try to kill yourself." At this time, the Fox Spirit simply stopped stewing the meat and came over to Zhang Chen, advising him one more time.
Zhang Chen heard this and remained noncommittal; he was different from others. He had the Point Allocation System, if he could enter, even if he just sensed a trace of Qi, he could directly allocate points onto the correct path, avoiding all risks.
No matter if the Qi Cultivation Technique succeeded or not, as long as he kept allocating points, he would always be on the most correct path. As for the hardships and dangerous keys in the cultivation process, he could ignore them all.
"Zhang Chen, you’re eating all alone behind my back!"
Just when Zhang Chen and the Fox Spirit were whispering, a knocking sound came from outside the door, and Chengyu’s dissatisfied voice sounded outside: "Such fragrant meat! You stay up late at night not sleeping, yet stewing meat to eat! The key point is you didn’t invite me, I really cared for you for nothing."
Upon hearing Xiaodouding’s words, Zhang Chen felt a strange sensation rise within. Being told ’cared for you in vain’ by a five-year-old child was truly bizarre.
As Zhang Chen was about to put away the Fox Spirit, he saw Fox Fairy Nannan hastily say, "Don’t put me away, common folk cannot see me! That place is truly lonely, I beg you, just leave me here. Moreover, your little senior sister seems a bit odd, I could help you check her out. I just don’t believe a five-year-old child can achieve Huajin."
The Fox Spirit pleaded softly, and Zhang Chen pondered for a moment before deciding to keep the Fox Spirit here, as he also felt there was something off about the Yellow Heaven Dao.
"No messing around." Zhang Chen instructed the Fox Spirit, then went to the door to open it, where he saw Chengyu standing outside the door, eyes glaring at him angrily, voice filled with resentment:
"Zhang Chen, you brat! Stewing meat in the middle of the night without inviting me? Despite how much I usually care for you, sharing half of my porridge."
"Isn’t it because the meat isn’t done yet? You’re still young, you need sleep to grow, I’d rather wait until the meat is done and call you down to eat, so you can sleep more. Besides, we are neighbors upstairs and downstairs, with such fragrant meat, how could I hide stewing meat from you?" Zhang Chen hurriedly explained.
He spoke sincerely.
Upon hearing this, Xiaodouding looked up at Zhang Chen and only after seeing Zhang Chen’s sincere expression did he snort, "Hearing you say that, I’ll temporarily forgive you and believe you."
Then he showed a look of longing: "Is the meat done yet?"
"It’ll take another hour." Zhang Chen made way at the door, letting Xiaodouding come in.
Xiaodouding waddled into the room, but unexpectedly, the next moment, Xiaodouding directly looked towards the corner, eyes landing on Fox Fairy Nannan: "Oh, you Zhang Chen, you violated the sect rules, hiding a beauty in your room?"
Fox Fairy Nannan’s gaze met Xiaodouding’s, seeing that he could actually see her, she couldn’t help but be shocked, with an expression of having seen a ghost.
Upon hearing Xiaodouding’s words, Zhang Chen’s heart trembled: "Chengyu is but mere mortal flesh, can he see the Fox Spirit?"
The next moment, a rune flashed in his sleeve, and the Fox Spirit disappeared from the room.
"Hiding a beauty? What do you mean by hiding a beauty?" Zhang Chen calmly closed the door, then turned to look at Xiaodouding, his eyes revealing a hint of bewilderment, as if inquiring about something he was completely unaware of.
"Impossible! How could such a living person just disappear?" Xiaodouding stared at the spot where Fox Fairy Nannan disappeared, eyes filled with disbelief, then seemed to remember something suddenly leaped to Zhang Chen’s side and hugged his leg: "Zhang Chen, there’s something dirty in your room!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen regarded the trembling, pale-faced Xiaodouding with a wry smile and patted her head: "You aren’t still dreaming, seeing things in a daze, are you?"