But for Zhang Chen, mystery is synonymous with Divine Techniques. If he can gain a Divine Technique for free, he certainly won’t pass it up.
"Wei Yingwu and I are old enemies. This time, I must ruin all his plans." Zhang Chen sneered inwardly, annoyed at the lack of opportunity to avenge Wei Yingwu, and surprised when this fellow delivered himself directly.
Though he’s a Dark Force expert, I’m a divine being. If trading injury for injury, I might be able to defeat him with my quick-healing abilities.
Of course, the key is having the time to study the runes. If I figure out the effects of those two runes, I might have a chance to turn the tables.
Zhang Chen quickly left, holding Xiaodouding’s hand, and Xiaodouding suddenly voiced his worry: "Senior Brother, didn’t Wei Yingwu just say he would kill to keep the secret? Is he going to kill that woman?"
Zhang Chen glanced at Xiaodouding: "Aren’t you overthinking things?"
Xiaodouding remained silent, his big eyes staring at him.
Zhang Chen said, exasperated: "He kills his wife; what’s it to us? Blame the woman for having poor judgment, falling for a scoundrel. There are so many honest men out there, but she chooses Wei Yingwu just because he’s wealthy and handsome. Do you believe she would ignore me, a plain-looking guy, and call me a mutt?"
"And if we meddle, she might not even believe us and think we’re slandering her. If she decides to tell Wei Yingwu, he might seize the chance to frame us, wouldn’t we be bringing trouble upon ourselves?"
Zhang Chen had no intention to meddle in others’ affairs. Wei Yingwu had mastered Dark Force and wasn’t easy to deal with unless he fought him directly, preventing Wei Yingwu from using his skills.
Xiaodouding sighed sorrowfully: "Pity the baby in her belly, how could the world have such cruel parents?"
"His child, his own lineage exterminated, what’s it to us?" Zhang Chen replied irritably.
Meddling in others’ business is never a good habit.
"What should we do next?" Xiaodouding stared at Zhang Chen, his gaze filled with curiosity and questions.
Zhang Chen pondered briefly, looking at the five-year-old Xiaodouding. This young fellow was only five, sending her to the Inspection and Supervision Department would likely lead to her being deceived, her naïveté taking over, possibly brainwashed, leaving Yellow Heaven Dao vulnerable. Hence, Xiaodouding had no chance to acquire that mysterious item.
"The choice should be made among the young generation, ideally between fifteen and thirty years old." Zhang Chen thought, then asked Xiaodouding, "Who is skilled among the fifteen to thirty-year-olds in our Daoist Temple?"
Xiaodouding pondered briefly: "Aside from Senior Brother who died young, the other three have reached Dark Force level, while 99% of the remaining three thousand disciples are at Ming Jin, lacking the subtle Power. Without a master guiding them one-on-one, breaking through is rare. However, about seven or eight have touched Dark Force but can’t match Wei Yingwu, the scoundrel."
Zhang Chen now had a grasp on the situation. The competition likely lay among these dozen Dark Force disciples.
"What you need to do next is train well; there’s a chance for you." Xiaodouding looked at Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen was noncommittal. He felt that relying on Martial Dao training hopes was less promising than focusing on those two runes.
Then the two returned inside, with Xiaodouding intensifying his Martial Dao practice, while Zhang Chen pondered over the runes, hoping to decipher them before the big contest, thus possibly thwarting Wei Yingwu’s plan.
After a day of research, Zhang Chen still hadn’t grasped the runes’ patterns.
At that moment, Zhang Chen began meditating, practicing Qi Cultivation Technique, and entered the Forget Form state, where his soul appeared in front of the grand curtain.
Having cultivated Magical Power, Zhang Chen first appeared in the Endless Void. His soul detected a difference immediately.
Unlike before, the Cyan Lotus in his Forehead Ancestral Acupoint now appeared in the Endless Void, floating above his head, emitting chaos-clearing energy, enveloping Zhang Chen.
"What is this?" Zhang Chen raised his head to look at the Cyan Lotus, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
The Cyan Lotus was budding, seemingly rooted in chaos, surrounded by a mist of confusion.
After observing for a while, Zhang Chen detected nothing peculiar, and turned away, walking towards the curtain, where his eyes focused on the Golden Light barrier, pondering: "How do I break through the curtain barrier to enter the world beyond?"
Zhang Chen extended his hands to touch the world barrier, but was stunned when the once-impenetrable curtain became permeable, allowing his hand to pass through effortlessly.
"What?" Zhang Chen was surprised, then stepped forward, disappearing beyond the barrier into a gray world.
Everything was gray, like in heavy fog, with black whirlwinds sweeping through, stones and sand flying, Heaven and Earth seeming to sway, Zhang Chen fearing his soul would be swept away by the black winds.
At this moment, the Cyan Lotus above him spun, emitting a three-foot green light that enveloped him, securing his surroundings within a three-meter radius, leaving the outside wind powerless.
Struggling in the storm, Zhang Chen gazed around, rendered speechless: "Ruins? Is this a ruin?"
What met his eyes was black soil, where a palace ruin lay scattered, shattered to dust across the ground.
The soil was paved with white jade bricks, now shattered, with fractures indicative of an unknown impact.
"Where is this ruin?" Zhang Chen wondered, surprise in his eyes, unlike the Fox Spirit’s description of the First Heaven.
According to the Fox Spirit, the Spiritual World is full of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, great medicines, and the Land of Creation. But the dark winds and ruins Zhang Chen faced looked far from such creation-laden place.
The winds were thick, blurring vision beyond thirty meters, Zhang Chen remained still, closely observing the ruins.
"Yet the fox spirit wasn’t wrong about one thing—my soul seemed to be nourished by a mysterious energy upon entering this world." Zhang Chen mused internally.
"I’ve attempted entering the First Heaven multiple times, but barriers always kept me out. But this time was effortless... Could the difference be my mastery of Qi Cultivation Technique and Magical Power? Is Magical Power the key to entering the Spiritual World? Did the Ancient Saints possess Magical Power? Impossible. If Ancient Saints wielded it, humans would’ve recorded it, instead of solely pursuing the Yang God System, abandoning Qi Cultivation Dao entirely." Zhang Chen muttered while in the ruins, "But palace ruins? Could creatures reside in the Spiritual World?"
"If only I could summon Fox Fairy Nannan. Perhaps the Fox Spirit knows more of these matters." Zhang Chen thought to himself.