"Let’s start by talking about the Talisman Drawing Technique."
Xie Lingyun walked over to the desk, picked up a cinnabar brush, and while sketching runes, asked Zhang Chen about the key points. Zhang Chen didn’t hold back and answered each question directly. After the two had conversed for an hour, Zhang Chen said to Xie Lingyun, "Your Talismanic Technique has already reached the entry-level, and in theory, you shouldn’t be worse than me. But since you haven’t gained the divine power of talismans yet, the issue likely lies with the Qi Cultivation Technique."
Hearing this, Xie Lingyun put down the cinnabar brush and said, "I have been reciting the West Ascension Scripture for seven days, pondering it for seven days, yet I still can’t figure it out. This Qi Cultivation Technique is truly difficult."
Upon hearing Xie Lingyun’s words, Zhang Chen secretly thought to himself, "There’s simply no Light of the True God in this world; if you could master the Qi Cultivation Technique, that would be unbelievable."
"I don’t even know how I got into it myself. All I can do is explain all my insights and experiences on practicing the Qi Cultivation Technique to you." Zhang Chen didn’t mind sharing his insights on the Qi Cultivation Technique with Xie Lingyun. For him, the Qi Cultivation Technique could be achieved by adding points; as long as he focused on leveling up, even if Xie Lingyun mastered the Qi Cultivation Technique, her cultivation speed couldn’t surpass his.
Moreover, without the Light of the True God, Xie Lingyun absolutely couldn’t master the Qi Cultivation Technique.
"Is it too much trouble for you?" Xie Lingyun blinked her big eyes and asked.
Zhang Chen replied with a big smile, "You said it yourself, with our relationship, using the word ’trouble’ is too polite."
Looking at the young man in front of her, Xie Lingyun’s affection for him grew even stronger: "Since you’ve mentioned being ’polite’, I have something to say. You keep calling me ’noble lady’, isn’t that being too polite? I’m older than you by a couple of years and could be your sister. If you don’t mind, just call me ’sister’."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen was startled, a question mark popped up in his mind: ’Is the aftereffect of the Celestial Demon really that strong?’
Purged of greed, anger, and ignorance, her nature was pure, kind, and innocent. At this moment, Xie Lingyun’s heart was as innocent as a child, probably like Wukong just born in Journey to the West, with no partiality towards people.
When Wukong apprenticed, he once said, "I have no nature. If someone scolds me, I do not get angry; if someone hits me, I do not get annoyed, but just give them a gift. I am a lifetime without nature."
This is having no partial mind, truly devoid of greed, anger, and ignorance, which is an innate state.
At this moment, Xie Lingyun had removed her Heart Demon, and all miscellaneous thoughts were gone from her heart, perhaps she was also like this.
"How dare I! If word gets out, wouldn’t people laugh at you, noble lady?" Zhang Chen quickly said.
"People are born equal, it’s just later that ranks are divided, he becomes a king, I a noble, that’s all there is to it. I see this clearly and couldn’t care less about it." Xie Lingyun looked at Zhang Chen with clear eyes, "If you don’t call me, you must be looking down on me."
Seeing Xie Lingyun say this, Zhang Chen smiled, Xie Lingyun had no partial mind, and in Zhang Chen’s eyes, there were even less of these so-called noble and powerful people:
"If that’s the case, then this little brother greets sister."
Xie Lingyun nodded with satisfaction, "In the future, you will be my real little brother, and if anyone dares to bully you here in the Northern Land, just use my name. I, Xie Lingyun, still have some prestige in the Northern Land."
The two laughed and joked, and by noon, a servant brought in eight dishes and one soup. Zhang Chen awakened the groggy Xiaodouding, who then drooled over the sumptuous feast.
With Xie Lingyun’s invitation, the three of them ate together joyously, finishing off all eight dishes and one soup.
After the meal, Xiaodouding went off to simmer the medicine again, while Zhang Chen and Xie Lingyun watched Chengyu simmer the medicine, exchanging puzzled glances.
"Does she really not have a mental illness?" Zhang Chen asked, still a bit worried.
Xie Lingyun shook her head, "I’ve already broken through the possession realm; can’t I tell if she’s sick or not?"
"I have to stop her; otherwise, she might harm herself by drinking it," Zhang Chen remarked.
Hearing this, Xie Lingyun shook her head, "No need. Her medicine is calming and soul-nourishing; drinking more is beneficial, it can strengthen her soul, making her future path smoother."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen pondered and realized that Seeing God essentially means strengthening the soul. Drinking more soul-nourishing medicine didn’t seem to be a problem.
Zhang Chen continued explaining the insights of the Qi Cultivation Technique to Xie Lingyun, explaining the crucial points of his cultivation.
Seated cross-legged on a mat, Xie Lingyun listened attentively, closing her eyes to fathom the meanings within Zhang Chen’s words.
Another three hours passed, and Zhang Chen stopped speaking, his eyes on the closed-eyed Xie Lingyun, "Sister, have you felt the Qi?"
"I understand everything you’ve said, and I comprehend all the key points you’ve explained, but I just can’t generate the Qi you mentioned. I don’t understand what this Qi is," Xie Lingyun said, looking at Zhang Chen with puzzled eyes, like a student unable to grasp the teacher’s question.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen pondered slightly, then tapped his knee with his fingers, "Perhaps there are two methods to make you feel the presence of Qi."
This was Zhang Chen’s explanation. He simply wanted Xie Lingyun to sense the flow and cultivation of Qi, to prove he wasn’t lying. As for whether Xie Lingyun could cultivate, he had an idea—unless she found the same Light of the True God as he did, there was no way she could cultivate magical power.
Moreover, the most crucial point was to prove to Xie Lingyun that he hadn’t held anything back, to prevent any misunderstanding from causing trouble.
Right now, Xie Lingyun was his biggest supporter, and he needed to hold onto that tightly.
Of course, the most critical point was that he held control over Xie Lingyun’s Celestial Demon, and if Xie Lingyun ever had any bad ideas, Zhang Chen could only say she was overthinking.
"What methods?" Xie Lingyun immediately asked.
"The first method is that I lower my body’s defenses, and since you’ve already mastered possession, you might as well possess me and personally sense the key points of my magical power’s operation. Perhaps you might deepen your understanding of magical power and successfully cultivate it. Moreover, I might’ve made mistakes in my explanations, which are ultimately less useful than your personal experience."
"The second method is that I infuse my magical power into your body, allowing you to personally experience and grasp the sensation of Qi," Zhang Chen said.
After a brief contemplation, Xie Lingyun said, "Let’s try the first one."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen nodded, retracted his Light of the True God, closed his eyes, and prepared to accept Xie Lingyun’s possession.
A shadow emerged from Xie Lingyun’s body, ethereal and transparent like air, identical to Xie Lingyun herself.
Xie Ling’s soul circled around Zhang Chen, then directly entered Zhang Chen’s body.
What’s it like to be possessed by someone?
Zhang Chen didn’t feel much, only that his body seemed a bit heavier. He couldn’t even sense the presence of Xie Lingyun’s soul, showing just how strange possession truly was.
Zhang Chen directly mobilized his magical power, moving it around his body according to the key points, continuously circulating it through all his apertures.
After circulating about a dozen times through the heavenly circuit, Zhang Chen suddenly felt a movement in his heart, and Xie Lingyun’s soul exited from his body, returning to her own body.
Zhang Chen looked at Xie Lingyun, seeing her closing her eyes in contemplation, trying to operate the cultivation art. He didn’t disturb her, instead choosing to wait quietly.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xie Lingyun opened her eyes and said, "Brother, do you feel the air?"
"I understand what you’re saying; I fully grasp all the key points you’ve explained, but I just can’t generate the energy you described. I don’t know what this ’Qi’ you’re talking about is," Xie Lingyun said to Zhang Chen, eyes filled with bewilderment like a student who doesn’t understand a teacher’s question.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen thought for a moment, then tapped his knee with his fingers: "There might be two ways for you to sense the presence of Qi."
This was Zhang Chen’s statement; he wanted to help Xie Lingyun sense the flow and practice of Qi, to prove that he wasn’t hiding anything. Of course, he had an idea of whether Xie Lingyun could practice or not, unless she found the same Light of the True God as him, she wouldn’t be able to cultivate magical power.
Moreover, the key thing was to prove to Xie Lingyun that he was not hiding anything, to avoid misunderstandings and trouble.
After all, Xie Lingyun was someone he had to rely on, he had to hold onto this thigh.
Not to mention, the most crucial point was that he was in control of Xie Lingyun’s Celestial Demon, and if Xie Lingyun really got some bad ideas, Zhang Chen would just have to say she was overthinking.
"What’s the method?" Xie Lingyun asked eagerly.
"The first is to release the defense of my body. Since you already managed to possess, why not just possess me, and feel the key points of my energy operation for yourself? It might deepen your understanding of magical power and help you cultivate faster. And besides, maybe there are inaccuracies in my explanation, which can’t compare to experiencing it yourself."
"The second way is for me to infuse a strand of Qi into your body, and you try to move that Qi around to see if you can keep it as your foundation," Zhang Chen suggested.
He was not surprised that Xie Lingyun didn’t succeed. In fact, he would have been surprised if she had. The fact is, without managing to find the same Light of the True God that I did, cultivating magical power successfully is next to impossible for her.
"Go ahead and do it," Xie Lingyun said, closing her eyes.
Zhang Chen closed his eyes, concentrated the Light of the True God, and prepared himself to let Xie Lingyun possess him.
Xie Lingyun’s body emitted a ghostly figure, as transparent as air, and just like Xie Lingyun herself.
That phantom moved out of Xie Lingyun’s form and entered into Zhang Chen’s body.
What does it feel like to be possessed by someone?
Zhang Chen didn’t feel much. He only thought that he felt slightly strange, like his body was a little heavier, and he couldn’t detect Xie Lingyun’s soul at all, truly illustrating how strange possession is.
Zhang Chen immediately maneuvered magical power, circulating it through the key points continuously, weaving through the circulation circuit.
However, just as it had passed through seven or eight meridians, without the restraint from Zhang Chen, the magical power was surprisingly absorbed by Xie Lingyun’s soul.