Zhang Chen stood in the Yellow Sand World, at this moment, with the blazing sun high overhead, the scorching sun seemed to be melting his very soul.
"No! This isn’t a soul state, I actually have a physical body!" Just then, Zhang Chen noticed something amiss. When he looked down, he realized he somehow had a physical body.
"This is the Spiritual World, how can I have a body here?" Zhang Chen’s eyes were filled with disbelief as he raised his hand and discovered that he indeed had a body.
"Illusion Technique? Could it be that I’ve fallen under an Illusion Technique within the Spiritual World?" Zhang Chen was a bit incredulous,
"What about that palace? What on earth happened?" For a moment, Zhang Chen was baffled.
As he looked at the vast sands, a wave of thirst washed over him, and Zhang Chen instinctively activated his Water Control Technique, attempting to extract water from the air. Fortunately, his Water Control Technique succeeded, with water vapor gathering from the desert air and underground water flows rising to hover before him.
"Interesting."
Zhang Chen looked at the water swirling in front of him, and the question arose in his mind: Can you drink water in the Spiritual World?
Zhang Chen opened his mouth, and as the water flowed down his throat, a refreshing coolness surged through him, even the burning heat of the sun overhead seemed to cool down a bit.
Zhang Chen proved with facts that drinking water was possible even within the Spiritual World.
Realizing that he could mobilize all his skills finally gave Zhang Chen a sliver of security. Even if the situation got worse, he had some means to protect himself.
The endless yellow sand and scorching sun scorched Zhang Chen’s skin, turning it red as if it were about to swell in just a moment.
Zhang Chen raised his head to look at the sun in the sky, curiosity appearing in his eyes: "Isn’t this sun way too enormous?"
The sun was as large as a tall building, and Zhang Chen could even see solar storms sweeping back and forth across the sun’s surface, ravaging the entire sun.
"This world isn’t right."
Zhang Chen didn’t dare stand in the yellow sand for long, nor did he dare to continue walking under the blazing sun. Instead, he directly buried himself in the yellow sand, hiding his entire body, waiting for the night’s descent.
"I had planned to clear out the ruins of that palace, but who knew I’d end up in this bizarre place." Zhang Chen buried himself in the yellow sand and then drew water to wet the surrounding sand to lower the temperature around him slightly.
"Logically speaking, once my Magical Power is exhausted, I should be able to return... Wait, where’s my Magical Power?"
Only then did Zhang Chen realize something was wrong, his eyes showing shock as he stuck his head out of the sand. Where was the trace of the Cyan Lotus above?
"Where did my Cyan Lotus go?" Zhang Chen’s heart skipped a beat, then his Forehead Ancestral Acupoint trembled slightly, and the Cyan Lotus projection appeared at his forehead, seemingly responding to Zhang Chen’s call.
"Wasn’t my Magical Power before always transformed into the form of the Cyan Lotus, floating within the Mysterious World? How come it’s suddenly returned to my body now? Most importantly, my Magical Power doesn’t seem to be consumed anymore, which means when it runs out, I can’t return."
Zhang Chen re-buried his head in the sand, a hint of horror flashing in his eyes: "This isn’t right, how did things turn out this way?"
Zhang Chen couldn’t understand how he ended up in this world filled with yellow sand. Clearly, there was a palace, but now the environment changed, and even the way to return was different.
Zhang Chen lay on the yellow sand, a contemplative look in his eyes.
"I couldn’t have come to this world for no reason; there must be a cause. Where is that causality? Was it because I took the spring of the Yellow Springs from the palace ruins? No, that can’t be it. After I took the Yellow Springs and refined the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array, I entered the Meditation Realm several times, and nothing unusual happened then."
"My last meditation entering the Meditation Realm was at Huangli Temple. If there’s a difference between the last and this time, it should be the change in location. Now I’m at the Empress Tomb and shrouded by the Feng Shui Grand Array." Zhang Chen quickly deduced the only different point from the two meditation sessions.
"Could it be that entering the Spiritual World during meditation varies depending on the environment and location of the Meditation Realm?" Zhang Chen’s heart was filled with questions.
"The Empress’s Feng Shui Grand Array... if it’s because of the Feng Shui Grand Array or the change in meditation environment that caused the difference in the Spiritual World, it still doesn’t explain why my Magical Power’s form would change, or why my spirit is granted a physical body."
Zhang Chen had too many questions unanswered, unable to make sense of the situation.
"So why did I enter this Spiritual World after all?" Zhang Chen’s eyes were filled with confusion.
After pondering for a long time without answers, Zhang Chen could only lay quietly under the yellow sand, reflecting in silence.
"As long as I stay here, when the time comes, the Fox Fairy Nannan will summon me, and I should be able to return, right?" Zhang Chen made up his mind and stopped overthinking it. Adapt to the situation; that was all he could do.
Time passed very slowly, as Zhang Chen lay hot and stuffy in the yellow sand until the sun set. Finally, as the last afterglow vanished from the horizon, Zhang Chen quickly crawled out from the yellow sand.