Zhang Chen had never seen such a cautious and fearful Great Freedom Celestial Demon!
This old man usually had a demeanor as if he feared the world would not fall into chaos, but now he was as docile as a quail, which was something Zhang Chen was seeing for the first time.
"It's a pity that the purple lightning doesn't drop Skill Points, otherwise if I could pick up the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder, wouldn't I be invincible in the future?" Zhang Chen secretly directed his gaze at the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder, but unfortunately, the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder wasn't considered mysterious, so no skills would drop.
At this moment, the world was flashing with thunderous light, an overwhelming divine thunder reverberated down, pressing down on the Tripod Cauldron, causing countless sparks to burst. Zhang Chen watched as his own body continued to vanish without a trace, the terrifying thunderous light booming in his eardrums.
A faint sound of Xu Erniu's cries seemed to drift to his ears, and then amidst the booming sounds, Zhang Chen completely lost consciousness.
Inside the Daoist Temple, in the bedroom, the fire in the furnace had already started to dim.
"Boom~
Zhang Chen suddenly sat up, staring blankly at the already dim campfire, then lifted his hand to look at his own intact body, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes: "Have I returned from the First Heaven of the Spiritual World?"
Zhang Chen felt the smoothly circulating magical power within his body, and the Yin Yang Grinding Disc quietly circled deep within his spiritual consciousness.
"Interesting!" As Zhang Chen breathed, the magical power within him circulated, and the next moment, his figure disappeared from the room and reappeared in the courtyard.
"The Five Elements Escape Technique can be applied not only in the Spiritual World but also in the Material Realm. That way, whatever I plan in the future can be much more secretive. There aren't many experts in the Material Realm, so I don't fear being detected." Zhang Chen was in a very good mood at the moment.
This time going to the Spiritual World, he gained tremendously. The only thing that worried him a bit was how Xu Erniu, Xiu Liu, and the Innate Peacock were doing now.
Zhang Chen felt very tired, mentally exhausted, as an indescribable heaviness welled up in his heart, as if he hadn't slept for days and nights.
"No matter, sleep first!" Zhang Chen said, lying on the recliner, pulling down the cloak, and quietly went to sleep by the fire.
But after dozing for a while with his eyes closed, Zhang Chen suddenly opened his eyes and mouth wide, then spat out a yellow earthen mirror from the Ba Snake Space.
"The Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror is back, thank goodness! If the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror had fallen into the hands of the Innate Peacock, I would have suffered a great loss." Zhang Chen thought to himself.
Zhang Chen examined the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror for a while, nourished it with magical power, then re-swallowed it into the Ba Snake Space.
At this moment, an endless stream of energy from the Ascension Pool transformed from the Feng Shui Grand Array, irrigating the Devouring Space, once again filling the cracks in Zhang Chen's Devouring Space, giving Zhang Chen the opportunity to store more things.
This journey to the Ancient Land, the greatest harvest for Zhang Chen was the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror and the Yin Yang Grinding Disc, as well as the Five Elements Escape Technique.
Everything else didn't yield much for Zhang Chen.
Or perhaps the countless books in the Five Villages Temple greatly increased Zhang Chen's knowledge, giving him a few goals for future cultivation.
"The Thirty-Three Heavens of the Spiritual World is the origin of the Immortal Dao. The bodies of immortals were unearthed from the Thirty-Three Heavens, so I must journey to the Thirty-Three Heavens someday." Zhang Chen thought to himself.
As idle thoughts gathered and faded, Zhang Chen gradually fell into a deep sleep, until the next day when the north wind broke the large tree outside the house, the crashing sound waking him up. Then he took a deep breath, pulled off his cloak, looked at the flames in the furnace, and slowly added more wood until the wood gradually burned, then he began preparing his breakfast.
Even cultivating immortality requires eating!
For breakfast, Zhang Chen had potato and beef stew. He ate with his mouth full of oil, then tidied up the courtyard a bit, and soon returned to his room to start sacrificial refining his treasure.
Zhang Chen was very busy; he needed to sacrificially refine the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror and also nurture the Heaven and Earth Grinding Disc.
Refining the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror was extremely difficult. Without the vast magical power supply from the Ancestral Master of Longevity, Zhang Chen could only rely on the meticulous work of Water Grinding Ink to gradually refine the restrictions.
He also had to comprehend the Inverted Yin and Yang Great Divine Techniques and study the incantations for sacrificial refining the Ascension Pool, making him exceedingly busy.
By noon, Zhang Chen draped his cloak over himself and came to the courtyard, his eyes looking towards the distant mountains where the Ascension Pool had fallen, a hint of eagerness in his eyes.
But after pondering for a long time, he ultimately refrained from acting rashly: "That old mud eel is fused with the Earth Vein of the Northern Land, my Earth Escape Technique surely wouldn't fool him."
Currently, Zhang Chen was extremely wary of the old mud eel. Previously, before witnessing the Celestial Punishment, he was fearless, ready to charge ahead recklessly. But now, Zhang Chen didn't want any involvement with the Dragon Vein, since the Celestial Punishment was nothing to joke about.
He was now somewhat regretful, wondering why he used bloodstains to pollute the Dragon Vein Qi in the past. This method was far too risky, and any slight carelessness could involve himself, drawing down Celestial Punishment and bringing great misfortune to himself.
"That old mudfish relies on the power of the Northern Land's earth veins to transform into a dragon. Isn't he afraid of celestial punishment? Or does he have some mysterious way to avoid it?" Zhang Chen's eyes showed a hint of curiosity.
After thinking for a long time without any answer, Zhang Chen returned to his room and continued to ponder his Divine Techniques. Since his Qi Cultivation stage couldn't advance, he could only study the incantations of Inverted Yin and Yang and the sacrificial refining of the Ascension Pool.
At night, Zhang Chen took out the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror and performed sacrificial refining on it. But soon, Zhang Chen noticed a problem. Looking at the opened Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, he was stunned by the reflection on the mirror surface.
In the mirror, his own temples inexplicably had hints of white hair.
"I don't have much lifespan left! I must find the Tree of Life Coffin to extend my life!" Zhang Chen closed the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror and silently warned himself.
As for whether he could find the Tree of Life Coffin, he wasn't too worried. Once he recuperated for a few days and used the immense energy of the Ascension Pool to refine the second layer of restrictions on the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, he could then trace the source and search for the various mysterious Qi mechanisms of the Northern Land.
"However, with the Chief Eunuch guarding the Tree of Life Coffin, even if I find it, it might not be easy to seize it," Zhang Chen thought to himself.
Zhang Chen swallowed the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror back into the Ba Snake Space, added wood to the fire, and closed his eyes to ponder various incantations.
After a moment, Zhang Chen's actions paused, suddenly reminded of Xiaodouding. Xiaodouding and Xu Erniu were remarkably similar, even their experiences were very much alike.
"The Yellow Heaven Dao must have plans for Xiaodouding. No matter what schemes the Yellow Heaven Dao has, if they dare extend their claws, I will surely sever them," Zhang Chen's eyes revealed a hint of killing intent.
As for meeting Xiaodouding, there was no rush. He had spent almost twenty years in the Spiritual World, but for those in the Material Realm, not much time had passed.
"The Yellow Heaven Dao is also a problem! I need to prepare early." Zhang Chen thought of the Chief Eunuch, considering that if he could rely on the court's power to strike against Yellow Heaven Dao, it would save him much effort.
A peaceful night passed.
On the second day, Zhang Chen continued his intense cultivation, living a monotonous life.
On the third day
On the fourth day
...
It wasn't until eight days later that Mr. Wuliu visited again.
Outside the closed doors of the Daoist Temple, Mr. Wuliu looked at the shut doors and asked the nearby guard, "Has that kid gone out in recent days?"
"Reporting to Mr., that kid has been cultivating diligently inside the temple, with no unusual movements," the guard replied respectfully.
Mr. Wuliu rubbed his chin, standing outside the door, pondering something. After a moment, he instructed, "Knock on the door!"
The knocking sound resonated in the quiet night, and the door slowly opened. Zhang Chen appeared before Mr. Wuliu with a lazy expression, "Oh, it's you. Knocking so early in the morning, it's really annoying!"
"I was worried about bringing you supplies, afraid you'd go hungry." Mr. Wuliu wasn't bothered by Zhang Chen's rudeness. Instead, he cautiously observed Zhang Chen's physique, a look of confusion in his eyes. Based on his reasoning, Zhang Chen should be mentally exhausted by now, deteriorating day by day. How is it that this kid now looks radiant, completely unlike someone tormented by the Feng Shui Grand Array?
Mr. Wuliu's eyes were filled with confusion, but he did not show it. Instead, he clapped his hands, signaling the dozen or so guards behind him laden with various supplies to place them at the entrance, letting Zhang Chen carry them inside himself.
Watching Zhang Chen finish moving the supplies, Mr. Wuliu painted a grand picture: "Continue cultivating well here. When you emerge, the Prince won't forget you."
"You talk too much, old fool," Zhang Chen carelessly glanced at Mr. Wuliu, turned around, and shut the door with a 'bang,' not bothering to deal with the old guy any longer.
Mr. Wuliu wasn't angered by Zhang Chen's rudeness, but instead, stared silently at the closed door before him, only turning to the guard next to him after a long time, "Haven't you noticed that this kid seems a bit different?"
"Indeed, he's different," the guard replied, "The person is the same, but I can't pinpoint exactly what's different."
"In the past, this kid was always cautious towards the Prince's Mansion, showing a hint of restraint and apprehension, never as audacious as today." Mr. Wuliu pondered:
"It's only been a few days; how did this kid's Essence, Qi, and Spirit change so drastically? Now I can't feel any sense of restraint from him. It's truly bizarre! And he endured the power of the Feng Shui Grand Array. Even if not mentally depressed, there should be some abnormalities, right? Why does he seem full of energy, without any signs of having been tormented?"
At this moment, a hint of suspicion arose in Mr. Wuliu's heart: "Could there be something wrong with the Feng Shui Grand Array?"