Mr. Wuliu felt a bit suspicious, his heart filled with confusion. By all rights, Zhang Chen should be utterly exhausted at this moment. Even if not exhausted, he should be listless, right? How is he now glowing with health, as if he has taken a strong tonic?
"Someone, quickly send a message to the Crown Prince, ask if he has sensed any changes," Mr. Wuliu instructed a guard after pondering briefly, then turned his head to glance at the Daoist Temple behind him before getting into the carriage and leaving.
In this severe winter, with the cold weather, he didn't want to wait in the biting wind any longer. Cultivators are not immune to cold or heat; they can still feel cold, they can still feel hot. Only by reaching the Yang God stage of cultivation, where one can manipulate various energies of heaven and earth, can one truly not fear cold or heat.
Three days have passed swiftly.
Mr. Wuliu stood in the courtyard, extending his hand to open a letter, and as he read the contents, he was stunned: "This is impossible! The Feng Shui Grand Array has already started operating, with the Life Chart being inverted and stolen. How can there be no reaction? Can it be that there's an issue with the Feng Shui Grand Array?"
Considering Zhang Chen's glowing appearance, Mr. Wuliu was beginning to question reality itself, a trace of urgency showing in his eyes as he called out to the guard outside the door: "Prepare the carriage! I need to go to Helv Temple!"
The carriage rumbled to Helv Temple, Mr. Wuliu stood outside the main gate, his eyes fixed in the direction of Helv Temple, his hands tucked into his sleeves, observing the Qi Mechanism of the Feng Shui Grand Array of Helv Temple.
"It shouldn't be like this! By the current indications, Helv Temple's Feng Shui Grand Array should have already been running!" Mr. Wuliu muttered under his breath, but he couldn't quite understand and had to personally knock on the door, wanting to enter the Daoist Temple to inspect and see if there was indeed something wrong with the Feng Shui Grand Array.
Accompanied by the knocking sound, Zhang Chen inside the house put down the book in his hand, somewhat impatiently shouted towards the door: "Who is it! Disturbing my peace early in the morning."
"It's me! I've come to deliver some charcoal and quilts to you. Recently, an unusual person at the Prince's Mansion predicted a Celestial Secret that there will be heavy snow in the coming days, so I've brought you some extra coal to prevent you from freezing." Mr. Wuliu said from outside the door.
Zhang Chen opened the door and saw Mr. Wuliu wrapped in a fur hat standing quietly outside the door, his hat covered in layers of frost, and behind him were a dozen or so attendants carrying baskets of coal, lined up in two respectful rows.
"The Prince's Mansion still has a conscience," Zhang Chen said with a smile.
Mr. Wuliu ignored Zhang Chen's rudeness and instead instructed the guard beside him: "Move all the coal inside!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen looked at Mr. Wuliu with a surprised expression: "Why am I not moving it myself this time? Aren't you afraid of disturbing the peace inside the Daoist temple?"
His voice carried a trace of sarcasm, his gaze filled with subtlety as he looked Mr. Wuliu up and down, who seemed not to catch the meaning in Zhang Chen's words and proceeded slowly into the courtyard, directing a group of servants to move the coal to the backyard.
As Mr. Wuliu walked through the Daoist Temple, he already noticed something was amiss. The power of the Feng Shui Grand Array was flowing in the void, continuously invading him, and he instantly knew that the Feng Shui Grand Array was fine, its operation unhindered.
If the Feng Shui Grand Array is unhindered, then where did the problem arise?
Mr. Wuliu's gaze fell on Zhang Chen. If the Feng Shui Grand Array was without faults, then the issue must be with Zhang Chen himself.
Mr. Wuliu scrutinized Zhang Chen with his distinct black and white eyes, observing Zhang Chen's rosy complexion and the smooth flow of Qi Mechanism around him, without the slightest hint of lassitude, causing Mr. Wuliu to have some doubts in his mind.
In truth, Zhang Chen couldn't be blamed; he initially did portray a listless appearance. However, the benefits he gained in the Spiritual World were too great to digest in a short span, which showed on his face. Especially with his Blood Dao evolving once more, after returning to the Material Realm, the power within the Blood-colored Crystal Core nourished his body, making it difficult for Zhang Chen to completely suppress this Blood Dao instinct. But Zhang Chen was working hard to adapt to the changes brought by the Crystal Core; in another two or three days, he could suppress it without any flaws being revealed.
"What is Mr. Wuliu looking at?" Zhang Chen asked, clearly aware of why Mr. Wuliu's eyes were fixated on him, yet he still asked knowingly.
Mr. Wuliu measured Zhang Chen up and down, feeling some uncertainty, then approached him ingratiatingly: "I happen to know a bit about cultivation techniques and can check the bones and aptitude. I recall that the Prince's Mansion has an excellent Secret Technique. How about I check your bones and aptitude to see if you are compatible with that Secret Technique? If compatible, I will persuade the Prince to use that Secret Technique to compensate you."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen's heart was stirred. This was a chance to fool him. He had already obtained some understanding of Inverted Yin and Yang and could indeed employ some methods to deceive him.
"If Mr. Wuliu has such thoughts, that would be wonderful, please go ahead," Zhang Chen said, extending his arms to let Mr. Wuliu touch them. At this moment, the Yin Yang Qi within Zhang Chen's body was flowing, inverting the Qi Mechanism within.
Mr. Wuliu was not polite upon hearing this, stepping forward to touch Zhang Chen's body, sensing the situation within. The next moment, Mr. Wuliu's brows furrowed: "This isn't right! The Qi Mechanism within this kid is chaotic, obviously influenced by the Feng Shui Grand Array. And his healthy flush? It's clearly an unhealthy flush. Just like the redness from a fever when someone has a cold, it's clearly a result of being burnt up.
Mr. Wuliu sensed the Qi Mechanism within Zhang Chen's body, similar to the principle of someone having a fever, feeling that Zhang Chen's current condition was indeed like this.
"There's nothing wrong with this kid's body either!" Mr. Wuliu stroked Zhang Chen's bones. He initially thought it was Zhang Chen's problem, that the other party was secretly stirring trouble, but now, after touching him, he discovered Zhang Chen was also a victim.
But if there's nothing wrong with Zhang Chen, then where did the energy transformed by the Feng Shui Grand Array go?
"How is it?" Zhang Chen looked at Mr. Wuliu, who was touching him over and over, and asked impatiently.
Mr. Wuliu withdrew his hand, face full of regret, and said, "Young Daoist, I've already felt your bones, but unfortunately, you are not destined to receive the cultivation secrets of our Prince's Mansion, and I can't impart the secrets to you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen looked disappointed, "What a pity."
Mr. Wuliu confirmed it wasn't Zhang Chen's problem and suspected that the Feng Shui Grand Array had an issue. Tired of dealing with Zhang Chen, he mumbled a few words, found an excuse to stroll and went to investigate the Feng Shui Grand Array.
Mr. Wuliu's actions couldn't escape Zhang Chen's notice. Zhang Chen observed Mr. Wuliu's movements, a slight smile playing at his lips, which soon disappeared without a trace.
Mr. Wuliu spent more than half a day inspecting the Daoist Temple, unable to detect the problem. He felt his cultivation was lacking, so he hurriedly took his leave, intending to return and deduce, gather some materials, and see if his method of changing fate was wrong.
Zhang Chen escorted Mr. Wuliu to the gate. Seeing Mr. Wuliu's hurried and embarrassed appearance, he shook his head, closed the door, returned inside, pondering how to deal with the situation of Prince Pingbian's Mansion.
The next day, deep in the night, heavy snow began to fall from the sky.
Now that Zhang Chen's bloodline had transformed, his senses were keener than others. He opened the window to watch the snowflakes drifting from the sky, a hint of interest in his eyes, "It's time to drink!"
"Interesting, it's really snowing!" Zhang Chen took the small red clay stove and directly cooked wine and beef, drinking as he admired the scenery outside the window.
"The New Year is coming, right? It's been a long time since I've seen my younger brother and sister." Zhang Chen mused with longing in his heart.
Zhang Chen raised his head, eyes focusing on the snowflakes falling in front of the stove, muttering to himself, "Soon! Soon! Once I overturn the great mountain of Prince Pingbian's Mansion, we can reunite."
"Prince Pingbian's Mansion and Yellow Heaven Dao are two mountains pressing on me. If I can't overturn them, there'll be no good days ahead." Zhang Chen murmured, full of worries, as these two mountains were indeed hard to topple.
"I need to borrow strength; if I can cause Prince Pingbian's Mansion and Yellow Heaven Dao to turn against each other, it would be twice the result with half the effort for me." Zhang Chen thought to himself.
After pondering for a long time without a clue, Zhang Chen returned inside, sat cross-legged, and meditated. He then mobilized his spiritual power again, prepared to enter the Meditation Void to take a look, curious about how the Innate Peacock and Ancestral Master of Longevity were doing.
Isn't it time for the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder to stop?
As Zhang Chen meditated, he attempted again to enter the second heaven of the Spiritual World. Suddenly, an unknown dark world appeared before him, and he stood dumbfounded, eyes absorbing the distant scenery.
In sight was a boundless sea, yet this sea was pitch black, and Zhang Chen stood above it.
"No, isn't this supposed to be Qingcheng Mountain? Logically, my second entry into the Spiritual World should have been Qingcheng Mountain. So why have I come to this Infinite Sea?" A hint of confusion filled Zhang Chen's eyes, truly puzzled.
"Old man, what's going on?" Zhang Chen dragged out the Great Freedom Celestial Demon, speaking up to inquire.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon's eyes cast strangely at Zhang Chen, his words coming out eerily, "Do you think it's possible that where you've been wasn't the second heaven of the Spiritual World, and what we're seeing now is the true second heaven of the Spiritual World?"
"What do you mean?" Zhang Chen was taken aback upon hearing this. He recalled his previous journey to the Ancient Era, felt a shiver run through him, and his tone changed, cautiously asking, "Are you saying, I might have previously traveled to some era?"
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon nodded, "Yes, to an era buried deep in time and space!"
"Then why didn't you remind me? I might have made more arrangements!" Zhang Chen was immediately displeased, glaring at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon, his voice full of complaint.