Chapter 271: Celestial and Earthly Appearances Are Both My Image 25 |
Granny Sha and the others did not take too much. They took seven of the iron caltrops that were as tall as a person, five baskets of the fist-sized iron caltrops, and left the medium-sized ones untouched. They also took some Frankish cannons along with their accompanying grape-shot and case-shot ammunition, twelve rockets, and a number of fire lances and bowl-mouthed blunderbusses.
"Zhuge Jian likes these fire guns, I'll help him take a few extra."
Situ Wen said, "Instructor, regarding the firearms here, I'd like to take several samples of each to study."
Chen Shi gave him a few wooden boxes he had made himself, letting him pack them on his own.
Situ Wen was both surprised and delighted. Whether it was the General Cannons, the fire lances, or the various large and small projectiles, he took a few of each.
He didn't take much, just three or four of each type.
Hu Xiaoliang asked in confusion, "Master Craftsman, what do you want these firearms for?"
Situ Wen smiled and said, "Since I am the Celestial Court's Master Craftsman, of course I cannot rely on others. I'll take them to disassemble and study them, so we can make our own."
Hu Xiaoliang was startled and hurriedly pulled him aside, saying, "Making these things is a crime punishable by beheading!"
Hu Xiaoliang looked around. They were inside the imperial Guangji Treasury, moving imperial firearms. Wasn't that a crime punishable by beheading?
"My Lu Ban Society has blacksmiths, Red Mountain Hall has talisman masters, and we have plenty of manpower. We can definitely figure it out."
Situ Wen said, "If we start researching and manufacturing now, it won't be too late when we need them in the future."
Hu Xiaoliang blinked his eyes. When would we need them? Why would we need them?
Situ Wen left excitedly with his wooden boxes.
Granny Sha and Blue Goat also had their own gains and were quite satisfied.
"Little Ten, aren't you taking some?" Granny Sha asked.
Chen Shi shook his head. "Leaving them here is no different from keeping them at home. Keeping them at home would just take up space."
Granny Sha inquired, "Is Chen Tang treating you well?"
Chen Shi said, "Neither cold nor warm."
Granny Sha said, "If he bullies you, tell your sister, and I'll help you vent your anger. However, Old Chen really did treat him poorly... It wasn't you who mistreated him, he shouldn't take his anger out on you! By the way, we're taking so many firearms, are we going to kill all the treacherous officials in the court?"
Blue Goat said excitedly, "Is it to throw iron caltrops inside during court sessions?"
Chen Shi shook his head. "It's to capture a reincarnated underworld officer named Zhong Kui. I heard he committed a crime in the underworld and reincarnated in the Duxian County area."
He explained the matter of the boat girl and her father, and how his mother's soul had fallen into misfortune and was trapped in the underworld. Granny Sha was surprised. "Your mother's soul went to the underworld and found you?"
Chen Shi said, "That's what the boat girl said."
Granny Sha fell silent for a moment, then said, "Before your mother's soul went missing, she was mad for over a year, and then lost her soul. I never thought she could actually find you in the underworld. Chen Tang asked me to summon her soul several times, but I could never summon her. It seems she had already found you by then, how could she bear to part from you?"
She sighed with regret.
She had personally witnessed this matter back then, thinking Chen Shi's mother was too grief-stricken, causing her soul to be unable to bear the pain and leave. Now it seemed, Chen Shi's mother's soul did indeed leave, but the reason she didn't return later was because she had found Chen Shi and didn't want to return to the mortal world where mother and son were separated by life and death.
"Those two underworld officers are not good people. This underworld officer named Zhong Kui they mentioned must be difficult to deal with."
Granny Sha smiled. "But with me, Granny, here, capturing him will be as easy as taking something from a bag."
Chen Shi felt as if he had taken a reassurance pill, setting his mind at ease. After seeing everyone off, he quietly waited for news from Zhuge Jian.
Duxian County was quite far, requiring a two-day round trip. During the day, he performed his duties at the Guangji Treasury. When someone came by order to extract military equipment, he would have the deputy envoy check the procedures while he himself focused on cultivation.
In the few days since arriving in Western Capital, he hadn't been able to carefully contemplate and cultivate. Now he finally had some leisure time and could quietly cultivate the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique.
The Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique and the Eight Extremes Golden Palace Divine Chapter had similarities, as if the former was an extension of the latter.
The Golden Palace Divine Chapter established the Eight Extremes. When activated, the Nascent Soul Force Field spread out, forming a force field space about half an acre in area. At the eight extreme points, eight Golden Palace Divine Gates stood, with divine power gathering within them, tempering the physical body and Nascent Soul, and enhancing cultivation.
Because one was within the force field, this half-acre area became a Great Heavenly Cycle, connected to the natural world.
This Heavenly Cycle was many times larger than the one within the human body, hence the cultivation speed was faster.
The Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique, however, treated such a Great Heavenly Cycle from the Golden Palace Divine Chapter as one "Xiao" (celestial layer). In the Nascent Soul realm, one needed to refine nine "Xiao", nine layers of Heavenly Cycles. Therefore, the cultivation speed was extremely fast, and the tempering of the physical body was also more vigorous.
The technique stated that externally refining the Dao Body would make it indestructible through the ages. Meaning, cultivating the Dao Body within this technique would result in a body that remained lifelike and wouldn't decay for a long time after death.
After these days of trial, Chen Shi was seventy to eighty percent confident that cultivating this technique wouldn't lead to errors. Only then did he activate the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique.
He still didn't dare to be negligent. Therefore, he used Stone Ji Your Ladyship as the first Divine Embryo, the crazy Talisman God Tianji as the second Divine Embryo, and placed all the Ginseng Grass Dolls on the third miniature shrine. This way, with the blessing of three layers of Divine Embryos, even if something went wrong, he would have the strength to correct it.
After all, the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique was an immortal-grade technique from the True King's Tomb. If there were any mistakes, the risk of Qi deviation would be extremely terrifying, so he had to be extra careful.
Chen Shi found an empty warehouse in the Guangji Treasury, circulated this technique. Because of his experience with the Eight Extremes Golden Palace, the first "Xiao" quickly manifested. The second and third "Xiao" also weren't very difficult. When he reached the fourth "Xiao", Chen Shi sensed that maintaining four Heavenly Cycles was somewhat challenging.
He persisted until the fifth "Xiao". Both his spirit and Qi-Blood were becoming difficult to sustain.
He immediately dismissed the thought of activating the sixth "Xiao" and cultivated using the five "Xiao".
In the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique, "Xiao" referred to the Heavenly Cycles formed by force fields, Dao Fields, or the Realm of Emptiness. "Lang" referred to a jade-like, beautiful immortal realm. As for "Di Zhang" (Imperial Chapter), it referred to nine types of talismans, presented in the form of chapters.
These nine types of talismans were not something Chen Shi had seen in the talisman treasure guide or the Creation Treasure Guide left by his grandpa.
The talisman forms for each layer of heaven were different. Based on the technique's content, Chen Shi inferred that these nine Imperial Chapter talismans represented nine types of primordial energy existing within heaven and earth, also known as the righteous energy of heaven and earth.
He stood at the center of the five "Xiao". Beneath his feet were the five Imperial Chapter talismans. The righteous energy of heaven and earth continuously flowed in, passed through the five Heavenly Cycles, and nourished his own body, causing his cultivation to continuously climb.
Cultivating for half a day now surpassed two or three days of cultivation in the past.
When dusk approached, Chen Shi ceased his cultivation and returned home with Black Pot.
He cultivated continuously for two days. The fifth "Xiao" was now about an acre in size. Cultivating in the Guangji Treasury warehouse was one thing, as the warehouse was large enough, but if he were to cultivate at home, it would definitely be impossible to fully deploy.
"No wonder the books say to find grotto-heavens and blessed lands for cultivation. Cultivating to the Nascent Soul realm, with a Nascent Soul Force Field about an acre in area, cultivating in the city is indeed quite inconvenient."
Chen Shi suddenly had a thought. "I wonder if I can now manage the sixth 'Xiao'?"
His cultivation had improved extremely rapidly these past few days. His Qi-Blood, spirit, and physical body had all undergone immense tempering, making him feel as if his physical body was no longer flesh and blood, but that of a deity.
If he could manage the sixth "Xiao", his cultivation speed would likely be even faster!
Chen Shi immediately borrowed the power of Stone Ji, Tianji, and the Ginseng Grass Dolls to adjust his Qi-Blood to its most perfect state, summoned his Nascent Soul, and activated the sixth "Xiao".
The sixth "Xiao" slowly spread out. His spirit and Qi-Blood were immediately consumed at a rapid rate.
The speed of consumption was so fast that he instantly realized something was wrong and immediately stopped his attempt to activate the sixth "Xiao"!
The nine "Xiao" of the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique, each layer was larger than the last. The fifth "Xiao" was about an acre in size. The sixth "Xiao" was definitely over an acre in area. The drain on spirit and Qi-Blood, and the pressure on the Nascent Soul and physical body, were also much greater!
However, when he tried to disperse the sixth "Xiao", he felt his Qi-Blood surge back, instantly overwhelming the fifth "Xiao", then the fourth, then the third!
The layers of Nascent Soul Heavenly Cycle force fields he had set up rapidly collapsed, forming a towering wave that surged into his body all at once!
During cultivation, each step had its unique function, and the step of ceasing cultivation was also extremely important.
Ceasing cultivation meant slowly drawing the refined Qi-Blood back into the body, storing it within the Nascent Soul and physical body, to achieve the goal of "returning the fire to the source".
Xiao Wangsun and others had taught Chen Shi this principle before.
Without returning the fire to the source, cultivation was often equivalent to wasted effort, as the cultivated Qi-Blood often couldn't be stored. Especially after reaching higher realms, the Qi-Blood was extremely vast. The Qi-Blood contained within the Nascent Soul was even more terrifying, forming a force field that could crush and melt everything!
If such Qi-Blood rushed into the physical body all at once, the damage to the body was unimaginable!
Moreover, the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique was an immortal-grade technique, with even greater destructive power!
Chen Shi immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. He immediately mobilized Stone Ji, Tianji, and the Ginseng Grass Dolls, using them as Divine Embryos to forcibly suppress the swarming Qi-Blood, channeling the violent Qi-Blood into the small temple. The tidal wave of Qi-Blood swirled around Stone Ji Your Ladyship and the others, winding and weaving through the miniature shrine like giant dragons.
The air inside the small temple violently churned, as if unable to withstand the impact of this violent Qi-Blood.
However, the three great Divine Embryos—Stone Ji, Tianji, and the Ginseng Grass Dolls—were equivalent to three Primordial Spirits. They quickly helped him pacify the violent Qi-Blood.
Chen Shi returned the fire to the source, and the Qi-Blood continuously entered his Nascent Soul and physical body.
He opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.
"Divine Embryos are too important for cultivation."
Chen Shi stood up, lit several sticks of incense for Stone Ji, Tianji, and the Ginseng Grass Dolls, and said quietly, "Without Divine Embryos to regulate the Qi, first, the cultivation speed is slow, and second, when Qi deviation occurs, it's difficult to save oneself."
Divine Embryos were equivalent to Primordial Spirits, and moreover, Primordial Spirits granted by True Gods, helping cultivators regulate Qi and cultivate, reducing many dangers.
Therefore, the better the Divine Embryo, the faster the cultivation speed, and the fewer dangers encountered during cultivation!
"I wonder what method my grandpa used to solve these two difficulties."
Chen Shi suddenly thought that his grandpa's Divine Embryo was the weakest kind. His cultivation speed was slower than others, and when Qi deviation occurred at high cultivation levels, the outcome was often either death or severe injury. Yet, grandpa was precisely a peerless expert, the Western Capital Butcher. How did he cultivate?
At that moment, his heart stirred. His consciousness entered the temple, arriving outside the small temple.
He looked at the couplet on the temple door.
"Celestial and Earthly Appearances Are Both My Image. Seeking Gods and Ghosts Is Not As Good As Seeking Oneself."
Chen Shi whispered softly, "What exactly does Stone Godmother want to tell me..."
Suddenly, inspiration struck him. He flashed and left the small temple.
He summoned his Nascent Soul, which floated in front of the small temple.
Divine light shone from within the temple. His Nascent Soul had already entered the small temple.
"Your Ladyship, come down, go to another shrine." Chen Shi's Nascent Soul looked up and said.
Stone Ji Your Ladyship looked down. Seeing it was his Nascent Soul, although somewhat reluctant, she still jumped down from the shrine, shaking the small temple.
She went to another shrine, grabbed Talisman God Tianji off his shrine, and shouted, "Go sit on another shrine for this palace!"
Talisman God Tianji glared angrily. Stone Ji Your Ladyship clenched her fist. Talisman God Tianji walked to another shrine. The Ginseng Grass Dolls had long since run off their shrine and were rooted in the soil outside the temple.
Chen Shi's Nascent Soul flew up and landed in the central shrine, sitting cross-legged.
"Celestial and Earthly Appearances Are Both My Image. Seeking Gods and Ghosts Is Not As Good As Seeking Oneself. Does Godmother's meaning imply that I have been wrong all along in using external gods as Divine Embryos? That celestial gods and earthly deities are all deities produced by the reflection of my own mind? Therefore, seeking ghosts and gods is not as good as worshiping myself!"
He once again activated the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique. One "Xiao" after another spread out in succession.
Originally, when he cultivated, he sat on the ground, with his Nascent Soul seated within the dantian's sea of fire inside his body, eyes closed, cross-legged.
At that time, the layers of "Xiao" from the Xiao Lang Imperial Chapter Technique spread out on the ground.
But now his Nascent Soul was stationed within the shrine. When Chen Shi activated this technique again, one "Xiao" after another spread out behind his head, towards the sky. Each "Xiao" was larger than the last, spreading towards the sky in succession without overlapping.
When he reached the fifth "Xiao", it was about an acre in area.
Chen Shi felt that his Nascent Soul was regulating his own spirit and Qi-Blood with energy to spare. He immediately went with the flow and activated the sixth "Xiao".
The sixth "Xiao" also spread out, no longer feeling as dangerous and sluggish as before!
The sixth "Xiao" was about one acre and six or seven tenths in size!
At the center of each of the six "Xiao" were different Imperial Chapter talismans, emitting divine light that shone upon the small temple behind Chen Shi's head and upon his body, continuously tempering his Nascent Soul and physical body!
The blessing of the six layers of Imperial Chapter talismans greatly increased the speed of his cultivation improvement, allowing him to comprehend what was meant by an indestructible body through the ages!
"This is the true immortal-grade technique! Wonderful, truly wonderful!"
Chen Shi was ecstatic.
He had been unable to comprehend Godmother's words. Only after thinking about his grandpa's cultivation path did he finally understand this sentence!
He cultivated for a long time. When he awoke, his Nascent Soul was already about a foot tall, pure white all over. When its eyes opened, they shot forth divine light. It could fly through the heavens and burrow into the earth, extremely swift.
Chen Shi was overjoyed. Having cultivated to this step, the Nascent Soul realm could be considered to have reached Great Completion!
To continue cultivating, he only needed to fuse his soul with his Nascent Soul—the so-called "refining the embryo and returning to the origin", where the "embryo" referred to the infant, the Nascent Soul.
Fusing the cultivator's soul with the Nascent Soul, refining the embryo and returning to the origin, would allow one to transform into a spirit, hence it was also called the Spirit Transformation realm.
Chen Shi sat down, drew out his own soul, and opened the Heavenly Aperture on his crown. He saw his soul stand up from within his body and walk out of his physical form.
This soul was the same height as Chen Shi, emitting a white glow, a vast expanse of white.
Chen Shi knocked on it. It clanged like metal, as if it were solid, extremely sturdy.
"Is this my soul?"
He couldn't help but be stunned. He knocked on his own soul with force, producing a sound like a great bell, shaking his own arm numb.
"Maybe I did eat a bit too much Soul-Returning Lotus."
Chen Shi reflected on himself, then felt somewhat troubled again. His soul had eaten too much Soul-Returning Lotus and had been refined by that underworld spiritual medicine until it resembled a solid iron lump. How was he supposed to fuse it with his Nascent Soul and refine the embryo to return to the origin?
"Others only say that when the Nascent Soul is cultivated to about a foot tall, one can transform into a spirit. But they don't say the Nascent Soul cannot be cultivated to be as tall as one's body."
Chen Shi was struck by inspiration and laughed. "If I cultivate my Nascent Soul to be as large as my body, wouldn't I be able to fuse it with my soul?"
Having solved one problem, he immediately withdrew his soul, left the Guangji Treasury, and returned to Western Capital.
It was already afternoon, dusk approaching. Outside the city, people streamed continuously towards the city.
Right at that moment, the crowd became noisy, countless voices shouting.
"Young Master!"
"Young Master has arrived in Western Capital!"
Chen Shi's heart trembled slightly. He turned to look towards the city gate. He saw countless people surging towards the gate, while outside the city, the evening glow filled the sky, painting it red.
