novelapdf Chapter 57: White bones lie exposed in the wilderness, and the flames of war illuminate the empty ci
Chapter 57: White bones lie exposed in the wilderness, and the flames of war illuminate the empty ci
Chapter 57 Thousands of white bones lie exposed in the wilderness, ten thousand years of beacon fires illuminate the empty city.
The person in charge naturally still had the same face.
In a subconscious moment, Fang Shi sensed something was amiss and said, "I am seriously injured and cannot return to the manor."
The steward said, "Seriously injured? Excellent, excellent!"
Before the words were even finished, the person had already pounced on him.
Their robes billowed in the wind, fluttering like flags.
Fang Shi's vision suddenly blurred.
The grass, trees, mud, and fences of the herb garden have all disappeared. Only the dark red sky, like congealed blood, the scorched earth, the tattered flags, and the corpses piled up on top of each other. When the wind blows, the stench of blood and burnt flesh is mixed together.
The earth trembled like thunder, armored horses galloped wildly, swords and halberds clashed, and in the blink of an eye, smoke and killing intent exploded and filled the sky.
Fang Shi felt a chill run down his spine and immediately composed himself.
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
[Yuanyun Technique Proficiency +1]
The livelihood of Qi Garden, the shocking changes in the earth's veins, and all the calamities he experienced have long since been dissolved into the depths of his mind, becoming the abyss of his heart.
At this moment, when external evils invade, do not drive them away, do not welcome them, and do not reject them. Just keep your mind like the moon hanging over the abyss.
If the abyss exists, then fear exists; if fear exists, then all illusions will sink.
The sky filled with the clash of swords and the smoke of war, the bloodshed and the smoke of battle, have vanished like dust settling at the bottom of an abyss, leaving no trace.
The illusion faded, and the fist was already at his face.
Fang Shi dodged to the side, and the fist grazed his earlobe, the residual force causing a faint pain on half of his cheek.
Fang swore, "Who are you?!"
The punch landed halfway through the conversation.
This punch was even faster than before.
When cultivators fight, the main focus is on combat techniques, with each probing the other to leave room for maneuver.
Close combat is different; fists and feet can change in an instant, and a single careless strike can mean the difference between life and death.
Judging from the words and actions of the person in front of me, he was completely different from the arrogant manager from before. His strength was also less than the first level of Qi Refining. If he was not that manager, the illusionary realm had probably already changed.
"The one who will take your life!"
The manager's voice boomed, and his fists rained down like rain.
Fang Shi dodged the oncoming punch by sidestepping, but the second punch had already pierced out from under his ribs.
He barely managed to twist his waist to dodge, but the third punch blocked his retreat, forcing him to raise his arm to take the blow head-on.
The moment their fists clashed, a powerful force surged through his forearm and into his meridians. He groaned and stumbled back three steps.
His meridians were already severely damaged from the injury, and even the flow of magical power felt like being cut by a knife.
Although the body opposite him had weak cultivation, its fighting instincts were as cunning as a demon. Every move he made wasted no effort, and every punch was aimed at the most painful spot.
Without further hesitation, Fang Shi used the momentum of his retreat to channel the last bit of his magic power into his feet and suddenly leaped backward.
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
[Xu Xing's proficiency in defending the center +1]
【Xu Xing Shou Zhong (Beginner): 100/100】
[Xu Xing's Guardian Level Up: Beginner → Proficient↑]
Beneath the earth, a warm spiritual energy flowed directly into the Yongquan acupoint, traveling along the Foot Shaoyin Meridian and colliding with the remaining magical power in the Dantian.
As the two forces collided, Fang Shi took advantage of the momentum to push off backward, and his whole body shot out like an arrow.
The steward, with his toes barely touching the ground, moved like a falcon chasing a sparrow, relentlessly pursuing it.
Fang Shi didn't look back as he passed by a row of bamboo racks where the red blood vines were drying.
A fist whistled through the air behind him, striking the spot where his feet had just left, shattering the bamboo frame with a deafening crash.
The "Slow Movement and Guarding the Center" technique was activated once more, and spiritual energy surged into his feet from the Yongquan acupoint. Each step was faster than the last. Fang Shi made three turns and two loops between the ridges of the medicinal garden, squeezed through a gap in the fence, and rushed into the alley of the servants' quarters.
The alley was deserted.
The stone doors to the caves on both sides were tightly closed, and there was no sound coming from the cracks.
It was completely different from the bustling scene in the previous illusion.
[Xu Xing's proficiency in defending the center +1]
[Xu Xing's proficiency in defending the center +1]
【————】
[Xu Xing's proficiency in defending the center +10]
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
Fang Shi ran faster and faster.
The footsteps behind him never left him; in fact, they grew closer and closer.
Horse hooves shattered the scorched earth, swords and shields collided and sparks flew, and the roars of millions rolled across the sky like muffled thunder.
Fang vowed that the scenery before his eyes would change again.
In the distance, a large flag is broken in the middle, the cut jagged like dog teeth, and a circle of heads is piled up at the base of the flag, all facing the same direction.
A wind blew through the gaps between the bones, and the sobbing sounded like ten thousand people crying together.
Further away, a lone city stands on the horizon, its city walls crumbling and its walls broken.
A lamp hung on the city wall, its light dim and casting a yellowish glow over the entire ruined city.
"Thousands of white bones lie exposed in the wilderness, and the flames of war illuminate the empty city for ten thousand years."
The sound fell and the heavens responded.
The dome was like a blazing fire, the clouds like charcoal, and a crimson crevice stretched down from the heavens, splitting into a vast expanse of blue.
The tattered banners, broken and shattered armor hung in the void, and when the blood moon shone upon them, every detail was revealed.
The lone lamp on the city wall suddenly trembled, its flame splitting into countless starlight points. Wherever these points of light scattered, beacon towers were lit one after another, winding their way along the ruins.
Amidst the beacon fires, shadows flickered.
Transparent, blurry humanoid figures, clad in tattered armor and wielding broken spears, stood in formation.
The first general, spear in hand, stood on his horse and shouted: "Who goes there, daring to trample my ranks!"
A soldier on the left flank, his eyes wide with rage, shouted: "Anyone who dares to storm our lines will be killed without mercy!"
Thousands of armored soldiers shouted in unison: "Anyone who dares to storm our lines will be killed without mercy!"
The sound wave poured down from Fang Shitian's head and crashed into his spiritual platform.
He felt as if he were carrying a mountain on his back.
His legs felt like they were filled with lead, and each step he took was three steps slower than the last.
Fang Shi gritted his teeth and sank his mind back into the abyss.
This time, however, Yuan could tolerate fear, but he could not tolerate the fury of ten thousand troops.
The murderous aura of millions was as imposing as a mountain, causing the surface of the abyss to tremble and ripple, which spread and grew larger and larger, threatening to collapse.
The steward's voice rose again: "The spirit of the fallen remains where the spears lay, the killing intent condenses into clouds that have not yet crossed the pass."
The crimson gap in the dome suddenly opened wide, and the sky, like blood-soaked old brocade, peeled away layer by layer from the heavens above.
A heavy, imposing pressure descended from the crack in the sky, pressing down on Fang Shi's shoulders.
The combined fury of ten thousand troops and the murderous aura hanging from the sky created a powerful impact, like ten thousand mountains falling down together.
Fang Shi's bones creaked and groaned, his knees sank into the ground, and his spine felt like it was about to break.
Fang Shi thought to himself: I can't give up!
His mind suddenly conceived this thought: in the previous illusion, death might have been a chance to awaken, but now the illusion had changed, the person in charge had changed, and if he fell here, he might really die.
Fang vowed to calm his mind again, intending to use the abyss to subdue the evil spirits and killing intent.
The abyss trembled even more, and a crack appeared from the depths of the heart. The fury of ten thousand armies poured in through the crack, and the golden spears and iron horses exploded deep within the mind. The killing intent burst forth from the vast sky.
It filled the abyss inch by inch, and the abyss waters surged back, devouring its body.
[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency +1]
puff!
Fang Shi spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the scorched earth. His meridians, which were already badly damaged, were torn apart by the backlash.
His body went limp, and he could no longer move.
At this moment, the fist had already reached the back of the heart. [Minor Breath Concealment Technique (Beginner): 100/100]
[Minor Concealment Technique Level Up: Beginner → Proficient↑]
"Have you heard? A highly skilled diviner has arrived in the East Market; his divination is incredibly accurate!"
"What kind of master is he? He's just a wandering sorcerer. He's nowhere near as skilled as the masters of Mount Luofu. They're all just swindlers out of spirit stones."
"This time it's different! This expert doesn't accept spirit stones for divination, he only looks at faces. Senior Brother Liu went this morning, and the expert only glanced at him and said that he had secretly hidden three low-grade spirit stones under his bed. He turned pale on the spot! He stole those spirit stones from the herb garden, and even the manager didn't know."
"And then there's Senior Sister Zhao from the East Courtyard—the pretty one, who always seems so virtuous. She went to have her fortune told, and the expert only glanced at her before saying, 'You've been having an affair with a married man for over two years.' Senior Sister Zhao's face turned pale instantly. The expert continued, 'That man is not a good match for you. You've been tainted by his impure energy, and your spiritual root has already been corrupted by thirty percent. Go south, and there's a wild camellia by a mountain stream. Pick its root, boil it, and drink the decoction for seven days to remove the impure energy. If you continue to entangle yourself with him, within half a year, your spiritual root will—'"
"You've fallen to the lower rank." Senior Sister Zhao went back and did as instructed. Seven days later, when she resumed her cultivation, her speed had indeed increased somewhat. From then on, she never went to see that person again. The man came to see her several times, but she refused to see him.
"And then there's Old Man Ma from the West Courtyard, over fifty years old, stuck at the first level of Qi Refining for thirty years. He's tried everything, but he just can't break through. He went to have his fortune told, and the master divined a few times and said: 'When you were twenty-seven, you fought with a fellow villager over a mountain hollow for gathering herbs. You drove him away, and when he left, he buried a piece of peach wood at the eastern end of the hollow, with your name carved on it. That piece of peach wood is right at the end of the hollow's vein, and a small portion of the spiritual energy you've cultivated over these thirty years has been intercepted by that piece of peach wood.' Old Man Ma was stunned for a long time, saying that he had indeed fought with someone over that piece of land, but he knew nothing about burying the stake. The master told him to go back, dig up the peach wood stake, burn it, and then soak the ashes in water and drink it for three days. Old Man Ma went back and dug, and sure enough, he found a piece of black peach wood about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) east of the hollow, with his name on it almost completely eaten away by insects." He boiled the liquid, steeped it in water, and drank it. That very night, he broke through to the second level of Qi Refining.
"There's even such a benefit!"
"Of course there are disadvantages, but if there were only disadvantages, who would be willing to go?"
"Could it be one of the inner sect elders disguised as someone to play a trick on us?"
"The elders don't have time for that!"
Fang Shi stood still, listening to the chatter of the servants around him, then glanced at the panel—[Minor Concealment Technique (…)]
Proficient: 0/200
After mastering the Lesser Concealing Breath Technique, he fell into the miscellaneous alley of Mount Luofu.
He didn't know if he had really returned or had fallen into an even deeper illusion.
Suddenly, the sounds of clashing swords and galloping horses exploded in the void.
Fang Shi's expression changed drastically—could it be that the manager was coming after them, now that they had changed to a different illusion? He no longer had any Minor Concealment Techniques to improve upon, and if he were caught up again, he would surely die.
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Qi Xueyi once said that all of this was a "game".
Since it's a game, and unexpected changes can occur suddenly, there must be an antidote within seven steps.
The antidote was nothing more than that mysterious fortune teller who appeared out of nowhere.
Fang Shi is currently seriously injured and can barely move, so he has no choice but to take this gamble.
So Fang Shi turned and walked towards the East Market.
The market was still crowded with servants and disciples, who lined up in long queues to have their fortunes told.
Fang Shi walked to the back of the line and looked ahead.
The long queue, consisting of about forty or fifty people, stretched from the East Market entrance all the way into the depths of the alley.
At the end of the procession was a square table, and a female Taoist priest was sitting on it.
She looked no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, with exquisitely beautiful features and a delicate, fair complexion.
Wrapped in a cloud-white Taoist robe, he sat cross-legged, his feet completely covered by the robe, with only the tips of his shoes showing.
Her hair was styled in a simple Taoist bun, adorned with a sandalwood hairpin with a jade bead the size of a red bean hanging from its tip, swaying gently as she performed her calculations.
Beside the table stood a banner about half a person's height, with an apricot-yellow background and four characters written in black ink: "Heavenly Secrets for Sale".
At the front of the line was a dark-faced servant. As soon as he gave his name, the female Taoist priest raised her right hand and tapped her index, middle, and ring fingers with her thumb in turn.
After a moment, she withdrew her hand and said crisply, "You have an old injury about an inch to the right of your dantian. It was caused by a mishap five years ago when you forcibly broke through your dantian. Apply the power of your palm to your dantian for fifteen minutes every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), and it will heal in seven days."
The stern-faced servant was stunned. "Exactly! It was exactly five years! I was in pain for half a month back then but I didn't dare say anything, afraid the foreman would think I was sick and kick me out!"
The female Taoist priest simply said "Next" and then turned her gaze to the person behind him.
The second was a tall, thin servant. The female Taoist priest pinched her fingers a few times and said, "Three years ago, you stole a box of tea from the steward's office and hid it in a hole in the old locust tree on the back hill. The tea has long since gone moldy, and you've never dared to go back to retrieve it—"
Fang Shi took a step forward, and the pain in his meridians surged through his body again. The queue was too long, and he didn't know when the manager would catch up.
He patted the man in front of him on the shoulder and said, "Senior brother, I'm injured. May I take a look first?"
The person in front turned around, looked him up and down, and said coldly, "If you're injured, go see a doctor, don't come here for divination."
I asked about the previous question again, and was rejected once more.
I asked the person before me, and was rejected again.
Fang Shi ultimately did nothing. He was seriously injured and could not force his way out, so he could only retreat to the back of the line and wait patiently.
Fortunately, the sounds of clashing swords and vows never rose again.
The female champion moved quickly, and the people ahead of her left one after another.
Finally, when it was Fang Shi's turn, just as he was about to speak, the female Taoist priest let out a soft "Eh."
She raised her right hand, tapped her thumb on her fingertip a few times, frowned slightly, and then pinched it again.
This time, the fingertips moved even faster than before, with the thumb bobbing back and forth between the index, middle, and ring fingers.
Fang vowed, "I can provide my birth date and time."
"Need not."
The female Taoist priest interrupted him, reaching into her robe at the front and pulling out a talisman.
The talisman was about the length of a palm, with a purple background and silver patterns.
The female Taoist priest slapped the talisman into the air, and the talisman hovered three feet above the table before slowly unfolding.
Her right hand kept making hand seals, and the purple talisman trembled slightly with the effort of her fingertips. The silver patterns grew inch by inch, gradually outlining the shape of a hexagram, but the outline was extremely blurry and could never be solidified.
"It's still not enough."
The female Taoist priest said something in a low voice and raised her left hand as well.
With both hands forming a hand seal, the ten fingers intertwined and flew so fast that only a blur remained.
The purple talisman trembled violently, and the silver patterns surged like a tide. The hexagram struggled out of the blur, its outline gradually becoming clear, yet it still seemed as if it were separated by a layer of mist.
"Still not enough!"
The female Taoist priest suddenly became annoyed, kicked off her right shoe, and then pulled it down by hooking the edge of her sock, revealing a fair little foot with five round toes like pearls.
She sat cross-legged on the table, then directly put her right foot on her knee, her hands still forming hand seals, and her five toes on her right foot even began to flex and extend like fingers, performing calculations.
With all ten fingers on both hands and five toes on the right foot, the fifteen toes all flew together.
The purple talisman trembled violently in the air, and the hexagram finally became clear and distinct—