Chapter 152

Qin Shi closed his eyes, spiritual resonance, perceiving the past scenes sealed by history's dust.

His mind rippled like waves, capturing the sound of He Lanchan's conversation with that teacher of his.

"I'm just casually teaching you a few things, brat, don't climb up the pole just because it's there."

The black-clothed man walking ahead was of medium build, his voice lazy and drawling, as if he didn't care about anything in the world.

He Lanchan, publicly acknowledged as a monstrous talent who ranked in Dongxia's top ten, was actually completely not taken seriously.

"My mom said, a teacher transmits the Dao, imparts knowledge, and resolves doubts. Uncle, you resolved my doubts and transmitted the way of advancement to me, that makes you my teacher."

The white-haired youth was very stubborn, following closely behind the black-clothed man.

"Cut that out, can any random Tom, Dick, or Harry be my student? Take a piss and look at yourself, what's so outstanding? Besides this eye-catching white hair of yours."

The black-clothed man said disdainfully.

"I'm quite cute, Teacher. Back when I scavenged trash, the scrapyard boss was always willing to give extra, even let me stay for meals."

The white-haired youth chuckled, a bit bashful.

"Scram! Most annoying thing is kids selling cute!"

The black-clothed man kept his forward pace, and the white-haired youth followed step for step.

They'd been to many places, the boundless yellow sands of the Gobi desert, active volcanoes spewing magma, and a boundless water world seemingly filled by oceans.

"Teacher, I can't keep just calling you Teacher, you have to tell me your name at some point."

One day, the white-haired youth who had grown much larger said.

"I never agreed to be your teacher, stinking brat, you're the one who shamelessly clung to me, more trouble than all the women I've slept with combined."

The black-clothed man's speech was still that direct, he fell silent for a long time, finally saying:

"My surname is Qin."

He Lanchan's teacher, surname Qin?

Which Qin?

A doubt popped up in Qin Shi's head.

The surname Qin in Dongxia is like the endless gravel of the vast star sea, countless.

The most flourishing, the most widely known by the world, is naturally Qin Shuai's Qin.

As for the so-called Yincheng Qin Family, the Central City's pioneer Qin Family.

Compared to Qin Shuai who supported the Dongxia Republic for several millennia, illuminating thirty-four administrative regions, they are completely not worth mentioning, the difference between the bright moon and a firefly, a true dragon and a sparrow.

The emotion from the spiritual resonance gradually faded, intermittent, the scenes dispersing along with it.

The last meeting, He Lanchan was already a young man, calculating his age, it should be before he won the Star Cup championship.

He knelt at the doorway, his gaze firm, looking at the black-clothed man who seemed not to age.

"Teacher, I only want to seek a fairness for you."

"Seek a fart! From the most ancient Empire, to the New Era jointly established by the Nine Marshals, there's never been this thing!"

The black-clothed man scolded hate-iron-not-become-steel style, cursing continuously:

"You're not that white-haired little ghost who scavenged trash anymore, properly make a name for yourself, marry a wife, have some fat babies and live your days, no need to worry about this lonely ghost of mine."

He Lanchan's spine straightened, both hands propped on his knees:

"They say you're a traitor who betrayed the country, an ambitious one who tore the galaxy..."

The black-clothed man revealed his true face for the first time, letting Qin Shi see clearly.

It was a very ordinary, very common face, only the eyebrows were thicker, the eyes revealing listlessness.

The corner of his mouth hooked a strange smile, saying to He Lanchan:

"If it's true? Everyone knows, my elder brother as the Dongxia Marshal who commands the galaxy, his whole life far-sighted, how correct, if even he determines his own younger brother is Dongxia's sinner. Then the fairness you seek, where should you go find it?"

He Lanchan fell silent.

And the black-clothed man continued:

"The Dongxia Republic has weathered nine millennia, even the Martial God must maintain that last trace of vitality through long slumber, ensuring this nation shines under their radiance, but I have already walked among the star sea for a full seven millennia!"

He Lanchan abruptly raised his head, tone still as firm as before, deeply convinced:

"Teacher absolutely isn't that kind of person!"

The black-clothed man sighed:

"Why say such foolish words. I've walked every corner of the galaxy, increasingly understanding a truth. Heroes, outstanding figures, even those Divine Spirit Pillars high above, cannot act as they please. Why do Divine Spirits need spokespersons? Do they need the faith of tiny individuals? When you occupy a path of the universe, reach the peak, the influence you yourself cause will only grow larger and larger.

All your actions no longer stem from preference or pursuit, but only depend on the position you stand on, even my great elder brother cannot escape this vulgarity."

The black-clothed man's tone turned weary, continuing:

"Actually it's boring, too many too many stories in the star sea, no matter how grand and tumultuous, ups and downs, but you put them on a ten-thousand-year scale, ultimately not fresh. So, little ghost, properly walk that Gu Lao Tian Lu to the end, then become a Martial God, comfortably live a thousand years of good days.

Your temperament actually doesn't suit my taste, including your opponent Qi Wuxiang, you always hope to live yourselves into some kind of legend, but I'm a person who innately hates every word connected to 'great', 'radiance', 'justice'.

So I don't need anyone to rehabilitate me, even less need anyone to overturn my case. Being an ambitious one in history books, or a villain role enduring in film and drama, isn't that bad."

He Lanchan kneeling at the doorway hesitated a moment, finally throwing out that sharp and utterly merciless question:

"Can the Fourth War Corps also be like you, Teacher, not caring? They once forged that Red Sword Banner with blood and fire. Those who once followed Teacher, they died still bearing grievances. The thirty-nine billion tombstones on Lingyuan Xing Qiu, not a single one of their names will appear, because they aren't heroes, aren't martyrs, just rebels."

The black-clothed man fell into long silence.

"I left the things at the end of that Gu Lao Tian Lu, if you want them, go take them yourself. But I have to remind you, that is indeed a dangerous item that can tear apart Dongxia, even the galaxy. Those Marshals who hope to become great, or Divine Spirits, they won't permit your existence."

This teacher and student's conversation ended here.

Qin Shi listened in a daze, he looked toward Super Xiao He calmly sitting cross-legged under the tree.

The latter expressionless, as if completely unaware.

"He Lanchan's teacher, turns out to be the Deputy Commander who left the name of number one traitor in history books."

Qin Shi pondered, nearly ten thousand years of vast time, how did he live through it?

Even the Martial God could not withstand that kind of erosion by time!

He thought silently for a while, and finally felt that as an employee's child from Hengzhou Old Factory Street, he really had no need to worry about things too distant.

"He Lanchan's 'Xu Kong Meditation Method' actually has such uses; it's a perfect match for the Legendary Talent 'Heart of Steel'."

Qin Shi contemplated the dragon-snake script emitting golden light, his spiritual field power constantly condensing, as if shrinking into a core, faintly intertwining into an ancient altar; the upper-level attendant Snake Mother, originally forcibly captured, suddenly showed fear.

The strong emotion was immediately perceived by Qin Shi, who showed a look of surprise, attempting to move the altar condensed by the 'Xu Kong Meditation Method' toward the Snake Mother.

The latter screamed, and immediately her body shape began to collapse, strands of spirit turning into drifting green smoke, injected into the altar.

"What's going on?"

Qin Shi looked at Super Xiao He again.

"The fundamental intent of the 'Xu Kong Meditation Method' is to take one's own mind as the 'fundamental' of the vast universe. After breaking through to the first layer, one can condense the Xu Kong Ji Tan to refine everything 'non-self'."

Super Xiao He explained.

Qin Shi was somewhat shocked:

"So tyrannical! Everything 'non-self' is all fuel?!"

Super Xiao He nodded:

"So the risk coefficient of cultivation is also very high; if your mind is not 'self-only' enough, you will instead be backlashed, with extremely serious consequences."

Fortunately this Snake Mother is not much of a threat, and Netherworld Creatures are often existences of 'losing self', naturally restrained."

Qin Shi felt that Xu Kong Ji Tan, like a black hole, crazily drawing his spiritual field power, turning into wisp after wisp of flame burning the Snake Mother.

Golden text flew and rotated quickly, as if wind assisting fire, helping refine.

Not long after, the Snake Mother completely dispersed, leaving only a cluster of Pure Light floating on the altar.

"You have two choices; you can absorb it, but your current Mental Realm is only Entry into Samadhi, far from being strong enough to that degree; not only will it cost a lot of energy, but it will also affect yourself."

Super Xiao He made a suggestion:

"Best to use it as nourishment for your Inner Landscape to strengthen your Thought Space; only when your Thought Space is firmer will spiritual resonance be smoother in the future."

Qin Shi thought carefully for a moment, feeling it made sense; he had already through 'Heart of Steel' extracted a lot of wool from the Snake Mother, his spiritual field power continuously rising.

That cluster of Pure Light looking like a Tonic was more suitable for nourishing the Inner Landscape; only when the Thought Space is firmer will spiritual resonance be smoother later.

Putting away that Xu Kong Ji Tan, the Pure Light merged into the Inner Landscape; the originally few-square-foot space expanded outward, reaching nearly seventy or eighty square meters.

As the Snake Mother was refined, wisp after wisp of Qi Mist-like spiritual field power was stained golden, floating in the Brain Sea.

The power of mind was enhanced again; the intensity of penetrating objects and interfering with reality went up another level.

"The mark of Mental Realm Entry into Samadhi Great Achievement is 'Controlling Objects'."

Qin Shi opened his eyes; a brilliant golden light flashed in his pupils; spiritual field power like threads entwined, quickly locking onto the water cup on the low table, as if extending a limb, grasping it, picking it up.

At first it was a bit wobbly; after practicing repeatedly several times, it gradually became stable.

He could even perform more delicate operations, such as wrapping a cluster of liquid with spiritual field power so it would not scatter or spill.

"When I can drive spiritual field power as a kind of 'wave', I can form 'Thought', then condense Mental Phenomena, and break through to the Saint Embryo Stage."

Qin Shi took a deep breath; he had obtained the 'Xu Kong Meditation Method' for a while; this inheritance was the hardest technique he had encountered; like the Nanhuang Dao Guan's Ru Shen Ti and Hong Sheng's Hundred Forms Refining Momentum, he had quickly entered and broken through to the next layer.

Only the 'Xu Kong Meditation Method' progressed slowly; until today did he reach the first layer, condensing the Xu Kong Ji Tan.

"According to Super Xiao He, the 'Xu Kong Meditation Method' has seven layers in total; the first layer is the Xu Kong Ji Tan, refining non-self things; the second layer is the Xu Kong Ancient Mirror, imprinting scenes outside the body; the third layer becomes the Xu Kong Furnace, casting the image of one's original heart... until the seventh layer, the Xu Kong Divine Ring blessing, the mind covering the planet's magnetic field, prying open endless dimensions."

Qin Shi sighed; he had just taken the first step; compared to He Lanchan's complete form, he estimated a difference of ten thousand eight hundred light years.

"He Lanchan said he wanted to vindicate his teacher, but according to later records, Dongxia did not rehabilitate that Deputy Commander; the Fourth War Corps... also seemed not to have received justice. What kind of secret is it that even one of the Vanguards of the First Generation Ten Greats cannot touch?"

He recalled what he saw and heard during spiritual resonance; curiosity rippled in his heart, but it vanished in an instant and did not last long.

He lightly opened his palm; that Ming Shen Jade of considerable value dimmed somewhat; obviously it had lost some efficacy.

"One hundred and fifty million, gone just like that; cultivation resources are truly expensive. No wonder those new generation geniuses all sign contracts with big companies, even Star Sea Giant Enterprises; without the supply of superpowers, the road to the ultimate point of the path is indeed too hard to walk."

Qin Shi thought; as things stand now, Nanhuang Dao Guan represents Hengzhou Martial Association, Chen Uncle represents Tai'an Patrol Department, and Lin Yunqing belongs to private investment.

He already has three Angel Investors, providing help respectively in inheritance, resources, and other channels.

"How is the consideration? This is an unprecedented big project; those financial people in Dongxia launch countless products every year, but the chance to bet on a future Martial God comes only once!"

On the first floor of the villa, Lin Yunqing lay on the sofa, showing two luscious long legs, speaking excitedly:

"Assistant Teacher Qin, certified by Chen Uncle, certified by Nanhuang Dao Guan, the number one Old Martial Arts school in Hengzhou, and certified by my discerning eye, it's definitely the Martial God Physique!"

"Let me tell you, if not for sisterly affection, I wouldn't waste so many words on you!"

On the other end of the phone was a charming mature female voice, smiling as she said:

"I've read the few reports you sent back and forth; indeed he has the potential to stand out in the Star Cup. But we just signed contracts with several genius boys who have already broken through to Professional Level; they are all A-grade; in a short time, it's hard to give out another A-grade contract with maxed-out resources. Can you accept a B-grade contract?"

Lin Yunqing's expression stiffened, then she said displeasedly:

"B-grade and A-grade differ too much; Assistant Teacher Qin walks the Old Martial Arts Breaking Limits Path; the duration of cosmic starlight irradiation, and Professional Level recipes—these A-grade contract benefits must all be guaranteed."

The mature female voice on the other end of the phone shook her head:

"The selection for the Star Cup Youth Group has long been underway; the little guy you fancy hasn't entered the process; no such person found."

Any Star Sea Giant Enterprise choosing to invest needs a standard; he hasn't reached the standard; I find it hard to decide to provide an A-grade contract; even for great powers like United Pharmaceutical, Ziwei Conglomerate, Tomorrow Group, the A-grade contracts they can give out won't exceed ten per year."

Lin Yunqing hummed:

"So these great powers always miss one blazing sun after another that impacts the Martial God. Wait and see; before long, Assistant Teacher Qin will appear in Dongxia's First Sequence!"

She hung up the phone, furrowed her brows; after the sponsorship quota of one hundred and fifty million was spent, she needed to find a new Angel Investor.

(Chapter End)