Chapter 31

Zhang Jian prepared to find a suitable place for breakthrough, and after inquiring about several locations, he immediately made a decision.

However, as he was leaving the Qi residence, Zhang Jian noticed a group of people hurriedly entering the Qi mansion.

"Daoist?"

The Zhang family discovered several Daoists being welcomed by a few Qi family "uncles" at the gate, and they were now proceeding toward the rear quarters.

"What is happening?" Zhang Jian signaled with his eyes, and a nearby brave attendant took the opportunity to ask a steward standing nearby.

"Oh, it turns out to be the young master!"

"This is the master from the Iron Immortal Observatory, here to pray for blessings for the old patriarch!"

This steward clearly had some taboo, kept his mouth shut, and soon found an excuse to hastily depart.

Zhang Jian watched this scene, his eyes showing a hint of something unusual; his innate spiritual awareness sensed that the leading old Daoist among these Daoists bore a trace of spiritual mechanism on his person—that is, he possessed spiritual power.

Zhang Jian speculated in his heart.

But in the next moment, he still left the Qi residence.

Fengyang City, before the Dragon-Locking Dam

Here there are green willows, and a long, narrow flood embankment, which is regarded as a holy land by many scholars and students of Fengyang Commandery; whether the weather is clear or overcast with continuous rain, many scholars always come here to gaze upon the vast, surging floodwaters.

The mighty waves, like thunder, surge down from the Bai Shui River upstream through this firm-as-rock great dam, producing a thunderous roar.

This great dam is like a sharp blade plunged deep into the Bai Shui River, firmly restraining its ferocity.

Zhang Jian gazed upon this scene, and could not help but feel a sense of awe.

"The Sword Locking the Flood Dragon Diagram of King Mian is truly a deed of immeasurable merit; I do not know why such a wise and capable person would become muddled in his later years!"

No place lacks those truly wise and brave individuals; this single great dam alone is a deed of immeasurable merit.

Zhang Jian noticed that in the deep river bend below, the water flow had already been split into two, dividing into two channels, and in one of these channels there was another great dam diverting the flow, step by step restraining it.

After a glance, Zhang Jian withdrew his gaze.

Behind him, a few old soldiers followed alongside; Zhang Jian found a pavilion, preparing to refine his mind and spirit nearby—this place is truly an excellent spot for tempering one's state of mind; relying on this blessed land, he would surely be able to completely cut away delusive thoughts.

At this moment, he was only one step away from the final gate.

And here, Zhang Jian was also waiting for someone's arrival.

At this moment, on another side, someone had also specifically inquired about his whereabouts and was now walking toward this direction.

At this moment, on the eastern street, a small sedan chair was parked at the corner; two young girls dressed in gauze clothing, wearing light gauze bamboo hats on their heads, stepped down from the sedan.

"Second sister, you really are something—clearly we could have seen that Zhang family elder brother at the evening family banquet, so why must we follow you out here, putting ourselves on display?"

The younger girl pouted, her face full of displeasure.

The older girl, however, gave a faint smile, she did not show her teeth, her jade-like countenance filled with a clear and lovely beauty.

She looked at her younger sister and smiled, saying:

"Even if we saw him at the family banquet, what we would see is only this Zhang family elder brother deliberately revealing himself; many people appear easy to get along with on the surface, but that is merely what they have deliberately cultivated—outwardly harmonious, inwardly different; and some things can only be understood clearly in unguarded moments!"

Qi Yuzhu, upon hearing this, nodded as if half-understanding.

Qi Yuhua sighed softly in her heart; if not truly unavoidable, she would actually not want to do all these things, but the girl knew she must seriously consider her own future; as a descendant of a great family, having reached this age, they are already of marriageable age, and if they delay another one or two years, perhaps they would no longer have the freedom to choose for themselves.

She did not want to end up like her elder sister.

So, coming along like this also counts as a way to relax her mind.

And at this moment, the two sisters also saw Zhang Jian from afar in the pavilion.

At this moment, Zhang Jian had his back to the two girls, his eyes seeming immersed in the snow-like surging waves.

But merely from a side glance at a distance, the two girls could not help but have their eyes light up.

Judging by his demeanor and back view, this Zhang family cousin should not be ugly; on the contrary, he is tall and slender, with a refined and transcendent aura.

Although they had long heard from Qi Wan's mouth that this Zhang family cousin was not bad-looking, nothing compares to seeing him with one's own eyes.

Even the unwilling Qi Yuzhu had a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Looking good always brings some advantage at first sight.

"Granny Ma, let's go directly past from atop the dam!"

Qi Yuhua thought for a moment, then brought Qi Yuzhu back into the sedan chair, having the maid beside her directly lead the chairmen to pass by in front of the pavilion.

And when they saw Zhang Jian's face, the two girls inside the sedan chair turned their gazes toward him, and Qi Yuzhu could not help but say:

"I did not expect this Zhang family elder brother to be so good-looking!"

Qi Yuhua's expression remained unchanged; she shook her head and said: "A proper appearance cannot prove that one's heart is upright and one's conduct is solid!"

"Granny Ma, please trouble yourself to make a trip!"

She whispered a few words to the elderly maid beside her, and soon saw the maid walk toward one of the corners, where at this moment several voices were lying sideways.

And deep in the pavilion, Zhang Jian at this moment slowly closed his eyes.

He had already entered an excellent state.

Amid the thunderous roar, relying on the thunderous sound of the vast floodwaters, Zhang Jian gathered all his distracting thoughts, and his extreme yang spiritual power, like river water, flowed into the depths of his soul.

His extreme yang spiritual power was extraordinarily pure, without a single trace of impurity.

Yet even if the extreme yang spiritual power were as pure as it is, it could not aid in the growth of his soul.

Because his soul had already become very strong after consuming the fire apricot and the Jade Pool golden lotus seeds.

In this regard, he had actually already reached the standard for breakthrough long ago.

Not having broken through yet was entirely because Zhang Jian wanted to repeatedly verify that he had fully mastered his essence, qi, and spirit—the three treasures—to avoid any mishap.

During the spirit-nurturing stage, the most important aspect of breakthrough is to ensure the purity of one's essence and qi; any impurity would become a toxin, merging into the depths of the soul.

This would cause distracting thoughts to flourish in the depths of the soul; even if one were fortunate enough to break through, in the future it would be difficult to forge an unsurpassed Dao foundation.

The "Tongshan Qingjing Jiuzhang" emphasized this point multiple times for this reason.

Zhang Jian was very clear about the importance of this step.

In the roaring thunder of the surging flood, Zhang Jian's stray thoughts vanished completely, as if washed clean by the torrent; when the extreme yang spiritual power merged deep into his soul, countless hazy visions appeared before his eyes.

He seemed to see everything he had pursued, even memories from his past life surfacing, but under the moonlight-like brilliance of the soul, they were shattered like water-moon mirror flowers, turning into wisps of pure qi that merged into the depths of his soul, and naturally, he felt he had broken through a limit.

All boundaries between soul and essence-qi were completely pierced by the strengthened soul power.

The soul within his body seemed to have become a spring, while a new spiritual power surged forth from the soul's radiance, constantly transforming into the omnipresent spiritual power of heaven and earth.

This is a spiritual power born from the fusion of essence-qi and soul.

Though still extreme yang spiritual power, Zhang Jian felt these powers had truly become his arms; with a thought, a force emanated, as if at his command.

Zhang Jian suddenly understood why soul consciousness and divine thought are entirely different.

Soul consciousness can only passively perceive, possessing little active ability.

But divine thought contains a portion of spiritual power's strength; once unleashed, it can form true lethal force.

At the same time, Zhang Jian felt that divine thought extending outward deepened its connection with the power of heaven and earth.

If placed among internal martial cultivators, this would be the master level—every movement summoning the power of heaven and earth, overwhelmingly unmatched.

Yet he could now begin to free himself from the influence of talismans through divine thought, gradually gaining the ability to directly cast spells.

Whether he can truly achieve this step still depends on his long-term practice.

Zhang Jian's eyes glowed with threads of clear, bright light.

Rubbing fireballs is nothing; rubbing heavenly thunder is what makes a real man.