Chapter 69: Uninvited Guest

Fang Jun noticed that although Chu Tianshu had closed his eyes at the beginning, his eyeballs were clearly moving, unable to settle.

His breathing was as fast and fierce as an arrow, showing a powerful physique, but it also revealed a sense of urgency.

About three minutes later, his eyelids calmed down, no longer moving recklessly.

Every breath was drawn out, thick and long, and the sound of breathing remained very distinct.

Yet it was not the kind of hurried panting, but rather like...

Fang Jun thought for a moment.

Right, like a draft through a hall!

Even for wind, passing through a thick and solid hall requires a certain amount of time.

When the wind circulated within Chu Tianshu's body, it was like passing through a great hall.

The sound of the wind was held by this hall, delayed by a full two minutes.

The "Urgent Cultivation Method" of breathing requires a quiet state of mind, as if sitting steadily in a golden hall.

Chu Tianshu began to feel the peristalsis of his internal organs and the movement of his muscles once again.

His heartbeat was like a deep, slow, and solemn war drum; his stomach and intestines were like a faintly vibrating horn; his lungs, spleen, and kidneys all seemed to have a sound of heavy clouds and damp mist.

In the past, whether it was his stomach rumbling like thunder or his heartbeat sounding like thunder, they were actually very different from real thunder.

It was not just the vast difference in volume, but also the difference in timbre.

Whether it was his stomach growling or his heartbeat, they were actually too monotonous.

When the sound of thunder and lightning is recorded in writing, it usually seems to be just a short, explosive "Boom."

However, the connection between the thundercloud and the earth, the signs before the electricity runs, and the effects after it runs.

Combining these is what the ancients felt as that single peal of thunder in the natural world.

Lei Sheng also has the distinction between sharp thunder and muffled thunder.

While sharp thunder shakes the eight directions, the muffled thunder accompanied by the rushing wind and clouds, changing the color of heaven and earth, is also a kind of vast and magnificent spirit.

On a typhoon day, before the heavy rain arrives, the sky is already dark.

Black clouds hang in the distant sky, and the thunder rumbles.

As Chu Tianshu listened to the sounds within his body, such a scene appeared in his mind.

Immersed in the scene, the scene is within the body!

He agitated his internal organs; every time he exerted force, it was as if he had stirred up a wind and thunder within his body.

Compared to the real wind and thunder of heaven and earth, this was too humble and insignificant, but the shock to his own soul was almost the same.

The path of "Food as Immortal," the fist technique of training internal organs, is a process that pays more attention to emotions than the other two paths.

Some martial artists reach great success on this path, but it is only a physical achievement, not an achievement of will and emotion; then it cannot be considered the true essence.

Human emotions are ever-changing, and as time passes and the world changes, it is difficult to reproduce them. After reaching great success in "Food as Immortal," one must be able to replicate one's own emotions.

Using a set of inherent changes in the internal organs to influence one's mood, letting the complex aggregate of emotions become the driving force for fists and kicks.

This complex, yet certainly intense, and repeatedly usable aggregate of emotions is called "Fist Intent."

At this moment, Chu Tianshu could not even tell if he was practicing the breathing method in martial arts or the visualization technique in magical arts.

He couldn't even think to distinguish it; he was simply wholeheartedly immersed in this feeling.

Wherever the wind and thunder passed, the body was filled with a fresh and lively taste, and the electricity was purifying the blood and promoting vitality.

Heaven and earth wind and thunder! Resisting the typhoon!

Opposing, yet both intense and atmospheric emotions, were brewing in his heart.

Fang Jun did not know Chu Tianshu's current experience.

But he heard the sound inside Chu Tianshu's body, and his ears seemed to have changed from listening to the wind to listening to the thunder.

It was so faint, like thunder ten kilometers away, that by the time it reached here, it was already very low and light.

But it was truly very similar to the timbre of thunder.

"He's entered the state?"

Fang Jun thought silently to himself, feeling a little moved.

He had long seen that Chu Tianshu was a genius of dual cultivation of nature and life; mental power and magical arts are "nature," while fist techniques and martial arts are "life."

Such people are rare, but Fang Jun was not overly surprised.

Great figures who were not dual cultivators of nature and life but had extremely profound cultivation were also common throughout history.

Dual cultivation of nature and life is merely more convenient in life and combat.

It was Chu Tianshu's current state of practice that truly surprised Fang Jun.

In just these few days, they had already experienced so many things; their minds were inevitably still a bit chaotic and needed relief, which was not suitable for cultivation.

Yet Chu Tianshu, while being moved by Yin Fengxin and wholeheartedly trying to treat him.

Could simultaneously be free of distracting thoughts and wholeheartedly practice cultivation.

New and old things, or even multiple events happening simultaneously, did not make him feel chaotic.

He could go deep when he needed to, and when moving on to other matters, he was not troubled by previous events.

This is what it looks like to be able to accomplish great things.

"Initially, it was just to guard against an antique thief; I didn't expect to meet such a friend."

Fang Jun also found it quite interesting, smiled, and went out to make a phone call.

Chu Tianshu practiced for more than four hours before turning off the machine.

Despite being tormented by the electricity like this, he didn't sweat at all, his clothes were quite dry, only his skin was very hot and red.

"This is the time for cultivation."

Chu Tianshu pulled off the patches, hot air puffing from his mouth. He remained sitting in the chair, pointing his fingers like a sword, tracing in the air.

Four verticals and five horizontals, the Nine-Character Mantra!

For normal sorcerers, the "Vertical and Horizontal Secret Incantation" mainly focuses on the effects of magical arts; for the body, it is just for nourishing Qi and blood, and incidentally for health.

But for someone who, like the creator, cultivates both nature and life.

The more his physical strength boils and the stronger his physique, the better the effect of using the "Vertical and Horizontal Secret Incantation" to restore mental power.

Chu Tianshu concentrated his energy, combining his surging vitality and vigorous intent into the changes of his hand gestures. His body temperature began to drop, and his flushed skin slowly recovered.

He walked to the second floor and found Yin Fengxin reading a book.

Using the television as background noise, waiting until it reached an interesting part to watch the television again.

"Where did you put that painting?"

Chu Tianshu greeted, "Let me see it again."

Yin Fengxin agreed readily, returned to his bedroom, and quickly brought out the painting.

Chu Tianshu took the scroll, appearing to admire it, while actually pouring his mental energy into it once again.

The scroll still had no reaction; no writing emerged as he had anticipated.

This time he poured energy for a full five minutes, and only stopped after estimating his own depletion.

Seeing him silent for a long time, Yin Fengxin suddenly asked, "Brother Chu, do you really like this painting?"

Chu Tianshu came back to his senses and smiled, "Yes, it has a lot of spirit."

Yin Fengxin lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, "Then I'll give it to you."

Chu Tianshu said in surprise, "But this was left behind by your mother."

"What my mother truly cherished was that piece of jade."

Yin Fengxin shook his head and smiled, "I don't know how to appreciate art anyway. With me, this thing has just been gathering dust under the bed; it's better to give it to someone who truly likes it."

Chu Tianshu felt that even though he had rested for a day, he had become even more pessimistic.

"Calligraphy and paintings are the easiest things to share."

Chu Tianshu said, "If you keep it, I can still look at it whenever I want."

Yin Fengxin smiled and said, "Then you hold onto it for now; I'm staying here lately anyway, we can talk about it later."

Chu Tianshu put down the scroll and rolled up his sleeves.

"Alright, come, let me give you another round of acupuncture."

Yin Fengxin's expression shifted slightly, he swallowed, and sat stiffly on the sofa.

In fact, for the better part of the last half-month, he had discovered that he couldn't seem to feel pain very well; when working overtime at the company, he would sometimes bump into the corner of a table, but the sensation wasn't very distinct.

But Chu Tianshu's needles...

"Ah!!"

Fang Jun had gone out for a trip, and when he returned, he happened to hear Yin Fengxin's scream.

He tilted his head to listen.

Hmm, the rhythm was familiar; it shouldn't be that anything was wrong, he was just getting needled.

The following week.

Chu Tianshu spent every day prescribing medicine, practicing cultivation, and performing acupuncture.

However, when eating, the three of them would gather together to watch television.

Chu Tianshu liked watching martial arts dramas, Fang Jun liked watching fashion dramas, and Yin Fengxin watched everything, treating whatever he watched like a workplace drama.

The three of them grew increasingly familiar with each other, and Yin Fengxin was gradually able to sleep for eight hours.

Chu Tianshu had more confidence in his prescription, estimating that in another ten days or so, he could pull him out of his critical state, and in the future, by prescribing medicine regularly, he should be able to recover.

As for that painting, however.

Originally, he had pinned some hopes on it, but after pouring mental energy into it every day, there was still no reaction.

Li Shizhen wrote books and established his theories to pass them on to the masses; if it were a simple medical manual, even if it involved some cultivation arts, it shouldn't be hidden so strictly, right?

Chu Tianshu now suspected.

Could it be that it also contained some highly effective and easily transmissible poison techniques?

Fang Jun had gone on two small missions over the past few days, and only today did he bring up the matter of the ghost-raising playing cards with Chu Tianshu again.

"Pulp made from the bark of gloomy locust wood can be custom-ordered and delivered in seven days; the main thing is that the quantity I need is small enough."

Fang Jun looked at the sunset and said, "I'll go get it in a while, I estimate I can be back before the sun sets completely."

Chu Tianshu didn't pay much attention, only saying, "Don't bring glutinous rice wraps for dinner tonight, let's change the flavor."

However, just half an hour after Fang Jun left, Chu Tianshu felt a subtle change in the aura within the house.

It was very strange, like the scent of a snapped willow branch.

(End of chapter)