Chapter 7: Want to go have a look

Ye Qin watched himself become like this, his beast pupil remained calm, without any panic, everything proceeded naturally.

The pupils of the Serpent Kind appeared somewhat aloof; more accurately, it was a kind of transcendent, carefree detachment.

He blinked slightly, and all the images vanished at once; just now everything was merely an illusion within contemplation.

What met his eyes was still the scales scorched by lightning.

On the ground there were hardly any scales or flesh, as if everything just now had been an illusion.

Yet what he had just experienced was all too real, so much that Ye Qin didn't come to his senses for a moment.

Through White Bone Contemplation seeking to grow flesh, it seemed even his flesh was affected, undergoing once more the process of turning into white bone.

Everything seemed like reincarnation.

After a long while Ye Qin finally recovered his strength, completely disengaging from the contemplation.

It is said that if White Bone Contemplation is cultivated to the extreme, whatever the practitioner sees becomes entirely white bone.

However, he had not yet reached that level; after leaving the contemplation, what he saw was still the ordinary scenery.

"Perhaps I really succeeded in contemplation."

Ye Qin lifted the tip of his tail; he remembered this spot had been wounded by the Eagle Falcon, so the section near the tail base could not stand upright, but now it is as straight as a taut bowstring, like an arrow ready to be shot.

Besides that, he could clearly feel his wounds slowly improving; although they did not heal all at once, at least his life could be preserved.

If it were the same injuries as before, he probably wouldn't last a few days.

Ye Qin tried twisting his body, not knowing if it was his illusion, but he constantly felt that this body and his soul had become more compatible.

He had previously been human, suddenly stuffed into this serpent body, like a large polygonal object forced into a tiny rectangular container; the two were fundamentally incompatible.

Ye Qin was also unaccustomed; each time he twisted and crawled, he had the feeling that his body wanted to twist into a knot.

Moreover, his muscles seemed to have a mind of their own; clearly intending to go east, he would unconsciously deviate from that direction.

If it weren't for his previous good luck, plus the tremendous potential that burst forth in a life-and-death crisis, perhaps he would now have become the Eagle Falcon's meal.

But now it is different; as his body twists, every inch of bone and skin fits together much better than before.

"Moreover, my vision has completely broken free from the Serpent Kind's limitations; I can now see clearly!"

All kinds of signs indicate that his choice and direction are correct.

I don't know if continuing to cultivate this way will allow me, like in mythological novels, to rise on clouds and mist, or even transform from a snake into a dragon.

Ye Qin let out a faint sigh, "If only I could truly cultivate to that level."

Speaking of these things now is still premature, so this thought merely flashed through his mind.

Present-day Ye Qin is merely a little black snake that has just made a round trip from the gate of King Yama, barely having saved his life; the urgent task is to fully heal his wounds.

"No matter what, this counts as a small improvement; as long as I keep my feet on the ground and diligently cultivate, I need not worry about lacking future opportunities."

After the excitement and joy, Ye Qin quickly regained his composure, and did not become self-satisfied over a minor achievement.

For now he has merely touched the threshold; there is still a long road ahead.

A flash of resolute light crossed Ye Qin's eyes.

Since heaven let him be reborn and transmigrate into a serpent body, and also let him find a path of cultivation, this proves his fate is not to end, and the road he must walk in the future is even more extraordinary.

Everything ahead remains unknown, and the only thing he can rely on is himself.

Ye Qin also does not expect to instantly cultivate any divine ability; that is unrealistic, and perhaps there are no cultivators in this world, possibly making him the only one, so everything must rely on his own exploration.

Not seeking speed, only seeking steady progress; if one rushes for success, they may create problems in their practice, resulting in more loss than gain.

Ye Qin's gaze fell upon the nearby skeleton, and he sincerely thanked: "Thank you."

At this moment he was somewhat curious about the skeleton's identity, wondering if it truly was a scholar rushing to take an exam; he couldn't help but mutter two complaints:

If it were an ordinary scholar, how could he possess such a book, which is completely outside the exam's scope?

"How could a scholar like to read the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic? If that could earn him a passing grade, it would be strange."

Put in present-day terms, it's equivalent to reading miscellaneous books a few days before an exam.

Unfortunately the skeleton could not answer him; all this will be buried in the passage of time, and no matter what, Ye Qin is indebted to the skeleton.

However, since learning the gender of White Bone, his heart has felt some curiosity; ancient women never left the main gate, never stepped through the second gate.

Why this person is different from the norm, buried in a mountain cave, and for unknown reasons, perhaps there is an untold story behind it.

Unfortunately White Bone cannot speak human words.

"No matter what, I still want to thank you; without you, I probably could not have entered the path of cultivation, and would still be a little black snake awaiting death."

White Bone can be said to be Ye Qin's guide.

From the earlier Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Inner Classic to the later White Bone Contemplation, both are closely connected to the White Bone before us.

Buddhist and Daoist schools both emphasize karmic affinity.

Ye Qin walked around inside the cave; earlier he had noticed that the soil here was extremely loose, the ground quite damp, and a firm downward poke with the tip of his tail made a small hole.

Looking at the small hole before him, a bold idea sprang up in his mind.

Ye Qin used his tail and head to continually enlarge the small hole; soon a two-finger-wide hole appeared on the ground, with some scattered dirt that he pushed aside with his snout.

During the early stage of recovery from a serious illness, one should not overexert; when Ye Qin felt bodily soreness, he would stop to rest and continue contemplation.

White Bone growing flesh, slowly developing various tissues; this time he still could not clearly see the woman's appearance, but his heart was already calm and untroubled.

Regardless of appearance, it is merely a superficial shell; only by perceiving phenomena without letting the eyes be deceived can one see the truth.

After Ye Qin finished contemplation and recovered his strength, he resumed digging the hole, repeating this cycle.

Inside the cave there was no sense of time passing; Ye Qin did not know how long had elapsed—perhaps a day, perhaps two—until a burning hunger came from his abdomen, which then reminded him he should eat.

Ye Qin's cultivation involved neglecting sleep and food; during this period he ate nothing at all.

There was hardly any food in the cave; he could only go out to look for it.

This place is a secluded corner, like a utopian paradise.

But outside, it is fraught with danger; for example, when Ye Qin had just transmigrated, he encountered an Eagle Falcon, and a slight misstep could have been fatal.

The law of nature is simply this cruel: the weak are meat, the strong eat; the excellent survive and the inferior are eliminated.

Ye Qin knew he couldn't spend his whole life hiding in a cave cultivating; if that were really the case, it would be too dull, and besides, shutting oneself off to work alone isn't realistic.

Because the situation was urgent then, he hadn't had a chance to survey the surroundings, so Ye Qin also didn't know where he was—whether it was a famous mountain range or a wild mountain.

He also didn't know how far this place was from the nearest city, or which province or municipality it was near.

"After the injury heals, I need to find a way to study some ancient texts; otherwise, relying solely on my own thoughts will make progress difficult."

Ye Qin pondered, but all he could do for now was heal his injury and make plans later.

(End of chapter)