Chapter 551

“You’re not trying to trick me, are you?”

Zhang Chulan wore an expression that said, “Are you taking me for a fool?”

Given Feng Baobao’s appearance, saying she was older than his own father,

anyone with a normal brain would find it impossible to believe.

“Feng Baobao is right—her age very likely exceeds that of your father.”

Just as Zhang Chulan felt he was being toyed with by Feng Baobao,

Zhang Jie’s voice, tinged with uncertainty, reached his ears.

“Jie-ge?”

Zhang Chulan turned his head mechanically, staring at Zhang Jie in disbelief.

Was Zhang Jie and Feng Baobao putting on a coordinated act

to trick or ambush a mere eighteen-year-old college freshman?

Thud.

Unmoved by Zhang Chulan’s suspicious gaze, Zhang Jie snapped a finger made of golden light,

sending a pinpoint strike flying straight toward Zhang Chulan’s forehead—a sharp knock.

“Ow!”

Zhang Chulan cried out in pain as his forehead took the full blow.

Same formula, same force.

Though Zhang Jie’s strength was hardly great, it still made him feel unbearable agony.

Zhang Jie: Armament Haki—I infused it with Armament Haki!

Armament Haki inherently deals true damage; even someone who ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi,

becoming a Rubber Man like Luffy, who theoretically resists blunt force,

still ended up with a swollen head under Kuma’s iron fist—Zhang Chulan, this little rookie, was no exception.

“By the way, I’ve studied True Qi to some extent…”

Zhang Chulan, rubbing his forehead, watched the golden-light figure before him speak confidently, and found himself deeply convinced.

Zhang Jie studied Feng Baobao for a moment: “Ordinary Adept’s Qi is vibrant in youth,

thick and strong in middle age, and in old age becomes static—though more robust,

it resembles a sunset nearing the horizon: beautiful but fleeting, steeped in decay.

But Feng Baobao’s Qi is different: refined yet not heavy, brimming with vitality;

most importantly, this Qi neither increases nor decreases, neither sinks nor grows foul…”

“Neither increases nor decreases, neither sinks nor grows foul…”

Zhang Chulan repeated these words, feeling a strange familiarity.

Suddenly, his face turned pale with shock: “Jie-ge—you mean Feng Baobao is immortal?!”

Though over the years he had strictly followed his grandfather’s teachings,

forgetting he possessed abilities and never displaying them before outsiders,

pretending to be an ordinary person, he had not been completely ignorant—he had read many books.

If there truly were others like his family among the populace,

there must be some trace of them in history, even in folk tales and unofficial records.

Among them were Buddhist scriptures, which spoke of celestial beings:

“Neither increases nor decreases, neither sinks nor grows foul—such a being is called a Celestial.”

A look of astonishment crossed Feng Baobao’s clear face, as if to say, “You can tell this too?”

“Indeed.”

Zhang Jie nodded.

There are many theories about Feng Baobao’s origins:

some say she is the daughter of Wu Gen Sheng, the leader of the Thirty-Six Rebels during the Jia Shen Uprising; others claim she is an artificial human;

even that she is Wu Gen Sheng’s reincarnation, or his failed soul-transference attempt.

But one thing cannot be denied: her body was very likely modified by the Eight Marvelous Techniques in unison.

The Eight Marvelous Techniques are all Immortal arts: Qi Body Source Flow is Immortal Qi, Six Storehouse Immortal Thieves is Immortal body,

Great Luo Heavenly Observation is Immortal vision, Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements is Immortal artifact,

Double Full Hands is Immortal technique, Spirit Binding and General Summoning, Heaven’s Script, and Feng Hou’s Marvelous Gate are Immortal authority and power,

and together, they form a true Immortal!

After being jointly modified by the Eight Marvelous Techniques, though something went awry—

perhaps intentionally tampered with by her creator—causing her memory loss,

she possesses one of the most essential traits of an Immortal: immortality!

She has existed in the world for decades; Xu Xiang, who has known her since childhood, now lies on his deathbed,

barely clinging to life, yet she remains youthful and radiant, time leaving not a single trace upon her!

“Incredible—you’re the only one who didn’t know my identity but figured out I’m immortal!”

Feng Baobao clapped, her face filled with admiration.

“This… this is absurd!”

Zhang Chulan, however, wore an expression of utter disbelief.

It was one thing for an Adept world hidden among ordinary people—

just a group of ordinary folks with minor supernatural abilities.

But immortality—a concept exclusive to myths—could it truly exist? And be connected to his own Zhang family?!

“The waters of this world run deeper than you imagine, kid.”

Zhang Jie glanced at Zhang Chulan, whose face looked shattered—as if broken—then spoke with deep meaning.

Even setting aside the Immortal arts like the Eight Marvelous Techniques and Feng Baobao’s immortality,

consider the seals in the comics: the Tian Shi Fu’s Tian Shi Du, the divine tree on the Adept island Naisen,

the Jade Record hidden deep within the Western Witchcraft Association—what other seals are there?

These seals seem to have, without coordination, sealed the same secret.

What secret could be so grave that both Eastern and Western Adept worlds have sealed it so solemnly?

Add to that the brief glimpse of aliens—like the pink, jelly-like creature beside Wang Zhenqiu, a temporary worker in the Southwest Region,

with limbs and facial features, capable of speech, and possessing a comical personality…

Though “One Below” appears to be a simple, low-tier fantasy world, its depths are far from ordinary.

That’s why Zhang Jie has never become overly arrogant, never turned into a “I Don’t Eat Beef” ancestor.

Black Gu “I Don’t Eat Beef” had “My dad is Cao Ying, I can kill whoever I want” as his backing—a ruthless warlord.

Ancestor Yueya Tian Chong roamed unchecked because, in the Black Robe Investigator world,

he was unquestionably No. 1—even Soldier Boy, his biological father and fellow top-tier hero,

was a mere runt compared to him, no threat at all.

Zhang Jie didn’t want to get overly confident, declare “I Don’t Eat Beef,” and become an ancestor,

only for the Grand Master to pull out the Tian Shi Du and dial the number of the First Master, Zhang Daoling;

or for the state to launch a signal into space, triggering a Trisolaran water droplet attack.

Then, trying to show off backfires and you get humiliated—that’s one thing,

but putting your own life in danger? That’s a whole different matter.

After all, what if the First Master thinks he’s strong, talented, and perfect material for a Guardian Dao Soldier?

Or what if aliens deem him a powerful mutated specimen worth studying,

and decide to invite him to live long-term in a lab, experiencing Ancestor’s childhood?

When his own life is at stake, Zhang Jie remains, as always, cautious…