Chapter 204: The Eastern Sea

Within the pure and quiet body, all is empty and vast, bright and clear, nothing employed, nothing dwelt in.

Yet the scholar desires to attain the Purple Mansion and the Mysterious Dao.

One must be still within stillness, settled within settlement, wherein lies absolutely nothing; this is the Wondrous Contemplation of No Desire, the first mystery!

The so-called progression from the Three-Layer Realm of Foundation Establishment to the attainment of the Purple Mansion.

Is merely causing the turtle and serpent within the body to coalesce into a jade key, survey and fix the gate of the Heavenly Pass, then open that mansion within and without the body, which may be considered complete success.

To this day.

In the outside world, only two months have passed.

Yet within the True Dharma Realm, nearly two years have elapsed!

During this period, Chen Heng had sought to enter the realm of "Wondrous Contemplation of No Desire," to facilitate surveying and fixing the gate of the Heavenly Pass, opening the divine treasure of the Purple Mansion, and becoming a true Xian Dao Gao Gong.

And this pure, bitter cultivation within the Fa Zhi Jie.

Now, while contemplating the scriptures, he had finally glimpsed a sliver of spiritual light, and was at last about to see true results!

He raised his finger to form a seal, mobilized his mind, and behind his shoulder gradually condensed a mountain phantom nearly ten zhang tall, which slowly occupied the eastern position.

Upon it, grass and trees grew, birds and beasts dwelt; green fields and misty winds, wind rising and water surging; looking out, it truly possessed some majestic aspect of natural creation!

Sishan Duel Art—Dragon Huishan!

And after Dragon Huishan slowly condensed into solidity.

Not long after.

A second mountain phantom emerged; with a boom, it vibrated with a thunderous roar, taking the western position!

And after the two peaks of Dragon Return and Tiger Rampant had manifested.

A few breaths later, a third, Snake Coiling Mountain parted the clouds and majestically settled in the south!

Seeing this, Chen Heng felt joy in his heart, and a smile could not help but float upon his face.

Sishan Duel Art—

This superior Daoist technique, during cultivation, inherently possesses the wondrous effect of tempering divine intent and condensing the primordial soul!

Rumor has it that thousands of years ago, a powerful cultivator residing in the distant seas, seeing his offspring unable to break through the "obstacle of knowledge and view" of the Purple Mansion, specially expended effort to create this, making it quite extraordinary.

Later transmitted to the Nine Provinces, it was praised by many Upper Truths, who commended its hidden alignment with the realm of "Wondrous Contemplation of No Desire," noting it greatly benefits Purple Mansion cultivation, truly a wondrous method.

As far as Chen Heng knew.

If the inner disciples of this Changying Courtyard reached the Three-Layer Realm of Foundation Establishment, they would, if possible, all choose to practice the Sishan Duel Art, using this method to break through the barrier of the Purple Mansion.

For this superior Daoist technique is not only easy to begin, greatly reducing the time required to form the Purple Mansion.

But once mastered, it also grants a Dharma gate for protecting the Dao; whether used to injure enemies, protect oneself, or form trapping arrays, it possesses considerable capability.

Speaking solely of lethal power.

Among superior Daoist techniques, the Sishan Duel Art perhaps cannot compare to Chen Heng's inexplicably originated Primordial Great Sun Divine Light.

Yet it possesses its own unique wondrous uses, is no vulgar flow, and among superior Daoist techniques, it is likewise extraordinary!

The cultivation of the Sishan Duel Art requires using divine intent to visualize in the brain the four ancient divine mountains: Dragon Return, Tiger Rampant, Snake Coiling, and Sparrow Entering, striving for every peak and ravine, every stone and tree, to be real and not false.

Initially condensing the two peaks of Dragon Return and Tiger Rampant.

Is merely the Minor Completion Realm.

Only when manifesting the true form and spiritual nature of all four peaks does one reach the Medium Completion Realm.

And cultivating this method to the Medium Completion Realm.

Means one has achieved "spirit and qi self-illuminated, heart and body perfectly integrated," allowing one to survey and fix the location of the Heavenly Pass gate in the indistinct void, making the cultivator a true Xian Dao Gao Gong!

As for the final Ultimate Great Completion Realm, one must condense the four peaks into a true seal, transforming them into four seal seeds; this step is even more obscure, requiring decades of Ku Gong to achieve...

Previously, Chen Heng had barely managed to manifest only the two peaks of Dragon Return and Tiger Rampant, struggling to cultivate to the Minor Completion Realm, far from reaching "spirit and qi self-illuminated, heart and body perfectly integrated," and naturally unable to locate any Heavenly Pass gate.

But as the third mountain, Snake Coiling, manifested.

He continued to urge the Dharma decision, following that indistinct spiritual perception to mobilize.

The fourth mountain, Sparrow Entering, also slowly condensed into view; ancient vines lush, shrubs dense, birds chirping, looking upon it was truly a magnificent sight!

At this moment.

Finally, all four peaks appeared: the Medium Completion Realm!

And after Sparrow Entering Mountain clearly took the northern position.

Chen Heng, surrounded and guarded in the center by the four mountains, felt as if someone had heavily struck the back of his head, hearing a clear and resonant chime of bell and stone.

In a Xiao Daze, he forgot where exactly he was, feeling as though wandering in the vast cosmic void, his consciousness seeming to exist yet not, like a firefly hovering over a stream, flickering uncertainly.

Until an unknown amount of time passed.

His divine intent seemed blocked by an invisible barrier, after which he suddenly woke, opened his eyes, and smiled with understanding, saying:

"So, the gate of the Heavenly Pass is right here; I have finally found it."

He guided his mind, intending to draw the turtle and serpent phases within his acupoints to condense into a jade key and open this gate, but suddenly felt a pain in his brain, and his divine intent became slightly muddled.

Chen Heng's brows furrowed involuntarily.

The next moment, the Heavenly Pass gate he had just found instantly vanished without a trace, no longer visible.

And Sparrow Entering Mountain likewise stirred; the nearly ten-zhang mountain body shook violently several times, then emitted an explosive sound before collapsing with a crash, scattering into pieces!

"I failed to fully manifest Sparrow Entering Mountain; I am still a hair's breadth short of the Medium Completion Realm. However, since I have already touched the way, it cannot be far off."

Chen Heng sighed lightly; a trace of bloody sweetness surged in his throat, and his head felt as if splitting apart.

Failure in cultivating a Daoist technique naturally brings backlash...

As with the cultivation of Primordial Great Sun Divine Light, if one step goes astray, internal organs are burned rotten by fiery flames, scorching body and soul into a pile of charcoal, making survival nearly impossible.

Compared to the Primordial Great Sun Divine Light.

The backlash from this Sishan Duel Art was negligible, not even worth mentioning.

"There should still be over a month before departing for the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian; within the Yizhen Fa Zhi Jie, that amounts to nearly a year."

Chen Heng pondered:

"Such a span of time should be sufficient for me to cultivate the Sishan Duel Art to the Medium Completion Realm, open the Heavenly Pass, and become a Xian Dao Gao Gong... However, when breaking through to the Purple Palace, a Lei Zhi Jie will surely descend; this calamity cannot be guarded against lightly."

His eyes flickered slightly, and he was just about to sit cross-legged.

When suddenly his vision went black, followed immediately by countless golden stars bursting forth, flashing unpredictably.

"This technique backlash..."

Chen Heng chuckled helplessly, and as usual, clenched his fist and struck fiercely, summoning his full strength to smash his own head to pieces on the spot.

Yet within mere breaths.

Light and shadow shifted at the original spot, and a brand new mental image condensed once more.

He slightly stretched his torso.

He felt entirely at ease from head to toe; the fatigue accumulated over several days was completely swept away, and all injuries vanished along with the previous mental image.

Chen Heng was not surprised, continued to sit cross-legged, and settled into quiet meditation to comprehend the profound principles.

And during this entry into meditation.

Ten days quietly passed in the present world, while over three months elapsed within the Yizhen Fa Zhi Jie...

On this day.

Chen Heng, surrounded by swirling mysterious qi, gazed upon four mountain peaks towering in the sky, majestic and lofty, with cranes and apes calling in the streams, and clouds and thunder arising from the forests and valleys.

Viewed from afar.

These four mountains transformed by the Dao technique appeared almost indistinguishable from reality; if any ordinary mortal were here without careful inspection, they would certainly detect no difference.

Chen Heng smiled slightly, swept his sleeve through the air to disperse the image of the four mountains, then withdrew his consciousness from the True Dharma Realm, returning to the present world.

Bright sunshine, beautiful day, gentle breeze.

Although it was already winter, today was a rare day of clear skies for ten thousand li; the sun had just reached the zenith, dazzlingly bright, countless colorful mists danced brilliantly, displaying various gorgeous hues, truly a splendid sight.

Inside the quiet chamber, Dun Dun Jiesuo, having manifested his artifact spirit form, sat lazily in a chair, holding a mortal storybook brought by a servant, reading with such fascination and vigor.

Suddenly.

His expression shifted; he tossed aside the storybook in his hand and walked toward the screen.

Behind the screen, on the meditation cushion, Chen Heng, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly chuckled softly, rose to his full height, his wide sleeves moving without wind, rolling like waves and clouds.

Dun Dun Jiesuo saw a faint layer of mysterious qi circulating around Chen Heng's head and face; though his eyes, once bright as stars, now concealed their divine light, they resembled two deep abysses, imparting an inexplicable sense of intimidation.

His entire aura fluctuated high and low, strong and weak, extremely difficult to fathom.

Dun Dun Jiesuo looked deeply at Chen Heng, and truly felt somewhat astonished in his heart:

"Purple Palace? You have only been cultivating here at Jin Tingshan's Changying Courtyard for a few days, yet you have already achieved the Purple Palace? Become a Gao Gong of the Immortal Dao?! Wait, wait..."

He paused for a moment, then shook his head:

"You clearly have not yet undergone the Lei Zhi Jie, and this aura... you have merely located the position of the Heavenly Pass but have not yet taken the final step; you have not yet formed the Purple Palace?"

"The Lesser Pure Yang Lightning is treacherous and must not be taken lightly; regarding this calamity, I have deep personal experience..."

Chen Heng shook his head and said slowly:

"I intend to cultivate the Yin-Yin Shi Hong Shui to the Medium Completion Realm within these few days, before the opening of the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian, and only then proceed to undergo the tribulation."

A month ago, Jiang Jiang Daolian had already delivered the "Three Essences Qi."

However, at that time Chen Heng was still bitterly comprehending the "Jade Book of the Tianwangshen Sect" within the True Dharma Realm and studying the Sishan Duel Art, leaving him unable to split his attention, so he had temporarily set aside the cultivation of the Yin-Yin Shi Hong Shui.

To break through from Minor Completion to the Medium Completion Realm in the cultivation of Yin-Yin Shi Hong Shui, one must obtain the Three Essences Qi to cleanse and refine both body and soul along with those eighty-one drops of Yin-Yin Shi Hong Shui before further elevation is possible.

Leaping from a total volume of eighty-one drops of red water to a full three hundred and sixty-five drops, amounting to exactly one Zhou Tianzhi!

"Yin-Yin Shi Hong Shui? Indeed... the Lesser Pure Yang Lightning truly cannot be treated lightly; if you cultivate the Yin-Yin Shi Hong Shui to the Medium Completion Realm, and combine it with that Primordial Great Sun Divine Light and other talismanic artifact methods, surviving the Purple Palace's Lei Zhi Jie should not be difficult."

Dun Dun Jiesuo pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly:

"By the way, I haven't told you yet; shortly after you entered seclusion, that human puppet of Chen Chen Yushu left Changying Courtyard; rumor has it he accepted a demon-suppressing assignment and went down the mountain to earn merit.

This old demon himself is already honored by the Liu Sect as the 'Demon Master,' yet now he intends to suppress demons and protect the Dao; truly absurd and laughable!"

Hearing this, Chen Heng seemed thoughtful but did not reply.

The concealing and disguising abilities of a human puppet are not flawless; if someone with great supernatural power and magic power observes from the side, their whereabouts might be exposed, a matter Dun Dun Jiesuo had also mentioned to him.

And he possessed the True Dharma Realm.

No matter what kind of human puppet, or how Chen Chen Yushu remotely enhanced its disguise, none could escape his perception; it could be said to be a natural counter.

As for Chen Chen Yushu, he was quite obedient, having moved the human puppet out of Jin Tingshan in advance.

It seemed that the human puppet named "Li Li Feibai" was not regarded by Chen Chen Yushu as a mere disposable pawn...

"Does he intend to use Li Li Feibai to Zuo Xie Wen Zhang on me in the future?"

Chen Heng sneered coldly in his heart and shook his head slightly.

At this moment.

Dun Dun Jiesuo's expression turned solemn, and he spoke again in a heavy voice:

"By the way, since you have been in seclusion for many days, I never asked you. That so-called Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian will undoubtedly involve noble families stirring up trouble; it is extremely dangerous. Allow this old man to speak out of turn: are you truly certain you want to get involved?"

"Where in the path of cultivation lies a smooth road? Where are there not thorns?"

Hearing this, Chen Heng was slightly surprised and said, "Senior, why do you say this?"

"I guess, you lad, the reason you're in such a hurry to go to that Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian is likely not for that unorthodox Pure Yang lineage and its hidden treasures, nor for any products or legal materials within the Fan Fan Dongtian, but rather for that flow of time!"

Dun Dun Jiesuo's eyes shone brightly as he stared at Chen Heng:

"Because the flow of time within a Fan Fan Dongtian differs, there are often sayings that one day in the present world equals three days, five days, or even seven or ten days inside the Fan Fan Dongtian!

You do not intend to compete for the fortunes of the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian, but rather wish to cultivate within the Fan Fan Dongtian, is that not so?"

Before Chen Heng could speak, Dun Dun Jiesuo continued on his own:

"And although you clearly know that people from the noble clans will surely make a move against you within the Fan Fan Dongtian, you still insist on braving the danger, which obviously indicates a significant scheme!

Lad, after pondering over these past few days, I have mostly figured out your thoughts."

His gaze suddenly darkened, and he abruptly shouted in a low voice:

"You cannot wait thirty years...

In six years, you intend to participate in that Lower Academy Grand Competition six years from now and become one of the Top Ten Disciples of that cohort!

Lad Chen Heng, you are truly arrogant and exceedingly presumptuous!

Do you regard all the people from Yu Yu Yuchen's four Lower Academies as cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep ready for you to slaughter at will?

Those Dongxuan disciples have all waited bitterly for many years; their talent and root nature are not necessarily inferior to yours! If you have opportunities and fortunes, do they not have them as well? On what grounds do you assume you can secure a seat among the Top Ten Disciples in six years?"

Facing this questioning that subtly carried a hint of anger.

Chen Heng's expression did not change; he merely shook his head: "Senior's insight is profound, but I have no absolute certainty; it is simply that time waits for no one.

If I do not strive and compete, sitting here waiting for death would be no different; let alone becoming a Top Ten Disciple, even surviving another thirty years is an unknown quantity."

"How so?" Dun Dun Jiesuo asked.

"In such a situation and predicament, how can I afford to proceed steadily and slowly? I also do not wish to take risks, but truly had no choice but to do so."

Chen Heng spoke in a flat tone.

"..."

Dun Dun Jiesuo fell silent.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke:

"Life comes only once; once dead, everything is finished, but you... never mind, lad, although your plan is not bad, you have misjudged one thing: the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian is already damaged and is about to be downgraded to a Xuanzhu Xuanzhu Fudi; I fear you will not be able to cultivate inside it for long."

"Earning even one day is gaining one day; opportunities in a Fan Fan Dongtian are inherently rare, and where would I get the qualification to be picky and choose the best?"

Chen Heng sighed.

"Actually, I have another method that could assist you..."

After hesitating repeatedly.

Dun Dun Jiesuo still helplessly said:

"It is just that, I do not know whether this will truly save you or actually harm you?"

Chen Heng's expression shifted slightly.

"The East Sea," Dun Dun Jiesuo said:

"After going to the Liuhuo Liuhuo Honghua Fan Fan Dongtian, you might go to the East Sea to try your luck!"

(End of Chapter)