Chapter 32: 31, Na Na Tian

31, Na Na Tian

Previously, when ordinary thought threads turned into blood thought threads, Zhou Chang had conceived a thought: "Could I directly use thought threads to extract the delusional nourishing qi from the corpse of a Nie?"

In this way, he could not only suppress Zhou Chang's corpse through the thought threads, but also use the delusional nourishing qi within Zhou Chang's corpse to enhance his spiritual nature.

Under such a cycle, why worry about failing to completely bring the Nie corpse under control?

Now, as the blood thought threads turn into iron thought threads, his previous idea seems to have become possible.

He manipulated that single strand of iron thought thread; with a shift in his mind, the end of the iron thought thread piercing the Nie corpse's flesh instantly became hollow, like a needle hole. As he urged his mind, it suddenly began to draw out the delusional nourishing qi from within the Nie corpse!

"Ah—"

Zhou Chang's corpse immediately became ferocious, opening its mouth to roar!

Yet another strand of blood thought thread swam back at that moment, swiftly passing through the lips of Zhou Chang's corpse and stitching its mouth and nose shut!

The Nie corpse struggled violently in the coffin chamber, yet could no longer make any sound!

That single strand of iron thought thread, inserted into its body, began to suck out the accumulated delusional nourishing qi from within its corpse!

The iron-black strand of thought thread, after drawing in the delusional nourishing qi, instantly became illusory and mottled!

At the same time, Zhou Chang suddenly felt his vision begin to turn chaotic; hallucinatory, indescribable scenes began to unfold in his field of view.

His eyes were no longer eyes; in that instant, they seemed to have become ears.

His ears were no longer ears; at this moment, they seemed to have turned into navels.

A hallucination far more terrifying than the 'Wind of Nourishing Qi' that had once flooded the wine cellar lingered around Zhou Chang's spirit!

Such hallucinations could not be described by language!

He constantly reminded himself in his heart: "If I do not stop drawing the delusional nourishing qi from the Nie corpse, my own spiritual nature will disintegrate due to these terrifying delusions!"

But now he could not control the thought threads, unable to make any effective response!

Those bizarre and colorful images continued to flash through his mind like slides.

He captured a scene from among the many images—

He saw that morning, himself, his grandfather, Shi Danzi, and Yang Rui gathered around the dining table, jointly flipping through the "Great Essence Heart Sutra" that Yang Rui had bought for five copper coins.

Those mere two or three pages, scriptures originally impossible for him to understand, now, in this state, began to be comprehended by him!

One by one, incomplete Chinese characters instantly transformed into little figures with missing limbs; they searched throughout the pages for limbs suitable and unsuitable to themselves, attaching them to their own missing parts.

These little figures became increasingly twisted and deformed.

Zhou Chang "read" these deformed little figures and heard some voices:

"The embryonic form of the egg case, Na Na Tian...

The demon seed has fallen, the divine essence not yet bestowed...

Chanting Om Ma Na Zha, change my form, bestow upon me your essence..."

Zhou Chang could understand every single word contained in those voices.

But when he combined them, he could not at all comprehend their meaning!

If he did not stop drawing the delusional nourishing qi from the Nie corpse right now, his own spiritual soul would, even before the Nie corpse, transform into a ghost, and perhaps, upon encountering a chance opportunity, become a Thought Demon!

The 'delusional mycelium' growing on the rice grave were actually pure thoughts with all delusions washed away!

Drawing them could strengthen a person's spirit!

But the delusional nourishing qi within this Nie corpse, and that wind of nourishing qi that occasionally swept through the wine cellar, were harmful to normal people in a hundred ways and beneficial in none!

Zhou Chang personally tested and erred, finally experiencing the difference between the two more deeply—

"Clear! Clear! Clear!" This thought that had once dominated Zhou Chang's mind was now merely one insignificant thought among Zhou Chang's many thoughts.

Every one of his thoughts was screaming madly!

All trying to dominate!

This caused his sanity to become increasingly chaotic, sinking deeper and deeper into the vortex of delusions!

Until Zhou Chang used that single clear thought to connect a strand of thought thread, probing it into the hole on the thumb bone ring named 'Ao Duoji'—

"Ao Duoji!"

Inside the hole, the boy's voice calling for his mastiff companion turned into Zhou Chang's voice!

Zhou Chang called out to Ao Duoji!

Ao Duoji also barked loudly, giving him a response!

Amidst the barking of 'Ao Duoji', more and more of Zhou Chang's thoughts broke free from the hallucinations, gradually taking dominance, until finally he pulled that single strand of iron thought thread out of the Nie corpse's flesh—his sanity finally began to return to normal!

"Splash!"

At this moment, from the living spring a few steps away in the coffin chamber, loud splashing water sounds arose.

Zhou Chang had no time to rest; immediately, with a thought, he recalled all the strands of thought threads scattered outside!

The wind of nourishing qi blew up after the sound of the water.

The thought threads recalled by Zhou Chang wrapped around every part of the Nie corpse, preventing it from drawing in that wind of nourishing qi.

After an unknown length of time, the wind of nourishing qi gradually ceased.

The living spring once again sounded with water, as if the ghost-spirit that had swum out of the spring source had now, satisfied, shrunk back into the spring source.

Zhou Chang waited for a while, then began to repeat the same steps as yesterday to strengthen the thought threads.

"Prepare to awaken!"

Several hours later, the voice of Qian Chaodong came from the highest and farthest point of the wine cellar.

In the silent wine cellar, various sounds gradually arose.

Hearing the sound of fermented grains being shoveled open outside the coffin chamber, strands of thought threads, some dark red like blood, others pitch black like iron, all returned to his body.

Sensing the specific conditions within the Nie corpse, he wove the blood thought threads into the blood vessels within the Nie corpse's body, and wrapped the iron thought threads around the individual bones of the Nie corpse.

Having spent the entire day in the wine cellar today, thanks to the growth in the base number of thought threads, his harvest was far greater than usual.

The newly added ordinary thought threads had all turned into blood thought threads.

And the portion that had already turned into blood thought threads had all transformed into iron thought threads.

"I must find Bai Xiue quickly."

Zhou Chang moved his body slightly within the narrow coffin chamber; as the iron thought threads supported the flesh and blood of this body and the blood thought threads wrapped around the skin shell, he could increasingly feel the fierce and terrifying power hidden within this ghost corpse, and could also use the thought threads to exert and apply a part of it.

This further highlighted the importance of the thought threads.

Finding Bai Xiue and keeping her by his side had become Zhou Chang's top priority now.

His thought robe had only recovered about one-third; the remaining majority of thought threads still needed Bai Xiue to replenish them.

"Clang!"

Outside, Wen San and Wen Four worked together to open the coffin lid.

In the faint light, Zhou Chang opened his eyes and stared at Wen Three, who was secretly casting his gaze over—

Wen Three could not help but shrink his neck; he felt that the person inside the coffin seemed able to see through his thoughts!

He dared not look at Zhou Chang again, ordered his younger brother Wen Four to watch here, and turned to another place to continue working—Wen Three did not dare to stay with Zhou Chang for even a moment, fearing that he might not be able to resist responding to Zhou Chang's words.

Zhou Chang propped himself up and stepped out of the coffin chamber in one stride.

He stood beside Wen Four; his tall figure seemed capable of completely covering Wen Four's form, causing a hint of fear to arise involuntarily in Wen Four's heart.

At this moment, Qian Chaodong walked over, looked at the grain growing mycelium on both sides of the cellar pit, and said to Zhou Chang, "Madness still needs treatment; you must come again tomorrow."

"Good."

Zhou Chang nodded and agreed.

Qian Chaodong raised his eyes to look at him, said no more, turned around, and departed.

Watching Qian Chaodong sway his flesh away gradually, Zhou Chang turned his head to observe Wen Four, a smile appearing on his face: "Wen Four, do you want to go home? Your brother has already told me everything; let me help send a message to your family."

Hearing the voice, Wen Four suddenly raised his head—

Zhou Chang's tall figure, facing him against the faint light, seemed to turn into pure black in that instant.

The darkness expanded into a sea, carrying Zhou Chang's gentle voice, pouring into Wen Four's mind again and again.

Wen Four's pupils trembled; his mouth gaped wide like a fish on land, yet he could not speak!