“How come I can’t sense him at all?”
When he saw the big monk, Shui Miao was immediately shocked.
This monk was so powerful that even his spiritual awareness couldn’t detect him, revealing his immense cultivation strength.
Shui Miao sincerely hoped this monk was just a stone statue or an illusion, but reality proved otherwise.
Suddenly, the monk moved. He opened his eyes and stood up. The “Black Magician” immediately vanished as he looked at Shui Miao and, with a smile, walked out of the cave. In his hand, he carried a miniature “Black Magician,” and as he approached Shui Miao, he slightly bowed and recited a Buddhist chant: “Amitabha Buddha, honored guest, allow this humble monk to greet you.”
“Master, greetings. My name is Shui Miao. May I ask for your Dharma name?” Shui Miao quickly returned the gesture.
Looking at the monk, Shui Miao felt an indescribable mysterious aura about him, making him instinctively cautious.
“My Dharma name is Heilian,” the monk replied, his expression unchanged, still smiling.
What was he smiling about? Shui Miao felt uneasy about Heilian’s grin. What monk smiles so casually? This guy’s demeanor was ambiguous, his aura unclear, and his sudden smile upon seeing Shui Miao seemed highly suspicious. According to Shui Miao’s usual logic, a powerful being should look down upon the weak, remain aloof, speak few words, and every word should carry immense weight. Yet Heilian was the exact opposite. What was his intention?
After a pause, Shui Miao decided to test Heilian.
Instantly, Shui Miao transformed his Soul Devouring Force into a black sphere, which he controlled with his mind and floated before the monk. “Master Heilian, I obtained this strange energy but cannot identify it. Do you recognize it?” Shui Miao blinked, deciding to test the monk’s abilities rather than remain uncertain.
“Oh?”
Heilian was momentarily surprised, seemingly unexpecting Shui Miao to ask him to identify something. He immediately dropped his smile and carefully examined the black sphere. He frowned, then grabbed the sphere with his hand and turned it over repeatedly, clearly unable to identify it.
Seeing that the monk couldn’t recognize the Soul Devouring Force, Shui Miao immediately concluded that the monk was merely putting on a show and wasn’t truly powerful. Since he was a suspicious creature, neither human nor demon, Shui Miao decided to test him further.
With a shift in Shui Miao’s thoughts, the Soul Devouring Force suddenly transformed into mist, instantly enveloping the monk.
The Soul Devouring Force’s powerful corrosive abilities were nearly impossible for ordinary demons to resist.
However, to Shui Miao’s shock, the monk instantly disintegrated upon contact, his body vanishing in an instant!
“What’s going on?”
Shui Miao immediately heightened his alertness, sensing the surrounding disturbances, trying to locate the monk but failing completely. He was deeply confused—was this monk hiding his true strength and deliberately feigning weakness, or was there another reason?
At that moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew from behind him.
The Crow Girl stumbled down and landed beside Shui Miao at the cave entrance. Seemingly sensing the Crow Patriarch’s aura, she was eager for revenge and immediately rushed into the cave to confront the Crow Patriarch. Seeing the Crow Girl charge in, Shui Miao didn’t hesitate and followed her inside.
“Kya!”
Just a few steps into the cave, a piercing crow screech echoed from within.
“Kya!”
Provoked by the scream, the Crow Girl shrieked in response.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, countless crows appeared inside the cave.
Shui Miao sensed immediately that these crows were fake, mere illusions created by the Crow Patriarch’s dark techniques. Instantly, he activated his Immortal Force to suppress them, easily dispelling all the illusions. A surge of Soul Devouring Force mercilessly wrapped around the Crow Patriarch’s body.
“Monk, help me! Quickly ambush him!”
The Crow Patriarch suddenly screamed loudly.
Shui Miao’s heart tightened as he braced himself, fearing that the monk might suddenly appear and attack him from behind. But at that moment, the Crow Patriarch’s body suddenly exploded with a loud “Boom!” A large crow with a few white feathers on its head swiftly flew out of the cave.
“Oh no! We’ve been tricked!”
Shui Miao suddenly realized he had fallen for the Crow Patriarch’s diversionary tactic.
“Whoosh!”
The Crow Girl immediately gave chase, flying out of the cave.
The Crow Patriarch fled ahead while the Crow Girl pursued behind—a normal-sized old crow followed by a giant crow woman, both flying away…
Shui Miao tried to chase using his Immortal Force, but he couldn’t catch up. Using wind techniques might harm the Crow Girl.
Shui Miao ran to the cave entrance and saw Jiang Zhihao and the others approaching. Worried that they might be ambushed by the monk, he stopped and focused his senses, discovering that the Crow Patriarch, likely weakened from his earlier self-explosion, was now severely injured and had exhausted his powers, leaving only a faint breath of his crow form.
Indeed, the Crow Patriarch had barely flown a hundred meters before collapsing onto a “Black Magician” plant.
The Crow Girl immediately pounced, her massive claws grabbing the Crow Patriarch’s body and crushing it into oblivion.
“Could it really be this easy?”
“Where is that monk?”
Seeing the Crow Girl easily defeat the Crow Patriarch, Shui Miao felt puzzled, sensing that something was off.
“There must be something wrong!”
Shui Miao refused to believe it was over so simply. He immediately sat down, focused his mind, and extended his spiritual senses, scanning every inch of the mountain.
The countless “Black Magicians” scattered across the mountain carried strong spiritual energies, interfering with Shui Miao’s perception.
Shui Miao shifted his thoughts and decided to deploy the Soul Devouring Force in all directions, absorbing the spiritual energies from the “Black Magicians,” causing them to wither.
Seeing Shui Miao in meditation, no one dared to speak loudly. They all sat quietly and waited.
The Crow Girl had killed the Crow Patriarch’s physical form, but she too felt it was too easy. She silently waited beside Shui Miao.
Under the influence of the Soul Devouring Force, all the “Black Magicians” on the small mountain withered.
Massive waves of Soul Devouring Force then enveloped the neighboring mountain, corroding and devouring all spiritual energies.
Determined to eliminate all threats, Shui Miao conducted a thorough search, leaving no stone unturned. A few minutes later, he suddenly sensed something unusual about an ordinary-looking “Black Magician.” Under the Soul Devouring Force’s corrosion, the plant transformed into the Crow Patriarch’s soul. A few more minutes passed, and Shui Miao withdrew the Soul Devouring Force, obtaining many memories.
Of course, these were the Crow Patriarch’s memories.
It turned out the Crow Patriarch wasn’t particularly powerful. He possessed only one unique skill—creating illusions so convincing that they were nearly impossible to detect.
He had successfully deceived Shui Miao with these illusions.
Unfortunately, the Crow Patriarch was unfamiliar with worldly affairs, human psychology, or the demeanor of true cultivators. He lacked the aloofness of a true master, which made Shui Miao suspicious. Upon testing, Shui Miao completely dismantled his dark techniques. This sinister skill could create illusions and obscure the truth, making it highly attractive to Shui Miao.
Essentially, this technique combined spiritual energy with the Five Elements’ power, making it relatively easy to learn but requiring practice.
Shui Miao opened his eyes and immediately saw the Crow Girl, his heart sinking. “Oh no! I can’t help her restore her form now!”
Thinking quickly, Shui Miao closed his eyes again.
He needed to find a way to draw out the essence of the Dao of Nature.
Shui Miao was not the kind of person who went back on his word or made excuses when faced with difficulties. He held himself to high standards, always striving to do his best and aiming for perfection.
Suddenly, an unusual but worth-trying idea came to him.
He would use his Immortal Force to attack the stone tablets of the Dao of Nature.
“The stone tablets were placed in my realm by the middle-aged scholar. They’re like external objects. My Immortal Force belongs to me. Using my power to attack an external object should be fine,” Shui Miao reasoned before activating the Soul Devouring Force, directing it into his realm and enveloping the stone tablet of the Dao of Nature.
“Break!”
With a mental command, Shui Miao ordered the Soul Devouring Force to corrode and devour the stone tablet. A loud “Boom!” echoed as the tablet suddenly generated an immense suction force, pulling Shui Miao himself inside!
Suddenly, in front of the cave, Shui Miao vanished!
Everyone was shocked and began frantically searching around…
※※※
“How did this happen?”
Shui Miao suddenly found himself in a strange place. There was no sky or ground—only a vast green expanse filled with the essence of the Dao of Nature.
He could breathe and walk here.
But soon, Shui Miao began to feel pain and noticed the green essence starting to corrode his skin!
“Oh no!”
He suddenly recalled using the stone tablet to kill several enemies before. Now, it had backfired, pulling him inside and beginning to devour him!
“No!”
Feeling his pain intensify, Shui Miao panicked and tried to use his Immortal Force to resist the essence of the Dao of Nature.
However, his Immortal Force proved useless against this essence.
The power he summoned vanished like a cow entering the sea, leaving no trace.
He realized this essence of the Dao of Nature was the most terrifying Soul Devouring Force!
Shui Miao lost his composure, a wave of inexplicable fear rising in his heart. How ironic—he wasn’t killed by evil forces but by a stone tablet within his own realm meant to help him. He tried to calm himself and think of a solution, but his mind was in chaos, unable to focus.
What should I do? What should I do…
The words echoed in his mind…
Shui Miao had never imagined he could be so fragile, so panicked, so impulsive, so afraid of death, so easily broken!
“So what if it’s death? What’s there to panic about?”
To calm himself, Shui Miao slapped himself twice. Surprisingly, the pain helped him regain some composure.
After calming down, he thought that when the stone tablet cracked naturally, he could easily absorb its essence.
So why couldn’t he do it now, when surrounded by the essence?
Why was it different?
What was the difference between now and before?
Suddenly, Shui Miao murmured, “Could it be my mindset? When the stone tablet cracked naturally, I was relaxed, so I could easily absorb its essence. Now, I’m tense, resisting the essence of the Dao of Nature, so it’s devouring me instead! Yes! That must be it! Those evil beings sucked into the tablet could never remain calm, so they were destined to be destroyed!”
This possibility was very real.
Realizing this, Shui Miao immediately forced himself to calm down, thinking of relaxing thoughts.
If this didn’t work, he had no other ideas.
Pain—excruciating pain—continued to torment him.
He sat cross-legged, no longer looking at his deteriorating body, feeling as if he were being roasted alive one moment and devoured by countless insects the next.
His skin, under the Dao of Nature’s essence, slowly transformed into green energy.
His body trembled uncontrollably!
This pain was unbearable for any normal person.
But he had no choice—he had to endure it and force himself to stay calm and relaxed…
How was that possible?
After holding on for a while, Shui Miao’s willpower began to waver. When death was near, how could he possibly think of relaxation?
But then, he thought—was struggling useful? Would screaming help?
He had to grit his teeth and hold on—perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope.
If he gave up easily, he would surely die.
Shui Miao continued to hold on…
But the pain kept attacking his mind, making it impossible to concentrate!
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Shui Miao opened his eyes and saw his body was already a bloody mess—unrecognizable. Seeing his condition, he was momentarily stunned.
Suddenly, he thought—what was the true meaning of the stone tablet of the Dao of Nature?
“To live in harmony with nature, to perish when opposing it.”
“Without sufficient strength or understanding of the Dao of Nature, entering the stone tablet would naturally result in being devoured.”
“Now, what if I stop resisting the pain and try cultivating by breathing in the essence of the Dao of Nature? If I can integrate this essence into my Immortal Force, I might adapt to this place.”
Previously, Shui Miao had relied solely on his Immortal Force to maintain his body, not breathing in any essence.
Now, he relaxed and deeply inhaled a breath of the essence. It felt less like air and more like a kettle of scalding hot water, burning his internal organs, his entire body!
Previously, he had only suffered skin-deep pain. Now, every part of him, inside and out, was in agony.
After a couple of breaths, Shui Miao regretted his decision—he had made another mistake!
Suddenly, he wondered—why had his luck been so good before, yet turned so bad now?
“Pu!”
Shui Miao spat out a mouthful of blood, writhing in pain.
He could no longer remain calm—he felt death approaching.
As the pain intensified, Shui Miao lost consciousness in despair. But miraculously, his consciousness remained!
His physical body had completely transformed into green essence—not a single bone remained.
Even the Immortal Force sphere in his dantian had transformed into essence.
Now, he was just a soul.
This soul was wrapped in white Feng Shui Dao essence, preventing its destruction.
Thankfully, the Feng Shui Dao essence was protecting his soul. Shui Miao calmed himself, looking around and at his nearly transparent soul in disbelief—had he really died so senselessly?
As he looked, Shui Miao suddenly noticed a white shadow and a faint black shadow in the green world. Instinct told him these were his Earth Soul and Heaven Soul. The conscious soul he now inhabited was his Human Soul. These two souls were also wrapped in a faint Feng Shui Dao essence, flying about like kites in the green world…
The Heaven Soul, Earth Soul, and Human Soul were bound together by Yang魄.
Now, with his Yang魂 destroyed, Shui Miao could not reunite his Heaven and Earth Souls.
In this green world, Shui Miao didn’t lose hope. He firmly believed he could be reborn. Without the torment of pain, he calmly sat down, reciting the Ling Tong Jue and Zong Heng Ce in his mind to clear his thoughts, and began meditating.
Soul cultivation was far more efficient than physical cultivation.
With no rush, Shui Miao immersed himself in cultivation, slowly absorbing the essence of the Dao of Nature into his soul and transforming it into part of his soul.
Who knows how much time passed, but suddenly, Shui Miao opened his eyes, and his Human Soul stood up in the green world.
Through cultivation, he had comprehended the essence of the Dao of Nature.
This essence contained countless miraculous powers—higher strength meant more profound insights.
Shui Miao scanned the surroundings and flew toward a faintly white aura, absorbing it into his body.
This aura was none other than his previously lost Yang soul.
After a while, Shui Miao gathered all his Yang essence and reclaimed his Heaven and Earth Souls.
With all three souls and seven spirits reunited, Shui Miao felt an immense surge of power—far stronger than before.
“Now, it’s time to rebuild my physical body!”
Shui Miao’s soul sat down again, entering a long period of meditation.
During this meditation, strands of the Dao of Nature’s essence gathered, slowly forming his bones, meridians, muscles, skin, and hair…
Time passed—no one knew how long.
When Shui Miao opened his eyes again, he had regained his former appearance—perhaps even more handsome—and could now control all the essence in this realm.
“It seems my luck still holds! Now, it’s time to reform my inner elixir.” With a thought, all the essence gathered, forming a massive green sphere. It continuously condensed until it became an egg-sized orb, which Shui Miao swallowed in one gulp.
“Hu…”
A flash of green light at the cave entrance, under the starry sky, Shui Miao finally returned!
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