A Night of Desperation

Chapter 288: Trends 2

Xun Yang immediately pulled him aside to a corner, asking another child to take her place.

The two of them walked behind a large circular pillar and stood firm.

"It’s been less than a week... Ding Rou, have you practiced similar Daoist Skills before? Otherwise, how could you advance so quickly!?" Her small eyes were still wide with amazement.

Such a pace, she had only seen it in Child’s Skill before, it is said that the two geniuses of the temple back then, entered the beginner level within a week.

"I’m not sure... I might have, I practiced some mental training Magic Skills before." Yu Hong said hesitantly. He wasn’t sure if the visualization he practiced before counted as similar.

"That makes sense." Xun Yang sighed in relief, "You scared me to death, I thought you had cultivated incorrectly... because it completely defies logic. But since you have some prior foundation, and you naturally have strong perseverance, it’s not impossible to advance quickly."

She patted her modest chest, exhaling in relief, and quickly pulled out a blue thread-bound booklet with no words on the cover from her pocket.

"This is the follow-up Cultivation Technique for the Guanwu Skill; this Magic Skill has nine layers, and our Taoist Sect mostly goes up to nine, as this number is considered the ultimate. Our Guanwu Skill is a bit unique, after each layer is cultivated, the spirit strength doubles compared to before. Nine layers to Perfection, theoretically, the strength will increase a thousand times over the original. But that’s just theoretical state, take a look yourself. Remember not to spread it outside. The authentic Magic Skills of our Taoist Sect are only suitable for us to cultivate, and also require matching medicines, Calming Incense, it’s extremely dangerous for outsiders as it will cause mental disarray, this is to protect them."

Yu Hong took the booklet, flipping it open to glance.

Indeed, the first page read: ’Internal material, strictly confidential.’

Continuing to flip through, from the First Layer to the Ninth Layer, everything was complete.

"Give them all to me?" He was a bit surprised.

"Of course, if any related negative symptoms occur while practicing, remember to get medicine for conditioning in time, otherwise don’t blame me for not reminding you. To get medicine, go to the pharmacy, it’s the flat house to the right of the Taoist Temple gate, just look for the sign." Xun Yang instructed.

"Alright, all is well, I’m going back to play cards. I thought so, at this age, it’s impossible to achieve that kind of speed..."

Muttering, she turned and walked back to the card table.

Yu Hong was speechless with the booklet in hand; he had prepared himself to be a prodigy, but they didn’t care at all...

Carrying the booklet back to his rented place, he continued to read through the recorded content along the way.

Reading through the Guanwu Skill, it felt purely like a Cultivation Technique for mental training.

From the First Layer to the Ninth Layer, using nine different kinds of personal deepest fears, it trains the will.

The nine-layer Magic Skill provided nine different scriptures. Just by reciting them, it would automatically utilize one’s mental imagination to conjure a corresponding Fear Illusion.

By defeating it, one can advance their spirit further and step into the next layer. The steps were very simple.

Nine layers mean nine kinds of Fear Illusions.

"No wonder Qingchen Temple isn’t too concerned about the spreading of the Magic Skill; for ordinary people with insufficient willpower, developing mental illness is indeed very common."

Yu Hong sighed as he closed the booklet, understanding Xun Yang’s explanation.

"But if one views it according to this Magic Skill, wouldn’t it mean that the old Taoists at Qingchen Temple all have unbending wills? But from what I’ve seen over this period of time, it doesn’t seem like it."

Those old Taoists who were experts in all kinds of worldly pleasures didn’t seem like the type cultivated through this Magic Skill.

’But it might be a degeneration too. Even if the Magic Skill is cultivated, once the spiritual will wavers, the realm will definitely degrade. Truly a Magic Skill highly dependent on the state of mind.’

Taking the complete set of Magic Skills back, he followed the steps and content recorded.

Yu Hong, sitting cross-legged in the small courtyard of his rented house under the starlit sky, quietly began reciting the First Layer scripture.

During the night.

As time passed, one hour, two hours, three hours...

Suddenly, a series of soft footsteps came from behind Yu Hong.

He silently opened his eyes and turned to look behind him.

At the doorway of the inner room, a figure stood in the shadowy darkness.

A pale face, a dirty white robe, and a strangely smiling expression.

"My first Fear, is it the first shadow I encountered when I just went to Yiyi’s place?"

Standing up, Yu Hong looked at the other party, his expression somewhat nostalgic.

"Yes, back then I was extremely weak, powerless, only able to rely on Yiyi to survive in that brutal world."

He walked step by step towards the shadow.

Standing in front of the other party.

The two were less than a meter apart, he looked down at him from above.

"And now."

Yu Hong stretched out his hand, grabbing the other’s neck.

"My fear is no longer you."

"But the powerless and weak me back then."

In an instant, Yu Hong’s face contorted ferociously, grabbed the shadow, and with his other hand like a heavy hammer, fiercely smashed down onto the other’s head.

Bang!!

The shadow’s head exploded, turning into countless white light spots, slowly dispersing.

"I’m no longer afraid! Not afraid anymore!!"

Yu Hong clenched his fist, in an instant he kicked out a side kick, his leg shadow rained down like droplets, in a second a flurry of rain-like phantoms kicked out.

Swish swish swish!!

The light spots were hit one by one, exploding again, completely vanishing.

Just as the light spots were completely shattered, Yu Hong felt countless cool threads emerge from inside his head, converging at the center of his forehead.

The surroundings twisted in an instant.

His vision blurred, and he was still sitting cross-legged in the middle of the courtyard, completely unmoved.

"The First Layer... I’ve cultivated it."

Yu Hong breathed rapidly, tilting his head to look at the sky.

Pale blue starlight twinkled, crystal clear like a washed piece of glass, with a crescent moon peacefully hanging in the sky.

At this moment, he distinctly felt as if he himself had been cleansed like a mirror, many stray thoughts and negative emotions in his heart being swept away in an instant.

The deepest oppressions in his heart also vanished.

More crucially, the Heavenly River.

This special summoning Secret Technique that belonged to the Infinite River Technique was now noticeably strengthened.

The Heavenly River, which always hovered around him, began to show tiny silver particles inside it, a secret scene visible only to Yu Hong himself.

A miniature version of Agrius swam slowly within, apparently very pleased with the silver particles, continuously opening its mouth to devour them.

’This Qingchen Temple’s Cultivation Technique... it actually helps the Secret Techniques of the Wuji Sect... no, maybe my original shortfall was precisely in my spiritual will.’

Now recalling this, Yu Hong suddenly realized, ever since encountering the Black Disaster, he had always been in a state of anxious running; it was quite normal that his mental state wasn’t elevated.

After all, he had never pursued it; what he pursued were physical and Inner Qi powers—the tangible destructive power.

"This is good..."

Yu Hong exhaled deeply, sensing the changes in the Heavenly River.

Suddenly, a trace of joy appeared on his face.

Because the feedback from the Heavenly River made him feel that he could stuff in a new slot.

Having placed the Dragon of Xianglv, Agrius, the Heavenly River was previously full, but now with the elevation of his spirit, unexpectedly, another slot became available.

’Sure enough, coming here was the right choice!’ Yu Hong immediately felt invigorated; though the Taiyuan True Method had not made a breakthrough, the enhancement of the Heavenly River enabled him to incorporate another entity he had slain.

If he chose well, it could significantly enhance his own combat power.

Of course, now being in a peaceful environment, he temporarily neither needed nor could use this ability, but in the future.....

*

*

*

Huangsong Island.

Several coast guard boats had been docked here for several days.

The island had been searched back and forth several times; all possible places had been searched but still, the missing two people were not found.

In front of the small two-story building where Song Siyu and others had stayed before.

Old Yang had changed into a light yellow Daoist robe and sighed while watching two Taoists walking slowly off the boat in the distance.

"Brother Ku Chai, Brother Ku Ling, thank you for your trouble this time."

Among the two Taoists who came, one was white-haired and about his age, with a square face, and a displeasing expression, too indifferent to mind him.

The other was quite young, in his twenties, with handsome features and a gentle demeanor, looking at the tired-faced Old Yang and gently shaking his head.

"Brother Mu Yang, you really went too far this time. The situation here has become a bit serious, but to avoid responsibility, it was hidden. Dragging it to this point, you indeed bear a lot of the responsibility."

"Brother Ku Chan...I had no choice..." Mu Yang helplessly said, "I was just careless at the beginning, patched the wrong breach...mistaking the auxiliary for the main breach. By the time I realized it was too late...and I had no spare Array Plates."

"You have a weak Daoist Realm; never mind, I came here to patch it up as soon as possible. Fortunately, it didn’t turn into a big disaster," the gentle man comforted. "Just don’t think about the annual assessment at the mansion."

"I know..." Mu Yang sighed again.

"Also, your junior brothers and sisters from the Heavenly Master Mansion are on their way here, you should think about how to deal with them when the time comes," Ku Chan advised.

...

Mu Yang sighed heavily upon hearing this.

"Thank goodness Brother Ku Chai is willing to lend a helping hand, otherwise, this old Taoist would really have caused a serious disaster."

"Don’t mention it. The Heavenly Master Mansion and our Zihe Palace stem from the same Taoist Sect; we are naturally obliged to help each other," Ku Chai said with a smile.

After he finished, he carefully asked about the location of the last patch, then turned around and hurried off with his companions.

About an hour later, a thin mist enveloping Huangsong Island began to dissipate.

A small boat carrying Ku Chan and Mu Yang, among others, also left the island smoothly, heading towards Taizhou.

*

*

*

At the same time.

In the courtyard where Yu Hong was silently reciting scriptures, he suddenly shivered and opened his eyes.

’The erosion from the Black Ship mark is completely gone!?’

He had stayed here this long and often felt the restlessness of the Black Ship being eroded by some unknown force.

Each time this happened, he would ride the Black Ship back to camp to ’recharge’. After recharging, the Black Ship could resist for a while without issues.

But it generally only lasted a day, the second day he would feel the Black Ship being eroded again.

This situation had cycled many times, but unexpectedly, this time the erosion vanished completely.

’Wait, I won’t be directly forced to return, will I?’ Yu Hong suddenly thought of something and hurriedly stood up to carefully survey his surroundings.

Assured that this was land and there were no places to moor any ships nearby, he finally relaxed.

’The Black Disaster couldn’t vanish on its own; something must have happened at Huangsong Island that suddenly caused the Black Disaster to disappear...’ Connecting it with what Old Yang had mentioned about going to shake people down, Yu Hong immediately made the connection.

’It seems that people from the Innate Nine Sects have arrived.’

He pondered for a moment but decided not to return to check the island. His daily cultivation of the Guanwu Skill was progressing smoothly, and soon he would be able to conjure the haunting entity of the Second Layer.

His progress seemed to be much faster than Guo Shangdong’s, perhaps due to the Tao Breath Circulation.

But without more references, he didn’t know how fast he was; regardless, as long as he didn’t exhibit symptoms requiring medication, he just had to keep practicing.