My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 57 Divine Intent
Woo!
A hollowed-out iron lotus seed rose into the air with a low whistling sound.

"Please wait a moment, young lady. My assistant will bring the clothes over shortly," Chen Mu explained with a smile.

The long-haired woman remained silent.

Chen Mu sighed and said, "I'm about to pick up the goods for you. Will you buy them or not? Just say so."

A thick fog quickly spread through the woods.

"Or you could move aside, that would be fine." Chen Mu was in a hurry to get back and cook; she was starving.

The long-haired woman remained motionless.

The chill in the air grew stronger.

"There's a wide road ahead, so let's each go our own way. I'll go that way, but you can't block my way anymore, okay?" Chen Mu said earnestly.

Then, ignoring the long-haired woman's reaction, he turned ninety degrees and walked away on his own.

But Chen Mu stopped after walking less than ten meters.

Another graceful figure appeared ahead.

His snow-white skin was covered in blood, and festering sores appeared on his back and thighs, rapidly worsening and expanding. It was a horrifying sight.

Chen Mu looked helpless: "If you're going to be so aggressive, don't blame me for being uncivilized!"

Chen Mu composed himself, his face turning cold and solemn. He crouched down slightly and took a deep breath.

"Jiejia! If you don't come out now, I'm docking your pay!"

hum!
A burst of fluorescent white light suddenly exploded in mid-air.

The white ball of light, trailing a long tail of flame, suddenly crashed into the long-haired woman.

The other party was like a wax figure encountering flames, rapidly melting, dripping, and deforming in the white light.

Finally, with a piercing scream, it vanished into nothingness.

The fluorescence shattered into sparks like Mars in place.

Jie Jia walked slowly out from among the stars, his hands behind his back.

He stared at Chen Mu with a blank expression and his eyes narrowed to slits.

"As agreed, I will escort you to Nanyang Prefecture, and you must give me four hundred taels of silver. You cannot shortchange me by a single penny," Jie Jia said calmly.

Four hundred taels? Are you crazy for money?!

"Didn't we agree on two hundred taels? You raised the price halfway through the trip! Even shady tour guides aren't as shady as you!" Chen Mu said angrily.

"What a pity," Jie Jia said disappointedly, turning to leave.

Chen Mu looked completely bewildered and moved closer to Jie Jia: "What do you mean?"

“I’m testing whether you’re possessed by a ghost,” Jie Jia said slowly.

Chen Mu suddenly realized. If he were possessed by a ghost and mentally deranged, he definitely wouldn't have kept his promise to Jie Jia.

Chen Mu immediately sensed something was wrong: "Then what are you regretting?"

Jie Jia's bright yellow eyes darted around as he glanced at Chen Mu: "If you were really possessed, you might agree on the spot, and I could earn an extra two hundred taels."

For some reason, Chen Mu wasn't surprised at all.

This is fucking armor.

……

"Was that a ghost? It didn't seem as terrifying as the rumors made it out to be," Chen Mu said, recalling the earlier events with a puzzled look.

Aside from feeling tightness all over his body and numbness on his scalp, and experiencing slight fear and discomfort, he was not actually harmed.

The armored man looked him up and down and said, "I'm also wondering how you managed to survive encountering a ghost."

Chen Mu: “…”

“Ordinary people who encounter ghostly spirits will instantly fall into an illusion, with no chance of survival.” Jie Jia looked at Chen Mu in confusion: “Why are you alright?”

Chen Mu also frowned in deep thought, then suddenly looked at Jie Jia seriously and said, "It must be this ghost... It's not hungry!"

Jie Jia: "..."

He turned and stared at Chen Mu, his face expressionless.

Chen Mu looked bewildered and tentatively asked, "Did I... say something wrong?"

Jie Jia silently withdrew his gaze. Could you have acted any more fake?
Chen Mu raised the corner of his mouth and smiled.

Two small paper figures flashed out of Chen Mu's sleeve.

Surprisingly, the Five Ghosts Bag can actually subdue the Yin Spirits.

It was because of the two little paper figures in my sleeve.

The long-haired woman hesitated to rush forward and possess him.

……

"By the way, was that ball of white light a magical artifact?"

"Can you show it to me?"

"I didn't expect you to actually have some skills."

"You have no idea how handsome you looked when you came out just now."

"Too bad you're such a money-grubber."

"He would be even more handsome if he weren't greedy for money."

"..."

……

Chen Mu's chance encounter with the ghostly creature made him realize that the Five Ghost Bag might have other uses. However, he didn't plan to fight the monster to test it out.

With the gray wall providing assistance, he didn't need to risk trying anything. With Cui Cui joining the team, Zhang Ye's experience grew, and Chen Mu's food crisis was resolved.

During the rest of the journey, except when they encountered rivers where he would have a good meal with the Five Demon Bags, he spent the rest of the time practicing his skills near the caravan.

One month later, in the evening.

Inside a dilapidated temple halfway up a mountain.

Chen Mu lit a fire in the side hall and prepared pots, pans, and utensils.

He tossed two small bags of dried fruit to Cheng Yi Jiejia as a treat.

Chen Mu found a pillar to sit on and lean against, slowly regulating his breathing and beginning to habitually practice his breathing technique.

A wave of heat radiated from Chen Mu, but the people around him were already used to it.

Although they were curious about Chen Mu's martial arts techniques, they never asked him about them, and the group ultimately met by chance.

But today is a little different.

The heat radiated from Chen Mu continued to rise. What used to be just a warm little stove was now almost as hot as the bonfire not far away.

Sweat pours out of the pores like it's free, and then evaporates due to the heat of the skin.

White smoke rose from Chen Mu's body. He was completely red, like a boiled shrimp.

"Is Brother Chen alright?" Chengming asked worriedly.

Even Jie Jia's droopy eyelids couldn't help but lift slightly.

This change feels somewhat familiar. It's a memory from decades ago.

Are you sure you're not mistaken? Is this the beginning of mastering the form?

Even the seasoned Jie Jia couldn't help but marvel at the incredible speed of his cultivation!
If it weren't for the fact that the other party wasn't born with a Daoist spirit, Jie Jia would have been unable to suppress his jealousy.

Jie Jia stopped Cheng Ming, who wanted to go forward to check, saying, "Don't disturb him. The process of qualitative change will take a long time..."

"Why are you all looking at me?" Chen Mu asked, looking at everyone with a puzzled expression.

Jie Jia: "..."

He had witnessed many marrow-transforming processes throughout his life, each taking at least an hour. The longer the process, the more transformations occurred, and the greater the gains.

But Chen Mu's time was only a quarter of an hour at most.

"Are you really undergoing marrow regeneration?" Even the armored man hesitated.

"Hmm, maybe?"

Jie Jia: "..."

……

They sent the other onlookers away.

Chen Mu drew up the gray wall.

Red Falcon Form Training Technique: 1/10000/Tier 4;

Although the qualitative change was too rushed, his proficiency clearly indicated that he had indeed entered a new stage.

Chen Mu recalled the process of qualitative change. He felt numbness and itching to varying degrees throughout his bones and internal organs.

I've always had this feeling when I practiced, but it was especially strong this time.

Chen Mu suddenly realized.

For others, qualitative change occurs through a dramatic process. However, Chen Mu's Marrow Transformation is divided into each practice session based on his proficiency level.

Every bit of proficiency represents a qualitative leap. That's why his changes aren't so obvious.

"It's quite comfortable without having to suffer," Chen Mu thought with a smile.

That kind of dramatic change, just thinking about it, is bound to be unpleasant.

"Proficiency is still the most reliable factor."

"But how should we practice next?" Chen Mu frowned.

I spent a hundred taels to learn martial arts back then, and Sheng Hong only taught me this much before it was all gone. I don't know if he was hiding it or if he really didn't have any.

Judging from his level of proficiency, Hou Mai clearly has more practice to do. But he no longer knows how to continue.

……

"Contemplate the divine will," Jie Jia said calmly.

"What is divine will?" Chen Mu asked, not understanding.

This world suffers from severe knowledge censorship. It's manageable at the lower levels, but the higher you go, the harder it becomes to acquire knowledge.

He had practiced martial arts for over a year and visited the Ghost Market many times, specifically gathering information on physical training techniques. Yet, he had absolutely no idea what divine intent was.

"Divine intent is the core of the Body Refinement Technique. Soul Refinement relies on divine intent."

"The more exquisite the physical training technique, the more complex the divine intent. The greater the chance of developing a wandering soul, the better the effect."

“Some minor lineages are in dire straits; it’s hard to say whether they have divine intentions or not,” Jie Jia said, glancing indifferently at Chen Mu.

"What do you mean by looking at me like that?" Chen Mu had a bad feeling.

Do you know what a "small inheritance" is?

Chen Mu was bewildered.

“The lineage is incomplete, and the number of practitioners is small. Only four or five people are taught in each generation, and even fewer people know about it.” Jie Jia looked at Chen Mu meaningfully.

Not enough people? Few people are training?
So you're saying my Red Falcon Form Training Technique is just a minor inheritance?

Chen Mu glanced at Jie Jia and said, "Don't you know how many people practice the Red Falcon Formation Technique?"

Chen Mu only sold seven or eight copies of the Red Falcon Formation Technique at the Ghost Market. That old man Jie Jia, on the other hand, sold a full one hundred copies!
Jie Jia: "..."

(End of this chapter)