Yefutidaolu

Chapter 335 Calculation
Despite being treated rudely, Xia Youdu was determined not to turn against the person who had asked her to pick her up, since it was her master who had personally requested her to do so.

She then bowed slightly and quietly withdrew, leaving Gao Jian alone in the stone house.

Gao Jian hadn't paid much attention to her from beginning to end, so naturally he wouldn't say much to her at this moment, and simply let himself rest for a while.

Afterwards, Xia Youdu returned again, gently put down a set of clothes, and then quietly left.

She wasn't stupid. Now that this person had no clothes to wear, she couldn't let him wander around aimlessly any longer. She should prepare some clothes for him first.

Gao Jian's perception was quite good, so he could clearly sense that the other party had returned.

"Thank you," Gao Jian said at this moment.

“Sir, there’s no need for such formality. It is only right. I, You Du, will take my leave now.” Xia You Du replied with great politeness and composure, preparing to depart.

"Your name is You Du? Interesting. What's your surname?"

“My surname is Xia. You can call me Xia Youdu, or you can do as you did before and not call me by my name,” Xia Youdu said.

It was clear that she was still somewhat unhappy with the attitude of the expert she had just expressed.

Gao Jian then chuckled softly inside the room: "Then I apologize here. Please don't take offense, young lady. Thank you. By the way, my name is Gao Jian."

"No need, then I'll take my leave. Please make yourself at home, sir. If you need anything, just call me," Xia Youdu said, putting down the clothes. This time, he did not return.

After Gao Jian waited until the other person was out of his perception, he went out to get his clothes, put them on, tidied his hair, and did a simple wash, making himself clean and tidy again, and once again a handsome young man.

Fortunately, hair is also within the scope of regeneration.

Otherwise, I'd be bald every time I got injured like this, which would be unbearable...

Phew, now that the clothes problem is solved, let's take a look at my own situation.

With that in mind, Gao Jian began to look around at his surroundings.

The cold, black stone house isolated the outside winds, but it couldn't block the pervasive yin energy. Gao Jian sat cross-legged on the cold, dark stone floor. He had just put on his clothes, but the bruises on his upper body hadn't faded. However, he could no longer feel the cold, or rather, the coldness in his body had been covered by something deeper.

The realm of the living and the dead.

The eerie atmosphere here is completely different from the grim atmosphere on the Liangzhou border battlefield and the cold, oppressive feeling of the black-robed man.

It was thicker and more murky, as if it contained resentment accumulated over millions of years, mixed with a cold, dampness that carried a rotten, sweet, and fishy smell.

These things, like invisible tentacles, seeped out from the cracks in the rocks, from the surface of the cold pool, and from the air, trying to entwine his body, erode his mind, and assimilate him into this world.

Gao Jian was in a good state of mind, so his eyes remained clear and bright. As if those cold and resentful thoughts that tried to invade his mind were like ice and snow meeting a hot iron, melting and disappearing silently, without even causing a ripple.

But he could clearly "sense" their existence, sense the unimaginable resentment and despair buried, or rather imprisoned, beneath this land. This was not a land for living beings.

He slowly closed his eyes, not to rest, but to focus more intently on experiencing the environment.

Every wisp of Yin energy flowed with a specific trajectory and intensity, like silent words, telling the story of the formation's layout, the nodes of power, and... the lamentations of those enslaved souls, their power drained like firewood. This was a place fraught with danger, but also a treasure trove of information.

He needs to understand, he needs to analyze.

The rusty knife's blade gleamed, reflecting the surrounding world.

Since winning the border battle, Takami's blade has grown to two feet three inches, which is more than enough.

At this moment, he was preparing to use a large number of blades to forcibly read out the current state of Youming!
First, one must perceive the flow of Yin energy.

In a state of profound clarity of mind, one can even empathize with the death of heaven and earth. In this state, one's 'comprehension' is like having a cheat code, so perceiving the conditions of the netherworld is like observing a fire in a cave or a candle reflected in a clear mirror.

The first thing I noticed was the 'array' here.

Each wisp of icy, bone-chilling yin energy was not scattered randomly. Like a cold stream bound by an invisible riverbed, it flowed along a specific trajectory, alternating in strength and intensity, forming a vast and obscure energy network covering the entire area.

Where are the core nodes of this network? Where are the energy convergence points? The direction of these trajectories and the energy density at their intersections silently reveal the intricate layout of this formation, the weak points in its defenses, and... the possible monitoring nodes.

However, although you can sense them, it's like being able to see a surveillance camera—you can see it, but there's really nothing you can do about these surveillance cameras.

Perhaps you could sabotage one or two nodes, like covering a probe with a cloth, but that would expose yourself and make you more likely to be discovered.

Therefore, these structures are only for viewing for now.

Then, what was perceived was the mournful cry of the soul...

Deeper and more hidden within these array formations, in the seemingly lifeless depths of yin energy, at the level of "background noise" that high-level cultivators might overlook, Gao Jian captured the lingering echoes of countless subtle, fragmented spiritual forces filled with extreme pain and despair.

After careful consideration, Gao Jian concluded that these echoes were actually the shrieks of souls bound by the formation here, whose power was being continuously drained like firewood!
The wailing was not chaotic; its frequency, intensity, and distribution subtly outlined the power foundation of the Netherworld, a foundation largely built upon the plunder and enslavement of the souls of living beings.

These wails, like the most tragic map, are the source of the array's power, marking bloody evidence of crimes.

Of course, Gao Jian was not surprised by this.

Youmingdi is definitely not the first or second time they've done something like this. Judging from the two incidents in Shendu and Liangzhou, you can clearly see the style of this top-tier immortal sect.

In conclusion, based on these observations, given his current state and strength, attempting to escape on his own is nothing short of a pipe dream. The fact that the man in black robes left him here signifies that this place is an absolute prison.

So, the surrounding environment is now clear.

So what's the next step? What's the current situation?
First, the black-robed man's strength is overwhelming. He possesses the Three Gates, Nine Apertures, and Twelve Realms, just one step away from ascending to immortality. He is an existence that, in current understanding, is absolutely impossible to confront head-on. He could annihilate me with a mere thought. The previous "negotiations" and the fact that he didn't immediately kill me only prove that the other party has ulterior motives and is wary, not merciful. Moreover, his target is extremely clear—it's population!

His desire to absorb the population resources of Liangzhou is far from benevolent. Considering the style of Youmingdi, his purpose is self-evident. The slight "eagerness" shown by the other party is the only point that can be exploited.

Therefore, survival is the top priority right now. Any action that provokes the man in black robes is tantamount to suicide. We must maintain a facade of "cooperation" and buy time.

However, the other party's goal is also very clear, so the only thing I can do right now is to focus on "population," and this is the core issue that I absolutely cannot agree to easily.

Agreeing would not only be aiding and abetting evil, but also digging one's own grave; once one loses their value, one's fate will not be good. One must exploit the other party's "eagerness" and the "tiger skin" of the Divine Dynasty to buy time and find a way to change the situation. One could consider proposing some seemingly feasible but actually delaying solutions.

The situation was extremely precarious, with the man in black robes hanging like a sword of Damocles; ordinary methods were no longer effective. Fortunately, he had already prepared a contingency plan.

Upon realizing this, Gao Jian breathed a sigh of relief. Since he had already begun his seclusion using the rusty knife, he might as well go all the way in one go.

A blade two feet and three inches long, used up in one go!
He devoted all his time to comprehending the Great Dao Song of Profound Transformation and Enlightenment. Previously, his insights had remained at the fifth level, which also caused his knowledge to remain at the fifth level.

Now, go all in to enhance your trump card and enable him to break through to the seventh realm! Just keep a few inches for emergencies in critical moments.

Gao Jian has already decided on the next acupoint to open; he will open the 'Qi Sea'.

Martial arts internal energy, here he comes.

With this trump card, his original plan could be implemented smoothly!

However, that's a matter for later. For now... I'll go into seclusion.

Previously, when he studied the "Song of the Great Dao of Profound Transformation and Enlightenment," he was cautious and meticulous, like a poor man who only dared to use a few grains of rice to cook, only daring to use a tiny bit of his blade to comprehend some superficial knowledge. His realm was always stuck at the fifth level, and his knowledge and vision were limited.

To achieve better results now, one needs more knowledge; knowledge is power.

As he did so, the divine essence within his chest transformed into countless streams of light, each more subtle than the last, yet infinitely profound, like a bursting dam of starlight, surging into Gao Jian's soul and into his understanding of the "Song of the Great Dao of Profound Transformation and Connection"!

Normally, such recklessness would surely overwhelm one's spirit and turn one into a fool, or cause one to lose oneself completely within the charisma. But at this moment, the clear lake of the heart is not afraid at all, and Gao Jian has become accustomed to this.

However, Gao Jian keenly realized that the pressure on his soul this time was more than ten times, or even a hundred times, greater than before!
This time, the "weight" borne by the soul was far greater than when it comprehended the fifth or sixth realm. If the cognitive shock brought about by the previous realm advancements was like a stream flowing into a lake, then this time, it was like a vast ocean bursting its banks, a galaxy pouring down!

If an ordinary peak-level cultivator of the fifth realm were to suddenly face such terrifying pressure on their soul, their spiritual platform would likely shatter instantly. At best, they would become mentally unstable and insane; at worst, their soul would be scattered! Even a peak-level cultivator of the sixth realm with a deep foundation would have to walk on thin ice and rely on precious pills or the protection of their master to barely survive this tribulation.

However, Gao Jian only frowned slightly, which was entirely expected.

This pressure is not an accident, not a disaster, but a landscape that inevitably accompanies a breakthrough in one's realm. Like climbing a mountain peak, the higher you go, the thinner the air becomes and the stronger the wind becomes; this is simply part of being at the "high place."

With the almost cheating protection of the rusty knife, the terrifying pressure that would kill countless geniuses was nothing more than a slightly more intense "weight training" for him.

There's no need to panic, no need to be afraid, and... not even worth paying too much attention to.

His attention remained firmly focused on building his Qi Sea, circulating his internal energy, and rapidly processing and integrating the vast amount of new knowledge. The pressure on his soul? Mere background noise.

The terrifying pressure, like a raging tsunami crashing against an ancient reef, seemed overwhelming, yet it couldn't budge the reef in the slightest. The reef simply stood silently, enduring the pressure, without even a tremor.

Despite the immense pressure, Gao Jian's mind remained as clear as a mirror, a sight to behold. The mirror reflected the torrent of fragmented rules, the stars of knowledge, the brilliance of life's leaps… crystal clear, perfectly undisturbed. The pressure itself couldn't even stir a ripple on its surface.

He felt the impact that was enough to shatter the soul of an ordinary cultivator, yet he felt only a kind of indifferent calm.

"Hmm... the pressure has definitely increased a lot," Gao Jian thought to himself.
That should indeed be the case.

...The seventh realm is essentially the realm of advanced cultivators. What they have gained this time will far surpass what they have gained before!

Previously, it could be said that one was accumulating a foundation, but upon reaching the seventh realm, one can be said to be able to access many hidden secrets!
A vast amount of knowledge condensed in his mind and was acquired by him.

How to open up the Qi Sea? How to guide the first wisp of internal energy? How to build a continuous circulation of Qi Sea?
These problems, which have troubled countless martial artists and required painstaking effort and immense opportunities, are now being dissected layer by layer by the ultimate comprehension gained from burning the blade, as if by a master butcher! A perfect, efficient, and infinitely potential "blueprint for opening the Qi Sea" is directly imprinted deep within his soul! Its subtlety far surpasses the comprehension of ordinary seventh-realm martial artists!

The road has been paved.

A vast amount of knowledge, knowledge that should be known at the seventh realm level, flooded into Gao Jian's mind: astronomy and calendar, geography and maps, strange tales and anecdotes, historical context, humanities and crafts, spiritual plants and precious mines, and the unspoken rules of the cultivation world.

The positions and characteristics of the stars in the heavens, the subtle differences in the calendar formulated by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau of the Divine Dynasty, and the preliminary signs and symbolic meanings of special celestial phenomena.

The weaknesses of spirits and the rudiments of dispelling them, the habits and material value of low-level monsters, and the vague legends and danger warnings about ancient battlefields, secret realms, and ruins circulating in various places.

The principles of mutual generation and restraint of internal energies of different attributes, identification charts of hundreds of common spiritual herbs and minerals and their basic effects, and techniques for distinguishing authenticity and age.

The default division of spheres of influence between sects, the survival rules of gathering places for independent cultivators, and risk avoidance.

All were learned.

All of this was simply going with the flow.

What follows is a matter of patience and perseverance.

One day, with sufficient accumulation, opening the Qi Sea and advancing to the seventh realm will be a piece of cake.

A brilliant idea.

It's time to head into the Netherworld; we can't just sit here and wait to die.

(End of this chapter)