Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 72: Turning Stone into Gold, Truly a Divine Skill
The books are old and somewhat damaged, clearly indicating that they have been passed down for a long time and have been frequently read.

Through spiritual vision, one can see wisps of pure energy lingering on the paper.

This is an expression of the Dharma.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the book is an authentic copy, not a crude handwritten copy.

The Art of Soul Capture by Pointing to the Image.

After confirming that there were no problems with the book, Chen Jin picked it up and slowly began to read it.

This is a heretical technique, derived from the fundamental method of visualization and perception. It involves observing the appearance of the target in detail beforehand, which is called "pointing the appearance".
Then it is drawn onto special paper to form a portrait.

The image must be lifelike, from the facial features to the smallest details like hair, moles, and pimples. The more realistic the image, the higher the success rate of the spell.
When you visualize casting a spell, you can sense the location of the other party. However, there is a certain range limitation; once they leave that range, it becomes difficult to detect them.

At this point, Chen Jin understood that this was how the other party had followed him all the way up. Being a sorcerer, he was skilled in concealment and possessed other abilities and methods that even Xiao Ci had failed to detect.

"Appearance detection" is just the prelude; the real technique is "soul capture." By exploiting flaws in a person's appearance, one can enter the target's consciousness and do whatever one wants. It is easy to make a person foolish, insane, or fabricate memories, or even directly devour their soul.

That's exactly what Mr. Gu did that night, but he never expected that Chen Jin would be protected by the God of Literature. He failed to kill Chen Jin and was killed instead, which was a case of reaping what he sowed.

Overall, this method is not difficult to learn, fits the description of unorthodox methods, and can be mastered quickly, but it also has considerable side effects.

The biggest hurdle, surprisingly, is the skill of painting.

After all, it's not easy to paint a person in a way that captures both their appearance and spirit.

Chen Jin didn't have time to study the Dharma, so he put it aside for now and began to use his meager Dharma thoughts to retrieve the gold bars.

Gold is heavy, and each piece weighs exactly what it should, making it extremely difficult to work with.

He was so exhausted from the practice that he could barely move, and managed to take three pieces. He estimated that he would need to rest for several days before he could take any more.

But it's enough.

He did want to put a "lock" on the Heavenly Pot Bag and set up a restriction, but unfortunately he was powerless to do so and had to give up.

Feeling extremely tired, I went straight to sleep.

The next day, I got up a little late, and Shi Qifeng had already cooked a pot of delicious chicken porridge.

After breakfast, Chen Jin stopped him and asked, "Old Shi, are you almost out of money?"

Shi Qifeng scratched his head and answered vaguely, "There's still some left, enough for a few days."

"You don't need to hide it from me anymore."

"Don't worry, sir. I'm ready to go to the city to find a job and earn some money."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin chuckled and said, "Old Shi, tell me the truth, do you regret choosing to follow me back then? I am not the kind of immortal you imagine."

Shi Qifeng said in a deep voice, “When I was young and wandering the world, I heard many myths and legends about immortals who did not eat human food, could fly and escape into the earth, and could live forever. I even had the thought of becoming an immortal myself. But later I realized that there are no such carefree immortals. It’s just the imagination of mortals. You are approachable and have taught me many things that I never dared to hope for before. Compared to these, what are the trivial things I do for you?”

Chen Jin nodded: "You're a sensible person. From now on, I won't call you 'sir' anymore, it would seem too formal."

Shi Qifeng had been waiting for this, so he quickly said, "Then I will call you 'Young Master'."

Chen Jin smiled and said, "As for the job, let's not talk about it. I have some money here, you can take it and use it first."

As he spoke, he waved his hand and released three gold bars, which immediately shone with golden light.

Shi Qifeng was stunned when he saw this.

Having spent so much time with Chen Jin, he naturally knew whether his young master had any money on him. He might have some copper coins, but there was absolutely no way he had any gold.

The scene before my eyes was truly like a magic trick.

Suddenly remembering a story from a folk tale, she couldn't help but ask, "Young master, do you perhaps have the ability to turn stones into gold? I hope it doesn't turn into stone when I try to exchange it, that would be terrible." Chen Jin laughed heartily, "It's pure gold, don't worry."

Shi Qifeng quickly put it away, overjoyed: "Then I'll go exchange it."

Once outside, I was convinced: If they can turn stones into gold, how can they not be gods?

After he went out, with a flutter, Xiao Ci flew back and landed on Chen Jin's shoulder.

Chen Jin then asked, "How did you feel about your visit to the city?"

"It's huge, incredibly huge! Even if I could fly, it would take me ages to circle it once."

Xiao Ci opened her mouth and said, "Moreover, many places are shrouded in aura, making it impossible for me to get close. Especially here, in the ancestral land of the Chen family, there is a dragon coiled and a tiger crouching. I just glanced over there and felt dizzy and lightheaded. It's very serious."

Chen Jin nodded slightly, knowing that what it said was true.

The city is vast, and besides the Chen family, various other forces exist, making it a place teeming with hidden talents. The city itself must be reinforced with arrays, giving it a formidable aura.

Therefore, Xiao Ci must be careful whenever she goes out, lest she be "exorcised" by someone.

……

The ancestral home of the Chen family was a vast expanse of land, complete with mountains, water, walls, and gates, resembling a city within a city.

The six direct descendants each occupied a part of the ancestral land and developed their own way. One could see rows of houses and pavilions, among which were numerous memorial arches for successful candidates in the imperial examinations and those for those who passed the highest level of the imperial examinations, all demonstrating the prosperity of the family lineage over generations, a truly magnificent sight.

The sixth branch, where Chen Shounian lived, was located in the southeast of the ancestral land. Compared to the other branches, it occupied a smaller area and was slightly smaller in scale.

His branch of the family is indeed showing signs of decline.

He had two sons and a daughter. His daughter married into the Guo family, but unfortunately died young. His eldest son, Chen Heming, was a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination) and was over fifty years old. He had no hope of becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) and served as a censor in the Censorate, a seventh-rank official. His second son, Chen Hesheng, was over forty years old and had not even become a Juren. He spent his days indulging in nature, composing poems and composing couplets, and considered himself a romantic figure.

Chen Shounian devoted himself entirely to maintaining this family.

But personnel changes are frequent and unpredictable, and often one is powerless to stop them.

Today, Chen Shounian rushed back from the county town below, travel-worn and dusty. After tidying up briefly, he remembered something and sent someone to summon Chen Fang, asking, "Has Chen Jin come to the examination hall in the prefecture city to register for the exam?"

Chen Fang quickly answered, recounting the whole story without any concealment or embellishment.

After listening, Chen Shounian chuckled and praised, "Not bad."

His praise was not for Chen Jin passing the test, but for Chen Jin's successful arrival in the prefecture.

The journey from Maoxian to the prefecture city was quite long, fraught with danger and unexpected events.

The fact that Chen Jinping arrived safely speaks volumes.

Then, when asked about his impression of Chen Jin, Chen Fang answered honestly.

Chen Shounian stroked his beard and smiled: "Since that's the case, I might as well go all the way and give him another chance."

Chen Fang wanted to ask what kind of opportunity it was, but he knew in his heart that some things were not for him to concern himself with.

Chen Shounian changed the subject: "Where did Second Master go?"

Chen Fang knew that the question was directed at Chen Hesheng, and quickly replied, "Second Master went out this morning, saying he was going to take a look at Old Clothes Alley."

"Ok?"

Chen Shounian raised an eyebrow, his face displeased. But then he thought that given his son's temperament, he couldn't do anything wrong, so he decided to let him be.

　Although the results weren't great, I still had to write a complete story to make up for the disappointment!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)