Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 310 Summary

It is both the beginning and the end.

This is an insight derived from a blessing song.

In the eyes of a mayfly, its life, which begins in the morning and ends in the evening, is meaningful.

Some creatures are like this, born in the morning and dying in the evening, their lives lasting only a day, their beginning and end too close together.

In the eyes of humans, nature is transient and meaningless.

But that's not the case for them.

If mayflies are like this, aren't humans the same?

As those wise men said—is a hundred years a long time?

A person's life is less than a hundred years, which may seem long to us, but in reality it is not.

To some creatures, to a period of history, to a rock or a grain of sand, the lifespan of a human is as short as that of a mayfly.

It really does seem fast; when you reach a hundred years old and look back, it feels like only a blink of an eye.

It is indeed very slow; each day feels like an eternity, each second like a year.

The interplay between fast and slow paces is endlessly rewarding.

Zhu Ge even had a vague feeling.

By continuing to study this principle of speed, one will eventually be able to grasp the authority over time and space.

"It's good to have insights; keep them up." The True Lord of Oblivion smiled, his face radiating a sense of satisfaction.

This made the sense of vicissitude on the True Monarch of Oblivion even more pronounced.

"Are you about to give up?" Zhu Ge suddenly asked.

"Oh?" The Annihilation True Lord raised an eyebrow: "So your two eyes are actually useful?"

Zhu Ge felt somewhat helpless upon hearing this.

The Annihilation True Lord is good in every way, except that he has a mouth.

"actually----"

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Ge decided to tell the True Lord of Oblivion: "Actually, I was already out of the loop on the first day I opened the Path of Change. The key to your recovery of cultivation lies in Shengjing."

Zhu Ge originally thought that the True Lord of Obliteration would be shocked and ponder.

To everyone's surprise, the Annihilation True Monarch casually waved his hand and said, "I already knew that. I knew it without you having to calculate it."

Zhu Ge was taken aback upon hearing this: "Then why—"

The Annihilation True Monarch laughed, "Isn't this all to protect my elder brother?"

"Protect me?" Zhu Ge didn't know what to say: "But—"

"Haha, just kidding." The Annihilation True Monarch waved his hand, looked towards Shengjing, and chuckled, "The method is in the hands of the New Year's Eve Official—"

New Year's Eve official?

Zhu Ge frowned.

"Let's put aside those unhappy things for now." The Annihilation True Monarch smiled. "Zhu Ge, would you like to become a Cold Snow Official?"

"In no mood."

Zhu Ge shook her head without hesitation, then said, "But I know that some things are not a matter of whether you want to or not."

Even if no one wants to, someone has to do it.

Moreover, he is quite capable of killing and has no aversion to fighting, making him a perfect candidate for the position of Snow Official.

Aside from the Snow Official, he was only somewhat interested in the Frost Official.

One was in charge of extermination, the other in charge of purging.

However, according to the meaning of the Annihilation True Lord, it seems that he can only succeed him after the Annihilation True Lord dies?

In comparison, Zhu Ge was unwilling to let Zhenjun die.

Heart to heart.

Zhu Ge's bottom line is that if someone is good to him, he should at least not repay kindness with enmity.

Moreover, even a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude.

When he was at his lowest point, the True Lord of Annihilation and the True Lord of the Lantern could have ignored him, but they chose to lend him a helping hand.

When the True Lord of Annihilation needs it, how can Zhu Ge escape?

One must not forget one's roots.

"Whatever you want." The Annihilation True Lord didn't care at all: "As long as your actions are true to your conscience, don't care too much about power, strength, realm, rank, or money. This is my way, haha."

After finishing speaking, the True Lord of Annihilation said nothing more and prepared to return to Zhuge's own world.

However, before entering, the True Lord of Annihilation suddenly said to Zhu Ge, "By the way, Zhu Ge, this whole affair started because of me. I know you are a master strategist, so I'll tell you some news—"

The True Lord of Annihilation leaned closer to Zhu Ge and whispered in his ear, "I have a chance to strike once, and I can kill even ten New Year's Eve officials tied together!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the True Lord of Annihilation patted Zhu Ge on the shoulder and went into the Redmi Homepage to read a book.

Zhu Ge stood there, stunned.

Ten New Year's Eve officials can be executed?!

Zhu Ge suddenly thought of many things.

This is definitely a point that can be exploited!

However, how to use it needs to be considered.

First of all, this opportunity is only a form of nuclear deterrence and cannot be actually used.

Because Zhu Ge knew that this opportunity might mean the death of the Annihilation True Lord.

If it's for something that the Annihilation True Lord has to die, then Zhu Ge might as well just die himself.

The best use of it is to make people hesitant to act against it, and to prevent them from breaking off relations.

"This matter requires further consideration—"

Zhu Ge pondered for a moment, then gave Liu Jianjian and the others a few instructions before arriving at his own realm. He and the True Monarch of Annihilation each began cultivating in their respective areas.

The light in the world always remains in a state between dusk and dawn, as if shrouded in a thin veil.

There was no sun, no moon, only the intricate array patterns on the dome slowly flowing, filtering out the spiritual energy from the outside world and introducing it into this space.

When Zhu Ge walked in, the True Lord of Extinction was already sitting cross-legged next to the powerful rice plant by the spirit rice field.

He wasn't holding a book; he was just sitting there, the sunlight falling on the distant rice paddies, as if he were lost in thought, or perhaps waiting for something to slowly settle down.

Hearing footsteps, he turned his head to look at Zhu Ge, but didn't say anything. He then turned back to continue looking at the rice paddy.

Zhu Ge did not disturb him.

He walked around the self-realm, first to the edge of the spirit rice field, squatted down and pinched a small clump of soil with his hand.

The soil was softer than when I last came in, as if the seeds activated by the spiritual energy were slowly changing the structure of the soil.

The rice seedlings have grown taller than before, and some have already started to sprout ears of rice. The ears of rice are still green and drooping, not yet turning yellow.

He stood up and walked over to the rice plant. The plant was a little taller than before, and the edges of its leaves had a very faint golden halo, as if it had been soaked in something. It looked particularly quiet in the dim light.

Zhu Ge didn't linger and turned to walk towards the small, isolated area at the edge of the boundary.

There were miscellaneous items he had brought from the Red Rice Immortal Realm: books, bottles, scattered spiritual materials, and the wooden box he had placed in the corner.

He walked over, squatted down in front of the wooden box, and opened the lid.

Inside the box lay a dark red rhinoceros beetle, its golden markings on its carapace clearer than before.

It lay on the peach wood at the bottom of the box, its antennae swaying gently, as if sensing its surroundings.

When the lid was opened, it raised its head, turned towards Zhu Ge's direction, and then lowered its head again, as if it was no longer nervous after confirming who the visitor was.

"It's grown quite a bit," Zhu Ge muttered to himself.

He stretched out his finger and gently touched the rhinoceros beetle's carapace.

The rhinoceros beetle's tentacles twitched, but it didn't move away.

A thin wisp of air emanated from the tip of its horn, brushing against Zhuge's fingertips, carrying a touch of warm breeze.

This is a sign that the Gale Seed within its body is slowly growing.

Some time has passed since it was first awakened, and the daily infusion of magical power has not been in vain.

The seed was slowly taking root inside it, like a young shoot spreading its roots underground, neither obvious nor ceasing to grow.

Zhu Ge could feel the circulating energy within its body, like a very thin river slowly widening its channel.

He stared at the rhinoceros beetle for a moment, making sure it was in good condition, then closed the wooden box and put it back in its place.

He stood up and walked towards the pile of books.

Those were the cultivation techniques and classic texts he had compiled in the world of Red Rice Immortal. Some he had already read, while others he hadn't had time to examine in detail.

He squatted down and flipped through the books one by one, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he were rearranging his chips.

He took out the "Thunder Sound Refining God Technique".

The edges of the pages have been turned many times and are slightly frayed, but the spine is still very sturdy and looks like it can be used for many more years.

He turned to the page about the thunderous vibrations and read it again.

"Thunderous sound refines the spirit, using sound waves to vibrate the soul. The soul is like iron, the sound is like a hammer, and only through repeated hammering can it be solidified—" He murmured the beginning of the sentence, as if to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

Then he opened the "Zhou Tian Xing Dou Zhen Tu" (a book on celestial constellations).

He had only mastered the first level of this technique before, condensing the first array star in his dantian, but hadn't had time to practice the rest.

He turned to the second page, his gaze slowly moving between the star charts and array patterns. After looking at them for a while, he closed the book, as if giving the information time to settle.

Next came the "Five Elements Escape Techniques" and the "Taishang Ganying Pian".

He flipped through the list a little faster than before, as if someone were reviewing a list in their hands, confirming which parts were already familiar and which needed to be reviewed again.

He spent some time reading them, then folded the scrolls back up and placed them on the ground near the rice paddies, as if he had marked out a space for himself that he could access at any time.

Then, he sat cross-legged in the clearing between the rice paddy and the wooden box and closed his eyes.

After adjusting his breathing, he began to sort out his qi, starting with the first wisp of blood.

Blood and Qi first emerge, flowing through the body along the meridians like a slowly flowing river, carrying a warm breath that seeps into the extremities and the edges of the internal organs.

As it passes through every inch of the meridians, the old marks that have been repeatedly pulled and stretched by running or punching over the years are gently swept over as if by a layer of flowing water, without vibration or adhesion.

After physical energy comes literary energy.

The literary energy is lighter than the physical energy, spreading outwards from the chest cavity without a fixed direction. It carries a slow, ethereal quality, like a thin halo seeping from the surface of paper, giving one the vague feeling that thoughts can extend outwards along tiny gaps, perceiving things that exist further away.

Then, magical power rose from the depths of his dantian.

It was more stagnant than the previous two auras, like a layer of compacted silt that was slowly loosening.

When the magical power flows through the meridians, it has a tactile sensation like soil slowly seeping water after rain—slow, but definitely flowing.

The spiritual power finally emerged.

Spiritual power flows more smoothly than magical power, but it is still not smooth enough.

As it extends outward along the meridians, it occasionally encounters slight stagnation at certain points, like water flowing through a narrow passage that requires extra time to pass through.

Zhu Ge didn't rush to speed up the energy flow; instead, he let it flow freely, as if observing its state as it passed through those checkpoints.

He noted down the locations of the obstructions, opened his eyes, and drew a few rough outlines on the muddy ground with his finger, then erased them a moment later.

He pulled out the "Primordial Qi-Inducing Technique" from the pile of cultivation methods, turned to the Qi-Inducing section, and reread the first few paragraphs.

Then close your eyes and, following the instructions in the book, guide your spiritual energy back into your dantian to form a slow cycle.

This cycle is slower, but smoother, than the path he is used to.

After doing all this, he put down the book, sat down by the wooden box, opened the lid, and placed the rhinoceros beetle in his palm.

The rhinoceros beetle moved slightly, as if checking if the temperature under its feet was suitable, then quieted down, its antennae swaying gently.

A wisp of air escaped from the tip of its horn, swirled in Zhu Ge's palm, and then dispersed.

"No rush," Zhu Ge said softly. "Take your time."

The rhinoceros beetle's antennae twitched again, as if in response.

A soft light shone down from the dome of the world.

In the distance, the True Lord of Annihilation was still sitting beside the rice paddies, his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep, or as if he was waiting for something to slowly settle down.

The wind passed through the edge of the boundary without making a sound.

"call----"

"Let's start with body tempering."

Zhu Ge began her cultivation.

This epiphany allowed him to discover more possibilities in martial arts.

Meanwhile, his previous experience in the Corpse Garden made him even more interested in witchcraft.

This was originally intended to add some power to his breakthrough, but with his experience in the Corpse Garden and his previous reflections on wandering ghosts, this witch power has become important.

What is witchcraft?

To connect with the power of heaven and earth.

Heaven and earth, wind and thunder, water, fire, mountains and marshes, flowers, birds, insects, fish, beasts and all other things in the world were all communicated through the ancient shamanistic way.

This means that if Zhuge wants to construct a Yin realm, he must rely on witchcraft.

Only by possessing a self-realm and having "power" in the way of witchcraft can he integrate and transform this self-realm.

The best place to integrate with the natural world is actually the Corpse Garden, since it is full of dead things and no living things exist there.

At the same time, that place is also merging with this world, and can be directly incorporated into the world cycle.

However, there are still many things to discuss and consider; it's not that easy.

After all, it's easy to imagine the immense impact that establishing the Underworld in this realm would have on the Great Dao.

Even the goddess Houtu in mythology can only reincarnate in mythology, and Zhu Ge doesn't think he's as strong as the great witch of the witch clan in mythology.

"In short, first refine the body, then refine the spirit; neither should be neglected."

Zhu Ge stood up in her own world and stretched her wrists and neck.

He had noted down the locations where spiritual energy was stagnant, but now was not the time to deal with them.

He first stacked the cultivation manuals and placed them on the ground near the rice paddies, then walked to the relatively open area at the edge of the boundary, preparing to begin body tempering.

Body refinement is divided into wind refinement and water refinement.

He had already progressed to the later stages of wind tempering, and ordinary wind power could no longer effectively hone his body.

He needs stronger airflow and more concentrated wind pressure to push those muscles and bones, which have already been tempered to a certain hardness, deeper.

Fortunately, the hurricane rhinoceros beetle is growing, and once the gale seeds inside it fully germinate, they will provide it with a continuous high-pressure airflow.

As for water refining, he is still at the stage of soaking in still water and has not entered the area of ​​flowing water or deep water.

This epiphany gave him a new understanding of body control. The postures and rhythms that he used to have to consciously maintain could now be adjusted naturally when his body sensed the pressure of the water flow.

He walked to the man-made pool in the southeast corner of the boundary.

The pool water is drawn from the spiritual canal. The water is clear and carries a faint spiritual energy fluctuation. The surface of the water reflects a layer of tiny light spots under the light of the dome.

He removed his outer robe, stepped into the water, stopped when the water level was above his waist, then closed his eyes and began circulating the "Great Sun Lapis Lazuli Body" technique.

The water refining method.

Water refining and wind refining are different.

Wind refining is an external impact, while water refining is an internal immersion.

The wind blows like a hammer, and the water is gently kneaded like a palm.

He stood in the water, feeling the water slowly rise up his skin, carrying a cool and even pressure that spread from his ankles to his calves, and from his calves to his knees.

He didn't resist deliberately, but let the pressure seep into the gaps between his flesh and bones, like water seeping into cracked soil, slowly filling those gaps that had been neglected for years.

He did not keep track of the time or count the number of times.

Each breath is accompanied by a new layer of pressure seeping in, and then receding slightly with each exhale, like the tide repeatedly washing over a fixed area.

He could feel the tiny cracks being filled in, and the worn edges of the joints being repaired layer by layer, like a stone being repeatedly polished, slowly losing its roughness.

When he emerged from the pool, his robes were already draped over a nearby bamboo frame, and sunlight streamed through the dome, casting golden dapples on the water's surface.

He wrung out the water from his hair, put his clothes back on, and sat down next to the wooden box.

The rhinoceros beetle has crawled out of the wooden box and is slowly moving on the ground.

Its gait was more steady than before, and the golden patterns on its carapace shimmered slightly in the light.

Zhu Ge reached out and let it crawl into her palm, feeling the slowly growing gale within it.

The energy within its body was more condensed than before, as if an invisible thread was forming a loop within it.

"Once you've fully grown up, I'll be able to use your wind to temper my body," Zhu Ge said expectantly.

The rhinoceros beetle's antennae twitched slightly, as if in response.

He put the rhinoceros beetle back into the wooden box, sat down cross-legged again, and prepared to sort out this self-boundary.

This realm originally belonged to the Red Rice Immortal. He intended to use this space to accommodate the Great Daos in order to reach the Fusion Realm.

Later, the Redmi Immortal died, and his body was obtained by Zhu Ge.

After taking over, he mostly used it as a place to store odds and ends and for temporary rest, without really making any in-depth changes to it.

But he needs to build more things in this self-contained world.

The spirit rice field needs to continue growing, and the high-level rice needs to take root stably. He also needs to store cultivation techniques, spiritual materials, and the amethyst Titan dragonfly egg that is currently hatching here.

He first walked to the edge of the spirit rice field, squatted down, and examined the root system of the rice seedlings.

The roots have grown deeper than before, and some of the lateral tendrils have extended into the soil at the edge of the paddy field.

He gently brushed aside a small patch of soil with his hand, revealing the fine white roots.

They are slowly absorbing the essence of the soil, extending further along the watercourses of the fields.

He stood up and walked back to the wooden box to examine the dragonfly egg.

The insect eggs were in the corner of the wooden box. They were completely transparent, and you could vaguely see extremely fine textures flowing slowly inside, like a pattern being slowly drawn.

He gently touched the surface of the insect eggs with the back of his hand; the texture felt warmer than before.

"It's still growing."

"If you don't grow up soon, you'll be useless!"

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