Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improved Spirit Rice

Chapter 86 This journey is like a dragon entering the sea, like a bird returning to the forest. The world is vast; where can't one find refuge?

Zhao Cheng'an woke up again and returned to the side hall where he had been before.

Although the intense pain of being torn apart by the fox demon still lingered in his mind, a look of joy couldn't help but appear on his face.

His guess was entirely correct.

To break through the mysterious illusion left in that Soul Jade, one must indeed continuously improve one's divine sense and learn and master new formulas.

Realizing this, Zhao Chengan did not rush to continue trying to enter the illusion.

He took a deep breath and then focused all his energy on cultivating his divine sense. The "Chaotic Divine Calculation," which has the ability to launch attacks, is much more complex than the Flow Interruption Calculation, requiring a total of eight calculation cores to be successfully constructed.

Zhao Cheng'an roughly estimated in his mind that in order to completely inscribe the Chaotic Divination Formula in the Niwan Palace, his divine sense strength would need to reach at least 160 hexagram breaths.

However, his current spiritual strength is clearly still quite far from this standard.

However, through repeated deductions of the flow interruption formula during this period, his divine sense was greatly strengthened without him even realizing it.

The benefits of enhancing one's spiritual power are comprehensive.

Besides being able to attempt to construct more advanced equations, Zhao Cheng'an found that his reading and learning speed had also improved significantly.

The introductory materials that Tongmingshan gave him were extremely extensive, mainly divided into three categories.

These are the basics of natural history, the basics of runes, and the basics of magic and magical artifacts.

Among them, the most challenging for Zhao Cheng'an was the foundation of natural history.

This subject requires cultivators to memorize the characteristics and features of various monsters, minerals, and spiritual plants.

Although the Qiankun Cauldron in Zhao Cheng'an's mind possessed the ability to appraise items, in the actual learning process, he discovered that there were still several undeniable gaps between the systematic book records and the Qiankun Cauldron's appraisal capabilities.

First, the records in the book are more detailed than the simple entries given by the Qiankun Cauldron, containing a wealth of information on growth habits and cultivation details.

Secondly, and most importantly, the knowledge in books is systematic and interconnected.

For example, there is a kind of spiritual herb called "Qingguangcao".

When it coexists with a low-level monster called "Avoidance Beast", its leaves transform into a semi-transparent form that can conceal its presence.

However, if it lives with another spirit beast called "Crimson Flame Bird", its leaves will absorb the fire poison and transform into a red, highly poisonous form.

Only when it grows alone will it retain its original appearance, which emits a faint bluish glow.

This complex relationship of ecological symbiosis and morphological transformation is something that the Qiankun Cauldron cannot directly provide to him.

Moreover, the Qiankun Cauldron's appraisal ability can only be triggered by him personally seeing and touching the actual object.

Therefore, even with the Qiankun Cauldron as his cheat code, Zhao Cheng'an did not feel that spending time memorizing natural history content was a waste.

On the contrary, I felt that I had gained a lot.

As for the remaining sections on rune basics, as well as spell and artifact basics, their importance is self-evident.

Aside from comprehension, studying these voluminous texts tests a cultivator's memory and mental processing speed the most.

In the beginning, Zhao Chengan could barely manage to read two books a day at most.

Moreover, every time he finished watching it, he felt his head was throbbing and he was completely exhausted.

Now, with the improvement of my spiritual power through cultivation, I can read up to three books a day. Moreover, when I get tired, I can switch to cultivating spiritual power to refresh my mind and give my brain a certain degree of rest.

This not only avoids wasting his time, but also significantly improves Zhao Chengan's efficiency.

Zhao Cheng'an rubbed his temples, thinking to himself with a touch of self-mockery.

At the same time, the true spirit runes in his body had already been switched to the cultivation content of the "Yi Wood Facing the Sun Scripture".

Even while he secluded himself to study the classic texts of Tongming Mountain, the spiritual energy within his body circulated spontaneously, and his cultivation level steadily increased.

However, the spiritual energy content in this low-spirit area of ​​the Seven Kingdoms is rather pitiful.

Zhao Cheng'an's improvement in cultivation during this period was mainly due to the few bottles of precious pills he obtained from the Qiankun Bag in Tongming Mountain.

In the blink of an eye, several months have passed.

In a secluded corner of the Great Yin Imperial City, there sits a quiet and elegant residence.

The elegant residence is built by the water, with the moat flowing quietly outside the window. A few weeping willows sway gently in the breeze, isolating the noisy city sounds from outside.

Inside the room, a steaming fish pot sat on a mahogany table.

"This truly shows that sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood."

-

The rich broth churned and bubbled under the heat of the charcoal fire, sending up milky white steam that blurred the surrounding scenery.

Chen Heng sat on one side of the table, her chin resting on her hands, looking at Zhao Cheng'an sitting opposite her through the rising white mist.

At this moment, Zhao Cheng'an's eyes were vacant, his face had a stiff smile, there was a faint dark circle around his eyes, and his face was pale as if he hadn't been in the sun for many years. He looked like a "celestial being".

Chen Heng stared at him for a long time, remaining silent at first, before suddenly letting out a long sigh.

"Being around someone like you, a real tyrant, makes me feel a deep sense of guilt."

Chen Heng slumped weakly onto the table, resting her chin on her crossed arms. Her voice sounded somewhat frustrated. "For several whole months, I feel like I haven't done anything at all. It's all been wasted."

Zhao Cheng'an picked up a piece of tender fish with bamboo chopsticks, put it in his mouth and savored it, then looked up at her.

"Didn't I compile some of the basic information that Tongming Mountain sent down and send it to you before? Didn't you see it?"

"Why!"

Chen Heng buried her head in her arms and let out a muffled groan.

"Don't even mention it. Just seeing those densely packed rune derivation formulas makes my head feel like it's going to explode."

She looked up again, poking at the fish bones in her bowl with some resentment.

"The reason I chose to join the Heavenly Sword Sect is that I no longer have to memorize those tedious spells. I'm already a sword cultivator, and if I still have to use my brain to calculate these things every day, wouldn't I be wasting my time as a sword cultivator?"

Zhao Cheng'an couldn't help but laugh when he saw her somewhat childish appearance.

The philosophy of the Tongming Mountain sect is "the Way does not reject people, and the truth can be verified," and its academic atmosphere is considered extremely enlightened in the entire East China Sea region.

The sect not only does not prohibit its disciples from passing on basic knowledge, but also strongly encourages such exchanges.

Back then, the founder of Tongming Mountain, Zichen Yuming Zhenjun, after breaking through to the Golden Core stage, published all the methods he had created in his life, including his insights and experiences during the breakthrough, for all cultivators in the world to read.

In the face of the great Dao, the power of an individual is ultimately limited.

Only by accumulating small contributions into larger ones, and by involving more cultivators in the refinement and deduction of theories, can the cultivation civilization stand taller and see further.

Therefore, Zhao Cheng'an's sharing of the books from Tongming Mountain with Chen Heng not only did not violate any sect rules, but was actually in line with the sect's principles.

Seeing Chen Heng's worried expression, Zhao Cheng'an had a sudden thought and guessed what she was thinking.

He put down his chopsticks and spoke with a smile.

"Since you don't like reading those dry natural history books, I have a formula I just compiled that you can take a look at."

"These are some insights I've gained while honing my divine sense recently. Visualizing them in your mind during your free time each day should be beneficial for stabilizing your sword intent and increasing the strength of your divine sense."

As he spoke, Zhao Cheng'an took out a few neatly folded pages of manuscript from his sleeve and handed them over.

Chen Heng reached out and took the manuscript, unfolding it on the table.

The handwriting was neat, and although the various geometric shapes and lines still seemed somewhat complicated, it was at least no longer at the level of reading gibberish. Following Zhao Cheng'an's annotations, she could barely understand some of the basic operating logic.

Chen Heng carefully put the manuscript away, her expression becoming serious.

"Thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Zhao. This thing is very useful to me."

You're too kind.

Zhao Chengan smiled and waved his hand.

He finally understood why Shen Yanshan had given him an introductory book called "Basic Runes That Even Sword Cultivators Can Understand" when he first entered the Imperial Academy.

In the eyes of those high-level cultivators, it was indeed not an easy task to get sword cultivators to understand these complex theories.

Zhao Cheng'an made a decision in his heart.

If I ever plan to write any books on runes or formulas, I must show them to Chen Heng first. If even Chen Heng can understand them, then it means that I have truly explained the contents of the book clearly and thoroughly.

Chen Heng raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at the enigmatic smile on Zhao Cheng'an's face.

"I have a feeling that you're thinking something very rude right now."

Zhao Cheng'an answered without changing his expression.

"No way, you're overthinking it."

Chen Heng glanced at him with some suspicion, then picked up a piece of fish, put it in her mouth, tasted it, and her eyes immediately lit up.

"This tastes great, spicy and numbing. I've never had this kind of flavor in Beijing before."

Zhao Chengan explained with a smile.

"I've recently been trying to cultivate some special spices in my backyard. If you'd like, I can give you some when I go back later."

Besides these spices used for seasoning, Zhao Cheng'an also purchased them from Fulin Cave Heaven or synthesized and improved many high-yield crop seeds using the Qiankun Cauldron.

These seeds are not picky about soil fertility, and are drought- and flood-resistant. They were the last gift he left to the Dayin Dynasty.

The meal was a pleasure for both the host and guests.

As the charcoal fire on the table gradually died down, Chen Heng looked at the darkening sky outside the window and suddenly asked a question.

"We spent over a month on our journey back, and then another four months in Dayin. Judging by the time, it should be close to the arrival of the Dao Court's immortal ship, right?"

Are you getting ready to leave?

Zhao Cheng'an stopped smiling and nodded slightly.

"That's right. I received a message from the Dao Court a few days ago via the Black Bird. The immortal ship will arrive near the royal city in about ten days."

He looked out the window at the quietly flowing river, his voice somewhat low.

"Take these next few days to say a proper goodbye to your family. Once you leave the Seven Kingdoms, returning won't be easy. For mortals, this might be a final farewell."

Chen Heng was silent for a moment, then sighed as well.

Both Tongming Mountain and Tian'a Sword Sect are extremely far from the Seven Kingdoms. However, it is worth mentioning that these two sects are located in the same area of ​​the East Sea, so Chen Heng and Zhao Cheng'an will have many opportunities to meet in the future.

The two left the house.

The streets outside were brightly lit, and the ordinary, bustling city life seemed especially lively under the night sky.

Both Zhao Cheng'an and Chen Heng possessed an extraordinary and refined aura of cultivators, naturally attracting the attention of many passersby as they walked among the crowd.

Chen Heng stopped in front of a roadside stall.

She looked at the various trinkets displayed on the stall and bought a red lacquered rattle from the vendor.

She gently shook it, listening to the crisp thumping sound coming from inside, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"When I first came to this city with my father, I was very young and I thought it was incredibly prosperous."

"Back then, my father bought me a rattle drum as a toy from a street vendor. I never expected that when I came back this time, that old drum would still be sitting in the cabinet in the study."

Chen Heng looked at the toy in his hand and said with some emotion.

"After becoming a cultivator, my sense of time seems to have become increasingly blurred."

"Only when I return here and see the faces of my loved ones growing older day by day do I suddenly realize how much time has passed."

Zhao Cheng'an stood beside her, listening quietly without making a sound to disturb her.

The two walked along the street to the fork in the road. When they parted, Zhao Cheng'an took out the last three Qi-Nourishing Pills he had left and handed them to Chen Heng, saying, "Take these and give them to Grand Scholar Chen."

Chen Heng looked at the three pills in his palm, which emitted a gentle medicinal fragrance, and accepted them without hesitation.

She had previously incurred considerable debt by purchasing elixirs for breakthroughs in the Floating Scale Cave.

Naturally, there was no way to purchase these kinds of elixirs used to extend the lifespan of ordinary people.

Looking at Zhao Cheng'an, Chen Heng said earnestly.

"I owe you these pills. I'll find a way to pay you back once we get to the sect."

Zhao Chengan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll wait."

A few days later, in a side hall deep within the palace.

The sunlight streaming in through the window slanted in, illuminating the gold bricks on the ground with a brilliant glow.

Zhao Cheng'an stood in the hall, looking at his parents in front of him.

After taking the Peiyuan Pill, Zhao Jinglong and Shangguan Shi's complexions improved significantly. Zhao Jinglong's previously sallow complexion became much rosier, and even his slightly hunched shoulders straightened a bit.

Looking at the group of people before him, Zhao Jinglong's eyes held a hint of reluctance, but even more so, a detached acceptance of the ways of the world. He had already guessed that Zhao Cheng'an had come to bid them farewell.

"Cheng'an, you can leave in peace. Don't worry about home."

Zhao Jinglong reached out and gently patted Zhao Cheng'an's shoulder. "I'm here, everything will be alright. You just need to focus on your pursuit of the Dao while you're out there."

Shangguan Shi, standing to the side, had slightly reddened eyes. She didn't say much, but stepped forward and reached out her trembling hand to carefully straighten Zhao Cheng'an's slightly disheveled collar.

"When you're traveling, be sure to take good care of yourself. Eat on time and don't overwork yourself."

Listening to his mother's nagging instructions, Zhao Cheng'an felt a surge of warmth in his heart and smiled gently.

"Don't worry, Mother, I understand."

Zhao Jinglong looked at them and suddenly laughed, mentioning the whereabouts of those Qi-Nourishing Pills.

"Of the Qi-Nourishing Pills you brought back, aside from the two that your mother and I took, I sent one of them to your uncle Zhao Jingting."

"Jing Ting has suffered many hidden injuries from fighting on the frontier over the years, and he would be in unbearable pain whenever it was rainy. After taking this Qi-Nourishing Pill, his hidden injuries have been completely healed, and he looks energetic and vigorous. Yesterday, he even submitted a memorial saying that he wanted to personally lead troops to inspect the northern border."

Zhao Chengan laughed.

"It would be best if my uncle were in good health."

Just then, a series of hurried yet light footsteps came from outside the side hall.

The palace doors were pushed open, and Crown Prince Zhao Chengyuan walked in from outside, holding his younger sister Zhao Ying's hand.

As soon as Zhao Ying saw Zhao Cheng'an, she immediately broke free from her brother's hand and ran over, tightly hugging Zhao Cheng'an's leg with both of her small hands.

"elder brother!"

The little girl tilted her head back, her big eyes sparkling, with a hint of grievance in them.

"Mother said you're going on another long trip. Where are you going this time? When will you be back?"

Zhao Cheng'an squatted down, looked at his younger sister's innocent face, and gently patted her head.

"My brother is going to study in a very far place. When Ah Ying grows up, my brother will come back."

Zhao Ying cupped her face in her hands and thought about it seriously.

"Then I will grow up quickly and eat two more bowls of rice every day, so that my brother can come back sooner."

Zhao Cheng'an was amused by her.

He took out a jade pendant from his pocket, which was entirely emerald green and had a warm, smooth feel.

This jade pendant is carved from the finest Sanglin jade, and is engraved with tiny talismans for protection and safety. Wearing it for a long time is said to ward off evil spirits, nourish the body, and strengthen health.

Zhao Cheng'an tied the jade pendant to his sister's belt and carefully adjusted it.

"You must always keep this jade pendant close to your body and never lose it, understand?"

Zhao Ying touched the cool jade pendant with her small hand and nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Ah Ying will definitely listen to her brother and won't lose it!"

Standing to the side, Crown Prince Zhao Chengyuan watched this scene with a somewhat complicated expression.

When Zhao Cheng'an first returned from the Imperial Academy, he was indeed a little apprehensive, worried that his younger brother, who had been away from home for ten years, had returned to seize his throne.

But after these few months of contact, he found that Zhao Cheng'an had no such intention at all. He spent his days reading and spending time with his family, and he also respected him, the crown prince, very much.

Zhao Chengyuan completely let down his guard.

In their subsequent encounters, he was even more astonished by Zhao Cheng'an's erudition. Zhao Cheng'an always spoke and acted with gentleness and politeness, giving people a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.

Looking at his younger brother who was about to leave, Zhao Chengyuan felt a pang of reluctance.

He stepped forward, reached out and patted Zhao Chengan on the shoulder, his tone sincere.

"Cheng'an, if you encounter any difficulties or suffer any injustices while you are studying away from home, don't bear it all alone. Write back and tell your brother. But Da Yin will always be your support, and your brother will always stand up for you."

Zhao Cheng'an looked at his brother's sincere face and smiled.

"Alright, then thank you very much, Your Majesty."

He stood up, bowed slightly to his parents and brother, and waved.

"Father, Mother, Imperial Brother, A-Ying, I'm leaving. No need to see me off."

19

After saying that, Zhao Cheng'an turned around and strode out of the side hall.

His figure passed through the long corridors and through the many palace gates, eventually disappearing slowly among the red walls and green tiles of the palace.

Upon arriving at the agreed-upon location outside the imperial city, Chen Heng was already waiting there.

She carried a simple bundle on her back and held a long sword in her hand. Looking at Zhao Cheng'an who was walking towards her, her expression was somewhat complicated, with a hint of reluctance that she could not hide.

"Once I leave, I don't know when we'll meet again."

Chen Heng looked at the street in the distance and said softly, "Perhaps we will never have another chance to come back."

2

Zhao Cheng'an walked to her side, looking at the bustling crowd on the street, his tone open and easygoing.

"The path of cultivation is inherently like this. In the end, there will be separation. This journey is like a dragon entering the sea, or a bird returning to the forest. The world is vast, where can't one find a place to dwell? As long as the heart for the Way remains, everywhere is home."

Chen Heng turned to look at him, the worry in her eyes gradually fading, revealing a relieved smile.

"You're right, I was being a bit dramatic."

"Let's go."

The two left the imperial city side by side and headed towards a mountain more than 30 kilometers away.

That mountain is called Dragon Head Mountain.

The mountains are majestic and stretch endlessly, resembling a giant dragon coiled on the earth when viewed from afar. This is the mountain range where the imperial tombs of the Zhao clan of the Great Yin Dynasty are located. The entire mountain is solemn and dignified, with some remaining bright yellow prayer flags hanging on both sides of the mountain road, fluttering in the wind.

Zhao Cheng'an's decision to leave from here was made after careful consideration.

On the one hand, the imperial mausoleum is a heavily guarded area that ordinary people cannot approach. Boarding a ship here would not cause too much chaos and would seem too shocking.

On the other hand, Longshou Mountain is not far from the imperial city, and the grand spectacle of the celestial ship's descent can be clearly seen by the civil and military officials and powerful noble families in the imperial city.

Longshou Mountain held extremely special political and religious significance in the Dayin era.

The performance of miracles here would greatly enhance the legitimacy of the Great Yin regime, instilling awe in the neighboring small states and internal powerful families, thus helping Great Yin to smoothly navigate this fragile post-war recovery phase.

Zhao Cheng'an stood atop Longshou Mountain, looking down at the royal tombs nestled among the pines and cypresses below.

Looking at these tombs, he suddenly thought of his experience in the Soul Jade Illusion.

In that illusion from a thousand years ago, the disciple of the Netherworld Sect that I was inhabiting was named "Zhao Xun".

The imperial family of the Great Yin Dynasty also had the surname Zhao.

"Zhao Xun—is very likely our Zhao family's ancestor."

Zhao Cheng'an thought to himself silently.

"A thousand years ago, the powerful first-class Dao lineage, the Mingxu Sect, was destroyed overnight, along with the spiritual veins of the entire region, which were shattered and degenerated into a low-spirit area. Even the records left by the sect were deliberately wiped clean."

"How did Zhao Xun survive such a devastating disaster?"

"Not only did he survive, but he even secretly brought out the core inheritance of the Netherworld Sect, the Netherworld Seal, which has been passed down through generations in the Dayin royal family."

"What happened after that? Is he still alive?"

Countless questions surged in Zhao Cheng'an's mind—

Just as he was pondering.

Suddenly, an extremely large and heavy spiritual pressure came from the sky.

The oppressive force fell from the sky as if it were a tangible force, causing the pine and cypress trees on the entire Dragon Head Mountain to bend their branches violently.

Immediately afterwards, the dark clouds were torn apart, and thousands of brilliant rays of light burst forth from the cracks, turning the entire sky into a magnificent gold.

A magnificent warship, thousands of meters long and radiating a blue spiritual light, is breaking through the sea of ​​clouds, slowly revealing its enormous and majestic figure above the clouds.