Forge a path to success

There was something that Sillar hadn't told him, or rather, the old warrior captain hadn't considered. That was, when the external forces within the body became too numerous and varied, the "Remnant Heart Secret Technique" was no longer a controllable practice, but an uncontrollable crisis. The practitioner would challenge the external forces within their heart, and the external forces would also have the opportunity to rebel against the "main body."

Therefore, if the first "One Heart Ritual" fails, the heretics will take over and launch a rebellious challenge against the main body.

Chu Hengkong opened his eyes, and the world in his mind was the familiar manor. Behind him were the green plants carefully maintained by the gardeners, and in front of the fountain, the villa's gate was wide open, and four twisted figures walked out from the dark hall.

The unbroken longsword, still hanging at his waist in his imagination, was drawn by Chu Hengkong. He focused intently and said, "This is my last time—"

"You heartless and ungrateful hypocrite!"

Amidst screams, the diminutive humanoid hurtled towards him like a cannonball, its headbutt striking Chu Hengkong squarely in the abdomen. Chu Hengkong was sent flying halfway across the manor. He endured the pain and swung his sword, cleaving the humanoid in two. However, the diminutive humanoid's body dissolved like mud, the melted half forming a foul-smelling black blood that pinned Chu Hengkong to the ground.

The short figure's upper body rapidly regenerated, revealing a dirty black robe, a cute bob haircut, and a tearful little face through the blood. This thing was actually a "woman," a little girl of about ten years old. She straddled Chu Hengkong, pounding her fists as she cried, "I helped you through so many difficulties! Without me, you couldn't even use the Calamity Wrist! Instead of being grateful, you tried to kill me! How could you do this?!"

Chu Hengkong roared, "Are you ever going to stop?! You're a piece of rotten meat!"

"I am Chu Hengkong!" the fallen girl cried, "Waaah... You've already pushed me to your side and you still want to kill me, you're not even human... I'm going to beat you to death, beat you to death!"

"Get out of here!"

Chu Hengkong tried to lift his hand, but couldn't. He turned his head to the right and glared angrily. There, on his right, stood a slender woman with a bare foot, pressing down on his arm. The woman had red hair and a captivating smile.

"Don't be like that, General Chu," the red-haired woman teasingly stepped on him. "We haven't even enjoyed a few nights together yet, how can we part so sadly?"

What disgusting stuff...!

Chu Hengkong struggled to suppress the urge to vomit. He raised his left hand to throw a punch, but it was entangled by several tentacles halfway through. A girl in a silver sailor uniform looked down at him, her silver-white bangs obscuring half her face, revealing only one twilight-colored eye.

“Seriously, buddy,” the silver-haired girl said, “not to mention my usual grudges against you. This time, really, you’ve gone a bit too far.”

She released Chu Hengkong's arm and drifted away like a ghost. The next instant, a crimson beam of light roared in, evaporating the lower bodies of the red-haired woman, the black mud girl, and Chu Hengkong in less than 0.5 seconds.

A humanoid figure dressed in a full-body metal combat suit walked over, its palm cannons open, flashing with a fading red light.

"Now, let's begin the 48th self-purification experiment."

The matter-disintegrating rays were emitted at full power, and Chu Hengkong was annihilated in the light.

Total time: 7.8 seconds.

The 48th "One Heart Ritual" was a complete failure.

Chapter 194 Talk to yourself more about things you can't figure out.

"Qingye, did you encounter any obstacles when you were refining the historical fog?"

Miss Remnant pondered for a while: "There is no precedent for replacing the sin bone with a single shadow element to shadow + mist, so I first used two bones to test it. After that, I improved the cultivation method and then temporarily made up 27 spells and successfully completed it... To be honest, it consumed much more lifespan than expected. If I don't eat the fruit in time, I may age prematurely."

“That’s not what I meant.” Chu Hengkong organized his thoughts. “What I meant was… are you facing any difficulties in your heart, or in your physical body?”

"?" Qingye tilted her head. "Could you be more specific?"

"For example, the historical fog might turn into a gray-toned, mentally ill woman who sneaks out when you're not looking and tries to kill you."

Qingye's expression on the hospital bed was quite subtle.

"Mr. Chu, I think this situation has nothing to do with cultivation, but is more likely due to mental health issues caused by being single for too long..."

"Go to sleep." Chu Hengkong sighed.

He casually placed the peeled pear on the bedside table and left Qingye's room. Vande poked his head out of his pocket, his eyes full of sympathy.

"Don't dream about it. This girl has been practicing the integrated Residual Heart Technique since she was a child. She learned Flash Finger, Sinful Bone, and Secret Soul step by step. Even when she absorbed the historical fog, she made appropriate innovations based on the old methods. There's no such thing as a 'One Heart Ritual' here," Vande said. "There must be a reason why a ritual is optimized. You can't assume that something is better than a new secret technique just because it's old."

"Do I have any other options?" Chu Hengkong smiled bitterly.

Qingye doesn't need the One-Mind Ritual because her path already includes a method for unifying mind and body. Her elemental power naturally merges with that of the one with a broken heart during her arduous cultivation, so she doesn't need to create a separate target in her mind to attack. But Chu Hengkong walks the path of Unity, and all the external forces were forcibly recruited halfway through his journey. What other method does he have besides painstakingly studying the One-Mind Ritual?

“I’ve recently made some progress on my graduation thesis. If you’re bold enough, I can try to modify a version of the talisman for you.” Vande started offering bad ideas, “Let’s see if the entire Knight Tree-fixing Talisman has any chance.”

"Screw you."

"Then you'll just have to keep challenging the crazy woman in your heart, huh?" Vande said with a smug look in his eyes. "Sigh, have I really turned into a white-haired, one-eyed beauty?"

Chu Hengkong's face darkened: "Your tentacles are none of your business."

“You know, it’s pretty strange. How can I, an asexual being, turn into a woman?” Vande pondered. “It might really be a psychological problem of yours. You’ve unknowingly developed the condition of seeing beautiful girls everywhere…”

“I’m 22 this year, my friend. I’m not a 17-year-old teenager anymore.”

"Really? You're only 22?!" Van der exclaimed in surprise. "Are you sure you're not lying about your age? 30?"

Chu Hengkong pulled the Eye Demon from his pocket and slammed it onto the table. Vande laughed three times and wriggled off to continue studying the knightly manual.

The once invincible genius on the path of cultivation has finally encountered a tough nut to crack. How to defeat the demons within him has become a thorn in his side. Unlike the Dragon Village Fist, the One Heart Ritual is not something you can learn no matter how hard you try or how talented you are.

Frustrated by his repeated defeats, he headed to the training ground in the center of the settlement, filled with resentment. On the way, he saw Old Master Silar using a few leaves to knock fruit off a tree.

"You're back." Slar tossed a fruit to him. "Here, have one."

He took a bite of the fruit, smacking his lips at the overly sour juice. "Do you have time? I'd like to ask you about matters of cultivation."

“I’m free every day,” Slar said, looking pleased. “Let’s walk and talk… and give it a try.”

He tossed a leaf, which suddenly fell halfway through its flight, then shot towards Chu Hengkong's wrist. Chu Hengkong caught it with two fingers, spun his wrist, and threw it back, the leaf tracing the exact same trajectory as the leaf itself.

"Not bad." Slar caught it and threw it again, as if playing some new kind of catch game. This time, the blade shifted twice in mid-air, the power being released in batches, the timing was quite perfect. Chu Heng became somewhat interested and imitated it, making the blade bend three times. Slar caught it.

"You learn so quickly!" the old man clapped his hands. "Try this."

It threw the leaf for the third time. The leaf fluttered and flew, drawing an unbelievable pentagram in front of Chu Hengkong's eyes, and finally stuck to the top of his head with a snap.

Chu Hengkong held the leaf and gestured at it for a long time before helplessly putting it down: "I can't learn it."

“Actually, you didn’t learn it before,” Slar said with a smile. “You made the leaf spin once, three times. How did you do that? It’s because you channeled your finger strength into the leaf, forcing it to activate when you needed it—you pushed it with your invisible fingertips.”

But if you want its movements to be more refined, simply forcing it won't work. In this case, you need to feed it something so you can "invite" it.

"What are you going to do?" Chu Hengkong asked in astonishment.

“Go and ‘ask’ it, ask your weapon to help you.” Slar continued patiently, “You must know that all things have a spirit. From the giant trees that support the world to the tiny insects in the soil beneath our feet, everything has its own spirit. Living things have a stronger spirit than inanimate objects, which is why the forest people love to use plants as weapons. You see.”

He raised his claw tip, and the fallen leaf spun around like a top. Chu Hengkong could see clearly that Silar hadn't used any force; he had merely sent out a little bit of his life force, and the leaf started moving on its own.

“Just like raising a pet.” Silar flicked his paw, sending a leaf flying and embedding itself in the tree trunk. “Of course, you’ll need to use some tactics—like the kind of camaraderie you’re best at—but that’s the general idea. Not difficult, right? Just stay calm.”

“I’m not good at this,” Chu Hengkong shook his head. “It’s too roundabout. I could use that energy to throw more hidden weapons.”

"Then why don't you just use your fists?" Slar said with a chuckle. "Your fists are faster, harder, more powerful, and absolutely obey your commands."

Hidden weapons are less direct methods. If you're throwing leaves to deliver a punch that goes further, you should probably equip yourself with a throwing fist.

What was said unintentionally was taken to heart by the listener. Chu Hengkong fiddled with the leaf, deep in thought. Seeing this, the old man didn't disturb him and walked away with the fruit.

Chongming was walking this way when he saw this and laughed, "What's wrong with this idiot now?"

"Shh," Slar tiptoed, "Don't disturb him. He's figuring out his flying punch!"

·

Although the weapon's wrist was flexible, it wasn't yet capable of separating from the hand, so Chu Hengkong spent a long time trying to develop the rocket-powered fist but failed.

He wandered through the settlement, leaf in hand, descending from high steps and climbing back up from low ones. During this time, he racked his brains and used every trick in the book to try and make the leaf draw a pentagram. The leaf, however, was unmoved by his efforts and resolutely shattered into eight pieces in mid-air, expressing its determination never to bow to power.

Chu Hengkong, his face grim, ripped off a handful of leaves, the force of which shook the tree violently. The tribe's warriors looked at him as if he were a red-eyed bull. He forced out a bead of blood, imbued with his spirit, and let it seep into the leaf, turning the veins a beautiful red.

Go draw a triangle. After "speaking" to the leaf, he tossed it away.

The leaf poked his face three times, then floated up to the top of his head and started playing dead.

Chu Hengkong tried very hard to resist the urge to tear the leaves to shreds, but he failed. He threw the leaves aside, sat down by the roadside, and started arguing with himself.

He knew better than anyone that practicing hidden weapon techniques now was pointless. He was distracted by practicing this to try and find that vague inspiration he'd gleaned from their previous interactions. But now, that inspiration seemed to be drifting further and further away. If there was anything he was certain of in this process, it was that the Senmin's "communication martial arts" were simply not in line with his own style.

This method is suitable for Gulibo, Silar, Vande, or other quirky and amiable little creatures in the forest, but he is an assassin. What he needs is a single glare that can make the leaves bow down rather than beg them to dance.

Chu Hengkong tried to take deep breaths to calm himself, but his mind became increasingly chaotic. The more he practiced the unorthodox methods, the more obvious the effects became. Forty-eight consecutive failures had robbed him of his precious patience, and now his state of mind was not as good as when he used to practice with the old man.

It's time to try the old method.

He sat up abruptly, startling the children around him. The little girl, wearing a small wooden helmet, was Vita, the one he had previously clashed with.

"Are there any waterfalls around?" Chu Hengkong asked without much hope.

“There’s some to the northeast,” Vita said, “but that’s…”

Chu Hengkong walked away in delight, not even hearing the rest of the sentence. He headed towards the woods outside the settlement, and soon heard the soothing sound of water. He effortlessly imagined a stream cascading down from a height, splashing against black stones, the water gathering deep within the woods to form a mirror-like spring.

When he was practicing asceticism in the mountains, he would camp and sleep by such a small lake. At night, he would fight bears and wild boars, and during the day, he would sit quietly under the waterfall, meditating in peace. The water flowed continuously, as if a cold world was flowing over his body. At first, the noise was deafening and he could not find peace, but after getting used to it, he felt that the world was quiet and that he was the only one sitting in the flowing world.

For tranquility, there is no more ideal environment than a waterfall. Just thinking about Chu Hengkong calmed his mind. He pushed aside the leaves that were obstructing his view and came to the source of the sound of water.

It was exactly as he had imagined. Pebbles were scattered along the lakeside, the water was crystal clear, and a blood-red shadow lingered between the cascading waterfalls. His wet, red hair clung to his shoulders, water droplets trickling down his hair, flowing over his beautiful neck, swaying slightly, and settling on his snow-white skin.

Qingxia sat beneath the waterfall, the bone armor that usually covered her nowhere to be seen. Her moist golden eyes were filled with astonishment, reflecting Chu Hengkong's blank gaze.

Both sides remained frozen in place, neither making a move. With a thud from the waterfall, the water droplets finally rolled down due to inertia, disturbing their reflections in the lake.

The red-haired girl raised her arm and whispered:

"Do you want to... shower together?"

Chapter 195 Both idiots and brats are harsh on themselves

Chu Heng had thought many times about how to mend his relationship with the centaur. Although the centaur was at fault, he had also acted impulsively that night. Moreover, he hadn't repaid the centaur's life-saving grace, and they would still have to fight together in the future. It was both morally and logically necessary for him to resume communication with Qingxia.

But certainly not in this form.

And certainly not in this kind of setting.

The stream babbled, the forest was serene, and Chu Hengkong stood by the lake, his face expressionless. He truly didn't know what expression to wear; his nerves were probably frozen by excessive embarrassment, and his facial muscles were protesting loudly from within, ready to give up. But to make matters worse, his heart was pounding wildly, beating like a drug addict who'd been on drugs for three days straight in a nightclub. That uncontrollable, rampant desire flowed joyfully through his blood, threatening to rebel on the spot if he didn't pounce on it.

The most dangerous thing is that because of the previous blood injection, he can sense Qingxia's heartbeat and emotions.

vice versa.

The red-haired girl slightly avoided his gaze, her face flushed.

Chu Hengkong calmly used his prosthetic arm to grip his neck, forcibly controlling his muscles to turn around. He began to run with all his might: "Sorry, wrong way, goodbye!"

Unfortunately, as had been proven many times in previous battles, his speed was simply no match for Miss Centaur. Chu Hengkong hadn't even run half a meter before Qingxia, who had angrily come ashore, grabbed him.

Qingxia wrapped her arms around him and picked him up, shouting, "How dare you! You scoundrel, don't you dare run away!"

"Let go first!" Chu Hengkong was utterly devastated. He couldn't help but break down; the difference in height and physique between them was too great. Qingxia's embrace had lifted his feet off the ground. He was buried deep within the snow-white peaks, the elastic, moist skin enveloping him like a sponge.

Standing next to the four-meter-tall Qingxia, he was like a large rag doll. Qingxia could easily wrap him up with a gentle hug, and he could be manipulated without any way to fight back.

He struggled fiercely, but couldn't break free; his opponent was also stronger. Qingxia's face grew increasingly red, and she lowered her head and whispered, "If you keep moving around like this, I'll really get excited."

Chu Hengkong's body stiffened, wishing he could stop breathing. He spoke through the air, relying on his willpower: "If you really care, let me go first."

"No!" Qingxia's attitude was exceptionally firm. "I read in a book that if a man accidentally sees you bathing, you'll be cursed with nudity by the Magpie Fairy. If that man escapes, you'll be naked for life. To break the curse, you must marry him!"

"Who exactly modified the Seven Fairy Maidens fairy tale you're reading? I'm going to kill them!" Chu Hengkong said.

"If I let you get away, I'll have to marry you," Qingxia said nervously. "That's absolutely... um... umm..."

Miss Centaur pondered for a moment, then readily let go.

"You go!"

"Don't change your mind! Seriously, don't let me go! What are you thinking?! I'm terrified just trying to guess what's going on in your head!" Chu Hengkong shouted hoarsely.

Qingxia gave a thumbs up: "If you can find a good man just by being completely naked for a few days, that's a good deal."

"No naked! Put your clothes on! And no bathing in the middle of nowhere! Go to your own house to bathe!"

Qingxia started to backtrack: "(ノ)ノ Let's take this opportunity to sneak back and make our escape a fait accompli..."

"Wait, stop right there, you bastard!!"

Trying to restrain the centaurs with words is pointless. Trying to stop them with their obviously inferior strength is even less feasible. So Qingxia happily returned to the waterfall to continue showering, while Chu Hengkong, fearing she might misunderstand, sat motionless by the lake with his back to the waterfall, his eyes looking as if he were dead.

It seems there was originally a naive man who came to the lake to cultivate his mind. The torment he's experiencing now offers no help in practicing the secret art of the broken heart, but it's a leap forward in consolidating his mental state. It's said that when the Buddha was meditating under the tree, he remained unmoved by the temptations of a beautiful demoness; now, with his back to the lively female demon, he experiences the Buddha's feelings for the first time.

Was the Buddha like that back then? He clearly wanted to meditate peacefully, but there was always a mentally ill female demon running around and chattering away. No wonder the Buddha eventually chose the path of enlightenment. After this matter was over, he could probably consider following the Buddha's example, shaving his head and becoming a monk, living a secluded life, detached from worldly affairs.

A few drops of water hit the back of Chu Hengkong's neck, the icy touch sending a shiver down his spine. Qingxia quietly swam over, poking half her body out onto the bank, watching him with a grin. Her hair spread out in the water, like blood-red seaweed.

"Won't you come with me?" she whispered.

The assassin covered his forehead and sighed deeply.

"If I remember correctly, the last time we met I was beating you up."