chsdbacks Chapter 164 Self-Censorship
Chapter 164 Self-Censorship
The high-speed train traverses the North China Plain, with fields and villages rushing past the window. October sunlight streams through the windows, casting long, slanted shadows throughout the carriage.
Nie Lingfeng sat by the window, staring blankly out the window.
It's been three days since he returned from Changbai Mountain. Although he won the battle at Tianchi, it wasn't an easy victory. The internal injuries and damage to his meridians took three full days to recover. Every time he practices his internal energy, he still feels a dull ache deep in his dantian, as if something is blocking his flow.
This forced him to confront a problem that had been consistently ignored—
It's too scattered.
He closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and his mind went through everything he had learned, like a movie playing in his head.
The true form of the Qilin is powerful. In its fully unleashed state, it can hold its own against the pseudo-dragon of Tianchi. However, the energy consumption is astonishing. Moreover, the power of the Qilin is somewhat incompatible with the other techniques within the body, like a group of strangers being forced into a room, unable to stand each other.
The Three Elements Return to Origin Qi is powerful. After initial fusion, its power multiplies, making it both offensive and defensive. However, this so-called "fusion" is merely a simple superposition of the three forces of wind, cloud, and frost, far from true "return to origin." It's like pouring three colors of paint into a bowl, stirring it, and it looks colorful, but each color remains independent.
Demonic Heart Crossing, powerful. In the state of domination, demonic nature is at my disposal, with no fear of backlash. However, "domination" is not the same as "fusion". Demonic nature is still demonic nature, only temporarily tamed, like a wild beast chained up, which may break free at any time.
The Ten Strongest Martial Arts are indeed powerful. They encompass ten weapons—swords, spears, halberds, fists, palms, legs, claws, and fingers—each with its own unique essence, unpredictable and ever-changing. However, this approach is like trying to bite off more than you can chew; you may know a few things, but you won't master any of them. In actual combat, it often relies more on instinct, pieced together haphazardly, lacking any coherent system.
The Unseeking Easy Technique, the Xuanwu True Scripture, the Six Secrets of Arrogance and Cold, the Creation Blade, the Demon Blade, the Wind God Leg, the Cloud-Dispelling Palm, the Heavenly Frost Fist...
Any one of these techniques would be enough to establish a sect in the world of supernatural beings.
But what about him?
Like a nouveau riche, he holds a peerless weapon but doesn't know which one to use. Against ordinary enemies, he relies on brute force and instinct to overpower the veteran with a flurry of punches. But against truly formidable foes—like the fake dragon of Tianchi or the "administrator" of Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley—this "scattered" approach becomes a fatal weakness.
It's like a person pulling ten horses at the same time, each horse running in a different direction, and in the end, they can't go anywhere.
"I need to go into seclusion."
Nie Lingfeng opened his eyes, looked at the scenery rushing past the window, and made a decision.
He turned to look at Chen Duo beside him.
Chen Duo was sleeping on his shoulder. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows on her face. Her small face was so fair it was almost translucent, and her long eyelashes cast soft shadows on her eyelids, like butterfly wings. She was holding a panda plush toy in her arms, its head tilted to one side, resting right under her chin, looking rather comical.
Her breathing was light and even, her chest rising and falling slightly. A smile played on her lips, as if she were having a sweet dream.
Nie Lingfeng's gaze fell on her face, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
It's been almost a year since she left the Medicine Fairy Gathering. In this year, she has changed a lot. Her eyes are no longer empty, her face has gradually developed expressions; she can laugh, she can act coquettishly, she can get angry, and she can care about others. She is becoming more and more like a normal seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.
But Nie Lingfeng knew that she wasn't completely "well" yet.
The primal poison deep within her heart, though suppressed by the Jade Marrow of Yaochi, was not eradicated. Like a thorn embedded deep within, it didn't hurt normally, but would occasionally throb with pain. Moreover, having just awakened her Phoenix bloodline and received the complete inheritance of the Queen Mother of the West, her power had surged, but her foundation was unstable and her control was immature. It was like a child suddenly gaining the strength of an adult, making her prone to injuring herself.
"It's time to let this girl settle down for a while," Nie Lingfeng thought.
Where should I go for a retreat?
He thought about it and had an answer in his heart.
Tianshan.
There is a warm, jade-like hot spring there, an ideal place for healing, tranquility, and spiritual practice. It's also secluded and safe enough to avoid disturbance.
It's settled then.
Three days later, at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains.
By the end of October, the Tianshan Mountains were already a frozen, snow-covered wonderland.
In the distance, Bogda Peak stands majestically, like a drawn sword piercing the sky. The mountain is covered in pristine white snow, gleaming coldly in the sunlight—a white so dazzling, so unreal. Glaciers cascade down the mountainside like frozen waterfalls, shimmering with a faint blue light in the sun.
At the foot of the mountain lies a pine forest, with larch and spruce trees densely packed together, their crowns covered in frost. The frost is crystal clear, like countless crystal pendants; when the wind blows, a flurry of powder falls, sparkling in the sunlight.
The air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of pine needles and snow. When you breathed it in, the crispness was tinged with a hint of sweetness, which invigorated you.
Nie Lingfeng took a deep breath, feeling much of the fatigue from his days of travel dissipate.
"Are you cold?" he asked Chen Duo.
Chen Duo shook her head, but consciously put on the hood of her down jacket. It was a white down jacket with a fluffy hood trimmed with faux fur. Once she put it on, her entire face was buried in it, only her eyes and nose were visible. She also tightened her scarf—a bright red one embroidered with several little bears, which Nie Lingfeng had bought for her in Beijing, making her face look even whiter and more delicate.
Wrapped up like this, I look like a snowman.
"Let's go, let's go up the mountain." Nie Lingfeng took her hand and walked towards Fairy Valley.
The road is difficult to travel.
The snow was deep, reaching up to the thighs in some places. With each step, the snow would crunch and sink in, burying your entire leg, requiring considerable effort to pull it out. In other areas, a thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the snow; stepping on it would crack with a snap, causing you to sink even deeper.
But neither of them are ordinary people.
Nie Lingfeng activated his Wind God Leg technique, his figure as swift as the wind. With a light touch on the snow, he drifted several meters away, leaving no trace. Only faint, almost imperceptible marks remained on the snow, which were quickly dispersed by the wind.
Chen Duo followed behind him. Since receiving the Phoenix Inheritance, her movement skills had improved considerably. Although she was still not very proficient and occasionally broke through the ice and sank into the snow, she quickly managed to break free and continue keeping up. She was like a fledgling bird learning to fly, stumbling and falling, but becoming more and more stable.
After walking for about two hours, we arrived at the valley shrouded in thick fog once again—Fairy Valley.
Just like last time, the valley was shrouded in white fog, with very low visibility. The fog was so thick, as thick as milk, that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Standing at the entrance of the valley and looking inside, all you could see was a vast expanse of white; you couldn't make out anything else.
But this time, Nie Lingfeng could clearly feel that the "Qi" field in the valley was much more stable than last time.
The chaotic, violent energy seemed to have been smoothed out by some force, becoming gentle and orderly. It no longer caused palpitations upon approaching, as it had last time. Moreover, a faint fragrance permeated the air—a very special scent, not floral or herbal, but a refreshing yet sweet aroma, like that of a lotus flower.
That is the Jade Marrow of the Queen Mother of the West's Jade Pool.
When Chen Duo received the inheritance from the Queen Mother of the West, the Jade Marrow of Yaochi merged into her bloodline. The warm jade in the hot spring resonated with her in a certain way. This resonance subtly changed the environment, making the "Qi" field of the entire valley more peaceful.
"It's a good place for seclusion." Nie Lingfeng nodded in satisfaction.
The two passed through the thick fog and arrived at the hot spring cave again.
Inside the cave, everything remained the same.
Steam rose from the hot spring, a thin layer of vapor floating on the surface like a veil. The warm jade at the bottom of the pool emitted a soft blue light, a blue like the deep sea, like the night sky, profound and mysterious. The light shone through the water, casting dappled, flowing shadows on the cave walls, like an underwater world.
Seven-colored ice crystals have condensed on the ice wall. These ice crystals are strangely shaped, some like flowers, some like feathers, and some like stars. Each piece shimmers with a seven-colored luster under the warm blue light of the jade, making it as beautiful as a fairyland.
"Rest first, then go into seclusion starting tomorrow," Nie Lingfeng said.
He found a relatively dry corner in the cave and began to tidy up.
He first used his blade's energy to carve a stone chamber into the rock wall. His energy surged like a rainbow, cutting into the rock as easily as slicing tofu. The broken stones fell with a "whoosh," which he swept aside with a palm strike. Soon, two simple stone chambers were completed, one for himself and one for Chen Duo.
He then used the smoothed stone slabs to make a bed and a table. The slabs were rough, but flat enough; covered with animal hides and blankets, they made a comfortable bed. The table was much simpler; a few stone slabs were stacked together, and a kettle and some dry food were placed on top, and that was it.
It's simple, but it's enough.
Chen Duo didn't have many requirements for her accommodation. In her opinion, having a place to shelter from the wind and snow was already very good.
She placed the panda plush toy on the "bed" and then took out a small blanket to spread out. Then she began to pack her luggage—taking out the dry food, water bottle, and change of clothes she had brought, one by one, and arranging them neatly by category. Her movements were slow and serious, as if she were doing something very important.
As Nie Lingfeng watched her retreating figure, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
This girl is becoming more and more "human".
The retreat officially began early the next morning.
Nie Lingfeng woke up before dawn.
He sat cross-legged in his stone chamber, closed his eyes, and began to introspect.
My mind sank into my body, like a diver plunging into the deep sea, exploring the mysteries of my own body little by little.
First, there's the dantian.
Within his dantian, the hazy, three-colored vortex of energy continued to rotate slowly. That was the core of the Three-Part Returning to Origin Qi, where the forces of wind, cloud, and frost intertwined, forming a stable cycle. But upon closer inspection, one could see that the cycle was not perfect. At the points where the three forces met, there were always subtle conflicts and repulsions, like three snakes entwined, vying for dominance.
Then there are the meridians.
Within the meridians, the "Qi" of the Xuanwu True Scripture flows slowly, balanced, peaceful, mellow, and enduring. However, the "Fire" of the Qilin's power also surges wildly within the meridians, carrying intense heat and violence, like a group of disobedient children causing trouble everywhere. When these two forces meet, there is always some conflict. Although it is not serious, over time, it will damage the meridians.
Then there is the mark of the Demon Heart Crossing deep within the heart meridian.
It was a dark red rune, like a seal, firmly locking away the demonic nature. Beneath the rune, surging black mist—the ferocity of the demonic blade, the ferocity of the Qilin, and the negative emotions deep within one's heart. They were sealed, but not disappeared, like wild beasts trapped in a cage, ready to break free at any moment.
Then came the profound realization deep within my mind: the ease of seeking nothing.
It was an ethereal feeling, like the wind, like the clouds, impossible to grasp or touch. He knew he had reached the second level of "borrowing momentum," able to perceive and utilize the power of heaven and earth, but he was still far from the third level of "harmonizing with the Dao."
Finally, there are the marks of the Ten Strong Martial Arts all over his body.
Knife, spear, sword, halberd, staff, fist, palm, leg, claw, finger—ten weapons, ten techniques, ten artistic conceptions. They are like ten different tools, lying in a toolbox, to be taken out and used when needed. But there are too many tools; sometimes you might pick the wrong one, or sometimes you might not know which one to use.
"We need a main storyline," Nie Lingfeng pondered.
He closed his eyes and mentally reviewed all the techniques.
The Mindset System: The Wuqiu Yijue (无求易诀) is the core, and the Moxin Du (魔心渡) is the auxiliary. One focuses on "borrowing momentum," and the other focuses on "dominating," one internal and one external, complementing each other.
Internal energy cultivation system: Based on the Xuanwu True Scripture, incorporating the power of the Qilin. This can be further developed to eventually form a completely new internal energy cultivation method with Qilin attributes—let's call it the "Qilin True Scripture".
External Kung Fu System: Based on the Ten Strong Martial Arts, it incorporates the essence of swordsmanship from the Six Secrets of Aohan, the Creation Blade, and the Demon Blade, as well as fist and foot techniques from the Wind God Leg, Cloud Dispelling Palm, and Heavenly Frost Fist. It integrates ten weapons and ten techniques to form a complete combat system.
Core Killer Move: Threefold Return to Origin Qi. The fusion of the three powers of wind, cloud, and frost, plus the "fire" of the Qilin and the "evil" of the demon, ultimately forms the true "return to origin" of the five attributes.
My thinking is clear now.
Nie Lingfeng opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them.
Next comes the practice.
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