Chapter 401 - 201: Temptation
Chu Xuan gently stroked the jade flute in his hand. Xiao Yun not only sang beautifully, but could also quickly master various musical instruments. Of them all, her favorite was the flute, as its clear sound closely resembled birdsong.
In the past, when Chu Xuan acquired this jade flute, his first thought was to give it to her.
Sadly, she has passed away, and eventually, he could only sit in this cave dwelling, staring blankly at the endlessly flowing Gui Xu day and night.
Chu Xuan couldn’t play any musical instruments, not even to perform a piece for her. He sat here dazed for a long time, and finally left in sorrow, leaving the flute behind on the mat.
Years later, revisiting the old place, Chu Xuan finally remembered her, but rather than feeling any relief in his heart, there was instead a hollow emptiness...
Unlike Su Mengqing, who knew him well, little Xue was completely bewildered, only aware that Chu Xuan had remembered someone deceased.
Once his emotions settled completely, little Xue extended a paw to pat his hand as a small comfort.
Qingqing then asked, "Where is the small bird’s grave? Knowing your nature, you must have it built in a very safe place. Could it be inside Gui Xu Grotto Heaven?"
Chu Xuan shook his head, "It should be near Wa Huang Palace. I remember moving the grave once, just to let her rest peacefully. If nothing went wrong, it should still be there now."
Qingqing held his right hand that was gripping the flute, "Then store it away for now~ The next time you visit her, place this flute in front of her grave."
Chu Xuan softly agreed.
Seeing the man regaining composure, attempting to sit on the mat and gazing at Gui Xu through the array, Qingqing continued, "Do you have other lovers? I wonder if you remember them?"
Qingqing counted on her fingers, "For example, Miss Xiao He. You loved her slender waist, saying she could dance gracefully in the palm of your hand; the little princess Qi, you liked how the little girl would always be proud and argue with you, but each time was subdued by you; and then..."
With each name she mentioned, Chu Xuan’s face turned paler, and though his memory hadn’t fully returned, hearing these familiar names brought a pang to his heart.
Because he knew full well that they couldn’t withstand the passage of six or seven hundred years. They were likely gone.
Chu Xuan couldn’t help but wave his hand, "Stop, don’t say anymore. Talking about them only brings sadness, serving no purpose at all."
"Humph, then you better cherish me well, or one day I might be gone too." Qingqing spoke, hugging his arm.
Chu Xuan sighed gently, Xiao Yun, Xiao He, Qi Lian, gone, all gone...
Among them, Qi Lian, in his heart, should also have been quite significant. Qingqing called her "little Qi the girl," and her name instantly popped into his mind, seemingly also having a stubborn nature.
Chu Xuan subconsciously thought of Qingqing, wondering how she’s doing now...
...
In the following months, besides observing the operation of Gui Xu, Chu Xuan recorded in advance various patterns like ocean currents, climate, changes in Spiritual Qi, and attempted to recall the contents of the Celestial Water Returning Ruins Technique.
After all, it was greatly linked to Gui Xu Grotto Heaven, possibly aiding his upcoming actions.
Truth be told, Chu Xuan watched Gui Xu day and night, truly managing to transcribe the scriptures one by one, though the first thirty percent felt constipated; towards the end, it flowed smoothly.
Undeniably, this is a timeless masterpiece!
Previously, Chu Xuan was perplexed that if he couldn’t initially sense Spiritual Qi, how would this technique devour all things be useful? When you can’t even cross the first threshold, having no cultivation, how would you speak of plunder?
It’s only now he realized, this technique is genuinely remarkable; even if you couldn’t perceive Spiritual Qi, you could always feel fire and lightning, right? These all contain energy.
So, while others cultivate through inhaling Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to begin, Chu Xuan likely actively sought to be burned by fire and struck by lightning, forcibly drawing thunder and fire into his body to step into the first realm of cultivation, the Qi Cultivation Stage.
The start is always the hardest. Once even a bit of cultivation rests in the body, connecting with Heaven and Earth allows you to naturally sense the external Spiritual Qi and bypass the "innate inability to cultivate" hurdle.
Initially sensing might be quite limited, and his cultivation speed certainly couldn’t compare with those geniuses. Yet, this Celestial Water Returning Ruins Technique is paradoxically a cultivation technique that grows stronger with practice, each time breaking through a major realm allows for the purification and remodeling of physique.
When Chu Xuan reached the seventh and eighth realms, he was already quite similar to certain naturally special physiques.
Thus, previously in memories, Ji Mingyu would remark that even if he achieved the Heaven and Earth Spirit Body, it wouldn’t be much stronger than his body at the time.
Simultaneously, Chu Xuan also came to understand why during the Celestial Evil Period, he was called a "demon head," why despite his inherently good character, he couldn’t be tolerated by the righteous path and had to step into the demonic path.
Simply put, this cultivation technique could very well be considered a demonic technique, as truly sinister as it was.
It could forcibly plunder energy from all things with spirituality, and devour others’ magical power, cultivation, Dao foundation, and origin.
This means, if the cultivator is unscrupulous enough, the fastest way to cultivate is by "consuming people," feast on ready-made, well-cultivated practitioners of the same realm.
After others laboriously cultivate for years, they end up becoming your cultivation fodder in an instant.
Although after devouring others’ cultivation, careful digestion and consolidation are needed to avoid unstable foundations, burgeoning heart demons, and other problems, these are trifling compared to the convenience the technique offers.