Returning to the Daoist temple, Yi Chen didn't immediately go back to sleep. Instead, he made his way to the main hall, took out the silver ingot Chief Zhang had presented to their ancestor, pondered for a moment, broke it in half, and put one portion into the charity box; only then did he head to the backyard for a quick rinse.
The teardrop-shaped blood mark, clinging to him like a festering bone disease, refused to come off no matter how hard he scrubbed his skin, nearly wearing it raw. With no choice left, Yi Chen returned to his room and sat down, feeling helpless.
Fortunately, although the blood mark stuck to him like glue, Yi Chen sensed that, for the time being, it would remain dormant. Deep down, he had a premonition that in one year, the mark wouldn't be as docile as it currently was.
"One year, huh? A lot can happen in one year." Yi Chen looked down at the mark on his chest, and through the deep crimson color, he vaguely sensed that a great terror might descend after a year.
Before him now were a jade token, a jade scroll, letters, three hundred taels of banknotes, and ten taels of silver.
After some thought, he hid the jade token and the letters in a secluded corner, then turned to the jade scroll by candlelight — the record of the old Heavenly Master's painstaking work — opening it to study with great attention.
As expected, this "Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique" was extraordinary, meticulously conceived, with profound intentions. Yi Chen was completely engrossed, studying and gesticulating continuously. Only at dawn, when the rooster crowed, did he snap back to reality.
A line of small characters promptly appeared on the light screen panel.
[Cultivation Technique: Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique (Entry Level)]
With Yi Chen's proficiency in the Minor Pure Yang Skill reaching the sixth level, mastering this cultivation technique pioneered by the old Heavenly Master Zhang Ji Shi in one night wasn't too farfetched.
"According to the old Heavenly Master, this cultivation technique has a fatal flaw: the longer one practices it, the more difficult it becomes to progress. I am going to give it a try."
Having studied the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique, Yi Chen felt his horizons had broadened enormously. The technique encompassed the principles of yin and yang, the power of insight, and, more importantly, it refined one's divine power, sharpening one's intuition and the ability to sense danger and avoid it. It was worth investing a substantial amount in.
"Deep Red!"
Yi Chen called out internally, summoning the light screen panel. His consciousness stabbed fiercely at the plus sign behind the "Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique," and three lines of small characters appeared on his retina.
[Breaking through to the first level of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique requires 5 Deep Red Points. Proceed with the breakthrough? Yes/No]
[Breaking through to the second level of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique requires 10 Deep Red Points. Proceed with the breakthrough? Yes/No]
[Breaking through to the third level of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique requires 20 Deep Red Points. Proceed with the breakthrough? Yes/No]
Naturally, Yi Chen chose "Yes" for all.
Thirty-five Deep Red Points were deducted in a flash, and a torrent of memories surged into Yi Chen's mind.
A young Daoist practiced meditation and cultivated his Inner Qi daily, collected morning dew to refine his eyes. Not only did he diligently train every day, he also gathered various precious herbs from mountains and rivers to cleanse his eyes. The deeper he went into his training, the more lucid and profound his eyes became, shining with divine light.
Thirty years had passed from youth until the first white hair sprouted. When the young Daoist exhaled his first breath of impure air against the rising purple dawn, his pupils transformed yet again, and the third level of the "Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique" was achieved.
In an instant, a cool sensation emerged around Yi Chen's eyes. Already experienced with many such bodily changes, Yi Chen stayed completely calm, knowing that this sensation was the start of the transformation and strengthening of his eyes.
Yi Chen slowly closed his eyes.
More than ten seconds later, when he opened his eyes again, they were no different from those of the young Daoist in his memories.
"Shh, I'm using falsehood to cultivate truth, reflecting on myself. This 'Golden Finger' really is something!" Yi Chen admired himself in the copper mirror in his room, then couldn't help but exclaim.
"Another hardworking day awaits."
Yi Chen summoned his light screen panel. The changes in his body were also synchronously updated on this panel.
[Name: Yi Chen]
[Lifespan: 18/97]
[Strength: 27.0, Physique: 24.0, Spirit: 31, Agility: 24] (The normal human value is 1)
[Cultivation Technique: Minor Pure Yang Skill Level 6 (Traits: Body Strengthening, Fiery, Divine Power, Warding off Evil, Tenacity). Active Skill: Extreme Yang Transformation (Strength triples for ten minutes, after which Inner Qi and Strength temporarily drops to 70% of the original.)]
[Cultivation Technique: Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique Level 3 (Traits: Eagle Eye, Night Vision, Yin Qi Perception.)]
[Passive Skills: Danqing Painting Skill lv1, Auspicious Event Host lv2, Funeral Host lv3, Culinary Skill lv3]
[Origin Point: 0] (Can be obtained by exercising to stimulate the flesh, which can improve the four-dimensional data of strength, physique, essence, and agility.)
[Deep Red Value: 11.] (Can be obtained through special items or by killing demons and evil creatures, etc. Used to enhance Cultivation Technique levels or for deduction.)
The Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique truly had the effect of refining the divine, as Yi Chen's mental attribute had increased by three points, and even his agility had increased by one point. Yi Chen guessed it was because a stronger 'divine' presence led to sharper reactions.
Beyond that, the third level of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique also granted Yi Chen three traits: Eagle Eye, Night Vision, and Yin Qi Perception.
Each was very practical, especially the Yin Qi Perception.
If Yi Chen had possessed this Pupil Technique earlier, he would not have pursued the marbled tiger into the dense forest. He certainly would have been more keenly aware of the Yin Qi there and would not have encountered something as powerful and strange as the Yin Manor.
But then again, if he hadn't strayed into the Yin Manor, he wouldn't have obtained the Pupil Technique painstakingly created by the old Heavenly Master. It must be said that it was a matter of both time and destiny.
Yi Chen sensed that the next level of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique required forty Deep Red Points to advance, and he quickly snapped the virtual screen closed.
The third level of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique was sufficient for him for now. The next step was to focus entirely on raising the realm of the Minor Pure Yang Skill.
It didn't matter that he couldn't cultivate Pure Yang real power without 'spirituality.' As long as his Minor Pure Yang Skill realm was high enough, Qing Yunzi would still be beaten to the ground by him, wouldn't he?
The Minor Pure Yang Skill was the foundation of his existence, and this he knew very well.
At the same time, he was curious about the limit of the Deep Red Value. Even if the intentions of the Minor Pure Yang Skill were lofty, it surely couldn't be enhanced indefinitely… right?
With his cultivation session over, Yi Chen pushed open the window. The sky was faintly bright. Looking outside, he replayed the details of the previous day in his mind and suddenly harbored a hint of doubt about the sudden appearance of that marbled tiger.
Was his misadventure into the Yin Manor an accident or was it a deliberate lure by someone?
And what exactly was the evil behind the Yin Manor?
Yi Chen could be sure that the Yin Manor was not just any ordinary malevolent spirit, because when he was fleeing halfway, he had also looked back from a high vantage point and found that the Yin Manor had vanished from its original location as if it had never existed.
However, whether the manifestation of the Yin Manor had anything to do with the world changes the old Heavenly Master spoke of on his deathbed was beyond his knowledge.
The old Heavenly Master had also mentioned in his letter that with the world changes, the future was uncertain.
Unable to come to any conclusion after much thought, Yi Chen simply decided not to dwell on it any longer. Worldly matters, without reaching a certain position, were futile to consider excessively.
A pawn on a chessboard, no matter how clearly it sees the game, is still not in control. It can only move forward ceaselessly and, even if it crosses the Chu River and Han boundary, is only slightly less bound. It still isn't free.
Only through continuous strength and growth, until one becomes the chess player holding the pieces, does one have room to choose.
Just like ordinary people in his previous life, after graduating and entering society, they seemed to have many choices, but in reality, they had none. They seemed to understand what the scythe meant, but they still couldn't escape the fate of being harvested. Understanding only added to their troubles.
That was the sorrow of pawns.
If one was to spend too much energy pursuing this so-called understanding, and if it occupied the energy that should be used for cultivation and growth, then it would delay one's own strengthening, making the situation even worse.
Unhappy in life, not at ease in death, that's probably what this meant.
Only by fully strengthening oneself can one see through and transcend after understanding.
Even if you cannot see through everything, as long as you are strong enough, the insurmountable Flame Mountain of your past can be extinguished by a single urination.
This was what Yi Chen was thinking at the moment.
If his Minor Pure Yang Skill were at the 666th level instead of the 6th, no matter what kind of conspiracies or calculations were behind him, if he were to visit the Yin Manor again in a year, the master behind it would have to personally come forward to offer a toast and plead for mercy.
And if it were at the level of 6,666, what would these world changes matter? Even if one day the sun and moon fell, and the world sunk, he could recreate the universe; the heavens and earth could decay, yet he would not. The sun and moon could extinguish, yet he would not.
In the face of absolute power, if there really was a mastermind, they would have to endure a few slaps from him.