Chapter 397
Observing Qi and Stars
At the summit of Zhongnan Mountain, the stars are like a sea.
A figure stood atop the cliff, dressed in a plain-colored, wide-sleeved robe, with black hair flowing like a waterfall. He looked up at the starry sky, seemingly mesmerized.
After an unknown amount of time, a strong wind blew in a sea of clouds, obscuring the sky.
He frowned slightly, slowly raised his hand and gestured, and the sea of clouds automatically parted to reveal an arc-shaped gap, exposing the inky sky.
A faint golden ripple appeared in Zhou Sheng's eyes. What was reflected deep in his pupils was no longer the ordinary starry sky, but the mysterious trajectory of the stars. Each star trailed a tail of light that was thousands of years long, and they intertwined to form a net.
He let out a soft exclamation, as if he had seen something. He formed the North Star Seal with his left hand, and his thumb tapped the joints of the other four fingers. The joints naturally had the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams pattern, and the pattern would flow like a living thing every time he made a calculation.
"When a comet invades the Purple Palace, it foretells war that will break out in the territory of Yanzhou."
Zhou Sheng's voice rang out, his gaze seemingly piercing through the stars, witnessing a war with rivers of blood and deafening battle cries.
Moreover, that war was actually closely related to him.
After a long while, Zhou Sheng lowered his eyes, flicked his sleeve, and the separated sea of clouds rolled back in, obscuring the starry sky, as if concealing some heavenly secret from being discovered.
He stroked the jade ring on his thumb, the jade ring shimmering with light, drawing in the spiritual energy of the stars, making him seem as if he were draped in a cloak of starlight, appearing exceptionally divine.
From a distance, it looks like a celestial deity descending to earth.
Zhou Sheng, however, was reading books, studying the many profound techniques contained in the Xuanji Yuheng.
Louguan Taoism truly lives up to its reputation as an ancient Taoist tradition that has been passed down for thousands of years. Its profound foundation is unfathomable. Its 1,374 unique skills cover sixteen fields, ranging from the profound Tao of star observation, which has been explored for thousands of years, to agricultural irrigation and military tactics. All of them are included and are extremely profound.
For example, the famous Eight Trigrams Formation, Zhuge Liang's unique array formation technique, is one of them.
Zhou Sheng has been recuperating from his injuries in the Zhongnan Mountains while also focusing on his studies, and this has been going on for about a month now.
He has already survived the Heavenly Tribulation, his primordial spirit is powerful, his thoughts are as swift as lightning, as if he has unlocked the secrets of wisdom, photographic memory is child's play, and his comprehension is far beyond that of ordinary people.
What others take years to learn, he can grasp at a glance and master in no time.
Even so, after ten days of diligent study, he had only managed to read a small portion of the vast Louguan Daoist tradition.
"Junior brother, I've observed a change in the celestial phenomena. Did you just observe the stars?"
Just then, a disheveled beggar walked over, climbing the mountain as if on flat ground, as if he had the wind at his feet, carrying a medicine basket in his hand.
Zhou Sheng nodded and recounted what he had just observed.
"The war began in the territory of Yanzhou... Junior brother, you can see this far, which shows that your astrological observation skills have reached a high level. Tsk tsk, your talent in this field is truly enviable!"
As the old man from Niushan spoke and laughed, a genuine look of amazement flashed in his eyes.
In just ten days, he has mastered the most profound and mysterious art of stargazing to this level. Such talent and ability are probably beyond even his master's reach.
However, remembering that this junior brother could even master the legendary Dao of Time, he felt relieved.
"Yanzhou will be an important battlefield for the struggle for supremacy. The distance between Venus and Jupiter will shrink to three feet within three nights, which is an ominous sign. However, Saturn is in a state of reversal, and the killing intent is hidden. It will probably take many years before it happens."
Zhou Sheng nodded, and then asked his senior brother about the parts he didn't understand when he was reading.
Old Man Niu Shan was concise and to the point, often hitting the nail on the head and enlightening Zhou Sheng. The two talked for a long time until Zhou Sheng finally understood all the confusion he had accumulated.
He couldn't help but feel a profound sense of fulfillment, as if he had gained a great deal.
"By the way, Senior Brother, how is Brother Bao doing in the capital?"
Zhou Sheng asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Bao Ying did not stay in Zhongnan Mountain for long. After he woke up, he took his leave and returned to the capital.
In his words, since a great demon was lurking in the capital, threatening the stability of the country, he had to return immediately, at least to inform His Highness the Crown Prince. Therefore, after Zhou Sheng awoke, he left without delay.
"Hehe, we don't need to worry about that kid. He has extraordinary luck and won't easily get into trouble. Even if he does, he'll usually turn bad luck into good. This is the blessing of the merits accumulated by his ancestors."
"Senior brother, speaking of this, what exactly is the background of that great demon lurking in the capital? Even Huang Chao's immortal corpse could only helplessly self-destruct?"
Even now, Zhou Sheng still feels a lingering fear when he recalls those terrifying, abyss-like eyes and that giant hand that reached out into the river of time.
"do not know."
Old Man Niu Shan shook his head and said, "This demon's supernatural powers are even greater than those of that Bodhisattva. Even I can't figure out its origins, but the fact that I can't figure it out is itself a clue."
Zhou Sheng's eyes flashed, and he nodded.
His cultivation level is even higher than that of a Bodhisattva at the Seventh Tribulation Realm, and he is also a great demon, so he should probably be one of the "Five Dragons Locked".
He recalled the "elder brother" the Bodhisattva had mentioned before his death and couldn't help but speculate.
"We don't know when this great demon infiltrated the palace, what his plans are, or even who he is. Let's not provoke him for now."
After a moment's thought, the old man from Niushan said, "The most urgent task is to help you improve your cultivation level as soon as possible and find all the dragon veins."
“Junior brother is right. In fact, I have already accumulated enough to undergo the fourth Heavenly Tribulation, but my magical power is still a little lacking.”
Zhou Sheng has now obtained four dragon veins, and his understanding and accumulation of the Great Dao of Time are enough to support him in undergoing the fourth Heavenly Tribulation. On the contrary, his magical power is holding him back.
"That's easy. Magic power is something that can be difficult or easy. You've already taken the Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill, so just take another kind of pill!"
The old man from Niushan's voice carried a hint of pride. As one of the most powerful alchemy masters of his time, he never thought there was anything wrong with taking medicine to enhance his magical power.
The further one progresses in cultivation, the greater the need for elixirs becomes.
Otherwise, if one were to cultivate for hundreds or even thousands of years by relying solely on breathing exercises, it would take an unknown amount of time, and one's lifespan would not be able to sustain it.
In Taoist scriptures, there are countless stories of people who became immortals by taking medicine. Even the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain had to take the Golden Elixir.
As for issues like an unstable foundation or a superficial approach, as long as you're not following crooked paths and are practicing righteous methods, you generally won't encounter any problems.
The only exception is the reincarnation of an immortal, the kind who comes with cultivation, and can make rapid progress without the need for elixirs.
"But senior brother, although there are many pill formulas, the required medicinal materials are hard to find..."
Zhou Sheng was not optimistic, because the elixirs that were still effective for him at his level of cultivation required ingredients that were extremely rare in the world.
Even with the help of the Luo Shu, it would still take a long time to gather all the necessary materials.
"Hehe, as your senior brother, haven't I already prepared everything for you?"
Old Man Niu Shan shook the medicine basket in his hand, which contained various medicinal herbs, such as Ganoderma lucidum, ginseng, cinnabar fruit, and Polygonum multiflorum...
"Senior brother, aren't these years enough?"
"fool!"
Old Man Niu Shan laughed and scolded, "You usually seem quite clever, how come you're so confused again?"
He paused, then prompted, "Does anything like the year mean anything to you?"
Zhou Sheng was stunned, as if waking from a dream.
"You still don't fully understand just how extraordinary your understanding of the Great Dao of Time is."
...(End of this chapter)