34: Chapter 34 The Sutra of Detachment from All Forms

"Those who have received their Cultivation Techniques, return to the original Ascension Platform. We will return together once everyone is assembled." Zhou Zhanpeng sent a sound transmission to the many students, then bowed deeply to the heavily armored Stele Guardian.

"We have troubled you, sir."

The stone rubbing of the dao transmission stele came into Shen Moyan's view.

A vast amount of information concerning the Twisted Immortal Path's Realms poured into his Sea of Consciousness.

The designer of the dao transmission stele was quite ingenious. People of different levels see different upper limits for the Twisted Immortal Path's Realms.

As the stone rubbing reached its highest point, the content written on it became increasingly blurred. With Shen Moyan's current eyesight, he could only see the detailed content up to the Purple Mansion Realm level.

However, he already knew the names of all the Twisted Immortal Path's Realms through the general outline at the very bottom corner of the stone rubbing.

"So that's how it is. The Twisted Immortal Path's Realms: Qi Gathering, Mortal Transformation, Purple Mansion, Guizang, law of tribulation, Inscription Dao, and finally... that which cannot be spoken, cannot be named, neither advancing nor retreating—【Xian】!"

The numerous totems and runes concerning the Qi Gathering, Mortal Transformation, and Purple Mansion Realms were all laid bare before Shen Moyan's eyes.

At that moment, the totems that Shen Moyan was visualizing transformed into tiny human figures, leaping about within his Sea of Consciousness.

"This is..." Shen Moyan was inwardly astonished.

Those tiny figures sat cross-legged in his Sea of Consciousness, their five centers facing the heavens, meditating and breathing rhythmically.

A Cultivation Technique! This is a Cultivation Technique!

The totems and runes Shen Moyan visualized seemed to come alive in his mind, automatically evolving and self-compiling into a complete Cultivation Technique.

How could such a wondrous method exist in this world!

Shen Moyan hurriedly closed his eyes, entering the divine state of an Epiphany.

jade Yang magical power flowed throughout his body. The Origin Qi of his five internal organs surged—azure, yellow, crimson, black, and white—the five colors converged, forming a vortex around him.

Simultaneously, the heavenly demon sword hidden in his sleeve trembled. Using the sword's body as a conduit, a stream of Yin-cold black Qi poured into Shen Moyan's body.

The jade Yang and Profound Abyss energies converged in the Niwan Palace of his brain. The flowing Qi condensed into pearls, one black and one white, the Yin and Yang intertwined.

Shen Moyan suddenly recalled the Cold Ice Fierce Fire Palm he had once practiced. His newly formed personal Cultivation Technique coincided with it in terms of Yin-Yang balance.

Perhaps the operating principle of the dao transmission stele is to expand upon one's original foundation, transforming the Mortal into the Immortal.

His five viscera and six bowels, his limbs and bones, and all the apertures throughout his body were pulled and connected by the two energies in the Niwan Palace, resonating in unison.

After a long while, the Cultivation Technique unique to him was successfully compiled and completed.

[The 'Scripture of Severing All Manifestations' has been written to Bookmarks (can be expanded for viewing)]

[Scripture of Severing All Manifestations (Current Upper Limit: Purple Mansion Realm)]

Manifestations are what the six senses perceive: what the eyes see, the ears hear, the nose smells, the tongue tastes, the body feels, and the mind thinks.

All manifestations are illusory. Due to the limitations of the senses and biases in self-perception, even the perceptions of Divine Sense can produce manifestations.

This scripture severs all manifestations, placing the Cultivator in a state of absolute objectivity and absolute rationality.

When cultivated to Major Achievement, all illusions and all bewitching arts will have no effect on the Cultivator.

Cultivating this scripture does not require the Cultivator to withdraw from the world. Instead, it is about engaging with manifestations while remaining detached from them in daily life, maintaining an unstained mind and an unchanged original intent, balancing the Cultivator's awareness with their attachments.

Shen Moyan opened his eyes, slowly exhaling a long breath, feeling a lingering sense of wonder.

The blessings brought by the dao transmission stele are truly miraculous.

It could actually compile a unique, one-of-a-kind Cultivation Technique tailored to a Cultivator's current state.

"Speaking of which, the shadow cycle of the dao transmission stele's main body is approaching." Zhou Zhanpeng stood nearby, sighing with emotion.

"The Dao Shade will envelop Langya Prefecture in thirty or forty years. By then, every Mortal in Langya Prefecture will receive a Cultivation Technique guaranteed to reach at least the early Mortal Transformation stage."

"Back when Jiang Zhiqiu received his technique in the academy, he wasn't any less excited than you are now." Zhou Zhanpeng said with a melancholic expression, lost in memories.

When people reach a certain age, they tend to reminisce.

A century of nurturing talent, and Jiang Zhiqiu can be considered a success among his disciples.

"What a pity. Why did he have to participate in the Prefecture Level Examination and enter the Holy Court? Wouldn't it have been better to live out his days peacefully as a Loose Cultivator?"

Shen Moyan nodded. After exchanging pleasantries, they returned to the Gao Sheng Platform and descended back to the ground... to Kongsang Prefecture, the Cen Family residence.

Activating the Concealment Art and with a concealment talisman attached to his body, Shen Moyan transformed into a fleeting streak of light and secretly slipped back into Cen Zhiyuan's side room.

With his magical power solidified, he pretended to have just achieved a Breakthrough and walked out of the side room.

The servants saw him and hurriedly reported. Upon receiving the news, Cen Gewu rushed over to greet him.

"Your business deal succeeded. The Family Head wishes to see you."

Shen Moyan nodded and followed him to the main hall of the Cen Family.

"Zhiyuan, the merit you have established this time is enough to be recorded in the commercial history of the Cen Family!" Cen Jing, the head of the Cen Family, sat upright in the main seat. Dressed in gold-woven brocade robes, a Jade Pendant symbolizing authority hung at his waist. His tone was full of praise.

"Serving the Family is the duty of every clansman." Shen Moyan bowed respectfully, his expression humble, perfectly masking the thoughts in his eyes.

Cen Jing clapped his hands with a laugh and gestured for Shen Moyan to approach.

Cen Gewu, standing to the side, held an ancient-looking wooden box. Its body was carved with intricate cloud patterns. The moment it was opened, a surge of pure Spiritual Qi wafted out.

Inside the box, lined with green velvet, were three sheets of lustrous cloud-patterned spiritual paper, a stick of black Profound Iron Ink, and a small booklet with a cover that read 'Secret Records of Paper Cutting'.

"This is my Cen Family's secret art: Paper Cutting to Form Humans."

"The prosperity of my Cen Family today, with our business spanning across Langya Prefecture, is all due to this art." Cen Jing's voice boomed.

"This Spirit Paper is made from three-hundred-year-old spirit bamboo. The Spirit Ink is blended with low-grade spirit materials. Combined with the incantations from the 'Secret Records of Paper Cutting', one can cut paper to form humans."

"These paper figures can run errands for you, gather information, and are difficult to trace. They will be of great benefit to you in managing commercial affairs."

Shen Moyan's heart stirred. This art perfectly suited his next steps.

Feigning pleasant surprise, he bowed and accepted the wooden box: "Thank you for your great favor, Family Head. Zhiyuan will spare no effort, dedicating himself to making the Cen Family bigger, stronger, and more glorious!"

After Shen Moyan left carrying the wooden box, Cen Jing's smile gradually faded. He turned to Cen Gewu beside him and said:

"Have you found out this person's true origins?"

Cen Gewu lowered his gaze: "Reporting to the Family Head, not yet."

"His evasion techniques are superior, his concealment and disguise skills are exceptional. The outsiders monitoring him outside the Cen Family didn't even notice he had left the compound."

When Shen Moyan left midway, the Cen Family Token on him naturally left the Cen Family's protective formation, triggering an alert.

If Cen Gewu hadn't been checking Shen Moyan's whereabouts daily, he might not have discovered that Shen Moyan had secretly slipped out of the Cen Family under the pretext of seclusion.

A Family member, sneaking out of his own home?

And that Mortal Transformation Realm cultivation base... this 'Cen Zhiyuan' is definitely hiding something.

"No matter who this person is, or what he aims to accomplish using Cen Zhiyuan's identity, he has brought a significant business deal to my Cen Family." Cen Jing stroked his beard, his gaze profound.

The 'Cen Zhiyuan' impersonated by Shen Moyan connected the Cen Family with the Construction and Maintenance Department, a background that inevitably invites deep speculation.

But in commerce, the more friends, the better. As for the original Cen Zhiyuan, a minor branch Family member... dead is dead. Cen Jing would rather have Shen Moyan, a Mortal Transformation Realm expert, as a clansman of his Cen Family.

"My Cen Family's secret art, though not without its flaws, was passed down by the Old Ancestor. It is something many can only yearn for but never obtain."

"The cloud-patterned spiritual paper and Profound Iron Ink given to him both bear the unique mark of my Cen Family. Even a Purple Mansion Realm expert could be tracked."

"I don't believe he won't be tempted."

"Only by uncovering the background behind this person can we slowly devise plans to broaden my Cen Family's commercial reach."

Hearing this, Cen Gewu hurriedly lowered his head:

"The Family Head is wise."

...Through the Earth Hearing Ear, Shen Moyan heard every word of the conversation between Cen Jing and Cen Gewu.

"A poisoned reward, wanting to track and monitor me?"

"Old fox, you underestimate the people of this world."

He grinned, then left the cloud-patterned spiritual paper, the Profound Iron Ink, and the Cen Family Token inside the side room, preventing these items from triggering any alerts or tracking.

Memorizing the contents of the 'Secret Records of Paper Cutting' and leaving a Six Senses Firefly outside the side room, Shen Moyan transformed into a streak of escaping light and left the Cen Family once again.