8: Chapter 8 Proverbs to Break Through Illusions

"Indeed, the voice I heard when I crossed the planes back then was my Heart Demon."

Shen Moyan was firmly convinced of this.

There are no Heart Demons without cause. He surmised it was born from the frustration and vexation of his three lifetimes of fruitlessly seeking immortality.

At this moment, on Danxu Peak, Shen Moyan held the handwritten notes of the Cultivation Technique in his hands, carefully reading and savoring them.

"Marvelous! Truly ineffably marvelous!"

"This 'Azure Wood Longevity Art' is indeed a genuine longevity Cultivation Technique!"

After attempting to guide Qi into his body, Shen Moyan was ecstatic.

That Apothecary Liang had said he possessed a Wood Spiritual Root. Although his bone structure was aged, it had been tempered by martial True Qi to be as solid as rock, perfectly aligning with the 'Azure Wood Longevity Art,' allowing for twice the result with half the effort in cultivation.

"Cultivating immortality, refining Qi... it's actually this simple!"

He lived in a bamboo hut on Danxu Peak, beginning to absorb Spiritual Qi every day before dawn.

The mnemonic chants of the 'Azure Wood Longevity Art' were abstruse yet exquisite. As he circulated them, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged into his body like a tide, transforming into gentle Wood-attribute spiritual power along his Meridians.

In less than ten days, even the white hair at Shen Moyan's temples sprouted a few strands of black, his aged body seeming to regain new life.

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At night, after finishing a day of cultivation and carefully pondering his experiences since his Ascension, Shen Moyan's smile gradually froze on his face.

A question arose.

How could he, Shen Moyan, possess a Spiritual Root?

They were clearly people from different planes, yet they could speak the same language and understand the same meanings.

Shen Moyan found this extremely strange.

How could there be such a coincidence in this world?

"What is going on?"

"Also, I don't recognize a single character written in the 'Azure Wood Longevity Art,' yet I can actually understand it?"

"Even my [Otherworld Visitor] achievement only speeds up adaptation to new things, it's not immediate adaptation."

"But I could immediately converse with the people of this world?"

The more Shen Moyan thought about it, the more horrified he became.

It was as if a certain rule was compelling him to understand this world's Cultivation Techniques.

No!

This is very wrong!

Shen Moyan's hands felt empty. Looking at the cloth strips still wrapped around his hand, he seemed to remember something.

The next day, Shen Moyan hurried to the Pill Hall to find Apothecary Liang.

"Senior, I wonder if you saw a sword in my hand when I was brought back?"

"A sword? What sword? There was no sword," Apothecary Liang looked at Shen Moyan with a strange expression.

"That sword is very important to me. If Senior knows anything, please do inform me," Shen Moyan said without changing his expression, looking at the stooped old man before him.

"Oh, perhaps those two Outer Sect Disciples took it. Wait here, I'll go check," Apothecary Liang said, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing from the spot.

Seeing Apothecary Liang's reaction, Shen Moyan's heart sank.

A mere mundane remnant sword, something that would make cultivation Disciples flock to it, secretly withhold it, and not return it to him?

How could that be possible?!

Shen Moyan now felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He quickly returned to the bamboo hut, silently calling out in his heart:

"As I Have Written!!!"

[True Name: Shen Moyan]

[Race: Human Race]

[Realm: Peak of the Mortal Realm (Martial Arts) / Qi Refining (old immortal dao)]

[Current Lifespan: 1080 years (ginseng state)]

[Current Skills: 'Azure Wood Longevity Art' (old immortal dao, State Abnormal), 'Startling Swan Sword Art' (Self-Created), 'Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill' (Physical Body Abnormal), 'Ziyang True Art' (Self-Created, Perfection)...]

"The demonic dao prospers... the Immortal Dao is dead... cultivation..."

"...is doomed?"

Shen Moyan repeatedly muttered these words, recalling the grief-stricken and indignant words of that unknown existence when he broke through the boundary during his Ascension.

At this moment, he finally had a sudden realization.

Those twelve words were like a curse, causing Shen Moyan's head to feel as if it would split open. The world before his eyes gradually blurred.

Crack!—

The scene before him abruptly twisted and shattered!

The bamboo hut shrouded in immortal mist turned into a cold, damp stone chamber. The gentle Spiritual Qi transformed into a pungent medicinal odor.

Everything was an illusion!!!

The startling swan sword never left Shen Moyan's side; even when he had just climbed the cliff, it was bound to his hand with cloth strips. It absolutely could not have suddenly disappeared!

Now, Shen Moyan slowly opened his eyes. Looking down at himself, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat from fright.

What he saw now was no longer human in any way.

His hands had become translucent white root stalks, his body was a plump ginseng body, and a few tender yellow new leaves sprouted from his head.

Shen Moyan's entire being was soaking in a White Jade Basin carved with talismanic symbols. A brown liquid in the basin continuously nourished his body.

And ginseng similar to him were neatly placed in White Jade Basins, arranged in rows on shelves! There were so many they stretched as far as the eye could see!

At the end of the neat rows of ginseng jade basins, Apothecary Liang stood with his back to Shen Moyan, fiddling with a pile of humanoid wooden plants.

"These human essence ginseng, forced to maturity using the 'Azure Wood Longevity Art,' an old immortal dao method, have Spiritual Qi more mellow than ordinary thousand-year ginseng," Apothecary Liang's voice was full of greed.

"In three days, it will be Venerable Zixu's 800th birthday banquet. Presenting these will allow this old man to climb onto the high branch of the Biyang Sword Sect's inner circle."

Suddenly, sensing something, he turned to look in Shen Moyan's direction.

"Abso..." Shen Moyan was horrified, about to shout 'As I Have Written' to end this life.

At that moment, beside the medicine cabinet holding Shen Moyan, the stone chamber's door exploded with a bang, dust billowing. Two young men in gray robes, holding swords, strode in boldly.

Immediately after, a cold light pierced through the dust, shooting straight towards Apothecary Liang.

The neat medicine cabinets collapsed with a crash. Shen Moyan's consciousness was affected by the overwhelming Sword Intent.

"Old Liang! You shameless old bastard!"

He Liang and Ji Yu barged into the Pill Hall, furious.

He Liang waved his large sleeve, a pulling force gathering the many ginseng on the medicine cabinet, including Shen Moyan, all into his sleeve.

"The Wondrous Rhyme from Beyond the Heavens is a rare encounter. We two Senior Brothers merely asked for your help in nurturing it. Yet you intended to present this true treasure without consulting us, behind our backs?"

He Liang and Ji Yu blocked the door left and right, cutting off Apothecary Liang's retreat.

But before they could take their next action, several brilliant Sword Qi erupted from beneath their feet, instantly piercing their bodies.

Then, black chains rose from below, imprisoning the two of them.

It was a Formation! A pre-prepared Formation!

"Gentlemen, calm your anger."

Apothecary Liang wore a smile at the corner of his mouth, having long been prepared for their sudden attack.

When these two had first sought him out, he thought they were joking.

After all, the Wondrous Rhyme from Beyond the Heavens was something needed by those great figures in the Purple Mansion Realm for cultivating Divine Abilities, far too distant from minor characters like them.

But when they brought Shen Moyan before him and Apothecary Liang examined him, he was utterly shocked.

Such precious human material, whether for nourishing the soul or used as medicinal pills, was a once-in-a-thousand-years find!

Thus, Apothecary Liang naturally conceived a scheme of his own.

"Don't worry, you two. When the time comes, this old man will put in a good word for you at the Venerable's birthday banquet."

Though his words said this, Apothecary Liang sized up the two, his old eyes narrowing slightly. In his heart, he was planning to find a suitable opportunity to silence them without arousing suspicion from other sect members.

He slowly raised his hand, leisurely approaching He Liang, preparing to retrieve the human essence ginseng from his sleeve.

Suddenly, the firmly trapped He Liang's eyes flickered. He opened his mouth and spat out a cloud of sinister Yin Qi that enveloped the entire pill chamber.

Apothecary Liang frowned slightly, waved his large hand, and swept the Yin Qi away.

The spot where the two had been was now empty.

Moreover, everything on all the medicine cabinets had also been taken.

"Thieves! Return my ginseng!"

Apothecary Liang's veins bulged, his old face contorted with fury.