Chapter-Four: Everything is.. related
The spring breeze blew gently.
Under the bamboo building, in the courtyard, Ning Chen stood with his eyes closed, his breathing so controlled it was almost imperceptible.
His hands hung naturally at his sides, his legs straight and steady.
Still as a statue, yet prepared to move like a rabbit, his feet pressed firmly into the earth like deeply rooted tree trunks, while his arms swayed gracefully in the breeze, resembling the delicate branches of a weeping willow.
Suddenly, Ning Chen's eyes snapped open, as profound and unfathomable as the deep sea. In a flash, he threw a punch forward, its speed akin to a thunderclap.
"Pah!"
The air burst apart with a sharp sound, pierced by the force of his strike.
The power of the punch resonated so strongly that Ning Chen's ears rang faintly. Yet, rather than discomfort, he felt satisfaction and chuckled lightly:
"I thought the body refining techniques from my previous life were useless here. Who would've thought they'd truly come alive once paired with true essence? It seems true essence can substitute for the 'true qi' I cultivated in my past life! If that's the case, can I use true essence to recreate all the skills I once mastered?"
From a single discovery, Ning Chen deduced an entire theory, piecing together the connections between his past and present.
By applying the body refining methods he had learned in his previous life and substituting true qi with true essence, he concluded that the techniques he once wielded still had relevance and practicality in this new world.
Extrapolating further, he realized that the deadly moves from his previous life might also be reborn through true essence.
In his former life, Ning Chen had been the demon world's supreme leader, a figure who inspired terror across the lands. His name alone could make royal dignitaries and nobles shudder with dread. Naturally, the techniques he had mastered were top-tier, unrivaled in power.
Retrieving the Moonlight Gu from his bosom, Ning Chen allowed its cool surface to rest against his palm. His black eyes reflected a flicker of speculation as he examined it:
"Could it be that, after wandering through countless lifetimes, my will or soul has grown immeasurably stronger?"
Seeking an answer, Ning Chen sent the Moonlight Gu into his empty cavity.
Within the empty cavity, his will transformed into a razor-sharp arrow that surged toward the Moonlight Gu. At the same time, his true essence surged like waves, crashing against the Gu.
As soon as his will made contact with the Moonlight Gu, Ning Chen sensed a faint, subtle will emanating from it—the Gu worm's own consciousness.
*"Gu is the true essence of heaven and earth, and man is the spirit of all things."* Gu worms were living beings, and the essence of refining a Gu worm lay in using the Gu master's will to overpower and destroy the worm's own consciousness. This process, part of the "nourish, use, and refine" principles of Gu Dao, defined the act of refining.
To Ning Chen, the will of the Moonlight Gu was as insignificant as a mayfly challenging a mighty oak. The worm's consciousness perceived Ning Chen's vast and ancient will like a frog trapped in a well glimpsing the infinite moonlit sky above.
Overestimating its own capabilities, the Gu worm's resistance was laughable—like a mantis attempting to block a cart.
Ning Chen couldn't help but smile faintly at the thought, though his smile carried a complex mix of emotions.
He felt joy at proving his theory correct—his thousands of years of experience hadn't been wasted. His lifetime of accumulated knowledge had finally found its place in this world.
Ning Chen immediately urged his will. The sea of true essence descended slowly, like steaming vapor.
It obliterated the Moonlight Gu's will with ease, as though felling a dead tree, and the resistance vanished completely. Ning Chen could now clearly sense the Moonlight Gu. Every subtle movement of the Gu worm was under his control—he had succeeded in refining it.
Looking at his palm, he saw a crescent-shaped silver-white mark that had appeared. He let out a sneer, raised his hand, and held his palm parallel to the ground, aiming at the willow tree in the courtyard.
True essence surged, the sea of true essence within him stirred.
A full moon-like projection shot from his fingertips, fast as a gust of wind. Its condensed, blue-hued light pierced through the air and embedded itself deeply into the trunk of the tree.
Lowering his hand, Ning Chen walked toward the willow tree. Bending closer, he carefully examined the traces left behind by the moon blade's impact.
*Three centimeters deep into the wood!*
A glint of satisfaction flickered in his black eyes.
In a sudden movement, he exerted force through his fingertip.
"Shh~"
With the precision and sharpness of an eagle's claw, his slender fingers tore through the bark effortlessly.
Turning back to look at the tree, he noticed that a piece of bark the size of a human face had vanished, leaving a dent as thick as his finger.
Ning Chen flexed his fingertips, observing carefully. He thought to himself that, without the defensive aid of Gu insects just now, his fingers would likely have sustained injuries from the force.
But as of now, not a single trace of injury remained. This was the power of the body refining method.
With this technique, Ning Chen realized he could dispense with many common Gu insects. Black Pig Gu, White Pig Gu, Copper Skin Gu, and Bone Loss Gu, which were all costly to cultivate for permanent physical enhancement, were no longer necessary.
Though useful, such insects had become redundant for someone with his body refining method. He could achieve the same results with his true essence.
*Primeval Essense* (true essence) was capable of substituting *Qi Energy* (true energy), and the better the quality of the Primeval Essence, the greater its effect.
At this realization, a vision of opportunity unfolded before Ning Chen—a bright and boundless path lay ahead.
Returning to the center of the courtyard, Ning Chen stood quietly. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, allowing the icy air to flow into his lungs before guiding it down to his lower abdomen.
The inhaled air pulled true essence from his empty cavity, spreading it through his limbs, blood vessels, and meridians. It cleansed his tendons, washed his marrow, and strengthened his body.
The warm current flowed from his empty cavity to his internal organs, smoothing the tendons and opening the blocked meridians.
Ning Chen felt the true essence transform into a comforting, warm current that coursed through his body. It was an intensely pleasurable sensation—like soaking in a hot spring. He couldn't help but let out a low growl of contentment.
Once his true essence was expended, Ning Chen began experimenting with a method to restore it. By regulating his breathing, he sought to refine true essence directly from the surrounding air.
Traditionally, there were only two ways to replenish true essence:
1. **Natural absorption**: Allowing the empty cavity to absorb ambient essence slowly over time.
2. **Using Primeval stones**: Primeval stones, crystallized forms of the essence, could significantly expedite true essence refinement.
However, the first method was too slow for Ning Chen, unable to meet his urgent desire for rapid strength. The second method was prohibitively expensive and clashed with his frugal instincts.
Neither method suited him.
And so, Ning Chen created a third method: actively refining true essence from the air.
He inhaled a breath of cold air into his lungs, expelling impurities with each exhale. Swallowing his saliva, he directed the flow to his empty cavity.
With his spiritual consciousness probing the process, he noticed the sea of primeval essence rise incrementally. Suppressing his elation, he repeated the cycle.
The entire courtyard resonated with the sounds of controlled breathing:
"Hoo~"
"Ha~"
After some time, the sea of primeval essence within his empty cavity had been replenished to 50% of its original height. Looking skyward, Ning Chen calculated the time spent:
"This method is remarkable. Restoring my primeval essence only takes one to two hours, far faster than the normal recovery rate. What's even more astonishing is that this technique can be used during combat to replenish vitality while fighting. Its value is immeasurable!"
Ning Chen's sharp, discerning mind immediately recognized the strategic potential of this technique.
In his past life, he had been the unrivaled leader of the demonic path, his abilities honed to perfection. Even in this new world, with the accumulated wisdom of his past life, he was carving out his own path anew.
Primeval essence was undoubtedly the life and blood of mortal Gu Masters. Without it, a Gu Master became defenseless—a lamb awaiting slaughter.
Yet Ning Chen's method overcame this fatal flaw. By recovering true essence mid-battle, he could engage in prolonged combat, relentless pursuits, and drawn-out tug-of-war skirmishes.
The advantages were immense. But as the saying goes:
*"Misfortune hides in blessings, and blessings are born from misfortune."*
With great power came great risk.
This miraculous method was Ning Chen's greatest secret, and it had to remain so. Should it be exposed, the consequences would be catastrophic.
His identity as an outsider, a demon reincarnate, would be unveiled. His physical body would perish, his Dao would dissipate, and his soul would be extinguished.
Even worse, such a revelation could spark an all-out war between the righteous and demonic factions.
The reason was simple: this method had the power to alter the very fabric of the Gu world.
And Ning Chen was certain of one thing—he was the sole individual in this world who knew of it.