A stone from another mountain may be used to polish jade; seek the Dao in jade, and one may touch the divine.
Chen Kuang held the unassuming, ancient jade in his hand, its luster withdrawn and quiet. As he reviewed the information that had entered his mind upon receiving it, he already understood its function.
In this world, cultivators refer to naturally or artificially refined magical artifacts as Mystic Spiritual Treasures.
And this Divine Mountain Borrowing Jade was precisely such a Mystic Spiritual Treasure. As for its exact grade or tier, Chen Kuang, as a clueless little Qi Opening Realm rookie, was completely in the dark and understood nothing.
Judging by her attitude, Shen Xingzhu probably didn't feel the need to explain it to him either.
But Chen Kuang didn't care. All he needed to know was this: this jade was absolutely enough to save his life.
"Divine Mountain Borrowing Jade, like a gentleman being honed and polished."
This jade was the foreign stone used for mutual tempering and refinement.
Simply by placing the jade into one's mouth, letting it soak in one's spiritual fluids, and silently chanting the incantation, one could temporarily borrow another's Divine Ability and cultivation as one's own.
However, since this was something meant for gentlemen, it naturally didn't allow theft without permission.
To borrow someone's power, one had to gain their consent.
And within this jade, Shen Xingzhu had already imprinted a strand of her primordial spirit, her authorization.
This was the lifesaving trump card she had left him.
It was likely the full extent of the compromise she was willing to make. If he expected anything more from her... he was probably out of luck.
Chen Kuang rubbed the spirit jade between his fingers. His expression turned strange for a moment, and a somewhat indecent thought emerged in his mind.
Since this was originally Shen Xingzhu's, and the way to use it is to place it in the mouth...
Did she also... put it in her mouth before?
"No, probably not."
Chen Kuang shook his head, denying his own suspicion, and muttered to himself:
"She's a grandmaster. Her cultivation path must've been smooth sailing from the start, why would she need a tool like this?"
Common folk say: A strong wind may help me soar to the heavens.
But a peerless prodigy like Shen Xingzhu would say: Forget the wind, I'll fly to the Ninth Heaven on my own.
It was just bad luck that today she ran into a complete lunatic.
A single crack in her words, and her Dao heart had been shattered,resulting in a brutal, resounding fall.
Chen Kuang pulled back his grin and let his gaze grow calm.
This wasn't a moment for gloating. What he had gained was just a slight increase in his chance of surviving. His situation was still precarious, balancing on a knife's edge.
Because the greatest threat wasn't here on the ground.
It was up there, in the vast starry sky!
If the Saint up there descended, not even this jade could protect him.
He exhaled deeply.
This is really... just too hard.
Starting out in a high-powered cultivation world as a normal person was already hell mode and he'd gone and triggered the final boss straight out of the starter village.
Even though he now had a sliver of hope, that hope was like a spider's thread dangled by the Buddha, one misstep and it would snap.
What happened with Shen Xingzhu was a perfect reminder.
In this world of terrifying power, even intangible concepts could kill.
Even someone like Shen Xingzhu, a grandmaster without blemish, half a step into the upper realms, could fall into ruin with a single lapse in judgment.
Let alone someone like Chen Kuang, who only began cultivating at the age of nineteen.
Once I escape... I'm definitely finding a quiet hole to lie low in...
Chen Kuang muttered inwardly.
After all, with his status panel, even the smallest actions could apparently earn him new passive abilities.
He still didn't know what that old bastard Huo Hengxuan had up his sleeve.
He'd tried to feel things out earlier, but after being pestered, Huo Hengxuan had just tossed him a single number:
Three.
Whether that meant three days, three people, or just payback for calling him a "little bastard" three times, it was impossible to tell.
The only thing that was clear was that Chen Kuang could not escape on his own.
So all he could do was wait for Huo Hengxuan to act.
Looking around, Chu Wenruo and Huo Hengxuan still hadn't moved. Chen Kuang shook his head and decided to cultivate on his own.
Spiritual Energy could be refined with the Fetal Breathing Technique, but the body had to be trained using the Mud-Forged Gold Body Technique.
And this was more than just a body-refinement method, it was also a martial cultivation technique!
Each "Aspect" corresponded to a combat move. Once mastered, the user's body would become indestructible, with movements resounding like gold and jade, with power enough to shatter mountains and split stone.
Thanks to the passive "Martial Arts Prodigy", Chen Kuang had just reached the Second Aspect, "White Lotus Rebirth", a lotus mark faintly appearing between his brows.
Only when this lotus mark fully formed would the aspect be considered complete.
By then, with every strike, a tyrannical force would bloom like a lotus flower, capable of instantly shattering an opponent's body.
Savage in the extreme.
As for the First Aspect, "Descent from Tusita Heaven", it was a charging stance.
By taking on an extremely relaxed posture, it allowed triple-force accumulation, while also dulling the enemy's senses. If chained into the Second Aspect, the results would be devastating.
At first, Chen Kuang had been confused, this was clearly a Buddhist technique, yet its combat style was so ferocious and violent.
But after reviewing Huo Hengxuan's own insights, he finally grasped the true meaning:
Deliverance of all beings is the Buddha's job. As for me, a humble disciple of the Buddha, my task is to send you straight to the Buddha.
Suffice it to say, that's one way to be "profound in Buddhist nature."
If the Buddha had consciousness, he'd probably be laughing along while tapping "1" in chat.
But what Chen Kuang was more curious about was, from Huo Hengxuan's direct experience...
This infamous "Slaughter God" of Liang, a man with at least hundreds of thousands of deaths on his hands, was... actually a genuine Buddhist disciple?!
Previously, he thought Huo Hengxuan had just stolen the technique from some dead monk.
As it turns out, the guy himself was from a Buddhist sect.
"You don't need to rush the second aspect," came Huo Hengxuan's raspy, aged voice, interrupting Chen Kuang's thoughts. "With your talent, comprehension isn't the problem, patience is. Only through countless trials and strikes can one split stone and reveal jade."
"You should spend more time on the first aspect. Only now have I realized... even all seven later aspects combined aren't worth a fraction of the first."
"There's no need for you to repeat the mistakes of those who came before."
He paused, and his expression turned faintly bitter.
"Back then... if I hadn't chased power so recklessly, maybe things would have ended differently."
Back then?
Chen Kuang blinked, sensing a whiff of gossip as he turned curiously to the weary old man.
But unfortunately, Huo Hengxuan had no intention of elaborating any further.
He suddenly changed the subject, his gaze sharpening:
"Boy, who was here just now?"
Chen Kuang was about to answer, when his brow furrowed. He glanced at Huo Hengxuan in confusion.
Wait a minute... the Black Armored Guards were still monitoring them!
Why was the old bastard suddenly talking so freely?
His heart jolted.
Ever since Huo Hengxuan started speaking, he'd shown zero caution, not even bothering to hide the fact that Chen Kuang was cultivating.
But before, he wouldn't even exchange idle chatter, for fear of being overheard!
Unless..
Chen Kuang's breath caught.
The Black Armored Guard was no longer a concern!
Seeing his subtle change in expression, Huo Hengxuan grinned, bloodshot eyes gleaming:
"From this moment on, there's no need to talk in riddles anymore."
...
"Immortal Shen, it's late. What are you doing outside?"
The speaker was Qingcuo, the Black Armored Guard.
"I observed the stars tonight and noticed a shift in fate," Shen Xingzhu replied calmly. "I was unsettled and came out to clear my mind."
She looked at Qingcuo, her tone light. "Has General Li returned?"
Qingcuo nodded. "She has. She's in the command tent, some soldier made a mistake. She's furious."
Shen Xingzhu said nothing. As she passed by Qingcuo, she suddenly stopped.
"I remember... there were two Black Armor Guards assigned to the prison. Where's the other one?"
"Immortal Shen's memory is excellent," Qingcuo replied evenly, staring at the black-robed woman.
"That man took advantage of General Li's absence and, as a cultivator, disregarded military law, he led troops to the mortal district to plunder."
"If not for a report, the consequences would've been unthinkable."