txolops Chapter 20 Food Luck
Chapter 20 Food Luck
The moment Fang Yuanming died, Fang Chen in the quiet room suddenly opened his eyes.
In the void, a cloud of energy descended following a mysterious connection, entering the ancestral aperture between the eyebrows and sinking into the sea of consciousness and spiritual platform.
The mind is like an inkstone, its whiskers accumulating over the years.
The moment the cloud of energy entered his body, the Earth Immortal Daoist techniques began to operate on their own, refining it into strands of pure magical power. His spiritual power rapidly reached its peak, equivalent to several years of arduous cultivation. It even faintly permeated his entire body, connecting the seven major chakras, and manifesting a seemingly real yet illusory, radiant phantom in his sea of consciousness...
Indeed—the seven souls manifest!
Taoist secret texts record:
Taoism says that humans have seven souls, each with a name. The first is Corpse Dog, the second is Hidden Arrow, the third is Sparrow Shade, the fourth is Devourer, the fifth is Non-Poison, the sixth is Purifying, and the seventh is Foul Lung.
The cultivation stages of the Earth Immortal Path are: [Seal Establishment of the Spiritual Platform], [Condensation of True Seals], and [Connection with the Earth and Spirits]. The pursuit of the Realm of Condensing True Seals is to condense the three seals of Heaven, Earth, and Man!
For example, once the Human Seal is completed, Fang Chen can connect the three souls and seven spirits, making him comparable to the Three Souls Master of the Ghost Immortal Path... That's why Ghost Immortals are actually considered the inferior level of the Five Immortal Paths.
This is because the painstaking cultivation required to connect the seven spirits, condense the three souls, and even separate the Yin spirit from the body is merely a matter of course for the cultivators of the other four immortal paths.
There is no such thing as fairness in this world. The difference in the path of cultivation alone almost determines a cultivator's lifelong achievements!
However, Fang Chen was not surprised by this, otherwise why would he call it a superior Daoist method?
What truly surprised him was that this cloud of mist, which descended out of nowhere, was even purer than the essence of the sun and moon in this world, and the rare spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It directly transformed into cultivation, saving him years of arduous cultivation.
What is this? Where does it come from? It surpasses even the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and can directly enhance one's cultivation!
Fang Chen carefully observed the cloud on the spiritual platform. It was grayish-white mixed with milky white, with a hint of pink in the center. Recalling his previous experience, could it be the luck on Fang Yuanming's body?
In this world, this curse can not only steal a person's life force, but also their fortune.
But fate is mysterious, unpredictable, and can be described as formless and invisible.
Now, not only can it condense into a physical form, but it can also be devoured by people. Cultivators can even improve their cultivation through this.
Fang Chen frowned deeply.
According to the Daoist Canon of Zhengyang, fortune is something that ordinary people cannot touch, nor does it belong to any living being.
Because fortune is formless, intangible, and infinitesimal, and can alter the pattern of heaven and earth, drive the change of the times, and create the birth of heroes, immortals, and gods, its true essence is the origin of a region!
Living beings are merely vessels to contain us, not our true masters; hence the saying, "When fortune smiles, heaven and earth lend their strength; when fortune turns, even heroes are powerless."
Even the most powerful beings who have achieved immortality through the dissolution of their bodies, attained the status of gods and immortals, or even ancient gods and demons comparable to human immortals, will perish in an instant if rejected by heaven and earth, facing calamity, or having their fortune stolen. Their bodies will die, their paths will dissipate, and their souls will be scattered.
Only cultivators on the Path of Celestial Immortality, who reach the highest level, can refine all tangible and intangible forces into a single breath of true qi, including the mysterious fortune, and thus truly master their own destiny.
Or, one can ascend to the fifth realm of the Earthly Immortal path, where one is in charge of the fate of all living beings in a region. From then on, one can ward off disasters and pray for blessings, with fortune and misfortune determined by one's own heart, and only then can one transcend this limitation.
In other words, refining one's destiny is something only a great being of the Heaven and Earth Immortal Path can accomplish.
However, the fortune of this world can not only condense into a physical form, but also be refined by ordinary cultivators...
Even more bizarrely, fortune, which is the origin of heaven and earth, should be formless and intangible, integrated into the operation of the universe. Yet now it can be forcibly stripped away and transformed into something purer than the ancient spiritual energy, for cultivators to devour...
The implications of this are truly chilling.
Fang Chen immediately composed himself and dared not delve further.
After all, such a mystery must be a great secret of this world. Once it is touched, it may attract the attention of a powerful being, who will then unleash divine retribution. This area within a thousand miles may be reduced to ashes in an instant!
"This matter is beyond our current understanding, yet it also presents an opportunity." Fang Chen had also considered this point. "I was initially worried that this world had entered the Dharma-ending Age, making spiritual energy and treasures hard to find, but now I've discovered that we can directly intercept and refine its fortune... Could it be that in the future, I should strive for the position of Imperial Preceptor?"
If one has enough good fortune, one might be able to break through in one fell swoop and become comparable to the True Lord of Yang.
At that time, even in the present-day Dao City of the Five Turbid World, one can ascend to the floating immortal island, transcend the shackles of blood tax, and look down upon all living beings in the mortal world!
"It seems that from now on, we should unite the people and gather our fortune in order to advance our cultivation..."
With a single thought, Fang Chen returned to his spiritual platform, silently circulating his profound energy to slowly refine the cloud of fortune in his sea of consciousness.
……
The next day, in the courtyard.
Fang Chen's complexion had regained some color, and he was currently practicing standing meditation in the courtyard, stretching his muscles and bones, and transforming the essence he had gained from his morning meal into vital energy to repair his body that had been ravaged by wine and women.
The housekeeper on the side provided meticulous guidance.
He had immersed himself in martial arts for decades, and his muscles and bones had long been honed to perfection. If it weren't for his advanced age, which made it difficult to generate true energy, he would have long been among the elders of the family. However, he was quite adept at instructing people on health-preserving boxing techniques and strengthening their foundation.
"Young Master's breathing and energy flow... are truly continuous and uninterrupted!" Butler Fang could not hide his astonishment.
Usually, only those who have cultivated martial arts to a high level, grasped the key points of the whole body, and integrated the strength of the skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and internal organs into one, and used the Qi to connect the acupoints throughout the body, cleansing impurities and nourishing the original source, can reach this state.
Unexpectedly, the young master...
Could it be that he was divinely ordained, or that he was the reincarnation of a powerful being in his previous life?
Fang Chen smiled calmly.
With my improved cultivation last night, what difficulty is there in controlling this mere mortal body?
Butler Fang watched him practice his boxing for a while, but his mind was still preoccupied with the events of the previous night, and he hesitated several times before speaking.
Finally, he spoke:
"Young Master, last night..."
"It's alright." Fang Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. "This matter has been resolved."
Butler Fang looked puzzled and was about to ask a question.
Suddenly, a commotion was heard outside the courtyard.
Before long, Steward Wu, who was in charge of the clan's affairs, hurriedly entered the gate, led by his servant Fang Xia.
Upon seeing Fang Chen's figure, he immediately cried out in sorrow:
"It's terrible, young master! The patriarch... has passed away!"
What?!
Butler Fang's expression changed drastically as he immediately recalled the events of the previous night. Could it be...?
He suddenly looked at Fang Chen, only to see that the cold smile on Fang Chen's face had vanished as he turned away.
Instead, there was a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and disbelief, which eventually transformed into a sudden realization. Overwhelmed with grief yet unable to accept it, the grief ultimately manifested as a face filled with sorrow and eyes bulging with unbearable pain.
"How...how could this be? My godfather was always healthy, how could he...how could he suddenly pass away?! You must be lying to me! You must be lying to me!!!"
His grief-stricken expression and poignant words truly moved people.
Steward Wu, who had come on the elder's orders and harbored some doubts, now had them all dissipated and sighed inwardly:
"Elder, you are overthinking it. Such pure filial piety cannot be faked. It's unexpected that Young Master Fang Chen, though usually a dissolute and frivolous young master, indulging in wine and women, shows such deep respect and love for the family head… Truly a loving father and filial son, it's truly moving!"