Could this "phone" have been a tool used for cultivation in the Old Era? What exactly had happened in the Old Era? If it had really been that incredible, why had there still been a break in history? Having seen the "phone's" self-defense mechanism before, Ji Qinglin guessed that its other functions were just as extraordinary.
He first opened Thousand Mile Network. Its icon showed several little heads linked together.
But since he had reset the phone, there were no contacts inside.
The second item, Cloud Qi Sea, had an icon of a little figure raising both hands to the sky, like Sun Wukong gathering a Spirit Bomb in the Dragon Ball he had watched as a child. But it required registration, so Ji Qinglin backed out and opened Divine Sense Observation beside it first.
Its icon was a pair of sharp yet seemingly gentle eyes staring back at him. Nothing seemed wrong with that—weren't they his own eyes? Opening it confirmed his guess. Divine Sense Observation seemed to be a camera, with his own eyes serving as the viewpoint.
Yet beneath Divine Sense Observation in his vision were not categories like "Professional," "Portrait," "Plants," and "Video" found on ordinary cameras.
Instead, there were unfamiliar categories such as "Discern Dao," "Face Reading," "Soul Hooking," and "Star Gazing." Furthermore, he could not access the permissions for Face Reading, Soul Hooking, or Star Gazing. Only Discern Dao was currently usable.
After trying to scan his surroundings several times, a small prompt appeared on the interface:
"Sorry, no learnable content detected."
Discern Dao meant learning? Since it said Eternal Dao Heart, the learning material most likely referred to cultivation techniques. He would have to scan someone using a technique to test it.
Lastly, Ji Qinglin opened the Big Dipper Map, whose icon was the Big Dipper, but the screen within was completely blank.
"Please scan and input a map."
Well, damn. He had to map the place himself?
Curiously, he swept his gaze around the room, and the Big Dipper Map before his eyes soon gained a partial terrain map of the interior.
The map recorded things quickly enough, though he had no idea what use it had.
Ji Qinglin tried marking the courtyard entrance he had just recorded. The moment the thought of "depart" formed in his mind, a route guide appeared on the map.
Before Ji Qinglin could inspect it carefully, his feet had already moved on their own. In three strides that became two, he reached the door, kicked off the step with his rear foot, vaulted over it, and landed swiftly and accurately on the spot he had marked in the courtyard.
"Hiss, this thing is pretty interesting."
Just now, his body had moved with his intent. He had not felt as though he had lost control of himself, yet those crisp, efficient movements had not entirely been made by him either. It was like driving a car with an assistance system enabled: he was still the one at the wheel, but everything was exceptionally smooth, as if there were no resistance at all.
Four words surfaced in Ji Qinglin's mind: Riding the Wind.
But recalling his movements just now, they had still been far too simple and ordinary. It probably was not that. The Big Dipper Map had classifications for movement methods: his current type was Intelligent Selection, followed by Body, Technique, and Consciousness.
Consciousness worked too? Wouldn't that mean he could truly move wherever his thoughts reached, like an immortal? Or would only his soul fly away while his corpse dropped to the ground?
He had not learned any techniques yet, so the latter options were all grayed out. He could only rely on his body's capabilities to move.
But what would happen if the map changed? With that thought, Ji Qinglin moved a chair into the courtyard and placed some mechanical junk in front of the door.
This time, Ji Qinglin did not update the map. When he set off along the same route again, his movement changed. He stepped over the chair in his path, his feet shifting rapidly through gaps in the mechanical junk, before finally leaping into the air and landing inside the room.
The movement technique was simple, but he had truly avoided every obstacle without touching a single one. Clearly, the Big Dipper Map had an automatic avoidance function.
If it worked on objects, it would surely work on people too. Combined with a movement technique, it would be quite a good means of escaping with one's life.
But his body differed from that of ordinary Qi Practitioners. To learn techniques, he might need to use Divine Sense Observation from earlier.
After a simple round of testing, he had gained quite a lot. Ji Qinglin felt a weight lift from his heart, thankful that he had not separated and sold off the strange "phone" he carried with him.
After cleaning up all afternoon and running back and forth, hunger gradually came over him. Ji Qinglin carefully tucked the booklet into a book, stored it separately, and went to fill his stomach first.
Though the old city district of Xin Dong Street was half a slum, it brimmed with the breath of daily life. The aroma of dinner mixed with ordinary lamplight, making the aging neighborhood seem vibrant and alive. Many streetlights were broken, yet there was no shortage of children playing and chasing one another in the streets.
Besides food, Ji Qinglin bought some everyday necessities from nearby shops. For the next few days, he would likely be staying here to continue searching and researching.
Never mind whether those materials contained anything else of value—these four functions alone were worth studying for quite some time.
Only after finishing his meal and tidying up the bedroom did Ji Qinglin notice that Yu Ye had called him five times.
He had only been gone for one day, right?
Good thing he had not truly gone into secluded cultivation. Otherwise, he would sooner or later suffer a Cultivation Deviation.
With no other choice, he initiated a holographic video call. Yu Ye looked to be in good condition. Her complexion was much rosier than when he had left, though her willow brows were faintly furrowed and she bit lightly on her red lips, seeming somewhat anxious.
"What's wrong, Yu Ye?"
"Master, Coal Boss is gone!"
"Huh?"
Coal Boss, who was eating takeout fried rice on the table, turned its head at those words and flapped its wings as though saying, I'm right here.
"You took Coal Boss with you?"
"It hadn't been out for a while. I brought it out to get some air."
"Whew, why didn't you say so? I thought someone had captured it."
Breaking into the heavily guarded Ji's General Store just to capture a crow? Wouldn't it be easier to buy a chicken? "Shouldn't you be at Bixin Hall?"
"This disciple can already move about freely. I was worried, so I came back to take a look."
"Worried? Were you afraid your master would pack up and run away?"
"How could that be? This disciple was merely worried that Master would have no one to care for him while cultivating at home."
"This filial devotion is enough. Remember to cultivate your foundational techniques properly. Your master will be staying here for a while longer. Do not disturb me lightly unless there is something important."
Seeing that her master truly was in his room rather than outside disposing of corpses, Yu Ye's hanging heart finally settled.
"This disciple understands. Also, President Lei Qiong said that in a couple of days, she would send a Skill Transfer Disciple to teach me the foundational techniques."
"It is good to have someone guide you, but one must not lack the heart to guard against others. Your information has already been entered into the General Store's security system. So long as it is not a Sect Leader Grandmaster, and you do not leave the General Store, the shop's security system can keep you safe without worry."
"Yes, Master."
So this heartless master who had thrown her here alone, not even leaving behind a bird, still cared about her safety after all.
After ending the call, Yu Ye sat behind the General Store counter in a daze for a while. They had already spent four days together, yet this master of hers, who did things in a manner unlike anyone else, was truly impossible to read.
Earlier, she had thought he did not trust her enough. Yet now, after installing superb meridians for her, he had directly thrown the entire General Store into her hands as well.
No, he must still have been angry over what happened that day. In a fit of anger, he had simply left everything for her to decide. But judging from his attitude just now, that did not seem to be the case either.
Crazy Night: Thinking about him?
Yu Ye: Hm? No. I was just curious where he went.
Crazy Night: I know.
Yu Ye: Hm? Crazy Night: In your heart.
Yu Ye: Blegh. Why are you even greasier than Sang Feng?
Crazy Night: If he really came in, the three of us together—would that count as one shot, two explosions? Yu Ye: Shut up.
Before you continue