Aberration

What should have been a pitch-black journey was instead torn apart by the power of his own Daoist aura, revealing the magnificent scenery of this boundless space.

This is outside the territory.

This is the true appearance of this universe.

Li Qi was satisfied, but at the same time, he was even more dissatisfied.

A large part of his purpose in practicing Buddhism was to see a more magnificent Dao Path.

He has already witnessed such a magnificent sight, but what lies beyond? What kind of scenery awaits him further up?!

The infinite worlds float in this sea of void, operating in an orderly manner according to some special rules.

Originally, Li Qi shouldn't have seen all of this, because darkness shrouded him.

However, the progress bar on Li Qi, which was what Young Master Zhu called the Outer Way Dao Charm, helped him break through the darkness and see the magnificent scenery around him.

But the changes in the progress bar did not stop.

At this moment, the progress bar... seems to have gone completely off track?

Li Qi didn't know how to describe it, but he could sense that once he left that world, a certain 'binding' or 'suppressing' force disappeared.

Young Master Zhu once said that his progress bar was a manifestation of the Outer Way Dao Charm. (See Chapter 116)

Essentially, it is the existence of the Dao, which then provides information about the surrounding world in a way that one can understand.

The same Daoist energy, when applied to someone else, might not appear as a progress bar, but rather as pages in the void or bamboo slips.

Whether it's a progress bar or something else, it's just one way of making things visible.

But now, this outer layer of 'manifestation' is being burst open by a force surging from within.

It's like a spring that was originally very long, but it was compressed into a disc shape and packaged up, so that it looks like a discus from the outside.

But now, the thing pressing on the spring is gone.

The spring is recovering, bursting the packaging from the inside out, restoring it to its original shape, and stretching its body to its fullest extent.

The progress bar was flashing, and then it broke.

At first, it merely tore through the surrounding darkness, allowing Li Qi to witness countless wonders.

But now, after the progress bar broke, it disappeared.

"This Daoist essence... is merging into my body?" Li Qi sensed that his own inner world was absorbing that Daoist essence.

In other words, the human body, in its own microcosm, is seeing the emergence of rules that were not originally its own.

Li Qi didn't know whether it was good or bad.

But he couldn't stop it.

The Daoist aura seemed to have long since merged with him; at this moment, it was merely revealing its true form.

Li Qi sensed it... he was gaining extra, additional senses.

Previously, this progress bar was simply a way of presenting what the senses perceived to oneself.

The essence of this Daoist rhythm is... another perspective.

This feels very strange.

It's like a blind fish that has grown eyes.

Blind fish have no eyes; they are born blind and perceive the world through touch and hearing.

Naturally, blind fish become accustomed to the world being composed of sound and physical objects, without the concept of 'seeing'.

Similarly, the same applies to people.

Humans are accustomed to a world composed of sound, light, touch, and taste, and to most people, this is what the world is really like.

However, when the blind fish grows eyes and truly sees 'light', it realizes that the world has more than just touch and hearing.

Li Qi is this blind fish.

The Daoist essence that has completely merged with him is this open eye.

The world, in Li Qi's perception, had changed.

Those magnificent scenes from before now seemed to have a different meaning to him.

First, there is gravity.

Li Qi was surprised to find that he could actually sense the existence of gravity.

He closed his eyes, savoring this strange and novel sensory experience.

It wasn't seeing, but... another mysterious feeling, a wondrous sense that I, as a human being, had never experienced before, not any of the five senses.

He could feel gravity, like chains, binding these worlds together.

Gravity permeates all levels and all dimensions.

Li Qi sensed that the geometry created by the existence of mass in spacetime formed gravity.

Therefore, as long as there is spacetime, there must be gravity, and dimensions and levels must contain spacetime and ways of describing spacetime, so gravity can transcend all dimensions.

But there is another force pushing these worlds apart; Li Qi doesn't know what it is, but he can feel it.

The two remained locked in a stalemate, with countless worlds neither being pushed away nor squeezed together.

Li Qi was astonished to discover that he could feel the ripples in space, the spatial curvature caused by mass, the resulting gravity, and his current location.

My new senses seem to be able to perceive space itself, and beyond that, they seem to be able to... predict?

Wait a minute, time and space seem to be one.

Time and space are inseparable.

So, the essence of a progress bar is to observe space, understand time, and then... make a prediction?

So, where does the ability to memorize a book and learn a certain skill come from when the progress bar is full?

Li Qi was filled with doubt, pondering the abilities he had always taken for granted.

He had gotten used to the progress bar, but now, after truly Heaven Creation, the changes that occurred left him very puzzled, to the point that he almost forgot he was in danger.

Since I'm already caught up in this situation, I might as well try to figure out what this is all about.

Thus, Li Qi, like a baby opening its eyes for the first time, began to experiment with its new senses.

First, what is the darkness in the place I am in?

So he looked at the darkness that enveloped him.

The darkness had not yet disappeared, and his eyes still could not see it, but through his own Outer Way Dao Charm, he ignored these things. The aura provided him with a sense in another way, allowing him to see the former grandeur.

This darkness looks like... a pipe?

He is now inside a... thin tube.

A slender, space-piercing vascular bundle enveloped him and was rapidly transporting him elsewhere.

I was traveling through these pipes, and through them I saw many wonders from beyond the borders.

Wait a minute, does that mean my abilities and my space are unrelated?

Li Qi immediately realized this.

The reason his attention was completely drawn to the space was because there was only space here!

The progress bar... is the essence of one's own Outer Way Dao Charm, which is the analysis of all existing things around us!

Once the parsing is complete, you will be able to obtain the corresponding information!

Realizing this, Li Qi immediately began experimenting with other things on his body.

First came the two golden energies that accompanied them.

Next is the Mustard Seed Bag.

Then comes the clothes, and finally the self.

After about two or three minutes, Li Qi confirmed that this was the true nature of his progress bar.

No, it can't be called a progress bar anymore.

This is the Daoist rhythm that belongs to me alone.

Just like Jin Buhuan's 'Listening to the Heart' in Clear Mist City, or the 'Demon Seed' in the hands of Bo Yue, the great divination disciple in the Earth Oil Realm.

It can detect the things around it, judge their state, and analyze them. After the analysis is complete, it can directly categorize the information in its mind.

The progress bar is merely a manifestation of this Daoist principle.

Only now has this wisp of Daoist charm truly revealed its true form to Li Qi.

Detect, analyze, and then categorize into memory.

It seems that everything falls within the analytical scope of this Daoist principle, from simple actions to complex components.

"In that case, I will name you 'True Knowledge'. When you introduce someone to someone, you can say your name just like Bo Yue."

"This is amazing! What's the principle behind it? How does it work?" Li Qi exclaimed.

At the same time, he also realized something.

Then, without hesitation, he calmed down and focused.

He sensed that he no longer needed the so-called treasure from the Devouring Demon Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest Primordial Spirit.

Before reaching the fifth rank, no treasure can compare to this wisp of Daoist essence!

This is a Daoist charm that even the Great Shaman praised. Although his teacher is unreliable, Li Qi absolutely trusts the other party's judgment!

He intends to use this to refine his Primordial Spirit!

As for safety, he wasn't worried.

The Chanzhi Zen Master would definitely not kill him; he still needed him, so Li Qi was not worried about his safety.

Unexpectedly, this trip to the outer realms has brought such a pleasant surprise.

The Outer Way Dao Charm, having lost the suppression of the world, has returned to its original form, which ironically became his best choice.

Clear your mind and suppress distracting thoughts.

By focusing the mind and calming the spirit, the microcosm within the human body begins to actively accept the True Knowledge Dao Charm of the whole being.

The condensation of the Primordial Spirit also has its own process.

As the saying goes, all beings with Blood Qi are inherently formed from the primordial unity, their nature is established by yin and yang, and their form is manifested by the five elements. If they possess form and substance, they can still be sought out.

Taking the primordial unity as the essence is the key to condensing the Primordial Spirit.

Within the body, the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Rivers are illuminated, each possessing unique characteristics, forming the Five Peaks Mountain God, the Four Rivers Water God, and the Sun Moon Heavenly God within the Inner Gods.

As the saying goes, the Five Sacred Mountains cover the Five Elements, the Four Rivers connect the four directions, and the two bright and clear Yin and Yang.

The Primordial Spirit, however, stands apart from the primordial spirit; its most distinctive feature is that it has no distinguishing characteristics.

Primordial Spirit without distinctive characteristics is valued for its balance and harmony.

The essence of neutrality is bland and tasteless, thus it can harmonize the five elements, change with the four seasons, and correspond to the yin and yang. Therefore, it can occupy the first place and is qualified to be called 'Yuan'.

The Primordial Spirit is nameless in nature, thus it is salty but not alkaline, bland but not constant, substantial but not cloying, refined but not ornate. Therefore, it can be authoritative and empathetic, discerning and reserved, and adaptable to external changes, remaining impartial and unbiased.

As the central coordinating Inner Gods, the Primordial Spirit is condensed in the brain, which perfectly matches the characteristics of True Knowledge Dao Charm.

A well-functioning Primordial Spirit is like a complete central organ, enabling one to achieve harmony of Yin and Yang, maintain the constancy of the five elements, possess inner wisdom and outer clarity, and be as radiant as fire and sun when in motion, and as inwardly as gold and water when still.

The True Knowledge Dao Charm, once "the Outer Way Dao Charm," has completely become a part of Li Qi's body, becoming the rule of the microcosm within the human body.

The familiar progress bar is gone.

Because the essence of this Daoist rhyme truly belonged to Li Qi; it was no longer an external thing, but a part of himself.

The Primordial Spirit is thus formed.

When Li Qi opened his eyes again, his Primordial Spirit had been fully condensed.

Li Qi possessed profound knowledge and skills, so condensing his Inner Gods was a natural process for him; he had simply been waiting and procrastinating.

Taking the initiative now makes everything fall into place naturally.

The Primordial Spirit is formless yet has substance. It does not have a specific form, but rather permeates the entire body and begins to coordinate the operation of the microcosm within the human body.

But after successfully condensing it, Li Qi immediately felt that his body was more harmonious and comfortable.

The principles of life and death are wondrously clear and constant, naturally generating and transforming, perfectly integrated throughout the body, from the inside out, without any distinction, and utterly unified.

The internal energy circulates smoothly and without haste, like a snake gliding on the surface of water—living yet not dead, still yet not moving, spiraling without rigidity, forming a harmonious circle, relaxed in form and energy, yet utterly free from disharmony.

Li Qi clenched his fist, then released it.

My control over power has improved by an immeasurable amount.

Li Qi felt that he could now throw a punch from a hundred meters away, and the force of the punch would just peel off the shell of a hard-boiled egg without damaging the egg in the slightest.

And he bet that the feeling was right.

Because, with the help of the Daoist rhyme of 'True Knowledge', he had almost absolute control over his body!

The Primordial Spirit has gained a complete understanding of the body!

He knew every muscle fiber in his body, every inch of the microcosm within his body, and all the secrets had been revealed. There was no part of his body that he could not control.

The stomach, heart, and blood vessels have all been brought under the control of consciousness.

If he doesn't want to, he can even stop his metabolism.

It has been brought under control to an extremely precise degree.

Those two breaths of golden energy have also been completely mastered.

An Inner Gods, and the strength of the microcosm within the human body also increases accordingly, making cultivation more refined.

"True Knowledge Dao Charm is still there, and the effect is still there. It's just that there's no progress bar anymore, but that's better. My senses are sharper now," Li Qi murmured to himself, then opened his eyes.

The time travel ended long after he opened his eyes.

And sitting in front of him was the Chanzhi.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the five-story pagoda of the Chanzhi.

It seems that the Chanzhi has been waiting for Li Qi for some time.

Upon seeing Li Qi awaken, he said, "Young benefactor, you have remarkable composure. You were summoned by this humble monk, yet you remained completely calm and even managed to cultivate along the way. Your mental fortitude far surpasses that of ordinary people."

"Moreover, your talent is also extremely amazing. You have already incorporated the Dao into yourself at the ninth rank. When my master bestowed the Dao into me, I could only barely use it during my ninth rank. It was not until I reached the seventh rank that I was able to fully integrate and manifest it, forming this pagoda. You, young benefactor, have been able to fully integrate it at the ninth rank. Your talent is truly outstanding."

"Excellent intellect, outstanding composure, and exceptional talent; you must come from a prestigious family. Could you perhaps reveal a little about this to this humble monk?"

Despite Chanzhi's gentle words, Li Qi became extremely wary.

But Li Qi also revealed a simple and honest smile and replied, "To be honest, Master, I come from Wushen Mountain and am a member of the orthodox lineage of Shaman Path. I can definitely help you get rid of your demonic thoughts and regain your Buddhist heart."

Li Qi didn't mention a single word about the previous unpleasantness, as if it had never happened.