Hidden Scenery Sublimation Can Attain Longevity

Xu Ying stood at the bow of the boat, looking towards the shores. He saw that along both banks of the River of Oblivion, mountains and rivers were constantly shaking. The Underworld was still invading the Mortal Realm, with new mountains and rivers continuously emerging from another world, squeezing the original mountains and rivers and lands on both sides. The spectacle was astonishing!

The multi-story boat sped across the water, its speed increasing. The mountains and rivers on both sides blurred past. Xu Ying was secretly alarmed, "This boat will probably be able to travel a hundred miles in a short time!"

The farthest he had ever been was just a hundred miles away. Now, on the boat, he felt a little uneasy, "If she doesn't send me back, will I still be able to find my way? I've also heard that some people sell children..."

In his mind, the Great Bell let out a cold laugh, thinking, "This brat doesn't even know he's being sold by the Demoness! The Demoness must have another agenda. I wonder what she sees in Xu Ying."

Xu Ying, unaware of its thoughts, asked the Maiden in the Coffin, "What is contemplation?"

The Great Bell was enraged, "Brat, you ask my enemy instead of me! If you had asked me, wouldn't I have answered? Wait a moment, he seems to have asked me before, I forgot to answer, I only told him how to observe internally. I was careless, the Demoness got there first."

The maiden stood at the bow of the boat, her posture graceful. She said, "You don't know what contemplation is? That's right, the lineage of Qi Refiners has become extremely weak by your generation. It's understandable that you don't know. In fact, by my generation, many things have already been lost. The influence of the Great Villain is truly too great."

She paused and said, "Contemplation is creating imagery from nothingness, to calm the spirit and consciousness. The so-called creating imagery from nothingness is to use the spirit and consciousness to imagine an image of the Great Dao in the void, in order to subdue the restless mind and tether the wandering thoughts. When you are contemplating, you must create something from nothing, refine the false into the true, and use this to cultivate techniques and divine abilities, only then can you attain the Dao."

Hearing this, Xu Ying's heart stirred slightly and he said, "The cultivation method of contemplation seems similar to Hidden Scenery."

The maiden looked puzzled, "What Hidden Scenery?"

Xu Ying took out the scroll of the Ni Wan Hidden Scenery Qi Refining Method and said, "This Nu Master cultivation method says that Hidden Scenery is the imagery of the Great Dao, but it is refined using the power of the Ni Wan Secret Treasury. Hidden Scenery is also creating something from nothing, refining the false into the true, and can be used to refine techniques or divine abilities!"

He unfolded the Qi Refining Method, and saw a strand of fine hair fall onto the opened pages. Xu Ying looked up and saw that the maiden had come to his side at some point and was looking sideways at the Ni Wan Hidden Scenery Qi Refining Method in his hands.

Her hair dangled down, falling onto Xu Ying's shoulders.

Her skin was snow-white, her neck slender, contrasting with her dark hair, making it appear even fairer, unlike an old corpse that had been sealed for a thousand years.

To Xu Ying's surprise, the maiden did not smell of decay. Instead, she had a faint, pleasant fragrance that made him unable to resist sniffing a little more.

This was the first time Xu Ying had been so close to her. He felt a bit restless, and slowly turned the pages, letting her look carefully.

The maiden was very serious. Xu Ying secretly observed her, finding her profile even more beautiful than her front. Her eyelashes blinked from time to time, her eyes were like jewels, her nose was delicate and well-defined, and her lips were as pink and alluring as cherries.

Xu Ying felt his heart race and quickly looked away, "The Female Ghost is not only polite, but also very beautiful."

After all, he was still a boy of fourteen or fifteen. When he saw a beautiful person of the opposite sex, he couldn't help but feel restless, even if this person might be a female ghost or a female zombie.

In Xu Ying's mind, the Great Bell secretly sneered, thinking, "The brat can't contemplate, and when he sees a pretty woman, he gets restless. His self-control is too poor. I'm afraid he's already thinking about what to name his children!"

Even so, it was still worried about being discovered by the maiden. It silently covered the chaotic round egg with its bell mouth, thinking, "If I cover the Ni Wan Secret Treasury, the Demoness will think I'm a chaotic egg and won't find me."

The maiden quickly browsed through the Ni Wan Hidden Scenery Qi Refining Method. She closed the scripture and pondered for a moment, saying, "It is indeed a bit crude. The Hidden Scenery in this book is a flawed method. Cultivating it will lead you astray and needlessly drain your life force. It is extremely insidious. You should not practice it."

"Drain my life force?" Xu Ying was startled.

The Ni Wan Hidden Scenery Qi Refining Method was a cultivation method passed down by the Zhou family to their disciples. How could the Zhou family not know about such a major flaw hidden within it?

"The flaw in the book was definitely not left by the owner of the Ni Wan Palace. Therefore, the Zhou family must have intentionally taught this incomplete method to their disciples!"

Cold sweat broke out on Xu Ying's forehead. The Zhou family used these disciples to work for them, and then used this cultivation method to drain their lives. Their intentions were truly malicious!

"In this way, the Zhou family's Nu techniques will not leak out. Even if they do leak out, what is passed on will be a method that leads to a quick death. The Zhou family maintains its status in this way!" he thought to himself.

The maiden continued, "Although the Hidden Scenery in the book has great hidden dangers, the concept of Hidden Scenery is excellent, even comparable to the concepts in the cultivation methods of Qi Refiners. Judging from this crude cultivation method, Hidden Scenery might not only be used to refine techniques, but it might also be a method of sublimation."

She frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled, "Have the cultivation methods of Qi Refiners been eliminated? However, I don't think that Hidden Scenery sublimation can surpass the cultivation methods of Qi Refiners. What reason caused the extinction of Qi Refiners?"

She had been sealed for thousands of years and felt unfamiliar with everything in the present day.

Xu Ying inquired, "Miss, what is Hidden Scenery sublimation?"

The maiden said, "Judging from this cultivation method, the purpose of Nu Masters cultivating Hidden Scenery is to refine a small immortal realm within their own bodies, and finally to sublimate and hide themselves within it, achieving immortality. However, this cultivation method is too shallow and does not clearly explain how to achieve Hidden Scenery sublimation."

Xu Ying's eyes sparkled. To refine a small immortal realm within one's body, sublimate and hide oneself, and achieve immortality?

Wouldn't that be an immortal?

The inheritance of the Ni Wan Palace owner didn't seem so bad after all.

"Then, how is Hidden Scenery cultivated?" Xu Ying suppressed the excitement in his heart and asked.

The maiden seemed a little displeased and said indifferently, "You and I are fellow travelers. Your inheritance is not weaker than mine, so why do you need to learn Hidden Scenery sublimation?"

Xu Ying was stunned. After a long while, he came back to his senses, "My inheritance is that strong? Wait a moment, what inheritance do I have? Is it the Taiyi Guiding Technique?"

He was a little confused. The Taiyi Guiding Technique only had guiding techniques for the Qi Gathering Stage, with no subsequent methods.

Suddenly, the warship traveled westward. As the night deepened, the boat's speed gradually slowed down. Xu Ying had lost track of how far the boat had traveled along the River of Oblivion. He estimated it to be at least two to three thousand miles.

"Is this Huaihua or Tongren? No, Huaihua is west of Yongzhou, and Tongren is only a few hundred miles from here."

He didn't know where the tower ship had sailed to. He was just a country boy, and the farthest place he knew was the prefectures and counties near Yongzhou.

Xu Ying looked forward. The River of Oblivion suddenly branched out here, forming numerous tributaries like the veins of a leaf, spreading out in all directions and flowing into the vast darkness.

Along the banks of the tributaries, ghost fires flickered. From a distance, ghost fires could be seen everywhere within a radius of a hundred miles, scattered like stars, resembling a ghostly world!

Legend had it that the River of Oblivion would guide souls into the Underworld, so that they would not suffer from the wind and sun.

When a person first dies, their soul leaves their body and becomes a ghost. Even a slight breeze could tear the soul apart, and even a ray of sunlight could cause it to scatter. Even the yang energy from mortals could impact a ghost.

Only by entering the Underworld could ghosts be safe.

Xu Ying looked around, but unfortunately, it was late at night, and he couldn't see very far. He could only see endless ghost fires.

"Why are there so many ghost fires here?" he whispered.

The楼船 slowed down and sailed into the main channel among the hundreds of tributaries of the River of Oblivion. Ghost fires flickered dimly on both banks, and villages and city walls could be vaguely seen.

Given it was likely nighttime, there was no sign of human habitation.

The maiden opened the upright black coffin, lifted the lid, and fumbled inside for a moment. She retrieved a whip, two to three zhang long, and handed it to Xu Ying. "You stay on the boat. When the tower boat stops, set this boat on fire. After the tower boat is burning, take this whip and whip the sky until you can't anymore."

Xu Ying examined the whip. It was an ordinary whip, woven from fine hemp rope, with a lock of golden-yellow tail hair at the tip, the hair from some unknown animal's tail.

"This can send away a deity?" Xu Ying asked, confused.

The maiden smiled, her eyes like crescent moons, very alluring. "Of course, it can."

Xu Ying let out a long sigh and smiled, "Leave it to me, you can rest assured."

The maiden, however, was not at ease. "This boat was refined by me three thousand years ago; ordinary fire cannot ignite it. I'll give you a flame."

Behind her, the maiden's Primordial Spirit extended its right hand. The thumb and ring finger touched, and a faint flame appeared at the fingertips. She sent it to Xu Ying.

Xu Ying didn't know how to receive the flame. The maiden's Primordial Spirit's right hand then reached into his Realm of Serenity. As the thumb and ring finger separated, the flame floated quietly in the air.

"This flame is a Pure Yang Strange Fire I found. This fire was formed by heaven and earth and can aid your cultivation."

The maiden disembarked, drifting away gracefully. Her voice, clear and crisp, came from a distance, "You only need to refine your spiritual sense and enter the flame to control its advance and retreat. After setting the boat on fire, refine this fire. Temper your body and soul with the true yang within the fire, and it will help you cultivate a pure yang body."

Her figure quickly disappeared into the darkness, her voice growing fainter, "Wait for half an hour, then set the fire, whip the sky, and you can leave on your own. This place is dangerous; you cannot stay long. I will find you and send you back to Mount Wu Wang after I've handled my business!"

Xu Ying watched her leave, feeling a warmth spread over him. The Pure Yang Strange Fire in his Realm of Serenity emitted waves of yang energy. It had a similar effect to Thunder Sound Body Tempering and Great Sun Body Tempering, capable of tempering the physical body!

What surprised him even more was that his vital energy, passing through the flame, became increasingly pure!

"Even vital energy can be refined!"

Xu Ying was astonished. He tried tempering his spiritual sense. To his surprise and delight, his spiritual sense was also trained, becoming more resilient and pure!

"If I could use this fire to temper my body, spiritual sense, and vital energy, my strength would definitely increase greatly!" Xu Ying stood at the bow of the boat, facing the gloomy wind on the River of Oblivion, full of ambition.

The Great Bell flew out from behind his head and said faintly, "A Ying, what are you two's children's names?"

Xu Ying asked, confused, "Children? What children?"

The Great Bell sneered, "You and the Demoness were so intimate, didn't you think about having children with her?"

Xu Ying's face flushed with embarrassment. "How could that be? And how are children born?"

"It's by using your... never mind!" The Great Bell realized and quickly stopped speaking.

Just then, Xu Ying saw on the left bank of the River of Oblivion, in the darkness, a gaunt, ragged man leaning on a wooden stick, emerging with difficulty from the jungle.

Behind the ragged man, the jungle rustled, and several old men and women in tattered clothes emerged, also leaning on wooden sticks, walking with difficulty.

More and more people emerged from the jungle, men and women, old and young, families in tow, supporting each other, yet walking forward in silence.

By the light of the ghost fires on the River of Oblivion, one could see that where their clothes were torn, there were shocking pus-filled sores, attracting flies that buzzed around them.

Xu Ying followed the direction they came from and saw that the vast, fleeing crowd was like a black dragon stretching for miles.

"They are..." Xu Ying murmured.

The Great Bell's voice carried a hint of solemnity. "They are plague victims, infected with the plague."

Xu Ying looked further into the distance, where the ghost fires spread for a hundred miles. The plague victims should have come from there.

"The place they came from likely suffered floods, wars, or famine," the Great Bell said in a low voice. "I have been isolated on the stone mountain for three thousand years and have seen such things many times."

It hung in the Stone Mountain Desolate Temple and had witnessed countless floods, wars, and famines over the millennia. Bodies lay unburied everywhere, and it was at such times that plagues would breed.

The tower boat continued to sail forward at an unhurried pace. More and more plague victims appeared on both banks of the River of Oblivion, in villages and towns.

The plague victims walked with difficulty, following the riverbank, heading nowhere in particular.

People kept falling, their bodies convulsing a few times before their breath completely ceased.

But the others seemed to see nothing, continuing to walk as if they were walking corpses, their eyes vacant.

"A Ying, this is likely the source of the River of Oblivion's diversion."

The Great Bell said gravely, "Someone went on a killing spree here to rescue the Demoness, causing the plague to spread. A Ying, the Demoness asking you to help her this time is definitely not well-intentioned; she must have ulterior motives!"

Xu Ying still stood at the bow of the boat, staring blankly at the plague victims.

He had cultivated his Heavenly Eye and saw the world differently through it.

In the sky, thick, fleshy red tentacles floated, descending silently.

These fleshy tentacles were extremely agile, as if extending from the depths of another space, their source unseen.

They arrived behind the plague victims, splitting into countless tiny tendrils that inserted themselves into the sores of these gaunt people, wriggling slowly and sucking.

Xu Ying looked into the distance. Ghost fires covered the land, and in the sky above these areas, countless tentacles emerged from another dimension, descending from the sky and sinking into the darkness below.

Lines of fleshy red tentacles came from another world, intertwining and filling the dim sky, obscuring the night stars. They split into more tentacles, continuously bulging, shrinking, bulging again, shrinking again, sucking the life force from the plague victims.

This scene was both incredibly real and incredibly unreal.

This was what his Heavenly Eye saw!

Xu Ying slowly shifted his gaze, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Heavens..."

As far as he could see, the entire dim, unclear sky was completely covered by the ceaselessly wriggling red flesh, stretching endlessly.

An unbelievable creature had enveloped the sky, extending countless fleshy tentacles downwards, reaching towards the people of the western lands.