Where Is the Dao

"How Tai Shan Is... Found it!" Ji Zhong searched through the manuscript of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer and finally found the source. The manuscript read:

"This move can be considered the most profound ultimate skill of the Tai Shan Sect's sword techniques. Its essence lies not in the right hand's swordplay, but in the left hand's calculations. The left hand continuously counts on its fingers, calculating the enemy's position, martial arts sect, body size, weapon length, and the height of the sun, among other factors. The calculations are extremely complex. Once accurate, striking with the sword will not miss."

Ji Zhong was astonished, "It really is this move..." He then looked at Chen Luo, who was lying on the bed, "No wonder Young Master was so exhausted that he directly fainted. But since that's the case, he'll be fine after a sleep."

Ji Zhong didn't dare tell Chen Xuan that Chen Luo had fainted after sparring with him. He was clearly a bodyguard, and it was too embarrassing to knock out his employer.

Knowing that Chen Luo was not in danger, Ji Zhong felt at ease and picked up the last stack of manuscripts, reading them with great interest.

In the dreamlike Flower Forest, Chen Luo rubbed his head. Even after entering here, he still felt a slight throbbing pain in his head.

"Master, you fainted after activating it just once. Your soul is too weak..."

The black cat circled Chen Luo's feet, rubbing against his calves from time to time. Chen Luo picked up the black cat and placed it on his lap. While petting it, he questioned, "You didn't tell me it had such a severe side effect?"

The black cat struggled in Chen Luo's hands, "I didn't know. It was supposed to be a very simple calculation..."

Chen Luo patted the black cat's bottom, "Still talking back..."

"Master, you're bullying me!" The black cat flipped over and disappeared with a "bang," vanishing to who knows where.

"Quite temperamental!" Chen Luo chuckled speechlessly. He ignored the black cat and mentally reviewed the move's usefulness to him.

According to the description, "How Tai Shan Is" could almost be considered a pseudo-"Law of Causality" divine skill. The only similar technique Chen Luo could think of was Li Xunhuan's Little Li Flying Dagger. However, "How Tai Shan Is" required a period of calculation before activation, and the stronger the enemy, the longer it would take. It also caused a backlash to the soul after activation.

"Isn't this just a guaranteed hit skill that requires a casting time and deducts health upon activation?" Chen Luo summarized. Based on his current situation in the Flower Forest, his body could only withstand one such backlash. Currently, this move could only be used as a desperate trump card.

"This golden finger isn't that impressive..." Chen Luo complained.

However, Chen Luo wasn't too disappointed. After all, it was a martial arts novel from a low-martial world. Getting such a "Law of Causality" move was already quite good. True advancement would depend on the later Xianxia Realm and Carefree Realm.

Skills like "Soaring Earth Golden Light," "Myriad Swords Return as One," "Seventy-Two Transformations," "Three Heads Six Arms," "Innate Qi Great Capture"... just thinking about them made him yearn for them.

But how could he upgrade from the Red Dust Realm upwards?

Chen Luo suddenly thought of something and shouted, "How Tai Shan!"

The little black cat appeared out of thin air on Chen Luo's shoulder, "Vile master, are you calling me?"

Hearing the little black cat speak in a spoiled child's voice, Chen Luo found it amusing. He rubbed the little black cat's head, "Alright, from now on, your name is How Tai Shan."

"Since Master insists, I will reluctantly accept this name."

"Stop fooling around and let's talk business. You are a high-grade Book Spirit, do you know how to break the book restrictions for the Xianxia Realm and Carefree Realm?"

Chen Luo said, pointing his finger at the sealed paths for these two realms.

The little black cat glanced at them and said flippantly, "Stupid master, once your Red Dust Realm cultivation reaches its peak, you will naturally enter the next realm."

"And how can one cultivate the Red Dust Realm to its peak?"

"Naturally, by using Red Dust Qi to cultivate..."

"Red Dust Qi, what is that?"

The black cat's tail gently brushed past Chen Luo's eyes, and with a slight flick, it scattered specks of colorful mist.

"You mean this?" Chen Luo looked at it, then condensed a ball of colorful mist in his hand. This time, the colorful mist was much larger than before, about the size of a basketball. It was precisely the large mass of colorful mist that had appeared when the black cat manifested.

"This is called Red Dust Qi?"

The black cat glanced at it, then very naturally climbed onto Chen Luo's head and said, "This is Red Dust Qi. Every book of the Red Dust Realm that Master writes will generate a wisp of Red Dust Qi within your body. Additionally, after the book is finished, the Book Spirit will bring a large amount of Red Dust Qi all at once."

"So, I get royalties when I write, and a completion bonus when I finish..." Chen Luo proactively interpreted.

"How do I cultivate Red Dust Qi?" Chen Luo took the little black cat off his head and asked while petting it.

The black cat settled into a comfortable position, and its voice echoed in Chen Luo's mind, "Master must first find a 'Dao' for using Red Dust Qi before you can cultivate with it."

"'Dao'? What is that?"

The black cat jumped out of Chen Luo's hand and landed in front of him. It squatted down and waved a paw, causing a scene to appear between Chen Luo and itself. The scene showed a river, with fish occasionally leaping out of the water.

"Since Master sincerely asks, I will tell you. Look at this scene..." The black cat licked its front paw, but its voice still echoed in Chen Luo's mind, "Red Dust Qi is the fish in this river, and Master, you are the person on the bank."

The scene then shifted. A figure appeared on the bank, looking very weak, drooling at the fish in the river.

Chen Luo's expression turned grim: That drooling was a bit exaggerated...

"If Master wants to cultivate, it's like wanting to eat fish to fill your stomach, but you can't swim. What do you do? You need a tool."

A fishing rod suddenly appeared next to the figure in the scene. The figure picked up the fishing rod and began to fish, eventually catching a basket of fish. The figure happily carried the fish away, and then the scene disappeared.

"Does Master understand? That fishing rod is the 'Dao,' your method of getting fish! With the method, Master can cultivate."

"I understand, but where is this 'Dao'?"

"'Dao' must conform to the operational laws of this world's Heavenly Dao. Do you think we Book Spirits from other worlds would know?"

"Uh... so you don't know either?"

"Meow--"

"No cuteness..."

Just as Chen Luo and the black cat were playing, he suddenly sensed a piece of information in his mind and asked in confusion, "Nine Swords of Dugu? What's going on?"

Outside, Ji Zhong's face was filled with surprise. Just moments ago, after he finished reading the last page of the book, a phantom image of a small sword appeared on the pages of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. This small sword then shot into Ji Zhong's mind.

Within Ji Zhong's consciousness, a cultivation method for the Nine Swords of Dugu suddenly appeared!

Ji Zhong extended his hand, and with a thought, a pea-sized, seven-colored mist condensed in his palm!

Last night's stars, last night's wind, dreams filled with ten thousand collections~

Asking for votes, any kind of vote will do...

P.S. Thanks to fellow reader "Supreme Disciple" for the reward