Martial Arts Genius

Shi Feizhe really didn't believe in gods. He'd thought that visualizing a deity in a visualization method was as simple as following the steps in a painting: "draw" the god, and that was that.

He hadn't expected he would have to throw himself into the deity with all his heart and soul, to "become" the god. Only then could he borrow the false to cultivate the true, reveal the god within his heart, and turn it into the deity he visualized.

If someone in this world had been born at the bottom of society, and spent their whole life striving to rise above their station and become a superior person, they wouldn't have much resistance to visualizing a deity and becoming one.

But Shi Feizhe wasn't like that. He'd lived two lives and learned too much; he had his own views on the world. He was a staunch atheist. There had never been any gods in the world, so why should he turn himself into one?

That went against everything he'd accepted as true.

Especially since, to him, the Ten Kings of Hell had no dignity or mystique at all. Being told to wholeheartedly visualize such deities was simply too hard to accept.

It felt just like when he'd been a corporate drone in his previous life, constantly changing himself to cater to his boss and clients.

It was as miserable as eating shit!

From that perspective, the Nether Springs Divine Shadow Record wasn't suitable for him. Martial arts clans and sects could choose deities that matched the temperaments of their disciples, making the process twice as effective with half the effort.

As for Shi Feizhe, a man from Unorthodox Methods, the only technique he'd ever gotten was one someone had pointed him toward out of a sense of affinity.

What choice did he have?

If he wanted to roam the martial world to his heart's content and make his transmigration count, did he really have to grit his teeth and train in the Nether Springs Divine Shadow Record, even though it felt like eating shit?

Should he go searching for another technique?

Would he find another Three Talents Manor in this dangerous martial world? Another Hua Xiaomei?

It was too hard!

Perhaps he still had another way. He took out the Nether Springs Divine Shadow Record and read it carefully again, scrutinizing it bit by bit.

He realized that the Blood Qi Barrier and the Spirit Barrier had no direct connection.

In other words, the Blood Qi Barrier technique was only meant to temper blood qi, while the Spirit Barrier technique was only meant to temper the spirit. Shi Feizhe thought of the separate techniques for the Blood Qi Barrier and the Spirit Barrier that he'd seen in the Stele Forest, and something clicked.

Perhaps all he had to do was switch to another Spirit Barrier technique.

At the Seeing Truth Barrier, once blood qi and spirit had been tempered to a certain degree, they could merge and produce true qi. The deity one visualized and one's essence would affect the true qi's nature. That was why some true qi masters had icy qi, others had thunderous qi, and still others had Buddha Light.

In other words, he really could follow the visualization method in the Nether Springs Divine Shadow Record and visualize other deities.

What difference did it make whether he visualized the Ten Kings of Hell or some other deities using the same method?

Either way, he'd be borrowing the false to cultivate the true, strengthening his spirit!

It was just like a mathematical formula: once you understood the principle behind it, you could plug in different values and still work out the answer!

As for the nature of his true qi, it didn't matter what kind of qi the Nether Springs Divine Shadow Record produced. In the end, it would all merge into True Origin True Qi, helping him achieve a minor mastery of the True Origin Sword Finger Technique sooner so he could venture into the martial world!

So, what should he visualize?

He couldn't seriously pick a monkey, could he?

Tsk... Actually, that might work!

To visualize a deity, he first had to know it: its great achievements, even if they were made up, and its precise appearance.

The final step was to "unite with the deity." Using a method similar to hypnosis, he had to make himself believe all of it, so that the "god" in his heart became the "deity" he imagined. Then his true qi would carry the power of the god in his heart, wielding inconceivable might!

Shi Feizhe knew the Great Sage Equal to Heaven's great achievements and exact appearance, and he'd watched the TV series countless times as a child. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven met all the requirements for a deity he could visualize.

As for immersion, becoming the Great Sage Equal to Heaven who'd wreaked havoc in Heaven was every boy's dream when he was young!

Might as well give it a try. It couldn't hurt!

With that in mind, Shi Feizhe slowly entered a meditative state again and began to visualize.

This time, he pictured a monkey covered in golden fur. The monkey wore a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown and golden chainmail, stepped in cloud-treading lotus-silk boots, and held a Ruyi Golden Cudgel. A red cloak billowed behind him. He rested the cudgel on one shoulder, and raised his other hand to his brow as he gazed into the heavens!

In the darkness of the Sea of Consciousness, the light of Shi Feizhe's "spirit" easily cut through the gloom. With just a few strokes, it sketched out the image of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!

It went surprisingly smoothly!

As expected, I really am a fucking Martial Arts Genius!

Even in his meditative state, Shi Feizhe couldn't help but give himself a thumbs-up.

People thrived when they moved, while trees withered when transplanted. A living person couldn't be held back by a full bladder!

As long as your thinking didn't slide downhill, you could always find more solutions than problems!

The image of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was still just a rough outline, sketched in a few strokes. Shi Feizhe continued to fill in the details, but then a wave of dizziness washed over him!

He knew he'd reached his limit for the day. If he kept going, he'd strain his spirit.

He exited the visualization state and rubbed his brow. The moon was already above the treetops; it was late at night! He hurried to bed, planning to sleep for a few hours, then get up and start practicing the stance training for the True Origin Sword Finger Technique!

Perhaps he was exhausted from boxing that day, or perhaps the visualization had worn out his spirit. Either way, Shi Feizhe slept deeply. He didn't wake until his landlord and his wife knocked on the door and called out to him. He hurriedly got up and began his stance training.

After finishing his stance training, Shi Feizhe ate and headed to Three Talents Manor.

The mathematical formulas Shi Feizhe had come up with greatly improved the work efficiency of the people in the accounting office. Their already full workload suddenly became much easier, which made Shi Feizhe quite popular there.

Who didn't like slacking off?

Who could dislike a coworker who helped everyone slack off?

The days passed one after another. Every day, he went to work, ate, and trained according to schedule, waiting until payday so he could buy some herbs for a medicinal bath and prepare for the next stage.

One day, Shi Feizhe was dozing in the accounting office when a distant roar of madness suddenly woke him.

There was nothing for it. He practiced martial arts too late every night, so he could only sneak in a nap at work during the day.

He yawned. He knew that these roars of madness came from people in the martial world who'd arrived at Three Talents Manor. They'd seen so many martial arts manuals and, eager to achieve quick results, had practiced recklessly without understanding them, driving themselves mad!

The first time he'd seen it, he'd felt sorry for them, pitied them, and lamented their fate. After seeing it so often these past few days, he'd grown completely accustomed to it.

Shi Feizhe was about to go back to sleep when he suddenly heard a tremendous howl of wind. It rattled the windows and doors of the accounting office. He got up to shut them, only to see the sky suddenly darken. It had been clear moments ago, but now it was growing dim.

"The Demonic Sect is at work. All you irrelevant bystanders, get lost!"

"Leave no man, woman, or beast alive in Three Talents Manor!"

A domineering voice rang out from the dark clouds above. At the same time, several black figures swooped down from the sky!

They'd said to leave no man, woman, or beast alive, and somehow managed to spare the cats!