Late at night.
The Underworld Bureau of Ling City.
Ling City God sat high upon the dais, white brows drooping on either side, and gazed at Liang Wandering God in the hall.
"Lord City God, that is what happened—"
Liang Wandering God had been back at the Underworld Bureau for some time. During that time, he had explained why Chen Guan had left without saying goodbye.
But as for what Chen Guan had said at the end,
Liang Wandering God had not mentioned a word.
Instead, he had kept his promise and covered for Chen Guan several times.
Though Liang Wandering God was an Orthodox God, his innate aptitude was poor, and his cultivation was shallow.
Even among gods and immortals, there were differences in rank.
At present, he wanted to build this good connection and pave the way for the future.
Besides, it was hardly unusual for Orthodox Gods and cultivators to build good connections.
For example,
the reason Lord City God was helping "the little cultivator Chen Changhong" was that he also wanted to form a connection with Daoist Guanglin of the Guanglin Sect.
Liang Wandering God knew about these things because none of it was secret.
After all, the Guanglin Sect specialized in the study of the soul, while the Underworld Bureau was largely made up of "Yin gods" who cultivated a soul-based Yin Attribute method similar to ghost cultivation.
As the two sides dealt with each other, they helped one another to a greater or lesser extent.
And decades ago, it had been Daoist Guanglin who sent people to bring gifts to the Underworld Bureau here, including some Handwritten Insights.
It was only after cultivators from the sect came by to deliver gifts that they discovered Chen Changhong, a promising talent.
Gradually, the two sides had done more than exchange gifts and benefit one another; their "fateful connection" had grown deeper as well.
And since Chen Changhong had been born in Ling City's territory, he was also a key cultivation prospect for the Guanglin Sect.
It would have been hard to justify if Ling City God had refused to help.
But for today, let it go.
"If that is the case, then there is no need to search for him."
At that moment,
after hearing Liang Wandering God's account, the City God gently closed his eyes.
They had already searched for many days, and Chen Guan, one of the people directly involved, no longer wanted them to look for him.
The reasons were sound enough, so they would let it be.
However, after the City God finished speaking, he suddenly offered Liang Wandering God a word of advice:
"I know you are hiding something from me, but you do not belong to Ling City's Underworld Bureau, so it would be improper for me to ask.
"For now, I can only offer you this advice.
"Those who are reincarnated may carry changes in their Heavenly Fate and be blessed with great fortune.
"You may sow good causes, but that does not guarantee good results.
"All changes of cause and effect lie neither in Heaven nor on Earth, nor in the matter itself, but in the heart of the one who sows the cause."
"Yes..."
Hearing the City God's warning, Liang Wandering God bowed sincerely.
But in his heart, and based on his experience,
Liang Wandering God felt that Daoist Chen did not seem like the sort to repay kindness with enmity.
"At twenty years old, Daoist Chen already has several years of cultivation. He must be exceptionally gifted..."
Since Liang Wandering God knew nothing of Chen Guan's background, he assumed Chen Guan had excellent Root Bone and talent.
Perhaps after another decade or several decades of cultivation, he could reach a century's worth of cultivation.
Liang Wandering God himself had cultivated for over three hundred years, yet had only just reached one hundred and twenty years' worth of cultivation.
He thought Chen Guan could surpass him, and might even be able to help him in the future.
For now,
he still had no idea that Chen Guan was looking for a chance to "die."
And if Chen Guan really did die, then as long as he did not seek Liang Wandering God out, Liang Wandering God would never find him.
"I've finally made it out of the forest..."
Two days later,
after bidding farewell to Liang Wandering God that night,
Chen Guan had cut across the edge of the forest and reached the outskirts of Qing City's territory.
Going by his sense of direction,
Chen Guan first looked over the deerskin map, which was as large as five tables put together. Then he raised his head to locate the sun. He figured that if he walked about a hundred li west, he would reach the Black Market.
His family's caravan had bought this map at a high price.
It covered the territories of the five major cities near Little Liuzi Town, spanning about three thousand li from east to west and north to south.
It was fairly detailed, marking some mountains, rivers, and lakes.
Of course, compared to the "strategic maps" in military camps—the kind that marked every little hill, and, exaggerating a little, even the location of every tree—
even if someone were selling one of those, let alone if someone had drawn one and the government found out,
they could end up "in trouble."
To avoid that hassle,
even though Chen Guan could have used Official Liu's connections at the Martial Bureau to get an "outdated" high-precision map before leaving home,
he had decided against it. He was not leading troops into battle, setting ambushes, or using water and fire to attack.
An ordinary map would do.
There was no need to invite that damn trouble.
If someone saw it, or if it was investigated,
he would be in a world of shit.
All Chen Guan wanted now was to see whether, "in his lifetime," he could improve his physique and cultivation, and, while he was at it, max out Bear's Strength.
His proficiency was now [853/1000].
In theory, his physique and cultivation were both higher now, and he had spiritual energy to reinforce him. He was also looking more and more like a "bear."
That meant he was gaining proficiency much faster than before.
It was nothing like the old days, when he gained just one point every ten or more days.
At his current rate,
Chen Guan estimated he would need no more than two years to max it out.
Of course,
other talents, like blade techniques, would have to be put on the back burner for a while, as long as doing so did not interfere with them too much.
He might as well focus on Bear's Strength first and evolve a growth talent that was close to leveling up.
Talents like blade techniques deepened his "comprehension."
Once he passed 600, their leveling speed became about the same as Bear's Strength.
At the moment, it was [Basic Blade Technique: 621/1000].
It would take at least four or five years to max it out.
Still, there was a little trick to talents that improved comprehension.
Just like a while ago,
while Chen Guan was practicing his blade at home, he suddenly entered a very strange state of natural ease.
He would swing the blade naturally, channel spiritual energy naturally, and send his strength all the way into the blade.
Before he knew it, he had practiced for an entire day.
It felt like enlightenment.
He kept going until his spiritual energy ran dry and his strength gave out, then, still in a daze, he naturally finished practicing and "woke up."
That day, his proficiency had increased by "12 points."
Chen Guan had experienced this feeling of enlightenment five or six times.
Each time, he had been practicing when it suddenly came over him.
But when he deliberately tried to find that feeling, it was nowhere to be found.
Unlike Bear's Strength, this "mystical physique" demanded one step at a time. There was no using enlightenment to slack off, but damn, it was reliable.
Of course, blade techniques were reliable too. As long as he practiced, he improved.
It was just that enlightenment felt a little like taking a shortcut.
Through that shortcut, Chen Guan had also considered something.
If he reincarnated as a bear again, perhaps Bear's Strength could also be cultivated through enlightenment, with the added boost of actually being a bear.
If he could not attain enlightenment, that could only mean he was a "traitorous oddity" among bears.
In terms of identity, he did not meet the requirements for "bear enlightenment." Perhaps that was what the note in the Scroll meant: "While in human form, the cultivation speed of bear talents is greatly reduced."
Aside from the fact that foreign-race talents really were slow to cultivate under normal circumstances, this note probably also meant they were "difficult to comprehend."
After cultivating for more than twenty years,
Chen Guan had gained a slight understanding of the principles behind the talents in the Scroll.
He now knew what many of its notes meant.
When he reincarnated as other creatures, or acquired some strange talent,
he could adjust his approach to grinding proficiency based on his current theories.
Lost in thought,
Chen Guan kept walking.
As he walked and practiced, with nothing else to do,
he gazed at the rocks in the mountains, his thoughts wandering, and suddenly remembered Bandit Brother.
He wondered how he was doing these days.
"He seemed like he could break out of any prison..."
Thinking about it, Chen Guan found it amusing.
"Could he break out of this hell?"
Avici Purgatory.
It lay at the lowest level of the Underworld Bureau.
Countless souls suffered here, their spirits seared and their souls boiled.
The ones enduring this punishment were all souls,
so the pain truly came from the depths of the spirit.
Compared to this torment, ordinary punishments like being cut to pieces were child's play.
And in a giant cauldron of black oil at the southeast corner,
"Ahhh..."
Amid his screams, Bandit Brother thrashed wildly in the cauldron of black oil.
But the more he struggled, the deeper the black oil seeped into his soul, intensifying the torment.
Two chains were bound around him, keeping his soul intact so he could not dissipate, forcing him to endure the torment of being fried in oil.
Yet his gaze slowly grew more frenzied and resolute.
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