Choosing One of Three, Blood Stirs Ominously in Clay

"This Chen Jing is definitely not ordinary."

At that moment, the first thing that came to Qiu Yan's mind was this sentence.

When Chen Jing first appeared, he was with Zhen Zhizuo and Lin Jue, on behalf of the Heavenly Principle Academy, to welcome Qiu Yan.

At that time, Qiu Yan noticed this person, partly because he discovered that the person possessed martial arts skills, and partly because he found that the person's personality was different from that of the disciples of the Principle Sect, being lively and unpredictable.

Now, Chen Jing's invitation to participate in this operation has made Qiu Yan truly realize that this is no ordinary person, and behind him lies an extraordinary Lineage.

"I exposed his act with Tao Ying. Tao Ying is not young, has a high position, and holds an official post, so it's only natural that he would be displeased. But Chen Jing acted as if nothing had happened, and his words and expressions didn't change at all, which shows that he is extremely shrewd."

A person's level of composure can be seen from their behavior when faced with unexpected events and unforeseen circumstances.

"You have to be very careful when working with someone like that."

A few days ago, Chen Jing came without prior notice, wanting to make a deal with Qiu Yan. The target of this deal was the matter of his Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest. According to him, he had the method to enter the forest, while Qiu Yan had opened his Literary Heart and possessed the key to enter the forest. Both of them had shortcomings, so joining forces would complement each other and be mutually beneficial. It was a win-win situation and did not involve personal relationships or favors.

"Although this person is deep and calculating, his attitude towards matters of fact is quite good. He explains everything very clearly, at least on the surface, he is open and honest. My cooperation with him is limited to the matter of entering the Scholar Forest. Once this is accomplished, neither of us will owe the other anything. Compared to other parties, this is much more straightforward and can also reduce Karma entanglements."

Currently, Qiu Yan has three methods and pathways to access and enter the Scholar Forest.

The first reason stems from Ji Zheng, who brought him to the Eastern Capital. Under the guise of repaying a debt of gratitude, she provided him with the Sage Paper, clearly implying that she had a way to allow Qiu Yan's Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest through the Sage Worthies Hall, but she was unwilling to explain it clearly.

However, although Ji Zheng had already made some gestures, apart from that meeting at White Jade Tower, she had disappeared without a trace, as if she had vanished into thin air.

"Ji Zheng uses the guise of repaying a debt of gratitude, but her whereabouts are difficult to track. She claims to be a descendant of Sage, yet her actions are far too secretive, shrouded in mystery..."

Besides Ji Zheng, the other institution that could offer Qiu Yan Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest is the Spring and Autumn Academy, which he had just come into contact with. This academy is quite sincere, and the Book Elder who came forward to negotiate clearly holds a high position within the academy.

"However, the connection between the Spring and Autumn Academy and Chancellor Ma is reassuring, but an academy is different from an individual. By using the Sage Worthies Hall in the academy to enter one's soul, one's own Fortune may come into contact with the academy. Over time, this could lead to further entanglement. If it were only one body, it wouldn't be a concern, but unfortunately, this body is only in the Human Path. If it involves two other bodies, then the losses would outweigh the gains."

Qiu Yan's Divine Spirit Body had once entered the Yuanning Divine Office, so he was not ignorant of such matters and therefore had reservations.

"Ji Zheng and Spring and Autumn Academy, one says they want to repay a debt of gratitude, the other says they have a past relationship, both involve personal connections, and neither has clearly stated their purpose. If I had to choose, Ji Zheng repaying the debt of gratitude and then balancing things out would undoubtedly be more ideal. However, this woman's actions are quite mysterious and should not be underestimated. Moreover, she appears and disappears unpredictably, making her difficult to follow."

As Qiu Yan pondered the other two options, his thoughts raced like lightning as he quickly made his calculations.

"In comparison, Chen Jing is different. Although he is quite cunning, the fact that he was able to discover the Sage Worthies Hall beneath the soil shows that he was prepared beforehand. Even without me, Qiu Yan, he would have had other methods. Chen Jing didn't know me before. This matter is just a transaction and cooperation, nothing more. However, the composition of the group in front of us is complicated..."

The three paths before Qiu Yan all require the help of others, but similarly, Qiu Yan's Literary Heart and Literary Dao are also valued by others, which is his advantage.

These three options greatly increased Qiu Yan's room for maneuver.

"To avoid too much conflict and allow for a more deliberate approach, Ji Zheng is undoubtedly the best choice."

"For those seeking a stable environment after entering the forest and avoiding unforeseen changes, Spring and Autumn Academy would be the top choice."

"If you want an environment without too many entanglements, then Chen Jing in front of you is the ideal partner."

Every choice has its pros and cons, and naturally, one must make trade-offs. However, there is one thing Qiu Yan doesn't need to worry too much about: the issue of his physical body remaining in the Mortal Realm after his Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest.

Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest, the physical body becomes an empty shell that needs to be guarded. Choosing the Spring and Autumn Academy is a no-brainer. If Confucianism lineage cannot even protect a physical body, it is simply unacceptable.

Chen Jing, standing before him, proposed a method of connecting safety and danger through the Linked-Water Bracelet, ensuring shared protection. Qiu Yan had never seen such a bracelet before, but sensing its aura, he could roughly guess that it was an object that could temporarily link Fortune and Karma, sharing both Honor and Disgrace and disgrace, thus ensuring peace of mind.

In addition, a renowned cultivator was specially assigned to guard the area, which showed considerable effort.

In contrast, Ji Zheng, who was the first to approach Qiu Yan, made no comment on this matter and didn't even mention it.

However, even without these measures, Qiu Yan was not afraid at all, because he could have Three Bodies in one thought. Even if the soul of his Fleshly Body entered the Scholar Forest and left an empty shell, as long as he left Incense Faith in it beforehand, he could still control it freely. Therefore, he did not need to worry too much about the safety of his physical body.

These thoughts flashed through Qiu Yan's mind, gradually leading him to a decision.

On the other side, Daoist Lu suddenly spoke up and asked, "Benefactor Chen, I have come here on the orders of the sect leader. If we enter the forest today, I will certainly offer you the Spirit-Clearing Pill. However, most of the Divine Ability of my Pure Peace Dao are in the physical body, so I would like to ask, Benefactor Chen Yun, what is your cultivation level?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jing calmly replied, "Daoist, there's no need to worry. My cousin's cultivation has Unity Return the peak of the Unity Realm, making him a top expert in our Chen Household. With the Method Formula and Law Treasure, he can rival Fourth Grade. The Metropolitan City God is only Fourth Grade. With such a guardian, we can be assured of our safety."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan's attention involuntarily shifted to Chen Yun.

"This Chen Yun looks young. Chen Jing calls him brother, so he shouldn't be very old. How can someone this young be a peak cultivator of the Unity Return realm? How did he cultivate like that?"

Qiu Yan's Fleshly Body condensed his Divine Soul in just a few years, and he even Nature-Life Dual Cultivation. His Life Cultivation had reached the peak of the Second Realm, and he was only one step away from the Lingmen realm. However, he was able to make such progress because of the help of his Divine Spirit Body and because he had gone through many twists and turns. He was an exception.

He was a god under Yin Xiao'e back then, and he had discussed related matters with his colleagues. He also learned a lot from the divine Divine Soul suppressed in the Classics Section Bookshelf. He knew that most people who could cultivate Divine Soul would spend a lot of time, at least several decades, and even hundreds of years were not uncommon. It was truly surprising that Chen Yun could cultivate to the peak of the Third Realm at such a young age.

"However, it's normal for wealthy families to use precious elixirs, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and secret manuals of divine skills to cultivate their offspring and quickly create experts. This also shows the power of the Chen Household."

The Daoist Lu was also slightly surprised, but the surprise quickly disappeared. He then asked, "This place is deep underground, close to the Eastern Capital Divine Office. It would be fine if no one was here, but since we have entered the forest and our physical bodies are staying here, our Qi and Blood and qi will dissipate and our Yang Qi will rise. This will surely attract the attention of the Underworld Office. At that time, I'm afraid that Benefactor Chen Yun alone will not be able to handle it and may have to deal with one thing while another."

Upon hearing this, even Tao Ying became cautious. His relationship with the Chen Household was extraordinary. Although he knew some extraordinary things, he was not very clear about the details. He thought that having someone to protect him would ensure safety, but he did not expect that there were so many trivial matters and dangers.

"What you say is quite true, Daoist Master," Chen Jing replied with a smile. "However, my Chen Household has been here many times before, and of course we have already taken precautions. This half-ruined Sage Worthies Hall has long been protected by a Law Treasure, concealing its presence so that even Wandering God would find it difficult to detect."

Chen Jing appeared completely open and honest, seemingly without any reservations. He concluded by saying, "This is also why my cousin used Divine Ability to teleport you all earlier. Otherwise, no matter how powerful you are, it would be difficult to find this place."

Upon hearing this, Daoist Lu nodded and said nothing more.

"That's good, that's good." Tao Ying was relieved.

In an instant, everyone's attention was once again focused on Qiu Yan.

Qiu Yan had already made his decision. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt a tremor in his heart. The Divine Power Space within his Divine Spirit Body suddenly changed!

Suddenly, the flames surrounding the core rune of the Li Trigram Core Talisman leaped out, and the ninth Li Trigram of the Li trigram jumped out from within!

If one does not beat an earthen drum and sing when the sun is setting, it will bring lamentation in old age, an ominous sign.

This is one of the three hexagrams he obtained before heading north to predict his own Fortune.

"Hmm?" As soon as this divination was performed, the scene in Qiu Yan's Fleshly Body eyes changed instantly. The candlelight on the altar flickered, and the firelight illuminated the clay sculpture, revealing a point of illusory light and shadow, which looked like a drop of blood!

The blood conveys a sense of peace and solidity, but also a feeling of aging, decline, and impending doom!

With just one glance, Qiu Yan immediately realized that this Sage Worthies Clay Statues, which had existed for countless years, was nearing its end!

The spirit within the clay sculpture was like a candle flame in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment. This immediately made Qiu Yan realize that if he did not make a decision in time and missed the opportunity, his own Fortune would turn into misfortune!

Opportunities are fleeting.

"It seems that one of these three divinations corresponds to this clay sculpture."

The Li Trigram within the Divine Spirit Body returned to calm, and enlightenment arose in his mind. Qiu Yan caught a wisp of strange fluctuation from the clay sculpture.

"But why did the timing have to be so coincidental?"

Despite his doubts, Qiu Yan was alert and made a swift decision without hesitation. He looked up at Chen Jing and asked a question—

"Brother Chen, have you prepared the brush and ink?"

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