Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method

Within North Sea Market.

Ever since Chen Yuan left, Chu Hongshang had remained in the inn, not daring to leave even half a step.

Her feelings were complicated. On one hand, she wanted Chen Yuan to help her avenge herself; on the other, she worried for Chen Yuan's safety.

At this point, Chu Hongshang was not yet the cold-blooded and ruthless Scarlet Chain Demon Venerable of later years, one who killed as easily as breathing.

Driven out by the Wang Family, with no kin to turn to and no path to vengeance, Chu Hongshang had endured despair after despair. Chen Yuan was the only one who had stepped forward to help her.

She hoped Chen Yuan could avenge the destruction of her family, yet she did not want this "good man" to face danger.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Like a startled rabbit, Chu Hongshang suddenly retreated, clutching her small dagger tightly in her hand.

When she saw that it was Chen Yuan who had entered, Chu Hongshang finally breathed a sigh of relief. A hint of delight appeared on her face. "Benefactor, you're back!"

Chen Yuan set the box behind him on the ground and opened it. Inside were four ferocious human heads.

"Here are the heads of Zhu Chaofeng, Zhu Chengan, Zhu Chengze, and Zhu Chengzu. I blew Zhu Chengguo apart, so his head can no longer be found.

"No one in the Zhu Family was left alive. Strictly speaking, there is still Zhu Chengzong, who is far away in the Radiant Extreme Sect, but there is no way to kill him for now."

Chu Hongshang stared unblinkingly at the four heads. She did not cry or make a sound. Instead, her entire person fell into an eerie calm.

Chen Yuan understood this quite well.

Once a person's emotions underwent a tremendous upheaval, they would instinctively shut themselves away.

Great joy and great sorrow were both like this.

Two streams of tears gradually slid from Chu Hongshang's eyes, but she still made not the slightest sound.

After a long while, Chu Hongshang suddenly dropped to her knees before Chen Yuan.

"Thank you, Benefactor, for avenging the destruction of my family. Chu Hongshang is willing to serve as an ox or a horse for the rest of her life to repay your kindness!"

Chen Yuan helped Chu Hongshang to her feet and gently shook his head. "I already told you before, there is no need for you to serve as an ox or a horse. You only need to help me open this Heavenly Star Divine Casket."

As he spoke, Chen Yuan took out the Heavenly Star Divine Casket from behind him and placed it on the table.

The moment Chu Hongshang saw the Heavenly Star Divine Casket, tears began flowing uncontrollably again.

She had seen this thing when she was young. After all, it was a treasure that had been passed down through the Chu Family for many years.

However, by the time she was born, the Heavenly Star Divine Casket had already been judged to be useless. It had been tossed into a corner of the Chu Family treasury, untouched for years.

Naturally, Chu Hongshang had no interest in a lump of iron, so she had merely seen it without paying much attention.

Yet now, seeing the object brought thoughts of people, and the grief in her heart surged up once more.

A moment later, Chu Hongshang wiped away her tears, looking somewhat embarrassed. "But, Benefactor, I truly don't know how to open this. For all these years, everyone in my family said it was just a lump of iron."

"You yourself are the key to opening it. Place your hand on the Heavenly Star Divine Casket now, and empty your mind."

Though Chu Hongshang was puzzled, she still did as Chen Yuan instructed.

At first, nothing changed. But as she began to empty her mind, the star charts on the Heavenly Star Divine Casket actually began to emit a faint glow.

The changes in those constellations imprinted themselves in Chu Hongshang's mind, endlessly revolving within her consciousness.

For an instant, Chu Hongshang grew flustered, but Chen Yuan's voice suddenly sounded by her ear. "Calm your heart and steady your breath. Don't think too much. Take the initiative to attune yourself to that star chart in your mind."

Chu Hongshang drew a deep breath. No longer resisting, she followed the star chart into the depths of her mind.

In the end, the star chart burst forth with dazzling starlight that enveloped Chu Hongshang's entire body.

A moment later, the starlight returned to the Heavenly Star Divine Casket. The casket, which had originally seemed like a solid block of iron, now gave off a series of metallic clanks. In the blink of an eye, orderly cracks appeared across its surface.

The divine casket split open. Its outer layer was indeed almost solid iron, but at its very center lay a jade pendant no larger than a single coin.

Chen Yuan picked up the jade pendant, and in an instant, a ray of light surged into his mind.

All the information concerning the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method had been thoroughly branded into Chen Yuan's memory.

"This is..."

Chu Hongshang stared blankly at the scene.

She had never imagined that the Heavenly Star Divine Casket, which the Chu Family had deemed useless, would undergo such a transformation.

"At the end of the ancient era, the world was in chaos. Among the branches of the Daoist School in the Central Plains, one branch, the Creation Dao Sect, chose to flee far into the outer seas and live in seclusion.

"The Creation Dao Sect possessed two extraordinary arts, named the Son of Heaven Qi-Watching Art and the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method. Both were pinnacle secret arts of Heaven Tier Upper Grade.

"The Son of Heaven Qi-Watching Art sees Heaven and Earth; the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method sees oneself.

"One governs the outer realm, observing the phenomena of Heaven and Earth and turning countless changes to one's own use.

"The other governs the inner realm, observing the deities of the inner scenery and uncovering the mysterious transformations of the fleshly body.

"One was inner and one was outer. Cultivating the inner and outer Heaven and Earth together, combining the two could break through the gate of life and death and reach the indestructible realm of seeing the gods.

"Your Chu Family ancestor was a descendant of a disciple of the Creation Dao Sect and inherited the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method.

"The reason the Creation Dao Sect declined was because its cultivation methods had extremely harsh requirements for talent. Those whose talent was too poor could not only fail to cultivate them, but could even suffer qi deviation and injure themselves.

"That was why your Chu Family ancestor sealed the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method within the Heavenly Star Divine Casket.

"This Heavenly Star Divine Casket was actually an aptitude tester. Only someone with exceptional talent, qualified to cultivate the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method, and possessing Chu Family blood could open it.

"However, some unforeseen change must have occurred back then, causing even your Chu Family ancestor to be unaware of the Heavenly Star Divine Casket's true use and the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method within.

"Moreover, over all these years, most members of the Chu Family had possessed mediocre talent and lacked the qualifications to open the Heavenly Star Divine Casket.

"Only you possessed outstanding talent. You are the only person in this world capable of opening the Heavenly Star Divine Casket."

As he said this, Chen Yuan also felt that fate truly played tricks on people.

The Chu Family had declined so severely that they did not even know their own origins. They had always treated the Heavenly Star Divine Casket as junk, and Chu Hongshang never had the chance to touch it.

Chu Hongshang's talent was astonishing, but because the Chu Family doted on her and could not bear to let her suffer through martial training, they had never discovered her remarkable martial talent.

It was only later, after she had become the Scarlet Chain Demon Venerable whose name shook the martial world, that she found the family relics from back then after taking revenge. Only then did she discover that the Chu Family had been clutching a golden rice bowl while begging for food, starving to death in the end.

Chu Hongshang's expression was complicated. "Creation Dao Sect? Fate truly makes fools of people.

"If my Chu Family had possessed strength, we would not have been exterminated by the Zhu Family and left to be slaughtered by others!"

Chen Yuan placed the jade pendant in Chu Hongshang's hand. In an instant, the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method was branded into her mind as well.

Chu Hongshang was somewhat surprised.

She had not expected Chen Yuan to refrain from keeping the cultivation method for himself and instead return it to her.

"This is your Chu Family's cultivation method. You possess Chu Family blood, so you should be able to enter its gates soon. Your cultivation will surely advance by leaps and bounds.

"However, I suggest you destroy this thing now. A common man is innocent, but he becomes guilty by possessing a jade. You cannot protect a Heaven Tier secret art at your current level, nor can you let others learn of it."

Hearing Chen Yuan say this, Chu Hongshang immediately took out her small dagger and smashed the jade pendant into pieces.

The formation within failed, and the light on the jade pendant immediately faded away.

"Benefactor, can I follow you from now on?"

Her eyes red-rimmed, Chu Hongshang gazed unblinkingly at Chen Yuan.

"The Chu Family is gone. Even if I have obtained the Chu Family's cultivation method, what good does it do me? I only ask that you give me a chance, Benefactor. Even if I can only stay by your side as a maid, that would be enough."

Chen Yuan was slightly surprised. The future Scarlet Chain Demon Venerable wanted to follow him?

However, after pondering for a moment, Chen Yuan shook his head.

The current Chu Hongshang was not the Scarlet Chain Demon Venerable. She was merely a little girl with no home to return to.

If she followed him, whether she could still become the Scarlet Chain Demon Venerable was an unknown.

Besides, he had plans of his own. Keeping a little girl at his side was not suitable.

"I have no need for a maid, and what I intend to do is very dangerous. Taking you with me would only harm you."

A trace of loneliness appeared in Chu Hongshang's eyes.

Her strength was far too lacking. She could not help her benefactor and could only be a burden.

Chen Yuan suddenly asked, "Now that the Zhu Family has been destroyed and your great vengeance has been avenged, what else do you want?"

"I want strength! I want to cultivate martial arts!"

Chu Hongshang's gaze was resolute. "My Chu Family never fought or contended with others and treated people kindly, yet we still ended up like this. In this martial world, without strength, one can only be slaughtered by others!"

There was one thing Chu Hongshang did not say.

She wanted strength because she wanted to become stronger, so that she could help her benefactor rather than remain a burden.

"If that is the case, I can point you toward a path."

Chen Yuan pointed outside and said, "In two days, Shi Xueyan, the Blood-Hand Fairy, an expert of the Myriad Demons Sect, will pass through North Sea Market. I am confident that I can make her accept you as her disciple and take you into the Myriad Demons Sect.

"The Myriad Demons Sect is a top great sect of the Devil Dao, and you possess the Inner Scenery Deity Visualization Method. In the future, you will certainly rise above the rest within the Myriad Demons Sect.

"However, the Myriad Demons Sect is a Devil Dao Sect. Its rules are survival of the fittest, and it is cruel beyond measure. Disciples of the sect often kill one another, and you may become someone else's stepping stone."

"I am willing to join the Myriad Demons Sect!"

Chu Hongshang raised her head and agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Cruel? Could anything be crueler than her family's destruction a few days ago, when she was alone and helpless, with no path to vengeance?

"Good. Then for the next two days, take the Zhu Family's heads and go each day to the center of North Sea Market to offer sacrifices to the Chu Family ancestors. Remember to keep your hatred for the Zhu Family from fading. Just wait."

Chen Yuan knew the temperament of that madwoman Shi Xueyan. Although the course of events had changed somewhat, he was still confident he could make Shi Xueyan take Chu Hongshang as her disciple.

Chu Hongshang nodded, then suddenly asked, "Even now, I still do not know Benefactor's name."

Chen Yuan paused for a moment before saying, "Chen Tian."

The Heavenly Wolf Gang turmoil had settled. In the hearts of everyone in Linked Mountains City, he was already "dead."

Moreover, although this place was not within the Murong Clan's sphere of influence, it was still considered part of Youzhou.

Though he believed Chu Hongshang would not speak carelessly, Chen Yuan still used a false name to be safe.

Yuan meant deep pool, so Chen Yuan casually chose Tian, Heaven, as its opposite.

When they met again in the future, she only needed to remember his face.

"Chen Tian."

Chu Hongshang murmured the name, as if she wanted to brand it into the depths of her mind.