The Gaze

Hu Chaohui dreamed of that azure yet violent sea again.

The ship was tossed about by giant waves and plunged into a "deep valley," nearly capsizing several times, but managed to hold on until it was finally pushed to a deserted island by a sudden storm.

While searching for suitable firewood, Hu Chaohui and his companions stumbled upon a cave.

He vaguely felt that this place was familiar, as if he had been here before, and that it would become the starting point for changing his destiny.

Hu Chaohui glanced at his companion beside him, a hint of ferocity flashing in his eyes.

The cave dwelling contained flower gardens, orchards, ponds, and spiritual fields, but all of them had withered and decayed, and there were no immortal herbs or divine fruits to be found.

Hu Chaohui and his companions traversed the area and arrived at the inner palace.

The first thing that caught his eye was a grand hall with murals painted on both sides, and a white jade platform in front of him, on which were books made of animal hides.

Ignoring the murals, Hu Chaohui went straight to the jade platform and picked up the book.

The book's cover was covered in ancient Bronze Script, a script he couldn't recognize a single character of, nor could the contents.

No, I clearly traveled all the way to Flame Capital and studied Bronze Script for a long time... A thought suddenly occurred to Hu Chaohui, and he instantly understood the book: "The Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate".

He slowly turned the pages, one after another, as if trying to remember, but not really trying to.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he exhaled, and it seemed as if he heard someone say in his mind:

"Finally, I've memorized it."

Hu Chaohui then examined the murals on both sides and was astonished to find that each picture was actually a manifestation of Aperture Refinement, energy cultivation, and concentration. Every time he looked at a picture, many acupoints on his body would throb.

The Martial Arts hidden in the murals originated from the same source as, or rather encompassed, the "Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate." As Hu Chaohui looked at them, he inexplicably began to practice them.

Gradually, he felt himself becoming one with the entire sea, able to stir up storms and raging waves with a mere gesture, and to draw upon its vast and boundless power to bring life and death to all things in the Southern Sea.

"The Glazed Sea-Holding Art..." The name Huo Ran popped into Hu Chaohui's mind.

If he had known that there was an even more profound technique hidden in the murals of the cave, he would not have stayed in Flame Capital after mastering the Bronze Script. Instead, he would have returned to Southern Province and sailed the seas. Although he could not become a true sea god, he could still be a local tyrant pretending to be True Dragon. As long as he did not leave the Southern Sea, he would be close to Celestial Person and could be considered a local lord.

In that case, what's there to worry about in terms of outcome?

Frustrated, Hu Chaohui looked at the last mural:

A human-faced deity with two green Green Snake hanging from his ears and two red snakes under his feet stood amidst towering waves, raising his long halberd and roaring angrily. Above him, beyond layers of clouds, a figure appeared and disappeared, wearing a tall crown and a tasseled crown, occupying the center and supporting the Six Harmonies. Hu Chaohui was momentarily dazed.

He suddenly remembered something:

Don't I still have companions?

Didn't we enter the cave together as a pair?

Just as he was thinking this, he noticed a figure standing in front of him.

The figure, clad in a grey robe, hands clasped behind his back, wore a Jade Maiden Mask adorned with Peach Blossom Red Makeup, exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring aura, vast and distant, overlooking all directions.

This bears a striking resemblance in style to the figure high in the mural, as if the real world and the painting overlap.

"Emperor Hong..." Hu Chaohui finally called out that name.

Emperor Hong was Emperor Xuanyuan.

This is recorded in the Bronze Script inscription of "The Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate".

Hu Chaohui was shaken to his core. The entire cave and the entire world suddenly trembled and cracked inch by inch.

His dream was about to crumble. Ding Songyan was staring intently at the mural when he realized that he had appeared and disturbed Hu Chaohui.

The next instant, he noticed that the figure above Bu Ting Huyu's head, in the vast sky, had inexplicably changed. The crown tassels swayed almost imperceptibly, and the face hidden by them vaguely looked down.

Ding Songyan's hair stood on end instantly. He felt as if a gaze, as if it were real, was falling from above, piercing through his dream, and landing on him.

No, it comes not only from high places, but also from the depths of the underworld, from the eight directions Six Harmonies, from every place!

Without a sound, Hu Chaohui's dream shattered, and Ding Songyan's spirit instantly retreated back into his body.

He suddenly opened his eyes and found that the energy of heaven and earth had become chaotic, with Wind and Rain mingling, the moon and stars were few, geothermal heat was rising, and icy coldness was spreading everywhere.

The Netherworld Grounds, shrouded in smoky darkness, also appeared before his eyes.

Ding Songyan, through the "Hundun State," naturally reflected his current state:

Its face Nether Darkness and indistinct, as if shrouded in a black veil; its skin was noticeably yellowish; its six legs were almost invisible; and its wings, which changed color with the Four Seasons, were different.

He fully revealed the strange appearance of the Hundun Martial Grandmaster.

His Yin Eye also inexplicably activated.

... Somewhere in Flame Capital.

Ji Hanyi, dressed in a white dress and practicing calligraphy with a brush, suddenly retreated rapidly, and layer upon layer of invisible barriers appeared in front of her.

This made her feel as if she had vanished into another world in the blink of an eye, no longer within her own realm.

But the gaze that came out of nowhere was not hindered in any way, passing through the three realms and the myriad directions, crossing the eight wastelands and the Six Harmonies, and finally landing on her.

The Void Aura suddenly boiled, affecting the entire world.

That gaze vanished in an instant, Ji Hanyi stopped.

Her skirt fluttered slightly, and everything quickly returned to normal.

"What trouble has my dear second brother gotten himself into now? He really knows how to surprise people..." The stunningly beautiful woman murmured, her tone a mixture of delight and reproach.

In a Quiet Room Phoenix Terrace Studio.

A man in a long, flowing robe and a tall crown sat cross-legged. His eyebrows were like sharp swords, flying into his temples; his eyes were like blooming peach blossoms, his pupils like deep pools; his nose was high and straight, exuding a heroic air; his chin had smooth lines; and his face had distinct features. He was a rare and handsome man.

The man turned his head to the side, looked out the window, and made a soft "hmm" sound. The energy of heaven and earth in Flame Capital had inexplicably changed.

Tiger Tail Alley, Rear Courtyard the Cheap Wine Shop.

While reading by lamplight, Twelfth Madam Luo also picked up a pen to write down her thoughts; her handwriting was both beautiful and dignified.

Huo Ran, she pressed her pen down a little harder and looked up at the door.

After a moment, Twelfth Madam Luo began to mutter almost silently to herself.

"Is it related to the Celestial Emperor?"

At this moment, countless people in Flame Capital murmured in surprise, while many others seemed lost in thought.

Ding Songyan vaguely anticipated it but had no time to pay attention. He quickly closed his Yin Eye and created the "Treatise on Sharing a Shadow Beyond the World to conceal the Hundun anomaly.

Then, while using "Return All Things to One" to eliminate the traces and energy, he stealthily made his way out of the Liu Family compound.

Along the way, he encountered raging storms, the first snow of Winter, and the bright Bright Moon; the Four Seasons seemed to have become chaotic. After a full cup of tea, this strangeness disappeared, helping Ding Songyan completely escape the danger of being discovered.

He slipped into a Side Courtyard of the Prince's Residence, breathed a sigh of relief, and reflected on his previous experiences.

"Is this... being watched by the Celestial Emperor?" Ding Songyan became increasingly terrified as he pondered this.

Although he had never witnessed the power of Perfected Person, he didn't think anyone could accomplish what he had just experienced after the Severance of Heaven and Earth; it was even more terrifying than the Remnant Soul of the Nine-Phoenix lingering in the Netherworld Grounds.

Celestial Emperor still alive?

"He cast his gaze from the Heavenly Realm?"

"But why did He allow Yan Changqing to enter the Kunlun Palace and take away part of the Hundun Remains?"

What does His gaze signify?

"I thought I was going to be struck by lightning and punished by the heavens..."

"As expected of the Celestial Emperor, the figure in the mural from Hu Chaohui's memory that I saw in my dream, separated by countless layers, could still resonate with my Hundun essence and establish a connection..."

"The stares just now didn't seem to be directed at me alone, hehe, Flame Capital also has my good sister, she ate most of the Hundun, she should help me share the burden..."

"In this way, there are two sources of chaos in the heaven and earth, and they influence each other, causing changes in a large area. Even if the Military Forbidden Division asks the Grand Master to take action, it is estimated that nothing can be found. It is difficult to determine that the problem lies in Brother Liu's home. "It's over, I can notice that the gaze is also directed at the little sister. It is not difficult for the little sister to guess that I am causing trouble. I wonder if she will be angry because of this and what she will do next..."

Ding Songyan instinctively raised his hand, rubbing his temples, pondering how to deal with his good sister who might later come to question him.

He vaguely understood that the idea of "eating Hundun at the same time and sharing Yin and Yang" might be true, while the rest was probably just his sister making up stories to scare him.

Taking this opportunity to reflect on these things, Ding Songyan's mind gradually calmed down.

He then began to examine his own condition.

Since he didn't die on the spot, it means that the Celestial Emperor doesn't care about such an ant, or that He is unable to take action in order to maintain the Severance of Heaven and Earth, and that His own crisis is not imminent and does not need to be considered for the time being.

Ding Songyan currently lacks sufficient information to speculate, and can only focus more on the matter at hand.

He quickly confirmed two things.

First, he can sense all the remaining External Acupoints. Second, his Yin Eye can be activated by his own will without needing the Heavenly Heart Imprint to be activated, and he can also Spirit Walking Through the Netherworld.

"Just one glance from the Celestial Emperor has stirred my spirit and shaken my Divine Soul, bringing about such a change?" Ding Songyan closed his eyes and circulated the "Being-and-Nonbeing Myriad Forms Qi," quickly condensing the two newly acquired External Acupoints his control.

He only needs to reach the Perfected Law Realm of the Hundun Martial Arts with the "Returning Ruins" stage.

Huff... Ding Songyan exhaled, letting the contents of "The Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate" gradually emerge in his mind. He couldn't help but complain about Hu Chaohui:

This person lacked knowledge and didn't observe the murals carefully enough, so he didn't remember everything, which prevented me from mastering the "Glazed Sea-Holding Art." I can only hope that I will have the opportunity to find the cave left by Bu Ting Huyu in the future.

As for the "Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate," Ding Songyan did not intend to waste his lifespan to cultivate it.

This Martial Arts is actually somewhat similar to the Heavenly Mind state; both can influence the Qi of the surrounding area, but it's impossible to clearly sense the existence and changes of that Qi.

Ding Songyan plans to use the "Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate" as a foundation, referencing the Heavenly Heart Imprint, to deduce the changes of the former and attempt to make improvements. He hopes to create a Secret Art or Martial Arts that can be directly used to "feel the will of Heaven and execute the Heavenly Decree," replacing the Heavenly Mind Heavenly Mind and reducing his dependence on the Heavenly Heart Imprint.

The Heavenly Heart Imprint, such an external object, will eventually have to be discarded.

P. S.: Requesting double Monthly Tickets at the beginning of the month!