"Sam! The gloves are about to burn!" Dean shouted.
Sam immediately took out the lighter and lit the leather gloves.
The gloves burned in the flames, making a crackling sound. Black smoke rose from the flames, carrying a pungent smell.
The ghost of Sandover let out a shrill scream, and his body began to become transparent and dissipated in the air little by little.
"No--my company--"
With the last scream, the ghost of Sandover completely disappeared.
The temperature in the room slowly rose and the lights returned to normal.
The moment Sandover's ghost disappeared, the homologous origin core in room 1444 was completely released, turning into a purple-gold light, like a bolt of lightning, and instantly poured into Bai Haorui's body.
Bai Haorui was shocked, and purple-gold flames flashed across his eyes and then disappeared.
He felt as if his soul had been washed again, becoming more complete and pure than ever before. All the hidden dangers and impurities left by cultivation had been completely removed, just like the foundation of a house was laid all over again, making it deep and stable.
His understanding of "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art" reached a new level, and all previous doubts disappeared. He understood the true meaning of "Refining Qi into Gang", understood the connection between True Gang and True Fire, and understood that the essence of cultivation is to find the true self.
He finally understood the true meaning of "Unique Across All Worlds" - not to destroy himself in all parallel worlds, but to absorb their origins and make himself the most complete and powerful one among all possibilities.
Bai Haorui: Success! All the original power of the same origin has been absorbed! My soul has an indescribable feeling of completeness.
This improvement in power is not a superficial improvement in skill, but a thorough strengthening of the foundation. His cultivation path has become smooth from now on, and there will be no mental barriers when he breaks through any realm in the future. Others' breakthrough Golden Core is "a matter of course", but his breakthrough Golden Core will be "all rivers return to the sea". After the breakthrough, he will be several times stronger than the monks of the same realm.
"Right? Man, I have to tell you." Dean said excitedly, "I have never been so happy in my life."
"Me too." Sam nodded.
"Me too." Bai Haorui came back to his senses and said with a smile, "This is much more interesting than being a security guard in an office building."
"It's a great exercise too, isn't it?"
"We should continue to do this." Sam said seriously.
"I know."
"I'm serious. There are definitely other ghosts out there. Vampires, werewolves, all kinds of monsters. We could help a lot of people."
"Yeah, we'll be like ghost hunters."
"No, seriously. I mean, really." Sam said.
Dean:"What?"
Sam:"For example, quit your job and hit the road?"
"How do we live?" Dean asked, "Are you kidding me. How do we live? On stolen credit cards? Huh? Eating restaurant food laden with saturated fat? Sharing a crappy motel every night?"
"These are just details." Sam said.
"I agree with what Sam said." Bai Haorui nodded, "These are just details. The important thing is that we found what we really want to do."
The three people returned to Dean's office and sat on the sofa.
Dean and Sam were very excited, with long-lost smiles on their faces. The sense of accomplishment of eliminating ghosts is unmatched by any job.
Sam was the first to speak, "Okay... uh... I confess."
"What?" Dean asked.
"Remember those dreams I told you about ghosts? Yeah?" Sam said, "I'm fighting them. With you. And Bai Haorui. We're kind of... hunters... and we're friends. More like brothers, really. I mean, what if that's the real us? You just saw us working together. That ghost can mess with people's brains. What if it messes with ours, too?"
"That's crazy." Dean shook his head.
"Really? Just think about it for a second," Sam said, "What if we think this is our life, but it's not? The ghost is dead. We're still alive. I mean, I'm sorry, but... look, I just know, this is not who we're supposed to be."
"No. I am Dean·Smith, okay?" Dean said, "Sales and Marketing Director. I graduated from Stanford University. My father's name is Bob, my mother's name is Ellen, and my sister's name is Joe. I have a beautiful apartment, a nice car, and a bright future."
"When was the last time you spoke to them? Any of them?" Sam asked.
Dean was stunned. He tried hard to recall, but found that he couldn't remember the last time he talked to his family. Even their appearance became blurry. In his memory, there were only these three weeks of life, and going forward was a blank.
"Okay, now you're frustrated. Frustrated and confused..."
"Yeah, I just moved here because I broke up with my fiancée Madison." Sam said, "But when I called her number, it turned out to be a damn animal hospital. I asked my colleagues and they all said they had never heard of Madison."
"Okay. What are you talking about? Are you trying to say my family isn't real? Huh? We were implanted with false memories? Come on. This is ridiculous."
"All I know is that I have this intuition." Sam said seriously, "And I know. I know deep down, you must feel this way too. We should be someone else. You are not just a mid-level asshole in the company. This is not the real you. I know you. Bai Haorui also knows you."
"That's right, Dean." Bai Haorui nodded, "I feel the same way. We don't belong here. We belong to the road, to adventure, and to saving those hurt by supernatural forces."
"Understand me? You don't understand me, man." Dean stood up, pointed at the door and said, "It's time for you to go."
Bai Haorui: Hehe, Dean is still hesitating. But it doesn't matter, the angel will help him make a choice.
I feel the angelic energy coming towards the office: here it comes.
Dean: Is what they say true? I'm really not Dean·Smith? Then who am I? Why am I so confused?
Sam: Dean, you must believe me, we do not belong here.
Early the next morning, Sam was sitting in his cubicle, looking at the computer screen with firm eyes.
He has made a decision. He wants to resign and go on the road to hunt monsters with Dean and Bai Haorui. He no longer wants to live this meaningless nine-to-five life.
The phone in front of him rang.
Sam picked up a fireplace poker and slammed it against the phone.
"Bang!"
The phone was smashed to pieces and its parts were scattered on the floor.
Everyone in the office was startled and turned to look at him.
Sam stood up, picked up his coat, and said loudly to everyone who was frightened, "I resign."
After saying that, he turned around and left.
Bai Haorui stood not far away, looking at Sam with a smile on his lips.
He also took off his work ID card, threw it on the table, and said to the security guard Tom beside him, "I also resigned. Tom, take care of yourself in the future."
"Bai, what's going on?" Tom asked in surprise.
"I found a job that suits me better." Bai Haorui smiled, turned around and followed Sam out.
Bai Haorui: Well done, Sam.
Sam: I know what I did is right, Dean will definitely follow us.
Dean heard Sam banging the phone in the office: Sam He really resigned.
Dean was sitting at his desk, looking at the sales report on the computer screen, absent-mindedly.
His fingers kept tapping on the table, and his mind kept replaying the scene of fighting ghosts with Sam and Bai Haorui last night. The feeling of blood boiling, the unprecedented happiness and satisfaction.
He remembered what Sam said, the firm eyes of Bai Haorui, and the voice that had always existed deep in his heart.
At this moment, Mr. Adler walked into the office.
Mr. Adler is a middle-aged man in his fifties, with gray hair, wearing an expensive Italian suit, and a kind smile on his face. He is the president of the company and the immediate boss of Dean.
"Dean, congratulations." Mr. Adler patted Dean on the shoulder and said, "The board of directors has just decided to promote you to senior vice president of the Eastern Great Lakes region. Your salary will be doubled, and you will also get a company car and a personal assistant. You can take up the post next week at Chicago."
This is Dean's dream position. If it were in the past, he would be ecstatic.
But now, he looked at Mr. Adler with confusion in his eyes.
He thought of the black Ford F-150 pickup truck, the rock music of AC/DC, and the time when he and Sam and Bai Haorui were side by side.
He took a deep breath, raised his head, looked at Mr. Adler, and said firmly, "I want to resign."
Mr. Adler smiled and tapped Dean's forehead with his finger.
A powerful energy surged into Dean's brain.
Dean was shaken violently, and all the memories came back.
He looked down at his suit and tie, pulled it off with a look of disgust, and threw it to the ground.
"What the hell? Why am I wearing a tie?" Dean said, "Oh my god, I'm starving. I could eat a cow right now. And, can anyone tell me why I have a Prius? That's an insult to cars!"
Just as Dean restored its memory, Sam also restored all its memories at the same time.
The office door was pushed open, and Sam and Bai Haorui walked in.
"Welcome back." Mr. Adler's voice changed, becoming cold and arrogant. A white light flashed in his eyes.
"Wait. I just... I was just...?" Dean frowned, "You are an angel, right?"
"I am Zachariah." Zachariah said, "I am not an ordinary angel, Dean. I am Castiel's boss. Believe me, I don't want to come here and get into these stinky skins at all. But after the unfortunate incident of Uriel... I feel it is necessary to pay a visit and arrange things properly."
"Oh, then your way of greeting is really unique!" Dean said coldly.
"Start with your attitude." Zachariah said.
"Oh, so, what? This is all some kind of lesson? Is that what you mean?" Dean said, "Wow. How creative."
"You should see my paper cutting art."
"Disgusting. No, thank you."
"So."
"I'm just hallucinating? Am I?"
"Not at all. Real place, real haunted incident." Zachariah said, "I just put you here and erased your memory."
"Just for fun? So you can watch us run around like jackasses in monkey suits for fun?"
"To prove to you that the path you are taking is engraved in your bones." Zachariah said, "You are a hunter. Not because your father asked you to do it, not because God took you from Hell Li recalled it. But because this is who you are. You love it. You can find it even in the dark and you will be miserable without it. Dean, tell the truth. You are good at this. You will succeed. You will stop it."
"Stop what? The end of the world, huh? Lucifer? Or what? Just make it clear, man."
"You will do everything you are destined to do. Everything." Zachariah said, "But I know, I know. You are not strong enough. You are afraid. You have an Electra complex. You can't do it. Right?"
"Whether you are an angel or not, I will stab you in the face." Dean clenched his fist.
"I'm just saying... it depends on how you look at it," Zachariah said, "Most people live and die with nothing changed except the dirt they're buried in. And you can change things. Save people, maybe even save the world. And at the same time you can drive a classic car and sleep with women. That's not Curse. It's a gift. So for the love of God, Dean, stop complaining. Look around you. There are many fates worse than yours. So will you join me? Do you want to go steam yourself a latte again? Or are you ready to stand up and be your true self?"
"Of course he is ready." Bai Haorui said, "Besides, he is not alone. We will be with him."
Zachariah looked at Bai Haorui, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He looked at Bai Haorui carefully and frowned slightly. He could feel that Bai Haorui's aura was completely different from before, becoming deeper, more restrained, and more elusive.
"Oh, I almost forgot about you, Eastern monk." Zachariah snorted coldly, "I didn't expect you to recover your memory so quickly. And... your breath... seems to be different."
Bai Haorui smiled slightly, "Thanks to you, I have gained a lot."
"Huh, okay, maybe you should say thank you." Zachariah said.
He didn't know that the experiment he carefully planned allowed Bai Haorui to absorb his own homologous origin in the parallel world and complete the transformation of his soul. The Bai Haorui of this world was originally a employee of this company. An ordinary employee who joined the company in 1926 was also killed by the ghost of Sandover a year later. The remnant soul of his origin was nourished by the resentment of Sandover for nearly a hundred years, and was eventually absorbed by Bai Haorui.
Zachariah turned into a white light and disappeared.
Calmness returned to the office.
Bai Haorui Close your eyes and feel the original power surging in your body.
He could clearly feel that his soul had become more sensitive.
His control over True Gang and True Fire has reached an unprecedented level. True Gang can become as thin as a hair, hitting the target accurately; or it can become as thick as a city wall, resisting any attack. The temperature of True Fire can also be adjusted at will, from being as warm as spring to burning mountains and boiling seas, with just a thought.
His foundation became extremely stable, as if rooted deep in the earth. No force could shake his mind. He had a clearer understanding of the future path, and was no longer confused or hesitant.
His understanding of "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art" also reached a new level. He understood that cultivation is not for the pursuit of power, but for self-improvement. Every breakthrough is a sublimation of the soul. All the hidden dangers and impurities left in his previous cultivation have been completely eliminated, and his soul has become like a pure crystal without any flaws.
This improvement is not a superficial increase in skill, but a fundamental transformation. His current skill is similar to before, but his potential has been infinitely magnified. In the future, there will be no bottleneck when he breaks through to the next level.
Bai Haorui: After absorbing my origin in this parallel world, my soul feels more sensitive, and my understanding of "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art" has reached an unprecedented level. Now, I still need to settle down, and my foundation is more solid. My physical body also feels that there is more potential that can be tapped. Hehe, Zachariah, thank you so much.
After Zachariah left, the world slowly turned upside down in the eyes of the three of them. After a period of dizziness, the three people's vision returned to normal. They found that they were no longer in Sandover Iron Company's office, but returned to the previous hospital.
The three people walked to the parking lot.
The familiar 1967 Chevrolet Impala was parked there quietly, shining in the sun. The black body and smooth lines looked like a sleeping beast.
Dean walked over and stroked the front of Impala's car with a crazy smile on his face.
"Ah... my baby." Dean said softly, "I miss you so much."
He opened the driver's door and got in. The familiar smell of leather hit his face, making him feel extremely at ease. He stroked the steering wheel like he was stroking his beloved goddess.
Sam opened the passenger door, and Bai Haorui sat in the back seat first.
Dean started the car, and Impala made a low, familiar roar, as if responding to the owner's thoughts.
The car slowly drove out of the parking lot and headed for the distant highway.
The sun shines in through the car window and shines on the three people, making it warm and bright.
Dean turned on the radio and tuned it to the rock channel. The exciting sound of AC/DC guitar instantly filled the entire car.
"Ah... this is just right." Dean said excitedly, "Go to hell with any bullshit Prius, any bullshit latte."
Sam smiled and shook his head, "You. But to be honest, I also think that hunting monsters is more interesting. Sitting in a cubicle typing on the keyboard is a waste of life."
Impala was speeding on the road, and the wheels rolled over the road, making a rustling sound.
Impala accelerated and disappeared at the end of the road.
Outside the motel window, the night was as thick as ink.
Occasionally, the roar of trucks passing by could be heard in the distance, and soon it fell silent again. In the next room, Dean's snoring was even and loud, while Sam's breathing was light and steady. Bai Haorui sat cross-legged on the bed in his room, with his eyes closed tightly, entering a deep meditation state.
There was no light on in the room, only the moonlight shined through the cracks in the curtains, casting a faint silver light, outlining his tall and tall figure.
His breathing was long and slow, and he seemed to be integrated with everything in the world. The purple-gold True Gang in his body no longer needed to be deliberately guided as before, but spontaneously ran according to the route of "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art", as smooth as a mountain stream, without a trace of sluggishness.
In the past, when practicing True Gang, there would always be a slight sense of blockage at certain acupuncture points, which required a lot of time and energy to break away. But now, all those blockages have disappeared. Wherever True Gang passes, the meridians are unobstructed, as if they have been re-widened and reinforced.
Bai Haorui's consciousness sank into his body and he could "see" his meridians and Dantian more clearly.
In the Dantian, the purple-gold True Gang origin is more condensed and purer than before. It rotates slowly, emitting warm and powerful energy, nourishing his internal organs and limbs. Every time it rotates, a subtle source of power will be integrated into his flesh and bones, quietly strengthening his physical body.
He tried to mobilize a trace of True Gang and let it flow to his right index finger.
He can control the flow and shape of True Gang more accurately. The thread of True Gang condensed on his fingertips, getting thinner and brighter, and finally turned into a purple-gold needle light that was ten times thinner than a hair.
This needle light is extremely sharp, but it is extremely restrained, not emitting a trace of excess energy. If it were not Bai Haorui himself, no one would be able to detect its existence.
He nodded with satisfaction.
This kind of extremely fine control was something he couldn't do before. In the past, when he used True Gang, it was like wielding a sledgehammer. Although it was powerful, it was not accurate enough and could easily cause unnecessary damage. But now, he is like holding a scalpel, which can cut anything accurately.
Next, he tried to mobilize True Fire.
A weak purple-gold flame ignited in his palm.
This flame was only the size of a fingernail, burning quietly without emitting any heat. Bai Haorui thought, and the temperature of the flame began to slowly increase. From warm as spring, to unbearably hot, to enough to melt steel. The whole process was arbitrary and accurately controllable.
He picked up a nearby match and placed it over the flame.
The flame did not burn the match, but only formed a thin film of fire on the surface of the match. Bai Haorui thought again, and the film of fire shrank instantly, and only the head of the match was ignited. The match burned quietly, and the flame was stable and even, without any shaking.
Bai Haorui blew out the match, and the True Fire in the palm of his hand also disappeared.
He took a deep breath, and his heart was filled with unprecedented clarity.
In the past, his understanding of "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art" only stayed at the level of "Refining Qi into Gang, Refining Gang into Fire". He thought that cultivation was to continuously accumulate energy and make oneself stronger. But now, he understands that the essence of cultivation is not accumulation, but perception.
"Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art" is not a simple body training method, but a supreme mental method that combines mind, soul, and body training. Its ultimate goal is not to give practitioners the power to destroy the world, but to allow practitioners to find their true self and realize the perfection and transcendence of their souls.
All the hidden dangers and impurities left in his previous cultivation were completely eliminated in this fusion of the same source. His soul became like a pure crystal, without any flaws. He could clearly see every mistake and detour in his past cultivation.
Now, everything is different.
After absorbing his own origin in the parallel world, he experienced a completely different life. He saw another possibility of himself and understood what the real "me" is.
"Unique Across All Worlds..." Bai Haorui silently recited these four words in his heart, his eyes becoming deeper and deeper.
Each self in the parallel world is an aspect of "me". Some are brave, some are cowardly; some are kind, some are evil; some succeed and some fail. Only by integrating all the aspects can one become a complete person.
This is the true meaning of "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art".
The reason why this exercise is called "Three Altars Body Refinement" is because it requires practitioners to temper their past, present and future, temper all their possibilities, and finally reach the state of "all things unified, Unique Across All Worlds".
Bai Haorui slowly opened his eyes.
A hint of purple-gold light flashed in his eyes, and then disappeared.
Bai Haorui stood up, walked to the window, and opened the curtains.
The moonlight shone on his face, soft and cool.
He looked up at the sky and looked at the bright moon.
"Zachariah..." Bai Haorui murmured in a low voice, with a faint smile on his lips, "Thank you for this great gift. You think you are controlling our destiny, but in fact, you are just helping us grow."
"Lucifer, Michael... just wait."
"God I will not be your pawn."
"My destiny is in my own hands."
The night wind blew and the curtains fluttered gently.
Bai Haorui's figure looks particularly tall and firm in the moonlight.