Awake as Usual
"The matter is settled!"
As the intermediary, Zhang Xuezhou has done his job.
The remaining questions are how long Princess Dou of Anle Palace can delay, when the Empress Dowager will be buried, and how Li Shaojun and Divine Lord Zhenyuan will cooperate to protect Zhuang Qingdi.
They went there by carriage, and Zhang Xuezhou returned by carriage as well.
Things went quite smoothly, but Zhang Xuezhou was clearly working long hours, and his transition period was drawing to a close.
Besides giving Ah Qiao a few instructions, Zhang Xuezhou had already shifted his mindset and tried his best to adjust his state of mind.
He circulated his Qi and Blood, adjusting every part of his body. His physical acupoints were constantly operating, and his slightly stronger Law Power occasionally revealed a hazy, ethereal quality.
Upon closer inspection, a demon core with four limbs floated in the lower Dantian, connected to the hidden Eye of the Ba Snake in the left palm.
Although everything within the body is complex, it once again presents a clearly defined structure.
"I wonder if it's possible to nurture and fuse Demon Power, or to break the Demon Power sealed by the Locking Sun, or even allow my Jade Wings to refine and advance once more!"
With all the adjustments almost complete, Zhang Xuezhou reached out and took the dragon ball that Ao Li had inexplicably given him, placing it in his palm.
With a spell, he guided the fist-sized dragon ball into his mouth, causing it to shrink rapidly.
With the dragon pearl in his mouth, Zhang Xuezhou felt a gentle Demon Power enveloping his body, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.
The Qingzhou Cauldron poured out the Venerable One's Demon Power Demon Power, which was very compatible with the Eye of the Ba Snake. However, Zhang Xuezhou was not Zhu Shiyin, and his Demon Power was very different from the Venerable One's.
Zhang Xuezhou felt that the Demon Power in his body was mixed with other things, seemingly a single, concentrated Demon Power, yet containing a variety of elements.
Having undergone the training of "Entwining Dragon and Circling Pillar True Fire Refining the Golden Body," Zhang Xuezhou undoubtedly found the difficulty of refining the material to be much higher.
He had no choice but to borrow the Dragon Balls to give it a try.
Zhang Xuezhou was extremely satisfied with this gentle feeling.
Even if there are no immediate changes, the fact that he has been holding the Dragon Ball in his mouth for many years will most likely bring him benefits.
When Zhang Xuezhou was lucid, it was one thing, but having a bead in his mouth made speaking difficult. However, after he was transported to another world, he could undoubtedly hold it for twelve days.
"We've traveled through time!"
With everything arranged, a sense of darkness flickered in Zhang Xuezhou's eyes.
What is the universe? What are celestial bodies? What is this dark region? What is the reality of the world?
Each clear-headed journey through different worlds undoubtedly challenges Zhang Xuezhou's preconceived notions.
For humanity, which has never even ventured into space, all of its scientific knowledge could potentially be overturned.
What the eyes see is not necessarily the truth, and what the mind observes is not without reason.
Heaven and earth were born together with me, and all things are one with me!
Zhang Xuezhou inexplicably recalled Zhuang Qingdi's words, and his thoughts became somewhat turbulent.
These words seem similar to Dong Zhongshu's "Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven," but the two are almost contradictory statements.
Dong Zhongshu's "Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven heaven and man" distinguishes between heaven and man, thus seeking a guiding force to descend upon oneself. However, Zhuang Qingdi's remarks emphasize that heaven and man are inherently one, and there is no need to distinguish between them.
Dong Zhongshu's Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven and nature is a real and tangible ability, while Zhuang Qingdi's words are those of Zhuang Zhou, belonging to the realm of Zhuang Zhou.
Two completely different theories, yet they have manifested in different people and led to different kinds of success.
As he traversed the endless darkness, Zhang Xuezhou's thoughts were not focused on the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon and the tree chair, but rather on the clash between two ideologies.
This surprised even himself.
But Zhang Xuezhou quickly regained his composure.
Amidst the twisting and turning, the appearance he perceived in his mind had changed.
A flash of white light passed before his eyes, and Zhang Xuezhou saw a familiar face.
"My brother is awake as usual!"
No one should get involved in combat operations as soon as they regain their senses, and the health of those involved in combat operations is a concern.
When Ren Anran and Ning Que's faces came into view, Zhang Xuezhou felt as if he were exhaling a breath of turbid air from more than ten days ago.
"Has the true form of Huang Daoxian been discovered?"
Zhang Xuezhou turned his head.
This time, he didn't switch between fast and slow modes; instead, he remained as clear-headed as usual.
With a quick glance, Zhang Xuezhou asked about the matter he cared about most.
"We don't know where Huang Daoxian's true form is right now," Ren Anran said, looking somewhat dejected. "But a large number of unusual plants have appeared in many areas of Luo'an Province, and things are already in chaos there!"
"The vegetation over there is growing rapidly, enlarging as a whole, and depleting land resources," Zhang Manqian said quickly. "Some of the vegetation is quite aggressive, creating situations similar to the Zuo Household!"
"The current casualty rate is still within a controllable range, but it's unclear whether there will be any unforeseen changes!"
Ren Anran summarized the situation, while Zhang Manqian gestured towards the southeast, which easily reminded Zhang Xuezhou of Laiyata City in the Thousand Islands Alliance region.
Before Presennel was discovered, everything was calm, but in the short time after the Presennel eruption, it quickly became a living hell.
However, this kind of outbreak is clearly better than a delayed, orderly conflict; the cost of the fireball disaster in the Tours area was already very low.
In the Scarlet Alliance State, the leadership almost unanimously agreed that no matter what calamity might befall them, this conflict needed to be brought to the fore as soon as possible.
The difficulty of sealing off a province is obviously completely different from that of sealing off a city. The actions of the Scarlet Alliance State were extremely significant and also triggered various controversies.
"Xuezhou, have you sensed him?"
Zhang Manqian told Zhang Xuezhou as much as possible about the relevant information from the past twelve days, while for Ren Anran and Ning Que, this period of time felt almost like a dream.
Ren Anran's dream was somewhat unreal, while Ning Que's dream was an exciting nightmare.
The world seemed to change in that instant, but everyone knew very well that as long as Huang Daoxian didn't die, it would inevitably be their turn.
In this conflict, anyone who stands in Huang Daoxian's way will become his opponent.
It wasn't just Zhang Xuezhou who was worried about encountering another battle; Ren Anran and Ning Que had also been on tenterhooks for the past twelve days.
"I have no senses!"
Zhang Xuezhou stood up.
He was in a hospital, but his location had not changed.
A temporary hospital has been quickly built around him near the security center.
If you peel back the floorboards underneath, Zhang Xuezhou can also see a layer of soil.
Through the window, Zhang Xuezhou could see vast, empty areas.
Fast-growing thorns grow rapidly, but their root system is very shallow, making them relatively easy to remove. However, this rapid growth depletes soil nutrients and can cause devastating damage to vegetation.
Looking around, Zhang Xuezhou saw no green at all. More than ten days had passed, and not even weeds had sprouted on the ground.
Centered around the temporary hospital, their area has been sealed off, and there is not a soul in sight for miles around.
"What about that bronze tortoise?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.
"Didn't find it," Ren Anran shook his head. "Multiple sources believe that the bronze tortoise was either bombarded by rocket artillery and shattered into dust or melted!"
"Let's go take another look!"
Zhang Xuezhou was the victor in the battle of speed; his body was rebuilt, and his physical condition was not significantly affected.
With the addition of medical care, his physical indicators were found to be very healthy after a series of tests.
After a brief adjustment, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but wonder where the bronze tortoise that had compelled Huang Daoxian to participate in the competition had gone.
The three souls and seven spirits are formless and intangible, but the bronze tortoise is a physical metal object.
Zhang Xuezhou knew about things like teleportation, but he didn't believe that tangible objects could be teleported and then disappear without a trace.