A Favored Path Spanning East and West
Liangyuan covered an area of 100 li in circumference, and this area was extremely empty.
Zhang Xuezhou glided through the air for only a moment before his body leaped into the air.
After soaring to a sufficient height, his arms transformed into jade wings of Technique Within the Clouds, gracefully gliding across the sky and heading far westward.
This was a relatively long journey, requiring at least three days, and it was a rather tiring long trip for Zhang Xuezhou.
As Zhang Xuezhou continued flying westward, he couldn't help but ponder the 'Four Directions Locking Technique' that Liu Xuan had mentioned.
Zhang Xuezhou did not rashly learn any technique he acquired. Moreover, most secret techniques have a school of study to adapt to, and it is extremely difficult to achieve success in cross-school cultivation.
He originally intended to study the 'Four Directions Locking Technique' during his journey and then push it in a direction that would be more suitable for the Yin-Yang School's Realm Technique, even if the effect was slightly inferior. However, Zhang Xuezhou soon discovered that this technique was not so picky and could be fully incorporated into general-purpose Technique Method with slight modifications.
Just as fossilization transforms soil into hard stone, the principle behind the Four Directions Locking Technique is extremely similar.
The loose soil within it transformed into cultivators, and its effects were released within themselves.
Once the process is reversed, it's like the reverse of fossilization, causing the stones to crumble into a pile of dirt, thus restoring the body to normal.
"If you are injured while in this state, the difficulty of breaking free from the Four Directions Locking Technique will increase dramatically. Taking pills will reduce their effectiveness or render them ineffective, which will have very serious consequences. Only Technique Method... This seems to be extremely compatible with the Supreme Purity True Technique. The difficulty of healing this kind of locked wound with Technique Method will be greatly reduced. It's just a matter of surviving by sheer willpower!"
When used in combat, the Four Directions Lock Technique has both obvious advantages and disadvantages.
During his research, Zhang Xuezhou discovered that the Supreme Purity True Technique and the Four Directions Locking Technique were extremely well-matched. One technique locked the body to prevent injuries from affecting performance, while the other technique forcibly healed bodily injuries, with more stable injuries healing faster.
If your body can handle it, it's almost like plugging a hole.
However, it is difficult to test whether it is as Zhang Xuezhou deduced. After all, it is not easy to injure him, and Zhang Xuezhou's purpose is not to lock in the injury, but to lock in his current physical state.
"If the effects of the aging technique are locked, my body will be a normal adult size, and the unsealed Yang-locking power will function normally. This body-locking technique shouldn't overlap with the Yang-locking blockade!"
Zhang Xuezhou studied it for a long time, but he wasn't entirely confident. Everything would only be clear during the test.
Of course, if things fail, it's not a big deal. At most, he'll use his lucid time to unblock the seal on Yang, preventing him from harming the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.
"Once I get to Broken Soul Ridge and gather some leaves, I'll master this Daoist technique!"
The practice of the Four Directions Locking Technique requires constant casting and practice. Success is only achieved when the lock is successfully placed. Afterward, the release technique must be continuously activated, and only after repeated releases is a cycle complete.
Then, this cycle is repeated to continuously strengthen one's proficiency and control, thereby shortening the time spent locked up and gaining freedom.
Zhang Xuezhou didn't follow the usual cultivation methods; instead, he chose to rely on poisonous leaves to accelerate his progress, aiming to complete the training in one session.
From Huainan, Jiangxia, Bashu, Nanyue, Yelang, to the Western Yi, Zhang Xuezhou continued westward, traversing one territory after another.
Occasionally, Zhang Xuezhou would glance down.
The Sect Master Jieyin and Zhunti sects have been heading west from Fengxize for more than ten days. With the Peacock Great Wisdom King's flying prowess, they must have returned to Mount Ling by now.
However, traces of the two leaders restraining 'Bai' still linger in the world.
As Zhang Xuezhou continued flying westward, he could still sense a vibrant energy permeating the world.
If Emperor Gaozu's words are true, this may indeed be the breath that nourishes the earth and brings favorable weather.
This auspicious atmosphere of favorable weather traveled westward, not only spreading to various countries but also reaching into desolate, uninhabited areas.
"Could these places become habitable zones in the future, and perhaps even attract residents to establish a nation?"
The mountains to the Western Mountain are high and treacherous, overgrown with weeds and wild grasses. Hunting is difficult in this area, and it is not suitable for farming. Only a few small tribes survive in these areas, and some tribes do not even have a written language to this day.
Zhang Xuezhou found it hard to believe what Emperor Gaozu had mentioned, but the lingering influence of 'Bai' being confined to the west was undeniable.
Zhang Xuezhou could even see some keen-sense little demons peeking out and searching around, something he rarely saw when he flew westward in the past.
Regardless of the future, these areas have already undergone certain changes in the present.
"If the aura of 'white' can bring favorable weather and turn barren land into an oasis, why is Fengxize such a desolate and uninhabitable swamp?"
Zhang Xuezhou couldn't figure some things out. After all, studying this subject required knowledge of astronomy, geography, and metaphysics, which involved a very wide range of areas. If he couldn't reach the corresponding level of understanding, he would find it difficult to comprehend the intricacies of the subject matter.
However, while studying the remaining traces of 'Bai', Zhang Xuezhou unexpectedly discovered that he could use the Dragon Riding Technique by taking advantage of these areas.
The Dragon Riding Technique is the ability to quickly escape by using waterways and favored places. This ability, taught by 'White', can only be used after marking the favored place.
Zhang Xuezhou has traveled to many places over the years, but there are very few places suitable for being a body of water, and even fewer unoccupied bodies of water. Over the years, he has only been able to escape and relocate to a few places.
On the westward journey where 'Bai' was restrained by the two Western religious leaders, Zhang Xuezhou discovered that he could easily use the Dragon Riding Technique.
He slipped in from one location and resurfaced to find himself at the next, having traversed a distance that seemed to be a hundred miles.
The silky smooth movement left Zhang Xuezhou somewhat bewildered for a moment.
He had enjoyed the benefits of the Dragon Riding Technique before, but Zhang Xuezhou had never imagined that it could traverse such a long distance.
If the power of 'white' does not disappear, or if these remaining traces are suitable for dragon riding, it means that the Dragon Riding Technique can cross from Fengxize to the Western Sect, and its effectiveness may even be faster than crossing the Heavenly Gate.
"Riding the dragon!"
Zhang Xuezhou reached out and made a hand gesture, marking the patch of wasteland where he had emerged.
The marking went very smoothly; there was no requirement to release it within the waters defined by the 'white' symbol.
When he emerged again, he felt as if he had traversed a great distance once more, and he could even control the time it took. Traveling a shorter distance was considered a shorter distance, and traveling a longer time could mean crossing countless mountains and rivers.
"My luck seems to be incredibly strong right now; everything is going smoothly!"
Depleted of Demon Power after the long flight, Zhang Xuezhou never expected to encounter such a thing while casually researching things to restore his Demon Power.
From Li Su to Liu Xuan, and then to encountering the remnants of 'Bai' and using the Dragon Riding Technique, Zhang Xuezhou felt that everything went very smoothly.
It seems like a natural outcome after he had the ability to achieve it, but without a bit of luck, how could he have discovered such a good thing?
After being captured, 'Bai' headed west, which opened up a route for him that connected the East and the West.