Chapter 140: New Discoveries
Hum!
A formless mental interference erupted suddenly under Tang Mubai’s prolonged concentration. Before his eyes, a mass of obscure, intricate symbols appeared. At the same time, a series of bizarre sounds rang in his ears, incessantly blurring his consciousness. In an instant, the entire world seemed to turn upside down. Tang Mubai’s eyelids grew heavy, heavier and heavier, his mind becoming muddled, forcing him to slowly, ever so slowly, drift into slumber.
Just a second before he was about to fall asleep—
Snap!
Tang Mubai slapped his thigh hard, jolting himself awake. Looking at the "Samsara Sutra" again, he saw a map depicting mountains and rivers appearing on the densely packed pages. There was no physical projection or tangible image; the map simply appeared within his mind’s eye!
"Tsk!" Tang Mubai sighed. The strength of the last disciple of the "Samsara Sect" must have been formidable—at least at the Grandmaster level. Without reaching the Grandmaster realm, one could not possess the secret technique required to imprint a key into the "Samsara Sutra" via mental resonance.
Yes, this method of recording, which required unwavering willpower and mental energy to access, was a form of secret technique. Although Tang Mubai did not know how to perform it, he was aware of the existence of such "secret techniques." A martial artist controlling the eruption of their internal energy was, in essence, the simplest form of such a technique.
Martial arts techniques were also categorized: the first to third ranks were recorded in text; the fourth to sixth ranks, which possessed elemental properties, used a combination of text and illustrations. The final seventh to ninth ranks were recorded using secret techniques—devoid of text or images, they were imprinted onto special carriers using pure mental energy. This was the hallmark of high-level martial arts; they could not be described by simple words or pictures. They also placed certain demands on the practitioner—without strong mental energy and firm willpower, one could not even read them, let alone cultivate them.
The two copies of the "Samsara Sutra" both displayed maps, each showing a different corner that could not be connected. Clearly, the complete map had been divided into several pieces; one would need to collect all seven volumes to assemble it. Tang Mubai was in no rush; with two volumes in hand, he already possessed the qualifications to access the "Samsara Cave Heaven."
He compared the two maps for a moment, then focused his mind and withdrew. He hid the scriptures away and lay back on the bed, exhaling a long breath. After resting, he turned his head to look at Abao, who was curled up at the head of the bed hugging a metal disc while sleeping, and smiled silently.
This "national treasure" that had popped out of a stone was, for now, a harmless little creature. Its only hobby was licking and eating metal. Alloy battle blades were expensive, and Tang Mubai couldn't bear to feed them to it in large quantities, so he had found plenty of scrap metal for it instead. Abao was not picky; as long as it was metal, it loved it. Furthermore, it seemed to have an insatiable appetite, though fortunately, it also liked to sleep.
Sensing Abao’s breathing rhythm for a while, he found it to be very stable. Tang Mubai looked away, preparing to depart at dawn for the Orc tribe. He had no clue what the situation was on the other side of the teleportation array beneath the Wandering Star Building, so he had to prepare for the worst.
He opened the system panel and checked his accumulated lifespan: 5,321 years, with an internal energy of 6,827 units. Without hesitation, he consumed 3,460 years to increase his internal energy to 7,000 units. With the remaining 1,861 years, after stabilizing his surging energy, Tang Mubai focused his mind and will to contemplate the "Taiji Heart Sutra." He had only grasped the surface of this derived martial art and did not even know its true grade, so he settled his mind to study it carefully.
Suddenly, he realized his understanding of the "Taiji Heart Sutra" was incomplete. It turned out that beyond absorbing Yin and Yang baleful energy to refine into "Dual Instrument Sword Qi," it also granted the power to manipulate Yin and Yang energy for one's own use! Simply put, the "Taiji Heart Sutra" did not only control Yin and Yang baleful energy. The Yin energy found in underground caverns, graveyards, or places where the dead gathered, as well as the Yin and Yang energy fluctuations caused by the midday sun or human physical imbalance—the "Taiji Heart Sutra" could control those too! The higher the level of cultivation, the greater the range of control.
[Insight into "Taiji" successful. Do you wish to consume 1,390 years of lifespan to upgrade the "Taiji Heart Sutra" to the seventh level?]
The system prompt popped up suddenly. Tang Mubai, who was immersed in the mysteries of the "Taiji Heart Sutra," grinned to himself. As expected, whether it was the "Flying Sky Dance Technique" or the "Taiji Heart Sutra," the system only provided prompts when he actively triggered them. This system was truly becoming increasingly temperamental.
Tang Mubai had plenty of lifespan accumulated, so he immediately responded, "Yes."
Hum~
His vision shifted, and the world spun. The familiar Taiji fish, one black and one white, appeared in the chaotic void, rotating in an endless cycle of day and night. The mysteries of the "Taiji Heart Sutra" flooded his brain in an instant. It took a full half-hour for Tang Mubai to fully digest the information before he opened his eyes and exhaled.
The seventh level of the "Taiji Heart Sutra" allowed for the sensing and manipulation of Yin and Yang energy within a range of up to two hundred meters. With Tang Mubai as the center, within that two-hundred-meter radius, any Yin or Yang energy that appeared could be instantly sensed, manipulated from a distance, condensed, or dispersed. This ability was even more powerful than a divine talent.
As Tang Mubai rejoiced, he couldn't help but reflect on Hu Zonghan's "good guy" nature. Each of the three books was more powerful than the last! He decided to leave the remaining 471 years of lifespan untouched for now. Looking out the window, a pale light had already appeared on the horizon.
Tang Mubai got up, left a note for Fang Shuixian asking her to look after Abao, and picked up the black crystal iron box. He opened the door and walked out. Employing the "Flying Sky Dance Technique," he shot into the sky and arrived at the top floor of the Wandering Star Building from above. He entered the office through the window and took the elevator down to the third basement level, as he had many times before.
He reached the teleportation array, took out the array disc, and placed it into the pit at the very center of the base. Soon, a formless power began to surge. A hazy, dim light continuously emanated from the base, enveloping Tang Mubai’s entire body. As the light grew brighter and brighter, until it became blinding—
Swish!
With a flash of white light, Tang Mubai’s figure vanished from the spot.
...
For Tang Mubai, his vision blurred, and when he opened his eyes again, his surroundings had undergone a 360-degree transformation. He was no longer in the basement, but in a cave filled with uneven, bumpy walls. Beneath his feet was the base of the teleportation array, with the array disc in the center.
The array disc? Right, this teleportation array was bidirectional. To activate it, both sides had to have an array disc placed in the base for transmission to occur. At this moment, standing beside the array disc, the familiar hazy light began to emerge around his body. Once the light enveloped him, he would undoubtedly be teleported back immediately.
Thinking of this, Tang Mubai crouched down and removed the array disc.
At that very moment, a chaotic, hurried sound of footsteps suddenly emerged from a tunnel thirty or forty meters to his rear right, growing louder as they approached. Clearly, the teleportation array had been activated, and the Orcs had discovered him!