Chapter 40: “Inner Landscape Divine Art”

Inside Beihai Market.

Ever since Chen Yuan left, Chu Hongshang had stayed in the inn, not daring to leave even for a step.

Her mind was filled with complex emotions; on one hand, she wanted Chen Yuan to help her seek revenge, but on the other, she was worried about his safety.

At this time, Chu Hongshang was not yet the cold-blooded, ruthless, and murderous Chi Lian Demon Lord of later generations.

Driven out by the Wang Family, with no relatives and no way to seek revenge, Chen Yuan was the only one who stood up to help her after she had experienced despair.

She both hoped Chen Yuan would help her avenge the destruction of her Family and didn’t want this ‘good person’ to be in danger.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Chu Hongshang recoiled like a startled rabbit, her small dagger gripped tightly in her hand.

Seeing it was Chen Yuan who opened the door, Chu Hongshang breathed a sigh of relief, her expression showing a hint of pleasant surprise: “Benefactor, you’re back!”

Chen Yuan placed the box from behind him on the ground and opened it; inside were four hideous heads.

“Here are the heads of Zhu Chaofeng, Zhu Chengan, Zhu Chengze, and Zhu Chengzu. Zhu Chengguo was blown apart by me, and his head could no longer be found.

Not a single member of the Zhu Family is left alive. Of course, strictly speaking, there is still Zhu Chengzhong, who is far away in the Huangji Sect; there’s no way to kill him for the time being.”

Chu Hongshang stared unblinkingly at the four heads. She didn’t cry or make a sound; instead, she fell into a strange state of calm.

Chen Yuan understood this well.

Once a person’s emotions experience a massive fluctuation, they subconsciously shield themselves.

Whether it’s great joy or great sorrow, it’s the same.

Two lines of tears gradually slid down from Chu Hongshang’s eyes, yet she still didn’t make the slightest sound.

After a long while, Chu Hongshang suddenly knelt on the ground before Chen Yuan.

“Thank you, Benefactor, for helping me avenge my clan’s extermination. Chu Hongshang is willing to serve you like an ox or a horse for the rest of her life to repay you!”

Chen Yuan helped Chu Hongshang up and shook his head gently: “I said before, I don’t need you to serve me like an ox or a horse, as long as you can help me open this celestial star divine box.”

Saying this, Chen Yuan took out the celestial star divine box from behind him and placed it on the table.

Seeing the celestial star divine box, Chu Hongshang’s tears began to flow uncontrollably again.

She had seen this object when she was a child; after all, it was a treasure passed down in her Chu Family for many years.

However, by the time she was born, the celestial star divine box had already been deemed a piece of junk and had been left in a corner of the Chu Family treasury for many years without anyone touching it.

Naturally, Chu Hongshang had no interest in a block of iron, so she had only seen it but hadn’t paid much attention to it.

But seeing the object now brought back memories of her loved ones, and the grief in her heart surged once more.

After a moment, Chu Hongshang wiped away her tears, feeling slightly embarrassed: “But Benefactor, I really don’t know how to open this thing. For all these years, my Family members have said it’s just a block of iron.”

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“You yourself are the key to opening it. Now, place your hand on the celestial star divine box and clear your mind.”

Although Chu Hongshang was confused, she still did as Chen Yuan said.

At first, there was no change, but as she began to clear her mind, the star maps on the celestial star divine box actually began to emit a faint glow.

These changing astrological patterns were imprinted in Chu Hongshang’s mind, rotating incessantly.

For a moment, Chu Hongshang panicked, but Chen Yuan’s voice suddenly rang in her ear: “Calm your mind and stay focused. Don’t overthink; proactively align yourself with the star map in your mind.”

Chu Hongshang took a deep breath and stopped resisting, allowing the star map to enter the depths of her mind.

Finally, the star map burst into a dazzling starlight that enveloped Chu Hongshang entirely.

A moment later, the starlight returned to the celestial star divine box. The box, which had previously seemed like a solid block of iron, now emitted a series of metallic clashing sounds, and in an instant, regular cracks appeared on its surface.

The divine box split open. Its exterior was indeed almost like a solid block of iron, but at the very center lay a jade pendant only the size of a copper coin.

Chen Yuan took the jade pendant, and in an instant, a flash of light flooded into his mind.

All the information regarding the “Inner Landscape Divine Art” was now thoroughly imprinted in Chen Yuan’s memory.

“This is…”

Chu Hongshang stared at the scene in a daze.

She never expected that the celestial star divine box, which the Chu Family had deemed useless, would undergo such a change.

“In the late ancient era, the world was in chaos. One branch of the Central Plains Dao Sects, the Zaohua Dao Sect, chose to flee to the Outer Seas to live in seclusion.

The Zaohua Dao Sect possessed two extraordinary techniques called the ‘Emperors Qi Observation Technique’ and the ‘Inner Landscape Divine Art,’ both of which are top-tier Heaven-Grade High Grade secret methods.

The Emperors Qi Observation allows one to see the world, while the Inner Landscape Divine Art allows one to see oneself.

One focuses on the external, observing the world’s Qi and its myriad changes for one’s own use.

The other focuses on the internal, observing the inner landscape’s spirit to unlock the profound changes of the Physical Body.

These two, one internal and one external, cultivate both the inner and outer worlds. When combined, they can break through the Life and Death Mysterious Gate and achieve the state of Seeing God and Remaining Indestructible.

Your Chu Family ancestors were originally descendants of the Zaohua Dao Sect’s Disciples and inherited the ‘Inner Landscape Divine Art’ Legacy.

The reason the Zaohua Dao Sect declined was that its Cultivation Techniques had extremely high requirements for talent. If one’s Aptitude was too poor, they not only couldn’t practice it but were also prone to Qi Deviation, harming themselves.

That’s why your Chu Family ancestors sealed the ‘Inner Landscape Divine Art’ inside the celestial star divine box.

This celestial star divine box is actually an Aptitude tester. Only those with extraordinary talent, who are qualified to practice the ‘Inner Landscape Divine Art’ and possess the Chu Family Bloodline, can open it.

However, something must have happened back then that caused even your Chu Family ancestors themselves to forget the true usage of the celestial star divine box and the ‘Inner Landscape Divine Art’ within it.

Furthermore, over all these years, most members of your Chu Family have had mediocre talent and were not qualified to open the celestial star divine box.

Only you, with your outstanding talent, are the only person in this world capable of opening this celestial star divine box.”

At this point, Chen Yuan also felt that fate was quite ironic.

The Chu Family had declined too much and didn’t even know their own origins, so they always treated the celestial star divine box as junk, and Chu Hongshang never had the chance to touch it.

And while Chu Hongshang had incredible talent, the Chu Family’s love for her made them reluctant to let her endure the hardships of martial arts training, so her amazing martial talent had never been discovered.

It wasn’t until later, when she had become the world-renowned Chi Lian Demon Lord and found her Family’s relics after seeking revenge, that she discovered the Chu Family had been begging for food while holding a golden bowl until they starved to death.

Chu Hongshang’s expression was complex: “Zaohua Dao Sect? Truly, fate makes fools of us all.

If my Chu Family had strength, we wouldn’t have been exterminated by the Zhu Family and left at the mercy of others!”

Chen Yuan placed the jade pendant in Chu Hongshang’s hand, and the “Inner Landscape Divine Art” was instantly imprinted in her mind as well.

Chu Hongshang was somewhat surprised.

She hadn’t expected Chen Yuan not to keep the technique for himself but to give it back to her instead.

“This is your Chu Family’s Cultivation Technique. With your Chu Family Bloodline, you’ll likely be able to master the basics quickly, and your cultivation progress will surely be rapid.

However, I suggest you destroy this thing now. ‘An ordinary man is innocent, but harboring a treasure makes him guilty.’ You cannot protect a Heaven-Grade secret technique right now, nor can you let anyone know about it.”

Hearing Chen Yuan say this, Chu Hongshang immediately pulled out her small dagger and smashed the jade pendant to pieces.

As the Formation within it failed, the glow on the jade pendant instantly vanished.

“Benefactor, can I follow you from now on?”

Chu Hongshang’s eyes were red as she stared unblinkingly at Chen Yuan.

“The Chu Family is gone. Even if I have the Family’s Cultivation Technique, what of it? I only ask that you give me a chance, Benefactor. Even being a maid by your side would be fine.”

Chen Yuan was slightly surprised. The future Chi Lian Demon Lord wanted to follow him?

But after thinking for a moment, Chen Yuan shook his head.

The current Chu Hongshang was not the Chi Lian Demon Lord, but just a homeless little girl.

If she followed him, whether she could still become the Chi Lian Demon Lord was an unknown.

Besides, he had his own plans, and it wasn’t appropriate to have a young girl with him.

“I don’t need a maid, and the things I have to do are very dangerous. Bringing you along would only harm you.”

A look of loneliness appeared in Chu Hongshang’s eyes.

Her strength was too poor to help her benefactor; she would only be a burden.

Chen Yuan then suddenly asked: “Now that the Zhu Family is destroyed and your revenge is taken, what else do you want?”

“I want power! I want to cultivate the martial Dao!”

Chu Hongshang’s eyes were determined: “My Chu Family always avoided conflict and treated others with kindness, yet we ended up like this. In this Jianghu, without power, one can only be slaughtered!”

There was one thing Chu Hongshang didn’t say.

She wanted power because she wanted to become stronger so she could help her benefactor instead of being a burden.

“If that’s the case, I can show you a path.”

Chen Yuan pointed outside and said, “In two days, the Wanmo Sect expert ‘Blood Hand Fairy’ Shi Xueyan will pass through Beihai Market. I’m confident I can get her to take you as a Disciple and bring you into the Wanmo Sect.

The Wanmo Sect is a top-tier Sect of the Demonic Path, and with the ‘Inner Landscape Divine Art’ in your possession, you will surely stand out in the Wanmo Sect in the future.

However, the Wanmo Sect is a Demonic Path Sect. Its internal rules are survival of the fittest and incredibly cruel. Disciples often kill each other, and you might also become someone else’s stepping stone.”

“I am willing to join the Wanmo Sect!”

Chu Hongshang looked up and agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Cruel? Could it be any more cruel than the destruction of her Family a few days ago, when she was lonely, helpless, and had no way to seek revenge?

“Good. Then for these two days, take the heads of the Zhu Family and go to the center of Beihai Market every day to pay respects to the Chu Family ancestors. Remember to keep your hatred for the Zhu Family from dissipating; just keep waiting.”

Chen Yuan knew the personality of that crazy woman, Shi Xueyan. Although the plot had changed slightly now, he was still confident he could get Shi Xueyan to take in Chu Hongshang.

Chu Hongshang nodded and suddenly asked, “I still don’t know your name, Benefactor.”

Chen Yuan paused for a moment and said, “Chen Tian.”

The Heaven Wolf Gang incident had settled, and in the hearts of the people in Lianshan City, he was already ‘dead.’

Moreover, although this place was not within the Murong Clan’s sphere of influence, it was still within the borders of Youzhou.

Although he believed Chu Hongshang wouldn’t talk, for safety’s sake, Chen Yuan still used a fake name.

Since ‘Yuan’ meant a deep pool, Chen Yuan casually chose the character ‘Tian’ (Heaven) as its opposite.

In any case, when they met again in the future, she would only need to remember his face.

“Chen Tian.”

Chu Hongshang murmured to herself, as if wanting to imprint this name deep into her mind.