Chapter 10
The two days had passed in quick succession.
During this time, Liang Chen had focused on two things. One was increasing his contribution points to buy some alchemical potions and herbs for the upcoming journey. He spent the majority of that day in the Kenkai woods hunting spirit beasts.
The next day, Liang Chen decided to do something he had been planning to do since his regression. Train his sea of consciousness. Which was the second thing he focused on.
The sea of consciousness was a mental realm where the person's thoughts were located. It was also the place where knowledge was stored and techniques were mastered. It was one thing to read the manual and try a technique, and it was another thing to master it in the sea of consciousness.
And so the evening before the journey, Liang Chen sat on his mat in his chambers.
He let his breathing slow down.
He let his thoughts dissolve.
He let his spirit rise.
Then his consciousness dropped.
Liang Chen's sea of consciousness wasn't an actual sea.
It was an endless abyss of void and water. And it all belonged to him.
He sat on a lotus platform suspended above the still crystal blue waters. The stars moved slowly in the sky, doing nothing to improve the visibility. The place was dark. Liang Chen sat there, in a half transparent form.
And floating in front of him were two diagrams, etched to the very matter of his soul.
The first diagram was like burning molten blood.
It looked like a skeletal lotus, unfolding rib by rib. Each petal was formed from bone marrow and blood. Each time it pulsed, it sent a wave of qi that caused ripples in the sea.
That was the Crimson Bone Blooming Scripture.
The second one spun slowly. It was delicate, formless at first. Then it unraveled. Spectral petals flew out of it as it unravelled. It spun slowly, then unravelled, over and over again.
This was the Echoing Fang of the Lotus.
He walked up towards the Crimson Bone Blooming Scripture.
A wave of pain struck him, not from his body, but from his mind. A pressure radiated from the diagram that sent cracks along his mental sphere. The sky was beginning to crack slowly.
Liang Chen gritted his teeth, his head was swimming. With sheer willpower, he raised his hand. His fingers pressed into the swirling lotus ribcage, and the moment they did…
It bloomed.
A red lotus exploded inside his sea of consciousness. Bones rose like pillars from the tides, and blood-red vines slithered around him, wrapping his body in skeletal armor. He could feel it now. The scripture wasn't just about blooming flowers in bones, it was about burning away weakness, about turning his pain into a garden that thrived on resilience.
[Crimson Bone Blooming Scripture – Mastery Level: Internalized]
[Qi Pathways Adjusted – Bone Density Enhanced – Regenerative Threshold Improved]
Next was the Echoing of the Lotus Fang technique.
He stepped toward it. This time there was no pain, only silence.
Suddenly…
BOOM!
There was a thunderclap sound. Before Liang Chen could process what was going on, the diagram lunged, becoming a spear aimed straight at his chest.
But Liang Chen grinned.
He was perfectly prepared for this.
Every technique was different, each had its own little trial one would face to master it in their sea of consciousness.
He allowed the diagram to pierce his chest. He was suddenly enveloped by this blinding pain, he fell on his knees, blood drooling from his nose and mouth. He clutched his chest and visualised the technique again.
He visualised the technique pattern, every single line and every single intricate detail. His thoughts projected the image of the diagram and Liang Chen began the process of echoing the diagram.
Following the diagrams every single movement, until it resonated with his soul. Until the motion became thoughtless. Until the spear moved like a second heartbeat.
[Echoing Fang of the Lotus – Mastery Level: Imprinted in Consciousness]
[Spiritual Synchronization Achieved – Strike Delay Reduced – Echo Amplification Enhanced]
Liang Chen stood at the center of the blooming diagrams, arms wide, soul blazing.
He'd done it
He hadn't just mastered the technique. He had imprinted it into the very core of his consciousness.
Back in his chambers, he opened his eyes, night had well fallen. 2 sticks of incense had burnt, with the third almost halfway. Signifying that he'd been training in his sea of consciousness for close to three hours.
A slow exhale escaped his mouth. His shoulder still throbbed from the qi flower that had refined qi.
Tomorrow he set off for Jade Veil.
…
The sun had barely risen when the envoy began gathering at the southern courtyard.
The morning mist still hung in the air like a shroud. Morning dew dripped from the leaves. The atmosphere was crisp and chilly. Some disciples yawned while adjusting their travelling robes.
Liang Chen was dressed in dark grey robes with blood red trims. His hair was neat today, its dark curls falling to reach his shoulders. At his back was the spear, and at his waist, in a new bronze scabbard was the Whispering Gale.
Liang Chen stood silent at the edge of the gathering. Observing quietly. Of course, as soon as he arrived, the whispers started.
"He's the one who beat Fan Wuyi last month," someone muttered.
"I hear he has an intimate relationship with one of the female elders, that's why he got promoted"
"Wasn't he supposed to be crippled last year?"
Liang Chen ignored them.
Most of them weren't important. Most of them would be gone by the end of the journey.
Then suddenly…
The atmosphere suddenly shifted.
Like someone had thrown cold water on a simmering pot. The chatter died down, like a blade had just slid across everyone's throat.
Something.. No.. someone was approaching. And whoever they were, their presence demanded respect.
A young woman walked into the courtyard flanked by two guards, their faces hidden behind masks and on their heads were conical hats. They wore dark robes.
The woman looked to be like a teenager, maybe around Liang Chen's age, maybe younger. She had lush straight dark hair and violet eyes. Her skin was as white as snow. She wore a robe made of a mix of white and glacier blue. In her hand was a red fan that she held covering her nose downwards. She was very beautiful. After Jia Zhelan, she was probably the most beautiful woman in the sect.
It was Yu Miaoran, the daughter of the Crimson Lotus.
As she walked, other disciples straightened up. Some moved out of the way for her to pass. Her gaze swept around the courtyard once.
Her eyes landed on Liang Chen.
The look in her eyes was disgust. Not irritation, pure unrefined disgust.
"Are you the person my father chose as my advisor?" Yu Miaoran asked, her voice was icy and dripping with disgust.
Liang Chen nodded twice. "Yes, i would believe thats me"
"Why are you here?" she asked, eyes narrowing. "This isn't a place for wasted potential."
"Funny," Liang Chen replied, voice calm. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
There were a few quiet gasps. Some barely stifled chuckles. One disciple's mouth dropped open. The men behind her reached for their weapons, but Yu Mioran raised her hand to stop them.
"I don't like your tone."
"I don't like your perfume. We all have problems."
In all her years of living, she had never seen anyone so brave, yet stupid enough to insult the daughter of the sect. Yet she had to commend his bravery and sheer stupidity.
And that right there is what made her truly hate him.
It was infuriating.
She took a step closer.
"You act like you're someone important," she whispered. "You're not. You're a stain on the sect's robes. You have no bloodline, no elder support, no talent that matters."
Liang Chen's eyes flicked up slowly.
The All-seeing-eye spun its magic.
[Contempt – 87%] [Insecurity – 14%] [Recognition – 3%][Rage – Dormant]
'Oh?' he thought.
He tilted his head.
"You talk a lot for someone scared I might prove you wrong."
But before either of them could say more, a firm voice cut through the tension like a guillotine.
"That's enough!"
The voice belonged to Jian Lam, an inner sect disciple and the head envoy for this journey.
"This is a sacred mission assigned by the Crimson Lotus Sect. I don't care what personal issues you have, settle them after we return. If we return."
His eyes darted from the two of them.
"Understoood?"
Yu Miaoran gave a single stiff nod. Her eyes never left Liang Chen's.
Liang Chen offered a slight smile. "Of course, senior."
Jian Lam turned and started giving the route instructions. Something about their first rest point in the forest of Lianshou, the rogue cultivators they might face, and the unstable terrain around the Jade Veil.
Liang Chen barely listened. His eyes locked on Yu Miaoran.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind. He should have thought of this sooner. The idea was making sense. The idea was so evil, Liang Chen couldn't help but smirk.