Chapter 33: Transformation

Episode 1: Secret Technique "Three Autumn Leaves"

Meng Chuan was startled.

"What is this?" Meng Chuan wondered. "I only knew that three inches below the navel is the Dantian, a space where true qi can be nurtured. How is it that there's also an ethereal space within my forehead? And this tiny figure inside looks exactly like me?" He was puzzled but also had some guesses. "Since this figure looks just like me, could it be the legendary human soul? Or is it formed by my mental will? Or perhaps something unknown?"

"The Mirror Lake Dao Academy's texts were distributed by Yuanchu Mountain. My Meng family's texts have also been accumulated over a thousand years. Basic knowledge of cultivation is quite complete."

"I've read through all that common knowledge long ago, and I've never seen any mention of a space within the brow," Meng Chuan mused, puzzled. He enjoyed reading and, coming from a family of Deities and Devils, was quite knowledgeable, yet he had never even heard of a space within the brow containing a small figure.

Although surprised, Meng Chuan subtly felt this should be a good thing.

Because...

He had already sensed a transformative change within himself.

"This feeling is so peculiar," Meng Chuan murmured. He closed his eyes, yet still effortlessly avoided numerous objects in the study, opening the door and stepping out with great ease.

With his eyes closed, he walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat on a stone chair.

"Even with my eyes closed, everything within ten zhang is perfectly clear," Meng Chuan said. He opened his eyes. It was already night, and things were blurry to the naked eye in the dark. But now, with his invisible perception, everything within ten zhang was incredibly distinct. Even the tiny bristles on the six legs of a small ant crawling along the courtyard wall were 'seen' by Meng Chuan with absolute clarity.

Front, back, left, right, above, below! Everything was perfectly clear. However, underground, only up to three chi deep remained distinct, becoming increasingly blurry further down.

The naked eye could only see forward, not behind! In complete darkness, one couldn't see anything at all.

"I can see clearly within ten zhang."

"And I can sense an entire li around me."

Sitting in the small courtyard, Meng Chuan could clearly sense all auras within a one-li radius centered on himself. Human auras, animal auras—the auras of all living things were perceptible.

For instance, his father's and Uncle Liu's auras were the strongest in the entire Mirror Lake Meng Manor.

His father, Meng Dajiang, had a powerful and profound aura.

Uncle Liu, Liu Yebai, had a more ethereal and elusive aura.

Other weaker auras belonged to those in the Body Transformation realm. His sister, Qiyue, had the purest aura among them.

The entire Mirror Lake Meng Manor, and various places outside the manor as well...

The greater the distance, the blurrier the perception became.

It was like daytime, when the naked eye could see distant objects without obstruction, but at a great distance, one could only make out blurry human figures or a vague dog shape.

Meng Chuan's perception was similar. At close range, his sensing was very clear. At a greater distance, he could only tell how many people and animals were present, and which were stronger or weaker. That was all.

Beyond a one-li radius... it was simply darkness! He couldn't perceive anything.

"Now, everything in the world looks different," Meng Chuan said as he opened his eyes, gazing at the various plants in the courtyard. The clarity within ten zhang was truly wonderful. It felt as if he used to see things vaguely, like looking at flowers through a fog. Now, everything was a hundred times clearer! The colors he saw were much more vibrant, and the previously smooth stone tabletop now revealed countless tiny pits from exposure to wind and sun.

A fallen strand of hair, if he had looked at it before, would have seemed merely thin and smooth. Now, through his perception, he could 'see' numerous rough textures on its surface, as if it were a tree branch with many coarse areas and even some minor imperfections.

Everything felt more real.

"Whoosh."

Meng Chuan suddenly drew his blade, slicing it through the air.

Meng Chuan looked at his own strike, feeling a surge of excitement.

"A strike that used to seem flawless, perfectly executed... now it has so many imperfections?" Meng Chuan murmured. Previously, he relied on his naked eye to watch the blade's gleam; the blade was too fast, and even with his skill, he could only see it vaguely. He had thought that strike was good enough! Now, under his perception, the blade's path was exquisitely clear, its trajectory a hundred times more distinct.

Every slight disharmony in the blade's arc through the air was incredibly clear. This immediately allowed Meng Chuan to pinpoint the imperfections in his blade work.

As someone obsessed with painting, the pursuit of beauty was instinctive for him.

These imperfections and disharmonies made him restless.

"Practice the Drawing Blade Form," Meng Chuan decided, and began practicing it that very night.

His body became a blur of motion as he unleashed a strike.

Only by discovering imperfections could he know where to improve.

Strike after strike...

He strived for each strike to be better than the last.

One hour, two hours...

Meng Chuan felt no fatigue; instead, he was exhilarated. He sensed the flaws in his blade technique vanishing, slowly becoming perfect even under his heightened 'perception'.

"Whoosh."

Another Drawing Blade Form.

The blade's gleam was like a crescent moon, faintly drawing upon the power of heaven and earth, making the light appear dreamlike and vanish in a flash.

Meng Chuan, performing his movement technique, was fifty percent faster than usual. He felt as though he was riding the wind, covering an extra three zhang in a single flash. He quickly stopped, his heart burning with excitement: "I've sensed the presence of 'momentum'! Just a little more, just a little more."

"Ever since reaching the Unity Realm, I've diligently practiced the 'Arrow-Splitting Strike' eight thousand times daily for over a year and a half, and today, finally, I've sensed 'momentum'."

"I will certainly break through within a few days," Meng Chuan thought, feeling that this night was truly wonderful.

His daily practice of the Drawing Blade Form—splitting eight thousand arrows—each time aiming to split them earlier, causing the blade's energy marks on the large tree to constantly move higher, had given him an incredibly solid foundation. This was his favorite blade technique, imbued with his passion and a clear direction... Meng Chuan's cultivation over the past year and a half had been exceptionally effective, likely even more efficient than that of the ancient Deity and Devil Deng Feng at the same age.

After this year and a half, he was not far from grasping 'momentum', though progress slows significantly closer to the limit. However, Meng Chuan would have naturally comprehended 'momentum' with another six months to a year of diligent practice.

But tonight's transformation...

It advanced his blade technique further, allowing him to immediately touch upon 'momentum'.

Breakthrough, naturally, was now even closer.

At the fifth quarter of the Tiger hour (around 4:45 AM), it was still pitch black.

Yet the morning bell of Dongning Prefecture City had already rung, and many people making a living were already waiting outside the city gates.

"Boom!" The city gates of Dongning Prefecture City opened. Hawkers carrying goods and laborers entering the city for work streamed in one after another. At this time, two figures mingled with the crowd and easily entered the city as well.

"It's been half a year since we came to the prefecture city, Second Brother. This time, we absolutely must have a good time. I'm practically sick of being cooped up in the mountains," a stout man in a hat chuckled once they entered the city.

"Alright, alright. First, let's take care of business and convert those treasures into banknotes! Once business is done, we can take our time and enjoy ourselves for ten days before returning to the stronghold," the other bearded man said.

Meng Chuan practiced his blade technique all night and finally stopped.

He had cultivated from night until dawn; while his mind wasn't tired, his body was. After practicing his blade technique for over four hours, his stomach was rumbling.

First, he brushed his teeth and washed his face, then went for breakfast.

"Slurp, slurp." Meng Chuan held a large bowl of congee, took several big gulps, then contentedly picked up a flatbread and began to chew.

After he had eaten three large flatbreads, his father, Meng Dajiang, entered the hall, smiling, "Chuan'er, you're having breakfast quite early today."

"Not bad, I guess."

Meng Chuan nodded, eating contentedly. "Oh, by the way, Dad, there's something I need to tell you later."

"Not at the dinner table, but later?" Meng Dajiang chuckled. "How mysterious."

Meng Chuan smiled and said to a maidservant nearby, "Another big bowl of congee, please."

"Yes, Young Master." The maidservant immediately went to get more congee.