Misty Rain of the Old Times

The most beautiful woman in the Yuhua Kingdom before us is in a state affected by her cultivation technique. To put it bluntly, she has gone wrong in her practice. However, from her own perspective, her mind is clear, she feels that everything is justified, and her actions are all from the heart.

To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, they are like madmen. In their own world, they believe they are the only normal ones, but to outsiders, they appear strange and out of place.

In this state, one can be extreme or crazy at times. Perhaps because of a single thought or idea, one becomes obsessed and is unaware that one's thoughts and mind are controlled by emotions and consciousness, without realizing that there is anything wrong with it.

Therefore, over time, coupled with her Grandmaster-level cultivation, who would dare to question her? Judging from her behavior of always hiding herself, she was clearly shutting herself off, trapped in her own world, and not 'contacting' outsiders. In the long run, in the eyes of others, she was just a strange person with volatile emotions, which made people avoid her, which seemed quite normal.

Based on our brief contact, her words and actions perfectly met these criteria.

Once she understood all this, Chen Xuan felt relieved, and her behavior suddenly became 'normal'. From the perspective of seeing a 'patient,' she was just a pitiful person.

She herself was unaware of this, and outsiders didn't think much of it either. Perhaps people noticed that her behavior was abnormal, but over time they got used to it and it became a matter of course.

How many people can normally come into contact with a grandmaster-level expert? Let alone understand her inner thoughts, or even see something wrong and help her correct it. In her state, any questioning would be tantamount to courting death.

Chen Xuan was also targeted by her seemingly normal mindset. To avoid trouble, he realized this from a rational perspective. The vast amount of information that Lao Liu had instilled in him played a role in more than 90% of the help. Otherwise, he would have just felt that he was being targeted by a crazy woman.

Having already roughly figured it out, Chen Xuan looked at her again, seeing her as nothing more than a pitiful patient.

But such a look made Fairy Piaomiao feel heartbroken and pained. That was not what she wanted. What she hoped for was that Chen Xuan would fall in love at first sight like she did. Such a look made her unable to hold back her sad tears.

Unmoved, Chen Xuan calmly asked, "If I may be so bold as to ask what kind of cultivation technique you practice, senior?"

Asking about someone else's fundamental cultivation method is always a big taboo. If you encounter a petty person, they might turn on you and become your mortal enemy. Once you know the method, you can find a way to exploit their weaknesses. But in order to get rid of this sudden and inexplicable trouble, he had no choice but to ask, understand the root cause, and prescribe the right remedy.

It's not like we have any deep-seated hatred. We can't just kill someone over such a small matter. Chen Xuan isn't the kind of person who would kill you if you dared to look at him twice.

Faced with Chen Xuan's question, Fairy Piaomiao answered without hesitation. Despite her mental state being compromised, she had already decided on Chen Xuan and opened her heart without reservation. Tears streaming down her face, she spoke in a clear voice, "Xuan, the cultivation technique I practice is called the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique. When I was a teenager, someone coveted my beauty. Desperate, I jumped off a cliff but miraculously survived. I happened to meet an old nun gathering herbs in a deep valley who taught me. I originally wanted to become her disciple, but she said we had no master-disciple bond, and that my beauty alone wouldn't allow me to achieve the six senses. So she only taught me this technique. After my injuries healed, that senior vanished and I never saw her again. But this technique is extremely superior. Once I started practicing it, I progressed rapidly. Later, not only did I avenge myself in just six months, but I also managed to join the Qingyang Sect. Thus, at the age of forty-two, I reached the Grandmaster realm and became the Supreme Elder of the Qingyang Sect..."

She seemed eager to share every detail of her life with Chen Xuan, and once she started talking, she couldn't stop.

She displayed extraordinary beauty in her teens, survived a fall from a cliff, encountered a master who gave her divine skills, and then advanced rapidly as if she had a cheat code. She never lost a battle and reached the Grandmaster realm, becoming a supreme elder of a prestigious sect. Her life experiences in just a few decades could easily be written into a thrilling novel.

Chen Xuan sighed inwardly. Every grandmaster had a glorious and extraordinary experience, unlike himself, who seemed to have nothing to boast about.

With a flicker of thought, when he learned that she was cultivating the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique, Chen Xuan thought to himself that this was not just a superior technique, but could be described as a divine manual, a divine skill that directly leads to the path of immortality!

With her cultivation of this technique and her exceptional martial arts talent, it's not surprising that she reached the Grandmaster level at the age of forty-two.

At the same time, Chen Xuan also understood why her emotions were so volatile, even to the point of being as obsessive as a madwoman, and why her outward appearance would change according to her emotions. These were characteristics of the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique, but they were not entirely accurate. It was just that she had made a mistake in her cultivation. If she had cultivated it properly, it would not have been like this.

Rather than saying that there was a problem with her cultivation, Chen Xuan felt more that there was probably a flaw in the cultivation method she was practicing.

Old Liu had one foot in the realm of immortals back then, and with hundreds of years of life experience, he was incredibly knowledgeable. Among the vast amount of information he imparted to Chen Xuanhao, he mentioned the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique, but Chen Xuanhao only had a basic understanding of it and didn't know the specific techniques.

This is a Buddhist divine skill that focuses on cultivating the mind. If one forces oneself to cultivate it without meeting the required mental state, those with exceptional talent, like the ethereal fairy, will see their cultivation advance by leaps and bounds and their combat power become formidable. However, the result is that their minds go astray without them even realizing it. She is a perfect example of this; she practically turned herself into a lunatic.

Buddhist practices usually focus on cultivating the mind. If one's mind is not clear enough, it is easy to go astray. To outsiders, Buddhist practices are full of pitfalls. Therefore, Buddhists often do not pay much attention to their practices. Many practices circulate in the martial arts world. If you have problems practicing them, that is your own business. If you achieve something, it means that my Buddhist practice is profound.

The Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique, as the name suggests, focuses on cultivating the mind. In the information that Lao Liu gave to Chen Xuan, it was introduced that this technique was derived from a Buddhist scripture, which came from the eight sufferings of life, but the specifics are no longer verifiable.

The so-called eight sufferings of life are birth, old age, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, meeting with those you hate, not getting what you want, and the burning of the five aggregates.

These eight sufferings in life correspond to a method of cultivating the mind in the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique. There is no order of priority; they can be practiced individually or simultaneously. Practicing one method alone can also lead to the Great Dao. If all eight methods are practiced simultaneously and fully understood, the eight hearts can be united, allowing one to transcend the mortal realm and attain the Great Dao of Immortals!

Clearly, this ethereal fairy was greedy for the simultaneous cultivation of all eight methods, lacked the necessary mental state, and did not have the environment of a Buddhist monastery, which led to a deviation in her cultivation and resulted in her current personality, which is like that of a madwoman.

Buddhism emphasizes cause and effect, and the eight sufferings of life. If one does not experience them personally, how can one see through and understand them? The Fairy of the Misty Clouds had no seniors to guide her, and relied solely on a single technique and her own talent to practice blindly. It is already a stroke of luck that she did not suffer from qi deviation and has achieved what she has today.

Ultimately, her mental cultivation was insufficient. However, she had reached the Grandmaster realm in her early forties with this technique, so her talent was naturally remarkable. In her current state, she was subconsciously following her instincts and trying to understand the cultivation method from her personal experience, but she was unaware of it.

Having understood the problem, Chen Xuan knew that her current infatuation with him was not her true intention, but rather a result of inner demons. Otherwise, it would be illogical. How could the most beautiful woman in Yuhua Kingdom fall in love with him at first sight? Therefore, he naturally did not want to become her cultivation object. Her appearance, figure, and age were no longer important. If he were to become lustful and entangled with her, he would most likely be severed from his karmic ties by her in order to kill her and prove his Dao.

While Chen Xuan was lost in thought, the ethereal fairy gazed at him intently and said, "Ah Xuan, what else do you want to know? Just ask, and I'll tell you everything. Do you want the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique? I can tell you about it right now."

This is what's called stubbornness, like a drowning person instinctively grasping at any straw. Trying to practice Buddhist methods on your own without a certain foundation is bound to cause problems.

Chen Xuan was not curious about the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique, nor did he ever think of taking advantage of others to obtain this Buddhist divine skill. Even if he were confident that he would not be bewitched by the divine skill after obtaining it, and could even benefit greatly from it, his personality simply wouldn't allow him to do such a thing.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "No need. I know something about this technique. You've been practicing it wrong, perhaps you were wrong from the beginning, or perhaps it's due to environmental factors, or even the technique you obtained might be incomplete. All sorts of reasons have led to your current state. There's no need to argue; I know you won't listen to any of that now. Go back. We have no grudges against each other, and neither of us has done anything to harm me, not even considering it in your current state. We've met after all. I'll give you ten words: 'A mind as clear as a mirror, where can dust settle?' Whether you gain anything depends on your own destiny."

After speaking, Chen Xuan pointed a finger from a distance, and the invisible sword energy silently flowed into her body and settled in her meridians. It did not seal her cultivation. With the addition of the Purple Mystic Illusion Eye, he added a mental suggestion as a safety measure. In the future, whenever she wanted to come to him, her true energy would be blocked, and she would not be able to use her lightness skill to quickly cross thousands of mountains and rivers, thus avoiding the trouble of her coming to him as much as possible.

The ethereal fairy knew perfectly well what Chen Xuan had done to her, but she didn't resist at all. She still gazed at Chen Xuan with a lingering gaze, her eyes choked with sobs, and said, "I remember your words, but I want to ask, do you hate me that much? Actually, if you just said you liked me and let me go back, I would obediently stay away from you and not bother you. I would have a sweet thought in my heart, and I would wait for you obediently until you wanted to come see me, even if the seas dry up and the rocks crumble."

“I believe what you say, but the person you are now is not the real you. How can there be liking someone you just met by chance? It has nothing to do with beauty or ugliness. I can’t do something that deceives myself,” Chen Xuan said, shaking his head.

Gazing at Chen Xuan, she smiled sadly and said, "I understand. I won't bother you again until you take the initiative. What I want to say is that everything I said to you came from the bottom of my heart. I know exactly what I'm doing and what I want. I remember everything you said. I'm so lucky to have met you. My feelings for you will never change in this lifetime."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan's heart stirred. Perhaps the other party had made a mistake in his training, leading to his current mental state, but his instincts were still there. He was just unable to show his true self due to his current state.

This is already the best-case scenario; otherwise, it's not impossible for someone to turn evil on the spot under the influence of inner demons.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "I am unworthy of such an honor. I wish you a smooth journey ahead. Please."

Tears streaming down her face, she tried to put her veil back on, but paused, her eyes blurry as she looked at Chen Xuan and said, "Xuan, please remember, my name is Tingyin. It's a rare surname, isn't it? This is the first time I've ever told a man my name. I hope that if we meet again, you won't call me 'senior'."

Chen Xuan simply smiled and did not respond.

Without saying another word, she turned around with immense pain, her face veil on, and a layer of pure white light enveloped her body, concealing or sealing her away.

He cupped his hands in greeting to her back, then waved to the distance, and Yan Quan, who was unconscious and unable to move, flew over.

Seeing his condition at a glance, Chen Xuan flicked her finger, sending a wisp of true energy into his body to restore the joints and muscles that had been dislocated by the Fairy of the Misty Mountains.

When Yan Quan woke up, he was utterly disheveled and confused, not understanding what was going on. Seeing the ethereal fairy standing quietly to his side, he subconsciously said, "Master..."

As he opened his mouth, he stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

Before he could say anything, the ethereal fairy waved her hand with her back to him and said, "No need to say more. Your master has already stood up for you. Let's go back. Be more respectful to your Uncle Chen from now on."

"Huh?" Yan Quan froze, his mind reeling. He knew something was wrong; the worst-case scenario had indeed happened. What had happened between his master and Chen Xuan while he was unconscious? Had things that should and shouldn't have happened already occurred? Otherwise, why would his master have told him to call him Uncle Chen?
What are we going to do? If word gets out, how will our Qingyang Sect ever have a face left in the martial world...?

At this moment, Chen Xuan's voice entered his ears, saying, "Young Master Yan, don't overthink it. Take your master back. From now on, recite Buddhist and Taoist scriptures for your master every morning, noon, and evening, and remind her to recite them herself. The more people, the better, until... if possible, you will understand on that day."

Completely bewildered, Yan Quan had no idea what any of this was all about.

The ethereal fairy's clear voice spoke up: "Just listen to your Uncle Chen and do as he says. Ah Xuan, I've remembered. I said I would listen to you obediently, and I will definitely complete whatever you ask me to do."

Yan Quan's expression changed instantly, as if he had opened a dye shop. "Chen Xuan, what did you do to my master while I was unconscious? Do you mean I'll have to call you grandmaster from now on?"
There's something wrong with the way Master is talking.

Chen Xuan remained calm and said, "That's it. Don't overthink it. Remember what I said. When that day comes, you can finish the rest of the process. Otherwise, this isn't over."

What day? Which day is it? Why are you playing riddles?

It can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words. Whether the Fairy of the Misty Clouds can comprehend the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique depends on herself. The chance of that day is slim, but it is not impossible.

Even though he understood the problem, Chen Xuan couldn't intervene. Problems like mishaps during training are incurable by medicine; the only solution is to seek the cause internally.

"Ah Xuan, we're leaving now. From now on, the sun will be my morning and the moon will be my evening. I look forward to seeing you again. Until I meet someone better than you, my heart will never change."

Hearing her words, Chen Xuan was not surprised, but Yan Quan's face was so hot that he wished he could die on the spot. Master, how could I listen to such words?
As soon as she finished speaking, she and Yan Quan quickly disappeared into the northern horizon.

Watching them leave, Chen Xuan turned his gaze away and strolled home as if nothing had happened.

Walking home, Chen Xuan's eyes flickered. He thought to himself, "Where in the world are there so many inexplicable things? Everything has a reason. Is the Fairy of Ethereal Spirit's crazy behavior really just her own problem?"
"First, Yan Quan came to challenge me, which attracted her master, this stubborn 'eccentric woman.' And the Fairy of the Misty Clouds cultivates the Eight Hearts Lotus Embryo Technique, a Buddhist art. I remember the Black Diagram Society is backed by Buddhism. Why are so many inexplicable things coming my way? Ugh, I need to use my brain. Knowing I'm not very bright, I'll go back and ask my wife for help. My wife is very smart; with her analyzing things for me, what's the point of my effort?"

Chen Xuan vaguely grasped a clue, but simply didn't want to use his brain... (End of Chapter)