Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 193: Offering Incense on the Bridge
It turns out that the reason why people who have tried to break taboos for over a thousand years have died is not because they couldn't overcome that hurdle.

It's not because they've all crossed over, but because they've become unable to stop.

There is a very clear dividing line between ordinary spiritual practice and the forbidden realm.

Many schools of sorcery refer to this as "obtaining the method by observing the heavens."

“From ancient times to more than a thousand years ago, even those who had accumulated a great deal of knowledge and experience found it extremely difficult to take that final step.”

"But since more than a thousand years ago, anyone who has reached that threshold has been able to successfully cross it if they want to."

"But once they cross over, they become so engrossed in observing the world that they can't extricate themselves, and their minds quickly fade away."

The cranes recounted the speculations of our ancestors.

"At first, some people suspected that the aura of the spirit world might be overlapping more deeply with that of the human world."

"Just like some ghosts, in places where the spirit world's aura is thick, it is easier for them to manifest physical power. Perhaps it is because the two worlds overlap too deeply and for too long that their auras are no longer in conflict or chaos, but rather nourish each other, making it easier for everyone to break through. They are so intoxicated that they do not realize it, and thus they turn good fortune into misfortune."

"But soon, our ancestors discovered that the spirit world was not only not overlapping more deeply with the human world, but was actually becoming less connected to it and moving further away from it."

"Therefore, new theories have emerged."

"There may be a power that exists outside of the human world and the spirit world."

"It is this force that makes the connection between the human world and the spirit world more distant, and it is also this force that makes it easier for people in the forbidden realm to attain enlightenment and perish."

Helai sighed deeply as he came to this point.

"The ancients made many attempts to deal with this situation."

“Some even abolished their cultivation, retaining only their knowledge, and prepared to rely on the skills of herbal medicine and external mechanisms to forge a new path.”

"It's a pity that even if one only has knowledge but no supernatural powers, as long as one's knowledge is profound enough, it is equivalent to enlightenment, and one will eventually pass away quickly."

After hearing this, Chu Tianshu remained silent for a long time.

Therefore, the drastic decline in cultivation levels over the past thousand years is not due to a sudden increase in the difficulty of cultivation, but rather because cultivation has become easier.

Instead of appreciating this immense benefit, it turned into a disaster.

"That's not right."

Chu Tianshu suddenly realized, "From what you've said, senior, the reason we can gradually try to break through the forbidden level in this era is because the influence of the third force has gradually disappeared."

"In other words, the difficulty of cultivation for everyone has begun to increase again."

"But I saw statistics before that the number of enlightened people has been rising in recent years."

"This clearly means that cultivation has become easier."

He Lai smiled and said, "Because of the proximity to the spirit world, it is indeed easier for people to become enlightened, but this is only the beginning."

"Getting started is easier, and breaking taboos is harder; these are two different points in time."

"It's not surprising that one node is declining while another is rising."

Chu Tianshu said "Oh," and understood.

He was just recalling in his mind whether the "Heavenly Hanging Divine Skill" contained any descriptions of taboos.

I only had a small amount of focus on listening to the lecture, so I didn't quite grasp it at first.

Upon closer examination, there is no explicit word like "taboo" in "The Divine Skill of Heaven".

However, if we consider the characteristics of "enlightenment" and "observing the heavens to obtain the law," then there is indeed a rather unique description for the Heavenly Divine Skill to break through to its peak.

When one's skill has accumulated to a great depth, one's entire body will be overflowing with power, leaving no room for anything else.

The Qi disperses outward, and the intention arises from heaven and earth, revealing the mysteries of the power of water in heaven and earth, and understanding the changes in the alternation of water power, such as the undercurrents, the skimming of the sea, and the hanging of the sky.

Then, one's body and mind will undergo a transformation, one's skills will be perfected, and one will enter a completely new realm.

The correct guidance provided by the token deduction is only an instruction on how to complete this sprint. In the process of preparing for the sprint, you can avoid making mistakes.

As for what practical gains one will actually make after enlightenment, that remains to be seen once one has reached that level of practice.

Just like when Chu Tianshu first practiced the "Gluttonous Tongbei Fist," the correct guidance in his mind showed him where the force should go in order to temper his body.

However, how much hardship will one endure during practice, and what other things will one be able to do besides those mentioned in the boxing manual, relying on the significantly increased physical strength once mastered?

You have to experience these things for yourself.

"My internal strength is actually not yet at the level where I can break through the barrier," Chu Tianshu said. "But I also want to thank you for reminding me, senior, so that I can be mentally prepared in advance."

He Lai said with delight, "It's good that you know what's going on. Just be careful."

"If you decide to break through, you can inform us, and we will protect you and help you find an overflow zone."

Chu Tianshu asked in surprise, "Senior, how could you know in advance where the overflow zone would be?"

"I don't know, but among the veterans of our Special Arrest Division, there is a monk who can predict the future."

He said, "Asking him to calculate the locations and dates of all overflow zones is like asking him to bite someone, but if you just ask him to calculate the places in the country most likely to experience overflow zones in the near future, he is quite accurate."

“A friend of mine in the Northwest consulted a fortune teller and was stationed at a suspicious location beforehand. This not only eliminated the danger of the overflow zone but also allowed us to attempt a breakthrough.”

"Although my old friend did not succeed, he did not die, which is a very good omen."

Chu Tianshu remained silent for a moment.

Of the eight elders of the Special Police Bureau, it seems there is only one genuine monk, the one who is stationed in Hong Kong.

Chu Tianshu had heard many interesting stories about this from Fang Jun.

In those stories, Master Baima often appears as if he's about to spit blood to prove he's too exhausted to do any more calculations.

It turns out that he not only calculates fortunes for Hong Kong, Macau, and the coastal areas, but sometimes he also helps people in the Northwest with their divination.

They are incredibly capable; ordinary animals simply cannot match them.

"Well, thank you very much, senior."

Chu Tianshu said, "I made this call because I wanted to ask you about external alchemy."

Helai casually said, "You're interested in this too? Okay, I'll send you a catalog. It will also include some items that are only sold internally. Take a look and see which one catches your eye and choose one yourself."

"However, you can only choose one of the newest items at most. Production is limited, and one person can't monopolize them all."

He said everything he needed to say and then hung up the phone decisively.

A moment later, he sent me a webpage link.

Chu Tianshu clicked on it and found that it was not the same website address as the internal resource communication website that everyone used before.

On that old website, anyone who registered could upload their own resources and sell them.

This new website is dedicated to showcasing the development of external alchemy and spiritual weapons.

Chu Tianshu flipped through the pages as he walked.

Based on the description, the effects of those basic external alchemy pills are meaningless to him.

The latest products were somewhat tempting, but their effects varied, making it difficult for him to choose.

And more importantly... it's so expensive!
With his current account level, the price of those basic external pills is about the same as the price the school gives to students.

However, even with discounts, the prices of these latest products still stung, and he couldn't bring himself to buy any of them.

Hmm, there are many precious jade pieces on the scabbard of the Demon Blade. I'll see if I can pry some off and sell them later.

Also, find some time to write down all the martial arts manuals you've seen in the Ming Dynasty world, and then sell them all on resource websites.

If all those manuals can be sold, the profits should be quite substantial.

And a pharmacy...

The pharmacy definitely can't operate before the Chinese New Year; we'll have to wait until next year.

As Chu Tianshu walked, he left the village path and stepped onto the main road, where he put his phone away.

He planned to go to the market first and bring some things to visit his second grandfather.

After crossing the intersection, we arrived at the market, where shops lined both sides, and then there was another small intersection ahead.

To the left is an old bridge spanning the harbor, and to the right is a gentle slope leading down to the market.

When Chu Tianshu arrived here, he found that his second grandfather was actually on the bridge.

He carried a small incense burner with two red candles stuck in the handles, and three plastic bags containing sponge cake, fruit, and dried longan.

The old man was facing the railing, muttering incantations, and burning incense.

(End of this chapter)