Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 203 The Crane's Shadow Arrives, How Can One Seek Wind and Rain?

Yao Qianshu sat in his living room, his eyelids drooping slightly.

He hasn't had a proper rest for almost two days and two nights.

I seemed to have dozed off a few times in between, but I always woke up in less than an hour because I had things on my mind and couldn't sleep soundly.

Second Master Chu sat with him on the sofa in the living room.

On the sofa next to him sat an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a black suit and holding a cat in his arms.

Yao Qianshu had met this person a few years ago.

The principal of Jin Dao Martial Arts School, Grandpa Feng Jianhua, is a generation older than Yao Qianshu in terms of seniority.

When I saw him a few years ago, he already had a face full of wrinkles and white hair.

Looking at him now, it seems like he doesn't have many wrinkles on his face.

If he dyed his hair and beard black, Feng Jianhua would look like he's in his forties.

Incredible.

I've heard of martial arts training that can keep you young forever.

However, the kung fu he practices clearly doesn't focus on health preservation. He's already quite old, yet he can still look young again, which is truly amazing.

"You two lads, you can get some rest too."

Feng Jianhua said to the two old men, "You can't be blamed for Tian Shu's disappearance."

“In this day and age, bizarre things can happen anywhere. Not long ago, half the people in a small town in the Americas disappeared.”

"Judging from your description, even if all of us had gathered here at that time, we probably wouldn't have been able to keep Tian Shu here."

Suddenly, a disapproving voice came from upstairs.

"Who said that?"

But then a crane flew out of the second-floor window, glided down from the outside, and flew into the living room on the first floor.

"I already know what happened."

"If I had been here at that time, I would have been able to keep Tianshu here."

Master Chu's spirits lifted: "Senior, have you made any progress?"

"Ah."

The crane's wingtip swept across the air, creating a ring of water that cascaded down from the top, covering the entire ring and forming a mirror.

The view of the Yangtze River Bridge appears in the mirror.

“Ancient immortals once used the method of mirages to invite friends to travel to the sea market together. The so-called sea market is located in the spirit world.”

"In other words, if Mr. Yao's magic can be mastered to its peak, and given the right environment, he can freely travel between the human world and the spirit world."

"Of course, your cultivation level is still far from sufficient, and your current environment has not yet reached that standard, but coincidentally, you live near the Yangtze River Bridge."

Master Chu was startled and blurted out, "A bridge spanning Yin and Yang?!"

"good."

The crane said, "In ancient times, bridges also symbolized communication with the spirit world."

"Moreover, this is the Yangtze River Bridge, which is bustling with people, and it is also the result of a lot of feng shui masters' battles back then."

"Mr. Yao has been practicing the Mirage Technique here year after year, and has become connected with the spirit world, which can be considered as forming a special location. Coincidentally, Chu Tianshu is someone who has cultivated the Yellow Sprout True Qi. His physical body is pure, and his essence, qi and spirit are connected exceptionally closely."

"He encountered this unusual location, which led to his physical body going to the spirit world as well."

Master Chu's face was pale: "Even if Tian Shu is made of iron, how many nails can he drive? He fell into a place full of evil spirits..."

The crane interrupted him.

"As I just said, when ancient people traveled to see mirages, those mirages were in the spirit world."

"The spirit world is vast, so of course not every place is a dangerous place where evil spirits roam and ghosts and gods run rampant."

Lin Baisui also came down the stairs, explaining, "According to the information I've read."

"The spirit world is actually like a big, uneven pancake, with obvious differences in depth in its terrain."

“Those deeper places are where ghosts and gods dwell, while the shallower areas are mostly inhabited by native species and spirits.”

Feng Jianhua stroked the cat's head and said softly, "That mirror ape released quite a few evil spirits in Guangling before, and they all look quite familiar to me."

"In the spirit realm corresponding to the Guangling and Hailing area, there must be at least one Mirror Ape, right?"

The crane paced back and forth, flapping one wing.

"That's wrong!"

The crane said decisively, "When the spirit world is far removed from reality, only ghosts and gods can still intermittently retain the ability to pay attention to reality."

"Therefore, if a lingering resentment manages to drift towards the spirit world, it will be influenced by the spirits and will drift towards their territory, transforming into an evil spirit."

“The ghost market in Guangling back then even directly worshipped the Mirror Ape, which is why many evil spirits in Guangling ended up in the hands of the Mirror Ape.”

"In reality, the Mirror Ape must be in the deep zone, while the spirit realm area corresponding to the southeast of Shenzhou should be a shallow zone."

The crane looked at Yao Qianshu.

"By chance, I traveled to the spirit world in the Northwest, and it was very difficult to get there."

"With Mr. Yao's cultivation level, he could only sense something because the other side is a shallow spiritual realm."

Master Chu grasped the key point: "So, you're saying Tianshu is still relatively safe?"

"It should be, probably, most likely safe."

The crane's tone was somewhat subtle.

"Based on your description, there were most likely spirit beings casting spells on Mr. Yao at that time."

"With Chu Tianshu's strength, even if he were the one being targeted, he could easily break free as long as he resisted. Besides, he wasn't the main target."

“But he… unless he’s too perceptive, and he’s somehow connected with that spell, analyzed it, and responded to it.”

After learning about Chu Tianshu's background, He Lai always felt that Chu Tianshu was somewhat neglecting his duties.

Such a promising psychic talent went off to practice martial arts.

But being able to capture the aura of spirit world magic and analyze it in reverse is not something a martial artist would do.

It's hard to say exactly where he put in the most effort.

Feng Jianhua pondered for a moment and then said, "Can you contact Tian Shu?"

"If we can't bring him back right away, why not just send me over? That way we can help each other out."

The crane shook its head.

“Even if I send someone there, it will only be through their soul. You are a martial artist... even with the Heaven-Piercing Divine Skill, most of your internal energy is still in your physical body. You won’t be of much help if you go there.”

What else did Feng Jianhua want to say?

Suddenly, the crane spread its wings: "Quiet, quiet." A crane actually adopted a posture of listening attentively.

The crane's right claw suddenly tapped the ground, drawing a crooked yet meticulous talisman in the blink of an eye.

He caught the water mirror in mid-air with his mouth and flung it upwards.

The ceiling on the first floor was reflected by the water mirror.

A circular piece of reinforced concrete slowly cracked into four pieces, the pointed ends falling downwards and embedding themselves around the crane.

The entire process produced only slight knocking sounds.

It looks like a crane surrounded by four concrete fan-shaped structures.

The ground talisman, covered with four concrete slabs, resembles an altar or a mysterious furnace.

A large amount of subtle energy on the second floor was drawn in from nowhere and fell into the furnace.

The crane's wings, raised high, gently folded against its back, maintaining a single-leg stance, as if in deep meditation.

Deer King Temple.

The curtain at the temple entrance was still hanging, and familiar sounds could be heard outside.

The shouts of hundreds of people, the sound of flags fluttering in the wind, and the cracking of bamboo joints.

After transporting the grain and corpses back, Lu Tou Qiu worked through the night to make straw figures.

Fortunately, the flags and other items we used are still there, so we pray for rain again today.

Chu Tianshu stood alone inside the temple, looking at the three large incense sticks.

He could hear a strong sense of sorrow and a more determined desire for rain in the shouts outside.

This thought and this method of whistling are probably even more effective than when he came that day.

Chu Tianshu did not intend to actually bring down Master Yao, but rather to use his perspective as an observer to grasp the feeling and convey some information to Yao Qianshu.

However, just as that sensing power was slowly rising along with the smoke, it seemed to be suddenly intercepted by another force.

The force pressed down, causing the ashes inside the incense burner to suddenly surge and leap.

Chu Tianshu's expression hardened, and he brought his fingers together.

The darkest part of the grass ash fragments was twisted into a line.

It's like someone is painting in the air with a brush.

A stroke of ink rises from the furnace, resembling a crane's foot, which forks at the tip.

With just a few strokes, the outline of the entire crane is revealed.

Finally, the crane's eyes and beak emerge.

With a blink of an eye, its beak turned.

The crane's face was already pointed at Chu Tianshu.

"...Senior Tsurugi?"

"It is indeed Benhe."

Chu Tianshu asked curiously, "Senior only uses this self-reference when possessing a crane. You should be manifesting your divine soul now, so why are you doing this?"

Ash crane, shaking its head.

"The soul of the crane is extremely spiritual. I came to this world by inscribing my own thoughts on the crane soul."

It's one thing for the soul to be attached to the crane's body, but how can the mind be attached to the crane's soul?
Is this considered possession by a ghost?
Chu Tianshu had a sudden thought, and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting: "I suppose you headed southeast after I went missing, senior. Thank you."

The crane nodded: "Looks like you're doing quite well here?"

Chu Tianshu sighed, "Senior, aren't you in a tight schedule? Well, you can let me explain in detail."

"This place is completely different from the spirit world I imagined..."

He talked about his experiences here, and although he hadn't been here long, he already had a lot to say.

Upon hearing this, the crane couldn't help but flap its wings.

"Water-refined Solomon's Seal?! A mere village can produce something like this?"

"I have learned a lot about the spirit world from the ancient books. I once thought of visiting the spirit world, but I could not stay long and had to return in a hurry."

"The place where you are now is the only place that verifies the description of the shallow spirit world."

The crane's excitement was palpable.

"As expected, it's possible to farm in the shallow spirit realm!"

It doesn't rely on evil spirits or medicinal herbs; it can be grown directly on the land.

You can grow grains, and of course you can also grow medicinal herbs.

"I originally thought that with this contact, I could stabilize the connection and then find a way to bring you back to the human world."

The crane softened its tone, "But given your situation, I think there's no need to rush back."

Chu Tianshu quickly said, "Then let's stabilize the contact first. No matter how much I need to go back, it's good to have a backup plan."

"Of course I understand, it's already underway."

The crane laughed and said, "But judging from what you just said, you are actually quite interested in the products of the spirit realm, aren't you?"

Chu Tianshu's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not deny it.

"I can mobilize as many people as possible to support you."

The crane said, "But even if others go down afterward, they will at most be in the form of divine souls. Only you can serve as their leader."

"If this succeeds, your place will be the first pilot site, and the future benefits will be self-evident..."

The crane began to mutter many words.

Chu Tianshu listened to him for a long time, nodding slightly from time to time, but finally let out a long sigh.

"I do have many ideas, but the most important issue is the severe drought here."

Chu Tianshu spread his hands and said, "Not to mention the cultivation of medicinal herbs, even for something as simple as grain, they have to pray for wind and rain."

"But where can I get them to create this storm?"

The crane pondered, "This is indeed a problem. In fact, although reality and the spirit world cannot completely correspond, there are always some connections between them."

“This area you are in should not be short of water, even if it lacks rain.”

Chu Tianshu's heart skipped a beat: "You mean?"

"Ask them if there's a large river nearby."

The crane laughed again.

"We can't send away the wind and rain, but we can send down a large group of professionals to lead them in surveying the land and digging canals!"

(End of this chapter)