Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 309 Breakthrough! Fourth-Rank Water Balance Commandant

Pinghu Port, Litang Palace.

Wang Cheng was unaware that the Frankish Empire, in order to obtain his senior sister, a descendant of the Paleologian royal family, had immediately revealed one of its strongest trump cards.

A legendary warship, said to be able to suppress an entire nation with a single vessel, is on its way, and the crisis facing the East Sea Nation is imminent.

All that is known is that the deadline for Tongmu Ren to curse Han Wugui is approaching, the elixir of immortality is about to be made, and the conspiracy of the old Guangze Prince is about to come to fruition.

Unfortunately, he only suspected something was amiss, but he couldn't produce any substantial evidence.

Moreover, there's more than one [Vajrapani incarnation]. If we don't kill the snake, it could turn into a big problem if that old tortoise targets us instead. He already has enough "lice" on him.

All I could do was remind Lu Yunchen that if he was present at the time, he must be careful of anyone except the Lord of the State.

Then the two bodies, Yin and Yang, went into seclusion together.

For seven consecutive days, he focused on "ascetic practice," preparing to take advantage of the last period of peace to open the final key in one go.

Lately, waves of dangerous whims have been constantly tugging at his nerves.

The situation both within and outside the land is turbulent and unpredictable, changing so rapidly that it's impossible to keep up with the pace of updates. A mere fifth-rank official can no longer keep up with the speed of version updates.

Strength is the greatest source of confidence in dealing with all changes!

Until the night of the seventh day.

In the spacious main hall, only a dim candle was lit. Wang Cheng was wearing only a loose Taoist robe, and his eyes and ears were covered with a ribbon covered with talismans.

All five orifices that had been opened were sealed off, leaving only the last, still unopened, nasal orifice, "the nose for love."

With intense concentration, one's sole sense becomes increasingly acute.

Suddenly, the glass lamps in the four corners of the hall lit up automatically, and a warm, fragrant aroma wafted out from the coiled dragon incense burner. Just a light sniff was enough to make one's soul feel numb, as if floating on clouds.

"One ounce and one part of cloves, one ounce of agarwood, half an ounce of sandalwood, half an ounce of nard, half an ounce of tonka bean, two mace of plum blossom and borneol, and three parts of cinnamon."

Today, this is Princess Shouyang's Hidden Spring Fragrance!

After seven days of arduous training, Wang Cheng easily identified the type of incense being used in the Pear Blossom Palace that day.

But in addition to the finest incense, there is another, even more intoxicating, subtle fragrance wafting through the air.

I was about to use my sense of smell to carefully discern the source of the subtle fragrance.

My heart, which had been as calm as a still lake, was suddenly startled by the melodious, crisp sound of sixteen golden bells emanating from the rippling waves.

Ring ring ring.
Like a loving wife's murmur, or a lover's coquettishness, it is captivating and enchanting.

Sixteen graceful figures, draped in gossamer-thin veils adorned with ornate crowns, necklaces, jewels, and gold ornaments, emerged gracefully from the dark footsteps of the palace, their soft white feet tinkling with the sound of bells.

Each of them possessed a face of unparalleled beauty, every smile and frown capable of seducing the heart, their figures supple and boneless, every movement exuding captivating allure.

Judging from their dance dresses, they are neither immortals nor demons, neither human nor Buddha, yet they are both immortals and demons, both human and Buddha, a group of "Sixteen Heavenly Demonesses" born in the Yunmeng Empire!
The music in the darkness suddenly changed, becoming enchanting and lingering like the misty spring rain that drifts into the night.

Led by Shen Yueye, the senior sister of the "Bodhisattva's Charm" sect, who was in the right field, the "Heavenly Demonesses" danced gracefully with charming eyes and smiling lips, their colorful sleeves carrying a fragrant breeze.

Her delicate feet, with golden bells trembling lightly around her ankles, seemed to tread on the most itchy spot in Wang Cheng's heart with every step.

He couldn't see or hear, but even his remaining sense of smell was easily breached by the Sixteen Heavenly Demon Dance.

His senses—sight, hearing, and all other senses—were transformed into olfactory signals that penetrated directly into his heart.

Light gauze dances in the air, and glistening, fragrant sweat flows over her delicate, smooth, snow-white skin, dripping onto the mirror-like teak floor.

The tiny footprints left behind add a lasting touch to Princess Shouyang's incense.

The root of the nose corresponds to "love through smell," which is an attachment to smells or emotions. To unlock this, the divine authority needs to break free from dependence on sensory desires and achieve a sublimation from instinct to self-awareness.

At this moment, the "Sixteen Heavenly Demon Dance," which focuses on the six desires and five senses, reaches its climax.

Within Wang Cheng's body, not only the nose, which had been subdued, began to stir again, but the other six senses, which had been subdued, also began to stir once more.

The ultimate sensory impact has transcended the ordinary material level.

After seven days of arduous practice, he was able to sit calmly on the meditation cushion, his mind gradually adapting and detaching, maintaining a sliver of clarity.

Unlike the first few days, when I couldn't hold out for long before turning into a hungry wolf and grabbing the giggling fox senior sister to feast on.

“I am making progress, and my senior sister’s skills are becoming more and more profound.”

She alone, along with fifteen fire fox soldiers made from fox fur, could perform the "Sixteen Heavenly Demon Dance" to this extent, making it easy for her to kill people silently.

During this period, she practiced the "Golden Chamber Techniques of the Bedchamber" with me every day. Although she opened fewer of the six orifices than I did, the Dharma talisman of Bodhisattva Man and the Star Official was merging at an accelerated pace.

The talisman used by the Star-Tracing Official changed from the ordinary "Star Gang Five Dipper Talisman" to the "Big Dipper Taiyin Talisman".

The talisman for Bodhisattva Man also changed from the 【Evil-Repelling Treasure Banner Talisman】 to the 【Red Official Canopy Talisman】.

Yesterday, he suddenly had an epiphany, realizing that the name of his merged official rank was—[Flying Celestial]!

This official position was far more prestigious than Wang Cheng's position as the Commandant of the Waterways.

The term "flying celestial being" can be interpreted as "a celestial being in flight."

It has a long history and is the product of long-term exchanges and integration among Buddhist celestial beings, Taoist immortals, Western Region flying immortals, Central Plains flying immortals, and so on.

It took a long time to evolve into the true "flying apsaras" with the characteristics of Chinese folk beliefs.

Wang Cheng felt that even if the route extended further west from the Western Regions, it wouldn't be surprising if it involved the angels of the Western Continent.

After all, the predecessor of the White Lotus Sect, Manichaeism, was a hybrid religion that integrated Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Holy Cross and other sects.

"Flying Apsaras" naturally became the culmination of this religious fusion.

They have no wings or feathers, no halos, and rely on the clouds but not on them. They soar through the air mainly by their flowing dresses and fluttering ribbons.

Nowadays, their figures can be found in almost all portraits of gods and Buddhas.

It can be seen as a medium for "harmony between man and nature", "human beings and supernatural powers", and "connecting East and West".

Whether it's A Xiao's "Dragon's Blood" or Wang Cheng's "Water Balance Commandant," they are still lingering in the mortal realm, while Fei Tian seems to have already touched the boundary between heaven and man.

Whether it is political power or economic power, in order to achieve it in a world where the gods are enlightened, it is absolutely inseparable from the support of incense offerings and vows.

Even though they only received a name, they could feel the potential of this official position.

"It's a pity that this is another unprecedented official position, with no predecessors to refer to. Logically speaking, the talisman to assist Senior Sister's promotion should also be put on the agenda."

However, finding a talisman or object corresponding to the flying abbot's position is actually quite difficult.

The turbulent thoughts in Wang Cheng's mind did not affect his physical breathing.

He no longer used the "eating qi and dining on the clouds" method commonly used in the middle three grades of Qi cultivation, but instead inhaled and exhaled the Dao Qi [Wanguo Shiyi Tongbao Qi] and [Tianyi Shengshui Jinchan Qi], which originated from the righteous Qi of the Three Officials.

Instead, it reverted to the internal cultivation method used in the lower three grades of essence refining: the [Chenlong Breathing Technique].

This internal cultivation method is closer to the essence of cultivation. The true qi in the body is like a swimming dragon, connecting the form and spirit, and transforming into a beautiful white mist at the tip of the nose.

He gradually entered a meditative state amidst a warm and peaceful atmosphere that allowed him to relax completely.

I don’t know how long it took.

Snapped!
A crisp sound came from my nose, and my breathing became clear and unobstructed.

At this moment, not only did "Scent of Love" open as desired, like other Shinto officials, but it also opened its doors.

The true qi that integrates breathing also connects the physical body's "form" and "life," as well as the soul's "spirit" and "nature," achieving a balance of form and spirit, and cultivating both nature and life.

"breathe-"

The clay embryo within the body breathes and exhales along with the physical body through its six fully opened orifices.

Having hooked onto the bridge of true qi that connects life and death, after several cycles, the total amount of true qi surged, and even generated many extremely tiny talismans, constantly tempering the blood and body.

Wang Cheng felt a perfect harmony between his body and soul, and he could perceive the functioning of every organ in his body with keen insight. He had never felt so physically well before.

The energy within my body truly began to reach its full potential.

Of course, this kind of "cultivation of both body and mind" is still in the exploratory stage and the future path is unknown, so it is only a secondary matter.

Crucially, the cultivation of the divine path has also made great strides!

Clouds and wind gathered above the Pear Blossom Palace.

The Heavenly Toad Qi, born from the Water of the Ninth Heaven, descended with a thunderous roar, and a single lamp of the heart shone brightly.

The clay sculpture, which resembled an abstract yellow clay deity, was bathed in the light of the heart. It seemed to have been forged in a fierce fire, gradually transforming itself and taking on seven-tenths of Wang Cheng's appearance.

Whether it is the body's orifices, the mind's orifices, the eyes' orifices, or the ears' orifices, they can all be directed at as desired.

The promotion ceremony for Bai Shuilang and Chaofenglang, which involved "all rivers flowing into the sea and accumulating knowledge before unleashing it," was inherited by the [Shuiheng Duwei].

The military strength, wealth, land, and other resources of the Eastern Sea Kingdom would not be a problem for him to break through to the upper three ranks.

Naturally, it wouldn't be stopped by a mere fourth-rank checkpoint.

The thin pass was breached in an instant.

clang!clang!clang!
The heavenly music resounded.

Above their heads rose the aura of imperial power, the aura of dragons, and the aura of international trade, vaguely outlining a magnificent and resplendent palace.

The ground was paved with pearls and jade, and the couches were made of gold. Officials and soldiers, dressed in robes or armor, stood on either side, exuding a majestic aura. Above the gate, two large golden characters were written: "Supervisor of Finances."

This is the Dharma temple and mandala that Wang Cheng brought with him after he reached the realm of [Five Temples Divine Treasury] – the Supervisory Department of Finance.

Three zhang and three zhang in front of him and three zhang and three zhang behind him were both mandalas. From then on, he did not need to set up an additional altar. Every move he made was imbued with great power.

Even with just this portable mandala, it wouldn't be a problem for one person to defeat three versions of himself before breaking through.

Wang Cheng removed the ribbon from his face and let out a long sigh of relief:

"It wasn't easy. Although we were quite a bit later than Lao Lu, we were ultimately not completely outpaced."

After chasing for almost a month, we finally caught up.

In addition to his own breakthrough in cultivation, the most fundamental secret and orthodox method, the Five Emperors' Golden Coin Sword, also rose in value along with it.

With a swift movement, the flying sword, concealed in his sleeve by the "Azure Dragon in the Sleeve" technique, fell into his hand. The dazzling white blade was covered with patterns resembling forged coins.

During this time, it followed Wang Cheng in absorbing and exhaling the golden energy, dragon energy, and Wan Guo Shi Yi Tong Bao Qi from the five emperor coins: Da Zhao, Dong Fang Ji, the Netherlands, and Britannia.

We had long since reached the critical point of the second stage of training, and today we have suddenly achieved a complete understanding.

Its original abilities have been further enhanced.

【Hundred-Step Flying Sword】:
"He has truly reached the limit of the middle-grade level, one hundred paces away. It is no longer an exaggeration to say that he can take a person's head within one hundred paces."

Even if a musket, which is known for being fast from seven paces away and accurate and fast within seven paces, were to face this sword, you'd better pray that you're already a hundred paces away.

My lord, times have changed, but not drastically.

[Golden Sword Qi]:
"It can transform every incense coin into a sharp golden sword aura."

In situations where rare goods are highly sought after, regardless of the value of a person's goods, as long as one is willing to spend twice the amount of incense offerings or other valuable worldly possessions, the deal can surely be broken!

When Wang Cheng saw this, his heart stirred.

The first forging of the divine sword required consuming three times the value of the target, which he found too expensive and had never used. Now, after the upgrade, it's equivalent to a 30% discount.

Given his current financial resources, he is gradually becoming qualified to unleash the power of money, which ranks first on the weapon list.

"Moreover, nowadays, worldly wealth can be used to replace hard currency such as incense and religious offerings."

I happen to know of a rare metal that was extremely scarce throughout the world during the agricultural era, and even Napoleon used it to make tableware to show his status, but it has become commonplace in the electrical age.

I just happen to have the Thunderfire Cardinal, a new energy source, on hand. Is it possible…?

Next up is [Gratitude Loan/Thunderbolt]:
"The original interest rate was 'nine out and thirteen back,' which translates to a monthly interest rate of about 44.44%. Now you can increase it as you wish, up to a maximum of 100%."

For every 10% increase, the probability of being struck by lightning doubles!

Wang Cheng's eyes lit up again.

"Is there such a good thing?"

That's not all. Not only were the three original abilities enhanced, but after the second refinement, this secret method finally gave birth to a fourth unique skill—[Risk Hedging].

(End of this chapter)