Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 186 Calming the Mind and Extinguishing Anger, Exploring the Secluded Place

The token was dark and gloomy, as if it could absorb all light. The front was engraved with the two ancient seal characters "掌刑" (meaning "wielding punishment"), surrounded by extremely fine, constantly flowing dark gold runes, exuding a cold and majestic aura.

Without a word, a sudden realization naturally flowed into Qi Yun's heart.

This is the identity token of the executioner, and also a symbol of his authority.

More importantly, many ambiguities regarding their responsibilities and the law have now become clear!
"I see..." Qi Yun's lips curled into a knowing smile.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the student was indeed a temporary worker; everything required him to figure out and test things out on his own.

Once officially recognized and registered, the black-market legal system will clearly display the corresponding permissions and rules.

He focused intently on sensing the torrent of information flowing into his heart, carefully comprehending the profound mysteries of the "Patrolling the Netherworld" law.

This law is divided into two powers: "day patrol" and "night patrol".

"Day Patrol": During the daytime, one can transform into a shadow and instantly traverse any shadow within a radius of thirty feet, moving like a ghost. Each use can last for three breaths.

This technique is not true teleportation, but rather shadow leaps, using the gaps between yin and yang to move silently and without regard for ordinary physical obstacles, yet each leap requires a breath.

"Night Patrol": As night falls, one can move in an ethereal manner, transforming from solid to ethereal, like a ghostly figure in the underworld, moving freely and greatly increasing movement speed for up to ten breaths.

This technique emphasizes speed and penetration, allowing one to move freely in the dark.

To uphold this "Patrolling the Netherworld" law, one must strictly adhere to the precept of "concentrating mind and extinguishing anger."

"Focusing the mind" means that when performing the ritual, one's mind must be as still as a deep well, with a high degree of concentration, and no distracting thoughts or wanderings are allowed. Otherwise, it is very easy to get lost in the gap between Yin and Yang.

"Extinguishing anger" requires a calm mind, and one must not harbor anger, anxiety, or other angry thoughts.

Violators will be executed! This is an ironclad rule that cannot be transgressed.

Qi Yun absorbed and digested all the information, and compared it with the "Rejecting Chaos" law he had previously obtained, and immediately realized the profound difference between the two.

The "Rejection of Chaos" law is a passive, powerful authority that involves the level of rules. It directly grants him the absolute characteristic of ignoring all kinds of mental attacks and illusions, like a kind of "status" blessing.

In the past, when faced with the soul-shaking blow from the statue of Qingyun, it was precisely through this law that I was able to emerge unscathed.

In essence, it is closer to "rules".

While "Patrolling the Netherworld" is also wondrous, it is more like a specific "spell" or "supernatural power" that has been bestowed upon it. It has strict conditions for use, time limits, and costs, and must be actively cast. Moreover, its power is fixed.

It did not bring new "authority," but merely added another means of using the power of the underworld.

Qi Yun's gaze swept over the "Authority" section on the jade slip again, and it still only contained the "Rebirth Certificate".

"It seems that 'authority' is the core of the underworld position, representing true 'power'."

The 'law' is more like a 'tool' or 'skill' bestowed based on rank and personal merit.

Qi Yun understood perfectly, “During the period when the lower-level students were directly given the ‘Resist Chaos’ law, it was probably because the people of the underworld were primarily concerned with preventing themselves from being controlled by external evils and losing their souls, so as not to disrupt the order of Yin and Yang. This was the bottom line guarantee and a standard requirement.”

To gain more and stronger 'power' later on, one must make meritorious contributions and become an official!

Having figured this out, Qi Yun nodded, gaining a clearer understanding of his position within the Beiyin Fengdu system.

With a thought, he wanted to try out his newly acquired "Night Patrol" and experience its wonders firsthand. However, the spell did not work. He then remembered that although he was in an ancient tomb inside a mountain and could not tell the time outside, his biological clock told him that it was still early before nightfall.

"Night patrols" can only be carried out under the cover of darkness.

Immediately, he then activated the "Day Patrol".

Deep within the mountains, apart from the areas illuminated by the powerful glow sticks left behind by the evil cultivators, the surroundings are filled with dense, impenetrable shadows, making it the perfect environment to perform this technique.

With a slight thought, the true qi within his body naturally circulated along specific meridians, connecting with the "Punishment Token." Qi Yun felt a lightness all over his body, as if he had transformed into a formless shadow, instantly disappearing into the shadow beneath his feet.

What lay before me was not darkness, but a bizarre, ever-distorting gray space, with countless fragments of shadows rushing past like a turbulent river.

His mind locked onto the shadow of a rock wall thirty feet away, and his body was involuntarily pulled towards it by a force.

A moment later, it had silently emerged from the shadows!

The entire process was so fast that it was beyond the reach of thought; it was as if the blink of an eye had traversed a distance of thirty zhang, without making a sound or causing any airflow or energy fluctuations.

"Excellent!" Qi Yun thought to himself, and without hesitation, he launched the sun patrol again.

Within three breaths, he made six consecutive shadow leaps, his figure appearing and disappearing in the empty, deathly silent hall, before finally returning quietly to his starting point.

However, just as he materialized for the sixth time and fully revealed his form, a strong sense of dizziness suddenly struck him, as if his soul had been forcibly pulled and then violently pressed back into his body, and his vision went black.

At the same time, a bone-chilling coldness spread through his limbs and bones, his blood seemed to freeze, his meridians seemed to be frozen, and his whole body was frozen in place, unable to move!
This terrifying stiffness lasted for a full three breaths before slowly subsiding.

Nearly three more minutes passed before the icy, stinging sensation and dizziness completely disappeared, and my body returned to normal.

"I see... This is the price of frequently using 'Sun Patrol'."

Qi Yun slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his expression solemn.

The body transforms from solid to ethereal and then back to solid, traversing between yin and yang shadows, placing an immense burden on both the primordial spirit and the physical body.

Using it continuously in a short period of time will lead to an imbalance of Yin and Yang, invasion of cold energy into the body, and shock to the soul.

It seems that while this technique is powerful, it should not be overused and must be used in moderation, requiring time to recover after each use.

However, after experiencing it firsthand, Qi Yun gained a deeper understanding of the power of the "Patrol the Netherworld" law.

This is no ordinary escape technique, but a real spatial jump technique that, to a certain extent, ignores terrain!
It is incredibly effective for surprise attacks, escapes, and reconnaissance.

Although it has side effects, if used properly, it can turn the tide of battle at crucial moments.

He used "Sun Patrol" again, this time making only one leap, appearing at the entrance of the main hall and immediately becoming visible.

Sure enough, the time of stiffness was greatly shortened this time, and I was able to move again in just about a breath, and the discomfort was also much milder.

"The aftereffects are closely related to the length of time it takes to turn the illusion into reality."

If it's just one jump, the burden is still within an acceptable range.

Used for surprise attacks in actual combat, combined with my swordsmanship, its power is more than doubled!

Qi Yun's eyes gleamed, he had already grasped the basics of his newly acquired abilities, and felt more confident.

Now that we are familiar with the new laws, it is time to get down to business.

"The threat of Qingyun's possession of another body has been eliminated, and this place poses no further threat to me."

There's no need to rush out. It's time to send the wronged souls and vengeful spirits who have been trapped in this ancient tomb for hundreds of years to their next life.

Performing rituals to help them pass on will not only accumulate merit, but may also boost my true energy. At the same time…”

Qi Yun activated the "Soul-Chasing and Netherworld-Exploring Eye" again. The world in his field of vision was still shrouded in the remaining thick Yin energy, a chaotic and blurry scene, but it was a little clearer than before.

"Only after the ghosts have been completely exorcised and the yin energy has dissipated can the Dharma Eye see clearly and see where Song Dingqian is trapped, whether he is alive or dead."

With his mind made up, Qi Yun swayed and disappeared into the shadows once more.

(End of this chapter)