Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

The western market of Qinglan City has always been a melting pot of all sorts of people, a melting pot of all walks of life. Gang fights and extortion by thugs are commonplace, suffocating many honest merchants. The air seems perpetually thick with a suffocating atmosphere of cheap liquor, the stench of sweat, and suppressed fear.

That afternoon, the scorching sun was like a giant furnace, baking the earth, and even the bluestone pavement was steaming with distorted heat waves. However, in front of "Zhang's Cloth Shop," the largest shop in the West Market, a large crowd had gathered. Far from being driven away by the heat, the atmosphere was as tense as a taut bowstring.

The cloth shop owner, Zhang, was a kind-looking, slightly plump middle-aged man, but at this moment his face was flushed, and beads of sweat, whether from the heat or fear, streamed down his forehead. He spread his arms wide, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, blocking the shop entrance, his thin body trembling slightly with agitation. Behind him, his wife and daughter, pale-faced, were tightly embracing each other. His daughter, a pretty sixteen-year-old girl, had almond-shaped eyes filled with tears, expressing helplessness and terror.

In stark contrast to them were five or six burly men outside the shop, their chests bare, revealing menacing tattoos and muscular builds. The leader, eight feet tall, with a face full of scars and a knife scar running diagonally from his brow to the corner of his mouth, added to his ferocity; he was none other than "Black Bear," the notorious bully feared by everyone in the West Market. He stood with his arms crossed, a wide grin revealing his yellowed, smoke-stained teeth, a playful smirk on his face.

"Master Black Bear, this... I personally handed over this month's allowance to you three days ago! It's a full twenty taels, not a penny less!" Manager Zhang's voice trembled, almost tearful, as he tried to reason with this villain.

"You've already paid?" Black Bear sneered, his voice like a broken gong. He took a sudden step forward, his large, hairy black hand grabbing Manager Zhang's collar and nearly lifting him off the ground. "I said I didn't pay, and that's final! What? Fatty Zhang, trying to renege on your debt?"

He leaned closer to Manager Zhang, his breath reeking of alcohol, and lowered his voice, his tone even more sinister: "Either, bring out another fifty taels of silver to help the brothers cool off! Or..." His lewd gaze swept undisguisedly over the trembling girl behind Manager Zhang, "I'll use your beautiful daughter as payment, and come back with me for a few days of fun! Hahaha!"

The surrounding merchants and passersby all looked indignant, but dared not speak out. This black bear not only possessed the strength of a mid-stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator and was ruthless, but more importantly, he was backed by the "Green Wolf Gang," the largest gang in the West Market, a local tyrant that even the three major families were unwilling to easily provoke. Anyone who dared to step forward would surely suffer annihilation.

"In broad daylight, under the clear sky! You...you've abducted a woman! Is there no law left?!" A hoarse voice, sharp with extreme anger, rang out. The crowd parted, and Manager Feng, leaning on his cane, trembling with rage, stepped forward. He had been passing by on his usual shopping route when he witnessed this heinous act. Remembering the Marquis's family's past reputation and the General's teachings, a surge of anger welled up within him, and he disregarded Lin Xuan's admonition to "keep a low profile," stepping forward without hesitation.

"Old man, I think you're tired of living!" Black Bear's eyes flashed coldly, revealing his murderous intent. He released the nearly suffocating Manager Zhang and turned his attention to this reckless old man. His fist, as big as a bowl, whistled through the air as it mercilessly smashed towards Manager Feng's gaunt face! If this punch landed, Manager Feng would surely die from a shattered skull!

Manager Feng felt a gust of evil wind rush towards him, and the shadow of death instantly enveloped him. He subconsciously closed his eyes and awaited death, his heart filled with sorrow.

At this critical moment!

A clear, calm sound, seemingly imbued with some strange magic, pierced through all noise and chaos, reaching the ears of everyone present and even resonating directly in their hearts:

"stop."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the agitation and violence on the scene. Black Bear's powerful punch, capable of splitting stone and shattering monuments, froze in mid-air less than three inches from Manager Feng's face, unable to advance an inch further! It was as if an invisible wall of air had blocked his fist.

As if by an invisible hand, the crowd parted, automatically making way. A slightly thin boy dressed in ordinary blue cloth was walking slowly towards them. He had a handsome face and fair skin, and looked to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, standing out from the rough and rugged martial artists around him. However, his black pupils were as deep as an ancient, cold well, without the slightest ripple, calmly scanning the scene before finally settling on the black bear.

It was Lin Xuan. He had been waiting for Manager Feng for a long time, but he did not return. With a slight movement of his divine sense, he sensed the chaos in this place and Manager Feng's aura, so he came to check.

"Where did this little brat come from, daring to meddle in my business?!" Black Bear was initially startled, but upon seeing that the newcomer was just a teenager, whose calm demeanor was somewhat eerily subdued but who didn't possess much internal energy fluctuation (a characteristic of Starry Sky Internal Energy), he was immediately filled with malice and cursed angrily. Although he was puzzled by the earlier obstruction, he was more convinced that he had simply lost his temper. To save face, he changed his fist into a claw, his five fingers like hooks, and with a sharp gust of wind, he viciously grabbed at Lin Xuan's seemingly thin shoulder! He was prepared to cripple this kid's arm first, to teach him the consequences of meddling!

Faced with a claw powerful enough to shatter rocks, Lin Xuan's expression didn't even waver. He didn't even glance at the incoming attack; his footsteps shifted almost imperceptibly, like a gentle breeze brushing willow branches, and his figure moved like a ghost, narrowly avoiding the fierce claw wind. At the same time, he casually raised his right hand, his wide sleeves flowing like clouds.

This gesture was elegant, as if brushing off dust from one's clothes, without a trace of worldly grime.

However, when the soft sleeve brushed against the black bear's thick arm, the black bear felt a force as turbulent as a deep-sea current, yet condensed and compressed to the extreme, instantly penetrating through the sleeve and brutally invading his arm!

That power was not fierce and unparalleled, but it carried an indestructible penetrating and shock-like quality!

"Snap—!"

A crisp, teeth-grinding sound of bone cracking echoed clearly throughout the silent scene!

"Ah—!! My hand! My arm!!" The black bear let out a bloodcurdling scream, as if slaughtered like a pig. His entire right arm bent and drooped at an impossible, bizarre angle, the white bone even piercing through the flesh and exposed to the air, instantly staining his arm red with blood. His massive body was also pulled backward by that seemingly gentle force, and he collapsed to the ground with a "thud," his face filled with extreme pain, bewilderment, and incredulous horror!

Silence! Deathly silence!

Everyone stared in disbelief, as if frozen in place. The infamous Black Bear, a tyrant who had terrorized the West Market for years, had actually… had his arm severed by a seemingly frail young man with a mere flick of his sleeve?! This was utterly unbelievable!

Those thugs, who had been so arrogant, were now like ducks being choked. Their sneers froze, replaced by boundless fear. Their legs trembled violently, and they dared not take another step forward. They scrambled forward, frantically helping the screaming, nearly unconscious black bear to his feet, and fled like stray dogs. They didn't even bother to pick up the knife that had fallen to the ground, let alone utter any threats.

Only then did the frozen crowd burst forth like a thawing river, erupting with a cacophony of sounds.

Shopkeeper Zhang knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly in Lin Xuan's direction, tears streaming down his face: "Thank you so much, benefactor! Thank you so much for saving my life! I will never forget your kindness!"

His wife and daughters followed suit, kneeling down and weeping bitterly—an outpouring of relief after surviving a calamity and boundless gratitude towards Lin Xuan. Many merchants and passersby who had suffered under the oppression of the black bear and his henchmen also gathered around, bowing deeply to Lin Xuan and offering their heartfelt thanks, their eyes filled with sincere gratitude and a near-divine reverence.

"It was nothing, please rise." Lin Xuanxu raised his right hand, and a gentle yet irresistible invisible force subtly emanated, precisely catching Manager Zhang, who was about to continue kowtowing, preventing him from doing so. His expression remained calm, unmoved by the gratitude of the crowd. His initial intention in helping was not to uphold justice, but rather to protect Manager Feng and remove any obstacles that might disturb his peace. However, feeling the pure gratitude permeating the air, even his usually undisturbed heart was slightly stirred.

Manager Feng stood behind Lin Xuan, watching his young master's calm yet all-encompassing demeanor, and his unpredictable methods that had repelled a powerful enemy without a single move. His heart was filled with indescribable excitement and pride, and tears even welled in his old eyes. "My lord, did you see that? My young master... he has truly grown up; he has emerged from the abyss like a dragon rising from the depths!"

After this incident, the reputation of "Master Lin" was no longer limited to rumors and speculation in a small circle, but spread like wildfire among the lower classes of the entire West Market, becoming more and more legendary with each passing day. Everyone said that a young swordsman with unfathomable martial arts skills had come to the West Market, who was compassionate and dedicated to punishing bullies. Even the Green Wolf Gang, after learning that Black Bear had been crippled, remained unusually silent. It seemed that after secretly investigating, they were extremely wary of this mysterious "Master Lin," and even strictly forbade their members from causing trouble in the West Market again.

A few days later, something unexpected happened to Lin Xuan.

Manager Zhang, along with several other merchants who had received favors from Lin Xuan (or were indirectly spared from oppression because of his intimidation), were grateful for his kindness but dared not disturb him easily. So they spontaneously raised funds and quietly built a small shrine in a relatively quiet open space on the edge of the West Market, next to an old locust tree!

The ancestral hall was very simple, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and could only accommodate a few people. There were no statues or sculptures inside, only an incense table in the center, on which stood a polished longevity tablet, inscribed with "Longevity Tablet of Benefactor Lin Xuanye" in cinnabar ink. In the incense burner in front of the tablet, several sticks of incense that had not yet burned out were inserted, and wisps of smoke rose, emitting a faint sandalwood scent.

Although the incense offerings are not abundant, every day some people who have received kindness or pray for peace spontaneously come, devoutly light an incense stick, kneel on the prayer mat, silently kowtow, and murmur words, expressing their gratitude and wishes.

At first, Lin Xuan didn't pay attention to the behavior in the neighborhood. Until one late night, when all was quiet, he sat cross-legged in his courtyard as usual, his hands forming hand seals, and he fully activated the "Star River Qi Refining Technique" to guide the power of the stars in the sky to temper himself.

Just as he was completely absorbed in the moment and lost all sense of self, a sudden change occurred!

His keen senses suddenly perceived that wisps of extremely faint yet pure milky-white light seemed to have crossed the boundary between the tangible and the intangible, ignoring the distance of space, and seeped in from the void, silently, as if attracted, into the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness!

These points of light are warm and peaceful, without any impurities, and at their core they contain a pure sense of gratitude, reverence, trust, and prayer! They are not spiritual power, but they contain a magical spiritual energy.

The instant these milky-white specks merged into his sea of ​​consciousness, Lin Xuan felt as if his soul had been nourished by parched seedlings receiving sweet rain, or by a gentle, nourishing elixir. An indescribable sense of comfort and clarity spread throughout the depths of his soul! The slight mental fatigue and stagnation brought on by days of continuous analysis and deduction of martial arts manuals vanished instantly! The range of his divine sense seemed to have expanded slightly, and its operation became more agile and lively! Even the efficiency with which he guided the power of the stars into his body was noticeably improved compared to usual!

"This is... the power of faith?!"

Lin Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, filled with shock and disbelief!

He had vaguely seen this term in scattered myths and legends from his previous life, as well as in some ancient and obscure records and jade slips from the cultivation world. It was the condensation and manifestation of the purest mental power of all living beings, and for cultivators who specialized in the path of divinity and sought to condense their divine essence, it was the supreme resource and the fundamental source of their power! But he never imagined that he, a mere cultivator who had just entered the Qi Refining stage, would personally come into contact with this legendary thing in this world, in such a way!

Moreover, this power of faith could actually penetrate the barrier between the two worlds, ignoring the vast spatial and temporal obstacles, and directly nourish the soul of his projected body! Even... through the invisible threads that connected his true cultivation body in the dark, it faintly fed back strands of pure spiritual essence!

He immediately focused his mind and expanded his spiritual sense as far as possible, like a spider web, tracing the faint yet clear sensation emanating from the power of faith. Soon, his "vision" traversed the distance, "seeing" the simple shrine nestled against an old locust tree on the edge of the West Market, the longevity tablet bearing his name on the altar, and the rising wisps of blue smoke before it, imbued with countless devout and simple thoughts…

"So that's how it happened..." Lin Xuan suddenly realized, and at the same time, an extremely complex and wonderful feeling welled up inside him. His punishment of the black bear was not intended to gain gratitude or faith, but rather a choice made out of his conscience and to protect his environment. He never expected that this unintentional act would lead to such a good relationship and bring him such a precious gift that far exceeded his expectations.

This gathering power of faith, though currently extremely weak in total—like a stream to a vast ocean—is perhaps merely a drop in the ocean compared to the ever-growing soul essence of the cultivator's true form. However, its strength lies in its purity and continuity, and... the possibilities it represents are limitless!

'If we could gather more faith and more devout devotion…' A thought involuntarily sprouted in his mind. If he erected an idol, spread its name widely, and protected the region, could he make the power of faith flow like rivers into the sea?

But this thought, barely arising, was swiftly suppressed by his powerful Dao heart, like ice water poured over his head, instantly sobering him up. The path of divinity, seemingly a shortcut to absorbing the power of sentient beings' thoughts, is in reality fraught with numerous constraints, entangled in karma, and closely linked to the prayers of all beings. Once faith collapses, or one is burdened with immense karma, the backlash will be terrifying. This is absolutely not the transcendent, free, and self-possessed path of cultivation he seeks! This power of faith can be seen as an unexpected bonus, an auxiliary resource on the path of cultivation, used to nourish the soul and enhance comprehension, but it must never be indulged in or relied upon, much less taken as the foundation.

However, given these unexpected benefits, some plans that were originally just ideas about how to establish oneself and acquire resources in this world might need some adjustments. At the very least, maintaining a positive and respected image doesn't seem like a bad thing.

He closed his eyes again, no longer trying to guide or reject the light, but instead, with a detached mind, carefully experiencing the warm, continuous rays of light flowing into his consciousness. They silently nourished his soul, making his thinking more agile and clear. Several subtle points that he hadn't grasped when studying those rudimentary martial arts manuals in the past now seemed to become clear and natural in his clear state of mind. Even his understanding of certain aspects of the *Starry Sky Qi Guiding Chapter* and the *Star River Qi Refining Technique* seemed to have deepened.

"Infinitely wondrous, truly mysterious." Lin Xuan secretly admired in his heart. He calmed his mind, no longer paying attention, and let the faint power of faith merge into his sea of ​​consciousness on its own. At the same time, he continued to focus on circulating the "Star River Qi Refining Technique," guiding the vast power from the stars in the heavens.

Nourished by the power of faith, his soul remained in this clear and lucid "sage's time," and his sensitivity and attraction to the power of the celestial bodies became more acute and smoother than ever before. The effects of his cultivation were more than 30% better than when he usually cultivated alone!

In this realm, he not only cultivates unique internal energy and analyzes mortal martial arts, but has now unexpectedly acquired the mysterious power of faith, which has added unexpected benefits to his cultivation path.

This unique path of projection of the heavens is revealing ever-expanding and wondrous possibilities to him.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the eaves of the courtyard and through the sky of this world, looking towards the direction where the cultivator's true form was located, separated by countless time and space.

"The cultivation of the physical body, especially the comprehension of spells and the strengthening of the soul, may be accelerated somewhat by the feedback from this cross-dimensional faith..."