Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Seven days after practicing "karma," He Damin appeared deep within a secluded canyon at the northern foot of the Yanshan Mountains. The spring chill had not yet dissipated, and patches of dirty snow still clung to the shady cliff face. He looked no different from when he left, still wearing that inconspicuous old clothes, only his eyes held a coldness harder than the mountain rocks, and a subtle, quiet weariness from the exertion of so much energy.

The continuous high-intensity operations—the demolition of the Fengtian Arsenal, the sweeping of supplies throughout Northeast China, and finally the complete cleanup of Unit 731 and that "special return gift" sent across the ocean—even with his Yang God Realm cultivation and the support of his five-times-advanced Soul Refining Banner, he felt a profound sense of "overflow" and "heaviness." It wasn't a depletion of power, but rather a warning issued by both his soul and the space itself after bearing too much killing, memories, karma, and matter in a short period.

He needs to stop, digest, organize, and, more importantly, prepare for the next "jump".

Standing at the bottom of the valley, he did not immediately return to the treehouse and hot spring medicinal field that he had built himself. Instead, with a slight thought, his spirit left his body, transforming into an ordinary mountain sparrow, and fluttered towards the top of the cliff. After circling a few times and confirming that there were no traces of other people within dozens of miles except for wild animals, he returned to his original form.

"Let's finish up the last bit first."

He recalled the "gift" he had found near a treehouse deep in the Yanshan Valley, in a certain isolated area of ​​the small world's anode space—a giant python, nearly six meters long, with scales tinged with an ominous, eerie green, mutated from prolonged contact with an unknown source. He Damin had only fed it once at the Japanese camp, and it was still hungry. When he was "delivering" Unit 731's "specialty" to the Japanese mainland, it was temporarily left behind because it was too conspicuous and difficult to control precisely.

"Keeping it around is useless, it just takes up space," He Damin muttered to himself. They've already given the Japanese enough "gifts" to their homeland, one more won't make a difference, but letting it fend for itself there might just cause some trouble.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the small world, locking onto the giant python that appeared somewhat weakened by the sudden change in environment. His spatial teleportation ability activated—not the "teleportation" that ignores distance as many fantasies suggest, but rather following his unique path: his physical body was first drawn into the small world, existing in a peculiar superposition state between "existence and non-existence." Then, his consciousness, relying on an extremely faint Yang God anchor point (like a spatial coordinate) pre-established somewhere on Japanese soil (choosing a remote mountain forest in Kyushu), guided the spatial power of the small world to "project" the "existence bubble" enveloping his body (and the items to be sent) along some mysterious connection to the anchor point's location. After the projection was complete, his physical body "extracted" from the small world and appeared at the target location. Throughout the entire process, the small world acted as a transdimensional transit station and transport vehicle.

He focused his mind on the mountains and forests of Kyushu Island and activated the technique. He could vaguely sense that the giant green python, along with the simple soul energy cage that imprisoned it, was precisely "spit" onto that foreign land, and the cage immediately dissipated. The python seemed to be stunned for a moment, then stimulated by the atmosphere of the mountains and forests and the sense of freedom, it hissed and quickly swam into the depths of the dense forest, disappearing from sight.

"Done." He Damin's true form remained standing in the Yanshan Valley, as if he had never moved. However, his face had paled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Delivering living creatures with precision over extremely long distances consumes far more energy than delivering inanimate objects.

Instead of resting, he once again immersed his consciousness in his own little world. This time, he examined his "trophies."

Inside the anode space, the scene could be described as "congested".

The once neatly planned area now has blurred boundaries. Mountains of weapons and ammunition are piled up to the edge of seas of grain and cloth; dark, steel and coal plateaus squeeze arrays of precision equipment; treasure troves of precious metals and antiques remain independent, but are surrounded by various boxes and cabinets; the newly designated "high-risk goods isolation zone" gleams with a faint, soul-sealing light, like a dangerous forbidden zone. The open spaces originally reserved for planting, breeding, and future expansion are now piled high with miscellaneous supplies that couldn't be properly categorized—from spare parts for machine tools to Yanshan archives, from medical equipment to pianos (who knows which warehouse they were smuggled from), a motley collection of all sorts.

The space, spanning one hundred square kilometers, is utilized at over ninety percent capacity! Visually, it's breathtakingly abundant, but it also brings a tangible sense of "bulkness." The flow of space seems somewhat sluggish.

He Damin's divine sense swept over the mountain of supplies, but he felt little joy; instead, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Too many..." He realized a problem.

These supplies, especially the distinctive Japanese-issue weapons, uniforms, canned goods, and even some equipment with nameplates, once they flowed into the hands of the Eighth Route Army or other anti-Japanese armed forces on a large scale, were practically announcing to the world: "The supplies lost in Taiyuan, Baoding, Fengtian, and other parts of Northeast China are here!"

What kind of storm will it trigger?

The Japanese will undoubtedly pounce like mad dogs, sparing no effort to reclaim or destroy these supplies in order to save face and replenish their already depleted reserves. Meanwhile, in Chongqing, with Yan Xishan also present, they will likely not stand idly by and allow such vast resources to fall into the hands of "dissidents," and may resort to covert sabotage or even outright robbery. The greed and suspicion of "friendly forces" can sometimes be more deadly than the enemy's guns and cannons.

More profoundly, once the Eighth Route Army's high command, and even the forces behind them, confirmed that He Damin possessed this incredible ability to "move enemy strongholds out of thin air," what would they think? How would they react?

Admire? Utilize? Win over? And then what?

He Damin harbored no ill will towards the state apparatus of this world, and even held respect for the resistance against Japan that persisted through hardship. However, he was more keenly aware of an irrefutable law: any force that is unconventional, uncontrolled, and especially strategically subversive, as long as it exists within a sovereign entity, will ultimately meet only two fates—either be completely controlled by the "state" and become part of its tools, or be eliminated or strictly restricted, never allowed to drift outside of control and become a destabilizing factor.

To have one's abilities and principles "studied"? To have one's personal will "harmonized" and turned into a compliant pawn in some grand scheme? Or, to be seen as a threat because one cannot control them, and thus...

He Damin shook his head. What he pursued was carefree immortality, the exploration of his own Dao, and the ability to reap resources and settle karmic debts according to his own will in this chaotic world. He did not want to be bound to any side, much less become a tool in anyone's hands, or a "lucky omen" to be studied in a cage.

"These supplies cannot be given out now, at least not in large quantities or without any cover-up," he concluded.

So, how should we handle this?

Piling it all up in the small world? The space is already nearly saturated, and leaving it idle for a long time is a waste. For personal use? We wouldn't even need one ten-thousandth of this mountain of space.

"We need to establish an intermediate buffer zone, an absolutely secret storage and transfer base that belongs only to me." He Damin's gaze fell on the Yanshan Forbidden Zone he had personally built. The valley where the treehouse and the medicinal field were located was beautiful, but it was not secluded enough, nor sturdy enough, and it could not hold even a tenth of the massive amount of supplies in front of him.

"Dig! Dig a warehouse deep enough, large enough, and well-hidden inside the mountain! No, a cluster of warehouses!"

Once he made up his mind, he acted without hesitation. He returned to the secret valley, without disturbing the few tender shoots that had already sprouted in the medicinal fields, nor did he go to enjoy the comfort of the hot springs. Instead, he went directly to the foot of that vertical cliff.

Looking up, the gray-black rock walls rise hundreds of meters high, barren of vegetation, and seemingly indestructible. But this is no challenge for He Damin today.

He stretched out his palm and gently pressed it against the cold rock wall. The Golden Core True Essence merged with the formidable power of a Grandmaster of Internal Energy, seeping into the depths of the rock like mercury spilling onto the ground. His divine sense, like the most precise probe, scanned every inch of the rock wall's internal structure, searching for natural cracks and weak points, and planning the best excavation path and support scheme.

"open."

With a low shout, he unleashed force from his palm. It wasn't a brute-force attack, but a high-frequency, precise vibration and cutting. The rock wall in front of him emitted a low "humming" sound, and the hard rock, like tofu being cut by an invisible blade, silently turned into dust, falling away to reveal a circular opening that extended inward with smooth, even edges.

He Damin stepped inside. He pressed his hands down, and the rocks in front of him continued to turn into powder, which was then swept up by the true energy surging from behind and sent into a specially opened "waste zone" within the small world. He was like a human-shaped tunnel boring machine, steadily advancing into the depths of the mountain. His divine sense constantly monitored the stress on the rock strata, leaving true energy imprints at key locations or inserting steel spikes (supplies from the Japanese army's warehouse) retrieved from the small world as temporary supports.

Excavation, reinforcement, expansion… this work was tedious and laborious, but He Damin did it meticulously. He didn't pursue speed, but rather strived for stability and concealment. The main excavated passage was winding and circuitous, with several disguised breaks and forks. The main storage room was not a large hall, but rather several independent caves scattered deep within the rock strata, connected by narrow passages, all of which had been treated for moisture and earthquake resistance.

For ten whole days, He Damin worked tirelessly, completely immersed in the project. When he finally stopped, a vast underground storage system, covering an area of ​​over 50,000 square meters and with a complex structure resembling an anthill, had appeared deep within the mountain. The ventilation shafts cleverly utilized natural rock crevices to lead to distant valleys, and the entrances were heavily concealed by illusion arrays and physical mechanisms, blending seamlessly with the cliff face, making it difficult to detect even if someone approached closely.

Next came the transfer of resources from the small world.

Like a highly efficient porter, he systematically and methodically transferred the temporarily unused and potentially troublesome supplies from the small world—mainly large quantities of standard weapons and ammunition, Japanese military uniforms and clothing, some canned food, and less sensitive equipment and raw materials—to these newly opened mountain warehouses, storing them categorized accordingly. He emptied nearly 30% of the small world's inventory before restoring the Yang Space to its spacious and orderly state.

Having done all this, He Damin finally felt a sense of relief. The small world was no longer bloated, and the hidden backup base had been completed. The origins and destinations of the supplies were now clear, and there was much more room for maneuver in the future.

He returned to the treehouse, thoroughly washed away his fatigue and grime in the hot spring, and changed into clean clothes. Then, he went to the training stone platform that he had designated as a forbidden area.

It's time to focus on yourself.

Sitting cross-legged, with the five centers facing upwards, the mind's innermost thoughts naturally flowed according to the Daoist Innate Elixir Method. The golden elixir shone brightly in the dantian, absorbing and releasing increasingly pure and vast innate true qi. The yang spirit floated in the sea of ​​consciousness, radiating a warm and majestic golden light.

The process of refining essence into qi has long been perfected.

The refinement of Qi into spirit has been largely completed—the achievement of the Yang Spirit is the mark of the pinnacle of this realm.

Next comes the even more profound and difficult next realm: Refining the Spirit to Return to Emptiness.

He Damin carefully comprehended the essence of the cultivation method. "Refining the Spirit to Return to Emptiness" is not simply about increasing the power of the soul, but about further tempering and sublimating the already solidified Yang Spirit, gradually shedding its "spirit" form and radiance, and transforming it towards a more fundamental, more ethereal, and more in harmony with the Great Dao "Emptiness" realm. This is a reverse process of "existence" returning to "non-existence," and "reality" returning to "emptiness," requiring the Yang Spirit to be repeatedly refined in a special "empty realm" or "Daoist rhythm" to comprehend the profound truths of emptiness.

Upon reaching this state, the Yang Spirit can disperse and gather at will. When gathered, it manifests all things; when dispersed, it merges into the void. The scope of spiritual travel expands, and the perception of heavenly secrets deepens. One may even touch upon the superficial aspects of the laws of space and time. More importantly, only by reaching the state of "Returning to Emptiness" can one lay a solid foundation for the ultimate "Refining Emptiness and Uniting with the Dao," and for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage or even higher levels.

How to cultivate? The Daoist Primordial Alchemy mentions several methods: sitting in meditation in a state of extreme emptiness to perceive the void of heaven and earth; wandering in the vast emptiness to experience the tranquility of the universe; or using certain rare and precious materials or special secret realms that contain the Daoist essence of emptiness...

He Damin's current conditions are most suitable for the first option. The Yanshan Forbidden Realm is a place rarely visited by people, with a dense and concentrated aura, making it suitable for seclusion. Moreover, he still has his greatest reliance—the purest and most peaceful soul essence aura left behind after the burning of tens of thousands of pure soul bodies within the Yin-Yang space of the Soul Refining Banner, as well as a faint yet lofty Daoist charm of "Reincarnation Void" naturally emitted when the six light holes of the nascent Reincarnation are in operation.

"Based on this place, and using the essence of the Soul Banner as fuel, we will inquire about the gate to return to emptiness."

He calmed his mind and cleared his mind of distractions. His Yang Spirit slowly rose from the top of his head, not moving away, but hovering three feet above his head, maintaining a mysterious connection with his physical body. At the same time, he communicated with the Soul Refining Banner, guiding the pure soul essence within the Yin Yin Space into a gentle stream to nourish his Yang Spirit. He then brought his consciousness close to the slowly rotating Cycle of Reincarnation, especially the "Hell Path" light hole (though not fully revealed), which represented the strongest sense of "nothingness" and "end," attempting to capture that faint, ethereal Daoist rhythm and guide it to cleanse his Yang Spirit.

The retreat has officially begun.

Sunrise and sunset, cloud formations and dispersal. Time seemed to stand still in the secret realm, with only the bubbling hot springs and the quiet growth of medicinal seedlings. He Damin's aura grew increasingly calm and serene, as if he were about to merge into the mountain mist. The golden light of the Yang God above his head sometimes shone as brightly as the sun, and sometimes dimmed like a candle flame about to go out, maintaining a delicate and dangerous balance and transformation between "existence" and "non-existence," "reality" and "illusion."

He was unaware of the uproar that had engulfed the outside world while he was in seclusion cultivating his skills, all because of his previous actions.

On Japanese soil, sporadic reports of "strange diseases" and "abnormal biological attacks" began to appear. Although they did not cause widespread panic, they had already put the Special Higher Police and certain medical departments on high alert.

The Northeast Kwantung Army was plunged into unprecedented chaos and a shortage of supplies, and had to drastically shrink its battle lines and frantically seek aid from the mainland. Its myth of "invincibility" and its image of "stable" rear were completely shattered.

The Japanese in North China were on edge, and Okamura Yasuji's "Special Incident Investigation Division" was operating at full capacity, but it yielded little, only deepening the sense of powerlessness in the face of the unknown.

At the Eighth Route Army headquarters, discussions and investigations regarding the "mysterious friendly forces" continue. Li Yunlong has been questioned multiple times, but his knowledge remains limited.

In Chongqing and Ji County, various factions are secretly intensifying their search for "extraordinary people."

A larger and more complex storm is brewing. But at the eye of the storm, deep in the Yanshan Mountains, a firm and serene first step is being taken, single-mindedly, toward the profound realm of "refining the spirit and returning to emptiness."