All Heavens: Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts Starting from the Republic of China

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Feng Xuan spoke first, his expression serious, his brows furrowed and his head shaking.

"Absolutely not! Young friend Fu, how is such behavior any different from that of evil demons and heretics?"

As soon as he said it, he seemed to realize that his tone had been a bit too harsh.

So he calmed down a bit and said seriously.

"Young friend Fu, please don't misunderstand. I'm not targeting the Southern Maoshan magic. There is no absolute good or evil in the world's magic. It depends on the person using it and on whom it is used."

"If the other party is an utterly wicked person, then the soul-searching technique is perfectly acceptable. In some cases, it can even save more people."

"But He Fengzi is an innocent man. He's mentally unstable, powerless, and has been exploited by evil forces to this extent; he's already pitiful enough. If we were to further damage his soul with soul-searching techniques..."

Feng Xuan shook his head.

"I'm afraid that's not appropriate."

Fu Ze did not refute, but remained silent.

Zhao Rui leaned against the door, twirling the gun in his hand, but then pursed his lips.

"I don't think it's that serious, is it?"

Feng Xuan looked at him.

Zhao Rui shrugged.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not saying that Crazy He isn't pitiful."

"But he was a madman to begin with. Even if his soul is intact, he's usually in a daze, eating dirt and sleeping in temples, and he can't even speak human language properly."

"Judging from the actual results, it seems that there is no difference between searching for the soul and not searching for it."

Feng Xuan frowned even more deeply.

Zhao Rui continued.

"Moreover, wouldn't it be a big deal if it allowed us to quickly find the mastermind behind it all, solve the problem, and save the people of six villages from their suffering?"

"Besides, he was indeed the one who spread this [impure earth]. Although he didn't intentionally harm anyone, things have already turned out this way, so someone has to take some responsibility. Merits and demerits cancel each other out."

As he said this, he glanced at Liao Xibai again, and lowered his voice.

"Besides, Mr. Liao's itinerary has already been delayed for a long time. We still have Nanjing to go to, and we can't stay in these few villages forever."

Inside and outside the house, opinions suddenly diverged into two distinct camps.

Feng Xuan objected, but Zhao Rui thought it was feasible.

Everyone then looked at Li Junfeng.

Li Junfeng stood by the door with his arms crossed, looking cool.

Seeing everyone looking at him, he simply said...

"I will listen to Mr. Liao."

Zhao Rui couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Brother Li, this is way too convenient for you."

Li Junfeng ignored him.

"Whatever Mr. Liao says goes."

As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes fell on Liao Xibai.

In truth, everyone knew the answer.

Ultimately, it is he who makes the decision.

Liao Xibai did not speak immediately.

He looked at He Fengzi, who was squatting on the floor inside the room counting ants, and remained silent for a moment.

He Fengzi seemed completely unaware that everyone was discussing his fate.

He simply stretched out a dirty finger and stopped an ant. The ant changed direction and continued walking. He then chuckled foolishly.

Liao Xibai took a deep breath and finally spoke slowly.

"Brother Fu's method is feasible."

Feng Xuan's expression changed slightly, but Zhao Rui breathed a sigh of relief.

Fu Ze felt inexplicably disappointed.

It was clearly his own idea that came up first.

But when he actually heard Liao Xibai say it was feasible, he still felt a slight weight on his heart.

However, the next moment, Liao Xibai changed the subject.

"However, we cannot use Brother Fu's soul-searching technique from the Southern Maoshan sect."

Fu Ze was taken aback.

"Mr. Liao, what does this mean?"

Liao Xibai smiled.

"I'll give it a try."

As soon as these words were spoken, Feng Xuan and Li Junfeng's expressions changed simultaneously.

The two spoke almost in unison.

"Mr. Liao, no!"

Zhao Rui was stunned.

Fu Ze was also somewhat puzzled.

He could tell that Li Junfeng was genuinely nervous.

The old Taoist priest Feng Xuan was not just worried; he clearly knew something.

Liao Xibai waved his hand.

"It's not something that can't be said."

He looked at Fu Ze, his tone calm.

"Young friend Fu, I am not entirely an ordinary person either. Since childhood, my spiritual power has been much stronger than that of ordinary people. According to Taoist teachings, it should be called innate divine sense."

"I can't really explain it myself. It's just that since I was very young, I've been able to sense the emotions of others, and sometimes I can even vaguely perceive changes in a person's mental state."

Feng Xuan added from the side.

"Mr. Liao was born with extremely strong spiritual power, making him a very rare seed for cultivation."

Fu Ze was slightly startled.

Liao Xibai smiled.

"Master Feng Xuan is exaggerating."

"Not an exaggeration."

Feng Xuan shook his head.

"I have been practicing Taoism for many years and have only heard similar rumors. The only person I have actually seen with my own eyes is Mr. Liao."

Li Junfeng said in a deep voice.

"When you were seven years old, an elder from a sect in Longhu Mountain passed by the Liao family. Upon seeing you, he was so shocked that he almost lost his composure."

Fu Ze immediately became interested.

Liao Xibai felt somewhat helpless.

"That happened many years ago."

Li Junfeng continued speaking.

"That elder from Longhu Mountain said that you were born with a powerful innate divine sense and an incomparably noble destiny. If you are willing to follow him to Longhu Mountain to cultivate, you can be directly trained as a core disciple. When you grow up, you may even have the opportunity to compete for the Celestial Master's mantle."

Liao Xibai remained calm.

It's like talking about someone else's business.

"I was young then and didn't really understand anything about the Celestial Master's mantle. I only asked that elder one question."

Fu Ze asked subconsciously.

"What did you say?"

Liao Xibai looked out of the courtyard.

My gaze seemed to pass over this small village courtyard and reach back to bygone days long ago.

"I asked him, 'Can cultivating Taoism change this world? Can it save all living beings?'"

There was silence in the room.

Liao Xibai said softly.

"The elder was stumped by my question. He remained silent for a long time before finally telling me that although righteous cultivators can uphold justice, slay demons, and save people from danger."

"But cultivation is ultimately a matter for one person. At most, it can save one place, one time, or one person. It is difficult to change the general trend of the world."

Fu Ze remained silent.

He could suddenly picture that scene.

A seven-year-old child stood in the grand courtyard, looked up at an elder from Longhu Mountain, and asked this question.

Can cultivating Taoism change this world?

Can it save all living beings?

Liao Xibai smiled.

"That's why I said I didn't want to become a Taoist. Later, I entered a modern school, studied Western learning, went abroad, and learned about the reform and strengthening strategies of various countries. Later still, together with many like-minded people, we overthrew the corrupt Manchu dynasty..."

He spoke of it casually.

But everyone in the room knew that behind those few words lay countless turbulent events and countless battles.

Fu Ze looked at him, deeply shaken.

Liao Xibai was actually a cultivation genius. And his talent was so high that even the elders of Longhu Mountain wanted to bring him back to their sect and compete for the Celestial Master's mantle!

But he refused.

It wasn't because he disbelieved in Taoism, nor because he looked down on spiritual practice. It was simply because he felt that Taoist cultivation couldn't save the world.

Fu Ze was at a loss for words.

Zhao Rui also unusually quieted down.

After a moment, Fu Ze asked.

"But Mr. Liao, even if you have a strong innate divine sense, you haven't actually practiced magic, have you?"

Feng Xuan and Li Junfeng also looked at Liao Xibai.

Clearly, they knew Liao Xibai possessed powerful innate divine sense, but they didn't know exactly what he intended to do.

Liao Xibai nodded.

"I have indeed never practiced magic. But my innate divine sense has a very special ability."

He spoke very slowly.

It's like trying to explain something very abstract in a way that everyone can understand.

"I call it, the unity of divine breath."

Fu Ze repeated it.

"A spiritual connection?"

"Um."

Liao Xibai said.

"Everyone's spirit, or soul, has unique fluctuations. Just as a voice has highs and lows, and water ripples have patterns, a person's thoughts also have their own frequency."

"As long as I can sense the other person's mental frequency and resonate my own thoughts with their frequency, I can briefly enter their consciousness world."

"There, I can completely merge with the other person's spirit. It's as if I become the other person."

Feng Xuan's expression shifted slightly.

"This is not a soul search."

"no."

Liao Xibai nodded.

"Soul searching is forcibly extracting memories, like tearing open a book and turning to the page you want to see. Divine connection, on the other hand, is entering the other person's mind by following their thoughts. If successful, it will not harm their soul."

Fu Ze immediately understood.

In modern terms, soul-searching is like watching a movie or video recording, or even forcibly disassembling a hard drive to read data.

Liao Xibai's spiritual connection is more like an immersive VR experience from a first-person perspective, or even a virtual reality.

"Speaking of which, it's somewhat similar to the memory images that the [Decree of All Heavens] gave me after absorbing evil spirits."

However, the Heavenly Decree can only obtain the residual spiritual imprints of evil spirits that he personally killed.

Liao Xibai's ability is actually effective on living people.

This is outrageous!

Li Junfeng showed no surprise whatsoever; instead, his brows furrowed.

"Sir, no, that won't do."

His tone was harsh.

"You were already somewhat sickly, and you suffered so many injuries when you were young. This journey back home has been arduous and exhausting, and your health is already much worse than when you were in Southeast Asia. If you further deplete your spiritual energy, I'm afraid..."

He paused, then didn't continue.

But everyone understood what he meant.

Liao Xibai's health will deteriorate further, and it may even cause fundamental damage.

Li Junfeng continued.

"Moreover, entering another person's consciousness is inherently dangerous."

"Although Crazy He is just a madman, the things behind him are too sinister. What if the mastermind behind him has some kind of magic hidden in his soul? What will you do, sir?"

Feng Xuan also said in a deep voice.

"What Layman Li said is correct. Although Mr. Liao's innate divine sense is strong, he has not systematically cultivated the methods of protecting the spirit, guarding the oneness, and stabilizing the soul. If he were just an ordinary person, it would be fine. But since this madman is involved with the unclean world and evil gods, I cannot guarantee that there is no danger."

Zhao Rui couldn't help but say as well.

"Mr. Liao, how about we just forget about it? If it really doesn't work, we can think of another way."

Li Junfeng looked at Zhao Rui.

"Didn't you just agree with soul searching?"

Zhao Ruiqian chuckled.

"That's because we don't know; Mr. Liao has to do it himself."

Fu Ze also spoke up.

"Mr. Liao, I also think we should be cautious. The Soul Searching Technique can harm He Fengzi's soul, so it cannot be used lightly. But if the Spiritual Breath is in harmony with the Soul, it will harm yourself, so it also cannot be used lightly."

He paused, his expression serious.

"And I'm worried that the mastermind might have left something in Crazy He's soul. What if they take the opportunity to harm you, Mr. Liao..."

Liao Xibai smiled and shook his head.

"You don't need to think of me as too fragile."

Li Junfeng didn't look well.

"gentlemen."

Liao Xibai patted him on the shoulder.

"Junfeng, don't overthink it."

"But……"

"Focus on the task at hand first."

Liao Xibai looked at him, his voice still gentle.

"You say I should think of the people of the world. But the people are right in front of us."

Li Junfeng fell silent.

This sentence carries more weight than any command.

Liao Xibai then looked at the crowd.

"He Fengzi is an innocent person. We cannot sacrifice him just because he is insane, humble, and has no one to rely on. If there is another way, we should naturally choose that way."

"Since it's possible to see key memories without harming him, we should give it a try."

Feng Xuan sighed.

"But what if it hurts you?"

Liao Xibai smiled faintly.

"My life is not much more valuable than the lives of the people in those six villages."

Zhao Rui opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Fu Ze suddenly understood why Li Junfeng, such an arrogant master of internal energy, would be so loyal to Liao Xibai.

I also understand why so many people are willing to follow Liao Xibai and risk their lives to overthrow the previous dynasty.

Some people say that talking about all living beings under heaven is just empty talk.

Some people say that the world is full of suffering, and that's what they really think.

Liao Xibai is clearly the latter.

He had already made his decision. It was difficult for anyone to persuade him otherwise.

Feng Xuan could only say.

"In that case, I will stand guard and protect you."

Fu Ze nodded as well.

"I'll stay here too."

Li Junfeng took a deep breath and said coldly.

"If anything goes wrong, I will immediately bring my husband back."

Liao Xibai smiled.

"it is good."

He looked at Crazy He.

"When sensing the other person's mental frequency, the smaller the fluctuations in their mental state, the better. Daoist Feng Xuan, please have him fall asleep first."

Feng Xuan nodded.

"This is not difficult."

He went into the house and took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve.

He Fengzi remained squatting, watching the ants, seemingly completely unaware of anything.

Feng Xuan flicked his finger, and the yellow talisman spontaneously combusted without fire, turning into a wisp of extremely faint blue smoke.

A wisp of smoke swirled around Crazy He's nose.

He Fengzi's head tilted to the side, and he slumped down.

Li Junfeng stepped forward, supported him, and carried He Fengzi to the bed to lie down.

The two village chiefs originally wanted to come in, but Liao Xibai gently persuaded them not to.

"You two can wait outside. Knowing too many details about what happens next might not be good for you."

The village chiefs of Shuangjing Village and Hewan Village exchanged a glance and nodded quickly.

The door was closed.

Only Fu Ze, Liao Xibai, Feng Xuan, Li Junfeng, Zhao Rui, and the unconscious He Fengzi remained in the room.

The atmosphere suddenly became very quiet.

Zhao Rui stopped turning his gun.

Li Junfeng stood by the bed, his face frighteningly cold and hard.

Feng Xuan took out several talismans and pasted them around the bed. He then gently tapped the ground with his peach wood sword and chanted incantations in a low voice to stabilize the atmosphere in the room.

Fu Ze stood on the other side, his spiritual vision already quietly activated.

He didn't know if he could perceive the changes at the level of divine sense.

But at least, he can detect any unusual or malevolent activity immediately.

Liao Xibai sat down on the edge of the bed, looked at everyone, and smiled.

"There's no need to be so nervous."

He stretched out his right hand and gently placed it on He Fengzi's crown.

Then, Liao Xibai closed his eyes.

Fu Zene could sense that Liao Xibai's aura had changed.

It was neither spiritual energy nor magical power. Rather, it was a more ethereal yet more clearly defined spiritual fluctuation.

Peaceful, vast, serene.

Liao Xibai's breathing became lighter and slower.

It felt as if I was slowly sinking into a world invisible to the naked eye...