I run a Taoist temple in a bizarre world.

Chapter 115 Have you become more handsome?

"[Spirit-nurturing Vine]?"

Inside Qingshan Temple.

Looking at the pale blue figure lying quietly on the steps, information about the [Spirit Nourishing Vine] surfaced in Chi Le's mind.

"It looks even better than it appears in the brochures."

Chi Le walked down the steps, bent down and picked up the [Spirit Nourishing Vine], examining it carefully.

"The vine is long and smooth, with thick branches and thin leaves. It prefers water and dislikes light, and mostly grows near still lakes. It often clings to and grows on large trees. Its whole body emits a ghostly blue glow. First-tier [Mysterious Creature] ————"

"Taking it directly can nourish the mental space, improve control over one's own mental power, make mental power manipulation more delicate, and have a gentle effect."

"Most importantly—"

Last night, I deliberately let the figures of the three people from Qingshan Temple appear before my eyes.

Zhang Guanghai, Wang Haojing, He Xiaoxiao.

"The Spirit-Nourishing Vine is also a commonly used material for advancement rituals for novice Spiritual Masters. Does this mean that Wang Haojing or He Xiaoxiao are about to advance to the next level?"

As one of the first pilgrims from the modern world to visit Qingshan Temple, Chi Le still has a deep memory of them.

Leaving aside He Xiaoxiao, a pure-blooded newcomer who just took the first step into the extraordinary realm by accommodating the [Awakening Mist] at Qingshan Temple last time.

Take Wang Haojing for example.

When I last visited Qingshan Temple, I looked exactly like a newcomer who had just entered the strange world.

When they met again, they were already working on the ritual materials for advancing to the first rank.

"That was pretty fast—"

After sitting down in the right side hall, the [Spirit Nourishing Vine] emitted an even more dazzling dark blue light in Chi Le's hand.

He is absorbing the [Spirit Nourishing Vine].

After awakening his abilities, Chi Le could no longer only vaguely perceive mental power as if it were seen through a veil.

I can now actively and easily control my own mental energy.

Just like now, he can control his own mental power to wrap around the [Spirit Nourishing Vine], incorporating it into his mental power to achieve the effect of containment and absorption.

Of course, this method only applies to [mysterious creations] that are spiritual in nature. [Mysterious creations] that are physical in nature still have to be eaten with their mouths.

After a few minutes, the eerie blue light of the [Spirit Nourishing Vine] in his hand completely dimmed, revealing its original vine form.

The effects of the Spirit-Nourishing Vine were completely absorbed by Chi Le. Apart from feeling slightly refreshed, he did not experience any other changes.

Most of the [mysterious creations] do not show their effects immediately after absorption; they only slowly release their power over a period of time after being absorbed.

After carefully placing the drained Spirit-Nourishing Vine, Chi Le stayed in the Right Side Hall for a while longer. Facing the sun that had completely risen below the horizon, Chi Le summoned the door back to the mortal world.

Take a step out and return to the present world.

In his single dormitory at the training camp, Chi Le let out a long sigh of relief.

The series of events last night left him feeling somewhat tired, something he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Even though the Right Side Hall had helped Chi Le recover from his physical and mental fatigue before he returned, he could still feel the heaviness clinging to him.

After going to the bathroom, Chi Le splashed water on her face twice to force herself to wake up before going out.

"Chi Le, good morning—hmm? Why do I feel like you—"

Chi Le, who had just arrived downstairs and was heading to the main building, ran into Luo Yang.

Upon meeting, Luo Yang greeted Chi Le familiarly. Before he even raised his hand, he noticed a change in Chi Le that was obvious yet difficult to describe precisely.

"What kind of changes can your spiritual cultivation courses bring to people?"

Luo Yang rubbed his chin with his fingers, his eyes scanning Chi Le up and down. Not satisfied with that, he even paced back and forth around Chi Le, conducting a circling observation, trying not to miss any suspicious details.

"What changes have occurred?"

Chi Le's gaze followed Luo Yang's movements.

Luo Yang walked around Chi Le twice more, but still scratched his head.

"Hmm... how should I put it, you seem to have become even more handsome, you're subtly on a different level from everyone else, which made me spot you immediately."

Chi Le silently memorized Luo Yang's nonsense and translated it into a language she could understand.

After one's mental strength is enhanced, if it is not restrained or suppressed, one will become very conspicuous in the eyes of others.

Luo Yang leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"You wouldn't be skipping group physical training every afternoon just to secretly train in your dorm, would you?"

After revealing the truth that he had in mind, Luo Yang couldn't help but swear.

"Holy crap, is it really necessary to be this swirling?!"

"However, don't blame me for not reminding you, it's true that spiritual masters mainly rely on mental power as a means of combat, but the tempering of the physical body cannot be underestimated."

"Most of the spiritual practitioners in the Jiangcheng Special Operations Bureau train their bodies in addition to their mental training."

"I don't expect my body to be as tough as ours as those of martial arts practitioners, just a little stronger than the average person is enough."

"I suggest you don't skip your physical training class this afternoon."

"Not to mention that, under your leadership, several prospective spiritual masters have also started skipping physical training, what else can I say—"

"Chi Le didn't come to participate; she went to improve her mental strength on her own. They also need to seize the time to improve their mental strength," and so on.

I don't want to say more about how they are.

"It's you, I have to remind you."

"In a few days, we will begin formal combat training. You prospective Divine Sense Masters will also be participating, and we will be training alongside you."

"Don't underestimate the recent physical training."

"Don't let them take you down in a few moves by our trainees who are preparing for martial arts."

Luo Yang gave his earnest instruction, his expression devoid of any condescending guidance, only the gentle reminder of a friend.

Chi Le nodded and replied.

"I'll think about it."

Luo Yang was skeptical, suspecting that Chi Le hadn't listened, but he didn't ask any further questions.

I've already reminded myself.

The two walked side by side toward the main building, and soon ran into Chai Siyuan and Wu Min.

Good morning.

Wu Min greeted Chi Le and the other person.

Immediately afterwards, Chai Siyuan also raised her hand and waved to Chi Le, which can be considered as a greeting.

"Hmm—Chi Le, you're wearing makeup?"

Wu Min tilted her head and stared at Chi Le, her eyes filled with the same confusion as Luo Yang's.

Chi Le remained silent, and Luo Yang took the initiative to speak.

"Right? I thought so too!"

As she spoke, Wu Min, like Luo Yang, stroked her chin, circled around Chi Le twice, and looked Chi Le up and down.

She also didn't notice any significant changes in Chi Le, only that Chi Le seemed more radiant.

"No, something's not right, but I can't quite put my finger on it—"

Luo Yang and Wu Min rubbed their chins together and walked side by side toward the main building, leaving Chi Le and Chai Siyuan behind.

Chi Le sighed softly, thinking to herself.

[I need to learn to suppress my mental energy in normal times, so that no one notices anything amiss.]

The constant stares from those around him made Chi Le feel somewhat uncomfortable. He turned to Chai Siyuan, who was standing beside him, tilting her head and staring at his face, and said something.

"Let's go, it's almost time."

"Oh—oh!"

Chai Siyuan looked as if she had been engrossed in watching something but was suddenly brought back to her senses by his interruption.

After nodding repeatedly, he followed in Chi Le's footsteps.

The classroom for preparing spiritual masters is on the third floor, while the classroom for preparing martial arts practitioners is on the second floor.

At the exit of the second-floor staircase, Chi Le said goodbye to Chai Siyuan.

"I'm leaving now."

"Hmm... okay!"

After responding, Chai Siyuan lowered her head, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, as if she wanted to say something but was too embarrassed to speak.

After Chi Le walked up a few steps, Chai Siyuan's voice rang out behind him.

"If your training as a spiritualist is very tiring lately, remember to rest."

Chi Le turned her head and realized that Chai Siyuan had disappeared at some point.

At the exit of the stairs, only the remaining trainees heading to the martial arts training classroom were present.

Chi Le scratched his face, paused for a moment, and then turned around to continue climbing.

Arrive at the Divine Consciousness Master's classroom.

When Chi Le pushed open the door and went in.

All the other prospective spiritual masters in the classroom had arrived.

The air was filled with a faint, distinctive herbal scent characteristic of the "Awakening Incense".

Zhao Hai, who was giving the lecture, was already in place, standing at the very top of the classroom, where a square table was set up.

Chi Le, who entered through the back door, had just sat down cross-legged on the futon at the back.

As he climbed the stairs, he was already doing his best to suppress his mental energy.

Therefore, after entering the classroom, apart from a few people who habitually looked around to see who it was, there was no one else around.

No one commented on Chi Le anymore.

Zhao Hai, who was fiddling with several sticks of "Awakening Incense," suddenly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the entire classroom as if it were tangible, finally landing precisely on Chi Le.

He frowned slightly, placed the incense stick in his hand on the table, and slowly walked over.

The entire classroom fell silent as everyone watched Zhao Hai stop in front of Chi Le.

Like everyone else around him, Zhao Hai remained silent, simply watching Chi Le quietly.

Those clear eyes seemed to penetrate skin, flesh, and fascia, looking directly into the soul.

Chi Le's hair did not flutter.

But he felt an invisible force, like a gentle breeze, brushing past him with an irresistible force.

He subconsciously calmed his mind and controlled his mental energy to shrink into his mental space.

He knew that this was Zhao Hai's spiritual energy extending from his body.

This spiritual energy flowed through his body and finally settled at the center of his forehead.

This is where Chi Le's spiritual space is located.

Zhao Hai intended to use his mental energy to touch Chi Le's brow, but in the end, he stopped.

He withdrew all his outward-directed mental energy.

"You—" Zhao Hai finally spoke, his voice full of surprise.

"Your current mental strength is almost comparable to mine before I advanced to the first level."

"You've gained superpowers?"

"No, we're currently in the training camp, so we can't enter the Ghost World for the time being."

Zhao Hai spoke subconsciously, but quickly contradicted himself.

He paused, then said finally.

"How did you do that?"

These words silenced the already quiet classroom even more.

Chi Le could hear the instructors talking in the martial arts classroom downstairs.

The other seven prospective spiritual masters looked at Chi Le with eyes that seemed to have seen a ghost.

Everyone's thoughts were remarkably similar.

"Is this even human?"

"What do you mean, 'Before even acquiring extraordinary abilities, your mental strength is comparable to that of Zhou Guiren, who already possesses extraordinary abilities?!'"

"Indeed, the right way to achieve his current level of mental strength is to follow Chi Le's example and skip the physical training sessions with the martial arts practitioners in the afternoon to hone one's mental strength on one's own!"

After a moment of stunned silence, Zhao Hai glanced at Chi Le one last time with a complex look in his eyes, thinking to himself.

The higher-ups asked us to pay more attention to this pool of music; it wasn't a random request.

With a sigh, Zhao Hai turned and walked back to the table in the classroom where the "Awakening Incense" was placed.

He was holding a stick of incense, which was entirely yellowish-brown.

"I wonder if these five sticks of 'Awakening Incense' will be enough for today. I should have asked for more from the higher-ups."

After murmuring for a moment, Zhao Hai spoke.

"Alright, everyone sit down and clear your minds. We'll continue using the [Awakening Incense] to boost our mental strength today."

Zhao Hai lit the incense.

A wisp of yellowish-white smoke, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, rose gently.

It did not spread; it floated straight upwards.

But after reaching a certain height, it split into countless streams, filling the classroom where the doors and windows had already been closed.

Chi Le took a deep breath, the aroma filling her nostrils the instant it entered her nose.

The world lights up.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a place with no boundaries in any direction, a pure white expanse as far as the eye could see.

This is his mental space.

Not far in front of him, a thin old man holding a bent, withered wooden cane appeared out of thin air.

It is a projection of the land in Changxi Village.

After the land projection appeared, it bowed to Chi Le.

Then.

again and again!

The withered wooden cane struck the ground.

click!

A crisp sound came from beneath Chi Le's feet, and pure white "earth spikes" swirling with mist shot out.

It was aimed directly at Chi Le's chest!

Chi Le was already used to this.

With a quick movement of his foot, he dodged to the side.

Sa!

Just then, a tall, thin figure dressed entirely in black, holding a short banner, appeared.

He waved the short flag in his hand.

Chi Le's figure, which was trying to dodge outwards, froze for a moment.

Unaffected soil spikes continued to emerge.

Fortunately, Chi Le had already begun to dodge to the side before the spiritual projection of the [Soul-Guiding Spirit Weapon] appeared.

This is why the spiritual projection of the [Land of Changxi Village] failed to strike its own chest.

The earth spikes grazed the fabric that had materialized on his chest, leaving a long gash.

"After awakening the [External Body], these mental projections seem to have become even stronger."

"The coordination has become more refined, and the downtime after the Earth God and the Soul-Guiding Soldier use their abilities" has also become shorter.

Sensing the change in the two divine projections, Chi Le immediately felt something was wrong.

"If that's the case, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on for much longer this time."

Before the words had even finished,

again and again!

The spiritual projection of Changxi Village's land once again slumped down, like a cane.

Chi Le was about to turn around and move, but found that his body had stopped uncontrollably, as if he were in a liquid that was so viscous that it was almost solid, making it difficult to move.

With perfect precision, the tip of the thorn pierced his thigh.

Fortunately, it didn't pierce through; it only punctured the flesh, with the tip penetrating a small section.

Awakening the [External Body] enhanced his mental strength and made the body he conjured in the mental space more resilient.

This allowed him to withstand the earth spikes summoned by the [Land of Changxi Village].

Despite the real pain, Chi Le twisted his foot, and the soil spike snapped off.

Just as Chi Le was pondering how to break the deadlock, a figure, also dressed entirely in white and with its head shrouded in mist, emerged from not far away.

"I knew it, there was a share for you too."

The mental projection of the "external body" appeared, its gaze "looking" at Chi Le.