Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul.

Next came check-in and security. As usual, Lu Jin used the fake ID card of a seventy-year-old to pass through the security checkpoint and returned to the Lu family in Suzhou without any problems.

After arriving home, Lu Jin found a descendant and inquired about Wang Zhenqiu's recent situation. Upon learning that Wang Zhenqiu was chopping wood and carrying water on time every day without ever overstepping his bounds, he nodded.

"This kid is really patient. Let's go to the backyard for high-voltage body tempering."

The three of them went to the house in the backyard where the high-voltage electrical equipment was installed, and Lu Lin went first as usual.

Lu Jin turned the knob to the highest setting he could withstand last time. Blue arcs of electricity exploded along the skin of his limbs, and his muscles contracted violently under the current.

Lu Lin let out a muffled groan, her skin rapidly turning black, and her white qi began to surge and recover.

He gritted his teeth and endured more than a dozen rounds of rebirth, his reconstructed structure being torn apart three times and rebuilt three times.

When the fourth wave of current surged in, his recovery speed slowed down significantly, and the charred edges failed to transform into Qi for a long time.

Lu Jin stopped in time: "You lasted half a minute longer than last time, that's a big improvement, keep it up!"

Lu Lin slumped in the chair, her hair standing on end due to static electricity, panting heavily, too weak to reply.

Then it was Li Chang'an's turn. The patch was applied, and the current surged into his limbs along the patch. Blue arcs of electricity jumped on the surface of his skin. His muscles contracted violently under the stimulation of the strong current and turned black. Then, the white qi flowed in reverse, and the wounds healed.

During this process, Li Chang'an clearly felt the difference from before. After obtaining that demon form, even without transforming, his basic physique was significantly enhanced.

His flesh and blood are firmer, his meridians are more resilient, and his ability to withstand high-voltage current is much higher than before. Previously, a half-minute of a five-level current could tear apart his regenerative structure, but now a minute has passed and it has not been able to tear apart his regenerative structure. The speed of Qi transformation and recovery has steadily surpassed the speed of current destruction.

After trying for a while, it still didn't work. Li Chang'an opened his eyes and said, "Let's go straight to the next gear."

Upon hearing this, Lu Lin, who was panting heavily, gasped in astonishment. How could his senior brother have improved so quickly? He had only extended his endurance time slightly, and his senior brother had directly advanced to a higher level?

"Good boy!"

Lu Jin exclaimed in admiration, then reached out and turned the knob to the next setting. The blue arc of electricity no longer leaped, but instead coiled around Li Chang'an's limbs like a giant, glowing python.

In just a few seconds, a hole was torn in the reverse regeneration structure on Li Chang'an's body surface. He quickly circulated his profound energy to rebuild it.

Then, not long after, it was torn apart again, and then rebuilt...

The intensity of level six is ​​not even in the same league as level five. The consumption of Qi is far greater than before. When the tearing occurred for the eleventh time, Li Chang'an raised his hand to signal Lu Jin to stop.

Lu Jin pressed the stop button, and the hum of the electricity stopped abruptly. Li Chang'an leaned back in his chair, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead, his breathing heavier than usual.

"Sixth gear is indeed much more powerful than fifth gear. I estimate I'll stay in this gear for a long time."

"Senior brother, please don't say things like that, it makes me feel uncomfortable!" Lu Lin said with a look of utter despair. He couldn't even maintain fourth gear for very long now.

"Chang'an's progress should be related to his meditation skills. The improvement from that innate state of cultivation, like that of a living dead, is truly remarkable," Lu Jin exclaimed.

Li Chang'an smiled and didn't offer any further explanation.

Next up was Lu Jin. Compared to Li Chang'an and Lu Lin, Lu Jin's progress was minimal. His holding time only improved by a few seconds compared to last time. However, Lu Jin was very satisfied. He hadn't improved for over a decade. Even a second, let alone a few seconds, would be a huge improvement.

After the high-voltage electric body tempering was completed, the three of them ate medicinal food and took a medicinal bath as usual.

The pool was filled with the aroma of medicine, and Li Chang'an leaned against the pool wall with his eyes closed to regulate his breathing. He felt the medicinal power seep into his limbs and bones through his pores, gradually dissolving the fatigue accumulated during the body tempering.

Chapter 153 Adds New Members

The next day, Lu Jin went to the lower courtyard to see Wang Zhenqiu.

Wang Zhenqiu was chopping firewood. A stack of firewood, half a person high, had already been piled on the ground. The chopped firewood was of uniform length and had a flat cross-section.

During this period, Wang Zhenqiu was kept in the lower courtyard by Lu Jin for assessment, doing all sorts of trivial and menial tasks every day, such as carrying water, chopping wood, and sweeping the floor.

Lu Jin had been observing Wang Zhenqiu in secret for a long time and was quite satisfied with him. Wang Zhenqiu's skills were not weak; in fact, he was considered a rare talent among the younger generation. However, he was willing to set aside his skills and do these things like an ordinary farmer without any complaints.

"Mr. Lu, why did you come in person?"

Wang Zhenqiu, who was chopping wood, put down his axe and said.

Lu Jin looked at Wang Zhenqiu and asked bluntly, "Qiu'er, tell me honestly, why do you insist on learning the methods of my Sanyi Sect?"

Wang Zhenqiu grinned and said, "Master Lu, it's because your Sanyi Sect's methods are interesting and look very cool. I simply like them, so I want to come and learn."

This answer sounded neither mysterious nor even somewhat frivolous, but it was honest. Lu Jin looked into Wang Zhenqiu's eyes, and after a moment, nodded, making his decision:

"Alright. Since you are sincere, from today onwards, you will be the third direct disciple of my Sanyi Sect."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenqiu immediately bowed down and said, "Master, please accept my bow."

Lu Jin couldn't help but laugh. His two disciples were both quite proper, but the way this kid bowed down to him reminded him of Zhang Zhiwei.

"Get up!" Lu Jin helped him up. "Last time I accepted Li Chang'an and Lu Lin as disciples to announce to the world that the mountain gate was reopening, so it was a very grand affair. This time, there's no need to make such a big fuss about accepting you!"

Lu Jin explained it to Wang Zhenqiu.

“Master is right!” Wang Zhenqiu said with a smile, “It’s best to keep everything simple.”

"I'm glad you understand!"

The two left the lower courtyard, called Li Chang'an and Lu Lin, and the four of them went to the Ancestral Hall.

Inside the hall, wisps of incense smoke curled upwards. The ancestral tablets were neatly arranged. Wang Zhenqiu knelt on a prayer mat, respectfully kowtowing three times. He then accepted the teacup from Lu Lin with both hands, raising it above his eyebrows.

"Master, please have some tea."

Lu Jin took the teacup, took a sip, and said in a deep voice, "Those who join my Three Ones should establish themselves with sincerity, treat others with sincerity, and cultivate the Dao with sincerity. The way of reversing life lies in naturalness and cannot be forced."

"Your disciple will remember," Wang Zhenqiu replied, enunciating each word clearly.

After the ceremony, Lu Jin began to formally teach him the cultivation method of the Threefold Reversal of Life. Ordinary people would have to hone their skills for several years to reach a certain standard in both body and mind if they wanted to cultivate the Reversal of Life.

However, Wang Zhenqiu was already a disciple with prior skills and a solid foundation, so Lu Jin skipped the basic stage and taught him the method of reversing the cycle of life, guiding him step by step.

Before accepting Wang Zhenqiu as a student, Lu Jin had some reservations about his unscrupulous behavior. However, since he had already taken him in, he adopted the demeanor of a teacher, treating everyone equally and teaching with utmost seriousness.

Wang Zhenqiu is indeed a rare genius. In just a few days, he grasped the knack of it and made steady progress. With his own strength and foundation, it won't be long before he can start trying to break through the threshold of the first level of Reverse Life.

Although Wang Zhenqiu was eager to learn new techniques, he was extremely serious when cultivating, never daring to be careless in the slightest. After all, the cultivation of reversing life was very difficult, so whenever he had free time, he would ask Li Chang'an for guidance. If Li Chang'an was cultivating in the cave, he would ask Lu Lin for guidance. Over time, the group became quite familiar with each other.

During this time, Li Chang'an also consulted him about some knowledge of "changyou".

Hearing Li Chang'an mention this, Wang Zhenqiu was somewhat surprised: "Entertainers? Senior brother, at the last disciple-acceptance banquet, you spoke of this method as worthless, calling it some kind of strange skill or trick, saying that practicing it for too long would backfire on you. Why are you suddenly interested in it again?"

Li Chang'an explained, "I didn't intend to play any deity. I just wanted to understand how you entertainers collect the power of faith, and how you store it after you collect it."

"So it was about the power of faith!"

Wang Zhenqiu suddenly realized that although the power of faith is very important for cultivating the divine mask and is the source of power, if one does not cultivate the divine mask, then this power will not only be useless, but will also bring some negative effects.

If Li Chang'an wanted to inquire about the core techniques of the court jester, he might have to consult Xia Liuqing, but if it was merely about the power of faith, it wouldn't be considered a secret.

Wang Zhenqiu took out a colorful glove from his backpack and handed it to Li Chang'an.

"Here you are, Senior Brother Chang'an. This is what we entertainers use to make a living."

Wang Zhenqiu pointed to the gloves and said, "Without this, no matter how realistic the performance on stage is, it's just a show. Only by wearing this can you bring out the true power of the deity you are portraying."

"It can be said that the power of faith is the true foundation of this method, but there is a big problem with it!"

Wang Zhenqiu put away his playful smile and began to explain seriously: "The power of faith can be roughly equated with the incense offerings in a temple, the difference being that its scope is much broader. As long as the audience below the stage has strong emotions and thoughts about you, it will generate the power of faith."

But humans are complex, and human nature is unfathomable; this very characteristic of the power of faith dictates that it contains all sorts of thoughts.

"If you inhale all this mixed stuff into your body at once, it's like hundreds or thousands of people whispering in your ear at the same time. Over time, you'll definitely go insane."

Wang Zhenqiu shook the glove in his hand: "Therefore, our ancestors came up with a compromise: to use external objects to carry the power of faith."

"They use the methods of transforming or manipulating objects to refine special materials into containers similar to magical artifacts. They store the power of faith in these containers and then draw it out when needed, which is much safer."

"These gloves are actually not that difficult to make. I secretly took a Buddha statue from a dilapidated temple, melted it down, and wove it into threads."

"But I'm a rather lazy person. I only like singing and acting, and I don't like going around to different venues to collect faith power, so I don't usually bring it with me. If you want it, senior brother, you can take it."

Wang Zhenqiu handed the gloves to Li Chang'an. This wasn't just a polite gesture; he genuinely disliked handling such things. Even if Li Chang'an didn't accept them, he would simply leave them gathering dust in the closet when he got back.

Li Chang'an reached out and took the glove. The moment he touched it, his intermediate state consciousness immediately sensed a large number of extremely mottled thoughts surging within the glove, like a pot of boiling porridge.

Li Chang'an immediately understood why Wang Zhenqiu disliked this thing. Cultivating the divine mask was a fun thing, but collecting faith power was definitely not a fun thing.

If you want to capture the power of the audience's faith into your glove, it has to pass through your hands at least once. Passing through your hands is equivalent to listening to thousands of people make a wish in your ear. Among them are those who aspire to good things, those who are greedy, those who are fearful, and those who are vain...

In short, this was not a fun thing to do, so he naturally kept his distance.

But this is exactly what Li Chang'an needs. These whispered wishes are far lighter than those whispers that bewitch and glorify evil.

"Thank you very much." After saying that, Li Chang'an put the gloves into his pouch.

"No need to thank me." Wang Zhenqiu put on a fawning smile, clasped his hands together, placed them on his chin, tilted his head, and blinked at Li Chang'an: "You are my dear senior brother, and I will definitely need your help in my cultivation in the future."

If it were Lu Lin, she would be extremely upset to face his cruel treatment, but Li Chang'an simply nodded calmly.

"If you need anything, just call me!"

Li Chang'an left with the gloves in his hand.

Watching Li Chang'an's retreating figure, Wang Zhenqiu's smile faded, and his eyes became thoughtful.

He was a naturally witty and unconventional person. He could act silly without restraint in front of Lu Lin and the centenarian Lu Jin, but he always unconsciously restrained himself in front of Li Chang'an.

He hadn't actually planned to do those silly things; it was intentional. He wanted to understand why he couldn't bring himself to be silly in front of Li Chang'an.

Chapter 154 Descendants of Li Muxuan

Why is this happening?

Wang Zhenqiu thought to himself, "Could it be because I'm afraid of him? There's always someone who can subdue another."

The thought crossed Wang Zhenqiu's mind, and he shook his head. He was quite certain that he wasn't afraid of Li Chang'an, so why did he unconsciously restrain himself in his presence? Even when he deliberately made ordinary gestures, it felt awkward. Was there something special about him?

Wang Zhenqiu stood there, pondering for a long time. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he understood why he had acted this way.

It wasn't because of fear, nor because Li Chang'an possessed any special qualities.

Rather, it's because... there was no feedback.

He acts funny and makes all sorts of exaggerated gestures in front of others. Whether the other person laughs, gets annoyed, or scolds or curses, he gets a certain response from it.

It's like looking in a mirror; the person in the mirror moves with you, and he enjoys the sense of presence that comes with this feedback, so even though it causes him a lot of trouble, he's still happy to do it.

But there was no response from Li Chang'an.

His witty remarks and exaggerated gestures were like water thrown into a bottomless well in Li Chang'an's eyes—they didn't even make a splash or an echo.

Because he doesn't get any feedback from him, he instinctively dislikes acting silly in front of him.

Thinking of this, Wang Zhenqiu looked in the direction where Li Chang'an disappeared and shrugged helplessly.

"What a boring and terrifying guy."

……

……

Li Chang'an took the glove back to the meditation room, entered his demon form, sat cross-legged, placed the glove on his knees, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, carefully sensing the thoughts flowing deep within the glove.

"May I make a fortune this year..."

"May the Bodhisattva bless my son so he can get into a good university..."

"I hope my mother gets better soon..."

Li Chang'an listened quietly, comparing these voices with the whispers in his mind.

The conclusion is that the whispers of the "list" are organized and methodical chants, like a precise awl piercing deep into the soul, possessing a strong corrosive quality.

While the thoughts within the power of faith are chaotic, they lack that corrosive force. It's more like a group of people whispering in your ear. If you don't use the abilities of the Godhood Mask and simply accept the impact of the power of faith, the effect will be much smaller.

"This level of faith power is useless to me, but it's quite suitable for Linglong. It can act like a 'sandbag,' allowing her to train her mental resilience by constantly hitting this 'sandbag,' and improve herself step by step."

Li Chang'an took out his phone and dialed Lu Linglong's number.

The call was answered quickly.

"Brother Chang'an? You actually called me on your own initiative? Has the sun risen in the west?"

"I'm sending you something."

"What is it? Something delicious?"

Why are you always thinking about food?

"I'm not used to the food here. Why don't you send me some food from my hometown?"

“Sure, but this time I’m sending you a glove. It was given to you by Wang Zhenqiu. It’s a magic tool that entertainers use to collect faith power. You can use it to practice.”