owlsbooks Chapter 131, Part 9: Bowing to Heaven and Earth
Chapter 131, Part 9: Bowing to Heaven and Earth
"Alright, take this jade slip. It contains the true Soul Devouring Technique. You don't need to look at the first to ninth levels, as they should be similar to what you deduced. Just start cultivating from the tenth level."
With your innate talent for cultivation and the unique nature of the Soul Devouring Technique, the tenth level is far simpler than the ninth. I believe you can master it within a day.
By the way, I kept my promise of a week's notice. You brat, don't you dare talk bad about me like that again, haha...
Who is Daoist Jiuyang? He instantly saw through Du Fan's frustration and immediately swept away his previous gloom, laughing heartily and saying with great joy.
"Thank you for your guidance, senior!" Du Fan clasped his hands in a fist salute, gritted his teeth, and said this before turning around and walking downstream without looking back. At the same time, a series of extremely jarring, hearty laughs came from behind him...
……
After a short while, Du Fan followed the stream to a place filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. There he saw a beautiful woman standing amidst the sea of flowers, her beauty surpassing even that of the blossoms.
"Huh? Elder Du, did Senior Jiuyang finish instructing you on the Soul Devouring Technique so quickly?" Chen Ru, who had her back to Du Fan, turned around immediately after hearing the noise. She first showed a gentle smile, then asked in surprise.
"I guess so." Du Fan's expression was a bit grim, but there was no need to bring his emotions to Chen Ru, so he just nodded vaguely.
With Chen Ru's intelligence, she could naturally see that there seemed to be some hidden story, but she did not press the matter. Instead, she smiled sweetly at him and said softly, "Elder Du, did you promise Senior Jiuyang something when you saved me?"
"Well... I came here to tell you about this. That day..." Du Fan's previous frustration vanished, replaced by embarrassment. He stammered as he recounted the events of that day to Chen Ru.
Finally, he added his own subjective judgment, saying that the old man might have some psychological problems now due to past emotional trauma...
Du Fan's vivid narration captivated Chen Ru, causing her beautiful eyes to widen and her charming face to sometimes show a strange expression and sometimes blush.
"That's how it is. Actually, I think Senior Jiuyang was just indulging in a moment of mischief. Given his status and age, he probably won't really care about this. We'll probably get away with it in the end."
Du Fan let out a long breath, nodded, and summarized it this way.
"But this is, after all, your promise to Senior Jiuyang. How can you just break it like this?"
My master once told me that when a person's cultivation reaches a certain level, inner demons will arise. Past wrongdoings will also become part of these inner demons. Therefore, one should not make promises to others lightly, and once a promise is made, one must keep it.
Inner demons are not obvious during daily cultivation, but they will appear in various forms at the critical moment of breakthrough in cultivation, disturbing the mind and preventing the breakthrough.
"Once you are devoured by your inner demons, at best you will fail to advance and your cultivation will stagnate; at worst you will suffer a qi deviation and be doomed to eternal damnation, and even your life and soul may perish." Chen Ru looked deeply at Du Fan, sighed, and said with great solemnity.
"It can't be that serious, can it?"
Du Fan broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this, feeling a sudden chill run down his spine. His lips twitched, and he abruptly jumped back a step, letting out a cry of alarm.
"This is what Master told me personally, so it can't be wrong. Besides, Elder Du also said it was just an act. Actually... I don't mind..." Chen Ru's face suddenly turned red, and she looked a little flustered. She quickly lowered her eyes and said in a low voice.
"Sigh, since that's the case, let's put on a show then." After a long while, Du Fan sighed heavily.
Du Fan felt rather helpless. Just as he was about to call the woman back, he inadvertently glanced in one direction, and his expression immediately changed. His eyes lit up, and he blurted out:
"Huh? These are... those kinds of spirit flowers that have disappeared from the outside world! And seeds too!"
A moment later, from somewhere in the sea of flowers, came Du Fan's seemingly manic laughter.
Chen Ru found it hard to believe that Elder Du, who was always so composed, could experience such extreme joy and sorrow...
……
Half a month later, Du Fan was roasting the last lamb leg in his Qiankun Ring in front of the fire. Now, his Devouring Spirit Technique had reached the tenth level of mastery.
Chen Ru, however, remained seated cross-legged near the Nine Yang Daoist, listening intently to the old man's insights into Daoist practices.
After a long while, Du Fan felt a ripple in the void in front of him, and the lamb leg on the fire instantly disappeared. However, Du Fan seemed to be used to all of this, and his expression did not change at all.
"Hey kid, you don't have enough wine on you. Remember to bring more next time!" Daoist Jiuyang shouted, his eyes wide open.
Upon hearing this, Chen Ru smiled wryly, and Du Fan could only cup his hands in greeting and say something like, "I will follow the teachings of my senior."
In fact, five days ago, the wine stored in Du Fan's Qiankun Ring had already been completely drunk by the Nine Yang Daoist.
As a result, over the next few days, the old man would say this impatiently every now and then, until Du Fan's ears were practically blistered from hearing it.
"Sigh..." Jiuyang Daoist's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he suddenly let out a soft sigh.
"Hmm?" Du Fan's heart skipped a beat, sensing that the old man's emotions seemed a bit off.
"Ru'er, I have taught you everything I can. From now on, you must walk your own path..." Daoist Jiuyang's expression turned solemn, and he spoke slowly and calmly.
"Senior Jiuyang, you..." Chen Ru had a guess in her heart, and in her anxiety, she was about to say something.
"No need to say more, it's time for you to leave!" Daoist Jiuyang's tone seemed melancholy, and his eyes showed reluctance, but his words were resolute and beyond question.
"Senior Jiuyang, how can I possibly rescue you? If it is within my power, I will do everything in my power!" Du Fan said solemnly, taking a few steps forward and bowing deeply.
"Rescue me? Haha... Even I can't do it, how could you two little brats possibly do it?" Upon hearing this, Daoist Jiuyang laughed and looked at Du Fan, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
Du Fan and his companion looked gloomy upon hearing this, and sighed inwardly.
"You brat, shouldn't you keep your promise to me?" Daoist Jiuyang suddenly changed the subject and said.
"Since Elder Du made a promise to Senior Jiuyang, he must naturally keep it." Just as Du Fan hesitated, Chen Ru mustered her courage and clasped her hands in a fist salute.
"Alright, let's begin then." Daoist Jiuyang looked at Chen Ru with a kind expression, feeling very gratified, and said with a smile.
"Start? How do we start? You old man, you're not going to make us put on a live sex show in front of you, are you...?" Du Fan was stunned when he heard this, and after a moment's thought, he couldn't help but think this.
"Elder Du, let's go..." Chen Ru walked up to Du Fan, her cheeks flushed, and said softly with her head down.
"Go? Where to? Isn't it enough for us both to agree in front of Senior Jiuyang? At most, we'll just exchange tokens or something..."
Du Fan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He suddenly realized that things were not quite as he had originally thought.
"Of course not. Although becoming Daoist partners doesn't involve as many formalities as in the common folk, at least you still have to bow to heaven and earth nine times." This time it was Chen Ru's turn to be surprised. She didn't know if the other party was genuinely ignorant or just pretending.
"What? Nine bows to heaven and earth? Does it mean the first bow to heaven and earth, the second bow to the parents, and the husband and wife bowing to each other?" Du Fan was stunned.
"Elder Du, what are you saying?" Chen Ru frowned slightly, thinking to herself: He wouldn't... want to go back on his word, would he?
"Oh, it's alright, let's pray now." Du Fan's breathing was a little rapid. After thinking for a moment, he felt that there was nothing wrong with praying to heaven and earth, so he let out a breath and spoke like this.
Next, the two of them walked to a nearby stream, knelt down, and began to kowtow.
"Miss Chen, don't worry, this is just an act, it's not real." During the first bow, Du Fan's lips didn't move, but a weak word came from his throat.
"Miss Chen, rest assured, this matter is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me. I will absolutely not tell anyone and ruin your reputation." (During the second bow)
"Miss Chen, don't worry..." during the third bow.
"Miss Chen, don't worry..." During the fourth bow.
……
By the eighth bow, Chen Ru had finally reached her breaking point. Without moving her lips, she spoke, "Elder Du, you're so annoying! You don't have to emphasize this every time!"
"Miss Chen, don't worry..." during the ninth bow.
Chen Ru: "..."
"Good, the ceremony is complete!" A very cheerful voice came from the Nine Yang Daoist.
Du Fan glanced back at the Nine Yang Daoist and saw that the old man was very happy, as if he himself had married off his granddaughter. Du Fan rolled his eyes in annoyance.
The two stepped back to the Nine Yang Daoist. For a moment, the three of them exchanged different glances, their expressions varied, and they remained silent for a long while. Finally, Du Fan's eyes flashed, and he sighed, saying:
"Senior Jiuyang, for our first transaction, you only asked me to agree, but you didn't draw up any contract or make me swear an oath. You... trust me that much?"
"For me, whether I believe it or not is irrelevant. Anyway, I won't live to see that day. If I believe now, I believe; if I don't believe now, I don't believe," Daoist Jiuyang waved his hand dismissively.
"Senior Jiuyang, you are...?" Upon hearing this, Chen Ru's heart stirred, and she looked at the old man with a worried expression before hesitatingly speaking.
"Hehe, Ru'er, you guessed right. The day I return to the Void is not far away. In a few months at most, I will ascend to heaven and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation." Daoist Jiuyang looked at Chen Ru, his eyes revealing an undisguised affection.
(Thank you for the donation and support from Afternoon Time, and thank you to all the readers who silently voted for me every day. Thank you so much! Since not many people voted for this book, I remembered them all, especially the one who voted 11 times, which made me very excited. Hehe, I will write every word carefully!)