manynovel Page 184
Page 184
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the secret manual.
A cold sword light suddenly appeared from the void, carrying the determination to cut through everything, and slashed fiercely at the manual.
Zhuge Qing felt a pang of pain in his heart and instinctively wanted to stop him.
"Burn it."
Fu Rong's cool voice rang in his mind once again.
"What you seek is power itself, or the 'Tao' that controls power?"
"If you belong to the former category, how are you any different from those evil cultivators who will stop at nothing for power?"
"If it's the latter, how could a mere secret manual possibly imprison your heart?"
These words struck Zhuge Qing's heart like a resounding bell.
He looked at the secret manual that exuded endless allure, and then at his own heart, which was restless with desire. All the confusion and struggle in his eyes faded away at that moment.
What replaced it was an unprecedented clarity and resolve.
"I understand."
he said softly.
Without further hesitation, with a thought, the Samadhi True Fire that had been gathering power in his dantian suddenly erupted!
This time, it was no longer a raging dark red, but a pure, ultimate color that seemed capable of burning away all the illusions of the world—a deep gold!
The crimson-gold flames instantly enveloped the "Divine Refinement" manual, which represented all his obsessions.
No screaming, no struggle.
That secret manual, in that pure flame, silently turned into a handful of the finest ashes, vanishing without a trace.
The illusion shattered with a crash.
Zhuge Qing suddenly opened his eyes, and exhaled a long breath of pent-up stagnation from his chest.
The abnormal red light around him had long since disappeared, replaced by a faint, harmonious, and self-contained golden halo.
Within his dantian, the Samadhi True Fire floated quietly, its flames restrained yet more condensed and powerful than ever before.
At this moment, his state of mind was broken down and rebuilt, finally achieving true fulfillment.
He finally, truly mastered this supreme divine power that originated from his bloodline.
Zhuge Qing let out a long sigh of relief, and the turbulent Qi within his body finally calmed down. He looked up at Fu Rong, who was standing with her sword sheathed, and a smile of dependence and relaxation naturally appeared on his lips.
Fu Rong didn't speak, but simply looked back at him quietly. Her cool and aloof features appeared exceptionally gentle under the moonlight.
She skillfully sheathed her sword and turned to leave—
She knew he needed to recuperate, and she should also prepare some food to help him regain his energy.
Zhuge Qing's voice carried a hint of languor, yet also a touch of coquetry, making it natural and endearing.
Fu Rong paused, but did not turn around, only letting out a soft "Hmm?"
"I messed up just now," Zhuge Qing said, rubbing his still-suffocating chest, his voice tinged with a pitiful complaint. "My legs are still a little weak."
Fu Rong's shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. She turned around, said nothing, and walked straight back to his side, reaching out to firmly support his arm.
Her hands were still slightly cool, but they had a reassuring strength.
Zhuge Qing leaned some of his weight against her, feeling a familiar warmth where his arm touched hers.
The two were very close. He could smell the faint scent of grass and trees in her hair, which mixed with the lingering smell of his own burning body, creating a strange harmony.
He turned his head and looked at her soft profile outlined by the moonlight, her always clear eyes now focused intently on the road ahead.
Zhuge Qing's heart stirred, and his mind, which had been tense due to cultivation, completely relaxed, replaced by an indescribable sense of peace.
With her by my side, the long and complicated nights in Biyou Village didn't seem so unbearable.
Chapter 219 Zhang Yunyuan's Plan, Intensification of Conflict
The mornings in Biyou Village are always accompanied by the fragrance of earth and the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking.
The villagers, carrying self-operating farm tools made by Shenji Bailian, walked in twos and threes to the fields, their faces filled with satisfied smiles. A new day had begun.
However, beneath this seemingly peaceful pastoral idyll, an invisible net woven from human hearts and desires is quietly tightening.
On the east side of the village, there is a separate workshop specifically used for storing and researching the core components of the self-cultivation furnace.
Jin Yangzi stood with his back to the door in front of a huge light screen flashing with countless data streams, his ten fingers flying across the virtual keyboard as he continuously typed and calculated something.
His face, which always carried a gentle smile, was now filled with the almost obsessive focus of a researcher.
Since the day he had a complete showdown with Ma Xianhong, he no longer had any scruples and devoted almost all his time to analyzing and replicating the core technology of the Body Refinement Furnace.
In his view, Ma Xianhong was nothing more than a craftsman who was somewhat clever but ridiculously naive.
But this cultivation furnace is the real "treasure".
As long as he can fully master the core technology of this divine furnace and consistently create high-quality extraordinary individuals to bring back to the Immortal Realm, Jin Yangzi's status in the Immortal Refining Sect will undoubtedly be elevated to an unprecedented level.
Just as he was completely absorbed, a voice, tinged with a touch of naivety and admiration, rang out behind him.
"Mr. Jin, you're busy again? You must be working so hard."
Jin Yangzi frowned almost imperceptibly, pulling himself out of his immersive calculations and slowly turning around.
When he saw that the visitor was the new villager "Li Fei," who had been incredibly "loyal" to him, his displeasure turned into a gentle smile.
This guy named "Li Fei" may be weak and not very bright, but he is obedient and has an almost blind worship of me, making him a rather useful pawn.
"Oh, it's Li Fei. What's up?"
Jin Yangzi pushed up her frameless glasses and spoke in a kind tone.
"No...nothing serious."
Zhang Yunyuan, disguised as "Li Fei," scratched his head and gave a simple, somewhat ingratiating smile.
"Well... the village chief asked me to fetch some spare 'medium crystals' so that I could give those two new distinguished guests, Mr. Zhuge and Master Wang, a small-scale 'resonance demonstration'."
As he said this, a perfectly timed look of confusion and worry appeared on his face. He lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard, and whispered a complaint to Jin Yangzi:
"Mr. Jin, I just don't quite understand."
Those two are outsiders, after all. How could the village chief so easily reveal the most crucial aspects of our Biyou Village to them?
"And what's more, I overheard the village chief chatting quite amiably with those two yesterday, saying things like 'following the natural way' and 'going with the flow' are the right path, and even saying something like that..."
"Our stove seems a bit too much, contrary to the natural order..."
Li Fei's tone was filled with incomprehension and indignation at Ma Xianhong's "betrayal," as well as absolute trust in Jin Yangzi, a "truly knowledgeable" person.
"I just feel sorry for you!"
This self-cultivation furnace is clearly your masterpiece, the result of your painstaking efforts, but the village chief...
How could he be swayed by a few words from outsiders?
Jin Yangzi listened quietly, her smile unchanged, but a cold, expected sneer flashed in her eyes behind her glasses.
It's perfectly normal for Ma Xianhong, that idealistic fool, to waver after witnessing real power and being swayed by his own words.
He even began to suspect that Ma Xianhong was trying to use Zhuge Qing and Wang Ye, these two outsiders, to fight against him and regain control of the cultivation furnace.
Jin Yangzi waved his hand and said in a reassuring tone:
"The village chief has only been deceived by outsiders for a while. Once he figures things out, he will naturally understand who is truly looking out for him."
Though he said this, his murderous intent towards Ma Xianhong intensified.
It seems it's time to prepare a new, more secure bridle for this unruly "horse".
Seeing his expression, Zhang Yunyuan sneered inwardly, knowing that his first move had been made.
He didn't say anything more, but pretended to admire Mr. Jin, saying "Mr. Jin is so wise and understanding," took the things, and left with profuse thanks.
Meanwhile, in Ma Xianhong's workshop.
The atmosphere was as oppressive as the sea before a storm.
Ma Xianhong sat alone in front of the blueprint filled with grand plans for the Body-Cultivating Furnace, without saying a word.
His face had long lost its former passion and pride, leaving only a bottomless coldness and deathly stillness.
Wang Ye's words, and his confrontation with Jin Yangzi, were like heavy hammer blows, shattering his heart, which was full of idealism.
Looking at this "divine artifact" that he had created with his own hands, he felt that it was like a huge and ferocious monster, with its blood-red maw wide open, ready to devour all those who had followed him here, along with their ideals and lives.
He wanted to destroy it.
But he was unwilling to give up.
This is the culmination of his life's work, and his only hope for realizing his dream of "universal harmony".
Just as he was caught in this endless struggle and pain, "Li Fei" walked in.
Zhang Yunyuan's voice carried just the right amount of respect and concern for his superior.
Ma Xianhong slowly raised his head, and when he saw it was him, a smile that was more like a grimace appeared on his cold face.
"Oh, it's Li Fei. What's up?"
"Village chief, I... I don't know if I should say this."
Zhang Yunyuan's face showed some hesitation and struggle, as if he was having a fierce internal struggle.
His hesitant expression successfully caught Ma Xianhong's attention.
"But it doesn't matter."
“Village chief, when I went to Mr. Jin's place to pick up something just now, I accidentally saw…”
Zhang Yunyuan lowered his voice, his face showing a hint of lingering fear and surprise.
"I saw Mr. Jin conducting some kind of deduction while looking at a core array diagram of the cultivation furnace that is exactly the same as yours."
Moreover… he also modified several of the most critical rune nodes!
"Although I don't understand these things, judging from his manner, it doesn't seem like he's trying to help you perfect the array diagram; it's more like..."