In the increasingly oppressive atmosphere, Zhou Bai suppressed the discomfort in his heart and continued to read the contents of the Daoist texts, slowly deciphering the secret and hidden language in his mind.
Next, the sea water at his feet seemed to keep spreading upward, gently brushing over Zhou Bai’s calves, knees, up to his waist.
Just as Zhou Bai was getting accustomed to this somewhat terrifying atmosphere, he thought he heard a noise.
Splash, splash...
"Is something swimming?"
Zhou Bai’s heart suddenly tightened, "Is there something in the water?"
He quickly shifted his focus back to the Daoist texts, trying to shake off the thought.
But his mind couldn’t help but focus on the splashing sound, involuntarily worrying about what it might be.
Zhou Bai continued to read the Daoist texts, forcibly controlling his consciousness to interpret the content.
But the next moment, his body suddenly tensed up; he felt something grab his foot.
"Is it a hand?"
Zhou Bai felt a pair of hands grabbing his feet, then slowly moving up from his feet.
The hand moved slowly, as if a lover was caressing him, and it seemed a slippery sensation was transmitted from the point of contact.
While Zhou Bai endured this eerie feeling and continued to read the Daoist texts.
The hand that reached his calf suddenly stopped.
Then it grabbed Zhou Bai’s calf tightly.
And suddenly jerked downwards.
Snap!
Zhou Bai quickly closed the Daoist text 05, and everything returned to normal. Looking at the peaceful room in front of him, Zhou Bai breathed heavily; his lungs, dry as parched earth, greedily absorbed the air as if it were sweet rain.
A series of fears passed through Zhou Bai’s mind, "Daoist text 09, it’s so terrifying? I felt like I was really about to be dragged somewhere."
Zhou Bai looked around and suddenly paused; he found he was no longer in the original spot where he had been lying, but had moved slightly downward by a meter or two.
Zhou Bai’s heart sank violently, this eerie situation was not the first occurrence.
’Tina, why do I feel that reading the Daoist texts, while increasing the synchronization rate, seems to really allow the distortion of Heavenly Dao to erode here?’
The distortion of Heavenly Dao, this was something Zhou Bai had known since he began cultivating.
Because of the Heavenly Dao’s distortion, the three major rules existed.
The distortion of Heavenly Dao could even directly erode the real world, causing human aberrations.
"Has the distortion of Heavenly Dao worsened?" Zhou Bai looked at the scene inside the room, frowned, and said, "The teacher also said that in recent years the distortion has been worsening, so now even deciphering the Daoist texts is not just encountering illusions? It’s really starting to affect reality?"
Christina nodded and said, "It seems to be the case. Sigh, I don’t know what will happen if the distortion of Heavenly Dao continues to worsen, I have a very bad premonition."
"The sky won’t fall without a tall person to hold it up. What we need to do now is to become the tall person," Zhou Bai asked, "Do you think if this continues, the anomalies caused by reading the Daoist texts could really be dangerous?"
Christina, "I don’t think there should be any; reading the Daoist texts is itself a process of enhancing the synchronization rate with Heavenly Dao. In fact, this has been influencing the Cultivators, and Cultivators are themselves a part of reality, so the erosion of reality has existed from the start."
"It’s just that now this influence is becoming more serious."
"Reading the Daoist texts is an access to the knowledge of Heavenly Dao, and once the knowledge of Heavenly Dao flows into your mind, it can begin to influence reality."
"Just ignore these anomalies, do not acknowledge them, and they will remain mere thoughts of yours, never really entering reality."
Zhou Bai sighed, "Easier said than done. I have the blessings of the mountains, which makes my cultivation progress much faster. For ordinary people, even geniuses like Zuo Dao would need to adapt slowly with persistence. I fear they might need to stop after reading just a few lines."
Christina: "But once they read it through once, I guess they could enhance their cultivation level. You need to read many times before you can truly enhance yours."
"You talk too much," Zhou Bai huffed coldly, feeling rested enough, and opened Daozang 09 again, ready to start reading.
But before he started, he couldn’t help asking, "Tina, those things I see when reading Daozang, what are they really? My fantasies? Or records of Heavenly Dao, of scenes that really existed?"
Tina: "The moment you start doubting their reality, it means you’re being influenced. Better rest for today."
"Hmm." Zhou Bai said, "And the Body Refinement issue, let’s resolve that tomorrow too."
Christina: "Body Refinement?"
Zhou Bai gave a mysterious smile: "You’ll find out tomorrow."
The next day, Zhou Bai specifically asked Ying Hui about Daozang.
Zhou Bai found Ying Hui’s office and saw Ying Hui reading a book.
Noticing Zhou Bai’s arrival, Ying Hui closed his book and looked at Zhou Bai, "What’s the matter? Any problems with your cultivation?"
Zhou Bai shared his doubts about Daozang, then looked at Ying Hui and asked, "Do you think I need to take a break?"
"Daozang," Ying Hui reminisced, slowly speaking, "What I’m about to say stays here, I won’t acknowledge it outside."
Zhou Bai focused his gaze, quietly listening to Ying Hui.
Ying Hui: "You’re right, Heavenly Dao’s distortion has indeed been worsening in recent years, even the anomalies triggered by reading Daozang have started to really affect reality."
"However, this impact is still indirect, relying on the reader’s thoughts. As long as one’s will is strong enough to reject those distorted thoughts and recognize the abnormality of those phenomena, when you close Daozang, it won’t bring distortions into the real world."
Ying Hui comforted him: "Don’t worry, the study of Daozang involves humanity’s elite cultivators. If they say it’s fine, then it definitely is."
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Zhou Bai then asked another question he had long wanted to: "By the way, teacher, I’ve found that my talent is incredibly strong, especially in Body Refining Techniques—progressing in the Great Dream Arhat Heart Scripture so quickly it feels unsettling. I hope it’s not leading to any deformity?"
Listening to this, Ying Hui felt uneasy, but patiently replied, "Have you had it checked out?"
"Both physically and mentally, all normal."
"Then there’s no problem," Ying Hui slowly said, "Since ancient times, gods have descended from heaven, and there have been romances between immortals and mortals. It’s quite normal for human bloodlines to occasionally have Divine Blood. Your case might be due to an ancestor possessing Divine Blood and being proficient in Body Refining Techniques, and now you might be awakening that bloodline."
He added, "As long as the inspections are fine, you don’t need to worry too much—we have more than one person in our school who has awakened Divine Blood."
Hearing this, Zhou Bai inwardly chuckled; this was exactly what he had read in history books. He had come to question Ying Hui to lead him to ponder this and to classify his own defensive power.
After all, in the visible future, as his cultivation level rose quickly and his defensive power strengthened, he needed a reason.
In the future, if he continued to show faster progress in cultivation and physical strength, besides being a genius, it could also be attributed to the Divine Blood.
Thus satisfied, Zhou Bai nodded and then inquired, "Then teacher, do you have any unique tricks for countering the distortions?"
"Hehe, what unique trick could I have? Everything essential is written in the textbooks," Ying Hui chuckled, stroking his beard, "If I had to say, it’s about finding your own conviction."
"My own conviction?"
"Why are you cultivating? Surely because of some reason in reality, right? Remember this reason, and whenever you feel it’s too tough, think about this reason—this is your own path." With that, Ying Hui smiled, "This works for me; it might not necessarily work for you, but you can give it a try."
Watching Zhou Bai leave thoughtfully, Ying Hui closed his eyes and after a long time sighed, "When falsehood seems real, reality too becomes false; When reality seems false, falseness too becomes real."
Moments later, a young man entered somewhat sheepishly, "Teacher, my breakthrough failed."