Chapter 41: Chapter 40: Inner Vision God Observation Method
Inside the Beihai Collection.
Ever since Chen Yuan left, Chu Hongshang had remained in the inn, not daring to take even a single step outside.
Her emotions were a tangled mess. On one hand, she wanted Chen Yuan to help her get revenge; on the other, she was worried for his safety.
At this moment, Chu Hongshang was not yet the cold-blooded, ruthless Crimson Demon Venerable of the future, who killed as easily as breathing.
Driven out by the Wang Family, with no one to turn to and no way to seek vengeance, Chu Hongshang had been plunged into despair. Chen Yuan was the only one who had stepped forward to help her.
She hoped he would avenge the massacre of her family, yet she didn’t want this ’good person’ to be in any danger.
Just then, the door to her room was pushed open.
Like a startled rabbit, Chu Hongshang leaped back, her hand gripping her small dagger tightly.
When she saw it was Chen Yuan, Chu Hongshang finally let out a sigh of relief, a hint of pleasant surprise on her face. "Benefactor, you’re back!"
Chen Yuan placed the box he was carrying on the floor and opened it. Inside were four gruesome human heads.
"Here are the heads of Zhu Chaofeng, Zhu Cheng’an, Zhu Chengze, and Zhu Chengzu. I blew Zhu Chenguo to pieces, so his head couldn’t be recovered.
Everyone in the Zhu Family is dead, not a single one left. Of course, strictly speaking, there’s still Zhu Chengzong, who is far away in the Blazing Sect. I can’t kill that one for now."
Chu Hongshang stared at the four heads without blinking. She didn’t cry or make a sound, her entire being sinking into an eerie calm.
Chen Yuan understood this reaction perfectly.
When a person’s emotions experience a massive shock, they subconsciously shut themselves off.
This is true for both extreme joy and extreme sorrow.
Two streams of tears gradually slid from Chu Hongshang’s eyes, yet she still remained completely silent.
After a long moment, Chu Hongshang suddenly dropped to her knees before Chen Yuan.
"Thank you, Benefactor, for avenging my clan. Chu Hongshang is willing to serve you like a beast of burden for the rest of my life to repay this debt!"
Chen Yuan helped her up and shook his head gently. "I told you before, I don’t need you to be my beast of burden. I just need you to help me open this Celestial Star Divine Box."
With that, Chen Yuan took the Celestial Star Divine Box from his back and placed it on the table.
When Chu Hongshang saw the Celestial Star Divine Box, tears began to flow uncontrollably again.
She had seen it as a child. After all, it was a treasure that had been passed down in her Chu Family for many years.
However, by the time she was born, the Celestial Star Divine Box had already been deemed useless. It had been tossed in a corner of the Chu Family’s Treasure Vault for years, untouched.
Naturally, Chu Hongshang had no interest in a block of iron, so while she had seen it, she had never paid it much mind.
But now, seeing the object brought back memories of its people, and the grief in her heart swelled anew.
After a moment, Chu Hongshang wiped away her tears, looking a bit embarrassed. "But Benefactor, I really don’t know how to open this. For years, my family has said it’s just a block of iron."
"You yourself are the key to opening it. Now, place your hand on the Celestial Star Divine Box and empty your mind."
Though confused, Chu Hongshang did as Chen Yuan instructed.
At first, nothing happened. But as she began to empty her mind, the star charts on the Celestial Star Divine Box started to emit a faint glow.
The changing celestial patterns imprinted themselves on Chu Hongshang’s mind, spinning endlessly within her thoughts.
For a moment, Chu Hongshang panicked, but Chen Yuan’s voice suddenly echoed in her ear. "Calm your heart and quiet your spirit. Don’t overthink it. Actively embrace the star chart in your mind."
Chu Hongshang took a deep breath and stopped resisting, allowing the star chart to enter the depths of her mind.
Finally, the star chart burst forth with a dazzling starlight that completely enveloped Chu Hongshang.
A moment later, the starlight flowed back into the Celestial Star Divine Box. The box, which had seemed like a solid block of iron, now emitted a series of metallic clicks. In an instant, a network of regular cracks appeared on its surface.
The divine box split open. Its exterior was indeed almost solid iron, but in its very center lay a Jade Pendant, only about the size of one cent.
Chen Yuan picked up the Jade Pendant, and in that instant, a flash of light surged into his mind.
All the information on the *Inner Vision God Observation Method* was now completely imprinted on Chen Yuan’s memory.
"This is..."
Chu Hongshang watched this scene, utterly stunned.
She never could have imagined that the Celestial Star Divine Box, which the Chu Family had written off as useless, could undergo such a transformation.
"At the end of ancient times, the world fell into chaos. A branch of the Central Plains Daoist Sect, the Creation Daoist Sect, chose to flee across the sea and live in seclusion.
The Creation Daoist Sect had two Miracle Techniques, namely the *Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill* and the *Inner Vision God Observation Method*. Both are top-tier Celestial Level Upper Grade Secret Techniques.
The Emperor’s Gaze sees heaven and earth; the Inner Vision Divine Observation sees oneself.
One focuses outward, observing the phenomena of the world and its myriad changes to use for one’s own ends.
The other focuses inward, observing the divinity within to unlock the profound mysteries of the physical body.
These two—one internal, one external—cultivate both the inner and outer worlds. Combined, they can break through the barrier of life and death, allowing one to attain an indestructible divine form.
Your Chu Family ancestors were descendants of disciples from the Creation Daoist Sect, and they inherited the *Inner Vision God Observation Method*.
The reason the Creation Daoist Sect withered away is that its cultivation techniques have extremely high requirements for talent. Those with poor aptitude not only couldn’t practice them but were also prone to cultivation deviation, harming themselves in the process.
That is why your Chu Family ancestor sealed the *Inner Vision God Observation Method* inside the Celestial Star Divine Box.
This Celestial Star Divine Box is actually an aptitude detector. Only someone with outstanding talent, who is qualified to practice the *Inner Vision God Observation Method* and possesses Chu Family blood, can open it.
However, something must have happened back then that resulted in your Chu Family ancestors themselves not knowing the true purpose of the Celestial Star Divine Box or about the *Inner Vision God Observation Method* within it.
Furthermore, over all these years, most of your Chu Family members have had mediocre talent, none of them qualified to open the Celestial Star Divine Box.
Only you, with your exceptional talent, are the one person in this world who can open it."
At this, Chen Yuan couldn’t help but feel the irony of fate.
The Chu Family had declined so much that they were ignorant of their own origins. They had always treated the Celestial Star Divine Box as trash, so Chu Hongshang never had the chance to even touch it.
Meanwhile, Chu Hongshang’s talent was astonishing, but because her family doted on her and couldn’t bear to see her suffer through the rigors of martial arts training, her incredible Martial Dao Talent was never discovered.
It wasn’t until much later, after she had become the infamous Crimson Demon Venerable of the Jianghu, that she found her family’s heirlooms after taking her revenge. Only then did she discover that the Chu Family had been begging with a golden bowl in hand, starving to death despite their riches.
Chu Hongshang’s expression was complicated. "The Creation Daoist Sect? It truly is the irony of fate.
If my Chu Family had been powerful, we wouldn’t have been massacred by the Zhu Family, slaughtered like lambs!"
Chen Yuan placed the Jade Pendant in Chu Hongshang’s hand, and in an instant, the *Inner Vision God Observation Method* was also imprinted on her mind.
Chu Hongshang was a little surprised.
She hadn’t expected Chen Yuan to keep the cultivation technique for himself. Instead, he had returned it to her.
"This is your Chu Family’s cultivation technique. With your Chu Family bloodline, you should be able to master the basics quickly. Your cultivation will surely advance by leaps and bounds.
However, I suggest you destroy this now. An innocent man gets into trouble by carrying a treasure. You can’t protect a Celestial Level Secret Technique right now, and no one else must know about it."
Hearing Chen Yuan’s words, Chu Hongshang immediately took out her small dagger and smashed the Jade Pendant to pieces.
The array within it failed, and the light from the Jade Pendant immediately dissipated.
"Benefactor, can I follow you from now on?"
Chu Hongshang’s eyes were red-rimmed as she stared at Chen Yuan without blinking.
"The Chu Family is gone. So what if I have my family’s cultivation technique? I only ask that you give me a chance, Benefactor. Even if it’s just to be a maidservant by your side."
Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback. ’The future Crimson Demon Venerable wants to follow me?’
But after a moment’s thought, Chen Yuan shook his head.
’Right now, Chu Hongshang isn’t the Crimson Demon Venerable, just a homeless little girl.’
’If she follows me, whether she can still become the Crimson Demon Venerable is an unknown.’
’Besides, I have my own plans. Bringing a little girl along isn’t convenient.’
"I don’t need a maidservant. And the things I must do are very dangerous. Bringing you with me would only harm you."
A hint of disappointment flickered in Chu Hongshang’s eyes.
’My strength is too weak. I can’t help my benefactor; I’d only be a burden.’
Chen Yuan suddenly asked, "Now that the Zhu Family has been annihilated and your great vengeance has been achieved, what else do you want?"
"I want power! I want to cultivate the Martial Dao!"
Chu Hongshang’s eyes were resolute. "My Chu Family never fought or stole from others. We always tried to be kind. But this was the result. In this Jianghu, if you don’t have power, you are nothing but meat for the carving block!"
There was one thing Chu Hongshang didn’t say.
She wanted power, wanted to become stronger, so she could help her benefactor instead of being a burden.
"If that’s the case, I can point you toward a path."
Chen Yuan gestured outside and said, "In two days, the Ten Thousand Demon Sect expert, ’Blood-Handed Fairy’ Shi Xueyan, will be passing through the Beihai Collection. I’m confident I can get her to take you as a disciple and bring you into the Ten Thousand Demon Sect.
The Ten Thousand Demon Sect is a top-tier Major Sect of the Demon Dao, and with the *Inner Vision God Observation Method* in your possession, you will surely be able to distinguish yourself there.
However, the Ten Thousand Demon Sect is one of the Demon Sects. Their rules are survival of the fittest, utterly ruthless. Disciples often kill each other, and you might just end up as a stepping stone for someone else."
"I’m willing to join the Ten Thousand Demon Sect!"
Chu Hongshang looked up and agreed without the slightest hesitation.
’Ruthless? Could anything be more ruthless than having my family annihilated just days ago, being left all alone with no way to get revenge?’
"Good. For the next two days, take the Zhu Family’s heads and go to the center of the Beihai Collection every day to pay respects to your Chu Family ancestors. Remember to maintain your hatred for the Zhu Family. Keep it burning. Just wait."
Chen Yuan knew the personality of that madwoman, Shi Xueyan. Although the plot had changed slightly, he was still confident he could get Shi Xueyan to accept Chu Hongshang.
Chu Hongshang nodded, then suddenly asked, "I still don’t know my benefactor’s name."
Chen Yuan paused for a moment before saying, "Chen Tian."
The turmoil with the Celestial Wolf Gang had subsided, and in the minds of the people of Lianshan City, he was already ’dead’.
Moreover, while this place wasn’t within the Murong Family’s sphere of influence, it was still considered part of You Province’s territory.
Although he trusted that Chu Hongshang wouldn’t spread his name around, Chen Yuan still gave her a fake one, just to be safe.
His name, Yuan, meant ’abyss’ or ’deep pool,’ so Chen Yuan casually picked its opposite: Tian, meaning ’sky’ or ’heaven’.
Besides, if they met again in the future, all she needed to remember was his face.
"Chen Tian."
Chu Hongshang murmured the name to herself, as if to brand it into the deepest part of her mind.
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