Chapter 1045: Be Fooled
Be Fooled . . .
Cha Eun Xiao seethed with frustration. "By the gods! I swear to obliterate this infernal stone, even if it costs me my life! To track down this man and deliver a sound thrashing to his posterior would be worth risking my life! One reason is all it takes!"
After these vehement words, he took a deep breath to regain his composure.
Staring at the stele, he scrutinized the instructions once more.
"It's fairly straightforward," the words stated. "Anyone who can read can master it. However, I'm not entirely convinced of your intelligence, kid, given how pretentious you are with your asinine spiritual space." The message continued, "Firstly, hold the stele. A simple movement... Surely, you can manage that."
After that, there were no further instructions, implying that Cha Eun Xiao needed to complete this initial step before learning the next.
Resolute, he clenched the cold stele with both hands.
A new set of words materialized in the air before him, which read, "...Second, place your jaw atop the stele, firmly."
Without hesitation, Cha Eun Xiao placed his jaw against the stone.
The instructions seemed to be straightforward, with each step building on the last. "Third, the most crucial step, draw your dantian close to the stele. Make it tight enough that the spiritual qi in your dantian can connect with the stele's spiritual qi. Do not falter at this stage."
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but sigh. "What a peculiar method... Nevertheless, establishing a connection between my spiritual qi and that of the stele seems a reasonable approach."
He followed the instructions to the letter.
Thus, Cha Eun Xiao held the stele with both hands, placed his jaw on it, and extended his dantian to make contact with the stone, creating a rather peculiar posture.
The instructions continued, "Fourth step, activate your spiritual power and run it at full strength for ninety-nine cycles."
Executing this step proved to be relatively easy, despite his awkward posture.
After completing the ninety-nine cycles, new words appeared, instructing Cha Eun Xiao, "Keep your tongue extended out of your mouth with spiritual qi, circle the stele once, and then withdraw the spiritual qi into your dantian. This will allow you to perceive the true nature of the stele."
Perplexed, he questioned, "Why is it necessary to extend my tongue? Is it for secrecy or simply a ruse?"
Despite his reservations, he complied with the instructions. Soon after, the instructions were supplemented with, "Sixth step, release your spiritual qi from your dantian and envelop the stele with it."
The seventh step was even more bewildering. It instructed, "Raise your left hand and place it on your right cheek. Raise your right hand and place it on your left hip. Ensure your jaw and dantian remain in close proximity to the stele. This is crucial. Do not forget it."
Cha Eun Xiao felt his frustration surging. "Good heavens! Could there possibly be a more embarrassing cultivation method? It can't get any more awkward and ridiculous than this!"
He wondered if he was being made a fool of.
Nevertheless, he followed the instructions, determined to uncover what the individual behind the messages was attempting.
The subsequent step was, "Eighth, the most important step: ensure your spiritual power is operating at its peak. Activate it and release three resounding farts. This is the sole method by which you can sense the internal resonance of the stele. Keep in mind, I'm not jesting! This is the only way to melt and refine this stele. Miss this opportunity, and you will lose it forever!"
It was a profoundly embarrassing instruction, and Cha Eun Xiao felt reluctant. Yet he had come this far, and it appeared that the individual behind the instructions was entirely serious. As unwilling as he was, he felt compelled to obey.
Deep within, he cast a thousand curses upon the man responsible.
Performing the martial art...
—Bang, bang, bang...—
Upon executing the farting sequence, he distinctly sensed the vibrations within the stele, after which new words emerged.
"Ninth step... Hahaha... What a laugh! You actually followed through on all of it. I must admit, I was absolutely right about your imbecility. Hahaha... What a numskull! I was simply pulling your leg... Hahahaha..."
His fury reached its zenith, and Cha Eun Xiao expelled a mouthful of blood onto the stele. This time, it wasn't dark but fresh blood.
"How utterly despicable!"
Cha Eun Xiao's fury knew no bounds. "You scoundrel!" His anger flared uncontrollably. Never in his entire existence, not even in his second life, had he been subjected to such an elaborate prank.
The individual communicating through the words on the stone treated him with utter disdain, as if he were the most gullible imbecile on the planet. Cha Eun Xiao had been duped without reservation, and the realization gnawed at him incessantly. "Holy heavens... Holy earth... I've fallen for this deception hook, line, and sinker," he lamented.
He raged, venting his frustration with a relentless barrage of expletives. His face flushed crimson, eyes wide with disbelief, as he cursed vehemently. In his anger, he swung a hand and struck the stone that had played him for a fool over the past two hours.
"Bastard! Ahhhhh... I'll end you! I swear it!" Cha Eun Xiao's fury knew no bounds. "You miserable scoundrel! You contemptible lowlife! Ahhhhh..." He leaped nearly thirty meters into the air, and if he were to lay eyes on the man responsible for this trickery, he'd have berated him mercilessly.
His heart brimmed with an overwhelming sense of indignation and hatred. "Curse you! Nobody should be allowed to play such tricks on people!"
"You repugnant wretch!"
"You despicable, loathsome son of a... Ahhhhh!" Another mouthful of blood was spat out, his breathing becoming labored.
To his astonishment, something unexpected occurred. As he reviewed the sequence of events, he found the entire experience to be rather peculiar. Slowly, a laughter bubbled up from within him. "By the heavens! Hahaha... You, you wretched rascal, are genuinely gifted. I've traversed countless worlds and witnessed heroes of all kinds, but this is the first time I've been so utterly bamboozled! Holy heavens... Hahaha..."
He laughed boisterously, akin to a man possessed.
Recollecting how he had obediently followed each and every instruction, despite their bizarre and nonsensical nature, he could only chuckle. "This isn't a testament to your brilliance; it's a testament to my obsession. I let my heart lead me astray!"
Cha Eun Xiao confessed, "You may be a deplorable rascal, but the blame is mine to bear. It was my obsession that allowed me to be taken for a ride. I had it coming."
He sighed, rueful of his own greed. "It was my own voracity that ensnared me."
After a brief pause, he philosophized, "He who covets has weaknesses. He who desires is easily manipulated."
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