Chapter 332 Fa Zheng's Letter
Zhu Shi slowly opened her eyes.
Although she wasn't in combat mode, her eyes had turned a lake blue. Unlike the cold, piercing gaze she once held when facing enemies, her eyes now possessed a gentle, detached, and crystal-clear blue.
She stood on the rocky hillside, seemingly blending seamlessly into the desolate landscape, like a flower blooming in the wasteland. Although she was still wearing that ordinary white women's blouse and black skirt, she exuded an aura of naturalness and holiness, like a shaman from an ancient religion.
This aura didn't make me feel distant; on the contrary, I inexplicably felt a desire to trust her and get closer to her. Although I already trusted and was close to Zhu Shi, that was on a different level. Even though this was my first time meeting Zhu Shi, I probably would have unconsciously let down my guard and chosen to trust and get closer to her.
I couldn't help but think of the small bowl.
Soon, this extremely approachable aura vanished from Zhu Shi, and her eyes returned to their normal black color. Ma Zao slowly withdrew her hand.
Mr. Zhu and I went over there, and I asked, "How's it going?"
"I think I just... really regained the power of the True Position Law of Heaven and Earth?" Zhu Shi looked at his hands in disbelief.
Ma Zao gave a more definitive answer: "My power of return can indeed reset Zhu Shi's 'Mount Buzhou' into 'the correct position of Heaven and Earth'."
"Or... we could also recreate Zhu Shi's 'correct position of heaven and earth' while preserving 'Mount Buzhou'."
Mount Buzhou is far more useful in combat than the proper arrangement of heaven and earth. It's a pleasant surprise that Ma Zao can even help Zhu Shi preserve Mount Buzhou!
It seems that from the beginning, Mr. Zhu had never expected that Ma Zao could help Zhu Shi reset his talent. Now that he saw and heard this result, he showed an incredulous expression and couldn't help but say, "Although the True Position Dharma of Heaven and Earth is different from the Dharma of Heaven and Earth of Great Impermanence, it is essentially inherited from the talent of Great Impermanence and is at the same level as Great Impermanence in terms of rank."
"Although Mount Buzhou is a product of metamorphosis, it is ultimately another manifestation of the proper order of heaven and earth... Your power can actually influence that level?"
“Yes, it’s possible, but not so easy. Just like you said, it’s still too difficult for me to influence divine power. So at most, I can only temporarily restore Zhu Shi’s True Position Dharma Heaven and Earth for a while,” Ma Zao explained. “To be on the safe side, I only helped Zhu Shi recover for three seconds just now. And if I were to push the limits, based on the feeling I had just experienced, I think I could probably last at least, um… ten…”
Ma Zao seemed engrossed in calculations, while Mr. Zhu tentatively asked, "...Ten seconds?"
"—Fifteen minutes." Ma Zao corrected.
Mr. Zhu gasped.
The difference between these two times is too big.
However, after fifteen minutes... considering the effects of the "True Position Method" (正位法) on the heavens and earth, it's hard to say whether it's powerful or useless.
I don't really care about the rank and level that Elder Zhu cares about. After all, Zhu Shi isn't a true Great Impermanence, so influencing her divine power shouldn't be as difficult as influencing a true Great Impermanence. Besides, Ma Zao overcame the Great Completion level of the Silver Moon's Law of Heaven and Earth with the power of return when she was at the Completion level. I'm not surprised that she can do something like this now.
I'm more focused on something else right now.
"During the period when you can use the proper celestial and terrestrial methods, are you able to unleash the power of the Great Impermanence by forging the Yama Sword?" I asked Zhu Shi.
Zhu Shi, however, wore a helpless expression.
“I just sensed the connection between myself and the Yama Sword, and I did indeed feel an immense, immeasurable, boundless power within it, which can only be defined as the ‘Great Impermanence Power.’ However, to unleash its full potential, I must first complete the communion and cultivation with the Yama Sword,” she replied. “If I could use the True Position Dharma of Heaven and Earth 24/7, it would only take three days to complete that communion. But, with only fifteen minutes…”
"Let me ask first, how long is the cooldown period between the two 'fifteen-minute' intervals?"
She first asked Ma Zao, who replied seriously, "At most fifteen minutes a day."
"Then it should take me nine to ten months to fully master the power of the Great Impermanence," Zhu Shi concluded.
"It only takes nine to ten months to master the power of the Great Impermanence level..."
Mr. Zhu's expression perhaps reflected the distorted values he was experiencing. Zhu Shi himself seemed to share this sentiment, his face filled with complex emotions after he spoke.
I have to admit that was an astonishing rate of progress, but unfortunately, nine to ten months sounds short, and it's still too long for what I have to do next. I'm going to deal with Mingzhuo in the next few days, and I don't have the patience to wait that long just to increase my support forces.
That wouldn't be a bad thing, since I originally intended to cause trouble for Mingzhuo alone. Bringing Zhu Shi, who wields the power of the Great Impermanence, to my side to fight the Great Impermanence, whom she has no grudge against, would be somewhat selfish. Since I issued the challenge myself, I should face everything on my own.
On the contrary, I felt a sense of relief. As long as Zhu Shi cannot master the power of the Great Impermanence in the near future, I don't need to worry about her insisting on joining my side of the battlefield, and I can naturally take the risk alone.
Even though I wasn't fighting for myself this time, but to protect Asahaya, maybe my desire to enjoy the adventure alone is the real selfishness. But the reason I'm protecting Asahaya is also so that I can continue the adventure—it's a self-centered wish.
Suddenly, I felt a gaze upon me; Zhu Shi was quietly staring at me.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked.
Zhu Shi said confidently, "Senior Brother Zhuang, you're thinking about something awkward again, aren't you?"
"Hmm?" Asaho asked, puzzled.
I almost forgot, Zhu Shi has a very keen eye for observation, and sometimes he seems to be able to read my mind for some reason.
However, I wasn't thinking about anything awkward.
"Let's go back first," I said.
Because I am not yet able to pinpoint the exact location of the instantaneous movement achieved by manipulating the power of the heavens and earth, I used Ma Zao's power of return for the return trip. She didn't even need physical contact; she used the fluctuation of magic power to pull us in, and then the surrounding scene instantly switched to Zhu Jiu's room.
We returned to Saltwater.
Having witnessed the wondrous effects of the power of reversion, Old Master Zhu seemed to have even more ideas, hoping that Mazao could try to help Zhu Jiu, who was suffering from soul loss, regain her soul. After all, Mazao's power of reversion could even influence divine power, so it was only natural for Old Master Zhu, who loved his daughter dearly, to have such expectations.
I simply don't have high hopes for this. The Soul Loss Syndrome is a bizarre phenomenon closely related to the apocalypse; even the current Lord of the Divine Seal cannot unravel its mystery, and the Great Impermanence is likely helpless against it too, let alone Ma Zao. This is a completely different level of challenge compared to influencing divine power.
As expected, even though Ma Zao repeatedly used the power of return to pull Zhu Jiu, who was lying on the bed, into it, Zhu Jiu did not move at all, and her soul showed no sign of returning.
Mr. Zhu slumped his shoulders in frustration.
It was rare to see him express his sadness so openly. This only showed how much he hoped his daughter would wake up. He quickly composed himself and thanked Mazao.
Then, he turned to me and asked, "Zhuang Cheng, what are your plans after this? Are you going to stay in Xianshui City to rest for a while? Or..."
“I plan to go back to Fufeng Base first,” I said, stating my planned itinerary. “I made an agreement with Fufeng that I would return to Fufeng Base after resolving the matter in Yueyin Mountain City.”
Actually, it's not really appropriate for us to linger in Saltwater City right now; I only realized this belatedly. The Mikoto are restricted from moving freely for two days, which is why we headed to populated areas like Moonlit Mountain Castle without any worries. Asaha doesn't seem to have realized yet that those two days have actually passed, and we can't rule out the possibility that the Mikoto will strike first. Although Fazheng probably won't stand idly by while the Mikoto wreak havoc in the city, we should cooperate and take action as well.
However, after hearing my plan, Mr. Zhu showed a strange expression and then slowly said, "I see... Just as I thought. You really didn't know."
"What do I not know?" I asked, surprised.
"The Fufeng base has been destroyed," said Mr. Zhu. "The Great Completion level Impermanence 'Fufeng' has also been confirmed dead by the Luoshan headquarters."
"—What?" I wondered if I had misheard.
Mr. Zhu reached into the lining of his clothes and said, "There's one more thing I almost forgot to tell you..."
He made the same gesture before I asked him about Zhu Yi's cause of death. Could it be that what he was actually planning to tell me wasn't actually related to the concept of the Two Elements of Mountain?
He took an envelope out of a hidden pocket in his clothes and handed it to me.
At his prompting glance, I opened the envelope. Inside were two items: a letter and a thin glass talisman. I glanced at the talisman first, then looked at the letter. The signature revealed the writer to be Fazheng.
In his letter, Fa Zheng briefly informed me that the Fufeng base had been destroyed, so the meeting place had to be changed from "Fufeng base" to "Luoshan headquarters".
The glass talisman was his token, containing his magical power. Indeed, I sensed the strange, unpredictable magical fluctuations emanating from the talisman, and the power seemed to have been deliberately downgraded so that even ordinary demon hunters could perceive it. The letter stated that the talisman would allow me unimpeded access to the Luo Shan headquarters; simply by displaying it, others would immediately recognize me as "Fa Zheng's distinguished guest."
In the letter, he also assured me that as long as I was willing to join his camp, he could help me resolve all the troubles caused by Mingzhuo.
More than that, I'm concerned about the destruction of the Fufeng base and Fufeng's death. The letter didn't provide a detailed explanation, so I turned to Mr. Zhu.
(End of this chapter)
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