I attained immortality in the real world.

Chapter 6 Introduction to Physiognomy
Li Banxian pulled out a book from under the foldable table at his fortune-telling stall, which he had been using to prop up the corner of the table.

Blowing away the dust from the cover to reveal the two characters 'Wu Xiang', he handed it to Chen Jing with a solemn expression and said, "This Wu Xiang manual has been passed down through generations of the Wu Xiang Sect. Today, I am formally passing it on to you. From now on, you will be the 102nd generation successor of the Wu Xiang Sect."

Chen Jing accepted the Formless Manual, but did not hear any enhancement sounds indicating that he could learn new skills. The rules of the Formless Realm highly overlapped with those of the real world, so he needed to learn game skills just like he would learn knowledge from the real world.

I'm too lazy to ask how inferior paper books can be passed down for a hundred generations without getting damaged.

He opened the Wuxiang Manual directly and read it, closing the book in less than ten seconds, even faster than Zhu Kui's ability to memorize it at a glance, because there wasn't a single word on the pale yellow paper.

He stared calmly at Li Banxian: "Could it be that only intelligent people can see the words on this?"

Li Banxian packed up his signboard, rattan stool, and sales stall, looking like he was about to pack up and run away.

Upon hearing Chen Jing question the Wuxiang Manual, he stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Wuxiang, it has no form at all, so how could it possibly contain writing?"

"Times change, and a hundred years is enough to overturn people's understanding of physiognomy. People in different regions thousands of miles away have completely different understandings of physiognomy."

"Some ancient people considered having no eyebrows to be pretty, while some barbarians considered black teeth to be beautiful. To use words to describe things that change is nothing short of foolish and misleading."

“Our founder of the Wuxiang Sect is so wise that he is almost demonic. He would never do such a stupid thing. So the Wuxiang Manual is not for you to read, but for you to write.”

Write? To be asked to create your own techniques right after starting out? What kind of sect has such high aptitude requirements?
What's the difference between this and glancing at the mass-energy equivalence formula and then demanding to manually craft an atomic bomb?
Admittedly, there is some truth to what Li Banxian said, but Chen Jing knows nothing about physiognomy and could never fabricate something out of nothing.

He tucked the Wuxiang Manual into his robes and sighed helplessly, "Although it's true that the master can only lead you through the door, the cultivation is up to you, you should at least have led me through the door first, right?"

Surprisingly, Li Banxian didn't argue. Instead, he nodded and said, "Didn't you see me pack up early? It was all so I could guide you through the basics. Come with me."

"........."

Li Banxian packed his tools into a bundle.

Leading Chen Jing through a maze of turns, they arrived at a corner near the west gate of Zhu Zi City and squatted down.

He beckoned Chen Jing to squat down next to him, basking in the warm sun without any regard for appearances, and said with a contented look, "This is a feng shui treasure land. You can stare at others without restraint, but their eyes won't fall in this direction."

The soldiers guarding the city gate clearly recognized Li Banxian and took the initiative to greet him: "Banxian, you're here again to peek at young ladies and wives. Oh, you even brought an apprentice with you. Young man, don't learn bad things from this old scoundrel. Getting a wife is the real deal."

Li Banxian snorted disdainfully, ignoring the soldiers guarding the city gate, and continued teaching: "What does he know? Doesn't a woman's appearance count as a physical appearance? Just like some doctors specialize in gynecology, I am a teacher purely to improve my skills."

"The art of physiognomy is profound and extensive, but if you understand its principles, you will naturally master its techniques. As your teacher, I will first teach you the art of physiognomy."

"Thank you for bestowing the Dharma upon me, Master!" Chen Jing said, bowing respectfully without giving a direct answer.

"........."

Zhu Zicheng, at the west gate of the city.

The two basked in the sun for a while, gradually feeling warm, just as two other people were walking towards the city gate.

One was a short, stout middle-aged man dressed in silk, and the other was a thin young man dressed in shorts.

Li Banxian lowered his eyes slightly, glanced at the two of them, and quickly looked away, asking, "Disciple, which of these two do you think has the appearance of wealth and nobility?"

“Fat!” Chen Jing answered without hesitation.

"Very good! Excellent!! It seems my disciple has grasped the basics of physiognomy; the rest is up to you to comprehend!"

"One is dressed in silk, the other in hemp. Any normal person, anyone with eyes that aren't blind, can tell who has the look of wealth and nobility," Chen Jing said irritably. "A skill that everyone can do, doesn't that count as a skill? You have what others don't, are you some kind of monster in disguise?" Li Banxian scoffed, continuing to ask, "Then let's go a step further. If neither of them were wearing clothes, could you still tell who has the look of wealth and nobility?"

"Yes, the fat ones have rosy cheeks, while the thin ones have sallow complexions."

"Going a step further, if the two are the same size, can you tell who has the look of wealth and nobility?"

"Yes, it's possible! The fat ones walk with their heads held high, while the thin ones cower and shrink back."

Upon hearing this, Li Banxian promptly patted his behind and stood up, muttering, "See! It was all correct. I told you you've already mastered the basics of physiognomy."

"However, if you want to apply physiognomy in practice, you need to go deeper and deeper into the art, elevating this skill that everyone knows to an unparalleled level."

"People have different innate qualities, different ways of life, different tastes and sentiments. These differences will inevitably produce different appearances and will inevitably manifest different characteristics."

"Physiognomy requires you to see through their inner essence from a single eyebrow, a single eye, a single step, and a single posture, so that they can no longer hide it."

"A true message can be passed down, but a false message can be conveyed through thousands of books."

"The core of physiognomy can be summed up in four words: judging people by their appearance."

"It's not as complicated as you think. The origins of any divination technique are very simple; otherwise, it would be difficult to even get started, let alone build a great edifice on that foundation."

"Come find me at the west market entrance of the city once you have fully mastered the art of physiognomy!"

"........."

Physiognomy, that's a nicer term. Four words came to Chen Jing's mind: the art of judging people.

A fine horse is common, but a discerning eye for talent is rare—this is the kind of skill that allows one to judge a horse. But human characteristics are far more complex than those of a horse; it's not just about running fast and being able to carry heavy loads.

It is often said that one can recognize a weapon by observing a thousand swords, but to master the art of judging a person is not as simple as observing a thousand different faces.

A thought flashed through Chen Jing's mind, and after a pause, he said, "Times change, but people are still people. The physiognomy books left by our ancestors always contain valuable insights that can be applied to any era?"

Li Banxian paused, but did not turn around. He coldly instructed, "Taking shortcuts is acceptable, but you don't even have the ability to discern. How can you distinguish between the essence and the dross? Before you write the Wuxiang Secret Manual, you are not allowed to read any books on physiognomy."

"How many people could the patriarch of the physiognomy school see in a day? How many kings, nobles, wealthy merchants, and heroes could he meet in his entire life? Yet he was able to write a book on physiognomy that is applicable to the present day."

"You're different!!"

"You can see a thousand or even ten thousand faces in a single day, and in the blink of an eye, you can summon kings, nobles, famous scholars, and wealthy merchants—all gathered before you."

"If you have such exceptional advantages, yet you still can't write your own Formless Manual, then you'd better not come to the Formless Realm. You're destined to fail on the path of cultivation."

Cultivating immortality! Second Grand Uncle!

Chen Jing's pupils constricted upon hearing the words "cultivation of immortality," and a bold guess formed in his mind.

Li Banxian clearly knew about the existence of the Metaverse, and might even know that the world he was in was a virtual reality game.

There's a strange sense of familiarity about him. Could he be an NPC created based on my second great-uncle?

(End of this chapter)