There's something wrong with me

Chapter 197: 'The Hermit Expert'

Several months passed again.

Stabilized his realm, organized his knowledge.

The following year, early spring morning.

Zhang Feng came out of the mountains and forests. Before he could decide where to go, he encountered more than twenty tense-looking villagers at the edge of the forest.

They held pitchforks and hoes used for tilling the land, their eyes cautiously and fearfully scanning their surroundings.

At this moment, Zhang Feng was about a mile away from them.

He observed them entirely with his Spiritual Sense.

'There's a demon.'

After Zhang Feng switched between several talismans within his Spiritual Sense, he also saw a strong water-attributed spiritual energy around them.

Moreover, this spiritual energy carried a 'demonic aura'.

However, this demonic aura wasn't an attribute but a unique scent.

It was like someone spraying themselves with perfume.

After demons cultivate, they also have a unique smell, which is partially different from the smell of human cultivation and naturally gathered spiritual energy.

Zhang Feng had raised two demon bears, seen the Rats and crows, and having spent nearly nineteen years in the forest, he had encountered hundreds of demonic beasts.

His rich experience and increasingly profound research into spiritual energy.

Allowed Zhang Feng to quickly distinguish them.

As for what this demonic beast specifically was.

Zhang Feng didn't know, but he would find out by looking.

It was also a good opportunity to collect unfamiliar scents and enrich his own knowledge.

Thinking.

Zhang Feng's Spiritual Sense moved, and a spare grey robe appeared in the small cloth bag on his back, quickly replacing his beast skin.

He then slightly trimmed the hair that had grown wildly for nineteen years and used grass rope as a tie.

The classic image of an ancient cultivator appeared.

This way, he wouldn't scare the villagers over there.

Looking at their tense expressions.

If he really had butt-length hair and came out of the deep mountains and old forests wearing beast skin, people would probably think he was a crazy savage.

Rustle—

On his way towards them.

Zhang Feng gathered water droplets from the air again and used them as a mirror for a quick look; it was acceptable.

Although his appearance was ordinary, not as handsome as his face in the undercover world, his temperament was quite good; at first glance, he looked like a good person.

As expected.

When Zhang Feng came out of the forest and approached the villagers at the forest edge.

Seeing a young Daoist walk over, they didn't make any extreme movements.

But the old man leading them anxiously shouted to Zhang Feng: "Little Daoist, you came out of that mountain, did you see a carp with long legs running!"

'A fish with long legs?' Zhang Feng paused inwardly, feeling this was too bizarre.

Just thinking about that carp running wildly felt completely out of place with ancient cultivation.

"That demon ran south!" Another strong man, seeing Zhang Feng didn't answer, pointed in the direction Zhang Feng had come from, "Just a quarter of an hour ago, didn't the Daoist see it?"

As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Feng suspiciously.

Including the others who were also looking strangely.

Because they suddenly had a slight suspicion, wondering if this Daoist might be the fish demon in disguise?

The reason they had such suspicion was that demons in this world truly could transform into humans.

Gold Core level demon cultivators could transform into humans in a sense.

Zhang Feng had been in seclusion for over a decade, hadn't encountered other cultivators or Gold Core level demons, and wasn't yet aware of these specific matters.

Facing the eyes of the villagers, Zhang Feng didn't think from this perspective.

Because Zhang Feng's attention was more focused on the north, where the demonic aura was very strong,

"Everyone, the demon fled north.

The south you are looking at should be a hallucination it set up.

See for yourselves."

As he spoke, Zhang Feng slightly used the abundant water spiritual energy here, raised his arm slightly, and this mass of water spiritual energy dispersed, presenting a scene of a fish monster running with long legs, just like showing a movie in the air.

This utilized the principle of refraction and some neural interference.

It was easy to create a 'real illusion' like a 3D projector.

However, since Zhang Feng didn't know what the fish monster specifically looked like, he designed a normal two-meter-long carp with two thick legs growing directly beneath it.

This bizarre sight, however, significantly frightened everyone.

"De... demon..."

"Even scarier than that demon..."

"The demon is here..."

Everyone was in a panic, unable to hold onto the tools in their hands, which clattered to the ground.

Seeing this, Zhang Feng was also curious.

If they were so timid, why were they chasing it?

But thinking carefully, so many people came out with tools and encountered the fish demon.

Then the fish demon ran, and they chased.

It seemed to be all subconscious.

It was also fortunate that this fish demon didn't turn back.

Zhang Feng thought about it and also dispersed the technique.

"Don't panic... don't panic... that was the Daoist's spell..."

"This young Daoist actually knows magic..."

After about two seconds, everyone slowly regained their senses and, combining it with Zhang Feng's previous words about 'illusion and see for yourselves', realized that the terrifying fish monster was a technique performed by the Daoist.

It was just that the illusion was too real, and they lived in the border region, having never seen a 'Da Fashi (Great Mage)'.

So encountering such a wondrous technique, they were inevitably frightened.

But after all, living in a world with demons, they had some level of resistance in their hearts.

Thus, after a brief moment of fear, they turned their pleading gaze towards Zhang Feng.

"Daoist, please uphold justice for us!"

"The fish demon is causing trouble, please Daoist save our village!"

"All my sheep were swallowed by the demon..."

As everyone pleaded, they also reached into their clothes, wanting to take out their meager savings and were about to kneel.

Zhang Feng, however, used spiritual energy to support them, preventing them from kneeling, while also ignoring them.

And within these few minutes of pause.

After observing back and forth, Zhang Feng also accurately determined the specific location of the fish demon.

It was underground to the north, fifty meters away, and hadn't run far.

The demonic aura extending into the distance to the north was also its diversion, meant to deceive cultivators.

It must have been set up early on.

It was very smart.

Perhaps it also knew some rules of Spiritual Sense.

And the Spiritual Sense in this world was similar to his own.

Zhang Feng had seen Gold Core level techniques in his memory and knew that normal cultivators also had spiritual energy, but they mostly used spiritual energy and spirit to perceive.

Unable to achieve the 'amplified range' like his own.

But no matter what, as long as it was Spiritual Sense, there was a possibility of being deceived.

Just like himself.

Although his Spiritual Sense range was nearly two miles, he could also see two miles underground.

But all the information within two miles was an explosive increase, completely overwhelming him.

It was also like a person on the street looking at a friend on the opposite street.

Theoretically, within their field of vision, they could simultaneously see everything from large stores, to medium-sized vehicles on the road, to small details like advertisement numbers on utility poles, dust, and ants on the ground.

But in reality, if the human brain were to truly receive all this information in an instant, it would simply crash.

Even if you gave a smart AI an image and asked it to instantly analyze all elements, it couldn't do it.

There always had to be a process of receiving and identifying.

Especially since his Spiritual Sense was completely beyond the norm; with one glance, all information within nearly two miles in every direction (up, down, left, right) was revealed.

With this amount of processing, it was even more impossible to instantly discern the target's location if he didn't know where it was.

Zhang Feng was also like this, plus he was mostly looking at the distance to the north just now.

Even though his Spiritual Sense had already covered it, he wouldn't see it unless he looked carefully.

But at this moment.

Zhang Feng was observing it.

'This Little Carp is quite clever.'

Zhang Feng looked underground, where there was a slender carp about the size of a normal person's forearm.

Its legs were not human legs but very long tail fins.

"Hoo hoo..." It was currently hiding in the mud, constantly blowing away the surrounding sand with its mouth.

After Zhang Feng saw it, under the somewhat confused gazes of the crowd, he made a grabbing motion with his palm towards the distance.

The next second, the Little Carp flapped its fins and emerged from the mud.

"It's it!" After the villagers saw this fish demon easily captured by the Daoist, they immediately showed expressions of excitement and surprise.

They hadn't expected this Daoist's cultivation to be so high.

Zhang Feng looked at the Little Carp, and after finding that it had no malevolent aura or blood energy similar to humans or animals, he said to the villagers:

"This demon is actually a spiritual demon, not an evil one. Old man, are you sure your sheep were swallowed by it? And did it injure anyone?"

"Replying to the Daoist..."

The old man, hearing the Daoist's question, as if this demon hadn't done evil, stepped forward somewhat uncertainly,

"When I woke up this morning, I saw that the sheep in my pen were indeed eaten.

I also heard someone shouting at the village entrance, having found a fish demon. It... it also didn't injure anyone; it ran when it saw us."

"Since it didn't injure anyone, tell me about your sheep." Zhang Feng asked directly, "Counting from outside the village in the southwest, where is your house, and which number house is it?"

"Due west, the fifth house..." The old man pointed in the direction of the village.

"Mm." Zhang Feng, while holding the struggling Little Carp, looked towards the fifth house.

There were many villagers gathered there, pointing and expressing lingering fear, and inside the sheep pen was a sheep with half its body missing.

Its wound clearly had tearing marks, similar to a wolf.

"Look at its wound." Zhang Feng confirmed, "It's a wolf, not a fish."

'The Daoist saw a mile away...'

'He can see that far?'

When everyone heard Zhang Feng say this, their attention was more focused on Zhang Feng having 'clairvoyance'.

"That wolf is hiding in a haystack behind the village."

This time, Zhang Feng quickly locked onto that wolf based on its aura, clear coordinates, and the fluctuations of blood energy within his Spiritual Sense.

This wasn't like the Little Carp randomly scattering spiritual energy, so it was easily found.

And it was within his unique Spiritual Sense rules.

Zhang Feng heavily consumed a wave of spiritual energy, drew a talisman from a mile away, and immobilized the wolf.

"I have already captured it."

'What...?'

'But that's... over a mile away...'

When everyone heard the Daoist priest's words, they were truly dumbfounded.

As for the Little Carp, Zhang Feng saw that it couldn't speak and its cultivation level was not high, only Foundation Establishment, so he used Spiritual Sense to transmit a warning to it and then released it.

Spiritual Sense transmission is a mind-to-mind interaction that can cross species.

However, Zhang Feng only told her one-sidedly, letting her roughly understand his meaning, while he didn't understand the fish's neurons and emotions.

"Hoo hoo..." The Little Carp heard Zhang Feng's warning, but kept looking back at Zhang Feng every few steps.

In her memory, the only people who were so good to her were her parents, who had long since passed away.

She was fortunate; she grew up next to a water Ling Stone in her youth, and her own spiritual nature was high enough.

Thus, by chance, she gained sentience.

'Go.'

Zhang Feng saw her looking back every few steps and used spiritual energy to push her.

Because she was female.

What if a transformed mermaid suddenly came to repay his kindness in the future? That would be truly romantic and abstract.

Eastern cultivation would directly turn into Western fantasy.

Zhang Feng couldn't accept that.

However, this little fish was also quite interesting; every time it walked a distance, it would activate a spell, gather some spiritual energy rain and dew, and moisturize its body.

It hadn't completely broken free from the limitations of its species and couldn't stay out of the water for too long.

But it could breathe on land.

It could be considered a variant 'amphibian'.

...

Catching a demon, eliminating a wolf.

These two small incidents, however, made Zhang Feng a great benefactor in this small village.

A banquet was also held in the evening.

And amidst the lively banquet at night.

Some villagers were drinking, some were gathered around the village's fire pits, singing and dancing.

Zhang Feng, however, was eating at the table with the Village Chief and village elders, and planned to continue his travels to see the world after eating.

However, he hadn't finished eating yet.

The Village Chief gratefully said, "Daoist priest, the village has some cultivation books and some handwritten notes from Daoist priests. Shall I fetch them for you?"

'Secret manuals?'

When Zhang Feng heard this, he looked around and understood why these villagers had some insight into cultivation.

Besides being people from a world with spiritual energy, it seemed there was also a transmission of knowledge.

Then he must be open to this.

...

The next day.

Through some books left behind here and some old bamboo slips from cultivators, Zhang Feng found that there were quite a few Gold Cores in this world, and quite a few major sects.

Combining this with the description of a normal perfected Gold Core being able to rank in the top ten.

Zhang Feng's intention to leave the mountain was immediately interrupted.

Because his own strength was probably only enough for 'barely self-preservation'.

He originally felt that flying was very strong, but now he didn't feel that way.

What if the Gold Core masters here broke the sound barrier, and he ran straight into them? That would be idiotic.

He might as well stabilize for a while longer.

It was also a good time to clear his inner demons.

The matter of inner demons could no longer be delayed.

Combining this matter.

Zhang Feng's Spiritual Sense enveloped the entire mountain village, and he felt that this place could serve as a temporary cultivation spot.

Especially the conventional cultivation stages of the real world, such as 'Qi sensation, Qi refining, Foundation Establishment', etc., also needed to be planned.

There were quite a few people in this village, which could serve as a sort of example and training ground to summarize his insights on cultivation and teaching.

It was also a natural opportunity to practice with their cultivation situations as a form of big data, which would be useful for his own breakthrough to Gold Core.

...

On that day, Zhang Feng also spread the news about teaching people cultivation.

The villagers naturally signed up enthusiastically.

This was also their way of living off the land; during their usual farming, they would occasionally go hunting and foraging for food near the forest edge.

So having a 'martial skill' was very important.

Not to mention, this was 'spellcasting'.

After that, Zhang Feng no longer lacked food.

To learn spells, the villagers would bring whatever they had at home.

Besides the daily necessities, they wished they could empty their entire family's savings.

Zhang Feng naturally didn't take that much, because grains and cereals could hardly keep up with his needs anymore.

He was now completely sustained by spiritual energy.

As for teaching people spells, teaching one person is teaching, and teaching a group is also teaching.

And teaching more is better, providing more data.

Zhang Feng now completely immersed himself in the role of a 'reclusive master', wanting to live in seclusion in the small village and turn it into a 'paradise'.

He would experience it for a decade or two first.

It was also a good time to try deducing the Gold Core.

And regarding the matter.

Through years of conventional cultivation, Zhang Feng had pretty much figured it out.

First of all, this cultivation cultivates the body, but not just the physical body, but the 'overall function', including the four limbs and the hundred bones.

Simply put, the center point of its energy circulation is the 'Middle Dantian' located in the center of the chest.

Books say, 'Below the heart is the Crimson Palace Golden Gate, which is also the Middle Dantian'.

Including its Gold Core method, it is also in the heart.

Furthermore, with the heart serving as the 'total power source' for the four limbs and hundred bones, if the Gold Core is hidden here, it can coordinate the functioning of the entire body.

This coordination is their body cultivation.

To be a bit more mysterious, it's like what Patriarch Subhuti said in Journey to the West: 'The moon hides the Jade Rabbit, the sun hides the Crow; the Tortoise and Snake naturally coil together. When coiled together, life and essence are firm, and one can plant a golden lotus in the fire.'

This sentence, and this Gold Core.

They symbolize the back and forth between heaven and earth, which is the meaning of 'overall roundness' in Tai Chi.

What is cultivated is the body cultivation of Daoist 'Inner Alchemy'.

This body, which is also the roundness of firm life and essence.

Zhang Feng was well-versed in Daoism and Buddhism and could roughly deduce this meaning, although this was also a personal theoretical deduction.

As for what the reality was like, or whether it differed from his own speculation.

Zhang Feng didn't know, because he had never stepped into it.

He also didn't want to go look at other Gold Cores, because looking wouldn't be of much use.

After all, he understood the principles himself, but what he was seeking now was his own Gold Core, not someone else's.

In the end, he cultivated all three Dantians: 'Upper, Middle, and Lower'.

Each Dantian also had its own cultivation method; these were completely different systems.

And what Zhang Feng wanted to do now was to merge the three Dantians together to achieve a 'Great Cycle' and 'Great Firmness of Life and Essence'.

And in Zhang Feng's opinion, this was simpler than the Three-point Origin Severance Technique.

Spiritual energy was ultimately from the same source, and furthermore, the three Dantians were also parallel.

In Zhang Feng's plan, the Lower Dantian stored spiritual energy, the Middle Dantian governed and mobilized the body's energy, and the Upper Dantian nurtured the spirit.

The Spiritual Mind commanded the three parts.

This itself was the cultivation of essence, qi, and spirit.

Essence, qi, and spirit are also the foundation of a person, and they are inherently integrated; none can be missing.

Since they were inherently integrated, they could naturally be easily commanded together.

Furthermore, Zhang Feng also wanted to realize the concept of the Three-point Origin Severance Technique based on this command.

Because when the perspective was broadened, spirit was Shen, vigorous energy was Qi, and Inner Force was the essence of the five organs.

They were also inherently integrated.

In the basic logic from the perspective of human anatomy.

Zhang Feng felt that he could deduce the principle of the Three-point Origin Severance Technique by condensing and conceptualizing the Gold Core.

If he couldn't deduce it this way, then it wouldn't be 'physically non-existent', but 'biologically non-existent'.

...

He stayed in the village for a few days.

Originally, Zhang Feng was still slowly adapting, but on the fifth day, an unexpected guest arrived.

It was that Little Carp.

When she came over, the nearby villagers were a bit scared, but the villagers who had seen her before spoke about the spiritual demon being a good demon.

Similarly, the Little Carp was also very scared when she saw so many villagers looking at her.

But when she thought of that very handsome and powerful Da Fashi (Great Mage).

She still mustered her courage and jogged all the way into the village.

After that, she got lost in the village and didn't know where Zhang Feng lived.

She wanted to ask people, but she couldn't speak, nor could she write human characters, otherwise she could write on the ground to ask for directions.

At the same time, just as she was very confused.

In her weak Spiritual Sense, she saw a man walking from a distance, as if enveloped in warm sunlight.

When she turned around with her fins and saw that it was indeed the Daoist priest she was looking for, she was instantly captivated.

Zhang Feng saw her, and seeing this still-cute little fish staring blankly at him, he knew that the scene of the 'childhood sweetheart' chasing him from the earliest Master world was being replayed.

However, the childhood sweetheart in this world was a fish.