I picked up skill fragments in the demon world

#150 - pray

After taking a glance at the monstrous entity that had achieved a certain level of power, Zhang Chen didn't meddle further.

Zhang Chen seemed lost in thought, but he didn't dwell on it too much. Instead, he followed Xiao Dou Ding towards the herbal medicine hall.

"Elder Zhang, my junior brother is here. After drinking your medicine, he suddenly became weak. Take a good look and tell me what his symptoms are," Xiao Dou Ding shouted before even reaching the courtyard, hinting at the situation.

Elder Zhang walked out, looked at Zhang Chen with a smile, and then took Zhang Chen's pulse. However, the smile on Elder Zhang's face quickly disappeared, and he looked at Zhang Chen with a serious expression.

"Elder, how is it? Don't scare me!" Cheng Yu was frightened by Elder Zhang's expression and anxiously inquired.

"This young man's soul is very weak, the situation is very serious!" Elder Zhang said.

"Ah? What should we do?" Xiao Dou Ding was shocked upon hearing this.

"Strange, how could his soul be so weak, considering he's just an ordinary person?" Elder Xu muttered to himself, then said to Xiao Dou Ding, "I'll prescribe some medicine to nourish his spirit and see if it has any effect."

After getting the prescription, Xiao Dou Ding anxiously pulled Zhang Chen back, her small face full of seriousness: "Zhang Chen, how could your soul be so weak?"

Zhang Chen, of course, couldn't tell the truth, so he lied: "I don't know, maybe it's because I haven't been eating well."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Dou Ding stared at Zhang Chen with her eyes fixed, and after pondering for a moment, she seemed to have made an important decision: "From now on, I'll halve my meals and give half to you."

Afternoon

Xie Lingyun came again. Zhang Chen put down his book, stood up, and respectfully bowed to Xie Lingyun, but his body couldn't help but sway. Seeing this, Xiao Dou Ding hurriedly stepped forward to support him, tears falling like golden beans.

"What's wrong with you?" Xie Lingyun saw that Zhang Chen's face was pale and his energy seemed abnormal. Seeing Xiao Dou Ding crying beside him, she asked.

Zhang Chen smiled wryly and evaded the question: "I don't know."

"I happen to be proficient in medicine, allow me to examine you." Xie Lingyun reached out and, before Zhang Chen could react, had already taken Zhang Chen's pulse. After examining him for a moment, she frowned: "Your soul has been injured, and it's very serious. Without a special opportunity, I'm afraid it will be difficult to recover. Moreover, as you get older, your energy will decline and will not be able to nourish your soul, I'm afraid the situation will become even more serious. You should stop practicing martial arts for now and focus on recuperating."

Speaking of this, Xie Lingyun glanced at Xiao Dou Ding, who was constantly shedding tears, and after hesitating slightly, took out three soul-stabilizing incense sticks from her sleeve and gave them to Zhang Chen: "I have three incense sticks here that have the effect of nourishing the soul, which will be of great benefit to you. Now that your soul is injured, you need to keep up with nutrition if you want to recover. You need to eat some meat every day."

These three soul-stabilizing incense sticks were the original versions, not the rough imitations she had made. She felt that she was now encountering a big trouble. If she could overcome the difficulties, she shouldn't need the soul-stabilizing incense. If she couldn't overcome them, she would surely die, and the soul-stabilizing incense would only benefit the Heavenly Demon.

Looking at Zhang Chen, whose soul was severely injured, Xie Lingyun thought of her own tribulation. She was now facing the threat of the Heavenly Demon, her life was already in danger, and she could be taken away by the Heavenly Demon at any time. Only by truly walking on the edge of life and death could one understand the taste of parting.

She saw Xiao Dou Ding next to her, with teary eyes, young, sobbing, and wiping away tears. She seemed to see herself at the age of five, living in the shadow of impending death all day long, fearing that she would never see her mother or father again. No one understood that feeling more than she did.

Xie Lingyun's visit to Huangli Temple was not smooth. Huangli Temple's incense faith path could not do anything about the evil in her body. The mystery she regarded as her savior still had no trace until now. She knew that she could only last for a month at most. If she couldn't find a solution within a month, she was afraid she would die!

In the crisis of life and death, thinking of the imminent separation from her loved ones, and seeing Xiao Dou Ding's sad expression, Xie Lingyun suddenly softened.

Xie Lingyun gave some instructions and then took her leave.

Zhang Chen looked at Xie Lingyun's departing figure, then looked at the soul-stabilizing incense in his hand, and suddenly golden light automatically appeared in his eyes. He saw wisps of green smoke flowing on the soul-stabilizing incense.

"Mysterious object." Zhang Chen lowered his head and looked at the soul-stabilizing incense in his hand, stunned for a moment.

At noon, Xiao Dou Ding went to the kitchen to get rice and rice porridge. Xiao Dou Ding really kept her promise, breaking the steamed bun in her hand in half, looking left and right, and finally handed the slightly larger half to Zhang Chen.

Looking at Xiao Dou Ding's pained expression, Zhang Chen smiled: "You little girl, eat it yourself, what nutrition can half a steamed bun provide?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Dou Ding stubbornly said: "Why can't half a steamed bun provide nutrition? A little is still a little. I only have this much ability, don't dislike me for being incapable, don't dislike me for being a burden, unable to help you."

Zhang Chen was moved and rubbed Xiao Dou Ding's head: "You eat this steamed bun, I'm going to eat meat tonight."

Xiao Dou Ding's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she stared at Zhang Chen expectantly without saying a word.

Zhang Chen took the steamed bun and stuffed it into Xiao Dou Ding's mouth. As the two were joking, a soldier walked into the courtyard with a food box: "The honored guest ordered this food to be given to you two."

Without any unnecessary words, the soldier took out three meat dishes from the food box and turned to leave.

"Roast chicken, braised pork, crystal ham!" Xiao Dou Ding's eyes lit up immediately.

"It seems we don't have to steal meat tonight." Zhang Chen looked at the food on the ground. Although he was a little confused, wondering why this noble lady was so kind to him, he accepted it all. There would always be a chance to repay her in the future.

"Come on, eat." Zhang Chen tore off a chicken leg, pulled the steamed bun out of Xiao Dou Ding's mouth, and then stuffed the chicken leg into Xiao Dou Ding's mouth.

After eating, Zhang Chen drank the medicinal soup and lit the soul-stabilizing incense. As the medicinal effects took hold, Zhang Chen took the opportunity to cultivate, entering a meditative state to visualize the "Heavenly Round and Earthly Square Diagram." Under the influence of the incense, Zhang Chen felt that his soul was recovering at a visible speed, and all kinds of discomfort were constantly lessening.

Life became peaceful. Zhang Chen took medicine to nourish his soul every day, recuperated his whole body's energy, and recited scriptures.

Xie Lingyun came three times a day, each time standing in front of the big elm tree, the table, or the corner of the wall in the small courtyard for a whole day, standing there in a daze, as if thinking about something.

Zhang Chen looked at Xie Lingyun's back and felt a little strange. He always felt that Xie Lingyun was a strange person.

After the three incense sticks burned completely, Zhang Chen's soul recovered ninety percent. After another ten days of recuperation, Zhang Chen fully recovered and resumed his meditation and Qi cultivation. At the same time, he thought to himself, "The Soul-Stabilizing Incense is indeed a good thing, worthy of a great noble!"

On the third day of Zhang Chen's soul recovery, Xie Lingyun held Zhang Chen's pulse, then nodded to Zhang Chen, "Your soul has recovered. In the future, you still need to practice martial arts well to strengthen your Qi and blood, so as to avoid repeated fatigue and the outbreak of old illnesses."

"Thank you for your help, my benefactor. I will never forget your great kindness," Zhang Chen solemnly bowed to Xie Lingyun to express his gratitude.

Xie Lingyun smiled upon hearing this and shook her head, "You don't need to thank me, and I don't need you to thank me. Just live well. To be honest, seeing the friendship between you and Xiaodouding as fellow apprentices, I am quite touched. Chengyu is very innocent. If you die, she will definitely be very sad. I can't stand this kind of pain of life and death the most."

She didn't think that Zhang Chen, an ordinary person, a commoner, would have the opportunity to repay her in this lifetime.

"Live well!"

After Xie Lingyun finished speaking, she turned and left, leaving Zhang Chen standing in the courtyard, looking at Xie Lingyun's back, scratching his head, feeling a little confused. He couldn't feel Xie Lingyun's kind of sad mood, he only felt that the noble girl in front of him seemed to be quite nice, but she was always in a daze every day, seeming a bit simple-minded.

Days passed by, and half a month went by. Xie Lingyun still clocked in to work on time every day, staring at the objects in the courtyard in a daze.

On this day, after Zhang Chen finished practicing the True Dragon Great Form, Xie Lingyun turned her head to look at Zhang Chen, "Living in this courtyard, have you found anything strange?"

"Strange things? No?" Zhang Chen looked confused.

Xie Lingyun was disappointed in her heart when she heard this, and didn't say much, but sighed faintly, "Is it my fate to be like this?"

"Could it be that the noble lady has encountered some trouble?" Zhang Chen asked after hearing Xie Lingyun's words, his voice full of inquiry. If he could help Xie Lingyun, he would be happy to do so.

Xie Lingyun didn't speak, but turned and walked out.

From this day on, for the next ten days, Xie Lingyun never came to the small courtyard again.

However, Zhang Chen was responsible for cleaning the main hall. He couldn't see Xie Lingyun in the small courtyard, but he could see Xie Lingyun in the main hall.

He saw Xie Lingyun, dressed in a large red robe, kneeling on the prayer mat, chanting scriptures without eating or drinking.

Zhang Chen watched Xie Lingyun kneel from day to night, and from night to dawn.

From the first day to the second day, from the second day to the tenth day.

Xiaodouding and Zhang Chen gently cleaned the statues in the main hall. Xiaodouding looked at the gaunt Xie Lingyun and lowered her voice, "The noble lady has been kneeling for ten days and chanting scriptures for ten days, without taking a drop of water. Do you think she will starve to death?"

Zhang Chen wiped the foot of the statue with a rag in his hand, and then glanced at Xie Lingyun without a trace, and saw the mysterious aura flowing around her body, obviously not an ordinary person.

"What kind of person is the noble lady? She has her own measure in her heart, why should we worry about it?" Zhang Chen lowered his voice.

Chengyu couldn't bear it when she heard this, and picked up the clear water in the jade bottle on the offering table, and carefully came to the noble lady's side. Looking at the thin and out-of-shape noble lady, she carefully said, "Noble lady, you haven't had water or rice for ten days, would you like to drink some water?"

The noble lady didn't raise her head, but continued to lower her head and whisper scriptures.

At this time, the Elder of Law Enforcement happened to pass by. Seeing Xiaodouding disturbing the noble lady, he quickly walked into the hall and pulled Xiaodouding aside, and then whispered, "You are too bold, how dare you disturb the noble lady, aren't you afraid of death?"

"I only know that if the noble lady doesn't drink water, she will starve to death soon. She is a good person and shouldn't be starved to death," Xiaodouding's voice was full of stubbornness.

Faced with the stubborn Xiaodouding, the Elder of Law Enforcement sighed helplessly, and could only explain, "The noble lady has now encountered a big trouble, and only by asking the Great God of Yellow Heaven to take action may there be a chance to get rid of the disaster. And now the noble lady has gone all in, either invite the Great God of Yellow Heaven, or die here, there is absolutely no second way. She is now sincerely fasting, wanting to move the Great God of Yellow Heaven. You must not disturb the noble lady, lest you blaspheme the gods and cut off the noble lady's last chance of survival."

Xiaodouding was shocked when she heard this, her eyes were full of sadness, she turned her head to look at the main hall, but she didn't know what to say.

Zhang Chen, who was wiping the statue in the main hall, heard the words of the Elder of Law Enforcement at this time, and looked at the noble lady again, his heart moved slightly.

Xiaodouding walked into the main hall, glanced at Xie Lingyun's back, and silently wiped the statue, her expression seemed to be dimmed a lot at this time.

Zhang Chen was also silent.

The Elder of Law Enforcement left, and the entire Taoist temple became more and more guarded. Even in the past few days, the elders no longer approached the main hall, for fear of disturbing Xie Lingyun.

Time was slowly passing, and after another three days, the aura on Xie Lingyun's body became weaker and weaker, and even the chanting sound was intermittent and almost inaudible.

Zhang Chen and Xiaodouding were no longer wiping the statues at this time, but stood on the side, looking at Xie Lingyun with worried faces.

"Boom ~"

Just as Xie Lingyun was about to run out of fuel, Zhang Chen's eyes suddenly flashed with golden light. The next moment, the world in front of him changed drastically. The mud statue in the hall suddenly revived with divine light. The originally unremarkable statue actually burst out with a vast divine light.

The divine light connected to the nine heavens above and penetrated the mountains below.

In that divine light, a figure slowly walked out.

Along with the figure walking out, a mysterious force enveloped the main hall, seemingly cutting off a world, separating Xiaodouding and Zhang Chen.

In the eyes of the two, Xie Lingyun was still kneeling quietly on the ground, and the main hall was still the same unremarkable main hall, but in Zhang Chen's Dharma eyes, the entire main hall had undergone incredible changes at this time, being shrouded in that vast light.

Zhang Chen in the main hall looked at the figure walking out, and couldn't help but shrink his pupils. He only felt a boom in his brain, and his thinking was about to stop flowing. His body was constantly trembling under that vast pressure.

That was an incredible power!

It was just that the strong incense aura on the other party's body made Zhang Chen frown secretly.

Although the other party was too much stronger than himself, and with the appearance of that figure, the entire world seemed to fall into his control, Zhang Chen could clearly perceive in his heart that the purity of the incense divine power on the other party's body was too different from his own True God Light.

The other party might have the power to erase himself with just a thought at this time, but the imitation aura, the counterfeit product, the rough and shoddy incense divine power on the other party's body made Zhang Chen feel a kind of inexplicable contempt in his heart.