Chapter 161 Shadow

"What about the Zhan Nian School?" Ye Chuxiao asked.

Master Wenrui's face showed emotion, "The Zhan Nian School was classified as a heretical sect for quite some time. It wasn't until the last few hundred years that it gradually gained acceptance, but that was the result of being marginalized."

"Because those of the Zhan Nian School are all considered madmen!"

When he said the last sentence, Master Wenrui's expression was clearly a little strange.

This strangeness was so obvious that Ye Chuxiao couldn't ignore it.

His face was practically screaming, 'I have a story, come ask me.'

"Madmen? In what way?" Ye Chuxiao already had some thoughts in his mind, but he didn't skip the topic and continued to ask.

Master Wenrui said, "The Zhan Nian School's approach is to restrain desires, to endure thoughts and passions, until the desires accumulate and almost become demonic, and then to use the technique of dividing the soul and splitting the spirit to cut this desire, which has gradually transformed into a heart-demon, from the mind."

"The original intention is good, but after the operation, there will be various aftereffects, and cutting off desires is only temporary. As long as you are in this realm, as long as you are breathing and cultivating, new desires will sooner or later reappear."

"Severing thoughts should not be used too often, otherwise, the soul will become abnormal, and if too much is lost, you will either become a living dead with only instinct left, or you will become a madman."

After speaking, he sighed a long sigh and added, "However, aside from all the drawbacks, the Zhan Nian School is also considered the most 'free' school, because they are never threatened or bound by desires."

What Master Wenrui said was not entirely thorough. Ye Chuxiao could sense the danger involved with only a little imagination.

This danger was not only aimed at the cultivators themselves, but they were also a source of disaster for others.

If a person who has been enduring his desires for many years suddenly erupts, how distorted and crazy will he become?

After severing desires, because the soul is incomplete, the probability of newly acquired desires having a tendency towards bloodlust and murder will also increase sharply.

These are all natural problems faced by the Zhan Nian School.

It can be said that this sect was branded as demonic, and it was not wronged in the slightest.

The fact that it is now only being marginalized is a very strange thing.

"Okay, thank you for sharing. My questions are over." Ye Chuxiao stood up and extended a palm towards Master Wenrui, preparing to shake hands and say goodbye.

Master Wenrui was slightly stunned. He obviously did not expect that Ye Chuxiao would suddenly end the conversation and prepare to leave when their discussion was just starting to become interesting.

"You're welcome! You've come from afar. Why don't I take you for another walk around Yunchu Academy?" Master Wenrui said, trying to persuade him to stay.

"No need to trouble you! I have already experienced the characteristics of this world. It's very interesting, but it doesn't match my Dao. I plan to cut off my cultivation in this world and sever ties with it after leaving this world."

"After all, the 'flaws' of this world are too unique, and it is difficult to find corresponding flaws to complement them," Ye Chuxiao added.

Master Wenrui opened his mouth, suddenly not knowing how to continue the conversation.

Indeed, for a 'passerby' in a world, this is the best way to solve the problem.

If a house has cracks that are difficult to repair, for the owner of the house, of course, he has to try every means and painstakingly find a solution, but for a tenant, it is just a matter of changing a residence and moving, not so serious at all, at most losing a little rent.

Ye Chuxiao did not hesitate and turned around and left without any affectation.

Those who speak deeply with someone they barely know must have an agenda.

When Master Wenrui was lecturing, he taught his mirror theory, which was due to his profession. It seemed profound, but it was actually empty.

Now, in private conversations, he talked extensively about the theories of the Zhan Nian School and deliberately weakened the part about external influences, only talking about the part about his own cultivation troubles, obviously trying to mislead Ye Chuxiao consciously.

"People will instinctively despise and ignore internal causes, and pay more attention to external causes. Now, this old fox only talks about internal causes and not external causes, obviously wanting to lure me in. How can I fall for his trick?"

"However, the crazy actions of the Zhan Nian School have not been completely eradicated, and there must still be some merits, so the cultivators of this world deliberately left some room," Ye Chuxiao understood clearly in his heart.

However, before leaving, Ye Chuxiao inadvertently waved his hand and dropped a mark on Master Wenrui's teacup.

As long as his hand touches the teacup, the mark will naturally transfer.

This kind of 'small trick' came from the memories and experience of Qin Gongjia.

With such a small trick, he can quietly control the movements of a cultivator of the same level.

After leaving Yunchu Academy, he released Duanmu Lin again.

"Ah~ ah!" Duanmu Lin raised her arms and cleared her throat in a childish manner, then jumped up and down a couple of times.

"I really want to study at Yunchu Academy! Tianshui Academy is not so interesting. All you can see around is the dark sea water. When the sun is not strong, even the corals are not good-looking," Duanmu Lin said, wrinkling her nose.

Ye Chuxiao said, "When I was talking to Master Wenrui just now, were you listening carefully?"

Duanmu Lin said in surprise, "Eh? Weren't you supposed to chat with Master Wenrui alone and let me wander around the academy by myself?"

"Oh! Sorry, I was thinking about the problem too intently and didn't pay attention," Ye Chuxiao said with an embarrassed expression, scratching his head.

Duanmu Lin turned around, put her hands on her hips, and looked at Ye Chuxiao with a puffed-up face, "Hmph! Dongjun is too much! If you're like this, you won't be able to find a girlfriend."

"Okay, okay! It's my fault! Then can you tell me, what did you gain from wandering around Yunchu Academy?" Ye Chuxiao's tone even carried a hint of doting.

Duanmu Lin's small face turned red, she flicked her braids, turned her head away, and then began to tell Ye Chuxiao about her experiences in Yunchu Academy, hopping and skipping with her hands behind her back.

"It's logical and well-founded, not like a random fabrication."

"This shows that Duanmu Lin, as my 'fictional' friend, actually relies on my thoughts and has already completed the collection of surrounding information when I am not paying attention."

"Her independence is very strong and not controlled by me. Even in the same period of time, her cognition does not overlap with mine." Ye Chuxiao suddenly thought of the style of the Zhan Nian School again. If he used the methods of the Zhan Nian School to cut Duanmu Lin out of his consciousness, what would she become?

Of course, Ye Chuxiao was just thinking about it. It was impossible for him to actually do it.

For cultivators, the completeness of the soul is more important than the completeness of the body.

As a Huijing cultivator, from Ye Chuxiao's current realm, the saying of 'cutting off the three corpses' in the novels of his previous life is certainly not applicable, at least for now.

He was not in a hurry to leave Yunchu City.

Ye Chuxiao took Duanmu Lin and strolled around the city.

Occasionally, he would also get some new information from Duanmu Lin's mouth to supplement his own lack of knowledge, which can be considered a small use of this new 'friend'.

As night fell, the entire Yunchu City was lit up by various lanterns of all sizes.

The lantern strings dancing in the wind, surrounded by clouds and mist, became both hazy and had a strange sense of beauty.

The hundred-beast lanterns floating in the air also seemed to come alive. They shuttled through the clouds and mist, scattering the vague light, making the atmosphere of the city even more distorted.

If the Yunchu City during the day was as beautiful as a fairy-tale picture scroll, then the Yunchu City at night naturally had some grotesque aura. The beauty, like a poisonous flower, made people unable to resist wanting to explore it, but also afraid of its secrets and strangeness, worried about being swallowed up by it in one bite.

Ye Chuxiao and Duanmu Lin stayed in an inn on the edge of the cliff, ignoring the receptionist's doubts, opened a separate room for Duanmu Lin, and deliberately stated that the room's occupant was Duanmu Lin, right next to him.

Perhaps it was because this world was full of weirdos.

Therefore, although Ye Chuxiao's behavior was strange, it did not receive any criticism.

After checking in, Ye Chuxiao began to use magic to monitor Duanmu Lin's behavior.

Watching her enter the room, first take off her sandals, put on comfortable slippers, and then slam her whole body heavily on the bed, rolling around a few times.

About ten minutes later, Duanmu Lin lazily got up, shed her clothes like molting skin, and walked into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Duanmu Lin came out of the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe provided by the inn, and began to sit by the window to look at the scenery outside the window.

About five minutes later, she took out a pink notebook from her 'carried' suitcase and began to write in her diary.

"June 17th, weather, sunny."

"Mom! I met a new friend today, his name is Chu Dongjun. He is tall, handsome, and has a warm smile, but he is very serious when he puts on a straight face. I don't know why, but when he puts on a straight face, I am a little afraid of him."

"Also, I have arrived at Yunchu City, the place where you studied back then. Just like you said, Mom, Yunchu is very beautiful. I will experience all the beautiful scenery that you told me about one by one."

"I will use your eyes and my younger brother's eyes to appreciate the countless scenery in this world until I can no longer walk."

Ye Chuxiao looked at Duanmu Lin, who was buried in writing her diary, and not only did he not feel the warmth between her lines, but his scalp tightened.

"Her persona is being enriched, and she is beginning to complete her past, with her own sufficient reasons."

"Then, what will happen after the past is completely complete? Will she desire a future?"

"And she was actually 'created' by me. Her future is actually affected by me. If she needs a 'future', what price will I have to pay?" Ye Chuxiao was not worried about a blatant 'rebellion'. If Duanmu Lin was a wisp of his avatar and had her own thoughts and ideas, then he could easily destroy her.

What Ye Chuxiao was worried about was that Duanmu Lin had no intention of doing any ideological hostility, but because of her existence itself, she formed a practical 'deviation'.

She is Ye Chuxiao's 'friend'.

But if she wants true 'freedom', the first thing she has to do is push away Ye Chuxiao, this friend.

"It seems that it is really necessary to learn about the Zhan Nian School!" Ye Chuxiao pushed open the window, leaped, and jumped into the misty mountains.

Following the mark he planted during the day, Ye Chuxiao stepped on the clouds and mist, shuttled through the lanterns that seemed like demons and gods in the clouds, and arrived at a pavilion hanging halfway up a cliff.

In the pavilion, Master Wenrui was sitting in his study, writing a manuscript at his desk by the window.

When Ye Chuxiao approached, he still did not notice.

Having gained the experience and memories of two Yijing cultivators, Ye Chuxiao's actual handling of various methods has far exceeded the concept of a Huijing cultivator.

He was as mature as an old monster who had cultivated for hundreds of years.

In the flickering candlelight, the shadow at Master Wenrui's feet suddenly began to change shape.

It climbed up from the ground, stood next to Master Wenrui, and revealed a pair of white eyes, staring straight at Master Wenrui.

"Laughable mirror theory, do you really believe it?"

"Or are you just using it to perfunctorily deceive the world and steal your name?" The shadow opened its mouth and made a sound, and the shadow's voice was almost exactly the same as Master Wenrui's.

Master Wenrui looked at the shadow and scolded, "Who told you to come out? Go back!"

The shadow chuckled and said, "Anger, rejection, hostility, admit it! Wenrui, you are the Zhan Nian School. You want to get rid of me, not recognize me and transform me!"

"It's really sad, a master who is respected by everyone, whose private hobby is to be partners with his own shadow, as reclusive as a loser. Is that why you rejected me?"

"That's even more ridiculous!"

Master Wenrui angrily slammed the table, "Shut up! If it weren't for me, you would just be a shadow, only existing in my imagination. It was I who allowed you to appear freely, it was the Zhan Nian School that you now despise that made you real."

"And yet you are mocking all of this?"

The shadow said, "Is it me?"

"Or is it yourself? I... am I not you?"

Master Wenrui said, "No! When I cut you out, you were no longer me!"

The shadow said gloomily, "Say whatever you want. I want to go out. Let go of me... This is what we agreed on. The night is my free time."

Master Wenrui nodded, "Okay! But do me a favor!"

"Find the young man who talked to me during the day. The questions he asked were very interesting. It is very likely that his desires are very close to mine."

"I need to use him for some experiments. Maybe through him, we can find a better and more suitable way to coexist."

The shadow said, "Understood! If you can let me be completely independent, I will definitely be... grateful!"

Saying that, the shadow actually laughed again, but the laughter was even more sinister and strange.

"No need to look for me!"

"I'm here!" Ye Chuxiao floated in from the window next to him.

So that the one person and one shadow in the house were a little stunned.

Then Master Wenrui reacted instantly and threw out a book at random.

A large number of golden talismans flew out of the book.

The talismans were layered on top of each other, first turning into a talisman wall.

Obviously, Master Wenrui mainly cultivated talisman techniques and was a talisman cultivator with considerable attainments.

And the shadow turned into a specific human form, holding two curved knives, and as the candlelight expanded, it enlarged its body and enveloped Ye Chuxiao.

Buzz!

Ye Chuxiao drew his knife at will, the knife sounded slightly, and the blade vibrated.

In an instant, the shadow was compressed into a line, and the talisman wall shattered completely.

And Master Wenrui had been crushed to the ground by Ye Chuxiao's knife and could only lie prone.

Although both were in the Huijing realm, Ye Chuxiao, who had stacked more than a hundred layers of Denglou, could not be measured by a normal Huijing realm at all.

He had already far exceeded normal Huijing cultivators in terms of combat power.