Chapter 163: Changes

Taking a breath of fresh air, Chen Jin found that the memories of modern air had always been preserved in his mind, making it virtually impossible for him to experience any maladjustment.

A mere tenth of a second had passed, equivalent to nothing more than the blink of an eye.

At times, Chen Jin truly felt as though he had traveled through time and space, which explained why time felt as though it had barely elapsed, or perhaps he was merely dreaming, experiencing a series of journeys within his own consciousness.

Yet that could not be entirely right, for those great Daluo Immortals possessed the divine capability to overturn space and time.

"Brother Lü..." Chen Jin suddenly uttered aloud.

He was testing whether a towering figure like Lü Dongbin was still alive. Chen Jin could not be certain of the answer to this question, and naturally, no response came.

Thus, Chen Jin received no reply.

With no response forthcoming, Chen Jin turned his attention inward to examine his own condition.

He could perceive that his spirit had completed its metamorphosis, allowing his divine sense to extend beyond his physical body, but the Qiongqi heart he had successfully condensed was gone, failing to be brought back to this era.

Hah...

At this, Chen Jin let out a breath of relief. After all, if the Qiongqi heart had truly been brought back, and if all the Hunyuan Qi within his body had been converted into genuine essence, then the thunder tribulation of the Spirit-Fixing Realm would not have failed to manifest.

In truth, Chen Jin could clearly sense that he was capable of breaking through to the Spirit-Fixing Realm at any moment, but he had deliberately suppressed the urge. After all, he had no wish to see his home blasted into smithereens by lightning, nor did he desire for others to know that he had attained the Spirit-Fixing Realm, as such a rate of cultivation was simply too astonishing.

Chen Jin knew that the area surrounding his home was under surveillance by personnel from the Cultivation Association. Perhaps all cultivators who had yet to join the association were monitored, for such individuals were akin to ticking time bombs that naturally required restriction and oversight.

Therefore, when the time came for him to make the breakthrough, Chen Jin would undoubtedly shake off these watchers first before proceeding.

Thinking of the breakthrough, a deep sense of yearning arose within Chen Jin for the sensations of the Spirit-Fixing Realm. The profound sense of existential fulfillment it brought was truly worth savoring, much like being thoroughly satiated after a period of intense hunger and thirst.

In addition, there were the spoils from this traversal: eighty-seven intermediate Qi clusters, two-hundred and thirty-nine lower Qi clusters, a Pure Yang Thunder Mark, a divine artifact, essences of the Five Elements spiritual items, a sarira...

His gains this time were somewhat meager. However, what surprised Chen Jin the most was that sarira; he had actually managed to bring this item back with him, which was nothing short of miraculous. Then there was the Pure Yang Thunder Mark, a derivative of the "Orthodox Thunder Dharma" he had obtained from Celestial Master Zhang. Although Chen Jin had already committed the "Orthodox Thunder Dharma" to memory, the version he had successfully cultivated had also returned to this era, transforming into this distinct Pure Yang Thunder Mark.

To utilize this Pure Yang Thunder Mark, it had to be attached to the body, meaning it would leave a lightning tattoo upon Chen Jin's skin.

Even so, the power of this Pure Yang Thunder Mark was quite formidable, retaining ninety percent of the might Chen Jin had previously unleashed when using the "Orthodox Thunder Dharma."

Yet, to Chen Jin, it still felt somewhat like a redundant novelty. Since he already mastered the "Orthodox Thunder Dharma," he could easily channel the power of this thunder mark; summoning lightning was by no means a difficult task for him.

Furthermore, he possessed knowledge of other thunder techniques, though those could only be utilized after reaching the Spirit-Fixing Realm. For the time being, Chen Jin did not pay much heed to the Pure Yang Thunder Mark, simply setting it aside to be used whenever the mood struck, or perhaps to be given away as a gift.

Aside from these acquisitions, Chen Jin sensed a change in the black book: it could now foretell the exact time and historical background of his next traversal in advance. His next journey would take place two months from now, and the historical setting would be the late Ming and early Qing dynasty...

"Wait a minute..." Chen Jin was somewhat baffled by the mention of the late Ming and early Qing dynasty. He could not recall any such period in history; he only remembered the late Ming reforms, when the emperor was knocked off his pedestal and driven out of the Forbidden City—an event that had occurred precisely one hundred and twelve years, two months, and two days ago.

"Did I remember incorrectly? Or has the timeline shifted?" Chen Jin thought with a peculiar sense of bewilderment. He immediately retrieved his smartphone, opened a search engine, and typed in the characters for the late Ming and early Qing dynasty...

The search results showed terms related to the early days of the Ming and Qing, and so forth...

In short, the historical period of the late Ming and early Qing as indicated by the black book simply did not exist here.

"Could it be the history of an alternate realm?" Chen Jin's thoughts drifted into speculation.

He then attempted to question the black book, but it completely ignored him.

Since no answers were forthcoming, Chen Jin had no choice but to wait until the appointed day of traversal to see what the situation would be.

Without any information, it was difficult for him to conduct advance research or figure out how to reap maximum benefits.

Nonetheless, Chen Jin remained full of anticipation for this era (assuming it corresponded to the late Ming reforms of over a century ago). According to contemporary cultivation theories, that exact juncture marked the height of the Dharma-Ending Age, a time when many cultivators who had been barely clinging to survival from previous eras failed to endure and perished of old age.

Cultivators of that era had truly suffered immensely; the overwhelming wave of despair drove many to commit suicide rather than wait for natural death.

Chen Jin had no desire to face such despair, yet he was bound to make a trip there nonetheless (or so he believed).

'Steels my heart like iron, steels my heart like iron.'

Chen Jin muttered inwardly. In any case, he still had two months to make preparations.

...

The night passed quietly, and Chen Jin did not linger too long in his anxieties; after all, when the boat reached the bridgehead, it would naturally straighten itself out.

Chen Jin partook in breakfast, which had been prepared by his mother—she had been doing most of the cooking lately, occasionally assisted by his younger sister, Chen Lan.

Following breakfast, Chen Jin headed out to the balcony as usual to guide his entire family through their physical exercises.

Life remained peaceful and serene, and reality was undeniably comfortable.

This was primarily because the various conflicts within this world had yet to fully ferment. Ordinary people and the government, ordinary people and cultivators, nation and nation—all the interlocking, intertwining factions and individuals had yet to openly spark their disputes and erupt into all-out war.

"The house feels exceptionally pleasant today," Chen Father remarked with a sniff as he sighed in appreciation.

"Indeed, ever since last night, it felt as though... the air had grown much fresher. Could the concentration of the Heaven and Earth Qi have increased once more?" Chen Mother chimed in.

"Hmm... Let me check the news..." Chen Father lowered his head and took out his phone.

"Nothing much... though I did come across an interesting piece of news... and it has quite a bit to do with Xiao Lan..." Chen Father said as he swiped across his screen.

"Huh?" Chen Lan was in the midst of drinking water; she immediately turned her head and gazed at her father in puzzlement.

"The college entrance examination system has been reformed... Two new subjects are being added: cultivation theory and cultivation constitution assessment..." Chen Father stated slowly.

"Huh? So soon?" Chen Lan was even more bewildered. 'Wasn't it supposed to be the year after next?'

"Uh... the proposal is currently being submitted, with pilot programs rolling out next year first..." Chen Father continued scrolling through his phone.

"Phew... That's a relief, you scared me to death." Chen Lan patted her chest and let out a long breath.