Chapter 7: A Dream of Three Years

"Ah!"

"Who awakens first from the great dream? In my life, only I know."

Xiahou Li Jing opened his eyes.

He looked around, somewhat bewildered, at the people before him. Mmm, he didn't recognize a single one.

Then he looked around.

It was only when he saw the swaying wine flag and the shattered windows that he found a trace of familiarity.

He had been gravely injured and, without a better way to heal, had encased himself in mud and entered a state of false death using "Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra."

He just hadn't expected that upon awakening again, everything would be so different.

In fact, from this perspective, he had to be grateful for the appearance of the hermit from the deep mountains.

If it hadn't been for the demon aura triggering the Demon-slaying Sword!

He might still be in slumber at this moment, cut off from the world.

He just didn't know how many days he had lost to this sleep.

Thinking this, he unintentionally looked towards Pang Yong with some puzzlement and asked, "Esteemed warrior, might you inform me... what year and month it is now?"

"This..."

Pang Yong, full of wariness, was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected the first question the clay figure to ask upon opening its eyes would be such a serious yet amusing question.

Pei Rong was also curiously looking at Li Jing.

"Heh, it is the seventh day of the ghost month in the fourth year of Yuanping!"

"The fourth year of Yuanping?!"

Hearing Pang Yong's words, Li Jing fell into deep thought. He never expected that the opening and closing of his eyes would mean three years had passed.

If it were not for today's fortuitous intrusion by the old demon from the mountains, he would continue to sleep, uncertain of when he would awaken.

Terrifying, truly terrifying.

At this thought, he quickly summoned the attribute panel. His new attributes hung in the air like transparent glass.

Xiahou Jiang

Identity: Demon Extermination Clan

Skills:

- Blood Evil Technique: Third Layer

- Blood Killing Ten Forms: Fourth Layer

- Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra: First Layer+

Free Points: 4

Equipment:

- Demon-slaying Sword: The treasure sword passed down through generations of the Xiahou clan, containing limitless faith and greatly increasing the damage inflicted on demons and ghosts.

Actually, the three years of meditation weren't without benefits.

Li Jing had finally cultivated the "Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra" to the First Layer.

"This 'Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra' is truly extraordinary!"

"It can simulate dead wood, storing qi and vitality in the Shenting acupoint!"

"When needed, it bursts forth, unleashing strength many times over."

Infinite vitality, flowing back, sealed within the Shenting Acupoint, Li Jing's body undergoes tremendous changes.

His once plump skin becomes unusually dull and tough, clinging to the bones beneath.

Just like the hide of an old ox.

Although he has not yet had a chance to verify, Li Jing feels that not just fists, but even ordinary swords would struggle to harm him now.

Due to the contraction of the skin, the wounds on Li Jing's body have already healed.

Feeling the changes in his body, Li Jing couldn't help but rejoice secretly; he knew he had made the right bet!

This "Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra" indeed had miraculous effects on healing.

What's more unexpected was that—

As the "Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra" made a breakthrough,

the originally shriveled Shenting acupoint started to slowly become full and plump, and in the end, even protruded a small, red rice grain-sized bump.

It appeared dazzling like vermilion and seemed engraved by divine beings.

It was this red mole that drastically changed his aura. Not only did it diminish his previously fierce and violent nature, but it also gave him an indescribable sense of sanctity and dignity.

"When the vitality is rich to a certain extent!"

"This tiny dot of a mark will also grow bigger!"

"In the end, it'll form something like a soybean, a broad bean, and finally the size of a fingertip!"

"In the legends, after an Ancient Saint attained enlightenment, there would be such a cinnabar-like mark above the eyebrow, at the location of the Shenting."

"Extremely majestic and sacred!"

"I had thought all of this was merely a legend."

"Never did I expect it to be the result of cultivation."

"This mental method, although its limit is a mere thousand pounds of force and it cannot help one break through the physical limits to achieve saintly flesh,"

"is incomparable to the 'Eight-Nine Mysterious Skills,' 'Sixteen-Foot Golden Body,' and other supreme cultivation techniques of the Divine Enthronement universe!"

"However, its ideology is indeed profound. In terms of intricacy, it's no less than the secret cultivation techniques of the great clans."

"This 'Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra' is far more valuable than I ever imagined!"

"Who would have thought that such a miraculous cultivation technique could exist in such a lower-dimensional world?"

...

Perhaps, the gains from this miraculous journey are far more powerful than I had ever anticipated!

At this thought, Li Jing couldn't help but get excited.

Even his tired body gained some strength due to the emotional uplift.

While Li Jing was pondering, a voice suddenly rang out: "Who are you?"

"Why are you inside this clay figure?"

"Could it be, you're a clay figure that has gained sentience?"

"Pei Rong!"

"Stop talking nonsense!?"

Pang Yong quickly interjected, shielding Pei Rong behind him, and with full apologies said: "Senior!"

"My younger sister is being unreasonable; I hope you won't take offense."

"Senior's abilities are extraordinary, surely you are not nameless. May I ask for your esteemed name?"

Facing the wary crowd, Li Jing couldn't help but laugh lightly.

"I am Xiahou Jiang!"

Hearing Li Jing report his name, everyone was stunned for a moment, and Pang Yong, in disbelief, asked:

"Xiahou Jiang?"

"The number one Swordsman in the world, Xiahou Jiang?"

Although he believed it somewhat, out of caution, Pang Yong further queried: "Senior is the world's number one Swordsman, but why would you be sealed in clay?"

Though Pei Rong was shielded by Pang Yong, the curiosity in her eyes couldn't be masked.

Li Jing looked up, his eyes revealing a hue of nostalgia and reminiscence as he slowly said:

"Three years ago!"

"On my way through this area, I accidentally encountered the Black Wind. After a series of fierce battles, I was fortunate enough to escape using the family Treasure Sword."

"Little did I expect, the Sand Thief King had already been lying in ambush!"

"And he took advantage of my severe injuries to launch a sneak attack on me!"

"Although I eventually killed him, due to the gravity of my wounds, I had no choice but to enter a state of suspended animation."

"Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, three years have passed!"

"Ah!"

Listening to Li Jing's recount, Pei Rong couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

Tsk tsk, isn't this experience a bit too fantastical? Could it be real?

But!

The Sand Thief King did indeed vanish without a trace for three years.

I had thought he was in closed-door cultivation, never expecting him to have been slain by Xiahou Jiang here.

Pang Yong and the others exchanged glances.

After scrutinizing for a while and ensuring there were no issues, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Pang Yong, even more excitedly, stepped forward with a face full of gratitude and said: "Xiahou hero!"

"You are our benefactor!"

"Please allow Pang here to bow to you!"

...