I Am Your Natural Enemy

Bai Fadou listened carefully for quite a while, paying close attention, distinguishing the subtle changes in the sound to discern the things hidden within.

Most people couldn’t even hear those sounds, let alone distinguish the emotions and other things contained in them.

Though Bai Fadou was a bit impatient when it came to calculations, in terms of expertise, he was absolutely top-tier in the Scorching Sun Department.

Some things truly require talent as a foundation.

If you want to set your own ceiling, even more, you need talent.

Since this involved meal expenses, Bai Fadou was extremely serious, continually updating various details.

Beside him, members of the Scorching Sun Department were also jotting things down at high speed.

Apart from video and audio recordings, there were also manual shorthand notes—multiple safeguards—to guard against unexpected situations.

After all, based on the Scorching Sun Department’s experience, in many situations, written records can actually surpass audio and video recordings.

Even now, when the Scorching Sun Department records certain important events, they always leave physical documents. The most significant events are even carved into stone or similar means.

With thousands of years of record-keeping experience, it is enough to sift out which recording methods can endure across the longest stretches of time.

Steles, bronze cauldrons, and the like are the hardiest against the ravages of years.

As for the rest, they fall far short—take bamboo slips, for example. If not for today’s rapid pace of technological upgrades and innovations…

Those excavated bamboo slips, as rotten as mud, can still be restored until the writing on them is clearly legible.

If not for this, people nowadays might not even know that back in the day Brother Zheng probably also had to recite the multiplication table…

The members of the Scorching Sun Department got busy. Outside the grand tomb, a Taoist priest wearing a Nine Yang Scarf and clad in a yellow Eight Trigrams Robe had already prepared the Dharma Altar, ready to open the altar at any moment.

Upon seeing Wen Yan and the Fourth Great-uncle Master arrive, he immediately saluted and gestured, inviting the Fourth Great-uncle Master up to the altar.

The Fourth Great-uncle Master returned the salute but did not move forward any further.

”There is specialization in each field; you, Daoist friend, are an outstanding figure in this path. Those who can compare to you are no more than a handful. Daoist friend, there’s no need to be modest.”

The Fourth Great-uncle Master wore a solemn expression as he gave his evaluation.

That Taoist priest smiled and returned the gesture.

”Then this humble priest will dare to display my meager skills.”

Taoist rituals and ceremonies come in many forms; no one can master them all, nor can anyone excel at everything.

Especially as a Daoist Master who has received teaching, it’s akin to choosing a specialization—one’s energy is focused on the chosen path, and merely being familiar with others suffices.

After all, people’s energy is limited.

There are quite a few who have made some achievements in geomancy, feng shui, and funeral rites.

Taoist priests who consult feng shui for ordinary people, choose auspicious days, or move graves and open tombs, basically all understand a bit of this stuff.

Zhang Laoxi too, for the sake of earning a living, understands these things; most of the rites he performs daily fall within this category.

But a Taoist priest like the one before them, who can go so far in this field as to open an altar and mobilize the power of this grand tomb, is truly a rarity.

This requires talent, faith, and above all, unchanging dedication day in and day out for ten years or more.

Wen Yan stood to the side as protector, waiting quietly.

The Fourth Great-uncle Master was also holding a tablet, reading something. Wen Yan glanced at it, determined he couldn’t understand it, and simply ignored it.

At the same time, at the edge of the Cloud Sea Cliff, the Old Celestial Master stood atop the Dharma Altar.

He had just received the message from the Fourth Great-uncle Master, which included a video.

Wen Yan was forming the Tao Finger with his hand, performing a blessing in midair.

Just from seeing this, he confirmed many things.

He extended his right hand, forming the Tao Finger with one hand.

What he had copied from Wen Yan before still fell just short—only that tiny bit at the tip of the right hand.

Now, forming the Tao Finger, he instantly eliminated ninety-nine percent of the wrong options.

Then, after slightly adjusting, in just a few minutes, he pierced through and opened up the final tiny path at his fingertip.

A thread of lightning flickered between the fingertips of his index finger and pinky.

He gazed out at the Cloud Sea, sighing deeply.

”What a rare and terrifying talent. For anyone else, even with the method, they might not reach this step.

This youngster is truly about to forge a new path from among the martial artists.

This Xin Dao fits the path of Spiritual Qi Resurgence too well.”

The Old Celestial Master gazed long at the Cloud Sea. Today, the Cloud Sea was exceptionally calm.

So calm it seemed abnormal.

The Old Celestial Master, having heard the news from the tomb, had a rough guess in mind.

The Last Dharma Decline Era was not a good thing for many aspects, and the resurgence of Spiritual Energy might not be a good thing either.

Especially for the creatures on the other side—violent changes would disrupt balance and stability.

Not all creatures can bear such intense change.

Fish from the Deep Sea, if they appear in the shallows too quickly, would have their eyes burst from their sockets due to the sudden pressure difference.

If a person, in a short time, goes from a low-altitude area to a high-altitude area or vice versa, they may experience all sorts of discomfort, and in severe cases, may even die.

The creatures in the present world are barely affected because the first stage of Spiritual Qi Resurgence lasted for decades.

To put it in data terms, it took decades to go from 0 to 10, but this year alone it jumped from 10 to 30.

Decades of slow resurgence—enough for three generations of humans to pass.

For other creatures, perhaps dozens of generations have come and gone.

Decades are enough time for all living things in this world to adapt to these changes.