Chapter 166: Crimson Lake
Chapter 166: Crimson Lake
He Xiaoxing extended his hand, pointing at Chen Chuan's chest, "You should be able to feel it. The transformed organs are attached to your original organs but can function independently."
Chen Chuan nodded in agreement. Indeed, it was currently possible only when there was minimal daily consumption; during combat, both sets of organs needed to work together, and it was impossible to separate them.
He Xiaoxing explained, "The transformed organs have great potential, but since your original organs are sufficient for daily needs, they remain in a near-dormant state during non-combat situations. Although they will gradually grow stronger under your guidance, they won't actively perform any functions on their own. So, you need to tell them what you need."
"Different needs will prompt different responses and growth from the transformed organs, and future growth directions will also vary. There is no best, only what's most suitable for you. However, the basic training is universal, so the subsequent training direction requires awakening them to constantly sense your needs."
Chen Chuan had almost understood by this point. He asked, "Master, what should I do next?"
He Xiaoxing looked towards the foot of the mountain, "Do you see that lake over there?"
Chen Chuan turned to look and replied, "I do."
"That's the famous Crimson Lake, a tourist attraction. There are thousands of lakes in this plain, and the water contains a unique mineral that a type of algae called 'Stoneweed' feeds on, causing the lake to appear crimson.
However, this algae has a parasitic nature. People who come into contact with it will be infected, and some will even enter the human body through the water supply. You should notice that most of the drinking water here is imported from elsewhere."
Chen Chuan recalled that indeed, on his way here, he had seen quite a few people with slightly flushed skin. While food and accommodation were cheap here, the cost of living water was relatively high.
He Xiaoxing continued, "But for limited combatants, if the quantity is small, it can be expelled through breath techniques and internal organ regulation.
In the old era, a sect discovered the special properties of stoneweed and once used this unique environment to assist in cultivation. Today's training will start from here."
After saying this, he walked to the side and tapped a small bronze bell hanging nearby. After a while, a vehicle emerged from the town and soon arrived at the mountain. Chang Ba poked his head out of the driver's cabin, waved to the two of them, and said, "Master He, I'll take you there."
Without saying much, He Xiaoxing headed towards the vehicle, followed by Chen Chuan. Once they were seated, Chang Ba started the car and drove down the small mountain, reaching the Crimson Lake in a little over a quarter of an hour.
At the lake, they saw that the outer perimeter of the water was pale red, while the central part was dark red, like blood. The entire lake was calm, without a ripple, resembling a jade stone embedded in the landscape.
The blue sky, white clouds, yellow plains, and crimson lake formed a colorful painting, creating a visually rich and vivid experience.
The three of them got out of the car, and He Xiaoxing instructed Chen Chuan, "Go ahead and immerse your arm in the lake. Don't resist any abnormalities, and I'll tell you when to take it out."
Chen Chuan nodded and walked along the sandy beach. He rolled up his sleeves and dipped his arm into the water. At that moment, he felt, or perhaps imagined, that the lake seemed to come alive for an instant.
Soon after, he noticed that a layer of red appeared on his arm, accompanied by a slight tingling sensation. He also observed that his second self's arm exhibited faint signs of fading.
However, he stopped the damage transfer to his second self, as He Xiaoxing had instructed him not to resist, so maintaining normalcy was sufficient.
After about two or three minutes, He Xiaoxing said, "That's enough."
Chen Chuan straightened up and found that his entire forearm had turned a deep red, and the area was gradually expanding. He then heard He Xiaoxing's voice again.
"These are the stoneweeds. Now, use the transformed organs inside your body to expel them from your system."
Chen Chuan nodded and began to regulate his breathing. Under his slow guidance, the transformed organs beneath the epidermis started to move, pushing out the tiny foreign objects that had invaded his body.
Within four or five breaths, his arm's pale red color turned to grayish-black, and a layer of curled, wrinkled skin formed on the surface, resembling dead skin. He brushed his hand over it, and it fell to the ground like a layer of ash.
Chang Ba had been closely observing Chen Chuan's actions. He was surprised to see how effortlessly Chen Chuan expelled the stoneweeds, as he himself had taken over ten minutes to do the same test. Moreover, the process had been unbearably itchy and uncomfortable, almost comparable to the 'awakening' stage. Yet, Chen Chuan maintained a calm demeanor throughout, as if he hadn't noticed anything, which left Chang Ba impressed.
He Xiaoxing said, "You expelled the foreign objects with ease just now, using the external attraction breath technique. Now, I'll teach you an internal attraction breath technique. It will facilitate gas exchange through the transformed organs beneath your skin and your transformed organs, without relying on your mouth and nose."
As he spoke, he began to explain the intricacies of this breathing technique.
Chang Ba also attempted it, but soon gave up with a bitter expression, knowing that he would never master it.
This technique required a large amount of transformed organs, and only a relatively complete set of transformed organs could perform it perfectly. Even if there was a slight deficiency, the effectiveness would be greatly reduced. Chang Ba had only managed to complete a portion of it before, and despite becoming stronger, there was still no change.
Chen Chuan practiced the Zhouyuan Technique, possessing all the transformed organs required. So, following He Xiaoxing's teachings, he grasped the method in just half an hour.
"Now, try it again," He Xiaoxing said. "This time, don't use external guidance, but use the internal guidance technique you just learned."
Chen Chuan nodded in agreement. He walked to the lake's edge, immersed his arm, and began to try to expel the transformed organs using pure internal breathing.
This attempt felt much more challenging. He was accustomed to external breathing, and using internal breathing felt awkward, with a clumsiness during the process.
At first, as he deepened his focus, he unconsciously tried to use external breathing. Although he quickly caught himself and stopped, this meant he had to allocate some attention to prevent making the same mistake again.
"I'll give you a day to master it," He Xiaoxing said. "If you succeed by tomorrow at this time, we'll move on to the next stage."
Chen Chuan nodded.
He Xiaoxing didn't mention the consequences of failure, but it was clear that this was just the most basic requirement. If he couldn't even meet this first step, there was no point in continuing the subsequent training.
However, he wasn't worried. With the Second Self Convergence, his physical qualities would double, and completing this should be a breeze. He wanted to test his limits first, as only by becoming stronger himself would he become even more powerful.
Seeing Chen Chuan quickly immerse himself in cultivation, He Xiaoxing turned and walked away. Chang Ba watched him for a moment, then called out, "Hey, we're leaving. Take your time practicing, and I'll come pick you up tonight?"
Without turning his head, Chen Chuan replied, "No need. Thanks, and please help me get my things. I'll stay here tonight."
Chang Ba shrugged. "It's up to you." After all, the town wasn't far away, and there were no dangers for a fighter in this wilderness.
He returned to the car, took Chen Chuan's belongings, and placed them aside. Then, he called out to Chen Chuan and returned to the driver's seat. As the car started, he asked, "Uncle He, is a day enough for him?" It had taken him half a month to complete it; wasn't this too harsh?
He Xiaoxing's voice was grave. "For him, a day is more than enough."
Chang Ba let out a soft 'oh', but his heart felt a twinge of sourness.
After they left, Chen Chuan continued to focus on his practice. However, after a while, he still couldn't find the trick.
Instead of stubbornly forcing it, he stopped and walked to his bag in the distance. He took out a NutriCream from inside and ate it, then carefully reviewed his performance. After that, he tried again.
By the time evening arrived, after another attempt, he looked at his pale red arm. Although he had managed to expel some of the algae after such a long attempt, he knew it wasn't enough.
At that moment, he looked up. The sunset's glow spread across the horizon, and in the distance, Crimson Lake seemed to merge with it, a dazzling red spectacle that was rarely seen elsewhere.
After gazing for a while, a sudden realization struck him. He looked at this piece of heaven and earth again.
That's right, the whole body! Although He Xiaoxing had told him which transformed organs to use, it didn't mean he could only use those. He Xiaoxing had also said that everyone must find the most suitable way for themselves.
The reason he couldn't do it before was that the participating transformed organs weren't strong enough. But he cultivated the Zhouyuan Technique, possessing more and better-transformed organs than others. So, when using internal guidance, he could also engage the other transformed organs to assist and participate!
And the whole body, was also a consistent concept throughout his combat cultivation.
With this idea, he immediately stood up and tried to mobilize his entire transformed organs to cooperate during internal guidance.
Initially, there wasn't much change, but after about ten minutes, gray dust began to fall to his feet, and his entire arm returned to its original state!
The next morning, around six o'clock, Chang Ba drove He Xiaoxing to the lake.
From a distance, he saw Chen Chuan sitting on a stone near the lake, his pants rolled up, and his feet soaking in the water. At that moment, he was gazing at the rising sun on the horizon.
Hearing the car's approach, Chen Chuan stood up from the stone. As he walked out of the water onto the beach, it was clear that there wasn't a trace of red on his legs.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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