Chapter 122: A Bamboo Slip to Transcend
Upon hearing Li Fan's words, the group of cultivators first collectively froze, and then there was an uproar, with varying reactions.
Some wore expressions of disdain and mockingly said, "Where did this Qi Condensation junior come from, spouting nonsense here?"
"Yeah, you're telling people to dissipate their cultivation. Why don't you do it yourself?"
Others appeared curious, asking, "Does our fellow Daoist mean that the creature with the staff only targets cultivators and not ordinary people?"
"Although it sounds a bit unbelievable, there's a possibility. The situation here is somewhat similar to the anomalies in the sect's ruins."
This idea resonated with many of the cultivators.
"Considering that the blue ox pulling the cart is about to enter the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, time is running out for us. We should indeed give it a try."
"But that staff is extremely powerful. It's possible that our cultivation is the only reason we're able to survive its blows. If we dissipate our cultivation and become ordinary people, we might be killed with a single strike."
"Ah, our fellow Daoist here has a point."
People discussed and hesitated, and for a moment, no one dared to step forward to try.
However, a red-haired cultivator seemed to grow impatient. He shouted loudly and glared at the others, saying, "What's there to be so hesitant about? It's just dissipating your cultivation! With the 'Tai Shang Primordial Scripture,' we can quickly regain our cultivation. I'll do it!"
With that, he flew down and landed in front of the thatched cottage. Then, he operated the 'Tai Shang Primordial Scripture,' and in just a moment, his entire cultivation was completely dissipated, turning him into an ordinary person.
Li Fan's mind was alert, and he locked onto him with the Formless Killing Intent.
The red-haired cultivator, who had been somewhat carefree earlier, was now feeling nervous, facing the massive and fierce creature as an ordinary person. He swallowed hard and took slow steps forward.
All eyes in the area were focused on him at this moment, and it became silent all around.
Slowly approaching the thatched cottage, the creature without a mouth still seemed oblivious to him. The creature with the staff, on the other hand, stared at him for a long time, and the staff in its hand lifted several times but never struck down.
And so, the red-haired man reached the door of the thatched cottage without incident.
The faint sound of reading inside the cottage suddenly stopped.
The door of the cottage boomed open, and a somewhat elderly voice came from within, saying, "Come in!"
The red-haired man's face lit up with joy, and he walked into the cottage with wide steps.
The door closed behind him, and the two guardian deities continued to watch from the outside.
Around the blue ox pulling the cart, it suddenly became as lively as a marketplace.
"Did it really work?!"
"This Qi Condensation junior... No, this fellow Daoist is indeed extraordinarily clever. What should we call you?"
"Damn it, Liu Zhi beat me to it. No, I want to dissipate my cultivation and enter too!"
Of course, there were still many cultivators who remained calm, saying, "Not so fast. Let's wait for Liu Zhi to come out and see what kind of opportunity is inside the thatched cottage."
"That's right, he's an ordinary person now. He won't be able to escape even if he wants to."
The surroundings were in chaos, but Li Fan had a furrowed brow, his eyes fixed on the thatched cottage.
Because, at the very moment Liu Zhi entered the cottage, the Formless Killing Intent that had locked onto him failed.
Since Li Fan had comprehended this technique, it had never failed before.
The Formless Killing Intent imitated the heavens and was universally effective in various situations.
And now...
What was inside that thatched cottage might be an extremely terrifying existence.
Other cultivators didn't share Li Fan's concerns. Five more Qi Condensation cultivators entered the thatched cottage one after another, competing to go inside.
As for the Foundation Building cultivators, they remained cautious, in a wait-and-see posture.
Inside the thatched cottage, there was no change. Only the seemingly unchanging sound of reading echoed in everyone's hearts.
This voice seemed clearer compared to when they first heard it, but it was still not entirely clear, making it impossible to discern the specific content.
Although the cultivators were impatient, they had no choice but to exercise patience and wait.
The next morning, without anyone noticing, the six individuals who had entered the day before suddenly appeared in the open space outside the thatched cottage. They were sprawled out in various positions, seemingly asleep, but their breath was steady as if they were merely in deep slumber.
"Wait a minute, didn't they all dissipate their cultivation and become ordinary people? How is it that their cultivation has been fully restored now?"
Soon, some cultivators realized something was amiss.
"Not only did their cultivation return, but it seems like they all gained one minor realm in cultivation compared to before."
"That's right, Liu Zhi was at the early Qi Condensation stage before. After just one night, he's now at the mid Qi Condensation stage!"
"The Qi Condensation stage cultivator even advanced to the late Qi Condensation stage!"
"The late Qi Condensation stage cultivator didn't seem to advance, but their spiritual energy has solidified quite a bit, which should still be beneficial."
Amidst the astonishment of the crowd, their gazes towards the thatched cottage had completely changed. It had forcibly elevated the cultivators who entered by one minor realm without discrimination. This could save them a considerable amount of resources and time. The higher the cultivation, the more valuable it was.
In their impatience, the cultivators awakened the six individuals and inquired about what had occurred inside the thatched cottage yesterday. The six individuals had consistent stories, but their accounts left the others bewildered.
"So, you spent a whole day inside just reading?"
"The teacher was a bamboo slip floating in the air?"
"You don't remember what you read?"
It was indeed quite peculiar, but it appeared that they were not lying.
Given the opportunity, the hesitating Qi Condensation cultivators all dissipated their cultivation and entered the cottage.
Chen An was about to go inside when he looked back at Li Fan, who hadn't moved. He was somewhat puzzled and inquired, "Fellow Daoist Li, is there anything unusual inside?"
Li Fan shook his head and replied, "There should be no issues. However, I'm already at the late Qi Condensation stage, so the opportunity inside doesn't hold much significance for me. You can go in by yourself; there's no need to worry about me. I'll continue to observe for a while."
Chen An hesitated for a moment and then clasped his hands to Li Fan before entering the thatched cottage.
As for the Foundation Building cultivators, they still hadn't acted.
Zhou Ningchang explained the reason to Li Fan. Cultivators with a cultivation level of Foundation Building or higher, even if they dissipated their cultivation using the 'Tai Shang Primordial Scripture,' their Dao foundation remained intact and in a state between real and illusory, not affected by the cultivation dissipation. They were unsure whether they would be considered ordinary people and were therefore hesitant.
After waiting for a long time, a Foundation Building cultivator couldn't resist the temptation any longer and was the first to try. They successfully entered the cottage after dissipating their cultivation.
As a result, numerous Foundation Building cultivators followed suit, entering the cottage with great joy.
Even the only Golden Core cultivator in the crowd couldn't resist the allure.
As for the six cultivators who had entered the cottage yesterday and wanted to replicate their previous experience to further advance by one minor realm, they were hit by the bamboo staff and thrown out instantly.
They decided to leave and bring their friends and family to the area before the blue ox pulling the cart entered the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace.
Soon, outside the thatched cottage, only Li Fan remained.
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