“ wǒ kàn dào yǒu bù guò yuán yīng xiū wèi ， nǐ nà shén me mì fǎ yòu néng qiáng dào nǎ qù ？” xīn hóng zhāng wēi wēi yáo tóu ，“ wǒ jiāng mì wén gào sù nǐ ， yě bìng bù qiú huí bào 。 nà shén me 【 shén lín shēn 】， nǐ hái shì zì jǐ liú zhe ba 。”
“我看道友不过元婴修为，你那什么秘法又能强到哪去？”辛宏章微微摇头，“我将秘闻告诉你，也并不求回报。那什么【神临身】，你还是自己留着吧。”
"From what I can see, your cultivation level is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. What's so special about your secret technique?" Xinhongzhang shook his head slightly. "I'll share this secret with you without expecting anything in return. You can keep that [Divine Presence] for yourself."
lǐ fán wén yán ， liǎn sè dùn shí biàn dé yǒu xiē nán kàn 。
李凡闻言，脸色顿时变得有些难看。
Li Fan's expression turned a bit unpleasant upon hearing this.
sì hū yào fā zuò ， bù guò zuì zhōng hái shì nài xīn xìng zi ， qiāo qiāo jiě shì dào ：“ xīn dào yǒu ， bié kàn wǒ suī rán zhǐ yǒu yuán yīng jìng jiè ， dàn wǒ zhào huàn chū de shén lín shēn ， zhàn lì què hái yào zài wǒ zhī shàng 。 jiù suàn shì huà shén xiū shì ， yě néng dǐ dǎng yī èr ……”
似乎要发作，不过最终还是耐心性子，悄悄解释道：“辛道友，别看我虽然只有元婴境界，但我召唤出的神临身，战力却还要在我之上。就算是化神修士，也能抵挡一二……”
It seemed like he was about to react, but ultimately, he patiently explained: "Friend Daoist Xinhongzhang, don't judge me by my Foundation Establishment realm. The Divine Presence I summon is even more powerful than mine. Even if it's a Spiritual Transformation cultivator, they can still withstand some of its attacks..."
“ ń ？” xīn hóng zhāng wén yán ， shén qíng dùn shí rèn zhēn le xǔ duō 。
“嗯？”辛宏章闻言，神情顿时认真了许多。
"Ah?" Xinhongzhang's expression turned serious upon hearing this.
“ dào yǒu rú guǒ bù xìn ， wǒ men dà kě yǐ shì yàn yī fān 。” lǐ fán chén kěn de shuō dào 。
“道友如果不信，我们大可以试验一番。”李凡陈恳的说道。
"If you doubt it, we can test it out," Li Fan said earnestly.
wēi wēi jiǔ xǐng de xīn hóng zhāng ， yòu zǐ xì guān chá le lǐ fán 。
微微酒醒的辛宏章，又仔细观察了李凡。
Xinhongzhang, who was just beginning to sober up, carefully observed Li Fan once more. "Indeed, only at the Foundation Establishment realm. Even if he has ill intentions, I can still easily deal with him. Fine, let's see what kind of game he's playing."
“ dí què zhǐ yǒu yuán yīng xiū wèi ， jiù suàn tā xīn huái bù guǐ 、 wǒ yě néng suí yì dǎ shā 。 yě bà ， qiě kàn tā mài de shén me guān zi 。”
“的确只有元婴修为，就算他心怀不轨、我也能随意打杀。也罢，且看他卖的什么关子。”
Feeling no malice from Li Fan, Xinhongzhang felt only genuine sincerity.
méi yǒu cóng lǐ fán shēn shàng gǎn dào è yì ， yǒu de zhǐ shì mǎn mǎn de zhēn chéng 。
没有从李凡身上感到恶意，有的只是满满的真诚。
After a moment’s thought, Xinhongzhang agreed to Li Fan’s suggestion.
sī cǔn le piàn kè ， xīn hóng zhāng dā yìng le lǐ fán de jiàn yì 。
思忖了片刻，辛宏章答应了李凡的建议。
The two moved forward and left the defensive fortress.
èr rén yī qián yī hòu ， lí kāi le fáng yù bǎo lěi 。
二人一前一后，离开了防御堡垒。
They flew to an uninhabited place in Jiushan Province.
zhí dào fēi dùn zhì jiǔ shān zhōu yī chù huāng wú rén yān zhī suǒ 。
直到飞遁至九山州一处荒无人烟之所。
"Old Brother Fan, this should do. Let me see your so-called Divine Presence," Xinhongzhang suddenly stopped and said to Li Fan.
“ fàn lǎo dì ， wǒ kàn zhè lǐ jiù chà bu duō le 。 jiù ràng wǒ jiàn shí jiàn shí ， nǐ nà suǒ wèi de shén lín shēn ba 。” xīn hóng zhāng měng dì tíng dùn zhù ， ér hòu duì lǐ fán shuō dào 。
“梵老弟，我看这里就差不多了。就让我见识见识，你那所谓的神临身吧。”辛宏章猛地停顿住，而后对李凡说道。
Li Fan looked around and nodded. "Sure, Daoist Xinhongzhang, stay a bit farther away. I’m afraid I might accidentally hurt you..."
lǐ fán sì chù dǎ liàng le yī quān ， diǎn tóu dào ：“ xíng ， xīn dào yǒu nǐ lí dé yuǎn diǎn 。 wǒ pà wù shāng dào nǐ ……”
李凡四处打量了一圈，点头道：“行，辛道友你离得远点。我怕误伤到你……”
Xinhongzhang snorted inwardly but still followed the instruction.
xīn hóng zhāng xīn zhōng shěn rán ， bù guò hái shì zhào zuò 。
辛宏章心中哂然，不过还是照做。
He watched Li Fan with interest as he recited something: "Mercy in the Red Dust, blessings for all people. As per my wish, divine presence descends..."
tā ráo yǒu xìng qù de kàn zhe lǐ fán shén qíng yán sù ， kǒu zhōng niàn niàn yǒu cí ：“ hóng chén cí bēi ， fú yòu shì rén 。 rú wú suǒ qí ， xiān shēn shèng lín ……”
他饶有兴趣的看着李凡神情严肃，口中念念有词：“红尘慈悲，福佑世人。如吾所祈，仙身圣临……”
"Edict!"
“ chì ！”
“敕！”
"Truly a serious matter," Xinhongzhang thought.
“ hái zhēn shì shà yǒu jiè shì a 。” xīn hóng zhāng zhè me xiǎng zhe 。
“还真是煞有介事啊。”辛宏章这么想着。
But soon, he sensed an eerie and powerful aura emerging. His initial jesting vanished instantly, replaced by intense gravity.
dàn hěn kuài ， chá jué dào yī gǔ guǐ jué 、 qiáng dà de qì xī de chū xiàn ， xīn hóng zhāng yuán běn xīn zhōng de xì xuè shà shí xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
但很快，察觉到一股诡谲、强大的气息的出现，辛宏章原本心中的戏谑霎时消失不见。
"What is this?"
qǔ ér dài zhī de shì wú bǐ níng zhòng 。
取而代之的是无比凝重。
A monster with the head of a sheep and the body of a man appeared before Xinhongzhang as his friend Daoist Fan called it forth.
“ zhè shì ……”
“这是……”
The monster’s eyes were tightly shut, but Xinhongzhang felt like he was being locked in place.
yí gè yáng tóu rén shēn guài wù ， suí zhe nà wèi míng jiào fàn lì de dào yǒu de zhào huàn ， chū xiàn zài xīn hóng zhāng miàn qián 。
一个羊头人身怪物，随着那位名叫梵立的道友的召唤，出现在辛宏章面前。
Shadows and light simultaneously appeared on the monster's body, making it look both strange and sacred.
guài wù jǐn bì zhe shuāng yǎn ， dàn xīn hóng zhāng què yǒu zhǒng bèi suǒ dìng de gǎn jué 。
怪物紧闭着双眼，但辛宏章却有种被锁定的感觉。
"Daoist Xinhongzhang, what do you think?" Li Fan’s voice echoed.
yīn yǐng yǔ guāng míng ， tóng shí zài yáng tóu rén shēn de guài wù shàng chū xiàn 。
阴影与光明，同时在羊头人身的怪物上出现。
Xinhongzhang finally snapped out of his shock. He didn’t answer but assessed the monster’s strength before him.
kàn shàng qù guài yì yòu shén shèng 。
看上去怪异又神圣。
The other seemed to see through his thoughts and said in a calm tone: "Just looking won't help much. Daoist Xinhongzhang, are you interested in sparring with this Divine Presence?"
“ xīn dào yǒu ， rú hé ？” lǐ fán de shēng yīn chuán lái 。
“辛道友，如何？”李凡的声音传来。
Xinhongzhang narrowed his eyes and nodded in agreement.
xīn hóng zhāng zhè cái cóng zhèn dòng zhōng sū xǐng 。
辛宏章这才从震动中苏醒。
"Then be careful!" Li Fan warned.
tā méi yǒu huí dá ， ér shì píng gū zhuó yǎn qián zhè tóu guài wù de shí lì 。
他没有回答，而是评估着眼前这头怪物的实力。
The sheep-headed monster instantly vanished from sight. The next moment, it appeared behind Xinhongzhang.
ér duì fāng yě sì hū kàn chū le tā de xiǎng fǎ ， huǎn shēng dào ：“ guāng kàn yě wú jì yú shì ， xīn dào yǒu kě yǒu xìng qù gēn wǒ zhè shén lín shēn qiē cuō yī fān ？”
而对方也似乎看出了他的想法，缓声道：“光看也无济于事，辛道友可有兴趣跟我这神临身切磋一番？”
"What speed..." Before he could even react, Xinhongzhang felt the monster’s large hands tightly choking him from behind.
xīn hóng zhāng mī zhuó yǎn jīng ， diǎn tóu dā yìng 。
辛宏章眯着眼睛，点头答应。
Before he could struggle, his surroundings suddenly changed.
“ nà xīn dào yǒu xiǎo xīn le ！” lǐ fán yī shēng qīng hē 。
“那辛道友小心了！”李凡一声轻喝。
He seemed to fall into an endless nightmare, with five blood moons interwoven in the sky.
yáng tóu guài wù shēn xíng shà shí xiāo shī ， xià yī kè ， jiù chū xiàn zài xīn hóng zhāng shēn hòu 。
羊头怪物身形霎时消失，下一刻，就出现在辛宏章身后。
Countless terrifying demons surrounded him, all staring at him with their eyes.
“ zhè zhǒng sù dù ……” lái bù jí zhèn jīng ， xīn hóng zhāng jiù gǎn jué guài wù de yī shuāng dà shǒu zì bèi hòu sǐ sǐ lēi zhù le de zì jǐ de bó zi 。
“这种速度……”来不及震惊，辛宏章就感觉怪物的一双大手自背后死死勒住了的自己的脖子。
Under this oppressive atmosphere, Xinhongzhang’s thoughts froze instantly.
lái bù jí zhèng tuō ， xīn hóng zhāng yǎn qián jǐng xiàng hū de yī biàn 。
来不及挣脱，辛宏章眼前景象忽的一变。
He completely abandoned resistance and submitted!
wǎn rú zhuì rù wú biān guǐ yù zhī zhōng ， tiān shàng shì jiāo zhī yì qǐ de wǔ lún xuè yuè 。
宛如坠入无边鬼蜮之中，天上是交织一起的五轮血月。
"Daoist Xinhongzhang?"
zhōu wéi shì chéng qiān shàng wàn 、 kàn bú dào jìn tóu de kǒng bù mó shén ， qí qí cháo zhe zì jǐ tóu lái shì xiàn 。
周围是成千上万、看不到尽头的恐怖魔神，齐齐朝着自己投来视线。
Li Fan's voice brought him back from his nightmare.
kǒng bù yā yì de qì fēn xià ， xīn hóng zhāng de sī xù dōu fǎng fú chà nà jiān bèi dòng jié 。
恐怖压抑的气氛下，辛宏章的思绪都仿佛刹那间被冻结。
"You..." Xinhongzhang looked around, realizing the sheep-headed monster had vanished. He stared at Li Fan uncertainly, unable to speak.
jìng rán wán quán fàng qì le dǐ kàng ， rèn rén yú ròu ！
竟然完全放弃了抵抗，任人鱼肉！
"How powerful is this Divine Presence?" Li Fan said smugly.
“ xīn dào yǒu ？”
“辛道友？”
Xinhongzhang was silent for a moment before saying four words: "I am not as good..."
zhí dào lǐ fán de hū hǎn shēng ， cái jiāng tā cóng è mèng zhōng jīng xǐng 。
直到李凡的呼喊声，才将他从噩梦中惊醒。
"Nothing to worry about; there's no restriction on practicing this technique simultaneously. If you're interested, I can teach it to you," Li Fan said earnestly.
“ nǐ ……” xīn hóng zhāng zuǒ yòu huán shì le yī quān ， fā xiàn gāng gāng nà tóu yáng tóu guài wù yǐ jīng xiāo shī bú jiàn 。 tā jīng yí bù dìng de kàn zhe lǐ fán ， yù yán yòu zhǐ 。
“你……”辛宏章左右环视了一圈，发现刚刚那头羊头怪物已经消失不见。他惊疑不定的看着李凡，欲言又止。
Having personally experienced the terrifying power of Divine Presence, Xinhongzhang instinctively wanted to agree.
“ zhè shén lín shēn de shí lì rú hé ？” lǐ fán dé yì yáng yáng dào 。
“这神临身的实力如何？”李凡得意洋洋道。
But remembering the dark and eerie realm he had seen, Xinhongzhang felt some hesitation.
xīn hóng zhāng chén mò piàn kè ， zuì zhōng tǔ chū sì gè zì ：“ wǒ bù rú yě ……”
辛宏章沉默片刻，最终吐出四个字：“我不如也……”
This secret technique seemed a bit sinister.
“ méi shì ， zhè mì fǎ bìng méi yǒu bù kě tóng xiū de xiàn zhì 。 rú guǒ dào yǒu xīn yí ， wǒ kě jiāng qí chuán shòu gěi nǐ 。” lǐ fán rèn zhēn de shuō dào 。
“没事，这秘法并没有不可同修的限制。如果道友心宜，我可将其传授给你。”李凡认真的说道。
And for such a powerful divine art, why was it being freely offered?
qīn shēn tǐ yàn nà shén lín shēn kě bù shí lì de xīn hóng zhāng ， xià yì shí de jiù xiǎng yào dā yìng 。
亲身体验那神临身可怖实力的辛宏章，下意识的就想要答应。
Xinhongzhang’s doubts grew.
bù guò yòu xiǎng dào zì jǐ suǒ jiàn de nà yīn àn guǐ yù ， xīn hóng zhāng yòu bù miǎn yǒu xiē yóu yí bù dìng 。
不过又想到自己所见的那阴暗鬼蜮，辛宏章又不免有些犹疑不定。
Seeing his concerns, Li Fan smiled and pulled him down to the ground. "Actually, I’m willing to teach you this Divine Presence because of something personal."
zhè mén mì fǎ ， sì hū yǒu diǎn xié mén 。
这门秘法，似乎有点邪门。
"Ah?" Xinhongzhang's interest piqued as he looked at Li Fan.
ér qiě ， rú cǐ shén tōng mì shù ， duì fāng jū rán jiù zhè me miǎn fèi chuán shòu le ？
而且，如此神通秘术，对方居然就这么免费传授了？
"This all starts with the origin of this secret technique. Legend has it that in ancient times, gods and demons roamed freely. Humans were merely their food, a tragic fate. A compassionate sage appeared, making a grand vow to suppress all gods and demons and restore the world to peace..."
xīn hóng zhāng xīn zhōng yí lǜ cóng shēng 。
辛宏章心中疑虑丛生。
"You mean the sheep-headed monster you just summoned is one of those ancient gods or demons?" Xinhongzhang’s expression was strange.
sì hū shì kàn chū le xīn hóng zhāng de gù lǜ ， lǐ fán xiào le xiào ， lā zhe duì fāng jiàng luò dào dì miàn ， jiě shì qǐ lái 。
似乎是看出了辛宏章的顾虑，李凡笑了笑，拉着对方降落到地面，解释起来。
Li Fan nodded: "The sage suppressed all gods and demons, but they can neither die nor be destroyed. To prevent them from escaping, he used himself as a prison, forever suppressing them."
“ qí shí ， wǒ yuàn yì chuán shòu nǐ shén lín shēn ， yě shì yǒu diǎn sī xīn de 。”
“其实，我愿意传授你神临身，也是有点私心的。”
"To avoid the sage's powers weakening after countless millennia, he left behind this secret technique. Any cultivator who practices Divine Presence can suppress countless gods and demons in return for being able to summon their projections to fight for them..."
“ ó ？” xīn hóng zhāng xīn zhōng yī dòng ， kàn xiàng lǐ fán 。
“哦？”辛宏章心中一动，看向李凡。
Xinhongzhang felt dizzy.
“ zhè yī qiè ， hái yào cóng zhè mén mì shù de yuán tóu shuō qǐ 。 jù shuō tài gǔ zhī shí ， shì jiān shén mó sì nüè 。 wǒ men rén zú zhǐ shì shén mó de kǒu liáng ， mìng yùn bēi cǎn 。 yǒu yī xīn huái cí bēi de shèng rén chū shì ， fā dà hóng yuàn ， shì yào jiāng shì jiān yī qiè shén mó zhèn yā 、 hái tiān xià yí gè lǎng lǎng qián kūn ……”
“这一切，还要从这门秘术的源头说起。据说太古之时，世间神魔肆虐。我们人族只是神魔的口粮，命运悲惨。有一心怀慈悲的圣人出世，发大宏愿，誓要将世间一切神魔镇压、还天下一个朗朗乾坤……”
He had never heard of a compassionate sage or all these gods and demons before. It contradicted his worldview entirely, making it hard to believe.
“ nǐ shì shuō ， nǐ gāng gāng suǒ zhào huàn chū de nà yáng tóu guài wù ， jiù shì bèi zhèn yā de yuǎn gǔ shén mó ？” xīn hóng zhāng liǎn sè yǒu xiē gǔ guài 。
“你是说，你刚刚所召唤出的那羊头怪物，就是被镇压的远古神魔？”辛宏章脸色有些古怪。
Li Fan continued: "Originally, I thought this was too absurd as well. But after successfully summoning the god’s projection through practicing this secret technique, I understood..."
lǐ fán diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ shèng rén suī rán jiāng shì jiān shén mó quán dōu zhèn yā ， dàn shén mó bù sǐ bù miè 。 wèi le fáng zhǐ tā men táo tuō ， shèng rén biàn yǐ shēn wèi yù ， yǒng shì zhèn yā 。”
李凡点点头：“圣人虽然将世间神魔全都镇压，但神魔不死不灭。为了防止祂们逃脱，圣人便以身为狱，永世镇压。”
"This secret technique is not from the Xuanhuang realm. The events recorded in it did not happen here. However, its power is real and effective."
“ yòu fáng zhǐ wàn wàn nián hòu ， zì shēn shuāi jié 。 suǒ yǐ duì wài liú xià mì fǎ ， fán xiū xíng shén lín shēn zhě ， jiē kě yǐ shēn zhèn yā wú qióng shén mó 。 zuò wéi huí bào ， jiù shì kě yǐ jiāng shèng yù zhōng de shén mó zhào huàn chū tóu yǐng ， wèi zì jǐ ér zhàn ……”
“又防止万万年后，自身衰竭。所以对外留下秘法，凡修行神临身者，皆可以身镇压无穷神魔。作为回报，就是可以将圣狱中的神魔召唤出投影，为自己而战……”
Xinhongzhang immediately understood upon hearing this.
xīn hóng zhāng tīng dé tóu yǒu xiē yūn 。
辛宏章听得头有些晕。
"Moreover, this secret technique has a unique characteristic. Each cultivator’s practice leaves a distinct mark. After passing on the technique to others, these marks don’t disappear but instead benefit future practitioners by summoning more and stronger god projections..."
shén me cí bēi shèng rén 、 zhū tiān shén mó ， tā gēn běn cóng lái méi yǒu tīng shuō guò 。
什么慈悲圣人、诸天神魔，他根本从来没有听说过。
These words were somewhat abstract, and Xinhongzhang didn't fully grasp their meaning at first.
gēn tā zhī qián de shì jiè guān quán rán xiāng bèi ， hěn nán xiāng xìn 。
跟他之前的世界观全然相悖，很难相信。
But Li Fan explained with practical examples: "For instance..."
lǐ fán zé shì jì xù shuō dào ：“ yuán běn wǒ yě gēn nǐ yī yàng ， jué de cǐ shì tài guò huāng dàn 。 bù guò zài zhēn zhèng xiū xíng zhè mén mì shù ， chéng gōng zhào huàn chū shén mó tóu yǐng zhī hòu ， wǒ míng bái le ……”
李凡则是继续说道：“原本我也跟你一样，觉得此事太过荒诞。不过在真正修行这门秘术，成功召唤出神魔投影之后，我明白了……”
Three demonic gods with overwhelming evil energy suddenly appeared around Xinhongzhang, surrounding him.
“ zhè mén mì shù bú shì xuán huáng jiè běn tǔ mì fǎ 。 suǒ jì zǎi de shì jiàn ， yě bìng fēi fā shēng zài xuán huáng jiè zhī shì 。 bù guò ， mì shù de lì liàng què shí zhēn shí yǒu xiào de 。”
“这门秘术不是玄黄界本土秘法。所记载的事件，也并非发生在玄黄界之事。不过，秘术的力量确实真实有效的。”
Overwhelmed by the endless demonic aura, Xinhongzhang swallowed hard and couldn’t move.
xīn hóng zhāng wén yán ， dùn shí huǎng rán dà wù 。
辛宏章闻言，顿时恍然大悟。
"I have passed on this secret technique to over ten people. Therefore, I can now summon three god projections."
“ ér qiě ， zhè mén mì shù hái yǒu yī zhǒng tè xìng 。 měi gè rén xiū xíng de mì shù ， dōu yǒu zhe dú tè de biāo shí 。 jiāng mì shù chuán shòu gěi bié rén zhī hòu ， zhè biāo shí bìng bú huì xiāo shī 。 fǎn ér huì cóng xià yī wèi xiū xíng mì shù de rén dāng zhōng shōu yì ， zhào huàn chū gèng duō 、 gèng qiáng de shén mó tóu yǐng lái ……”
“而且，这门秘术还有一种特性。每个人修行的秘术，都有着独特的标识。将秘术传授给别人之后，这标识并不会消失。反而会从下一位修行秘术的人当中收益，召唤出更多、更强的神魔投影来……”
"The more cultivators you pass it on to, the more god projections you can summon. This is why I’m not against teaching you this [Divine Presence] secret technique," Li Fan said with a smile.
zhè yī fān huà shuō de yǒu xiē xuán xū ， xīn hóng zhāng yī shí jiān hái méi míng bái guò lái jù tǐ shì shén me yì si 。
这一番话说的有些玄虚，辛宏章一时间还没明白过来具体是什么意思。
Xinhongzhang looked at the three imposing demonic gods around him and felt his heart race.
dàn hěn kuài ， lǐ fán jiù yòng shí jì biǎo xiàn jiě shì le qǐ lái 。
但很快，李凡就用实际表现解释了起来。
(End of Chapter)
"From what I can see, your cultivation level is only at the Foundation Establishment stage. What's so special about your secret technique?" Xinhongzhang shook his head slightly. "I'll share this secret with you without expecting anything in return. You can keep that [Divine Presence] for yourself."
Li Fan's expression turned a bit unpleasant upon hearing this.
It seemed like he was about to react, but ultimately, he patiently explained: "Friend Daoist Xinhongzhang, don't judge me by my Foundation Establishment realm. The Divine Presence I summon is even more powerful than mine. Even if it's a Spiritual Transformation cultivator, they can still withstand some of its attacks..."
"Ah?" Xinhongzhang's expression turned serious upon hearing this.
"If you doubt it, we can test it out," Li Fan said earnestly.
Xinhongzhang, who was just beginning to sober up, carefully observed Li Fan once more. "Indeed, only at the Foundation Establishment realm. Even if he has ill intentions, I can still easily deal with him. Fine, let's see what kind of game he's playing."
Feeling no malice from Li Fan, Xinhongzhang felt only genuine sincerity.
After a moment’s thought, Xinhongzhang agreed to Li Fan’s suggestion.
The two moved forward and left the defensive fortress.
They flew to an uninhabited place in Jiushan Province.
"Old Brother Fan, this should do. Let me see your so-called Divine Presence," Xinhongzhang suddenly stopped and said to Li Fan.
Li Fan looked around and nodded. "Sure, Daoist Xinhongzhang, stay a bit farther away. I’m afraid I might accidentally hurt you..."
Xinhongzhang snorted inwardly but still followed the instruction.
He watched Li Fan with interest as he recited something: "Mercy in the Red Dust, blessings for all people. As per my wish, divine presence descends..."
"Edict!"
"Truly a serious matter," Xinhongzhang thought.
But soon, he sensed an eerie and powerful aura emerging. His initial jesting vanished instantly, replaced by intense gravity.
"What is this?"
A monster with the head of a sheep and the body of a man appeared before Xinhongzhang as his friend Daoist Fan called it forth.
The monster’s eyes were tightly shut, but Xinhongzhang felt like he was being locked in place.
Shadows and light simultaneously appeared on the monster's body, making it look both strange and sacred.
"Daoist Xinhongzhang, what do you think?" Li Fan’s voice echoed.
Xinhongzhang finally snapped out of his shock. He didn’t answer but assessed the monster’s strength before him.
The other seemed to see through his thoughts and said in a calm tone: "Just looking won't help much. Daoist Xinhongzhang, are you interested in sparring with this Divine Presence?"
Xinhongzhang narrowed his eyes and nodded in agreement.
"Then be careful!" Li Fan warned.
The sheep-headed monster instantly vanished from sight. The next moment, it appeared behind Xinhongzhang.
"What speed..." Before he could even react, Xinhongzhang felt the monster’s large hands tightly choking him from behind.
Before he could struggle, his surroundings suddenly changed.
He seemed to fall into an endless nightmare, with five blood moons interwoven in the sky.
Countless terrifying demons surrounded him, all staring at him with their eyes.
Under this oppressive atmosphere, Xinhongzhang’s thoughts froze instantly.
He completely abandoned resistance and submitted!
"Daoist Xinhongzhang?"
Li Fan's voice brought him back from his nightmare.
"You..." Xinhongzhang looked around, realizing the sheep-headed monster had vanished. He stared at Li Fan uncertainly, unable to speak.
"How powerful is this Divine Presence?" Li Fan said smugly.
Xinhongzhang was silent for a moment before saying four words: "I am not as good..."
"Nothing to worry about; there's no restriction on practicing this technique simultaneously. If you're interested, I can teach it to you," Li Fan said earnestly.
Having personally experienced the terrifying power of Divine Presence, Xinhongzhang instinctively wanted to agree.
But remembering the dark and eerie realm he had seen, Xinhongzhang felt some hesitation.
This secret technique seemed a bit sinister.
And for such a powerful divine art, why was it being freely offered?
Xinhongzhang’s doubts grew.
Seeing his concerns, Li Fan smiled and pulled him down to the ground. "Actually, I’m willing to teach you this Divine Presence because of something personal."
"Ah?" Xinhongzhang's interest piqued as he looked at Li Fan.
"This all starts with the origin of this secret technique. Legend has it that in ancient times, gods and demons roamed freely. Humans were merely their food, a tragic fate. A compassionate sage appeared, making a grand vow to suppress all gods and demons and restore the world to peace..."
"You mean the sheep-headed monster you just summoned is one of those ancient gods or demons?" Xinhongzhang’s expression was strange.
Li Fan nodded: "The sage suppressed all gods and demons, but they can neither die nor be destroyed. To prevent them from escaping, he used himself as a prison, forever suppressing them."
"To avoid the sage's powers weakening after countless millennia, he left behind this secret technique. Any cultivator who practices Divine Presence can suppress countless gods and demons in return for being able to summon their projections to fight for them..."
Xinhongzhang felt dizzy.
He had never heard of a compassionate sage or all these gods and demons before. It contradicted his worldview entirely, making it hard to believe.
Li Fan continued: "Originally, I thought this was too absurd as well. But after successfully summoning the god’s projection through practicing this secret technique, I understood..."
"This secret technique is not from the Xuanhuang realm. The events recorded in it did not happen here. However, its power is real and effective."
Xinhongzhang immediately understood upon hearing this.
"Moreover, this secret technique has a unique characteristic. Each cultivator’s practice leaves a distinct mark. After passing on the technique to others, these marks don’t disappear but instead benefit future practitioners by summoning more and stronger god projections..."
These words were somewhat abstract, and Xinhongzhang didn't fully grasp their meaning at first.
But Li Fan explained with practical examples: "For instance..."
Three demonic gods with overwhelming evil energy suddenly appeared around Xinhongzhang, surrounding him.
Overwhelmed by the endless demonic aura, Xinhongzhang swallowed hard and couldn’t move.
"I have passed on this secret technique to over ten people. Therefore, I can now summon three god projections."
"The more cultivators you pass it on to, the more god projections you can summon. This is why I’m not against teaching you this [Divine Presence] secret technique," Li Fan said with a smile.
Xinhongzhang looked at the three imposing demonic gods around him and felt his heart race.
(End of Chapter)