Chapter 3, Salvation, Where is the Path

Cheng Pan sat in the cabin, practicing the foundational techniques brought from the main god space. After experiencing a life-and-death struggle in the recent days, Cheng Pan was particularly concerned about how to enhance his strength. After all, this world is too dangerous for a young man who has just grown up in a peaceful and prosperous environment. The effects of the basic internal skills were quite good. Two days ago, when Cheng Pan consulted Zhang Sanfeng with his "family inheritance health-preserving technique," Master Zhang highly praised this method, describing it as peaceful, seemingly clumsy yet skillful, with immense potential. Cheng Pan, under Master Zhang's admiration, fully realized what it meant for something produced by the main god to be of exceptional quality. Under Master Zhang's guidance and with a heightened awareness of every blood vessel in his body, he grasped the sensation of qi in just one afternoon, a speed that astonished those around him. Master Zhang developed a fondness for his talent and wanted to take him under his wing at Wudang. He even taught him the original Tai Chi for his study.

Cheng Pan knelt down on the ground (although there is gold beneath a man's knees, kneeling before this century-old BT is not shameful). He recited the words he had long prepared: "I wish to join Wudang, but the Tartars still occupy the Central Plains. As a man, I cannot evade this. If I am still in this world 40 years from now, I wish to ascend the mountain to apologize to the true immortal." Someone had already determined the location for retirement. Zhang Sanfeng looked at Cheng Pan with an appreciative gaze and said: "You have this ambition, I will not stop you, take care." Zhang Sanfeng, accompanied by Zhou Luoli, floated away. At the same time, Cheng Pan also rose to leave. Zhang Sanfeng looked at Cheng Pan with an appreciative gaze and said: "You have this ambition, I will not stop you, take care." Zhang Sanfeng, accompanied by Zhou Luoli, floated away. At the same time, Cheng Pan also rose to leave.

Cheng Pan is currently dressed in beggar's clothes, with his face covered in dirt from the ground. He is cautiously pretending to be a beggar on the street, hiding in a corner and watching the "fat sheep" walking by on the street. Indeed, it is the "fat sheep".

On the second day after his departure from Dangyang, the government office in Danyang was thrown into chaos by various prominent owners of lost property, with goods worth 2,000 taels of silver disappearing into the pockets of over a hundred people and eight shops being looted, creating a legend in the region of Dangyang; however, that is a story for another time and shall not be elaborated upon

A day later, Cheng Pan appeared in the city of Dangyang, Hubei, at three o'clock in the afternoon, with the autumn sun warming the air. Various people were bustling about on the streets, some boisterous, like the Mongolian man in the distance brandishing a curved knife to force a sale. There were the wealthy, dressed in smooth silk garments, appearing in grand storefronts, and more were the common folk clad in thin, coarse cloth.

In the evening, Cheng Pan envisioned a future where he would lead a great army to Daoyang, mercilessly whipping every Mongolian here, then change into clean clothes, board a boat, and sail down the river, leaving Daoyang behind

However, this ability is extremely despicable. One by one, the wealth in the bags of passersby on the street is unknowingly transformed into stones, and no one knows that the beggar two zhang away invented this unique method of theft without contact in the world

... ...

At this moment, Zhang Sanfeng said: "Cheng, my young friend, your innate qualities are exceptional (Note: The main deity has repaired you, correcting your crooked bones), and your comprehension is outstanding (Note: Thanks to the golden finger, you quickly found the sense of qi; in reality, this fellow is just a decayed wood). How about joining my Wudang?"

Generally speaking, a master of internal martial arts must practice for a full sixty years to attain the profound ability of internal vision. These practitioners who have achieved minor success in their cultivation possess a clear understanding of their own bodies, enabling them to continuously eliminate the hidden injuries accumulated from their early training and to slow down the aging of subtle parts of their bodies. However, Cheng Pan, even at the entry level, possesses an ability akin to internal vision, allowing him to eliminate hidden injuries as soon as they form. Moreover, his youthful physique is far more vibrant than those practitioners nearing their sixties who possess internal vision. This has resulted in an unimaginable transformation in Cheng Pan's internal energy and physical quality. In recent days, Cheng Pan's appetite has significantly increased, disproportionate to his physique. At the same time, he feels a noticeable improvement in his strength and reaction speed, although the changes are still not substantial after only a few days of practice.

In Changyang City, he committed crimes in several locations continuously, nearly a hundred times (this fellow still instinctively prioritizes self-preservation). From the elegantly dressed individuals, he obtained around forty to fifty kilograms of silver, two kilograms of gold, and an unknown amount of paper currency from pawnshop counters and carriages. Sometimes, the owners of the items would notice their pockets feeling lighter and would shout that there was a thief. During the commotion, Cheng Pan, dressed in tattered beggar's clothes, would divert the suspicious gazes towards those who were more robustly dressed. On one occasion, after a fat man shouted that there was a thief, four or five people simultaneously realized that their silver had vanished. Among the victims were several Mongolians, who began to angrily search everyone on the street, regardless of gender. Cheng Pan's only loss was being whipped by each of the extremely displeased victims venting their frustrations. This whipping indeed made Cheng Pan reconsider; it was not out of a sudden moral awakening, but rather a preparation to leave the city and embark on a rebellion.

Cheng Pan is currently focusing on the first mass of true energy within his body, which resembles a yellow bean. After undergoing dozens of foundational internal skill pathways, this mass of true energy has begun to strengthen slightly. Meanwhile, the bruising on his arm from a few days ago has also been resolved by the true energy. This would not have been possible so quickly; Cheng Pan is utilizing his heightened perception to delicately manipulate the true energy at the site of the hidden injury

Last night, after leaving Zhang Sanfeng, Cheng Pan carefully contemplated. He should not speak of revenge against society—rather, he aims to break the dark rule of the Mongols. To rebel, one must have followers. Cheng Pan does not consider himself to possess any special qualities; throughout elementary school, middle school, high school, and university, he was always elected as a class leader rather than being chosen, and he has a clear understanding of his position as an ordinary citizen. To realize the countless dreams of his younger brothers, he must have money. Fortunately, he possesses the unique ability of spatial perception. To rebel, one must have followers. Cheng Pan does not consider himself to possess any special qualities; throughout elementary school, middle school, high school, and university, he was always elected as a class leader rather than being chosen, and he has a clear understanding of his position as an ordinary citizen. To realize the countless dreams of his younger brothers, he must have money. Fortunately, he possesses the unique ability of spatial perception. When the main deity and the * map * book space merged with a part of Cheng Pan's soul, he was granted two golden fingers. One is a powerful perception of the surrounding space, and the other is a storage space within his spiritual sea. In fact, these two abilities are interconnected, as a piece of space has merged with Cheng Pan's soul, forming an independent space. This independent space interacts with the external space, allowing the soul that has merged with the space to sense a certain range of the external environment. In this sensing domain, Cheng Pan can draw in a soulless object from the external space into his soul space. Of course, it must be a soulless object, as Cheng Pan's spiritual sea space contains his own soul and cannot conflict with external souls. Naturally, he cannot draw in living beings either. A living person is an entity where the body and soul are closely intertwined; unless one kills the person, separation is impossible. Therefore, Cheng Pan's soul space cannot accommodate living beings. It possesses no lethal power.

The path to ascend the mountain with Zhang Sanfeng is a way to escape the chaos of war. With an understanding of the plot, one can avoid all dangers. Cheng Pan is a lazy person, and this path of enjoying comfort holds great temptation for him. However, there is always a sense of unwillingness. "Before I crossed over, I lived this way, adhering to the rules. Do I have to continue to follow the rules for several more decades in this world? In this martial arts world, there are internal skills I never dared to imagine in my past life. I can live more vividly, and at the same time, I possess knowledge that surpasses this world by hundreds of years." It turns out that before I crossed over, I lived this way, adhering to the rules. Do I have to continue to follow the rules for several more decades in this world? In this martial arts world, there are internal skills I never dared to imagine in my past life. I can live more vividly, and at the same time, I possess knowledge that surpasses this world by hundreds of years. Am I to remain so ordinary? As long as I act, I cannot be ordinary." Cheng Pan is entangled between comfort and passion. Suddenly, he recalls the eyes of the four Mongolian archers who shot at him a few days ago, their eyes filled with perverse excitement, akin to the expressions of farmers slaughtering pigs and sheep. Thinking of this, Cheng Pan feels a surge of blood and energy. "Damn, a person lives for a breath. Suddenly, he recalls the eyes of the four Mongolian archers who shot at him a few days ago, their eyes filled with perverse excitement, akin to the expressions of farmers slaughtering pigs and sheep. Thinking of this, Cheng Pan feels a surge of blood and energy. "Damn, a person lives for a breath. It turns out I was venting my anger about this history online, and now that I have the opportunity to change it in this era, I cannot be cowardly. As my internal strength increases, the danger is manageable (this guy values his life quite a bit)." Cheng Pan finally made up his mind. After numerous crossings, Cheng Pan reflects on this decision and feels speechless about his past.

Five hours later, Cheng Pan exhaled a deep breath of white mist (similar to the vapor one breathes out in winter), which sprayed two meters away. Cheng Pan concluded his meditation. The waves outside the cabin crashed rhythmically. In half a day, it would be the time for Zhang Wuji and Zhang Sanfeng to part ways. Cheng Pan lay on the bed, beginning to contemplate his next course of action

On the morning of the second day, Chang Yuchun bid farewell to Zhang Wuji and Zhang Sanfeng as they embarked on their journey to Butterfly Valley. At this moment, only Cheng Pan, Zhang Sanfeng, and the tearful little girl Zhou Zhiruo remained, while Zhou Ziwang and his son had succumbed to the poison arrow a few days prior, a consequence of the plot's inertia, with the supporting characters destined to play their roles.