Chapter 31

Chen Ang stood there, certain of its extraordinary quality. It could be nurtured in medicinal vapor, radiating a four-colored glow, and yet it could also收敛药性 in the outside world, appearing ordinary. Such a pill could often last a long time without losing its medicinal properties.

Chen Ang carefully cut it open with a jade knife. As expected, he only smelled a faint medicinal scent. He used beeswax to shape the dark red medicinal paste into small pills the size of his little finger, and placed them in a sealed porcelain bottle.

Chen Ang kept only three pills for verification.

He handed one to Shamalang and also raised his hand to take the pill himself. A涩涩的酸味 suddenly rushed through his throat, turning into a line of fire that poured into his abdomen, then rapidly spread. Chen Ang felt his entire body become hot, as if a small fire were burning in his dantian, making him sweat profusely.

Chen Ang quickly circulated his inner strength, feeling the essence and energy in his body about to overflow. He hurriedly sat down in a meditative posture, gathering the medicinal properties within his body and refining them with his inner strength. Shamalang was even worse off; his eyes turned bloodshot as he suddenly rushed out of the boat and dove into the river, his abdomen rumbling like thunder.

Chen Ang's deep blue pupils grew even deeper. He took two deep breaths, and the heat in his body gradually subsided.

The *Jin Kui Yao Lun* harmonized the five qi and yin-yang in his body, quickly calming the medicinal force. Chen Ang felt a pure power residing between his organs, being slowly refined and gradually strengthening the five qi of his organs.

"Yin and yang are the pivot of the human body, and the five qi are the foundation of life! So, the extension of lifespan and the profound secrets of longevity lie in the five qi. The five organs nourish the entire body, generating the power of life. Any aging begins from the internal organs, stemming from the decline of the five qi. No wonder organ failure is the primary cause of death in old age."

This also resolved a long-standing mystery for Chen Ang. External martial arts, when practiced to the extreme, can transform the body to perfection, eliminating all external and internal injuries. However, few of these martial arts masters can surpass the human lifespan, far less than internal martial arts masters. These external martial arts masters have powerful, perfect bodies, which should theoretically have a much stronger life essence than internal martial arts practitioners, but in reality, the opposite is true.

Chen Ang finally understood that it was because internal martial arts can gather and conceal the five qi. This further confirmed that his path was correct. Extreme or even powerful inner strength can damage the generation of the five qi, making it difficult to strengthen the organs. Only the path of medical martial arts, which advances both internally and externally, can nourish the qi and train the body, concealing and extending life to an unparalleled degree.

Feeling the renewed vitality of his body and the vigorous cells, Chen Ang frowned. The extension of his lifespan was only sixty years, far less than his expectations. The Blood Orchid should have more than just this effect. After all, snake kings can live for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Even the shamans here can live for over four hundred years with the help of the Blood Orchid. Although he could still take Blood Orchid medicine, the effects would gradually diminish, extending his life by at most another sixty years, reaching a total of 260 years.

Although the traditional alchemy method did not maximize the Blood Orchid's effects, it instead shifted its function to replenishing essence and energy, making the Blood Orchid pill also enhance inner strength, with effects comparable to the Shaolin Great Return Pill. However, the prospect was clear: the Blood Orchid's role in extending lifespan was limited.

Regarding the genetic gains, Chen Ang had a vague idea. If the overclocking agent unlocked his wisdom, then the Blood Orchid agent might unlock life. They should both be able to open the forbidden secrets of the human body, gaining the path and power of evolution.

This was just Chen Ang's prediction based on the current information, but he felt that it was highly likely.

Breaking through certain genetic limitations, shattering the shackles, and evolving oneself. Chen Ang had a hunch that he might not be the first to unlock these shackles.

In ancient times, deities, spirits, demons, and mythical creatures might all have been beings who shattered the life locks. Vampires, werewolves, elves, mountain spirits, mermaids, angels, and titans—were they the evolution of humans or other evolved beings? Taking the Blood Orchid agent might unlock the power of genes, transforming one into an ancient life form.

Regarding his wisdom lock, Chen Ang also had some ideas. Cultivation, Daoist practice, Zen meditation, and the pursuit of truth by sages and virtuous people might all be ways to unlock the wisdom lock. All paths lead to the same destination, and it turns out he had many fellow travelers.

Chen Ang's heart was stirred, and he laughed with joy.

The path ahead was not shrouded in darkness!

In the darkness, there were many fellow travelers like him, exploring and seeking. He was not alone.

Chen Ang extended his hand, his fingertips brushing against the void in front of him. A familiar feeling accompanied him, as if he had stepped into a void. An ancient voice echoed in his ear: "Nameless, the beginning of heaven and earth; named, the mother of all things. Therefore, always without desire, to observe its subtlety; always with desire, to observe its boundaries. These two come from the same source but have different names, both called the profound. Profound and deeper, the gate of all subtleties..."

Another compassionate voice slowly said: "Thus have I heard: good men and good women, who have aroused the mind of Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi, how should they abide, how should they subdue their minds?"

"Observe the way of heaven, follow the way of heaven, and that is all."

"Believe in what you can do, even if you cannot see its form, having feelings but no form."

"I have heard that in ancient times there were true men who held the heavens and earth, grasped yin and yang, breathed essence and energy, stood alone and guarded the spirit, and their muscles were as one. Therefore, they could live as long as the heavens and earth, without end. This is the way of life."

"In the beginning was the Dao, and the Dao was with God, and the Dao was God."

"E=mc²!"

Numerous voices, large and small, old and young, recited these classics and principles, in ancient Chinese, Latin, Hebrew, Sanskrit, and other languages.

Chen Ang closed his eyes and softly recited these principles from memory. A blood-red light rose from his lower abdomen. The medicinal force of the Blood Orchid suddenly caused his body to undergo a dramatic transformation. His limbs grew larger, and scales appeared evenly on key parts of his body.

Just as the most critical transformation was about to occur,

Chen Ang suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils a deep, pure blue, even deeper and purer than before.

His body quickly returned to normal, the scales gradually fading, revealing pale skin. Chen Ang put on his cloak, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, his pupils had returned to their normal brown.

"Overclocked to the fourth degree, damn it! So fast! Fortunately, I controlled the genetic changes, or my body would have collapsed." Chen Ang held his forehead in frustration. "The wisdom lock must be the path of cultivation! I didn't expect to have to face this direct path like the ancient sages."

"Learning is cultivation, wisdom is the path. I didn't expect that the orthodox path is not in the secret books, not in the classics of the sages, and not in the paths they opened! It is in the things they did, following in their footsteps, exploring and seeking."

"Everything is so simple."

Chen Ang calmed his breath and sat on the ground, thinking: the wisdom lock, the life lock, and other evolutionary paths. If the wisdom lock is the path of cultivation, then the life lock should be the path of evolution. One leads to immortality, the other to transformation. But these two paths are not mutually exclusive.

The difference is that the path of cultivation evolves through understanding the world and learning. The path of life evolves through imitation of nature, survival of the fittest, and natural evolution. But these two paths clearly influence and promote each other.

Now, Chen Ang is exploring the world and discovering knowledge through the wisdom of the sages, improving his essence. But this does not prevent him from controlling his genes, exploring the original power of life, and even transforming into an ancient life form, mastering special abilities.

If he had first created the Blood Orchid agent, Chen Ang would probably be fighting everywhere, gaining powers in the X-Men world, exploring bloodlines in the world of vampires and werewolves, challenging the Greek gods, and battling aliens, exploring the essence of life and the power of genes, and reaching the end of the Dao.

Of course, Chen Ang still prefers his current state, learning more and understanding more.

"The Blood Orchid agent cannot be used until my genes are stable. When I can use both the overclocking agent and the Blood Orchid agent simultaneously, I will definitely study and reference the secrets of the evolutionary path. There are three thousand paths to the Dao, but the fundamental path remains the same. I once said I would reach the end of the Dao."

"Now, I must add that I will experience the journey and reach the end of the Dao. I will absolutely follow the path of cultivation to the end." Feeling the transformed vitality of Shamalang in the distance, Chen Ang smiled.

He turned, his cloak billowing, and disappeared into the air.

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