350: Chapter 148: Lying in a Dead Man’s Coffin Accompanied by the Dead 350: Chapter 148: Lying in a Dead Man’s Coffin Accompanied by the Dead Li Mumu had never considered herself a social anxiety sufferer.
She was simply bored to death and wanted someone to talk to.
After much effort, which included but was not limited to being tied up into a dumpling and thrown out five or six times, she finally became familiar with a lady with short hair.
The lady’s name was Xia Yubing, a local from Tianmen.
Like her, Yubing was practicing one of the Twelve Laws promoted by the Special Service Bureau, but it wasn’t the Demon branch; it was the Specter System.
This was the first time Mumu had heard of this Dharma Gate, and in fact, she was unfamiliar with those laws beyond the range recommended by Yaoqin.
There was no helping it; information transmission efficiency was still too low in those days.
Yubing explained to her that apart from the distinction between the Righteous Path and the Heretical Path, the Twelve Laws themselves are divided into factional camps, arranged according to the Cycle Constellation Chart, with the twenty-eight constellations at the end of the road split into four major sectors.
These are the Azure Dragon’s seven constellations, the White Tiger’s seven constellations, the Black Tortoise’s seven constellations, and the Vermilion Bird’s seven constellations.
The three main Dharma Gates of the official bureaus—Chess Herald, Advisor, and Garrison Soldiers—are all part of the Azure Dragon’s seven constellations.
In plain language, this means with these three Dharma Gates as the starting point, there are seven paths, each ending at one of the seven major constellation deities.
The Specter Dharma Gate that Xia Yubing practiced belongs to the Vermilion Bird system, and the three Dharma Gates of this camp are Geomancy, Craftsman, and Specter.
The advantage of the Vermilion Bird system lies in its tradition.
The names of the Dharma Gate might sound unfamiliar, but put another way, they are very well-known, actually corresponding to the past’s three major sects: Taoism, Mohist school, and Ghost Path.
Thousands of years of historical inheritance have enriched and solidified their theoretical depth.
But the downside is also in its tradition.
Being time-honored and profound could also mean sticking to the old ways and being inflexible.
These old things just couldn’t keep up with the new era.
However, it is fortunate that the new era had just begun, and compared to the old things that had survived for thousands of years, it was merely a newborn baby.
As for the Demon Dharma Gate practiced by Li Mumu, it belongs to the White Tiger system, the other two Dharma Gates being Priest and Witch Doctor.
Xia Yubing was very secretive about her past, but she was surprisingly easy to talk to about other matters.
To coax Mumu into going back to her own nest to practice cultivation, she patiently explained a lot of basic common knowledge about cultivation.
For instance, each Dharma Gate has two paths of cultivation: the Righteous and the Heretical Path, each offering three opportunities to enhance one’s realm.
Essentially, it’s like advancing one’s professional rank.
In ancient terms, these stages are Refinement of Essence into Qi, Refine Qi into Spirit, and Refine the Spirit and Return to the Void.
The path of the Heretical Dharma Gate ends here, but only by practicing the Dharma Gate of the Righteous Path one can step into the final stage of Refine the Void and Merge with the Dao and certify one’s position among the constellation deities.
This knowledge was somewhat too advanced for Li Mumu, who had only just embarked on the path of cultivation less than a month ago.
But in a sense, it truly sparked her interest in cultivation.
A real gamer never cares about the grind, only if the game is a piece of crap and if the grinding is necessary.
This stuff sounded truly worth grinding for!
To further stimulate her interest in cultivation, Xia Yubing also patiently explained the specific details of practicing the Demon Dharma Gate.
Her own practice in the Specter Dharma Gate could lead to the promotion to “City God’s Envoy” if it was the Righteous Path, or to “Netherworld Demon” if it was the Heretical Path.
While Li Mumu was cultivating the Demon Dharma Gate, if it were of the Righteous Path, she could advance to become a “Moon Demon”, but if it were of the Heretical Path, she would become a “Night Demon”.
There’s a very special mechanism in the cultivation of the Dharma Sect of Righteous Path, which is that power gradually increases in the early stages of cultivation, but as one approaches the advance to the next realm, this power gradually fades away.
It’s like the waxing and waning of the moon.
Within the same realm, there are stages named after moon phases, such as New Beginnings, Crescent, Waxing, Completion, Waning, Imperfection, Dark to Light, and so on.
Put in more scientific terms, it is about re-anchoring oneself, reshaping self-awareness.
This information is not found in the educational materials released externally by the Special Service Bureau—it belongs to the internal secrets or might as well be described as deliberately designed traps.
The game is free, just play as you wish.
Only the card draws cost money, and that’s voluntary.
You can choose not to participate, or you can hoard slowly like a hoarder.
But you better not play with the Abyss.
It’s not that you’re prohibited, but mainly because it’s exhausting.
You shouldn’t join in the forum PVP show-offs either, children should stay out of adult matters.
So devious…
If it weren’t for Xia Yubing’s warning, Li Mumu would never have known that such a big trap was buried in the secret manual she was cultivating from.
Xia Yubing is currently at the peak of Foundation Establishment, about to enter the Refinement of Essence into Qi stage, and advance in the Righteous Path as the “City God’s Envoy”.
After advancing, she can join the City God’s Office and work alongside her senior, Zuo Yan.
Her current strength has dropped to almost that of an ordinary person; the only thing left to do is find a safe place to hide and quietly wait for a special moment to arrive.
Like the Containment Department.
This place may not be much different from a dungeon, but its biggest advantage is isolation from the external world, devoid of outside disturbances.
As Qiao Hongyi said, truly irredeemable evil spirits and demons that are of no redeeming value were long taken out and shot, not wasting the nation’s resources.
There are actually several others like Xia Yubing hiding here to advance and change professions, but she is not familiar with them and doesn’t recommend that Li Mumu rashly explore their backgrounds.
Those who are valuable are not necessarily good people, nor are they necessarily safe.
Redemption value is value, and utility value is also value.
Right now, the most important thing for Xia Yubing is to lie in her coffin and sleep, ideally until she successfully progresses.
Speaking of which, the look she gave Li Mumu was full of resentment.
I’ve made it this clear.
When the hell are you going back to your own den?
“I personally think that constantly sleeping like this isn’t good for you,”
Li Mumu seriously bluffed, “I’ve never heard of monks hiding in deep mountains and forests becoming Buddha, nor have I heard of someone landing a government job by lying in bed at home.
I think you should get out more, or talk more with me to completely relax your mindset.
That’s how you’ll find the breakthrough you’re looking for.”
“I don’t care what you think!”
Xia Yubing covered her face and sighed.
“If you really like this coffin, I’m willing to let you sleep in it, and I’ll go to Room 303, okay?”
As everyone knows, the more honest people are, the more they get bullied.
Seeing her so weak, Li Mumu became even more overbearing: “Sister, sister, this coffin is quite big.
How about we sleep in it together?
You tell me a story, tuck me in, and then you can concentrate on your cultivation!”
Xia Yubing took a deep breath and clenched her fists.
She really wanted to kill this thing.