“Teacher.”
Tang San looked at Grandmaster, somewhat eagerly saying:
“That’s no good. Heart Separation Control is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School’s secret skill, how can it be taught to me?”
Being from Tang Sect, he clearly understood how much the sect’s most profound techniques were valued. Let alone teaching it to outsiders, even if someone lusted after it he would immediately suffer Tang Sect’s severe reprisals.
“Why can’t I teach it? Third brother, train together with me. This actually doesn’t matter. As Grandmaster said, this Heart Separation Control originally wasn’t our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School’s sole property, but since it was useful to us we always passed it down. What’s more, with your favors to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, even if dad was here, he would definitely agree.”
“But……”
Tang San still hesitated and wanted to decline, but Ning Rongrong interrupted.
“But what? Third brother, did I say anything when you gave me the immortal treasure tulip? Did I refuse? I didn’t, because I really consider you my big brother. If a big brother gives something to his little sister, why should I refuse? Although at that time I didn’t know how precious that immortal treasure herb was, even if I knew, I would still definitely receive it. Right now is the same, we Shrek Seven Devils are all one family. You’ve always been selfless to everyone. This is just one tiny technique, if you refuse again, it will be like you don’t consider me your little sister.”
Listening to Ning Rongrong’s rapid fire interrogation, Tang San was immediately left speechless. Of course he had a mind to learn this Heart Separation Control, but this was after all a school’s secret skill.
“It’s not like that. Rongrong, ask uncle Ning first. If uncle Ning says I can learn it, then I’ll cultivate together with you, how’s that?”
Ning Rongrong somewhat resentfully pouted, saying:
“Hmph, you still won’t believe me? Dad definitely won’t refuse. Since you insist, I’ll go find him now.”
“Don’t go now. You don’t even know where uncle Ning is.”
Tang San wanted to hold back Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong said:
“Don’t worry, I can find dad. How couldn’t our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School have ways to communicate? Grandmaster, I’ll leave first.”
Finished speaking, Ning Rongrong ran directly towards the edge of the forest.
Grandmaster laughed in spite of himself:
“This girl, she really is impetuous. Little San, don’t worry. Since I proposed it, Ning Fengzhi naturally won’t refuse. Even though this Heart Separation Control is important to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, it’s not a secret that can’t be passed on to others. If my guess is correct, Ning Fengzhi will be eager to let you learn it. Like this, you will owe a favor to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. As school master, Ning Fengzhi stands tall and sees far, whether you or your father, you’re both important targets. While Rongrong is off looking for her father, tell me, what did Ning Fengzhi want to talk to you about?”
Hearing Grandmaster say this, Tang San felt more at ease. Immediately, he related in detail his meeting with Xue Qinghe and the conversation the three of them had.
Having heard Tang San’s recount, after Grandmaster muttered to himself a while he said:
“This crown prince’s information shouldn’t be common knowledge. Able to find out so much couldn’t have been easy. Spirit Hall has comprehensively blocked everything about that matter.”
“Teacher, you know something?”
Tang San eagerly asked. In front of Grandmaster, he never concealed anything.
Grandmaster shook his head, saying:
“I don’t. But in theory, there shouldn’t be any problem with the information the crown prince gave you. Right now the key point lies in just what made all of Spirit Hall turn out in full strength, and when they returned in defeat, could be worth the loss of the Supreme Pontiff.”
Tang San’s eyes suddenly brightened,
“Teacher, wouldn’t it be a spirit bone? To Spirit Masters, most precious should be spirit rings and spirit bones. Spirit rings can’t be taken away, but spirit bones can.
Grandmaster shook his head, saying:
“No, I think not. If it was a spirit bone, it would be impossible for Spirit Hall to fail. Even though your father became a Title Douluo, it would still be impossible to contend with Spirit Hall. In fact, besides the Supreme Pontiff, Spirit Hall still has at least three Title Douluo. Even if your father was even more powerful, it would still be impossible to deal with so many powers by himself. If I’m not mistaken, the reason Spirit Hall didn’t persist, isn’t because that thing was damaged, but because it already lost its use. Don’t tell me, it was a spirit beast? But how would spirit beasts be related to your father? Leaving aside how high the level of a spirit beast would have to be to draw the attention of Spirit Hall, just with the unreconciled conflict between spirit beasts and humans, it still wouldn’t be near your father. And it would be impossible for your father to break away from the school to offend Spirit Hall without hesitating for a spirit beast.”
Grandmaster’s power of deduction was doubtless powerful, but hearing his analysis, Tang San was even more confused. Just what was that thing? It seemed that the only way to know was to see his father again.
Ning Rongrong wasn’t gone for long, and after an hour she had already excitedly come running back with a letter in her hand.
“Third brother, for you. As I said, dad definitely agreed.”
The message was very simple, and Tang San recognized Ning Fengzhi’s handwriting. It said:
Little San, Heart Separation Control really isn’t some secret skill, if it’s useful, train together with Rongrong as much as possible. How could such a tiny skill compare to your contributions to Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?
—— Ning Fengzhi
Even though it was only a few simple words, and even though Tang San clearly understood Ning Fengzhi’s words held some intent of drawing him in, his heart still eased, unspeakably comforted. No matter what was said, Ning Fengzhi was the master of a school, and also a tolerant and generous senior.
And so, from this afternoon on, Tang San and Ning Rongrong cultivated this skill together.
The method for cultivating Heart Separation Control wasn’t complex, but the method for cultivating this skill was different for different Spirit Masters. Ning Rongrong’s cultivated by continuously releasing her different abilities, releasing each ability with different speed and time, looking for as great precision as possible, smoothly releasing and receiving. Right now, she simultaneously released three abilities, starting to cultivate the most basic Three Aperture Governing Heart.
[1] (雪清河) “Snow Clear River”
[2] (天)
[3] (分心控制) This is when the first two characters are read separately, they could also be read together for “Distraction Control”, but that doesn’t fit the ability.
Chapter 094: Heart Separation Control’s Three Aperture Governing Heart
Part 1 (TL by Bagelson)
With the sect skill training method Ning Rongrong handed over to Tang San, in order to grasp the Separating Heart Control, first of all required powerful perception. Therefore, Tang San’s cultivation was even simpler than Ning Rongrong’s. Assigning three different things in three different directions, and constantly shifting his gaze between these three, and moreover each time use his Blue Silver Grass to twist around these three things, twisting in three directions, binding and releasing in one second intervals.
Heart Separation Control cultivated to the peak should be capable of controlling every change in one’s surroundings. Not only was it necessary to observe these changes, but they still had to be brought completely under one’s control.
When described it seemed very complex, but in fact cultivating it was using one mind for multiple tasks, moreover letting the scattered mind
focus. Not only did it require very high mental strength, at the same time it still required superb reaction.
Tang San practiced for a full afternoon, but still didn’t sense any threshold. Instead, because of constantly paying attention to three things in different directions, his eyes ached.
Because Shrek Academy had already finished their fight of the second day of the qualifying competition in advance, on the second day they simply didn’t go to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, but stayed at the Academy to cultivate.
Tang San rose at dawn, customarily exercising his Purple Demon Eye. As a result of Tang San having taken the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, his cultivation was a lot easier than before.
Faintly breathing in the purple qi from the distant horizon, while Tang San gazed, he slowly exhaled and inhaled, harmonizing his Mysterious Heaven Skill internal strength. He seemed to be bathing in that purple qi, purple and gold light glittering in his eyes, Purple Demon Eye imperceptibly advancing.
Along with the sun rising from the east, the purple qi subsequently disappeared. Tang San drew a deep breath, and leapt down from the tree.
Should he continue cultivating that Heart Separation Control? Tang San somewhat helplessly reached the cultivation area from yesterday. He had always been very talented in cultivation, but he couldn’t even find the threshold for this Separating Heart Control. Yesterday he had practiced for an afternoon, but instead felt that the spirit abilities he used were somewhat chaotic. Now that he again prepared to cultivate, inwardly he couldn’t help feeling some conflicting emotions.
“What? Can’t grasp the feeling?”
A familiar voice echoed, and Tang San didn’t need to turn around to know it was Grandmaster.
“Teacher, why did you come here so early?”
Grandmaster smiled calmly, saying:
“I saw your circumstances when you cultivated yesterday. This Separating Heart Control cultivation is indeed challenging. Without perseverance and willpower, it’ll be very difficult to succeed. The starting stage is especially difficult. Once you can grasp the threshold, the later cultivation will instead become easier. Three Aperture Governing Heart means letting the mind master three apertures. Don’t be too anxious to control, first you need perception. Experience it with your heart, whether it’s the air, smell, color, sound, touch, they will all tell you a great many things. When you can sufficiently understand what these changes represent, then your control will subsequently become a lot easier. Let the use of each spirit ability become a conditioned reflex. Even if you can’t divide your heart into three this way, the end result won’t be much different. It should be a bit easier to let yourself first reach the same effect, then again slowly grasp the feeling of Separating Heart Control.”
Carefully sensing everything around, this was what Grandmaster could give Tang San. Even if he didn’t know Separating Heart Control’s cultivation technique, relying on his understanding of spirits, his comprehension of cultivation methods, he was using a different path to tell Tang San to step past the threshold even easier.
Listening to Grandmaster, Tang San seemed to find a trace of sensation, and he immediately closed his eyes. In order to not let this trace of sensation get away, he had to truly capture it.
Tang San stood there motionlessly, Grandmaster to the side no longer uttering a word, only calmly watching his disciple.
Tang San very quickly entered his cultivation state, constantly inhaling, slowly exhaling, his surroundings seeming to become empty and silent.
The scent of plants flowed into his nose, his skin sensed the surrounding temperature, the calls of insects and birds transmitted through his ears. Tang San stood there quietly, using his heart to grab that trace of sensation from before.
Gradually, Tang San was disappointed. That trace seemed more and more distant. He could sense some changes in the world around him, but these changes still passed far, far too quickly. Let alone grasping them, he was even unable to tell what was going on outside.
“Spirits can increase all your attributes, including perception.”
Grandmaster’s magnetic voice rose once again.
Tang San shook, and that trace seemed to return again. Raising his right hand, blue and purple light rushed out of his palm. With Tang San as center, black Blue Silver Grass became an extension of his body and slowly spread out in all directions, making rustling sounds as they passed.
Just like Grandmaster said, as he released his spirit, the instant Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated along with the spirit, Tang San felt his perception grow several times stronger. It was as if a veil was lifted from the originally unclear sensations. Everything around him became clear at the same time.
Each spreading strand of Blue Silver Grass brought back more and more information, being summarized in Tang San’s ind. Even though he didn’t use his eyes to see, he still already had a vague outline of the world around him.
Using his heart to be able to sense something? Blue Silver Grass showed Tang San that even though they couldn’t become his eyes, it was still able to make him sense the surrounding world even better. Of the spreading Blue Silver Grass, three strands moved. One curled around a small tree, making dew drops left from the night fall. One swung over the ground, pushing open the surrounding bushes. The last one curled around a fresh flower. The three strands of Blue Silver Grass did three different things, and even though it wasn’t an ability, at this moment Tang San finally succeeded in the simplest three part heart separation.
At this moment, suddenly, Tang San discovered his Blue Silver Grass seemed to change. Originally vague outlines became clear, and from all around, countless peculiar energies quietly rushed into his body through these Blue Silver Grass, then slowly diffused. It was such a simple process, but it let Tang San clearly see each detail within an area of several hundred square meters.
Why was it like this? Tang San inwardly started, and along with the change in his mood, that clarity immediately faded. He hastily made himself calm down again, then continued controlling the triple heart separation, and those bizarre energies started arriving again.
The bizarre energies were very scattered, each strand minute, an entirely different kind of existence from Mysterious Heaven Skill. Their energy unexpectedly had its origins in emotions, and these emotions were familiar.
While Tang San maintained his condition, he very carefully sensed the changes in these energies, trying to determine their source.
Along with the clear perception in his mental world, he gradually discovered their origin. What made him extremely astonished was that these energies came from the vast expanse of blue silver grass growing.
Blue silver grass, the most common plant on the Douluo Continent, practically omnipresent. Lacking any effect besides tenacious vitality. It was because of this that Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass Spirit was known as the standard for trash spirits.
But at this moment, Tang San felt all the blue silver grass around him transmitting familiarity, those blue silver grass that weren’t his were apparently telling him something, just like orphans finding relatives. It was precisely this familiarity that let them become Tang San’s eyes, ears, and nose, everything they sensed was transmitted to Tang San’s brain. At this moment, Tang San seemed to become the heart of the forest. His perception even gradually extended beyond a kilometer. He could clearly feel that, within this Shrek Academy forest, all the blue silver grass was swaying slightly at the same rhythm because of conforming with his aura.
This kind of feeling was unspeakably moving. Tang San discovered that each strand of his own Blue Silver Grass seemed to be spurring the vitality of the wild blue silver grass. All kinds of information from the wild blue silver grass transmitted to him, and those Blue Silver Grass he released also softly moved according to this information.
Right now, Grandmaster was looking at a bizarre scene. Spreading from Tang San’s feet, all the blue silver grass stood up sharply, softly swaying at the same rhythm, releasing a joyful
feeling, and the white spirit power Tang san originally released gradually changed into a faint blue.
Variation? This was Grandmaster’s first thought. Practically immediately, he thought to interrupt Tang San. Variation could admittedly bring even more power, but it could equally possibly turn him useless. In no way did he want his disciple to follow his course in life.
However, Grandmaster still restrained his impulses. Because he discovered that right now, Tang San seemed to be the same as the surrounding blue silver grass, all blending into the forest, even his human aura disappeared. Right now he was just like an enormous strand of blue silver grass, his body also swaying softly like the blue silver grass around him.
Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)
The complex energy fluctuations of variation didn’t appear, but rather became soft and harmonious. As time passed, Tang San seemed to melt into the surrounding world.
Even with all his knowledge, Grandmaster still didn’t understand what was happening. After considering it from all angles for a moment, he didn’t dare rashly interrupt.
With the strange feeling constantly spreading through his body, Tang San felt himself become unprecedentedly relaxed. Gradually, the blue silver grass on the ground began to change, as if washed in his aura, it unexpectedly began to turn black.
Just at the start, only the several square meters of blue silver grass under Tang San’s feet showed this change, but as time passed, the affected range began to grow larger and larger. Even more bizarre, those blue silver grass clearly didn’t have the support of Tang San’s spirit power, but they still grew frantically, each strand swaying along with Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass.
Watching the spreading black, Grandmaster was inwardly somewhat panicked. Besides the toxicity, these blue silver grass appeared to become exactly the same as Tang San’s.
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 168
