Otherworldly Desert Dust

The long cold era, Wu Hen didn't know in what way time was passing here.

It seemed that each day was longer than the last, or perhaps each day was like a dream forgotten upon waking.

Unable to go outside, Wu Hen felt rather idle.

Occasionally having to endure the disturbances of singing and chanting coming from a nearby house.

In contrast, Fairy Gong Qin should be meditating daily. For her, time was just a timer, a whole day of meditation without sleep, even half-awake in meditation would not be boring.

For the Immortal lineage, during meditation, the body was a vessel that could absorb the spiritual essence of the heavens, the earth, the sun, and the moon. Their lifespans were long, and much of their time was spent resonating with the heavens and the earth...

Unless Wu Hen one day also seized an Immortal host body, this method of improving cultivation and strength through meditation was impossible to learn.

Still residing in someone else's house was Du Mao, standing shirtless in the snow daily, a strong True Qi swirling around him, capable of melting the snow that fell on him.

According to Du Mao's description, snowflakes fell without pattern, but he could transform his True Qi delicately into needle-like weapons to intercept the snowflakes before they landed on him.

Practicing diligently every day, his use of True Qi would become more proficient.

This made Wu Hen somewhat envious.

Du Mao could play his little bee game all winter long, and Fairy Gong Qin could ignore the passage of time through meditation, so what should he himself do alone?

He thought he could pass the time playing cards, but after a few days, that became boring too.

The Ancient Clan people were also used to this cold era, most choosing to sleep and hibernate, occasionally holding some small indoor activities to enrich their spiritual world.

Before the cold era arrived, Wu Hen quite enjoyed going out to hunt, the great mountains and rivers in the Scroll Realm always brought different wonders, and he could find joy even by himself.

"Train your hearing?"

Thinking it over, Wu Hen felt that this was the only thing he could do.

He sat correctly like Fairy Gong Qin, placing his hands naturally on his knees, setting his breathing to automatic mode, and then focused on his hearing.

Start by listening to the heartbeat of the fairy next to him...

The fairy's heartbeat was very slow, in his hospital back there, it would be considered that of a deceased person.

Her blood circulation was also very slow, such a slow metabolism made it seem like she had frozen herself, and living a long life seemed quite reasonable.

Then listen to the movements outside the house, Du Mao's "biubiubiu" sound was him controlling True Qi to shoot at the snowflakes falling through the air.

Du Mao had made great progress, he could now keep snowflakes from falling within ten meters of him, evolving from the little bee game to beach landing. Soon, he might even play tower defense.

Moving on to other parts of the village, Wu Hen heard the heavy breathing of some Ancient Clan people behind closed doors.

The Ancient Clan was actually quite prolific. Mainly, during the cold era with nothing to do, they could only sleep indoors with their wives, and after sleeping, come the spring, the women would have bellies rounding...

Wu Hen and the fairy had a gentleman's agreement.

So no matter how red-faced and heart-throbbing he got, he wouldn't have any improper thoughts.

On the contrary, Wu Hen had to be on guard against this fairy who had no worldly experience, fearing that she might have covetous intentions towards him in order to break her inner demons. Such an outstanding young man as himself shouldn't be spoiled by a fairy without morals.

Listening beyond the village, there seemed to be the sound of crying.

The cry was filled with sorrow and bitterness, as if there was a girl in distress outside the village, hoping to hide in it for warmth.

Fortunately, the Ancient Clan had warned that there were demons in the snow, so there was no need to pay attention to it.

The Snow Demon seemed to sense someone was listening. It tried to communicate with Wu Hen from a distance, but Wu Hen's out-of-body hearing covered his ears, with an "I'm not listening, I'm not listening, a turtle chanting" attitude, flying further away, heading to the stream, heading to the plains.
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When his hearing reached the stream, Wu Hen's perception began to blur. After all, a person's focus time was limited, and to improve this concentration would require long practice...

Fortunately, Wu Hen had plenty of time now.

"What are you doing?" Suddenly, Fairy Gong Qin opened her eyes, a faint confusion in her star-like eyes, yet still keeping a calm demeanor.

"Listening on foot, seeing how far my hearing can reach, and how finely I can perceive things." Wu Hen explained.

"Oh." Fairy Gong Qin closed her eyes again, her slender body gently moved a bit.

Wu Hen didn't think much of it and continued his hearing roaming.

Once the body was stationary in a small space, could it no longer perceive the outside world?

Clearly, this was a narrow view.

Bodily movement was merely one way of exploring.

For example, if someone picked up a book and started reading in a room.

In fact, it was the eyes and the mind that were traveling, revealing a grand world, regardless of whether it was fictional or real.

Similarly, even with just hearing roaming, many things in the outside world would be painted in Wu Hen's mind, which was what people often called Soul Out of Body.

A soul-out-of-body roaming with only hearing, the "seen" world was different, like a vast ice mirror world where all static things were reflected under the ethereal blue sky, and when dynamic, sound-emitting things appeared, they would create ripples, and the brain would outline their "shapes," adding "colors," their beautiful ripples bringing mental pleasure, or complex entanglement causing discomfort.

If Wu Hen had seen something before, and it made familiar sounds, then the roaming hearing would automatically render its image, forming the usual scenes he saw. If it was an unfamiliar creature making noise, they would appear as unrendered models, like stickmen.

Though the perceived "scenes" were simple and unusual, they didn't hinder Wu Hen from appreciating the scenery along the way.

From the plains, deeper to the snow-covered forest.

Though not entirely silent in the cold era, the forest had some mythical species active only during this time, which Wu Hen's listening outlined... more like little giants.

Not sure what creatures they were.

Then, Wu Hen went to an ice river, diving underneath it.

Under the frozen river, he heard whispers.

The sound was peculiar, more akin to human speech, intriguing Wu Hen. Could there be a little dragon king living in the river?

Continuing to dive, Wu Hen finally found the source of the sound.

It was still a very simple outline. Wu Hen's perspective couldn't render its true form, but it was like chanting scripture, rapidly reciting a long string of words with some extreme emotion...

"What exactly is this?"

"Sinking to the bottom of the river, could it be a demon imprisoned below?"

"Or it could be some divine material, having gained spiritual wisdom, trying to resonate with the outside world."

"When the ice recedes, I should go down and take a look. Maybe it's a treasure."

Wu Hen marked the spot, planning to explore it when the warmth returned in spring.

...

...

Fairy meditated.

The Martial Fool cultivated Qi.

Wu Hen roamed the world...

Each pursued their own cultivation, yet Wu Hen became somewhat immersed without realizing it.

He discovered that many places the body couldn't reach, his hearing could roam to.

Even in distant and ethereal spaces, he could roam with his hearing, exploring and admiring.

Even in small underground worlds within deep cracks, he no longer needed to worry about personal safety, as he could wander through the intricate underground labyrinths, observing how subterranean creatures crazily laid eggs.

Honestly, it was like having a moveable God's-eye view, even if the scenes weren't as beautifully detailed as seen in person, it didn't diminish their richness.

Most importantly, as Wu Hen got used to this roaming, the rendered outside world became clearer in his mind. One day, when he couldn't roam again, all objects' outlines in the outside world could be presented!

Initially, the world sensed by Wu Hen's roaming was just one big flat plane, akin to a 2D graphic.

But after a long practice, the 2D graphic gradually transformed into 3D outlines. He could clearly perceive the shapes of all objects, especially in the underground caves, he could even map out their complex structures clearly...

"I understand, from a scientific perspective, all moving objects produce sound waves, and sound waves create echoes on all objects. Integrating all the echoes outlines the shapes of all external objects!"

"Interesting, my out-of-body hearing is akin to a released radar bat. I direct it where to go, and it flies there, even mapping out specified areas!"

Wu Hen felt incredibly joyful within.

Having such a qualitative change indicated that his hearing sense had advanced!

Enhancing spiritual perception was the hardest part.

This Wu Hen had confirmed from both Fairy Gong Qin and Du Mao. Most creatures, once their perception awakened to a certain rank, would stay at that rank for life.

Thus, the ascension of perception was often rarer than leaps in evolution chain gates!

Third Rank Hearing.

This was a realm even Fairy Gong Qin couldn't reach, implying that without using some domineering Immortal Law, Gong Qin's sword skills might not even touch Wu Hen's hem since he could predict her moves by the flow of her blood.

"Thump-thump~ thump-thump-thump~"

Gong Qin's heartbeat was also extremely clear.

Unlike usual, her heartbeat was faster at this moment...

And the speed of her blood flow was also abnormal, not circulating but more like rushing turbulently within her body.

Wu Hen opened his eyes, looking at Fairy Gong Qin.

To find her snow-white skin tinged with a blush, fine sweat beads dotting her smooth forehead, her red lips tightly pressed, as if trying hard to restrain something...