ACIDEM 06

Chapter – 06

Dharma Power and Spells.

The red-bearded bee-eater was dead.

To be precise—it had been swallowed.

Hidden among the dense leaves of an ancient ginkgo tree, Fu Shaoguang kept watch for predators while slowly replaying the details of the incident.

【A quarter of an hour ago】

In the dense old forest, light and shadow interwove in patches.

One insect and one bird—one fleeing, one chasing.

Carefully sensing the flow of the air, Fu Shaoguang flapped his wings and rode the currents. Accelerating, he darted through gaps between branches, through narrow tree hollows, constantly shifting and dodging to evade the bee-eater.

Yet no matter how he ran, the red-bearded bee-eater stayed hot on his trail, the distance steadily shrinking.

Fu Shaoguang’s heart raced with anxiety.

Though adult mayflies had wings, they were not good fliers. Their speed could not compare to butterflies or dragonflies, let alone the swift red-bearded bee-eater.

Thanks to the complex terrain, he had managed to hold out for now, but being caught was only a matter of time. He had to escape—quickly.

But some things were easier said than done.

In the chase, not only had Fu Shaoguang failed to shake his pursuer, he had nearly flown into a spiderweb—almost becoming a spider’s waiting meal.

The gap had shrunk even further.

He could feel the airflow stirred by the bee-eater’s wing beats right behind him, and a chill ran through him.

Faster! Go faster!

But no matter how hard he pushed, his speed would not increase. The distance shrank still more.

Damn it, damn it!

If only this damned bird would slow down too.

The moment this thought arose, Fu Shaoguang’s heart trembled—as if clouds had parted to reveal the sun. A wondrous realization suddenly dawned on him. A current of power flowed through his body, and a spell crystallized in his mind as if by divine inspiration.

This was… dharma power and a spell!

He was overjoyed.

But he did not use it rashly.

This wisp of dharma power, thin as a strand of hair, was far too weak. He had to save it for the critical moment.

Still, having a technique at his disposal steadied his nerves.

His five senses captured the environment within five inches of him, projecting it into his mind. Fu Shaoguang observed as he moved.

He now had the courage to try some audacious ideas.

Fluttering his wings, he flew toward a large snake coiled around a treetop, hidden among the leaves.

*Hiss~!*

An emerald-green serpent opened its eyes, its tongue flickering lightly. Its gaze held a chilling gleam. Its body curved like a drawn bow, coiling its strength in silence, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Fu Shaoguang’s compound eyes lit up.

The red-bearded bee-eater was alert. Though it had not spotted its hidden predator, instinct made it uneasy.

Fear rose in its heart, and the bee-eater considered retreating.

But then it saw its prey—it seemed to be tiring, its speed slowing. The red-bearded bee-eater’s desire rekindled.

After a moment’s hesitation, it struck fiercely.

Closer, ever closer!

Catching the faint, enticing scent of its prey, the bee-eater’s eyes gleamed. It opened its beak, ready to peck at the quarry just within reach.

The treetop quivered. A tearing sound split the air.

Invisible ripples spread through the air as a long snake lunged out, jaws wide, fangs bared.

A thick killing intent, laced with the stench of rotting meat, washed over them.

In the dappled light, snake and bird clashed. In that instant of life and death, Fu Shaoguang channeled his dharma power. His four wings shimmered with faint silver light.

Both snake and bird slowed down—just for a moment.

In that instant, he shot upward, escaping the harrowing pincer attack from both sides.

The red-bearded bee-eater was not so fortunate.

The next instant, time resumed its normal flow.

The bird flew straight into the emerald snake’s mouth.

A perfect fit—neither too big nor too small!

The bird’s cries of pain and terror rang out.

Fu Shaoguang turned a deaf ear and fled far away.

The emerald snake was not about to let its meal slip away.

—

Returning to the present.

After recovering some strength, Fu Shaoguang finally had the presence of mind to examine his own transformation. Perhaps due to his breakthrough in cultivation, he could now look inward, seeing every detail of his internal body clearly.

And then—great joy surged through him; his wings trembled slightly.

He had retained his digestive system!!!

His mandibles had not completely degenerated either!!!

Though his teeth were poor—like an old woman with missing teeth—making him best suited for liquids, and his stomach and intestines were somewhat weak, the significance was immense.

Adult mayflies live only a single day. Apart from the energy drained by frantic reproduction, this is also because they lack all five internal organs, cannot eat, and only expend energy without intake, making it impossible to maintain energy balance.

But he had filled in some of those deficiencies.

Suddenly, Fu Shaoguang thought of last year’s molt. His body had only grown half an inch. At the time, he had wondered why, after becoming a demon, the rate and extent of change had slowed down.

Now he understood: ever since he became a demon, each molt had focused on internal restructuring; increases in size, strength, and speed were only incidental. The process had been gradual and subtle, and back then he still had internal organs, making it hard to detect.

With this realization, Fu Shaoguang’s mood brightened considerably.

Examining himself more closely, he could sense that his lifespan had been extended. Though he did not know exactly how long he could live, as long as he did not over-expend energy and kept consumption within normal limits, he could live at least a year.

This was his intuition.

Compared to the mayflies that lived and died between dawn and dusk, this was a great fortune. Even within the entire life cycle of a mayfly, it counted as half a lifetime.

Still, it was not enough.

It seemed he would need to focus on nurturing his health from now on.

Perhaps he could live even longer.

—

After inspecting his adult form.

Filled with anticipation, Fu Shaoguang carefully pondered the insight he had gained while fleeing from the red-bearded bee-eater.

Influenced by his past life’s human perspective, he had always viewed mayflies from a human angle—until the concept of slowness  struck him like a thunderbolt, clearing his mind and revealing the true essence of the mayfly’s dao:

【Time】

From a human perspective, a day is very short, but from a mayfly’s perspective, a day is a long, long span.

From an adult mayfly’s point of view, one day is half a lifetime—the long journey from birth to death.

A day feels like a year; one day stretches into three autumns.

Breaking through this barrier of perception, Fu Shaoguang generated dharma power and comprehended a spell—one that could slow time for a single instant. It seemed brief, but in a critical moment, it could turn the tide. His escape was proof of that.

Fu Shaoguang named this spell:  Cun Yin Chang  ( A Moment Stretched Long ).

A moment like a year; a day like three autumns.

He immersed himself in the mysteries of time, studying the magic of fleeting moments.

Time flowed swiftly by.

Hunger stirred him awake. The sun was already high in the sky, and the temperature was unstable—the heat of summer mingling with the chill of autumn.

Fu Shaoguang began to plan for the future.

Mayfly nymphs have tracheal gills and can live in water; adults breathe through body-surface spiracles and should no longer dwell in water.

For now, he could only survive temporarily in the mountain forest. He needed to carefully consider where to go from here.

Avoiding one predator after another, Fu Shaoguang carefully threaded through the dense woods in search of suitable food.

Bees and butterflies sipped nectar to fill their bellies. He tried drinking nectar but found that, due to differences in mouth parts, he could not extract nourishment from it.

Spiders hunted mosquitoes and insects, eating with relish. He tried hunting insects but discovered he could not chew through their flesh.

Monkeys gathered wild fruits and seeds. He tried nibbling on grass blades, chewing until his jaws ached and barely getting down a tiny amount—like an old woman gnawing on a chicken foot: tough and hard to swallow.

Watching the monkeys feasting with satisfaction through his compound eyes, Fu Shaoguang felt envious. He fluttered his wings and rose, intending to continue searching for suitable food. His peripheral vision caught sight of rotting fruit peels and pits on the ground. He paused. A flash of inspiration struck him.

Monkeys, fruit, rotting—

Monkey wine!

Though the odds were slim—what if there was some?

Wine was also a form of energy.

Monkey wine was pure, natural, and unpolluted, containing the essence of a hundred fruits. It had nourishing properties that could boost health and prolong life.

At this thought, Fu Shaoguang grew excited. He fluttered about, searching through the areas where the monkeys frequently roamed.

One tree hollow after another—he found nothing. Until he came before an old, half-dead tree with a darker hue.