The Poison in the Human Heart Is Worse Than Demons

This Mahākāla Secret Method comprised thirty-four volumes, each with its own set of hand seals. Apart from the hand-seal method in the first volume, which formed the Foundation Establishment basis for Qi Introduction, every subsequent set of techniques had its own purpose. The Mahākāla Secret Method emphasized gradual progression; only after reaching the realm described in each volume's scriptures could one cultivate the hand seals of the next.

What Luo Bei had now attained was precisely the realm described in the first volume: "Golden Liquid Condensing Pill, hands endowed with the strength to subdue tigers."

Having never even encountered the most basic knowledge of cultivation, Luo Bei had directly begun practicing a profound scripture like the Mahākāla Secret Method. He did not know that this meant he had opened the meridians between his Mud Pellet Palace and his hands, allowing him to gather the condensed True Sun Fire in his palms. Nor did he know that the Mahākāla Secret Method cultivated one's life essence, nature, and Primordial Spirit. Golden Liquid Condensing Pill was akin to planting an embryo; once it reached great completion, that embryo would grow into a golden body of Amitabha. When the Primordial Spirit merged into it, it would become a true external incarnation.

Luo Bei only knew that he could finally begin cultivating the second volume.

"I wonder whether Master will think I cultivate too slowly. I've only just started the second volume—will he be disappointed in me?"

Watching the threads of rain outside the cave, Luo Bei could not help thinking that after cultivating to the thirteenth volume, he would be able to fly through the air like the Buddha depicted in the scripture, piercing the clouds and hanging high in the sky to absorb True Sun Fire for cultivation, no longer constrained by fair or foul weather. But once he thought of how long it might take to reach the thirteenth volume, Luo Bei grew even more frustrated. What he did not know was that although his natural aptitude was ordinary, unlike some whose meridians were innately faster at absorbing the spiritual energy of True Sun Fire, as with many cultivation methods, what limited the progress of the Mahākāla Secret Method was not the speed of absorbing and refining Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, but the cultivation of one's life essence and steadfast heart. Pure power was merely a double-edged blade. If one could not fully control it, the first person it might wound would be oneself. The difference was that some methods revealed this only when used, while the Mahākāla Secret Method showed its colors during cultivation itself. Besides, cultivation depended most on fortuitous opportunities. The Zhanxikezha Grass the Two-headed Mountain Salamander had given him had already been completely refined, and the spiritual energy contained in that single blade of grass alone equaled a thousand days of ordinary people's bitter effort.

Thus, Luo Bei's progress was enough to make even someone as proud as Yuan Tianyi reveal a trace of self-satisfaction in his eyes.

But now... perhaps it was still not enough.

As Luo Bei was still troubled over how many more days it would be before he saw his master, he suddenly saw Yuan Tianyi standing unsupported in midair, walking toward him.

***

A stone wall more than a zhang high enclosed an entire mountain ridge spanning over a hundred zhang in every direction. The walls were painted white, topped by stretches of black glazed tiles that wound onward like a twisting giant dragon. The broad road facing the mountain gate was fully paved with bluestone, carved with grooves for drainage, while the gate itself was four or five times larger than the biggest ceremonial arch Luo Bei had ever seen back in Shu Region. Not to mention that the entire gate had been coated in some unknown pigment, making it appear indescribably solid and majestic.

Having long witnessed the desolation and towering heights of the Luofu mountains, Luo Bei felt nothing particularly special toward this mountain ridge, which was less than a hundred zhang tall. Yet the grandeur of enclosing the entire ridge and the magnificence of the buildings visible at a glance still made Luo Bei, standing on the bluestone road and gazing at the gate, unable to resist asking, "What place is this?"

Although Yuan Tianyi was usually aloof and cold, like an idol in a temple, wearing the expression of a detached observer regardless of the suffering of all living things, Yuan Tianyi, Old Zhao Nan, and the desolate, sparsely inhabited Luofu had nevertheless given Luo Bei a sense of "home." Now, the only distance between Luo Bei and Yuan Tianyi was Yuan Tianyi's height, which required Luo Bei to look up at him. It was the natural bearing of one who looked down upon all beings. Most crucially, from the day Luo Bei had climbed the mountain, Yuan Tianyi seemed never to have refused to answer any of his questions.

Seeing Luo Bei gaze at the scene before him with admiration, Yuan Tianyi, who always seemed to draw a clear boundary between himself and the world, answered, "This is where the Medicine King Sect resides."

"Medicine King Sect?" Luo Bei looked toward the summit, at the magnificent twelve-tiered octagonal building, then sniffed. The air was indeed filled with a faint medicinal fragrance... and... Luo Bei unconsciously turned to look at Yuan Tianyi. "Master, why do I feel that the spiritual energy here... is somewhat different from that in our Luofu?"

"Is that so?" Surprised that Luo Bei could sense this, Yuan Tianyi did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "How do you think it differs?"

Like someone taking an examination, Luo Bei hesitated for a long while before cautiously answering, "The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy in our Luofu seems much denser than here. It seems thinner here, but also fresher..."

At that point, Luo Bei unconsciously paused again, because the next word on his tongue was "filthy." Yet using a bad word to describe Luofu felt instinctively improper. To his surprise, Yuan Tianyi nodded. "Correct. The five elements of heaven and earth nurture spiritual energy. Like the meridians, qi, and blood of the human body, it may be abundant or sparse. Luofu's spiritual veins are rich in spiritual energy, far stronger than this Medicine King Mountain. But Luofu lies in a damp, hot region and has since ancient times also bred much foul energy. Mixed among it, its spiritual energy is not as pure as that of even this little Medicine King Mountain."

"Then wouldn't our cultivation be faster in a place where the spiritual energy is both abundant and pure?"

"Of course. Most cultivation methods in this world transform Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy for personal use. Only certain special methods abandon Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy to cultivate foul energy alone. With ordinary methods, one either refines it or naturally expels it while circulating one's cultivation. With the Mahākāla Secret Method you cultivate, different foul energies may even trigger different illusory true realms, so cultivation is naturally far more difficult."

"Then why does our Luofu Sect cultivate in Luofu? Why not go elsewhere?" Luo Bei asked in confusion.

Yuan Tianyi's tone suddenly turned cold. "The famed mountains and great rivers of the world, and all other places rich in spiritual energy, have long been occupied by the so-called prestigious sects and great schools. Why would they yield them to others?" After a pause, Yuan Tianyi continued indifferently, "Besides, what others consider undesirable, Luofu has never thought could not be a good thing."

Luo Bei, still inexperienced in the ways of the world, carefully turned these words over in his mind, understanding yet not understanding.

Was what Master said too profound, or did I simply know too little about the world of cultivators who possessed power beyond ordinary people?

Luo Bei, who had once thought the flashes of sword light in the sky belonged to immortals, had this thought race through his mind. Then he continued curiously surveying the Medicine King Sect's mountain and asked, "Then is the Medicine King Sect's medical skill the finest under heaven?"

"You must remember: a true powerhouse needs no flashy, impractical exterior to display his extraordinariness. Even an ordinary formation that takes only three days to set up is far more useful than this kind of wall." Yuan Tianyi gave a scornful sneer. "I only know that the Yama Tribe in the Hundred Thousand Mountains and several old fellows from Chile are the true foremost experts in this field. As for the Medicine King Sect, half of its capability in this regard can only be attributed to Shangyang Horn—the very thing I brought you here to obtain today."

"Shangyang Horn? What is that? Why did we travel all this way from Luofu to get it?"

Before Luo Bei could ask such questions, a procession of imposing riders slowly entered his sight. The thunderous clatter of iron hooves from four tall, pure-white horses immediately gave Luo Bei a sense of lofty arrogance, while the carriage they pulled, adorned with gold and silver inlays, and the soldiers flanking it perfectly displayed the visitors' status.

If they were not ministers or generals of the age, then they had to be regional kings or lords.

The gold and silver ornaments on the carriage alone were worth more than ten years of taxes from a hundred villages. The soldiers on either side, clad head to toe in silver chainmail, stood as straight as spear shafts as they marched, their steps astonishingly uniform. The decisiveness and killing aura they unconsciously exuded were not something an ordinary noble household could possess.

The procession stopped two zhang away from Luo Bei and Yuan Tianyi. A fair-faced youth, slightly younger than Luo Bei, lifted the carriage curtain.

The broad bluestone mountain road was wide enough for three carriages to travel abreast, but within the Nanmin Region, the Changliu Royal Mansion had never been in the habit of taking detours—not even by half a wheel's width.

The fair-faced youth in exquisite cloud-silk robes looked at Yuan Tianyi and Luo Bei standing in the road. A trace of cold viciousness wholly unsuited to his age flashed over his somewhat childish face. In his eyes, people like Yuan Tianyi and Luo Bei, dressed in coarse hempen clothing, should be punished not merely for standing in front of their convoy, but even for walking ahead of it.

"Lowly peasants dare come up the mountain seeking medicine? Move aside and get back!"

With a cold sneer in his heart, the youth glanced at Luo Bei and Yuan Tianyi. Seeing that neither moved, this youth, born with the right to be overbearing and tyrannical, curled his slender, snow-white fingers slightly. A dazzling line of fire shot directly toward Luo Bei and Yuan Tianyi.

"You must remember: the poison in the human heart is worse than demons."

Luo Bei had not expected the youth to launch a blazing line of fire without saying another word. Though this line of fire was far inferior to the spells he had once seen Kongtong, Miro, and the others use in battle, no ordinary person could likely withstand such concentrated flames. At that instant, the little golden liquid ball in his Sea of Consciousness seemed to suddenly radiate brilliance. But before he could make any instinctive movement, he heard Yuan Tianyi speak beside him. Without Luo Bei seeing Yuan Tianyi make any motion at all, the line of fire vanished into nothingness several feet before them.

"The poison in the human heart is worse than demons." Luo Bei turned those words over in his heart, while the Brocade-clad Youth in the carriage had already changed expression.

The Brocade-clad Youth, about to strike again, was held back by a daoist priest in an azure robe with a long, narrow horse-like face inside the carriage. As the personal instructor of the Second Young Master of Changliu Royal Mansion and one of the foremost retainers of the Changliu Royal Mansion, he too could instantly disperse such a minor Daoist Art into nothingness. Yet what astonished him was that he had not sensed what spell the other party had used to block it. Deeply puzzled, he looked through the raised curtain and saw only a young man and a youth of around ten standing in the road. Especially upon seeing that both wore shabby cloth garments, without a single sign of a magical treasure carrying the fluctuations of spiritual power, this royal mansion retainer grew faintly angry.

"At most, they are some mountain rogue cultivators or a fallen sect, yet they dare contend with me in Daoist Arts!"

The daoist priest hidden in the luxurious carriage flipped his hand and produced a green wooden bowl. Apart from rings of wood grain, it had no distinctive feature. Yet when his left hand brushed the inside of the bowl, hazy green light rippled from its rim and enveloped the entire convoy. At the same time, his right hand untied a yellow cloth pouch hanging at his waist. As the hand seals in his fingers changed, more than ten points of dim yellow light abruptly shot out from the pouch with a buzzing sound. Luo Bei's pupils rapidly contracted. He saw clearly that those yellow glimmers were winged centipedes as thick as little fingers. Their cicada-thin wings shone with golden light, a black line ran from head to tail along their backs, and their entire bodies seemed forged from iron.

The daoist priest's attack and defense complemented each other. He first brought forth a magical treasure to protect himself, then launched his attack. His spellcasting was as orderly as a textbook demonstration, and he was surely an expert from a great sect. These carefully refined centipedes were no weaker than flying swords and were even more agile. "Luo Bei, remember this as well: the laws of the Heavenly Dao are the law of the jungle." Yet Yuan Tianyi merely said this calmly to Luo Bei. At the instant the daoist priest released the Golden Iron Thread Centipedes, Yuan Tianyi's hands changed through dozens of profound hand seals in succession. In an instant, the originally cloudless sky flashed with lightning and roared with thunder, dark clouds gathering in waves. Six great pillars of fire erupted from the earth and soared over a hundred zhang into the sky, illuminating the entire black heavens with a blood-red glow. Compared to the blazing pillars more than a zhang wide, the Golden Iron Thread Centipedes, tiny as gnats, instantly turned into minute sparks within the flames.

Boundless pressure exploded outward.

What was this?!

The entire Beiliu Royal Mansion Caravan was horrified beyond measure as it faced those six immense pillars of fire, which seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth.

They were simply six gigantic fire dragons shooting straight into the clouds.

The sight, possessing the might of heaven itself, struck the daoist priest's Primordial Spirit harder than the destruction of his magical treasure. Under that crushing pressure, blood seeped from the corners of his mouth as he curled up trembling inside the carriage, instinctively clutching the wooden bowl in both hands and desperately sending out wave after wave of hazy green light.

Everyone within a hundred li was looking up at the six pillars of fire that had suddenly pierced the sky without warning: spiraling black clouds, blood-like crimson radiance, eerie and bewitchingly beautiful.

Yuan Tianyi's black hair moved though there was no wind, and his entire body slowly rose into the air.

Luo Bei looked up. In his field of vision, Yuan Tianyi spread his hands as gale winds and flames whirled rapidly around his body. Blood-red light shone upon his white robes, making him appear like a demonic god.

The six great pillars of fire abruptly bloomed like lotus flowers, like the Karma Red Lotus from the legends of when heaven and earth first opened.

With only a faintly curling tongue of flame from one petal sweeping past, the azure light the daoist priest had desperately produced inside the Changliu Royal Mansion Carriage melted away like ice and snow.

The exceptionally luxurious carriage and the Azure-robed Daoist vanished into the flames in an instant. The cold and vicious Royal Mansion Young Master's clothes caught fire entirely, and he let out shrill screams as he rolled wildly across the ground.

Yet not one person from the royal mansion convoy, thrown into complete chaos, dared step forward to help extinguish the flames. The others stood only a few paces from the Azure-robed Daoist and the Brocade-clad Youth, but the flames that seemed capable of burning everything had not harmed them in the slightest.

"Six Paths Purgatory Karmic Fire Red Lotus!"

"Who exactly is this man?!"

Amid the distant mountain ridges, atop the Medicine King Sect's twelve-tiered octagonal pavilion, an old man in purple robes stared in horror at the gigantic fire lotus blooming across the sky beneath the black clouds. His heart shook violently, and he did not even notice the three Mutton-fat Jade Balls he had been idly rolling in his hand fall to the ground.

"Six Paths Purgatory Karmic Fire Red Lotus."

A spell once belonging to Tashilhunpo Monastery, one that had appeared only a few times over a thousand years, was truly using a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken when employed against a third-rate cultivator so insignificant that he could not even discern Yuan Tianyi's level of power. Yet before the overturned and chaotic Beiliu Royal Mansion Caravan, it was the finest interpretation of absolute power and of Yuan Tianyi's earlier words.

Luo Bei, seeing for the first time such a magnificent spell with earth-shattering destructive power, was equally shaken to the core. Yet Yuan Tianyi, who had casually unleashed such a startling technique, looked down at him and gave a faint sigh in his heart. Luo Bei, will you choose to look up forever as you do today, or will there come a day when everyone looks up at you?