The Poison of the Human Heart, Worse Than Demons

This "Mahākāla Secret Method" consists of thirty-four volumes, each containing a set of hand seal techniques. Aside from the first volume, whose hand seals form the foundation for Qi Introduction, every subsequent set of techniques has its own distinct function. The "Mahākāla Secret Method" emphasizes gradual progression—each volume can only be cultivated after reaching the realm described in its scripture before moving on to the next.

What Luo Bei had already achieved was the realm described in the first volume: "Golden Liquid Condensing Pill, hands possessing the strength to subdue a tiger." Having never even touched the most basic knowledge of cultivation, yet directly practicing such a profound text as the "Mahākāla Secret Method," Luo Bei had no idea that he had already opened the meridians from his Mud Pill to both hands, allowing him to gather condensed True Sun Fire in his palms. He also didn't know that this method cultivated the Primordial Spirit of one's nature and destiny, and that the Golden Liquid Condensing Pill was equivalent to planting an embryo—when it reached full maturity, this embryo would grow into a Maitreya Golden Body, and when the Primordial Spirit fused into it, that would be a true external incarnation.

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

"I wonder if Master will think I'm slow, only now starting the second volume, and be disappointed in me."

Gazing at the rain threads outside the cave, Luo Bei couldn't help but think that if he could cultivate to the thirteenth volume and beyond, he would be able to fly through the air like the Buddha depicted in the scripture, piercing through clouds and hovering high above to absorb True Sun Fire for cultivation, no longer restricted by weather. But then he thought about how long it might take to reach the thirteenth volume, and he grew even more frustrated. What he didn't know, however, was that although his natural talent was mediocre—unlike some whose meridians naturally absorbed True Sun Fire spiritual energy at a rapid pace—like many other techniques, what limited progress in the "Mahākāla Secret Method" wasn't the speed of refining absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, but the cultivation of a steadfast heart and nature. Pure power was merely a double-edged sword; if one couldn't fully control it, the first person it might harm was oneself. The difference was that some techniques only revealed this when used, while the Mahākāla Secret Method showed its colors during cultivation itself. Moreover, cultivation relied heavily on fated opportunities. The Zhanxikezha Grass given to him by the Two-headed Mountain Salamander had already been completely refined by him, and the spiritual energy contained in that single blade of grass alone was enough to match a thousand days of hard work for an ordinary person.

Thus, Luo Bei's progress was enough to make even someone as proud as Yuan Tianyi show a hint of pride in the corner of his eye.

But now... perhaps it was no longer enough.

Still brooding over how many days it would take to see his master again, Luo Bei suddenly saw Yuan Tianyi standing unsupported in the void, walking toward him.

***

A stone wall over a zhang high enclosed a mountain ridge spanning hundreds of zhang in circumference. The wall surface was entirely painted white, topped with black glazed tiles, stretching on like a winding, twisting dragon. The main road facing the mountain gate was paved entirely with bluestone, engraved with drainage grooves, and the entire mountain gate was four or five times larger than the biggest memorial archway Luo Bei had ever seen back in the Shu Region. Not to mention that the entire gate was coated in some unknown pigment, giving it an indescribable sense of weight and majesty.

Having already witnessed the desolation and towering heights of the Luofu Mountains, Luo Bei had no particular reaction to this ridge, which was barely a hundred zhang tall. But the scale of enclosing an entire mountain ridge and the grandeur of the buildings visible at a glance still made him, standing on the bluestone road and gazing at the mountain gate, unable to help asking, "What place is this?"

Although Yuan Tianyi mostly wore a cold, aloof expression, like a statue in a temple observing the suffering of all beings with indifference, he, along with Old Zhao Nan and the desolate Luofu, had nonetheless given Luo Bei a sense of "home." Now, the distance between Luo Bei and Yuan Tianyi was only that height which forced Luo Bei to look up—a natural posture of looking down upon all beings. The most crucial point was that from the day Luo Bei had climbed the peak, Yuan Tianyi had never seemed to refuse answering any of his questions.

Seeing Luo Bei gazing at the scene before him with awe and envy, Yuan Tianyi, who always seemed to draw a clear line between himself and the world, replied, "This is the seat of the Medicine King Sect."

"Medicine King Sect?" Luo Bei peered at the magnificent octagonal, twelve-tiered building atop the ridge, sniffed the air—a faint medicinal fragrance indeed wafted all around... and also... Luo Bei unconsciously turned to look at Yuan Tianyi. "Master, why do I feel like the spiritual energy here... is different from ours in Luofu?"

"Is that so?" Yuan Tianyi, not expecting Luo Bei to sense this, didn't answer directly but instead asked back, "How do you find it different?"

Luo Bei, as if facing an exam, hesitated for a long while before cautiously replying, "The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy in our Luofu seems much denser than here. Here it's thinner, but also more refreshing..."

At this point, Luo Bei unconsciously stopped again, because the next word on his lips was "impure," but using a bad word to describe Luofu instinctively felt very wrong. To his surprise, however, Yuan Tianyi nodded. "Correct. The Five Elements of Heaven and Earth nurture spiritual energy, just like the meridians and qi-blood of the human body—some have more, some less. The Luofu spiritual vein is abundant in spiritual energy, far stronger than this Medicine King Sect. But Luofu is located in a hot, humid region, and since ancient times, it has also nurtured much impure qi. Mixed in, in terms of the purity of spiritual energy, it can't even compare to this little Medicine King Mountain."

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

"Of course. The vast majority of techniques in the world transform Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy for one's own use. Only certain special techniques discard spiritual energy and specialize in refining impure qi. For ordinary techniques, either they refine it out or naturally expel it during practice. For the Mahākāla Secret Method you cultivate, different kinds of impure qi can trigger different illusions and true realms, making cultivation naturally much more difficult."

"Then why does our Luofu Sect cultivate in Luofu? Why not somewhere else?" Luo Bei asked, puzzled.

Yuan Tianyi's tone suddenly turned cold. "The famous mountains, great rivers, and other places abundant in spiritual energy in this world have long been occupied by so-called prestigious sects. Why would they give them to others?" After a pause, he added lightly, "Besides, others may think it bad, but Luofu has never felt that this isn't necessarily a good thing."

Luo Bei, inexperienced in the ways of the world, chewed over these words, understanding only vaguely.

"Is what Master says too profound, or do I simply know too little about the world of cultivators who possess power beyond ordinary people?"

Once having mistaken sword lights in the sky for immortals, such thoughts flashed through Luo Bei's mind. Then he continued to curiously survey the Medicine King Sect's peak and asked, "Then is the Medicine King Sect's medical skill the best in the world?"

"Remember this: true strength doesn't need any flashy exterior to show its extraordinariness. An ordinary formation that takes only three days to set up is far more practical than this kind of wall." Yuan Tianyi responded with a disdainful sneer. "I only know that the Yama Tribe in the Hundred Thousand Mountains and a few old fellows from the Chile region are the true pinnacles in this field. As for the Medicine King Sect, half of their skill can only be attributed to the Shangyang Horn—which is exactly what I've brought you here today to obtain."

"Shangyang Horn? What's that? Why travel all the way from Luofu to get it?"

Before Luo Bei could ask such questions, a procession of imposing figures slowly came into view. The thunderous hooves of four pure white horses, without a single blemish, immediately conveyed a sense of lofty arrogance to Luo Bei. The carriage, adorned with gold and silver inlays and pulled by these four steeds, along with the soldiers flanking it, perfectly revealed the identity of those within.

If not a current general or minister, then certainly a regional prince or marquis.

The gold and silver decorations on the carriage alone were worth more than a hundred households' taxes for no less than ten years. The soldiers on either side, clad in silver chainmail, moved with backs straight as spears and steps eerily uniform—the decisiveness and killing intent they unconsciously exuded were not something ordinary noble houses could possess.

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

The wide bluestone mountain road could easily accommodate three carriages side by side, but within the Nanmin Region, the Changliu Royal Mansion had never developed a habit of giving way—not even by half a wheel's width.

The pale-faced youth in exquisite cloud-silk robes looked at Yuan Tianyi and Luo Bei standing in the road. A hint of coldness and ruthlessness, beyond his years, flickered across his still-immature face. In his eyes, people like Yuan Tianyi and Luo Bei, dressed in coarse linen, should be punished just for walking ahead of their carriage, let alone standing in its path.

"Commoners also come up the mountain seeking medicine? Get out of the way!"

Sneering inwardly, he glanced at Luo Bei and Yuan Tianyi. Seeing neither of them move, this youth, born with the privilege of arrogance, slightly curled his slender, snow-white fingers. A dazzling line of fire shot straight toward Luo Bei and Yuan Tianyi.

"Remember this: the poison in men's hearts is worse than any demon's."

Luo Bei hadn't expected the youth to launch a blazing fire line without a single word. Though this fire line was far inferior to the spells he had seen Kongtong, Miro, and others use in their duels, it was certainly something no ordinary person could withstand. In that instant, the golden liquid orb within his Sea of Consciousness seemed to suddenly emit a radiant light, but before he could make any instinctive move, he heard Yuan Tianyi speak beside him. Without seeing Yuan Tianyi make any gesture, the fire line dissipated into nothingness just a few feet away.

"The poison in men's hearts is worse than any demon's." Luo Bei chewed on these words in his mind, while the Brocade-clad Youth in the carriage had already changed expression.

About to strike again, the Brocade-clad Youth was stopped by a Daoist priest in a green robe with a long, narrow horse-face seated inside the carriage. As the private tutor of the Second Young Master of Changliu Royal Mansion and the foremost honored retainer of the mansion, he could also dispel such a minor Daoist Art in an instant. But what surprised him was that he hadn't sensed what technique the other party had used to block it. Puzzled, he peered through the lifted curtain and saw only a young man and a teenage boy standing on the road. Especially when he noticed that both were dressed in coarse, simple clothes, with not a single magic artifact radiating spiritual power on them, this mansion's honored retainer grew slightly irritated.

"At most, they're just wild cultivators from the mountains, from some fallen sect. How dare they compete in Daoist Arts before me!"

Hidden within the luxurious carriage, the Daoist priest flipped out a green wooden bowl. Aside from rings of wood grain, it had no special features. But as his left hand reached inside, a hazy green light rippled from the bowl's rim, enveloping the entire procession. At the same time, his right hand untied a yellow cloth pouch hanging at his waist. As his hand seals shifted, more than a dozen points of yellow light shot out from the pouch with a buzzing sound. Luo Bei's pupils contracted sharply as he clearly saw that those points of yellow light were winged centipedes as thick as a little finger, their paper-thin wings gleaming with a golden sheen, a black line running from head to tail, their bodies as if cast from iron.

Offense and defense combined—first sacrificing a magic artifact to protect himself, then launching an attack. This Daoist priest's methodical spellcasting, like a textbook example, marked him as a master from a major sect. These meticulously refined centipedes were no less powerful than a flying sword, and even more agile. "Luo Bei, remember this too: the laws of the Heavenly Dao are that the strong prey on the weak." But Yuan Tianyi only said this lightly to Luo Bei. The moment the Daoist priest released the Golden Iron Thread Centipedes, his hands flashed through dozens of profound hand seals. Instantly, the cloudless sky erupted with thunder and lightning, dark clouds gathered, and six enormous pillars of fire burst from the ground, shooting hundreds of zhang into the air. The entire blackened sky was dyed a bloody red. Compared to the blazing pillars of fire, over a zhang in diameter, the Golden Iron Thread Centipedes, tiny as mosquitoes, instantly turned into fine sparks within the flames.

An endless pressure radiated outward like an explosion.

What is this!

The entire procession of the Changliu Royal Mansion was utterly terrified before those six earth-shattering pillars of fire.

They were like six colossal fire dragons soaring straight into the sky.

This heaven-like spectacle dealt a blow to the Primordial Spirit of the Daoist priest hidden in the carriage that surpassed even the destruction of his magic artifact. Under the immense pressure, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he curled up in the carriage, trembling uncontrollably, his hands instinctively gripping the wooden bowl as he desperately emitted waves of hazy green light.

For a hundred li around, everyone looked up at these six sudden pillars of fire piercing the sky, the swirling black clouds, the blood-red light—eerie and enchanting.

Yuan Tianyi's black hair stirred without wind as he slowly floated into midair.

Luo Bei looked up. In his line of sight, Yuan Tianyi's arms were spread wide. Wind and flame whirled rapidly around him. The blood-red light illuminated his white-robed figure, making him seem like a demon god.

Six great pillars of fire burst open like a lotus in full bloom, like the karmic fire red lotus of legend when heaven and earth first parted.

Just a single curled tongue of flame from one petal swept past, and the green light desperately cast by the Daoist within the Changliu Royal Mansion Carriage melted away like ice and snow into nothing.

The exceptionally luxurious carriage, the Azure-robed Daoist vanishing in an instant within the flames—while the cold, vicious Royal Mansion Young Master, his clothes fully ablaze, let out a piercing scream and rolled on the ground in agony.

But no one in the overturned and scattered Royal Mansion Caravan dared to go help him put out the fire, because the others were only a few steps away from the Azure-robed Daoist and the Brocade-clad Youth, yet the flames that seemed capable of burning everything did not harm them in the slightest.

"Six Paths Purgatory Karmic Fire Red Lotus!"

"Who exactly is this person?!"

On the octagonal twelve-story pavilion of the Medicine King Sect in the distant mountain ridges, an old man in purple robes stared in shock at the enormous fire lotus blooming horizontally beneath the dark clouds, his heart filled with awe, so shaken that he didn't 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 originally belonging to Tashilhunpo Monastery, one that had only appeared a few times in a thousand years, used against a third-rate among third-rate cultivator whose power level even Yuan Tianyi couldn't discern—truly using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. But before the overturned Beiliu Royal Mansion Caravan, it was the perfect demonstration of absolute power and the words Yuan Tianyi had just spoken.

Luo Bei, witnessing such a spectacular spell with earth-shattering might for the first time, was equally shaken inside. Yet Yuan Tianyi, who had casually unleashed such a stunning technique, sighed faintly in his heart as he looked down at him. "Luo Bei, will you choose to always look up like this, or will you one day make everyone look up to you?"