Empowerment (Please Follow)

Jade Heaven Market.

The painted pleasure boats drifted slowly on; the market was as bustling as ever.

"Looks like after the cultivation world's chaos, things really are settling down. Even this kind of mobile market has reopened..."

Fang Qing had disguised himself as the sinister middle-aged man he had once appeared as here. After converting his magic power to [Ji Water], he now displayed sixth-layer cultivation. With his hands behind his back, he stepped aboard a book boat.

The sign of the Nine Rivers Water Pavilion came into view.

A beautiful married woman with skin like congealed cream, a green jade hairpin in her hair, and a scholarly air about her face came forward to greet him. "Customer... eh?"

She seemed to recognize Fang Qing.

"Manager, long time no see."

Fang Qing smiled faintly. "After the Ba Commandery cultivation world suffered such a great calamity, I never expected to see an old acquaintance again..."

He had come here for only one purpose: to confirm something.

Something the old blind man had told him back then, now that he possessed the Plum Blossom Divination.

"The cultivation world was too chaotic before. We could only barely get by after closing the market... Now that the situation has settled somewhat, naturally we had to come out and do some business."

The beautiful woman lightly adjusted her cloudlike hair, her entire body carrying an indescribable charm.

"That is good, then. I'll buy a few more Daoist books..."

Fang Qing came to the bookshelves and casually leafed through the volumes. "There are still only this many cultivation methods above the Dao Foundation Realm..."

Within his heart, he began calculating with the Plum Blossom Divination.

"Minor misfortune?!"

"That is relative to my strength. If it were another cultivator, they might truly fall straight into the pit."

"As expected, this bookstore poses quite an obstacle to me."

A faint gloom surfaced deep in Fang Qing's eyes.

"Dao Foundation cultivation methods have always been secrets each family keeps under lock and key..." The beautiful woman remained wholly unaware, her expression unchanged.

A short while later, Fang Qing picked out several ordinary Daoist books and took his leave.

This time, however, the beautiful woman did not return to her seat. Instead, she went behind the book pavilion.

Behind the bookshelf wall, there was actually a secret chamber!

An array sealed off this place, making it impossible for the outside world to notice even the slightest trace.

A hand reached out and pulled the beautiful woman into the chamber, then began groping all over her body without the slightest courtesy.

"Young Master Cheng..."

The beautiful woman pushed back coyly, her hands seeming to lack much strength. "There may be other customers coming soon."

Opposite her stood a cultivator with triangular eyes, his face full of lecherous wickedness.

Had Li Rulong been here, he would have recognized him at once. This man was none other than Luo Dacheng!

"Tell me about that customer just now."

Though Luo Dacheng's eyes gleamed as if he wished to devour the woman whole, his expression was even greedier.

It seemed that... he had encountered prey more delicious than this beautiful woman?

"That customer? He came once several years ago to buy a [Ji Water] cultivation method for a disciple of his family. I sold him our clan's flawed copy of the Black Ridge Observation Book."

The beautiful woman spoke with some puzzlement.

"Haha... what family disciple? He himself lacks the subsequent cultivation method! I cultivate [Ji Water] as well. Just now, using a secret art to sense him, I found that he cultivates my family's Black Ridge Observation Book and has already reached the sixth layer... Hehe, without those few verses and key points, he definitely cannot break through the late Qi Ingestion stage. He came this time perhaps to inquire and test the waters."

"So that is how it is?"

The beautiful woman was somewhat shocked.

"Haha... you really bring me luck, woman! With my genuine cultivation method, I can only win and never lose against him. Perfect—I'll devour all his cultivation power. I might even break through my current bottleneck."

Luo Dacheng laughed loudly. "I'll be back before long. Beauty, just wait nicely for me."

The beautiful woman gave a charming smile and watched Luo Dacheng leave. Only after his escaping light had completely vanished from sight did her expression abruptly change. She formed a hand seal and cleansed her body.

"He's here."

Somewhere far from Jade Heaven Market.

Fang Qing stood upon the Profound Ice Wheel and waited in silence.

A moment later, a streak of light flew over, carrying the imagery of clear springs and gentle breezes.

"[Ji Water] magic power? The Black Ridge Observation Book?"

Fang Qing looked at the triangular-eyed cultivator opposite him and frowned. "Sir... could you be the owner behind that book boat?"

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist's cultivation is profound. Why not fulfill this humble one?"

Luo Dacheng laughed, forming hand seals with both hands. "Go!"

Gurgle, gurgle!

Clear springs surged from the earth, and a gentle breeze brushed against his face.

Fang Qing suddenly felt the [Ji Water] magic power that had been circulating smoothly through his body turn stagnant, its movements becoming sluggish and unresponsive!

For another cultivator, if their magic power could not circulate smoothly, then no matter what spells, talismans, or magical artifacts they possessed, none could be used. They could only be slaughtered at another's whim!

"Damn it... you actually tampered with the cultivation method?"

Fang Qing looked "utterly shocked" as he barely controlled the Profound Ice Wheel and landed unsteadily on the ground.

"Haha... it is useless. Every great family in Ba Commandery knows that my Heavenly Water Luo Family cultivates the Black Ridge Observation Book. A lowly cultivator like you, who ran headfirst into this, certainly has no identity or background... If you die, then you die."

Luo Dacheng looked at Fang Qing as though he were gazing at a priceless treasure. "It is this young master's good fortune. During my usual patrol of the market, I happened upon you, a fat sheep!"

With the many hidden tricks left within the family cultivation method, even cultivators several minor realms above him could be directly suppressed by Luo Dacheng with confidence!

He stepped forward, preparing to subdue Fang Qing completely before absorbing his magic power.

Yet as Fang Qing watched Luo Dacheng draw closer and closer, his expression suddenly became teasing. "Then have you considered... that I might be a body cultivator?"

"What?"

Before Luo Dacheng could react, the figure before him flashed, and a palm as large as a cattail fan came crashing down.

Smack!

That huge hand shattered his protective spiritual light and struck his cheek viciously.

Luo Dacheng screamed. Blood streamed from his mouth and nose as he spat out a mouthful of teeth, rolling about on the ground like a dead dog. "How is this possible? Such a tyrannical physique? Fellow Daoist, spare my life! Fellow Daoist... I am a disciple of the Heavenly Water Luo Family. My family has a Dao Foundation ancestor!"

Within his heart, he was utterly bewildered.

To temper one's body to such a profound level, a body cultivator needed not only an excellent body-tempering cultivation method, but also terrifying investments of spiritual resources!

On the Breath-Nourishing Dao side, such resources could at minimum produce several cultivators of equal cultivation!

In theory, how could such a wealthy and extravagant cultivator possibly not have heard of the Luo Family's ancestral cultivation method and fall into the trap so easily?

Could it be... that he had specifically come to fish for him?

At that thought, Luo Dacheng's face immediately turned ashen. "Who are you? Someone from the Luo Family? Or the Cloudcrag Sect?"

"Hehe... this Buddha hails from the Secret Treasury Domain!"

Fang Qing silently changed his cultivation method. With the Great Sun Empowerment Secret Art and the Horse-Head Vajra Protector Divine Art, no one would believe him even if he claimed not to be an Esoteric Sect disciple!

Boom!

Luo Dacheng screamed. His eyes seemed to be staring directly into a blazing Great Sun, tears streaming down his face and falling to the earth as springs.

There was only one thought in his mind: His previous cultivation method was fake? He really was fishing for me!

"Wait, my Luo Family bears no grudge against the Secret Treasury Domain!"

Luo Dacheng hurriedly said.

"Indeed, there is no particular connection. But this Buddha finds that you have an affinity with me, Benefactor... are you willing to become my disciple?"

Fang Qing smiled faintly, revealing teeth white as bone.

"Convert... me?"

Luo Dacheng asked in shock, "Are you a Great Snow Mountain 'master'?"

The monks of Great Snow Mountain were equivalent to the Qi Ingestion Realm, while masters were equivalent to the Dao Foundation Realm!

As for Dharma Kings? They could contend with the Purple Mansion Realm!

"Are you willing, Benefactor? If not, you must descend into the scorching hell, forever enduring the punishment of blazing flames?"

Fang Qing did not answer, merely delivering a thunderous rebuke straight at his head.

Having cultivated the Great Sun Empowerment Secret Art, he had naturally come into contact with the Secret Treasury Domain's methods of "empowerment."

It had to be said that they truly had a knack for controlling people. They could seize a person's life essence, leaving their life and death at the turn of a thought. They could even pry into the heart, making it difficult for believers to lie, secretly stirring admiration within them. Over time, they would become fanatical believers.

As I see it, the Secret Treasury Domain has only two classes: slaves and slave masters...

Fang Qing had his own unique views regarding "empowerment" and "precepts." He knew that the key to completely controlling disciples lay in "status"!

If he were a master, with the difference of a major realm, then even if Luo Dacheng were unwilling, he could still forcibly "convert" him into his own slave—oh, no... disciple.

But he was not. Without the status enhancement brought by the gap of a major realm, during the "empowerment," the other party needed to open their heart without the slightest resistance.

Actually, if I could borrow a little of the Dao-Born Pearl's status, I could probably forcibly convert even Dao Foundation cultivators... But sadly, this old master will not budge. No, there seems to be a way, though it is rather dangerous.

Fang Qing had explored many methods of using the Dao-Born Pearl.

The one that had left the deepest impression on him was when the Shabby Daoist, who was suspected to be in the Purple Mansion Realm, had calculated his fate. The Dao-Born Pearl had activated passively, allowing him to borrow its status. Since then, divination had seemed almost divinely assisted.

Put another way, if I deliberately encounter danger, I might also be able to stimulate the Dao-Born Pearl into operating... For example, if a Dharma King were forcibly converting me? Forget it... that is far too dangerous.

While Fang Qing was pondering, Luo Dacheng had already respectfully knelt. "Master above, this disciple is willing to take refuge in Great Snow Mountain!"

Uh... cultivators of this world really have opened my eyes in this regard. Their bottom lines are far too flexible.

Fang Qing was speechless inwardly. One hand was already pressed upon Luo Dacheng's crown as he chanted the Great Sun Tathagata Secret Mantra. "Today, I shall bestow empowerment upon you. This is your supreme honor. You shall offer to me your wealth, parents, children, fleshly body... everything, every last thing you possess. You shall raise a fearless heart, uphold a vajra will, and receive my fundamental great precepts. You must not defy your master... You shall worship me as your 'sole secret principal deity.' You shall revere me as a god!"

With Luo Dacheng's cooperation, his [Great Sun] magic power swiftly entered the man's dantian and sea of qi. After circling once, it left behind not the slightest trace before returning.

Yet Fang Qing inexplicably felt as if he had gained an invisible "hand" that had seized hold of Luo Dacheng's "life."

With a thought, the invisible hand squeezed lightly. Luo Dacheng immediately collapsed to his knees, screaming, "Master, spare my life! Master, spare my life!"

Even as the man begged for mercy, Fang Qing could vaguely sense his fear and unwillingness... as well as the sliver of resentment hidden in the depths of his heart.

But that did not matter. Under the reinforcement of the "Great Sun Precepts," he would gradually come to revere and fear his master, until that trace of resentment was ground away completely!

This art... is so evil! But I like it!

Fang Qing smiled faintly to himself, then shouted, "Wretch! Why have you not told me, one by one, of your origins, cultivation method, lifelong learning, and the Luo Family's secrets!"