Outer Dao Deceives Heaven and Defrauds the True Dharma; the Heart Ape Loses to Fire, Stirring the Restless Spirit

Dragon-Transformation Pool, third day.

When the Dragon Gate closed, Heng Hua had just grown into a Fish Dragon.

Opening his eyes, he found that the lotus leaf beneath him had already lost its spiritual glow. The Fish Dragon formed from Heng Hua's consciousness returned to his body, along with a strand of Dragon Aura circulating within him before being absorbed by his Creation True Qi.

After failing to transform into a dragon, one could bring the manifested dragon-beast form back into one's body to increase one's mana.

The spiritual power of a Dragonfish was equivalent to ten days of ordinary cultivation.

A Fish Dragon was equivalent to thirty days, the same as ten days of cultivation in the Dragon-Transformation Pool.

"Not bad. I didn't lose out."

Heng Hua gave himself a little mental encouragement and said reassuringly, "It's been years since I last tried a dragon-transformation opportunity. I'm a little rusty. Let's go again."

Picking up his token, Heng Hua exchanged it for another three days and once again asked Fu Danwei to open the Dragon Gate.

After pondering for a moment, Fu Danwei first opened the Dragon Gate in ordinary mode. On the third day, just as Heng Hua was about to evolve from a Fish Dragon into a Flood Dragon, he decisively raised it to the highest difficulty. Flood Dragons appeared one after another, swiftly beating the Fish Dragon back to its original form.

Then Fu Danwei lowered the difficulty again, allowing Heng Hua to grow smoothly.

"I left him some time. This time, he can become a Flood Dragon, but there won't be enough time for him to cross the Dragon Gate."

Fu Danwei stroked his beard and nodded to himself.

Given what he knew of his grandson, Heng Hua was proud at heart and would certainly choose to keep fighting. That way, he could continue using the Dragon-Transformation Pool to temper his combat awareness.

That was right. Heng Hua had been deliberately targeted by Fu Danwei in the Dragon-Transformation Pool. For this grandson who spent all day cooped up at home reading, the old man had worried himself sick.

The escalating difficulty of the Dragon-Transformation Pool was something Fu Danwei had devised while battling wits and courage with his grandson.

When ordinary clan members used a dragon-transformation opportunity, there was only one ordinary mode. There were no dragon breeds such as snakes or aquatic plants at all. The challenger merely had to defeat three dragon beasts of the same rank at every stage to advance automatically. Only at the Dragon Gate checkpoint would they repeatedly be obstructed. Over the past several hundred years, few had completed the Dragon Gate trial.

Fu Danwei did not think Heng Hua could pass through the Dragon Gate and seek the True Dragon Aura. He merely worried that Heng Hua would repeatedly use dragon-transformation opportunities, devouring vast amounts of dragon-beast Dragon Aura to cultivate and thereby destabilizing his foundation.

Thus, Fu Danwei deliberately increased the difficulty for him to temper his mind. Moreover, through battles with dragon beasts and Dragonfish, Heng Hua had unknowingly accumulated an extraordinarily rich wealth of aquatic combat experience.

After his second defeat, Heng Hua remained unruffled.

This was nothing unusual. My merit points are plentiful anyway, so I'll take it slow.

This time, Heng Hua obtained a Flood Dragon. His mana increased by the equivalent of a hundred days of arduous cultivation, and the fifth step of the Spirit-Embryo Mind Method was complete.

"Ride the spirit clouds, sweep through the Dragon Palace. Next comes Sever Life and Death, Comprehend Nether Spirits."

The Spirit Ape leaped and rolled about within the Niwan Palace, brimming with delight.

"Staff, come!"

With a thought, as the Spirit Ape swung both hands, a strand of golden Dragon Aura transformed into a staff.

Heng Hua had read extensively and knew quite a few staff techniques used by martial cultivators. He had the Spirit Ape study staff arts on Flower-Fruit Mountain, suppressing the restless intent rising in his heart.

"Continue."

On the third attempt, the Fish Dragon became a Flood Dragon and defeated a group of opponents to reach the Dragon Gate. Yet when the time limit expired, it ultimately returned to his body in Flood Dragon form.

On the fourth attempt, he was ambushed by a Plant-Wood Azure Flood Dragon lying in wait before the Dragon Gate.

On the fifth attempt, he encountered a group of Dragon Eels the moment he emerged. He broke through again and again, only to die again and again. When time ran out, he was no more than a tiny fish fry.

"It's fine. I only lost out once. Again."

On the sixth attempt, he ended as a Dragonfish.

On the seventh attempt, he ended as a tiny fish fry.

With each successive attempt, Heng Hua's face grew darker. The Spirit Ape raged and roared within the Niwan Palace, its Dragon Aura staff sweeping with the force of a thousand jun. It battered the heart-image of Flower-Fruit Mountain until wind and rain surged wildly.

The fire in his heart blazed fiercely as Heng Hua silently recited the Heart-Calming Formula.

The Spirit Ape was the Heart Ape, formed from Heng Hua's consciousness. Lively and unruly, arrogant and untamed, it was filled with all of Heng Hua's negative emotions.

Ultimately, although Heng Hua had created the Heavenly Book, his realm had been insufficient. The Heavenly Book he had created with his current reservoir of knowledge carried an exceedingly troublesome hidden bane.

When the Heart Ape grew restless and a cultivator encountered setbacks, it would trigger all manner of negative emotions, causing the cultivator to lose rational control. Only after reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm and suppressing the Heart Ape beneath Five Elements Mountain could one escape the Heart Ape's restless thoughts.

Heng Hua knew this flaw perfectly well.

At the stage of "Seek Longevity, Attain Bodhi," there should originally have been a calming method for nurturing Qi and cultivating the heart. It would manifest Flower-Fruit Mountain in the Yellow Court Inner Landscape as Mind-Terrace Square-Inch Mountain and Slanting-Moon Three-Stars Cave.

Mind-Terrace Square-Inch meant seeking.

Slanting-Moon Three-Stars meant the heart.

Only by seeking the heart and proving one's origin could one suppress the Heart Ape, make it subdue the Outer Dao, and return to orthodox cultivation.

Yet Heng Hua had relied on the fact that he was rebuilding his cultivation as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and possessed excellent mental cultivation. He had no desire to spend further effort creating a calming method for nurturing Qi and cultivating the heart.

At the original fourth step, he should also have added a spiritual cultivation method to strengthen the spirit and temper divine consciousness. Otherwise, ordinary people cultivating it would die from qi deviation due to the Heart Ape's wildness and their own spiritual weakness.

But Heng Hua possessed divine consciousness at the level of Immortal Dao Foundation Establishment, so he did not care in the slightest.

Therefore, the first level of this Heavenly Book, riddled with enormous flaws and vulnerabilities, was a specially tailored accelerated version most suitable for Heng Hua—and one that only Heng Hua could cultivate.

"Calm down, calm down. Don't lock horns with it. If I keep spending merit points like this, all I'll get back in the end is a fish fry. I might as well honestly cultivate in seclusion here—"

But when he watched the Dragon-Transformation Pool close, those Flood Dragon wenches and Dragon Eel wenches swaying about and striking poses made him feel so angry!

"Again! If I can obtain the True Dragon Aura, I can recover the Foundation Establishment Realm sooner."

Heng Hua's face flushed red with anger as he took out his token and deducted another two major merits.

"I refuse to believe I can't obtain the True Dragon Aura!"

Heng Hua understood the Heart Ape's drawback. Thus, he did not wish to linger too long in the Qi Refining Realm. Only by recovering the Foundation Establishment Realm as soon as possible could he suppress the Heart Ape's restless fire.

Yet this very urgency made the Heart Ape erupt even more violently, suppressing his rationality in turn and ravaging his Dao heart.

Although Fu Danwei did not understand Heng Hua's current predicament, seeing him endure bitterly in the Dragon-Transformation Pool again and again, he silently introduced all sorts of aquatic combat techniques into the hostile aquatic creatures, gradually feeding Heng Hua moves.

"If he encounters a large swarm of water demons joining forces to entangle him someday, he must know how to break through."

Secretly manipulating the Dragon-Transformation Pool, he sent over batch after batch of Dragon Eels.

"If he encounters an enemy he cannot defeat, he must know how to flee for his life."

During the Dragonfish stage, Fu Danwei deliberately sent over a Flood Dragon.

Grandfather and grandson battled wits, tormenting each other. By the time Heng Hua had spent thirty days in the Dragon-Transformation Pool and undergone ten dragon-transformation trials—

Although he had failed to obtain the True Dragon Aura, he had entered the sixth step of the Spirit-Embryo Mind Method: Sever Life and Death, Comprehend Nether Spirits.

Having passed through the Netherworld Realm, the Spirit Ape now possessed substantial form and could remain outside his body for longer periods.

"No. I can't keep going."

Seeing that few merit points remained on his token, Heng Hua struggled to use his remaining rationality to suppress his restless thoughts. He rose ashore and hurried away.

"He left?"

"Intermission. I'm going back to eat!"

Foundation Establishment cultivators could fast for dozens of days, relying solely on heaven and earth's spiritual energy for nourishment. Though Heng Hua had dispersed his cultivation and rebuilt it, his constitution had not changed. He had secluded himself for a month and needed no fasting pills.

Still, after so long, he could not help feeling uncomfortable. So he ran back to rest, intending to replenish his spirits properly.

Fu Danwei was somewhat surprised. Just as he was about to tease his grandson, the candles in the hall dimmed, and that shadowy figure came again.

"You only need to seize possession of one grandson, and you can live another five hundred years. Such a fine bargain, and you're not tempted?"

Fu Danwei's expression changed. He closed his eyes and silently suppressed the "heart demon."

Returning to Langhuan Hall, Heng Hua ate a meal of spirit grains. After replenishing his essence, Qi, and spirit, he had Xiaoyu prepare him a pot of cooling tea to quell the fire.

Over these past days, Xiaoyu had already mended the gold thread on Second Madam's side. As for Fu Heyi's matter, no one on the island was pursuing it for now.

Xiaoyu reported on the events of the past few days. At the end, she mentioned one matter. "Eighth Miss has come by several times these days. Since you weren't here, she did not enter the library."

"Liuhui?"

Fu Liuhui was ranked eighth. Her mother and Fu Heng Hua's father were twin siblings, and among all their brothers and sisters, she and Fu Heng Hua had the best relationship.

"Could she be here to borrow a sword manual?"

Heng Hua did not think much of it.

After Xiaoyu left, he remained alone in the library, nurturing his Qi and reading as he adjusted his state of mind.

Once his mind had calmed, Heng Hua summoned the Heart Ape.

A palm-sized Spirit Ape appeared on the table. Holding a Dragon Aura staff, it was climbing back and forth across Brush-Rack Mountain.

"With my current mana at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, if this staff hits an enemy's crown... there's a good chance even a Foundation Establishment cultivator will die, right?"

Heng Hua reached out and picked up the Coiling Dragon Staff. The Spirit Ape clutched the staff and refused to let go, baring its teeth at Heng Hua.

This state was exceedingly strange. Heng Hua seemed to possess two perspectives. One remained within himself, while the other was within the Spirit Ape.

The Spirit Ape was his other consciousness.

"An incarnation outside the body, a second Primordial Spirit..."

Heng Hua muttered to himself. A spark of inspiration dawned upon him from somewhere unseen, and he laughed openly. "This is the second mind."

Though he had yet to successfully deduce realms such as the Mystic Womb and Core Formation, Heng Hua had already thought of how to cultivate the future Tribulation of Two Minds.

The Heart Ape was both restless intent and the demon in his heart. Only by subduing the Heart Ape and extinguishing the second mind could one return to unity, achieve the Sacred Womb, and cultivate the Primordial Spirit to become true.

Thinking of the step of becoming a Primordial Spirit True Immortal, Heng Hua's heart filled with joy. He could hardly wait to establish his foundation and complete the Heavenly Book he had created.

"A month has already passed. Uncle Nineteen's matter cannot be concealed forever. I must reach the ninth layer of Qi Refining as soon as possible and head to Turtle-Burial Reef."

Heng Hua vaguely had a guess as to what lay within Turtle-Burial Reef.

A natural place for avoiding tribulations would naturally contain heavenly treasures. And when one spoke of spirit turtles, one naturally thought of divination and longevity.

The heavenly treasures nurtured there would most likely aid divination and deduction. At the very least, there would be items that prolonged life.

The things there were important to both himself and his grandfather.

Unable to sit still any longer, Heng Hua headed upstairs again.

Fu Heyi had spent these days asleep in a guest room of Langhuan Hall.

Pushing open the door, Heng Hua saw Fu Heyi sleeping soundly on the bed and reached out to place his fingers on his pulse.

"Good. His true essence is circulating steadily. His divine consciousness has merely been sealed, leaving him unable to rise or move about."

But this was not a long-term solution.

"If I release him now, Grandfather will certainly learn that I dispersed my cultivation and rebuilt it. Given Grandfather's temperament, he will absolutely refuse to let me go to Turtle-Burial Reef."

After another thought, Heng Hua muttered, "The nanmu trees on the back mountain have been felled. The old man has probably already found out. I might as well create the illusion that Uncle Nineteen has left the island, making Grandfather believe he went to make a longevity coffin. Then he likely won't pursue Uncle Nineteen's whereabouts any further."

Although Fu Danwei had tacitly permitted Fu Heyi to fell trees on the back mountain to make a longevity coffin for himself—

Such an act was no different from cursing him to an early death.

The old man would only be too happy for it to be out of sight and out of mind. Why would he care where Fu Heyi had gone?

"It wouldn't be impossible to bring Uncle Nineteen with me to Turtle-Burial Reef. It's just that..."

With Xiaoyu and Hengshou alone, they likely would not be able to keep watch over him.

Just then, the wind chimes at the entrance of Langhuan Hall rang.

Looking out through the window, Heng Hua saw Fu Xiangfeng standing at the main entrance.

At once, he smiled.

Help had arrived!

He casually grabbed a small pinch of earth from the flowerpot beneath the window and carefully scattered it at Fu Heyi's bedside and foot of the bed. After reciting an incantation, he went downstairs to find Fu Xiangfeng.

Supplement:

The Dragon Physiognomy said: Dragons are the leaders of scaled creatures. They can be large or small, appear or vanish, summon wind and rain, and roam the vast seas.

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There really aren't many readers, but since someone asked for extra updates, I'll post twice a day. As for word count, I truly can't manage two chapters of four thousand words each, so I can only try to write a little more.