Translator: CinderTL
"Heart-Ape..."
Xu Sanyan closed his eyes, slowly emptying his mind as described in the book. Yet chaotic thoughts continued to arise. He seized one thought and focused his contemplation on it. As all his mental energy converged on this single point, the remaining distractions gradually faded away.
Now, only this one thought needed to be eliminated. But precisely this thought proved the most difficult to eradicate, for as soon as it vanished, a flood of new thoughts would rush in to fill the void.
This was where the Subduing the Heart-Ape Method came into play.
"The heart follows the will, the will guides the heart, and the heart thought manifests. Empty the heart, empty the thoughts, empty the delusions..."
The book's descriptions were vague and metaphorical, emphasizing intuitive understanding. Some truths could not be conveyed through words alone, requiring personal enlightenment—a process that consumed vast amounts of time.
Xu Sanyan lifted his eyelids slightly, revealing a sliver of his pupils. A transparent panel materialized before his eyes:
[Xu Sanyan]
[Age: 21/468]
[Realm: Dao Seeking Realm (Mid Stage)]
[Cultivation Method: Dao-Seizing Vitality Origin Sutra (Peak Stage)]
[Mystical Arts—Soaring Void Wind-Riding Technique (Peak Stage). Soul Condensation Technique (Peak Stage). Lu Clan's Spirit Refining Force (Peak Stage). Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art (Peak Stage). Subduing the Heart-Ape Method (Uninitiated)...]
[Techniques—Perfect Circle Stance (Peak Stage). Three Tigers Subduing Dragon Saber (Peak Stage). Horse Appraisal Technique (Peak Stage)...]
[Vitality—558]
This is much more satisfying!
Xu Sanyan closed the book and silently chanted,
Upgrade!
His Vitality rapidly drained, plummeting from 558 points to 118 points in an instant—a staggering loss of 440 points!
The Subduing the Heart-Ape Method also advanced from Uninitiated to Initiated.
"Hiss..."
Xu Sanyan gasped. This had cost even more Vitality than mastering the Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art.
Over 400 points just to break through a minor realm!
No wonder it was a secret art of the Yaotian Holy Sect—truly extraordinary.
But Xu Sanyan didn't begrudge the cost. Vitality was now readily available to him, no longer a precious resource.
As the secret art initiated, Xu Sanyan felt his divine soul clear, as if half the ten-thousand-kilogram mountain pressing on his heart had been lifted. His entire being filled with lightness.
"Excellent! Truly an excellent technique!"
The ropes binding Xu Sanyan's spirit loosened slightly, filling him with elation. A smile spread across his face as he couldn't help but marvel at the profound mysteries of the cultivation method.
Sensing something amiss, the old man exclaimed in astonishment, "You... you couldn't have actually entered the initial stage, could you?"
Xu Sanyan waved his hand modestly, chuckling, "Haha, pure luck, pure luck."
This young man is truly terrifying! the old man thought suddenly.
Even in their era, when heavenly prides emerged in droves, few had managed to successfully enter the initial stage of this mystical art. And even those who did spent vast amounts of time mastering it. The exceptionally talented might achieve it in ten years, but for those with ordinary aptitude...
He wouldn't recommend attempting it at all, as they might never even reach the initial stage in their entire lives.
Xu Sanyan glanced around the room before turning to descend the stairs.
At that moment, the old man spoke in a low voice, "Young friend, this old man has a request."
Xu Sanyan wasn't surprised. He turned to the portrait with a smile. "Senior wishes to take this painting, I presume?"
"Indeed. It would be a way to accompany her on her final journey," the old man replied, his voice filled with regret.
"Senior, you are truly a man of deep affection, worthy of admiration," Xu Sanyan said with a smile, rolling up the portrait and tucking it into his storage pouch, carefully placing it next to the discipline ruler.
The old man remained silent, his mood visibly dampened.
Suddenly, a startled cry of disbelief erupted from the ninth floor: "Ah! She's coming up?!"
With the appearance of the staircase, the ninth and tenth floors were no longer separate entities but a connected whole. Xu Sanyan could now hear everything happening below.
As Xu Sanyan turned, he was instantly enveloped by an oppressive Yin Qi, his body freezing in place.
Such intense Yin Qi!
The bone-chilling cold nearly froze him solid.
The old man, hiding within the discipline ruler, seemed to sense something. His voice suddenly became agitated, tinged with disbelief: "Is... is that her aura?"
"Yes! It's her! It's her!"
"I can't be mistaken. She's still alive?!"
Xu Sanyan gritted his teeth, unable to understand the old man's rambling. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a crimson figure squeezing through the narrow staircase. Beneath the embroidered red veil, a pale, slender neck was revealed.
The old man's voice faltered. "She... how did she become like this?"
"Save me..." Xu Sanyan managed to squeeze out two words through gritted teeth.
Lost in his daze, the old man stared blankly at the figure through the discipline ruler, muttering under his breath, "Qian'er, why have you become like this...?"
"Great Elder! He must be behind this!" the old man suddenly shouted, his voice brimming with boundless fury.
The Red-Clad Female Ghost brushed past Xu Sanyan and paused, reaching out to take his storage pouch. She retrieved an item from within—the very scroll he had just placed inside.
Yet she only took the scroll, showing no reaction whatsoever to the discipline ruler, which lay mere inches away and contained the old man's soul spirit.
Xu Sanyan dared not look directly at her. From Xiang Tan's earlier cry of alarm, he surmised that this female ghost was likely the "thing that must not be looked upon."
After taking the scroll, the Red-Clad Female Ghost casually tossed the storage pouch to the ground and glided back the way she had come, exiting the drum tower.
Only when she had completely vanished did Xu Sanyan feel like he had returned to life. His clothes were soaked with cold sweat, the sensation of teetering between life and death leaving him breathless.
What level of cultivation?
What kind of power?
Could bring such crushing despair?
"Qian'er... why won't you look at me? Do you still hate me? Even to the point of taking back the portrait you gave me?" The old man's voice was filled with despair and deep regret.
Xu Sanyan had no interest in their melodramatic love story, but he could sense that the relationship between them was far from the idealized version the old man presented.
"Senior, are you alright?" Xu Sanyan asked, channeling Spiritual Power to dry his clothes.
"Ah..." The old man sighed, his spirit seemingly drained. "Go... just go..."
Xu Sanyan descended to the ninth floor and found Xiang Tan crouched on the ground, clutching her head in her hands, her body still trembling slightly.
"Let's go," Xu Sanyan said.
Xiang Tan finally stood up, her face pale with fear.
The two walked out of the drum tower, Xu Sanyan gazing at the pitch-black sky with an indifferent expression.
Two days had passed. Why hadn't his men arrived yet?
And what about Qin Manyang?
Just then, the mother stone in his pocket warmed. Xu Sanyan pulled it out and glanced at the message:
[Holy Son, are you still alive?]
Xu Sanyan smirked. [Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not dead yet.]
[I'm coming back right away!]
Qin Manyang, who had been hiding in a nearby house, received the message and immediately rose to her feet, sprinting toward the drum tower.
(End of the Chapter)
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