Any cultivator knows that Buddhist cultivation methods are rare. Buddhist teachings focus on compassion and defense, with weak offensive abilities, making them ill-suited for the competitive world of spiritual cultivation.
However, the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Book was different. Like a wrathful deity, it aimed to devour and destroy all evil spirits, its methods akin to those of an Asura.
“No wonder seeing the characters in the jade talisman felt like witnessing a sea of blood,” Nan Yan mused, slightly worried.
Just before finishing her practice, Nan Yan felt a surge of energy through her meridians, unexpectedly advancing to mid-stage Qi Refinement.
This was the advantage of a top-tier cultivation technique. It not only overwhelmed the foundation of the Yangue Sect’s heart method but also directly broke through her current level.
Despite her concerns, Nan Yan couldn’t deny the exhilaration of advancing. Her controllable spiritual energy increased by 30%, and her spiritual sense expanded to a range of ten feet, allowing her to perceive every movement within that radius.
With her pearl to conceal her aura, she decided to continue practicing. Nan Yan, well-versed in folk tales, felt like the protagonist her mother often spoke of. She realized she could become formidable on her own, without needing anyone’s protection.
Feeling a bit overconfident, Nan Yan left her room, only to find Ji Yang had posted a “Do Not Disturb” sign on his door. Her enthusiasm deflated somewhat.
After waiting for a while, Nan Yan left for the spiritual fields. She harvested the newly grown spiritual herbs and took them to the medicine hall. On her way, she noticed the outer sect seemed unusually quiet. Upon inquiry, she learned that the inner sect was holding its minor competition that day.
“All the outer sect disciples have gone to watch the inner sect disciples compete,” explained a familiar young worker at the medicine hall, looking exhausted.
Curious, Nan Yan asked about the competition. The worker explained that cultivator sects from across the mortal realm were preparing for the opening of the Filth Valley hunting grounds. The Yangue Sect had only ten spots for the middle area, so they were holding a competition among Qi Refinement disciples to select suitable candidates to accompany the elders. Outer sect disciples could join the expedition to the outer area, but without elder protection, their fate would be left to chance.
“But isn’t the Filth Valley dangerous? Surely not many would want to go just for a chance at the inner area spots,” Nan Yan pondered.
“The sect leader is offering a Foundation Establishment pill as the prize for the winner to encourage participation,” the worker replied.
Nan Yan recalled the incident where the inner sect’s top disciple, Fu Lang, had his Foundation Establishment pill intercepted. She asked why it was now being offered as a prize when it was supposedly needed to curry favor with emissaries from the upper realm.
The worker explained that the emissaries were occupied elsewhere, leaving no opportunity for such favor-currying. Originally intended for Fu Lang, the pill’s fate changed when a new prodigy in the inner sect suddenly broke through to late-stage Qi Refinement, rivaling Fu Lang’s peak Qi Refinement level. The sect leader, seeing greater potential in this newcomer but hesitant to directly award him the pill, organized this competition.
Nan Yan realized the “prodigy” must be Mu Zhanting, who had been confined to the inner sect for two months.
“Isn’t it unfair to Fu Lang, since the pill was originally meant for him?” Nan Yan questioned.
The worker chuckled, “Our small sect in the mortal realm has limited resources. Fu Lang has failed to establish his foundation for two consecutive years. The sect leader naturally has to consider alternatives.”
The Yangue Sect had only one aging Golden Core elder who rarely left seclusion. Even the sect leader had been stuck at peak Foundation Establishment for years, with only a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators remaining. Mu Zhanting indeed seemed the most promising candidate to break through and ensure the sect’s continuation.
“By the way,” the worker added, “the inner sect competition should be nearing its final round. My master wants me to watch the furnace, so could you place a bet for me on Fu Lang winning?”
He handed Nan Yan three spirit stones.
Nan Yan took the stones and headed towards the inner sect’s small square. The inner sect, usually off-limits to outer sect disciples, had opened a side entrance for spectators.
Most attendees were young Qi Refinement cultivators. Only four inner sect disciples remained in the competition, with a betting pool set up below the stage.
Nan Yan recognized the two disciples running the bets as the ones who had tricked new disciples with bone-warming pills during her initiation.
The battle on stage was intense, with elemental energies clashing. Suddenly, a contestant was thrown off the stage, rolling to a stop with burn marks all over his body.
Nan Yan looked up to see Mu Zhanting standing at the center of the arena, his fire energy receding. Despite having fought three consecutive battles, he seemed to have the energy to spare.
“As expected of a Celestial Spirit Root! No one has lasted more than three exchanges against him!” The crowd below cheered.
Just as Nan Yan was about to call out to him, a pink figure ascended the stage.
“That was an impressive move, Junior Brother Mu. When can you teach me?” It was Xue Ning’er, the sect leader’s daughter and the object of admiration for many Qi Refinement disciples in the Yangue Sect. She was rumored to possess a half-yin cauldron constitution.
Nan Yan remembered a girl named Meng Ying from her initiation group, considered one of the prettiest in the outer sect. However, compared to Xue Ning’er, Meng Ying lacked that ethereal charm.
Looking around, Nan Yan noticed the mesmerized expressions on the faces of the outer sect disciples, evidence of the natural allure the yin cauldron constitution held for male cultivators.
Xue Ning’er was now fawning over Mu Zhanting, offering him tea and wiping his sweat, her admiration unconcealed.
“When we go to the Filth Valley with the elders, why don’t we sneak away to the nearby mortal town market? I’ve never experienced a mortal Mid-Autumn Festival fair,” she suggested coyly.
Mu Zhanting, overwhelmed by the female cultivator’s fragrance, awkwardly responded with vague affirmations. Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught sight of a chubby figure in the crowd. He rushed to the edge of the arena.
“Nan Yan!”
Mu Zhanting, with his back to Xue Ning’er, didn’t notice the flash of killing intent in her eyes. When she followed Mu Zhanting’s gaze to Nan Yan, the hostility vanished, replaced by disbelief.
“Who is this… junior sister?” Xue Ning’er asked.
“She’s my sister,” Mu Zhanting answered, leaping down from the stage and grabbing Nan Yan. “You didn’t come to see me even though I couldn’t leave. Do you know how boring it’s been facing a bunch of dull faces all day? I’ve learned new poetry with no one to recite it to—”
Nan Yan, dizzy from being shaken, was horrified to hear that his misuse of idioms had evolved into misuse of poetry. “The inner sect is so strict, it’s impossible to enter. I’m now addicted to cultivation instead of being ignorant. Go ask Ji Yang to teach you.”
“No way, he’s biased and only likes teaching you. He just throws a book at me and tells me to learn on my own,” Mu Zhanting complained.
After their banter, Xue Ning’er gracefully descended from the stage, maintaining a dignified smile. “Little junior sister, you’re so adorable. Would you like a senior sister to treat you to some snacks?”
Mu Zhanting looked between Nan Yan and Xue Ning’er, shocked. “She’s adorable? Senior Sister Xue, is something wrong with your eyes?”
Xue Ning’er: “…”
Nan Yan: “You continue fighting. I’m leaving.”
At that moment, on the adjacent stage, the victor emerged, casually twirling a spiritually charged lotus stalk brush. His gaze was first drawn to Xue Ning’er, then darkened upon seeing Mu Zhanting.
“Wasn’t Senior Sister Xue listening to the elders’ cultivation insights in the inner hall? How do you have time to come here?” he asked.
Xue Ning’er smiled, “It was stuffy in the inner hall, so I came out for some fresh air. Oh? Junior Brother, is that brush a high-grade magical tool?”
Nan Yan saw Chu Jing approach with the lotus stalk brush, feeling irritated. However, she quickly noticed something strange.
The last time she encountered Chu Jing in the market, his spiritual energy had overwhelmed hers. Now, as she carefully observed his cultivation level, it seemed transparent. She even sensed that if they were to fight, she could easily defeat him.
Chu Jing, noticing Nan Yan’s gaze, assumed she was still upset about the brush incident. His expression brightened.
“It’s thanks to Junior Sister Nan Yan’s gift that I made it to the top ten,” he said.
Xue Ning’er laughed, “This brush is a high-grade magical tool. If Junior Sister Nan Yan could afford to give it away, how could she still be in the outer sect? Junior Brother Chu must be joking.”
“Well… Haha, perhaps the junior sister didn’t recognize its value, and I got lucky,” Chu Jing replied.
Mu Zhanting, initially confused, finally understood from the whispers around him that Chu Jing had forcibly taken Nan Yan’s possession. Enraged, he shouted, “It’s one thing to provoke me, but bullying a child? Do you dare to duel me on stage?”
Although Chu Jing disliked Mu Zhanting, he didn’t want to fight him. “Mu Zhanting, you’re at late-stage Qi Refinement. How can you justify challenging someone at mid-stage? The sect has shown you great kindness. Is this how you repay them, by bullying your fellow disciples?”
“I could ask you the same. How can you, at mid-stage Qi Refinement, justify bullying someone at early-stage?” Mu Zhanting retorted.
Chu Jing sneered, “I didn’t use force. Junior Sister Nan Yan willingly gave me the brush and accepted my spirit stones. There are plenty of witnesses.”
Nan Yan, having benefited from the incident by obtaining the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Book, felt less angry about it now. She tugged on Mu Zhanting’s sleeve, saying, “It’s fine. It was voluntary. There’s no need to argue with such a petty person.”
“That won’t do!”
Suddenly, someone pushed through the crowd. It was Fu Lang, the top disciple of the inner sect.
Nan Yan felt an inexplicable stirring in her spiritual energy. She quickly steadied herself and looked at Fu Lang, noticing his pale complexion and a more sinister aura than before, with a hint of darkness flickering in his eyes.
It made her uncomfortable.
Nan Yan suddenly remembered a line written on the first page of all cultivation manuals: “When a cultivator’s mental state is unstable, it can give rise to inner demons. If inner demons emerge, it can hinder advancement at best, and at worst, drive one mad and fall into demonic cultivation.”
Could it be that the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Book’s heart method sensed the demonic energy in someone’s heart and wanted to attack proactively?
Nan Yan was terrified for a moment. If the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Book was so aggressive that it wanted to kill everyone with even a hint of inner demon, wouldn’t she become like an Asura?
… Mommy, I’m scared.
As Nan Yan panicked, Fu Lang stood between Mu Zhanting and Chu Jing, saying, “Our Yangue Sect has always valued harmony, especially before the opening of the Filth Valley hunting grounds. If there’s discord among our disciples, other sects will laugh at us, and the sect leader will surely reprimand us. Why don’t we take this opportunity for Junior Brother Mu and Junior Brother Chu to settle their differences in a duel? Regardless of the outcome, neither side should provoke the other again.”
Chu Jing exclaimed in surprise, “Senior Brother Fu Lang, he’s at late-stage Qi Refinement!”
Fu Lang replied, “Indeed, Junior Brother Chu is still at mid-stage Qi Refinement. It would be unfair for Junior Brother Mu to bully someone weaker. How about this: Since Junior Sister Ning’er is here to witness, let’s temporarily seal Junior Brother Mu’s cultivation, suppressing it to mid-stage Qi Refinement. Then you two can have a fair duel. What do you think?”
Mu Zhanting, harboring a grudge against Chu Jing for a long time, immediately agreed: “Alright!”
Nan Yan, sensing danger, exclaimed: “No!”
Fu Lang coldly rebuked, “Outer sect disciples have no right to speak here!”
Nan Yan, well-read in various texts, felt this was surely a trap. She whispered to Mu Zhanting, “They’re probably setting you up. Be careful not to fall for it.”
Mu Zhanting found Nan Yan’s words reasonable, but after sizing up Chu Jing, who looked pale and couldn’t even meet his eyes, he thought Nan Yan was overthinking it.
“You’re worrying too much. Look at him, he’s already cowering. He’ll probably flee as soon as he gets on stage.”
Nan Yan: “Big brother.”
Mu Zhanting: “What?”
Nan Yan: “A gentleman acts rather than talks. You should fight more and read less in the future.”
In the end, Nan Yan forcibly gave him an ice wall talisman from Ji Yang, repeatedly urging him to use it if anything seemed off. Only then did Mu Zhanting allow others to temporarily seal his cultivation before ascending the stage.
Chu Jing had been anxiously watching Mu Zhanting, his eyes filled with barely concealed hatred. After Fu Lang checked his cultivation level, a strange look flashed across his face, and he seemed to gain more confidence.
Nan Yan’s eyelid kept twitching. She wasn’t just watching the seemingly one-sided battle on stage; her eyes also kept involuntarily glancing towards Fu Lang.
The heart method of the Seven Buddhas’ Karma Book was stirring in her dantian. The only difference from going berserk was that Nan Yan’s consciousness remained very clear. She felt righteous, almost wanting to transform into a messenger of justice and give Fu Lang’s head a good knock.
Fu Lang also noticed Nan Yan’s occasional glances at him, his face darkening.
… Could this girl have sensed his scheme?
For some reason, being watched by Nan Yan made him inexplicably uneasy. But when he carefully probed with his spiritual sense, she indeed seemed to be just a little girl at early-stage Qi Refinement.
An eight or nine-year-old at early-stage Qi Refinement… He had heard that Mu Zhanting never consumed the sect’s pills, presumably giving them all to this so-called sister of his.
… He does care for her.
Fu Lang sneered. By now, the outcome of the battle on stage was becoming clear. Mu Zhanting’s flame blades pursued Chu Jing, whose lotus-stalk brush summoned water walls. Despite water’s advantage over fire, it still couldn’t withstand the assault. As the water wall broke, two flame blades crossed and struck Chu Jing’s chest and abdomen, sending him tumbling off the stage.
“Mu Zhanting, victory!”
The entire process was unsurprising, with Mu Zhanting dominating his opponent. Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, the fallen Chu Jing suddenly attacked. A cold, sharp light shot out from his sleeve, aiming straight for Mu Zhanting’s back.
“How dare you!”
There were three Foundation Establishment elders supervising the event. One immediately moved to intercept, knocking Chu Jing away, but couldn’t stop the cold light from reaching Mu Zhanting.
“Big brother, the talisman!”
Hearing Nan Yan’s shout, Mu Zhanting quickly activated the ice wall talisman, forming a barrier that blocked the cold light. The object fell to the ground.
It was a blue shuttle. Mu Zhanting thought he had successfully blocked it and let his guard down for a moment. Suddenly, the shuttle shattered, releasing a small, dark needle that instantly penetrated Mu Zhanting’s body.
Nan Yan didn’t have time to react, only seeing the poorly concealed wild joy in Fu Lang’s eyes.
“…It wasn’t in vain that I borrowed this Foundation Establishment treasure. Now let’s see if you can survive!”