Translator: CinderTL
Qin Manyang said happily, "Alright, I'm finished. Can I have the hairpin now?"
Xu Sanyan shook his head. "Who knows if what you said is true or not?"
"It's true!" Seeing him wavering, Qin Manyang immediately raised her hand to swear.
"How about this? After I finish my business, we can go together. How does that sound?"
"What business?" Qin Manyang asked.
Xu Sanyan hesitated for a moment, considering whether he could ask her. Finally, he spoke, "Have you ever heard of the Supreme Truth and Absolute Stillness Sutra?"
Qin Manyang froze, a strange light flickering in her eyes. She asked in an odd tone, "You cultivate this method?"
Xu Sanyan immediately denied it. "No, it's for a friend..."
Before he could finish, Qin Manyang cut him off. "Stop, stop, stop. I get it. It's always your friend, right?"
Xu Sanyan didn't argue, listening quietly as she continued.
"The five great sects of the Central Region consist of three righteous, one heretical, and one demonic. The three righteous sects are the Source Worship Sect, the Praying Dao Sect of Harmonious Mountain, and the Heaven's Will Demon Subduing Temple. The heretical sect is Shangyin Mountain, and the demonic sect..."
Qin Manyang's eyes sparkled with amusement as she deliberately kept him in suspense.
Xu Sanyan understood. The Cultivation Method he practiced must have originated from this "Demonic Sect."
The Supreme Truth and Absolute Stillness Sutra described the Foundation Establishment stage, requiring thirty-six human hearts for the lowest grade. This practice was perfectly in line with Demonic Path methods.
Qin Manyang finally stopped teasing him. "The Demon refers to the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect. The Cultivation Method you—no, your friend—practices actually comes from the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect, specifically the Blood Refinement Branch."
"Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect, Blood Refinement Branch..."
Xu Sanyan had finally traced the Cultivation Method's origins and learned the names of the Five Great Sects of the Central Region.
He hadn't realized that Shangyin Mountain, where the Imperial Advisor of the Liang Kingdom resided, was so prestigious. It was actually one of the Five Great Sects.
Xu Sanyan stared at Qin Manyang with astonishment. He hadn't expected this young woman to know so much despite her age.
Perhaps... her age wasn't as young as she appeared.
Cultivators maintained their youthful appearance, making it impossible to judge their age from their appearance alone. This seemingly playful and charming girl might actually be over a hundred years old.
"Could you tell me about this Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect?" Xu Sanyan asked with a smile, his voice gentle and polite.
"Heh heh..." Qin Manyang wore a smug expression. "Beg me. Beg me, and I'll tell you."
"Please, please tell me..."
Qin Manyang smiled. "The Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect has three branches: Blood Refinement, Crimson Heart, and Joyous Union."
"Most cultivators of the Blood Refinement Branch are cruel and ruthless, a consequence of their cultivation method." Here, she glanced pointedly at Xu Sanyan.
"The Crimson Heart Branch, on the other hand, is mostly composed of lunatics. They pursue unrestrained freedom, often slaughtering entire villages and clans, committing heinous crimes." Qin Manyang's eyes flashed with distaste, as if she deeply despised the Crimson Heart Branch's cultivators.
"As for the Joyous Union Branch... heh heh..." Qin Manyang's lips curled into a lecherous grin. "You know..."
"Harvesting yin energy to replenish yang?" Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow.
"Exactly, exactly! I adore the handsome young men of the Joyous Union Branch..." Qin Manyang stuck out her tongue to lick her red lips, a hint of longing in her eyes.
Of course, it wasn't as simple as just "yin-yang cultivation." The Blood Refinement Branch also practiced the abhorrent arts of raising human slaves and cauldrons, their deeds no less depraved and wicked than those of the other two branches.
Xu Sanyan, observing her demeanor, suspected that Qin Manyang must be a member of the demonic sect, or at the very least a cultivator of the Heretical Path—definitely not a cultivator of the righteous path.
"Your... friend's cultivation path has been severed, hasn't it?" Qin Manyang had already guessed Xu Sanyan's intentions.
Xu Sanyan didn't answer directly, instead asking, "Do you know of a solution?"
Qin Manyang wrinkled her nose and tilted her eyes. "Why should I help you?"
Xu Sanyan paused to consider. "If you help me, we can reach Desolate Sheep Mountain faster."
Qin Manyang tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful. "Hmm... very well. Actually, I don't have any better ideas. The only way to obtain the subsequent cultivation manual is to join the demonic sect. The Hall Master of the Blood Refinement Branch, True Lord Hei Fu, is a Void Harmony cultivator and a renowned figure in the Central Region..."
Qin Manyang's tone shifted, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "How about you give me the hairpin? You go to the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect first, and then I'll head to Desolate Sheep Mountain. We can split up to save time."
Xu Sanyan inwardly scoffed. This woman was so mysterious, her words only half-true. He couldn't even be sure if the Desolate Sheep Mountain incident was real or fabricated.
It was possible she had concocted the story to deceive him, her true goal being to obtain his hairpin.
Considering it more deeply, perhaps the hairpin was merely a distraction, her true objective something else entirely.
Having grown up among bandits, Xu Sanyan possessed a natural wariness. He knew no one would be kind without ulterior motives; every favor came with a hidden price.
With genuine sincerity in his eyes, Xu Sanyan said to Qin Manyang, "Let's go to the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect first. Once I have the cultivation method, I'll present the hairpin to you with both hands."
The cultivation method was paramount. Once he obtained it, he could instantly break through to the Dao Seeking Realm.
His panel had accumulated over five hundred points of Vitality, more than enough for the breakthrough.
Qin Manyang's face fell, but she could only nod in agreement. "Very well."
From the start, she had never intended to resort to force.
The two changed direction, abandoning their plan to go to the Vast Origin Sect.
In a bamboo grove courtyard within the Vast Origin Sect, Cui Yousheng stood respectfully outside the fence.
After a moment, an aged voice emerged from the house. "Come in."
"Yes, Master."
Cui Yousheng pushed open the wooden gate and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Master."
"What business do you have?"
Cui Yousheng replied, "Years ago, this disciple sent a sect entry token to a mortal family. Now, someone has come bearing the token."
Silence filled the room for a long moment. Finally, the aged voice spoke again. "You came to report this specifically. Does this person possess any extraordinary qualities?"
"Master sees clearly. The person's name is Xu Sanyan, barely past twenty years old, yet he has already broken through to Foundation Establishment. This disciple met him yesterday and used the Qi Observation Technique to examine him. His aura is stable and restrained, indicating that he has already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection."
Even though the old man remained unseen, Cui Yousheng maintained a respectful bow throughout.
"Oh? A Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator in their twenties?" The old man's voice held a hint of surprise. Such talent was exceptional even in the Central Region.
"I recall your family resides in a remote, small kingdom, correct?"
"Yes."
"If this person seeks to join our sect, bring them to me for an assessment."
"Yes, Master," Cui Yousheng replied, but he didn't leave. Instead, he hesitated, as if he had more to say.
"Is there something else?"
Cui Yousheng lowered his voice. "Master, a disciple once mentioned that after Xu Sanyan broke through to Foundation Establishment, he continued to collect large quantities of precious medicine. I suspect his rapid cultivation progress might be related to this..."
Precious medicine wasn't entirely useless to Foundation Establishment cultivators, but its effect was like a drop of water in the ocean—its impact paled in comparison to the satisfaction of self-cultivation.
"Oh?"
The bamboo door opened, and a figure emerged. Dressed in a white robe, with a long, flowing beard, he exuded an air of immortal grace.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (HB) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c156. [+2]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3.6K+) Chapters, (5.1M+) Words.