Translator: CinderTL
Xu Sanyan was astonished. She was actually older than him? He had assumed she was barely in her teens, given her remarkably youthful appearance.
They arrived at the cultivation cave. Xu Sanyan pulled out ten Spirit Stones from his pouch and tossed them to her. "Clean this place up. Buy whatever supplies you need."
Meng Zhuer clumsily caught the stones. "Yes, Senior Brother," she stammered.
Xu Sanyan opened his storage pouch and finally noticed the storage pouches of Li Zuoxing and Wang Lulu. He hadn't had a moment to examine their belongings since killing the pair, having immediately encountered the Mad Daoist. Now he finally had the chance.
He emptied the contents of both pouches onto the stone table, sorting the items into categories. There were over a hundred Spirit Stones, a dozen spiritual materials, two longswords, two books, four Spirit Herbs, some spare clothes, and miscellaneous items.
A motley collection, but nothing of particular use to Xu Sanyan.
Opening one of the books, a bold title caught his eye:
[Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art]
Both books were identical—an original and a handwritten copy.
"Looks like this couple had their own little scheme..." Xu Sanyan shook his head with a wry smile, unaware that they weren't actually married.
They had murdered their master for this very Cultivation Method, only for it to ultimately fall into Xu Sanyan's hands.
Xu Sanyan opened the Cultivation Method and silently studied it. This technique was neither offensive nor defensive; it served a single purpose:
"When the heart harbors demonic thoughts, it becomes demonic. When the heart cultivates Buddhist thoughts, it becomes Buddhist. Used righteously, it is righteous; used wickedly, it is wicked."
"The [Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art] originated from the Purple Mountain Daoist Temple. Initially used to tame beasts, it was refined by the second-generation Founding Ancestor to achieve its current efficacy. This technique is a closely guarded secret of the temple; outsiders who attempt to learn it will be hunted down and killed!"
"Condense seeds with the heart, root them with intent, forge Talisman Seals, and plant them in another's heart. Cultivating this art requires exceptional talent and is divided into three realms."
"First Realm: Floating Thought. With exceptional talent, one might enter this realm in fifty years. Imprint a fleeting thought in another's mind, subtly influencing their perception of you."
"Second Realm: Heart Thought. With exceptional talent, one might enter this realm in three hundred years. Plant your thoughts deep within another's heart, potentially altering their very beliefs."
"Third Realm: Demonic Seed. With exceptional talent, one might enter this realm in a thousand years. Plant a Demonic Seed, where life and death hang by a single thought."
"Plant a Demonic Seed... life and death hang by a single thought..."
"What an astonishing cultivation method..." Xu Sanyan murmured to himself.
Throughout the manual's explanation, uncertain terms like "perhaps" and "potentially" recurred, reflecting the uncertain nature of the art's outcomes.
The human heart is infinitely complex; no one can predict what will happen in the next moment. While this Cultivation Method is miraculous, it cannot completely control another person.
Instead, it works through subtle, gradual influence, like Xu Sanyan planting the thought "You like me" in Meng Zhuer's heart. This idea would occasionally resurface in her mind, and over time, she might genuinely develop feelings for him.
However, success isn't guaranteed; it's a matter of probability. Moreover, planting absurd thoughts is futile. For example, if Xu Sanyan tried to implant the idea "I am your father" in Meng Zhuer's heart, it would undoubtedly fail. Even if she were to say those words, it would only be possible under specific circumstances, such as in bed...
Furthermore, this method is ineffective against those with greater cultivation strength.
"Excellent!" Xu Sanyan exclaimed, his heart brimming with joy. This Mystical Art was notoriously difficult to master, requiring immense effort just to grasp its fundamentals, let alone achieve mastery. But for him, with sufficient Vitality, no Mystical Art was beyond reach!
With a thought, his status panel materialized before his eyes:
[Xu Sanyan]
[Age: 20/380]
[Realm: Foundation Establishment Stage (Peak Stage)]
[Cultivation Method: Supreme Truth and Absolute Stillness Sutra (Mid Stage)]
[Mystical Arts:]
[- Blood Demon Corpse Refining Method (Peak Stage)]
[- Soul Condensation Technique (Peak Stage)]
[- Lu Clan's Spirit Refining Force (Peak Stage)]
[- Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art (Untrained)...]
[Techniques:]
[- Perfect Circle Stance (Peak Stage)]
[- Three Tigers Subduing Dragon Saber (Peak Stage)]
[- Horse Appraisal Technique (Peak Stage)...]
[Vitality: 400]
The [Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art] had now appeared in the Mystical Arts section, ready to be upgraded with Vitality.
Xu Sanyan's Vitality had reached 400 points, entirely thanks to Spirit Stones. He gained two Vitality points for each Spirit Stone absorbed, and with over five thousand still in his possession, he had plenty to spare.
Most of these Spirit Stones came from Great Solitary Mountain, specifically from the storage pouch of the Lu Clan's elder.
Vitality was no longer a constraint. He no longer had to scheme and exhaust himself for a single Precious Medicine, as he once had.
"Upgrade!"
With a thought, Vitality flowed away like water. The [Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art], previously untrained, rapidly progressed through the stages: Untrained, Entry-Level, Initial Stage, Mid Stage, and finally, Peak Stage.
The Vitality expenditure halted at 380 points, leaving only 20 remaining on his panel.
"Success!"
Xu Sanyan's face lit up with joy. Eager to test the results, he turned his gaze toward Meng Zhuer, who was tidying up nearby. With a Heart Thought, an ethereal, intricate rune slowly materialized in the air, shimmering between reality and illusion.
Xu Sanyan infused the rune with the command, "Pledge your loyalty to me." The glyph flickered, barely visible to the naked eye, and suddenly imprinted itself on Meng Zhuer's forehead.
Meng Zhuer's body visibly stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal, showing no outward signs of change. But Xu Sanyan knew the spell had taken effect.
He could now sense the rune dwelling within her body.
The lower one's cultivation level, the more potent the [Purple Mountain Heart-Planting Art] became. Meng Zhuer, barely at the Inner Qi Realm, was completely at his mercy.
"Zhuer," Xu Sanyan said.
"S-Senior Brother, did you call me?" Meng Zhuer felt awkward calling him "Senior Brother," as if some other title were more appropriate for Xu Sanyan.
"What should you call me?" Xu Sanyan's tone was bland, yet to Meng Zhuer, it sounded like the inviolable decree of a celestial emperor, radiating an inviolable majesty that filled her with awe.
The sensation ran deep in her bones.
It was as if a voice whispered in her ear:
"Ma-Master..."
Meng Zhuer slowly knelt, her body trembling uncontrollably. A voice deep within her mind resisted this act, but the overwhelming spiritual pressure from Xu Sanyan's superior cultivation level shattered it into fragments.
The greater the disparity in cultivation between the manipulator and the manipulated, the harder it became to resist.
The gap in their power loomed like an insurmountable mountain, crushing her beneath its weight and rendering her immobile.
"Come here," Xu Sanyan commanded.
Meng Zhuer obeyed without hesitation.
"Heh... hahaha...!"
Xu Sanyan's eyes blazed with manic delight as he erupted into unrestrained laughter, unable to contain his overwhelming excitement. The sheer thrill of holding another's life and death in his hands sent shivers of exhilaration through him.
This sensation transcended the power dynamics of a superior-subordinate relationship; it was a primal domination rooted in the very hierarchy of life itself—the righteous authority of a father disciplining his son.
It felt as though he held an ant trapped in the palm of his hand, every twitch and struggle completely under his control.
Xu Sanyan wildly vented his exhilaration. Before long, depraved sounds and ragged, stifled gasps echoed from within the cultivation cave...
(End of the Chapter)
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