For quite some time, Chu Weiyang leaned on his elbow, gazing at the Purple Toad Pill Furnace with a very complex expression.
"Steward, tell me... what kind of quirks did the ancient sages have..."
"There were those who used poison and dark witchcraft to refine demonic beasts, naming their techniques 'Blue Bamboo Pill Scripture.'"
"There were methods of cultivating poisonous energy, yet they included the words 'Great Sun Pure Yang' in their names..."
The young man spoke, unable to help but click his tongue, his slightly twisted expression as if Chu Weiyang was realizing for the first time that lies truly existed in this world.
In fact, when he first saw the ancient seal characters of "Great Sun Pure Yang Fishing Toad Technique" emerging in his mind, Chu Weiyang had a fleeting palpitation.
After all, just by observing the name of this technique, one might think it was a supreme-grade technique like the Zenith Opening Heaven Scripture.
But as each seal character flowed through his mind, Chu Weiyang soon understood the essence of this technique.
However, with high expectations in that moment, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed now.
It was the steward beside him who chuckled.
"Whether it's the ancient sages or the present, this is a common occurrence. It's all just a matter of names. By making them unique, it can intimidate people, or instill fear, or deceive. Everything starts with the name of the technique. Secondly, it can catch others off guard. If one day you have to fight for life and death with someone, and they think you cultivate the 'Blue Bamboo Pill Scripture,' they might assume you're a hermit specializing in medicine. But with just one glance, you could unleash a cloud of poisonous energy over them..."
"If there's an advantage to be gained, why not take it?"
"Moreover, everything is destined by fate."
"If you weren't entangled with poisonous energy, you wouldn't be seeking a poisonous cultivation technique."
"If the 'Blue Bamboo Pill Scripture' wasn't a bit biased, you wouldn't have been pondering over this matter."
"And if you hadn't heard about high-grade poisonous energy, you wouldn't have voluntarily entered the underground palace."
"Now that you've seen the remnants of a great cultivator's Dao Fruit, you contemplate, meditate, and forget yourself..."
"Thoughts lead to gains, and those gains must be within the remnants of the Dao Fruit."
"Acquiring a poisonous cultivation technique is truly a logical progression."
At this point, the steward finally shifted his gaze away from the Purple Toad Pill Furnace, looking at Chu Weiyang with an unusually calm expression.
"To be honest, I don't really want to praise you... but from the Demon-Sealing Cave all the way to today, if I were to say you lack talent, it would be deceiving."
"But your talent is always focused on the wrong areas, on things that seem ordinary, making you appear foolish in some aspects."
"You can't continue like this. Not to mention looking further ahead, even in terms of your current cultivation path, if you can't see through these simple cause-and-effect relationships, thinking everything is just mysterious, you might not be able to progress much further."
Listening to the steward's words, Chu Weiyang slowly lowered his head.
Between his brows, as memories surfaced in his mind, a hint of sadness gradually appeared.
Soon, Chu Weiyang detached himself from this emotion.
He understood that this peculiar experience meant he was destined to have shortcomings in certain aspects compared to ordinary people, but as a kind of gift, he also possessed special talents in other areas.
How far he could go on his own path, he would have to personally measure with his own steps.
Calming his mind, Chu Weiyang fell silent, as if entering a state of profound meditation.
Accompanied by the illumination of the "Great Sun Pure Yang Fishing Toad Technique," one of the two ancient seal characters that had been hanging high like a sun had already dissipated, while the other still lingered in place.
Like a kind of authority, a silent invitation.
In a fleeting moment of insight, one could still discern the intricate patterns of that seal character - "Purple."
The two seal characters imprinted in his mind before entering the underground palace had somehow formed a kind of inheritance-like authority.
One seal character, "Toad," had already brought Chu Weiyang a much-needed technique.
This seal character, "Purple," might hold another surprise.
Suppressing his eager impulse, Chu Weiyang once again immersed his mind in the "Great Sun Pure Yang Fishing Toad Technique."
Honestly, the ancient sages were fond of playing with mysteries in their names.
Just like how the Poison Path itself was hidden within the Medicine Path, it was only logical for the founder of the Blue Bamboo sect to name his scripture the "Great Sun Pure Yang." Upon closer contemplation, Chu Weiyang discovered a subtle metaphorical connection between the name and the internal cultivation method.
The Poison Path was indeed one of the few cultivation paths that seemed simple but were actually difficult to enter.
Because once contaminated by toxins, if one wasn't careful, before refining any power, the body would accumulate various illnesses.
By the time the primordial energy was refined, one's life force might dissipate...
Hence, this technique took a different approach, focusing on the middle dantian instead of blindly manipulating the qi sea and lower dantian.
During cultivation, one needed to prepare with toxins, then visualize and use hand seals to draw out a strand of heart fire in the crimson palace chamber, and use this fire to draw out the poisonous energy from the toxins.
This fire was ethereal, originally a manifestation of blood and qi, and the human body excelled at refining all substances.
Therefore, once incinerated, the poisonous energy immediately fused with the heart fire.
Then, guiding this strand of poison fire back to the crimson palace chamber, one would envelop it with the original heart fire for further refinement.
In this process, the poison fire had to be incinerated by ninety-nine percent.
But the remaining strand would return to the heart fire, combining both the Poison Path and the Pure Path, becoming tempered once again.
Finally, through meditation and visualization, one would draw in a strand of primordial energy from the void, refining it in the heart fire to create Poison Path energy.
In this way, a single cultivation session, without traversing the meridians throughout the body, only manipulated within the crimson palace, protected the physical body from direct erosion by toxins at the beginning of cultivation, showcasing the profoundness of the technique.
And because in the secret teachings, the "Azure Dragon" often symbolized the heart fire, while toads were considered the most sinister among toxins.
This kind of symbolism, combined with ancient records of distant stories, was confirmed—
It was rumored that in ancient times, there was a great being who used a dragon as bait in the outer sea to lure a deep-sea toad demon.
Hence, the visualization technique was named the "Azure Dragon Fishing Toad Visualization."
Whether it was the Azure Dragon or the heart fire, both were forms of fire, also known as the Great Sun.
And the incineration within the fire was a scene of pure yang.
Looking back, the "Great Sun Pure Yang Fishing Toad Technique" had a deep and profound meaning.
Therefore, when Chu Weiyang slowly opened his eyes, he deliberately glanced at the steward.
The young man remained silent, his gaze filled with pity and hesitation.
But before the steward could react, Chu Weiyang had already picked up the White Jade Poisonous Snake and walked slowly to the vicinity of the pill furnace, pondering how to open it so the jade snake could feast.
Meanwhile, the steward stood in place, his face grim, and he could only slam the edge of the basket in frustration.
"What's going on here? Why...?"
"Hey—!"
"What kind of human nature is this! If you have something to say, just say it—!"
"What's wrong with me, why are you looking at me like that...?"
At the mouth of the Jade Marrow River.
Looking into the lush grasslands, beyond the intricate river network, not far away lay a dense forest, a sight of emerald green that brought a sense of tranquility and joy.
In the gentle breeze, Clear Sea Daoist stood with hands behind his back, tilting his head back, almost reveling in the gentle spring breeze brushing past.
His eyes were slightly closed, as if immersed in the moment.
Behind the old Daoist were Xie Jiang and Jin Guan, who had seen the light of day once again.
However, at this moment, the expressions on their faces were not pleasant.
Even Xie Jiang pouted, seeming somewhat aggrieved and embarrassed.
After a while, being a young girl after all, Xie Jiang approached the old Daoist, tugging at the corner of his wide sleeve, gently shaking it.
"Master Uncle, disciple knows she was wrong... Please don't stay silent..."
At these words, Clear Sea Daoist turned his head, still wearing the familiar warm smile on his face.
The old Daoist raised his hand and gently patted Xie Jiang's hand, then shook his head.
"Child, when did Master Uncle ever mention your mistakes?"
"To understand that in such a desperate situation, being captured and still finding a way to deal with it, you've already done remarkably well. Master Uncle is very satisfied."
"To be honest, through the calamities and experiences, generation after generation of the Cloud-Cutting Mountain's ancestors, including the four of us, have faced challenges and hardships that have not been resolved. Why should the burden of fulfilling the Cloud-Cutting Scripture be placed entirely on your shoulders just because the founder mentioned a few words before his death?"
"Each and every one of you is a good child."
"Failure and mistakes are part of the normal course of events."
"Master Uncle isn't silent because he doesn't want to speak, but because life is short and long. In such beautiful worldly scenes, one can only see them less and less. You are still young and should see more."
With that, the old Daoist paused abruptly, about two or three breaths of time before speaking again.
"If our Cloud-Cutting Scripture cannot be completed, then perhaps my days are numbered..."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jiang and Jin Guan's eyes reddened.
The old Daoist smiled and shook his head.
"It's all fate, a destiny given by the heavens. But if we can successfully complete the calamity and restore the scripture, Master Uncle will always remember your kindness."
"However, if it doesn't work out, it's also fine, it's fine..."
"But in saying this, Master Uncle must tell you something, saying a little less with each passing moment."
"Look further ahead, see beyond what your eyes can reach."
"The Demon-Sealing Cave is destroyed, and those who survived are few. Why do you think that the child from the Chunyu family didn't get the spiritual object? Just based on a few words she said?"
"Good child, those who trust Chunyu like this have died at her hands over the years!"
"Furthermore... the spiritual object itself has never been the focus; restoring the scripture is the top priority."
"Our sect's inheritance is based on the Opening Heaven method as the supreme intention. Although the Cloud-Cutting Scripture is one of the supreme scriptures, it still falls short of the Zenith Opening Heaven Scripture by a hair's breadth. To cut through the clouds and seas with a sword, this kind of Dao realm requires the Way of Heaven. To truly open up the heavens and create a new world, one must complete the Way of Earth."
"When Master Uncle was young, he once thought of mastering the 'Taiyin Sword Scripture,' even secretly learning the general outline. Unfortunately, his understanding was still somewhat biased. Perhaps there is still a chance to continue pondering, but at that time, things had already soured between the two sides, and it was not good to continue."
"But the direction of completing the Way of Earth was correct."
"That's why the spiritual object was hidden under the Demon-Sealing Cave in the first place."
"But as you said, it was discovered that prisoners had escaped from the Demon-Sealing Cave."
"The leakage of the Four Seasons Sword is not a big deal; without the Twenty-Four True Sword Diagrams, no one can independently comprehend the twenty-four true sword intents."
"But a person who has endured the accumulation of poisonous energy in the meridians for years in the Demon-Sealing Cave, isn't such a person naturally suited to that spiritual object?"
"Did you deliberately leak this information to the child from the Chunyu family?"
"And then let Chunyu and that imprisoned person, the two most likely carriers of the spiritual object, come together?"
"Moreover, in the south of the Jade Marrow River, the place where the forces of the orthodox and the scattered cultivators are weakest, where the demonic cultivators and wanderers are most rampant!"
"If one of these two people understands the true nature of that spiritual object."
"If the surviving person hides the spiritual object in the wilderness and doesn't come out."
"If something happens to both of them, and the spiritual object is taken away by someone unknown..."
"Good child, did you think about these consequences at that time?"
After these words, Xie Jiang lowered her head, tears blurring her vision, almost on the verge of sobbing.
At this moment, Clear Sea Daoist simply watched silently, refraining from offering any words of comfort.
After a dozen breaths, once Xie Jiang had calmed down, Clear Sea Daoist continued speaking.
"Crying won't solve the problem, child."
"You, Jin Guan, and your junior brothers and sisters, are deciding the future of the Cloud-Cutting lineage, determining whether there is still hope for restoring the scripture."
"If you grow stronger, the Cloud-Cutting lineage will prosper in the future."
"If you weaken, the Cloud-Cutting lineage will decline."
"So right now, when Master Uncle is talking to you about our lineage's eternal great cause, are you just going to shed tears and wait like this?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Jiang and Jin Guan quickly wiped away their tears and shook their heads in unison.
"Very well, the problem has been pointed out to you. Are you willing to try to remedy it?"
At this, Xie Jiang quickly spoke up.
"Disciple is willing, please guide us, Master Uncle!"
Though a beat slower, Jin Guan also bowed respectfully.
"Disciple is as well!"
Clear Sea Daoist then smiled and nodded.
"Good, if you're willing to try, success or failure, Master Uncle will acknowledge it!"
"If there are no urgent matters, no Golden Core cultivator is allowed to cross this Jade Marrow River."
"So, you need to go to the south of the Jade Marrow River and dig three feet deep to find them."
"Everyone has great karma on their shoulders, so don't worry about missing the chance to meet a Daoist."
"Escaped prisoners from the Demon-Sealing Cave? Kill!"
"Cultivators from the Ting Chang Mountain? Kill!"
"The child from the Chunyu family? Kill!"
"Anyone who dares to meddle in the restoration of the Cloud-Cutting Scripture will be annihilated!"
"All you need to do is bring back that spiritual object intact!"
"Whether you can do it, whether you can succeed, it's up to you."
"Master Uncle will be here to support you."
"Live and see..."
"Don't be afraid of that crazy woman Danxia making a move. If she dares to come, Master Uncle will make Ting Chang Mountain a barren land!"
Many books are now hard to find, so cherish what you have.