Chapter 50

The goodness of Shan dissipated one more, leaving only one left. This goodness, condensed from a thousand good deeds, was indeed useful, for its value lay in foretelling danger and saving lives. No matter how much wealth you possess or how powerful you are, once you die, everything is gone.

Luo Li exhaled a cold breath. This Black Dragon Body must not be cultivated; if it were, he would be possessed, and possession means death!

However, would it really be enough to not cultivate it? Luo Li smiled bitterly. The scenes in his mind were the thoughts and actions of Master Xiyi. Some fragmented images indicated that Luo Li and the others were not the first test subjects. Before them, several batches of Lingdie Sect disciples had cultivated this Black Dragon Body.

The outcome was clear: all of them died. Some died from losing control during cultivation, some were killed when they tried to escape, and others died in mutual slaughter.

It was their efforts and sacrifices that gradually perfected the cultivation method, leading to the current method taught by Master Xiyi. In the past four years, no Lingdie Sect cultivator who entered this Konyuan Peak has managed to leave alive.

The same fate awaited Luo Li and the other six. They would face various challenges that would push them to their limits, for Master Xiyi's time was running out!

According to the scenes, a mutual slaughter would soon take place. The more vicious and powerful the Black Dragon, the better. If Luo Li did not cultivate the Black Dragon Body, he would be killed by others before Xiyi could possess him!

As for escaping, that was out of the question. When they entered Konyuan Peak, they were secretly restrained, and their lives were at Xiyi's mercy. Causing a commotion to draw the sect's attention was futile; without the support of the sect leader and the grand elders, Xiyi's actions would have been exposed long ago.

Cultivating meant death, and not cultivating also meant death. The only difference was that successful cultivation would delay death for a while!

But there was no other choice. They had to continue cultivating, and cultivate well, better than anyone else, to have a chance, a possibility, of continuing to live!

Sighing, Luo Li thought, "Master Xiyi does everything to survive, and I do everything to survive. Living in the world of cultivation is truly difficult."

Luo Li sighed deeply, feeling the helplessness of life, but his expression remained solemn, and he shouted:

"Revive the Lingdie Sect!"

"Disciple is willing, even if it means death, disciple has no regrets!"

Master Xiyi nodded, satisfied, and said:

"Good, Cai Zhen, start teaching them the way to cultivate the Black Dragon Body!"

Lady Su said, "Good, old man, take care of your body, rest for a while, and leave the rest to me!"

Lady Su approached the group and looked at them, saying:

"Remember, before you complete the Black Dragon Body, you must not advance to the fourth level of the Qi Condensation stage. This is a lesson learned in blood!"

Then she began to impart the secret method:

"The Black Dragon Sect, like our Lingdie Sect, is a branch of the Ten Thousand Beasts Incarnation Sect. However, they do not follow our method of merging the physical body. Instead, they use the method of visualization, imagining the Black Dragon to refine the physical body.

The disciples of the Black Dragon Sect have formidable physical bodies, and ordinary spells, talismans, and even magical weapons and flying swords cannot harm them. They also have a terrifying sense that allows them to foresee danger and anticipate their enemies, giving them an unbeatable advantage. Finally, they possess the invincible dragon aura, the Black Dragon Wave that can destroy everything, the indestructible dragon claws, the defensive dragon scales, and the dragon wings that can traverse the heavens and earth, making them extremely powerful and terrifying!

However, they have a weakness: their slow speed, especially their reaction time, which is far inferior to that of the Lingdie Sect!

The Lingdie Sect relies on its quick reactions and speed to survive. Like a butterfly fluttering through a garden, we can pass through a thousand flowers without a single leaf touching us. No sect is faster or more agile than us!

If you can complete the Butterfly-Dragon Transformation, you will possess all the strengths of the Black Dragon Body while retaining the strengths of the Lingdie Sect!"

After Lady Su finished speaking, she pointed her hand, and a drop of black blood appeared in her palm. The blood droplet hovered above her fingertip, emitting a faint dragon aura. She said slowly:

"This is Black Dragon Blood. I will now distribute it to you. With this Black Dragon Blood as the source, you can visualize the Black Dragon. This is the foundation of the Black Dragon Sect's legacy, obtained at the cost of the lives of Konyuan Peak cultivators. You must protect it carefully. As long as the blood remains, you remain; if the blood is lost, you will die!"

As she spoke, the drop of Black Dragon Blood slowly divided into seven drops, flying toward the group.

Luo Li closed his eyes as the Black Dragon Blood merged into his forehead, where he could sense it at all times.

Then Lady Su continued:

"The method of cultivating the Black Dragon Body involves two steps: visualization and imagination.

The path of visualization starts with observing the heart. First, break through the Blissful Realm, then the Four Sufferings Realm, the Illusory Realm, the Fearful Realm, and the Ten Thousand Phenomena Realm. After passing through these twenty-four realms, you will directly observe the heart and see the essence of the Black Dragon Blood, visualizing the complete form of the Black Dragon!

To visualize the Black Dragon, start with its body, bones, flesh, skin, scales, tendons, veins, blood flow, liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach. Then imagine its spirit, charm, essence, energy, movement, stillness, joy, sorrow, anger, and grief.

Once you reach this stage, you can use your true qi to manifest the Black Dragon, refining it in your heart. Then, using this Black Dragon Heart as the source, refine your true qi and transform your entire body!

The cultivation method is as follows:

The supreme way is always empty and silent, the profound transformation responds to true essence. Dividing the divine power into all, the scenery is condensed in the Three Pure Ones.

In the midst of confusion, images arise; in the void, the formless is seen. Unable to seek liberation, one can only observe the Black Dragon.

In the five billion heavenly realms, within the three thousand Daoist realms. Right and wrong are interdependent, life and death are endless.

The six parts of the body are not real, all laws return to emptiness. The body follows the end of烦恼, the mind ends with the dust of color.

..."

The group listened carefully, memorizing every word.

After finishing the instruction, Lady Su continued, "Alright, you may disperse. By the way, tomorrow is the sixth day, a day of threes and sixes. Get up early in the morning, and I will take you to Ziyang Cliff to cultivate. The purple qi there can suppress the heart demons and distractions during visualization, which will be very helpful for you.

Whoever is late again will receive ten lashes as punishment!"

She looked at Luo Li, who quickly replied, "Disciple understands!"

The group returned to their respective caves to begin their cultivation. Luo Li returned to his cave, preparing to start.

To survive, he must master the Black Dragon Body! In fact, Luo Li had a vague sense of anticipation for the Black Dragon Body. He remembered the terrifying power of the spells that Long Wen used to destroy the Heavenly Absolute Assassination Hall. Now, he would possess that power, and he felt a vague sense of anticipation.

First, he had to bathe and cleanse his body, then sit in meditation, recite the incantation, and form the hand seals. Once his mind was completely calm, he would begin visualizing the Black Dragon Body.

The incantation was complex, and the hand seals were intricate, but it was not a problem for Luo Li. He closed his eyes and began to cultivate.

Closing his eyes, he silently visualized. This was Luo Li's first time practicing visualization. As his true qi circulated, various illusions began to form in his mind.

It was like a commoner imagining eating a plum to quench thirst. Imagining eating a plum makes the mouth water, even though there is no plum in the mouth. It is just an illusion.

However, for cultivators, visualization is even more powerful because they are using their true qi, which can trigger various responses in the soul and body.

Luo Li sat in meditation for the duration of a joss stick, gradually entering the state of visualization.

Gradually, he felt a coolness all over his body, as if he were bathed in a gentle breeze. Every pore was breathing in the fresh air, and he felt as if he were floating in the air, extremely comfortable.

This comfort was so deep that it made him moan. The comfort was so intense that even a cultivator of the Heart and Soul realm would find it hard to resist. Luo Li gradually became intoxicated.

Fortunately, he had years of cultivation and remained vigilant. He forced himself to break free from this feeling, control his mind, and maintain his true self. Gradually, all the comfortable sensations disappeared, and he regained his clarity.

The world was still the same world! This must be the Blissful Realm, right?

Luo Li knew that if he had not regained his clarity in time, he would have become intoxicated, and this cultivation session would have failed. If he could not control himself, he might lose his mind and die!

Visualization is indeed powerful. One must control the mind and not be influenced by external things. Otherwise, the real becomes false, and the false becomes real. A single lapse in the mind can lead to eternal damnation. The danger of cultivation is even greater than the danger of cultivation itself.

"Having experienced this, I won't fear it the next time."

Luo Li calmed his mind again, recited the incantation, formed the hand seals, and visualized the Black Dragon!

Sure enough, as he visualized, the cool breeze surrounded him again, and he felt comfortable. But with his experience, he ignored it and continued to visualize. Soon, he broke through the Blissful Realm, and the illusions disappeared, giving way to another illusion: his body was in pain, his head ached, and various sensations of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness flooded his mind.

It really hurt, deeply!

Luo Li endured the pain, and gradually the illusions disappeared, breaking through the Four Sufferings Realm!

Suddenly, another sensation came. Luo Li saw Qing Qing, Meng Long, and others, the people he had killed, approaching him, shouting curses!

Suddenly, their forms changed into ghosts, asuras, yaksas, and devils, surrounding him, ready to pounce and drink his blood.

Luo Li felt as if he had fallen into the Asura Hell, with a sea of blood and terrifying ghosts everywhere. The air was filled with the cries of the damned, echoing endlessly.

He ignored them, maintaining his focus. This must be the Fearful Realm!

Suddenly, the scene changed again. He found himself in a place of beauty, surrounded by beautiful women, their charms barely concealed, dancing and singing, trying to seduce him.

He continued to hold his ground, breaking through the realm!

Suddenly, the scene changed again. He was in a battlefield, surrounded by corpses and blood, with weapons and spears everywhere.

He continued to hold his ground, breaking through the realm!

Suddenly, his body began to rot, covered in flies and maggots, with white bones exposed. This must be the Illusory Realm, but Luo Li held on, breaking through the realm!

The illusions changed endlessly, and suddenly:

Luo Li heard a soft call:

"Son!"

The voice was so familiar. Luo Li opened his eyes and saw Master Ciyun smiling at him. He continued:

"Son, I have come to see you. Your mother has also returned to see you!"

Then a figure appeared, and a motherly voice called out softly:

"Son, you have suffered so much these years. Mother is sorry for you!"

The call was too much for Luo Li to bear. He could not hold on and shouted:

"Mother, Mother, I miss you!"

The visualization failed...