Chapter 444
Chapter 444
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 444
>Chapter Title: Cultivation
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Li Huowang looked at the cultivation method in his hand, his mind constantly recalling everything about it. That past within the red was very clearly telling him that this method was real.
But the past within the red was all fake, so could he trust this method? What if there were irreversible consequences after practicing it?
After hesitating for a moment, Li Huowang finally put the method down.
“Then it seems that to cultivate, I still need to find another heart element to test it on first.”
Just like the method he used back then to rid himself of the killing aura—find someone to act as a test subject. This simplest approach immediately sprang to his mind.
“Who should I find?” Li Huowang immediately searched through his memories. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. That kid Beifeng had always been begging him for this thing. Maybe he could let him try it.
Although he used the Sitting Oblivion Dao’s fake cultivation to avoid the illusions’ transformation, with such a powerful innate qi of unity in a heart element’s body, Li Huowang didn’t believe he wouldn’t be tempted.
With that thought, Li Huowang acted immediately. He picked up the cultivation method and left the room. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, having finished writing, were already sitting there playing mahjong, taking turns.
By the time Li Huowang found Beifeng in a brothel several days later, she was lying in a bathtub scattered with red petals, smiling as she lifted her left foot, white as jade, from underwater.
“Hey, Red Middle Boss actually came to find me. What an honor, truly lighting up my humble abode.”
“Want the cultivation method?”
As Red Middle unfurled the paper in his hand.
Beifeng’s eyes lit up instantly. Water droplets cascading off her, she stepped out of the tub.
“I knew you had it. You lied to me back then saying you didn’t! You’re so naughty~”
As Beifeng entered the body of this brothel’s top courtesan, her words began to carry a hint of worldly dust.
But after reaching out to take it, a hint of hesitation appeared on her face.
“You’re being this nice? You’re not trying to trick me again, are you? I won’t fall for it this time.”
“Don’t want it? Fine.” Li Huowang immediately took the method back and turned to leave.
“Hey hey! Don’t go! I didn’t say I don’t want it.” Beifeng extended her hand with red-painted nails and took it.
“Fine, for this cultivation method, even if you trick me again, I’ll accept it.”
Her jade body dripping with water wrapped in a nearly transparent thin gauze. She directly crossed her legs and sat in the lotus position on the red bed.
Li Huowang stood in place with furrowed brows, as if waiting for something.
Immediately after, everything around began to float. Pink pillows orbited Beifeng. At first they were pillows, but as they spun, they quickly turned into cyan bricks.
Beifeng suddenly opened her eyes in surprise.
“Red Middle Boss, this thing really works!”
However, the space in front of her was already empty. Li Huowang seemed to have left long ago.
Beifeng was stunned for a moment, then clutched the cultivation method and leaped out the window, the corners of her mouth curving up in a smug smile.
A month later, Beifeng, now wearing the face of an elderly man and dressed in immortal-like robes, sat cross-legged in a cellar, looking kindly at the man before him.
“Disciple, since you are a heart element, your master has taught you almost everything. Today, your master will give you the final method—the cultivation method!”
“Once mastered, moving mountains and overturning seas will be at your mere thought, not to mention freeing you from the illusions’ torment!”
Hearing this, the man became uncontrollably excited. He immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed desperately to the elder before him.
This elder was practically his reborn parents, treating him so well—not only rescuing him from those evildoers but also teaching him such a powerful method!
Watching the heart element before him sit cross-legged and close his eyes, Beifeng narrowed her eyes and sneered inwardly.
“Hmph! Red Middle Boss, you say try it and I try it? Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“Of course I’d find a heart element to test it first. As for whether you, the impatient one, run into problems practicing it early—that’s not my concern, heh heh heh.”
As the heart element breathed in and out, the surrounding space began to distort, as if everything around was being sucked into him.
Everything in the cave around them began to shift with him. Faint images of scenes flashed by—the cellar turning into a wedding room one moment, a prison the next.
When the ground beneath the man caved in entirely, he abruptly opened his eyes and looked around in utter shock.
“Master! This method really works!”
“Don’t stop! Keep practicing! Keep cultivating!”
Hidden nearby, Li Huowang watched all this, his hands gradually clenching into fists.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Li Huowang knew Beifeng’s character well, so of course he had to guard against her. But he just needed a lab rat to test the method—any lab rat would do.
Li Huowang stayed by the side for a long time, until the man had made some small success with the cultivation method, before slowly leaving the cave mouth.
At this moment, Li Huowang’s appearance looked extremely terrifying. Li Sui’s black tentacles had spread along his veins across his entire body. Through his skin, one could clearly see the swollen tentacles twitching continuously.
Li Huowang found a secluded spot in the woods, slowly sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and following the method’s instructions, gathered the divine light from his eyes toward the center of his brow.
And used the divine light found in his eyes to seek out the formless, shadowless innate qi of unity within his body.
Cultivation was not simple, especially true cultivation like this, which was entirely conceptual and gave one a massive headache.
But Li Huowang wasn’t greedy, especially at the start. He just wanted to suppress those illusions for now.
And as the method said, as long as he used the divine light to cover this innate qi and prevent it from leaking out, he could easily achieve that.
After three days and three nights, Li Huowang slowly opened his eyes. He took a few deep breaths, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke.
“Li Sui, come out. Let me try.”
The next moment, tentacles drilled out from Li Huowang’s mouth one by one, finally splicing into a mass of black tentacles. Two double-pupiled eyeballs stared curiously at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang held his breath, clenched his fists, and waited quietly. After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, nothing happened. Then after half a stick of incense, still nothing!
“Brother Zhuge! This thing really works! I’ve succeeded!” Li Huowang excitedly shared his joy with the hallucination beside him.
“This is for the best. At least it can replace Black Tai Sui. Otherwise, your body would belong to it.”
“And it’s not just suppressing the illusions! I can even control when they appear!”
As Li Huowang spoke, he slightly parted the seam where the divine light wrapped the innate qi. Instantly, everything around began to change.
When he came back to his senses, he found himself lying on a cold machine bed, his temples throbbing with pain.
At this moment, a group of people surrounded him, his mother Sun Xiaoqin among them. Seeing Li Huowang look around in confusion, warm applause erupted.
Sun Xiaoqin was even more moved to tears, about to kowtow to the white-coated doctors, but they stopped her.
“Ms. Sun, no need to be so emotional. Electroconvulsive therapy has brought your son clarity. With ongoing medication and psychological counseling, your son has hope for recovery.”
Li Huowang surveyed everything around him, thinking to himself: “So if the illusions are caused by the innate qi of unity leaking from my heart element body, that means... this place is still fake?”
Just then, Sun Xiaoqin threw herself at him, pulling Li Huowang’s head tightly into her embrace.
She finally saw hope for her son’s recovery! Nothing mattered more to her.
Feeling this familiar warmth, Li Huowang looked at the applauding doctors and nurses around him, his eyes gradually firming with resolve.
“Mom, don’t worry. I’m not confused anymore. I’m doing great now. The innate qi of unity in a heart element’s body is part of the Heavenly Dao! And now it’s mine to command! Even if everything here is fake, one day I’ll make you all completely real!!”
Volume 2 (End)
Volume 2 is finished. Um... I’ll take a day off. Please forgive me, everyone.
(End of chapter)