25: Chapter 25 Begins Cultivation

Chen Zilong sat cross-legged on the smooth, mirror-like white jade bed, its surface cool to the touch. His fingers unconsciously traced the delicate patterns on it.

His gaze was heavy, fixed on the three cultivation manuals laid out in a row before him. A tumult of conflicting emotions churned in his heart.

Subtle spiritual energy flowed faintly through the quiet chamber.

He knew deep down that mastering these three secret arts would make crushing that child of destiny, Ye Wushuang, as easy as reaching into a bag to grab something.

But no sooner had this thought arisen than another concern pressed down upon him:

If he didn't learn them, how could Ye Wushuang rise to prominence as described in the book?

How could he grow into that Ye Wudi, who would slaughter gods and immortals and look down upon the world just to win a smile from a beauty?

Countless pivotal battles and secret realm explorations in the book that turned the tide all relied on Ye Wushuang's protagonist halo!

Would mastering these techniques...

completely disrupt that predetermined river of fate?

The answer was almost on the tip of his tongue.

But not learning them?

A flicker of unwillingness and struggle passed through Chen Zilong's eyes, his brows tightly furrowed.

How could he change his own destined, tragic fate as a cannon fodder character?

He had no desire to end up like Kaneki Ken!

Counting down from 100 by sevens while being tortured by Ye Wushuang...

Slap!

A crisp sound of a slap echoed in the silent room.

Chen Zilong had struck himself hard across the face. A clear handprint immediately bloomed on his fair cheek.

The blow seemed to dispel his confusion. His eyes suddenly cleared, filled with a desperate, do-or-die ferocity.

'Damn it all!'

He growled, his voice tinged with self-mockery and resolve. 'I'm just a damn villain. Why the hell should I care about what that destined protagonist does later? I can barely keep myself alive!'

He took a deep breath. The cool spiritual energy flooded his lungs, sharpening his mind further. 'I'll just take over those key dungeons and major battles and be the one to show off!'

The more he spoke, the more enlightened he felt. A wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth. 'With great power comes great responsibility?'

'Fine! I'll shoulder that damn responsibility! I'll learn!'

'Besides... seeing Ye Wushuang unhappy makes me feel particularly good!'

Decision made, Chen Zilong hesitated no longer. He reached out and picked up the first manual: *Nine Heavens Thunder Control True Canon*.

It felt warm and smooth in his hand, as if tiny currents of electricity danced between its pages.

Although this was a supreme classic of thunder techniques, its true essence pointed directly to the origin of the Great Dao.

It explained the profound core of the Daoist, and indeed the entire cultivation system, in simple yet deep terms.

The opening line was a deafening assertion:

All cultivation is thunder technique!

Regardless of person, event, or object, cultivation to the extreme ultimately requires facing the magnificent heavenly tribulation.

The manual not only detailed how to harness heavenly thunder but also thoroughly analyzed the fundamental principles of the Five Elements' generation and restriction, and the rotation of Yin and Yang.

It even recorded the Daoist secret, the Nine-Word True Mantra Great Divine Ability.

Rin, Pyō, Tō, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!

Each true mantra contained earth-shaking, heaven-moving power.

Chen Zilong understood. These nine true mantras were the very foundation of the Daoist divine abilities Ye Wushuang primarily cultivated.

Ye Wushuang possessed a supreme-grade fire spiritual root and could not directly practice thunder techniques. His primary cultivation was the *Blazing Sun Sword Art*.

But with his heaven-defying protagonist luck, he had managed to fuse the Nine-Word True Mantra with the Blazing Sun Sword Art using partial secrets and insights from the *Nine Heavens Thunder Control True Canon*, forging an unstoppable, terrifying combat prowess.

Setting down the thunder canon, Chen Zilong picked up the *Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art*.

The scroll felt slightly heavy, faintly exuding an aura of heart-palpitating devouring intent.

This was the supreme method of the Demonic Path, claiming the ability to devour heaven and earth, refining the demonic and magical power of others for one's own use.

However, its drawbacks were equally horrifying:

For every portion of another's power devoured, the demonic energy born from the devouring true essence within the body would grow stronger.

Accumulated over time, it would become like a volcano filled with magma, inevitably leading to the dead-end path of body explosion and death.

To cultivate this art, one must first possess a peerless physique capable of bearing this vast demonic nature.

His gaze turned to the final book, the *Vajra Demon Subduing Scripture*.

The ancient, golden pages seemed to carry the scent of sandalwood and a sense of Zen.

Chen Zilong opened it. The scripture was divided into the *Vajra Chapter* and the *Demon Subduing Chapter*.

The Vajra Chapter was the core technique. Strangely, it required demonic energy as a catalyst to operate!

Through profound sutras, it transformed the pure demonic energy invading the body into supremely rigid and supremely positive Buddhist light, used to temper bones, sinews, skin, and membranes, achieving an indestructible Vajra body.

Its core concept embodied the Buddhist spirit of great fearlessness: 'If I do not enter hell, who will?'

Transforming demon into Buddha, breaking to establish anew.

The Demon Subduing Chapter, however, recorded seventy-two fierce, peerless close-combat techniques of the Buddhist school.

The moves were broad and powerful, each one ruthless and cunning, imbued with the resolute killing intent to subdue demons, vanquish evil, and charge forward without hesitation.

Without first cultivating the Vajra Chapter techniques to purify one's mind with Buddhist power, achieving clarity and insight, a cultivator was Extremely easy (highly susceptible) to being backlashed by the immense killing intent contained within these seventy-two ultimate techniques.

At best, they would become a walking corpse knowing only slaughter. At worst, their form and spirit would be destroyed on the spot, doomed for all eternity.

The two chapters complemented each other; neither could be omitted.

A gleam flashed in Chen Zilong's eyes. He was about to retrieve the auxiliary cultivation spiritual materials and pills from his storage ring.

As his fingertips touched the ring's shimmering surface, his movement suddenly halted. He froze once more!

His spiritual sense had unexpectedly brushed against an extremely concealed technique imprint deep within the ring's spatial storage.

*Great Dream of Ten Thousand Ages*!

This was an incredibly profound secret art of the Dream Dao.

It focused on entering a realm through dreams, allowing the spirit to wander through ten thousand ages.

Cultivating for one hour within the dream was said to be comparable to ten years of bitter cultivation in the outside world!

This wondrous effect instantly reminded him of a certain story about dreams from Blue Star.

The astonishment on Chen Zilong's face rapidly faded, replaced by a complex expression mixing wild joy and cunning.

The corners of his mouth uncontrollably turned up, revealing a row of neat white teeth.

His eyes shone startlingly bright, wearing a smile akin to a groundhog that had just discovered treasure.

'Ye Wushuang...'

He muttered to himself, a low laugh bubbling up from deep in his throat, tinged with amusement and icy calculation. 'Heh heh heh... It seems this time, even the heavens are on my side, wanting you to perish!'

However...

Amidst his excitement, a question quietly surfaced:

Why did Liu Mei have these techniques and secret arts?

According to the original plot trajectory, these should have been opportunities obtained by Ye Wushuang only after he, the cannon fodder villain, died and his Dao dissipated—opportunities Ye Wushuang risked life and limb to secure from various ancient secret realms!

How could that woman, with her Alluring (city-toppling) beauty and ethereal temperament (demeanor) like an orchid in a secluded valley, hold such core legacies capable of overturning the future in her slender, fair hands?

What kind of secrets was she hiding?

His thoughts churned for a moment before Chen Zilong shook his head slightly. Now was not the time for deep investigation.

Liu Mei's enigmatic figure flashed through his mind, carrying an ineffable elegance and unfathomable depth.

'Forget it!'

He cast aside distracting thoughts, his eyes regaining their firm and blazing intensity. 'Time to start cultivating!'

Chen Zilong took a deep breath, his chest swelling slightly. The thin spiritual energy in the chamber seemed drawn, forming a barely perceptible vortex converging towards him.

He closed his eyes. His powerful spiritual sense swept over the three cultivation manuals like a tide, instantly imprinting all the profound runes and mental mnemonic (mnemonic chants) deep within his sea of consciousness.

Without further delay, he silently recited the secret mnemonic (mnemonic chant) of the *Great Dream of Ten Thousand Ages*. His consciousness rapidly sank into a chaotic, hazy dream realm.

Thus began this crucial cultivation spanning ten thousand ages.

He would not awaken until he reached the Golden Core stage!