Chapter 432: The Passphrase
Chapter 432: The Passphrase
"The Non-Vegetarian Sect is the legacy of the Great Master Daliang, and for reincarnates, they have an innate curiosity and closeness towards them."
Left alone, Hu Ma's heart felt puzzled, and he silently thought, "But I can't deny that for the natives of this world, they are a group closely associated with demons and are the most aberrant of all."
"Their words and actions exude a demonic aura, and prolonged exposure to them will inevitably lead to trouble."
"Should I stay and observe further, or just leave right away?"
"I'm a Year-End Guardian, and if I truly want to leave, unless Elder Sun and Grandmaster Tang are determined to keep an eye on me, they can't stop me."
"..."
Having made up his mind, he remained calm and contemplated in secret. It seemed that this was where she lived and also the sacred altar of the One Coin Sect. Could she not be afraid that he might touch something and run away?
Moreover, she asked him to look at the painting, which seemed even more puzzling. Even if he didn't look at it, what could happen?
Unless, she was certain that the hidden dangers within the cultivation technique were immense, and she wasn't worried about him escaping?
But regarding this cultivation technique, he had just begun to learn it and hadn't cultivated it deeply; he had only nourished his divine soul with a mouthful of yin energy.
The hidden dangers didn't seem to pose a threat to him...
Furthermore, even if he couldn't bear to part with the cultivation technique, he could simply return the scroll to her. He had secretly memorized the divine art and planned to seek help from a trusted reincarnate high-sage to decipher it. Surely, they could uncover the hidden dangers within the technique?
Could it be that the Non-Vegetarian Sect was so confident, believing that the hidden dangers they had set up couldn't be seen by outsiders?
"As for this painting..."
Hu Ma focused his mind and calmed his breath, glancing at it. He knew that many demonic techniques could be hidden within paintings, making them hard to guard against.
He was ready to retract his gaze at any moment, and with a quick glance, the Year-End Guardian's sharp eyes took in the details of the painting.
He saw that it was indeed just an aged silhouette worshipping a mountain. The mountain appeared tall, but since the perspective was from behind the old man, the silhouette occupied a significant portion, obscuring most of the painting's content.
"This woman wants me to enter the ghost cave, but where is the cave in this painting?"
"..."
The content of the painting wasn't particularly remarkable, but a line of fine, small characters beside it caught Hu Ma's attention:
"Slay the fierce tiger, subdue the dragon."
"Pass through three ghost gates, ascend the twelve bone transformation stages."
"Contemplate the life essence to comprehend the true meaning, and reach the creation divine gate platform."
"Those with karmic connections, with their true spirits entering the painting, those who worship the divine diagram with excellent life essence, may be listed as my disciples of the Non-Vegetarian Sect!"
"..."
"Wow..."
Hu Ma realized that this painting was actually a test.
He was a bit confused. Since he had already refused to take her as his master, why did she bring out this painting? But thinking about the origin of the Non-Vegetarian Sect, he became curious. The more he understood about the Non-Vegetarian Sect, the more he would know about the Great Master Daliang, right?
Because of this, although he remained vigilant, he wasn't in a hurry to leave. He wanted to see if he could gather more information. However, the more he looked at the painting, the more confused he became.
She mentioned a cave and a divine platform, but where were they?
Clearly, nothing could be seen in the painting...
Just as Hu Ma was thinking about this, he suddenly noticed that the content of the painting was slightly blurred, as if the person's gaze was slightly out of focus, and something hidden within the painting was revealed.
As he observed the painting with his peripheral vision to avoid being affected, he seemed to see the old man in the painting moving.
And then...
...he shifted to the side, revealing more of the painting's content. The silhouette worshipping the mountain moved aside, exposing a dark, gaping entrance. From the bottom of the painting, a winding path led upwards, directly to the cave.
"Is this even possible?"
Hu Ma suddenly became curious, but he remained cautious, narrowing his eyes to examine the newly revealed content in the painting.
Now, only he remained in the room. The sky was dark, and it was the dim light of dawn. The room was pitch-black and silent, with only two oil lamps lit on either side, creating a dim atmosphere. With the door closed, the lantern light from outside couldn't penetrate, making it feel like a secluded world.
It was just a painting, but upon closer inspection, it seemed different, as if it contained a vast world within, incredibly profound.
There seemed to be an inexplicable attraction pulling him, urging him to enter the painting.
"This isn't an illusion; it's truly possible to enter the painting."
Hu Ma quickly understood, "But it's not my physical body entering; it's my divine soul that will enter the painting."
When the Year-End Guardian entered the mansion, she had already cleansed her divine soul with yin energy, gaining the ability to project her soul. It was similar to when the Five Maleficent Gods came to Mingzhou to cause trouble before, and the Mountain Lord led her divine soul, allowing her to travel through the Old Yin Mountain in a single night.
However, at that time, her divine soul was summoned by the Mountain Lord and protected by him, enabling her to traverse the entire Old Yin Mountain in one day. Now, she had acquired the ability to project her soul independently.
But having the ability didn't mean Hu Ma had practiced it before.
This soul projection was extremely dangerous. What if her divine soul entered the painting, and something strange happened inside, cutting off her return path and trapping her?
However, despite her inner vigilance, Miao Shan Fairy understood the divine strangeness of the painting. As long as she didn't enter the painting with her divine soul, there would be no hindrance. Instead, she became slightly bolder and carefully observed the mystical objects within the painting. Gradually, every detail, from the grass to the trees, became clear before her eyes.
The old man in the painting had already stepped aside, and the content remained simple. One could vaguely see a fierce tiger, a water dragon, and three checkpoints standing on the path, with ten crooked steps leading straight to the end of the cave.
But even after observing the painting, she still couldn't discern anything special about it.
However, as her gaze slowly swept from top to bottom, when she looked at the old man's back, who had stepped aside, Hu Ma's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his entire face took on a peculiar expression.
...
...
At the same time, Miao Shan Fairy, along with White Fan and the two Dharmarajas, had already left the residence and arrived at the inn where Elder Sun had hosted the banquet earlier. The night was about to break, but the place was already filled with people, all of them looking anxious.
On the side, several corpses were laid out, not yet placed in coffins. Many more were reduced to fragments, piled together, looking extremely gloomy and depressing.
When the crowd saw Miao Shan Fairy approaching, their spirits lifted slightly, and they rushed forward. Just as they were about to speak, Old Abacus emerged from the crowd, smiling and bowing to Miao Shan Fairy:
"Please, Your Holiness, where is our little manager?"
"Your Holiness, this town is plagued by a corpse demon. Our little manager just displayed great strength in dealing with it, and everyone wants to thank him!"
"Let him come, so we can see him and put our minds at ease, right?"
"..."
Miao Shan Fairy was taken aback and glared at Old Abacus. At this moment, she was feeling frustrated and annoyed, and the last thing she wanted to hear about was Hu Ma. Yet, this old man mentioned him right after they met.
The key was that everyone around seemed to be looking at her as well, as if the news of the little manager driving away the demon corpse had already spread. Even Elder Sun and Elder Tang were concerned about his whereabouts.
'I didn't intend to harm him, so why are they all so worried?'
Miao Shan Fairy coldly hummed in her heart and said, "I gave him a great opportunity, but whether he can seize it or not depends on his abilities."
However, deep down, she couldn't help but worry about potential troubles: "That painting leads directly to the Ghost Cave. It's a trial for my Non-Vegetarian Sect disciples to enter the sect. I only use it to test people when I'm unsure of their reliability... There's no other way but to let him see it."
"All my Non-Vegetarian Sect disciples, if they attempt to cultivate the Great Heavenly General Seal Technique and feel unable to bear the pressure, facing great danger, can enter this painting to wash away their cultivation. Although they will drop a level, they can at least preserve their lives."
"This little manager refused to join my Non-Vegetarian Sect. Sooner or later, this cultivation technique will bring him harm. By entering the painting, he will suffer a setback in his Dao Virtue, but he will survive."
"However, doing so will make explaining later more troublesome. Others might think that I, the One Coin Sect, intentionally harmed him... Damn it, it would be better not to remind him and let him die quietly."
"..."
The more she thought about it, the more difficult it became. Initially, it was simple; it was just about seizing the cultivation technique, even if it meant pushing them to the brink and killing them.
But now, firstly, the little manager had just helped deal with the demon corpse, and killing him would make her feel guilty. Secondly... she didn't really want to kill him anymore.
Of course, if he was that stubborn and refused to view the painting, choosing to leave, it would be a good thing for her, sparing her the trouble...
But as the situation became more complex, she could only address each issue one by one.
In Miao Shan Fairy's heart, a fleeting thought crossed her mind: "If he can learn the Great Heavenly General Seal Technique, it's due to karmic law. If he truly comprehends this painting as well, could he be the destined one?"
"It's a pity, but it's impossible."
"..."
"..."
At the same time, in the mansion's hall, Hu Ma had already guessed that since the painting was from the Non-Vegetarian Sect, it might be related to the reincarnate. But when he saw a certain object in the corner of the painting, he suddenly became certain.
It was the old man in the painting who, after stepping aside, had a piece of paper floating down from his body. On it were words: "This is one of the thirty-six caves left from the grand sacrifice in the capital city, leading directly to the netherworld. It is extremely mystical."
"I refine the painting as a treasure, leaving a secret path. It is divided into seven parts. Those who enter the painting must prove their courage and pass through three gates and twelve tribulations to glimpse the true spirit."
"Those with a connection will see the passphrase..."
"..."
"Passphrase?"
Hu Ma's heart was slightly excited. He wasn't interested in viewing the painting and passing through the trials, but he didn't mind if there was an existing solution. He quickly looked at the strange lines on the paper and saw that they were curved and intertwined, resembling English letters at first glance.
"Damn!"
Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat. If another reincarnate had left information in English, it would indeed be a secure way to keep it secret...
... But he wasn't very proficient in English!
As he worried, he carefully examined the lines and suddenly felt relieved.
It wasn't English; it was Pinyin...
(End of Chapter)
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