Chapter 831: The Yin Spirit
Chapter 831: The Yin Spirit
The Water Prison Restrictive Box.
There was a character for "restrict" in its name...
Mo Hua's eyes gradually lit up, and he quietly asked, "Elder Yu, what is the Water Prison Restrictive Box?"
Upon hearing Mo Hua mention the box, Yu Canghai couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions, causing him to lose his composure momentarily. Now, having regained his senses, he looked at Mo Hua, who was full of curiosity, and hesitated, "It's nothing... It's just a lost legacy of my Water Prison Sect. Hearing that it fell into that damned creature's hands made me a little upset."
"Oh..."
Mo Hua was displeased that Elder Yu was being so secretive and evasive.
Mo Hua's thoughts turned, and he sighed, expressing his regret, "It's a pity. With two Golden Core elders from the Dao Court involved, they still let Shui Yanluo escape. Given his cunning, I doubt we'll be able to capture him again, and this jade box may never be retrieved..."
As these words left Mo Hua's mouth, Elder Yu's body trembled, and he stood up, his expression filled with shock.
"Never be retrieved...?"
"Mhm," Mo Hua nodded, resigned, "After all, this happened in a second-rate state. As long as Shui Yanluo enters the water, he has nothing to fear. Two Golden Cores weren't enough to catch him, and I doubt even seven or eight more would make a difference..."
Mo Hua deliberately exaggerated Shui Yanluo's abilities.
But Elder Yu believed him.
Having faced Shui Yanluo before, he knew all too well how crafty and troublesome he could be.
Moreover, this had occurred in the Yanshui River.
With its vast waters and complex currents, the river itself was the perfect shield for Shui Yanluo, who was as adept in water as a water dragon.
Elder Yu's expression grew solemn, filled with anxiety.
If they couldn't capture Shui Yanluo and retrieve the Water Prison Restrictive Box, wouldn't the pinnacle legacy of his Water Prison Sect be forever lost to another?
Mo Hua was perceptive and understood Elder Yu's concerns. He pretended to be clueless and asked softly, "Elder Yu, is this restrictive box an extremely important legacy?"
Elder Yu paused, his eyes drying up as he forced a smile, "It's somewhat important... but not extremely so. It's not a truly top-notch legacy..."
"I see..." Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, his tone relaxed, "In that case, I'm relieved. If it's just an ordinary legacy, even if it falls into Shui Yanluo's hands, it's not a big deal."
"I'll talk to Uncle Gu later. We don't need to rush about the box. We can take our time, and whether it's in a hundred years or a few decades, we'll eventually apprehend Shui Yanluo and get it back."
Elder Yu wore a bitter expression.
A hundred years or a few decades...
Others might have that much time, but he wasn't sure he did.
If he died before the box was found, then...
Elder Yu sighed deeply and looked up at Mo Hua.
He knew that Mo Hua was using the Water Prison Restrictive Box to pressure him, wanting a clear stance from him.
If he shared the information, Mo Hua would leverage his connections to capture Shui Yanluo and retrieve the box.
But if he remained silent, Mo Hua would wash his hands of the matter.
Elder Yu was helpless.
This was the legacy of the Water Prison Sect, a closely guarded secret. He hadn't intended to tell anyone unless he found a true successor to the sect's doctrines.
But now, it seemed he had no choice.
If he didn't speak up, these secrets, along with the sect's doctrines, would be buried with him.
How could he face the ancestors of the Water Prison Sect in the afterlife?
"Fine... I might as well tell this young brother."
"Even if this box eventually ends up in this young brother's hands, it's better than letting that damned Shui Yanluo keep it."
Elder Yu paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Young brother, you're an understanding person, and there's no need for pretense between us... I won't keep you in suspense any longer."
He sighed and continued solemnly, "This Water Prison Restrictive Box is the pinnacle legacy of my Water Prison Sect. It has always been passed down only to the sect leader!"
Mo Hua was stunned.
He had known that the jade box was extraordinary, but he hadn't expected it to be so valuable.
Passed down only to the sect leader!
In the present day, this would be equivalent to the sole legacy of a twelfth-rate sect, surpassing the outer sect, inner sect, direct lineage, and even the core direct lineage, accessible only to the sect leader!
It was countless times more valuable than the legacy he currently possessed in the Vast Void Sect.
Moreover, this was a twelfth-rate sect from a millennium ago.
Compared to the twelfth-rate sects of the present, their doctrines were purer, more profound, and more unique.
Seeing that Elder Yu had opened up, Mo Hua set aside his subtlety and asked directly, "Does the 'restrict' in Water Prison 'Restrictive' Box refer to a restrictive art?"
Elder Yu's eyelids twitched.
The term "restrictive art" was not something that ordinary cultivators would be familiar with.
Only those obsessed with pursuing such forbidden arts would know of them, while ordinary cultivators would steer clear of such practices forbidden by the Dao Court.
But Mo Hua had casually brought it up as if restrictive arts were no big deal...
What kind of cultivation education had this young man received in his sect?
Elder Yu's gaze sharpened as he pondered for a moment before nodding, "Yes, that's part of it..."
"The 'restrict' in Water Prison Restrictive Box refers to two things. First, it is a forbidden object for the entire Water Prison Sect. Aside from the sect leader, anyone who dares to touch it will face severe consequences. Those who violate this order will, at the very least, have their cultivation disabled and be expelled from the sect. In more serious cases, they will be thrown into the Water Prison, never to see the light of day again..."
Mo Hua's expression turned grim.
The Water Prison Sect had once been the "attack dog" of the Dao Court, and they had even built a water prison to carry out their own brand of justice...
He then thought to himself, "It's a good thing I'm not a disciple of the Water Prison Sect. Otherwise, I would have had my cultivation disabled and been thrown into the water prison for touching the Water Prison Restrictive Box."
Unaware of Mo Hua's inner musings, Elder Yu continued, "The second thing it refers to is indeed a 'restrictive art'."
"What kind of restrictive art?"
Elder Yu hesitated for a moment before answering in a low voice, "It's an eye art."
"An eye art?" Mo Hua guessed correctly. "The kind Shui Yanluo uses?"
However, upon hearing this, Elder Yu was shocked. "Shui Yanluo knows eye arts?
Mo Hua was surprised as he asked, "You didn't know?"
Yu Canghai's face turned slightly pale as he shook his head.
"That's odd," frowned Mo Hua. "Didn't you face off against Shui Yanluo? Didn't he use his eye techniques on you?"
Yu Canghai's expression became complex as he replied, "No, I fell into their ambush and was surrounded by nearly a hundred Qi Refining cultivators who took turns wearing me down while Shui Yanluo secretly attacked me."
"In that situation, aside from not being able to use my Golden Core power, even if I could utilize my Golden Core cultivation, I wouldn't have been a match for them..."
"Setting aside those with exceptional talent and ruthless killing methods, generally speaking, the strength of a cultivator in the early Golden Core stage is roughly ten times that of a cultivator in the late Qi Refining stage."
"I'm at the mid Golden Core stage, so my strength would be considerably stronger, but even so, it would be impossible for me to remain unscathed while being besieged by nearly a hundred Qi Refining cultivators."
"Moreover, there's also the heavenly restriction, and most of these water bandits cultivate evil arts and are outlaws who have killed countless people..."
"Oh."
Mo Hua nodded, then furrowed his brows in confusion.
Why didn't Shui Yanluo use his eye techniques in front of Elder Yu?
Could it be that he was afraid of being recognized?
Mo Hua pondered this, and his heart skipped a beat.
This jade box that Shui Yanluo possessed most likely also had an "illicit origin".
Thus, in front of Elder Yu, who was from the Water Prison Sect, he dared not use his eye techniques.
He was afraid that Elder Yu would see through him and that others would find out that he possessed this forbidden box.
And previously, at the ferry crossing, Shui Yanluo had discovered that he knew the Water Prison Art and thought that he was a remnant of the Water Prison Sect, wanting to kill him to silence him.
Aside from other reasons, it was most likely also because he had faced off against Gu Shi, and the pressure had been too great, forcing him to use his eye techniques.
He had been afraid that the origin of his eye techniques would be recognized by this "remnant of the Water Prison Sect".
In that case, this Water Prison forbidden box was probably stolen by Shui Yanluo from somewhere.
But where? The Water Prison Sect?
Mo Hua frowned in thought.
Yu Canghai's expression turned solemn as he asked, "What were Shui Yanluo's eye techniques like?"
Mo Hua recalled, "They had a strong evil aura, and his eyes were red, as if soaked in blood. Within the blood, there were many strange and bizarre silhouettes, like humans yet like demons, as if they were sinking in purgatory, endlessly struggling, suffering, and howling..."
Yu Canghai's brows furrowed even deeper.
Mo Hua asked, "Are those the eye techniques of your Water Prison Sect?"
But Elder Yu shook his head after a moment of thought, "Not exactly..."
Mo Hua was taken aback, "Not exactly?"
Yu Canghai nodded, "Shui Yanluo's eye techniques are filled with blood and are sinister and abnormal, with an extremely heavy evil aura. At a glance, they are clearly demonic path techniques."
"My Water Prison Sect is an orthodox sect, and even if our actions are ruthless and merciless, we would definitely not use such bloody eye techniques as our sect's signature art. Even if we wanted to, the Dao Court would never allow it."
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and couldn't help but nod, "Makes sense."
Then he asked in confusion, "Then what's the deal with Shui Yanluo's eye techniques?"
"I've never seen them before, so I can't be sure, but it seems likely..." Yu Canghai frowned, "This Shui Yanluo is probably impatient for success and has merely copied the outer shell of my Water Prison Sect's eye techniques, secretly using a demonic path's Refinement of Evil Spirit technique..."
Refinement of Evil Spirit technique...
Demonic Path's Refinement of Evil Spirit True Manual!
These six words suddenly appeared in Mo Hua's mind.
This manual was a treasure of Huo Fo Tu, and Mo Hua had stolen it along with the Meteor Fire Art.
Huo Fo Tu and Shui Yanluo were probably both "Honored Masters" within the Evil God Cult.
In other words, the two of them had most likely studied this Demonic Path's Refinement of Evil Spirit True Manual.
Refinement of Evil Spirit referred to refining slaughter and converting it into evil spirits.
Huo Fo Tu refined the evil spirits he cultivated from killing into his Meteor Fire Art.
And Shui Yanluo refined the evil spirits he cultivated from killing into his eye techniques.
Mo Hua's eyes turned slightly solemn.
Yu Canghai continued, "I don't know what Refinement of Evil Spirit technique this evil creature cultivates, but he must be taking a shortcut, combining this demonic path technique with my Water Prison Sect's eye techniques, using the eye techniques to refine evil spirits and captivate people's hearts."
"Then what about the Water Prison Sect's eye techniques? What do they cultivate if not evil spirits?" Mo Hua asked.
Yu Canghai hesitated for a moment before replying helplessly, "My Water Prison Sect also cultivates evil spirits..."
Mo Hua: "..."
He thought for a moment, then summarized, "Shui Yanluo cultivates evil spirits and uses eye techniques, and your Water Prison Sect also cultivates evil spirits and uses eye techniques?"
Yu Canghai: "Yes..."
Mo Hua quietly "interrogated":
"Didn't you say that your Water Prison Sect is an orthodox sect? Isn't there no difference between your eye techniques and Shui Yanluo's? Don't you also rely on killing to refine evil spirits?"
Yu Canghai shook his head, his expression bitter, "This is also the reason why I was reluctant to explain the situation to my young friend before..."
"Refining evil spirits is a practice that straddles the line between orthodox and evil, and one can easily stray onto the evil path if one is not careful."
"That's why this legacy jade box is called the 'Forbidden Box'."
"And why this eye technique is classified as a 'forbidden art'."
"Throughout the generations, only the sect leader of the Water Prison Sect was allowed to cultivate this Daoist art."
Mo Hua became interested, "Is there something special about it?"
Yu Canghai said solemnly, "So-called 'evil spirits' are also a type of 'spirit' between heaven and earth. However, this type of spirit merges factors such as cause and effect, divine souls, and annihilation, and it has an unknowable lethal power toward cultivators, which is why it is not considered orthodox."
"And when it comes to evil spirits, there are also many types: heaven evil spirits, life evil spirits, corpse evil spirits, evil evil spirits, violent evil spirits, demon evil spirits, age evil spirits, death evil spirits, and so on."
"I only know the names of these evil spirits. The knowledge within is extremely profound, and if one is not a cultivator who specializes in this path, one would not be able to distinguish or understand them."
"However, these various evil spirits are fundamentally related to 'death and injury'. These deaths and injuries can be from natural disasters or man-made."
"Natural disasters are hard to predict, but man-made disasters are easy to create."
"Thus, if a cultivator wants to refine evil spirits, they must take lives with their own hands. Simply put... they must kill!"
Yu Canghai's expression was grave.
Mo Hua slightly furrowed his brows.
"The more people they kill, the heavier the slaughter and the stronger the refined evil spirits will be.
Mo Hua inquired, "Elder Yu, is taking a life considered right or wrong?"
Yu Canghai was about to declare it as wrong, but after a moment's thought, he shook his head and replied, "Not necessarily."
"Indeed!" Yu Canghai exclaimed, "On the surface, killing is wrong, and refining Sha is even more so associated with heretics and demons. But... what if there are individuals who deserve to perish, who warrant being taken out?"
"So, should these individuals be eliminated or not?"
Mo Hua's eyes reflected deep contemplation, yet he remained silent.
Yu Canghai sighed, "Compassion is admirable, but benevolence and wickedness are two sides of the same coin, and extremes of either can be detrimental."
"Excessive compassion can breed gullibility, and naivety can spawn evil."
"Consider those who advocate for the sanctity of life, insisting that as long as one atones for their misdeeds, they ought to be spared. Or those who believe that renouncing their violent ways and embracing enlightenment erases all prior transgressions—should such individuals not face consequences for their heinous acts?"
"Those who deserve to perish should perish, and those who deserve to be eliminated should be eliminated."
"Annihilating malevolent beings can also refine Sha. In the legacy of my Water Prison Sect, this type of Sha energy is known as 'Righteous Sha'!"
A flicker of interest crossed Mo Hua's eyes as he murmured, "Righteous Sha..."
"Indeed!" Yu Canghai nodded, his expression solemn. "The Water Prison Sect has always been an integral part of the Dao Court, meting out harsh punishments on wrongdoers, using the Daoist prison to suppress evil, and executing all who are treacherous, heretical, or demonic. By taking lives and cultivating awe-inspiring Sha, we embody justice and strike fear into the hearts of evildoers. This is what we refer to as 'Righteous Sha'!"
Yu Canghai's words were bold and stirring.
Mo Hua's curiosity was piqued, but soon he furrowed his brow, a question forming in his mind. "This 'Righteous Sha' is also rather challenging to cultivate, isn't it?"
Yu Canghai paused, then sighed in resignation.
The young man before him was indeed perceptive and astute, his insights penetrating the heart of the matter.
Yu Canghai sighed, "You are correct, young brother. Cultivating Righteous Sha is no simple task..."
"To cultivate Righteous Sha, one must possess exceptional willpower and an unwavering commitment to the Daoist path, and one must never falter."
"Once you embark on the path of cultivating Righteous Sha, the vengeful spirits of those you've taken down will haunt you. These spirits are often malevolent and vicious, and their sinister thoughts will incessantly invade your mind. Should your resolve waver and you fail to withstand their influence, you will endure a backlash, your heart will succumb to darkness, and the Sha energy will mutate, transforming completely from Righteous Sha into an even more sinister form of evil Sha..."
As Mo Hua listened, his interest grew, but he sensed that Elder Yu wasn't divulging everything.
Annihilating malevolent beings and refining Righteous Sha...
What if, by mistake, one were to take out an innocent person? Wouldn't this Righteous Sha no longer be worthy of the name 'Righteous'? Wouldn't it become utterly useless then?
If he were a formidable villain, Mo Hua thought, it would be all too easy to deceive and manipulate a cultivator of Righteous Sha into eliminating an innocent.
This flaw was monumental.
Furthermore, this didn't even account for accidental killings.
He considered that a cultivator of the Dao Court, driven by impure intentions and an obsessive nature, might go so far as to fabricate charges, framing the innocent as criminals, and then justifiably eliminating these 'wrongdoers' to cultivate their Righteous Sha, becoming a hypocritical and ruthless judge.
The more he pondered it, the more terrifying it seemed.
Elder Yu, out of consideration for his sect's reputation, would not bring up these points.
However, Mo Hua surmised that these were some of the reasons why this eye technique was classified as a forbidden art, passed down only to the sect leader.
But Mo Hua didn't dwell on it.
After all, the Water Prison Sect had perished a millennium ago, and it wasn't his place to delve into their ancient history.
There was only one thing that piqued his curiosity.
After a moment's thought, Mo Hua questioned Yu Canghai, "Elder Yu, how exactly is the Water Prison Sect's eye technique employed? After cultivating the Righteous Sha, how can one utilize their gaze to intimidate others? Is there some hidden technique involved?"
"This..." Yu Canghai sighed, "You're putting me in a difficult position. How could I possibly know the secrets of a forbidden art meant only for the sect leader?"
Mo Hua continued to regard him with clear yet penetrating eyes.
Feeling the weight of his gaze, Yu Canghai's scalp tingled, and he eventually relented with a sigh, "I only know a bit..."
"A little is fine," Mo Hua urged.
Yu Canghai sighed again, "It's the diagram inscribed on the jade box."
"A diagram?"
Yu Canghai nodded, "There's a set of visualization techniques on the diagram that enable one to merge the Righteous Sha with their divine soul. Then, through the eye sockets—or eyes, if you will—one can unleash a powerful surge of awe-inspiring Sha, striking fear into others."
"This is a unique kind of soul-striking technique."
"It may not seem impressive at first glance, but in the heat of battle, during pivotal moments, a single glance imbued with Sha energy can decide the victor. What's more, this eye technique operates independently of spiritual power and can be used simultaneously with spells, making it exceedingly difficult to defend against. If one isn't cautious, they could suffer a devastating defeat."
Mo Hua couldn't help but agree, nodding his head.
Having faced the Water Tyrant, he understood that this technique wasn't solely about raw power but presented a tricky challenge to overcome.
Even a Golden Core cultivator could be caught off guard by its subtlety.
If it weren't for his robust divine sense, which rendered him immune to the Water Tyrant's eye technique, he might have fallen to him back at the ferry crossing.
Moreover, if someone were unaware of this eye technique...
Mo Hua's confusion only deepened.
"The diagram on the jade box depicts a prison with eight cells, each holding a prisoner undergoing a distinct form of punishment. How does this relate to the visualization technique you mentioned?"
Yu Canghai was equally perplexed.
He was genuinely confused because, despite being an elder of the Water Prison Sect, he had never known what was illustrated on the box that contained their sect's most revered legacy.
"Eight cells, eight punishments, eight prisoners..." Yu Canghai furrowed his brow in thought, then paused as realization struck. He turned to Mo Hua, "Hold on, isn't that the box that Shui Yanluo possesses? How come you know so much about it?"
Even the number of cells, the specifics of the punishments, and the number of prisoners were known to him.
Mo Hua was taken aback but quickly recovered his composure.
Fortunately, his thick skin hid any signs of embarrassment.
"I have a good memory," Mo Hua said calmly, "I observed it clearly when Shui Yanluo was fleeing with the box. Not a single detail escaped my notice."
(End of Chapter)
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