Chapter 155: Evil Ksitigarbha

Chapter 155: Evil Ksitigarbha

The next morning, Chu Liang woke up early, feeling refreshed as he leisurely finished his morning routine.

After spending a considerable amount of time navigating through the Valley of Bewildering Fog with members of the diabolical sect, the sight of the flowers, plants, and trees of Mount Shu Sect made him feel as though he had returned to the mortal realm. They gave off this friendliness and familiarity.

The swaying Golden Vein Berries above the small flower bed were adorable. Xiaoyu'er, who was busily watering the plants, was cute as well. The Golden-Furred Hou playing around by digging a hole was... well, let's forget about the Big Head.

The more Chu Liang stared at it, the more stupid it looked.

After breakfast, he headed to the Hall of Weapons on the Heaven-Reaching Peak to see Wen Yulong.

After killing the Southern-Route Guider, he obtained a statue with a storage space containing all the treasures of the Guider. However, Chu Liang couldn't open the storage tool, so he had no choice but to seek help from a professional.

Inside the Hall of Weapons, a very energetic young man could be seen.

"Senior Brother Chu, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

"What good items did you get back from your adventure this time?" Wen Yulong asked eagerly.

By now, Wen Yulong had been conditioned that whenever Chu Liang returned from his adventure, something would be brought back for him to showcase his talents.

Honestly, this was a habit that Chu Liang had developed as well. Although Wen Yulong always managed to surprise him, Chu Liang realized that he would always end up admiring the work done by Wen Yulong.

The extreme flight, the Razor Leaf, the zongzi defense form, the Treasure Leaf Lamp, the Ghost-Slaying Sword of Divine Light, and the Orb Lamp Sword Technique...

If it were other ordinary disciples in charge of crafting weapons, the product would have matched what he had imagined. It would be absolutely impossible for them to achieve the same powerful effects using the same materials.

In other words, they would be mediocre.

"I have nothing for you to refine this time. It's about something else." Chu Liang sat down and took out the ominous-looking statue as he said, "I confiscated this statue which has a built-in storage space, but I can't open it. Can you help me open it?"

"Let me see."

Wen Yulong took the statue and carefully examined it for a while. His expression gradually became more serious.

After a while, he placed the statue on the table and said with a hesitant tone, "Senior Brother Chu, this is an Evil Ksitigarbha."

"Oh?" Chu Liang looked up.

He had heard of a Evil Ksitigarbha.

In Buddhist teachings, there existed the legend of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, who made a vow to never attain Buddhahood until hell is empty. However, in this world, the Dark King Sect also held a belief in Ksitigarbha, but they believed in the "evil" Ksitigarbha.

In the legend of the Dark King Sect, Ksitigarbha was an evil deity suppressed by deceitful gods in hell. It was bound by chains infused with 380 million strands of godly power, confined to the depths of the underworld. Thousands of fierce ghosts devoured its flesh daily, yet it remained undying, constantly yearning to return to the mortal realm. Followers of this belief anticipated the day when Ksitigarbha would transform into an evil ghost and return for vengeance.

As for what this Evil Ksitigarbha looked like and what teachings it had, Chu Liang had no idea.

"On the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures, there is a diabolical enchanted tool that belongs to the Dark King Sect, and that enchanted tool is called the True Body of Ksitigarbha. According to legends, that item can summon the actual divine power of the Ksitigarbha from the realm of the dead. I am unaware of the authenticity of that legend," Wen Yulong said. "But the statue that you confiscated should be a counterfeit of the True Body of Ksitigarbha and should harbor some kind of power of guidance."

"I suspect that it can be traced through the legendary Evil Ksitigarbha."

This was somewhat frightening.

Chu Liang leaned forward, "Isn't it dangerous to have this thing in hand?"

"If I'm correct, this thing has the ability to summon a bit of the Ksitigarbha's divine power," Wen Yulong explained. "But the effect shouldn't be too outrageous to the extent that holding it would attract evil spirits. However, I still advise you to dispose of it once the items in the storage are taken out."

With this explanation, Chu Liang understood.

A classic example would be the Crimson Executioner. This rule likely had something to do with karmic debt, particularly concerning individuals whose qi was suffused with blood. When the Crimson Executioner encountered such people, it would become extremely agitated.

In the past, he did take the lives of several beings, but his intent was to rid the world of demons and evil. This action did not increase his karmic debt; rather, it accumulated merit.

However, had he killed for the purpose of extracting their essence and blood, there would have been karmic consequences.

Initially, Chu Liang thought he could hone his divine skills while slaying demons and monsters. However, reflecting on the current situation, he realized he had been too naive back then.

"If you were solely cultivating this particular technique, you wouldn't have to accumulate excessive negative karma. However, a cultivator should always exercise caution on their path. It's best to avoid unnecessary karmic debt. Otherwise, when you reach the Dao Attainment Realm in the future, this mistake may become a significant hurdle," Yuan Zhuo advised. "Furthermore, if you're interested in blood-refining divine skills, the Hall of Conservation can provide you with alternative options."

"The Hall of Conservation has such divine skills?" Chu Liang's eyes sparkled.

"Of course," Yuan Zhuo said. "This type of divine skill shouldn't be considered rare, but very few people practice it because cultivators have limited energy. They wouldn't be able to dedicate significant spiritual energy to enhancing their bodies. Typically, it's only after reaching the sixth realm that there's enough surplus energy to refine oneself."

Upon hearing this, Chu Liang understood one thing.

Compared to the disciples of Mount Shu at the Spiritual Awareness Realm, he had mastered numerous divine skills. In fact, even the execution of his Talismanic Sword Seal surpassed the average level.

He felt like he had learned so little because he hadn't devoted most of his energy to improving his cultivation.

The peaceful days he enjoyed were made possible by having the Large-Headed Doll handle the heavy toil for him.

Typically, a cultivator at this stage would be preoccupied with refining their cultivation skills and striving for a breakthrough into the Golden Core Realm. After attaining the Golden Core Realm, their focus would shift to breaking through into the Realm of the Five Elements. Each step of the journey primarily revolves around cultivation.

When it came to complex divine skills and techniques, individuals typically had to temporarily set aside refining their cultivation skills and focus on learning the techniques.

However, Chu Liang never had to worry about cultivation. He had plenty of time and energy to devote to improving his enchanted tools and divine skills.

"If you want, you can use the divine skills manual you submitted this time for another technique," Yuan Zhuo said as he stood up and walked towards the back.

After a while, he came back with a jade slip.

"It may take a bit more time to advance in the learning of this Blood-Refinement Technique: Divine Light, but it is a safer and more reliable cultivation method. This is the right way to make progress in your cultivation," Yuan Zhuo instructed.

Chu Liang accepted it and earnestly expressed his gratitude, "Senior Brother Yuan, thank you for your teaching."

Yuan Zhuo remained expressionless, saying, "It's not really teaching. I am just sharing some experiences."

As Chu Liang pondered Yuan Zhuo's words, he realized that Senior Brother Yuan had spoken with a sense of fairness and a commitment to the right path. He couldn't possibly be just an ordinary attendant.

Unconsciously, a hint of admiration appeared in Chu Liang's eyes.

As they were about to bid farewell, Yuan Zhuo suddenly raised his hand and said, "Wait! Your reward isn't sufficient for the value of this Blood-Refinement Technique: Divine Light. You need to offer more to cover the difference."

"Ah?" Chu Liang widened his eyes, surprised by the fact that he had to pay to make up the difference. He quickly asked, "How much extra do I need to pay?"

Yuan Zhuo's gaze flickered as he calculated, then replied, "Seventy sword coins."

"Hmm..."

Chu Liang pouted.

The light in his eyes disappeared.

1. Forgot to mention last time. Brother Square's surname means circle. So it's basically Brother Circle. ☜