Chapter 48: Empowerment
Azure Fall Market.
The painted pleasure boats drifted slowly; the marketplace remained as before.
“It seemed that after a period of chaos in the cultivation world, things truly were about to settle down. Even this kind of mobile marketplace had reopened…”
Fang Qing disguised himself as the sinister middle-aged man who had once visited this place. He converted his Ji Water True Power and, now at the sixth layer of cultivation, clasped his hands behind his back as he stepped onto a Book Vessel.
The signboard of Nine Rivers Water Pavilion came into view.
A beautiful woman with skin like congealed cream, a jade-green hairpin in her hair, and a faint scholarly air upon her face came forward to receive him. “Guest… ah?”
She seemed to recognize Fang Qing.
“Steward, long time no see.”
Fang Qing smiled faintly. “After the great calamity in the Ba Commandery cultivation world, I did not expect to meet an acquaintance again…”
The reason he had come was simply to confirm one matter. After obtaining Plum Blossom Divination, he intended to verify what the old blind man had once said.
“The cultivation world was too chaotic before. We could barely survive by closing the marketplace… Now that the situation had stabilized somewhat, naturally we had to come out and do some business.”
The beautiful woman lightly adjusted her cloud-like hair. There was an indescribable charm about her.
“That is good. I will buy a few more Daoist books.”
Fang Qing walked to the bookshelves and casually flipped through them. “As for Dao Foundation and above techniques, there are still only these few?”
In his heart, he began calculating with Plum Blossom Divination:
“Minor misfortune?!”
“This is judged relative to my strength. If it were another cultivator, they might truly fall into a pit.”
“As expected, this bookstore is indeed detrimental to me.”
A trace of darkness flickered deep within Fang Qing’s eyes.
“Dao Foundation techniques are originally the closely guarded secrets of each family…” The beautiful woman showed no sign of noticing anything unusual.
After a short while, Fang Qing selected a few ordinary Daoist books and took his leave.
This time, however, the beautiful woman did not return to her seat. Instead, she walked behind the bookshelf.
Behind the wall of shelves was, astonishingly, a secret chamber.
This place was sealed off by formations; the outside world would find it impossible to detect even the slightest trace.
A hand reached out, pulled the beautiful woman into the chamber, and immediately began groping her without courtesy.
“Young Master Cheng…”
The beautiful woman demurred softly, her resistance appearing weak. “Another guest might come at any moment.”
Opposite her stood a triangular-eyed cultivator, his face filled with lewd greed.
If Li Rulong had been present, he would have recognized him at once—this person was none other than Luo Dacheng!
“Tell me about that guest just now.”
Though Luo Dacheng’s eyes gleamed and he looked as though he wished to devour the woman whole, his expression was even more avaricious.
It was as if he had encountered prey more delicious than the beauty before him.
“That guest? He came once several years ago to purchase a Ji Water technique for a junior of his family. I sold him the problematic copy of Observing Black Ridge from our clan.”
The beautiful woman sounded puzzled.
“Haha… What junior? He himself lacked the subsequent technique! I also cultivate Ji Water. Just now, using a secret method to sense him, I confirmed that he cultivates my family’s Observing Black Ridge and has already reached the sixth layer… Heh heh, without those few missing incantations and key points, he can never break through to the late stage of the Qi Ingestion Realm. This time he came most likely to probe and test.”
“So that was the case?”
The beautiful woman was somewhat astonished.
“Haha… You truly bring me fortune! With my authentic technique against his flawed one, I cannot lose. If I devour his entire cultivation, I might even break through my current bottleneck.”
Luo Dacheng laughed loudly. “I will return shortly. Beauty, wait for me properly.”
The beautiful woman smiled charmingly as she watched him depart. Only after his Escape Light had completely vanished did her expression abruptly change. She performed a hand seal and began cleansing her body.
…
“He came.”
At a place far from Azure Fall Market, Fang Qing stood upon the Mysterious Ice Wheel, quietly waiting.
After a moment, a stream of light flew over, bearing the Cultivation Image of Clear Springs and Gentle Breeze.
“Ji Water True Power? Observing Black Ridge?”
Fang Qing looked at the triangular-eyed cultivator before him and frowned slightly. “Could it be that you are the true master behind that Book Vessel?”
“Heh heh, correct. Fellow Daoist, your cultivation is profound. Why not fulfill me?”
Luo Dacheng laughed and formed hand seals. “Go!”
Gurgle gurgle!
Clear springs surged from the earth, and a gentle breeze brushed past.
Fang Qing suddenly felt his smoothly circulating Ji Water True Power begin to stagnate, its flow turning sluggish and unresponsive!
For any other cultivator, if their True Power became obstructed, no techniques, talismans, or artifacts could be used—they would be left to slaughter!
“Damn it… You tampered with the technique?”
Fang Qing’s face turned pale with “shock” as he barely controlled the Mysterious Ice Wheel and landed shakily on the ground.
“Haha… It is useless. Every aristocratic family in Ba Commandery knows that my Luo Family of Tianshui specializes in Observing Black Ridge. Someone like you who runs headlong into it must be a rootless minor cultivator. If you die, you die.”
Luo Dacheng gazed at Fang Qing as though he were a priceless treasure. “It was my good fortune. While conducting routine patrols of the marketplace, I encountered you, a fat sheep!”
With the various hidden tricks embedded within his family’s inherited technique, Luo Dacheng was confident that even cultivators several minor realms above him could be directly suppressed!
He stepped forward, preparing to completely subdue Fang Qing and absorb his True Power.
But as Fang Qing watched him approach, his expression suddenly turned playful. “Have you considered… that I might be a body-refining cultivator?”
“What?”
Before Luo Dacheng could react, a figure flashed before his eyes, and a massive fan-like palm came crashing down.
Smack!
The palm shattered his protective spiritual light and struck his cheek viciously.
Luo Dacheng screamed miserably. Blood flowed from his mouth and nose as he spat out a mouthful of teeth, rolling on the ground like a dead dog. “How is this possible? Such a powerful physique? Fellow Daoist, spare my life! Fellow Daoist… I am a disciple of the Luo Family of Tianshui! My family has a Dao Foundation Ancestor!”
In his heart, he was utterly bewildered.
To refine one’s body to such an advanced level required not only an excellent body-refining technique but also terrifying amounts of Spiritual Resources!
Within the Qi Ingestion Path, such resources could cultivate at least several cultivators of the same realm!
Theoretically, how could such a wealthy and extravagant cultivator have failed to hear of the Luo Family’s ancestral technique and so easily fallen into a trap?
Could it be… that he had deliberately come fishing for him?
At that thought, Luo Dacheng’s face turned ashen. “Who are you? A member of the Luo Clan of Kuian? Or from Yunyan Sect?”
“Heh heh… This humble monk came from the Secret Treasury Domain!”
Fang Qing silently switched techniques. With Great Sun Empowerment Secret Art and Horse-Headed Vajra Guardian Divine Art at his disposal, no one would believe he was not of the esoteric lineage.
Boom!
Luo Dacheng screamed as his eyes seemed to stare directly into a blazing sun. Tears streamed down, falling to the ground and transforming into spring water.
In his heart, only one thought remained: ‘His earlier technique was fake? He truly was fishing for me!’
“Wait! My Luo Family has no enmity with the Secret Treasury Domain!”
Luo Dacheng hurriedly said.
“Indeed, there is no particular connection. However, this humble monk finds you fated with me… Are you willing to become my disciple?”
Fang Qing smiled slightly, revealing a row of pale white teeth.
“Convert… me?”
Luo Dacheng exclaimed in shock. “Are you an ‘Upadhyaya’ of the Great Snow Mountain?”
The monks of Great Snow Mountain were equivalent to the Qi Ingestion Realm, while Upadhyaya corresponded to the Dao Foundation Realm.
As for a Dharma King? They could contend with the Purple Palace Realm!
“Are you willing? If not, you shall descend into the Scorching Hell and eternally suffer the torment of blazing flames.”
Fang Qing did not answer directly, only delivering a thunderous rebuke.
Having cultivated Great Sun Empowerment Secret Art, he had naturally come into contact with the empowerment methods of the Secret Treasury Domain.
It had to be said that in terms of controlling people, it was extremely effective—one could seize a person’s life essence, making their life and death dependent upon a single thought. One could even peer into the heart, preventing believers from lying, causing secret admiration to arise within them. Over time, they would become fanatical devotees.
‘In the Secret Treasury Domain, I see only two classes—slaves and slave masters…’
Fang Qing had his own views regarding empowerment and precepts. He knew that the key to absolute control over disciples lay in status.
If he were an Upadhyaya with a major realm gap between them, even if Luo Dacheng were unwilling, he could forcibly “convert” him into his slave—ah, no, disciple.
But he was not. Without the status advantage brought by a major realm difference, empowerment required the other party to open their heart with no resistance whatsoever.
‘Actually, if I could borrow a bit of the status of the Dao-Birth Pearl, I could probably forcibly convert even Dao Foundation cultivators… But unfortunately, that thing does not move. No… perhaps there is one method, though it is rather dangerous.’
Fang Qing had explored many methods regarding how to use the Dao-Birth Pearl.
The one that left the deepest impression was when the ragged Daoist—suspected to be of the Purple Palace Realm—had attempted to divine him. The Dao-Birth Pearl had been passively activated, allowing Fang Qing to borrow its status, and from then on, his divinations seemed divinely assisted.
‘In other words, if I deliberately place myself in danger, it might stimulate the Dao-Birth Pearl… For example, if I were being forcibly converted by a Dharma King? Forget it… That is too dangerous.’
While Fang Qing pondered, Luo Dacheng had already knelt respectfully. “Master above, this disciple is willing to take refuge in the Great Snow Mountain!”
‘Huh… The cultivators of this world truly broaden my horizons in this regard. Their bottom line is exceedingly flexible.’
Speechless inwardly, Fang Qing placed a hand upon Luo Dacheng’s crown and recited the Great Sun Tathāgata Secret Mantra:
“Today, I shall bestow empowerment upon you. It is your supreme honor. You shall dedicate your wealth, your parents, your children, your fleshly body… all that you possess to me. You shall generate a fearless heart, uphold Vajra intent, receive my fundamental great precepts, and never defy your master… You shall venerate me as the ‘sole secret fundamental deity.’ You shall revere me as a god!”
With Luo Dacheng’s cooperation, his Great Sun True Power swiftly entered the latter’s Dantian Sea of Qi, circulated once, and returned without leaving the slightest trace.
Yet Fang Qing suddenly felt as though he had gained an invisible “hand” gripping Luo Dacheng’s life.
With a single thought, the invisible hand tightened slightly. Luo Dacheng collapsed to his knees, screaming, “Upadhyaya, spare me! Upadhyaya, spare me!”
Even as he begged, Fang Qing could faintly sense his fear, his unwillingness… and a trace of resentment hidden deep within.
But it did not matter. Under the augmentation of the Great Sun Precepts, he would gradually develop reverence toward his master, and that trace of resentment would eventually be ground away completely.
‘This method… is truly wicked! But I like it!’
Fang Qing smiled inwardly and barked, “Wretch! Quickly recount your origins, your technique, all that you have learned in your life, and the secrets of the Luo Family one by one!”