Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 96 The Painting World Recognizes Its Master, Five Fingers Transform into Prison (Please Subscribe)
Passing through the boundary gate, a blood-red lake came into view.

For reasons unknown, Wei Yang suddenly said, "The second realm is the 'Heart-Cleansing Pool.' This lake in front of us has a Heart-Refining Array. The painting has broken free from 'physical imprisonment' and reached a higher level of 'divine bondage,' which can influence people's hearts..."

Lu Chenyuan didn't speak, but just stared at the blood lake in front of him and the mist on the lake.

He suddenly said, "Is this road difficult for you?"

"What? You think it's not difficult?"

Wei Yang sneered, "That's right. You're exceptionally talented, with discerning eyes that can see through illusions, so you're naturally qualified to make sarcastic remarks! But not everyone who comes to retrieve the Pill Cauldron Scroll has such discerning eyes!"

"hehe."

Lu Chenyuan laughed and said, "This is why you've been trapped in this formation for decades. Gu Yunsheng's efforts are completely wasted on you! Why did he design you to be a sheep? You should be a cow."

"Are you... looking for... death?"

Wei Yang clenched his fist and squeezed out the words slowly and deliberately, his voice no longer sounding like a human, but more like the roar of a wild beast.

Strangely, even in her rage, she didn't attack directly. Instead, she stared intently at Lu Chenyuan and roared, "The reason! Tell me the reason!!"

She desperately needs to know the answer and seek justice for her decades of torment.

"The simplest reason."

Lu Chenyuan said slowly, "Did the person who enlightened you back then have any insight? If Gu Yunsheng really wanted to torment people, would he still be able to cross this lake and reach your side?"

"..."

Wei Yang was suddenly stunned, his mind flashing with excitement.

Lu Chenyuan said, "This lake does indeed have the power to refine the mind, but it's not a certain death. The key is these dozens of inkstones beneath the lake. They are both the core of the formation and a reminder. The way of painting, or rather, the way of cultivation, is a gradual process. Zen Buddhism has three interpretations: viewing paintings, viewing mountains, and viewing oneself. [Spiritual Painting] also has three realms: physical imprisonment, spiritual bondage, and mental imprisonment. You should know this, right?"

Wei Yang retorted angrily, "Nonsense! I didn't tell you to ask me! Keep talking!"

He's really damn stubborn.

Lu Chenyuan's expression turned cold.

He was incredibly grateful that the Empress wasn't like that, otherwise he wouldn't have kept such a troublesome creature; whoever wanted it could have it!
Use your brain!

Lu Chenyuan didn't hold back either, coldly saying, "I've already told you how to break through the First Realm, can't you make the connection yourself? If you were the Goddess, you would already know the answer."

"you!"

Wei Yang clenched his fists and breathed heavily.

If it were anyone else, she would definitely use all her strength to pry his mouth open! But Lu Chenyuan is not the kind of person who will give in. Besides, time is of the essence now, and there is no guarantee that Li Lingyue and the others will not make any more moves. If they invite a divine doctor, or gather more experts to surround them, even if she has the [Great Teleportation Talisman], she may not be able to get out.

She lowered her head, deep in thought.

Lu Chenyuan, not wanting to waste time with her, said directly: "Viewing a painting: immersing oneself in the scene, forgetting the boundary between painting and reality; Viewing a mountain: becoming one with nature, like Tao Yuanming's 'leisurely seeing the Southern Mountain'; Viewing oneself: reflecting on one's own existence in quiet contemplation, to achieve spiritual transcendence, forgetting both self and external things. This is what is meant by viewing a painting, viewing a mountain, and viewing oneself."

Do you know why you can't get out? It's because you have preconceived notions and think that Gu Yunsheng is extremely vicious. Naturally, you won't pay attention to the words on the inkstone and only regard them as part of the maze. But they are precisely the key to breaking the maze!

What level is Gu Yunsheng at? Does he need to teach people to be good? How could someone who comes to this formation become good just because of a formation? The Mind Refining Formation he designed is only to help people understand themselves and become 'true nature', which is enough to inherit the "Dan Ding Scroll". However, he may not be able to reach the level of inheriting the [Tai Xu Ning Hua Zhan].

If you can obtain the "Dan Ding Scroll" by crossing this lake, then the entire trial will be much easier than the mechanical city where the "Tian Gong Scroll" is located. The biggest challenge should still be the "Tai Xu Ning Hua Zhan" (Great Void Condensing Splendor Lamp), after all, such a divine artifact is a heaven-defying item, and if it is used improperly, it will cause great harm to the world!
In other words, Gu Yunsheng didn't set too many restrictions on the "Dan Ding Scroll," which aims to save the world. As long as someone can find the "Azure Netherworld Hundred Ghosts Painting," understand the first realm of "Viewing the Painting," and then understand the second realm of "Viewing the Mountain," that's enough. The key to breaking the first realm lies in breaking the stalemate, not being misled by the painting world. The key to breaking the second realm lies in discerning one's true self. As long as one remains steadfast in their principles, they can see through the formation's core—which is what he wants to tell you—"

Lu Chenyuan pointed to one of the inkstones, and a burst of true energy shot out, causing the runes on the inkstone to flash and the characters to change.

It transformed into ten large characters.

—Where a hundred ghosts roam at night, it is also a time for spiritual practice.

The sheep felt a jolt, as if struck by lightning.

Lu Chenyuan looked at her with pity: "You want to hate Gu Yunsheng, but you don't want to destroy the world he left behind, so you can't break through the first realm; you want to respect and love him, and be grateful to him for giving you life, but you can't get over that hurdle in your heart, so you can't distinguish yourself, can't tell good from evil, and are stuck at this point... How did the person who awakened you die? I guess he didn't die from a ghost attack, but rather you led him to a more dangerous place, right..."

Before Lu Chenyuan could finish speaking, Wei Yang's joints suddenly emitted a piercing metallic scraping sound.

She staggered back two steps, her cold iron knuckles clicking as she pierced her hair, tearing out several strands of hair mixed with metal wire.

"Shut up... shut up!"

Her voice suddenly became intermittent, like a rusty spring being forced to operate, and her once lively eyes were now stiff as if they were dead.

A memory flashed through her mind of fifty years ago, when that old man walked into the Eye-Catching Pavilion.

"A place blessed with outstanding people and beautiful scenery, truly magnificent."

"Is there another test behind that door?"

"Is it important to you?"

"Let me give it a try."

Wei Yang's heart trembled violently. She couldn't cry or laugh, but the heat in her eyes was growing stronger.

So this was what she had been hating for the past fifty years.

The freedom she desired was already firmly in her own hands, and the master he chose for her was a man of exceptional talent, capable of inheriting the Pill Refining Scroll. Because of her words, he willingly ventured into the formation, ultimately dying within it...

Lu Chenyuan ignored her, strode forward, waded through the Cleansing Heart Pool, and arrived at the Eye-Catching Pavilion.

Wei Yang stood there for a long time before finally following like a walking corpse, while Lu Chenyuan had already entered the great formation.

The "Fengdu Illusionary World Array" is the most difficult part of the entire test.

The first stage is observing paintings, the second stage is observing mountains, and the third stage is observing oneself. From observing external objects (paintings, mountains) to introspecting oneself, one eventually dissolves the boundary between subject and object and reaches the spiritual state of "unity of heaven and man".

As long as one is in harmony with nature, one can naturally distinguish illusionary formations.

Once one achieves harmony with nature and transcends spirituality, one naturally has no reason to use the [Condensed Splendor Cup] for any evil deeds.

This is a path of trials with each step interconnected.

Gu Yunsheng's only miscalculation was that he didn't expect Wei Yang to be a bit eccentric. This extreme tendency ultimately harmed the previous successor who came to this place. This person was able to pass the second realm, so he couldn't possibly be unaware of his own limitations and have any greed for the Ninghua Lamp. However, he was willing to risk breaking into the formation for Wei Yang's words, which led to his death in the formation.

What is the relationship between the Sheep (未羊) and the Ninghua Zhan (凝华盏)?

No.

She is guarding the "Dan Ding Scroll" with the aim of assisting future generations in refining elixirs and medicines to help the world and save lives.

The "Dan Ding Scroll" can already turn the rotten into the miraculous. The Ninghua Lamp is merely a tool to accelerate the production of spiritual medicine, shorten the steps of medicine making, and reduce the difficulty of medicine making. It is not a necessity.

Wei Yang should have spoken frankly, but her slight extremism led her to give a different answer, causing the master to misunderstand that Ninghua Zhan was originally a part of her, ultimately resulting in tragedy...

Gu Yunsheng does indeed bear an unshirkable responsibility.

His time was too short.

The "Tiangong Scroll" clearly records that after the mechanical puppet is created, it takes about ten days to develop human-like abilities; after a year, it acquires spirituality. During this period, the owner needs to provide guidance, as one is influenced by one's surroundings.

Gu Yunsheng clearly did not manage to cultivate twelve "qualified" mechanical puppets over twelve years.

Even with the goddess, he only stayed with her for three months. The rest of the time was spent letting her slumber, nourished by the energy of heaven and earth, and then grow wildly. The time spent in the earlier parts was even shorter!

Just as people are born with different talents, so too are mechanical puppets.

Their intelligence is influenced by the divine consciousness that Gu Yunsheng differentiated. Just as people have unpredictable emotions, the Hidden Immortal is no exception. The divine consciousness that he differentiated could not be exactly the same. There is still an innate nature to it. Even the slightest bit of killing intent could make the puppet lean towards ferocity.

The slight bias of Wei Yang may have been sown at the very beginning of creation. Lu Chenyuan sighed as he walked into the great formation.

He was thinking about something, but his actions were without hesitation. He stepped into the formation, his footwork subtly conforming to the Qimen Dunjia steps.

With the left foot on the "surprise" position and the right foot on the "open" position, the figure moves like a dragon through the hexagrams.

The hanging ghost lunged at him, its three-foot-long scarlet tongue lolling out, its putrid saliva almost dripping onto his face—but he suddenly took three steps to the side, and the ghost itself put its neck into a noose that appeared out of nowhere, struggling futilely in mid-air.

"When the Kan position turns to the Li palace, three steps will tread upon the thunder."

He chanted softly, tapping his toes seven times on the blood-soaked swamp.

Just as the ghostly hand that emerged from the water was about to grab him, he suddenly took a step to the side, and those arms became entangled with each other and sank into the pool of blood.

The yaksha pounced from the "Death" gate, its fangs barely grazing the hem of his clothes. He used the momentum to spin around, leading the yaksha towards the "Block" gate. The yaksha couldn't stop in time and crashed into the suddenly shifted locust tree, instantly turning into a wisp of smoke.

A sudden gust of cold wind arose, and the twenty-eight ghost locust trees began to shift rapidly.

Lu Chenyuan closed his eyes slightly, twitched his ears, and suddenly took five steps forward.

First step: shatter the illusion of the "View" gate; second step: avoid the bone spikes protruding from the ground; third step: just barely pass the sweeping zombie arm; fourth step: break the trap of the "Injury" gate; fifth step: land steadily at the eye of the "Life" gate formation.

Wherever he went, all the ghosts that tried to attack him missed their mark, as if he were leading the entire array of ghosts in circles.

Beneath the twin locust trees, the Painted Skin Demon hurriedly threw out a human skin.

The blood-soaked skin unfolded in the wind, blocking the path of "Xiu"'s disciple.

Lu Chenyuan suddenly stepped backwards using the Seven Star Step, his figure passing through the gap between the "Surprise" and "Open" gates like a ghost—where there should have been a stone wall, but it turned into a path the moment he took a step.

Before the painted-skin demon could make a move, he had already placed a palm on the true core of the formation in the locust tree.

"When the Qimen Dunjia is wrong, all the ghosts will scatter."

Lu Chenyuan murmured to himself, and the entire formation suddenly groaned as if it could not bear the weight.

Those hideous ghost faces, still in their attacking postures, have gradually faded away like faded ink.

Only withered leaves remain on the ground, revealing a huge, clear remnant of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) symbol.

Lu Chenyuan stood at the center of the Bagua diagram, with two stone platforms appearing in front of him.

On a stone platform lies an unfolded scroll, with Kunlun cinnabar wood as its axis and red sand mixed with shark ointment as its ink. It depicts a hundred ghosts walking at night on the Chengxin paper of the Han Palace, thus achieving the wonder of "painting the form with cinnabar and brush penetrating the netherworld". It is clearly the true form of "Painting of a Hundred Ghosts in the Azure Netherworld"!

On another stone platform sat a glass cup, its entire body sculpted like ice crystal, about four inches tall. The cup was so clear and transparent that it seemed to contain nothing. Only when spiritual energy flowed through it would fine silver star patterns appear. The mouth of the cup was shaped like a nine-petaled lotus, with cloud-script inscriptions engraved on the inner side of each petal. These inscriptions appeared and disappeared under the light. At this moment, the cup contained Jade Dew, which shone with a soft moonlight. Its scent was as cool and refreshing as a pine tree after a snowfall. With a gentle sniff, it transformed into a faint medicinal fragrance that penetrated the mind.

——【The Jade Flower Cup of the Void】!
The sheep was stunned; breaking the formation was so easy...

The reason she was willing to trade and release Yuan Qingshuang and the others at a "loss" was because she was certain that someone as arrogant and talented as Lu Chenyuan would be eager to seize the opportunity in the Third Realm, rather than fleeing directly. Moreover, he possessed keen insight and was capable of breaking the formation. With the test imminent and the confidence to obtain the treasure, how many people could resist?
After all, opportunities don't always come around; they often vanish in an instant.

However, when she saw him break through the formation so effortlessly, she still broke down.

"impossible……"

Her voice was distorted with static, "Fifty years... because of it, I've been trapped for fifty years!"

Suddenly, she leaped up with incredible speed, leaving afterimages in the air, her five fingers like hooks aimed straight for the jade cup—

Lu Chenyuan stood with his hands behind his back, motionless.

"clang!"

Wei Yang grabbed the jade cup, his metal knuckles striking the glass, producing a clear and melodious sound.

She landed gracefully, looking down in disbelief at the treasure in her hand. So easy? Then she looked up abruptly.

Lu Chenyuan sneered, "Fool!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire art world changed color!
The sky was as black as ink, the earth as turbulent as water, and countless ink lines emerged from the void, weaving together into a net that spans the heavens and the earth.

Suddenly, the jade cup in Wei Yang's hand felt incredibly heavy, forcibly pulling her to her knees!
"how come……"

The sheep's pupils contracted violently, and its heart made a clicking sound.

She suddenly realized something and immediately turned to the stone platform—the painting "The Hundred Ghosts of the Azure Netherworld" was moving slowly without wind, and the ink on the scroll was writhing like living things, just like this scene, at this moment!
"you--"

"If you had taken the painting along with it, you would have had some sense. But you only remembered the Jade Flower Cup. You are incredibly stupid."

not good!

Wei Yang realized what was happening and hurriedly took out the Great Teleportation Talisman.

"Want to run?"

Lu Chenyuan lightly raised his right hand, his fingertips tracing lines in the air. His lips moved slightly, and a divine incantation descended upon the world of painting—

Ink stains the eight directions, threads bind yin and yang.

The pen is sealed with seven orifices, and the paper is bound with black and yellow ink.

The body and spirit are captured, the soul returns to its fate.

"As long as the ink and brush remain, this prison will never end!"

As the incantation ended, the entire "Azure Netherworld Hundred Ghosts Painting" suddenly shrank.

In the distance, the phantom image of Mount Song rises abruptly from the ground, while nearby, the Blood Lake seems to churn up the sky!

Countless ink lines coalesced into a colossal hand that blotted out the sky, pressing down with the power of the entire art world!

Just as Wei Yang pulled out a teleportation talisman, he was forcibly pressed into the ground by the great power of heaven and earth!
She struggled to lift her head and saw Lu Chenyuan slightly bend his five fingers, and the dark giant hand that was pressing down transformed into a five-finger mountain, smashing her down at the foot of the mountain!
“Crack…Crack…”

The runes around Wei Yang's body exploded one after another, blasting out a series of dazzling sparks.

Her black robe had long since been torn to shreds, revealing the cracked mechanical body beneath. The intricate gears made strange noises under the pressure, and tiny metal fragments spewed from the bearings at the joints.

The most horrifying thing was her face—cracked inch by inch, revealing the bones forged from cold iron inside!

“Lu…Chen…Yuan…”

Her vocal cords were clearly severely damaged, and every word she uttered had a harsh, metallic scraping sound.

The body, trapped under the mountain, was still trembling violently. The sharp blade on its right arm snapped out with a clang, scraping a string of dazzling sparks off the rocks. But soon, those sparks were swallowed up by the dark runes flowing across the mountain.

The ink on the Five Finger Mountain peak began to flow, gradually transforming into a huge "岳" (Yue) character. Each stroke was as heavy as a thousand pounds, causing the Qi furnace in her chest to make a cracking sound as if it were about to break. She wanted to say something, but her jaw suddenly dislocated and fell down. In the end, she could only squeeze out a few inhuman mechanical hissing sounds from her throat.

“After physical imprisonment and spiritual bondage, the third realm is ‘mental imprisonment’.”

Lu Chenyuan leisurely approached Wei Yang, squatted down to look at her: "The Third Realm is in a limbo, where reality and illusion intersect, but it still belongs to the painting... When I broke the formation, the 'Azure Netherworld Hundred Ghosts Painting' recognized me as its master, and I can command the artistic intent of the entire painting world! It's fortunate that Gu Yunsheng didn't tell you about this, otherwise, with your talismans in hand, your poison skills, and your mastery of the Pill Cauldron Scroll, I'm afraid no one would be able to cure you!"

The sheep's pupils flickered, and it uttered a strange sound: "I...will...kill...you..."

"hehe."

Lu Chenyuan laughed: "To be honest, Lingxi's acting is not good. She is too naive. Actually, when I came in, she should have said a few more words to persuade me to stay, and made me feel more 'forced' to stay. Fortunately, you connected it to the [Shadow Shifting Jade] yourself and did not think too deeply about it... You still don't understand me. When have I ever taken a risk and then run away?!"
No wonder Yuan Qingshuang was able to deceive you. With your brain, hatred has turned into an arrogant and conceited fanatic. You'd better stay here and reflect on your actions. Before that—”

Lu Chenyuan grabbed her chin and said coldly, "Tell me how you got out, how you refined your pills, and where the medicinal herbs came from! Speak!"

(End of this chapter)