Chapter 109: Surprise (Part 1)

Episode 5, Chapter 15: A Pleasant Surprise (Part 1)

Meng Chuan walked along the stairs at the edge of the Bewitching Cavern, descending step by step, getting closer to the bottom of the cavern. However, the temptation grew stronger and stronger.

“What powerful temptation,” Meng Chuan thought, secretly astonished. Yet, he resisted, calmly continuing his descent.

His consciousness felt a 'heaviness', which intensified with every step he took downwards.

By the time he completed the second circuit, Meng Chuan felt his primordial spirit being suppressed. His primordial spirit energy was completely sealed, rendering him unable to summon it to resist.

“It actually suppressed my primordial spirit energy?” Meng Chuan was utterly surprised. He tried to activate his primordial spirit energy, but it was futile. “When I ascended the Dark Altar, my primordial spirit energy wasn't suppressed, even at the very end. But here in the Bewitching Cavern, it's completely suppressed right at the beginning of the third circuit?”

The Bewitching Cavern was clearly far more mysterious than the Dark Altar. After all, even King-level and Marquis-level demon slayers occasionally came here to test their will.

Meng Chuan continued walking, his primordial spirit feeling an immense weight, unable to resist.

He could only rely on his will to resist the temptation!

As he began the third circuit, past the fiftieth step, the temptation gradually overwhelmed Meng Chuan's mind. He couldn't even divert his attention to other thoughts. He merely stared at the churning black mist at the bottom of the cavern, feeling it was the most beautiful place in the world. He felt an overwhelming urge, like a moth to a flame, to rush towards it. Nothing in the world, not even death, could stop him from moving forward.

“Resist it.”

“If I can't even withstand this, how can I hope to refine the Six Desires Fiend?” Meng Chuan's consciousness roared internally. His consciousness was like a bound, captive dragon, struggling desperately.

He struggled not to be completely controlled by the temptation.

Meng Chuan's facial expression twisted grotesquely.

“Compared to what I pursue, what are these temptations?”

“Get out of my head.”

“All of you, get out of my head!!!”

Meng Chuan's consciousness roared more furiously, but his facial expression began to grow numb. His consciousness was already very weak, unable to affect his body's movement or his facial features.

An utterly terrifying temptation completely enveloped Meng Chuan's consciousness. His consciousness could only emit faint roars, until finally, even those faint roars were drowned out.

At this moment, Meng Chuan had no other thoughts.

He only knew that it was the most beautiful place in the world, and that he was born to go there! Nothing could stop him.

He missed a step and began to fall downwards.

He was getting closer and closer to it.

“It's finally here.” As he rapidly approached, he felt his mind go blank, and an immense sense of comfort wash over him, like an infant returning to its mother's womb. Unconscious, yet feeling incredibly comfortable.

“Hmm?” Suddenly, Meng Chuan jolted and regained consciousness.

He was now standing at the exit of a passage. Beside him was Liu Qiyue, who had already woken up. She called out, “A-Chuan.”

“How did I get here?” Meng Chuan looked around.

“I woke up standing here too,” Liu Qiyue said. She then pointed towards the depths of the passage behind them. “I've been waiting here for a while, and I saw you walking blankly towards this spot. You stopped here, and then you woke up.”

“Walking blankly?” Meng Chuan was somewhat shocked. “I was completely unconscious.”

Losing the sense of self was indeed a bit terrifying.

In truth, disciples of the Yuanchu Mountain did not enjoy losing consciousness for short periods. It was only due to their absolute trust in the sect that they were willing to cultivate here. Furthermore, for tens of thousands of years, the 'Bewitching Cavern' had indeed been very safe, with no incidents whatsoever.

“Lord Meng Chuan.” There were two stewards at the cavern entrance. One of them, a stout steward, smiled and said, “You only fell into the bottom of the cavern when you reached the first level of the fourth circuit.”

Meng Chuan nodded slightly. This level was slightly better than his performance on the Dark Altar previously. It seemed that the first experience of such a trial offered some tempering and aid to his will.

“I fell into the bottom of the cavern when I reached the second level of the third circuit, much worse than you, A-Chuan,” Liu Qiyue said.

“Your performance is equivalent to about the fiftieth level of the Dark Altar,” Meng Chuan said with a smile. “That's very good.”

The stout steward added, “Lord Meng Chuan, Lord Liu Qiyue. After cultivating and tempering your will within the Bewitching Cavern, you must rest for at least ten days before entering again. As for the cultivation effect, the first two months yield the best results. The longer you continue, the worse the effect becomes. After half a year, it offers almost no help.”

“I understand,” Meng Chuan nodded. Then he and Liu Qiyue departed together.

As they walked along the mountain path, they discussed the Bewitching Cavern.

“What exactly is at the bottom of the Bewitching Cavern, for the temptation to be so strong?” Liu Qiyue wondered aloud.

“It is very strong,” Meng Chuan nodded. Just beginning the third circuit, he couldn't even use his primordial spirit energy; it was truly terrifying! To be able to reach the bottom of the cavern and stand before it, one's will would be among the top ten in humanity. What exactly is it?

“A-Chuan, the Bewitching Cavern's cultivation effect is best for the first two months, and then it steadily declines,” Liu Qiyue said. “Do you think you can complete the fourth circuit within a few months?”

Meng Chuan gently shook his head. “Willpower depends on many factors. Life experience and understanding are far more important.”

Going to the Bewitching Cavern again and again?

After half a year, it would be almost useless.

According to ancient texts, it's difficult to significantly improve one's will through long-term, comfortable cultivation on the mountain. One truly needs to go to the battlefield and witness the ebb and flow of a sea of blood! To participate directly, to experience life-and-death battles. The grief of fallen comrades, the joy of successfully slaying demon kings, the helplessness at the death of countless ordinary soldiers… The happiness of marrying, the excitement of children being born, the mental torment of being trapped by a cultivation bottleneck for ten or twenty years, the spiritual clarity of a sudden breakthrough after an epiphany…

All sorts of life experiences are what truly strengthen one's inner being and one's will.

The inner self is the raw material; will is the weapon.

Only with sufficiently good material can a divine weapon be forged.

Staying on the mountain, experiencing too little, and constantly tempering one's will won't lead to significant improvement. That's why powerful demon slayers usually spend years fighting on the outside, only returning occasionally for secluded cultivation, which proves quite effective.

“We'll have to figure it out slowly,” Meng Chuan said.

Improving one's inner will is very difficult.

Take Ji Yuantong, for example; his inner will was weak. Although he became an inner disciple, Meng Chuan and the others hadn't seen him since. Everyone suspected that Yuanchu Mountain had made special arrangements for Ji Yuantong.

Given Ji Yuantong's weak inner will, if he were to stay on the mountain with his sparse experiences of over ten years, he would likely never become a Great Solar Realm demon slayer in his entire life. He had to go down the mountain, enter the mundane world… Only through diverse experiences could his inner self truly transform.

That night.

Meng Chuan was fast asleep in bed, and found himself in a dream.

“Come, come.”

Meng Chuan stood blankly in a void, gazing at the churning black mist ahead. The churning black mist seemed to draw everything towards it from all directions.

Meng Chuan, too, was drawn to it and flew towards it instinctively, a smile appearing on his face.

He felt that the churning black mist was the most beautiful place, and that he lived only to enter such a place. It was the entirety of his life's meaning.

“No!”

A strong resistance surged within his consciousness.

“This shouldn't be the entirety of my life.”

“I live for other things; I have other things to do.”

Thoughts slowly began to surface, struggling to resist the temptation.

“Come.” From the churning black mist, tendrils of black mist began to fly towards him, trying to envelop Meng Chuan.

“What exactly do I live for?”

“For what?”

Meng Chuan's consciousness roared, questioning himself.

Suddenly, various images surfaced: the face of Meng Dajiang, the face of Liu Qiyue, and… his mother, smiling at him!

“Father, Mother, Qiyue.” Meng Chuan fully understood. “I am Meng Chuan! I am Meng Chuan!”

After recognizing himself, the entire nightmare world began to vibrate and distort, appearing utterly unreal.

“I am Meng Chuan, and I have sworn to eradicate all demon races in the world. How can I be tempted by you? Break open!” Meng Chuan roared, and the entire nightmare world shattered completely. Meng Chuan's consciousness finally broke through the nightmare's obstruction, sensing his physical body and the outside world.

Meng Chuan abruptly sat up, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. Outside, it was still pitch black.

“I had a nightmare?” Meng Chuan murmured to himself. “They say many disciples who delve deep into the Bewitching Cavern have nightmares. I didn't expect to have one too. Did it affect me this much?”

“However, according to the texts, I should fully recover within ten days.”

This was also why Yuanchu Mountain stipulated that disciples could only re-enter the Bewitching Cavern after a ten-day interval.