Chapter 1316: You Are Colorblind?

Zhang Xuan's habit was to immediately record any book he saw. So, he wasn't reading the content that appeared in the air, but rather the version stored in his Sea of Consciousness.

The introduction seemed fine, but as the actual cultivation technique flowed through his mind, he immediately sensed something was amiss.

"What's wrong?" Ku Sheng asked, looking over. This technique was personally created by his master and was incredibly profound. Every genius with the Eye of Discernment who had encountered it would become completely engrossed, unable to extricate themselves. What did he mean by frowning immediately and saying there was "a problem"?

"Well..." Zhang Xuan turned to face Ku Sheng's thought-form. "Senior, I'd like to ask if any of the past hall masters ever went blind?"

"Blind?" Ku Sheng frowned, unsure of the question's intent. "This thought-form of mine is only responsible for guiding and testing candidates for the Hall Master position; I have no knowledge of later generations." He had died tens of thousands of years ago, and all subsequent Hall Masters were his descendants. He only became conscious when a genius with the Eye of Discernment entered, so he had no way of knowing if any of them had gone blind.

"Then... if I may be so bold, how are Ancient Sage Bu Shang's eyes?" Seeing Ku Sheng didn't know, Zhang Xuan asked again, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

"My master left shortly after establishing the Sage Son Hall... and he was indeed blind!" Ku Sheng paused. "However, he went to search for a method to restore his sight, so he should have recovered..."

"Recover?" Zhang Xuan gave a bitter laugh. "I think it's extremely difficult, perhaps even impossible!"

"Why?" Ku Sheng asked, looking at him in confusion. There were many records and books about Ancient Sage Bu Shang within the Sage Son Hall, all presenting him in a very positive light. The fact that he was blind was rarely known and thus not widely publicized. How did this person know? And how could he so directly state that recovery was impossible?

"The reason lies in this set of Nine Nether Divine Eyes!" Zhang Xuan sighed.

"This eye technique harnesses the power of the Eye of Discernment and unleashes one's potential. It's an absolutely top-tier cultivation method. However... each time the array patterns are activated, it causes significant damage to the eyes. Over time, this leads to blindness that no medicine can cure!" The Library of Heaven's Path had listed this as the primary flaw: it invariably causes blindness, which is untreatable.

Whether for ordinary people or cultivators, potential is always finite. Using array patterns to stimulate power within the eyes, even to the point of developing lethal martial techniques, causes immense, sometimes permanent, damage to the eyes. Even the most potent elixirs or sophisticated methods are rendered useless. It's similar to how some peak athletes in his previous life often had shorter lifespans; by over-exhausting their physical potential in their youth, they accumulated numerous injuries and ailments in old age, ultimately preventing them from enjoying a normal lifespan.

The Nine Nether Divine Eyes not only strain the eyes themselves but also deplete the visual nerves in the brain. While eyes can be replaced or treated with medicine, once nerves wither and die, it's akin to reaching the end of one's lifespan, with no other recourse.

It was precisely because he understood this that he felt this cultivation method, though excellent, had a significant, even fatal, flaw.

The Eye of Discernment was originally a great gift from the heavens, possessing incredibly powerful effects. To go blind meant losing one's most potent ability. Not only would their strength be diminished, but their mental state would also likely suffer a severe blow, making recovery difficult.

Hearing this and seeing the young man's helpless sigh, Ku Sheng frowned, a look of displeasure on his face. "I've cultivated this technique for several centuries and haven't noticed any damage to my eyes! This was left by my master; don't be an alarmist!"

It wasn't that he entirely disbelieved Zhang Xuan, but he himself had cultivated the technique for a considerable time, and his eyes remained perfectly fine, without any discomfort. Could Zhang Xuan be exaggerating or being overly alarmist? Furthermore, who was his master? A direct disciple of Master Kong and one of the Ten Sages, who had dedicated his entire life to martial arts. How could a technique he developed possibly cause blindness? To even suggest such a thing would be to doubt his master. And even if there were grounds for doubt, it wasn't a task for a mere Spirit God realm cultivator like Zhang Xuan!

"Whether I'm being alarmist, you'll know once I explain it carefully," Zhang Xuan said, looking at Ku Sheng. He knew this question would come. "Senior, you've cultivated for several centuries, and if I'm not mistaken, this set of Nine Nether Divine Eyes hasn't reached the third stage yet, has it?"

"Yes!" Ku Sheng nodded. His cultivation was far inferior to his master's; he hadn't even reached the peak of the second stage, let alone the third.

"If I'm not mistaken, when you left this thought-form, you had just cultivated the Nine Nether Divine Eyes to the early second stage, using flames to temper your eyes and ice to harden your pupils! At this stage, your eyesight is astonishing, like a bright lamp in the dark, illuminating all directions. However... for actual combat, it's still lacking some refinement. The second stage, Vajra's Wrath, likely cannot be fully unleashed, can it?" Zhang Xuan said, lifting his eyelids.

The Nine Nether Divine Eyes technique has two stages: the first is "Eyes Manifesting Gods and Demons," and the second is "Vajra's Wrath." With a single glance, its flames can scorch heaven and earth, unleashing enough power to instantly burn through hell itself. While the first stage primarily focuses on mental attacks, the second stage delivers true physical damage.

Weaker cultivators would be instantly obliterated, unable to resist. Even those stronger than oneself would be put in a desperate state, unable to exert their full power. Most critically, the attack is unleashed purely by will, without specific moves; wherever the gaze falls, that becomes the point of attack, making it impossible to defend against.

It was precisely for these reasons that the eye technique was so renowned, and the Hall Master of the Sage Son Hall gained immense fame, with a status no weaker than that of the heads of prominent clans like the Zhang Clan.

However, while this martial technique was incredibly powerful, cultivating it was also extremely arduous. One first had to temper the eyes with flames, then harden the pupils with ice, and then undergo countless trials. The slightest mistake could ruin all progress and completely destroy one's cultivation. Even though Ku Sheng hadn't demonstrated the eye technique, based on Zhang Xuan's understanding of such arts, he could tell Ku Sheng had reached the second stage.

"How... how did you know?" Ku Sheng was utterly astonished. Everything the other party said was precisely correct; when he left his thought-form, he had just cultivated the Nine Nether Divine Eyes to the second stage, still far from the third.

"Although you are currently just a thought-form, there are subtle flames burning within your pupils. Though not intense, they carry the power to incinerate everything, identical to the characteristics of the second stage, Vajra's Wrath. Naturally, I could easily discern it!" Zhang Xuan said calmly, taking a step forward and circling around Ku Sheng.

Having absorbed the secret manual from the air into the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan had already integrated and mastered all its knowledge. Even though Ku Sheng was merely a thought-form, it wasn't difficult for Zhang Xuan, with his keen insight, to discern these details.

"You mean... you've already finished reading the entire second stage of the cultivation method?" Ku Sheng's body trembled, his eyes wide with shock. He had just presented the Nine Nether Divine Eyes manual, and it had only been a few breaths since Zhang Xuan started reading. Yet, he was already describing all the characteristics of the second stage. Could he have possibly read and memorized the entire thing already? This cultivation method contained hundreds of thousands of characters; simply memorizing it required immense effort. Ku Sheng himself had studied day and night without sleep for two full days to completely commit it to memory. For this, his master had even praised his intelligence and astonishing memory. How could this person have memorized it in just a few breaths?

"This cultivation method is quite easy to memorize; remembering it isn't the challenge. The most important aspect is how to understand and practice it." Zhang Xuan shook his head, not appearing pleased by Ku Sheng's shock, but rather regretful. "You've cultivated to the second stage, Vajra's Wrath. If I'm not mistaken, you occasionally experience red spots in your eyes, accompanied by a slight itching sensation. You also tear up when exposed to strong winds. Most critically, after activating the flames, there's a brief period of temporary blindness, lasting about three breaths..." He then asked, "Am I correct?"

"You..." Ku Sheng was utterly incredulous. He had indeed experienced these symptoms when he left his thought-form, but at the time, he was cultivating and dismissed them as side effects of being exposed to the flames, so he didn't pay them much mind. Could it be that there was truly a problem with the cultivation technique itself? When he reached the second stage, his master had already departed, leaving him no one to consult. As a result, he had largely stumbled through cultivating this technique on his own. After he had just achieved mastery, he had indeed experienced brief periods of blindness, lasting about three breaths, during combat. He had attributed it to exhaustion then, but could it be, as Zhang Xuan claimed... that the technique itself had a flaw?

"Vajra's Wrath, where the eyes transform into a sea of red lotus flames, and upon mastery, karmic fire fills the sky, incinerating all impurities. Its power is indeed immense, but... it also severely drains one's spirit. After use, the nerves controlling vision will age rapidly, drastically reducing their lifespan! It's like an array disc that can be used ten times; each use consumes a part of it, and after ten uses, even the most skilled array master cannot repair it, rendering it useless!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, a look of regret on his face. "When you left your thought-form, despite having just reached this stage, hidden dangers had already emerged. The blood vessels in your eyes increased, appearing slightly reddish upon closer inspection. Most importantly, you would frequently suffer from insomnia!"

"You know... I suffer from insomnia?" Ku Sheng looked as if he had seen a ghost. At his level of cultivation, while one could substitute sleep with cultivation, an occasional night's rest provided immense relaxation for both mind and body. For this reason, they would indeed sleep sometimes when night fell. Back then, shortly after his master's departure, Ku Sheng had to manage an entire academy, enduring immense pressure. He had barely rested, and though he wanted to sleep, he couldn't, attributing it to his mind being overly strained. Could it be related to the Nine Nether Divine Eyes? He vaguely recalled... his master also seemed to frequently suffer from insomnia, staying up all night.

"Damaged nerves and a compromised Sea of Consciousness make insomnia a normal outcome," Zhang Xuan continued. "As cultivation deepens, it will also lead to mental debility, causing forgetfulness and a decline in memory. Most critically... you will become increasingly insensitive to colors. Eventually, the vibrant colors of the world will appear only as black and white to your eyes, with no others visible..." Zhang Xuan paused after saying this, letting out a long sigh, his face filled with sympathy. "This is what's known as... color blindness!" He concluded, "If I'm not mistaken, you should be suffering from it!"