Chapter 1317: Pei Sheng's Dilemma

The Nine Nether Demonic Eyes burn flames within the eyes, gathering power in the eyeballs. Over time, one's perception of color will gradually fade, until the entire world appears in black and white.

This change is irreversible.

Although this was not mentioned among the Library's defects, Zhang Xuan, being proficient in medicine and intimately familiar with various cultivation methods, could easily deduce it through reverse reasoning.

"Color blindness? What is that?"

Kui Sheng was stunned.

He had never heard that term before.

"You don't know?"

Zhang Xuan paused, then realized.

It was normal for this world, different from his previous life, not to have the term "color blindness."

After a moment's hesitation, he explained, "Color blindness means being insensitive to colors, unable to distinguish between different kinds. For example, what color do you see my clothes as?"

"Gray!" Kui Sheng replied.

"It's a very light blue, not gray!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

It seemed the man before him had already lost the ability to perceive colors. His own robe was a very light blue, a completely different concept from gray.

"Light blue?"

Kui Sheng frowned, a question forming in his mind... This was light blue?

It didn't feel... quite right.

"If you can't tell that, what about a rainbow? How many colors can you see?"

Zhang Xuan gestured with his hand, and true qi surged in the air, forming a seven-colored rainbow bridge.

"I can see several colors, but... not all seven. And many of them are very similar, making it hard to distinguish..."

After observing carefully for a while, Kui Sheng felt increasingly alarmed.

When he was young, he could clearly distinguish all seven colors of a rainbow, but now he could only see three, and they were very blurry... Could it be that he had truly become 'color blind' as the other person claimed?

Could this genuinely be related to the Nine Nether Demonic Eyes left by his teacher?

For many years, he had steadfastly believed in the cultivation method created by his teacher. However, the young man before him had presented so much evidence that Kui Sheng couldn't help but feel a growing sense of doubt.

"Is there any way to remedy this?"

After a long pause, Kui Sheng couldn't help but ask.

"I've only just identified the defect; I haven't found a remedy yet..." Zhang Xuan shook his head.

The Library of Heaven's Path only provided the defects. He hadn't yet encountered cultivation methods for similar eye techniques, so he couldn't complete the missing parts.

"However, with slow and steady research, I'm sure I'll find a solution!"

As long as he was given enough secret manuals, he believed he could refine it to a Heaven's Path level technique, which should solve the problem.

Back then, even the Great Compassion Demonic Palm of Ancient Sage Qiuwu was flawed and could cause blindness in cultivators. He had successfully modified it using countless other cultivation techniques, and now it could be performed without any issues.

"Oh..."

Nodding, Kui Sheng looked at him. "This set of Nine Nether Demonic Eyes, will you cultivate it?"

He knew very well the power of the Eye of Insight; if he went blind, he would truly have nothing left.

"I'll first thoroughly understand the cultivation method, then go back and study it before cultivating!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Cultivating such a powerful martial technique was inevitable, but he certainly wouldn't touch the current version that could cause blindness. He would wait for an opportunity to read more books, complete the missing parts, and then consider it.

In any case, for him at the moment, cultivation level was more important than martial techniques.

If his cultivation was too low, he wouldn't be able to do anything even if he met Luo Ruoxi.

"Yes, good. You must study it well. For these three days, you can learn from me. If there's anything you don't understand, ask thoroughly. After three days, you will leave this place, and there will be no more opportunities!"

Kui Sheng nodded.

"Thank you, Senior!"

Zhang Xuan responded, then sat cross-legged on the ground. While his eyes seemed to be focused on the empty character, his mind was actually wandering through his sea of consciousness, digesting and understanding the knowledge of the Nine Nether Demonic Eyes.

"The entire cultivation method has over thirty defects, and each one causes significant damage to the body..."

After an unknown period of study, he had understood it completely. Rubbing his forehead, Zhang Xuan's face was filled with helplessness.

It wasn't that he didn't want to learn it, but there were simply too many flaws. For someone with his severe perfectionism, it was truly impossible to bring himself to cultivate it.

Forcing himself to cultivate it would only make him increasingly exhausted and nauseous, eventually leading to him throwing up.

"So, how is it? Do you have any questions? I can answer them for you!"

Kui Sheng, who was observing from the side, saw him stop looking and smiled as he turned to him.

"I do have some questions, but... you wouldn't be able to answer them anyway, so let's forget it!"

Knowing that Kui Sheng meant well, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before finally shaking his head.

It wasn't that he looked down on Kui Sheng; his own difficult questions were beyond even Ancient Sage Bu Shang's ability to solve. Otherwise, Ancient Sage Bu Shang wouldn't have cultivated himself to blindness.

"Can't solve them?" Kui Sheng frowned, a hint of displeasure in his voice. "I've immersed myself in this cultivation method for centuries and have even reached the second stage. I can certainly resolve any cultivation-related issues!"

Although the young man before him possessed keen insight, having instantly identified the greatest flaw of the Nine Nether Demonic Eyes, Kui Sheng had studied this technique for many years and possessed a profound cultivation base; he was certainly beyond comparison.

"You can solve all of them?"

Seeing his confident expression, Zhang Xuan looked over and smiled faintly. "Very well, I happen to have a few questions that I haven't quite figured out, and I hope Senior can enlighten me! The divine and demonic figures in the eyes are said to instill awe in others. What forms do these gods and demons take? Do they have specific appearances? If they're just arbitrarily imagined or guessed, how can they truly be effective?"

"This..."

Kui Sheng was momentarily speechless.

Indeed, no one had ever seen the so-called gods and demons.

When he first began meditating on them, he merely tried his best to imagine a scene of slaughter and used killing intent to represent the divine and demonic figures, thereby intimidating others.

Just as he was about to explain his cultivation method, he heard the young man continue, "If one merely visualizes slaughter, and killing intent enters the sea of consciousness, bringing a murderous aura to the eyes, what difference is there between that and the Sempiternal race? Gods and demons represent majesty, not slaughter. To cultivate in that manner is to deviate from the true path of cultivation!"

Kui Sheng's body trembled, and his face turned pale.

While meditating on slaughter, he did indeed go through a period when he found it difficult to control the killing intent within him. He had even specifically gone to the subterranean world to kill members of the Sempiternal race.

To hear it put like that, it was a blatant violation of his identity as a Master Teacher and the fundamental principles of being human.

"Here's the second question!"

Seeing that Kui Sheng was unable to answer, Zhang Xuan continued, "Attacking others with your eyes relies on soul impact, which involves many patterns. I just observed that the eighty-seventh pattern can absorb the opponent's spiritual energy, its purpose being to lock onto their primordial spirit for a better attack. However... if someone anticipates this and seizes the opportunity to counterattack, wouldn't this move directly collapse, or even result in a backlash of power? Even if they don't notice, if their primordial spirit far surpasses yours, wouldn't a forced attack still cause damage?"

Kui Sheng was speechless.

The young man was pointing out another flaw in the divine and demonic figures within the eyes, a flaw his teacher had told him about years ago, one that even a powerful figure like Ancient Sage Bu Shang couldn't fix.

Although it was a flaw, in the fleeting moments of battle, very few people could discover it and launch a counterattack.

So, even if it was a flaw, it wasn't particularly significant.

But... when suddenly asked, he genuinely didn't know how to respond.

"Third, 'Vajra's Furious Gaze, Subduing Tigers and Demons' utilizes fire to temper the gaze and ice to temper the pupils. This hot and cold alternation, with ice and cold merging to form a Taiji in the eyes, aligns with the natural principles of heaven and earth. However... the Heaven's Path is one, and from one comes myriad things. When two opposing forces circulate in the eyes for extended periods, even though they significantly enhance the power of the runes and make the patterns in the Eye of Insight more dazzling, they will also suppress one's other soul powers, like a seal, weakening one's original primordial spirit attacks..."

"And the fourth question..."

Zhang Xuan posed his questions one by one.

With each question, Kui Sheng's face grew a shade paler. After more than ten consecutive questions, his figure became increasingly faint, as if he might collapse at any moment.

It was no longer surprise, but pure fear.

The Nine Nether Demonic Eyes, though created by his teacher, certainly had flaws. Under normal circumstances, the merits outweighed the flaws, and as long as it was performed diligently, no major problems would arise. Even he himself often overlooked these issues.

Yet, the young man before him, after only a brief look, had pinpointed every single flaw without missing one. If he were an enemy instead of a student, simply knowing these points would allow him to easily dismantle Kui Sheng's ultimate technique and blind him in a single move!

Cold sweat trickled down his neck.

Ever since he had learned the Nine Nether Demonic Eyes, he had always believed it to be an invincible technique, guaranteeing victory in every battle as long as it was used!

Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, he finally understood that he had simply never encountered a true master. If he were to face one, whether he could even keep his eyes would be an unknown outcome.

As the saying goes, 'even good swimmers drown.' Those who relied on eye-based attacks would sooner or later fall victim to them.

"In just a moment, he found so many defects... and here I was, thinking of giving him advice..."

His body stiffened, and he was so choked up he couldn't speak. Kui Sheng felt so frustrated he wanted to explode.

Just moments ago, he had confidently pledged to give the young man guidance, yet he couldn't answer a single one of the questions Zhang Xuan posed.

He felt his face burning with shame, as if he might break down at any moment.

"This is the thirteenth... How about we stop here for today, Senior? Have you thought about how to answer?"

The young man's voice continued, offering comfort: "Don't be nervous, take your time thinking. There's plenty of time; we still have more than two days. If you're really stuck, I can take a nap while you think. Just wake me when you're ready to answer, and once you've finished, I'll continue with the remaining questions!"

"Cough, cough..."

Kui Sheng's mouth twitched, and he swayed slightly.

In the past, he was always the one testing his juniors and providing answers. How... how had it now become him being tested by the other party, despite still being the one to answer?

The most crucial point was... it would be one thing if these questions were answerable, but they were fundamentally unanswerable!

Not to mention him, even his teacher from years ago would have certainly revised the technique if he had been able to answer them...

If even his teacher couldn't answer, how could he be expected to? Forget two days, he wouldn't be able to do it in two years!

He had left his consciousness to test future generations, but now he was stumped by one.

Where did this monster come from? How could he be so formidable?

After pondering for an unknown amount of time, he realized he couldn't answer a single one of the questions. He could only look helplessly at the young man, only to find him sound asleep on the ground, drooling from the corner of his mouth, a wide smile on his face as if dreaming of something pleasant.

"This... are you the first generation hall master, or am I?"

Kui Sheng's mouth twitched, and his vision momentarily blurred. He was overcome with such intense frustration that his entire spiritual consciousness began to waver, as if it could no longer bear the strain.