Chapter 404: Asura Buddhist Woman Enters the Dream (Part 1)

Even trying to stay far away, to neither see nor think, he still felt a cold power spreading from his heels towards the back of his head, making him tremble all over. Fear! This emotion was constantly assailing him.

Theoretically, this psychic secret art essentially uses mental power to bridge distances, connecting with desired individuals, and also allows one to survey the world. From a humble abode, one can observe global affairs. Mental power is inherently an idealistic yet miraculous force, capable of achieving things that many dharma lineages cannot!

However, Wang Yu's cultivation in the Path of the Mind was still insufficient, and the Ice Prison Realm contained an ancient demon of source level. The moment he appeared, he was like a beautiful woman disrobed. How could the ancient demon "Sha," sealed and desperate, restrain itself? Even without a soul, its physical instincts were trying to escape the sealed area.

The mind is an excellent conduit, both powerful and fragile. It can become incredibly strong through a sudden enlightenment, but also instantly plummet into despair if beliefs collapse, being intimately connected to personal will. Cultivation is difficult, but collapse is very simple. This is also the main reason why the Path of the Mind has never become mainstream: though powerful, if there's a flaw in the mind, it can be destroyed in an instant! The discontinuation of its lineage also stems partly from this reason.

Through the mysterious "Wandering Immortal Dream" technique, Wang Yu passively sensed the demon heart of "Sha." Even from a great distance, within this unique environment formed by the interaction of mental powers, the longer he stayed, the easier it was to be assimilated. He had also initially felt the demonic corruption power of the ancient demon's legacy. The essence of both was similar, describable only as terrifying.

"I can't stay for too long." This thought surfaced in his mind. Wang Yu suppressed the urge to turn back and continued to extend his mental power.

Finally, a faint killing intent, flickering like a star, appeared in his mental perception. His will surged, rapidly connecting with it. The moment the two hearts drew close, the ancient demon's killing intent, as a third party, was naturally expelled. Being purely instinctual, it couldn't employ the psychic secret art.

The environment changed again. Wang Yu's consciousness blurred for a moment, and he found himself within his own mind lake. The sky was half pitch-black, half blood-red, with two trees planted on small islands on either side. Beneath each tree was a stone platform, where a massive, blood-red, glass-like heart, formed by the Asura Killing Intent, pulsed gently. The pitch-black side was Wang Yu's. The blood-red side naturally belonged to Jin Miaoshan.

"I never noticed before, when did my mind lake turn black..." The mind cannot lie, so did this mean his heart was black?

As he muttered to himself, he again examined the two Asura Killing Hearts. His own heart was pure and untainted, radiating a brilliant golden-red light, carrying a very pure killing intent and a slightly weak battle intent, completely under his control. Jin Miaoshan's heart, however, was murky and deformed. It emitted a pungent, foul-smelling blood mist. A Buddhist seal on it was very dim, and a four-foot-long sword, entirely blood-red and inscribed with Asura patterns, floated above the killing heart. Malevolent thoughts teemed! Most of those anomalies originated from this sword.

Looking around, Wang Yu's brow furrowed even more. Where was Jin Miaoshan? In her own mind lake, yet she herself was absent?!!!

Reaching the boundary between the two mind lakes, Wang Yu paused for a moment, then beckoned to his own Asura Killing Heart. This radiant, glass-like heart quickly merged into his body. His white hair turned red, a mane of blood-red hair flowing freely. An esoteric Asura pattern appeared on his brow. His face subtly changed, becoming more chiseled and angular, and a hint of wickedness entered his eyes. Killing intent manifested as mist swirling around him, like ribbons, making Wang Yu appear both divine and demonic. This was actually a protective measure, as Jin Miaoshan was disoriented. A confrontation was inevitable. A clash of minds relied on psychic techniques. His intuition told him that the Asura Divine Sword would be very troublesome, which was why he actively absorbed the killing heart into his body. After fully preparing, he stepped forward.

"Buzz—" A strange fluctuation emanated. The Incarnation Stage spirit treasure indeed charged over, crossing half the mind lake in an instant. Wang Yu's expression grew serious. Subconsciously, he reached out and struck forward. The mental power techniques he had comprehended years ago from the Blood Abyss Blood Slaughter Stele now proved effective. The blood mist of killing intent was, in fact, a manifestation of mental power. As long as his personal will acknowledged it, it was all his power in the Path of the Mind.

Sword of Killing Intent! Amidst the swirling blood mist, a long sword rapidly coalesced, clashing violently with the psychic projection of the Asura Divine Sword. The standoff was severed in an instant. Wang Yu crossed his arms defensively in front of him, but saw the divine sword act incredibly sneakily, thrusting diagonally downwards, piercing through his abdomen and exiting directly from his side. His psychic avatar was cut in half. Although no blood gushed out, it began to seep out specks of spiritual light, like a torn piece of cloth. With a thought, his wound instantly healed. But the intense pain persisted like a maggot gnawing at his bones, impossible to dispel.

"Is this the effect of the Asura Divine Sword?" Sensing the dire situation, Wang Yu naturally wouldn't sacrifice himself. This was Jin Miaoshan's second problem; he could save her temporarily, but not permanently. Since he was not strong enough, withdrawing was the only option. In this regard, he never felt any psychological burden. His opponent was the psychic projection of an Incarnation Stage spirit treasure; it was normal that he was not its match. There were many beings in the world he couldn't defeat. To do his best and have no regrets was enough. Seeing the divine sword continue its attack, Wang Yu, following his cautious nature, took a step back, returning to his own mind lake domain. The divine sword indeed stopped at the edge. It did not cross the boundary by a single step.

"It's fate." With a sigh, Wang Yu prepared to retreat. To attempt this at the risk of being possessed by an ancient demon, he had certainly done his best. If one were to translate psychic cultivation realms into orthodox cultivation levels, his third realm was merely equivalent to the Core Formation stage. The Asura Divine Sword, however, was a genuine fifth-tier spiritual treasure. Even as a psychic projection, spiritual treasures inherently possessed characteristics of the Path of the Mind, so it was perfectly normal that he was not its match. "This time... I can't save you."

As thoughts spun in his mind, Wang Yu had just formed the spiritual seal to cancel the "Wandering Immortal Dream" secret art, when suddenly a change occurred. Jin Miaoshan's blood-red mind lake suddenly boiled. A nearly naked body, clad only in a set of thin blood-red gauze, emerged from it. Behind her head, a golden halo, radiating Buddhist light, shone brilliantly.

"Jin Miaoshan!" Wang Yu's eyes widened. He truly hadn't expected this woman's talent to lie in Buddhist mental cultivation methods. That Buddhist halo was undoubtedly the result of successful cultivation of the Prajna Heart Sutra. Far surpassing him!!! Logically, at this level, she should not fear this killing intent's erosion. That unique power of the Path of the Mind already surpassed his own considerably. What was he helping for? It would be better for her to help him instead.

Heiliu misled me! This woman was out of control and definitely harbored deeper secrets. As he urged his mental power, Wang Yu was astonished to find that the "Wandering Immortal Dream" secret art... had become ineffective. When he looked up again, the two mind lakes were beginning to merge. Jin Miaoshan, eyes tightly closed and radiating a sacred aura, reached out and grasped the Asura Divine Sword. In an instant, she transformed into an Asura Buddhist maiden and plunged towards him.

"—CLANG!!!" Sword and fist clashed. An ear-splitting metallic clang rang out. They were less than half an arm's length apart, and he could clearly see Jin Miaoshan's exquisite face. Her long eyelashes were trembling, still struggling.

"Wake up!" Wang Yu roared. Though his words were righteous and full of feeling, he mercilessly kicked her away. The profound meaning of the Asura Killing Fist flashed through his mind. Mental power erupted. The Asura Dharma Body instantly manifested, unleashing countless blood-red fist imprints that blasted Jin Miaoshan's mind lake into surging blood waves. She sank to the bottom, disappearing from sight.

After attempting to activate the "Wandering Immortal Dream" secret art again and receiving no response, a genuine killing intent began to rise in Wang Yu's heart. It wasn't just directed at Jin Miaoshan, but also... Heiliu!

Since forming his Nascent Soul, his cautious nature remained unchanged, but compared to the past, he had become far more audacious. He was not only contemplating breaking free from the Ice Prison Realm's shackles, but also attempting to extract benefits from the war between the righteous and demonic factions. The resource demands for Nascent Soul stage cultivation were so great that his ambition could be described as arrogant. According to his previous way of handling things, he would have avoided such situations if possible. He would have waited until his cultivation was successful, then returned to settle accounts. Power can make one lose their true self. Upon sudden realization, Jin Miaoshan once again surged from the blood sea, swinging her sword to strike him.

In the Beast Cat Clan territory, Heiliu and her father stood at the foot of the mountain where Wang Yu was in seclusion. The former stared at the stone door, the latter at the ground beneath. He could feel endless lightning gathering deep underground, already touching the edge of the fourth tier. Although Wang Yu hadn't told him, the Two-Tailed Shadow Cat clearly knew it was a zombie refined by Wang Yu, and a quite rare and powerful variant: a Lightning Corpse. In his territory, nothing could be hidden from him.

Father and daughter stood together, seemingly close, but in reality, a deep rift had formed between them. He, with anger, yet forced to whisper, "Heiliu, you should have consulted me before doing this. Alchemist Wang cannot be harmed!" Heiliu, at the late Core Formation stage, jiggled the bell on her neck, surprisingly bypassing the restriction of needing to reach the fourth tier to transform. She stretched her slender waist and transformed into a black-haired maiden. The bell was a magic treasure prepared for demon beasts, capable of allowing third-tier demon beasts to transform into human form prematurely. It was extremely rare and had a very special effect; apart from the two major trade organizations, even hegemon sects didn't possess such an item.

"Father, this is for your daughter's future. Mother would agree if she knew."

"Nonsense! You have no idea what Alchemist Wang means to the demon race. If you insist on this, don't blame me for disregarding our family ties." The Two-Tailed Shadow Cat grew even angrier. Although he was a demon beast, he also knew how to repay kindness. If not for Wang Yu's presence, how could the Beast Cat clan have gained so many benefits over the past two decades? He truly hadn't expected his obedient daughter, unseen for years, to cause such a huge disaster upon her return. How could he explain it to the Sky-Roc Clan? How could he explain it to the Holy Lord? And Lei Yao... This was completely trampling the Beast Cat clan's reputation into the dust. How could he not be furious?

"What exactly did you do to Alchemist Wang?!!"

Heiliu stretched languidly, but answered irrelevantly. "This generation of Golden Pavilion has four succession candidates: Jin Miaoshan, Jin Lin, Jin Chixuan, and Jin Xuanxuan. Ever since Jin Miaoshan was corroded by killing intent, I knew her business acumen was merely passable and her cultivation talent insufficient. Yet, she coveted the extremely dangerous ancient demon legacy, and sooner or later, she would suffer a backlash. You gave me to Jin Miaoshan, so we were naturally bound together. Whether for myself or for our clan, I had to find a more suitable patron. Young Master Jin Lin took a liking to your daughter's beauty."

The more she spoke, the more astonished her father's expression became. If before it was anger and bewilderment, now it was a bucket of ice water completely extinguishing his rage, replaced by feelings of deep apprehension. "You... you... actually got involved in the Golden Pavilion's succession struggle. You... must have had your judgment clouded by greed. Is that a contest you can participate in? You're harming yourself and others... harming yourself and others!"

Heiliu smiled dismissively. "What can you provide for me? Only an organization as wealthy as the Golden Pavilion can spare spiritual materials for Nascent Soul formation."

"—Foolish!" The Two-Tailed Shadow Cat flung the Human Desire Grand Method into Heiliu's arms and then took out a spiritual pill—a mid-grade Nascent Soul Transformation Pill, which was one of Wang Yu's spares. Wang Yu himself used a top-grade one. Of the remaining three, one was used at the treasure exchange, one was reserved for Xue Yu, and another was recently traded to Brother Hei. He had resided in the Beast Cat Clan territory for so long, and Brother Hei, as a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, had essentially met all his requirements. Brother Hei had also mentioned his daughter recently. Wang Yu guessed his intentions and proposed exchanging it for three sets of materials for refining Nascent Soul stage spiritual pills. This was a form of repayment and also convenient for him to negotiate with high-ranking demon beasts. As long as something was worth its price, Wang Yu didn't particularly care about its additional value. When he had money, he was actually quite generous, not a stingy person. Exchanges of benefits and small gifts could also stabilize their relationship, a demonstration of his shrewdness. Of course, this approach wouldn't work on those who were inherently greedy and malicious.

Heiliu stared blankly at the Nascent Soul Transformation Pill. "This... this was prepared for me?"

"Otherwise, does your father have other offspring?!"

"I originally intended to call you back, purify your bloodline through the Human Desire Method, raise it to its limit, and then naturally help you form your Nascent Soul with the power of this Nascent Soul Transformation Pill. Look at what you've done!" Heiliu's face instantly went deathly pale.

"I thought you handing me over to Jin Miaoshan meant... you sold me." The atmosphere instantly fell silent.

The Two-Tailed Shadow Cat sighed helplessly and continued, "Quick, tell me how to save Alchemist Wang."

"I don't know." Seeing her father about to get angry again, Heiliu quickly said, "His true name is Wang Yu. He offended Jin Lin years ago, and even the Golden Pavilion harbored deep ill will towards him. After the Holy Sect's 'Dual Prodigy' competition ended, they already had intentions to act against him. After the Demon King's Feast, as the news spread and Golden Pavilion confirmed Wang Yu's identity, Jin Lin had his daughter deliver a secret technique. This secret technique could disrupt Jin Miaoshan's spiritual Nirvana... preventing her from ever emerging from seclusion. Wang Yu was passively drawn into it, and since he was also disliked by Golden Pavilion's higher-ups, I agreed."

After her explanation, the Two-Tailed Shadow Cat finally understood her motives. It wasn't just believing Jin Lin's promise, but also trusting Golden Pavilion's reputation. As for Wang Yu, who had once severely damaged the foundation of the merchant association's credibility, he had previously been protected by the three Holy Sect clans, and the aftermath was dealt with promptly, so retaliation was temporarily delayed. However, after the 'Dual Prodigy' competition ended, Wang Yu had almost completely broken ties with the three clans, retaining only a slight connection with the Yu clan. Retaliation naturally followed. If he hadn't been pursued by Sword Lord Nine Evils and gone into hiding for a period, the Golden Pavilion's ancestor-level figures would certainly not have let Wang Yu off. This was an old grudge...