The Mantis and the Oriole

Chapter 444: Cultivate the True

Li Huowang stared at the cultivation manual in his hands, his mind churning over everything related to this method. That fragment of Hong Zhong’s past had told him very clearly: this manual was genuine.

But Hong Zhong’s memories were all fabricated. So could this manual be trusted? What if, after he trained in it, there were irreversible consequences?

After a moment of hesitation, Li Huowang finally set the manual down. “So, it seems that if I want to cultivate the True, I’ll still need to find another Heart-Element to try it out on first.”

Just like the way he’d gotten rid of the miasma back then—find someone to act as a guinea pig. This simplest solution popped into his mind immediately.

“Find who?” Li Huowang began searching through his memories. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. That kid, North Wind, had been practically begging him for this very thing. Maybe he could let him give it a try.

Even though North Wind had used the Zuowandao’s method of cultivating the False to avoid the hallucinations’ shifts, there was no way he could remain unmoved by the mighty innate pneuma inside a Heart-Element’s body.

With that thought, Li Huowang acted on the impulse, picking up the cultivation manual and turning to leave the room. The two women, having finished writing, were already sitting there, starting a game of mahjong, tile by tile.

When Li Huowang finally found North Wind in a brothel a few days later, she was lying in a bathtub filled with scattered red petals, smiling as she lifted her jade-white left foot from beneath the water.

“Oh-ho! Boss Red Center actually came to see me. What an honor to have my humble abode graced by your presence!”

“Want this cultivation method for the True?” Hong Zhong spread the sheets of paper in his hand.

North Wind’s eyes immediately lit up. She stepped out of the tub with a splash, dripping wet. “I knew you had it! And you lied to me before, saying you didn’t! You’re so bad~”

As North Wind entered the body of this brothel’s top courtesan, her speech began to carry a hint of worldly allure.

But as she reached out to take the manual, a flicker of hesitation crossed her face. “You’re being this generous? You’re not trying to trick me again, are you? I won’t fall for it twice.”

“Fine, forget it.” Li Huowang immediately took the manual back and turned to leave.

“Hey! Hey! Don’t go! I didn’t say I didn’t want it.” North Wind extended her hand, tipped with red nail polish, and took it. “Fine. For this cultivation method for the True, even if you are tricking me again, I’ll take the chance.”

Her jade-like body, still beaded with water, wrapped itself in a layer of nearly transparent gauze. She crossed her legs directly and sat down cross-legged on the red bed.

Li Huowang, his brows tightly furrowed, stood in place, as if waiting for something.

Then, everything around them began to float. Pink pillows spun around North Wind. At first, they were pillows, but as they rotated, the pillows quickly turned into cyan bricks.

North Wind suddenly opened her eyes in surprise. “Boss Red Center, this stuff actually works!”

But no one was in front of him anymore. Li Huowang seemed to have already left.

North Wind was stunned for a moment, then, clutching the cultivation manual, jumped out the window, the corners of his mouth curling upward in a smug grin.

A month later, North Wind, now wearing the face of an elderly man and exuding an air of ethereal immortality, sat cross-legged in an underground cellar, looking kindly at the man before him.

“Disciple, since you are a Heart-Element, the Master has taught you nearly everything there is. Today, I will give you the final technique: the method of cultivating the True!”

“Once you master this method, moving mountains and overturning seas will be but a single thought for you. Not only that, but it can also free you from the torment of the hallucinations!”

Hearing this, the man became so excited he could barely contain himself. He immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the old man before him.

This old man was practically his second father! He was so good to him! Not only had he rescued him from those villains, but now he was even teaching him such a powerful technique!

Watching the Heart-Element close his eyes and begin to sit in meditation, North Wind squinted, letting out a cold snort in his heart. Hmph! Boss Red Center, you told me to be your test subject. Do you think I’m an idiot?

Of course, I’d find another Heart-Element to test it out first. As for whether you, in your impatience, have already cultivated yourself into trouble… well, that’s not my problem anymore, hehehe.

As the Heart-Element breathed in and out, the space around him began to warp, as if everything nearby was being sucked into him.

Everything in the cave began to change along with him. Extremely faint scenes flickered past. The cellar shifted, becoming a bridal chamber one moment, then a prison cell the next.

When the ground beneath the man collapsed entirely, he snapped his eyes open, staring in awe at the world around him. “Master! This method really works!”

“Don’t stop! Keep cultivating! Keep going!”

Hidden in the shadows, Li Huowang watched it all unfold, his hands slowly clenching into fists.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Li Huowang knew North Wind’s character well, so of course he had taken precautions. All he needed was a test subject to try out the method. It didn’t matter which test subject it was.

Li Huowang stayed hidden for a long time, waiting until the man had achieved minor success with the cultivation method before slowly leaving the cave mouth.

By now, Li Huowang’s appearance was truly terrifying. Li Sui’s black tentacles had spread across his entire body along his veins. Through his skin, he could clearly see the swollen tentacles twitching restlessly.

Li Huowang found a secluded spot in the forest, slowly sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists. Following the descriptions in the manual, he gathered the divine light from his eyes and focused it toward the center of his brow.

Using the divine light found in his eyes, he sought out the formless, shadowless innate pneuma within his own body.

Cultivation was not simple, especially this method of cultivating the True. This kind of practice was entirely conceptual, making it incredibly frustrating.

But Li Huowang wasn’t greedy. Especially at the very beginning, all he needed to do was suppress the hallucinations.

According to the manual, as long as he used the divine light to cover the innate pneuma, preventing it from leaking out, he could easily achieve that.

Three days and three nights later, Li Huowang slowly opened his eyes. He took a few deep breaths, then spoke, his voice trembling slightly. “Li Sui, come out. I want to try.”

The next moment, a cluster of tentacles emerged from Li Huowang’s mouth, eventually assembling into a dark, writhing mass. Two pupils set in eyes stared curiously at Li Huowang.

Li Huowang held his breath, clenched his fists, and waited in silence. The time it took for a cup of tea passed. Nothing happened. Then, the time it took for half a stick of incense passed. Still, nothing happened!

“Brother Zhuge! This thing really works! I’ve mastered it!” Li Huowang shared his joy, trembling with excitement, with the hallucination beside him.

“That is good. At least it can replace the Black Tai Sui. Otherwise, this body of yours would likely belong to it.”

“And it’s not just about suppressing the hallucinations! I can even control when they appear!”

As he spoke, Li Huowang used the divine light to open a tiny gap in the pneuma covering the innate pneuma. Instantly, everything around him began to change.

When he came back to himself, he found he was lying on a cold machine, his temples aching slightly.

A group of people was gathered around him. His mother, Sun Xiaoqin, was right there beside him. Seeing Li Huowang look around in confusion, a wave of enthusiastic applause broke out.

Sun Xiaoqin was even moved to tears, trying to kowtow to the doctors in white coats, but she was stopped.

“Ms. Sun, there’s no need for that. Since the electroconvulsive therapy has brought your son back to clarity, with subsequent medication and psychological counseling, there is hope for his recovery.”

Li Huowang looked around at everything, thinking to himself, So, if the hallucinations are caused by the leakage of my innate pneuma, then… does that mean this place is still fake?

Just then, Sun Xiaoqin lunged toward him, pulling his head tightly into her embrace.

She had finally seen hope for her son’s recovery! In her heart, that was more important than anything else.

Feeling this familiar warmth, Li Huowang looked at the doctors and nurses applauding around him, and his eyes gradually hardened.

“Mom, don’t worry. I’m not lost anymore. I’m fine now. The innate pneuma inside a Heart-Element is a part of the Heavenly Dao! And now, I can use it! Even if everything here is fake, one day, I’ll make you all completely real!”

(End of Volume 2)

Volume 2 is finished. Well… I’ll take a day off. I hope you’ll forgive me.