Weird Cultivation, I have a five-organ temple

Chapter 601 The Pool of Delusions

"The Heart Sutra: The highest good is like water?"

Shang Lu was overjoyed. He thought that comprehending the water control method in the Water Classic was already an unexpected surprise, but he didn't expect that was just an appetizer. There were even better techniques to come.

"The softest can overcome the hardest, nothing can penetrate the unbroken..."

As his gaze swept over the lines of shimmering ancient characters, Shang Lu struggled to decipher them, needing to ponder each word and phrase repeatedly.

At this moment, he was filled with deep regret—he should have put in ten times more effort when he was studying ancient scripts at the Witch Academy!
Slow recognition is tolerable, but the worst thing is misreading words.

The Heart Sutra practice is so precise that even the slightest error can lead to disastrous consequences. Even a single mistake can have unimaginable repercussions.

"Write this down first, and we'll decipher and translate it when we get back."

Shang Lu had a sudden inspiration and decided to give up deciphering these ancient characters and instead memorize them by rote, remembering the form of the characters themselves.

Upon leaving the Water Classic Map, it will be "drawn" from memory again, and then translated and interpreted after leaving the Water Palace Secret Realm.

He wanted to remind Third Sister to help him remember, but he was now a "fish" and couldn't make a sound after opening his mouth; he could only spit out a string of meaningless bubbles.

Helpless, he could only hope that San Niang could understand his feelings and know his thoughts.

Just as Shang Lu was concentrating intently and memorizing the text, the words on the Heart Sutra, "The Highest Good is Like Water," suddenly collapsed and transformed back into a group of lively water spirits!
"It happened!"

Shang Lu's heart tightened, and he knew something was wrong.

He didn't even remember half of it! A cooked duck can actually fly?

The thought had barely formed when the water spirits suddenly coalesced, transforming into a torrent that rushed straight towards his brow!
This time, the water spirit is not going to attack the pokeweed.

They rushed directly into the depths of Shang Lu's soul, and within his sea of ​​consciousness, they reformed into the "Heart Sutra of Supreme Goodness Like Water".

What's remarkable is that the characters condensed this time are no longer the obscure and difficult ancient scripts.

Rather, it is the essence that Pokeweed can thoroughly understand with a change of mind.

Like a brand, it was deeply engraved in his soul, something he would never forget.

After reading the entire Heart Sutra, Shang Lu felt a pang of disappointment—it was an incomplete text, missing a small portion of the subsequent content.

Fortunately, the foundation is still intact, so it does not affect the early stages of cultivation.

As for the missing parts, we can only hope to find them by chance in the future. Or perhaps we can try to deduce and complete them after we have perfected this incomplete work.

Despite the regrets, obtaining the new Dharma is ultimately a great opportunity.

Moreover, this is a very high-grade water-based cultivation technique!

It can not only purify essence and nourish the spirit, but also make one's essence flow like water. When it is gentle, it is like spring water, gentle and penetrating; when it is strong, it is like a raging sea, devastating and unstoppable! It is unpredictable and impossible to defend against!
Shang Lu immediately began cultivating the incomplete version of the Heart Sutra, "The Supreme Good is Like Water," within this mysterious Water Scripture.

To his surprise, the water spirits around him gathered and slowly swirled around him.

They actively flow into the energy flow path of the pokeweed, transforming into patient mentors who guide the flow of vital energy and correct every deviation that occurs during practice.

The Water Classic Map doesn't have a concept of time, and Shang Lu didn't know how long he had been cultivating inside it.

He felt that his understanding of the fragments of the Heart Sutra, "The Highest Good is Like Water," was becoming more and more proficient, and his understanding of water was becoming deeper and deeper.

When he finally grasped the basics of the Heart Sutra fragments, the water spirits surrounding him trembled and emitted a brilliant blue light!
Shang Lu understood something, and sure enough, the next moment, the scene before him changed, and he was sent out of the Water Scripture Map and back to the Water Mansion Secret Realm.

Looking at the Water Classic Map again, all the rushing rivers on it have stopped and become ordinary marks.

After a few breaths, these static markings quickly weakened and faded... eventually disappearing completely.

The stone wall has returned to its ancient state, as if nothing had ever happened.

"call……"

The pokeweed stretched its limbs, getting used to the "fish" body in the Water Classic Diagram. Suddenly returning to human form, it felt a strange sluggishness and disharmony.

Fortunately, I quickly recovered, but I couldn't help feeling regretful: if I could have stayed in the Water Classic Map for a longer period of time, with the help of the water spirit, my understanding of the Heart Sutra would have been even better!

This set of exercises was perfectly suited to him. In addition to its wonderful effects of purifying essence and nourishing the soul, what surprised him the most was that it could even nourish the kidney god statue, which represents the water element, in the temple of the five internal organs!
Even more remarkably, this technique also enhances other techniques such as Dragon-Tiger Qi and Yin-Yang Harmony. Furthermore, it subtly strengthens the power of other martial arts and techniques, including the Wind-Summoning and Mist-Spitting Techniques and the Nine Transformations of Divine Speed!
Most importantly, this set of exercises has a remarkable effect on stabilizing the mind and spirit.

Once he breaks through to the sixth rank of the Mind-Clearing Realm, with this technique protecting him, he will not only achieve twice the result with half the effort, but also more effectively resist the invasion of mental tribulations and inner demons.

This made him feel even more regretful about the incompleteness of the cultivation method.

"Third Sister, how long have I been inside the Water Classic Map?"

Shang Lu looked around and was somewhat surprised to see that the water that had gushed out from the Water Classic Map was still accumulating on the ground.

Third Sister didn't answer, but simply raised her hand and pointed at the stalactite pillar that the stone toad had transformed into.

The incense offered by the advance team of the salvage crew in front of the stalactite pillars was still emitting wisps of smoke.

Only a short portion of the incense burned away.

Judging from the appearance, the pokeweed had been inside the Water Classic Map for no more than a quarter of an hour.

But Shang Lu felt that he had been inside the Water Classic Map for a long time.

Indeed, the passage of time within the Water Classic Map is different from that in the outside world.

This made him even more regretful.

If one could cultivate within it for a hundred years while only a few days pass in the outside world... what an incredible opportunity that would be!

Unfortunately, such good fortune did not befall him.

As soon as Shang Lu thought this, a strange sense of irritation suddenly welled up in his heart.

"Ok?"

He raised an eyebrow slightly, and the Heart Sutra, which was in operation, began to circulate on its own, bringing a refreshing sensation to his soul.

He immediately discovered that there was actually a special water vapor hidden in this water palace secret realm.

This moisture was concealed by the dampness of the secret realm, and it was extremely well hidden. If Shang Lu had not just completed the "Heart Sutra of Supreme Goodness Like Water" and was in a state of extreme sensitivity to moisture, he probably would not have been able to detect it.

"Can this moisture disturb one's mind?"

Shang Lu immediately became alert, and at the same time quickly cleared his mind of all distractions, maintaining a clear mind to prevent this special water vapor from taking advantage of his weakness and disturbing his mind.

His past experiences in the secret realms warned him that once his mind was tainted by external evils, he must immediately cleanse and purify it.

Otherwise, one will unknowingly sink into depravity, one's mind will be polluted and distorted, and one will either go mad or be swallowed up and assimilated by the secret realm, becoming a part of it.

After calming his mind, Shang Lu immediately began to recite the Heart Sutra, which aims to soothe his mind and calm his spirit.

However, something even more unexpected happened!
Before he could even activate the technique, the kidney deity statue in the Five Organs Temple spontaneously began to circulate the "Heart Sutra of the Highest Good is Like Water".

"Eh?"

Shang Lu was both surprised and bewildered when he discovered this situation.

Oh my god?!
My kidneys, they've actually started practicing their own exercises?!

Shang Lu hurriedly examined his internal organs and saw that the image of the Kidney God was surrounded by a shimmering, watery glow, which was driving the circulation of the Heart Meridian.

Although this operation was not initiated by the pokeweed, its effect was slightly inferior.

But the pure water energy it produced truly nourished his vital energy and spirit, protecting his mind. This was truly an unexpected delight!

"As expected of my kidney, it really lives up to its reputation!" Shang Lu thought to himself.

Although the self-cultivation of the kidney spirit statue is less efficient, it has the advantage of being tireless day and night, and never stopping!

This means that from now on, whether Shang Lu is eating, sleeping, or fighting, there will be a copy of the Heart Sutra, "The Supreme Good is Like Water," silently running within his body!

If he could gather the cultivation techniques of the four elements of wood, earth, metal, and fire, and let the five internal organs' divine statues cultivate on their own... wouldn't he be able to become stronger while lying down?

What's this called? "Looking for someone who's filthy but becomes a dragon"?

Good, good, there's hope for the future!
Shang Lu was overjoyed, thinking that after leaving the Water Mansion, he would definitely offer incense to the Mountain Ghost and the Eastern Lord, hoping to get some more cultivation techniques from these two big shots and get the three organ gods of the liver, spleen, and heart involved as well.

As the kidney spirit image urged the recitation of the Heart Sutra, Shang Lu's inexplicable restlessness was completely suppressed, and his state of mind returned to peace.

At this moment, Third Sister summoned the Greedy Beast again.

After exhaling a breath of stale air, Shang Lu once again joined San Niang in following the Greedy Beast in their search for treasure.

The greedy beast is indeed very sensitive to treasures.

Before long, he led Shang Lu and San Niang into a secluded courtyard in a cave.

As soon as he stepped into this place, Shang Lu ran into the salvage advance team. He instinctively wanted to hide himself, but when he glanced at the group, he paused—the group's behavior was extremely strange!
They stood frozen at the edge of a dark pool, as if under a spell, completely still.

But the expressions on his face were very vivid.

Using the glowing moss and the people's magical lighting tools, Pokeweed could see very clearly.

Among this group of people, some had faces full of terror, as if they had seen the most terrifying sight in the world;

Some people had contorted, ferocious expressions, gritting their teeth, as if they had witnessed something infuriating.

Some people grinned in a strange way, their faces filled with wild joy and intoxication, as if they were lost in a beautiful dream...

There are many different situations and circumstances.

The only thing they had in common was that their eyes were empty and unfocused, their pupils unnaturally dilated, reflecting the dim light of the pool.

Clearly, they had all fallen into an illusion.

"There's something strange about the pool."

Pokeweed immediately made a judgment.

I'm also very curious about what these people saw in the pool, and why they reacted differently.

Shang Lu's gaze drifted toward the pool.

Because of the distance, he was unaffected by the pool, but he did see several strangely shaped lotus flowers floating on the edge of the peculiar pool. In the center of the pool, a blue lotus flower, resembling an ice crystal, was emitting a ghostly light and mist.

"Treasures of heaven and earth?"

This was the first reaction of the pokeweed.

But soon, he realized that the Ice Crystal Blue Lotus was unusual.

"No! This isn't a rare and precious treasure! It's an ancient magical artifact!"

This advance salvage team must have wanted to retrieve the Ice Crystal Blue Lotus from the pool, but they all ended up getting caught in a trap!

If even with their extensive experience in secret realms, they were still like this, it shows that the danger and strangeness of this pool is probably no less than that of the Water Scripture Map they just saw!

But... danger is good!
The greater the danger, the greater the opportunity!

The Heart Sutra, which is described in the Water Classic Map, has already proven to be a valuable resource!
The icy blue lotus in this pool must be quite exquisite!
The problem lies in how to retrieve the treasure, and what strange things are hidden in this pool? How should we deal with them?
Shang Lu quickly thought it over and didn't rush over. Instead, he quickly took out a talisman and tore out more than a dozen small paper figures with his fingers flying. He didn't activate them for the time being, but used the Wind Summoning Technique to blow out a breath and let the wind carry the paper figures to the group of people who were standing frozen.

Immediately afterward, with a thought, he merged into the shadows on the ground, poised to strike.

After making these preparations, the pokeweed was still in no hurry to go to the pool.

He released a copper ant to approach and investigate the situation in the pool.

The salvage team members were trapped in a hallucination and had no reaction to the arrival of the paper figures and copper ants.

Furthermore, neither of them emitted any magical energy fluctuations, and their protective magical artifacts were not activated.

Soon, the pokeweed, through the vision transmitted back by the copper ants, "saw" the scene in the pool clearly.

The water in the pool was crystal clear, like a huge, flawless crystal, clearly reflecting everything above.

Even the pokeweed could see his face in the pool.

As handsome as ever.

Um?and many more!

Shang Lu raised an eyebrow.

He was manipulating the pool to spy on the copper ants. Even if the pool water was as clear as a mirror, what should be seen should be the copper ants. Why did his face appear instead?
So, this is an illusion?

No matter how you try to peer into this pool, you will be immediately drawn into an illusion.
Or perhaps... the illusion had already quietly descended from the moment we stepped into this secluded courtyard in the cave?

The moment the thought arose, Shang Lu noticed ripples appearing in the pool.

Consequently, his reflection in the pool also began to distort and deform.

Seeing this, Shang Lu immediately took over the task from the kidney god statue, and with all his might, he activated the "Heart Sutra of Supreme Goodness Like Water," striving to maintain a calm mind and not be affected by illusions.

He also took out a purification talisman and stuck it on his body.

Purification talismans can purify the mind and isolate illusions. Although they have the side effect of making people detached from desires and as still as "wood or stone," these side effects are not a concern as long as there is mental pollution or hallucinations.

With his mind settled and his spirit clear, Shang Lu no longer saw the distorted reflection in the pool as a projection of his own fate.

He observed the farce unfolding in the pool from the perspective of a detached observer, with an almost cold "God's-eye view."

The pokeweed in the water diverged into three completely different trajectories.

The first type is "perfect": He made rapid progress in his cultivation, not only crossing the gate of divinity and achieving the supreme divine position, but also possessing everything—unparalleled cultivation, a peerless Daoist partner, and the glory revered by all races... The scene is dazzling and full of breathtaking allure.

The second type is "degeneration": He indulges in desires, betrays morality, and in order to gain immortality and power, he does not hesitate to transform into a demon, slaughtering all living beings. Even his third sister, parents, and close friends such as Lü Yang are refined into elixirs by him... The scene is filled with a dark atmosphere of bloodshed, madness and despair.

The third type is "imperfection": all his flaws, failures, regrets, fears, and anxieties are magnified infinitely. Countless tragic, humiliating, and desperate scenes flash wildly like a revolving lantern: the inability to break through the bottleneck of cultivation, betrayal and abandonment by relatives and friends, crawling for survival under the feet of powerful enemies, and finally becoming destitute and turned into withered bones... It is so dark and oppressive that it is almost suffocating.

The three illusions correspond to the deepest desires, fears, and weaknesses in the human heart.

If the pokeweed feels even the slightest identification, longing, or fear towards any of these scenes, its mind will be immediately dragged into the corresponding abyss of illusion, from which there is no return!
If one cannot see through the illusion and break free from the mirage, the ultimate fate will be the dissipation of one's spiritual intelligence and the transformation of one's physical body into this eerie pool...

This is a pool of deluded thoughts that can reflect the delusions in people's hearts!
To escape the influence of deluded thinking, one must "see things as they truly are."

We must be clearly aware that all the images in the pool are manifestations of delusions, projections of desires and fears.

Do not covet the temptation of "perfection", do not despise the ugliness of "imperfection", and do not fear the abyss of "degradation". Uphold your true self and keep your mind stable and undisturbed.

The pokeweed is currently at this stage, which is why it hasn't fallen into the illusion.

Without falling into illusion, the Pool of Delusions was just an ordinary pond to Shang Lu.

The pokeweed no longer hid and strode toward the Pool of Delusions, intending to pluck the blue ice crystal lotus floating in the center of the pool!
(End of this chapter)