CHAPTER 819: CHAPTER 425

"And those who rely on meditation targets tend more towards borrowing power externally. Their strength improvement is actually much influenced by the external existence on which they rely, right?"

"That’s exactly the principle."

Ma Jianguo nodded slightly, very satisfied with the understanding of the disciple with extraordinary talent standing before him.

Then his expression became solemn, and his tone returned to seriousness:

"Ah Cheng, do you know why I always emphasize the dangers of the Visualization Method?"

"Because on this path of cultivation, you have no external targets to link to, no deities to believe in."

"The only person you can rely on, from beginning to end, is yourself."

"And this ’self-reliance’ trait happens to hide the biggest weakness."

Ma Jianguo paused, deliberately giving Fang Cheng a moment to digest, then continued:

"During the cultivation of the Visualization Method, there are mainly two major dangers. The first is ’going awry,’ which means the visualization becomes distorted."

He raised a finger, his gaze becoming more solemn:

"Your Inner Scenery is essentially a reflection of your own will. If your will is not firm, the sun you visualize could turn into a black hole that devours everything; the rivers you visualize could lose control and flood, shattering your mental dam."

"At that time, the lightest outcome is chaotic energy flow, harming your core, and the heaviest could be your consciousness getting trapped in the collapsed world you’ve created, turning completely mad."

"The second is ’falling into darkness.’

He then raised a second finger, his tone sinking further:

"The Spiritual World of a person is never a pure land. Many dark and negative emotions hidden in your consciousness, and even certain external spiritual pollution encountered during cultivation, could transform into ’Heart Demons’ during deep visualization."

"They will disguise themselves as the scene you most desire to tempt you, disturb your mind, and pollute the core of your Inner Scenery."

"Once the Heart Demon takes over the consciousness’s control, the consequences are unimaginable."

"Especially when it comes to shaping the ’True Self,’ where you need to resonate with all things in heaven and earth, and validate the ’Dao’ you have comprehended. This is the so-called ’Heavenly Person Communication,’ which is also the most dangerous hurdle in the entire cultivation process."

Ma Jianguo looked at Fang Cheng seriously and made a colloquial analogy:

"It’s like a computer without any antivirus software, directly connected to the Internet. You have no idea what you might perceive or download."

"It might be insights left by predecessors, or it could be some malicious spiritual fragments dispersed by unknown existences."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng was momentarily stunned, not expecting the old man to make such a trendy analogy.

Ma Jianguo smiled slightly, stroking his beard:

"Therefore, I specifically selected this time today and had you worship in front of the ancestral tablets, hoping to leverage the time and human harmony to add an invisible layer of protection for you."

"In this way, during the visualization process, you can more easily link to the positive and vigorous Spiritual Marks left by the ancestors of the Ma Family, letting them guide you instead of other miscellaneous things."

Only then did Fang Cheng fully grasp Ma Jianguo’s deep intention.

This Tai Chi Boxing Master, though his Kung Fu realm isn’t top-notch, possesses extremely profound and rich theoretical knowledge, worthy of the heritage from hundreds of years of Martial Arts Family foundation.

His detailed explanation lasted over an hour.

As the sun slanted west, stretching the shadows of the trees long in the yard, the air gradually took on a hint of coolness.

"I’ve said everything I need to say,"

Ma Jianguo took a sip of tea to moisten his throat:

"If you have any questions, you can ask now."

Fang Cheng ran through all the key points in his mind, shook his head:

"I’ve remembered them all, Master. Should I start practicing the Visualization Method here?"

Ma Jianguo was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, looking at Fang Cheng’s face full of confidence, reminded of his monstrous learning ability.

In the end, he simply nodded and stood up:

"Follow me, we’ll go to the back mountain."

Just as he took a step, he remembered something, turned and asked:

"By the way, I’ve told you before, learning visualization requires at least a week’s time. Have you taken leave from the company and your family?"

Fang Cheng immediately nodded:

"Everything was arranged before coming here."

In fact, to digest the Deep Red Eye flesh in peace, he’d already taken a long leave from the company and told his mother he needed to go on a business trip to another province.

Plus, with the Noah Organization facing severe crackdowns, now preoccupied with themselves, they pose no threat at all.

In the short term, there shouldn’t be any troublesome matters finding him.

Watching the two ready to set off, Ma Donghe quickly waved his hands:

"You go ahead, I won’t accompany you. I’ve spent over a month in that ghostly place, never want to go back again in my life."

As he spoke, he patted Fang Cheng’s shoulder, encouraging him with a smile:

"Ah Cheng, good luck!"

But words couldn’t conceal the schadenfreude in his tone.

Leaving these words behind, he fled into his room to avoid being stopped by his father.

Fang Cheng looked at his back and shook his head silently.

..................

The hill behind the village was actually just a mound a few dozen meters high.

The trees grew quite dense and lush.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, leaving specks of gold on the damp soil.

The air was filled with the scent of vegetation and humus, with various insect chirps and bird calls intertwining.

"During Visualization, remember not to force it."

"If you become restless or see terrifying illusions, it’s better to pause your cultivation than to forcibly resist, otherwise it’s easy to give rise to a Heart Demon."

Ma Jianguo led the way while continuing to advise.

Fang Cheng followed behind him, occasionally nodding and responding with "Yes."

The two of them walked up a path that had been trodden out, which got narrower and narrower, almost swallowed up by the bushes on both sides.

Brushing aside a cluster of thorny bushes blocking the way, an inconspicuous cliff face appeared in front, covered with green vines.

Ma Jianguo reached out and pressed a few times on a rock covered with moss.

The cliff face silently slid open to reveal a dark cave entrance.

A wave of cold damp air, as if imprisoned for hundreds of years, rushed out at once.

"Let’s go."

Ma Jianguo said, stepping inside the gate first.

They descended a stone staircase for dozens of meters; the external insect chirps and bird calls completely disappeared.

Only their dull footsteps remained, along with the occasional drip of water echoing through the cave from an unknown direction.

The air became increasingly cold, the dampness seemingly seeping into their bones.

Eventually, they reached the bottom of the cave.

This was a man-made water prison, about ten square meters.

A water pool took up most of the space, the water being pitch black, its depth indiscernible.

In the middle stood a stone platform just big enough for one person to sit cross-legged.

At the cave’s ceiling, there was a natural crevice,

allowing a slender beam of light to filter down, illuminating the stone platform as the cave’s only light source.

At the end of the light beam hung a copper bell, covered with green patina, having weathered countless ages.

Fang Cheng looked up, using the faint light to survey his surroundings.

The stone walls were inscribed densely with words.

Many places were covered with moss, yet one could still faintly discern the inscribed phrases:

"The heart’s fire never dies, the sea of thoughts never dries..."

"See the body as not the body, perceive the self as not the self..."

"Energy circulates throughout, the spirit roams the void..."

The writing was either vigorous and powerful or elegant and ethereal, mostly insights and reflections on cultivation.

"This place is the water prison our Ma Family ancestors spent a fortune hewing out to comprehend the essence of the ’Thunder Fire Cauldron.’"

Seeing this, Ma Jianguo explained:

"The writing above is carved by ancestors of the Ma Family and predecessors from the Tai Chi Sect during their seclusions here."

"Among them are valuable experiences; apart from visualization, you can peruse these for possible benefits."

"Alright, the timing and conditions are all in place, so cultivate here in peace."

He pointed to the stone platform, adding a final note:

"If you encounter an unsolvable danger, or wish to come out, just ring this bell. In seven days, I’ll bring food and water down for you."

After repeatedly cautioning a few times, seeing that Fang Cheng had remembered, Ma Jianguo said no more and turned to head back up the stairs.

With a dull rumble, the Stone Gate slowly closed.

The entire world instantly plunged into utter darkness and dead silence.

Only that single beam of faint light, and the occasional crisp drip of water, remained.

All around, the thick, inescapable scent of earth and the chill of water permeated the air.

Fang Cheng took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs, refreshing his Spirit.

Then he leapt with a bound and landed steadily on the central stone platform, sitting cross-legged.

Feeling the solitary isolation of this place, his gaze was unprecedentedly calm.

"Now, it’s time to verify what I’ve learned..."