Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 192 - 167: Fame as Bridle and Profit as Lock, Enlightened Path of Tao

Chapter 192: Chapter 167: Fame as Bridle and Profit as Lock, Enlightened Path of Tao

"Once it’s done, depart without attachment, keep your talents and fame hidden."

Zhou Ping’an returned to his room, gazed out at the deep moonlight, and silently revealed a trace of a smile.

All these years, the weight that had been pressing on his heart, at last, part of it had been lifted...

He still remembered, not long after starting his sophomore year at university, the evening breeze of October was still slightly hot and dry. He and his roommates had just played a late game of basketball and returned to the dorm.

The moonlight back then, like tonight, was half like a sickle, half a halo.

At that time, while blowing off steam over beer, he suddenly received a phone call...

That autumn turned bone-chillingly cold.

Life took a turn from there.

Zhou Ping’an listened to the even breathing of his mother and sister in the rooms next door and let out a long breath.

He resealed some old memories deep in his heart once again.

"Life will get better and better."

"Those helplessly endured past days, those high above who think they can dominate all lives, all must be punished!"

"Dad, it’s not right to bother you so late, and I don’t know if you’re comfortable down in the netherworld, or if you have alcohol to drink.

If there is spirit in the netherworld, knowing about these past two days’ events, you should be happy, I guess. This drink is for you!"

Zhou Ping’an lit three sticks of incense, then slowly poured out a cup of liquor, spilling it on the flowerbed’s soil outside the window, as if he could see his father Zhou Changjun’s smiling face again, bragging after drinking a bit of horse urine.

"If you aren’t capable, why pretend? Enduring a little won’t kill you..."

"Talking about protecting the country and home? First, you’d have to keep our family safe!"

Zhou Ping’an muttered to himself for a while before calming the slight turmoil in his heart.

He knew something was off with himself.

The Five Desires Evil Art became more perilous after advancing to the Third Realm.

Greed first, lust second, and thirst for fame third...

Zhou Ping’an originally thought he would have a hard time getting through the trials of "Greed" and "Lust."

Unexpectedly, these two trials weren’t as difficult for him.

Yet, the seemingly inconspicuous trial of "Fame" held him up for a whole day and night.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand it, but rather he was unwilling to fully comprehend it.

If one lives without seeking fame or gain, free of all desires, how different is that from grass, wood, bamboo, or stone?

’Back then, I practiced all sorts of martial arts diligently to win first place. It seems, it wasn’t purely for extra credit.

What did I feel when the cheers rose up?’

That intoxicated and exalted feeling.

I felt there was nothing in this world I couldn’t do, the joy and confidence that I could achieve anything I set my mind to.

Zhou Ping’an faced himself honestly.

’Regarding women and lust, having never experienced it, I naturally have no cravings; it’s slightly easier to overcome.

As for Greed, truth be told, since childhood, dad and mom have taken good care of me. I never lacked food or clothing, so I don’t have deep attachments...’

’But, from childhood, I’ve been indoctrinated with the idea that I must be successful, achieve fame young, be remembered by the world, and make various achievements...’

Therefore, even though this craving for fame isn’t overt, it’s deeply etched into the soul. Now it has become a road-blocking tiger, standing in my way.’

"In the end, be it fame or profit, it’s just passing through this world. Whether it’s seen through or not, what does it matter?"

Thinking about his experience using the Five Desires Evil Art these past two days.

Zhou Ping’an’s heart gradually grew indifferent.

In his mind, fifteen thousand Mind Wish Power Silk Threads slowly burned away.

"Even if I live my life in obscurity, like a grain of sand from the age’s great waves, washing up on the beach.

I can still face the morning sun, getting scorchingly hot, radiating my own bit of warmth."

Boom...

After an indeterminate amount of time, it was as if a door in his mind sprang open, revealing another layer of heaven and earth.

Upon opening his eyes, the night outside became clearly colorful, his spiritual power surged like raging torrents in all directions, stirring up a refreshing breeze.

The leaves and branches of the plants outside the house rustled loudly.

Within a sixty-meter radius, everything was imaged in his mind, and he could see everything clearly from every direction.

This was not what the eyes saw, but images in the mind.

Instead, it was a "mental image" that naturally arose from the depths of the heart.

After breaking through the Third Realm of the Five Desires Evil Art, Zhou Ping’an discovered that his range of mental observation had suddenly doubled from thirty meters. And those black and white images, deep within his heart, turned vibrant and colorful.

Incredibly real.

"Is this still martial arts?"

Zhou Ping’an was amazed.

Suddenly, he gained a deeper understanding of Monk Guangming, who came from the King of Light’s Temple.

As a high monk of the Buddhist Sect, who darkened his conscience, who did not discern right from wrong, he had his reasons for solely devising this cultivation technique.

Once one achieved even a little success,

Not only did the soul strengthen, but spiritual power surged immensely.

The robustness of the body also became massively powerful, as though defying the law of conservation of mass.

It’s hard to describe this feeling.

If one’s body was initially like a small white rabbit, now it has transformed into a fierce tiger or lion.

Even though there was no visible change in form.

But at their core, the toughness of his muscles and skin, as well as the strength of his bones and meridians, had naturally undergone a transformation.

The change was as natural as water flowing into a channel, and Zhou Ping’an hadn’t even noticed it until it was upon him.

It was only when he lightly pressed his hand on the windowsill, and saw the deep imprint his palm left, that he realized his strength and his muscles and bones had grown much stronger.

He could almost not control the overflow of his power.

Originally, when he wasn’t using various miraculous cultivation techniques to amplify his strength, his basic strength had reached more than five thousand five hundred jin.

All that strength was already under his exquisite control.

At its lightest, he could pick up a Silver Needle and embroider beautiful flowers.

At its heaviest, he could lift a small car and hurl it at someone.

Light or heavy, it was all at the will of his heart, completely at his command.

But now, he felt that his physique had suddenly doubled in strength, and his power seemed to have increased by forty to fifty percent.

His strength had reached around eight thousand jin.

The robustness of his physique was real and solid.

Although he couldn’t see the minute changes happening inside his body,

Zhou Ping’an was certain of this point.

Again, this side-confirmed that the "Five Desires Demonic Scripture" was indeed evolved from the body refining techniques of the Suppression Prison Demon Sect, one of the three great sects in another world where the Demonic Sect originated.

Since it stemmed from Body Refining Techniques, its usefulness naturally followed.

The body refinement practice of the Five Desires Evil Art differed from that of the King of Light’s Golden Body Technique.

In gaming terms, the former boosts "constitution," while the latter boosts "defense."

This was exactly why Li Yuankang, despite his shallow cultivation in the King of Light’s Golden Body, was so tough that I couldn’t kill him instantly, even after several attempts.

Li Yuankang, who practiced both techniques, was frustratingly durable compared to Monk Guangyuan, who focused solely on the King of Light’s Golden Body Technique. Though his realm was insufficient, the double layer of increased constitution and defense made his flesh incredibly tough.

"Recall, before Li Yuankang had mastered the stages of ’Color’ and ’Desire’, just his bodily robustness was ten to twenty times that of an ordinary person. With several thousand jin of force behind a slash, I couldn’t even cut through his muscles."

"Now that I have cultivated to the First Realm of ’Fame’, and my body cells have been changed and strengthened again, my constitution has increased threefold compared to before I had cultivated ’Color’ and ’Desire’."

Roughly speaking... compared to an ordinary person, isn’t my constitution now sixty times stronger?"

Without calculating, you wouldn’t know, but once you do, it’s startling.

Thinking about the robustness of his constitution, Zhou Ping’an’s face twitched slightly.

And then considering the defensive boost of reaching the peak of the Copper Body in the King of Light’s Golden Body Method,

he became a bit curious.

If Tang Tang were to shoot at him with those two Silver pistols, he wondered whether the bullets would still be able to penetrate his muscles?

Of course, this was just a silly thought for when there was nothing better to do.

Zhou Ping’an certainly wasn’t about to actually test that theory.

He didn’t have a sniper rifle on hand, anyway.

"Looking at it this way, while my Mind Wish Power Silk Threads are not yet plentiful enough to be squandered at will, focusing on this powerful technique for strengthening body and spirit is the best choice for the time being."

Zhou Ping’an didn’t shun the idea of cultivating Qi-Blood and sacrificing his vital organs to produce True Qi.

But due to the lack of medicinal herbs and energy in the modern world, which hindered his ability to coagulate blood and transform it into qi, he had no other option.

He had to take an unorthodox approach.

Madly relying on Demonic and Buddhist Cultivation to build his base.

He was also gradually getting a clear picture of the paths his various cultivation techniques were taking.

The principal focus of the Tidal Breathing Technique seemed to be Qi-Blood cultivation and strengthening the body, transforming every part of it...

In fact, this technique doesn’t really follow the path of body refinement.

It is rather a foundational Qi Cultivation Method passed down by a Daoist Sect like the Cloud Water Heavenly Sect, increasingly leaning towards absorbing Heaven and Earth Vital Energy as one progresses.

Turning blood into qi, from inner qi to True Qi, and from True Qi to True Elemental Mana...

Starting with the way of qi, it integrates the rules of heaven and earth.

So, though it appears to focus on blood training, it’s actually about qi cultivation, requiring various herbal energies to replenish and reduce the time needed for cultivation.

Techniques like Wave Stacking Jin, Submerged Wave Jin, and Ghostly Shadows Step are simply the skillful use of strength.

They don’t involve fundamental techniques.

They are about the application of strength.

In Zhou Ping’an’s understanding, that is how it is.

The method of the King of Light’s Golden Body, however, takes a slightly different path.

This all-defense cultivation technique emphasizes both qi cultivation and body refinement.

It can generate True Qi to protect the body and to a certain extent, make muscles, bones, and internal organs more substantial and hard.

Therefore, with Elder Guangming’s successful cultivation, he became tough and difficult to beat...

If it weren’t for the Heavenly Mechanism Crossbow in Zhou Ping’an’s possession in the different world, he really wouldn’t have had any way to overcome him.

Both the Daoist and Buddhist foundational methods follow the principle of energy exchange with heaven and earth, which is the law of conservation of energy.

The elevation of one’s cultivation requires an influx of various energies.

Zhou Ping’an felt that his need to scavenge widely for herbs to replenish the energy he lacked was due to this reason.

But, the one exception was the "Five Desires Evil Art."

That’s why Demonic Cultivation is known for its fast success and high risk—it’s that exact reason.

Zhou Ping’an found that after practicing the "Five Desires Evil Art," besides constantly guarding against the cultivation backfiring on him, once he had a sudden enlightenment and broke through to a higher realm, his cultivation surged without the need for energy replenishment.

It relied solely on his own changes.