Chapter 542: The Cause of Jin Zhi

Cluster Heavy Artillery Bombardment of Cultivators, Main Text Volume 574, Chapter: Jin Zhi's Cause — Continuously flipping through the karma and dharma texts of Luoxu Sect.

The more Jiang Ding read, the more uncomfortable he felt; by the end, he even thought that Canghai Tianjun's destruction of this sect had been carrying out the will of Heaven.

This sect's research into karma had reached the point of qi deviation — at the slightest provocation, they would prop up mortal dynasties within their territory to wage great wars and slaughter, letting the earth run with rivers of blood, forbidding any cultivator from intervening, in order to observe the so-called effects of karma and fortune within.

Once they gained anything, they didn't even conduct a double-blind test, immediately compiling it into a dharma, submitting it to the sect, and exchanging it for lavish rewards.

The high-ranking cultivators of Luoxu Sect turned a blind eye to this near-deceitful behavior.

Jiang Ding rapidly flipped through various dharmas.

He estimated that among the several million dharma texts here, at least one in ten was related to so-called karma.

Even though most were merely joining in the fun, talking nonsense, Luoxu Sect still openly placed them into their own sect's inheritance.

Jiang Ding even saw a laughably absurd passage in a dharma called "Cock's Comb Method."

Although this text was called a method, it was not any dharma text at all — no attack, defense, or spell techniques.

It recorded that a youth, using the method of theft, stole a noble's robust and resplendent rooster, ate its meat, smeared the chicken blood on his chest, placed the three most beautiful tail feathers under his pillow, and slept one night in a horse pen strewn with dung and urine.

After doing all this, when one night had passed, this youth would possess great fortune, henceforth meeting disaster and turning it to auspiciousness, encountering ill fortune and transforming it to good.

Look,

That's all there is — no spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, no divine sense or magic power, not even a single term for meridians or acupoints.

Such a dry, boring story from the mouth of a countryside witch used to scare and chatter with idle folk was openly placed in Luoxu Sect's scripture library, marked as a Foundation Establishment inheritance.

"Lord Tushan."

At this moment, a blue-skirt woman walked over, presented a jade slip, and said respectfully: "I have chosen this dharma as my reward this time."

"Fine."

Jiang Ding glanced at it.

The jade slip was called "Miscellaneous Discourses on Core and Infant," apparently written by a Nascent Soul cultivator; most of it was idle chatter and travel notes, with only a very small portion describing some precautions for Core Formation and Nascent Soul formation — it could hardly be called an inheritance, hence it was placed among the Foundation Establishment inheritances.

Removing the jade slip's prohibitions.

"There must be no damage whatsoever."

Jiang Ding emphasized.

"Yes!"

The blue-skirt woman took the jade slip, her divine sense flooding into it; a trace of barely perceptible pleasant surprise flashed in her eyes. She took out a blank jade slip and swiftly copied its contents over.

"Many thanks, my lord!"

A moment later, the blue-skirt woman returned the jade slip and bowed deeply.

In the Cultivation World, someone whose strength gave them absolute advantage yet still kept faith like this — it was the first time she had seen such a person in her life.

"It's merely your due reward; there's no need for thanks."

Jiang Ding waved his hand, picked up a large pile of storage bags, and began busying himself on the second floor — one after another, red spiritwood bookshelves as tall as buildings were collected and sent into storage bags.

The sea of books grew visibly emptier.

Lin Wanshi, calling it a day.

Jiang Ding, carrying a pile of storage bags, headed toward the third floor, followed closely by a group of Jin Dan cultivators.

"Lord Tushan, might I…"

Bai Mei True Person suddenly said with an ingratiating smile.

"Take it."

Jiang Ding knew what he wanted to say, found "Miscellaneous Discourses on Core and Infant" from a storage bag, and tossed it over: "If you want to choose something, just tell me — anyone can."

"Thank you, my lord!"

Bai Mei True Person received it respectfully, yet began to hesitate instead.

Jiang Ding paid no heed to this, recalling the many karma texts he had just read; his head ached, and the more he thought, the more uncomfortable he felt.

This kind of thing with absolutely no pattern, defying common sense, was simply a malignant tumor.

A moment later, over ten Jin Dan cultivators chose "Miscellaneous Discourses on Core and Infant" — most had companions, presumably intending to exchange privately.

Bai Mei True Person hesitated for a long time, but still gave up.

This text was at most bits and pieces; he didn't want to use his only chance on it.

The third floor still held second-tier items, but even fewer — only several hundred thousand dharma texts, mostly powerful, fine-grade dharma-level techniques, and even some classic-grade Foundation Establishment dharmas that only a very few geniuses could successfully cultivate.

This time, no one showed particular interest.

Jiang Ding, like a diligent bee, walked back and forth among the bookshelves, collecting all these unprotected dharmas; occasionally casting a glance, he immediately felt his teeth ache.

About three-tenths of the dharmas here were so-called "karma" techniques — all manner of absurd, mind-bogglingly insane things, experiences, and so-called fortune-transferring rituals.

Even if he understood nothing of the Way of Karma, he didn't believe this had any relation to immortal science.

The fourth floor — the dharma texts became third-tier inheritances, their number greatly reduced once more.

At a glance, dharmas, spells, and miscellaneous discourses combined numbered no more than a hundred thousand or so; all used precious materials as carriers, and even after ten thousand years, the inheritances were rarely damaged, basically requiring no repair.

The only thing needed was breaking the prohibitions.

Unless one was a high-ranking member of Luoxu Sect, it was very difficult to undo the prohibitions within and obtain the inheritances; and if broken improperly, they would self-destruct at the slightest provocation.

For Jiang Ding, this was no problem.

The immortal sects' prohibition-breaking techniques led Luoxu Sect by at least three tiers; breaking prohibitions of this level was quite easy.

"About six-tenths of the dharmas relate to karma — still just as absurd."

Jiang Ding gradually adapted, no longer disappointed, patiently reading those proper dharma texts.

Suddenly, his steps paused,

His gaze fell on a blood-jade palm in the distance, upon which several seal characters were faintly visible.

"Records of Ancestor Shuoyang's Discourse on the Five Elements and Karma."

Jiang Ding's spirit lifted. He carefully lifted the blood-red palm, and his divine sense surged into it, breaking through the prohibitions within.

"... Among all the births of the Five Elements, there must be a cause; sever its cause, and one can destroy its effect... Yet the Great Dao is arduous—how then can one seek the cause of the Five Elements?"

"... Chaos is unclear; it is not something human effort can accomplish..."

"... Only the cause of Jin Zhi can offer a glimpse..."

This person was clearly a Jin Dan cultivator of the Luoxu Sect back then, recording a lecture by Canghai Tianjun. The words were shrouded in mist, headless and tailless, and extremely difficult to understand.

"The cause of the Five Elements?"

"The cause of Jin Zhi..."

Jiang Ding half-understood, yet instinctively thought of something.

Immortal Art · Sky-Suppressing.

The Daoist Shen He, who had been parasitizing Han Lin, had once shown him a corner of a fragment of the Immortal Art inheritance stele—only the size of a fist, yet one could still see an immortal flip a palm to extinguish a river of stars; with one palm falling, the Five Elements, time and space, and cause and effect were all destroyed.

"Perhaps, ten thousand years ago, Canghai Tianjun obtained a relatively complete inheritance stele, one that involved cause and effect?"

"And then he gained some insight from contemplating it?"

Jiang Ding guessed, taking a deep breath.

If this were truly the case, then this Canghai Tianjun's talent was truly unmatched—he had actually begun to touch upon it at the Soul Transformation Realm, and even comprehended an immortal art. Even if only the surface, it was still terrifying.

Thinking of this, he quickened his pace, heading successively to the fifth floor of the Scripture Pavilion, and finally the sixth floor.

The cultivation methods here were still third-tier.

Only they had changed from law-tier cultivation methods to canon-tier ones; the spells were similar. All manner of top-tier Jin Dan inheritances of the third-tier pinnacle—array dao, talisman dao, the dao of spiritual plants and spiritual beasts—were casually placed, making Bai Mei Zhengren and the others' hearts pound as they frantically searched for anything that might mention Nascent Soul.

Jiang Ding paid them no heed, continuing to break the jade slip prohibitions and read the canon-tier cultivation methods concerning cause and effect. He didn't care whether he understood them or not, nor whether these cause-and-effect canon-tier cultivation methods contained any traps—

By now, he no longer dared to dismiss these utterly absurd cultivation methods as the ravings of superstitious madmen.

"《Records of Madam Zhen Lan Shimu》"

Jiang Ding's gaze was drawn to a canon.

This was a cause-and-effect canon-tier cultivation method written by a disciple of Canghai Tianjun from ten thousand years ago; this direct disciple seemed to also be the Sect Master of Luoxu Sect.

"... Madam Zhen Lan Shimu passed away. Shizun used the cause of Jin Zhi to create the Jin Huangyu Beautiful Painting. Threads of Jin Zhi bound three thousand beauties in the Flower Pool, buried with her behind the Ancestral Master Hall... Now that I think about it, this was Shizun's ambition—to claim all the beauties under heaven, to spread his bloodline across the Northern Plains, to make his family the world, and pass it down for ten thousand generations..."

"... Our Luoxu Sect became an obstacle..."

"... The cause of Jin Zhi..."

Jiang Ding's heart jolted, a pang of dread rising within him, as he looked toward the direction of the Luoxu Sect's Ancestral Master Hall.