Chapter 488: Subjugation

Levius.

In an estate with beautiful surroundings, planted with black tulips.

"Ah!"

With a scream, a little girl in a nightgown jolted awake on a velvet bed: "Dad… I…"

She hurried off the bed and entered another secret chamber.

In the chamber, candles burned in all four corners, and a dog-headed man lay sprawled on the ground, surrounded by ritual implements.

No, that was not a "dog-headed man," but a middle-aged man draped in a black dog pelt.

"Dad…"

Ying looked at her father Karl, rushed forward, and pulled out a silver bottle filled with esoteric liquid.

A pungent odor struck the nose, making one involuntarily frown.

Karl's eyelids twitched violently, then he sneezed and suddenly came to: "I…"

"Dad, what's wrong? Don't scare me…"

Ying's voice trembled with tears.

"I'm fine… or rather… I've never felt better."

Karl stared at his hands: "It seems I've received a secret transmission… a Heart Sect martial art—Magic Fist?"

"Is… is that being responsible?"

Ying shuddered, her tone now tinged with reverence.

"Never speak that being's name; you must show utmost respect…"

Karl fell silent for a moment, then spoke.

For they had already undergone the "Doghead Vajra Oral Initiation" ritual—now incapable of revealing any vital information.

Even from within their minds, that being's figure appeared towering, majestic, worthy of reverence and worship…

Even worthy of surrendering everything.

Especially… after learning the Esoteric Sect's martial arts, they would regard the Esoteric Sect's Master as a "god!"

"He… no, He… is a deity?"

Ying's voice trembled slightly; as a Heart Path adept, she understood far more about the Aether Realm than ordinary adepts, knowing that beyond "Immortals," even more majestic and terrifying beings existed.

"Above the Immortal rank lie true 'Angels'… above Angels, the indescribable 'Deities'… Deities possess multiple aspects and occasionally descend into the shallow Aether Realm…"

Karl sighed: "Perhaps… we encountered a true deity's avatar! He played a joke on us—and generously granted us knowledge…"

"Yes… knowledge."

Ying's face grew fearful; as she recalled slightly, she unearthed countless contents from her memory.

It was a secret transmission, containing methods to stimulate physical cultivation, brutal mental austerities, and ultimate applications.

In her mind, countless Esoteric Sect martial arts coalesced into a crimson scripture.

This secret transmission carried a heavy scent of rust; with a mere thought, she heard the sound of pages turning.

On the first page of the transmission, a line of blood and fire appeared:

【Through suffering in blood and fire, the Heart's Martial Art grows strong…】

"Is this a deity's secret transmission? Can we learn it?"

Ying's expression turned solemn; she was no novice in esotericism, knowing that low-rank adepts who forcibly read high-rank transmissions often descended into madness.

"Probably… we've already learned it. It's become instinct."

Karl pondered, then smiled bitterly.

At that moment, Ying also noticed her body had grown firmer, even developed new muscle, resembling a sleek, graceful female leopard.

"Well, this is good!"

Karl gently stroked his daughter's head: "Heart Path adepts are too weak in the real world… That's precisely why our family must keep secrets. This time, those in our Heart Research Society betrayed us—they obtained our real names and addresses, eliminating us one by one. Against modern firepower, we had no resistance. But now… it's different."

Since Heart Path adepts were so weak in the mortal world, they excelled at self-protection, even concealing their names.

But this time, traitors within our own society leaked part of the family's true identities, allowing enemies to trace us one by one.

Even my own daughter was hunted in the Aether Realm.

Surely, in the real world, someone will come knocking soon.

Half an hour later.

Karl and his daughter prepared to board a steam locomotive.

After assessment, Karl judged this safehouse no longer secure and planned to relocate to another hidden estate.

Beside them, the unaware butler and maids thought their master was going on vacation, helping load luggage into the trunk.

Suddenly!

Bang! Bang!

Several gunshots.

The stunned butler, maids, and footmen collapsed into pools of blood.

Yet Karl and Ying exploded with speed beyond human comprehension, diving behind the steam car.

Through the glass, Ying saw a group of black-clad gunmen approaching.

"It's them—the outsiders… We shared esoteric knowledge with them, guided their path, and yet they betrayed us!"

Ying gritted her teeth, staring at a gunshot wound on her arm.

In the past, she might have burst into tears.

But now, as if by instinct, she contracted her muscles, squeezing out the "bullet," then swiftly stopping the bleeding—the wound healed as if never wounded… "Human hearts are always greedy… Our ancestors set up safeguards, but in the esoteric world, anything is possible—being cracked is normal."

Karl sighed, then lunged forward like a hunting leopard.

Swish! Swish!

To the gunmen, Karl's figure split into three!

Each "Karl" looked utterly real, radiating an aura of terror!

"Shoot!"

A black-clad gunman with a centipede-shaped scar roared, raising his pistol.

Bullets struck the three Karls—but passed through them like water, leaving no blood, no splash.

"Foolish mortals…"

Ying watched from the side, sneering.

In her eyes, Karl had charged straight ahead—but the gunmen, blind as bats, kept firing into the air and to either side.

"Magic Fist? To ordinary people, it creates merely an illusion—trapping them forever…"

"Achieving maximum effect with minimal force—that is the essence of Esoteric Sect martial arts."

Ying understood.

Karl felt utterly exhilarated; his physique felt immensely powerful. The true power of Heart Martial Arts lay in the mutual transformation between mind and body.

His mental power was, of course, extraordinarily strong.

Now, through the bridge of Esoteric Sect martial arts, he could effortlessly convert that immense mental power into physical strength, turning himself into a miniature superhuman.

Even direct hits from small-caliber firearms caused no harm.

Bang!

He reached out, seized a steam rifle, and twisted it casually.

The rifle's barrel twisted into a spiral and exploded, sending the gunman screaming.

"Your turn… Jules!"

Wherever Karl passed, gunmen screamed and fell.

He reached the scarred gunman leader, seized him with one hand, and lifted him up.

"You betrayed me. You betrayed the family. Die."

Karl stared at this former confidant—and found himself utterly calm.

No joy of vengeance. No rage. Only stillness.

Crack!

He casually snapped Jules's neck, then returned to the car: "Ying, let's go… From today on, our Heart Research Society becomes the most faithful believer of the Esoteric Sect's Master… Leaves decay, turn to ash—true Heart Research Society will be reborn from decay, growing stronger!"

…

Fang Xing, guided by the White Flower coordinates, now arrived at a certain point in the Aether Realm.

Around him, everything was gray and hazy; pillars of gray-white stone rose into the sky.

Torches burned atop the pillars, their flames stabilized by some unknown ritual, burning eternally without extinguishing.

Further ahead lay a marketplace.

Groups of black- and gray-robed figures gathered, some entering tents to trade.

Though crude, in the Aether Realm, this was unimaginable.

"Using 'stone' as a foundation, and deploying countless rituals to stabilize this area?"

Fang Xing glanced around and reached a conclusion.

"Hehe… another newcomer."

"Let's see how long he lasts? I bet three days…"

Around him, hidden esotericists eyed Fang Xing, recognizing him as a novice, their gazes filled with mockery and madness.

Passing through the Deep Sea Gate, if you sacrifice too much rationality by accident, you easily become a fool.

Fang Xing's gaze swept across the marketplace, a faint smile appearing on his face: "I sense unmasked malice. Hmm, given your crimes, this is only natural…"

In this world, the vast majority of the extraordinary are madmen or convicted felons.

Whether kidnapping, coercion, intentional harm, or even human sacrifice—each has committed at least one such crime.

After all, to pass through the Gate and endure its many perils, or to enhance one's own power, sacrifice is the best path!

"Then… let us net them all."

Fang Xing smiled slightly, forming the "Dharma Realm Seal" with both hands; the Great Sun Dharma Realm descended, engulfing the entire marketplace.

Then… a red sun rose, and within its glow stood his Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Body!

No!

The Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Body formed another seal, ascending further, transforming into an indestructible celestial body suspended above layers of spacetime!

——The Spacetime Imperishable Sun!

Scorching radiance instantly rained down.

One by one, the black-robed figures' robes burst into flame, becoming torches as they screamed in agony: "Ah… it's a deity!"

"A deity has descended…"

"I beg you… forgive me…"

"Forgive me, I will offer you a hundred souls as sacrifices…"

…

Fang Xing's expression remained unchanged as he gazed down upon the myriad forms of mortals: "I am the Master of the Esoteric Sect—no mercy, no pity…"

He spotted a few extraordinary beings barely surviving beneath the Great Sun's radiance, and a faint smile crossed his face: "Your sins are not deep—you shall join my Esoteric Sect and atone for yourselves… Will you not submit at once?!"

(End of Chapter)