Starting My Cultivation With Time Management

Chapter 254: Chapter 46: Ten Aspects Release Method, The Transformation of the Fox Demon
 

“A trap?”

“Yes.”

“What kind?”

“Hard to say,” Kunlun Mirror mused, “but there are indeed several mechanisms concealed behind the entrance, which seem to have the function of detecting race.”

“Detecting race?”

“Mainly aimed at guarding against humans,” Kunlun Mirror explained. “If an intruder is detected to be human, the mechanism will activate the restrictions.”

“I see,” Wei Dongliu turned back and said to the others, “There seem to be mechanisms and restrictions here that, upon detecting a human’s entrance, would be triggered.”

“Are you sure?” Wen Yang frowned and asked.

“If you don’t believe me, feel free to try,” Wei Dongliu said calmly.

No one asked him how he was so sure because secret techniques are confidential among cultivators, not to be disclosed.

Hence, everyone gathered at the entrance, cautiously exchanging glances with each other.

“If it’s just a matter of detecting intruders, it’s easy; I have Nether Ghosts at hand to test it,” Wen Yang said solemnly. “But if it’s as Wei Dao You says, specifically detecting humans, it probably won’t work.”

“There’s no village nearby either,” Gu Lie also frowned and said, “Otherwise, capturing a living person to throw in as a test would be the safest method.”

Wei Dongliu was incredibly calm on the side, yet inwardly he clicked his tongue in wonder.

Wow, talking about using a live person to test just like that, that’s demonic thinking for you. I couldn’t even imagine it!

“The demons I keep are all demon heads, not humans, so I can’t test it,” Jiang Liyan said indifferently.

“Could a paper effigy work?” Long Xiaoqi suddenly asked.

“A paper effigy?” Wei Dongliu asked in surprise.

“Take a paper effigy, smear it with blood and flesh, and connect it with qi through a secret technique to make it my substitute. Can it be recognized as human?” Long Xiaoqi asked seriously.

“Is that the ‘False Puppet Substitution Technique’ from the Eastern Emperor Sect?” Wen Yang suddenly exclaimed, “Long Dao You has mastered this technique?”

“That’s the one.” Long Xiaoqi nodded and then turned to Wei Dongliu, “Would that work?”

“Let’s try it.” Wei Dongliu was noncommittal and turned to ask Kunlun Mirror inside, “What’s the False Puppet Substitution Technique? It sounds powerful.”

“I have never heard of the False Puppet Substitution Technique,” replied the Green Duckweed Sword, “though I have heard of the ‘Dragon Effigy Substitution Technique’.”

“The Dragon Clan intimidates demons with their Dragon’s Might, then uses a secret technique of dragon breath to refine them, stripping their divine sense and spiritual wisdom, turning their flesh and blood into a mass while still keeping them alive, called a dragon effigy.”

“When necessary, by linking it with one’s qi, it can cause restrictions, formations, and even Heavenly Tribulation to mistake the effigy for an actual member of the Dragon Clan as a special means of preserving life.”

“I see,” Wei Dongliu suddenly understood.

Looking at Long Xiaoqi, she took a plump ball from her sleeve, bit her fingertip, and smeared her blood on it. The ball immediately stretched out and transformed into a girl nearly identical to Long Xiaoqi’s appearance, staggering towards the entrance ahead.

“Is Long Xiaoqi a human?” Wei Dongliu’s thoughts shifted as he asked.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“No,” Kunlun Mirror responded, “there’s something wrong with that blood.”

All eyes were glued on the dragon effigy as it charged into the entrance. As soon as it stepped halfway in, purple-black thunder balls appeared all around, numerous and chilling to behold, spread all around, surging toward the center where the dragon effigy was like a tidal wave.

The effigy was struck by a thunder ball and immediately turned into a wisp of green smoke, fading into nothingness.

“Dead,” Long Xiaoqi said, spreading her hands.

“Is that restriction based on Thunder Method?” Wen Yang’s eyes slightly widened, his breathing growing a bit heavier.

Thunder Method by nature overpowers evil and breaks curses, causing great harm to Nether Ghosts. Especially the Jade Pivot Thunder from the Kunlun Sect – although no cultivators study it these days, all throughout the history of the Nether Ghost Path, disciples have been repeatedly cautioned to be particularly wary of Thunder Method.

If all the restrictions inside Mirror Lake Divine Palace are related to Thunder Method, it would pose a significant repression for a disciple of the Nether Ghost Path like him.

“If my guess is correct,” Wei Dongliu said gravely, “that seems to be the North Pole Renxuan Xuanming Water Thunder, which is extremely powerful underwater and comes with an ice-cold freezing effect. Ordinary magical treasures would directly freeze and crack upon contact, shattering their essence.”

“Wei Daoist friend is indeed knowledgeable and experienced,” Wen Yang said slowly. “Do you have a strategy to counter it?”

“None,” Wei Dongliu shook his head.

Qiu Changtian had also practiced the Polar Thunder and naturally knew that although the thunder seemed dim and lightless, it was actually violent and extraordinary, almost impossible to deal with except by direct confrontation.

Thus, everyone began to ponder deeply in the water, the atmosphere gradually growing tense, and their expressions became troubled.

They had already found the Mirror Lake Divine Palace; if a thunder method restriction were to block their way, and they had to turn back, none of them would be willing to do so.

But to continue forward, they were at a loss, unable to come up with any good methods—if there were any, thunder methods wouldn’t be feared by cultivators in the world.

“I do have a strategy; it just depends on whether you dare to tell them,” the Kunlun Mirror suddenly said.

“What strategy?” Wei Dongliu was initially delighted but then said, “It isn’t some plan where I pretend to lure them away, and you teleport me inside, and I come back holding the treasures saying, ‘Look, I’ve already got it,’ the kind of plan that takes others for fools, right?”

“Of course not!” the Kunlun Mirror immediately retorted angrily, “In fact, that witch can pass through directly, just think about it!”

Jiang Liyan? Wei Dongliu pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized.

The Ten Aspects Release Method!

The Heavenly Demon Path’s Ten Aspects Release Method was a top-ranked illusion technique in the world, said to freely change one’s face, stature, skin color, voice, and scent, as well as transform into a child, youth, elder, strong man, or woman. If one could disguise as a demon and the restriction couldn’t see through it, wouldn’t it fail to activate?

He immediately said solemnly:

“Jiang Daoist friend, how about you use your Ten Aspects Release Method?”

Jiang Liyan was first startled, then exclaimed:

“Wait! The Ten Aspects Release Method is just an illusion technique; at most, it can deceive a cultivator’s Divine Sense probing, but it might not necessarily work against formation restrictions!”

“How do you know it won’t work?” Wei Dongliu asked with a smile.

Jiang Liyan’s expression stiffened as she heard Wen Yang say next to her:

“Indeed. Since we have no other methods, we might as well have Jiang Daoist friend give it a try.”

“If Jiang Daoist friend has another method, feel free to share it,” Gu Lie said with narrowed eyes, echoing the sentiment.

You say one thing, I say another, immediately cornering Jiang the Witch with no way out.

As long as she couldn’t produce a better method, everyone would be forced to push her to give it a try.

Jiang Liyan was not one of kind temperament and was not inclined to comply so easily. Just as she was about to utter some sinister threats, she suddenly remembered something.

It was Wei the rogue who discovered the entrance trap and restrictions; the test results also proved that he wasn’t lying.

If he had intended to kill and silence everyone from the beginning, to monopolize the treasures inside, would he resort to such a low-level method?

All he needed was to pretend not to know about the entrance restrictions and let others test it. Ultimately, someone would die first, and no one could put the blame on him.

Moreover, since he claimed that the Ten Aspects Release Method could work against the restrictions ahead and was so insistent on pushing me to try, if it turned out to be ineffective and I died within the restrictions, wouldn’t his credibility within the team be immediately destroyed? What would be the benefit for him?

On careful analysis, he must be confident about something; he must be convinced that the Ten Aspects Release Method could indeed pass through the entrance ahead but couldn’t say it openly, which was why he was so adamant.

Remembering the last time on Golden Turtle Island, when she was suppressed by that demon monk’s purple-gold alms bowl, Wei the rogue had indeed saved her without breaking his promise… Jiang Liyan then placed a bit more trust in him, but her face still showed an aggrieved expression as she said:

“Since Wei Daoist friend wishes for this humble woman to give it a try, then I will entrust my life to Wei Daoist friend.”

As she spoke sorrowfully, she activated the Ten Aspects Release Method. Her face shape slightly elongated, her eyebrows and eyes narrowed a bit, fuzzy hair grew below her nose, and her ears wriggled upwards, eventually turning into a pair of beast ears.

A female yellow weasel? No, it seemed more like a fox demon sister!

With a face clearly of a demon, Jiang the Witch carefully moved forward with Sword Control, ready to use a Secret Technique to escape at any moment should her “Danger Intuition” arise.