Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 59 Unwavering Dao Heart

He waved his whisk, and suddenly countless figures appeared in the wilderness.

Those figures were all familiar faces to Zhou Ning.

Yan Chixia, Xin Shisi Niang, Liu Niang, Zhu Erdan, Lu Pan...

They walked toward him one by one, their eyes filled with indifference and hostility.

"Zhou Ning, you betrayed your sect and deserve to die." Yan Chixia's voice was as cold as iron.

"Young Master Zhou, why did you want to harm me?" Xin Shisi Niang cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Zhou Ning, you will die a horrible death!" Judge Lu shouted sternly.

……

Zhou Ning knew these were all illusions, but their voices, expressions, and tones were incredibly real, as if they were truly standing in front of him.

"These are all fake." He gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to believe it.

But the illusions became more and more real, and more and more terrifying.

Yan Chixia raised his sword and thrust it at him.

Xin Shisi Niang lunged at him, trying to strangle him.

Judge Lu opened the book and sentenced him to hell.

……

Zhou Ning closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He remembered what his master had said.

The path of spiritual practice is filled with countless temptations; one must guard one's true nature.

"My resolve will not waver because of illusions," he murmured to himself.

He opened his eyes and looked at the phantoms rushing towards him, neither dodging nor resisting.

"You are all false; the faith I hold is the truth."

The illusion stopped abruptly when it was only a step away from him.

They twisted and deformed, eventually turning into wisps of black smoke that dissipated into the air.

The wilderness returned to silence.

Xuanming's expression changed.

"How...how did you do that?"

Zhou Ning said:

"No matter how realistic an illusion may seem, it is still an illusion. As long as my heart remains unmoved, the illusion cannot harm me."

Xuanming remained silent for a moment, then waved his whisk.

In the wilderness, new illusions appeared.

This time, it was something Zhou Ning feared most deep down.

failure.

He saw that his cultivation had failed, he had gone astray and become a cripple.

He witnessed the villagers of Baihe Village being slaughtered by demons, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

I witnessed the Black Mountain Demon breaking through Lanruo Temple, and my master Yan Chixia lying in a pool of blood...

Every scene pierced his heart.

Zhou Ning's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his hands trembled slightly.

He knew it was all fake, but the feeling of powerlessness and fear was incredibly real.

"No...no, it can't be." He gritted his teeth.

"I will not fail. My master will not die. The people will not suffer."

He took a deep breath, suppressing all his fear and anxiety.

"My path is to protect. As long as I am here, I will not let these things happen."

The illusion vanished once more.

Xuanming's expression grew even more unpleasant.

"You... your resolve is so unwavering."

Zhou Ning was covered in sweat; this was a test of his Dao heart. He then spoke softly, "Daoist Master, stop. Your illusions are useless against me."

Xuanming did not answer, but instead waved his whisk and unleashed his strongest illusion.

This time, the illusion was no longer a person or scene, but a direct attack on Zhou Ning's consciousness.

Zhou Ning felt a sharp pain in his head, as if countless needles were pricking him.

His consciousness began to blur, and everything before his eyes became distorted.

"Hold fast to your principles." He gritted his teeth and silently repeated to himself.

He remembered his master's teachings and his original intention for cultivation.

To distinguish right from wrong and seek peace of mind.

"My resolve to follow the Dao will not waver."

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with a sharp light.

"break!"

An invisible force erupted from his body, shattering all the illusions around him.

The wilderness disappeared, and Zhou Ning found himself standing in the backyard of a Taoist temple.

Xuanming was sitting cross-legged opposite him, his face pale and a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"You...you broke my Illusionary Heart Formation?" Xuanming exclaimed in disbelief.

Zhou Ning stood up and walked up to him.

"Master, your illusions are indeed skillful. But illusions are ultimately just illusions; they cannot deceive those with truly steadfast Daoist hearts."

Xuanming lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

"I have lost."

He took out a jade talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning.

"This is my token. If you ever need anything in the future, please bring this token to me. I will do my best to help you."

Zhou Ning took the jade talisman and put it away.

"Master, I will not pursue the matter of your junior brother. But please tell him not to harm anyone again. Otherwise, I will not show mercy next time."

Xuanming nodded.

"I will certainly pass on the message."

Zhou Ning turned around and left the Taoist temple.

When we left Luoxia Mountain, it was already broad daylight.

The morning light shines on the mountains and forests, bathing everything in a golden glow.

Zhou Ning took a deep breath of the fresh air and continued north.

This battle made him even more confident in his Dao heart.

No matter how powerful the illusion, it cannot surpass a steadfast heart.

After walking for about half a day, he arrived at a small town called "Qinghe Town".

The town is small, with only a few dozen households, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, in a tranquil environment.

Zhou Ning planned to rest here, replenish some dry rations, and continue his journey.

As soon as he entered the town, he sensed an unusual atmosphere.

There were few pedestrians on the street, and most shops were closed.

Occasionally a few pedestrians would pass by, but they all seemed to be in a hurry and looked fearful.

A faint stench of decay filled the air, as if something was rotting.

Zhou Ning frowned, walked to a tea stall that was still open, and ordered a bowl of tea.

"Old man, has something happened in town?" he asked the tea stall owner.

The old man sighed and lowered his voice:

"That's right. Recently, a Taoist priest came to town, claiming to be a master from Laoshan who could cure illnesses and exorcise evil spirits. At first, everyone believed him, but later... later they realized something was wrong."

"Something's not right?"

"That Taoist priest healed people without charging money, only asking for the patient's hair and nails. He said it was for rituals. But those he treated would soon relapse, and their illnesses would be even worse than before." The old man shook his head.

"Some people suspect that the Taoist priest is using evil magic to harm people."

Zhou Ning frowned: "Where is that Taoist priest now?"

The old man pointed to the east end of the town:

"It's in that abandoned ancestral hall at the east end. He sets up an altar and performs rituals every day at noon; it should be starting soon."

Zhou Ning thanked the old man and got up to walk towards the east end of the town.

At the east end of the town stands a dilapidated ancestral hall, long neglected and with withered vines climbing its walls.

Several villagers were standing in line at the entrance of the ancestral hall.

They were pale, with sunken eyes, and looked quite ill.

Zhou Ning squeezed through the crowd and entered the ancestral hall.

Inside the ancestral hall, a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a gray robe sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, with an incense table in front of him, and incense smoke curling upwards.

His face was ordinary, but his eyes were sinister, and a faint, almost imperceptible sneer hung at the corner of his mouth.

Upon seeing Zhou Ning enter, the Taoist opened his eyes and looked him up and down.

"Are you here for a medical consultation, sir?"

Zhou Ning said, "No, I've come to ask you some questions."

A flicker of wariness crossed the Taoist priest's eyes: "What's the problem?"

Zhou Ning asked, "Why does the Taoist priest collect the patient's hair and nails when treating them?"

The Taoist priest's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure:

"That's necessary for the ritual. You are not a practitioner and don't understand these things."

Zhou Ning said, "I am a cultivator. I am a disciple of Yan Chixia from Qingyun Mountain."

The Taoist priest's pupils contracted: "Yan Chixia?"

Zhou Ning nodded:

"Master, your tricks may fool others, but they can't fool me. You collect the hair and nails of your patients to create evil magic."

"The reason why those people who were 'cured' by you relapsed is because you didn't cure the disease at all; you only temporarily suppressed the symptoms with evil magic."

"Once you have their hair and nails, remove the spell and make them even sicker."

The Taoist priest's expression changed completely.

"What...what nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhou Ning pulled out an "evil-repelling talisman" from his waist and threw it onto the incense table.

The talisman glowed with a golden light, and the incense burner on the altar instantly exploded, revealing a pile of black hair and nails inside.

Wisps of black smoke curled around their hair and nails, emanating a nauseating stench.