infodatos Chapter 189 Innocence
Chapter 189 Innocence
Chapter 189 Innocence (4000)
Lu Yuan's heart had just calmed down a little because of the old man's clear Daoist aura.
That resonance originating from the lineage of Taoism was his only solace and direction in this desperate situation.
However, just as he habitually tried to activate the "Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder and Universal Transformation Heavenly Pivot True Scripture".
He mobilized the nearly depleted essence in his dantian, which should have been slowly recovering, to nourish his injured right fist and exhausted body.
A cold, lifeless, and indescribable sense of stagnation, like the strongest chains, instantly bound his dantian!
Indeed, the circulation has ceased.
No, it's not a stop.
It's more like... solidified?
It was firmly "locked" deep in the dantian by some invisible force, and its connection with the meridians and acupoints of the whole body was forcibly severed!
No matter how Lu Yuan tried to activate it with his mind or how he followed the cultivation method, it didn't matter.
The once fluid and lively true qi was now like stagnant water frozen solid, completely still!
Even the dense Yin energy from the earth's veins outside could no longer be absorbed and refined by him, and transformed into his own true essence!
The source of power within Lu Yuan's body has been cut off!
Lu Yuan's expression changed drastically, and his pupils contracted instantly!
He immediately stopped, ignoring Hu Huhu, and sat down cross-legged, his hands moving rapidly.
This leads to the most basic and core techniques of Taoism: the "Internal Vision Circulation Seal" and the "Guiding and Returning to the Origin Seal."
Try to look inward, find out where the problem lies, and forcefully break through that invisible constraint.
"Keep your mind inward and look back to reflect on yourself."
"Sink your Qi to the Dantian, and let your intention circulate throughout the body—"
Lu Yuan silently recited the internal vision technique, concentrating all his energy in an attempt to "see" the situation inside his dantian.
However, what he "saw" was a chaotic grayness.
The dantian and dantian seemed to be shrouded and enveloped by an invisible, viscous gray mist.
The mist did not belong to him, nor was it external yin energy; rather, it was a more bizarre and domineering force.
It does not "absorb" or "contaminate" his truth, but rather directly "prohibits" and "isolates" it.
Completely separate his true self from his body and from the outside world!
The problem lies with this cave!
Is it the pervasive yin energy of the earth's veins here?
Or is it some kind of restriction specifically targeting the true qi of the Daoist sects, one that he hasn't noticed?
Lu Yuan was horrified and tried several secret hand seals used by Taoist sects to break internal bindings and unblock meridians.
"The mysterious aperture opens, and the locks are unlocked."
"When the three gates are cleared, all meridians are harmonized."
"By the decree of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, open!"
He then pointed to several major acupoints on his body and chanted the "Opening Acupoints and Unblocking Meridians Mantra" rapidly.
The hand gestures were precise, the incantation was clear, yet there was no response.
Without true infusion at the fingertips, the incantation loses its power due to a lack of genuine drive, becoming like a mortal spouting empty words.
Lu Yuan changed his hand seals again, attempting to use the "Golden Light Dispelling Impurity Seal" to activate his remaining righteous energy and impact the gray mist.
"The mysteries of heaven and earth are the roots of all things."
"I will cultivate for countless eons to prove my supernatural powers."
"Within and beyond the Three Realms, only the Dao is supreme."
"Golden light emanates from my body, enveloping me—"
"Golden light swiftly appeared, covering and protecting the true person."
"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"
The Golden Light Mantra is one of the fundamental divine mantras for protection and warding off evil in Taoism.
If one can use true qi to drive it, one can cleanse one's inner impurities and break through evil obstacles.
But at this moment, Lu Yuan's body was completely empty. After reciting the incantation, only a faint, almost imperceptible trace of pure and righteous intent originating from the source of his spirit flashed through his sea of consciousness.
However, it was completely unable to shake the strange gray barrier outside the dantian.
Come again!
"The Mantra for Purifying Heaven and Earth!"
"Heaven and earth are natural, and impurities disperse."
"The cave is mysterious and vast, and the light shines brightly."
"The mighty gods of the eight directions make me natural."
"The Mandate of the Spiritual Treasure is proclaimed throughout the Nine Heavens—"
"The evil and filth will dissipate, and the Dao's Qi will endure."
"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"
It is also ineffective.
Without true power as a bridge and fuel, even the most exquisite mantras and the most authentic hand gestures are merely empty forms.
They lost the fundamental means to communicate with heaven and earth, to invoke the Dao, and to exert supernatural powers.
In an instant, cold sweat poured down Lu Yuan's forehead.
Undeterred, Lu Yuan then tried several methods recorded in Taoist scriptures, such as the "Unraveling Knot Spell," the "Block-Breaking Seal," and the "Purifying Body and Mind Seal," which were used to remove abnormal states and break internal and external seals.
For each one, Lu Yuan strictly followed the tradition, with no mistakes or omissions in hand gestures, incantations, or mental techniques.
But the result is the same.
It sank without a trace, leaving no ripples.
Lu Yuan's true self was completely "locked up".
It wasn't completely exhausted, but rather forcibly sealed and isolated by a higher-level, more bizarre force!
This left him with the cultivation level of a two-star Celestial Master, yet unable to use it even slightly!
Lu Yuan is now only physically stronger than ordinary people, and his sea of consciousness is more resilient than ordinary people due to cultivation. In terms of Taoist magic and supernatural powers, he is no different from an ordinary person who has never cultivated!
No, it might even be worse!
Ordinary people at least have unobstructed breathing, but his true qi was locked up, his meridians were sluggish, and even the normal flow of qi and blood was affected.
I felt my body getting heavier and heavier, and my head was getting dizzy.
From the most basic guiding and returning to the origin to the profound breaking through barriers and opening the mind, cold sweat mixed with the dust from the previous fierce battle slid down his cheeks.
Every attempt was accompanied by the agonizing experience of hope being ignited only to be quickly extinguished.
The strange gray mist outside his dantian was like the most stubborn shackles, no matter how he tried to break through it, it remained unmoved, firmly locking away all his true energy.
Frustration, anger, and a hint of indescribable panic, like a cold, venomous snake, slowly coiled around Lu Yuan's heart.
Having lost the truth, all the skills one possesses become so powerless at this moment.
even----
Lu Yuan was already thinking—
Could it be—
The jade pendant—it can't be broken now, can it?
and many more.
Lu Yuan's rapid breathing suddenly stopped, and his chaotic thoughts came to an abrupt halt as if struck by lightning.
From the moment I discovered that my true qi was locked, to frantically trying various methods to save myself.
How much time has passed in between?
Several dozen breaths?
Hundreds of breaths?
Time becomes blurred in the anxiety, but it is definitely not short.
What has Hu Huhu been doing all this time?
Why is it so quiet?
Based on Hu Huhu's previous reactions, seeing that he was truly locked up and that all his attempts to find a solution had failed, he should have been more anxious and panicked than Hu Huhu.
He would likely keep asking questions, try to use his Hu family's methods to help investigate, pace back and forth anxiously, and mutter curses under his breath about the Liu family's treachery.
Just like before when he was out, he would always express his concerns and offer suggestions at the right time, even if those suggestions were often tinged with despair.
But this time, from the moment he sat down cross-legged to try to crack the code, no sound came from Hu Huhu behind him.
There were no questions asked, no movements made, not even a suppressed sigh or heavy breathing.
Quiet.
Silence as death.
The only sounds were the faint dripping of water from deep within the cave and my own slightly heavy breathing due to the failure of my attempt.
An indescribable chill instantly surged from Lu Yuan's tailbone, rushing straight to the top of his head!
Lu Yuan suddenly turned his head and looked at the spot where Hu Huhu had been standing.
In the dim light, with the help of a faint, eerie light emanating from the depths of the cave of unknown origin, Lu Yuan saw Hu Huhu.
He stood there, no more than four or five steps away from Lu Yuan.
Contrary to Lu Yuan's expectations, they were not anxious or uneasy, and did not try to approach or ask questions.
He stood there quietly, his hunched figure casting a distorted shadow in the dim light.
And his face—
When Lu Yuan's gaze met Hu Huhu's face, his heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an icy hand, and he could barely breathe!
That round face, which not long ago was filled with honesty, despair, determination, and even gratitude and trust towards him, has now completely changed.
All expressions disappeared.
Honesty, despair, gratitude, trust —
These emotions were like stains washed away by water, leaving not a trace.
Instead, there was an almost numb calm.
No, it's not calm, it's indifference.
A kind of extreme indifference that penetrates to the bone.
What startled Lu Yuan the most were those eyes.
Hu Huhu's eyes, which were usually tired and cloudy but occasionally revealed complex emotions, were now quietly looking at him.
There was no surprise, no worry, and no reaction to the sudden situation that "Master Lu was really locked up."
There was only a bottomless darkness, and in the depths of that darkness—
A hint of something almost imperceptible, cold, like a venomous snake scrutinizing its prey—sinister and mocking.
He just watched Lu Yuan quietly, watching Lu Yuan struggle, try, and fail in vain like a trapped beast.
The corners of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly upwards, forming a faint, eerie curve.
That's not Tiger Hu Hu!
At least, it wasn't the Tiger Hu Hu that Lu Yuan knew, who would weep bitterly because his wife's soul was released.
Hu Huhu, the head of the Xu Deng Hu family, is the one who would risk his life to repay a debt of gratitude, clumsily comfort his daughter, and ramble on about his last wishes!
The chill instantly seeped into Lu Yuan's limbs and bones.
Lu Yuan recalled the various "cooperations" between Hu Huhu and Lu Yuan along the way.
I recalled his "frankness" about his "wife's spirit".
He recalled how the man had "fully shared all his intelligence about the Liu family" with him.
She recalled how he had "just the right moment" stopped her from forcing her way into the black stone house, and then "appropriately" led her to this "real" entrance—
A terrifying thought, so chilling it sent shivers down his spine, surged uncontrollably into his mind.
Could it be that this was all a setup from the very beginning?
A larger, more sophisticated trap, targeting Lu Yuan, or rather, targeting the Taoist practitioners who came to rescue the old man?!
And Hu Huhu—from beginning to end, was the most fatal and most hidden link in this trap!
Lu Yuan stared intently at "Tiger Hu Hu" a few steps away, whose expression was indifferent and whose eyes were cold.
His body trembled slightly from shock, and he seemed to feel no pain at the bandage on his right hand.
Only a bone-chilling coldness spread from my heart throughout my body.
"It seems—"
"I've fallen for their trap."
In the end, it was Lu Yuan who spoke first.
Lu Yuan's voice echoed in the silent cave, calm and undisturbed, as if he were merely stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
The shock, fear, and anger on his face just now had all vanished like the receding tide.
All that remained was a deep, still pool.
Lu Yuan slowly stood up from the ground, his movements stiff and slow due to being locked up and his injuries.
But his back was straight, and his gaze was fixed on Hu Huhu, who was a completely different person, a few steps away.
The cold mockery on Hu Huhu's face seemed to deepen after hearing Lu Yuan's words.
He didn't answer immediately, but tilted his head slightly, with an extremely uncomfortable look in his eyes, as if he were examining an object.
He scanned Lu Yuan up and down, as if assessing how many cards were still hidden behind his words "I've fallen for their trap."
Or rather, how much—a futile, death-defying struggle.
"Oh----"
A low, hoarse chuckle, squeezed out from his nose, finally escaped from Hu Huhu's throat.
This laughter was completely different from his previous voice, which was either honest or desperate; it carried a condescending indifference and mockery.
"Master Lu, your reaction is much calmer than I expected."
Hu Huhu spoke, his voice still bearing that familiar accent from beyond the Great Wall.
But his tone and manner of speaking were so cold that they lacked any human warmth.
"I thought you would either start cursing or be incredulous."
"Or... you want to fight me to the death?"
Lu Yuan didn't reply, but just looked at him quietly, his eyes deep, as if trying to see through the skin to the true soul beneath.
Seeing Lu Yuan so calm, Hu Huhu seemed to find it somewhat boring.
Or rather, victory is assured, and there's no need to play those deceptive tricks anymore.
He took a small step forward, and the cold and sinister expression on his round face became even more pronounced.
"Yes, it's a plan."
Hu Huhu nodded.
"From the moment you came to my door, no, perhaps even earlier."
Lu Yuan finally spoke, his voice still calm.
"Including the matter of your wife's spirit?"
"Including those Soul-Locking Reversal Arrays in your yard?"
"Including that 'heartbreaking' performance you gave in the back mountains?"
Hu Huhu's lips twitched, as if he wanted to make a nostalgic expression, but it only turned into a strange distortion.
"Xiu'e's story is true."
"She died in childbirth, and her soul also went astray. I tried everything to keep her alive, but I couldn't. That's the truth."
"The junk in the yard was indeed something I messed around with, trying to preserve her last bit of memory, that's true."
"Of course—my heartache for the sheep and the rabbit is also genuine."
He paused, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but it was instantly replaced by a deeper coldness: "But these 'truths' don't stop me from using them to weave a story that you'll believe."
"The image of a pitiful head of the household who is desperate, whose family is destroyed, and who only wants his wife to be freed, and is willing to pay any price for it."
"See, you believe it now, don't you?"
"You believed my despair, you believed my gratitude, you believed that I would break the blood oath of ten families to bring you to this den of dragons and tigers in order to repay your kindness."
Hu Huhu shook his head, the mockery on his face becoming even more pronounced: "Master Lu, you are still too young and too naive."
"Can the blood oath between ten families be broken so easily?"
"If just anyone, because of a little personal affection or a small favor, could easily betray us, reveal the secrets of another race, or even bring outsiders to attack our doorstep—"
"Then what makes us ten families from outside the Great Wall have been able to establish ourselves on this land for hundreds of years?"