The Quest for Immortality

His hands were covered in crimson, his neck sticky, seemingly still flowing endlessly with blood.

The burly man was scared and shaken, then anger flared in his eyes, he activated the runes all over his body, sparks of light flashed around him, and his fists charged with the power of divine symbols swept outward.

”You beast, I’ll kill you!”

But where the fists swept across, it was empty and barren, without anything in sight.

He didn’t know at all what kind of evil spirit had ”kissed” him.

Meanwhile, as the burly man grew angrier, his heart became agitated, a blemish appeared in his Taoist Heart, accelerating the corruption of evil thoughts.

The lip print on his neck turned even more vividly red, and it started to slowly spread towards his chest.

True Man Situ was startled, immediately activated the Red Gold Cup, using the light of Six Yang to shine onto the burly man.

The Qi of Six Yang, under the red golden light’s cover, made the burly man’s neck seem like it was scalded by boiling water, quickly shriveling, even emitting white smoke.

But the crimson lip print was also suppressed.

”Cut the flesh!” True Man Situ said immediately.

The Taoist wielded his Peach Wood Sword, slicing towards the burly man’s neck, cutting out the flesh marked by divine thought, along with removing the lip print.

His Primordial Spirit was damaged, the burly man shouted in pain, yet knowing the urgency of the situation, he endured the sharp pain, manifesting a Fire Talisman at the wound, using blazing fire to eradicate evil qi, scorching his flesh to stop the bleeding and heal the wound.

Others also activated Divine Thought Skill or Magic Treasure, protecting the burly man while keeping a watchful gaze.

The monk too invoked his prayer beads, inciting Sanskrit to shield everyone.

But as he shot a sidelong glance, he suddenly noticed a graceful evil shadow somehow standing by his side, a scarlet mark rapidly approaching him, his heart trembled in alarm, not daring to hesitate, he heightened the power of his Sanskrit prayer beads to the extreme.

The golden Sanskrit dispelled the red mark, also repelled the evil shadow.

The monk’s heart calmed slightly, yet the next moment, a wet, sticky sensation spread across the back of his neck.

A chill swept over his entire body.

”Impossible! The Sanskrit from the Brahman Temple cannot fail to fend off this evil object!”

”Is my heart towards Buddha not firm?”

”Am I succumbing to evil thoughts?”

”No, impossible...”

The monk gritted his teeth and shut his mouth, but his facial muscles couldn’t help but tremble.

He knew, deep down, his Buddha Heart should be fine, yet he couldn’t stop questioning himself, questioning whether his cultivation was right or wrong, whether his adherence to the precepts had loosened.

The more he tried to affirm his Buddha Heart, the more heavy the doubts about himself weighed in his heart.

The more doubts that arose, the more fear grew within him.

As though every cultivation he had undertaken in life was entirely wrong.

It was precisely because his cultivation path was wrong that he couldn’t resist the evil object’s seduction.

From the darkness, he’d traveled a considerable distance, constantly slashing monsters and spirits, keeping emotions tense, in an instant they surged back like a tide, overwhelming the monk, making it hard for him to breathe.

As his mind was confused, he then saw in the distance, a figure walking over.

This was an exceedingly graceful, incredibly delicate figure.

With icy skin and jade bones, sheer fabric cloaking the body, glimpses of allure appearing here and there, stirring an unbearable itch in one’s heart. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, eyes like waters alluring, her fair jade-like feet, each step seemingly treading upon the monk’s heart.

The monk strongly inhibited his heart’s desires, his gaze resolute, muttering:

”You beast, don’t try to disturb my Buddha Heart!”

”All worldly dust is mere flesh, beautiful women are all skeletons.”

The monk activated his mental method, muttering ”Worldly dust, flesh; beautiful women, skeletons,” thereafter the delicate and charming figure indeed began to transform.

The flowery face and moonlike appearance decayed into rotten flesh.

The icy skin and jade bones gradually dried out and decayed, revealing the stark white skeleton beneath.

The monk’s desires faded away, like still water.

But before he could really let out a sigh of relief, it seemed like time had turned backwards.

The rotten mud-like visage once again turned alabaster, restoring the vivid beauty.

Upon the white skeleton, flesh regenerated, beneath the beautiful skin, it once more transformed into that alluring figure.

Moreover, without a thread on her body, even more captivating.

The monk’s desires again rose like fire, gradually igniting.

”Beautiful women are skeletons...”

The monk upheld his heart safeguarding mantra.

The woman’s shadowy figure, before his eyes, again transformed into mud and bones.

The monk’s desires again receded, but in a mere moment, the decayed flesh and white bone again became an enticing body.

And no matter how the monk recited spells to guard his heart, the flowery face and moonlike appearance remained alluring, the icy skin and jade bones continually compelling his heart.

His mental defenses teetered on collapse, the monk’s heart grew fearful.

Yet, he could only watch, as this jade-like graceful figure walked step by step towards him.

Before his eyes, the snowy white hue became increasingly real, his nose picking up the fragrant bodily scent tinged with blood.

The monk knew, that the rosy beauty before him was just decayed flesh, just white bones.

But no matter how he severed his desires, how he forced himself to alter cognition, a beauty remained a beauty.

Even, for a moment, a thought arose in his heart:

No matter if it’s decayed flesh and bones, to be intimate and close with such beauty, what great fortune of three lifetimes, why care what it is?

As soon as this thought arose, a fire ignited the monk’s heart, yet coldness crept in.

He knew, he was finished...

A person who observes precepts has dull desires.

But once those precepts are broken, desires will backfire like floodwaters, raging and overflowing.

Sure enough, as if sensing his desire, the captivating woman revealed a passionate smile, within her eyes waves of seduction flowed.

Her lips were blood red, vividly alluring.

The woman embraced the monk, one red lip after another imprimed on his cheeks and neck.

Enthralling desire, corroding the monk.

The monk felt joy in his heart, yet intertwined with regret and fear, his expression struggling and painful.

Soon after, a glow of Six Yang Red Gold shone over, burning up the captivating woman, turning her into a dessicated human form.