[Placement Slot 4: Prajñā Pāramitā Heart Sutra (Unranked / Mind / Karma Purification)]
"Heart Sutra (0/100): 48 recitations per day, 300 years to perfection."
This was a classic Buddhist scripture—and an unusual one. Not only did it cultivate mind power, it also purified karmic burdens.
Karma was a concept Wang Yu had never encountered in this world. But its benefits were many: increased merit, awakened wisdom, immunity to illness, clarity of the six senses… all drawn from his past-life understanding of Buddhism.
Among the Eight Guardian Deities of Buddhist lore was the Asura King. Yet the [Asura Saint-Slaying Canon] was passed down by the ancient demon of Slaughter.
A Buddha and a demon—seemingly unrelated.
But perhaps not entirely. And for a scripture with no rank to require 300 years to master… was it because Wang Yu lacked Buddhist affinity? Or was the Heart Sutra simply that profound?
He couldn't say.
What he did know was that this sutra belonged to the [Asura Canon]'s extended inheritance. He strongly suspected Jin Miaoshan's version lacked it.
Even the [Minor Asura Slaughter Fist] might be absent.
These branches were clearly created later—likely by the Asura Sovereign in his final years.
Wang Yu formed a theory.
The original inheritance from the demon of Slaughter was raw and dangerous. The sword cultivators of the ancient immortal dynasty must have recognized its flaws and refined it—integrating spirit refinement, Buddhist sutras, and more.
It made sense.
The Capital Suppression Prison itself was proof of the dynasty's support for the Asura Sovereign. Clearly, Buddhism had flourished in that era.
Perhaps it perished alongside the dynasty.
No records survived. It vanished abruptly. Only after ten thousand years did the familiar "ancient era" begin.
Buddhist inheritance was now extinct. No one practiced it. Most cultivators didn't even know it existed. Wang Yu had once obtained a Foundation Establishment item—[Vajra Liquid]—a product of Buddhist power.
He murmured:
"A demon cultivator like me… practicing a Buddhist sutra? Hah. Ironic—and yet, oddly fitting."
He waited half an hour.
When the placement panel finally returned its first feedback from the Heart Sutra, he felt… nothing. Just a faint sense of peace. No ripples at all.
"This will be a long journey."
He continued deeper into the southern tunnel. He had a feeling more surprises awaited.
Given how Jin Miaoshan had rushed to swindle his [Ancient Soul Chant], it was almost certain she'd received the original version of the [Asura Canon].
The Heart Sutra's value would be even greater to her.
As for why this discrepancy existed—
Wang Yu didn't believe the Asura Sovereign had tampered with the transmission. The stone book in his possession was clearly the carrier of the inheritance.
It made no sense for it to manifest for him, but not for Jin Miaoshan. The book had been emptied—its contents taken.
Something had interfered.
Could it be the work of Rakshasa?
At the tunnel's end, Wang Yu's eyes lit up. Before him lay a secluded cultivation chamber. Sword marks covered the walls.
At the center stood a stone platform.
Four dragon pillars surrounded it, each dragon's mouth gripping a thick iron ring—clearly a method to restrain oneself during madness.
Formation traces lingered around the platform. Though ancient and faded, Wang Yu could barely identify one: a "Demon Suppression" array.
"Even the Asura Sovereign was tormented by slaughter intent… terrifying power."
He murmured.
Still bound by manacles, he leaned forward and touched the sword marks with his forehead.
Only this way could he use the subtlety of spiritual sense to perceive the intent within the marks.
This was the essence of mind power. The traces left by the original cultivator served as training and guidance for future mind-path practitioners.
As someone cultivating the [Minor Asura Slaughter Fist], Wang Yu could use this to comprehend the full depth of "Asura Slaughter Intent"—like consuming a perfectly matched experience pill.
His insights surged. A red mist emerged from his body—tangible slaughter intent. Only a palm-sized amount, less than what he'd absorbed in the tunnel.
To avoid corruption—
He remained in full defensive mode, using the experience to temper himself while observing from a safe distance.
This residual intent fully activated his own "Asura Slaughter Heart." The tangible killing aura came entirely from his past.
The simplest metric:
How many lives had he taken?
The more he killed, the stronger the slaughter intent. The Asura Slaughter Heart grew naturally—perfectly aligned with the impatient nature of demonic cultivation. The danger lay in losing oneself.
Wang Yu understood the mechanics now.
After a long while—
He opened his eyes with a sigh.
"I've killed plenty… and yet this is all the slaughter intent I've accumulated? Not even enough to cover my body. Just how many did the Asura Sovereign kill? Enough to lose his Soul Formation self?"
Awed by the power, Wang Yu felt his mission was complete. He hadn't planned to explore the Capital Suppression Prison this time—but he'd done it all.
Next time, he'd aim to capture the "Six-Eyed Corpse Infant"—a top-tier corpse refinement material. Who knew how long it would remain active?
He searched the chamber thoroughly. No treasures. Disappointed, he leaned against the wall.
"Crack—"
A sudden fissure made his eyes gleam. He sprang into action.
Demolition Mode: Wang Yu activated.
The stone was once extraordinary—but time, battle damage, and failed formations had reduced it to mundane rock.
With his immense strength, he pried up massive slabs with a flick of his fingers. He kept the edges clean for future reassembly.
He planned to relocate the entire chamber. The sword marks would aid his cultivation of the [Minor Asura Slaughter Fist]—perhaps even faster than the placement panel.
As for the Heart Sutra, he had nowhere to place it yet. It took too long and offered little short-term benefit. He'd recite it manually for now.
Slot 4 held the [Ancient Soul Chant]. Slot 5 was reserved for the demonic corpse technique. One more upgrade, and he'd eliminate all appearance-related side effects.
Little Wang Yu had recovered functionality—but something still felt off. Not satisfying.
Not like before.
In short—meh.
In just one hour, he dismantled the chamber into neat slabs. The dragon pillars and platform were packed up.
Once ready, he flexed.
The manacles shattered. His spiritual sense surged, wrapping all the materials and storing them instantly.
At that moment—
The broken shackles reactivated their spatial glyphs.
The world shifted.
He returned to the corpse ghoul's lair. Oddly enough, these restraints—meant to suppress prisoners—were actually tickets into the prison.
It felt strange. And he hadn't seen a trace of the [Rakshasa True Demon Canon]—not even a hint of its power.
A chilling thought occurred: perhaps everything he'd seen today bore Rakshasa's influence. Logically—
If the Asura Canon was a mind-path technique, then so was the Rakshasa Canon. That made sense.
"Both from the same source. No wonder they're indistinguishable. But… this wave is truly over. Maybe someday I'll explore the [Ancient Wild Plains]."
He paused.
Activated [Mountain Search Demon Probe].
Soon, he opened his eyes.
"Today's luck is absurdly good."
In the gray-white vision of the probe, the world resembled a 3D black-and-white model. Anything present in the environment could be precisely located.
The Heavenly Soul Sect's legacy was truly powerful—a former hegemon for good reason.
He'd left the area less than a day ago—
And already, a new monster had claimed the corpse ghoul's lair. These corpse-path creatures seemed to sense each other.
The intruder: a corpse demon.
He'd seen one before in the Moonwatch Palace beneath Blackbone Mountain.
Smart, but reckless. Like a newly awakened beast. Perhaps that's why they were called corpse demons. With time—
They grew more intelligent—eventually matching humans.
They could cultivate corpse-path techniques and spells. Born from corpses, the stronger the corpse, the lower the chance of spawning a corpse demon.
A unique lifeform. With lifespans twice that of humans.
Among corpse demons, some rejected death and embraced life energy. These were called Spirit Corpses.
Also known as "Shade Corpses." Said to reach a realm where they reversed yin and yang—returning from death to life.
A true legend. As rare as the [Everliving Branch].
Wang Yu's find was a normal variant.
Still—an exceptional material. Might even be fused with the corpse ghoul's body.
Standard procedure: destroy the soul, preserve the body.
His mastery of soul-path techniques made this possible. If applied to humans… hmm. Maybe he'd buy a "human specimen pouch" from Goldfull Pavilion someday.
He wasn't a monster. Just extracting value from enemies. No need to be cruel.
In the darkness—
The corpse demon scratched its head, sniffing around for the corpse ghoul. It couldn't confirm its death.
"Wuuu…"
A mournful cry echoed.
The corpse demon froze mid-step.
Its gaze locked onto the figure standing silently in the shadows—tall, black-furred, and unmoving. The corpse ghoul.
(End of Chapter)
—