Chapter 169: The Heart-linking

Second Mother was the leader of the Miao stockade village. She had a bold and unconstrained temperament. Her right hand guided little Chi Maojiu, while her left hand hooked onto Wen Leyang's arm unscrupulously as she led them into the stockade village, "Good brother, do you still remember the wicked witch pretending to be the Third Mother Chi Liang and trying to seize the witchcraft power of our entire Miao clansmen?"

Of course, Wen Leyang remembered. The battle of ghastly, fierce, horrifying and full of changes was the epitome of experiences in his lifetime. Upon listening to Second Mother's words, he nodded and laughed from embarrassment afterwards, "It has been a few years since the event. There is no need to be constantly mentioning about it anymore. The three families of Wen Miao Luo were of the same root and lineage two thousand years ago. We are supposed to coordinate and take care of each other!"

Second Mother was stunned for a moment before she shook her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "I am mentioning this not because I want to thank you! The Qing Miao clansmen have never been fond of expressing our gratitude through our mouths."

Wen Leyang blushed scarlet in embarrassment. He wished that he could plead Second Mother to launch a witchcraft spell that could open up a crack in the ground so he could bore into it to hide his shame.

Little Chi Maojiu continued as he spoke through clenched teeth, "The Jingpo wicked witch almost destroyed our stockade village. If she took away our witchcraft power, who in the world would be capable of suppressing her anymore? What a waste that we let her die too easily!"

Wen Leyang did not understand why the mother and son were mentioning about past event but he nodded in agreement. Even though he did not understand about the various methods in the cultivation world, in the recent few years, Wen Leyang had been dealing with cultivators all the time. He understood that even though a cultivator's strength and supernatural power may be magical, he could never jump high enough to escape the sky that was above his head and could never step hard enough to turn over the ground below his feet.

In the eyes of ordinary cultivators, the Thunder Heart Sand was already an extremely incisive treasured weapon. However, one shot of Thunder Heart Sand could only blast through the ground and form a deep pit, it could never blast so hard that petroleum would flow out of the ground...

Even for the top personages of the cultivation world like the enlightened person Tian Shu, Chang Li and Hanba, they did not have the capability to move mountains and drain seas as described in the legends. They could not move a thousand miles in the blink of an eye. Their powers were impressive, but when compared to the true power of nature and the force of the heaven and earth, they could only be considered as slightly stronger ants.

Comparing a cultivator and an ordinary person, a cultivator was akin to a brown bear that weighed two tons, while an ordinary person was a white rabbit. It was impossible for one thousand rabbits to hurt a bear. However, the strength of one thousand rabbits was combined, it would be no weaker than a bear's. Nonetheless, other than the difference of strength in between these two parties, there was also the difference of how the strength was utilized, the giant bear exerted its strength on its razor claws and sharp fangs, while no matter how hard the rabbits pounced, the rabbits could never flip the bear over.

However, if there was one rabbit that was capable of concentrating every rabbit's strength onto its body, if it attempted to pounce onto the giant bear, it would not be a difficult matter to cause the giant bear to fall. Once the strength was concentrated, the strength would turn into absolute power that did not care about the pattern of manifestation. The rabbit that concentrated every other companion's strength could kick its legs and it would be no different from a giant bear that was desperately raising its razor claws.

There were over a thousand of disciples of Miao Bujiao in total. If they were to face a good cultivator like the enlightened person Tian Shu, no matter how hard they fought, their efforts would still be futile. However, if every person of the Miao clansmen could concentrate their witchcraft power onto a single person's body, the enlightened person would be rendered helpless and could only run away.

If the Jingpo wicked witch managed to acquire the witchcraft power of Miao Bujiao's disciples back, an ultimate unsurpassed witch would be born in the cultivation world.

The cultivators had always despised the mortal people. There was no exception even for demons like Bu Le and Shan Duan, who even despised the cultivators...

That was why when the wicked witch failed on the verge of success and died tragically, the demon monks were not too surprised nor feeling fortunate. However, Wen Leyang was different. Even though his divine power was shocking, his grandfathers, parents, friends and lovers were all ordinary people. Even though he was pleased with himself occasionally, he had never thought of himself as an immortal. Judging from the perspective of a cultivator's power, it was rather objective as well. He did not believe that ordinary people were like mole crickets and ants and that he was superior to the rest. Naturally, his perception towards the Jingpo wicked witch's doings was more thorough than the others.

Second Mother continued, "However, the wicked witch's evil spell was rather interesting! When we attacked her, we were just in time for her to stop her from launching the spell capable of seizing witchcraft power. After the fierce battle..."

Wen Leyang laughed when he chimed in, "I was swallowed by the giant toad into its stomach." Before his voice died away, at the sound of an abrupt cheer, the giant toad Xiu Er jumped in from the stockade village's entrance in an aimless manner.

After the battle of the Miao stockade village, Xiu Er and its master stayed behind in the stockade village.

The moment the giant toad realized the presence of Wen Leyang, its expression changed abruptly. It croaked for a few times before it turned around and jumped swiftly away. No matter how the skinny man that was sitting on the top of its head was scolding in rage or dispersing it, his effort was futile, for Wen Leyang left behind a profound impression in its heart.

Second Mother was at a loss whether to cry or laugh as she shook her head. Only then she continued the conversation, "When you were trapped in the toad's stomach back then, a lot of witchcraft power had been seized away from some of the Miao clansmen.

Wen Leyang nodded, "I thought the witchcraft power was all returned to its prior masters after the wicked witch's spell was broken?"

Second Mother Chi Hui's expression became slightly more solemn, "That is correct. That was why I was feeling peculiar. I had always thought that witchcraft power belonged to us and no one was capable of seizing our force. However, as a result, the wicked witch's spell could surprisingly seize it away, and even more surprising was, it could still be returned to us after being seized away!"

After defeating the wicked witch, the Second Mother Chi Hui's birth year spell was destroyed. Her witchcraft power was severely damaged. It was afraid that she could never achieve mastery anymore despite continuing her refinement process. Hence, she outrightly refused to do that. In turn, she assembled the master cultivators to study about the evil spell of the Jingpo wicked witch. In the recent few years, other than responding to the Wen family's call at all times, the disciples of Miao Bujiao concentrated their full attention on this matter.

Judging by Second Mother and little Chi Maojiu's expression, it seemed that they have already found the method to seize witchcraft power. Wen Leyang's expression was astonished. He did not know what to say, he understood that the Qing Miao clansmen had a stubborn temperament and eccentric disposition but he dared not assume that the Second Mother was about to launch such an evil spell, such that she would destroy hundreds and thousands of lives of her own clansmen, in order to accomplish a person's supernatural power.

Second Mother saw Wen Leyang's face was filled with shock and astonishment. She was stunned for a moment before she was suddenly enlightened. She burst out laughing as she raised her hand towards back of Wen Leyang's head and slapped him uncourteously, "What is this wooden head of yours filled with? The Qing Miao clansmen live and die together. How am I willing to harm my own people? What I thought was..." As she was saying that, Second Mother muttered to herself for a few seconds, before she dictated her response and spoke, "...find a method to form the witchcraft power that was akin to stream, such that it could flow as we please. When you need it you can borrow the power from me and when you are done you can return my power to me fully. It is the same the other way round! The witchcraft power that is borrowed is not as a whole, but only a small portion. Of course, that will not kill the person."

Wen Leyang's eyes suddenly brightened. According to Second Mother's idea, they spent all these years to combine the evil spell left behind by the wicked witch and the Art of Witchcraft Spell. They deliberated on the method to 'borrow' power. If this method was formed as a result of their study, its benefits would be self-evident.

Second Mother did not acknowledge Wen Leyang's expression this time, she continued her explanation altogether, "The act of borrowing power can be done, but the force that was circulated between two parties can only be the witchcraft power, because the witchcraft power is not an internal strength, it is not a life vitality, but it is an external force!"

Little Chi Maojiu waved his hand once and summoned his vital fire, "Once a witchcraft power is cultivated into a certain level, a person will acquire his vital fire. The ability to cultivate into one's vital fire is a sorcerer's turning point. From this point onwards, our witchcraft power is turned from inner force into outer force. That is why we can freely circulate and exchange in between our bodies and our vital fires.

Wen Leyang was pondering on the Qing Miao mother and son's words when he spoke as if he was deep in thoughts, "Because the witchcraft power is a peculiar form of power on its own, it can be circulated in between the sorcerer and his vital fire. That is why it can be used to launch spell and borrowed. The rest of the other powers in your art of cultivation still cannot be borrowed."

Following that, even Wen Leyang nodded in realization. He had been mingling in the world by guiding the external poison into the body. Prolonged illness would turn a patient into a doctor. He was an expert in this method from his prolonged exposure to poison. The force that was guided in from the external world must certainly not be overly powerful, otherwise, the body could not withstand at all. Whether it was the first time he was poisoned by the Yin Chi and the rare poison of hundreds vermin, the second time when he absorbed all of Xiu Er's Poison of Earth or the recent event where his body and bones were remolded by the Poison of Life and Death and the power of Yin and Yang, his body was the edge of an explosion. If it was not for the miracle of Faulty Punch left behind by Tuo Xie and his impressive poison foundation establishment, he would have turned into a pile of muddy flesh.

The cultivation process of a cultivator was actually the process of absorbing force into the body and gradually transforming the body, turning the force for his own use. However, what the cultivator absorbed was the energy of the overlapping of the sun and moon and the revolving of the stars, the morning tides of lakes and seas and the flourishing and decaying of the nature that were scattered in between the heaven and the earth, and that was the so-called spirit primordial energy of the heaven and the earth.

The energy that was used by Wen Leyang to transform his body was the other form known as strong poison.

A cultivator who attempted to dissolve the life vitality force of the world must first gradually combine his mind with nature as one, to understand and harmonize with the method of the world's motion. Only then, he could successfully use this energy as his own, through the act of directing his strength through concentration, to circulate the life vitality force to transform his body.

The act of directing one's strength was through concentration. That was why the cultivator's method was recognized as the process of inner to outer. The speed of cultivation was much slower but there was almost no harm in cultivating in this process. Due to the process of using life vitality to cultivate Qi, it was beneficial to continue experience the utilization of life vitality force. For example, one could refine in one's flying sword treasured weapon for his own use, or using writings and talismans to trigger the supernatural power of spirit primordial energy, et cetera.

In the eyes of those who engaged in heaven's cultivation, the strong poison had always been considered as a form of filthy and foul matter that was incompatible with heaven's path. Even for the cultivators of the evil path, who cultivated using blood or soul was not willing to touch poison.

Wen Leyang refined poison in his body. In the beginning, he practiced the meridian autotomy, seeking life in the midst of death. According to the theory of the orthodox sects, Wen Leyang's doing was utterly not considered as the heaven's cultivation but more of defying heaven's law and changed his life.

With Wen Leyang's method of cultivation, the toxicity of his body was the same as the toxicity in the world, living in a remote corner of eccentricity, declaring the shape of the world by itself, killing off whoever that came into contact without mercy but remaining at peace for whoever that avoided it. It was extremely dangerous to refine poison into one's body. Every time a breakthrough was achieved, one would need to go through a cycle of birth and death. Once succeeded, the body would transform itself and turn stronger and that could only be considered as a trick of the unorthodox sect to turn one's human body into a saint. This process did not involve the understanding of the force and the world. At this point, Wen Leyang only depended on his strong and sturdy body and his shocking tremendous force and his improvement of his reaction and speed. There was utterly no way for him to refine into any flying sword treasured weapon. The event of refining Ning Jiao into weapons was purely out of coincidence, if it was not for Ning Jiao's toxicity that was similar to his body's, Ning Jiao would never recognize Wen Leyang as its master.

At the same time, Wen Leyang's success in his cultivation method was completely unrelated to his intentions. A man who was gifted with this skill would be a blissful fortune, while an evil man who was gifted with this skill would be a disaster in the world. Hence, no one cared about Wen Leyang who was gifted...

The heaven belonged to the heaven while the earth belonged to the earth. Wen Leyang was just a human. People had no concern for one another, engrossed in their own matters.

Whether it was the right path or the evil sect or Wen Leyang's such heaven-defying tricks, it was all based on the act of guiding external force into one's body. The more external force that was guided into the body at one attempt, the greater was the pressure it exerted on one's body. However, a slight overdose would cause one to be filled to the point of bursting to death.

However, the witchcraft power was different. This form of power drifted in between the external force and internal force. Once it was borrowed, it could exist in the form of the vital fire outside of the body, so it was utterly harmless to the user.

Stuffing a piece of rock into one's body, one would die.

However, moving all three mountains and five hills next to one's side, one would be fine.

Even for a woman that was as intelligent and forbearing as Second Mother, a strand of proud expression could not help but float onto her face, "In the recent years, together with the newly appointed elders, we have put in a series of laborious efforts. Finally, we found a new art of cultivation, known as the Heart-linking Lock!"

As she was saying that, Second Mother chuckled and stretched out her hand to point towards the three hundred clansmen that were sitting in the center of the Miao stockade village casting the witchcraft spell, "They are the strong ones amongst our disciples of Miao Bujiao. Every one of them had cultivated their vital fire. Under the influence of the 'Heart-linking Lock', I can borrow thirty percent of their witchcraft power. Acquiring thirty percent out of one hundred percent, not only is it harmless to their lives, it will not affect their cultivation process in the future..."

As the Second Mother was speaking, the sound of witch's song that was circulating in the world suddenly vanished without a sign. In place, there was only silence that suddenly squeezed into everyone's body, pinning heavily onto everyone such that they felt nauseated.

Soon after that, a raging noise erupted in a bang! A puff of golden white-colored vital fire that was scorching hot surged skywards, akin to a divine sword that was glimmering with thousands of streaks of immortal radiance and ferociously crushed the dark clouds covering the sky. The entire Miao stockade village brightened abruptly!

Whether it was the disciples of Miao Bujiao who were casting the spell or those who were watching intensely from the side, everyone burst out in cheers. They roared and shouted as they pleased. The Miao clansmen living under the Seven Maidens Mountain was always profligate and unrestrained. Under the influence of wild excitement they completely forgot about the world or themselves, they shrieked in an unbridled manner and dances as if they were possessed, splashing their primitive madness towards the sky.

Little Chi Maojiu somersaulted as he howled and dashed towards the clansmen to rejoice with wild excitement with the rest.

Wen Leyang's telegnosis ability spread out akin to tidewater and wrapped towards the vital fire. A force that was interweaved in vigorousness and ghastly malevolence was blooming heartily in the vital fire. Even though Second Mother's face was filled with excitement, she did not shake her long hair and dashed into the crowd anyhow. She laughed as she pointed towards the burning white-colored witch's fire in the middle of the stockade village, "Within this vital fire, thirty percent of witchcraft power of every Miao Bujiao's master cultivator is stored here..."

Second Mother was afraid that Wen Leyang did not understand her, so she slowed down the speed of her speech for him. That puff of white-colored Heart-lining Lock's vital fire gathered thirty percent of every participating disciple of Miao Bujiao's power. The power that was borrowed could be retrieved at any time when one was done handling matter with that portion of power and his strength was recuperated. He could also place his thirty percent of power back into the storage.

However, the witchcraft power that was stored in this Heart-linking Lock could not be used by anyone. It would still require the Qing Miao master cultivators to launch the Art of Witchcraft spell such that that puff of burning vital fire could recognize him before that person could help himself to the witchcraft power as he pleased.

"Of course not everyone qualified to use these witchcraft power here, we have only thought of four persons as of now, you, Mumu, the little girl Xiaoyi, and little Chi Maojiu. Once we have completed launching the spell, you and Chi Maojiu will have the ability to acquire those witchcraft power as you please. The witchcraft power that remains after you are done using will be returned to the witch's fire by itself. Our clansmen are also willing to add in the witchcraft power that they have cultivated into the Heart-linking Lock. When your wedding day has passed, I will pick up those two little children and bring them here to launch the spell." As she was saying that, Second Mother looked towards Wen Leyang with glimmering eyes, "This is our gift to our good brother's wedding!"

Wen Leyang gave out an 'oh', his eyes were widened in amazement, no smaller than his mouth. Other than shaking his head he did not know what to speak, Second Mother's expression and tone of speaking simultaneously became stern, "If you don't want this, the disciples of Miao Bujiao from Seven Maidens Mountain will never hold up their heads in the world for eternity! If you don't want this then you have forsaken the name of Heart-linking Lock! In the future, all of you husband and wives' hearts are linked to one another, in the future, the hearts of the disciples of Miao Bujiao are linked to the good brother. In the future, we, the disciples of Miao Bujiao, Wen Bucao, and Si Buliao's hearts are linked!"

Wen Leyang hastily waved his hand as he gave a forced laugh, "Not that I don't want it...but it is useless even if I want it. I am not skilled in the Art of Witchcraft, so are the both of them..."

Second Mother's expression had only relaxed, she laughed as she shook her head and said, "There is no need for you to be concerned about this, I will naturally prepare some witchcraft instruments and spell tools. When the vital fire can be conjured up according to your wish, as long as you toss the items that I have prepared for you into the fire, the spells would be cast. This is much easier as compared to your Wen's family process in using poison.

Wen Leyang only needed to ponder for a while before he understood the principle within Second Mother's explanation. Of course, the Miao clansmen's witchcraft spell was not easy. The witchcraft spell instruments that were prepared by Second Mother for them was certainly made up of simplest items. However, as the Heart-linking Lock's vital fire was powerful enough, even the simplest Art of Witchcraft was capable of conjuring the strongest power.

Similar to the strength of a black tiger tearing out a heart, the squirrel that exerted the strength could not even break a tree branch, whereas a huge bear that exerted the strength could break a pine tree. The difference was not based on the move, but it was the intensity of the power.

Wen Leyang inquired closely about the witchcraft spell of 'Heart-linking Lock'. In simpler words, the Heart-linking Lock was just like a private bank. The Qing Miao master cultivators were the depositors, while the four of Wen Leyang, Xiaoyi, Mumu and little Chi Maojiu who were just mentioned by Second Mother earlier were the proprietors of this bank, as long as the proprietors were not guilty of corruption, the depositors would not suffer any losses.

Wen Leyang felt relieved at this point, his poison power made astonishing progress. Even though the witchcraft power of the Heart-linking Lock was vigorous, it may not necessarily be more incisive than his body and bones that were remolded by the Poison of Life and Death and the Power of Yin and Yang. As long as he, as the proprietor of the bank was not guilty of corruption, the disciples of Miao Bujiao would never suffer losses.

As for Mumu and Xiaoyi, the prior's ability was only ordinary, while the latter one was just an ordinary person, who actually needed a noble force like this Heart-linking Lock capable of circulating at her control to protect herself. Besides, Wen Leyang would protect them and they would not be partaking in events that were too dangerous. Let alone these two little girls were sensible, they would not be guilty of 'corruption' easily, nor would they pose too much influence on the disciples of Miao Bujiao, unless these two wives of him fought amongst themselves.

The gift that was prepared by the disciples of Miao Bujiao was overly grand. They transferred thirty percent of witchcraft spell master cultivator's witchcraft power and gifted it to Wen Leyang's family of three to use at their own will. Judging by their mannerism, the Miao clansmen would continuously store their power into the Heart-linking Lock in the future. They even completely disallowed Wen Leyang from rejecting the offer.

In the eyes of a person on his side, Wen Leyang was considered a good man, but he was not a hesitant person. Since he could not reject the offer then he refused to waste his effort anymore, he moved about his limbs as he chuckled and asked Second Mother, "So should I go first or should little Chi Maojiu go first?"

Second Mother was elated. She gave out a series of orders and managed to stop the clansmen's celebration with great difficulty.

When the disciples of Miao Bujiao found out that Wen Leyang was willing to receive their gift of Heart-linking Lock, another series of cheers was heard. Even though it was not as chaotic as previously, the joy in their hearts was revealed entirely on their faces without the intention to conceal. Wen Leyang felt warm and fuzzy all over his body.

Once the disciples of Miao Bujiao associated with another person, they associated their entire lives and family possessions to their friend!

Following that there was another grand yet complicated ceremony, where the Qing Miao clansmen continuously worshipped, drew bamboo slips used for divination, practiced the art of divination. Wen Leyang could not understand what he was watching, he was even more confused when he participated in it. The process lasted until the sky was completely dark when the Miao clansmen broke out in cheers once again. Little Chi Maojiu was both nervous and excited as he ran in front of the 'Heart-linking Lock' vital fire, Wen Leyang had only realized then, that the disciples of Miao Bujiao were determining which one amongst him and Chi Maojiu would be the first to receive the Heart-linking Lock.

A few of the Qing Miao elders surrounded little Chi Maojiu. They danced about continuously in a peculiar rhythm. In the eyes of the Qing Miao clansmen, the Heart-linking Lock was not only a mysticism skill of the witchcraft spell, but it was also a grand event that entrusted the hope of all the clansmen and the entire clan's strength to forge a super master cultivator! That was why in the process of casting the spell also combined countless Miao clansmen's peculiar worshipping ceremony. Wen Leyang was puzzled, he thought that they used to worship in Mara the Devil. "Who were they worshipping now?"

Around the wee hours of midnight, the Qing Miao elders finally completed the spell. Everyone, including Wen Leyang, was watching little Chi Maojiu nervously.

Chi Maojiu was trying hard to retain his usual indifferent expression, but the muscles on his face and the corners of his eyes were constantly throbbing. He stretched out his hand slowly and rubbed his palms together. That puff of burning vital fire abruptly expanded, akin to a diagonally positioned waterfall, surrounding him heavily, spinning around in a dazzling yet magnificent manner!

The tremendous force within the vital fire was akin to a loyal raging dragon that was awaiting its master's instruction impatiently. Chi Maojiu finally could no longer suppress the excitement on his face. His body spun around rapidly following the rhythm of the vital fire. His hands turned over strenuously as he tossed an item that even Wen Leyang could not recognize rapidly into every corner of the Heart-linking Lock's vital fire. Suddenly, the sound of witch's song erupted. The scorching vital fire accompanied by a suffocating bitter coldness erupted with a loud bang into thousands of silver flowers that brightened the entire night sky into daylight. The Seven Maidens Mountain that was abruptly revealed in the bright light was akin to a giant that was suddenly jolted awake, squeezing abruptly into everyone's vision!

The Miao stockade village was driven to complete insanity at this moment!

Second Mother was shivering with excitement. The Art of Witchcraft that was launched by little Chi Maojiu was splendid and nice-looking. Other than reflecting in a supernatural radiance that covered the entire sky, it was utterly useless, but it could be considered as a small trick. That was already enough to clarify the power of Heart-linking Lock was used by him, that the laborious efforts of Miao Bujiao's disciples were not wasted. A witchcraft spell master cultivator that was strong enough to resist the cultivation world was born across the sky.

The fireworks completely dispersed and the Heart-linking Lock's vital fire was restored once again. Chi Maojiu's trick earlier was a witchcraft spell but it almost did not consume any witchcraft power at all.

Under Second Mother's instruction, Wen Leyang stood on the spot where Chi Maojiu was standing earlier. His entire person was relaxed and presented himself to the Miao clansmen's elders to fiddle with. He had no knowledge of whatever they were doing to him.

The process was still long and complicated. Occasionally the elders would splash some slimy liquid made of unknown materials towards him, occasionally a few worms appeared on his body out of nowhere...if it was not for You've Got Me that was still sleeping from hangover right now, those worms would be blasted away by it. The beginning process was smooth, but there were some problems that arose nearing the end as the Qing Miao elders needed a few strands of Wen Leyang's hairs and blood from his ten fingertips. However, the elder that went ahead and plucked off his hairs failed, the short knife in his hand could not even cut open his fingertips.

At last, Wen Leyang had to use his own efforts. It was easy to manage his hairs, but it was slightly difficult for him to bite on his fingertips one by one...

Finally, by the next day's daybreak, the Miao clansmen were done casting their own witchcraft spell. Following the few elders' stern shouts in unison, Wen Leyang suddenly felt as a peculiar sensation flowed out of his heart, he felt as if on his body, an invisible arm grew out once again.

Wen Leyang could sense that his twisted muscles were filled with a terrifying force but he did not know which situation would trigger the eruption of the force.

Second Mother walked in front of him. She laughed as she gave him a few advice. Following that, he stuffed a small wooden puppet that was smeared full of green-colored tree sap, its body was engraved with odd patterns, its mouth was opened wide as if it was singing.

Following Second Mother's instruction, Wen Leyang ran in a flash and arrived at the Miao stockade village's entrance that was dozens of miles away. Following the movement of his intention, the burning vital fire was commanded with ease as he wished. It abruptly disappeared from the center of the stockade village and appeared almost simultaneously next to himself. Wen Leyang was highly confident. Abiding Second Mother's instruction, he used the tip of his tongue to block against his bottom teeth as he tossed the 'singing puppet' in his hand into the vital fire that was waiting for the opportunity to display its power!