Chapter 206: Draw a Prison From The Ground
Chapter 206: Draw a Prison From The Ground
Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii
After bidding farewell to the leaders of the Five Great Immortal Sects, Emperor Xia heard the call of the Ancestor, instructing him to go to the forbidden area as there was an important matter to discuss.
"Ancestor, what is it?" Emperor Xia arrived at the forbidden area and respectfully saluted the Ancestor.
After waiting for a long time, Emperor Xia did not receive a response from the Ancestor, so he cautiously lifted his head.
When he looked up, he saw the Ancestor's face with a fake smile, causing him to instinctively take a few steps back.
"I heard you just encouraged Yun Zhi to teach me a lesson?"
Emperor Xia was shocked. The palace was shrouded in an immortal formation, and only he and Yun Zhi were present. How did the Ancestor know?!
"Nonsense, I set up the immortal formation myself. I can listen to whatever I want!"
"You brat, I must not have beaten you enough when you were young!" The Ancestor extended his large hand and dragged Emperor Xia into the forbidden area.
"An-Ancestor, please go easy on me. You watched me grow up. If you hit me, it'll hurt your heart as well!"
"Don't worry, my heart is as hard as iron!"
Soon, miserable screams echoed from the forbidden area.
No wonder there were rumors in the palace that an undying ominous creature was suppressed in the forbidden area, often emitting miserable cries as it was worn down by the formation.
Of course, some eunuchs and maids speculated that the screams might be from Emperor Xia, but such speculation was considered highly disrespectful and never spread.
Even if it did spread, people would probably think it was just a rumor.
"Brother Lu, do you want to learn a new technique? Senior Brother Ji Hongwen is going to teach." Lu Yang was practicing swordsmanship in a sleek white outfit when Barbarian Bone came up to him, accompanied by Meng Jingzhou.
"I was also called by Barbarian Bone," Meng Jingzhou explained with a smile. "Why not take the opportunity to learn another technique?"
"Why would Senior Brother Ji Hongwen want to teach us a technique?" Lu Yang wondered.
Ji Hongwen was the chief disciple of the fourth elder. A Confucian cultivator, he was proficient in the art of painting, with a cultivation level comparable to that of Senior Brother Dai Bufan.
"Oh, here's the thing," Barbarian Bone explained. "I think Confucian combat should be more elegant. Fighting with a large iron hammer like I do is not a proper technique for a Confucian cultivator, so I wanted to learn some refined techniques."
Lu Yang looked at Barbarian Bone in amazement, finding him extraordinary.
Could it be that Barbarian Bone was about to break the curse placed on the barbarian tribe by the Everlasting Fairy? How delightful!
"And my hammer is being upgraded by Li Haoran, so I can't practice hammer techniques for a while. I figured I might as well find something else to do.
"So, I approached Senior Brother Ji and asked if he could teach me one or two Confucian techniques. He agreed, and I asked if I could bring you and Brother Meng along. He said yes, so here I am, inviting you both."
Lu Yang nodded. "Very thoughtful of you."
Barbarian Bone quickly said, "Brother Lu, it's nothing. I've learned a lot from following you and Brother Meng. This is just a small favor, asking Senior Brother Ji to teach you as well while he's teaching me."
Meng Jingzhou patted Barbarian Bone's shoulder. "That's called 'going with the flow.'"
"Brother Meng is indeed knowledgeable."
Meng Jingzhou: "..."
The three of them arrived at the bamboo forest, where Senior Brother Ji Hongwen was dozing in a pavilion. As soon as they stepped into the forest, he woke up.
Lu Yang shook his head. This sleep quality was far inferior to that of the Everlasting Fairy.
The Everlasting Fairy was still sleeping soundly even now.
"Here?" Senior Brother Ji greeted them with a smile.
"Hello, Senior Brother Ji!" The three of them cupped their hands and said in unison.
Senior Brother Ji put on a serious expression. "Junior Brother Barbarian Bone asked me to teach him a Confucian technique, which is fine. However, Confucian techniques are always difficult to learn. You three are geniuses, but even if you can't learn it, don't be discouraged."
Barbarian Bone had full confidence in Lu Yang. "Brother Lu's talent for techniques far surpasses mine. He will definitely be able to learn it!"
Senior Brother Ji shook his head and laughed, thinking Barbarian Bone's words were overly exaggerated.
Except for the Eldest Senior Sister, who can guarantee that they will definitely learn the technique once they start?
"I am going to teach you a technique called 'Draw a Prison From The Ground.'"
"This technique, as you may have heard, involves drawing a circle on the ground to trap your opponent within it. Combined with swift and fierce attacks, your opponent will have no place to escape and must endure your onslaught!"
The three's eyes lit up. They hadn't expected it to be this technique, which was quite famous. Drawing a simple circle to trap an opponent was a top-tier immortal method, exuding elegance.
"I will demonstrate it for you."
Senior Brother Ji extended a finger, using it as a pen, and lightly drew a circle around Lu Yang and the other two. They found themselves confined by an invisible barrier, unable to leave.
Barbarian Bone and Meng Jingzhou tried using brute force to break the barrier but to no avail.
Lu Yang attempted to escape underground using Shrinking Earth, but he solidly hit the ground and failed.
"Haha, this is 'Draw a Prison From The Ground.'" Senior Brother Ji casually dispelled the circle.
"To master 'Draw a Prison From The Ground,' you first need to draw a circle freehand, and then remember the incantation."
Senior Brother Ji instructed the three to draw circles, but their circles were wavy and looked like worms forming a circle.
"Look at what you drew; it looks like an egg," Meng Jingzhou mocked Lu Yang.
Lu Yang glanced at Meng Jingzhou's drawing. "Yours is worse; it looks like a tea egg."
(TL Note: Tea eggs look just like normal eggs so I don't get what they're talking about. If anyone understands please message me on discord yikai and ill credit you in the TL note)
"A tea egg is more valuable than your egg."
"But it's more troublesome to make."
Their argument gradually veered away from drawing.
"Practice more. For cultivators, controlling your body to draw is not difficult," Senior Brother Ji advised, causing Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou to stop their meaningless dispute.
As expected, with conscious effort to control their bodies, they soon managed to draw circles freehand.
"Now I'll teach you the incantation. Listen carefully. You need to remember not just the words, but the tone of each word as well!"
"Force must not be entered, argument must not be confronted..."
The three listened intently, trying to memorize each word and its tone, stumbling several times before they finally remembered everything.
"Finally, and most importantly, you need to fully understand the incantation and naturally integrate it into your internal energy circulation to successfully perform the technique!"
Ji Hongwen warned them that learning 'Draw a Prison From The Ground' required utmost diligence.
Barbarian Bone silently recited the incantation, attempting to perform the technique. He circled himself over and over but never succeeded.
Meng Jingzhou was slightly better, perhaps due to better comprehension. After numerous attempts, he occasionally managed to form invisible cages with his circles, but the success rate was too low to be practical in combat.
"Don't be impatient. When I learned this technique during the Golden Core stage, it still took me five days to master it." Ji Hongwen, fearing he might discourage them, did not mention he actually learned it in two days.
"How about Lu Yang?"
At this moment, Lu Yang closed his eyes, repeatedly reciting the incantation in his mind. He imagined himself as the person who created the technique, pondering the creator's intentions.
Lu Yang opened his eyes, which shone brightly.
"I got it!" Lu Yang said confidently, exuding the calmness of a master who had practiced martial arts for fifty years, stepping into the ring and effortlessly defeating a formidable foe.
Lu Yang's words caught Meng Jingzhou and Barbarian Bone's attention. They stopped practicing to observe Lu Yang.
Could Lu Yang succeed on his first try?
Even Barbarian Bone, who believed in Lu Yang's extraordinary talent, doubted he could succeed immediately.
At least practice a few more times.
Lu Yang, emulating Senior Brother Ji, extended his forefinger and drew a flawless circle around himself.
"Draw a Prison From The Ground!"
Suddenly, Lu Yang noticed the surroundings change.
It was dark and silent. Pillars trapped him, and heavy soil was above him.
He was in a dungeon.
Lu Yang: "...So, what I learned how to draw was a dungeon?"
(TL Note: "画地为牢" (huà dì wéi láo) literally translates to "drawing the ground as a prison." This idiom describes a situation where someone confines themselves by setting unnecessary boundaries or limitations, much like drawing a circle around oneself and imagining it as a prison.
In Chinese, the word for "dungeon" is 地牢 (dì láo). Notice that these characters are the second and fourth characters of the idiom "画地为牢." Individually, "地" means "ground" and "牢" means "prison." When combined, they form "dungeon."
Therefore, instead of merely imagining a prison drawn on the ground, Lu Yang unintentionally created an actual dungeon (地牢) around himself.)
(End of the chapter)