Chapter 283 Corrupt Path

“Corrupt Path?”

Luo Mingyu asked with an innocent curiosity on her face.

“Those who use corrupt techniques to cultivate. They are quite effective, which made them popular in the first place. They can help practitioners gain a lot of strength in a relatively short period of time, they also in many cases can ignore the limitations of one’s talent to push their cultivation into higher realms when they reached the end of their potential, which was how they originated, from people trying literally ‘everything’ to advance”

Ye Ling explained as the two bodyguards raised their level of alertness, looking at Wu Long who was studying them with a calm gaze.

“If the effects are so great and it is called a Corrupt Path there must be a catch”

Wei Lan spoke as such a technique sounded too good to be true.

“Indeed, the practice itself is often not ethical as it can involve inhuman ways to cultivate, such as killing other cultivators and absorbing their cultivation through blood or Spiritual Root, as well as sucking life force directly through ritualistic methods. There are also negative effects on the user’s psyche, as they can become erratic, as well as impulsive, often going against logical thinking. Those two bodyguards seem to control it pretty well but that is simply because they are quite a lot more experienced than that young man”

Ye Ling nodded as the two lunged forward at Wu Long, sabers appearing in their hands. He stepped forward, and needles appeared in his right hand while talismans appeared in his left. The talismans flew out first with a fling of his arm, arriving on the floor beneath the two as chains of Spiritual Qi flew out of them and talismans flew out first with a fling of his arm, arriving on the floor beneath the two as chains of Spiritual Qi flew out of them and wrapped around the legs of the two bodyguards while Wu Long’s figure blurred and went forward at an incredible speed.

“Wu Long!”

“Illusory Gait, first form, Shadow Step”

Wei Lan cried out as she saw that the two surprisingly reacted in time and their sabers cut Wu Long’s blurred figure one at the neck and another at the torso, when the figure started to dissipate and Wu Long stepped out behind the two, needles inserted into the backs and necks of the frozen bodyguards.

“As you can see they are generally stronger than normal cultivators in their realm, since their techniques give them more physical power alongside the cultivation, much like I am using Body Tempering techniques alongside Spiritual Qi cultivation”

Wu Long added to Ye Ling’s explanation, since normal cultivators in Revolving Qi Realm would already be no match to him in speed, yet these two reacted to the illusionary image of Spiritual Qi that he sent ahead of himself that moved at his speed.

“You!”

Young Master Hei as he was called by his bodyguards shouted out loud and his feet launched him at Wu Long, a large saber appearing in his right hand.

“Overwhelming Force Cut!”

He raised the saber above his head and Spiritual Qi swirled atop it in massive amounts, enlarging the blade and creating a current behind the blade, which launched it forward. The flow of his Spiritual Qi was turbulent and violent, almost tyrannical. Wu Long sidestepped, avoiding the straight chop from above, and steel needles went into the arms holding the saber as chains from new talismans below on the floor and above on the ceiling bound the saber that did not reach the floor, a few of them breaking with loud *clang* sounds, but completely stopping the movement of the weapon as the enlarged version made out of Spiritual Qi that encased the physical blade broke into pieces.

“Phanto-…”

As the young man seemed to circulate his Spiritual Qi for another technique Wu Long simply circled around him as more needles struck the man’s back and neck.

“Uuuuurgh!!!”

Despite that, Young Master Hei’s veins bulged as he trembled, his body incredibly slowly starting to turn, causing the beauties to widen their eyes as this was the first time someone moved under Wu Long’s binding techniques.

“There are a great variety of techniques in the Corrupt Path. This is one of the lower grade ones often categorized as “Berserk”, they are usually abnormally resilient and are generally less vulnerable due to the berserk state they enter when they fight all out, however, it is also that berserk state that made its popularity relatively limited”

Wu Long, however, simply flung talismans while speaking, that began to cover the whole body of the young man as well as the bodies of his bodyguards who were also starting to show signs of trying to move, completely immobilizing them.

“You see, while some may be attracted to the toughness and resilience, most would consider losing sanity in battle a disadvantage”

Wu Long said as he turned to his beauties.

“Un, however, other types of Corrupt Path Cultivators have behavioral corruption of varying degrees as well.

More experienced ones do have more control over their behavior, of course. You could see that the two bodyguards were composed despite the fact they used an even lower grade technique than this ‘young master’. But even the most ‘sane’ of them still have erratic behavioral patterns surfacing in certain moments, as well as general deviation from standard way of thinking”

Ye Ling nodded and supplemented.

“They also have to replenish their cultivation with the same method periodically or they experience severe withdrawal. And once they start using a corrupt technique there is generally no way back””

Wu Long added in the end.

The restaurant turned silent as people around were long gone, hurrying to get out of this place as soon as weapons started to appear. The restaurant staff were peeking out of the kitchen with frightened expressions as well.

“But… if they use unethical methods to cultivate… does it mean they are outlawed in most countries?”

Wei Lan asked with a nervous expression.

“Yes, which is why you have never heard of it despite it existing in this small world”

And sighed with relief when Wu Long nodded. 𝙡𝙞𝓫𝒓𝙚𝒂𝓭.𝓬𝒐𝓶

“But I am sorry to inform you that it is still a very much major practice, it is just that their practitioners are usually hiding it as it is hard to tell unless you have special pupil arts and at the same time know what to look for”

He then sighed as he also was not very fond of this practice and she widened her eyes.

“But why is there no major effort to uproot such vile practices?”

“Hmm, that is a good question, Lan’er, one that is quite dangerous to ask in the Seven Boundless Worlds, as are many good questions”

Wu Long said with a smile.