As he walked home, Ning could not help but ponder.

Was it mere coincidence that he came across the injured saw-tooth tiger and obtained its core, or was it for Xiao Fan all along,? Was it his luck or Xiao Fan's?

If this were a novel, Ning imagined a scenario where he would inadvertently offend Xiao Fan while selling the cores, unjustly raising the price, and ultimately meeting a tragic end. The core would then find its way into Xiao Fan's possession through a convoluted twist of fate.

Ning could vividly envision such a plot unfolding, but in the end, he obtained the Dragon Qi Grass while Xiao Fan obtained the core. It seemed like a mutually beneficial outcome, a win-win situation. So, he did not dwell on it much.

With this thought in mind, Ning hastened to the Exchange Hall and purchased a concealment talisman. Items of such high caliber were rarely found in the ordinary market, necessitating a visit to the hall despite the possibility of being overcharged.

"Now, let's start the second phase of the experiment. I wonder what I will get this time." Ning's eyes were filled with hope to get some nice goodies.

...

There's no hope and dreams.

All that we have are lies and disappointment.

All the poems and Taoist scripture he recited didn't bring about any change. It was partly his fault for not understanding the essence of those scriptures, but they were incredibly difficult to comprehend. They were too cryptic, like the phrase "Tao is Tao, very Tao." What did this even mean?

However, Ning had a feeling that if he could grasp even a fraction of the supreme Taoist scripture, it would bring him immense benefits. Therefore, he refused to give up on his quest to understand this profound scripture.

As for other scriptures, perhaps they couldn't compare to the supreme Taoist scripture, which is why he didn't receive any blessings from them. Besides, Ning didn't have many Taoist scriptures stored in his memory to begin with.

His recollection primarily revolved around the supreme Taoism due to its prevalence in the mythological novels he used to read. Every time, he ran into profound lines that he didn't understand he would always do his research. With his good memory, Ning could recall most of what he had read.

There was a silver lining, though. The Blessing Of Heavenly Dao obtained from reciting the Tao was repeatable, but unfortunately, they couldn't be stacked. This notion made sense, considering the blessing stemmed from pleasing the dao itself rather than Ning's individual understanding. Therefore, there was no reason for the Dao to grant multiple blessings for the same scripture repeatedly.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"I guess let's try that one then," Ning muttered slowly.

There were many streams of cultivators in this world. Be it those who practice Confucianism, calling themselves scholars, or those who use inhumane methods to cultivate, being branded as demonic cultivators. But mainly, there were two main streams of cultivators in the world: those who practiced Taoism to obtain the Dao, known as the Daoists, and those who practiced Buddhism, known as the Monks.

Both were not wrong per se, as both streams pointed toward the great Dao.

Ning himself practiced Taoism, as he belonged to the Pure Qi sect, which was a Taoist sect. So far, he had recited Taoist scriptures, but now he wanted to try the Buddhist ones. Fortunately, due to his exposure to novels, he still remembered some profound Buddhist scriptures. After all, Buddhism was one of the major religions in the world.

He decided to recite the Heart Sutra, the ultimate philosophy in Mahayana Buddhism.

With this in mind, Ning once again checked the concealment in the cave to ensure his privacy. Satisfied with the hidden environment, he cleared his throat and began to speak, "When the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was..."

At the same time, a golden halo appeared above his head, radiating a sacred and pure aura as if untouched by the mortal world.

Unlike the last time, when his head felt blank and devoid of any sensations, this time he experienced a piercing sensation in his mind as he recited the scripture. Words began to emerge in his memory, illuminating the golden halo with even greater brilliance.

Ning felt as though he had grasped something, yet he couldn't quite comprehend what it was. It was like trying to hold onto air, intangible and invisible. Nonetheless, he persisted in reciting the scripture.

"No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, nor perception; no form, sound smell. taste, tangible objects nor objects of mind; no realm of the sense of sight and so forth, even to the extent of no realm of consciousness; there is no annoyance from ignorance, and so, there is no annihilation of annoyance from ignorance; there is no decay and death, and so forth, there is no extinction of decay and death."

With the final word leaving his mouth, the golden halo above Ning's head underwent a remarkable transformation. It began to shrink and condense, gradually assuming the shape of a radiant diamond. In a swift motion, the diamond descended and gently etched itself onto Ning's forehead, as it gave him a more pure feeling.

Ning opened his eyes, this time his eyes were bright as he muttered, "Maybe I am more talented in Buddhism than Taoism?"

This time he gained something from the scripture. It was not enlightenment, nor a buff, but a scripture suddenly appeared in his mind.

[Soul Ferrying Scripture]

This scripture was quite famous in the world and is well-known because it was through this method that Buddhists exorcise ghosts, sending them to the afterlife and gaining the strength of Karmic Virtue.

But Ning's version was different. After all, he gained it from the ultimate philosophy of Buddhism. He was able to ferry any detached soul. This was the first soul-related technique he had acquired.

Ning looked in the mirror. On his forehead, there was a small diamond-shaped mark. Currently, it was dark, giving him a sense of purity.

"Am I going to have a tattoo every time I understand something from those scriptures?" Ning mused.

First, a lotus in his palm, and now a diamond in his forehead. He wondered if he would end up covered in tattoos by the end of his journey.

Still, it was unexpected to obtain the soul-ferrying scripture. Perhaps he did have some talent in Buddhism, or maybe the scripture he recited was not as cryptic as the Taoist one.

"Should I try to train in some Buddhist techniques?"

There were many who attempted to blend Taoism and Buddhism to form their own path. Ning wanted to try to learn some techniques from Buddhism to see if he was really talented in that department.

"At this rate, I am going to be a dual cultivator."