With virtue

The beauty of visualization lies precisely in this.

A visualization painting is not just a picture. If it depicts a sword being used, then from the perspective of visualization, it is a complete set of sword techniques. The changes in power and the flow of energy in each move are all depicted in the painting.

If the figure in the painting is meditating, then it is very likely depicting a breathing exercise or similar practice, with the length of the breath and the pathways of energy clearly visible.

It is so lifelike, so realistic, that the magic is contained within, and it is both lifelike and vivid, as if it were right in front of you, almost as if the person were performing the magic on you.

Without the ability to contemplate the Dharma, practitioners cannot comprehend its subtleties. Ordinary people see only brushstrokes when looking at a painting, but practitioners, through contemplating the Dharma, see the artistic conception and principles captured by the artist.

If the visualization diagram is drawn specifically for a certain method of visualization, it will be twice as effective, like a fish in water, and you will understand it very quickly.

The visualization diagram of the Ghost General is of such high quality that it can contain three methods: the White Bone Contemplation, the Fiend Armor, and the method of enslaving hundreds of ghosts. The White Bone Contemplation and the Fiend Armor are somewhat complex and cannot be understood overnight, but the method of enslaving hundreds of ghosts is indeed too simple, and he has already understood most of it.

There are many methods within Taoism for commanding ghosts and monsters. For example, the Five Wraiths, a folk legend, are made by offering incense and bestowing talismans upon the wandering spirits and ghosts, thus bringing them under their command.

Another example is the art of raising and controlling zombies, which involves using talismans and yin energy to gradually stiffen the corpses until they become zombie monsters. Then, the zombies are manipulated through a hidden back door.

Ultimately, these methods all fall under the category of magic—using talismans as contracts and incantations as commands. They are strictly regulated, and the slightest mistake will result in a backlash. For example, in the art of corpse driving, if the talisman is pasted incorrectly or even torn off, the zombie will immediately devour its master.

The Ghost General, however, does not follow this path when commanding hundreds of ghosts. He does not rely on any external force; he relies on malevolent energy.

This thing is a fierce force that has been condensed over nearly a hundred years by the ghost general who survived hundreds of battles in life and could even resist the soul-reaping of the underworld officials after death.

For ordinary ghosts, malevolent energy is both food and shackles—ghosts themselves are a collection of yin and malevolent energy, so they are naturally attracted to malevolent energy, like moths to a flame. But precisely because of this, when the malevolent energy becomes strong enough, they cannot resist it and can only submit to its command, like beasts encountering tigers, instinctively yielding.

The Ghost General used this as his basis. He spread out his own baleful aura, like a large net, covering an area of ​​dozens of feet. The ghosts within the net were all terrified by the baleful aura and involuntarily obeyed his commands.

Using one's own will as a net and malevolent energy as a rope, one forcibly binds the soul of a vengeful ghost. The stronger the will, the more ghosts one can enslave; the heavier the malevolent energy, the more firmly one suppresses the ghosts.

The method itself is not complicated, but it is extremely difficult to execute. How could an ordinary cultivator have such a strong aura of malevolence within their body? Even if they did, if they opened their minds and let the malevolent energy flow throughout their body, the slightest carelessness would cause the malevolent energy to attack their heart, resulting in a drastic change in temperament at best, and death at worst.

But whether it was a coincidence or something else... Zhao Yunshu just happened to have a solution.

He practices inner vision.

Internal vision allows one to not only observe one's own internal organs, but also to contemplate the universe and all things within the body.

This method originates from the "Huang Ting Jing" which states, "Dispersing the five forms and transforming into myriad spirits." When cultivation reaches a deep level, one can observe true fire, white cranes, the rising sun, and golden lotuses in one's inner vision. All these extraordinary phenomena are manifestations of corresponding abilities. An ancient sage once said: "When clothes sway in the air, wind is generated; when breath is exhaled, water is generated; when water is poured into water, it makes a sound; when stone is struck, it shines." The wind, rain, thunder, and lightning in the world all arise from breath, and breath arises from the mind.

For example, if you close your eyes and imagine a great fire, you will feel your whole body getting hot after a while; if you imagine a great water, you will feel your whole body getting cold after a while.

Since internal thoughts of water and fire can affect the physical body, internal thoughts of ghosts and spirits can naturally borrow their power.

This was Zhao Yunshu's method. Others who wanted to use evil energy to exorcise ghosts had to use themselves as a vessel to channel the evil energy into their meridians; otherwise, they would suffer a backlash. But he didn't have to.

He only needed to visualize the image of the ghost general within his inner world, allowing its formidable, battle-hardened aura to manifest within him. Then, using his own will as a bridge, he projected this aura outward. The aura itself did not pass through his meridians; he borrowed the ghost general's "power."

As long as his mind is clear enough and his inner vision is stable enough, he will not allow evil energy to invade his mind.

Coincidentally, this realization resonated perfectly with the inner landscape he cultivated.

When one cultivates inner vision to a high level, one can naturally condense various extraordinary phenomena within that inner vision. The thunderous sound within his gallbladder and internal organs was cultivated over many years through inner vision techniques, combined with secret medicines and qi-gathering skills.

Last night, he struck his liver and gallbladder with a hammer, which triggered a strange phenomenon within them, producing a thunderous sound.

If that's the case, why not visualize another ghost general's image? It doesn't need to have substantial supernatural powers like Lei Yin; just having it sit in the inner vision, radiating the ghost general's domineering aura, would be enough to intimidate ordinary ghosts.

After Zhao Yunshu understood this principle, his mind suddenly cleared. He closed his eyes again and focused his mind on his inner vision.

This time, he did not contemplate the battlefield of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Instead, he meticulously incorporated the image of the ghost general from the yellow book into his inner vision—first the dark red, charcoal-like eyes, then the ghostly face with its menacing fangs, then the dark brown, gleaming armor, and finally the ghost-headed saber at his waist.

With each perfectly replicated outline moved in, the ghostly general's phantom in the interior scene solidified a little more.

When the image of the ghost general was fully presented in the interior scene, the ghost general's phantom suddenly opened its eyes, and two dark red eyes shot out as if they were real.

In an instant, Zhao Yunshu felt a chilling pressure rise from his inner world, spreading along his meridians to his limbs and bones, and finally emanating from his eyes.

It's not about introducing malevolent energy, but rather the aura emanating from within one's inner vision—just as imagining a great fire makes one feel hot, imagining a ghost general naturally imbues one with the aura of a ghost general.

No wonder that inner landscape is the most demanding of all methods of contemplation, requiring a calm and composed state of mind.

If this method falls into the hands of someone with evil intentions, and they contemplate too many malevolent things in their inner vision, their character will inevitably change drastically over time, and it will only be a matter of time before they fall into the demonic path.

However, he wasn't worried about that. Because he only used the form, not the evil energy, he naturally wasn't afraid of being corrupted by it.

The visualized image is merely an aura, a mental image, rather than a real ghost general descending, and its effect is much weaker than directly using malevolent energy.

But the advantage is that the risk is much lower and it's simpler.

Of course, if one's will is not firm and one becomes so engrossed in the various visions in the visualization that one cannot extricate oneself, then that is another matter entirely.

So, taking advantage of his current state, he opened his eyes. The moment he opened his eyes, the lamp flame on the table suddenly dimmed, shrinking into a tiny blue flame the size of a bean.

In the four corners of the room, unseen shadows seemed to be slowly wriggling, as if something was startled by the aura emanating from him and was desperately trying to hide in the depths of darkness.

Zhao Yunshu was taken aback when he saw the shadows hiding around him. He had only intended to try out the method, so why were there unclean things in the room?