Chapter 65: The Trap of One's Own Making

"Before we discuss the relationship between a warlock and their life essence and physical body, Brother Zhuge, let me ask you a question first: what is the fundamental philosophy of you warlocks?"

Zhang Zhiwei smiled and said, "Because I feel that my understanding is fundamentally different from yours. If we don't clarify the fundamental principles first, no matter how much I say, it will all be in vain. Tell me your understanding of the warlock's foundation first, and I will... correct you!"

The fundamental philosophy of a warlock is different? To correct... Zhuge Yunhui was momentarily stunned. His Zhuge family inherited the legacy of Zhuge Wuhou, the pinnacle warlock of the Three Kingdoms period. In terms of historical longevity, it was only a hundred years shorter than the Celestial Master Mansion of Mount Longhu.

If it were a matter of correcting spellcasting techniques, that would be completely understandable. After all, warlock skills vary in proficiency. If his magic fell short of the other's, he would accept correction with sincere conviction and even boundless gratitude.

However, to correct the fundamental philosophy of a warlock... how could that be possible? Could it be that his Wuhou lineage's fundamental understanding of the warlock's path, passed down for over a thousand years, was entirely wrong? Were the teachings left behind by their ancestor Zhuge Wuhou flawed?

How audacious must one be to say such a thing? Even the contemporary Celestial Master wouldn't dare make such a rash claim!

Zhuge Yunhui opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refute, but before the words could leave his lips, the image of Zhang Zhiwei shifting the four dials of the Qimen emerged in his mind, swallowing the rebuttal right back down.

Before witnessing Zhang Zhiwei manipulate the four dials of the Qimen, he would never have believed anyone could accomplish it. Yet Zhang Zhiwei had completely subverted his cognition and achieved it.

The legacy left by the ancestors might not necessarily be problematic, but the ancestors were people from more than over a thousand years ago, after all. Over these past millennia, new Qimen knowledge may have emerged. Senior Brother Zhang is far superior to me; one must be modest and keep an open mind!

Zhuge Yunhui quickly adjusted his mindset and began to answer Zhang Zhiwei's question:

"Senior Brother Zhang, I welcome your correction. According to the teachings of our Wuhou lineage, the foundation of a warlock is, in essence, that practitioners of exceptional abilities discover flaws within the laws of nature during their cultivation. The methods capable of utilizing these flaws are called arts, and those who master these methods are called warlocks!"

"Therefore, the fundamental philosophy of our warlocks is to see through the rules of heaven and earth, and to master the rules of heaven and earth. Come, Senior Brother Zhang, let me conjure something so you can see it more intuitively!"

As he spoke, Zhuge Yunhui formed hand seals and executed a Kun-element spell.

"Rumble!"

The ground bulged upward, and within the Qimen formation, a lever-like apparatus appeared. One end of the lever was empty, while the other held a spherical object.

To prove that he was not merely reciting dogma, Zhuge Yunhui pointed at the lever and said:

"Senior Brother Zhang, I have recently been keeping pace with the times and studying foreign learning. There is a saying I find quite applicable: 'Give me a fulcrum, and I can move the entire earth!'"

"The earth is the globe beneath our feet. When I first heard it, I thought it incredibly arrogant, but upon reflection, it actually makes a certain amount of sense, and this phrase can even be used to interpret a warlock."

"By the way, Senior Brother Zhang understands the principle of the lever, right? Or should I explain it?" Zhuge Yunhui asked.

Showing off one's slight skill before an expert? Zhang Zhiwei glanced at him and said, "I understand. Continue!"

Zhuge Yunhui went on: "This is how I interpret the saying: the 'earth' in the quote represents the natural rules I wish to control; the 'fulcrum' is the spellcasting technique; and 'I' is the warlock himself—or what Senior Brother Zhang refers to as life essence and physical body!"

With that, Zhuge Yunhui activated his spell, shifting the fulcrum beneath the seesaw as he spoke:

"The natural rules remain fixed right there, while the 'fulcrum' is movable. The stronger my spellcasting technique, the greater the natural rules this 'fulcrum' can leverage, and the stronger I, as a warlock, become."

"Therefore, the fundamental philosophy of us warlocks is to continuously enhance our own spellcasting techniques, shifting this fulcrum so as to leverage greater forces of heaven, earth, and nature. As for my own cultivation of life essence and physical body, I don't believe it is all that important."

"After all, practicing spellcasting techniques to leverage the natural forces of heaven and earth is fundamentally an act of using four ounces to move a thousand pounds. Since it is a matter of four ounces moving a thousand pounds, we must naturally focus our energy on moving the fulcrum and wielding that thousand pounds, rather than on the four ounces."

Having finished, Zhuge Yunhui looked eagerly at Zhang Zhiwei, wondering how a Senior Brother capable of shifting the four dials would offer his correction.

Zhang Zhiwei smiled. "You warlocks always speak in riddles. Is there really any need to use such complicated explanations for a very simple principle?"

Zhuge Yunhui replied, "The more complex it is, the more thoroughly it can be explained!"

"No, the more complex it is, the easier it is to make mistakes!" Zhang Zhiwei tilted his head, looking at the lever Zhuge Yunhui had conjured, and said:

"You say the foundation of a warlock is using four ounces to move a thousand pounds, leveraging powerful forces of heaven and earth. At first glance, this sounds fine—at least to me, it does."

"But for you, it is not the case at all. Because you merely find loopholes in the natural rules and exploit those loopholes to make your move; you cannot exert any influence whatsoever. Let alone moving a thousand pounds, you can't even budge a single ounce."

"You can only follow the course of nature. When heaven and earth manifest a certain change, you seize upon that change and employ a series of methods to accelerate it. This is not called using four ounces to move a thousand pounds; this is called going with the flow."

"Can't even budge a single ounce, merely going with the flow!" Zhuge Yunhui repeated what Zhang Zhiwei had just said, his expression instantly turning ghastly.

Yet he could not refute it, because although he could open the Qimen array and set the formation, he could only deduce the changes within the array and adapt himself accordingly, applying the appropriate spell at the right place and the right time.

That was why warlocks needed to constantly shift their positions—to adapt to the changes within the array. Calling it going with the flow was undeniably accurate.

So we warlocks can only seek good fortune and avoid disaster, following the natural order while changing nothing at all! If that is the case, then what meaning is there to the spellcasting arts I have painstakingly practiced for all these years?

Zhuge Yunhui's mental state wavered, but immediately afterward, his spirit surged, and he gazed intently at Zhang Zhiwei:

"Senior Brother Zhang, this is how it is for me, but it is not so for you! You can move the four dials and influence the Qimen structure, which proves that warlocks *can* move the rules of heaven and earth. It is simply that my innate talent is dull and I have not found the proper method. Although I know it is presumptuous, I still wish to ask Senior Brother Zhang to instruct me!"

With that, Zhuge Yunhui bowed deeply.

"Brother Zhuge, they say this is a mutual exchange and guidance; you don't need to be so rigid. If you want to use four ounces to move a thousand pounds, you must first have four ounces of weight yourself. In my view..."

Zhang Zhiwei reached out and slid the fulcrum of the lever from a distant spot right next to himself, saying:

"This fulcrum ought to be positioned right here. Your theories are completely inverted; do not bite off more than you can chew by constantly dreaming of controlling heaven and earth. When you contemplate the rules of heaven and earth and discern the changes in the world, the essence of it should be to mirror yourselves, to contemplate your own inner nature, and thereby master yourselves."

"Master myself?" Zhuge Yunhui wore a look of utter bewilderment. "Senior Brother Zhang, I don't understand. If practicing spells and contemplating heaven and earth is meant to master oneself, then what is the point of being a warlock? Wouldn't it be better to simply practice the Internal Elixir technique?"

Zhang Zhiwei smiled. "That works too; all great paths lead to the same destination. Have you ever seen any of those sages who achieved enlightenment who weren't proficient in everything?"

The more Zhuge Yunhui listened, the more confused he became. "I beg Senior Brother Zhang to dispel my doubts!"

Zhang Zhiwei said, "In our Taoism, there is a concept called entering the world, transcending the world, and finally attaining a clear understanding of one's own Dao. This applies equally to you warlocks: enter the Qimen grid of heaven and earth, transcend the Qimen grid of heaven and earth, and finally attain a clear understanding of your own grid!"

The more Zhuge Yunhui listened, the more tangled his thoughts became, his mind twisting into a chaotic mess. He couldn't help clutching his head and murmuring in a low voice:

"Senior Brother Zhang, what is meant by 'one's own grid'? I don't understand, I don't understand at all. I implore Senior Brother Zhang to clear my confusion!"

He could sense the immense weight behind those words and even felt a vague flash of insight, yet he remained unable to truly grasp its meaning. That feeling of looking at flowers through a fog was driving him mad.