Xie Rong waited anxiously for a month, but he received no reply from Lin Mingsi. His mind was a tangled mess of worry. Xuan Yue had been in seclusion for a month, and when he finally emerged, his expression toward Xie Rong was calm and detached. Since he could not mold Xie Rong into a disciple who was pleasing to his eyes, he decided to let things take their course. After all, the greatest significance of Xie Rong’s existence was to help him resolve the Demonic Bone. To Xuan Yue, Xie Rong was essentially a tool that did not require much concern. Since the tool was useful to him, indulging it slightly was a small price to pay.
Xuan Yue took the life-bound jade token that Lin Mingsi had given Xie Rong, cast a tracking spell, and watched as a flicker of spiritual light vanished toward the east. He then consulted the map Xie Rong had purchased. “There are no major sects in the east; it is a chaotic region, often infested with ferocious beasts. Lin Mingsi may have stumbled upon a secret realm.”
Xie Rong knew that ferocious beasts were different from spirit beasts, which were friendly to humans, or demonic beasts, which were cold-blooded and rational. Ferocious beasts were beings fueled by demonic energy and bloodlust.
As they flew toward the city outskirts on the flying vessel, they were intercepted by several Yuan-Infant stage cultivators. Seeing the fierce intent in their eyes, Xie Rong immediately ducked behind Xuan Yue. “Master, I think these people have been tailing us since we were in the city.”
Xuan Yue was naturally aware of this; he did not even blink. His intent alone destroyed their sea of consciousness, causing them to collapse instantly. Xie Rong gasped as he saw the men fall, eyes vacant. As expected of Master; he does not waste a single word.
Seeing that Xuan Yue had no intention of dealing with the bodies, Xie Rong hesitated before stepping forward to collect their storage bags and burying the corpses in a large pit dug with earth spells. Xuan Yue watched him work, asking only after Xie Rong finished, “You dare to loot corpses now? Are you not afraid?”
Xie Rong looked down at the storage bags in his arms. He had expected to feel disgusted, but his emotions remained as flat as if he were touching a tree in the forest. Perhaps people grow, he thought. I have been in the cultivation world for so long; if I did not change, I would never survive.
Xie Rong took a deep breath and looked at Xuan Yue earnestly. “Master, if you were not here today, I would not just stand still and wait to be killed. If someone wants my life, even if I cannot win, I will make them pay by self-destructing with them. We are all living beings; why should my life be taken so easily? I may like to laze about, but I do not like being killed.”
Xuan Yue’s expression sharpened. He noticed that the Xie Rong who once feared even holding a puppet was now able to loot corpses without a change in his pulse. He was becoming the cold-blooded cultivator Xuan Yue had once wanted, yet Xuan Yue felt no joy in this transformation.
Xie Rong opened the six storage bags. Four contained demonic cultivation manuals and various items that radiated a hair-raising chill. Xuan Yue personally destroyed the manuals, explaining that these items were demonic plants. “Demonic cultivators do not practice alchemy because their bodies are far stronger than those of righteous cultivators; they can refine the energy of demonic plants directly. The reason the cultivation world fears them so much is that demonic energy is difficult to purge. Once tainted, one must either fall into the demonic path or scatter their cultivation and start over.”
Xie Rong handed the unknown pills and plants to Xuan Yue, asking, “Master, are those the only two results? Are there no good demonic cultivators?”
Xuan Yue smiled. “Who knows? Merely the fact that they devour spiritual power to cultivate makes them intolerable to the righteous path. To them, cultivators are nothing more than resources; in their wars, they slaughter even the dead. The blood feud between the two worlds is generational; there is no room for reconciliation. There may be good individuals among them, but no cultivator is willing to gamble their life on that. Rong’er, do not be too naive. If you encounter a demonic cultivator, kill them if you can, or flee if you cannot.”
Xie Rong was surprised to learn that demonic cultivators could devour the spiritual power of others, and he decided to keep his distance from them in the future. He agreed with Xuan Yue’s advice: Master is right; no one is willing to gamble their life to see if a demonic cultivator is good. Prioritizing one’s own safety is the correct choice.
Xuan Yue used the tracking spell three times before locating Lin Mingsi in the depths of a wild forest, a small smile appearing on his lips. “I did not expect a secret realm to exist in such a barren place. It is a collapsing minor realm, and I cannot enter. Lin Mingsi is likely inside. Do you wish to enter?”
Xuan Yue waved his sleeve, revealing the entrance hidden in the cliff face. “The space in this realm is unstable, and I cannot accompany you. My divine sense detected several Yuan-Infant stage ferocious beasts within. The realm is vast; if you go in without knowing where Lin Mingsi is, you may be in danger.”
Xie Rong wrestled with himself. Should he risk his life for Lin Mingsi? What if Lin Mingsi had simply found an opportunity and was hiding to cultivate? But what if he was in danger?
If I enter, I am only a Golden Core cultivator; I would only be a burden to Senior Brother. Yet, if I do not go, my heart will never be at peace. Cultivators have a strange intuition, and I fear he truly is in trouble. I have many treasures given to me by Master; if I avoid the beasts, I should be fine.
“Master, I want to go in,” Xie Rong decided. Whether he found Lin Mingsi or not, he had to try.
Xuan Yue was not worried about Xie Rong’s life; he had given the boy a half-immortal jade pendant that could withstand spatial turbulence. If Xie Rong were in lethal danger, the pendant would automatically teleport him back. Xuan Yue intentionally kept this a secret, wanting Xie Rong to learn how to survive on his own.
He gave Xie Rong three talismans capable of killing a Yuan-Infant beast and a formation disk for tracking Lin Mingsi’s aura. As Xie Rong stepped into the realm, he thought: Will I regret this? Perhaps. But if I had to choose again, I would still enter.
Xuan Yue watched him, feeling a mix of amusement and annoyance. Xie Rong was truly the most foolish person he had ever met, yet this foolish boy was the only one who could stir his emotions. Xuan Yue left a strand of his divine sense on the jade pendant, allowing him to monitor the situation without entering.
Xie Rong took out his long sword, Suifeng, which Xuan Yue had given him. He carefully observed his surroundings, grateful for his luck, and used his identity token to send a message to Lin Mingsi. Since they were in the same realm, if Lin Mingsi still did not reply, it was highly likely that something had happened to him.
Xie Rong waited a while, but received no response. He took out the tracking disk, gripped his sword tightly, and took his first step forward.
Half a day later, Xie Rong killed a snake beast without flinching. He had expected to feel disgusted by the blood, but his body showed no ill effects. This was his first time taking a life since arriving in the cultivation world, yet he felt completely calm, even crouching down to butcher the beast’s meat.
Is it because I have played too many game dungeons, so I am no longer afraid of slaughter? he wondered. Xie Rong could find no other explanation and attributed his change to the nightmare challenges, muttering, “It turns out that playing games really can affect one’s temperament; I thought people were just exaggerating.”
After packing the meat, Xie Rong continued on his way. Xuan Yue felt Xie Rong was truly a genius in the sword path. Most people could only internalize half the combat experience gained from such nightmares, yet Xie Rong had mastered the insights within days, making his sword moves increasingly fluid and powerful.
Half a month later, Xie Rong encountered a Yuan-Infant stage ferocious beast. He prepared to use one of the talismans Xuan Yue had given him, but the beast took one look at him and bolted. The beast, having just finished its own tribulation, had felt the terrifying malice radiating from Xie Rong and fled to avoid a fight with a “killing god.”
Seeing the beast flee, Xie Rong blinked and silently put away the talisman. Xuan Yue watched him, more shocked than ever. Most people experienced a change in temperament after prolonged killing, but Xie Rong was not only unaffected—he was actually absorbing the malevolent energy to strengthen himself. He was oblivious to the difference between spiritual energy and malevolent energy, treating both as fuel. Xuan Yue realized that the ancient, unknown plant that had contracted with Xie Rong likely knew of this bizarre constitution. He did not know why the plant had fallen into a slumber, but he knew that once it awakened, he would learn why Xie Rong was so exceptional.
Three months later, Xie Rong fought his way to a palace filled with a crimson, bloody aura. The tracking disk indicated that Lin Mingsi was inside. Throughout the journey, Xie Rong felt his strength growing steadily.
“The red spiritual energy in this realm actually has the effect of refining the body. When I leave, I must tell Master; this realm is a treasure trove.”
Xuan Yue heard Xie Rong’s mutterings, his expression complex. Xie Rong was not only refining malevolent energy, but now blood-based evil energy as well. This was far more terrifying than the former; even Xuan Yue would suffer if tainted by it. Yet, Xie Rong not only remained unaffected in his state of mind but also believed the blood energy was merely a strange form of spiritual energy.
Even high-level demonic clansmen would not dare to refine this blood energy directly, as it would turn them into mindless puppets of slaughter.
Xie Rong arrived before the palace, noticing several ferocious beasts whose cultivation levels he could not discern. However, none of them attacked him. A giant beast as tall as a mountain opened its eyes, glanced at him, and lazily closed them again. Xie Rong cautiously approached the palace and pushed open the massive doors.
As soon as his hand touched the door, the red energy within the Blood-Sha Palace surged and rushed into his body. Xie Rong could only see a crimson tint in his sea of consciousness, but beyond the strange color, he felt no other issues. As the aura grew thicker, the surrounding ferocious beasts fled the realm, only to be effortlessly dispatched by Xuan Yue outside.
Xuan Yue frowned, realizing this was the Blood-Sha Palace, a treasure of the Demon Realm that had been missing for seven million years. He could no longer track Xie Rong, but he sensed the boy’s life force remained stable. He laughed, realizing that if Xie Rong could refine this energy, he might truly conquer this terrifying artifact.
Inside the hall, Xie Rong searched for Lin Mingsi. The palace was a labyrinth of countless rooms. Finding no beasts, he called out, “Senior Brother, are you in here? It is Xie Rong!”
Lin Mingsi, who was desperately resisting the blood-sha energy, heard Xie Rong’s voice and struggled to maintain his sanity. He feared he was hallucinating, as his spiritual roots had already begun to be influenced by demonic energy. If he gave up and left his room, his sea of consciousness would be consumed. He knew he was destined to become a demonic cultivator to survive, but his only thought remained the life-extending herb he had found for Xie Rong.
I cannot die yet, he thought. The life-extending herb I found has not been given to Xie Rong yet. He needs it to reach the Golden Core stage.
It was only because of the many treasures Xie Rong had previously given him that he had survived this far. He owed Xie Rong his life many times over. With this thought, his heart grew lighter. Even if he were to die after becoming a demonic cultivator, he would hand the herb to Xie Rong first.
The sound of Xie Rong’s voice grew clearer, but Lin Mingsi remained steadfast, assuming it was an auditory hallucination. The identity token was suppressed within the Blood-Sha Palace, so he could not hear the messages. As Xie Rong grew increasingly desperate, a laughing, child-like voice echoed through the hall.
“You cannot find him like this, but I can help you.”
Xie Rong gripped his sword tightly. “Who are you?”
The Blood-Sha spirit laughed. “You are the only person who can swallow this energy without losing his mind. You are different from the previous trash. Do you want to sign a contract with me?”
Xie Rong recalled Lin Mingsi’s lessons on treasure classifications and had no desire to sign a contract with such a ominous-sounding entity. “My thanks, Senior, but my cultivation talent is poor, and my lifespan is likely short.”
“It does not matter how long you live,” the spirit snapped. “If you fail to sign, I will consume Lin Mingsi’s soul.”
With a roar of energy, a complex red formation enveloped Xie Rong. He was forced into the center, where the blood-sha energy rushed into his body. Instead of losing his mind, Xie Rong felt his spiritual power turn blood-red, but it remained entirely under his control.