The Eastern Peaks were located within the Demon Realm. Before heading there, Lin Qing changed into common Demon Realm attire and sealed his spiritual energy. Cultivators’ clothing typically favored light colors like white, cyan, and orange. In contrast, the Demon Realm’s fashion was a riot of heavy colors and flashy patterns. Wearing them made one look like a peacock in full display.
Upon arriving in the Demon Realm, Lin Qing immediately changed into a deep purple, waist-cinching tight suit. After removing all the jingling ornaments, the style resembled a night-traveling outfit. He had long wanted a set of clothes that did not restrict his movements during a fight. He tied his long black hair high with a headband to reveal his sharp and handsome features. His posture was tall and straight, which made him look exceptionally spirited like a sharp sword ready to be drawn.
Wearing his new clothes and a fierce iron mask with bared fangs, anyone who saw him would only think he was a handsome demonic cultivator. No one would associate him with the dignified and extraordinary Green Lotus Sword Venerable.
Since completing the last main task, the System seemed to have developed a poor signal. Not only was it less talkative, but its communication was intermittent. It no longer reminded Lin Qing to extract his daily Passion Points. Lin Qing experimented by not gathering any points yesterday and suffered no punishment. This allowed him to finally focus on his cultivation with peace of mind.
Lin Qing intended to find a weapon shop first to forge a new weapon. His immortal sword was far too recognizable and taking it out would be equivalent to exposing his identity. Upon entering the Demon Realm, he had sealed the immortal sword away and planned to find a more suitable weapon.
Sensing Lin Qing’s intent, the Demon King spoke. “Your Master has a demonic sword named Changyuan. It is in my former secret treasury and would suit you well. Go and take that one.”
Lin Qing was naturally delighted to receive such a gift. “Thank you, Master.” He followed the Demon King’s guidance to hunt for the treasure and wondered how many treasures would be in the legendary Demon King’s vault.
The Demon King’s memory was excellent. Despite the passage of time, he remembered the location of the vault. Since Lin Qing was highly efficient, the two found the place without much effort. The vault was in a desolate grotto outside the Demon Realm. The stone walls outside the cave were covered in spiderwebs and weeds grew wild.
However, what surprised Lin Qing was not the webs but the piles of human bones stacked outside the entrance which nearly filled it. A few white flowers even grew amidst the bones. Lin Qing wanted to clear the entrance, but the Demon King stopped him. “A restriction was placed here. Step back and do not approach yet.”
Lin Qing obediently stepped back a few paces only to bump into a hard wall. He remembered there being nothing behind him. Looking back, he saw a familiar purple phantom.
Lin Qing asked in a panic why his Master had come out and wondered if the System would find out.
The Demon King put an arm around his shoulder. “Do not worry. I can completely block that System of yours now. In the future, when you speak with me, there is no need for transmission. I will make sure it cannot hear a thing.”
“Master is so powerful,” Lin Qing said as he quietly put some distance between himself and the Demon King. This Demon King was growing remarkably fast. He was a character capable of destroying the world. If a mere phantom could possess such power, it was terrifying to imagine what he would be like once he obtained a physical body.
“Alright, you may enter.” While Lin Qing was distracted, the Demon King had already deactivated the restriction and cleared away the gruesome skulls at the entrance. Lin Qing followed the Demon King cautiously into the cave.
Once inside, the space opened up significantly. The luxurious layout was a world apart from the outside. Night-luminescent pearls the size of fists were embedded in the walls for lighting. The stone path beneath his feet gradually smoothed out and was covered with soft white felt.
As they walked further in, another door appeared. Lin Qing looked at the two stone giants standing over two meters tall at the entrance. The giants’ eyes glowed red and seemed to possess consciousness. As Lin Qing curiously approached, the two statues raised their spears to strike him.
The Demon King barked for them to stand down. The two statues immediately withdrew their spears and returned to their original positions. Lin Qing reached out to touch the statues again and they remained as still as inanimate objects.
Lin Qing asked in wonder if this was the mechanical art the Master had created.
“Yes,” the Demon King replied. “I will teach you slowly in the future.”
The stone door ahead slowly opened and Lin Qing was momentarily blinded by the piles of gemstones inside. “Wow, Master, are all these your treasures?” He looked like someone who had never seen the world and was delighted by the rare gems in the cave. He asked if he could touch them.
“They are all yours from now on. You can look at them every day until you are satisfied.” The Demon King looked at his treasure-loving expression with amusement and took his hand. “This is only the first level. Come, I will show you the inside.”
Lin Qing’s eyes were too busy admiring the room full of treasure to notice the Demon King’s gesture. As he was pulled away, he looked back at the gems with great reluctance.
Continuing inward, another stone door appeared. This one did not contain treasures but was quite spacious and filled with various weapons. “Stay here and do not move. The baleful aura of these weapons is very heavy and might injure you.”
“Alright.” Lin Qing stood still immediately and did not even let his eyes wander.
The Demon King searched through the weapons and soon returned with a long box. He opened it. “See? Are you satisfied?”
“Satisfied, satisfied! Of course I am satisfied!” Lin Qing repeated the word as he reached out to take the sword.
This sword looked much more imposing than his light and cold immortal sword. The blade was a dark red and flickered with a cold and sharp white light. The patterns on it seemed to be some kind of complex runes. A purple gemstone was embedded in the hilt and looked like a deep and mysterious eye in the darkness.
“When your cultivation improves, I will find you an even better one,” the Master promised. It was not that the Demon King was stingy, but demonic swords were bloodthirsty and carried heavy baleful energy. With Lin Qing’s current level, he would not be able to control a more powerful sword.
Holding the demonic sword, Lin Qing followed the Demon King further into the cave. The grotto went layer after layer and appeared endless. Further in, there were bookshelves filled with volumes from the Demon Realm, the Spirit Realm, the Cultivation Realm, and even the Ghost Realm. Several rows of shelves held texts in an ancient script that Lin Qing did not recognize.
The Demon King selected a few demonic cultivation manuals and led Lin Qing further in. This time, they arrived at an alchemy room. A massive furnace stood in the center and was surrounded by piles of various medicinal pills. Lin Qing asked if his Master knew alchemy as well.
“I know many things,” the Demon King replied.
Lin Qing asked tentatively what his Master planned to do once he recovered his body.
The Demon King’s tone did not change and sounded as natural as if he were discussing the weather. “Do you not find this world absurd and ridiculous? It is time for a complete overhaul.”
Lin Qing did not deny it. A world governed by the logic of an adult novel where everyone was driven by carnal instinct was indeed ridiculous. This Demon King’s awareness seemed higher than anyone else’s in this world. It was no wonder he was the man who almost destroyed the world because he relied on both strength and intellect.
Lin Qing asked how the Master planned to overhaul it. He wondered if the Master would continue to destroy the world like a villain in the plot. If so, Lin Qing wondered if he could truly continue to side with him. Although he hated this world, he was not prepared to be a villain’s accomplice.
The Demon King patted his head. “What you need to do now is cultivate well. This is not something you should worry about.”
Lin Qing swatted his hand away in dissatisfaction. “Master, I am not a child.” He wondered why the Demon King treated him like a kid.
The Demon King was not angry at being swatted and simply chuckled. “I certainly do not think of you as a child.”