Chapter Thirty: Taking from the Deficient to Serve the Surplus

In truth, whether it was the Buddhist sects or the Daoist ones, the two paths, though seldom in agreement, could at least coexist. It was the demon clans, by contrast, that had suffered many grievous losses at the hands of the strongest demon kings from both sides.

After all, the strange mountains and waters where spiritual currents converged were not only beneficial to cultivators, but also the places where many demon races first awakened intelligence. Many of those lands were the old lairs of demon kings. Over countless years, those cultivators who called themselves the orthodox heirs of the mystic schools had never ceased seizing such paradises and blessed lands. And because gifted talents emerged in endless succession, while the demon race remained divided among themselves, by now, unless one was an exceptionally formidable demon king, there was no way to hold one’s own doorstep.

Human cultivators with talent might attain the Dao within decades or at most a few centuries. For demons, from first awakening intelligence to becoming a demon king of their generation, even a thousand years counted as swift. Thus did the scales slowly tip.

If this world were not so nearly boundless, then in another few tens of thousands of years the demon race would have nowhere left to stand.

Of course, there were still many powerful demon lords today, each ruling their own territory, while the great sects had already occupied many fine lands of their own. In this way, the two sides could broadly live in peace. So long as one did not bring evil into the mortal world, no cultivator would dare venture into these remote lands to exorcise demons and slay monsters.

The Buddhist order was powerful, but the Golden Light Temple alone was not enough to make the Nine-Headed Demon King fear. Yet though he did not fear the Golden Light Temple, he could not fully trust Young Master Hai.

When Young Master Hai saw the Nine-Headed Demon King hesitate, he was not surprised in the least.

Every demon who became a demon king, aside from the rare few born beneath especially fortunate skies, had endured countless hardships and peril before finally attaining human form.

Still, he believed the Nine-Headed Demon King would ultimately agree. Most demon kings, though fond of pleasure, were in truth helpless against their own nature. After all, once one had passed the tribulation of transformation and acquired a human body, advancing further in cultivation was no longer as simple as secluding oneself in bitter austerity.

For one to cultivate to the level of the Nine-Headed Demon King, there was far more to it than luck alone.

Thus, when there was no road ahead, it was only natural to indulge in wild abandon.

If a chance to grow stronger lay right before them, it would be hard for them to refuse.

The Nine-Headed Demon King said, “Brother, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but with nothing but empty words from you, how am I supposed to feel at ease? I may have nine heads, but if I were suddenly to lose one, that would hardly sit well with me.”

Having nine heads meant having nine lives. That was his greatest reliance. A born divine power such as this was exceedingly rare in all heaven and earth. Though demons and fiends were countless, those with nine lives could be counted on one hand. It was one of the things he was most proud of.

At the same time, it was also a veiled warning to Young Master Hai not to think of setting him up, because he was not the sort that could be killed off so easily.

Young Master Hai lifted his head slightly, his gaze calm and steady. “If Brother Nine does not trust me, then perhaps we should first swear an oath upon the spirit platform.”

At this, the Nine-Headed Demon King finally felt a little more at ease. Where there are sentient beings with spirit, there is a spirit platform as well, and that is where the heart of the Dao lies. Though a spirit-platform oath did not carry the crushing backlash of a karmic oath, it still pointed straight to one’s true nature. Should it be broken, one’s original disposition would be clouded and sullied. There were many methods to remedy it, but they would still cost a great deal of time and effort.

As for why Young Master Hai did not propose the even more binding karmic oath, he naturally had his reasons. If the restraint were too great, it would bind the two of them too tightly. And if, by then, the Nine-Headed Demon King wished to go back on his word, he would have to pay a terrible price.

The Nine-Headed Demon King was rough of manner but sharp of mind. After asking and clarifying many details, he finally set an initial spirit-platform oath, which would only take effect if the Golden Light Temple truly possessed the so-called Buddhist relic.

*****

After Shen Lian killed the serpent demoness, he left at once. Though he did not know who the Young Master Hai she had mentioned might be, he was not foolish enough to wait there obediently.

The island was not especially large. After reaching the other side and making out his bearings, he rode the wind and crossed the sea.

Half a day after he had left, a young man in a robe of lustrous gold appeared at the place where the serpent demoness had been slain. It was none other than Young Master Hai.

Young Master Hai studied the soil on the ground, murmuring incantations under his breath. It was an exceptionally difficult and intricate spell. At last he slowly traced a circle in the air, and a mirror materialized out of nowhere.

This was the divine art of retrospective illumination, which allowed one to see what had once occurred upon that patch of ground.

In the end, Young Master Hai’s gaze fell upon Shen Lian within the mirror. He watched until Shen Lian extended a single finger and the serpent demoness froze in stunned stillness. Then, thoughtfully, he murmured, “The Dao sword of Azure Profundity? No, only a rough imitation of it. To use that for striking the mind instead of the body—what a fool’s bargain.”

Had Shen Lian been without any background, Young Master Hai would most likely still have had him brought back. But since he was preparing to carry out an important undertaking, it was inconvenient to stir up more trouble.

No matter how much Azure Profundity had declined, it was still a millennia-old great sect, with deep foundations. Who could say whether some old immortal might still be roaming the starry river?

With a sweep of his sleeve, mist began to rise through the forest in curling layers. It spread outward until, once the island was entirely shrouded, it vanished as though by miracle, leaving no trace visible from outside.

Even the sea monster slowly sank into the depths, leaving behind only a faint, lingering song that would not fade.

*****

Shen Lian still did not know that Azure Profundity’s reputation had shielded him once. The sea was vast and boundless, and though he could recognize directions, finding the right route again still cost him no small amount of effort.

By the time he returned to the gate of Azure Profundity, another full month had passed.

Great Unity Peak remained veiled in mist and cloud, unchanged from before.

Zhang Ruoxu was still seated cross-legged upon the stone couch, watching Shen Lian’s return.

In such a short time, there was naturally little difference to be seen, and Zhang Ruoxu would certainly not test Shen Lian’s cultivation.

What he said next, however, still inevitably startled Shen Lian.

“Do you know that the people on Flying Immortal Isle nearly died to the last soul?” Zhang Ruoxu’s face carried a faint trace of sorrow, touched with pity for the world.

“What happened? When this disciple left, the demons had already been eradicated.” Shen Lian could not help feeling a little unsettled as well.

“Someone took the blood essence of the island’s inhabitants and refined a Blood-Transforming Divine Blade. Only one little girl survived, saved by my martial uncle,” Zhang Ruoxu said.

“Blood-Transforming Divine Blade?” Shen Lian was slightly puzzled. He had never seen any record of such a thing in the Exalted Cabinet.

“It is an supreme divine power, one that is especially adept at plundering another’s spirit, blood, and vital energy to replenish one’s own and assist cultivation. Though it steals from the insufficient to feed the excess, and goes against the will of heaven, it can still offer a chance at attaining the Dao.” Zhang Ruoxu said this almost offhandedly, while secretly watching Shen Lian’s reaction.

Shen Lian said calmly, “For such a method to grant longevity, does it have any other flaws?”

“None, save that one must still survive the heavenly thunder tribulation in the future. If one uses this method to slaughter enough living beings and seize their vital essence, then in ten or twenty years one may reach the Core realm, and within fifty years one may enter the Delusion realm. If one is by nature cold and without pity, one may even break through delusion and emerge beyond it, leaving everything to Heaven to collect in the end.” Zhang Ruoxu spoke leisurely, though there seemed to be a hint of helplessness in his tone.

“The instinct to survive is only natural. It seems there were already many who cultivated this method in the past?” Shen Lian mused for a moment before asking.

“There was indeed once a sect that cultivated it. In the end, everyone from top to bottom slaughtered one another, and only a single person survived, only to be struck down by fivefold thunder and have both body and soul obliterated.”

P.S. Many thanks for the two-hundred reward from Blizzard in Heavy Sleep, as well as the tipped support from Drunken Recline and others.