Chapter 112: Full Moon, Return to the Grotto
Space shattered around him, fragmenting into countless shimmering shards, thin as cicada wings.
He fell through an endless darkness.
Then, blue and purple lights appeared, swirling around him, forming a vortex, a tunnel of light.
This was his third time here, but only now did he truly understand the process.
As space reassembled itself, the surrounding colors shifted and swirled.
A small hand pushed against his back, and a wave of demonic fire surged into him, burning through his meridians.
His Daoist foundation was about to collapse under the onslaught.
Another hand gently grasped his, pulling him away, a cooling energy flowing into him, protecting his upper dantian, stabilizing his Daoist energy.
Much of the demonic fire was absorbed by his demonic foundation in his lower dantian, which rapidly reached its peak, the surging heat causing him considerable discomfort.
The cooling energy, as it circulated, neutralized the remaining demonic fire, transforming it into a golden liquid that flowed towards his Daoist foundation.
“Demonic fire, formed from the True Dragon’s energy, has invaded your body. If you don’t absorb it completely, it will cause irreparable damage,” a cold yet gentle voice whispered beside him, “Sit down, focus your mind on your dantian, and I’ll help you transform this excess demonic fire into your internal elixir, restoring the balance between your Daoist and demonic energies.”
Shi Hao quickly sat down.
A playful voice came from the other side, “Oh my, isn’t it Little Emerald? He brought you here as well?”
“M-Master?” a small, incredulous voice whispered, then turned into a wail, “Master!”
Something small and soft lunged towards him.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry,” the playful voice chuckled, “You’ve transferred your soul into this doll and used the Jade Corpse Technique? No wonder you’ve survived for so long. I thought I wouldn’t see you again after leaving this place. Oh my, what have you done to him? Dao Body Demonic Seed? Are you trying to kill him?”
The small voice said, “Master, he… he’s…”
The playful voice, like the tinkling of bells, said, “He’s… my man…”
A gust of wind rushed towards Shi Hao, and something sharp bit his shoulder.
“Just kidding, just kidding!” A hand pulled the small figure away from him, “He’s my… disciple! Yes, that’s right, my disciple!”
“Oh, Young Master!” the small voice cried, panicked, “I have sinned! I’ve offended the Young Master! Please punish me!”
What’s going on? Shi Hao thought.
The cold, slightly annoyed voice beside him said, “Ignore them. Focus on your cultivation.”
Shi Hao quickly calmed his mind, focusing on restoring his internal balance with the woman’s help.
After a long while, he opened his eyes.
He saw Ye Zi Yin, the Holy Jade Immortal, standing gracefully beneath a partially collapsed white jade pillar, her skin as white as snow, her figure tall and slender.
Her white robe, embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns, fluttered around her, making her seem like a celestial being about to ascend to the heavens.
No matter how many times he saw her, she always looked like an otherworldly goddess, her beauty breathtaking.
On the other side sat Su Mei, the Enchanting Fire Witch, dressed in a crimson robe, her hair styled in a beautiful bun, her legs crossed, her demeanor completely different from Ye Zi Yin’s.
Her beauty was captivating, her smile alluring, her eyes sparkling, her every movement graceful.
Even sitting still, she was like a flickering flame, bright and mesmerizing, drawing him in, like a moth to a flame.
The doll lay in her lap, clinging to her like a child.
“How are you feeling?” Su Mei smiled, her beautiful eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Terrible,” Shi Hao examined his internal state, alarmed, “Both the Gathering Essence Flowing Pearl Technique and the Unfettered Demon’s Boundless Art have reached their peak, my upper and lower dantians overflowing, but most of this energy isn’t from my own cultivation. Although I’m maintaining a precarious balance, I feel like I’m about to explode.”
Ye Zi Yin looked at him and said softly, “You’re not wrong. She transformed a large amount of True Dragon energy into demonic fire and infused it into you, using a secret ritual to try and ‘sacrifice’ your Daoist body.
“But you’re a dual cultivator. With your demonic energy at its peak due to the True Dragon energy, if your Daoist foundation was sacrificed, you would have died instantly.”
Shi Hao asked, puzzled, “True Dragon energy? Sacrifice?”
The Emerald Beauty flew from Su Mei’s lap and prostrated itself before him, its voice trembling, “Please forgive me, Young Master. I didn’t know it was you. I have committed a grave sin, punishable by death.”
Shi Hao asked, “What will happen to Yuejiao and Xiaoyan?”
The Emerald Beauty whispered, “They’re undergoing the Demonic Seed trial. That entire demonic hall is a ‘Dao Body Demonic Seed’ ritual. If they overcome the illusions and trials, they will sever their seven emotions, sacrifice their Daoist internal elixirs, obtain demonic essence from the Third Heaven, and become demonic cultivators.
“Then, they will inherit my Night Charm Secret Canon and become the next generation of true disciples of the Evil Lotus Sect. But now that I know Master has taken on a disciple, and you are the true inheritor, I realize my folly, my transgression. I deserve to die.”
Shi Hao looked at Su Mei.
Su Mei shrugged, “The Dao Body Demonic Seed is a unique ‘trial.’ Normally, Daoist and demonic cultivation methods are incompatible, but this ritual forcefully infuses demonic essence into their bodies, devouring their Daoist internal elixirs.
“This process is accompanied by terrifying trials. If they succeed, they sever all ties to their past, their emotions and attachments gone. Their Daoist internal elixirs become fuel for the demonic essence, greatly enhancing their power, allowing them to quickly advance to higher ranks.
“But if they fail, they die. Little Emerald tricked you into the Demonic Lotus Palace, subjecting you all to the ritual. Your case is unique; you should have died. As for the other two girls, if they passed the trial, she would have chosen them as her successors. If they failed, they would have died there, their secrets safe.”
Ye Zi Yin said calmly, “That’s the way of the demonic sects. Before accepting a true disciple, they ensure they have no attachments, no weaknesses.”
Su Mei said nonchalantly, “Indeed. We sever emotions, while you Daoists suppress desires. Neither is more virtuous than the other.”
She looked at Shi Hao and smiled, “Of course, we don’t actually sever all emotions. It’s just that the demonic sects value secrecy. Attachments outside the sect can become weaknesses, so we eliminate them. Unlike those hypocritical Daoists, suppressing all desires, trying to become something they’re not.”
Ye Zi Yin said coldly, “Don’t distort the truth. Daoist cultivation is about freedom and liberation, not denying our humanity. Emotions and desires are shackles, but we must experience them to transcend them. It’s better than your demonic sects, killing a child’s entire family before accepting them as a disciple.”
Su Mei said, “Oh, that’s…”
Shi Hao quickly interrupted, “Ladies, ladies… let’s talk about this True Dragon energy. What is it?” He knew they would argue endlessly.
Su Mei glanced at Ye Zi Yin, “If you want to know about True Dragon energy, you should ask this Taisu Immortal Pavilion ‘immortal.’ It’s their creation.”
Her tone was sarcastic.
But Ye Zi Yin ignored her and looked at Shi Hao, “The universe is vast and full of wonders. You know about the Demonic Realm. Do you know that besides the mortal world, there’s also a ‘Celestial Realm’?”
Shi Hao asked, surprised, “Celestial Realm?” He had never heard of it.
Although, thinking about it, with the existence of the Demonic Realm, a Celestial Realm wasn’t that strange.
Ye Zi Yin said, “The Celestial Realm isn’t as grand as people imagine. It’s not a paradise for immortals. Of course, it might have been different in ancient times, but now, it’s more like a ruin.
“Perhaps there were truly immortals in the Celestial Realm in ancient times. But something happened, leaving only ruins and some… unusual beings, unknown to the mortal world. The ‘True Dragon’ is one of them.”
Shi Hao asked, “So… dragons really exist?”
Ye Zi Yin shook her head, “The True Dragon isn’t a dragon, but a kind of… energy. Like the Demonic Realm, the things in the Celestial Realm are intangible from the mortal perspective. But the Celestial Realm exists above the mortal world, its energy influencing our world, shaping our destiny.
“The ancestors of the Taisu Immortal Pavilion, to end the endless wars and suffering during the late Yang Dynasty, chose a worthy ruler and, using a secret technique, summoned the True Dragon from the Celestial Realm. The True Dragon descended, forming a dragon vein, protecting the chosen ruler and helping him unify the land. This ruler became Emperor Wen of the Yang Dynasty.
“Following the Taisu Immortal Pavilion’s advice, Emperor Wen built a great city along the dragon vein. This city became Dàxīng City. The Taisu Immortal Pavilion believed that, protected by the dragon vein, the Yang Dynasty would usher in an era of peace and prosperity, lasting for centuries.
“Unfortunately, they were only half right.”
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