Chapter 30: Drunken Dream Pavilion
Lu Sheng didn't rush to leave.
Perhaps she was feeling frustrated from Lu Hange and wanted comfort; perhaps she was jealous and upset after seeing Qiu Liu's delicate and charming appearance just now. In any case, Lu Sheng wanted to spend more time with Ye Feng.
The night was long.
A beauty by his side.
But Ye Feng was suffering.
Lu Sheng was indeed beautiful.
But he didn't dare to make a move.
Before her favorability was maxed out, Ye Feng could only maintain his image as a obedient disciple.
If Qiu Liu were here, it would be different.
Whatever pose he wanted Qiu Liu to strike, Qiu Liu would strike it to accommodate him.
Lu Sheng was like an uncooked "see-hand-green" mushroom; everyone knew this dish would be delicious once cooked, but no one dared to touch it before it was cooked. Qiu Liu, on the other hand, was an orange; Ye Feng could not only peel her but also squeeze juice from her, eating her whenever he wanted.
"Master, it's getting late."
Ye Feng reminded her.
He had wanted to send Lu Sheng away for a long time.
Qiu Liu was still waiting for him!
"Are you very sleepy?"
Lu Sheng asked.
Ye Feng shook his head. After becoming a cultivator, most of his nights were spent cultivating, and cultivators had essentially said goodbye to the simple physiological activity of sleeping.
"Do you want to cultivate?"
Lu Sheng asked again.
Ye Feng was silent for a few seconds, then shook his head again.
Upon seeing this.
Lu Sheng waved her hand, indicating for Ye Feng to sit beside her: "Not sleepy and not cultivating, then there's nothing to do tonight, just talk with me."
"F**k!"
Ye Feng cursed inwardly.
But on the surface, Ye Feng still smiled, sitting obediently beside Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng really wanted to confide her thoughts and worries to someone. In the past, her confidant was Lu Hange; she would always bother Lu Hange's cultivation with whatever troubles she had, and Lu Hange would always patiently pour her wine and listen quietly.
Now.
Lu Hange was not by her side.
The only person she could confide in was Ye Feng.
As for Qiu Liu...
That child was too arrogant and self-centered, not suitable to be a listener.
Only poor Qiu Liu, in another cave dwelling on Qingyun Peak, was still eagerly waiting for Ye Feng to find her, but a night passed, and Ye Feng was nowhere to be seen.
...
At the foot of Three Thousand Dao Sect mountain.
Chuan Dao Town.
The town was large.
It had prospered almost entirely due to its proximity to the Three Thousand Dao Sect.
As the leader of the immortal path, the Three Thousand Dao Sect would have many mortal families send their children to the sect every year, hoping their children would embark on the path of cultivation, but very few succeeded.
Those mortals who had no chance of immortality were unwilling to leave just like that and chose to reside permanently at the foot of the Three Thousand Dao Sect. As time passed, more and more people settled there, eventually evolving into the massive town seen today, named Chuan Dao Town.
In the early morning.
The morning light streamed down.
The street vendors had not yet come out to hawk their wares.
The period just after sunrise was the quietest time in the town.
Business owners were not yet awake, merchant caravans coming from outside had not yet entered the town, and brothels that had been bustling until late into the night finally quieted down, with an occasional disheveled man walking out, still unsatisfied.
Living here.
Children didn't need to attend private schools.
Going to private school was useless!
At least.
In this town, studying was useless.
Because there were no dynasties within a thousand miles of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, studying could not lead to official positions. In that case, studying was useless.
At the end of the widest road in the town, a woman in bright clothes blew out the candle in the lantern at the shop's entrance, then turned and swayed her hips, yawning as she walked upstairs into the building.
A plaque hung directly above.
Drunken Dream Pavilion.
At this moment.
Third floor of the Drunken Dream Pavilion.
In a room decorated with elegant white, a woman wearing a white veil stood by the window, gazing at the Three Thousand Dao Sect shrouded in mist in the distance.
"Mistress, the matter is settled."
The voice was ethereal.
A figure knelt behind her.
The woman withdrew her gaze and looked back at the kneeling person: "Is the Three Thousand Dao Sect strong?"
"Strong."
The servant was very direct.
The Three Thousand Dao Sect had been passed down for ten thousand years, and every Sect Master had been a Mahayana stage powerhouse. No one knew if these powerhouses had died or not.
The next second.
The servant raised his head, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism: "But Mistress is stronger!"
Upon hearing this.
The corners of the woman's mouth, hidden beneath her veil, curved into a bright smile.
"After a millennium of planning, burying countless demon seeds in the human realm, and even spending a great deal to infiltrate the high echelons of various immortal sects, it's finally time to reap the harvest." The woman slowly sat down, the astonishing undulations in front of her body causing two large white mounds to press directly onto the table.
"Contact the inner agents within the Three Thousand Dao Sect. This time, I want to completely destroy the Three Thousand Dao Sect!" The woman's tone turned cold. She had traveled thousands of miles from the demon realm to this small human town specifically to personally destroy the Three Thousand Dao Sect.
At present.
The timing was perfect!
The Sect Master of the Three Thousand Dao Sect was currently in secluded life-and-death cultivation. To put it nicely, he was seeking an opportunity to become an immortal; to put it bluntly, his lifespan was nearing its end, and he wanted to make a desperate struggle.
Becoming an immortal...
What an enticing phrase.
Cultivators living in this world pursued immortality throughout their lives.
But none had ever succeeded.
Not a single one!
The endpoint for cultivators was the peak of the Mahayana stage.
But within the demon race's royal family, a legend circulated that as long as one found a certain item, there would be a chance to open the path to immortality.
This item was the Immortal Cauldron.
However.
No one had ever seen what the Immortal Cauldron looked like.
The demon race wasn't foolish; their demon realm wasn't lacking in resources, nor did they need spiritual energy for cultivation. So why did they constantly wage war with the human race?
It was because the Immortal Cauldron was in the human realm.
To find the Immortal Cauldron, they could only wage war with the human race, using the pretext of war to secretly search for the Immortal Cauldron in the human realm.
But unfortunately.
They hadn't found it for so many years.
The woman's eyes flickered slightly; the human realm was too vast, more than ten times wider than the demon realm, making it too difficult to find a specific item.
"Is the Immortal Cauldron... truly in the Three Thousand Dao Sect?"
The woman murmured to herself.
The servant dared not reply.
After searching for many years, they finally found a small clue.
The Immortal Cauldron was within the Sword Prison of the Three Thousand Dao Sect.
The room was silent for a long time.
Only then did the servant speak: "Mistress, the Demon Emperor sent a message, wanting you to return to the demon realm."
"Does he have the right to control me?"
"Even my father couldn't control me when he was alive, does he have the right?"
The woman sneered endlessly.
Upon hearing this.
The servant said no more.
The woman held a very high status within the demon race, not at all inferior to the Demon Emperor, so there was no need for her to follow the Demon Emperor's whims.
"You may leave first."
The woman waved her hand.
Upon seeing this.
The servant stood up and walked towards the door.
Suddenly.
The servant stopped, his expression hesitant: "Mistress, I also received a piece of news."
The woman seemed somewhat nonchalant, her slender jade fingers playing with a porcelain white teacup: "If it's not important, you don't need to say it."
The servant was silent for a few seconds: "It's related to the Saint Child of the Three Thousand Dao Sect."
"Then you may tell me."
"The Saint Child of the Three Thousand Dao Sect has lost all his cultivation and is now crippled."
In an instant.
The room became icy cold.
The woman put down her teacup and asked coldly, "Who did it?"
The servant quickly knelt down. She had followed the woman for many years and naturally knew that the woman in this state was angry.
Chapter 31: Planting Demonic Seeds, Soul Searching
"The news, whether accurate or not, seems to be that the Holy Son has crippled his own cultivation."
The servant kept her head bowed, not daring to look up.
For a moment, the servant held her breath, not daring to exhale. Although she didn't know the connection between her mistress and the Holy Son of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, her mistress cared deeply about news regarding him.
After a long time, the woman said coldly, "Go investigate further. I want to know the whole story."
"Mistress, don't worry, I will find out everything."
The servant backed away a few steps and hurried out of the room. It was too frightening! When her mistress got angry, it truly made one's heart tremble.
The woman was left alone in the room again. She returned to the bedside, gazing at the peaks of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, as if seeing that familiar face through layers of thick mist: "This time, I will bring you back to the Demon Race."
...
At the gate of the Drunken Dream Pavilion.
"Brother Wang, come again when you're free!"
"Watch your step, walk safely!"
Fawning and flattering voices echoed. Two figures swayed, arms around each other, as they walked out of the Drunken Dream Pavilion. The drunkenness hadn't completely left their faces, and like other mortals visiting a brothel, their faces were full of satisfaction and lingering desire: "Mama Zhang, I'll definitely come again when I'm free! You must save yesterday's courtesan for me!"
With that, the two swayed and walked towards the outskirts of the town.
These two were none other than the guards from the Prison Hall responsible for secretly protecting Lu Hengge.
Seeing them walk away, the madam, who had just been full of fawning smiles, instantly changed her expression and spat on the ground: "What rubbish! They come every time and never pay! My brothel has become their personal harem."
If it weren't for the fact that these two were disciples of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, she would have turned hostile long ago.
The next second, a figure appeared beside the madam.
The madam sensed the aura and quickly bowed: "My lord, those two have been sent off."
"Are the demonic seeds properly placed?" the servant asked indifferently.
The madam confidently replied, "My lord, rest assured. To be safe, I directly placed no less than ten demonic seeds on those two. In just half a day, their meridians will be completely rooted with the demonic seeds."
No one knew that this Drunken Dream Pavilion was run by the Demon Race. From the moment the Demon Race learned that the Immortal Cauldron might be in the Three Thousand Dao Sect, they began to plan their infiltration. This Drunken Dream Pavilion was slowly developed right under the nose of the Three Thousand Dao Sect.
"I need to go out for a while."
"You must serve my mistress well."
"If my mistress is even slightly displeased, you can just wait for death."
As soon as her voice fell, the servant's figure instantly vanished.
The madam wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, wiggled her large backside, and scurried back into the Drunken Dream Pavilion. Serving the one upstairs well would ensure her future was bright. Moreover, she was already a demon herself. Serving the royal family of the Demon Race brought no complaints, she even felt honored.
The madam was an astute person, especially having mingled among humans for so long; she had long since learned their cunning. Although she didn't know the purpose of the Demon Race royalty coming here, it must be something important. Serving these lords well might even allow her to return to the Demon Race.
On the other side, the two Prison Hall guards, arms around each other, walked out of the town and swayed towards the peaks of the Three Thousand Dao Sect. Their cultivation wasn't high, and they were relaxed and careless, so they didn't realize someone was following them.
The Three Thousand Dao Sect had a protective formation, but it didn't cover the town. This meant that at this moment, these two guards were without the protection of the Three Thousand Dao Sect's formation.
Just then, a cool breeze blew past. One guard looked back in the direction they came from, his eyes a little blurry: "Why is it a bit chilly?"
"We're cultivators, immortal cultivators, we've long been unafraid of hot or cold, how could we feel chilly?" The other guard burped, saying that normally cultivators wouldn't get drunk, but the Immortal Drunkenness from the Drunken Dream Pavilion wasn't ordinary wine. It was a fine wine brewed from spirit fruits, so drinking too much would naturally lead to intoxication.
Hearing this, the guard shrugged and no longer paid attention. Perhaps it was because he was drunk that he felt cold. Cultivation was arduous, and it was rare to relax. They had let their guard down for a moment. This wasn't their fault! After all, this was at the foot of the Three Thousand Dao Sect.
Just then, the coolness grew stronger. Both of them couldn't help but shiver.
The next second, their consciousness blurred, and they fainted on the spot. A figure appeared beside them; the process was easier than imagined: "Disciples of the Three Thousand Dao Sect are merely this." These disciples from human immortal sects were too lax. In this regard, the Demon Race was much stronger. Disciples within Demon Race sects maintained a high degree of vigilance at all times because the internal competition within Demon Race sects was equally brutal.
Human immortal sects emphasized sparring among fellow disciples, stopping before fatal blows. But the Demon Race didn't care about such things. When they fought, they aimed for death! The Demon Race was a typical lover of battle; they were not only ruthless to their enemies but also to their own kind. This was also why, even though the Demon Race's territory was much smaller than the human race's, the quality of their cultivators was a notch higher. The human and demon races had been fighting for many years, but it was the Demon Race that held the upper hand.
The servant squatted down, her fingers twitching. Streaks of demonic energy drilled into the two. Immediately after, the bodies of the two guards emitted an alluring fragrance. The demonic seeds, under the catalysis of the demonic energy, quickly took root and sprouted within their bodies. In just a few breaths, they had invaded the minds and souls of both. Within their spiritual seas, black energy polluted everything. However, the two who had fallen unconscious on the ground had no perception of it whatsoever.
This was a unique soul-searching technique of the Demon Race; it would not cause any harm to the person being soul-searched and would instead immerse them in a fabricated beautiful dream, from which they could not extricate themselves. Originally, she could have used a more simple and brutal method to search their souls. But these two were still useful, so she could only use this relatively gentle method.
After a moment, the servant stopped the demonic energy in her hands. The news was accurate! The Holy Son of the Three Thousand Dao Sect had truly crippled his own cultivation! In the soul memories of the two, the servant saw everything that happened in the Prison Hall that day, and naturally, she also saw the scene of Lu Hengge crushing his own Nascent Soul.
"It seems the Three Thousand Dao Sect isn't peaceful either." The servant smiled. The more chaotic the Three Thousand Dao Sect became, the more beneficial it was to her mistress's plan.
The servant looked down at the two unconscious figures, took a jade bottle from her sleeve, and opened it. Two small crimson worms crawled out and landed on the faces of the two guards, burrowing into their nostrils. After doing this, the servant no longer lingered and vanished from the spot.
Who knew how long passed before the two unconscious men slowly regained consciousness.
"How did we fall asleep here?"
"Were we really that drunk?"
They were a bit confused. The next second, one of them slapped his forehead and checked the time: "Damn it, we forgot to report the Holy Son's situation back to the Prison Hall!" The other was instantly sobered by fear; they could be lazy, but if Lin Xing found out they were slacking, they would suffer greatly.
The two hurried back towards the Three Thousand Dao Sect. A gentle breeze blew, and their necks twitched slightly before returning to normal.
Chapter 32: Qi Condensation Layer 3
Pill Hall.
The young alchemist apprentice yawned boredly. The Pill Hall was too desolate. In the past, disciples and elders from other halls and peaks would come to request pills, but now that the Pill Hall had sealed itself off, there was no one. The young alchemist apprentice wanted to learn alchemy, but no one taught him. Bored, he could only take advantage of his napping to speed up his cultivation.
Bang!
A loud noise!
In an instant, the young alchemist apprentice sprang up, his sleepiness completely gone.
"What happened?"
"What's going on?"
The sound just now was very similar to an alchemy furnace exploding, and there was only one person still refining pills in the Pill Hall: Lu Hengge. The young alchemist apprentice looked towards Lu Hengge's exclusive alchemy room. Sure enough! A plume of black smoke rolled out. Thankfully, the alchemy room door was sturdy enough not to be affected by the explosion.
The young alchemist apprentice cautiously approached the alchemy room door, but was immediately forced back by the leaking black smoke. The black smoke seemed to have a nauseating smell, not just the burnt smell of herbs.
"Holy Son, are you alright?" the young alchemist apprentice called out, pinching his nose.
No response! In the past, the young alchemist apprentice wouldn't have worried about Lu Hengge's safety. After all, Lu Hengge was a Nascent Soul cultivator and would have had means of self-preservation even if the furnace exploded. But now it was different. The Holy Son had lost all his cultivation. Without spiritual power to protect him, encountering an exploding furnace could be life-threatening.
The young alchemist apprentice immediately grew anxious. He certainly couldn't force his way in. This alchemy room was previously Elder Yaofan's private alchemy room, but he later gave it to Lu Hengge when he refined pills less frequently. To forcefully open the alchemy room door from the outside would require a Great Integration Stage expert. He was just a young alchemist apprentice, barely at the Foundation Establishment stage in cultivation; how could he possibly open the alchemy room door!
Right! Go find the Hall Master! Thinking of this, the young alchemist apprentice planned to quickly contact Elder Yaofan.
Just then, the alchemy room door slowly opened. Lu Hengge's newly changed clothes were once again blown into strips, making him look like a beggar.
"I did it!"
"This Pill Master did it!!" Lu Hengge laughed excitedly. He had tried thousands of times, almost completely depleting the herb seedlings in the alchemy room, and finally succeeded in nurturing a herb with demonic energy. The herb hadn't withered; it had grown very well under the nourishment of the demonic energy.
Of course, this was just the beginning. It would still take a long time to refine pills using herbs nourished by demonic energy. But since he succeeded, it meant that Lu Hengge's previous ideas were all feasible and not in vain.
Lu Hengge laughed heartily. To be honest, there were significant differences between human and demon physiques. Therefore, it was very restrictive for humans to cultivate demonic energy from their very bones, let alone consume pills suitable for demon physiques; that was even more difficult.
However, Lu Hengge had solved all these problems. If humans and demons had different physiques and couldn't normally use demonic energy for cultivation, then they could use the Demonic Heart to cultivate. If he wanted to cultivate by consuming demonic pills, Lu Hengge had already cultivated herbs that grew under demonic energy.
"Holy Son... are you alright?" The young alchemist apprentice thought Lu Hengge had gone mad. But it was understandable. Losing all of his Nascent Soul stage cultivation; anyone would have mental issues.
"I'm fine." Lu Hengge waved his hand.
Next, he could fully dedicate himself to cultivation. The growth cycle of herbs was long, so refining demonic pills could be postponed. However, in a few days, Lu Hengge would enter the Sword Prison, and this matter couldn't be delayed. He absolutely had to successfully re-establish his Foundation before entering the Sword Prison.
"You do your own thing." Lu Hengge prepared to eat something before returning to the alchemy room.
Hearing this, the young alchemist apprentice didn't say anything more. The Pill Hall wasn't just one hall; the entire mountain where the main hall was located was part of the Pill Hall's domain. The Pill Hall was the most spiritually abundant place in the entire Three Thousand Dao Sect. Whether it was ordinary animals or demonic beasts, they all liked to stay in places with ample spiritual energy. Lu Hengge didn't need to deliberately search; he could find plenty of wild game just by wandering around outside.
A bonfire crackled, its flames flickering constantly, accompanied by the sounds of popping and sizzling. Involuntarily, Lu Hengge recalled his experiences from his previous life. Lu Hengge was very curious as to how he had been reborn five hundred years ago. While he had many fortuitous encounters, none of his treasures had the ability to rewind the river of time. Compared to Ye Feng, Lu Hengge could only be considered to have a little bit of luck. If one ruled out the possibility of a heaven-defying treasure, then another speculation was that the Heavenly Dao had intervened to send Lu Hengge back five hundred years. But this speculation was ridiculous. The Heavenly Dao had no reason to help him! He and Ye Feng were mortal enemies, and Ye Feng was the Heavenly Dao's favored son. Lu Hengge already felt fortunate that the Heavenly Dao hadn't personally acted to kill him.
After much thought, he still couldn't come up with a clue. The wild game roasting over the fire emitted an enticing aroma, instantly piquing Lu Hengge's appetite. Lu Hengge reached out to tear off a chicken leg from a Phoenix Bird, but the moment he touched it, the chicken leg vanished.
Seeing this, Lu Hengge paused.
The next second, an elderly figure walked out of the darkness, holding the torn-off chicken leg and taking a big bite, instantly getting oil all over his mouth: "You little rascal, you're quite talented at cooking. Why don't you go back to the mortal world and open a tavern?"
Lu Hengge laughed, "That's not a bad idea. Once I open a tavern, earn a lot of money, and marry a dozen or twenty wives, I'll just travel around when I'm bored."
Yaofan snorted, "You're quite greedy, little rascal. Aren't you afraid of dying in bed with so many wives?"
Lu Hengge shrugged and didn't answer.
Yaofan casually pointed, and a rocking chair woven from ancient vines appeared before him. He then lay down: "Kid, are you planning to cultivate with demonic energy?"
In an instant, Lu Hengge's heart jolted. He had never told anyone about this.
"You made such a huge commotion in my alchemy room, it would be hard for me not to know," Yaofan dispelled Lu Hengge's doubts.
Lu Hengge smiled bitterly. He had forgotten that the alchemy room he was using used to belong to Yaofan.
"Are you going to report me?" Lu Hengge asked.
Yaofan, while eating the chicken leg in his hand, looked up at the bright moon, not answering, but instead asked in return, "How confident are you of success?"
Lu Hengge looked at Yaofan in surprise. When demonic energy was mentioned, Yaofan's words held no hint of disgust. After a moment of hesitation, Lu Hengge softly replied, "I'm already at the third layer of Qi Condensation."
Hearing this, Yaofan finally seriously sized up Lu Hengge. With his half-step Mahayana stage cultivation, he couldn't see through Lu Hengge's cultivation, only feeling that Lu Hengge was still a mortal. The reason Yaofan couldn't sense Lu Hengge's cultivation was partly due to the concealing effect of the Demonic Heart, and partly due to the uniqueness of the Immortal Gaze Scripture. With these two things, even if Lu Hengge cultivated to the Mahayana stage, to outsiders, he would still appear as a mortal.
"It seems I don't need to worry about your safety after entering the Sword Prison," Yaofan relaxed. Lu Hengge was never a reckless person, and now that he had regained cultivation, the dangers of the Sword Prison would naturally be greatly reduced.
Lu Hengge looked at the old man before him, his heart filled with emotion: "Twenty years ago, if only you had brought me back to the Three Thousand Dao Sect from outside!"
"Following Lu Sheng, do you regret it?" Yaofan asked with a smile.
Lu Hengge nodded seriously: "I regret it, very much."
Hearing this, Yaofan's smile faded: "Child, you've worked hard all these years. From now on, do what you want to do."
Chapter 33: Green Hills Then, Old Friends Now
Lu Hengge was the Holy Son of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, seemingly glorious and praised wherever he went. However, in the eyes of those on Qingyun Peak, Lu Hengge was merely a tool to provide cultivation resources. Qiu Liu's Golden Core stage cultivation was entirely achieved by Lu Hengge showering him with precious pills. Even Ye Feng, who had just joined the sect, had benefited greatly from Lu Hengge.
Pill refining was time-consuming and laborious. Ordinary cultivators who wanted alchemists to help them refine pills had to humble themselves, fawn, and offer a large amount of benefits as compensation. Yet, those two ungrateful wretches on Qingyun Peak demanded pills from Lu Hengge without a shred of respect, as if it were their right. If Lu Hengge showed the slightest impatience, Lu Sheng would reprimand him.
Holy Son, Senior Brother—these titles weighed heavily on Lu Hengge, making him feel suffocated. Now, unburdening himself and breaking free from the shackles of various identities was a good thing for Lu Hengge.
"The Demonic Dao is also one of the Three Thousand Great Daos."
"Humans are divided into good and evil."
"But the Great Dao makes no distinction between right and wrong."
Yaofan patted Lu Hengge's shoulder and with a swipe of his storage ring, two jars of fine wine appeared on the ground: "Stealing a moment of leisure, it's rare to be this relaxed. Let's have some wine to liven things up."
Lu Hengge grinned: "Then I won't be polite." Even the Sect Master couldn't drink Yaofan's treasured wine, but Lu Hengge could.
One should know that the fine wines Yaofan collected were all highly nourishing. Lu Hengge uncovered the jar and drank heartily. It was spicy on the tongue, smooth down the throat, and then a burning sensation in the stomach, transforming into a gentle power that spread throughout his body. Good wine! Although Lu Hengge couldn't tell what it was brewed from, the spiciness with a hint of sweetness at the end suggested it was some kind of sweet spirit fruit.
The old man and the young man ate meat in big bites and drank wine to their hearts' content. Before long, Lu Hengge was already a little tipsy. Yaofan's eyes were cloudy, and he sighed. He had high hopes for Lu Hengge, but not in terms of cultivation, but in alchemy. Lu Hengge's talent in alchemy was even greater than his own. Given time, Lu Hengge would certainly break through to the eighth rank and become the only ninth-rank alchemist in this world. He had always firmly believed this.
But unfortunately, he seemed to be unable to witness that moment. For an alchemist, watching their lifespan dwindle without being able to find any way to prolong it was a great sorrow.
"Kid,"
"Let me teach you a lesson." Yaofan wasn't drunk at all; he was perfectly sober.
Lu Hengge leaned against the rocking chair and hummed in acknowledgment.
"In the future, if anyone asks you to refine pills for prolonging life, don't do it." Yaofan seemed to recall some past events, and painful memories flooded his mind.
"Why?" Lu Hengge didn't understand.
Yaofan took a sip of wine.
"It's addictive."
Addictive? Lu Hengge sat up straight and looked at Yaofan, feeling that there was a deeper meaning to his words. However, Yaofan didn't intend to continue the topic and instead took off his storage ring and handed it to Lu Hengge. Lu Hengge didn't take it. This was Yaofan's storage ring, containing countless herbs and treasures. Immense fortune fell upon Lu Hengge, but there was no joy in his heart.
"Don't want it?" Yaofan asked with a smile.
Lu Hengge sobered up, his eyes complex: "Has it really come to that point?"
Yaofan threw the storage ring into Lu Hengge's arms, his eyes relieved: "Everyone dies. Cultivators spend their lives pursuing immortality, but in the end, they still can't escape their human nature. Integration Stage cultivators die, Mahayana Stage cultivators die; it's just a matter of how long they live."
"I have already lived for tens of thousands of years, witnessing too many vicissitudes, partings, and deaths. There are no major regrets in my heart. If I had to say there was a regret, it might be that I can no longer continue to look after you." Yaofan had lived for tens of thousands of years, while Lu Hengge was barely over twenty. Twenty years was but a fleeting moment for cultivators, completely unnoticeable. Some people, the longer they live, the more they come to terms with death. Some people, the longer they live, the more they fear death. And Yaofan belonged to the former. Living longer only meant seeing the scenery of this world over and over again, the only difference being that the people in the scenery had changed batch after batch.
Yaofan looked at Lu Hengge, his eyes filled with both satisfaction and solemnity: "Kid, don't be too obsessed with becoming an immortal; just let nature take its course. If you get tired, just as you said, go back to the mortal world, marry a few beautiful wives, and live a carefree life."
With that, Yaofan stood up.
A gentle breeze stirred. A hint of freedom appeared on the thousand-year-old man. However, in Lu Hengge's eyes, the aura of death around Yaofan grew thicker, almost completely enveloping his body, even obscuring his facial features.
"Are you leaving?" Lu Hengge asked.
Yaofan didn't look back, striding forward: "Going to see my hometown. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be buried there." Green hills then, old friends now. When one gets old, they always want to visit familiar places. After Yaofan became the Pill Hall Master of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, he almost never left. On one hand, the Sect Master had shown him kindness, and he wanted to stay and refine pills to repay it. On the other hand, after ten thousand years, his hometown in his memory had completely changed, and going back would feel unfamiliar. But now, Yaofan wanted to leave.
Lu Hengge knew where Yaofan's hometown was. It used to be a village. Now it was the capital of a dynasty.
"I'll go with you." Lu Hengge knew that Yaofan had already embraced the idea of death and had no desire to live.
Yaofan finished the last sip of wine in the jar: "Why would I bring a little娃娃 like you? I walked this path alone, and I'll go back alone." Yaofan's steps were firm. In just a few breaths, only a lingering silhouette remained in Lu Hengge's eyes.
The bright moon hung high. Suddenly, a drizzling rain began to fall, extinguishing the flickering bonfire completely, leaving only wisps of white smoke rising.
After a moment, Lu Hengge stood up, then lay down in the rocking chair in Yaofan's previous posture, closing his eyes and gently swaying. Raindrops fell on Lu Hengge's face, splashing with a hint of coolness.
That night, Lu Hengge didn't move from the rocking chair. Not until the next day, when the young alchemist apprentice found Lu Hengge and woke him up: "Holy Son, the Hall Master of the Prison Hall is here at the Pill Hall."
Lu Hengge glanced at the storage ring in his arms and was silent for a few seconds: "How long have you been in the Pill Hall?"
The young alchemist apprentice paused. "Over ten years, I think! I can't quite remember." The young alchemist apprentice thought for a moment and chuckled awkwardly, "To answer the Holy Son, it should be almost fifteen years." Why would the Holy Son suddenly ask this out of the blue?
"Go down the mountain then."
"Alchemy isn't for you."
Hearing this, the young alchemist apprentice's face instantly filled with panic, thinking he had done something wrong and offended Lu Hengge. Lu Hengge put away the storage ring and didn't look at the young alchemist apprentice again: "You've been in the Pill Hall for fifteen years and still haven't become a first-rank alchemist, which means your talent is too poor and you're not suited to be an alchemist. After leaving the sect, find a place in the mortal world, become a traveling doctor, marry a beautiful wife; it's better than wasting your time in the Three Thousand Dao Sect."
"You're not stupid; you should understand the pros and cons."
With that, Lu Hengge walked away on his own.
The young alchemist apprentice stood rooted to the spot, stunned for a long time.
Chapter 34: Live a Different Life
Inside the Pill Hall, Lin Xing stood with his eyes slightly closed. Only Lu Hengge knew about Yaofan's departure for now.
A moment later, footsteps approached. Lin Xing raised his eyelids and looked at Lu Hengge, his eyes showing no joy or sorrow, as if looking at an unrelated person: "Holy Son."
"Elder Lin, just say what you need to say."
"I'm very busy." Lu Hengge gave no face at all; it was almost written on his face that he was impatient.
Lin Xing's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled. He naturally knew that Lu Hengge's confidence came from Yaofan. Having a half-step Mahayana stage cultivator backing him gave him much more weight than even Lu Sheng. Because of this, Lin Xing wasn't annoyed: "Just a small matter."
"Your position as Holy Son has been revoked."
"The Sect Master is in seclusion. This is a decision reached jointly by the other peak masters and hall masters, and it also represents the Sect Master's will."
"Please hand over the Holy Son's token." Lin Xing extended his right hand. He was acting according to the rules, assuming Yaofan wouldn't say much. Lu Hengge looked at Lin Xing with interest, as if observing a rare species. This strange gaze made Lin Xing frown; he seemed to have seen similar eyes somewhere before.
Lu Hengge said with a smile, "I always thought Elder Lin was a smart man."
Lin Xing lowered his hand, his expression calm: "What do you mean?"
"That day in the Prison Hall, I returned all my cultivation and my storage ring to Lu Sheng. What you want is in that storage ring, and you saw it with your own eyes that day."
"You didn't ask Lu Sheng for it, but instead ran here to ask me. That doesn't seem like something a smart person would do." Lu Hengge thought the people of the Three Thousand Dao Sect were fools. Perhaps Ye Feng, that rotten apple, had spoiled the whole barrel, causing the entire sect's intelligence to significantly decline.
Hearing this, Lin Xing shook his head: "What I want are your insights into the Three Thousand Great Daos from the past twenty years."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Hengge felt even more that Lin Xing was a fool.
"The Three Thousand Great Daos were comprehended and cultivated by me. Elder Lin, please understand one fact: I first comprehended the Three Thousand Great Daos, and then I was qualified to become the Holy Son."
"It's not that you made me the Holy Son, and then passed on the insights of the Three Thousand Great Daos to me." Lin Xing naturally understood this in his heart. However, the insights into the Three Thousand Great Daos were very tempting. If he could obtain them, a little study would be very beneficial for his cultivation. Lin Xing knew that Lu Hengge was wronged and must be angry, and that he had even been hiding in the Pill Hall these days, unwilling to go out: "The other elders have unanimously decided that if you hand over your insights into the Three Thousand Great Daos, you can be pardoned from your Sword Prison sentence."
"What the hell!" Lu Hengge raised an eyebrow. That made it even more impossible to hand over! In Lu Hengge's mind, the Sword Prison was far more important than the insights into the Three Thousand Great Daos.
"No," Lu Hengge directly refused.
Seeing this, Lin Xing frowned deeply. He could oppress him with his authority, but the problem was, if he provoked Yaofan, he would have trouble dealing with it. Perhaps Yaofan was observing everything from the shadows at this moment. To be safe, it was better to use threats and inducements, and not to suppress him with cultivation unless absolutely necessary.
"If you're unwilling to hand it over, then you'll enter the Sword Prison for punishment tomorrow. Given your current situation, you won't need to be confined for a hundred years; sixty years should be enough." Sixty years was not long for a cultivator. But for Lu Hengge, who had lost his cultivation and become a mortal, sixty years was most of his life. Not to mention whether he would survive entering the Sword Prison, even if he did, after sixty years, he would emerge as a white-haired old man, with one foot in the grave. This was no different from lifelong imprisonment.
Lin Xing was just trying to scare Lu Hengge. The revocation of the Holy Son's position was true. The Three Thousand Dao Sect would not allow a mortal to be the Holy Son, so after deliberation, the many elders agreed to revoke Lu Hengge's position as Holy Son. However, the Sword Prison punishment was false. Considering that Lu Hengge was already a mortal, and that he was an eighth-rank alchemist who was still useful to the Three Thousand Dao Sect, the elders all agreed to exempt Lu Hengge from the Sword Prison punishment. An eighth-rank alchemist was still of great value. Even if Lu Hengge was no longer the sect's Holy Son, they still wanted to keep him tied to the Three Thousand Dao Sect.
Lin Xing thought this would scare Lu Hengge, but Lu Hengge merely let out a casual "hmm" and said nothing more.
"Aren't you afraid of death?" Lin Xing was very curious. After sixty years, Lu Hengge would be an old man. In fact, Lu Hengge might not even make it out of the Sword Prison alive.
"If I'm afraid, does that mean I won't die?"
"Elder Lin, you're afraid of death, but can you guarantee you'll live forever?" Lu Hengge's smile was profound. For some reason, Lin Xing felt extremely uncomfortable. Lu Hengge's words seemed to be comforting him, but they felt more like they were meant for Lin Xing himself. Lin Xing snapped back to reality, annoyed. He was actually feeling fear because of a few words from someone without cultivation. If this got out, he, the Hall Master of the Prison Hall, would be a complete laughingstock.
Thinking this, Lin Xing walked away, shaking his sleeves: "Then you can take care of yourself."
Lu Hengge didn't speak, coldly watching Lin Xing's departing back. After leaving the Pill Hall, Lin Xing finally looked back. "Lu Hengge is quite a nuisance. It seems I need to find an opportunity to kill him." The moment Lu Hengge was no longer the Holy Son, Lin Xing no longer cared about his life or death. He only cared about the insights into the Three Thousand Great Daos. Lin Xing himself couldn't explain it, but he just felt that Lu Hengge's gaze earlier was terrifying, truly frightening, as if he was being watched by an incredibly terrifying entity. Lin Xing strongly disliked this feeling.
...
"Holy Son,"
"Were your words just now your own intention, or the Hall Master's?" The young alchemist apprentice's expression was a little dejected.
Lu Hengge, while packing up things in the alchemy room, replied, "It's both my intention and Elder Yao's intention. Tomorrow, I'm going to the Sword Prison for punishment, and Elder Yao is in seclusion. You're the only one left in the entire Pill Hall. Staying here would just be a waste of your time."
The young alchemist apprentice looked around the Pill Hall. After a long time, the young alchemist apprentice knelt before Lu Hengge: "I've studied for over ten years with no progress. I am foolish, Senior Brother, and will take my leave tomorrow."
"After you leave, go far away. There are many things in this world more interesting than cultivating or refining pills. You are half a disciple of Elder Yao, so I will give you something." Lu Hengge took out a jade bottle from his storage ring, which contained only one pill.
"It can save your life in times of life and death." Hearing this, the young alchemist apprentice looked up, his eyes red: "Thank you, Holy Son." Lu Hengge shook his head: "Don't call me Holy Son anymore. From now on, I am just Lu Hengge. If you're willing, call me Senior Brother. If not, then we part ways here." The young alchemist apprentice bowed respectfully: "Senior Brother Lu."
No response. After a long time, the young alchemist apprentice looked up, and Lu Hengge's figure was no longer there. Having joined the Three Thousand Dao Sect for over a decade, he had left his home and family, and now, he was leaving here again, returning to where he came from. Everything seemed like a dream.
Chapter 35: Demonic Qi Foundation Establishment
Lu Hengge put all the herbs from the alchemy room into his storage ring. These things would be given to dogs before they'd be left for anyone from the Three Thousand Dao Sect. Of course, the most important item was the heaven-and-earth treasure that had been successfully nourished by demonic qi. Lu Hengge was human. His body was very different from that of a demon.
He wanted to cultivate demonic energy quickly, to rival the speed of demon cultivation, and could only hope to do so by taking pills. Lu Hengge was absolutely ruthless! He not only left no herbs behind but even dug up all the seedlings from the herb garden in the backyard, then turned over the soil several times to ensure no seedlings or seeds were left.
After doing everything, Lu Hengge sat cross-legged and entered a state of enlightenment. A state of enlightenment, which ordinary cultivators rarely encountered in a hundred years, was just a matter of sitting down and having a cup of tea for Lu Hengge. It had to be said that the Enlightenment Cushion that the Demonic Fox had snatched from Ye Feng was truly effective. Coupled with the uniqueness of the Immortal Gaze Scripture, Lu Hengge felt that the Three Thousand Great Daos in the world became increasingly clear, and countless Daoist inscriptions washed over his body.
For a time, strange phenomena frequently appeared in the alchemy room. Sometimes, the phantom of a great scholar would sit opposite Lu Hengge. Sometimes, spiritualized demonic beasts would jump around Lu Hengge playfully. Sometimes, a hundred flowers would bloom, verdant and full of life.
...
Finally, all the strange phenomena vanished, leaving only a hideous demonic creature with unopened eyes. As demonic energy from the Demonic Heart was injected, the demonic creature's eyes gradually showed signs of opening. But unfortunately, Lu Hengge, despite his best efforts and draining the demonic energy within the Demonic Heart, could only get its eyelids to lift slightly, unable to progress further.
Gradually, many black patterns appeared on Lu Hengge's body. Black patterns stretched from his meridians, connecting Lu Hengge to the phantom of the demonic creature. The next second, terrifying demonic energy poured into his body along the patterns. It was at this moment that the domineering nature of demonic energy finally revealed itself. Instead of transforming into power Lu Hengge could use after entering his body, it continuously devoured the vitality of Lu Hengge's flesh and blood.
In just a few breaths, Lu Hengge transformed from a handsome and robust young man into an old man with a wrinkled face. If this continued, Lu Hengge would probably be close to death. However, Lu Hengge had a very clumsy but effective method to deal with this demonic energy. That was to take pills! If demonic energy devoured his flesh and blood vitality, then Lu Hengge would enhance his flesh and blood strength.
In his state of enlightenment, Lu Hengge instinctively swept his storage ring, and a large pile of pills accumulated on the ground as if they were free. Lu Hengge officially began his pill-consuming mode. The demonic energy would devour Lu Hengge's flesh and blood in one second, and the next second, vast vitality would pour into his body, restoring his flesh and blood to its former vigor, even making it more vibrant. In this push and pull, Lu Hengge fell into a strange state. One moment he was a white-haired old man, the next he was an energetic young man.
Of course, just consuming pills wasn't enough. To truly make demonic energy his own, he needed to continuously consume pills while fully operating the Immortal Gaze Scripture. After several cycles of circulation, this demonic energy would lose its strong autonomy and docilely reside within Lu Hengge's body. To be honest, it was fortunate to have the Immortal Gaze Scripture. Without this cultivation method, Lu Hengge would have to spend a lot of time figuring out other ways to cultivate the demonic path.
Time flowed by, minute by minute, and Lu Hengge's aura also surged.
Qi Condensation Layer 3.
Qi Condensation Layer 5.
Qi Condensation Layer 8...
Just a little bit more, and Lu Hengge could re-establish his Foundation. After Foundation Establishment, he could begin to create some simple talismans and formations, and also allocate energy to cultivate another offensive cultivation method.
Lu Hengge woke from his state of enlightenment and looked down at his body. Death qi clung to him, just like Yaofan. Two-thirds of the Blood Qi Pills before him were gone. It could be said that his current Qi Condensation Layer 9 cultivation was entirely forced out by consuming pills. After Qi Condensation Layer 9 was Foundation Establishment. Qi Condensation involved communicating with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and continuously clearing the meridians within the body, allowing spiritual energy to remain within and, with the circulation of blood, become a part of the person's body. Foundation Establishment, on the other hand, involved clearing acupoints and attempting to use spiritual energy; it was at this stage that one could formally cultivate techniques.
To put it simply, Qi Condensation was about getting spiritual energy into your body. And Foundation Establishment was about teaching you how to start using that spiritual energy. Lu Hengge was very familiar with Foundation Establishment, but before, he had always used spiritual energy for it, simply following the meridians. But now he was using demonic energy for Foundation Establishment, which somewhat ventured into Lu Hengge's blind spot.
How to establish a Foundation with demonic energy? Or rather, how did demon cultivators establish their Foundation when cultivating? "I should have asked the little fox; she would definitely know how to establish a Foundation with demonic energy." Lu Hengge was a little annoyed; why hadn't he thought to ask more questions before? Now, at this critical juncture, Lu Hengge was like a blind man riding a blind horse, relying purely on luck.
No! There was still one person who should know how to establish a Foundation with demonic energy. Ye Feng! Lu Hengge almost forgot about this son of the Heavenly Dao. Ye Feng usually hid himself well, but Lu Hengge knew in his heart that he had already established his Foundation with demonic energy and had even cultivated to the Golden Core stage using it.
However, Ye Feng had a system. He did not. This made it somewhat unrealistic for Lu Hengge to try and emulate Ye Feng's demonic qi Foundation Establishment. After much thought, Lu Hengge decided to take a risk and attempt Foundation Establishment based on his own conjectures. Many paths were discovered through slow experimentation, just like no one had ever tried to nourish herbs with demonic qi before, but Lu Hengge tried it, and he succeeded.
Immediately, Lu Hengge closed his eyes again and entered a state of enlightenment. Just then, the demonic creature, whose eyes had been tightly closed, slowly opened them. Its crimson eyes were filled with violence and destruction, but when its gaze shifted to Lu Hengge, a hint of confusion and bewilderment appeared in them.
"A human cultivator?"
"Not of my Demon Race?" The demonic creature was merely a phantom and could not move freely; it could only watch Lu Hengge cultivate. After carefully observing Lu Hengge, the demonic creature became even more puzzled: "This human cultivator has no demonic bloodline at all, yet he can sense demonic Dao inscriptions, and even use them to refine his body and resonate with them. How long have I been asleep? Has the era completely changed?" The key was, why could a human cultivating demonic energy awaken him? Even some of the Demon Race royalty couldn't awaken him. But a human without any demonic bloodline had awakened him during Foundation Establishment... This defied logic!
One should know that in ancient times, he was a Demonic Emperor. The only way to awaken him was for someone with an extremely pure and noble demonic bloodline to communicate with the demonic Dao between heaven and earth through blood sacrifice. But this human cultivator before him had neither demonic bloodline nor performed a blood sacrifice.
"Interesting."
"In this later era of brilliant Great Daos, there is actually such an interesting person." The demonic creature couldn't help but laugh. The demonic creature could feel an inexplicable sense of familiarity from Lu Hengge, unrelated to bloodline, purely a psychological feeling.
"You wish to establish your Foundation? I'll give you a hand."
The demonic creature opened its mouth and exhaled thousands of demonic energies. Red ghosts, white specters, black ravens, purple imps... Countless vengeful souls flew out and drilled into Lu Hengge's body. Lu Hengge's skin constantly undulated, then stretched into human faces, sometimes crying, sometimes enraged. To master the power of demonic energy as a human, without enduring unimaginable, inhumane torment, how could one possibly succeed! If Lu Hengge wanted to continue down the path of demonic cultivation in the future, the suffering and torment he would encounter would only be greater than today.
Chapter 36: Foundation Establishment, Beginning the Slaughter
Lu Henge entered a state of enlightenment, and just at this critical moment, a huge surge of demonic energy suddenly drilled into his body, instantly disrupting his plans.
"Where did this demonic energy come from?!"
Once one begins Foundation Establishment, they cannot exit the state of enlightenment. Lu Henge didn't know what had happened. But he knew that some accident must have occurred. Moreover, it probably had nothing to do with the Demonic Heart. The Demonic Heart required a catalyst, and besides, Lu Henge had already drained the demonic energy from the Demonic Heart earlier; it would take at least three or four days for it to recover.
"Hiss!"
"Skinning, bone extraction, blood transfusion, marrow replacement."
This unknown demonic energy, after drilling into his body, began to unscrupulously transform Lu Henge's body, and the crucial point was that Lu Henge had no way to stop it. Lu Henge subconsciously circulated the "Immortal Gazing Scripture." But soon, Lu Henge found that it had almost no effect. This demonic energy was far more overbearing than ordinary demonic energy; wherever it flowed, it would be contaminated by extremely thick blackness, and this demonic energy was also very peculiar; it didn't devour the vitality of Lu Henge's flesh and blood, but simply wreaked havoc in Lu Henge's body. Every bone was corroded and polluted by the demonic energy, and every cell wailed in agony.
This kind of pain pierced the heart. To be honest, even counting his five hundred years in his previous life, the number of times Lu Henge had suffered such pain was extremely rare. However, Lu Henge could still endure it. Back before the great war in the Heaven and Earth Smeltery, Lu Sheng had forcibly crushed the divine bone in his body, and the pain of that day was similar to now.
"I'd like to see what's so great about this demonic energy!" Lu Henge gritted his teeth. Under such intense pain, he didn't even utter a sound.
Inside the alchemy room, the demon's eyes showed surprise. He was the emperor of the demon race, a true monarch. The demonic energy flowing in his body was the purest demonic energy; even a part of the demon royal family couldn't withstand the baptism of his demonic energy and would wail in pain. Yet, Lu Henge merely had muscle spasms and his body trembled continuously. This instantly made the demon greatly interested in Lu Henge.
"What a pity he's human." "If he were a demon cultivator, he would become another great emperor in the future." The demon felt quite regretful. This child's willpower was too strong! Even within the demon race, it would be difficult to find a prodigy with willpower comparable to Lu Henge's. A so-called genius, besides unparalleled cultivation talent, also needed indomitable courage and an unyielding will. Without a doubt, Lu Henge was a true genius. In an era of flourishing Grand Dao, Lu Henge would also be among the top powerhouses. The premise was that he wouldn't die prematurely. After all, there were too many examples of geniuses dying young.
The demon pondered for a moment; he quite admired Lu Henge. This human cultivator was very much to his liking: "Human boy, you are blessed. I originally only wanted to help you forcibly establish your foundation by pushing you too quickly, but now I've changed my mind. I want to see if my Immortal-Demon Body can be cultivated using a human's bloodline."
Most special physiques in the world were innate. Just like immortal cultivation talent. You either had it or you didn't. Of course, such a statement couldn't be absolute.
This world had gone through countless epochs and countless cultivators. In every corner of the continent, someone might encounter some kind of fortuitous encounter. Lu Henge's cultivation talent was high, but he himself was not a special physique. In his previous life, Lu Henge had cultivated the Sword Bone Physique later on, and then used his body's divine hidden potential as a root to transform his blood and bones into divine bones. But this was already the extreme. It was impossible to improve further. In the ancient texts of the Three Thousand Dao Sect's Scripture Pavilion, there was a book specifically collecting all special physiques in the world. The Sword Bone Physique that Lu Henge cultivated didn't even rank in the top hundred. The Immortal-Demon Body mentioned by the demon ranked third.
Immortal and Demon as one! Cultivating both demonic energy and spiritual energy! Not only was the cultivation speed several times that of ordinary cultivators, but when the Immortal-Demon Body reached completion, it could simultaneously develop both immortal and demonic manifestations. The Immortal-Demon Body was also the only special physique among the top ten recorded in ancient texts that had the possibility of being cultivated later in life. But it was only a possibility. No one had succeeded. The previous cultivator with the Immortal-Demon Body was a demon emperor; his father was from the demon royal family, and his mother was a saintess from a human immortal sect. Furthermore, both of his parents possessed special physiques, which allowed this demon emperor to be born with the Immortal-Demon Body and be able to absorb both demonic energy and spiritual energy simultaneously. In the later era of the flourishing Grand Dao, this Immortal-Demon Body emperor fell. This was an unavoidable matter. Although the Immortal-Demon Body was powerful, in the era of the flourishing Grand Dao, there were countless geniuses, and all sorts of strange and special physiques emerged endlessly; even the top two divine physiques appeared. The protagonist of that era was not him. Since he wasn't the protagonist, his demise was destined. However, this was not the era of the flourishing Grand Dao. In the current era, the Grand Dao was in decline, and true geniuses were few and far between. The emergence of the Immortal-Demon Body basically meant invincibility.
However, cultivating the Immortal-Demon Body later in life was as difficult as ascending to the heavens, far incomparable to establishing a foundation with demonic energy. The Immortal-Demon Body's key lay in the words "Immortal" and "Demon." Humans cultivated spiritual energy and were naturally affine to it, but they were particularly repulsed by demonic energy. The first step was to change Lu Henge's physique. To make his body possess the bloodline of the demon race. This step was relatively simple. A drop of black blood flew out and rushed into Lu Henge's heart. Immediately after, dong! A huge heartbeat sounded. Lu Henge's heart was squeezed tightly like a large hand had gripped it. Fresh red blood seeped from his pores. This was all of Lu Henge's original blood, now being expelled. In its place, black blood filled Lu Henge's heart, and with each heartbeat, the black blood was transported to every part of his body, even filling broken meridians. Lu Henge's body didn't turn black; instead, it became even whiter, and his raven-black hair moved without wind, then rapidly turned white at a visible speed. The next second, Lu Henge opened his eyes. One black, one white. Two different colored eyeballs. Seeing this, the demon marveled: "This kid's compatibility with the Immortal-Demon Body is much higher than I imagined."
With the addition of this drop of demon blood, Lu Henge's chances of successfully establishing his foundation with demonic energy greatly increased. However, the process was still extremely painful and required gritting his teeth and persevering. After doing all this, the demon planned to disappear. He had already fallen. Being awakened once consumed a large amount of demonic energy. Originally, the things in his hand were prepared for demon cultivators, but unexpectedly, they now benefited Lu Henge. "I hope you don't use what I gave you to attack the demon race in the future, or I'll become a sinner of the demon race." The demon said this, but he didn't worry too much in his heart; he was already dead, so why care about things after death! Unlike humans, demons generally didn't care about superficial things like reputation.
The terrifying phantom disappeared, leaving only Lu Henge. Inside the alchemy room, Lu Henge seemed to have entered a mysterious state, different from enlightenment. The next day, the young alchemist apprentice packed his things, intending to say goodbye to Lu Henge before leaving, but seeing the tightly shut door of the alchemy room, he estimated he wouldn't have a chance to bid farewell. The young alchemist apprentice took one last look around the Pill Hall; this was where his dream began, and now the dream was over. It seemed he was indeed not suited to be an alchemist, and then he left without lingering. Above the Pill Hall, a figure stood at the highest point, watching the young alchemist apprentice's figure gradually disappear. The mist dispersed, revealing a striking head of snow-white hair. After a long time, the figure raised his hands and examined his palms; with just a thought, black demonic energy surged from his palms, obediently dancing up and down around them. "Foundation Establishment, done." Finally, he could kill people.
Chapter 38: Killing is Just a Matter of One Sword
"What happened to Liu'er?" Lu Sheng immediately panicked. Ye Feng, on the other hand, appeared very calm. However, in front of Lu Sheng, he still had to feign an anxious expression to maintain his "green tea male" image. "What happened to Senior Sister?!" Ye Feng followed closely. Lu Henge's smile became even more apparent upon hearing this news. Before coming to the Pill Hall, he had placed many "good things" in that wooden house; even a Rebirth stage powerhouse like the demonic fox would fall victim, let alone Qiu Liu, who was just a mere Golden Core stage cultivator. Of course, killing with poison wasn't Lu Henge's true intention. After all, killing with poison had no satisfaction at all. Since he had now established his foundation and possessed some means, killing would definitely be more satisfying if he did it himself.
Lu Henge ignored the three of them, closed the Pill Hall door, and walked towards the Prison Hall. Seeing this, Lu Sheng wanted to call out to Lu Henge, but she was genuinely worried about Qiu Liu's safety, so she gritted her teeth and quickly took Ye Feng back. Lu Henge was just entering the Sword Prison; he probably wouldn't die immediately. But Qiu Liu couldn't wait any longer. "Holy Son." The disciple who came to deliver the message bowed slightly to Lu Henge, but there was no longer the usual respectful expression, only perfunctoriness. Lu Henge ignored him completely. Seeing this, the disciple's eyes flashed with dissatisfaction. A crippled person with no cultivation dared to put on such airs! If it weren't for Lu Henge's status as an eighth-grade alchemist, he might have taught Lu Henge a lesson. Now that the elders in the sect had given up on Lu Henge, when a person falls from power, even dogs can step on them. The disciple snorted coldly and flicked his sleeves, leaving. "Calling you Holy Son is just to mock you." "No cultivation and still acting arrogant!" The disciple grumbled, his words full of displeasure. But it didn't matter! When Lu Henge entered the Sword Prison, he would most likely die there, so there was no need to be angry with a dead man. In his previous life, when Lu Henge was imprisoned in the Sword Prison, many people wished he would die there and never come out. Even during the hundred years he was imprisoned, many people snuck into the Sword Prison to assassinate Lu Henge, but they were all killed by Lu Henge in return. In his previous life, Lu Henge's cultivation was not crippled; he was still in the Nascent Soul stage when he was imprisoned in the Sword Prison. Even so, many people took great risks to assassinate him. And in this life, Lu Henge had lost his cultivation. If he were to be imprisoned in the Sword Prison again, there would probably be even more people coming to assassinate him. After all, cultivators under heaven all understood one principle: when doing something, do it thoroughly. When deciding to kill someone, one must achieve the goal by any means necessary. If Lu Henge didn't die, many people wouldn't feel at ease. Lu Henge was very much looking forward to it. He wanted to see how many restless people would emerge in this life. However, Lu Henge always liked to take the initiative. For example, now, he didn't intend to let go of this Three Thousand Dao Sect disciple who was grumbling curses.
The mist grew thicker, blocking the path he came from. The disciple finally stopped grumbling and noticed something was wrong. When he walked this path to the Pill Hall just now, there didn't seem to be any fog. "Strange." "Where did this mist come from?" That's not right! The Three Thousand Dao Sect had a protective formation, so external mist shouldn't be able to enter at all.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the mist. With handsome features, snow-white hair draped over his shoulders, and hands clasped behind his back, as he moved, the surrounding mist dispersed, only to close in again quickly. The disciple was stunned for a moment. Lu Henge? Didn't he go to the Prison Hall? Immediately, the disciple relaxed, thinking that Lu Henge must have left something behind in the Pill Hall and was returning to retrieve it. Lu Henge glanced around, a satisfied expression on his face. After Foundation Establishment, one could refine talismans and set up formations. The mist in front of him was a relatively simple illusionary mist formation. This formation had no offensive capabilities. But its greatest use was to prevent those who entered it from leaving; it was generally used to trap the opponent and stall for time. "Are you displeased with me?" Lu Henge asked with a smile. Upon hearing this, the disciple's eyes flickered, and he lowered his head: "This junior brother wouldn't dare." "Really wouldn't dare?" "But I heard you cursing me all the way." "When did the disciples of the Three Thousand Dao Sect become so hypocritical, daring to curse but not daring to admit it?" Lu Henge spoke softly. To be honest, if this disciple had admitted his displeasure just now, Lu Henge would have thought a little more highly of him. The disciple didn't know what Lu Henge wanted to do, but he had a bad premonition. Lu Henge didn't seem to be returning to the Pill Hall to retrieve something; instead, he was specifically blocking him here. For a moment, the disciple was puzzled. Where did Lu Henge get the guts to question him? A cripple. Without any cultivation. Even if he cursed him, he should have endured it. For some reason, Lu Henge's confident demeanor made the disciple feel a bit bewildered. He felt that something was strange, but couldn't put his finger on it. The disciple didn't want to bother with Lu Henge. Offending Lu Henge now had no benefits, and seeing Lu Sheng's attitude earlier, she still seemed to have hope for Lu Henge. Even for Lu Sheng's sake, he should be more respectful. Immediately, he bypassed Lu Henge and walked forward. Not long after, he saw Lu Henge again. Lu Henge wasn't in a hurry to make a move. He had originally planned to save this first kill after rebirth for Qiu Liu, but now it seemed Qiu Liu would have to be second. The disciple wandered around for a long time before finally realizing that the mist in front of him was a formation. "What do you mean by this?" The disciple asked coldly. See! He didn't even call him Holy Son anymore. Lu Henge casually drew a line in the air, and countless mists flowed with his finger, then a frosty blue water-condensed longsword slowly materialized: "I'm soft-eared; I can't stand it when others speak ill of me..."