Myriad Daos Demon Sect, peak courtyard.
Ling Xiao held a cup of light tea, sipping gently.
Beside him, Xiao Tu stood quietly at a distance, his eyes filled with intense reverence.
"So, the Forgotten River Clan truly led the various sects and orthodoxies to war against the Sacred Cloud Ancient Sect?" A trace of amusement curled at the corner of Ling Xiao's mouth. He hadn't expected the story to take another twist at the end.
Truly an era of great contention.
"Yes! Young Master, it's said the Sacred Cloud Divine Emperor tried to monopolize the entire accumulated resources of the Cloud Millet Immortal Sect and was beaten until he vomited blood and fled by the leaders of the various forces." Xiao Tu's eyes narrowed slightly.
Too calm. The Young Master is acting too calmly.
Could it be... he planned this all along?
"Oh. Where is Yunao?" Ling Xiao finished his tea, seeming somewhat dissatisfied.
Dammit.
Tea not brewed by a beauty really does lack a certain fragrance.
"Junior Sister Fu is in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Breakthrough Realm." Xiao Tu's expression turned stern. Nowadays, even the slightest shift in Ling Xiao's mood seemed to cause him apprehension.
This feeling wasn't solely due to the Soul Imprint, but also the innate intimidation radiated by the young man himself.
Unknowingly, he seemed completely won over by Ling Xiao.
Even without the restraint of the Soul Imprint, he probably wouldn't dare harbor even a sliver of rebellious thought against this Young Master now.
"Hmm. There are less than two weeks left until the Myriad Sects Grand Competition. Don't go out during this time; focus on studying soul techniques." Ling Xiao nodded, then took out a few spirit materials that nourished the soul from his person and handed them to Xiao Tu.
The latter's eyes lit up with joy, and he hurriedly bowed.
"You may go." Now that he had the thousand-year accumulation of Cloud Millet, it had saved him quite a bit of Villain Points.
Anyway, he had plenty of treasures. If not used to win people over, what were they for... showing off?
"Yes!" Only after Xiao Tu's figure had gone far did Ling Xiao wave his hand, set up a barrier, and summoned the System.
He now had 6000 Luck Points. Although there was still a gap compared to Nian Qingyun, it was far higher than the vast majority of prodigies in the Eastern Territories of the Sacred Dynasty.
As for Villain Points, he had accumulated a total of thirty thousand.
"System, add points to the Myriad Daos Demon Art." It was time to take that step. Once his cultivation reached the Divine General realm, probably no one among the younger generation in the Eastern Territories would be his match.
As for whether there were peerless monsters in the Western Territories, Ling Xiao assumed there must be. After all, the chaos there was far beyond compare to the Eastern Territories.
And true monsters ultimately needed the tempering of battle.
Buzz!
Above the peak of the Myriad Daos Demon Mountain, dark clouds suddenly pressed down for ten thousand miles.
But Ling Xiao's figure had long since hidden inside the Glazed Pagoda.
Tribulation clouds gathered violently above his head, and blinding tribulation lightning fell from the sky.
Yet, not a trace of panic showed on Ling Xiao's face; instead, there was a faint, calm smile.
Boom!
The Heavenly Demon True Body manifested, enveloped by endless tribulation lightning.
Everything returned to calm.
Three days later, when Ling Xiao's eyes suddenly snapped open, a heart-palpitating, terrifying fluctuation instantly swept out.
Rolling demonic intent transformed into tidal waves, madly surging in all directions.
If not for the fact that this ancient Glazed Pagoda was a rare treasure from antiquity, just this momentum alone would have been enough to completely shatter the space.
"Congratulations, Master!" The figures of Die Ying and Mi Yong appeared nearby, their eyes also filled with reverence as they looked at the young man in white.
When they first met, Ling Xiao's cultivation was only at the Xuan Qing realm. Who would have thought that in just over a month, he would directly cross two major realms and step into the Divine General level?
What a monstrous speed was this?
Or perhaps, the word 'monstrous' was no longer sufficient to describe their Master.
"First Grade Divine General." Ling Xiao smiled faintly. His cultivation had broken through; did that also mean he could now unlock the third floor of this Glazed Pagoda?
Ever since that day Ling Xiao threw the Glazed Pagoda into his Soul Palace, Feng Ling had never actively appeared again.
Except for the time when he plundered Cloud Millet's resources, when the little girl had taken quite a few spirit materials for herself, Ling Xiao hadn't seen her for several days since.
It seems she's angry.
"Come, let's go meet the demon sealed on the third floor." Ling Xiao smiled faintly. He hadn't intentionally blocked Feng Ling's divine sense.
It was just that the little girl's origins were too mysterious. Before figuring out her identity, Ling Xiao didn't dare reveal too many of his own secrets.
Villains often die from overconfidence.
Buzz!
The seal at the entrance to the third floor quietly shattered.
Lightning flickered in Ling Xiao's eyes, and whirlwinds quietly spread around him.
According to his reasoning, the demon on this third floor must have already reached the Divine King realm.
And since it was a great demon from a thousand years ago, its methods were bound to be extremely terrifying.
Even with the Eight Desolates Glazed Pagoda suppressing it, Ling Xiao had to be cautious.
Endless darkness surged forth once more. Wherever Ling Xiao's gaze fell, the darkness receded layer by layer, revealing a figure sitting quietly in meditation.
The figure wasn't particularly imposing, and not a trace of demonic aura emanated from it. It seemed like an immovable boulder.
He wore a tattered kasaya. The prayer beads on his chest were not golden but a ghastly white.
It was actually a monk with delicate, clear features!
Ling Xiao frowned slightly and walked slowly towards him.
Mi Yong and Die Ying flanked him, equally vigilant.
The Eight Desolates Glazed Pagoda had nine floors and nine demons.
The higher the floor, the stronger the demon's cultivation and the greater its demonic nature.
As fellow ancient demons, Mi Yong and Die Ying naturally sensed the terror of this demon.
But now, the demon monk still sat with his eyes closed, seemingly completely unaware of anyone's approach.
If not for the breath from his nostrils, Ling Xiao would have thought he had long perished during the endless years within this pagoda.
"Who are you?" Only when Ling Xiao and the other two stood about ten feet away did the demon monk slowly open his eyes.
They were a pair of... profound eyes, calm and unruffled after experiencing the mundane world.
A glint of golden light flashed within them, but it vanished completely in an instant.
"We are all but specks of dust among living beings. Name and fate... are ultimately no different." The demon monk placed a single palm together in front of his chest, softly reciting a Buddhist chant.
"Amitābha."
"Since they are no different, Master, why does this attachment of yours remain unbroken? Why not enter the cycle of reincarnation?" Ling Xiao smiled faintly. Judging by the Buddhist nature emanating from this demon monk, he must have been a revered monk in ancient times.
But why did he fall into demonhood?
And why was he willing to remain dormant in this endless darkness for hundreds, or even thousands, of years?
It proved he had an obsession in his heart, something he couldn't let go of, or perhaps... couldn't obtain.
"Reincarnation and life are also ultimately no different. All sins are the tribulations I must endure. Everything in this world is illusory, like a dream, a phantom, a bubble, a shadow; like lightning, or the morning dew." The demon monk spoke indifferently, though a trace of surprise flickered in his eyes as he looked at Mi Yong and Die Ying.
"Hehehe, Master, you seem to see through it all. But this world is filthy. Why not follow me... to ferry others to the other shore?" Ling Xiao smiled faintly. This bald donkey's mouth is quite stubborn. But if he had truly let go of all worldly thoughts, why bother debating Buddhism with him?
This was just his way of testing.
"Ferry others to the other shore? This humble monk is still sinking in this turbid world; how could I ferry others to the other shore? Benefactor... you jest."
"Won't take the soft approach? Then shall we try the hard way?" Ling Xiao sneered. Heavenly Demon aura surged violently around him as he directly transformed into the Heavenly Demon and strode towards the demon monk.
"Since that's the case, then let me help you transcend this life and enter reincarnation!"