“I told you, you’re destined to become a demonic cultivator. A certified proper demonic cultivator, no less. None of them are as ruthless as you,” the Sword Spirit couldn’t help saying.
“Shut up.” Shu Xin was thoroughly annoyed. “What else could I do? The mark of the Spirit-Possessing Demon Sect can’t be destroyed, and there’s no way to imitate it. Besides, every pattern represents a different status. If you had been even a little useful and could imitate it, would I have needed to keep people’s skins?”
Shu Xin felt terribly wronged.
She wasn’t some deranged killer who enjoyed collecting people’s skins and bones. She only did it because every one of these demonic cultivators used some kind of encrypted authentication. The marks of the Spirit-Possessing Demon Sect were even more ridiculous—they followed the soul. The only way to preserve them was to cut off the hand of the body they had possessed before the soul died. Otherwise, once the soul was extracted from the body, the mark would disappear along with it.
It wasn’t like the Daoist sects, which could simply forge an identity with a jade pendant. She had no other choice.
“What? How is this my fault? The current demonic cultivators are simply too crafty. To avoid being captured, they’ll use absolutely any trick,” the Sword Spirit protested.
“I know, I know. It’s not a big deal. As long as we kill all the demonic cultivators who know about this, there’ll be no witnesses, and the two of us will remain perfectly innocent.” Shu Xin soothed it, then added, “The reason our reputations have stayed so spotless is mainly because we always cut the weeds and eliminate the roots.”
Only then did the Sword Spirit stop being angry.
“Senior, I’m still a member of the Spirit-Possessing Demon Sect…” The demonic cultivator tried to argue. “If you would only let me go, I…”
“Forget it. I can’t be bothered to listen to you ramble. It’ll be faster to search your soul directly.” Shu Xin had no interest in hearing the demonic cultivator spout nonsense, so she immediately began the soul search.
She also had the Sword Spirit block their aura, lest some of the experts within the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect discover them.
Cultivators of the Immaculate Realm were truly convenient. Soul-searching was no longer as troublesome as it had been before, and the effect it had on her was much smaller as well.
Only then did Shu Xin gain the feeling that she was actually quite powerful.
Looking through someone’s memories during a soul search was like watching a movie. Unlike before, when she had to watch everything from beginning to end, she could now extract information directly through keywords.
The Spirit-Possessing demonic cultivator possessing Wang Wan had not even reached the Nascent Soul stage, so naturally there were no particularly formidable restrictions placed within her soul and memories.
Still, Shu Xin was able to discover quite a few things from them.
According to the demonic cultivator’s memories, the Spirit-Possessing Demon Sect had begun arriving at the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect on a large scale around several decades ago.
Some of the more powerful elders of the Spirit-Possessing Demon Sect had randomly selected disciples whose cultivation was relatively low and whose demonic energy was not yet too strong, then brought them directly to the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect.
“These are all disciples of the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect below the Core Formation stage. Their cultivation isn’t high, so choose whichever one suits your preferences.”
“From now on, you must walk among them in the name of disciples of the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect. Do not reveal your demonic cultivator identities. Otherwise, I’ll kill you myself.”
“Do not slaughter people here at random, and do not casually possess outer-sect disciples. You are only allowed to remain in the inner sect. Understood?”
…
Wang Wan had been chosen at that time.
From the demonic cultivator’s memories, Shu Xin saw that the person giving those orders was one of the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect’s managing elders.
The next time she saw that elder, his cultivation had steadily risen, and his position within the sect had grown increasingly prominent.
However, the Spirit-Possessing demonic cultivators who had possessed people within the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect ahead of time were having a rather miserable time.
They were used to living as demonic cultivators, yet now they had to act as disciples of a Daoist sect. They were also forbidden from killing people at random. As a result, despite having been here for so long, their cultivation had not advanced in the slightest. On top of that, they could not tell which of the other people were genuine inner-sect disciples of the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect and which were their own comrades, so they did not dare approach anyone carelessly.
Because, according to her memories, there really had been fellow demonic cultivators who were exposed and killed.
Recently, it seemed that quite a few positions among the inner-sect elders of the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect had changed. Xiang Zhu, the sword cultivator elder who had returned from the Inquiring God Sect, had begun reorganizing the sect. Several fellow demonic cultivators who seemed suspicious had been caught and taken to the Punishment Hall. That was why the demonic cultivator possessing Wang Wan had wanted to reach the Nascent Soul stage as quickly as possible, so she could protect herself.
And that was how Shu Xin had gotten lucky.
Shu Xin wanted to look further into the memories, but unexpectedly, she could not see anything more.
The demonic cultivator’s soul could no longer hold on.
A demonic cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation stage possessed a soul of only this much strength. After Shu Xin searched it, the soul had already been reduced to an idiot.
“Ugh, useless.” Shu Xin casually crushed the demonic cultivator’s soul. “It seems the situation in the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect isn’t quite as bad as I thought. There are still a few normal people there. So Xiang Zhu is that sword cultivator elder. He looks like he can actually fight.”
“Yes. He’s a pure sword cultivator, unlike you,” the Sword Spirit said regretfully.
Shu Xin was good in every way, except that she was not diligent enough and could not become a pure sword cultivator.
The number of schemes in her mind was practically comparable to the cells in a honeycomb.
“Sorry about that. Who told me to be your sword master? It’s too late for you to return me now.” Shu Xin was also rather speechless. “It looks like the sect master of the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect still wants to save the sect. He may have realized that something is wrong with it, but he has no way to turn the tide. That makes sense. Even if Patriarch Yuanzhou wants to sell out the sect, he has to do it quietly. If the other disciples discover it and expose him, the first people to come looking for trouble would be the Earthly Immortals of the other Daoist sects.”
There was still a barrier between Daoist sects and demonic sects.
As long as you did not cooperate with demonic cultivators, the Earthly Immortals of the Daoist sects would turn a blind eye to your harming your own disciples, whether through possession or some other method.
But cooperating with demonic cultivators was an entirely different matter.
“Elder Xiang Zhu is a pure sword cultivator, and he’s also at the Immaculate Realm. The chances of him being possessed by a Spirit-Possessing demonic cultivator are very low.” Shu Xin thought for a moment. “What do you think about me paying him a visit directly? He’ll probably be delighted to see me.”
“I don’t know whether he’ll be delighted, but he may become rather agitated,” the Sword Spirit tactfully replied. “Your reputation isn’t exactly the best.”
There was her, and Wen Jingzhi.
Whenever they went to a noble clan, the clan collapsed.
Whenever they went to a sect, the sect vanished.
“I don’t care.” Shu Xin put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly. “Didn’t he go to the Inquiring God Sect before just to watch us make fools of ourselves? Now it’s his turn. What goes around comes around.”
After waiting for quite some time, she finally saw Li Wanxing emerge, carrying Wang Wan’s corpse in his arms.
“I can never repay Senior’s great kindness. Once I’ve buried my senior sister, I will serve Senior faithfully for the rest of my life.” Li Wanxing bowed slightly toward Shu Xin.
“There’s no need for that.” Shu Xin shook her head. “You’d best bury your senior sister somewhere else. The Nine Heavens Daoist Sect probably won’t be in good shape from here on out. If you can leave, you should go first.”
Li Wanxing stared at Shu Xin in surprise.
“Yes. Thank you for your guidance, Senior.” In the end, Li Wanxing agreed.
Shu Xin watched him leave.
“What a pity. It’s rare for the cultivation world to see such a devoted pair.” Shu Xin sighed. “Let’s go. We’ll look for Elder Xiang Zhu.”
At the Nine Heavens Dao Sect, in Xiang Zhu’s cave abode.
“I was only away for a few years, visiting the Seeking Deity Sect. How did the sect end up like this?” Xiang Zhu stared at the reports his disciples had brought him, his expression beyond the point where it could simply be called ugly.
It was a complete mess!
“Master, in the early years, our sword cultivator branch devoted itself wholeheartedly to cultivation, and the sect never asked us to manage any of its affairs.” One of his disciples gave a helpless, bitter smile. “There are some things we’d only heard about and never witnessed ourselves. Now that we’ve actually begun investigating, we’ve discovered that so many things in the sect are wrong. Master, could it be that the Patriarch really… really…”
“Enough!” Xiang Zhu immediately cut him off. “The Patriarch is not someone you’re allowed to question.”
Yet none of the disciples looked convinced.
Xiang Zhu knew what they were thinking. They were all suspicious—even he was no exception.
The Nine Heavens Dao Sect had fallen into such a state that everything seemed fine before the investigation began, but once they started looking into matters, problems appeared everywhere. If they really turned the entire sect upside down, the sect might well collapse before they even finished.
This was the place guarded by a terrestrial immortal of the Nine Heavens Dao Sect. How had demonic cultivators managed to infiltrate it to such an extent?
Xiang Zhu’s sword had been stained with the blood of countless fellow disciples over the past few days.
Or rather, with the blood of those who had once been fellow disciples.
The problem now was that if they killed every demonic cultivator inside and outside the sect, the Nine Heavens Dao Sect would lose at least half of its high-level combat strength. Once word got out, the other sects would be idiots not to come and take a bite out of them. At that point, it was uncertain whether the Nine Heavens Dao Sect could even preserve its inheritance.
But if they did nothing, they would have to watch as the sect gradually became a stronghold for spirit-possessing demonic cultivators.
Xiang Zhu was heartsick with grief, yet he could think of no good solution.
“Master, someone is asking to see you.” A disciple hurried in to report.
“Tell them I’m not here.” Xiang Zhu rejected the request without even asking who it was.
What time was this? What good could possibly come from anyone seeking him out now?
“She says she’s Shu Xin of the Seeking Deity Sect,” the disciple murmured. “Master, she’s the youngest cultivator to reach the Immaculate Realm!”
The other disciples’ eyes lit up at the mention of Shu Xin’s name.
Among the younger generation of cultivators, who didn’t know Shu Xin’s name?
She was a legend among legends!
The moment Xiang Zhu heard the name Shu Xin, his expression grew even darker.
“Why is it her? Could she have come to cause trouble for the Nine Heavens Dao Sect at a time like this?” Xiang Zhu thought it over carefully. He had never done anything improper at the Seeking Deity Sect. He had always treated Shu Xin and Xu Guan courteously. Surely there was no reason for her to come looking for trouble now?
“Tell her I’m not here.” Xiang Zhu decided to refuse her after all.
They already had enough internal trouble. They couldn’t afford another external threat.
“That wouldn’t be very nice, would it, Fellow Daoist Xiang Zhu? How can you have the nerve to claim you’re not here?” Shu Xin strode straight in, a smile still on her face.
“Master, we couldn’t stop her. She came straight in,” another disciple ran over breathlessly, though he still couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Shu Xin.
It wasn’t just him. Every one of Xiang Zhu’s disciples found themselves staring at Shu Xin, their eyes shining with both admiration and curiosity.
So this was Shu Xin?
The legend who had reached the Immaculate Realm in less than two hundred years?
She really did seem different from everyone else.
Wait, she used a sword too?
Could that mean she was also a sword cultivator?
“Stop staring. She isn’t a sword cultivator. She simply happens to use a sword.” Seeing the way his disciples’ eyes had lit up as they gazed at Shu Xin, Xiang Zhu couldn’t help interrupting their fantasies.
“Fellow Daoist Xiang Zhu, that’s not right of you. It would do your disciples good to learn more from me. If one or two of them grow up to be like me, wouldn’t that give you plenty of face whenever you go out?” Shu Xin praised herself without the slightest trace of embarrassment. “After all, both my reputation and my strength are genuine.”
“You may all leave.” Xiang Zhu waved a hand, signaling his disciples to go.
“Yes.”
Disappointment flashed across the disciples’ faces, but they still took one last, lingering look at Shu Xin before withdrawing.
“You never come to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. You’ve come to see me all of a sudden—are you here to make trouble for the Nine Heavens Dao Sect?” Xiang Zhu had originally been a straightforward man, but now that the sect had become what it was, he could only suppress his anger and force himself to remain patient. “Our sect really isn’t in a position to receive you right now. Once I’ve dealt with matters here, I’ll go to the Seeking Deity Sect and apologize to you.”
Xiang Zhu had no idea how much Shu Xin knew about the Nine Heavens Dao Sect’s situation. Presumably, spirit-possessing demonic cultivators were very good at disguising themselves. Even he, an elder of the Nine Heavens Dao Sect, had only recently discovered the extent to which the sect had been infiltrated. As an outsider, Shu Xin probably knew even less.
That made it all the more important to send her away quickly.
Otherwise, things would become troublesome.
“Your sect has already been overrun by spirit-possessing demonic cultivators, and they come and go as they please. Are you sure you want to send an ally like me away at a time like this?” Shu Xin found a place to sit on her own, propped her chin up with one hand, and said with a beaming smile, “Fellow Daoist Xiang Zhu, you should know your own limitations. You can’t handle the mess the Nine Heavens Dao Sect has become.”
Xiang Zhu’s expression changed at once.
He watched Shu Xin warily, sizing her up and wondering how she had learned about all this.
“I’ve killed quite a few people from the Spirit-Entering Demon Sect before,” Shu Xin said with a grin. “I’m the most experienced when it comes to tracking them down. I even have the formula for Clear Mirror Divine Water. If I’m not mistaken, both the formula and the existing stores of Clear Mirror Divine Water in your sect have already disappeared. Let me guess—the jade slip containing the formula was destroyed in a fire, or perhaps damaged when disciples were fighting each other? As for the stored water, it must have gone unused for too long and lost its original efficacy.”
“How do you know all that?” Xiang Zhu blurted out, only realizing immediately afterward that he had given himself away. His expression grew even more unpleasant.
“Hahaha. After all these years, they’re still using the same tricks.” Shu Xin laughed loudly. “Don’t be so stiff, Fellow Daoist Xiang Zhu. Come, come, sit down. We can talk this over slowly. Your sect’s problem is enormous. In a situation like this, an outsider may be better suited to handle it. I think you’d be better off asking me for help. Otherwise, that terrestrial immortal of yours may soon come looking for you.”
…
At the Blood Demon Sect.
Yin Rushi repeatedly investigated the information she had received from Wen Jingzhi. Only after confirming that strange incidents had indeed been occurring frequently in the Nine Heavens Dao Sect did she report the matter to the Blood Demon Ancestor.
“…Ancestor, I’ve already investigated the matter. In recent years, the elders and inner disciples of the Nine Heavens Dao Sect have clearly made far fewer trips outside the sect to gain experience. Moreover, even when Xu Guan of the Seeking Deity Sect reached the Mahayana Realm, the Nine Heavens Dao Sect sent only a handful of people to attend. Xie Xianzhi, who has a close relationship with Shu Xin, was detained inside the sect. In addition, according to the information currently available, many spirit-possessing demonic cultivators have indeed disappeared in the vicinity of the Nine Heavens Dao Sect.”
After receiving the news from Wen Jingzhi, Yin Rushi went to considerable lengths to investigate it.
Had she not looked into the matter, she might have been better off. Only after investigating did she discover that the Spirit-Entrapping Demon Sect had quietly carried out such a major undertaking.
Yin Rushi immediately realized how serious the situation was.
If the Spirit-Entrapping Demon Sect truly replaced the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect, it would inevitably rise to prominence. By then, the Blood Demon Sect’s position would become rather awkward.
Moreover, if Xuan Wu really achieved the Earthly Immortal Realm, he would gain another ten thousand years of life. The other Earthly Immortals, however, could not outlive him.
For any sect, this would be a disastrous development.
After listening to Yin Rushi’s report, the Blood Demon Ancestor suddenly burst out laughing.
“Hahahaha! Hahahaha!”
Yin Rushi had no idea why the ancestor was laughing. She could only kneel with her head lowered and wait for him to finish.
“I’m laughing because that old man Yuanzhou and Xuan Wu are truly a match made in heaven—one a shameless wretch, the other sinister and deceitful. Rotten fish and spoiled shrimp have ended up in the same basket.” The Blood Demon Ancestor nearly laughed aloud again. “That old man Yuanzhou has already possessed another body once, so he has no way to extend his lifespan any further. And unlike that old bull-nosed Wuweizi, he doesn’t have many unorthodox methods at his disposal. He probably has no choice left but to use the Spirit-Entrapping Demon Sect’s techniques to prolong his life.”
“As for Xuan Wu? His method of spirit entrapment is already rejected by Heaven and Earth. If he can truly complete the flaws in his cultivation method and achieve the Earthly Immortal Realm, I’ll have to praise him as a once-in-a-generation genius.” The Blood Demon Ancestor sneered. “Unfortunately, they don’t have that ability.”
In the Blood Demon Ancestor’s eyes, the two of them would most likely end up trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it—neither would gain anything.
“What should this disciple do? I humbly ask the ancestor for instructions.”
“No rush.” The Blood Demon Ancestor smiled. “For now, go and help keep this news contained. As for your source of information, appease him for the time being as well.”
Yin Rushi almost thought she had misheard.
“Ancestor, forgive this disciple for speaking out of turn, but shouldn’t we spread the news at a time like this?” Yin Rushi was deeply confused. This was the perfect opportunity to tear off a piece of the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect.
“When a beast is on the verge of death, that is when it is at its most ferocious,” the Blood Demon Ancestor said lightly. “Old man Yuanzhou is willing to kill gods and Buddhas alike to prolong his life. Anyone who provokes him now must be prepared to perish alongside him. A man who has lived for ten thousand years and grown accustomed to standing above all others is the least rational of them all. If we release the news now, old man Yuanzhou may not go after the others—but he will certainly come after me!”
Besides, the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect was so far from the Blood Demon Sect that even if they managed to bite off a piece of it, turning that advantage into tangible gains would be difficult. In the end, wouldn’t they merely be benefiting the other Daoist sects?
“Wait. Once the Nine Heavens Daoist Sect has been mostly devoured by the Spirit-Entrapping Demon Cultivators, then you can release the news and wait for the other Daoist sects to go forth and eliminate the demons. That will be the moment for our Blood Demon Sect to sit back and reap the rewards.” The Blood Demon Ancestor smiled. “If we can throw old man Yuanzhou into my Sea of Blood, I should be able to advance another step.”
“The ancestor is truly wise.” In such a short time, Yin Rushi had also realized the brilliance of the plan.
It seemed that, for the time being, she would first have to keep Wen Jingzhi under control.
She could not let him reveal the news to anyone else.
If necessary, killing him would not be a problem.
Wen Jingzhi wandered through the Blood Demon Sect’s territory.
Before Yin Rushi left, she had given him the Blood Demon Sect’s token and had even assigned one of her subordinates to accompany him and carry out his every command.
There were very few cultivators in the entire Blood Demon Sect whose status was higher than Yin Rushi’s. Given how vast the sect’s territory was, the chances of encountering one were exceedingly low.
Wen Jingzhi did not go anywhere in particular. Instead, he casually chose one of the Blood Demon Kingdoms to look around.
The Blood Demon Sect had established teleportation arrays throughout its territory, allowing people to travel to different Blood Demon Kingdoms.
The Blood Demon Kingdoms varied in size, but they were all given the same name. The only difference was that, within the sect, numbers were used to distinguish between them.
“Mr. Wen, this is one of the Blood Demon Kingdoms that has already disappeared,” Yin Rushi’s subordinate explained eagerly from beside him. “The Blood Demon Kingdoms are also judged according to their geographical location. Some places are rich in spiritual energy. There, certain mortal martial artists can break through their limits and become grandmasters, which is equivalent to the Qi Refining Stage among cultivators. Once such a kingdom becomes prosperous, it becomes excellent nourishment and can only be enjoyed by cultivators of the Cave Heaven Realm or above.”
“Other places have very little spiritual energy and are inhabited entirely by ordinary mortals. Some are so remote that even the teleportation arrays can only reach the nearest location, requiring our sect disciples to fly the rest of the way. Those are the lowest-grade Blood Demon Kingdoms, suitable only for use as sacrificial offerings.”
The Blood Demon Sect raised an unknown number of blood slaves, and they were quite well versed in the principle of sustainable development.
In places rich in spiritual energy, they would harvest the inhabitants only from time to time, while also granting them certain inheritances so that the mortal martial artists could continue cultivating. In this way, the sect could absorb their flesh and blood continuously.
If a place lacked spiritual energy, they would vigorously encourage reproduction, decreeing that mortals had to bear a certain number of children to be exempted from taxation and so on. They relied on sheer numbers to produce the occasional high-quality offering.
Of course, from time to time, bored Blood Demon Sect cultivators would descend to select a few low-ranking servants.
As for those Blood Demon Kingdoms with little remaining value, they would be turned entirely into sacrificial offerings and erased from the Blood Demon Sect’s maps.
Once a place had been used as a major sacrificial site, demonic energy would fill it for more than a thousand years, making it impossible for ordinary mortals to survive there.
Unfortunately, the location where Wen Jingzhi had been born had turned gray on the map.
“Why is this place marked separately?” Wen Jingzhi asked, pointing to the location where he had grown up.
“Oh, this place?” The subordinate thought for a moment before saying, “There was nothing special about it originally. However, more than a hundred years ago, a massive disturbance of spiritual energy apparently occurred nearby. The ancestor said that one of his enemies must have entered the area and taken something he had overlooked. The ancestor was furious, so he drained all the Blood Demon Kingdoms in the vicinity, but still failed to find what he wanted. We didn’t dare investigate further, so we simply marked the area.”
“Many people from the sect went to investigate afterward, but they found nothing. It was merely a gathering place for ordinary mortals. The area should have been completely barren, yet, for some reason, a town appeared there after some time. That town later disappeared as well.”
That was Wen Town.
Wen Town was like a secret realm hidden in a remote corner. Even the nearby Blood Demon Kingdoms were the lowest grade, and hardly any cultivators ever went there.
Yet even after hiding in such a place, they had still been found by the Longevity Daoist Sect.
“There’s nothing worth seeing here.” Wen Jingzhi’s gaze swept lightly across the map. “Let’s go to the next place.”
Since he had come to the Blood Demon Sect, he naturally intended to repay them properly.
Wen Jingzhi: Having me around is a blessing for the Blood Demon Sect.
