Heart Demon

This question created an awkward moment, leaving Li Qi, who was usually quick-witted, speechless.

Shen Shuibi, however, reacted quickly and immediately said, "Great Shaman... why are you asking this?"

"It's nothing, just a casual question, don't worry about it." Yun Fang smiled. "Yue Jing, you may leave now. I want to speak with Li Qi alone."

The two looked at each other, but there was nothing they could do. Shen Shuibi bowed, then stepped back and left, leaving the altar.

The moment she stepped down from the altar, Li Qi and Yun Fang vanished from their spot.

Wang Baiyan, who was watching the grand ceremony from outside, was taken aback and looked at Shen Shuibi, who had suddenly appeared, with some surprise. "Miss Shen? What is this? Teleportation? What kind of Divine Ability is this?"

From his perspective, Shen Shuibi appeared here suddenly.

And what about Li Qi?

It was just on the altar a moment ago, where did it go?

"Don't ask," Shen Shuibi said, turning back to leave.

She's going to pack her luggage.

Guangyang should be leaving soon.

But... is this trip to the Tang Kingdom?

Furthermore, the matter of the Polaris Golden Core Method is suspicious no matter how you look at it.

Such an important matter, and no one informed me?

How is that possible...?

Numerous things weighed on Shen Shuibi's mind, causing even the usually dazed rabbit to look worried and at a loss.

And also...

That great shaman.

When asked what her relationship with Li Qi was, she replied...

What's the meaning?

Will I become a bargaining chip for Wushen Mountain to coerce the Your Highness into taking sides?

Shen Shuibi was full of doubts, but Li Qi was not much different.

He found himself and Yun Fang at a high mountain.

A misty haze hung in the air, and a gentle breeze rustled through the air.

High cliffs and steep walls, strange ravines and bizarre peaks.

Phoenixes sing in unison, while a lone phoenix dances alone.

Leopards hide in the deep mountains, tigers come to the towering peaks.

Rare herbs and exotic flowers, green pines and cypresses.

The peaches are bright red, and the bamboo groves are lush and green.

A cloud of rosy clouds connects with the shade of trees, two streams flow down to the roots of vines, a thousand mountains rise high like pillars supporting the sky, and ten thousand ravines rush across the earth like marks.

The mountain was rugged, extremely high and dangerous, and somehow he suddenly found himself standing on its summit.

He and Yun Fang were standing right here.

Is this... this senior's personal sanctuary?

Such intense energy.

The quality of the countless types of energy here is many times higher than that of the outside world. Even a tiny bit of it here far surpasses the refined energy found outside.

The earth energy of this mountain alone is a pure dark gold. Even a wisp of it would be enough for a ninth-rank mountain god to use as a foundation for his path to the eighth rank.

And this kind of air is everywhere.

Li Qi was still observing his surroundings when suddenly, he saw a surge of energy rising from the mountaintop.

Neither smoke nor fog, but like clouds and rosy hues; neither smoke nor fog, yet spreading gently across the clear sky.

A misty haze filled the azure sky, with swirling white flames rising and piercing the heavens, obscuring the sun and shining brightly, like a rainbow. This white mist, upon closer inspection, appeared to be clustered together in mid-air.

However, just as Li Qi saw it, the energy suddenly surged uncontrollably into his body.

However, I felt nothing...

Li Qi quickly realized what was happening and bowed to Yun Fang, asking, "Senior, what is this...?"

Yun Fang found a flat stone to sit on, and the old man said kindly, "Your journey to the Tang Kingdom will surely be fraught with danger, but since it is your wish and the best choice for the overall situation at this moment, I cannot stop you."

"However, I have some concerns in my heart, fearing that you will be harmed by others, so I cast some Technique Method on you."

"That energy has the effect of concealment. Those whose cultivation is lower than mine will not be able to detect your cultivation level, nor will they be able to locate you by any means. It can also conceal your karma. In this way, you will have some protection in the Tang Kingdom. As long as you do not violate the law, you should be fine."

After listening, Li Qi suddenly understood, but at the same time, more questions arose.

He was naturally touched by the other party's thoughtfulness and would remember the kindness. But why was this old man being so proactive? It seemed like this was the first time they had met.

He wasn't worried that the other party would harm him. After all, they were both from Wushen Mountain, and this old man was a dignified third-rank official; he wouldn't do such a thing.

While I don't dislike this sudden act of kindness, it still feels a bit strange.

Seemingly sensing Li Qi's doubts, Yun Fang smiled and said, "Keep that cloud of energy safe. It has some other uses. You can study it on your own later. I brought you here mainly to show you a place and to give you a heads-up."

"I will listen attentively to the elder's words and never forget them," Li Qi immediately replied with a bow.

The thing that someone specifically came to remind me of must be something important.

"Come with me," Yun Fang said to Li Qi as he stood up.

Li Qi immediately followed behind the other party with proper etiquette, remaining silent and quietly advancing with Yun Fang.

Yun Fang walked to the edge of the cliff, only to see a huge white crane flying from afar and hovering at his feet.

This white crane, with its crimson crown and white wings, rounded throat and slender toes, thin head and exposed eyes, abundant feathers and sparse flesh, phoenix wings and tortoise back, swallow's breast and turtle's belly, is clearly a celestial bird that has been born from a fetus.

This bird alone is a sixth-rank bird.

Li Qi followed Yun Fang and stepped onto the back of the white crane.

The white crane then let out a loud cry, its cry echoing through the heavens, before taking flight, soaring high into the clouds, traversing the auspicious clouds and mountains, displaying an air of otherworldly grace.

He doesn't seem like a shaman, but more like a Daoist immortal.

The shaman should be portrayed as a solemn and dignified figure, after all, managing the rites of establishing a state and arranging the hierarchy among the various factions is a very serious and authoritative matter.

However, Li Qi didn't know why the other person's personal microcosm was like this, and he didn't dare to ask. He just looked around from behind.

However, after flying over the Immortal Mountain and seeing all the auspicious clouds, the sky suddenly changed as they flew across a certain line.

The sky was dark and gloomy, filled with the sounds of thunder and frost, creating a repressive atmosphere.

The wind still blows darkly, and the dragon's light and electricity drive away the ugly, desolate land, where wicked waters breed evil insects.

However, after flying across a certain line, it was as if the world had changed completely. The surrounding scenery was completely transformed, becoming oppressive and despairing, with venomous insects and flies breeding, auspicious clouds turning into dark clouds, Immortal Mountain becoming barren mountains, and clear springs turning into foul water.

The auspicious beasts that once inhabited the mountains have all vanished, leaving only a few cunning creatures hiding their heads and tails.

Li Qi was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "The five turbidities cloud the mind, and one strays into the three evil paths. This is the scene after the collapse of the Dao heart. Why are you here, senior?"

This old man seems to have a perfectly good Dao heart, so how come there is such an area in his personal microcosm?

Yun Fang stood on the crane's back and shook his head. "This small world within a human body is not mine."

"Then why?" Li Qi asked in surprise. This place was clearly still within the other person's personal world, so how could he say it wasn't his?

But before he could ask any more questions, he saw the crane suddenly accelerate.

Although it accelerated, the surroundings remained stable, as if it were on flat ground, without any bumps, acceleration, or even inertia, and the wind was completely blocked out.

After accelerating for only two or three seconds, the crane came to a stop on the ground.

Li Qi followed Yun Fang down and saw a battle formation.

Five mountains stand here, arranged according to the central position of the four cardinal directions.

The mountains are linked together, forming the Five Sacred Mountains' suppressive formation.

This isn't a mountain; it's clearly a cage! And a top-class cage at that!

"The Five Sacred Mountains guard the land, the Hai Earth is the sixth Yin, rain and snow fill the roads, the earth here does not warm, the metal here becomes cold, the seasons are full and then wither, all things decay, just as a person's energy declines. This... this is clearly the scene of a great death land, is this a death land used to suppress something..."

"Inner demon? This is your inner demon, senior? Why did you bring me here!?" Li Qi looked around at the formation and, after a moment of thought, recognized the purpose of this arrangement.

Yun Fang shook his head and said, "This is not my inner demon, but to be able to recognize it, you have a deep understanding of demons."

Li Qi quickly replied, "I had quite a few encounters with the demons the other day... naturally—"

When Li Qi tried to say the word 'nature,' he couldn't continue.

His expression was horrified, his heart pounded, and blood rushed to his brain.

Yes, a while ago, he had been in contact with all sorts of demons and trying to find a way to overcome the 108 demons. And he did find one, and used it as leverage to pull off a counterattack against Chanzhi Zhi.

During his encounter with the demon, he even found a wisp of the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm.

At that time, he risked using the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm to kill Chanzhi.

After that, he decided to hide the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm and then go back to tell his teachers and ask them how to deal with it.

But it wasn't until now that he remembered this.

Li Qi was not a forgetful person.

But he simply forgot the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm.

During the preparation stage of the grand ceremony, he completely forgot about it and didn't even tell Senior Le Ya, so that he could report back to Wushen Mountain to find a solution.

He didn't even remember it when the teacher arrived.

When did the memories of the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm begin to gradually return?

It seems that... after being covered by the Great Shaman's aura, I began to gradually unlock the sealed memories, but I am still somewhat confused and have no recollection of them for the time being.

It wasn't until now, when he thought about his inner demons, that he suddenly remembered them.

It turns out that he was actually very familiar with demonic thoughts and even possessed a wisp of the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm.

Upon thinking of this, Li Qi Qihan came down.

Unbeknownst to many, to what extent has the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm developed?

What would have happened if this great shaman hadn't reminded him?

Seeing Li Qi's expression, Yun Fang knew he understood.

So he smiled and said, "You remember now?"

He could hear other people's thoughts directly, but out of self-discipline and respect for others, he generally wouldn't do so, so he still asked Li Qi.

Li Qi wiped his sweat, looked up, and said, "Thank you for saving me, senior. I hope you can inform my teacher later."

"That's for sure, but tell me about the origin of this Daoist rhyme." Yun Fang nodded.

Since the other party had asked in this way, Li Qi certainly dared not hide anything, and immediately told them everything in detail without omitting a single thing.

He kept talking about the time of the Chanzhi, until he finally used the power of the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm to kill the Chanzhi.

The story lasted for a full quarter of an hour.

Finally, he demonstrated the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm and said, "After I used it last time, I completely forgot about it. There must be something wrong with it. Senior, could you please enlighten me?"

Yun Fang, on the other hand, stared intently at the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm, looking it over and over again.

Then, he reached out and grasped that wisp of Daoist essence.

Li Qi suddenly felt a blur before his eyes.

It's like... Root Bone has been removed from your body.

He collapsed to the ground, completely powerless.

Yun Fang ignored him and let Li Qi lie there.

He simply grasped at that wisp of Daoist aura and pondered, saying, "This thing... is not the Heavenly Demonic Dao Charm of the Heavenly Demons. I've dealt with the Heavenly Demons of the Desire Realm before, and their Daoist aura is not like this."

"No, this thing isn't even a product of the demonic path. It doesn't have that special demonic energy. Are you sure you suddenly obtained it, and then you personally witnessed the true form of the Heavenly Demon, which is that sphere?" Yun Fang asked.

Li Qi immediately struggled to his feet and replied breathlessly, "That's right, kid. There's no exaggeration in your words. In order to deceive the Chanzhi, I deliberately allowed myself to be tainted by demonic thoughts. That's when I came into contact with the being who called himself the Heavenly Demon, and he even gave me this wisp of Daoist essence."

Yun Fang held the wisp of Daoist charm in his hand and nodded slightly. "Heh, interesting. I'll take this Daoist charm with me. I'll ask a diviner to divine the origin of this item. I'm a member of the sect, and although I know a little about it, I'm not good at it. I'll leave it to the professionals."

"Thank you very much, senior!" Li Qi bowed deeply to express his gratitude.

"No need. I had my own reasons for bringing you here. This Daoist rhyme was just something I did on the spur of the moment." Yun Fang smiled. "Since you've already remembered, let's go in."

Li Qi was puzzled. The demonic thought wasn't the reason the other party had invited him?

So this inner demon...

It wasn't set up by the other party to remind them.

It is true.

Yun Fang, you really do have such a demon in your heart.

The inner demons of a great witch...

Li Qi felt a chill run down his spine after thinking about it.

However, since they've already invited me, I can't refuse.

So he nodded and followed the other person inside.

Upon entering this mountain stronghold, Li Qi immediately sensed a profound demonic aura.

It's hard to describe, but it's like... being alive.

He could vaguely sense these demonic thoughts whispering in his ear.

But this is not the great shaman's demonic thought.

"These demonic thoughts... are they at the seventh rank?" Li Qi looked around in confusion.

Chanzhi Zhi was also a seventh-rank monk, so he had some knowledge of the demonic thoughts of the seventh rank and could tell the actual rank of these demonic thoughts at a glance.

If it truly was the demonic thought of the great shaman, then he should already be dead.

"That's right, it's seventh rank." Yun Fang nodded. "This is not my demonic thought, but my disciple's."

Li Qi understood the implied meaning.

This isn't a demon in one's heart, it's... a disciple?

Yun Fang continued, "My disciple 'Dao heart collapsed, he died without a burial place, and his soul was completely annihilated. In order to save his life, I planted this wisp of inner demon in his heart."

"I sealed all my memories of him here, in order to retrieve the cause and effect between him and me from the river of time, planted him in my heart, and transformed him into my inner demon."

"In this way, he was reborn in my heart. As long as my inner demon is not destroyed, he will not die. However, he will forever become my inner demon and an obstacle on my Dao Path."

He spoke of these things as if nothing had happened.

Li Qi immediately realized the immense power this was.

How can someone whose soul has been completely destroyed be reborn in one's own heart?

Is that even possible?