Demonic Cultivator

In late autumn, twisted, bare old trees and withered vines stood silently in the autumn wind. In the mountain cliffs and valleys strewn with strange rocks, the chirping of autumn insects rang out.

Whoosh!

A fierce wind swept through. Amid the thousands of mountains and countless ravines, it looked as though innumerable moths were flapping and trembling in flight, and heaven and earth instantly turned gray-white.

On closer inspection, they were ugly insects the size of thumbs, with fleshy, plump bodies and vaguely human facial features.

Smack!

A net came down, trapping several Human-headed Monster Insects. They flapped their wings and crashed left and right.

Their sharp mouthparts spat acid. The rocks sizzled as they corroded, forming honeycomb-like scars.

Slap, slap, slap!

A glass bottle quickly clamped down over the Human-headed Monster Insects, and its cap was screwed tight.

"Three Human-faced Moths. What luck."

A young man of about twenty wiped the sweat from his brow.

He wore a thick rubber suit and a beekeeper's hood. His features were regular, and his eyes were bright and spirited.

He tapped the glass bottle and watched the Human-faced Moths inside furiously thrash and spit.

Su Jie set down the basket on his back. It already held more than a dozen similar Human-faced Moths.

"Twelve, plus these three. If I take them to the Ghost Market, then even if the price gets pushed down, I should still be able to exchange them for one Blood Marrow Crystal."

Su Jie's face wore the joy of an old farmer celebrating a bumper harvest.

In the Black Market, ten Human-faced Moths could usually be exchanged for one Blood Marrow Crystal.

Human-faced Moths were dangerous creatures that moved in swarms. They had keen hearing and were ravenously thirsty for blood.

The slightest excessive noise, or even the careless exposure of a tiny wound, would draw them in a surging swarm. They would devour a person clean, leaving not even a bone behind.

During his half-year here, Su Jie had already seen quite a few clumsy fellow disciples meet the fate of having their corpses and bones completely consumed.

To capture them required patiently lying in wait, then seizing the chance to catch one or two when strong winds disturbed them.

Sometimes, when luck was poor, he would catch only a few in an entire day—and still had to guard against the risk of losing his life.

Because it was so troublesome, formally registered Demonic Cultivators would not waste their time doing it. Yet Human-faced Moths were food favored by many Demonic Cultivators' Gu worms.

Thus, the task fell to newly inducted disciples, people like Su Jie.

He was an outer disciple of Ghost Ridge Palace, as well as a specialized Bug Catcher.

The wind gradually faded. The Human-faced Moths filling the sky settled back onto the treetops and rocks.

Su Jie carefully set down the basket, then slowly retreated, leaving this Insect Valley.

Outside the mountain lay a narrow winding path. The trail twisted through deep seclusion. Su Jie removed the stuffy rubber suit and bee hood, savoring the clear air.

"Brother Su, looks like you had a good harvest today."

Voices came from behind. Several Bug Catchers dressed similarly greeted Su Jie.

"I'm only barely scraping by. After all, I still have to hand in my quota to Master."

Su Jie gave a slight nod. These men were also outer disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace.

Ghost Ridge Palace was famous for Gu worms because it controlled this Insect Valley. The place was Ghost Ridge Palace's forbidden preserve, and the other Demonic Cultivator sects did not dare appear here.

As he spoke, Su Jie quickened his pace, his eyes wary.

Although they were fellow disciples, everyone was a Demonic Cultivator. Naturally, there was little fellow-disciple affection to speak of. The strong preyed on the weak, and robbery or even murder was commonplace.

"Wait for us, Brother Su. It'll be dark soon. Be careful of Strange Ghosts appearing. We'll have company if we go together."

"If you hadn't said so, I would've nearly forgotten. Brother Su, you belong to Old Daoist Qiu. You have to hand in ten Blood Marrow Crystals every month. You've been here half a year, so you've already lost at least dozens of Blood Marrow Crystals. He really doesn't treat you like a human being."

"Who says otherwise? Our master only requires five Blood Marrow Crystals a month."

As they talked about Old Daoist Qiu, their voices carried a teasing note. At the same time, they sped up toward Su Jie, showing signs of stirring with malicious intent.

In Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie had always been a nameless nobody. Robbing him therefore came with no psychological burden at all.

"I wouldn't dare speak recklessly. My master likes using Gu. For all I know, one of his Gu worms might already be on me. If he hears you, he won't let it go."

Su Jie's expression remained calm, but his words made the men opposite him change color slightly.

If they casually insulted an elder, outer disciples like them could be beaten to death without anyone asking a single question.

Their original intention to attack and rob him faded. They could not be sure whether Su Jie's words were true.

"Senior Brothers, we'll be going on ahead."

Su Jie ignored the men behind him and strode onto the narrow mountain path.

The sun sank, and the dying rays were like blood, staining the edge of the sky red.

Su Jie's steps were light. The distant mountains and nearby ridges blurred hazily, while the willow trees by the road quietly drooped their branches, their shade covering the path thick with wild grass.

After getting away from the group, Su Jie recalled what those outer disciples had said and thought inwardly, That's right. I've already been in this world for half a year, yet I'm still working as a cheap Bug Catcher every day.

Recalling the past, Su Jie's thoughts turned melancholy.

Su Jie was not a native of this world. He came from the modern civilized society of Blue Star.

Half a year earlier, Su Jie had just graduated from an ordinary second-tier university and was still fretting over finding a job.

These days, even graduates from ordinary second-tier universities, let alone those with master's degrees, had trouble finding work. Otherwise, so many people would not have chosen to sit for the civil service examinations in search of stable employment.

As it turned out, he had not found a job. Instead, one night, an ancestral ancient mirror in his home lit up with a shimmering glow and sucked him inside in the blink of an eye.

By the time Su Jie reacted, he had already appeared in a cultivation world called the Tianyuan World.

And the place where he appeared happened to be the remote mountain wilderness within the territory of Ghost Ridge Palace.

Unable to leave those remote mountains, he had somehow joined Ghost Ridge Palace.

Only after entering did Su Jie discover that the immortal sect grandeur he had imagined—the sight of halls and pavilions resting amid mountain peaks and clouds—was nowhere to be found. Instead, he saw a demonic cave filled with forests of bones, drifting ghostfire, and poisonous creatures covering the ground.

By the time Su Jie understood that Ghost Ridge Palace was a demonic sect, it was already too late for regret.

Over half a year of living here, Su Jie had learned some common knowledge about this cultivation world by constantly gathering information.

For example, Demonic Cultivators were hated and beaten by everyone.

Attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal, living as long as heaven and earth—what beautiful phrases.

But those belonged to orthodox Daoist sects. In this world, Demonic Cultivators were evil beings despised and hunted by everyone.

That was because the cultivation methods practiced by Demonic Cultivators were mostly strange and bloody. They often used living people for blood sacrifices, drawing out their blood and stripping away their souls.

Such conduct naturally provoked universal hatred.

After the last great war between the orthodox and demonic paths five hundred years ago, the demonic path was defeated and gradually declined.

Now, most demonic sects could only squat in remote mountain wildernesses, isolated islands beyond the borders, and similar places, clinging to life. They no longer possessed the arrogance of their heyday, when they had slaughtered thousands across the land in rivers of blood.

The Ghost Ridge Palace where Su Jie lived was one such demonic sect.

Over these six months, Su Jie had gradually resigned himself to fate and extinguished the thought of escape.

The remote mountain wilderness was infested with evil creatures, Fierce Beasts, and dangerous areas, while disciples guarded every major route through the region.

Trying to flee without a travel token? If caught, he could wait for the Punishment Elder to extract his soul and light a corpse lamp with it.

Fortunately, although he cultivated the demonic path, all paths ultimately led to the same destination.

Once the demonic path reached a profound realm, one could still attain longevity. That was Su Jie's hope.

However...

Su Jie's cultivation Root Bone was poor. Otherwise, he would have entered the inner sect and would not have had to rush around catching insects every day.

As an outer disciple, the Hundred Poisons Gu Refining True Scripture he had specially learned for catching insects was the most common demonic cultivation method.

After half a year of diligent cultivation, he had only reached the second layer of the Spirit Nurturing Realm. His physical qualities had improved somewhat, he was immune to some minor poisons, and he had a certain affinity with poisonous insects.

The Spirit Nurturing Realm was divided into ten layers. At Su Jie's level of strength, he did not even count as cannon fodder in Ghost Ridge Palace.

Outer disciples had poor Root Bones. Usually, even when they grew old and feeble, they would only be stuck at the fourth or fifth layer of the Spirit Nurturing Realm. In the eyes of the higher-ups, they were merely expendable materials.

Inner disciples, on the other hand, had hopes of breaking through to the Secret Treasure Realm. They usually possessed cultivation at the sixth or seventh layer of the Spirit Nurturing Realm. Only after reaching this level could one be considered noteworthy among the disciples.

As for breaking through to the Secret Treasure Realm, one would no longer be a disciple. One could instead take important positions such as steward, master, or elder. Both status and strength would soar, making such a person part of Ghost Ridge Palace's core power structure.

Su Jie also understood that his aptitude was poor, but this was the only chance in his life to defy fate and change his destiny.

In the modern civilized world, he had been an ordinary wage earner, struggling even to find a job.

Here, however, he had the hope of grasping the mighty power to move mountains and overturn seas, and of sharing the lifespan of heaven and earth.

He was selling his life either way. In the real world, he worked for a boss, laboring hard to earn the boss a Ferrari.

Working for Ghost Ridge Palace at least left him with a sliver of hope for longevity.

The sun sank completely beyond the mountain.

Before the last ray of light vanished, Su Jie returned to Ghost Ridge Palace's stronghold.

Corpse-oil bone lamps hung high overhead, their glimmering ghostfire lighting blood candles.

Owls called from the treetops, their cries like sobbing and lamentation.

Under the bone lamps, one crude, pitch-black stone cave dwelling after another appeared in his view.

"Brother Su, back so late!"

A thin-faced young man greeted Su Jie.

"Can't be helped. If I don't catch more poisonous insects to sell, I won't be able to pay my monthly quota to Master."

Su Jie smiled in reply. The man before him was Su Jie's neighbor, Peng Shiwen. He had entered Ghost Ridge Palace in the same batch as Su Jie and was also a disciple of Old Daoist Qiu's line, with cultivation at the second layer of the Spirit Nurturing Realm.

Because they were neighbors and had entered Ghost Ridge Palace in the same batch, their relationship was somewhat better than that of ordinary disciples.

"Ah, who knows when these bitter days will finally end? Catching insects all day, every day—I feel like I'm about to become a bird."

"Then you've struck it rich. Bird spirit beasts are natural enemies of many Gu worms. Go back and try strapping on a pair of wings."

Su Jie exchanged a few jokes with Peng Shiwen before they said goodbye to each other.

He came to a stone cave, took out a key, and opened the lock on the closed door. This was Su Jie's residence in Ghost Ridge Palace.

The interior was about thirty square meters, containing only a bed, a meditation mat, a desk, and a scant handful of other items.

The most precious things were the bottles and jars arranged by category on the shelves.

They contained poisonous creatures Su Jie had found on Ghost Ridge Mountain: Blue-tailed Demonic Scorpions, Rainbow Blood Striped Snakes, Evil Scissors Spiders, Crimson Poison Fire Ants, and others. All were unranked.

Seeing a living person appear, these ferocious poisonous creatures became violently agitated, flapping their wings and hissing.

Only one poisonous creature remained quiet when it saw Su Jie appear.

It was a centipede as long as a forearm, striped red and black.

Strangely, the densely packed limbs beneath its abdomen were actually pale human hands, making it horrifying to behold.

The Thousand-Hand Centipede lived mostly in damp, dark environments. It was active by night and dormant by day, and its hands and feet were lethally poisonous.

This was the natal Gu worm Su Jie had cultivated.

Although it was also unranked, after more than half a year of cultivation, it had grown considerably.

When he had first obtained it, it had been no longer than a finger.

"Little fellow, time to eat. Today's a feast."

Su Jie lifted the lid of the Thousand-Hand Centipede's container, took out five of the Human-faced Moths he had caught that day, and fed them in with a pained expression.

Crack.

The previously quiet Thousand-Hand Centipede moved in an instant.

Its mandibles bit one Human-faced Moth in half, and it chewed and swallowed in great gulps.

The other Human-faced Moths shrieked. The Thousand-Hand Centipede reared halfway up, its human hands spreading beneath its abdomen and easily crushing several Human-faced Moths.

After more than half a year of cultivation, the Thousand-Hand Centipede had become quite powerful—well, powerful only among unranked poisonous creatures.

"Zzt, zzt."

After finishing the Human-faced Moths in a few bites, the Thousand-Hand Centipede waved its antennae at Su Jie, signaling that it wanted more food.

"Nothing left. That's all the food for today."

The Thousand-Hand Centipede refused to accept this and crawled back and forth inside its cultivation jar.

"All right, all right. I'll give you some blood to drink."

Su Jie helplessly took out the blood-drawing equipment specially provided by the sect and drew half a tube of blood.

The dripping blood collected in a small bowl, which he placed before the Thousand-Hand Centipede. It was quickly drained completely.

"Really, there's no more."

Su Jie tapped the Thousand-Hand Centipede, which was still begging for food, his face full of frustration.

The Hundred Poisons Gu Refining True Scripture he cultivated emphasized having poisonous creatures fight and devour one another, continuously improving the quality of the Gu worm in the end.

His natal Gu worm was bound to him. The stronger the Gu worm became, the more cultivation it fed back to Su Jie, greatly accelerating his progress.

Unfortunately, the poisonous insects he obtained each day were limited. Besides feeding the Thousand-Hand Centipede, he had to hand ten Blood Marrow Crystals to his master every month, and his own cultivation expenses also required Blood Marrow Crystals.

As a result, in half a year, the Thousand-Hand Centipede had grown only forty or fifty centimeters. It was suffering from severe malnutrition.

Su Jie had seen those inner disciples. They had money and resources and fed their natal Gu worms vast quantities of poisonous creatures.

Some Gu worms that focused mainly on growing in size were generally several meters long. Su Jie fell far, far short of them.

Because he lacked resources, the Thousand-Hand Centipede's daily needs grew along with its body, forcing Su Jie to bleed himself to feed it.

Yet even that could not satisfy its appetite. The word "miserable" hardly captured it.

He placed the Thousand-Hand Centipede, still begging for food, on his arm and closed his eyes to circulate the Hundred Poisons Gu Refining True Scripture.

In the next moment, the Thousand-Hand Centipede clung tightly to Su Jie's arm, its aura becoming one with his.

Qi surged through his meridians as the spiritual power of the outside world entered his body in intermittent streams.

According to Su Jie's own estimate, at his normal cultivation pace, he would need another year to reach the third layer of the Spirit Nurturing Realm.

After finishing his cultivation, Su Jie was in a thoroughly poor mood. The road to longevity stretched endlessly into the distance.

Two hours later, Su Jie slowly opened his eyes after completing his cultivation. Suddenly, a streak of light dazzled him.

He turned his head and saw the ancient mirror he had placed in the room blazing with radiance, illuminating the stone cave until it was bright as day.

"Holy crap, you can still be used? I thought you were a one-time consumable."

Su Jie's mind trembled. He hurriedly rose and picked up the ancient mirror, both shocked and delighted.

Red light flowed across the ancient mirror, and a void portal quietly opened upon its surface.

Through the portal, he could vaguely see a modern home on the other side.

Su Jie's mouth fell open. He was far too familiar with that setting.

It was the rented apartment where he had lived before crossing over.

Back then, he had been sleeping in that room when the ancient mirror brought him to this Tianyuan World.

Watching this scene, Su Jie understood what had happened. Unable to restrain his excitement, he lifted a foot and stepped through the doorway.