Are there really good people in the world?

Chapter 38: Are There Really Good People in This World?

For mortals, the path to immortality is fraught with peril, but it can be summarized into seven stages.

Qiling, Qi Sea, Gangsha, Tongxuan, Spirit Transmutation, Void Return, and Dao Integration—if one can overcome these seven hurdles, they can ascend and become an immortal.

The first stage, Qiling, is the most difficult, yet also the easiest.

Some sit in meditation on the peaks of snowy mountains for a hundred years, exhausting their entire lives without ever catching a glimpse of spiritual energy, while others, upon opening their doors one morning, suddenly see the mountains and plains filled with fluorescent light flowing like a river of stars.

It requires no heavenly treasures, no guidance from famous masters, and follows no logic.

One imagines that the very first people to cultivate immortality must have caught sight of the spiritual energy between heaven and earth by chance, thus embarking on the path of cultivation.

The second stage, Qi Sea, is the realm Chen Ye is currently in; the hardships involved are known only to those who experience them. Those with good luck might save decades of grueling work with a single pill, while those with bad luck might waste their entire lives stuck here.

The third stage, Gangsha, is where the human body finally reaches its limits. When the Qi Sea expands to its peak and the body's meridians and acupoints are filled with spiritual energy, one must alter their constitution to merge with the heavens and earth.

This stage is a life-or-death trial.

There are countless types of spiritual energy in the world; most are harmless and beneficial, but a few are lethal upon contact, known as Gangsha. Whether they are highly toxic, violent, or intensely cold, the dangers vary, but only such extreme substances can refine the flesh and extend one's lifespan; otherwise, one would be buried in the yellow earth by the age of two or three hundred.

Chen Ye once read in ancient texts that the death toll from Gangsha body-refining is gruesome, and few leave behind a complete corpse. Mo Ci also once said that when he refined his body, it felt like falling into purgatory, and he barely survived it.

The fourth stage, Tongxuan, is the most formidable realm Chen Ye has ever witnessed.

Mo Ci is at the Tongxuan stage, but unfortunately, having undergone too many soul possessions, he is long since weak in spirit and energy, showing little of his true capability. But if it were a powerful Tongxuan expert like Su Chunyi, they would look no different from an immortal.

He heard Mo Ci mention that every Tongxuan cultivator possesses a unique ability—not a spell, but something more akin to a personal epiphany. Such divine techniques cannot be taught; they rely entirely on self-realization, and whether they are powerful or useless depends on the individual. Mo Ci believed his own realized technique was useless, which is why he ended up in such a miserable state.

As for the later stages of Spirit Transmutation, Void Return, and Dao Integration, Chen Ye knows little, and even Mo Ci himself does not understand them; he never discovered how to advance to the Spirit Transmutation stage in his entire life.

According to Princess Hongyu, this Elder Tianwu intends to use three thousand young boys and girls to refine his soul and break through to the next realm.

This is truly a classic Devilish Cultivator method.

Devilish cultivators are always direct in their actions; what do they do when cultivation is slow and they lack pills?

Eat people!

Humans are also heavenly treasures.

What do they do when they lack materials to refine magical artifacts?

Kill people!

Humans are also good materials for artifact refining.

What do they do when they hit a bottleneck in cultivation and cannot break through?

Kill people, eat people—don't worry about whether it works, just try it; maybe brute force will get the job done!

That is why devils are so harmful; this habit of killing people to see what happens, regardless of whether it is right or wrong, is something even their own kind cannot stand. Who knows if they themselves might be refined by another devil?

What is even more absurd is that some people have actually eaten their way to ascension.

With ready-made examples before them, many cultivators cannot resist the temptation. This Elder Tianwu is even more extreme; he has secretly manipulated the mortal imperial court and feeds on those high-ranking officials.

Such things happen once or twice every few hundred years.

One cannot blame the righteous cultivators for not doing their jobs; after all, a single meditation session for them lasts a hundred years, and this mortal dynasty seems to be only thirty or forty years old. Cultivators always prioritize longevity and cannot keep watch every single moment.

But ordinary devils dare not be so blatant; after all, it is a mortal court, and it is always easier to attract attention.

Chen Ye suspects that this Elder Tianwu is also at his wit's end and had no choice but to resort to such methods.

When death is imminent, a devilish cultivator who is already unscrupulous will do anything.

Although he looks down on such methods, Chen Ye knows he is by no means a match for Elder Tianwu. All he can do now is stall for time and wait for Su Chunyi to return.

Only the methods of this sword immortal can deal with a devil who steals a nation.

"Princess, can you confirm when Elder Tianwu will emerge from seclusion?"

Princess Hongyu shook her head and said, "I don't know. Usually, that devil is like a ghost, appearing and disappearing; I have no idea when he will return or where he is in seclusion. He only instructed me to collect young boys and girls for him, and once that is done, Jiang Shiyue will notify this old devil to come out."

Chen Ye mused, "Him again."

Round and round, it seems this Young Master Jiang is the key figure after all.

Chen Ye asked again, "What is his realm?"

"Qi Sea Realm. He also asked me to help him find Gangsha for body-refining, and to collect these, many lives were lost. But who would have thought that even after the treasures containing Gangsha were brought back, he became afraid."

Princess Hongyu's tone was full of mockery. She did not know how painful Gangsha body-refining was, but she remembered Jiang Shiyue reaching out to grab a piece of jade stained with Gangsha, only to scream in agony and throw it away immediately.

From then on, that chest of jade, bought with countless lives, was locked away in a secret chamber, and Jiang Shiyue never asked about it again.

Although she does not know much about the details of cultivation, Princess Hongyu knows that Jiang Shiyue is afraid; he does not dare to break through his realm at all.

Chen Ye was quite surprised. He had assumed that a devil who could steal a nation with the help of an entire dynasty would at least have a much higher cultivation than his own, and he had even prepared himself for it.

And that was it?

However, it is reasonable. Those who choose the devilish path are either forced by circumstances or are looking for shortcuts; it is not surprising that the latter often have weak willpower and retreat when faced with hardship.

Princess Hongyu asked, "Does the Daoist intend to deal with Jiang Shiyue?"

Princess Hongyu looked at Chen Ye with anticipation, but her heart was filled with vigilance.

No matter how pleasant the young Daoist's words sounded, the thorn in her heart continued to ache. He was a devil who murdered people to refine corpses; how could he be any better than the rest?

Just because he seemed easy to talk to now did not mean he was truly a good person. Perhaps once he obtained everything he wanted, he would turn around and reveal his true colors.

Princess Hongyu had grown up in the deep palace. Beyond the shadow of the devil Elder Tianwu hanging over her, the palace intrigues were filled with all manner of treachery and malice. To put it hyperbolically, Princess Hongyu had not met many good people in her life.

No one could be trusted, no one could be relied upon, and one had to assume the most malicious intentions in others, or else one would not survive.

No matter how handsome this young Daoist was or how pleasant his words sounded, he must have some other motive.

Yet, when he finally revealed his true nature, how could she possibly resist?

If she could make these devils kill each other, perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope for survival.

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "Jiang Shiyue is of no consequence, and killing Jiang Shiyue would likely alert that Old Devil immediately."

Chen Ye's answer left Princess Hongyu feeling somewhat disappointed. As expected, these devils were all selfish and cowardly; why would they ever risk their lives so easily?

However, Chen Ye's next sentence left Princess Hongyu stunned.

"Princess, although I was entrusted by others to save those young boys and girls, the children are currently in no danger to their lives. It is you and Miss Lan who have been afflicted with an evil curse; if it is not resolved in time, your lives could be at risk at any moment."

Princess Hongyu remained silent. For the first time in her life, someone was concerned about her survival.

Still, she did not know if he was being sincere.

Though she remained full of suspicion, looking at Chen Ye's earnest expression, Princess Hongyu gritted her teeth and said, "If the Daoist can truly save my sister and me from this sea of misery, I am willing to..."

Chen Ye hurriedly interrupted, "Don't say such things. I don't ask for any reward; just don't go spreading it around and ruining my reputation."

If word got out that he demanded repayment for his favors, how could Chen Ye ever hold his head high in front of Su Chunyi? He had finally managed to latch onto a powerful backer, and he could not afford to let go now.

Princess Hongyu looked at Chen Ye, her face full of confusion. Could it be that she had truly misunderstood him, and he really wanted no reward at all?

In this world, were there truly good people?