Core Disciple

"Come in."

Ghost Demon True Person's voice drifted out.

"Yes."

Lu Li clasped his hands, turned around, and stepped back into the cave abode.

He did not spare the corpse on the ground so much as a glance.

"Lu Li, not bad! Excellent aptitude, ruthless temperament, and, more importantly, such foresight—you poisoned him in advance and secured an invincible position! Even I was far inferior to you back then in scheming and cunning!"

Seated upon the White Bone Throne, Ghost Demon True Person praised him without stint.

"I dare not accept such praise."

Lu Li answered with clasped hands.

"No need for false modesty."

At that moment, Ghost Demon True Person's gaze turned cold and his voice sank. "That powerful vitality and strength of yours, along with the White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm and Spirit Ghost Phantom Step cultivated to the fourth level—you achieved all of it in less than a month! Even I am ashamed to compare my aptitude to yours! I would truly like to ask for your guidance: how exactly did you cultivate?"

Here it comes!

Lu Li's heart jolted.

He had long guessed that his cultivation might be seen through, so he was not overly flustered. He clasped his hands and replied, "Master, this body-tempering cultivation is because I practiced a Buddhist Sect body-refining divine art called the Vajra Art. An elder from the Scripture Depository gave me this technique. I never expected my cultivation of the Vajra Art to progress so quickly."

As he spoke, he took out two jade slips from his robes and presented them with both hands.

"Hm? The Vajra Art?"

Ghost Demon True Person uttered a doubtful sound.

Then, with a raised hand, a stream of black qi shot out, lashed around the jade slips, and snatched them away.

"It truly is the Vajra Art! And there is even Flying Heaven Temple's Purple Haze Sun-Refining Scripture? Which elder gave you these jade slips?"

Holding the jade slips, Ghost Demon True Person asked in a low voice.

"It was the white-haired elder wearing a necklace of human skulls. I also never expected that I would cultivate this Buddhist body-refining art so swiftly."

Lu Li answered honestly.

At those words, a strange glint flashed through Ghost Demon True Person's eyes.

Whoosh.

He flicked his wide robe, and a ball of golden light flew out, landing before Lu Li and revealing its true form.

It was a Purple-Gold Alms Bowl the size of a porcelain plate.

The next instant, the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl gave off pure Buddhist light, which shone onto Lu Li.

Lu Li was startled.

However, he made no reaction and allowed the Buddhist light to illuminate him.

"Hmph. I thought you were that Reincarnated Buddha Child. What a wasted moment of joy." Ghost Demon True Person beckoned and retrieved the Golden Alms Bowl.

Reincarnated Buddha Child?

Hearing those four words, Lu Li's heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

"Enough."

At that moment, Ghost Demon True Person flicked his hand and tossed the jade slips back. "Since that elder gave them to you, keep them well."

"Yes."

Lu Li caught the jade slips and tucked them into his robes.

"Though your temperament is restrained and you conceal your edge, which does not quite suit my tastes, your aptitude is decent, your schemes and strategy are not bad, and your looks are passable. At least you are far easier on the eyes than that ugly, blocky-faced Xiao Yan. I shall provisionally accept you as my disciple. From this day onward, you are my Core Disciple. Keep this token safe. Later, go to the mountaintop and choose a cave abode for yourself."

Immediately afterward, Ghost Demon True Person tossed over another jade pendant.

It was a crystal-clear, square Black Jade Pendant.

"This disciple greets Master!"

Hearing this, Lu Li hurriedly caught the jade pendant and bowed with clasped hands.

A perfectly measured hint of delight appeared on his face.

Yet his heart remained calm.

There was even a trace of wariness.

Becoming the disciple of such a temperamental, bloodthirsty devil was no matter of good fortune, no matter how one looked at it.

Who knew when he might be sold off—or have his body seized.

"Since you have become my Core Disciple, I ought to pass down a true inheritance technique to you. Here are three techniques that can allow you to cultivate to Foundation Establishment Perfection. Choose one yourself."

Ghost Demon True Person flicked a finger, shooting out three streaks of blood-red light.

Whoosh.

The three streaks of blood-red light stopped before Lu Li and transformed into three blood-colored jade slips.

"Allow this disciple to take a look."

Lu Li clasped his hands.

Then he reached out, picked up one blood-colored jade slip, pressed it to his forehead, and began examining it with his spiritual sense.

Before long, he had finished reading all three jade slips, and his expression darkened slightly.

The three techniques were the Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art, the Seven Kill Demonic Path, and the Ghost Control Art.

All of them were wicked demonic arts.

The Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art devoured blood into the body, refined it into a streak of blood light, and swallowed all things.

The Seven Kill Demonic Path entered the Dao through slaughter, condensed Seven Kill demonic qi, and killed Heaven, killed Earth, killed everything.

The Ghost Control Art cultivated ghost-path origin qi, condensed a body half-human and half-ghost, and controlled ten thousand ghosts.

As expected of the Demon Sect.

These three demonic arts were sinister and vicious. They either required killing people and drinking blood, or absorbing ghost qi.

Lu Li fell into hesitation.

Very quickly, he ruled out the Ghost Control Art.

The reason was simple.

He was not Ning Caichen. He could not pull off some life-and-death undead rider affair.

Messing with ghosts was not for him.

Besides, allowing ghost qi into his body would likely cause his Vajra Art cultivation to regress.

The Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art and the Seven Kill Demonic Path...

He could only choose the Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art!

Once the Seven Kill Demonic Path's killing nature took shape, it would recognize neither kin nor kinship. It would be easy to become a monster that knew only slaughter. Excluded!

By contrast, the Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art did not specify what kind of blood had to be devoured.

He could drink some deer blood, snake blood, tiger blood—fortify his waist, strengthen his kidneys, and so on. That was barely acceptable.

He had heard that the Overseas Islands even had flood dragons!

Perhaps, when the time came, he could even drink dragon blood!

"Have you chosen?"

At that moment, Ghost Demon True Person asked.

"This disciple has chosen. I choose the Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art." Lu Li held one blood-colored jade slip and answered with clasped hands.

"Good!"

Ghost Demon True Person flicked a finger, sending over another jade slip. "This contains annotations for the Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art. Keep it as well."

"Thank you, Master."

Lu Li naturally did not stand on ceremony and accepted it directly.

Then Ghost Demon True Person said proudly, "I am not some stingy man. Since you have become my Core Disciple, I shall reward you with a magic artifact."

As he spoke, a stream of black qi drifted from his body and transformed into a huge black snake, which slowly slithered before Lu Li.

Then it opened its mouth and spat.

A small, pitch-black tower the size of a palm was spat out.

"This Ghost Raising Tower is a top-grade magic artifact I once used. It can subdue Spirit Ghosts and raise them for battle. When activated with full force and hurled out, it weighs thirty thousand jin. Keep it well."

Ghost Demon True Person said indifferently.

A top-grade magic artifact worth five thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones?

He was actually being so generous?

Lu Li was somewhat surprised, but his hands did not pause. He grabbed the Ghost Raising Tower in one motion and bowed with clasped hands. "This disciple thanks Master! May Master enjoy immortal blessings forever and live as long as Heaven and Earth!"

At the same time, he casually added a bit of flattery.

"Hahaha, not bad, not bad. You truly are far better than that foolish, arrogant, ugly Xiao Yan."

Who knew which sore spot those words struck, but Ghost Demon True Person burst into laughter on the spot. "Enough. Go cultivate properly. If there is anything you do not understand, ask your senior brothers and sisters. Once you choose a cave abode, they should come to see you when they hear the commotion."

"This disciple thanks Master! This disciple takes his leave!"

Lu Li clasped his hands and bowed again, then retreated from the Black Stone Cave Abode.

Rumble.

This time, the stone gate shut and did not open again.

Whew.

Lu Li secretly let out a breath.

He had finally passed the test.

Still, he had to remain more cautious. Otherwise, Xiao Yan's fate would become his own.

Lu Li glanced at the place where Xiao Yan had died.

The corpse was already gone.

Even the bloodstains had vanished.

It seemed the Black Qi Vines twined around the Black Stone Gate had directly devoured and absorbed it, leaving neither corpse nor bones behind.

Cultivation was difficult!

Cultivating in the Demon Sect was even more difficult!

He had to keep his wits sharpened to the utmost!

Lu Li silently warned himself, glanced at the boundless sea of clouds, and his heart calmed once more.

Afterward, he returned to his cave abode, packed up his belongings, and raced up the mountain.

It was time to choose a new cave abode!