Rewards

Chapter 45: Rewards

Within the Myriad Demon Sect, the Nether Spring Branch stands upon a towering peak.

The Nether Spring Branch has only seven grand-uncles, including the branch master, Xu Qing. These seven grand-uncles only personally instruct their direct disciples; as for the registered and outer-sect disciples, they are occasionally taught by the disciples under those seven grand-uncles.

Compared to other demon branches that boast dozens of grand-uncles holding down the fort, the Nether Spring Branch is exceptionally desolate and declining, facing the constant threat of being purged from the Seventy-Two Branches of Myriad Demon.

Legend has it that several hundred years ago, the Nether Spring Branch shook the entire Southern Li Land, standing as one of the top existences among the Seventy-Two Branches of Myriad Demon. However, after a great upheaval, countless powerful demon figures within the branch fell or passed away, and even the branch's foundational immortal arts were lost, leading to its current decline.

Of the three immortal arts belonging to the Nether Spring Branch—the Nether-Passing Art, the Nine-Turn Soul-Severing Great Law, and the Yellow Springs Pill-Washing Art—only the Yellow Springs Pill-Washing Art remains in circulation. Furthermore, the cultivation requirements for this art are extremely harsh; almost none of the seven grand-uncles have succeeded in mastering it, forcing them to practice the derivative Netherfire Alchemy instead. Thus, the entire Nether Spring Branch is effectively without a true legacy.

The only person who can still utilize the Yellow Springs Pill-Washing Art is Chen Lin's opportunistic master, Hong Qianlie. This has resulted in Hong Qianlie holding a rather unique status within the Nether Spring Branch, and even the entire Myriad Demon Sect. After all, ordinary demon cultivators will not easily offend a master alchemist, as they themselves will inevitably need to beg for pills and medicine from Hong Qianlie one day.

Inside the cultivation palace where Hong Qianlie resides, Chen Lin was led by a servant disciple into a room to wait.

This room is a massive pill chamber. In the center stands a bronze-colored pill furnace about a zhang tall, suspended in mid-air by heavy chains that span the room. It is inscribed with eerie talismanic arrays, looking quite extraordinary. Aside from this, there are only meditation cushions used for cultivation.

"Not bad. In just half a month, you have cultivated the immortal art I bestowed upon you to the first level. It seems you haven't been slacking off."

Suddenly, an eerie voice echoed from behind.

Chen Lin's body stiffened. He slowly turned around, a look of reverence in his eyes, and bowed his head slightly. "Master."

The owner of the voice wears a dignified, sandalwood-colored robe. He is thin, his face pale, and his eyes somewhat cloudy. It is, of course, Chen Lin's opportunistic master, Hong Qianlie.

"Very good, you are very good. It seems you have great talent for cultivation and have not failed my expectations. Not bad."

Hong Qianlie glanced at Chen Lin, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face, and the gloomy indifference on his features lessened slightly.

"Thank you for your praise, Master."

Hong Qianlie waved his hand and walked over to the pill furnace. He struck the bronze furnace body sharply, and instantly, a cyan light erupted from the surface, the talismans leaping as if they had come to life.

"Rise!"

Hong Qianlie gave a low shout, and the lid of the furnace shot into the air, hovering in mid-space. Simultaneously, a streak of cyan brilliance flew out from within, which Hong Qianlie swept into his palm with a flick of his sleeve.

"Bang!"

The lid fell back into place, and the entire furnace flashed with light before settling into stillness once more.

"This is your reward."

Hong Qianlie glanced at the pill in his palm, a flicker of heartache crossing his eyes, before tossing it to Chen Lin.

Chen Lin's gaze sharpened; he dared not be careless and caught it in his palm. He looked down to see a pill emitting a cyan halo, roughly the size of a goose egg, with faint, naturally formed patterns on its surface. It looked truly extraordinary.

Suddenly, Hong Qianlie coughed violently, his expression pained and his face turning even paler. Chen Lin's heart stirred, but he feigned a look of concern and hurriedly stepped forward two paces. "Master, you..."

Waving his hand, Hong Qianlie cut him off. "I am fine... The pill in your hand is called the 'Soul-Cleansing Demon Pill.' It is a pill recorded in the Nine-Turn Soul-Severing Great Law, refined by me using water from the Yellow Springs Netherworld. It can cleanse the soul and will be of great benefit to you. Consume it as soon as you return."

Chen Lin was stunned. A pill recorded in the Nine-Turn Soul-Severing Great Law? Wasn't it said that the Nether Spring Branch had long since lost the legacy of this immortal art?

Though he thought this in his mind, Chen Lin wore a look of gratitude on his face, took a jade box from his Storage Bag, and solemnly placed the pill inside.

"Hm, take this waist medallion; consider it another reward." Hong Qianlie nodded and tossed a silver-like token to Chen Lin. "From now on, you may use this medallion to enter and exit the Earth Fire Cavern of the Myriad Demon Sect at will to cultivate. Remember, this medallion is for your use alone."

Chen Lin took the medallion, feeling a surge of pleasant surprise. He carefully tucked it away and bowed respectfully. "Many thanks, Master."

The Earth Fire Cavern is a special place within the Myriad Demon Sect. It contains pill chambers built inside mountain caves, connected to the earth fire deep underground.

Ordinary disciples practicing the Hundred Refinement Art need to draw pill fire into their bodies, and the best way to do so is to cultivate in the pill chambers of the Earth Fire Cavern. However, these chambers require Spirit Stones to rent; three days of cultivation costs ten Spirit Stones. Such an exorbitant price is naturally beyond the reach of ordinary disciples.

Chen Lin practices the Dao Heaven, which allows him to draw the Essence of Li Fire—several times more potent than earth fire—so he does not need the earth fire. What truly delighted him was the opportunity to use the pill chambers to learn the art of alchemy.

"Very well, if there is nothing else, you may withdraw. I must go into seclusion to refine pills."

Hong Qianlie waved his hand, signaling that Chen Lin could leave.

Chen Lin bowed respectfully, said "Yes," and followed the servant disciple out of the palace.

Once Chen Lin had departed, Hong Qianlie slowly muttered to himself, "My time is running out. This little fellow's soul strength is still insufficient. He must at least cultivate the Nine-Nine Extreme Transformation to the third level..."

Suddenly, a look of compassion appeared on Hong Qianlie's face, and his voice shifted to a different, mellifluous tone: "Donor Hong, if that young friend were practicing the true Nine-Turn Soul-Severing Great Law, this monk might fear him slightly. But as it stands, you have no chance of victory. I advise you to convert to my Buddha; I will personally transmit the secret scriptures of the Buddha to you and ensure your soul-fire never extinguishes."

"Hmph! Convert to Buddhism and lose my true self, becoming lost?" Hong Qianlie's expression shifted again, and he sneered, his voice sounding indescribably sinister. He chuckled, "Although the Nine-Turn Soul-Severing Great Law is incomplete, I am a genius of heaven-defying talent. The Nine-Nine Extreme Transformation, which I spent hundreds of years of heart's blood researching and deriving, may not be much worse than the Nine-Turn Soul-Severing Great Law. Old monk, you and I have fought for hundreds of years; it is time to put an end to this."

※※※※※

Two days later, on a small mountain path hundreds of miles away from the Myriad Demon Sect, a young man and a young girl were traveling together.

"Shameless exhibitionist!" "Disgusting exhibitionist!" "Lewd exhibitionist!" "Filthy exhibitionist!" "Perverted exhibitionist!"...

Chen Lin hung his head, listless. He had lost count of how many times Yang Qianqian had said this to him.

Moreover, every time she said it, Yang Qianqian would grit her teeth, her eyes filled with shame and indignation. If an outsider were to see them, they would surely think this pretty little girl had been thoroughly ravished by Chen Lin.

"Hey, hey, hey, little girl, how many times do I have to say it? What happened that day was purely an accident. It really wasn't what you imagined... Could you please stop slandering my pure soul with your dirty thoughts?"

Unable to bear Yang Qianqian's nagging any longer, Chen Lin rolled his eyes and said, word for word, "Besides, ordinary people wouldn't even have the chance to see it. If you want to see this young master's sexy naked body again next time, you'll have to pay Spirit Stones."

Having transmigrated as a modern person, Chen Lin's skin was average, but in Yang Qianqian's eyes, it was as thick as a city wall.

"You!..."

Yang Qianqian was so choked with anger that she couldn't speak, staring at his detestable face with eyes spitting fire. She had always been eccentric and sharp-tongued, usually the one to make others suffer, yet for the past half-month, she had been driven to lose her composure repeatedly by Chen Lin.

"Hehe, alright, little girl. We have about half a day left, and we should be arriving at Silent Spirit City soon. Let's pick up the pace and try to enter the city by nightfall. You don't want to spend the night in the wilderness, do you?"

Without waiting for Yang Qianqian to explode, Chen Lin chuckled and increased his speed, darting ahead in the blink of an eye.

"Shameless stinking demon, don't ever fall into my hands..." Calming herself down, she waited for the flush of anger on her face to fade slightly before stamping her foot, gesturing fiercely at Chen Lin's retreating back, and chasing after him.