Chapter 8

Lu Tian moved with a thought and appeared before Crow Daoist's cave abode.

With a casual gesture, he broke through the restriction array.

The treasure chamber glittered with jewels and precious artifacts.

As his Spiritual Sense swept across it, Lu Tian's gaze suddenly sharpened.

His eyes locked firmly onto a jade pendant, unable to move away.

Lu Tian had never thought much of Phoenix Forest.

Though it was somewhat better than Wushou Mountain and Xiluo River, the difference was limited.

The West was barren and had long ceased producing anything earth-shattering.

The few remaining treasures had already been thoroughly plundered by Jieyin and Zhunti.

As for the cultivators in Phoenix Forest, they were merely refugees who could no longer survive in the East. What good things could they possibly possess?

Yet at this moment, Lu Tian had no choice but to admit that he had misjudged the place.

It was not that the jade pendant possessed any shocking power.

Rather, a strange and sinister aura lay dormant within it.

Lu Tian curled his five fingers slightly, and the jade pendant flew into his palm.

The instant Immortal Power seeped into the jade patterns, his brows rose sharply.

Interesting...

This power was utterly different from my immortal path. It is definitely not of the Mystic Sect!

Even the still-unformed Buddha nature within me stood distinctly apart from it, faintly showing signs of mutual restraint.

Immortal Power flowed around his fingertips, carrying several traits of the Western Teachings—

That was precisely what later generations would call—

Though it was still in its infancy, it already displayed an extraordinary bearing.

If my guess is correct... this must be a lingering trace of the Demonic Path!

Even Lu Tian's heart jolted at the thought.

The Demonic Path of the primordial world had long since declined.

Aside from the inner demons that had become heavenly tribulations, there were no longer any demonic cultivators to be found in the world.

Tracing it back, it was all because of that earth-shaking Dao-Demon Conflict—

Back then, Hongjun and Luohu had fought bitterly for the Saint position.

It had ended with the Demon Ancestor's fall and the Dao Ancestor attaining sainthood.

The Western Earth Veins had been utterly destroyed, the foundations of the Demonic Path severed. After Hongjun's purge, it had naturally vanished without a trace.

The Demonic Path... had its own profound mysteries.

Luohu's talent had been no less than Hongjun's. Had he not fallen in defeat, the primordial world might have been transformed beyond recognition.

The Eastern Mystic Sect and the Western Demon Sect had originally been twin blossoms on the same stem.

Who would have thought that after the West's destruction, it would give birth to Buddhism, which stood in complete opposition to the Demon Sect, in order to save itself?

As his thumb rubbed the jade pendant, wisdom gleamed in Lu Tian's eyes.

His saint-level comprehension was fully revealed at this moment:

The Buddhist and demonic paths had both emerged from the West, like the turning of yin and yang, secretly conforming to the balance of the Heavenly Dao...

The more he deduced, the more he felt that the jade pendant in his hand concealed unfathomable profundities.

The benefit his master had mentioned in the northwest most likely lay in this object.

If he could comprehend the demonic essence within it, he might be able to forge another path.

As thoughts raced through his mind, Lu Tian had already decided to integrate the essence of the Demonic Path.

What distinctions were there between Dao, Buddha, and demon? To him, they were nothing but empty illusions.

So long as it could increase his cultivation, even a heterodox path would be acceptable!

Not to mention that the Two Sages of the West had originally broken free from the Mystic Sect—

In this primordial world, what orthodoxy remained forever unchanging?

As Zhunti's incarnation, Bodhi Daoist had always been renowned for integrating the essences of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. His attainments in all three were unfathomably deep.

As inspiration flashed through his mind, Lu Tian swiftly set up a protective array and sat cross-legged. Phoenix Forest posed no threat to him; an array warning would be sufficient. Before long, he fell into a drowsy slumber, his True Spirit crossing the boundary between reality and illusion to descend once more into the world of dreams.

The dream remained the sacred Lingshan realm he had first constructed. Lu Tian formed seals and regulated his breathing atop the mountain peak when a jade pendant suddenly appeared in his palm—identical to the one he had obtained from Crow Daoist's treasury! Naturally, the physical object had not entered the dream; it was merely the dream's perfect reflection of reality.

This realm could replicate nearly everything in the world, with exceptions such as supreme treasures like the Pangu Banner and the Immortal-Slaying Sword, or divine objects like the ten great Innate Spiritual Roots. If a great power deliberately obscured the secrets of Heaven, they could also prevent something from manifesting in dreams. Even fox immortals described in later strange tales could enter dreams, much less beings like the Three Pure Ones, who could reshape heaven and earth with a mere thought.

Fortunately, the jade pendant had not been sealed by a great power.

Lu Tian immediately began comprehending it within the dream. Since he was in a dream, he had no reservations whatsoever—he was even downright brutal—

The jade pendant shattered at once, and a wisp of demonic qi escaped. He swiftly seized it and began analyzing the mysteries within. Gradually, the golden light around him transformed into grim demonic qi, while the pure white Immortal Power within his body turned pitch-black. As a baleful aura spread through the air, the Wrathful Vajra Method behind him gradually took on a ghostly face!

A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

Yet Lu Tian suddenly sighed, and every strange phenomenon vanished.

Luohu truly deserved to be an existence who had contended with Hongjun.

This Demonic Path was far more exquisite than the Buddhism of the present age. It had to be a saint's inheritance. Though he could imitate its form, he could not grasp its spirit.

If only there were more demonic qi...

He stared at the faintly visible Vajra patterns behind him and sighed inwardly in regret. The Demonic Path focused on slaughter, and it shared the same origin as the Wrathful Vajra. If he had sufficient demonic qi, he might be able to derive a new divine ability such as the Demonic-Faced Vajra.

Crow Daoist had actually tossed such an object into his treasury. What a terrible waste.

With a faintly regretful sigh, Lu Tian withdrew from the dream.

He rubbed the green jade in his palm, then suddenly exerted force with his fingers—

Jade fragments trickled from between his fingers.

He had intended to seal this wisp of demonic qi for later use, but an abrupt change occurred!

The black mist shot into his brow like a living thing, and in an instant, an enormous amount of information spread into a map within his Spiritual Sense.

It was actually an inheritance key!

Lu Tian's pupils contracted slightly before he immediately understood the crux of it.

This jade pendant had long been veiled by a great power. Only one who comprehended the true essence of the Demonic Path could trigger it.

His experience of Dao Enlightenment in Dreams had now become the key to opening the treasure vault.

Luohu's handiwork was indeed profound.

He clapped his hands and laughed.

The inheritance site marked on the map concealed the secret treasury of an ancient demon lord.

Having obtained such an opportunity, Lu Tian immediately tore through space and set off.

Amid the ruined walls of Phoenix Forest, several dim spiritual treasures lay in Crow Daoist's treasury—

To him, they were no more than scraps of worthless metal.

When his escaping light pierced through the twilight, the ** in the forest raised their heads and watched longingly.

These True Immortals abandoned by the East were trapped here like prisoners awaiting heavenly tribulation.

Yet as Lu Tian's robes fluttered, he had already stepped onto the path to Heaven that they would never reach in their lifetimes.

Within the spatial passage, the young Daoist suddenly felt a pang of melancholy.

Had he not joined the Western Teachings back then, how would he have differed from those ants of Phoenix Forest?

In his eyes now, this land of exile was merely a desolate hill he passed in haste.

Just as the great powers of old had never paused for the cries of dust beneath their feet.

He sighed inwardly and continued on his journey.

His true destination lay in the East.

He would return to his homeland, settle his Karma, comprehend the Great Dao, and bring glory to the West.

Even with the support of the Cloud-Treading Boots, Lu Tian still spent several hundred years traversing space before reaching Luohu's ruins.

As far as the eye could see, this place was no different from the Western wastelands.

It was desolate everywhere, heavy with the aura of death.

When Lu Tian landed, he nearly believed he had entered the wrong place.

After repeatedly checking the location map in his sea of consciousness and confirming that it was correct, he immediately formed seals and pointed toward the surrounding void.

The moment demonic patterns sank into nothingness, heaven and earth changed abruptly.

Rolling Black Clouds gathered from all directions, stretching for thousands of miles.

Lightning churned within the clouds like silver serpents dancing wildly.

Thick demonic qi seeped from the void, soaking into the earth like ink.

A bone-chilling cold crawled up his spine.

Ink-wash-like demonic qi wrapped around Lu Tian's ankles and, in an instant, encased him in a black cocoon.

Before he could react, his entire body was dragged into a vortex of demonic qi.

He did not resist.

A Golden Immortal's cultivation was no more than that of an ant before the Demon Ancestor.

Besides, this was ultimately an inheritance, not a death trap.

When the demonic cocoon dispersed, a paradise appeared before him.

The mountains were bright, the waters clear, and the vegetation lush.

Lu Tian sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing and quietly awaited the coming change.

Then his True Spirit suddenly throbbed with pain.

A black-robed youth appeared in his sea of consciousness, his features filled with disdain for all beneath heaven.

A mere Golden Immortal...

Your foundation is too shallow.

The youth swept his gaze over Lu Tian's True Spirit and sneered.

Since you have come here, it seems that I ultimately lost to that old bastard Hongjun.

You carry the aura of the Mystic Sect. I assume you were unable to perish alongside him.

This was the Divine Sense Luohu had left behind.

Lu Tian was about to speak, but the other party raised a hand to stop him.

Say no more.

Those who enter this secret realm have only two paths—

Inherit my legacy, or be buried here.

Luohu's voice echoed through the void: My inheritance is divided into three parts, all left behind before the war. If you can pass this trial, two more parts await you.

This trial is called the Inner Demon Trial, meant to test the true heart of a cultivator.

Ignoring Lu Tian's reaction entirely, he lightly tapped Lu Tian's brow with a fingertip.

In an instant, Lu Tian seemed to fall into purgatory!

The agony far surpassed death by a thousand cuts, as though his soul were crushed inch by inch and reforged, over and over without end.

Outrageous! Lu Tian gritted his teeth and endured through the excruciating pain.

Illusions came one after another:

Seductive ** threw themselves into his arms, their soft warmth enough to make one sink into ruin;

Enemies from the past knelt and begged for mercy, their lives and deaths entirely within his grasp;

Authority rested in his hands, and he commanded all beneath heaven...

Countless illusions assaulted him at once, yet Lu Tian always preserved a sliver of clarity within his spiritual platform.

Fortunately, he had cultivated the art of Dao Enlightenment in Dreams, allowing him to distinguish reality from illusion.

Amid the tangled agony and **, he suddenly recalled his blood-deep hatred.

I must return to the East and kill my way through!

This obsession nearly stirred his inner demons, but he promptly took out two treasures:

An Ice Lotus seed and the Glazed Heart Pearl.

He swallowed the spiritual seed and held the precious pearl in his hand, coolness flowing throughout his body.

Lu Tian finally steadied his mind and continued resisting the inner demons.

Time quietly passed.

They said that there were no years in chaos.

But in Lu Tian's perception, every minute and second now seemed stretched out, each day feeling like a year.

Luohu watched Lu Tian calmly, utterly indifferent to the suffering he endured.

Luohu had always left the selection of an inheritor to fate.

Even if he waited another million years, it would be no more than an instant to his long life.

What surprised him was that Lu Tian actually endured through the gaps between the agony and illusions.

Sunrise and sunset, cold and heat...

Those heart-rending tortures gradually became as familiar to him as breathing.

A hundred years flowed by, and he actually found the spare strength to begin comprehending the mysteries around him.

Demonic qi surged through this place, so Lu Tian used it as a guide, unraveling its secrets strand by strand.

A wisp of Spiritual Sense quietly fell into the dream.

Within the dream, the Vajra Dharma Form appeared, while demonic qi condensed around it like a black sea.

How curious. Luohu's brow twitched slightly. He could actually create an illusory world of his own.

He is using the demonic qi I have scattered to comprehend the Dao?

Given Luohu's realm, though he had never seen the art of Dao Enlightenment in Dreams, he instantly perceived its essence.

By now, Lu Tian's performance had already far exceeded expectations.

Yet Luohu instead became interested. He sat cross-legged, his form gradually merging with the demonic qi.

Deep within the dream, Lu Tian was deducing the source of demonic qi when he suddenly heard hearty laughter tear through the air—

Wonderful! To reflect reality through illusion—whoever created this art stood shoulder to shoulder with me!

The sound waves shook Lu Tian's spiritual platform.

Seeing Luohu appear within the dream, Lu Tian's pupils suddenly constricted.

Surprised? Luohu's sleeves billowed. The Demonic Path had endured since antiquity. Since you comprehended demonic arts here, I naturally manifested.

Such was the principle of yin and yang in the Heavenly Dao.

Lu Tian suddenly understood—the true meaning of the Demon Ancestor was that all things embraced yin while bearing yang.

So long as even a trace of demonic intent remained in the world, this figure could shatter the boundary between illusion and reality and arrive.

Truly interesting. Luohu's burning gaze fell upon the Vajra Dharma Form, sending ripples across it.

Your Dharma Form is quite unique. It has fused perfectly with your physical body, using the body as its foundation. This Dharma Form is indeed stronger than ordinary ones.

However—

Your Dharma Form is still incomplete.