The Primordial World

With a thought, Lu Tian appeared before the Crow Daoist's cave dwelling.

He casually broke through the restrictive formations.

The treasure chamber was filled with glittering jewels.

As his divine sense swept through, Lu Tian's gaze suddenly sharpened.

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

Lu Tian hadn't originally paid much attention to the Phoenix Forest.

Although it was stronger than Mount Wushou and the West Luo River, its strength was limited.

The West was barren and had long ceased to nurture any world-shattering treasures.

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

As for the cultivators in the Phoenix Forest, they were merely refugees who couldn't survive in the East. What good things could they possibly have?

But at this moment, Lu Tian had to admit he had misjudged.

It wasn't that the jade pendant possessed any world-shattering power.

Rather, a strange aura lay dormant within the jade.

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

The instant his immortal energy seeped into the jade's patterns, his brow suddenly twitched.

Interesting...

This power is vastly different from my immortal path, definitely not the way of the Mystic Gate!

Even the unformed Buddha-nature within me is clearly distinct from it, showing signs of mutual restraint.

As his immortal energy flowed through his fingertips, it carried some characteristics of the Western Teachings--

That was what later generations would call.

Although still in its nascent stage, it already displayed an extraordinary aura.

If his guess was correct... it must be the lingering essence of the Demonic Path!

This thought sent a tremor through Lu Tian himself.

The Demonic Path in the Primordial World had long since declined.

Except for the inner demons that transformed into heavenly tribulations, traces of demonic cultivators were nowhere to be found in the world.

Tracing back to the root, it was all due to that earth-shattering Dao-Demon Conflict--

In the past, Hongjun and Luohu battled fiercely for the position of Sage.

It ended with the Demon Ancestor's fall and the Dao Ancestor's ascension to Sage.

The Western land's veins were destroyed, the Demonic Path's foundation was severed, and after Hongjun's cleanup, it naturally vanished.

The Demonic Path... possessed its own unique profundity.

Luohu's talent was no less than Hongjun's. If he hadn't perished, the Primordial World would likely have undergone a complete transformation.

The Eastern Mystic Gate and the Western Demonic Gate were originally twin blossoms.

Who would have thought that after the West's destruction, it could nurture the Buddhism, which ran counter to the Demonic Gate, to save itself?

Rubbing the jade pendant with his finger, a wise light flowed in Lu Tian's eyes.

His Sage-level comprehension was fully displayed at this moment:

The two paths, Buddha and Demon, both originated from the West, just like the rotation of Yin and Yang, secretly aligning with the Heavenly Dao's balance...

The more he deduced, the more he felt the hidden profundity within the jade pendant in his palm.

My master's words about the benefits of the Northwest likely pertain to this item.

If I can comprehend the demonic charm within, I might be able to find another path.

In a flash of thought, Lu Tian had decided to integrate the essence of the Demonic Path.

What difference is there between the Dao, Buddha, and Demon paths? To me, they are all illusions.

As long as it can help me improve my cultivation, even unorthodox paths are fine!

Not to mention that the Two Sages of the West themselves broke away from the Mystic Gate--

In this Primordial World, where is there an eternal and unchanging orthodoxy?

Bodhi Daoist, as Zhunti's avatar, was always known for his integration of the essence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, his attainments being unfathomable.

As inspiration struck, Lu Tian quickly set up a protective formation and sat cross-legged. The Phoenix Forest posed no threat to him; the formation's warning was sufficient. Before long, he fell into a deep sleep, his true spirit crossing the boundary between reality and illusion, descending once more into the dream world.

The dreamscape still presented the Spiritual Mountain landscape he had initially constructed. Lu Tian sat on the mountain peak, forming a seal and regulating his breathing. A jade pendant suddenly appeared in his palm--it was exactly the same as the one he had obtained from the Crow Daoist's treasure vault! Naturally, this was not the physical object entering the dream, but the dream perfectly reflecting reality.

This realm could reproduce almost everything in the world, with the exception of supreme treasures like the Pangu Banner and the Immortal-Slaying Sword, or divine objects like the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots. If a powerful being deliberately concealed heavenly secrets, it could also prevent their manifestation in dreams. Fox spirits mentioned in later legends could still send dreams, let alone beings like the Three Pure Ones whose thoughts could alter the heavens and earth.

Fortunately, the jade pendant had not been sealed by any powerful being.

Lu Tian immediately began to comprehend it in his dream. Since it was a dream, he had no reservations, even to the point of being crude--

The jade pendant shattered at the sound, and a wisp of demonic energy escaped. He swiftly captured the demonic energy and began to decipher its profound mysteries. Gradually, the golden light around his body turned into a sinister demonic aura, and the immortal energy within him transformed from pure white to pitch black. As a malevolent aura permeated the air, the Wrathful Vajra Dharma Form behind him began to morph into a ghostly face!

A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Tian, however, suddenly sighed, and all the unusual phenomena vanished into thin air.

Luohu truly lived up to his reputation as an existence who contended with Hongjun.

This demonic path was far more exquisite than the Buddhism of this era; it must be a Sage's inheritance. Although he could mimic its form, he could not grasp its spirit.

If only there were more demonic energy...

He gazed at the faintly visible Vajra patterns on his back, sighing regretfully. The demonic path primarily focused on killing and destruction, sharing the same origin as the Wrathful Vajra. If the demonic energy were abundant, perhaps he could have deduced new divine abilities like the Demonic-Faced Vajra.

Crow Daoist actually discarded this item in his treasure vault; what a waste of heavenly resources.

Lu Tian let out a light sigh tinged with regret and withdrew from the dream.

He rubbed the green jade in his palm, his knuckles suddenly tightening—

Jade fragments rained down from between his fingers.

He had intended to seal this wisp of demonic energy for later use, but he never expected such a sudden change!

The pitch-black mist surged into his brow like a living creature, and a massive amount of information instantly unfurled into a map within his spiritual consciousness.

It was a key to the inheritance!

Lu Tian's pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately understood the crux of the matter.

This jade pendant had long been obscured by a powerful being's illusionary technique; only those who comprehended the true essence of the demonic path could trigger it.

The experience of enlightenment in his dream had now become the key to unlocking the treasure vault.

Luohu's methods were indeed profound.

He clapped his hands and laughed.

The inheritance location marked on the map held the secret treasures of an ancient demon lord.

Having seized this opportunity, Lu Tian immediately tore through the void and set off.

Amidst the ruins of Phoenix Forest, several dim spiritual treasures lay in Crow Daoist's vault—

To him, they were nothing more than scrap metal.

As his escaping light pierced the twilight, the inhabitants of the forest looked up in stunned silence.

These True Immortals, abandoned by the East, were trapped here like prisoners awaiting their heavenly tribulations.

And Lu Tian, his robes fluttering, had already embarked on the path to the heavens that they could never reach in their lifetimes.

Within the void passage, the young Daoist suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

If he hadn't joined the Western Teachings back then, how would he have been any different from those ants in Phoenix Forest?

Now, in his eyes, this place of exile was merely a passing wasteland.

Just as the great beings of the past had never paused for the cries from the dust.

He sighed inwardly and continued his journey.

His true destination lay in the East.

To return to his homeland, settle his karmic debts, comprehend the Great Dao, and bring glory to the West.

Even with the Cloud-Treading Boots augmenting his speed, Lu Tian spent several hundred years traversing the void before finally arriving at Luohu's ruins.

Looking around, the place was no different from the desolate Western plains.

Utterly bleak, filled with deathly stillness.

When Lu Tian landed, he almost thought he had entered the wrong place.

After verifying the map in his spiritual sea multiple times and confirming its accuracy, he immediately formed seals and pointed them towards the void in all directions.

The moment the demonic patterns merged into the emptiness, heaven and earth changed drastically.

Rolling black clouds gathered from all directions, stretching for a thousand miles.

Lightning flickered within the clouds, like dancing silver snakes.

Thick demonic energy seeped out from the void, permeating the earth like ink.

A bone-chilling cold crept up his spine.

Ink-like demonic energy wrapped around Lu Tian's ankles, instantly enveloping him in a black cocoon.

Before he could react, he was dragged into the vortex of demonic energy.

He did not resist.

The cultivation of a Golden Immortal was like an ant before the Demon Ancestor.

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

When the demonic cocoon dissipated, a paradise-like scene appeared before his eyes.

Beautiful mountains and clear waters, lush vegetation.

Lu Tian sat cross-legged, regulating his breath, and waited for the situation to change.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his true spirit.

A young man in a black robe appeared in his sea of consciousness, his brow filled with disdain.

"A mere Golden Immortal...

Your foundation is too shallow."

The young man swept over Lu Tian's true spirit and let out a sneer.

"Since you've come here, it seems I've ultimately lost to that old man Hongjun.

You carry the aura of the Mystic Gate, so you must not have perished with him.

This is the residual divine sense of Luohu."

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

"Don't say another word.

Those who enter this secret realm have only two paths—

Inherit my mantle, or perish here."

Luohu's voice echoed in the void: "My inheritance is divided into three parts, all left before the war. If you can pass this trial, there are still two parts for you to take.

This trial is called the Inner Demon Trial, specifically designed to test the cultivator's true heart."

He completely ignored Lu Tian's reaction and tapped the center of his brow with a fingertip.

In an instant, Lu Tian felt as if he had fallen into purgatory!

The pain was far worse than a thousand cuts, as if his soul was being crushed and reshaped inch by inch, repeating endlessly.

"This is outrageous!" Lu Tian gritted his teeth and persevered through the intense pain.

Illusions followed one after another:

Seductive women throwing themselves at him, their warmth and softness making one sink into oblivion;

Enemies from the past kneeling and begging for mercy, their lives and deaths in his palm;

Holding power and commanding the world...

Thousands of illusory realms attacked simultaneously, yet Lu Tian maintained a sliver of clarity in his spiritual platform.

Thanks to practicing the method of attaining enlightenment in dreams, he was able to distinguish reality from illusion.

Amidst the intertwined pain and illusions, he suddenly remembered the deep hatred from the Blood Sea.

"I must return to the East to exact revenge!"

This obsession almost triggered the inner demon, but fortunately, he managed to take out two treasures in time:

The Ice Lotus seed and the Glazed Heart Pearl.

Swallowing the spiritual seed and holding the treasure pearl, a cool sensation flowed through his entire body.

Lu Tian finally stabilized his mind and continued to contend with the inner demon.

Time flowed by quietly.

They say there are no days or years in chaos.

But in Lu Tian's experience, every second and minute felt stretched out, making each day feel like a year.

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

Luohu had always chosen his successor by chance.

Even waiting another million years would be but a blink of an eye in his long life.

Surprisingly, Lu Tian actually managed to endure through the gaps between the intense pain and illusions.

Sun rose and moon set, cold came and heat went...

The soul-wrenching torment gradually became as natural as his breathing.

A hundred years passed, and he even had the energy to begin comprehending the profound mysteries of his surroundings.

Demonic energy surged in this place, so Lu Tian used it as a guide, unraveling it layer by layer.

A wisp of divine sense quietly fell into a dream.

In the dream, the Vajra Dharma Form appeared, and the surrounding demonic energy condensed into a black sea.

"How curious," Luohu's brow twitched slightly. He could actually create a false world of his own.

"Using my scattered demonic energy to comprehend the Dao?"

With Luohu's cultivation, although he had never seen the method of attaining enlightenment in dreams, he instantly grasped its essence.

At this point, Lu Tian's performance had far exceeded expectations.

Yet, Luohu became even more interested. He sat down cross-legged, his form gradually merging with the demonic energy.

Deep within the dream, Lu Tian was deducing the origin of the demonic energy when he suddenly heard a loud laugh break through the air—

Wonderful! To use the illusory to represent the real, the creator of this technique must be my equal!

The sound waves shook Lu Tian's spiritual platform.

Seeing Luohu appear in the dreamscape, Lu Tian's pupils contracted sharply.

"Surprised? Luohu's sleeves unfurled. The Demonic Path has existed since ancient times. Since you are here contemplating the demonic, I naturally must manifest."

"This is the principle of Yin and Yang within the Heavenly Dao."

Lu Tian suddenly understood—so the Demon Ancestor's true intention was that all things embrace Yin while holding Yang.

As long as a trace of demonic thought exists in the world, this one could traverse the illusory and real to arrive.

"Truly interesting." Luohu's gaze burned, ripples appearing on his eyes as they fell upon the Vajra Dharma Form.

"Your Dharma Form is quite unique, perfectly fused with your physical body. With the body as its foundation, this Dharma Form is indeed more powerful than ordinary ones."

"However—"

"Your Dharma Form is still incomplete."