Immortals and Demons, but a Thought Apart

"Something was gained, but..."

Chen Nianzhi sighed and took out the treasure from the storage bracelet.

Upon seeing the several treasures, the crowd was initially delighted, but then their hearts sank.

The five treasures on Heavenly Expanse Island are all priceless. The two Five-Vein Jade are the Gold-Vein Jade and the Earth-Vein Jade, and the remaining ones are two strands of Earth Dao Qi and one strand of Heavenly Dao Qi.

Unfortunately, these treasures were all tainted by resentment and Sha Qi, causing their value to plummet.

The Five-Vein Jade is alright, since it wasn't a demonic Demon Treasure infused with demonic energy by Devil Cultivator, and it wasn't particularly tainted with Sha Qi.

If Chen Nianzhi refines it with the Solar True Fire, it will take about one or two years to resolve the resentment and Sha Qi. However, the Earth Mother Qi and the Heavenly Dao Qi will be extremely precious.

"The Earth Mother Qi cannot be refined with True Fire; it seems I need to purchase Pure Heart Spirit Liquid."

Looking at the Earth Mother Qi, the Old Clan Leader couldn't help but say with a heavy heart that it would take at least ten drops of the Pure Heart Spirit Liquid to wash away the Sha Qi and resentment in the Earth Mother Qi.

Two portions would require twenty drops, totaling a full 100 million Spirit Stone. This amount is enough to purchase a Demon-Refining Supreme Treasure, so it's no wonder Chen Changxuan felt extremely distressed.

The Old Clan Leader paused here, then looked at the Heavenly Dao Qi, and shook his head, saying, "This Heavenly Dao Qi has undergone a mutation after being contaminated by turbid Qi. If used to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, there is a risk of demonic possession."

"This thing, alas..."

Everyone showed regret, for the Heavenly Dao Qi was of immeasurable value.

Even if a single Heavenly Dao Qi were used to exchange for a Upper-Tier Spirit Treasure, there would be plenty of people vying to trade it.

Because such treasures are extremely valuable, they can not only be used to break through to the Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul, but are also the main ingredient for refining the Heavenly Dao Pill, which is Precious Pill for breaking through to the Nascent Soul Late Stage of the Heavenly Dao Pill Soul stage.

Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Chen Nianzhi put away the treasures and then said, "The Lingxu Fairy of the Ling Kingdom has the formula for making the Pure Heart Spirit Liquid Pure Heart Spirit Liquid, so he must have it in his possession."

"How many Spirit Stone are left in the clan treasury? I'll go to Lingxu Lake in a few days to buy some Pure Heart Spirit Liquid."

The Old Clan Leader shook his head, but said with a wry smile, "After you broke through to Nascent Soul stage, you consumed too much of the Five Elements Essence. In addition, the Spirit Stone in the patriarch's treasury have been used up during this period of refining the Teleportation Array."

"Now, all that's left is probably 30 million Spirit Stone. We'll have to ask our clansmen to contribute some of it."

"No money again."

Chen Nianzhi took a deep breath. The higher he cultivated, the more he realized that he didn't have enough resources.

Left with no other choice, he could only shake his head and say, "The Chen Clan has just broken through to the Nascent Soul Immortal Clan, and resources are indeed scarce. I'll exchange the spiritual liquid from Lingxu Fairy's side for other spiritual items."

That concludes the meeting; there's not much more to say.

After the meeting ended and everyone had left, he noticed that Chen Nianchuan had stayed behind.

"Sigh!" Chen Nianzhi looked at him, sighed, and said, "I knew you would come looking for me."

"The Heavenly Dao Qi is invaluable." Chen Nianchuan nodded, then said, "If I miss this opportunity, I won't be able to wait for another fortuitous opportunity like this."

Have you really thought this through?

Chen Nianzhi's gaze turned serious as he stood up and said solemnly, "Refining the Heavenly Dao Qi is extremely dangerous; once one falls into demonic possession, there is no turning back."

Chen Nianchuan, dressed in a long black robe, sat there quietly cross-legged.

It cannot be denied that since he attracted demonic energy into his body back then, Chen Nianchuan's demeanor has become increasingly transcendent.

Over the years, Chen Nianchuan's Daoist heart has become increasingly firm, and his will and courage have become increasingly powerful, all thanks to a trace of demonic nature within his soul.

This is not because the soul has been corrupted by demonic energy, but because one has subdued the Demon Baleful Intent with boundless courage and an undying Dao heart, using the Demon Baleful Intent nature within them to temper one's own will.

For many years, this trace of demonic energy has been constantly tempering Chen Nianchuan's soul. His Dao heart is like a shackle weighing billions of pounds, being tempered to become increasingly indestructible.

Chen Nianchuan sat there cross-legged, his appearance exceptionally handsome, his eyes deep and with a hint of demonic nature, like a True Demon realm sitting there, yet also possessing a sense of holiness, like an immortal being transformed within a demonic body.

He gazed at the Heavenly Dao Qi, his eyes unusually calm, like a deep abyss, yet a hint of a smile appeared on them.

"Resentment, Blood Baleful Intent."

"I used this to forge my Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul. If I can subdue demonic thoughts, I can lay the foundation for becoming an immortal."

"If you cannot subdue me," he paused slightly, then grabbed the Heavenly Dao Qi and looked calmly at Chen Nianzhi, saying, "Then kill me."

Chen Nianzhi remained silent and handed over a Earth Mother Qi.

He was dressed in white, as white as snow, and looked at Chen Nianchuan with eyes like an immortal looking down on True Demon realm. After a long while, he said, "In ancient times, there was a Daoist Dao Lord who transformed into a demon overnight, and there was also Devil Lord who attained enlightenment and ascended to immortality in one night."

In my view, immortals and demons follow different paths, but all paths lead to the same destination.

"The difference between immortals and demons is merely a matter of a single thought, and is not a distinction between Law Power and Sha Qi."

"As long as you don't perform blood sacrifices on mortals, even if you cultivate the Demonic Path and refine the Sha Qi of heaven and earth, in my eyes you are no different from an immortal."

"But if you cannot control your desires and commit blood sacrifices or other heinous acts, I will personally kill you."

"..."

"Immortals and demons follow different paths, yet all methods lead to the same goal; the difference between immortals and demons is merely a matter of a single thought."

"One thought can make you an immortal, another a demon; so this is the true meaning of immortality and demonhood."

Chen Nianchuan murmured to himself, a slight smile creeping onto his face.

Only today did he realize that neither the Blood God Ancestor cultivated the Blood God Method, nor the Netherworld Ancestor who created the Netherworld Dao, could become immortals or demons.

Only by firmly upholding one's principles and refusing to succumb to endless desires can one truly become a demon.

Many Devil Cultivator cultivators, in the course of their cultivation, have forgotten their original intentions, and ultimately their minds are consumed by desire, turning them into puppets filled with Sha Qi.

Only by seeing through the illusions can one become a demon truly comparable to Immortal.

Chen Nianchuan whispered, like the Buddha smiling as he held up a flower:

"I once Fire Baleful Force into my body, burning my meridians and flesh, using physical suffering to temper my will."

"I once let Demon Baleful Intent enter my body, igniting the desires in my heart, and tempered my spirit with the torment of my soul."

"Now I draw resentment into my Nascent Soul, disturbing my spirit and will, in order to further temper my Dao heart."

"Whether it's Fire Baleful Force, Demon Baleful Intent, or resentment, it's nothing more than a tribulation to temper my Dao heart."

His figure was tall and slender, like an immortal being transformed in a demonic womb.

He stood up, draped in a black robe, a faint smile playing on his handsome features, "Don't worry, these tribulations won't defeat me, they'll only make me stronger."

"I will undergo tribulations and be reborn, constantly surpassing myself, in order to question what the path to immortality holds."