The Screen

"Huh?"

The tremor in the inn attracted the attention of everyone in the lobby. Among these people were those who traveled the martial world. Although they had not broken through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck and could not be considered Innate Realm, they still had the ability to see in all directions and hear in Eight Directions. They were so captivated by the woman beside them that they did not notice the subtle abnormality. However, when the ground shook, they came back to their senses.

"What happened?"

The long-haired swordsman gripped his sword, stood up, and looked around. The burly man with the bushy beard also restrained his unrestrained expression and became alert and wary. Even the two men in tight-fitting clothes behind the young man in brocade robes instantly adopted a defensive stance, as if facing a formidable enemy.

However, the tremor did not last long; it only lasted for a few breaths before returning to normal.

"Earthquake?" The middle-aged scholar and the thin scholar also realized what was happening. They looked around in a slightly panicked manner, seemingly intending to flee the inn, but were pulled back by the women beside them and regained their composure.

"Young Master You, are you feeling unwell? Let me help you back to your room." On the other side, the woman in white supported the swaying You Zui, but there was a hint of coldness in her voice, giving people a feeling of indifference.

Although she spoke words of concern, her tone remained cold and hard. Yet, You Zui, upon hearing them, appeared flattered and surprised.

"Has this man lost his mind after seeing his goddess? Even if this goddess were a real True Person, what would he gain by constantly flattering and begging? Feelings can't be begged for." Qiu Yan shook his head as he looked at the scene before him, then felt a hostile gaze directed at him.

Following the light, what came into view was the You Zui pageboy, who was glaring at them with eyes full of anger.

This pageboy, whom You Zui called "Xiao Yu," presumably his name, noticed Qiu Yan's gaze and no longer concealed himself. He stepped forward and pointed at the Xiao Yu beside Qiu Yan, saying, "I see you're a scholar too. Why are you touching a weak woman inappropriately?"

"Oh? A chivalrous protector has arrived?" Qiu Yan smiled slightly. "Standing up for a woman is always a major plot point in legendary tales, and it can lead to many sequels. However, I don't have time to argue with you about it."

As he spoke, he withdrew his hand, no longer touching the female waitress's forehead, nor paying attention to the Xiao Yu pageboy. Instead, he sat down in the chair, closed his eyes, and his Divine Soul leaped out of his Spirit Projection.

Of the people in the room, very few could perceive this change.

"You..." The Xiao Yu pageboy, feeling utterly ignored, was quite indignant and was about to argue with the person when Dai Guo chuckled and blocked his way.

Seeing Dai Guo's strong and powerful appearance, Xiao Yu wisely stopped in her tracks.

Just then, the waitress regained her senses, stumbled backward with a look of fear on her face, and turned to run towards the screen.

"Hey, don't be afraid." Xiao Yu was about to chase after them, but Dai Guo grabbed him again.

"Kid, your young master has already gone up there, and you're not going to do anything about it?" Dai Guo said, pointing to the side.

Over there, the woman in white was helping You Zui walk upstairs.

The inn had tables in the lobby on the first floor, and individual rooms on the second floor for people to rest; it seemed that everyone present had one.

It's worth mentioning that the woman in white looked frail and struggled to support You Zui, but she still managed to pick up the painting on the table. The two of them climbed the steps, their steps unsteady.

"Young master, be careful, I'll help you too." Xiao Yu, the pageboy, didn't dare to argue with Dai Guo. After breaking free from his grasp, he reluctantly followed, glancing at the screen as he walked.

However, he was unaware that the screen was constantly increasing its power, absorbing Spiritual Qi and Yao Qi at a level rarely seen by mortals, twisting them into a single force, and then unleashing it!

Ahead, Qiu Yan's Divine Soul was like a small boat in a storm, riding the wind and waves, constantly moving forward in the turbulent air currents composed of Spiritual Qi and Yao Qi.

At the same time, a thought surged forth from behind the screen, roaring—

"Who are you? Even if I unintentionally dragged you into this, since you possess cultivation, you can leave on your own. Why do you want to ruin my plans? Do you intend to be some kind of chivalrous hero who saves the world? These people are easily misled because they harbor darkness and selfish desires in their hearts. Otherwise, how could they be tempted? Why would you conflict with me for the sake of such people?"

"Who can be without selfish desires? Don't try to change the subject. If you do evil, just do evil. There's no need to make up excuses. I, Qiu, am limited by my personal strength and cannot save the world and its people, but I cannot pretend that I didn't see what is happening before my eyes."

As he spoke, Qiu Yan's Divine Soul shifted, and ten Divine Sense surged forth, constantly shifting from the changes in the Sage Spirit. Within his Divine Soul, the Myriad People's Heart Fire flared, and sparks and Heart Demon Fragment rushed out simultaneously.

In terms of understanding human nature, Qiu Yan didn't consider himself to be a demon in the eye. Moreover, he had many experiences as Heart Demon Body. He could clearly manipulate not only human desires but also the Five Aggregates senses. Of course, he wouldn't be swayed by the demon's words.

As the screen turned, it released a powerful aura that expanded and enveloped Qiu Yan's entire Divine Soul. He was drawn in, and his Divine Soul fell into it.

The next moment, the surrounding scenery changed, and the light and shadow became dazzling.

"This demon is indeed quite interesting. This path is extremely similar to the Heart Path, so it seems this demon is not simple. Hmm? There's a slightly familiar aura about it..."

Qiu Yan remained calm, his Divine Soul drifting with the current, his Divine Sense surrounding him, and the invisible Heart Demon Fragment spreading outwards.

Strictly speaking, Qiu Yan has had quite a bit of contact with demons. The Stove Mountain, Nine Spirits Mountain, and Great Snow River were already teeming with demons, and now they were all under Qiu Yan's command. He was somewhat aware of the demons' methods and purposes.

Demons cannot cultivate as well as humans. One reason is the lack of inheritance. This is not because there have been few great demon cultivators throughout history. On the contrary, every historical period has been full of demon cultivators, and there are even great demons known as Demon Head who have stirred up bloodshed.

Unlike humans, "demons" is a general term encompassing many different races, each with its own unique physical structure. This makes the inheritance of Cultivation Method problematic, as what works for one race may not work for another.

Moreover, many demons, in order to cultivate Cultivation Method, constantly transform their bodies into human forms after entering the Soul-Refining Realm, so that they can cultivate human Cultivation Method.

However, their bodies are naturally formed, and even if they are deliberately altered, they are still different from human bodies. Therefore, their Cultivation Method is slow, and some demons can only rely on time to accumulate experience.

What normal humans can achieve in a few years, a dozen years, or even a few decades, demons may need several times, or even ten times, more time. In the end, many demons cannot keep up with the passage of time and die of old age before they have achieved their cultivation goals.

In this situation, many demons are forced to try to take shortcuts.

This shortcut is usually related to people.

By consuming human flesh and Human Soul, and through a mysterious Principle of heaven and earth, they continuously corrupt themselves, making their bodies increasingly resemble humans, thus making it easier to master human Cultivation Method.

During this process, many demons discovered that human souls and flesh were highly nourishing. This was because human thoughts were complex and their heritage was extensive. Both the soul and the spirit had been imprinted with many marks through generations of inheritance. Compared to ordinary wild beasts and demons, the human soul was far superior. Devouring a Human Soul was equivalent to consuming the spirits of several beasts.

As things stand, humans and demons are now in complete opposition. Humans see demons as inherently evil, while demons see humans as food for advancement.

However, the world is dominated by humans, and the Great Rui Dynasty is a human dynasty, so it certainly cannot tolerate demons. Throughout history, several large-scale demon-slaying campaigns have been organized. While they may have brought peace to the world at the time, once the storm had passed, a few years later, demons were still running rampant.

The problem here, rather than being about the large number of demons, is actually related to the level of social development in Qiu Yan's view. In his previous life's terms, it's about the degree of urbanization.

In Qiu Yan's previous life, walking across a city would have taken several hours, which was unthinkable. But in this era, the core area of a city is only an hour's walk away. Once you leave the city and pass through a few villages, you immediately return to nature, and the vast areas between cities are what are commonly known as desolate mountains and wilderness.

In such a situation, not only would it be difficult to catch any demons that venture inside, but even if the area were completely cleared out, with such an environment to nurture them, a new group of little demons would be born in less than ten years.

Therefore, it is not strange that Qiu Yan encountered a demon's lair in the dense forest. Moreover, it is the year of the Imperial Examinations. It is not unusual for a demon to ambush in the mountains and Lin Zhong on the way to Prosperity Capital. Although it will not be recorded in official history, some unofficial histories and notes have long stated that this period is the peak season for demon activity.

"Demons that devour human flesh and souls have been numerous throughout history, but their methods vary. This particular demon is among the best, but it seems there's more to the story."

Thinking this, Qiu Yan clearly felt that an invisible force was trying to penetrate his Divine Soul, and the surrounding light and shadow kept changing, trying to stimulate Qiu Yan's memories through sensory stimulation and reveal his inner desires.

"This demon is similar to the Heart Demon in many ways, but I have no intention of overcoming all obstacles!"

At this moment, he suddenly changed his mind. His thoughts were like sharp swords, clashing out with his Divine Sense. The aura of Sage spread out, and the dazzling light and shadow in all directions immediately distorted. The Heart Demon Fragment that had already infiltrated it then burst forth, climbing and gnawing at the dazzling light and shadow like ants!

From the depths of light and shadow came a roar--

"Heart Demon? You can actually control Heart Demon? Who are you?"

"I should be asking you that," Qiu Yan Divine Soul quickly solidifying as he took a step forward, causing the entire passage to shake.

"What is your relationship with the Tongshan Demon King?"

As he spoke, he grasped the Divine Soul, lightly tapped his finger, and flicked it onto a Karmic Thread.

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