Heavenly Monster

Clear Qi flowed over the blood flower, making its red ever more gruesome, like blood itself.

Black spots gradually seeped from the flower, filling Xu Xuan's Qi Sea little by little. His consciousness sank, slowly growing hazy.

His consciousness shrank to a single point and fell through the air. Dimly, he could see scenes flashing through the hollow void.

Teaching Seal Script, giving Liu Xiaowen instructions in the Founders' Hall.

Maneuvering between Black Wind Valley and Lotus Temple, breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

The cleansing in the Underground Palace, the sudden change, when he had thought he would lose this disciple.

The Mystic Prayer Thunderwood his senior brother had given him, those words filled with anger.

Wen Si'an waiting for him beneath the green pine, draping the sect leader's Daoist robe over his shoulders.

His master holding his hand, Green Luo faintly visible in the distance.

That low thatched hut in White Ridge Village, and the snowstorm filling the sky.

These scenes gradually converged into a haze of gray light. He continued falling, as though sinking into deep, warm water, like an unborn child.

After an unknown stretch of time, he finally woke. Everything around him was unfamiliar; he was no longer in Green Luo.

There was a Thunder Marsh, with a tree rising into the clouds at its center, wreathed in lightning. Its branches were all formed from thunderbolts. Boundless black clouds filled the sky, where countless luminous blue points gathered like a celestial river.

A White Jade Celestial Palace hung far overhead, with Clear Qi flowing around it. A crimson centipede as immense as a mountain range emerged amid the dark clouds, patrolling around the palace.

Purple-crimson lightning took the shape of a flood dragon, leaping through layers of dark clouds and stirring peals of thunder. Then it coiled around the towering lightning tree, its roar breaking through the thick clouds and bringing down a shower of spiritual rain.

A Thunder Sparrow flew down from the tree and landed on Xu Xuan's shoulder. Chirping, it caught the corner of his robe in its beak and tugged him forward.

"Is this Cinnabar Thunder?"

Xu Xuan wondered why everything around him looked so much like his own-Qi Sea.

Ancient wielders of great Divine Abilities might have possessed the means to fit Mount Sumeru into a mustard seed, but he had never heard of a Qi Refining cultivator's Qi Sea taking such a form.

With every step, liquid lightning splashed beneath his feet and thunder rang out. Once he passed behind the tree, a sea of flowers gradually appeared at the far end of the Thunder Marsh. They looked just like the blood flower, spreading like wildfire across a plain.

Cinnabar Thunder called incessantly, leading him into the sea of flowers, where he caught a pure, far-reaching fragrance.

"Demonic qi."

These blood flowers resembled datura and carried an uncanny fragrance, but nothing could conceal their demonic qi. Xu Xuan's heart tightened.

After walking an unknown number of steps, he finally saw what Cinnabar Thunder had brought him to see.

An extraordinarily handsome man, looking barely twenty, sat cross-legged on a bluestone boulder in splendid blood-red robes. Propping his chin on one hand, he looked over, his golden eyes blazing.

Run.

That was Xu Xuan's first thought. The man before him was clearly no benevolent soul, and was most likely a demon.

But judging by the information he had obtained in the Ghost Market, this blood flower could ram an old True Person to death. It had to be a Purple Mansion Tier demon, and killing Xu Xuan would probably take no more than a thought.

Xu Xuan made his decision swiftly. He immediately bowed in salute and said respectfully:

"My respects, my lord."

Purple Mansion Tier demons were generally called demon kings, though some styled themselves True Persons. Unsure of the other party's preferences, Xu Xuan simply called him "my lord."

The man's gaze settled on Xu Xuan. An intimidating aura descended upon him, leaving him almost unable to summon the will to resist.

The man on the boulder gave a sinister smile and extended his right hand, grasping at Xu Xuan. An enormous invisible force descended, but just then, Clear Qi appeared and formed a cage, instantly separating the two.

The atmosphere became rather awkward. The sinister tension dissipated, leaving man and demon staring blankly at each other.

"An old soul upon the Stone of Three Lives; speak not of admiring the moon and singing to the wind."

The strange remark left Xu Xuan at a loss for an answer. The demon seemed to feel he had said it wrong, too. Scratching his head, he thought for a moment, then said:

"No, it should be, 'Who first awakens from the great dream'-what was the next line again?"

Xu Xuan found this rather odd, but could only answer respectfully from below:

"My lord, it is, 'All my life, I alone have known.'"

"Yes, yes, that's the line. The monk from Hanging Temple told me to say that when I woke. It quite suits my status as a Heavenly Demon."

The demon seated above laughed, making the sea of flowers tremble with him. Below, Xu Xuan felt as though he were treading on thin ice and dared not say much.

"The scenery of your inner realm is rather fine. It has something of the grandeur of ancient Thunder Palace cultivators."

The demon spoke first, offering an idle appraisal without any apparent threat.

Xu Xuan was already drenched in sweat. This was definitely an ancient demon. Thunder Palace belonged to antiquity and had long since vanished.

"You cultivate Shock Thunder. That is rare. These days, the two divine empyrean thunders manifest most often."

"Your name is Xu Xuan, correct? From now on, just call me Tiantuo. No need for 'my lord.'"

Xu Xuan slowly rose. The demon before him seemed rather easy to talk to, but the next instant, Tiantuo smiled sinisterly.

"I took a look. I still need quite a lot of blood essence before I can recover. Help me capture more cultivators first."

"That old bastard from the Wei Household destroyed his own dharma body before dying. I didn't gain a thing. Find me plenty of blood essence, and there will be benefits for you."

Hearing this, Xu Xuan felt a chill. Who knew how much blood essence Tiantuo needed to recover, or how many people would have to suffer? He could only answer tentatively:

"My lord, forgive me, but that is something I cannot do."

Tiantuo merely smiled from atop the stone and asked softly:

"What is so difficult about it? Haven't you used it yourself?"

With that, the demon beckoned. A hazy streak of bloody light rose from the Thunder Marsh and fell into Tiantuo's hand.

The bloody light writhed incessantly, trying to escape, but Tiantuo swallowed it in one gulp. Delight appeared on his face, and he said with a laugh:

"A blood pill refined by a Purple Mansion cultivator, supplemented with a Divine Ability. Just whom did you offend, boy?"

As that blood essence was swallowed, Xu Xuan felt his Spirit Platform grow much clearer, and even his state of mind became lucid. Though he had lost considerable blood essence, the [Dark Flood Dragon Commands Thunder] Seal Script could replenish his blood and vitality, so it posed no problem.

Tiantuo gently exhaled a golden thread. Somewhat illusory, it twisted and pointed straight at Xu Xuan's heart.

Xu Xuan immediately felt a surge of anxiety: powerful enemies surrounded him, and destruction might come in a single night. Then came greed: feeding a demon blood essence in exchange for restoring his sect seemed acceptable. Finally came guilt: he had betrayed his master's teachings and was too ashamed to take up [Constant Light].

"It is [Turmoil of Emotion]. What a marvelous Divine Ability, what a deep scheme. I just don't know why they would target a mere Qi Refining cultivator like you."

Tiantuo chuckled and tapped a finger. Petals scattered from the surrounding blood flowers and gathered into the shape of a heart. The golden thread then wound around that false heart.

Xu Xuan felt as though he had awakened from a great dream. He did not know why so many emotions had suddenly arisen, unsettling his mind and casting dust over his Spirit Platform.

That [Spirit-Gathering Blood Pill] concealed a Divine Ability? It seems that as long as I encountered it, I was bound to swallow it.

The scheme brought Xu Xuan out in a cold sweat. Being linked to some unknown Purple Mansion cultivator through a Divine Ability was truly chilling.

"When I ask for blood essence, I don't mean you should randomly kill people from the Immortal Dao. Act that way, and you will certainly be branded a demonic cultivator and executed on the spot."

"No one would care if I ate some mortals, but that would barely be better than nothing. When you fight others in the future, their corpses will belong to me."

"You are of the Immortal Dao. Kill more demons for me, and that can make up the shortfall."

"My lord, you are also of the Demon Race. Isn't that...?"

Xu Xuan was puzzled. This demon seemed to be asking him to kill other demons. It was truly strange.

Tiantuo merely gave a contemptuous sneer. Looking up at the dark clouds, he said:

"How can the myriad beings beneath heaven all be lumped together? Noble dragons and phoenixes, wild snakes and sparrows-how can they all be called demons?"

"The very word 'demon' comes from the arrogance of the Immortal Dao. You believe humanity alone reigns supreme, the one unique race beneath heaven, so you call all other beings demons."

"You claim to possess morality and spiritual awareness, yet when it comes to slaughtering your own kind, you are far more practiced than the demons you speak of."

"Don't call me 'my lord.' Just call me Tiantuo. That title sickens me. It reeks of rank and hierarchy."

Xu Xuan did not know how to answer. These matters were too complicated to think through in a moment.

"Tiantuo, the True Person from Tip-Feng Mountain came here to investigate. Could you explain your origins, so we can prepare a response?"

Xu Xuan tried addressing him directly by name. Only when he saw no reaction did he relax.

"I spent who knows how many years in the Demon Refining Tower. My dharma body is gone, and most of my Consciousness Sea was refined away. Now I have only some hazy memories."

"With the ancient stele inside you concealing the workings of heaven, no one can trace me for the moment."

Only then did Xu Xuan feel reassured. He could not possibly reveal Tiantuo's whereabouts. If anyone discovered the ancient stele inside him, he would probably die as well.

As for this demon, Xu Xuan looked over. Streams of Clear Qi imprisoned him like a cage; he seemed unable to escape for now. Tiantuo sensed Xu Xuan's thoughts and sneered:

"You see me imprisoned and think you can take advantage of me?"

With that, the demon crooked a finger. The false heart formed from petals began to fall apart, and the golden thread pointed toward Xu Xuan's chest.

Xu Xuan immediately yielded, terrified that the Divine Ability would burrow back into him.

"Your cultivation method is far too poor. Though I have refined away that blood taint and diverted the Divine Ability for you, your foundation is still lacking."

Tiantuo raised his brows, his meaning obvious. His face plainly said that he had excellent cultivation methods and Xu Xuan should hurry up and ask.

Xu Xuan grumbled inwardly. Though Tiantuo seemed to have an impressive background, had that Demon Refining Tower truly driven him mad-or made him stupid?

"May I ask what cultivation method it is?"

"'Blood Sea Treatise.' Master it, and you can be reborn from a drop of blood and transform with a thought. It is an orthodox treatise on the path of [Blood Qi]. Want to learn?"

"What are the drawbacks?"

"Once you master it, you may look every inch a demonic cultivator. You will need to drink blood daily, and sometimes you won't be able to control yourself and will want to kill someone for fun."

"No."

"'White Bone Profound Studies.' Master it, and you can commune with the netherworld and command spirits, unfathomable to gods and ghosts alike. It is a secret method of the path of [Hearing the Nether]. Want to learn?"

"Drawbacks."

"Once you master it, you may be nothing but a skeleton."

"No."

"'Heavenly Monster’s Nine Transformations.' It is my own exclusive cultivation method. I forget which tradition it belongs to. You carry a Dark Flood Dragon's spiritual fortune, so you can cultivate it even with a human body."

"Drawbacks."

"After cultivating it, you will turn completely into a flood dragon. From then on, you will be what you call a demon."

"No."

Tiantuo kept producing demonic arts and monster techniques. Not one could be practiced normally. With most of them, if he finished cultivating today, an Immortal Sect would come knocking tomorrow to personally carry out Demon-Slaying and defend the Dao.

"Enough. Have you forgotten that after reaching Qi Refining, unless you cripple your own cultivation and also have a spiritual object, you cannot change your Dao Path?"

"No matter how many cultivation methods you have, they are useless to me unless they belong to the path of [Shock Thunder]."

Xu Xuan could no longer stand Tiantuo. The sinister, terrifying atmosphere of their first meeting had vanished completely.

He was now certain that this demon truly had gone mad from being confined in that Demon Refining Tower.

Tiantuo froze atop the stone, only then remembering this matter. He seemed rather troubled.

"Looking at it that way, it seems none of my cultivation methods are suitable for you."

Xu Xuan had thought the other party might offer something good, then use the opportunity to make demands. Instead, Tiantuo's head was full of demonic arts and monster techniques, none of which were fit to offer.

"If cultivation methods won't work, I have plenty of secret arts, too. It only depends on whether you want to learn."

Tiantuo seemed to think of something else. He looked over, his tone smug.

"What exactly do you want?"

Xu Xuan did not understand. With his seventh-level Qi Refining cultivation, how much blood essence could he find for Tiantuo, even if he reached Foundation Establishment in the future? This demon was definitely at the Purple Mansion Tier. Relying on Xu Xuan to do his bidding would surely be difficult.

Only then did Tiantuo regain his earlier sinister, enigmatic expression and say quietly:

"I can help you. Though much of my memory is missing, my old resources remain. Asking you to find blood essence is merely an extra."

Tiantuo paused there, looking toward the White Jade Heavenly Palace on the horizon with a hint of greed, then said:

"If you can swear an oath with me to give me a Seal Script in the future, I will help you wholeheartedly. I am a Heavenly Demon. With my help, bringing you to Purple Mansion would be a trivial matter."

Xu Xuan's heart jolted. It seemed that by taking root in his Qi Sea, Tiantuo had learned quite a few secrets. He had even glimpsed the matter of the ancient stele.

"What use do you have for this Seal Script?"

Xu Xuan intended to take the opportunity to ask more, so he could understand the origins of the Seal Script.

Tiantuo leaped down from the stone. He was tall, his splendid robes seemingly fashioned in an ancient style. The cage formed from streams of Clear Qi remained around him, preventing him from touching Xu Xuan.

The demon looked uncertain. Pacing among the flowers, he said in a low voice:

"I do not know the origins of your ancient stele, either. But the Seal Script formed from that Clear Qi somewhat resembles things found in the ancient Celestial Palace."

"When banished immortals descended to the mortal world for trials, they often carried an Immortal Register, entrusting their lives to it. But your Seal Script is far more wondrous than those Immortal Registers. It can even directly alter innate gifts and create life from nothing."

"If you gave me one, heh heh..."

Tiantuo turned and stared at him, golden eyes flickering like ghostly flames. His voice was spectral as he said with a laugh:

"I could restore my life, reincarnate, and cultivate anew, perhaps even surpass my former self. This time, even Golden Core might be mine for the taking."

"Letting you and that disciple of yours use it is truly a wanton waste of heaven's treasures. Had I possessed such a thing back then, how could I have ended up like this?"

Xu Xuan was shaken inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged as he said:

"I can agree to that. You and I are merely making use of each other. But it must wait until I break through to Purple Mansion, at the very least. Otherwise, I fear you will swallow my entire sect in one gulp once you obtain the Seal Script."

Tiantuo's golden eyes shone brightly, carrying a hint of mockery. His voice came from every direction, ringing directly inside Xu Xuan's mind.

"Do not lump me together with those of the Immortal Dao."

"I will help you reach Purple Mansion, and you will give me a Seal Script. Let us swear the oath here and now, never to violate it!"

The novel is currently in its new-release period. From now on, there will be a long, 4,000-character chapter every day. I am currently refining the outline and building a backlog. After paid chapters begin, updates will return to 6,000 characters a day. Thank you all for your support!

(End of chapter)