Zhao Changfeng was under immense pressure. He constantly felt shrouded in the shadow of death and wanted to reach a higher cultivation realm and gain greater combat strength as soon as possible.
After turning it over in his mind, he realized that the "willpower" within the cauldron must possess power far beyond his current realm, and he desperately longed for it to surge.
At this critical juncture, he could no longer concern himself with anything else, regardless of how much trouble acquiring "willpower" might bring him.
Backlash?
A crazed eruption of obsessive inner demons?
He would worry about that after he survived!
And the fastest way to acquire "willpower" was for Ruan Meizhen to keep attempting breakthroughs, confronting her own Heart-Demon Obsession again and again.
Originally, Zhao Changfeng had intended to hold her back, delaying her Realm Breakthrough as much as possible lest she regain her strength and seize a chance to retaliate against him. Now, the appearance of Song Zejun and his wife had forced him to change his mind.
"All right, I'll try again as soon as possible!"
Ruan Meizhen was equally impatient.
She also wanted to raise her cultivation to the primordial spirit realm before the "demon spirit tide" reached Tamu Town, becoming one of the core fighters capable of resisting the demon spirits.
There were still people she cared about in Heavenly Shield City. She also wanted to visit the Primal Demon Temple and demand an explanation from that faithless man.
Both craved rapid progress in their cultivation, so they stopped talking and devoted themselves to training.
"This wretched bitch has been pestering me for ages. I might as well kill her so you won't worry about her anymore!"
Before the gates of the Primal Demon Temple, the handsome Xu Lang wielded the Demon Sword and charged at Ruan Meizhen once more.
Ruan Meizhen fought desperately to master her mind and finally broke free of that terrifying, hellish mental state, only to discover that her back was soaked with sweat.
I rushed things too much. The Heart-Demon Obsession has resurfaced.
Ruan Meizhen sighed inwardly in bitterness.
After obtaining the various venoms that could advance her cultivation, she had immersed herself in restoring her strength, forgetting food and sleep. This had brought back the inner demons of backlash that had tormented her throughout the first half of her life.
"Huh..."
After she came to, a trace of bewilderment surfaced in her enchanting eyes.
To her surprise, the pain and torment this time did not seem to cut as deeply into her bones as before. There were even signs that they had weakened somewhat.
Somehow, it was as though another person had helped bear that unbearable anguish, enduring this ordeal born of the great demon in her heart alongside her.
Strange. Why would I have that impression?
Ruan Meizhen murmured inwardly.
A moment later, she noticed that Zhao Changfeng, who was sitting by the window cultivating, was also breaking out in a cold sweat, as though he had just endured the same torture at the hands of the Heart-Demon Obsession.
The instant she looked at Zhao Changfeng, a strange bond seemed to emerge between them again, quietly linking the two of them.
For a fleeting, hazy moment, Zhao Changfeng's figure and features seemed to transform into those of the faithless man who had wounded her for life.
"I should stop for a while. My cultivation has already brought on hallucinations."
Ruan Meizhen let out a soft, lingering sigh.
Opposite her, Zhao Changfeng sat bolt upright. Having awakened from that nightmarish scene, his feelings were far more complicated than hers.
Zhao Changfeng had confirmed one thing.
Ruan Meizhen did not actually have to break through a major cultivation barrier. Whenever she suffered a backlash from her inner demons and obsessions, it immediately affected him.
He had been practicing the circulation method of the "Blood Shadow Movement Technique" to familiarize himself with this combat-oriented killing art when he was suddenly dragged before the gates of the Primal Demon Temple, reliving the scene alongside Ruan Meizhen.
His cultivation had been forcibly interrupted. Once again, he had become Xu Lang and experienced that indescribable anguish.
Within the little world of his lower dantian, above the sea of spiritual qi, that scene was still playing out like a film inside the Little Bronze Cauldron, which had become noticeably more tangible.
Clearly, much more willpower had gathered within it.
Whatever happens later, as long as it strengthens my "willpower," that's enough.
Zhao Changfeng remained outwardly composed and did not reveal his experience. Instead, he asked casually, "Senior sister, could I also practice the 'Corpse Demon Art'? Or perhaps your 'Ten Thousand Poisons Art'?"
The pressure brought by Song Zejun and his wife was simply too great, as though two gods of death had taken up residence in his body. He wanted to see whether there were other ways to advance his cultivation.
"Practice multiple Demonic Cultivation Arts?"
Ruan Meizhen's lips twitched, and she said bluntly, "Ordinary people can barely withstand the backlash from even one Demonic Cultivation Art. Multiple Demonic Cultivation Arts will conflict with one another, creating several times as many inner demons and an even more terrifying backlash."
"Forget about taking that shortcut. It would only make you drop dead in no time, and I won't give you the formulas for any other Demonic Cultivation Arts!"
She cut off that idea outright.
"All right."
Zhao Changfeng abandoned the notion, then took out all the spirit stones he had, along with the items he had seized from Zhang Mu. "Sorry for the trouble, senior sister, but could you help me buy some first-rank spirit beasts?"
With Cui Pinyuan overseeing Tamu Town, rogue cultivators could still trade freely among themselves. Zhao Changfeng did not dare go outside, so he could only entrust the task to Ruan Meizhen.
Cultivating with spirit stones was certainly safe, but unfortunately, it was still too slow, and time was what he lacked most.
"First-rank spirit beasts, right? All right."
The troubled Ruan Meizhen happened to want some fresh air, so she readily agreed. Rising gracefully, she took the items and left.
The moment the door closed, Zhao Changfeng rose to his feet and circulated his spiritual power to try the "Blood Shadow Movement Technique."
A faint red glow radiated from his skin, a sign of spiritual power flowing through his meridians. His body immediately felt much lighter, and as he darted and shifted about, he almost felt airborne.
As spiritual power poured into his feet, a force seemed to buoy him up, making every movement faster than usual.
"They say that great cultivators who survive the three calamities and six tribulations can enter the freedom realm and fly through the air. It seems the rumors are true."
"Once you can cross the void, naturally you can go anywhere. No wonder it's called the freedom realm."
Envy stirred in Zhao Changfeng's heart.
He practiced alone in the room for a long while and discovered that, because his middle dantian was still utterly empty, his "Blood Shadow Movement Technique" could only make his steps somewhat faster.
Like the "Blood Shadow Art," the "Blood Shadow Movement Technique" would gain wings like a tiger if supported by the blood qi in his middle dantian.
Once he reached the final two minor levels of the yuanqi stage and tempered all his flesh, bones, and sinews with blood qi, the "Blood Shadow Movement Technique" would not only make him as light as a swallow, but also allow him to rise briefly into the air to kill his enemies.
Spirit beasts, spirit beasts... please bring plenty back.
Zhao Changfeng waited in quiet anticipation.
Suddenly, he heard the thunder of galloping warhorses outside. Unable to resist, he opened the tightly shut window a crack and peered through it.
Another night had passed without his noticing. It was now early morning, and the grayish-yellow rain still had not stopped.
Dozens of armored warhorses swept into Tamu Town with imposing force, each carrying a cultivator whose combat strength was clearly extraordinary.
Cui Pinyuan appeared immediately and called out loudly, "Heavenly Shield City has finally sent people!"
The great primordial spirit realm cultivator who called himself the mayor leaped down from a tower, relief and gratitude showing on his face. "Everyone, please come inside! Let's discuss how to deal with the demon spirits' arrival!"
He seemed to have spotted Ruan Meizhen, who was somewhere in town purchasing spirit beasts, and called out in a voice that everyone in Tamu Town could hear, "Miss Ruan, please join us too!"
The many reinforcements from Heavenly Shield City who had arrived on horseback also turned toward Ruan Meizhen when he called her name, respect instantly appearing on their faces.
These people thought little of Cui Pinyuan, yet attached great importance to a disciple of the Crippled Demon Sect. Several of their leaders even passed straight by Cui Pinyuan and headed directly toward Ruan Meizhen.
A rogue cultivator without the backing of a sect clearly lacked Ruan Meizhen's prestigious standing, even with a higher cultivation level.
"Being from the Crippled Demon Sect really does count for something. It opens doors everywhere."
Zhao Changfeng murmured under his breath.
Ruan Meizhen had once said that demonic factions like the Crippled Demon Sect enjoyed immense prestige in the cities of the Demon Kingdom in the mortal world. He had been skeptical before, but seeing it firsthand now convinced him completely.
If he truly defected from the Crippled Demon Sect and Old Devil Teng put the word out afterward, he really might be hunted down across the entire world.
"Huh?"
As Zhao Changfeng scanned his surroundings through the crack in the window, he suddenly spotted a figure mingling with the rogue cultivators. The man had changed into blue-green robes bearing no sect insignia, and there was no Corpse-Eating Vulture perched on his shoulder.
Chen Jian of the Ghost-Controlling Sect!
Though enemies saw red upon meeting, Zhao Changfeng could only suppress his hatred for now. At his current realm, he did not dare indulge the impulse to exact revenge.
With Cui Pinyuan and Chen Jian, Tamu Town already has two primordial spirit realm cultivators.
According to Ruan Meizhen, Chen Jian is at least in the primordial spirit realm. His true cultivation might be even higher.
In that case, Song Zejun and his wife will probably have to exercise a little caution while operating in Tamu Town.
The more powerful cultivators appeared in Tamu Town, the safer Zhao Changfeng felt. He even hoped Chen Jian's true realm was higher.
After all, Song Zejun and his wife came from the Lingxiao Sect. Supposedly Righteous Dao practitioners from sects like theirs received even worse treatment than rogue cultivators in Tamu Town. Once their identities were exposed, everyone would call for their heads.
He felt that his only chance of survival lay in Song Zejun and his wife still being badly wounded, unwilling to kill him under such tremendous pressure.
Yet he could not be certain, so he could only remain hidden in the stone house.
Just then, a sudden stabbing pain came from between his brows.
"At last!"
Zhao Changfeng was overjoyed, so excited that he nearly jumped.
All this time, he had actually been waiting for that real, enormous cauldron in the void beyond the heavens to reappear. Yet days of anxious waiting had yielded nothing.
Only after truly struggling to survive in this cruel world for a time had he understood just how wondrous that Bronze Cauldron was. Whenever he felt hopeless and powerless, he yearned for it to appear.
When the deadly poison had nearly killed him, the Heavenly Cauldron from Beyond the Heavens had not appeared. Yet merely a trace of power it had left behind had helped Zhao Changfeng break free of that death trap.
Now, just as Song Zejun and his wife were pressing him so hard he could barely breathe, that Bronze Cauldron beyond the heavens revealed its presence once again.
P.S. The same old request: please keep reading~~