Demon Seeding in the Dao Heart

The Great Cang Imperial Dynasty, a hidden valley.

In the center of the valley, a plaza spanning a thousand feet in circumference has been leveled.

The ground was paved with some kind of dark blue stone, engraved with simple array patterns to help gather spiritual energy and stabilize the mind, as well as a whole [Heaven-Deceiving Grand Formation] personally set up by Qi Yun.

At this moment, fifty figures stood solemnly in the square.

These people were of different ages and appearances, including both men and women.

But all of them had sharp eyes, a refined aura, and a faint radiance of Divine Soul flowing around them.

Among them, forty-eight people were mostly in the late stage of the [Manifestation Realm], with their Divine Soul solidified and able to manifest blurry forms to interfere with reality.

The other two possessed a significantly deeper and more restrained aura, their Divine Soul fluctuations perfectly integrated, subtly revealing a gentle yet resilient charm—their cultivation was at the [Yin Spirit Realm]!

They were the first batch of "seeds" carefully selected and secretly gathered by Zhao Xuanji.

They are all reliable individuals who are absolutely loyal to the royal family, have impeccable backgrounds, and possess considerable talent in cultivation.

Among them were even a few members of a collateral branch of the royal family or assassins trained from childhood.

When they received the secret order, they only knew that they would be participating in a highly confidential mission concerning the future of the dynasty, but they knew nothing about the specific details.

At this moment, they stood still, holding their breath, their eyes filled with curiosity as they looked towards the high platform in front of the square.

Qi Yun, dressed in a dark blue Daoist robe, stood with his hands behind his back on the high platform, calmly surveying the crowd below.

He did not deliberately exude pressure, but the invisible aura of someone who had cultivated through two realms, forged Supreme Dao Foundation, and even personally annihilated Yang Spirit made the cultivators below the stage, who were considered elites in the Azure Gate Realm, feel a faint sense of pressure originating from their life level, and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

"From this day forward, you will all be trained in this valley." Qi Yun spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, carrying an unquestionable indifference.

"All actions are subject to my command."

The methods taught must not be passed on to outsiders.

Those who violate this rule will be annihilated, both in body and spirit.

These few simple words, devoid of any emotion, sent a chill down the spines of everyone present, who responded in unison, "We humbly obey the True Person's decree!"

After the speech, Qi Yun began the initial guidance and selection process.

He did not immediately impart profound teachings.

Instead, they first had everyone demonstrate their respective cultivation Cultivation Method, observing their Divine Soul qualities, the depth of their foundation, and the precision of their control over their power.

At the same time, some simple trials were also set up to test one's character, perseverance, and even the ability to endure pain.

The Holy Sect already had a set of templates for these procedures.

However, considering that these children are still very young, Qi Yun only chose some relatively mild trials to avoid causing them to have a mental breakdown right from the start.

Throughout the entire process, Qi Yun appeared to be in complete control, often able to pinpoint the key points with just a few words, or demonstrate an exquisite skill in using his divine Divine Soul, leaving everyone in awe.

The two Yin Spirit Realm cultivators were even more shocked. They could sense that True Person Qi's understanding of the Dao of the Divine Soul was far beyond their reach.

Many of the insights were unheard of, yet they hit the nail on the head.

The initial screening and observation lasted for more than ten days.

During this time, Qi Yun also gained a deeper understanding of the backgrounds and personalities of these people through the information provided by Zhao Xuanji and his own secret investigations.

It was late at night.

Qi Yun lives alone in a renovated, rustic stone chamber deep in the valley.

The room contained only a stone bed, a stone table, and a lamp that burned continuously.

"Senior Cai," Qi Yun murmured to himself.

"Hey, Qi boy." Cai Shen, the Wealth Connects to the Divine, his voice tinged with a hint of languor and world-weariness, immediately echoed in his Purple Mansion.

"What's wrong? Feeling uneasy looking at these little kids?"

"Indeed." Qi Yun didn't hide anything, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the smooth surface of the stone table.

"Zhao Xuanji was a great ruler of his time, patient and decisive, and no one to be underestimated."

"He needs my help right now," he said politely.

But once the attempt to overthrow the heavens succeeds, it's hard to guarantee that he won't harbor thoughts of discarding the useful tool after it's no longer needed, or betraying the bridge after it's been used.

After all, to him and to this world, I am ultimately an outsider.

"Heh, you're a smart man." Cai Shen chuckled. "Since ancient times, the minds of emperors have been the most unpredictable. Let alone such a ruthless character who dares to defy the heavens."

You're training a sharp blade for him, but who knows if one day that blade won't turn against you, the one wielding it?

Even if he doesn't touch you for now, these people you personally trained will ultimately be loyal to the Great Cang royal family.

Instead of your Qi Yun.

"That's exactly right." A cold glint flashed in Qi Yun's eyes. "Therefore, I must keep a backup plan for these people."

We need to ensure they can be used by us in critical moments.

At the very least—it cannot become a knife aimed at me.

"Young man, you've borrowed quite a bit of stuff from me on credit. With interest compounding, be careful you don't end up unable to pay it back," Cai Shen said leisurely. "However—for the sake of our relationship, I do have a secret technique that might be just what you need."

What technique?

"The Demon Seeding in the Dao Heart"

Cai Shen's voice carried a rare solemnity. "This technique is neither righteous nor evil. It was created by an extraordinary person during the Great Tang. It is a strange technique that aims to analyze the essence of inner demons and try to use demons to control demons."

Later, it evolved into a Divergent Method for secretly controlling the Daoist mind of others and subtly influencing their will.

"The caster must use a wisp of their own pure Daoist thought as a [Demon Seed], and quietly implant it deep into the target's Daoist heart."

This [Demon Seed] is formless and intangible, perfectly integrated with the recipient's own thoughts, emotions, and even Divine Soul fluctuations, making it extremely difficult to detect.

Those who receive the treatment are no different from ordinary people on a daily basis; their minds are intact, their memories are undamaged, and even their spiritual practice is unimpeded.

"What's even more ingenious," Cai Shen added, "Is that this technique allows for precise control of the force, making it both deep and shallow."

In its superficial form, it merely provides subtle and gradual guidance, like planting a seed of inclination deep within one's heart.

Those who possess profound understanding can achieve absolute control, determining life, death, sorrow, and joy with a single thought.

After listening, Qi Yun's eyes gleamed. "What a brilliant ' Demon Seeding in the Dao Heart '!"

Formless and without substance, it merges with the Dao, and can be both profound and shallow—just what I desire!

Are there any limitations to this technique?

"There are limitations, of course," Cai Shen said. "First of all, it places extremely high demands on the caster's Divine Soul. The Divine Soul must be pure and refined, and the caster must have a keen control over their own Daoist thoughts. Otherwise, if the [Demon Seed] is impure, it will be easily rejected or backfired."

You are not afraid of this, because thanks to the mysteries of this world, your Divine Soul has greatly improved and is sufficient to perform this technique.

Secondly, this technique can only maintain a limited number of people at the same time. With your current Yang Spirit cultivation level, you can probably stably control about thirty people at the same time.

Exceeding this number means having too many Demon Seed, which will burden your own Divine Soul.

"Thirty people, huh?" Qi Yun hesitated for a moment, then turned his gaze to the silent valley outside the stone chamber.

Fifty people—that's not quite enough.

but----"

"It's worth a try!" Qi Yun made up his mind and no longer hesitated.

A vast and profound flow of information, accompanied by countless ancient mental Mnemonic, Divine Soul, and visualization diagrams, surged into Qi Yun's Sea of Consciousness from the point of Wealth Connects to the Divine.

This book, "The Demon Seeding in the Dao Heart," is profound and subtle, involving the ultimate analysis and control of thoughts, emotions, and Dao Foundation fluctuations.

If Qi Yun had not already achieved Yang Spirit, possessed a powerful and meticulously controlled Divine Soul, and had the [Wield Myriad Laws] Divine Ability power as a foundation, he probably would have found it difficult to even begin to grasp the basics.

He immediately closed his eyes and concentrated, meditating in the stone chamber.

With the help of Wealth Connects to the Divine who explained the key points, coupled with his own extraordinary comprehension and the evolutionary calculations of the [Great Luo Heaven], he was able to achieve his goals.

In just seven days, he had mastered the essence of "The Demon Seeding in the Dao Heart".

He successfully condensed his first [Demon Seed] within his own Purple Mansion.

It was a strange, extremely subtle light that could change at will and blend into any fluctuation of emotion or thought.

"Next comes the [Great Luo Edict]."

Qi Yun's thoughts sank deep into the Dao Foundation, communicating with the supreme divine Divine Ability originating from the [Great Luo Heaven].

A ray of azure-gold light suddenly burst forth and landed on the [Law Technique Panel].

[Automatic Law Technique updates complete. This is a minor version update; Law Technique effects have been adjusted as follows.]

[Demon Seeding in the Dao Heart Seed Technique 2.0: Increases the control limit.]

The next moment!

An invisible "upper limit" has been broken.

"It's done!" He opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming. "Now, I can control—sixty people at the same time!"

More than enough.

The subsequent training and coaching proceeded step by step.

Qi Yun began to teach these people more refined methods of manipulating their Divine Soul, combined attack techniques, and how to use the [Soul-Cleansing Elixir].

Rapidly stabilize and strengthen the origin of the Divine Soul.

And when these people are stuck at a bottleneck, they directly intervene with [Wield Myriad Laws] to forcibly shatter the bottleneck and improve their cultivation.

He was strict in his teaching, had extremely high standards, and taught at a very fast pace, allowing these "seeds" to grow rapidly amidst both pain and reward.

During the process of imparting his knowledge, Qi Yun also quietly began to "sow his seeds."

He did not target all fifty people at once, but chose the most opportune moment.

This may happen when they are mentally exhausted and their will is slightly weakened after rigorous training; or when they achieve a breakthrough, are filled with excitement and experience intense emotional fluctuations; or when they feel genuine awe, trust, and even dependence on themselves.

Each carefully condensed [Demon Seed] was like the finest dust, quietly sent into the depths of their Dao hearts, perfectly merging with a certain thought, emotion, or memory, and lying dormant there.

The entire process was silent and seamless.

January, February, March----

As the training progressed, the fifty cultivators, under Qi Yun's tutelage, made significant progress in their cultivation, their teamwork became increasingly seamless, and they grew to have greater respect and trust for this mysterious and powerful "True Person Qi."

They were completely unaware that, deep within their own hearts, seeds of loyalty had already been planted.

These seeds lie dormant now, just as they are in their true nature.

But one day in the future, when the sower needs it, a single thought will suffice to quietly sprout and bloom the "flower" the sower desires.

The valley remains secluded, and the training continues with unwavering dedication.

Only Qi Yun, on a certain late night, when he looked up at the starry sky again, had a deep glint in his eyes, a sense of complete control over everything.

The barriers have been secretly erected, and the sharp blades are gradually taking shape.

In this chess game of the Azure Gate Realm, he placed more and more pieces.