Falling into Demonic Deviation

Six months later, Xuanwei City

Despite the baptism of Buddha's light, this great city remained prosperous. Most of the immortals and mortals in the city were foolish and ignorant, completely unaware that just half a year ago, two True Person had almost clashed here, nearly losing all the lives of the city's inhabitants.

They were too busy struggling to make a living to care about the few drops of blood and tears they shed while praying to Buddha in the west. To be honest, the arrival of the spirit of Gelie not long ago had nothing to do with them except to provide the city's immortals and mortals with something to talk about for years to come.

At most, it simply gave the city's young children one more novel and interesting thing to do.

Since that grand pilgrimage to Buddha, whenever it rains in Xuanwei City, a few False-Leaf Bodhi would occasionally sprout from the ditches and cracks in the bricks along the streets.

This item is a very common Buddhist spirit medicine. Although it cannot be upgraded, if you are lucky enough to find one, you can exchange it for one or two Golden Leaf at spirit medicine shop.

This was no small sum for ordinary people, and it kept these mischievous children, who ran wild all day, entertained, hoping to earn money to support their parents.

The scoundrels in the city also made a fortune, simply by loitering near the spirit medicine shops, they could earn a quick buck every few days. The parents of each family were clearly aware of the dangers of this matter, but the number of children in the city searching for medicine never seemed to decrease.

This matter doesn't stand up to close scrutiny, and others who think about it don't find anything unusual about it. After all, in this world, everyone's life has a price.

Strangely enough, at noon that day, the sun, which had been blazing just moments before, suddenly dimmed. The children in the neighborhood cried out and rushed out of their houses, carrying hoes and pickaxes. After a while, they were chased back into their houses by the panicked adults.

The bolder children were particularly unwilling to give up. Even though they temporarily submitted to their parents' tyranny, they still ignored all advice and pressed themselves against the windowsill, peering at the sky above.

To their surprise, what they saw filled their little faces with terror. The children then realized that a gigantic, seemingly boundless flying ship was hovering above Xuanwei City.

The clouds outside the jade porthole of the giant ship were torn apart by the Qiongqi's ramming horn, and the buzzing sound of the colliding Spiritual Qi made one's teeth ache.

The lightning-patterned runes inlaid on both sides of the deck suddenly blazed brightly, the bronze gears on the sides of the flying boat suddenly emitted a piercing shriek, and rows of dragon-shaped masts were breathing in and out the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. The mysterious light mirrors floating on the top of each mast reflected countless rainbow rays, almost turning the sea of clouds within a hundred miles into a jade color.

The Mountain-Moving and Sea-Filling Array engraved on the bottom of the ship suddenly started operating, crushing the clouds into water droplets that hit the deck and burst into fine spiritual mist.

A cultivator hanging at the tip of the mast suddenly gripped the railing wrapped with talismans, while the thick chain trailing from the stern carved a deep, unfathomable trench in the sea of clouds.

As the last wisp of dark cloud was pierced by the bow of the ship, the bright blue mainsail was filled with fresh air with a "whoosh".

At the same time, a vast sea of clouds appeared as if it had been cleaved by a sharp blade. The residual Spiritual Qi at the edges of the cracks continued to burn, melting the already broken cloud fragments into drizzles that fell down.

Such a scene captivated not only the naive children, but even the usually imposing city guards stood solemnly around the giant ship, preventing any Rogue Cultivator from the city from getting close.

Once the giant ship had come to a complete stop, a heavily armored official from Xuanwei City boarded the deck, verified the documents, and respectfully bowed to the ship's owner before disembarking to report to Fei Tianqin and the group of Golden Core.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, it is indeed a Class D flying boat from Myriad Treasures Trading Company."

The old bird lowered its head and lightly scolded, "You scoundrel! I've seen this kind of flying boat countless times, why do you need to report it to me? I don't know who started this pointless, futile practice!"

After scolding Fei Tianqin's tone softened considerably when he looked at the flying boat. "May I ask which manager of Myriad Treasures Trading Company is on board? Please come down and meet me."

A fat, middle-aged cultivator dressed in brocade robes descended from the flying boat. After stepping over clouds with a pair of spirit boots inlaid with pearls and jade, he finally landed in front of Fei Tianqin.

The middle-aged cultivator bowed and said, "Haha, I never expected that I would be personally greeted by the Marquis of Fengcheng. Dou Tong, the third-class Great Wei of the Myriad Treasures Trading Company David, pays respects to Your Excellency."

"Shopkeeper Dou, we've known each other for a long time, why the fuss? What big deal is this that requires you to come all the way here in person?" Fei Tianqin's tone was noticeably more cheerful.

Dou Tong smiled sincerely and replied softly, "I offended the head manager at the Great Abyss Capital branch, so I was sent to Shannan Circuit to find work. From now on, I will be in charge of the Tengwen Prefecture, and I hope Your Excellency will take good care of me."

Upon hearing this, Fei Tianqin and the other knowledgeable Golden Core around him were all skeptical. Everyone knew that the Myriad Treasures Trading Company within the territory of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty was entirely under the jurisdiction of the Dou Household, and Dou Tong, as Dou Household youngest Golden Core cultivator of this generation, would never be demoted like this.

"Myriad Treasures Trading Company is also setting up shop in Shannan Circuit? This place is going to be quite lively in the future. Bai Canhong, I wonder if you old man can keep things under control?" After grumbling to himself for a while, Fei Tianqin ignored Dou Tong's nonsense and instead asked for help, "I'll have to trouble Shopkeeper Dou this time."

"Your Excellency is too kind. I am simply returning to Great Abyss Capital to report to the head steward. What is it of me to give a few fellow Daoists a ride along the way? To be able to serve Your Excellency is a blessing that few can attain."

Businessman's words are eloquent, but Fei Tianqin didn't appreciate flattery, so he gave up on chatting with Dou Tong and instead turned to the back, asking, "Gentlemen, hurry up and board the boat! What are you still babbling about?!"

After its sharp shout, several figures rushed over.

Fei Enxing, with a cold expression, took the lead and boarded the flying boat. His destination this time was the Liangxi border, Great Abyss Capital was just a transit point. He was not with the other Fei Household members who were on assignment and returning to False Core clan's territory in Ying Prefecture.

Jiang Qing was the last to arrive, accompanying the Fei Household Pill Master, but he was also standing next to the imposing Sect Leader Kang Da.

Contrary to popular belief, Kang Dabao, who is usually very talkative, didn't chatter with Jiang Qing this time.

The usually silent Sect Leader Kang Da finally couldn't hold back any longer. Only when Jiang Qing was about to step onto the gangway did he speak, offering these words of advice. "Be careful on the journey, be quick-witted, control your temper, don't be impulsive, and only think about how to protect yourself and avoid any harm."

"Junior brother understands." Approaching sixty, Jiang Qing was much more composed than before. He bowed to Kang Dabao with one hand from the gangway before boarding the ship with his sword. However, on the deck, he couldn't contain himself any longer, turning back to call out loudly, "Senior brother, take care! Junior brother will definitely return soon!"

Be careful!

Instead of a human voice responding to Sect Leader Kang Da's repeated instructions, the azure-scaled main sail of the giant ship displayed the seal script character for "wealth" before roaring into action. The mist that had just subsided began to rise again, making the great city beneath the ship appear like a fairyland.

"I'll take my leave now. I'll come back to listen to your teachings when I have time." After saying this politely, Dou Tong didn't wait for Fei Tianqin's reaction. With a flash of inspiration, he landed back on the flying boat.

Fei Tianqin's eyes lit up as he looked at it, and he thought to himself, "Myriad Treasures Trading Company seems to have become increasingly wealthy over the years. The spirit boots that Dou Tong is wearing are no ordinary items; they seem to have the aura of spirit treasures."

Even some less powerful and less skilled True Person would struggle to capture this fellow's true form without considerable ability! In the future, when the world descends into chaos, his family might very well get involved. Who knows if any wise and capable individuals in the capital have made any plans in mind?!

The giant ship was quite fast, and after a short while, even with the old bird's sharp eyes, it was difficult to find any trace of it.

Fei Tianqin turned back with his thoughts in mind. Without saying a word, he flapped his wings, and a high-ranking official from the state court dismissed the surrounding elite troops, who returned to their respective posts.

The once bustling Xuanwei City instantly returned to tranquility. The Golden Core, having witnessed the imposing presence of the Fei Household patriarch and learning of his connection with the manager of Myriad Treasures Trading Company, found themselves with a host of new thoughts.

This was exactly what Fei Tianqin wanted to see. He stayed where he was, exchanged a few brief words with the others, and then left.

The Golden Core cultivators had no intention of lingering long. After exchanging a few pleasantries in small groups, they dispersed. Chu Yanran had just exchanged a few words with Senior Cultivator Wufeng and was about to leave when she saw Sect Leader Kang Da hurrying over to pay his respects.

"My son is utterly useless and incompetent. Yet, Madam has shown him no disdain and has taken him under her wing, even accepting him as her True Disciple thanks!"

After seeing Kang Dabao Chu Yanran, Chu Yanran smiled and said, "You're a lucky boy. Changyi a very reliable and honest child. I'm afraid he'll reach the Foundation Establishment in another year or two."

"Thank you so much for your guidance, senior!"

Sect Leader Kang Da clearly already knew the news, and he quickly concealed his joy, bowing deeply once more.

Chu Yanran accepted the gift without hesitation. After all, even though she had only taken Kang Changyi under her wing due to other reasons, she had still taught him with great care over the years.

Otherwise, even if Kang Changyi's Spirit Root was not bad, it would be impossible for his foundation to be so solid that he would need to Foundation Establishment before he was even thirty. However, after being received by Kang Dabao, this beautiful woman then spoke up and said:

"But I've also been at a crucial stage of my cultivation these past year or two, so I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of Changyi much. Well then, I've already prepared the Foundation Establishment Pill for him, but it was a bit rushed, and I only managed to find one of medium quality."

However, considering his foundation, it should be sufficient. You, as his father, shouldn't just sit back and do nothing. This time, take Changyi back and teach him properly. It would be best if, when I emerge from seclusion next time, I would see that this child has become True Cultivator."

"Yes, once I have finished the Fei Household expense, I will go to your residence to fetch them."

"That's for the best," Chu Yanran nodded slightly with satisfaction, then drifted away.

Just as Kang Dabao was about to leave, Yang Wuwei came over with his two cousins, Yang Wudi and Yang Wuxin, to invite him. "Brother, if you have time in the future, please remember to come to Ye Prefecture for a chat."

"Rest assured, fellow Daoist, once things settle down within the sect, I, Kang, will certainly have the opportunity to visit you two brothers!"

"Is it a deal?"

It's a deal!

The two clasped hands warmly, exchanged well wishes, and then bowed in farewell. While Kang Dabao and Cao Xianlu were exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Yun, Senior Cultivator Wufeng's disciple, mustered his courage and came over for a chat.

His mastery of the Golden Core technique would make him a figure of importance in other parts of Shannan Circuit, but in the last two rounds of battles against Funeng's peers, he was somewhat lacking.

After all, it was clear to everyone with discerning eyes how pathetic his first battle was. Although he was also among the nine seats, he was worlds apart from Kang and Cao.

Fortunately, Sect Leader Kang Da was never arrogant and quickly became very close to Zhou Yun.

Cao Xianlu, who was standing to the side, was quite proud, but when he saw that even the most Double Brightness leader of Chongming Sect was like this, he didn't want to ruin his impression on Kang Dabao, so he also restrained his temper and spoke to Zhou Yun in a nice and polite manner for a while.

Qin Sufu, who was just recovering from his injuries, was unaware that his Yue Household intended to make Chongming Sect with Chongming Sect. He stood at a distance as usual, gazing thoughtfully at the Sect Leader Kang Da, who was now somewhat surrounded by admirers.

The shrewd and resourceful Kang Dabao did not linger in such a place for long. His relationship with the other guests had already been very good during their time together in Xuanwei City, so there was no need for him to waste any time here.

After making arrangements with Zhou Yun to have a drink at the Chongming Sect, Kang Dabao, Cao Xianlu, and Fei Wen went back to Fei's residence together.

It is true that She Mountain Hall is currently facing a talent shortage. Among the thousands of members of the prestigious Fei Household lineage, there are no outstanding individuals. It is necessary to bring out the aforementioned three outsiders to attend the meeting, in order to salvage some face for the She Mountain Hall.

It's unclear when She Mountain Hall's situation will improve, given that Fei Nanying is currently in seclusion.

However, as a son-in-law from another family, Sect Leader Kang Da doesn't need to worry about these things. To be honest, the more talent the She Mountain Hall has, the more benefits he can gain. For him, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

He returned from this trip with Fei Tianqin's permission to come and invite people.

After parting ways with Cao and Fei, Kang Dabao walked through the long corridor, flowing water, mountain forests, flowers and trees, and smelled the fragrance of medicine before finally entering a secluded spot deep within Fei's residence, holding the token.

As soon as Sect Leader Kang Da entered, he saw a middle-aged man with white hair, wearing a thin robe, standing beside a Pill Cauldron with blue flames rising from its base.

"Junior Kang Dabao, Tianqin order of Elder Tianqin, specially requests Senior Luan to move to Little Ring Mountain!"

---- Chongming Sect

At midday, Pei Yi, with a pale and handsome face, left Nurturing Qilin Hall accompanied by the sound of chanting scriptures.

Ye Yaoling is a very competent teacher who has indeed relieved Pei Yi of a lot of burdens over the years. She is trustworthy and has put the old master, who is suffering from a chronic illness, at ease.

However, the number of disciples in the Chongming Sect has increased significantly compared to before, and Ye Yaoling alone may find it difficult to manage. It would be necessary to cultivate several assistants to help her.

Pei Yi paused at this point, mentally reviewing the outstanding disciples in the sect, and murmured, "That little girl named Qi Ke seems quite good. She's been an inner disciple for two or three years now, it's time for her to take on some responsibilities."

Chang'er's cultivation level is already sufficient, and his fellow disciples have always provided him with much guidance. He also possesses the strengths of various schools of thought, making him suitable for teaching disciples. However, the salary and benefits for this assignment are not particularly generous. Perhaps we should discuss it with Senior Brother Kang and Junior Sister first before proceeding."

Pei Yi returned to his residence with a belly full of thoughts. Recently, all the matters outside had been settled, and he and Yuan Jin and others were finally able to get away. As soon as Pei Yi entered his own courtyard, he saw that Lady Kuai had already prepared the spiritual dishes and was guarding the round table.

Although the younger sister of the Kuai Household, who was forced into the Chongming Sect by Kuai Wu at the cost of her own life, had saved the lives of everyone in the Chongming Sect, she had not developed the slightest arrogance or haughtiness. She remained gentle and kind in her dealings with others, and even when she looked at Pei Yi with eyes full of admiration, her expression remained unchanged.

Now, the courtyard is only occupied by the couple and a few ordinary servants from the Pei Household, making it rather deserted.

Of Pei Yi's three disciples, Kang Rongquan was far away in the Wild Fox Mountain in the Cold Crow Mountain Range, cultivating spiritual fields for the newly opened Spirit Vein, and naturally had no time to spare; Yuan Changsheng was also serving as a steward of the General Affairs Hall at the Jia-Chou Military Stronghold, managing and assigning jobs to the rogue Rogue Cultivator who came from various prefectures and counties to make a living in that emerging place.

Only Ye Yaoling, who remained in the sect as a steward of the Nurturing Qilin Hall, could frequently come to pay her respects. However, Pei Yi felt that this would greatly affect her cultivation, so he insisted on exempting her from this formality.

After all, Ye Yaoling is already over fifty years old, and her cultivation level is only at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining. She doesn't know how many hurdles she hasn't overcome in the Foundation Establishment. She really shouldn't waste time on these useless things.

In addition, Pei Yi's only daughter Pei Zhu'er, got married before the new year, and her husband's family is the Jiang Household Double Brightness.

Jiang Qing, a cousin of Chongming who possessed Spirit Root but was unlikely to be accepted into Double Brightness Chongming family, won this marriage. He also received a large sum of money as part of Pei Zhu'er's dowry, and the entire Jiang Household family was well-fed and Ruyi.

After all, Jiang Qing, who was also an elder of Double Brightness, had left home at a young age and had never been particularly fond of the clan. To be honest, he probably didn't care as much about the Double Brightness Jiang Household as his two disciples, He Dezong and Ming Zhe.

After hearing that Pei Zhu'er brought a large sum of supplies, the Double Brightness Jiang Household now has some ideas to cheer up.

Jiang Qing's cousin had some guts and came up with the idea of finding a spiritual site in Cold Crow Mountain. With the added advantage of the relationship between the Jiang and Pei families, it would be easy for Ye Zhengwen and Sun Fu to get things done without having to bribe anyone.

After having eaten the spiritual dishes with his wife, Pei Yi went into the cloud room alone. On the large wooden clothes rack in the room lay a set of Pei Que's clothes, and on the low table next to him lay the golden axe Law Artifact that the latter had used in his lifetime.

Pei Yi had long since passed the age of being moved by the sight of the scenery. He sat on the jade couch expressionlessly, opened the small ice box that Kang Rongquan had sent to present, took out a piece of Higher Vehicle -quality Sun-Longing Grass, and started refining it into an elixir.

Refining the Sun-Longing Pill was not a difficult task for a top-grade Alchemist like him. After a while, the pill was finished and the furnace was extinguished. A few plain-colored pills jumped out of the furnace and were inhaled by Pei Yi along with a rice fragrance. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, large patches of gray-black dirt were extracted from the pores of Pei Yi's body.

He was clearly used to this scene. He simply made a hand seal, and the fire poison that had accumulated in his body due to alchemy was blown away by a gentle breeze.

However, Pei Yi's face did not show much relief. After the poison left his body, his expression darkened, and he made a series of shouting sounds from his chest and mouth for a long time.

It was two hours later before Pei Yi managed to suppress his injuries. Even though he was covered in sweat, he didn't dare to stop.

Pei Yi closed his eyes and concentrated, forming the Tai Chi hand seal and silently reciting the Mind-Clearing Mnemonic, finally entering a meditative state. The hidden injuries he suffered from failing to Foundation Establishment were intermittent, and the lost lifespan could not be recovered in the slightest. This made it even more difficult for Pei Yi to Foundation Establishment again.

Even so, he never considered giving up. But as time went by, he still hadn't made any progress, which inevitably made him impatient.

Moreover, there is

"The great revenge remains unavenged! The great revenge remains unavenged!!"

It's unclear how much time has passed, but spiderweb-like bluish-purple veins have appeared on Pei Yi's jade-like face. His eyebrows, which used to slant upwards towards his temples, are now twisted like earthworms. Blood beads seeping from his lips roll down his chin, staining his moon-white silk robe with red spots.

The veins on the back of his hand bulged with an eerie purple light, as if something alive was crawling under his skin. His knuckles dug into the cracks of the blue bricks, carving several crimson bloodstains into the brick wall, which was covered with spiritual energy.

The strange roars emanating from Pei Yi's throat intermittently crashed against the stone wall, mixed with the cracking sounds of dislocated bones, making the originally tranquil Cloud Chamber extremely eerie.

At this moment, Pei Que's clothes, which had been neatly arranged, had fallen off the beam, and even the golden axe Law Artifact placed on the low shelf were overturned by the shockwave, their Golden Light falling onto the glazed incense burner. The unburnt pine resin and the smell of blood mixed together in the cloud room, creating a strange odor.

The eerie roar abruptly stopped, Pei Yi's neck snapped back, and his once clear pupils were now as murky as boiling water. His blood-stained silk robe billowed without wind, and the gold-embroidered cloud pattern on the lapel snapped off inch by inch.

He convulsed, curled up in a bow shape, his shoulder blades pushing against the fabric, revealing a faint dark red hue on his back.

"The great revenge remains unavenged! The great revenge remains unavenged!!"

"Ta-da!"

Upon hearing the sound, Lady Kuai came over, opened the gate of the mansion, and immediately curtsied, saying, "So it's Senior Brother Headmaster."

"Yes, sister-in-law, you're too kind." Sect Leader Kang Da didn't exchange many pleasantries, but simply pointed to the white-haired middle-aged man beside him and introduced him to Lady Kuai: "This is Senior Luan, Third Tier Alchemist whom I invited from the Fei Household, here specifically to treat Junior Brother Pei's injuries."

Lady Kuai immediately lit up with surprise and delight, and she said, "My husband is currently cultivating in the Cloud Chamber. I will go and call him out right away!"

Sect Leader Kang Da's face also lit up with joy. "Yes, yes, please have your sister-in-law quickly summon Junior Brother Pei to meet you. Senior Luan is extremely busy, and even within the Fei Household, he is a crucial figure. Naturally, he has no time to linger for long. I imagine Junior Brother Pei is merely a minor ailment, a matter of course for Senior Luan."

Senior Luan was clearly fond of flattery. After Kang Dabao's praise, his face, already radiant with the glow of the generous medical funds, gained an even greater look of pleasure. He stroked his handsome beard, about to utter some humble words, when he noticed a strange phenomenon occurring in the courtyard, and his expression suddenly changed.

"Possessed by demonic possession?!"

The Sect Leader Kang Da reacted even faster than the Alchemist. He grabbed the terrified, tearful Lady Kuai and shielded her behind him, then roared angrily at the blood-red figure in the cloud room, a figure whose former glory was now unrecognizable. "Junior Brother Pei!"