Inner Demons

Because of the great fire, the area near Weicheng became dry.

The former Weicheng.

Weicheng was not an isolated city; it had roads leading in all directions. It was also the economic and cultural center of the river region, with a considerable volume of goods moving through it daily. Now that Weicheng was destroyed, other provinces were naturally affected. Even if the Emperor didn't want to deal with the affairs here, he would still have to inquire.

Therefore, people from neighboring provinces and prefectures came to inquire nervously. The Taoist priests of Langya Grotto-Heaven only sent a low-level Intent Realm disciple to deal with them—the disciple only said four words from beginning to end: "Demons are causing mischief."

The officials then busy nodded in agreement and left as if granted a great pardon.

—Regardless of whether it was demons causing mischief or some other reason, who would want to deal with those people at a time like this?

...

...

Kun Wuzi, the Sect Master of Langya Grotto-Heaven, stood on a cloud, looking down at the earth below.

Those bright spots were the mirror-like, smooth formations that Yu Meng and his party saw when they fled Weicheng that day.

The vitality within a radius of several miles had been extracted. The entire burning Weicheng, along with the hundreds of thousands of deceased souls within the city, provided the power source for the formation, becoming its core driving force. A powerful force was gathering and building up in the Formation, poised to strike.

Kun Wuzi looked at the scene and sighed softly.

The Taoist priest next to him spoke: "Sect Master already has a great plan in mind, why do you still sigh?"

Kun Wuzi remained silent for a moment, then said, "When Weicheng was destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people died. I feel remorse."

The Taoist priest was slightly stunned, seemingly never having expected the Sect Master to sigh over such a matter. He thought for a moment and offered comfort: "Everyone in the world knows that Daoist Orthodoxy and Sword Sect shepherd all people, and they won't think otherwise. Originally, this was also to incite public outrage and make it difficult for demons to exist in the world. Isn't this hitting two birds with one stone?"

Kun Wuzi shook his head slightly: "Saying that Weicheng was destroyed by demons is my verbal karma. Now that it is to be spread throughout the world, I fear it will become a tribulation in my heart. Human lives are one thing. But if this tribulation truly arrives—it will probably be fierce."

"Never mind, let's not talk about this," Kun Wuzi thought for a moment, then looked down again, "It's a pity about that Li Yunxin. If he could truly follow the Way, he would have been a talent."

The Taoist priest next to him fell silent. Then a fleeting look of indignation appeared on his face. Only then did he say: "Sect Master was indeed overly worried before, wasn't he? Human power is sometimes exhausted."

Kun Wuzi understood what he meant—previously, he was worried that Li Yunxin might interfere and ruin the Grotto-heaven's plan near Weicheng. But looking at the past few days, that Li Yunxin likely had no means left.

News had come from Cloud Mountain. Although the black Cat Demon and rooster demon brought to Cloud Mountain were stubborn and unrepentant, some information about Li Yunxin was still gleaned from their scattered remarks. Although his parents were both exceptionally talented, and he himself was a capable person, he had at least not exceeded the bounds of normal expectation.

Previously, because of underestimation, and because the man was adept at playing tricks and schemes, one Manifestation Realm cultivator and one True Realm cultivator had fallen for his trap.

But his good luck could only go so far.

"Yes," Kun Wuzi thought for a moment and sighed again, "I was previously thinking that he might have a way to break the Dongting Restriction. Now it seems I overestimated him. He might be able to escape, but as far as the overall situation is concerned, he is just a breeze blowing across a hill, and will have no effect."

The Taoist priest next to him chimed in again: "Now we are aiming for the demons, not just him alone. Heh. I think a person like him must be arrogant and self-important, and never expected that one day... ha, he would merely be 'destroyed as a side-effect' by us—I truly want to see the expression in his eyes just before he dies."

Kun Wuzi glanced at him. He knew that the cultivator beside him was undergoing the "Heart-Losing Tribulation."

Thus, he would vent the most cynical and malicious emotions in his heart without reservation. But fortunately, his cultivation was still profound, and at this moment, he was only engaging in verbal abuse. The fate of others with insufficient cultivation would be more tragic—they would lose themselves due to increasing feelings of regret and jealousy, becoming completely engulfed in some terrifying emotion, and eventually fall into the demonic path.

"Siyuan. Reign in your heart," Kun Wuzi said to him.

The Taoist priest, whose courtesy name was Siyuan and Daoist title was Feikongzi, was sixty-three years old this year and was already at the Great Achievement Master Realm—the second stage of the three Master realms.

For secular people, sixty-three years could be called the age of the cycle. But for a Master whose lifespan could reach several hundred years, it was youth. He had spent almost all of these sixty-three years on Cloud Mountain and was indeed an undeniable young man.

Feikongzi was not worried about the Sect Master's concerns. He smiled slightly, but the smile contained a rare, visible hatred for a cultivator: "I can't reign in my heart during this Heart-Losing Tribulation, Sect Master. This time, Transcending Tribulation is probably my last chance to experience the enjoyment of a secular person's desire for revenge before the Profound Realm. Therefore, I don't want to reign it in."

"My junior sister Lingkongzi was harmed by that Li Yunxin, lost her physical body, and is nowhere to be found. Although she was unwilling to become my Daoist companion, this worldly affection of mine is truly here. After passing the Heart-Losing Tribulation, it will be difficult for me to feel emotions again—it is better to indulge myself this time."

"Once the great matter is accomplished, I will find Li Yunxin... and make him experience the feeling I am having now."

Kun Wuzi looked at his expression and said, "Your junior sister, and your martial uncle Yue Yunzi, probably thought the same way before. That Li Yunxin is, after all, an exceptional talent, you must be careful."

Feikongzi tilted his head slightly and smiled. It was very much like a secular person.

But his smile didn't last long. Because he and Kun Wuzi saw an anomaly appear in the distance.

They stood on a high cloud, overlooking all beings. In the distance, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly, blue like an inverted ocean.

It was against this backdrop that a ripple suddenly appeared in the void. The transparent ripple was especially conspicuous in the eyes of the cultivators, and Kun Wuzi and Feikongzi frowned almost simultaneously, shouting in low voices: "Who is it?!"

A Profound Realm cultivator should be composed and detached, remaining unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before them.

But the problem was... even a Profound Realm cultivator had never seen such a method of escape. A practitioner naturally couldn't be proficient in all the techniques of all the Grotto-heaven Schools in the world, but as Li Yunxin said before, many principles were interconnected, and you could always know "why this is so."

The reason why Kun Wuzi, the Profound Realm cultivator, was so agitated and shouted was—he couldn't see through the other party's technique!

The visitor quickly revealed their figure. Or rather, it was just a wandering soul.

A wandering soul without a body should be a Yin Spirit or a Ghost Cultivator.

But Kun Wuzi did not sense the unique Yin and resentment energy of a Ghost Cultivator from this wandering soul.

"Sect Master Kun Wuzi." This semi-transparent wandering soul performed a Daoist salute in the air. This place was already a kilometer high, and the wind was strong. But the wandering soul seemed to be outside of Heaven and Earth, completely unmoved.

"I am Linliang Zi, greetings to Sect Master Kun Wuzi." The wandering soul announced its name, then moved slightly forward—the two sides were separated by a hundred meters. But the amazing eyesight of the practitioners still allowed them to clearly see each other's appearance.

Kun Wuzi frowned slightly. He stared at him closely for a while.

The wandering soul was semi-transparent, but its original appearance could still be seen. It was a middle-aged man of average height, without a beard. His face was unremarkable, and there were no obvious wounds on his body. His expression was calm, even with a slight smile—as if he were a fellow Daoist greeting him on Cloud Mountain.

The Sect Master of Langya Grotto-Heaven then said in a deep voice: "Who are you? Are you a fellow practitioner from a certain faction who has transformed into a Ghost Cultivator?"

The instances of Taoist priests dying and transforming into Ghost Cultivators were rare. Because Daoist Orthodoxy and Sword Sect did not want the Celestial Heart Orthodox Law to spread and allow demons to also learn the Great Dao.

Linliang Zi smiled: "It's not what you think. Although I also cultivate the Celestial Heart Orthodox Law, I do not belong to Daoist Orthodoxy or Sword Sect. Sect Master Kun Wuzi does not know me, but I know you, Sect Master. I've come this time with a few questions for the Sect Master, and I hope the Sect Master can answer them."

Kun Wuzi realized that Linliang Zi's tone was light, but the underlying meaning was very firm.

Appearing suddenly at this time and place, in front of the Sect Master of Langya Grotto-Heaven, claiming to have "a few questions for the Sect Master"—no matter how you looked at it... it was not a sign of goodwill.

But Kun Wuzi was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Ask first. After you ask, this humble Taoist will properly ask about your background, fellow Daoist."

The wandering soul, who called himself Linliang Zi, seemed unconcerned by the threat in Kun Wuzi's words, and actually asked the questions: "I know that the Grand Formation Sect Master Kun Wuzi has set up here is the Life-Death Heavenly Dipper Array. It uses the demonic power of demons as a catalyst, channeling the Vow Power of hundreds of thousands of deceased souls in the city into the array. It is said to have immense power, capable of killing a peak Profound Realm cultivator with one strike."

"Claiming it is intended to deal with the Dongting Restriction is actually a pretense, isn't it? Sect Master Kun Wuzi pretends to want to open the Restriction and take the Dragon Soul, intending to draw out the great demons from all directions to stop this—the great demons may not be willing to do so, but the Divine Dragon has given the order, and they must obey."

"Or perhaps, the Divine Dragon will even come personally."

"No matter which situation, when the time is right... Sect Master Kun Wuzi gives the order. Either eliminate a dozen or so True Realm and Profound Realm great demons, or even severely wound the Divine Dragon, it's a win-win deal. Am I correct?"

Kun Wuzi thought for a moment, raised his hand to stroke his beard, and nodded slightly: "That is correct. But since you know so much, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave today."

Linliang Zi hurriedly smiled and waved his hand: "Don't be anxious, Sect Master. I still have more to say."

"It's just that if the Sect Master wants to destroy Dongting, the demons, and even the True Dragon... have you considered the Lucid Jade Slip? As far as I know, the Lucid Jade Slip is on Li Yunxin's person, and the Sect Master is afraid of destroying that treasure as well."

Kun Wuzi was stunned. But then he snorted: "I don't know what you are talking about."

Linliang Zi showed a tolerant smile: "Sect Master, you are putting on an act. My junior fellow disciple Qingliangzi was very close to the Head Seat of your Grotto-heaven, Taoist Yue Yunzi. I also offered him advice a few times in Weicheng before. It's a pity that he was obstinate and ultimately fell into Li Yunxin's hands."

"Taoist Yue Yunzi also knew about the Lucid Jade Slip, how could Sect Master Kun Wuzi not know? On that day, the Sect Master and Li Yunxin talked for a long time in the clouds, and he must have told the Sect Master about this as well."

"Now the Sect Master wants to destroy that jade slip... Aren't you afraid of incurring the displeasure of the Two Saints and having your cultivation scattered and your body destroyed?"

Kun Wuzi's gaze was fixed on the wandering soul who called himself Linliang Zi. He stared at him for a longer time before saying in a deep voice: "Your information is quite detailed. You also seem to be fearless. If you are Li Yunxin's—"

"Sect Master is mistaken," Linliang Zi smiled and shook his head, "I am not Li Yunxin's friend; on the contrary, I might be an enemy. I just really want the Lucid Jade Slip. Of course, getting his life at the same time would be even better. Sect Master doesn't need to worry about which faction I belong to—we have many people in the Daoist Orthodoxy, and even in the Sect Master's Langya Grotto-Heaven. It's just that the Sect Master hasn't noticed them."

"I did not come here with any ill will. I just want to ask, since the Sect Master has gone this far, can you cooperate with us this one time—after we capture Li Yunxin and obtain his jade slip, the Sect Master can then proceed with your own matters."

This person's request seemed... truly arrogant to Kun Wuzi. But it was this arrogance that made him have to take it seriously—unless he was a lunatic, no one would dare to speak so presumptuously in front of a Great Accomplishment Profound Realm Grotto-heaven Sect Master.

Kun Wuzi frowned: "Cooperate like this? If we truly cooperate as you say and let you capture Li Yunxin first—what if it delays our plan to eliminate the demons?"

Linliang Zi smiled indifferently: "All the Sect Master wants to do is start a war with the demons of the world. Compared to what we intend to do, that is merely smoke and clouds."

Kun Wuzi was so angry that he laughed: "Starting a war with demons involves all beings under Heaven and the Destiny of the Human Way. Are you saying it's smoke and clouds?"

He was waiting for Linliang Zi to say more words that he could use to speculate. But the other party suddenly fell silent.

—It was as if the good temper and patience from before had suddenly run out, and he didn't want to say another word at this moment.

Linliang Zi's expression became calm, and his smile disappeared. He looked at Kun Wuzi: "The Sect Master talks too much nonsense. I only need one answer—yes or no."

Such disrespectful words caused Kun Wuzi to also lose his patience. He decided to take this person down first.

Regardless of why he was so arrogant—Daoist Orthodoxy had enough power and capital to make him sober up.

Kun Wuzi sneered: "Overestimating yourself."

Then his robe sleeves suddenly billowed, and he was about to conjure a True Talisman.

It was at this moment that he heard Linliang Zi say calmly: "Kill him."

Kun Wuzi felt a momentary surprise. Because the other party's words sounded like they were directed at someone else—meaning the other party had an ambush here.

He immediately released his spiritual sense and swept it around.

But there were only he, Feikongzi, and Linliang Zi in the sky within a radius of a hundred miles; where was the ambush!

The other party was bluffing...

However, in the next moment.

Kun Wuzi's body suddenly burst open in the sky. Even the minced flesh and blood mist turned into ashes in an instant, leaving no trace.

This was because at the same time he released his spiritual sense, a thin thread of profound light, no thicker than a hair, suddenly shot out from the Life-Death Heavenly Dipper Array, which was composed of the three hundred and thirty-five observation arrays surrounding Weicheng. This light was so minuscule that it would be difficult to distinguish even in the dark night.

But... it struck Kun Wuzi's body directly.

The incredibly powerful physical body of a Great Accomplishment Profound Realm cultivator instantly turned into flying ash—

Kun Wuzi, the Sect Master of Langya Grotto-Heaven, was dead. (To be continued.)

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