Chapter 8: Truly the Supreme Sanctuary of the Demonic Path

"Interesting, very interesting."

This venerable elder of the Yin-Yang Sect mentioned two matters in his letter.

The first was a detailed introduction to the various powers surrounding Zhangze Prefecture and its neighboring regions.

The second was an invitation for him to visit the Yin-Yang Sect in person to forge an alliance.

Though presented as two separate issues, they were, in truth, one and the same. Between the lines, there was both threat and temptation, but at its core, the message was singular.

Chen Yang had swept through and annihilated the Luoyun Sect as if crushing dead wood. The Yin-Yang Sect, though somewhat stronger than the Luoyun Sect, was still limited in power—merely a Golden Core at the initial stage and another at the mid-stage. If he could slay an early-stage Golden Core, why not a mid-stage one as well? Not to mention the even weaker Tianxuan Sect.

In short, they were afraid.

They worried that his ambitions would remain unsatisfied and that he would continue to expand. Yet, though they wished to unite against him, they hesitated, unable to act with one heart.

So they tried such petty tricks, hoping to make him compromise, to persuade him to stop while he was ahead.

Though many things were left unsaid in the letter, the meaning was clear enough.

The Luoyun Sect was now but a memory. As long as the Supreme Demon Sect was willing to make an alliance, both parties would recognize its legitimacy, and all that belonged to the Luoyun Sect—including its territory—would be handed over. Together, they would peacefully rule Zhangze Prefecture.

"If I go just because I'm summoned, would I not lose all dignity as the Demon Lord? Send word to those so-called Yin-Yang and Tianxuan Sects: if they wish to negotiate, let them come to the Supreme Demon Sect themselves."

With a soft laugh, he conjured a wisp of demonic flame in his palm and burned the letter to nothingness.

"Your orders will be carried out."

In the days that followed, the various powers that had occupied the Luoyun Sect’s former territory—the many cultivation clans—learned of its demise and that the Supreme Demon Sect now ruled.

Some fled with their entire households; others, unwilling to abandon their ancestral estates, sent envoys to pay homage and declare their allegiance.

Chen Yang had no interest in meeting such people, merely issuing the order that all should remain as before.

Better to spend his time refining the Heavenly Demon Bloodblade to greater perfection, or the Bone Demon to a fiercer pitch, than to waste it on these petty creatures.

After all—he, the great old demon of Mount Shu, the first Demon Lord of this world, was not someone to be summoned by every stray cat or dog.

A few days later, Fatty Xu came to report that he needed to make a trip to the Grand Conference of Dali to confer with the upper echelons of the merchant association in person.

Seeing the weariness in his eyes, despite his forced cheerfulness, Chen Yang guessed that negotiations with the Four Seas Merchant Association were not progressing smoothly.

He asked a question; when Xu did not answer, Chen Yang saw no need to press. Since Xu wished to handle it himself, so be it.

But if he dared to ruin his business over it, there would be no room for leniency.

Once Fatty Xu had departed, Chen Yang was left deep in thought.

Whether the Pure Yang Elixir could be successfully refined was still uncertain; the supreme treasure of Yang was nowhere to be found.

If he truly failed, he could hardly turn himself into a zombie, could he?

"It’s inconvenient to have no Heavenly Dao. Otherwise, I could calculate my fortune with a pinch of fingers, and need not trouble myself so. I must plan ahead."

With a sigh, he accepted that there are gains and losses in all things.

If there were a Heavenly Dao and karma, he could never have acted so wantonly, rising to power in just over a month.

Looking at it now, aside from preparing the Pure Yang Elixir, he would have to innovate in his cultivation as well. After all, a man cannot let himself be stymied by a full bladder.

"Attend me."

"At your command."

"Bring me all the sect’s collections of cultivation manuals, every last one."

"Yes, my lord."

Besides the Daoist methods of Mount Shu, he had never thought much of this world’s cultivation arts. Yet, any civilization that could thrive must have its merits.

Besides, one can always learn from the strengths of others.

With another system of cultivation to reference, who knows—perhaps he could devise a grand method to merge demon and Dao, achieving Pure Yang through their union.

All things must be tried before conclusions can be drawn.

Chen Yang devoted himself to studying the local cultivation arts, comparing them with the Daoist methods of Mount Shu.

The local methods were straightforward and forceful; though their spells appeared intricate, deeper study revealed their ancient simplicity.

It was like a wide road up a mountain, direct and unyielding.

When obstacles appeared, it was met with brute mana, breaking through by sheer force. If it worked, one could continue; if not, there would be no further progress, no hope of ascension.

The Daoist arts of Mount Shu, by contrast, had evolved from primitive sorcery through corpse-immortal techniques to the present-day Zhong-Lü alchemy—refined over countless generations of great immortals.

They had mapped every step of the journey up the mountain, noting every pitfall and the means to bypass it with clarity.

At least up to the level of Nascent Soul and the achievement of Loose Immortal status, there were no bottlenecks.

After that, the path became more winding, but still, the ancestors had prepared great boons for their descendants; if one failed in this life, reincarnation would offer another chance, and another, until success.

So long as one held true to their heart and did not stray, ascension was only a matter of time.

Of course, that applied to those with strong backing.

For those without such support, who knew what they would reincarnate as?

Even so, for those of the side paths, though they might not achieve heavenly immortality, becoming a loose or earth immortal and living freely in the lower realms was no great difficulty.

To put it simply, cultivation in this world was rooted in the five elements, natural and blunt.

In a world overflowing with spiritual energy—as in the early days after the world’s creation—this method would be the easiest route to immortality.

There was no need to cultivate temperament; simply amass mana and one’s cultivation would rise, step by step. With ample resources, even insurmountable barriers could be battered down.

Once one became an immortal, freed from the threat of death, time would naturally foster inner cultivation.

Upon reflection, the local methods were not without merit—but they only suited worlds rich in resources.

Yet, today’s cultivation world was far from abundant—compared to Mount Shu, it was positively barren.

"In Mount Shu, there are many old schemers—who could have ascended long ago but choose to linger, unwilling to be subject to celestial authority, all wanting to follow Elder Longbrow’s path and ascend as Golden Immortals, becoming high officials in the heavens.

And though few immortals descend from the celestial realm, it’s not impossible.

With so many masters, the Daoist arts are constantly updated to suit the world’s changing conditions."

"But this cultivation world lacks such advantages. According to their records, in ancient times, there were tales of true immortals. By the Middle Ages, one could only cultivate up to the Spirit Severing stage before ascension was required. Now, it’s been ten thousand years since anyone has ascended."

"Serves them right. They neglect cultivation of the heart, hoard mana, pass on techniques without restraint—manuals can be bought and sold at will. In Mount Shu, who would dare dream of such a thing?"

"In the Dali Dynasty alone—just twenty-seven prefectures—there are hundreds of thousands of cultivators. What does that mean? All of Mount Shu, counting the Three Sects and the side paths, has fewer than ten thousand.

Throughout the cultivation world, there are at least a hundred nations like the Dali Dynasty on Baohua Continent alone, and there are four such continents in all.

Moreover, Baohua is not even the most prosperous for cultivation.

Not counting overseas or other remote corners, just these four continents contain cultivators numbering in the hundreds of millions."

"........."

Truly, this land is a supreme holy ground for the demonic path—no end to the resources one could ever use.