Outside the Beast-Sealing Array, on the North Sea cliff, cultivators from two States stood ready.
“Friends from Si State, you’re blocking the coast at the edge of the Beast-Sealing Array. Do you have no regard for Yin State?!”
Spiritual light flickered along the shore, illuminating it like daylight.
Within half a day, Si State’s demon cultivators had gathered over forty of their kind on the coast, including even a Yuan Ying stage demon cultivator who stood guard near the array’s release scroll.
The Beast-Sealing Array, impenetrable to the current cultivation world, needed no protection. Typically, Yin State’s Red Emperor Jade Palace would dispatch cultivators to patrol, reporting any anomalies to nearby main cities.
Now, although Si State cultivators held Heaven’s decree, Yin State patrollers couldn’t ignore the massive gathering of demon cultivators.
From a snake-carved carriage among the Si State demons, Li Mian parted the curtains, her brows furrowed. “The life tokens of Tianxie Dao cultivators vanished in Yin State without reason. We’re already being lenient by not pursuing your negligence. How dare you obstruct us from catching the culprits? I suspect you’re accomplices! My brother’s life jade has dimmed. If anything happens to him, Yin State will pay the price!”
The Yin State cultivators’ faces darkened. “We’ve shown restraint out of respect for your long journey. Don’t push your luck!”
As tensions escalated, the Yuan Ying demon cultivator guarding the entrance suddenly caught a blood talisman flying out. After reading it, his expression shifted between joy and worry.
He transmitted to Li Mian: “Elder Huo Wuji has found the Destruction Iron and orders us to send people in with the release decree to rescue him.”
Li Mian asked, “The Destruction Iron should be mine to present. What about my brother?”
The Yuan Ying cultivator replied grimly, “The Young Lord… he was ambushed by several cultivators in the array. His fate is uncertain.”
“What?!” Li Mian stood abruptly, her chest heaving.
The Yuan Ying cultivator suggested, “Miss Mian, sharing blood with the Young Lord, could you enter the array and use some essence blood to perform the blood-bone-seeking technique to find him?”
Li Mian seemed not to hear, covering her face as if weeping.
Several Core Formation cultivators immediately surrounded her, concerned: “Don’t worry, Miss Mian. The Young Lord is blessed. We’ll go bring him back right away! With the Vice Sect Leader’s guidance, we’ll surely succeed.”
Li Mian sniffled, “Alright… I’ll draw a blood-link talisman. Take it to find him. You must bring my brother back, or when Father finds out… the Marquis will kill us all.”
The mention of Li Chi and Li Mian’s father, the Marquis of Yu Xie, sent a chill through all the demon cultivators.
The Yuan Ying cultivator watched as the others entered, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent. “Rest assured, Miss Mian. I’ve contacted two fellow Yuan Ying brothers nearby to assist. Even if the Red Emperor Jade Palace sends people, they can’t stop us from investigating. Whoever dares to touch our Si State demon cultivators, once they appear, we’ll tear them to pieces!”
The distant Yin State cultivators, only at the Core Formation stage, were at a significant disadvantage against the Yuan Ying demon cultivator, despite their home-ground advantage.
“Quickly report to the nearby Yuan Ying city lord, and send a message to the palace through the transmission array for reinforcements!”
…
Nan Yan slept for a long time, struggling to wake several times. Whether her eyes were open or closed, all she saw was darkness.
Her spiritual power seemed cut off, and she could only be dragged into the abyss by chains…
After what felt like half a night, Nan Yan sensed the deep sea’s chilling cold begin to subside. Something then dragged her ashore and suspended her.
Finally, she was awakened by heat.
Opening her eyes, Nan Yan found herself hanging in an undersea lava cave, surrounded by web-like chains.
Not far in front of her lay a huge skeleton, about ten meters long and lion-tiger-like, tightly bound by the Lurking Spirit-Subduing Chains. As the lava below bubbled, the skeleton gradually cracked and fell apart under the intense heat.
A hot wind from the lava below had just dried the seawater on her body. She didn’t feel uncomfortable now, though her entire body below the shoulders was tightly bound by chains… Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt much.
“I never thought that right after angering you, we’d end up dying on the same day. Should I say heaven has treated me well?”
As the Blood Thorn Vine’s poison gradually faded from Nan Yan’s body, she looked down and finally understood why the chains weren’t hurting her.
Someone had embraced her before she fell into the sea. When they triggered the Lurking Spirit-Subduing Chains, it had bound them together.
After a while, Nan Yan stiffly turned her head. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ji Yang with his head lowered on her shoulder, eyes closed. His long, dark eyelashes cast a circle of shadow, and a messy strand of hair fell across his face. He looked utterly exhausted.
After a long moment, Nan Yan asked, “How did you end up down here too?”
Ji Yang, still with his eyes closed, replied softly, “Naturally, I was struck into the sea by the demon cultivator.”
Nan Yan asked, “What about Second Brother?”
Ji Yang chuckled dryly, “Facing death, yet you still worry about others?”
Nan Yan retorted, “How do you know we’ll die?”
Just as she finished speaking, a beast’s roar echoed. The chains shook violently, and at the end of the countless links, Nan Yan saw a giant turtle with a hard shell all over its body, wailing in agony. It was bound by tens of thousands of Lurking Spirit-Subduing Chains, which slowly lowered it into the lava.
As the lava touched the turtle’s shell, a sizzling sound filled the air. The turtle’s agonized screams reverberated throughout the cave, causing other distant beasts to howl in response.
After being submerged for over ten breaths, the chains lifted the turtle. Its body was charred black, with a mixture of flesh and charcoal falling off. Parts of its scales were still burning.
Comparing herself to the turtle, Nan Yan realized her delicate body couldn’t match its toughness. She asked, “How often will these chains sink us to be burned?”
“I don’t know.”
“So we’re just waiting to die?”
Ji Yang didn’t answer, and Nan Yan fell silent. After a moment, she asked, “Do you think Second Brother might wake up in time?”
“It’s hard to say.”
Qi Yang always spoke unhurriedly. This made Nan Yan feel uneasy, as there had been some tension between them before. She knew he must have been aware that concealing his identity as a demonic cultivator would anger her, yet he never revealed it. He even used the silver shark pearl she gave him to deceive her.
Demonic energy…
Even though she had lost all her spiritual power, Nan Yan could still sense the growing demonic energy pulsing with the heartbeat of the person behind her. It felt like a vicious beast whispering in her embrace, ready to devour her.
Sensing her stiffness, he slowly raised his head and whispered in her ear, “Being this close to a demonic cultivator makes the Bodhisattva nervous?”
Unwilling to show weakness, Nan Yan retorted, “Would you feel any better if you were tied to a Buddhist cultivator?”
She heard Qi Yang chuckle, “If this were truly the end, it would be a dream come true for me.”
Nan Yan was taken aback. She often felt that Shao Cang’s words carried hidden meanings she couldn’t understand.
“Shao Cang, can you finally tell me what happened to you that year in Huigu Valley? How did you become a demonic cultivator? And why did you pretend not to remember us?”
Qi Yang spoke softly, “It’s just like in the stories. I fell off a cliff and met a master who told me I could only escape by cultivating the demonic path and learning his supreme skills.”
“…”
“To survive, I cultivated the demonic path. After I escaped, I killed people while searching for you.”
“…How long did you look for me?”
“Not long.”
Not long indeed – he had thought of her for six years and searched for three.
Qi Yang slowly opened his eyes, revealing complex emotions that were hard to decipher.
“When I first saw you then, I sensed your killing intent and hastily left. You despise evil so much that I feared if we reunited and you saw how much I had changed, you might distance yourself… Our paths as Buddhists and demons are different, aren’t they?”
Nan Yan’s mind drifted to the past, recalling the gentle, bright young man who had held her hand and taught her to write as if it were yesterday. Those memories, along with her time with her mother, were her softest years.
“You underestimated me,” Nan Yan sighed. “Though the demonic path isn’t righteous, I won’t abandon you. I’ll guide you to the other shore.”
Qi Yang’s voice was particularly weak, carrying a hint of allure as he softly asked, “How will the Bodhisattva guide me?”
Fortunately, the bright firelight in the cave concealed the blush that crept up the seemingly saintly Buddhist girl’s ears.
“If we can get out of here, I have my ways…” Nan Yan’s throat felt dry as she unconsciously fidgeted with her prayer beads, her movements quickening with nervousness.
Her unease didn’t escape Qi Yang’s notice. He lowered his head, gazing at her seemingly composed profile, and pleaded for salvation in a seductive whisper.
“I harbor the evil of Vinayaka. May Guanyin guide me.”
“…”
Legend had it that when King Vinayaka committed evil deeds, he was seduced by Guanyin in female form. After one night, Vinayaka renounced evil and returned to Brahman with Guanyin.
This Buddhist tale, when spoken by him, seemed to reverse their roles.
Was it the demon seducing the Buddhist, or the Buddhist guiding the demon? Nan Yan’s heart wavered, and the Buddhist scriptures that once flowed easily from her lips now became fragmented. The characters in her mind scattered and rearranged into chaotic, incomprehensible words.
Maintaining one’s composure was no easy task. After a long, unbearable silence, Nan Yan forced herself to steady her mind and said, “Stop playing around. If you have the energy for this, you must have a way to get us out of here, right?”
“I do have a way,” Qi Yang replied, looking rather disappointed. “The Stealth Spirit Lock is a masterpiece of the Puppetry Path. Puppet Masters, often proud artisans, always leave a way to unlock their creations. It’s simple to break this lock. These chains restrain our spiritual energy in the same way, so opening any single lock will release all the chains binding us.”
Nan Yan frowned. “That’s all well and good, but where’s the key?”
“We don’t need one. Any sharp metal or stone object will do.”
Nan Yan was about to mention the hairpin in her hair but realized it had been lost when she fell into the sea. Her veil, hairpin, and ornaments had all been swept away by the water. She felt dejected, wishing she had been more careful.
“I don’t have any metal or stone objects on me. Is there anything else…” She turned her head mid-sentence, only to find Qi Yang staring at the side of her face.
Nan Yan remembered that Yin Ya had bought her many earrings, insisting she wear them to match her clothes. She had forgotten to take them off during their hurried journey.
Though there seemed to be hope, she suddenly had an ominous feeling.
“I have a question,” Nan Yan asked. “Your hands are tied. How will you unlock it?”
Qi Yang eyed the trembling earring on her plump, lustrous earlobe, perfectly sized for biting to unlock the chains. “I could use your earring, but it might be somewhat ungentlemanly. Can you endure it?”
Nan Yan instantly understood and asked despairingly, “What if this poor nun can’t bear it?”
Qi Yang smoothly replied, “Then I’m willing to perish together with you.”
In the cave, flames blazed fiercely. Chains occasionally dragged beasts into the lava, their screams echoing. Amidst the chaos, one person fingered her prayer beads, murmuring a mantra to calm her heart.
“I take refuge in Susiddhi, bowing my head to the seven kotis…”
After several deep breaths, her earlobe was enveloped in warm, moist softness.
“I now praise the great Cundi, may your compassion protect us…”
The earring was grasped between teeth, and the junction between her earlobe and neck received a gentle lick.
“Namo satnam, samyak… sambodhaya.”
Fortunately, Qi Yang’s movements were swift. After retrieving the earring, he lowered his head to attempt unlocking the Spirit Lock on her shoulder.
Nan Yan finished her mantra, her palms slightly sweaty.
…Forgive me, Buddha. My heart is insincere. This demonic trial might be even harder than the Heart Demon Ordeal of Core Formation.
Her repentance didn’t last long as she noticed the chains above her moving, slowly descending.
The lock remained unopened.
Watching the approaching lava below, Nan Yan’s initial fear of death gradually calmed. Before falling, she spoke, “Shao Cang, let it be. Say one last thing with me.”
Qi Yang raised his head, releasing the earring to fall into the lava. “What do you want to say?”
Nan Yan leaned back slightly, her face weary. “I’ve always wanted to say, even if you’re a demonic cultivator, it’s my responsibility. I won’t cast you aside or hand you over to others.”
People often say that demons are but a teardrop of mortal dust in Buddha’s eyes. Now, she understood.
“Alright, I’ll remember that.”
As he finished speaking, the chains around them trembled and broke apart. Their spiritual power was instantly released. After a moment of silent eye contact, they pulled each other away from the lava’s reach.
Landing on solid ground, Qi Yang continued, “We can still say a last second thing, a last third thing, and countless last things. You can say your second thing now.”
Nan Yan turned around, finding a rock wall to sit cross-legged against.
“I’m going to form my Golden Core. Do as you please.”
“Does forming a Golden Core require facing a wall?”
“We Buddhist cultivators have our ways. Please respect that, thank you.”