The demon race currently has four legitimate royal lineages: the Chongming Bird, the Xumigui, the Yansheng Fox, and the Nine-Colored Deer. Each wields a Wanna Banner, commanding demons from all directions. The pure-blooded Chongming Bird clan was exterminated a thousand years ago by human cultivators led by the Six State-Conquering Sovereigns. The Yansheng Fox, which evolved from celestial foxes, has a rare bloodline. The Nine-Colored Deer migrated to the space between mountains and seas in ancient times. Now, only the Xumigu lineage remains among the demon clans in the human realm.
Nan Yan had heard from Yin Ya that the remnants of the demon race, sealed beneath the Demon Sealing Formation, resided on the back of an indescribably enormous Xumigu. This Xumigu was now the ancestral spirit of the demon race. Once it entered the sea, the four seas would be in constant turmoil, as if a new State had appeared.
Too much time had passed since the Six State-Conquering Sovereigns sealed the demon kingdom. Most people in the human realm no longer remember when the demon kingdom dominated the seas. Even as the Nine-Colored Deer’s voice echoed across the four seas, most people couldn’t comprehend its significance.
“Isn’t it an opportunity? But this primordial spiritual energy…?”
The whale ship beneath their feet seemed to sense the immense demonic aura pouring from the spatial rifts. Despite the cultivators’ efforts to control it, the ship remained motionless on the sea’s surface.
Cultivators stared intently at the primordial spiritual energy leaking from the spatial rifts. In the nearest rift, two Nine-Colored Deers stood in the distance, their bodies radiating nine-colored halos. When a cultivator touched the halo, his physical body was completely dispersed. Uncertain of their strength, the cultivators hesitated, their greed tempered by caution.
“This demon calls itself a Nine-Colored Deer? Isn’t that a legendary spirit beast? Does anyone know what they intend?”
A blue ice barrier gradually appeared around the whaleship. Nan Yan saw the spectral projection of a Dharma Transformation cultivator on the blue ice, looking somewhat familiar.
“I am Huo Wuji, Vice Sect Master of the Tianxie Dao. Are the demons from beyond our realm intending to invade our human race?” asked the Dharma Transformation cultivator presiding over the whaleship.
The nearest spatial rift was only about fifty li away, one or two li long, resembling a slightly closed giant mouth ready to devour everything.
The Nine-Colored Deer in the rift offered no further explanation. Its antlers flashed, and light orbs slowly flew out from the rift behind it. Within these orbs, vague mountain ranges and rivers could be seen.
“The realm where our race dwells is collapsing. We possess four directions, sixteen mountains, and twenty-four marshes. The four directions shall be governed by our demon race and are non-negotiable. The remaining sixteen mountains and twenty-four marshes are rich in primordial spiritual energy. You humans may claim them if you’re capable. However, I must warn you: those who obtain the demon pearls of these lands will be bound by a drop of demon blood, preventing harm to our descendants. If you agree, you may take them. If not, we will not fear battle for our survival.”
These words caused an uproar throughout the cultivation world.
“These Nine-Colored Deer, steeped in primordial spiritual energy, their voices reaching heaven and earth… who knows their level of cultivation?”
“They say they don’t want war and are willing to share the primordial spiritual energy. Isn’t that a win-win situation?”
“Who knows what they’re planning? I won’t go.”
“Isn’t there any Daosheng Tian cultivator to manage this?”
“Daosheng Tian is in trouble. Those major States are only concerned with their battles. Who cares about these matters…”
Despite these concerns, many cultivators slowly rose, their eyes filled with greed.
“The primordial spiritual energy of an entire mountain! If we could obtain one, it would be enough to establish a sect!”
Near their whale ship, there were three light orbs in the rift, each encasing a brilliantly glowing pearl. Two of the pearls contained rivers and marshes, while one contained a green mountain. They emitted primordial spiritual energy of gold, water, and wood attributes respectively.
Some quick-reacting cultivators had already risen to rush toward them—
“Nascent Soul cultivators and above from the Divine Coffin Sect, follow me to seize the primordial spiritual energy!”
Hundreds of streaks of light immediately flew from the whaleship. A Nascent Soul rogue cultivator next to Nan Yan tried to persuade her to join: “Fellow Daoist, I see this primordial spiritual energy is rare. Why don’t we act together? Even if we can’t compete with those large sects, we might still get some leftovers. What do you say?”
Nan Yan stared at the three floating light orbs in the sky, her brow slightly furrowed as she guessed some of the deeper implications.
The Nine-Colored Deer held a transcendent status among the demon race, with unfathomable wisdom and strength. They had anticipated that once the demons broke through the spatial rifts, human cultivators would inevitably wage war over resources. To prevent harm to their descendants, they released these mountains and marshes full of primordial spiritual energy. Those powerful enough to seize these lands would undoubtedly be the upper echelons of the cultivation world. By reaching a non-aggression pact with them, the demons from between mountains and seas would secure a foothold.
Moreover, there seemed to be an intent to provoke internal strife among humans, possibly stemming from the demons’ inherent hostility towards the human race.
Nan Yan carefully observed the positions of the rifts. Whether intentional or not, there were almost no spatial disturbances in the directions of the Zi and Hai States. However, there were constant flashes of magical light in the opposing camp’s territory.
If the power of other States were strengthened as a result, the gap with the Zi State would be somewhat narrow. Given the current situation, the demon kingdom remnants sealed within the Demon Sealing Formation needn’t be mentioned—their hatred for Daosheng Tian ran deep. Adding the already warring Yin and Chen States, the balance of power in this human realm, originally dominated by Daosheng Tian, seemed to be shifting towards equilibrium.
“Hey, fellow Daoist, I’m talking to you. I approached you because I saw your pure spiritual energy. If you’re not interested, don’t waste my time.”
Seeing that Nan Yan hadn’t responded for a while, the person beside her showed impatience. Suddenly, Nan Yan’s toes moved slightly, and in an instant, she appeared a hundred paces away.
“That mountain, with its barren peak, has always had an affinity with my Buddha. Fellow Daoists, please don’t contend with me for it.”
Having cultivated demon-subduing techniques, she flew through a group of demonic cultivators like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves, reaching the rift in an instant.
Most of the cultivators around were at the Nascent Soul stage. The powerful Dharma Transformation elders, confident in their ability to reclaim any stolen treasures, remained on the whale ship observing the situation.
Demonic cultivators within fifty paces of Nan Yan felt their spiritual energy tremble. Some hot-tempered Nascent Soul cultivators angrily shouted, “Which Buddhist cultivator dares to sneak onto our Si State’s whale ship? State your name!”
“Blood-Handed Guanyin,” she replied, her voice soft but firm. With a palm strike, countless soul banners, demonic treasures, and poisonous mists around her dissipated like snow under the sun.
“This Buddhist energy is not from the orthodox Mao State. She is… she’s that person!”
“Yes, the one Daosheng Tian is searching for!”
“They say if we capture her and take her to Daosheng Tian, it could guarantee one person’s entry into the Dharma Transformation realm!”
All eyes focused on Nan Yan, but despite this, no one dared to make a move.
She had announced herself to the world because she was the sole heir of the Yin State because standing behind her were several major States sworn to destroy Daosheng Tian.
While everyone was tense, Nan Yan had already cut through the sea of people, heading straight for the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who had first seized a demon pearl.
“Mere early-stage Nascent Soul, you dare challenge me!”
The late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator had a corpse puppet engulfed in raging demonic flames beside him. As Nan Yan approached within thirty zhang, the corpse puppet leaped up, spewing a large black mist.
“This person is the Poison Demon Old Ghost from the Divine Coffin Sect! His corpse puppet’s poison mist once injured a Dharma Transformation cultivator!”
Nan Yan’s eyebrows raised slightly. She flicked her prayer beads and lightly called out, “Purge Sin.”
The compassionate Guanyin apparition no longer appeared before her. Instead, a terrifying Asura figure materialized, wielding chains and a vajra. The Asura faced the poison mist head-on, its mouth full of fangs opening wide to swallow the mist completely in an instant. At the same time, it raised its left arm, the chains on it seeming to have eyes as they whipped out to ensnare the corpse puppet, flinging it several li away.
“Impossible!” The Poison Demon Old Ghost had truly never seen such a fierce Buddhist cultivator. He patted his storage bag, and three identical corpse puppets appeared simultaneously. As he chanted, the talismans on the three puppets shattered, and they attacked Nan Yan from three directions.
The nearby Nascent Soul cultivators instantly retreated, their hearts filled with shock.
“Good thing I didn’t contend with this Poison Demon Old Ghost. So he had more than one corpse puppet… These three puppets attacking together can rival a Dharma Transformation cultivator.”
In truth, Nan Yan had never truly fought a Dharma Transformation cultivator. The last time, it was because she fully activated the power of her Buddhist Bone Zen Heart, elevating the physical battle to a contest of the Dao. Only then could she hold her ground against Ying Ze Wei’s divine sense avatar.
This time, Nan Yan was truly relying on her cultivation to battle against a top-tier Nascent Soul cultivator.
What Ying Ze Wei feared most was the widespread circulation of the Seven Buddhas Karma Scripture. Nan Yan needed everyone to know that this scripture was powerful enough to surpass Daosheng Tian’s Dao lineage.
So what she needed here was… utter domination!
“Three Corpse Life-Devouring Formation!” The Poison Demon Old Ghost unleashed his full late-stage Nascent Soul power. Black liquid dripped from the three corpse puppets, seemingly coming alive and forming a spider web that enveloped Nan Yan and her Asura manifestation within moments.
“Even a Nascent Soul cultivator can’t escape my Three Corpse Life-Devouring Formation. You’ve chosen the wrong opponent!” The old ghost seemed to have paid a great price, his hair gradually turning white and his entire being showing signs of aging as he activated the formation.
Where the poisonous web touched, even the dense demonic aura in the air was cut off. The demons watching from the darkness behind the spatial rift retreated, except for a small Nine-Colored Deer, only as tall as a human’s knee. It curiously approached, its head with newly sprouted antlers peering with interest.
… It was the cub of the Nine-Colored Deer royal lineage.
Nan Yan caught a glimpse of the deer cub, barely a hundred zhang away. She took a light breath and murmured, “Demons and evil ways, be enlightened.”
Just as the black liquid web was about to corrode through her protective spiritual light, the Asura manifestation before Nan Yan suddenly surged with Buddhist energy. It instantly transformed into a three-headed, six-armed figure, grasping the three corpse puppets in its palms. Buddhist flames erupted from its hands, instantly turning the puppets into three fireballs that emitted miserable screams as they burned.
“My corpse puppets!!!” The puppets seemed to be connected to the old ghost’s life force. As they were destroyed, his hair turned completely white, and his expression became withered. At that moment, Nan Yan suddenly closed in.
“Break.”
As she uttered this word, her prayer beads flew out, ensnaring the old ghost. Each bead flickered with karmic fire, directly refining his physical body and forcing his Nascent Soul to emerge.
“I’ll remember you!!!” Seeing the demon pearl seized by Nan Yan, the old ghost hurriedly wrapped himself in his storage bag and fled in panic. However, he didn’t expect a series of deer calls from ahead. A small deer rushed out from the spatial rift, its face adorably gentle, but it opened its mouth and inhaled.
A nine-colored rainbow light enveloped the old ghost’s Nascent Soul. Before he could react, he was sucked into the small deer’s mouth.
Nine-Colored Deer loves to eat souls, and Nascent Souls, being refined souls full of spiritual energy, are their favorite.
After happily absorbing a Nascent Soul, the small deer turned its head, hoping to see if there were other battling cultivators whose physical bodies had been destroyed, so it could opportunistically eat something good. However, it was unexpectedly caught in a Buddhist restraint.
The small deer: “…”
Nan Yan, expressionless, scooped up the frantically crying deer trying to act cute with a net made of Buddhist restraints, and slung it over her shoulder. She then turned to look at the other two Nine-Colored Deers at the spatial rift.
“Why do you treat our kin like this?” The two deer, not panicking at all, tried to entice her with an extremely gentle fairy-like voice. “Our Deer Lord values our kin and wishes to coexist peacefully with humans. What are you doing, binding the Deer Lord’s young?”
Nan Yan replied coldly, “The demons from between mountains and seas may not like flesh, but they love to eat souls. The more strife in the human world, the more you benefit. I need to ensure you’ll keep your promise and not switch sides midway to join those madmen of Daosheng Tian. This little deer cub and I have a karmic connection, so I’ll take it away for a few days. The Nine-Colored clan only has male deer, and your descendants are rare. Please convey to the Deer Lord to think carefully.”
After speaking, she took a step back, and a spatial passage appeared behind her. She flashed into it.
In the ensuing silence, the two Nine-Colored Deer looked at each other and spoke, “Human cultivators, our race comes with sincerity. The masters of mountains and marshes can further negotiate with us.”
They had originally released over twenty demon pearls full of primordial spiritual energy into the cultivation world. Everyone thought the chaos in the cultivation world would intensify, but they didn’t expect Nan Yan to kidnap the Nine-Colored Deer leader’s offspring, stopping a potential bloodbath. Some were disappointed, while others secretly felt relieved.
“That Seven Buddhas Karma Scripture is truly formidable… I wonder where one can cultivate it.”
“I know, the black jade talisman that Daosheng Tian is hunting everywhere must contain this method!”
“Seven Buddhas Karma Scripture…”
…
Nan Yan unhesitatingly followed the spatial passage. When she stepped out of the rift, she unsurprisingly found herself in a secret cave on the whaleship.
The sound of boiling tea was particularly noticeable in the silence. Ji Yang was sitting to one side, pouring spirit tea diagonally into cups. He then made a gesture of invitation.
Nan Yan put down the net containing the deer cub and sat down, looking at him steadily. “Only Dharma Transformation cultivators can open spatial passages. That passage was full of demonic energy, surely the work of the Dharma Transformation demonic cultivator on this whaling ship. You’ve already controlled Huo Wuji, haven’t you?”
Sensing Nan Yan’s hidden anger, Ji Yang lowered his gaze and said, “Daosheng Tian won’t give me much time. Controlling a high-ranking Dharma Transformation cultivator makes things easier.”
Nan Yan: “Then back to the previous question, for the sake of destroying Daosheng Tian, you’re willing to release the demon race. Have you considered that you’re inviting wolves into the house?”
Ji Yang replied, “In this small room, there won’t be a more ferocious wolf than me.”
Nan Yan looked at him for a while, drank his tea, and said, “I do not like to argue with people. Actually, before dealing with Daosheng Tian, I thought a lot — just like when the demon race appeared, the first thing those cultivators thought of to resist the demons was Daosheng Tian. There’s a saying, ‘Better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos.’ My family’s vengeance is small compared to the fate of the human realm. After things settle, I wish to resolve my grudge with Ying Ze Wei.”
“The Seven Buddhas Karma Scripture and the Reverse Samsara Mirror are unprecedented artifacts, but I still must say, he’s not an opponent you can match,” Ji Yang rose and knelt before Nan Yan’s knee, saying, “Your mother’s original intention wasn’t for you to be like this.”
In terms of cultivation, scheming, and ruling power, no one has yet fathomed his depths. Even Ji Yang must calculate each move carefully to occasionally gain an advantage over him.
Nan Yan raised her head, unwilling to let him see her slightly reddened eyes, and said softly, “I’ve endured for too long. Sometimes I even want to ignore everyone and kill my way to Ying Ze Wei’s presence. Even if it costs me my life, I’d be content to carve a piece of flesh from him. But I’m more afraid — afraid that my brother, my uncle, Long Zhu, and the others would sacrifice their lives to avenge me because of my impulsiveness… And what I fear most includes you.”
Two generations of Daosheng Tian’s masters went mad because of emotions. Sui Han Zi and Ying Ze Wei chose to sever emotions to pursue the Dao, while Shao Cang indulged in the seven emotions and six desires. Once lost, he would fall with the world.
“I stopped the demon race this time, but I can’t stop them from constantly crushing innocent lives in various ways to take revenge on Daosheng Tian,” Nan Yan lowered her head and said, “Although there are many weak people in this world, we don’t have the right to choose the future for them.”
“Fighting for the weak will make you live forever like a weak person,” Ji Yang held her hand and placed a light kiss on her palm. “At least I can’t bear them taking you away. I want to make sure no one in this world dares to covet this heart again. It will always be yours…”
And you are mine.
At this moment, the crying voice of a girl in her sweetest years rang out. Nan Yan came to her senses and looked around, finally seeing the pitiful little deer shedding tears in the net on the ground.
The little deer looked at her with tears dropping, seeming to have grown a bit after eating the Nascent Soul, and it began to speak human language.
“WaaAh Chongming Bird sister, please spare me. Next time I’ll give you all the delicious souls… I won’t fight you for the one beside you…”
The voice of the little Nine-Colored Deer, if one had to describe it, was like that of a pitiful girl who had lost her parents early and was selling herself on the street in mourning clothes. Any man would be unable to refuse.
But it was male. Nine-Colored Deer have no females; they are all conceived and nurtured by spiritual energy.
Ji Yang wasn’t attracted by the little deer. Instead, a door behind him opened, and Mo Xing Zheng’s bloodless face appeared. He looked around, intending to find the source of the crying girl’s voice selling herself, but unexpectedly saw his senior brother holding the hand of a monk. The scene was extremely improper, and his hand on the door trembled slightly.
“… Sister Zhen Yuan, why are you here?”
“Xing Zheng.” Ji Yang gently blocked Mo Xing Zheng’s line of sight and said, “Have you heard about our legend of the eighteen levels of hell?”
Mo Xing Zheng felt a chill on his head and asked, “Wh-what legend?”
“It’s said that there’s a level of hell specially designed for brothers who covet their sister-in-law in their previous life. Those who enter this hell have all their emotions uprooted, lose all their hair, and in their next life, they either accompany the green lamp forever or become sword cultivators in Wei State.”
Mo Xing Zheng: “There’s no such hell!”
Ji Yang: “There isn’t now, but if you don’t purify your six senses, there will be one immediately. Do you understand?”
“…”