Chapter 138
Su Qinian looked at Tu Xinghe kneeling before the thunder talisman, his heart jolting in surprise, quickly followed by a surge of anger. He pointed at Tu Xinghe and shouted, “You! You wretched creature! Have you truly turned to demonic cultivation?!”
“Ancestor, Sect Master, I am filled with shame; I deserve to die a thousand deaths.”
Tu Xinghe bowed repeatedly to the void and to Su Qinian, tears streaming down his face.
“I am of mediocre talent, and every time I compare myself to my fellow disciples, I feel a deep sense of inadequacy. Once, while hunting demons in the mountains, I encountered a female cultivator and fell for her. I thought we could become partners on the path, but when we left the mountains, we were ambushed by a powerful demon. She died tragically, sacrificing herself to buy me time to escape…”
At this point, Tu Xinghe was already in tears, his voice choked with emotion.
“Is that why you felt your strength was insufficient and turned to demonic cultivation?”
Su Qinian’s face was stern, his voice laced with frost.
“Yes.” Tu Xinghe rolled up his sleeve, revealing arms marred with grotesque scars, and forced a bitter smile. “The righteous methods are calm and balanced, but they place great importance on talent and foundation. I wanted to quickly increase my strength, not just for self-preservation, but to avoid losing anyone else. So, I turned to this demonic method, which requires little talent. All I need to do is refine my own blood and qi every day…”
He looked up at Su Qinian, laughing maniacally. “Sect Master, there’s no true demonic cultivation, only those with wicked hearts! If I maintain my original intentions, what’s wrong with that? The improvements from this demonic method are indeed significant! I’ve made tremendous progress in less than a month, even if it comes at a cost…”
“Shut up!” Su Qinian kicked Tu Xinghe over, sword pointed at him, cursing furiously, “You damned fool! A cost? You’re only refining your own blood and qi now, but let me ask you, what will you do when your own blood runs dry?
I know exactly what you’ll do.
To survive, you’ll start using the blood of demon beasts!
Then you’ll find that the blood of demon beasts won’t meet the requirements of the method, and soon you’ll be hunting down fellow cultivators from our sect to refine their blood. But do you think those enemies are easy to find? Each one you kill is one less! Eventually, your targets will become your own fellow disciples who have conflicts with you!
Once you kill the first disciple, you’ll find it easier to kill the others without even needing a reason!
You will ultimately be controlled by the demonic method, falling into the path of evil!”
Tu Xinghe stared blankly at the furious Su Qinian.
In the eyes of the sect master, he saw anger, complexity, guilt, and disappointment… but not a hint of murderous intent.
He knew Su Qinian was right.
His own blood was already insufficient for the demonic method, and he had already tried using demon beast blood, which proved futile.
If he didn’t continue cultivating the demonic method, he would die from having his blood consumed by it.
So he had to seek out and hunt cultivators to obtain their blood to sustain his practice.
It was a dead end, a path to becoming a demon.
“Sect Master, I deserve to die a thousand deaths. I have wronged you and the sect; I have no face left to live on.”
Tu Xinghe drew his sword, holding it across his neck, his eyes filled with despair.
The Sword Sect was his only home.
He couldn’t bear to part with the Sword Sect, with every blade of grass and every tree on Falling Sunset Peak, with his fellow disciples, and with the sect master who had taught him so much… but he felt he no longer had the right to cling to these things.
Today, he could only atone with his death!
Su Qinian pressed his lips together and turned away, unable to watch Tu Xinghe take his own life, yet powerless to stop him.
Practicing demonic methods deserved a thousand deaths.
Being caught by the ancestor himself left him with no other option.
【Wait!】
A commanding voice echoed through the void.
A fragrant breeze swept in, and Tu Xinghe felt his palm empty.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Li Qingran standing before him.
He hadn’t even realized that his sword had been taken away by his junior sister.
…
…
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Chapter 147: Disciple, Follow Me Inside for a Chat
Had his junior sister, who had just joined the Sword Sect, really become that powerful?
Tu Xinghe couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
Unlike him, a waste of talent, who not only had poor aptitude but also foolishly sought to practice demonic methods, turning himself into something inhuman.
Tu Xinghe didn’t believe the ancestor would let him off easily.
There were many harsher punishments than death.
But these punishments were rightfully his, and he had no complaints.
He lowered his head, silently awaiting the judgment of the Sword Sect’s ancestor.
【Why the rush to commit suicide? Trying to cover up the origins of your demonic methods?!】
Tu Xinghe’s expression turned fearful as he knelt, trembling, and said, “I wouldn’t dare, Ancestor. I truly feel I deserve to die a thousand deaths, and I have no face left to live on… If the Ancestor wishes to know anything, I will speak without reservation!”
【Hmph! When did it become your place to decide whether I let you die or not?】
Tu Xinghe stared at his dirt-stained hands, not daring to speak, his heart heavy as lead.
【Where did you obtain this demonic method?】
“Replying to the Ancestor, it was obtained from a demonic cultivator wearing a fox mask during a sect mission. I don’t know his realm, but I was powerless before him. He didn’t kill me; instead, he spoke of my regrets, stirring my unwillingness, and ultimately gave me a scroll of demonic methods, claiming it would help me.”
Chen Huai’an felt a headache coming on.
Clearly, Tu Xinghe had fallen into a trap set by the demonic sect.
If only the place where he obtained the demonic method had been a demonic stronghold, it would have been easy to resolve.
But how could he track down that masked demonic cultivator?
Next time, he might wear a cow mask or a horse mask.
And it was possible that it was a group effort; other disciples from different sects likely faced similar fates as Tu Xinghe.
Ambition, unwillingness, regret, hatred…
For cultivators, harboring these emotions was all too normal.
In a life far longer than that of mortals, conflicts with others were inevitable.
And the immature disciples from various sects were perfect targets for infiltration.
He wondered if the heavenly secrets could help him find those demonic cultivators spreading these methods.
Regardless, for now, it was best to gather as much information as possible.
【What is the name of that demonic method? Let me see it!】
Tu Xinghe obediently took out a jade slip and placed it on the stone table, stammering, “Ancestor, this method is called ‘Tianmo Lianxue Mici’ (Heavenly Demon Blood Refining Secret), and its core principle is to enhance spiritual energy and muscle strength through blood qi.”
【You have obtained the item ‘Tianmo Lianxue Mici’ fragment one.】
Chen Huai’an stared at the jade slip that had just appeared in his hand, his expression gradually turning absurd.
How did it just pop up like that?
Could it be that he could practice this too…?
The moment he grasped the jade slip, a flood of information surged into his mind.
After digesting it, he understood.
This method originated from the ancient demonic sect Tianmo Sect in the Cangyun Realm, and it was part of their foundational technique, the Tianmo Gong.
In addition to the blood refining scroll, there were two others.
The main scroll was the Tianmo Duoxin Dafa (Heavenly Demon Heart Snatching Method).
The other scroll was the Tianmo Baoshi Dafa (Heavenly Demon Gluttony Method).
The blood refining method and the gluttony method were secondary; the core was the heart snatching method, as those who practiced it could control all cultivators practicing the blood refining and gluttony methods within a certain range.
This explained everything.
The demonic cultivators in the Cangyun Realm were playing a grand game.
Without a doubt, their target was all righteous cultivators entering the Zhongzhou Secret Realm.
Those who could enter the Zhongzhou Secret Realm were mostly fresh blood with good talent from various sects. If they could eliminate all this fresh blood within the secret realm, it would be a heavy blow to the righteous sects.
Tu Xinghe, who considered himself of mediocre talent, was merely comparing himself to his fellow disciples, each of whom was more monstrous than the last. If he were in another sect, he would undoubtedly be one of the disciples entering the secret realm.
“No wonder Li Qingran’s survival rate in the secret realm is so low,” Chen Huai’an shook his head, sighing. This year’s Zhongzhou Secret Realm was no longer just a secret realm; it was a den for demonic cultivators.
And the disciples of the righteous sects were the fish!
What to do now?
According to his survival instincts, it was best not to enter the secret realm at all; let the righteous and demonic cultivators fight it out inside. For now, it wouldn’t affect Li Qingran and the Sword Sect.
But the main quest was pointing right there.
The materials for the Baicao Detoxification Pill could only be obtained from there.
Thus, Li Qingran would definitely go…
“Wait! If I cured my cancer before entering the Zhongzhou Secret Realm, wouldn’t Li Qingran not have to go?” Chen Huai’an slapped his forehead.
Whether the Demon-Slaying Division could cure him was another matter, but now that he knew Li Qingran was real, he could just ask her directly for whatever he needed, right? That minor mutation cancer could probably be dealt with by ordinary pills!
“I’m such a genius! Hehehe, hahaha!”
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