Chapter 84: Nurturing the Demon

Let us set aside for now the state of Fang Su’s mind. At this moment, Lu Qian was no longer where he had been. His figure moved through the forest with the swiftness of a hunting leopard, the scenery on either side flashing by in retreat. And the direction in which he traveled was none other than Medicine Mountain.

“Old man, I truly dislike owing you a favor. Otherwise, my mind will not be at peace,” Lu Qian thought to himself. If he escaped alive, that debt would always weigh on his heart, leaving him uneasy. No matter what, he would repay this favor first. Moreover, Lu Qian was gambling. Back when they entered the Netherworld, Li Du had seemed utterly confident, ready to settle old scores with the Daoist of the Nether Path. From these years of acquaintance, Lu Qian knew Li Du was not one for empty boasts. If Lu Qian wished to flee, relying on his own strength alone would be nearly impossible. Without a token permitting descent from the mountain, it would be extremely difficult to deceive the Death Crows and the Guides, not to mention the pursuers. Even if he managed to descend, he would not last long.

Within the deep and shadowy woods, Lu Qian gripped the Blood-Dissolving Demon Blade, clad in the Dragonhide Armor, though he did not transform. The Black Robe artifact had been destroyed upon leaving seclusion, sacrificed to withstand Li Mingyou’s attack. Weapon in hand, his murderous intent surged. He was about to face formidable foes at the late Nurturing Spirit stage or even the initial Foundation of the Dao, perhaps even involving the mysterious Master of the Nether Path. Before such powerful adversaries, Lu Qian was as insignificant as an ant. Yet, the greater the danger, the calmer his mind became, as if his blood boiled with excitement. Dancing on the edge of a blade, life and death teetered in the balance. In the face of mortal terror, cultivation and background meant little; the only thing that mattered was who could seize the slender thread of survival first. He would wager everything to snuff out his enemies’ last hope of life. This mixture of terror and exhilaration was an unforgettable sensation.

Medicine Mountain was heavily guarded. Black-and-white-clad sentinels with tall hats and execution staffs patrolled the sky and ground, their gazes like torches. The entire pharmacy had been cleared of people, leaving only a man and a woman within.

Liu Ruyi sat atop a massive, pitch-black lotus platform. Dark aura coiled about her, constantly shifting into bizarre and monstrous forms, casting the great hall into a chilling, ghostly domain. This aura was called the Black Lotus Soul-Seizing Gale, capable of plunging one into a blend of reality and illusion, manifesting their deepest desires and fears.

Combined with her mastery of the Lotus of the Heart-Demon technique, Liu Ruyi’s expertise in illusion and inner demons was unrivaled. Opposite her sat an elderly white-haired man, encased within a translucent black lotus. His eyes were tightly shut, his face shrouded in dark mist that twisted his features between greed, anger, delusion, hatred, joy, fury, and sorrow—his expression contorted, demonic. When the lotus bloomed, it would mark Li Du’s demise and erasure.

“The heart has shattered, the demon lotus blooms.” As the lotus opened, Li Du grew gaunt as a skeleton. Witnessing this, Liu Ruyi felt a weight lift from her heart. “Forgive me, Li Du, but your disciple—I must leave him to Long’er, ha!” Outwardly, Liu Ruyi had agreed to spare Lu Qian’s life, but she had never promised him absolution. She had stationed people from the Spirit Treasure Hall to ambush him along the way, with more waiting in the Cave of Shadowed Fire. The moment he descended the mountain, he would be tracked, even by masters of the Nurturing Spirit stage. Escape was impossible for Lu Qian.

With a rush, the black lotus unfurled its petals—lush, dazzling, and bewitching. Endless darkness swept through the hall, and a vast surge of vital essence flooded into Liu Ruyi herself. At the heart of the lotus, Li Du had become a desiccated corpse. In the center of her consciousness, the Black Lotus blotted out heaven and earth, and Liu Ruyi’s spirit hovered at its core. From the lotus emerged a tall, handsome man in white, who approached her, his form growing faint. Liu Ruyi opened her eyes to meet his gaze. The white-clad man smiled gently and said, “I’m leaving.” With that, his form fractured into countless cracks—this was the heart-demon hidden deep within Liu Ruyi, the imprint Li Du had left upon her fragile and insecure soul.

As the familiar figure vanished, memories flickered through her mind: childhood companions, the bond of betrothal, their first steps into the Daoist path, the journey to Mount Yin, the first hints of brilliance… Without Li Du’s protection, her entry into the sect would not have been so smooth, and she would not have become who she was. All would have turned to dust. She did not know why, but her heart felt empty, and two silent tears slid down her cheeks. This was her farewell to the girl of twenty.

“From now on, the world of cultivation will have a place for me, Liu Ruyi.” Her gaze grew resolute. She had never regretted her choices; her pursuit of the Dao had never wavered for a single moment.

Just then, the figure of Li Du, who had only just faded, reappeared. “What!” Liu Ruyi’s heart jumped in alarm. Suddenly, a force pulled her spirit from her sea of consciousness.

In reality, Liu Ruyi was shocked to see the corpse-like Li Du awaken. His white hair floated, his eyes were clear and bright; aside from his emaciated form, there was no trace of demonic possession. A sense of extreme danger welled up within Liu Ruyi—she immediately realized she had fallen into a trap. She tried to summon her power, only to find she could not move a single muscle, all strength blocked. She could no longer sense the demon lotus in her consciousness, as if her body had been seized by another.

“What did you do?” Liu Ruyi was utterly panicked. Li Du sat cross-legged, the demon lotus behind him unfurling black mist that swirled about him. He smiled faintly at her words. “Don’t forget, the Lotus of the Heart-Demon was a chance I bestowed upon you.”

“Impossible! You’re only at the Qi Condensation stage. No matter how you learn, you can’t surpass me.” Cultivation was not a matter of hiding away and breaking through by force—it required immense resources.

“That is true, I am indeed at Qi Condensation.” Li Du met Liu Ruyi’s gaze, his eyes brimming with demonic intent, black mist blazing—he looked every bit the demon lord.

“Then you—” she began.

“Remember, I am a genius who appears once every five centuries. Genius remains genius; mediocrity remains mediocrity.” Li Du interrupted, his face confident. “Your talent is poor, and you are too self-doubting, only able to follow the rules. You cannot see the essence of cultivation: the heart plants the demon, the demon lotus is nurtured. In the end, you raise a demon that devours you; you are ‘feeding the demon’ and become its vassal. But I…” As he spoke, a mass of inky demonfire bloomed in Li Du’s hand. Countless horrors reflected within it, ten thousand demons howling inside. A single glance would unsteady the mind and disrupt the meridians.

“I abandoned Qi Condensation to cultivate the spirit. Using my own desires as fuel, the heart plants the demon, the demon returns to the heart. All phenomena are empty, like dreams and illusions. I walk the path of ‘nurturing the demon.’”

“So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is… Ha!” Liu Ruyi’s expression grew wild and deranged. Why had she betrayed Li Du? Because of her own inferiority, she did not want to spend her life looking up to him. She had thought that, by reaching this stage, she would surpass him at last. Yet she was still so far behind.

“So what? Neither of us can move now. In a while, others will find us. You won’t escape either. I am still the victor,” Liu Ruyi said. Though her power was suppressed, the gap between them was not so vast. Her own strength was also obstructing his, the two locked in mutual constraint.

“This move wasn’t meant for you, what a pity…” As he spoke, Li Du was enveloped in demonfire, his eyes gradually losing all clarity.

At that moment, Li Du suddenly opened his eyes, the demonfire receded, and he smiled. “Perfect timing!”