Chapter 85: Ancient Demonic Cultivator
“Why don’t you go down and meet Yun? Playing mysterious like this, what kind of reclusive master are you pretending to be?” Song Yan took a sip of the floral tea.
The fragrance filled his nose, refreshing his spirit.
“Aren’t you afraid that the Foundation Establishment senior beside her might cut me down with a single sword stroke?”
Song Yan found this baffling. “You haven’t done anything wrong. Why would an older brother meeting his sister get cut down?”
Sheng Nian rubbed the cup in his hands, remaining silent for a long while.
Then he dropped a bombshell.
“That’s because I’ve been cultivating demonic arts and have become a demonic cultivator.”
“I’m afraid of you orthodox sects.”
He lifted his face, which now showed more signs of hardship than before.
“…”
“…Demonic… arts?”
Song Yan raised an eyebrow, speaking slowly.
“Yes.”
“Who taught you?”
“…?”
This time, it was Sheng Nian’s turn to be stunned. “Aren’t you going to ask what kind of demonic arts I’ve been cultivating?”
Song Yan said with a straight face, “Evil-Repelling Manual?”
“Song Yesheng, did you spend three or four years in the immortal mountains and Daoist sects just to learn this?”
Seeing Sheng Nian’s expression, Song Yan felt a nameless anger rise within him.
“…”
He took a sip of chrysanthemum tea to calm down.
“Anyway, it’s a technique that can’t see the light of day.”
“…”
“Fine.”
Song Yan pondered for a moment, then simply nodded without speaking.
He knew what kind of person Sheng Nian was.
He was chivalrous and knew right from wrong.
He would never commit any evil or immoral acts.
However, Song Yan was somewhat worried that the so-called “demonic arts” might affect a person’s mind.
After all…
From those three outside Shiliang Town to Jiang Hui, the Immortal Jiang of Peach Blossom Wharf.
Each of them had cultivated demonic arts and all seemed to have lost their sanity.
For now, at least, Sheng Nian still appeared to be within the range of a normal person.
“If I ever discover you doing anything vile or wicked, Yun and I will personally cut you down.”
These were his honest words.
Sheng Nian didn’t back down. “Maybe it’ll be Yun and I teaming up to take your head, Young Hero Song.”
Song Yan couldn’t be bothered to bicker. “Then what are you doing at North Watch Mountain? Looking for Yun?”
Sheng Nian shook his head.
“Just a coincidence.”
“A-Yan, there are other things I can’t say much about.”
“The Flower Festival isn’t as peaceful as it appears.”
Song Yan’s heart sank upon hearing this. “What do you mean?”
Sheng Nian shook his head.
“Just remember to be careful of a person named Liang Feng.”
Liang Feng…
“…”
Song Yan didn’t ask further, just nodded.
“Ah, right…”
Sheng Nian suddenly changed the subject, pointing at the Sun-Shooting Sect cultivator who had been following Sheng Yun from a distance.
“Do you know that guy’s name?”
“Seems like Cheng Yu.”
That person had introduced himself earlier, but aside from his arrogance, Song Yan didn’t have much of an impression.
Song Yan wasn’t familiar with him either. “What about him?”
“Nothing much. I need to figure out how to kill him.”
“???”
“He provoked you or something?”
Sheng Nian had just admitted to cultivating demonic arts, and now Song Yan was starting to believe it.
“You don’t understand.”
“I’ve been watching for several days now. While the Sun-Shooting Sect patrols the streets, this guy circles around Yun every single day.”
“Several times, he’s even gotten physical!”
Sheng Nian’s eyes turned darkly menacing.
It seemed the demonic arts didn’t include any killing eye techniques, otherwise that guy named Cheng Yu would probably have dropped dead on the spot.
“Wait, wait. What if it’s just a misunderstanding?”
“Misunderstanding?”
“Heh…”
Sheng Nian turned his head to stare at him.
“Xiao He…”
“She’s practically your half-sister.”
“…”
“If this guy circles around Xiao He all day and gets physical with her, having ill intentions…”
Bang—
“…”
Someone’s teacup shattered in their hand.
Sheng Nian showed no mercy. “You’ll have to pay for that yourself.”
“…”
Song Yan lightly touched his forehead and let out a soft breath. “Killing him… isn’t really necessary.”
“Just break both his arms, and that’ll do.”
…
The two chatted idly at the teahouse for a while before Song Yan stood up to leave.
As Sheng Nian watched his departing figure, a faint voice echoed in his mind.
“This fellow townsman of yours is quite interesting.”
“What?” Sheng Nian asked with amusement. “Even an ancient demonic lord like you is taking an interest in an orthodox cultivator?”
“Orthodox? Demonic? Heh heh…”
“There was never any distinction to begin with.”
“And didn’t you notice? When it came to killing people, he was quite at ease…”
Sheng Nian’s smile vanished, and he fell silent.
The voice continued, “Only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, hasn’t even reached the late stage, yet he’s filled with demonic thoughts…”
“Hm?”
“Demonic thoughts?”
“Yes… truly interesting.”
“I’ve never sensed such heavy heart demons in a junior before Foundation Establishment.”
Sheng Nian frowned. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“I could have reminded him.”
“Hahahaha… Remind him?”
“Boy, who do you think you are?”
“…”
Sheng Nian remained silent, not understanding what the voice meant.
“Do you know that even if his master, elders, or even the Eastern Abyss Sect Master learned of his heart demon, they wouldn’t mention a single word about it?”
“That… why is that?”
“Tch. You don’t even know what heart demons are, yet you dare to speak of reminding others.”
The voice was filled with contempt.
“As far as I know, there are no means in this world that can eliminate heart demons through external methods.”
“That thing can only be resolved by oneself.”
“Besides yourself, no one can help you.”
“Then what should be done?”
“What should be done? Heh… Saint Sheng, take care of yourself first.”
“Besides…”
The voice paused slightly.
“How do you know whether the influence of the ‘heart demon’ on him is good or bad…”
Sheng Nian was suddenly startled.
Good…
Or bad?
Weren’t heart demons inherently evil?
“Hahaha, juniors will be juniors.”
“And juniors from this backwater place are even more foolish and ignorant.”
The faint voice dripped with mockery for the ignorant.
“Today, I shall teach you another truth.”
“In this world, all things under heaven.”
“There is no distinction between good and evil, right and wrong.”
“These orthodox cultivators fear heart demons like tigers.”
“They speak of resolving, eliminating, and whatnot…”
“They don’t realize that the so-called heart demons are merely the evil thoughts, obsessions, greed, desires, delusions, and killing intent within one’s heart…”
“When these things gain sentience, they become heart demons.”
A sudden glimmer of understanding arose in Sheng Nian’s mind.
“I ask you…”
“Were these things inherently evil from the start?”
“…”
Silence.
“Mortals, cultivators… all living beings in this world seek advantages and avoid harm.”
“Craving spiritual treasures with insatiable greed.”
“Desiring eternal life with delusional fantasies.”
“Seeking the immortal path with obsessive persistence.”
“If these didn’t exist…”
“How could cultivators climb inch by inch, advance step by step, and seek the great Dao of eternal life?”
Sheng Nian suddenly spoke up. “So… it’s because these desires become too excessive, too overwhelming. Things go to extremes… and that’s why they become heart demons.”
“Wrong again.”
The voice seemed to have predicted that Sheng Nian would say this.
“Throughout history, whether orthodox or demonic cultivators, those who were destroyed by heart demons…”
“Were not because their demonic thoughts were too strong.”
“At the root, it was because they couldn’t control them.”
“We demonic cultivators never make excuses for ourselves.”
“If one possesses sufficient willpower and comprehension to control the darkness within their heart…”
“Then without a doubt, the stronger the demonic thoughts…”
“The stronger… that person becomes!”
…