Chapter 1724: Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons

Su Yuanzai asked, “What is an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon?”

In truth, Qi Xuansu wanted to ask the same question, but he could not quite bring himself to do so out of pride. Since Su Yuanzai had asked first, that saved him the trouble.

Zhou Mengyao did not conceal anything. She glanced at Qi Xuansu and said, “You should know that Heavenly Immortals have a method of severing incarnations and sending them into the mortal world in pursuit of a second ascension. We call these incarnations of Heavenly Immortals who enter the mortal world Banished Immortals.”

As Omniscient Sages, Qi Xuansu and Su Yuanzai naturally knew what an incarnation of a Heavenly Immortal meant. Perhaps this could still be considered a secret to others, but among the upper echelons of the Daoist Order, it was no secret at all.

Zhou Mengyao likewise assumed that the two understood the mysteries involved and did not elaborate further. She continued, “There is another term for Banished Immortals—Extraterrestrial Visitors. ‘Terrestrial’ refers to the mortal world, while ‘extraterrestrial’ refers to what lies outside the mortal realm, more precisely, the place one goes after ascension.

“This realm is boundless and infinite, yet contains nothing at all—no light, no shadow, no sound, no trace, no beginning, and no end. If a mortal were to enter this place, they would effectively cease to exist. Westerners have proposed the concept of dimensions, believing this to be a world of a higher dimension than the mortal world. If a mortal entered this dimension, it would be like a figure drawn on paper leaving the page and entering the real world, incapable of existing independently. However, Immortals have already transcended the mundane and become higher forms of existence, allowing us to exist within this higher-dimensional world.

“It is said that Immortals are not the only beings that exist in this extraterrestrial space; there are other entities as well, collectively known as ‘Otherworldly Visitors’ or ‘Visitors from Beyond Heaven.’ Some particularly malevolent ones are known as ‘Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons,’ and from this arose the distinction between Immortals and Demons. Westerners call them ‘Outer Gods,’ distinguishing them from the deities of the mortal world.”

Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, “How were these secrets concerning the extraterrestrial space passed down?”

Zhou Mengyao said, “As I already mentioned, Heavenly Immortals sever off incarnations and send them down into the mortal world. Naturally, knowledge of the realm beyond was brought into the mortal world by these Heavenly Immortal incarnations. However, some information concerning extraterrestrial space is far too profound and obscure, containing immense dangers that cannot be allowed to spread. Thus, it is classified as top secret. Generally speaking, only Immortals are qualified to know of it.”

Qi Xuansu and Su Yuanzai exchanged a glance and immediately understood. Although the two of them were Pseudo-Immortals as well as Omniscient Sages, they were ultimately still one step short of a true Immortal. Moreover, this standard presumably had nothing to do with power or status and depended solely on one’s cultivation realm.

Nevertheless, Su Yuanzai asked, “Why would this knowledge itself be dangerous?”

Zhou Mengyao explained, “That has to do with the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. First, I’d like to emphasize that Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons are not the same as inner demons. Although the two possess similar qualities, they cannot be regarded as the same thing.

“Second, Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons possess no fixed form or appearance. They are neither human nor beast. They can be as vast as a world or as small as a thought and can assume any form whatsoever. They may appear as the most beautiful thing in your heart or transform into the most terrifying thing imaginable to you. It’s more of a concept.

“Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons do not arrive through ascension, nor are they innate beings born of heaven and earth. Rather, they seem to be assembled from countless incomplete remnants, like fragments of space, incense power, scattered souls, wandering Three Corpses, the cast-off remains and mortal shells of Immortals, Buddhas, Gods, and Demons, and even lost pocket realms and the ruins of collapsed divine kingdoms. All of these come together to form an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon. Pocket realms, divine kingdoms, and fragments of space constitute its body, while lingering thoughts, remnant souls, incense power, and Three Corpses constitute its soul. Strictly speaking, an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon has no true core consciousness. Instead, it is an enormous collective consciousness, filled with chaos from the very day of its birth.

“Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons will voraciously devour everything, including living beings and all types of small worlds. Driven by instinct, they will also continually attempt to descend into the mortal world.

“However, during the Taiji Era, the mortal realm is becoming increasingly rigid, so much so that a mere concept cannot establish itself within the mortal world. Thus, an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon requires a vessel or a host.

“Ordinary people who do not know of the existence of Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons will never form any connection with them. But once someone learns of their existence, an imperceptible resonance will arise between them and the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. One day, depending on one’s fate, that person may become the host or the vessel of an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon. The Western Holy Court calls this phenomenon ‘corruption.’”

Su Yuanzai’s expression turned rather ugly. “Merely knowing that Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons exist means we might become their vessels? Then wouldn’t we...”

Qi Xuansu said calmly, “Sage Su, there is no need to worry. Since Immortals are qualified to know about this matter, that means Immortals must be capable of resisting their encroachment. We simply need to attain immortality as soon as possible.”

Su Yuanzai let out a bitter laugh and said nothing more.

As the beings closest to true Immortals, Pseudo-Immortals certainly could not be completely defenseless against Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. After all, corruption could not happen overnight. The process might take decades, so there was no need to be overly concerned.

Another method was to completely refrain from entertaining any thoughts about the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. Even if one knew of their existence, as long as one never thought about them, no resonance would arise. However, how many people could completely control all their thoughts? Trying to do so might even have the opposite effect. After all, reminding oneself not to think about Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons was itself a form of thinking about Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons.

Then again, although Qi Xuansu and Su Yuanzai had been the ones to ask, Zhou Mengyao had given them no warning whatsoever before telling them all of this outright. Clearly, her intentions were not benevolent.

Now that Qi Xuansu already knew and there was no way to undo it, he had no further reservations. He asked, “What cultivation level do Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons possess?”

Zhou Mengyao replied, “If you mean the true body of an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, then it is certainly above the Immortal level. But if you mean an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon that has descended into the mortal world, then it depends on the specific circumstances. Its strength is primarily determined by the cultivation of its host or vessel.

“Moreover, every Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon is unique. There are no two completely identical ones in existence. This is because the circumstances that give rise to each one are different, as are the remnants from which they are composed. Naturally, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons that emerge from them are different as well, each possessing its own distinct divine powers.

“Even Heavenly Immortals cannot know every Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon in existence. But one thing is certain—Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons exhibit a strong affinity toward particular regions. If the collective consciousness that constitutes one is predominantly Eastern in origin, then it will be more inclined to resonate with the Eastern world and ultimately descend in the East. Once it manifests in concrete form, it will also display distinctly Eastern characteristics, conforming more closely to the perceptions and understanding of Easterners. Conversely, if its collective consciousness is predominantly Western in origin, it will be more inclined to resonate with the Western world, and when it manifests, it will exhibit distinctly Western characteristics.

“It is said that the Scripture of Zuriel has some connection to the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. It is possible that Zuriel was inspired by one of them. Of course, according to the Holy Court, they should be called Outer Gods. The Holy Court even believes that Zuriel had already been corrupted by an Outer God.

“Our Eastern world also had entities suspected of being Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. This occurred during the Taiping Rebellion. The Patriarch of the Taiping Sect believed that the Azure Heaven was an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, while the Confucian School believed that the Yellow Heaven was the true Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon. As for what the truth actually was, no one knows anymore. With the death of the Great Teacher, the realm divided into three, and rival warlords contended for supremacy. The truth was ultimately buried beneath the mists of history.”

Qi Xuansu could not help but ask, “The Confucian School believes in Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons too?”

In the same tone Qi Haoran had once used, Zhou Mengyao said, “The Analects of Confucius stated that the Master did not speak of strange phenomena, feats of strength, disorder, or spirits. The Confucian Sage merely refrained from speaking of such things. He never said he did not believe in them.”

Qi Xuansu felt another sting from the remnants of their former master-disciple bond, so he closed his mouth and kept quiet.

Instead, Su Yuanzai said, “If the Azure Heaven truly was an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, could it have been connected to the Battle of Kunyang? The historical records state that during the Battle of Kunyang, meteors fell into the army camp at night. By day, clouds resembling collapsed mountains descended directly over the camp, dispersing less than 30 centimeters above the ground, causing officers and soldiers to cower in terror. Immediately afterward came violent winds that sent roof tiles flying, followed by torrential rain. The Zhi River surged catastrophically, drowning hundreds of thousands, until the river itself ceased to flow.”

Qi Xuansu was startled. He had not expected Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons to be so terrifyingly powerful.

Judging from Su Yuanzai’s account, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon known as the Azure Heaven had not descended through a host or vessel. Rather, it seemed that its true body had descended directly into the mortal world, which would explain such overwhelming might. It was not until the Taiping Rebellion that the Azure Heaven was finally destroyed. However, the Taiping Sect seemed to have accomplished this by borrowing the power of another Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, the Yellow Heaven. As for what ultimately became of the Yellow Heaven, no one knew.

The two armies that clashed were not ordinary soldiers. Instead, there were many extraordinary individuals and cultivators of unusual abilities. Even ordinary soldiers possessed cultivation, and there was no shortage of Immortals. For an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon to annihilate such an army of hundreds of thousands in a single strike was far beyond the might of an ordinary Immortal. It was more akin to the power of a Second-Tribulation Immortal, or perhaps even a Third-Tribulation Immortal.

Zhou Mengyao waved her hand. “There’s no need to be afraid. The Gengshi Era was 1,800 years ago. The times have changed, so circumstances changed too. Back then, the mortal world was still in the Taishi Era and was extremely unstable. The laws of the Heavenly Dao had not yet fully evolved, leaving countless loopholes. That was why Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons could descend directly into the mortal world.

“Today, the mortal world has entered the Taiji Era and has become incomparably stable. It is even approaching the end of the era. This not only restricts Immortals but also all transcendent beings. Thus, it is extremely difficult for an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon to descend into the mortal world now, leaving them with no choice but to work through the human mind. To an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, changing bodies is no different from changing clothes. Unfortunately for them, the ‘clothes’ available in the mortal world are far too small, and very few are a proper fit, making their descent even more difficult.

“In fact, ever since the Jin Dynasty, there have been very few reports concerning Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons. By the time of the Wei Dynasty, there were no longer any large-scale descents of Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons, only minor incidents that were hardly worth worrying about. By the Great Xuan Dynasty, Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons had already become legends buried in dusty old texts, with scarcely anyone believing in them anymore. Many people even began confusing Ancient Immortals with Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons, believing that Ancient Immortals such as Wu Luo and True Lord Siming were Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons.

Qi Xuansu looked once more at the enormous face in the sky. “If it has already become so difficult for Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons to descend into the mortal world, then how do we explain this?”