Chapter 294 - 119: Celestial Evil Infant, Secret of the Demon Venerable! A Thought to Restore Longevity

After observing each other for a moment, they both raised their cups in unspoken agreement.

Nianxin Daoist Child watched from a distance. The two men hardly spoke. After a few cursory remarks, they simply drank their wine and ate their food.

Amidst the clinking of cups, there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was as if they were just ordinary friends meeting up.

The two ate quickly.

In no time, the food and dishes on the stone table were swept clean.

At this moment, Su Bai put down his wine cup, his expression calm as he spoke.

"Was it you, Venerable, who wished to see me, or was it the Netherworld Venerable Master?"

Since coming to the Desolate Province, he had lost count of how many times he had heard the legends of this Netherworld Venerable Master.

Legend had it that he opened up the Netherworld, completely dispelling the incredibly dense Evil Qi, Demonic Qi, and Demon Qi, allowing vitality to return to several Great Provinces.

Legend had it that he suppressed the Seven Heroes and Three Li, restoring clarity to the world and removing a great threat from it.

Legend had it that he established the Yin Department Ghost God System, laying the foundation for a new order, and used the Power of Incense to allow many living beings to extend their lives...

In short, there were far too many legends about this Netherworld Venerable Master.

Too many to count, too many to tell.

"You’re very clever."

Venerable Bai You also put down his wine cup. He patted his stomach, but instead of answering Su Bai’s question, he asked one of his own.

"Do you know of the Demon Venerable?"

’The Demon Venerable?’

Su Bai’s expression tightened.

"I know a little."

He didn’t know much about the Demon Venerable, that peerless figure from tens of thousands of years ago.

He only knew that back then, the Dayu Immortal Dynasty had shattered several provinces in their effort to eliminate the Demon Venerable—a testament to his sheer power.

It was said that the Demon Venerable was undying and indestructible, formed from the very first wisp of evil thought in the world. As long as evil thoughts existed among living beings, he could not be truly destroyed.

Even if his body, soul, and everything else were obliterated, he could be reborn.

Moreover, with each rebirth, he would undergo a new transformation, his power growing even greater.

Of course, Su Bai had pieced this information together from the memories of those convicts.

A large part of it was just widely circulated rumor, its authenticity impossible to verify.

Venerable Bai You was silent for a moment before speaking.

"In truth, he has already been resurrected."

’The Demon Venerable has been resurrected?’

Su Bai frowned.

If this news had come from anyone else, it would have had little credibility.

But coming from Venerable Bai You, it was cause for deep contemplation.

’Could this be the root of the great heavenly calamity?’

The thought flashed through Su Bai’s mind.

He raised his eyes and looked at Venerable Bai You before him.

He seemed to want more specific information.

"I can’t say..."

Venerable Bai You gave Su Bai a profound look. His eyes were a deep abyss in which the sun, moon, and stars seemed to twinkle.

"He is listening."

It was self-evident who "he" was.

At that moment, Su Bai suddenly remembered that within the Soul-devouring Demon Sect, there was a cultivation technique called the Demon Bone Heaven-Asking Scripture.

This technique was divided into upper and lower volumes and was generally passed down to the sect’s Saint Heirs, Saintesses, and a few exceptionally talented disciples.

Mastery of both volumes could be used to elevate a single person, allowing them to achieve the Divine Platform.

And similar techniques existed in other Demon Sects associated with the Demon Venerable.

With these cultivation techniques, these Demon Sects were able to mass-produce Divine Platform cultivators.

But what had puzzled Su Bai before was that he hadn’t found any trace of these people within the Demon Sects.

Even after searching the memories of the Demon Sect disciples and Elders, he had found nothing.

These created Divine Platform cultivators had vanished as if into thin air.

Now, connecting this to the Demon Venerable’s resurrection, a few ideas began to form in his mind.

’Could it be... that these mass-produced Divine Platform cultivators are related to the Demon Venerable’s resurrection? Or perhaps, they served as a medium for his rebirth?’

’Or... are all these Divine Platform cultivators blood sacrifices for the Demon Venerable’s rebirth?’

He didn’t dwell on it further.

A moment later, Su Bai reined in his thoughts, his mind becoming tranquil.

Whatever the truth was, he just needed to become stronger.

Only by being powerful himself could he fear nothing.

After a while, Su Bai’s expression turned serious as he said,

"Venerable Bai You, have you ever heard of the Leader of Gui Chen Sect?"

Having seen the memories of the Leader of Gui Chen Sect, he knew very well that the man before him, Venerable Bai You, was the very person the Sect Leader had kept buried deep in his heart—the goal he constantly strove to surpass.

"Hm? The Leader of Gui Chen Sect? Who’s that?"

Venerable Bai You first frowned, then shook his head. "Are you talking about the Celestial Evil Infant? Ah, now I remember."

"Back then, he had just successfully passed his tribulation and ascended to the Feathered realm. Full of vigor, he wanted to spy on the Netherworld, and somehow, he ended up glancing at me."

"As I recall, he went mad for quite a long time after that..."

’He went mad from a single glance?’

Su Bai thought back carefully and had to admit that the Leader of Gui Chen Sect had probably gone truly insane.

What sane person would think to split off nine Divine Thought Incarnations, each with its own independent consciousness, have them all cultivate separately, and then use some bizarre Divine Technique to merge the nine into a tenth?

However, compared to the nearly indelible impression Venerable Bai You left on the Leader of Gui Chen Sect...

...it seemed the Venerable before him had almost no impression of the man.

If Su Bai hadn’t brought him up, he likely would have forgotten him completely.

It was truly a sad story.

"The Venerable Lord’s cultivation is unfathomable. Back when he muddled the Celestial Secrets, I was unable to leave the Netherworld. Therefore, I’m not entirely clear on what has happened over these years."

Silvery-white ripples flickered in Venerable Bai You’s eyes.

After he finished speaking, he seemed to have instantly grasped all the events that had transpired during that time.

"This person certainly created quite the farce."

The next moment, he smiled, but his smile was a bit cold.

"The Venerable Lord once said that the Daoists of the Yin Department system would face a calamity. It seems this man was it."

"After this affair, many Daoists have lost their faith, and the Yin Department Divine Positions they hold are now in name only."

Su Bai didn’t hide anything and stated his purpose.

"I want to gather all the Daoists in the world and have them live in seclusion in the mountains. What does the Venerable think?"

Venerable Bai You said casually,

"If you want to gather all the Daoists, do as you please. But without them, how will the common people in the Great Provinces deal with the Demon Fiends and monsters that appear daily?"

Even though someone was proposing to gather all the Daoists in the world, Venerable Bai You didn’t seem the least bit angry; his tone was even.

If the humans, demons, ghosts, and devils who had died by his hand over the years were to see this, they would likely find it unbelievable.

"The Netherworld Venerable Master separated the yin and yang of heaven and earth, opened the Netherworld, established the Yin Department Ghost God System, and bound numerous Daoists with the Power of Incense. Each of these deeds is naturally incredible."

Su Bai didn’t deny the Netherworld Venerable Master’s grand ambition and broad vision.

Without these Daoists holding Divine Positions, and without the Netherworld, the vitality in those few Great Provinces would surely be faint.

It would surely be a paradise for demons and devils, where ordinary people could not survive at all.

However, simply binding the Yin Department Ghost Gods and the common people together with the Power of Incense was bound to cause problems over time.

It might not have been the best solution.

"The ancients said, ’As heaven’s movement is ever vigorous, so must the noble one ever strive to strengthen themselves.’ People must save and strengthen themselves; they cannot rely solely on the shelter of ghosts and gods."

Facing the most powerful ghost god in the current Yin Department Ghost God System, Su Bai spoke bluntly,

"What does the Venerable think?"

"’As heaven’s movement is ever vigorous, so must the noble one ever strive to strengthen themselves.’ To save and strengthen oneself..."

Venerable Bai You murmured the phrase, then fell silent for a moment.

After a long while, he slowly nodded and said,

"If this idea could succeed, it would naturally be for the best."

"But if it fails..."

He didn’t finish the sentence, but both of them understood its meaning.

If it failed, the world would become a very different place.

And the Dayu Immortal Dynasty, the absolute ruler, would certainly not stand by and watch it happen.

"Then I thank the Venerable for allowing this."

Su Bai poured the other man another full cup of wine.

"You want to gather all the Daoists in the world; there are some other minor matters you’ll have to take care of as well."

"It’s pathetic. To think that a minor character like the Celestial Evil Infant, who could be swatted dead with a casual flick of the wrist, could actually threaten the Yin Department system. How unpredictable things are."

Venerable Bai You mocked himself, then drained his cup in one gulp.

"The Venerable himself said he’s just a minor character who can be swatted dead. Why bother caring about him?"

"And if the Venerable is so inclined, he could swat him dead right now."

Su Bai raised his cup and replied with a smile.

"I cannot."

"Because he is watching me..."

Venerable Bai You put down his cup, glanced deeply toward a certain direction in the distance, and muttered to himself,

"I must go. Beware the Demon Venerable..."

Before his voice had faded, Linjiang Daoist’s body trembled.

The Yin Sha Qi that permeated the surroundings, colder than any blizzard, also dissipated.

A divine light flashed in Su Bai’s eyes as he watched the yin energy escape.

Faintly, his gaze followed the torrent of Yin Sha Qi as it flowed down into the Netherworld.

There, in a place wreathed in endless Evil Qi, he saw a long-abandoned city.

And atop that city sat two figures, one black and one white, back to back. Their eyes were closed, and their bodies overflowed with the air of death, as if they were corpses.

BOOM!

Almost simultaneously, a clap of thunder exploded in the sky, and fine serpents of lightning danced in all directions.

Su Bai, looking thoughtful, slowly retracted his gaze.

"AH!"

Linjiang Daoist’s body shook violently. He let out a loud cry and jumped to his feet.

"Master!"

Nianxin Daoist Child finally cried out and ran over.

He understood now that Venerable Bai You must have already left.

Linjiang Daoist swayed, looking around in a daze as if waking from a dream. Only then did he exhale a breath he had been holding in his chest.

PFFT! PFFT!

A jet-black plume of smoke, like an arrow, shot out and struck the frozen lake.

The surface of the ice immediately turned pitch-black, and the darkness quickly spread in all directions.

"I... I..."

A look of pleasant surprise appeared in Linjiang Daoist’s eyes. As he exhaled that mouthful of black air, he felt an unparalleled sense of relief and comfort.

As Cultivators approach the end of their lifespan, their bodies, and even their Divine Thoughts, begin to carry an aura of decay.

No matter how powerful they are, it is difficult to avoid, unless they have achieved true longevity and immortality.

But now, as he exhaled that black air, the aura of decay on his body had actually weakened considerably.

In its place rose a vigorous vitality, like the mountains and rivers after a heavy rain.

In Su Bai’s eyes, Linjiang Daoist’s lifespan had also changed significantly.

It had increased by at least a hundred years.

"Master! You...?"

Nianxin Daoist Child also noticed the change and his eyes widened in amazement.

"It was the Venerable! It must have been Lord Venerable Bai You..."

Feeling the change in his lifespan, the disappearance of the decaying aura, and his body feeling much stronger, Linjiang Daoist immediately fell to his knees, facing the direction of the Netherworld.

He kowtowed in thanks!

And in the next moment, a voice rang in his mind.

"I borrowed half an incense stick of your time; I repay you with a century of life!"