Way of the Devil

“That’s a… Gold… Golden Core?!” When he saw this, Die Shazi’s mind which were already on the brink of crumbling finally broke.

“There’s a twin pattern! It’s a grade-two Golden Core!” For a time, he only felt dizzy as if the entire world was spinning. He had difficulty breathing, and felt for some time that his own spirit’s circulation was affected.

Die Shazi quickly recovered from the vibration, and noticed that he was already surrounded by Core Qi. The Yin Chill Core Qi was like flowing water that wildly attempted to seep into his body through his pores.

The Core Qi in his body was swiftly consumed, and was already reduced by half in a few breaths. Moreover, he had unleashed his great sword skill before this, which contributed to the exhaustion of his Core Qi.

Die Shazi hugged his senior apprentice sister’s body tightly. An unbelievable thought flashed past his mind. ‘Will I die here today?’

He had only noticed that he was still holding on until now despite the torrent of Core Qi around him. This was because his Natal Spiritual Talisman which was connected to him was unleashing supernatural power beside him to fight off the invading Qi.

However, the runes on the spiritual talisman were visibly fading. It was apparent that it could not hold out for much longer.

This was supposed to be his ace in the hole. Currently, it was used to defend and save himself…

‘How can he have this much Core Qi?!’ Die Shazi looked at the faraway Lu Sheng. He could only glimpse part of Lu Sheng’s silhouette through the layer of blue Core Qi.

“Die Shazi, I’m killing you today to settle the karma we’ve sown many years ago. Back then, I’ve pretended to be gravely wounded by you and fled overseas. I didn’t think that I’d have the opportunity to settle the debt today.” Lu Sheng’s voice reached him from afar.

“The Vital Energy Sect… won’t forgive you!” Die Shazi smiled sadly. He hugged his senior apprentice sister’s body close and was prepared to die.

“I’ll return the same phrase to your sect.” Lu Sheng’s expression was indifferent. He spread his palms, and more Core Qi surged out of his body.

“From this day on, in the North Sea, those who follow me shall prosper, and those who oppose me shall die!”

His voice barely faded when a screen of blue Core Qi spread out and covered an area of a few thousand meters in the blink of an eye.

Alongside the surging Core Qi was a huge amount of seawater pulled up from below. The seawater rocked and surged under the guiding force and shot upward. It surged into the Core Qi quickly and formed a peculiar scene of an upside-down twister.

Under such circumstances, Lu Sheng was guiding the seawater and sucking it into his Golden Core. He was attempting another breakthrough to the next tier!

In a few breaths, he had achieved a breakthrough to the Middle-stage Core Formation tier. The volume of his Core Qi surged and grew more terrifying. The area it covered expanded from a few thousand meters to ten thousand meters. The waves that were pulled on by it were already as wide as a hundred miles.

Lu Sheng quickly surpassed the Late-stage Core Formation tier and entered the Complete stage. For a time, the Core Qi in his body was so boundless that it was unimaginable.

If his Core Qi was a few hundred times greater than Die Shazi’s while he was in his Early-stage Core Formation, currently, his Core Qi was at least a thousand times greater than those of cultivators at the same tier.

In every tier, he converted Mental Energy into supernatural power and stockpiled his Core Qi to the point of overflowing. After he achieved the improvements, the result was that Lu Sheng’s Golden Core was unprecedentedly powerful.

From afar, it was as if the sky above the Wood Martial Abode was covered in an expanse of blue clouds.

This was the first time Lu Sheng actually displayed the true, complete strength of this body. He wantonly unleashed the Core Qi contained within his Golden Core. Spiritual Qi of the heavens and the earth was guided into his Golden Core. Then, it was swiftly converted to blue Core Qi and covered his surroundings.

Compared to the huge area covered by the blue clouds, the area of surface where waves were created was jaw-dropping.

In a hundred miles, the sea churned and trembled. Fine buzzes could gradually be heard in the air as if some unknown object was vibrating rapidly.

In the central region under the blue clouds, a huge amount of seawater formed a twister and shot up into the skies.

Die Shazi desperately clung to his spiritual talisman for support as he held his senior apprentice sister’s body. They rose and fell with the blue clouds’ undulations, and could only go with the flow. His defenses would break at any time.

Currently, on the sea’s surface a hundred miles away from the Wood Martial Abode, a black cloud was shooting toward it from afar.

Several oddly shaped cultivators sat atop the black cloud. They were the gang of Taoist Black, Esteemed Bai Sha, and the others, who had agreed to make a move against the Vital Energy Sect together.

Taoist Black had a face as dark as coal. He stared at the blue clouds in the faraway skies with his black eyes. His expression was grim.

“Since when did we have such an elite in the overseas cultivators’ realm? With this might, he’s at least survived seven Tribulations after Core Formation!”

Esteemed Bai Sha swept his gaze across the sea’s surface under the black cloud with fright. Even here, far away from the epicenter, the sea’s surface was vibrating intensely.

‘Isn’t this supernatural power… a tad too powerful?’ Esteemed Bai Sha’s face twitched. He had only seen such a huge area of supernatural power waves when Nine Dragon True Lord was being ganged upon.

However, that was the result of a few True Lords combining their strength together. Currently, a single person was causing this great commotion.

At this moment, a voice could be heard from the skies far away.

“…those who follow me shall prosper, and those who oppose me shall die…” That was the crucial moment when Lu Sheng no longer hid himself and announced his great threat for all to hear.

“Such arrogance! If it wasn’t because Nine Dragon True Lord isn’t around anymore…” Taoist Black felt upset. Although this elite was terrifyingly powerful, he would be making a big mistake if he thought that this was enough to suppress all the cultivators and demons in the North Sea.

“Who is this? With this cultivation base, I’m afraid the overseas region will fall into chaos again.” Taoist Black trained his eyes onto the interior of the blue clouds far away.

“So, the purpose of our trip is…?” Esteemed Bai Sha posed the question helplessly. They had intended to sneak up on the people from the Vital Energy Sect, but now it seemed as if someone had beaten them to it.

“With such a Wicked Path atrocity in the North Sea, I don’t think we’ll have peaceful days in the years to come.” Taoist Black stared at Die Shazi and his senior apprentice sister struggling in the clouds. Soon enough, with a poof, Die Shazi could endure it no longer, and his entire person was swallowed up by the blue clouds. They vanished in an instant.

The other wicked cultivators knew full well what a Wicked Path elite with a cultivation base that had survived seven Tribulations meant.

“Let’s go back and see how this plays out. We’ll see how long this guy who has fought the Vital Energy Sect can last. The Vital Energy Sect isn’t a force that you’d want to mess with…” Taoist black raised his hand and motioned for the others to return.

One of the demon cultivators could not help but ask softly, “The Earth Lake Sword…?”

Esteemed Bai Sha snorted. “With that guy up there, do you want to fill the gaps between his teeth with our numbers? Even the Vital Energy Sect’s hidden elders were killed. Naturally, the Earth Lake Sword is also in his hands.”

The other demon and wicked cultivators fell silent. They were pondering the possible chain reactions that could arise from the appearance of such a Wicked Path elite in the overseas cultivators’ realm.

As Taoist Black and the others went back, the plan of revenge against the Vital Energy Sect which gathered them together in the first place was abandoned before it was even executed.

The identity of the cultivator who suppressed the Vital Energy Sect elites among the blue skies was leaked from the mouths of people of the Wood Martial Abode in the following days.

The elite who fought the Vital Energy Sect elites head on was surprisingly Taoist Mu Yun, who had been mistaken for an ordinary rogue cultivator all this while.

It was said that this Taoist Mu Yun had been hiding his capacity and bid his time as he kept a low profile. Even when he crossed the Vital Energy Sect back then and was hunted, he did not completely expose his true strength.

It was only today, after a few decades and when his cultivation base was sufficiently improved, that he let it all out and killed the two trespassing Vital Energy Sect elders.

When word of this got out, the wicked cultivators, demon, and sea clansmen in the area of a few hundred miles from the Wood Martial Abode who had witnessed the might of the blue clouds either moved away of their own accord or tried to get close to the Wood Martial Abode and align themselves with it.

After all, in the chaotic overseas cultivators’ realm, a powerful backer that would protect the weak was something that every demon clansman and wicked cultivator dreamed of.

Naturally, those who ran away numbered more than those who stayed. This was because most cultivators did not approve of the conflict between the Wood Martial Abode’s master and the Vital Energy Sect’s elites.

***

Central plains, Swaying Gold Mountain.

There was an unbroken range of mountains surrounded by clouds. Weeds ran riot beside a small stream, whose banks looked natural and undisturbed. A peaceful white-haired old man was sitting cross-legged atop a great white boulder.

White-colored mist floated past slowly. The old man’s white hair reached his shoulders. Even his brows and beard were white. There was a pure-white crescent mark between his brows.

His white robe was neat and spotless, and formed a stark contrast with the natural scenery which showed no signs of human influence around him.

The old man was holding a roll of light brown bamboo strips. He was casually reading its contents with his head lowered.

“Teacher, Du Guangchi and Yao Lian are in trouble. The Earth Lake Sword has also fallen into the hands of a wicked cultivator.” A white cloud dropped down nearby and showed up among the rubble beside the small stream, where a black-faced Taoist clad in black robes sitting on it previously dismounted. The Taoist bowed his head and raised his cupped hands in salute toward the old man as he gave his report respectfully.

“The heavens and the earth continue on without a care while the realm of men changes constantly. The fate of a thousand years of the Vital Energy Sect is gathered upon Du Guangchi and Yao Lian. This tribulation has to happen. There’s no need for worry,” the old man replied casually with a smile.

“But, even Die Shazi and Sui Yinzi were attacked by that wicked cultivator…” the black-faced Taoist added.

This time, the white-haired old man’s smile slowly faded. He frowned slightly, and seemed to be puzzled.

“Die Shazi and Sui Yinzi… They should’ve improved by leaps and bounds in these few years…”

“There’s also something strange about this. Die Shazi did frame a wicked cultivator with the help of some other sects a few decades ago, and the wicked cultivator fled overseas. Now, it’s said that the wicked cultivator is accomplished in his wicked methods and has a domineering might. He suddenly erupted with his power while the arrangement for Du Guangchi was halfway. Die Shazi and Sui Yinzi were both caught off-guard,” explained the black-faced Taoist in detail.

“The name of this wicked cultivator is?” Currently, the white-haired old man’s expression grew more and more puzzled.

“He’s the Wood Martial Abode’s master, Taoist Mu Yun.”

“Taoist Mu Yun…” The old man counted on his fingers and discovered with shock that he could not divine anything about this person.

His white brows twitched slightly, and he had a thought in his mind. ‘Is some greater force concealing him, or is this his special character?’

“Although it’s a surprise that Die Shazi and Sui Yinzi had fallen in this matter, their natal imprints are still with the sect. They’ll have the opportunity to reincarnate and cultivate again. However, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you with receiving this mission, Hidden Peak.”

When the black-faced Taoist heard this, he quickly lowered his head.

“This is something that I should do. There’s no need to say any more, Teacher. Please give your instructions as to how the wicked cultivator should be dealt with. Although we can reincarnate and cultivate again as long as we have our natal imprints, we can only use this method thrice, after which we’ll actually die. This is already a serious provocation towards our Vital Energy Sect. If it’s not handled appropriately, it’ll surely have negative effect on our sect’s name in the central plains and other regions.”

The old man closed his eyes slowly, and said drily, “A lion uses its full strength even when it fights a rabbit. Go to the fourth peak, have Yun Ye go to the island after he comes out from his secluded cultivation. It’s been a long time since he went outside—ever since he’s become a True Lord. After the wicked cultivator is dealt with, have him go to the Divine Sword Door.”

“As you wish, Teacher.” The black-faced Taoist retreated slowly. A white cloud gathered under his feet and pushed him up into the faraway skies.