“Venturing into the Demon Realm! Elder Long, have you lost your mind? Even if you truly wish to die, there’s no need to drag the rest of us along!” The disheveled man demanded with a mix of shock and fury.
The feathered-robed girl, upon hearing this, seemed to recall something as well, her expression flickering between uncertainty and contemplation.
Han Li stroked his chin, revealing a trace of skepticism.
“Brother Lin, there’s no need for anger. I wouldn’t propose this without a foolproof plan—at least a seventy to eighty percent chance of returning unscathed. Since I’ll be joining you, do you think I’d jest with my own life?” Elder Long replied calmly, his demeanor unshaken.
“Humph! Even so! The Demon Realm’s Sacred Ancestors are terrifying beings. If we encounter one, survival is impossible. Not to mention the countless other high-ranking ancient demons lurking there. While we might rely on formations to resist them in the human realm, deep in their territory, there’s simply no chance of escape,” the disheveled man retorted sharply, glaring at Elder Long.
“What if I told you all that I have a method to temporarily mask our auras, making us indistinguishable from ordinary ancient demons—so much so that even those at the Body Integration stage couldn’t see through it? How would you feel then, Brother Lin?” Elder Long narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly.
“Such a thing exists? Elder Long, you can’t be joking. Those high-ranking demons possess unfathomable abilities—how could we possibly deceive them?” The feathered-robed girl frowned, joining the conversation.
Elder Long chuckled in response, then suddenly turned to the Holy Maiden Qianqiu and said, “Holy Maiden Qianqiu, would you mind demonstrating?”
“Of course.” The yellow-robed maiden smiled gracefully, flipping her palm to reveal a thumb-sized black orb. Without hesitation, she swallowed it whole.
A moment later, she formed a hand seal, and a layer of black mist enveloped her, swiftly obscuring her form. The mist writhed unpredictably, at times forming tendrils that lashed wildly, at others spinning rapidly like a living entity.
“True Demon Qi!” Han Li murmured under his breath, his pupils contracting. Though his voice was barely audible, everyone in the hall—all formidable cultivators—heard him clearly.
The disheveled man and the feathered-robed girl exchanged uneasy glances, while Elder Long studied Han Li intently before remarking, “Fellow Daoist Han, recognizing True Demon Qi at a glance suggests you’ve cultivated a top-tier demonic technique. And the golden Dharma Form you displayed earlier bears a striking resemblance to the true forms of certain ancient demons. That explains much.”
“Elder Long’s insight is as sharp as ever,” Han Li replied neutrally, neither confirming nor denying.
The others listened to their exchange with varied expressions.
Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out from within the black mist as the True Demon Qi surged inward, condensing into threads of dark liquid that the maiden forcibly absorbed into her body. As the mist dissipated, her figure reappeared—unchanged at first glance.
Yet, upon closer inspection, Han Li and the others noticed something peculiar. The Holy Maiden now exuded an overwhelming demonic aura, her once-jade-like face now adorned with dark demonic patterns, and a black orb embedded between her brows—the very one she had swallowed earlier.
Han Li’s eyes flickered as he unleashed his divine sense to scrutinize her. Moments later, his expression shifted to astonishment. Her body and the energy flowing within were now saturated with pure True Demon Qi, her aura indistinguishable from the ancient demons he had encountered in the human realm.
The disheveled man and the feathered-robed girl, after similar inspections, were equally stunned.
“Truly remarkable—she does resemble an ancient demon. But since we’re not demons ourselves, perhaps there are flaws we can’t detect. To a true demon…” the feathered-robed girl mused cautiously.
“Rest assured, Fairy Ye. This False Demon Pearl was refined from the core of a deceased ancient demon. Once ingested and activated with a secret technique to release its True Demon Qi, even high-ranking demons cannot see through it. To test its efficacy, I even spent months imprisoned alongside captured demons during the last invasion. None saw through my disguise. Of course, against Sacred Ancestors or demons with unique abilities, caution is still warranted. But in the vast Demon Realm, the odds of encountering such beings are slim. After all, the Demon Realm is said to rival our Spirit Realm in size,” the yellow-robed maiden explained earnestly.
Han Li and the others fell into thoughtful silence.
“Very well. Suppose this method works. Venturing into the Demon Realm remains perilous. The three of you must explain your reasons thoroughly. If, as Elder Long claims, this offers a chance to advance to the Mahayana stage, no matter how absurd it seems, I might still consider it,” the feathered-robed girl sighed, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
At the mention of the Mahayana stage, the disheveled man’s anger faded, replaced by a brooding silence.
“Do you think the Holy Maiden and I would risk our lives without the promise of Mahayana? Have any of you heard of the Cleansing Spirit Pool and the Pure Spirit Lotus?” Elder Long sneered, dropping the two names.
“Cleansing Spirit Pool? Pure Spirit Lotus?”
The disheveled man and Han Li exchanged puzzled glances, while the feathered-robed girl’s eyes flashed with recognition.
“Heh, it seems Fairy Ye has heard of them. No surprise, given her status as a nominal disciple of Senior Mo,” the Hui Clan elder beside Elder Long chuckled.
“What do you mean by that? Do you dare disrespect my master?” the feathered-robed girl demanded icily.
“Of course not. But Senior Mo has ventured deep into the Demon Realm multiple times. Knowing of these treasures is hardly surprising,” Hui replied carefully, careful not to slight the only Mahayana cultivator of the human race.
“My knowledge has nothing to do with my master. It comes from my ancestor, who extracted this information from the remnant soul of a slain high-ranking demon during a past invasion. The details were vague—only that these two items, though useless to demons, possess miraculous transformative powers for beings of our Spirit Realm,” she retorted coldly.
“I see. My apologies for the misunderstanding,” Hui said, though his sincerity was unclear.
Elder Long seemed lost in thought, but the Holy Maiden Qianqiu interjected with a smile, “If the names Cleansing Spirit Pool and Pure Spirit Lotus are unfamiliar, perhaps the ‘Transcendence Pool’ and the ‘Seven-Orifice Unity Lotus’ ring a bell?”
“What? Are they the same? Impossible! The Transcendence Pool exists only in the True Immortal Realm, where newly ascended cultivators shed their mortal bodies to attain immortal forms. And the Seven-Orifice Unity Lotus, a companion treasure, enhances spiritual roots and wisdom—legend says even a fool who consumes it gains unparalleled intellect!” the disheveled man exclaimed in disbelief.
Han Li, familiar with these mythical artifacts, was equally stunned, his gaze fixed on the Holy Maiden as if probing for truth. The feathered-robed girl remained silent, her face dark.
“The Transcendence Pool and Seven-Orifice Unity Lotus are rare treasures even in the True Immortal Realm, formed over countless millennia. Naturally, they far surpass what I speak of. But the Cleansing Spirit Pool and Pure Spirit Lotus, their precursors, are potent enough to cleanse our bodies and enhance our spiritual roots,” the yellow-robed maiden explained, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead with a mysterious smile.
“If such treasures exist, why aren’t they in our Spirit Realm but in the demon-infested Demon Realm? And how can you be certain they’re there?” Han Li pressed, his tone sharp.
“This information comes from our Spirit Clan’s previous Spirit King, who personally witnessed them during a covert expedition. Unfortunately, he was forced to retreat injured, much like your Senior Mo. The message is undeniable. As for why such treasures exist in the Demon Realm—only heaven knows. But I suspect the pervasive demonic energy there, over eons, concentrated all spiritual energy into a single location, birthing these wonders. Our Spirit Realm, lacking such density, could never produce them,” she revealed, sharing guarded secrets of her clan.
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