“It may be called a restriction, but it’s not exactly one. It’s just that the demonic arts I cultivate were originally created by her, so naturally, she left behind a countermeasure. Unless my cultivation surpasses that of this progenitor, with just a single thought from her, all my magic power would be completely under her control, leaving me no room for resistance. Moreover, the matter of the backup avatar was explicitly stated by Six-Extremes beforehand, and it was my own choice. I truly can’t harbor too much resentment. Besides, she had already done me a great favor before. If it weren’t for her assistance back then, how could I have had the chance to ascend? I would have long turned into a handful of yellow earth beneath the underworld, stranded in the human realm.” Violet Spirit sighed but spoke thus.
“What exactly happened to you back in the human realm? How could this Six-Extremes Sacred Ancestor possibly help you ascend?” Han Li’s thoughts raced as he asked solemnly.
“Actually, there’s not much to say. Back then, limited by my aptitude, although I managed to form a Nascent Soul, I could never take the step into Deity Transformation. With such cultivation, even if I risked entering a spatial node, there was basically no chance of survival. Left with no choice, I had to resort to external aids. I began traversing the hidden places of the human realm, searching for useful spiritual medicines to refine pills that could help me break through the bottleneck. My thinking was that even if I couldn’t find anything else, if I could at least acquire some powerful protective treasures, I would dare to risk entering a spatial node before my lifespan ran out. But to my utter surprise, after spending several hundred years searching, I didn’t find any suitable spiritual medicines or treasures. Instead, I stumbled upon an altar left behind by ancient demons and inadvertently activated it.” Violet Spirit paused here, giving a helpless smile.
“Could it be that through that altar, you contacted the Six-Extremes Sacred Ancestor?” Han Li seemed to have a sudden realization.
“Although the process was somewhat complicated and not as simple as that, the end result was more or less the same. A wisp of Six-Extremes Sacred Ancestor’s divine sense did indeed descend through the altar from afar. The rest doesn’t need much elaboration. Persuaded by this wisp of divine sense, I ultimately underwent a demonic energy infusion using the residual true demonic energy in that hidden place, switching to demonic cultivation. My progress was astonishingly rapid, advancing to the Deity Transformation realm in no time—something I never could have imagined. According to Six-Extremes, I possess the rare Charming Yin Body, which makes demonic cultivation twice as effective with half the effort. She said I was born to walk the path of demonic cultivation. This was also the reason she actively helped me ascend to the demon realm. If it had been an ordinary human realm cultivator, even if they could contact her, why would she bother with such matters? It wasn’t until I ascended to the demon realm and met Six-Extremes in person that I truly understood her motive for helping me: she simply wanted to prepare an additional candidate for her avatar.” Violet Spirit spoke slowly.
“Since you knew her intentions, there was no need to agree to become her disciple. As for the favor of helping you ascend, you could have found a way to repay it later.” Han Li’s expression darkened as he asked.
“Things aren’t that simple. Back then, Six-Extremes did give me a choice: either she would immediately reclaim the true demonic energy she had bestowed upon me and abolish the unique demonic arts she had passed down, reducing me back to a low-level cultivator, or I could become her seventh disciple and serve as a backup for her avatar. She made it very clear that due to the limitations of her techniques, including her main body, she could only have six avatars at most. If none of her existing avatars encountered any issues, there would naturally be no need to replace them with us disciples. Given Six-Extremes’ status as a progenitor, even her avatars were unlikely to face danger easily. Thus, it was highly possible that we could remain her disciples indefinitely. Her eldest disciple had already reached the late-stage Body Integration realm and had lived carefreely for tens of thousands of years without incident. Moreover, Six-Extremes promised that if she ever ascended beyond tribulation, she would no longer need avatars, and we would truly gain our freedom. Until then, all the resources we needed for cultivation would be supplied without limit, sparing us the hardships other demons endured in their searches. And from what I know, the dangers of the demon realm are incomparable to those of the human realm or even your spirit realm. Countless high-level demons perish in various treacherous places and conflicts every year. In such circumstances, if it were you, Brother Han, what choice would you make?” Violet Spirit spoke at length, her expression dimming as she posed the final question.
“Me…”
Han Li’s expression shifted slightly as he murmured, looking up at the sky.
“Brother Han, I’ve always admired your unyielding determination. Perhaps if it were you, the choice you’d make would indeed be different. But for me, on one side was a drastic drop in cultivation, followed by a life of immense risk, struggling to survive in the demon realm, never knowing when I might perish. On the other side was the high likelihood of living safely for tens of thousands of years, or even longer, without ever worrying about cultivation resources. The temptation was simply impossible for a small woman like me, who had just ascended to the demon realm, to resist. So, it was only natural that I became the seventh disciple under Six-Extremes. Now, I’ve even gained some renown in the demon realm and have a group of subordinates.” Violet Spirit sighed again, her voice tinged with melancholy.
“No wonder you made that choice. Even I would have had to bow my head under those circumstances. But being controlled like this is no long-term solution. Haven’t you thought of a way to break free?” Han Li took a deep breath, fully able to imagine Violet Spirit’s helplessness when she agreed.
“If there were a way to escape Six-Extremes’ control, the other six disciples above me—all high-level demons at the Body Integration stage—wouldn’t have remained obediently under her for so long. Six-Extremes is a demonic progenitor, with numerous avatars and countless subordinates at her command. Even if I could momentarily escape her grasp, how long could I truly hide? Unless I fled to another realm. But leaving the demon realm, where demonic energy is abundant, would render my demonic arts useless. Not only would I lose any chance of further advancement, but my cultivation might even regress.” Violet Spirit’s face was bitter; she had clearly pondered this issue countless times.
“In that case, it’s indeed a thorny problem! But if you’re willing to take some risks, there might still be a solution.” Han Li’s expression shifted slightly as he began to contemplate.
“What? Brother Han, you have a way? Never mind—even if your abilities are considerable now, they’re still no match for someone like Six-Extremes. The risks in my situation are too great. It’s better not to drag you into this.” Violet Spirit was startled at first but then shook her head worriedly.
“With my current strength, confronting a progenitor like Six-Extremes is indeed unlikely. But my cultivation isn’t stagnant. Given some more time, I’m fairly confident I can advance to the Mahayana stage. By then, even if I’m not Six-Extremes’ equal, the gap won’t be too wide. I’d at least have the leverage to negotiate with her.” Han Li’s eyes flashed as he let out a cold laugh.
“You have the confidence to reach Mahayana?!” Even though Violet Spirit had already held Han Li in high regard, his words still shocked her, her voice trembling slightly.
“Don’t worry. If I dare say this, it’s because I truly have some confidence.” Han Li smiled faintly, exuding assurance.
Violet Spirit stared blankly at Han Li’s confident expression, a strange feeling flickering in her heart. After a long pause, she replied softly, “Since you say so, I naturally believe you. Let’s leave this matter until after you’ve advanced to Mahayana. Once you truly possess the powers of that stage, tearing through space to return to the demon realm shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Very well. Your current cultivation isn’t too high yet. Even if one of Six-Extremes’ avatars perishes, it won’t immediately fall to you. Endure it a little longer.” Han Li pondered for a moment, knowing this wasn’t something to be resolved impulsively, and forcibly suppressed his concern before nodding slowly.
“Alright, Brother Han, you’ve been talking about my affairs all this time. Why not share your own experiences? For you to advance to late-stage Body Integration in such a short time, your journey in the spirit realm must have been far more thrilling than mine.” As if to divert Han Li’s thoughts from her predicament, Violet Spirit’s eyes shimmered as she abruptly changed the subject.
“Well, I ascended earlier and indeed experienced many things in the spirit realm. I don’t mind telling you.” Han Li was momentarily taken aback but soon replied with a smile.
For the next while, Han Li recounted his experiences after arriving in the spirit realm through the spatial node. Naturally, he omitted some of the more confidential details.
His tales from the spirit realm were nothing short of spectacular, causing Violet Spirit’s expression to shift repeatedly. At times, she couldn’t help but beam with excitement, her occasional gasps of surprise behind a delicate hand utterly captivating.
After Han Li finished, Violet Spirit shared a few of her own encounters in the demon realm, including how she came to know Lan Ying.
It was then that Han Li learned Violet Spirit had once, by sheer coincidence, saved the girl’s life. This was why a young woman of such extraordinary status now addressed Violet Spirit as her sister.
At this point, Han Li suddenly remembered something and asked Violet Spirit what exactly she had asked the flax-robed girl to divine, prompting her to seek him out today.
At the question, a blush spread across Violet Spirit’s face, and she adamantly refused to disclose the details of the divination.
Seeing her shy demeanor, Han Li vaguely grasped the gist and chuckled lightly, choosing not to press further. Instead, he asked whether Lan Ying had any means to resolve her predicament of being a potential avatar for Six-Extremes.
Violet Spirit shook her head repeatedly.
She explained that this matter involved a demonic progenitor. Even if the Vast Origin Pavilion was formidable, it was powerless in this regard. Even divination arts would be of little use.
The previous master of the Vast Origin Pavilion happened to be Lan Ying’s grandmother, who perished in an accident, allowing the flax-robed girl to inherit the position.
However, along with Lan Ying’s grandmother, many of the pavilion’s high-level guardians had also fallen. Thus, despite Lan Ying’s succession, the current Vast Origin Pavilion was a shell of its former self, its strength greatly diminished. It barely maintained its facade thanks to its past reputation and the support of Aunt Zhu and one remaining high-level guardian.
Otherwise, given the pavilion’s former might, even Six-Extremes would have shown some restraint. In the past, a plea might have had a chance to free Violet Spirit. But now, they were truly powerless.
After hearing this explanation, Han Li nodded inwardly, accepting it.
Thus, Han Li and Violet Spirit conversed for nearly half a day.
They even discussed trivial matters about cultivation and daily life, both thoroughly engrossed, oblivious to the passage of time.
After an indeterminate period, the five-colored light barrier enveloping the room suddenly rippled.
Just as Han Li’s expression shifted, a magnetic female voice penetrated the barrier:
“Have the two of you finished your discussion? It’s already evening. If you continue, this pavilion will have to close its doors. Brother Han, didn’t you have another matter you wanted me to clarify? Do you still need my assistance now?”
The voice belonged to none other than the flax-robed girl.
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