Chapter 101: Chapter 84: This is How We Demon Cultivators Should Be, Making Grand Promises in Heshui Cave

After a long while.

Jiang Yi stepped out of the Quiet Chamber. He could feel that his *Embrace Thought Nourishing Spirit Seven Emotions Curse* had improved again, and was nearing the Small Success stage.

’It’s a shame Junior Sister Li’s foundation is too shallow. She couldn’t handle it.’

He couldn’t help but feel a little regretful.

Just now, he had been instructing Li Ruohan on the difficult points of her cultivation, from how to strengthen her Primordial Essence and coordinate her internal organs, to harmonizing her inner breath and nourishing her entire body.

He spoke eloquently and endlessly, relaying the key points he had obtained from the Celestial Book verbatim. Junior Sister Li listened, utterly entranced, her body drenched in a fragrant sweat.

Before an hour had passed, she couldn’t take it anymore and cried out, “Enough, enough!” Her whole body went limp, her muscles weak, and she couldn’t even sit up straight.

Jiang Yi had just come to a stop outside the door when Li Ruohan’s voice, soft and tinged with a faint weakness, came from behind him:

“Senior Brother.”

Jiang Yi turned and asked:

“Is there something else, Junior Sister?”

Li Ruohan was lying prone on the couch, and she looked up at him.

“In the future… may I come to you often for guidance, Senior Brother?”

Her tone was hesitant and probing; she had been listening so intently just now that she had exhausted her mind and energy, and was now completely spent.

Jiang Yi’s brow furrowed slightly. ’Wouldn’t that take up my own cultivation time?’

Li Ruohan quickly added:

“The talisman money I lent you before, Senior Brother, can be considered my tuition fee.”

“You should first properly digest what you’ve learned today, Junior Sister.”

Jiang Yi didn’t agree directly, his tone calm:

“Break through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer as soon as you can. Once you reach that Realm and your foundation is stable, it won’t be too late for us to slowly study the finer points and explore things more deeply.”

Li Ruohan was a good partner for discussing the Dao. His Seven Emotions Curse needed just this sort of material for his Refining Technique—someone with a complex mind, whose emotions were easily stirred.

“Thank you, Senior Brother.”

A smile appeared on Li Ruohan’s lips.

“Rest well, Junior Sister.”

Jiang Yi raised a hand to straighten his collar, gently closed the door for her, and turned to leave.

Past the halfway mark of Hai hour, he returned to his secluded courtyard atop Red Flame Peak.

True Master Xuanmiao was perched on the low table, its eyes wide and round. It spoke with immense dignity:

“Xiao Jiang, I, this True Master, heard the entire commotion of you discussing the Dao with that woman from outside the Quiet Chamber. It’s outrageous!”

Jiang Yi’s heart skipped a beat.

’Did I get too carried away using the Seven Emotions Curse just now and displease the Cat Master?’

Before he could figure out how to respond, True Master Xuanmiao continued:

“That woman’s emotions were in turmoil and her mind was filled with stray thoughts! Such a perfect Furnace Cauldron for your Refining Technique, and you should have made much more use of her! To think you actually just discussed the Dao with her. You’re nothing like someone from the Demon Dao!”

Jiang Yi was completely stunned.

’Those words… actually came from the mouth of the goofy-looking Cat Master?’

True Master Xuanmiao raised a forepaw and shot it forward, claws extended straight. It tried hard to strike the pose of a veteran demon lord, radiating a menacing aura, but its body was too small, making it look rather comical instead.

It lectured him earnestly:

“You are this True Master’s only disciple, and you have accepted that Dao Inheritance. The rise and fall of our Dharma Lineage, the revival of our sect, all rests on you alone. As a Demon Cultivator, if you want to make a name for yourself in the Demon Dao, avoid being manipulated and plotted against, and escape a fate of death and destruction, there is only one path to take!”

“How should I proceed? Please enlighten me, Cat Master.”

Jiang Yi asked with feigned respect.

True Master Xuanmiao let out a “MEOW” to the sky, pretending to laugh heartily, and declared:

“My former master used to say that to be a Demon Cultivator, you must be more treacherous, more sinister, and more shameless than those high-and-mighty figures in the Daoist Lineages! Only then can you make your way to the other shore, step by step!”

Jiang Yi hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively:

“For example… betraying your master and ancestors, harming your fellow sect members, bullying the weak, and preying on the small?”

“Exactly!”

With each phrase, True Master Xuanmiao slammed its paw on the table, the impact causing the teacup to tremble:

“And also, deceiving the world, striking a man when he’s down, robbing a burning house, and tearing down the bridge after you cross!”

After careful consideration, Jiang Yi asked in a low voice:

“May I ask, Cat Master, where is your former master now?”

True Master Xuanmiao instantly deflated like a punctured ball. Its ears drooped, and it flopped onto the table, its voice listless:

“His Golden Position was shattered by the combined might of over twenty True Monarchs. His soul was scattered, and he cannot be reincarnated.”

Jiang Yi was shaken once more. ’Are there even fifty True Monarchs in all four Daoist Lineages combined?’

’How many Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineages must he have offended to provoke such a heaven-shaking response?’

“Cat Master, I personally believe that modern Demon Cultivators should not act in such a way.”

Jiang Yi pondered for a moment before speaking slowly:

“They should form cliques and factions, foster good relationships, attach themselves to seniors, and befriend their peers…”

“But if you do that, what’s the difference between you and the Immortal Dao?” True Master Xuanmiao lifted its head and scratched it with a paw, looking a little confused. “This is clearly the way True Monarchs of the Immortal Dao operate!”

“Cat Master, I’ve heard that among the four Daoist Lineages of the Yanfu Vast Land, the Immortal Dao is ranked before the Demon Dao. Is that correct?”

Jiang Yi coaxed patiently.

“That is indeed the case.”

True Master Xuanmiao nodded its cat head.

“Then why should Demon Cultivators cling so desperately to the title of ’Demon Dao’?”

Jiang Yi’s tone was sincere:

“I believe that we Demon Cultivators should learn from all Daos. The Immortal Dao in particular is flourishing now, so it must have its merits. We cannot afford not to study it.

“As the saying goes, ’Refine ten thousand kinds of Dao Material to cultivate a Longevity Treasure Medicine.’ Why should we be constrained by empty titles?”

As he spoke, he observed the Cat Master’s expression, then quickly added:

“Of course, this is just my humble opinion. As for which path to take in the future, I’ll still need the Cat Master’s guidance to prevent me from making a mistake.”

True Master Xuanmiao narrowed its eyes, the tip of its tail twitching slightly, as if lost in thought.

’What Xiao Jiang says makes a lot of sense!’

Having placated the Cat Master and fed it a few strips of Spirit Bird Jerky, Jiang Yi sat cross-legged and began to enter a state of meditative cultivation.

He first summoned the page of golden paper.

[I beg the Celestial Book, show me the progress of my current cultivation!]

With a few humming vibrations, the result was deduced.

[Celestial Book Bearer: Jiang Yi]

[Realm: Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer (99%)]

[Cultivation Techniques: *True Meridian Qi Flowing Technique* (Ungraded), *Mixed Refining and Forging Yuan Fire Control Technique* (Seventh Grade), *Embrace Thought Nourishing Spirit Seven Emotions Curse* (Small Success)]

’My Primordial Brain God is full, the Inner Mansion Spirit Liquid has accumulated; the breakthrough will come naturally.’

Jiang Yi calculated internally. When the time came, he would use the “Mingtang Qi” left by his Grandpa, Yang Xun, as a cover for his breakthrough to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer. That shouldn’t arouse suspicion.

Next, he would ask Xu Yan, Elder Sui, and the others about the whereabouts of Spiritual Energy and find a way to obtain some.

As long as he had enough Cultivation Resources, his cultivation speed would be considered reasonable.

’Whether I’m a Demon Cultivator or an Immortal Cultivator, as long as I’m nourished by such sweet Spiritual Energy, even the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer isn’t out of reach.’

With that thought, Jiang Yi closed his eyes and sank into his cultivation.

…

…

In Heshui Cave on Guanlan Peak, the lights were bright and the air was warm and cozy.

Xu Yan had just returned from harvesting Blood-sucking Vines. He immediately set up a banquet, leading a group of junior brothers who had toiled alongside him in eating, drinking, and making merry.

As a famous senior brother of the Inner Peak, he naturally sat in the seat of honor, the low table before him laden with exquisite dishes.

“Junior brothers, this is the new Cyan Ganoderma Dew from Heshui Cave. It’s refreshing and mellow, and it can also solidify your foundation and cultivate your Primordial Essence. Everyone, have a taste!”

Xu Yan lifted the wine pot, filled his own cup, and spoke in a friendly and relaxed tone.

As soon as he finished speaking, all the junior brothers present immediately raised their cups in response. For a moment, the crisp, pleasant sound of clinking cups filled the air.

Everyone joked and bantered, chatting animatedly. The atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Only one person in the corner seemed out of place: Zhou Can from Sewing Peak.

He was just an Outer Sect servant, on the older side, with a mediocre cultivation. He simply didn’t fit in with this group of high-spirited Inner Peak Disciples.

If not for the fact that Xu Yan wanted to make a big deal with Sewing Peak and needed his connections and materials, he would never have even gotten his foot in the door at an occasion like this.

After three rounds of drinks, Xu Yan took a light sip of the Cyan Ganoderma Dew. A cooling sensation shot up from his throat to the top of his head, and he felt his Brain God become clearer. He slowly began to speak:

“I met that Junior Brother Jiang from Red Flame Peak today. He’s quite a talent. Judging from his Qi Mechanism, he’s definitely not a newcomer to the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer. He has clearly refined Spiritual Energy, and his Merit has already reached the Middle Stage level.”

He set down his cup and his gaze swept over the crowd:

“I’m currently in need of promising individuals like him. Zhou Can, you’ve been on duty in the Outer Sect for many years; you know the situation there.

“In my name, deliver a bottle of Nourishing Essence Pills to this Junior Brother Jiang Yi. Then, a few days later, invite him to a banquet on my behalf.”

Zhou Can, who was sitting in the corner, shot to his feet when his name was called. He hurriedly stood up, hunched over, and practically shuffled to Xu Yan’s side with a sycophantic smile plastered on his face.

But when the name “Jiang Yi” reached his ears, the smile instantly froze, and the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

’Which Jiang Yi? Could it be the one who’s mixed up with Luo Qian’er?!’

Seeing him dazed, Xu Yan toyed with his cup and asked lightly:

“What’s wrong? You don’t know him? The Jiang Yi from the Quenching Room on Red Flame Peak. Marshal Yang and Elder Sui are old acquaintances, and they specifically entrusted me to look after him a little.”

“I met him once at the Qi Gong Institute. He has a steady temperament and a solid cultivation. He is indeed worth befriending…”

He paused, his tone becoming a bit more scrutinizing:

“Can you handle this matter?”

Zhou Can snapped back to his senses and immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at grain, bending his back even lower:

“I won’t let you down, Senior Brother Xu! For that Junior Brother Jiang to be so highly regarded by you, he must be a champion among his peers. I’ll go arrange it right away!”

“Alright, enough with the flattery.” Xu Yan waved his hand dismissively and changed the subject. “I’ve noticed more and more traveling merchants in the southern Marketplace buying up Purple Shadow Silk and Flowing Cloud Brocade recently. You sold off most of the main materials. Will that affect the workshops’ production next year?”

Zhou Can immediately puffed out his chest to guarantee it, raising his voice to declare:

“Don’t you worry, Senior Brother! The output of these materials isn’t hard to increase. We just need to have the Mortal Servants in the workshops work a little overtime, a few extra hours each day, and they’ll be able to catch up.”

“I sold the main materials to the southern merchants to build up capital for you, Senior Brother, so we can make our business even bigger!”

Xu Yan nodded at his words, a look of satisfaction on his face:

“If you handle this properly, I’ll give you a bottle of Nourishing Essence Pills as well, to help you charge toward the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer.”

“When you step down from your position as a servant on Sewing Peak, I can also pull some strings and get you a good post as a Grand Steward in the Marketplace.”

Zhou Can’s heart pounded with excitement. He felt his blood boil, and he wished he could immediately lay down his life for Xu Yan.

He thanked him profusely, his voice trembling slightly, his heart filled with aspirations for the future.

But as he turned and walked back to his corner, the thought of the “Jiang Yi” that Xu Yan mentioned made his smile gradually fade, and his heart filled with bitterness and envy.

’That punk really stepped in dog shit! To actually catch Senior Brother Xu’s eye… he’s probably going to have a meteoric rise from now on!’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep