A Demon's Path Chapter 93

Ling Xiao sat down cross-legged to meditate. If Cheng Qiantai were to walk in, he'd think his disciple was putting his heart and soul into comprehending various techniques and methods related to concocting medicine.

Only Ling Xiao knew that he was using his mental strength to cultivate various demonic techniques contained within the Demonic Seven Souls Chain.

The first of the seven souls was the Heavenly Soul. By utilizing this soul, a cultivator could control space itself.

There was a formation array within the Heavenly Soul Stone called Ghostly Roundabouts. This formation array caused the victim to lose their sense of direction. From the information Ling Xiao garnered, he figured its main purpose was to kidnap women and children.

The second soul was the Spiritual Wisdom Soul which focused on a cultivator's mental strength. Pill cultivators primarily trained this soul. Other than that, it could also be used to unleash powerful mental attacks.

The Spiritual Wisdom Soul Stone in the Demonic Seven Souls Chain held a red-ranked mental technique called Demonic Nightmares. This technique enabled the user to create various dreadful illusions. Those only slightly affected by the attack would be in a trance whereas those who were hit hard would be in total confusion. There were even stories of people having mental breakdowns after having fallen victim to this technique.

Of course, these sorts of techniques had their limitations. For one, a red ranked mental technique only worked against anyone at or below the red rank. Even if Ling Xiao grew more powerful and reached the orange rank, it wouldn't increase the power of this technique. In short, it was of limited use.

The third soul was the Elemental Soul which focused on honing the cultivator's power over the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

There was an elemental technique in the Elemental Soul Stone called the Will-o'-Wisp technique. This skill focused on burning a person's soul in a rather vicious way. Additionally, its strength increased with that of the cultivator. Anyone could use it, regardless of their rank.

The fourth soul was the Strength Soul with which a cultivator could increase their physique. The Northern Jade Celestial Fist Ling Xiao practiced was a Strength Soul technique Celestial Soul Masters used.

The Strength Soul technique Ling Xiao found in the Demonic Seven Souls Chain was a series of boxing techniques called the Mad Demonic Fist.

The Northern Jade Celestial Fist was a technique that held true to the beliefs of Celestial Soul Masters; it let nature take its course. Never would cultivating this technique ask its cultivator to exert more than their body's limit. On the other side of the spectrum was the Mad Demonic Fist, which sought to push the human limit. Where this skill could deal great damage, the rebound if the cultivator failed was even greater. Only a madman would use this kind of technique!

The fifth soul was the Core Soul. Cultivators of this soul swallowed the souls of celestial or demonic beasts. From there, they could transform themselves and become the monsters they swallowed.

Ling Xiao witnessed the red-haired old man transform into a dragon only the other day. That was most likely because he'd swallowed that dragon's soul.

After searching through his chain's depository, he found he could only swallow the soul of a red ranked Canine Dog. "Fuck! I can only transform into a big dog? What am I supposed to do, bite my enemy to death?" Ling Xiao questioned whether he had this kind of courage and drive. He immediately came to an answer and gave up on the notion of swallowing this dog's soul. Instead, he moved his attention to the sixth soul, the Essence Soul.

A cultivator could transform their essence into an illusion, or even reality! These were the two stages of the Essence Soul. Attacking with the Essence Soul was rather unique because the cultivator had to draw a talisman with their own blood in order to fight. For example, Enlightened Wu Jing was an Essence Soul Cultivator. Only the day prior he showcased the might of this soul in the fight against Ancestor Qi Mo.

There were two red ranked talismans in the Essence Soul Stone, the Rapid Turtle Talisman and Miasma Talisman. Ling Xiao understood what these talismans were used for just through their names alone.

The seventh soul was the Heroic Soul. Cultivators who focused on this soul would attack through summoning either celestial or demonic spirits. For example, the sword-brandishing bird person Matriarch of the Purple Jade Sect summoned the day prior was a celestial spirit.

The demonic spirit Ling Xiao could now summon was a knife brandishing skeleton with just enough tendons to allow for basic movements.

"There are quite a lot of techniques in here. Heh, I'll take my time!" Ling Xiao kept his emotions under wraps as he closed his eyes to meditate. Other than the Mad Demonic Fist from the Strength Soul, Ling Xiao also started cultivating several other demonic techniques.

When Ling Xiao guided his demonic soulforce into the seven soul stones, they began flashing incessantly. Before long, a demonic crimson light of disharmony and mismatch enveloped him, distorting his delicate face.

The gray token in Ling Xiao's Demonic Seven Souls Chain rapidly soaked up the crimson light from the soul stones, the black speckle on top of the token absorbing it all. It immediately erupted in light and the surrounding black area consequently emitted a bluish black light.

After the black speckle absorbed the crimson light, the Demonic Seven Souls Chain on Ling Xiao's chest shone red once more before turning bright red in colour. It was even brighter and holier than the aura of Celestial Soul Masters.

The sun rose from the east and sunk in the west, the moon gracing the sky with its glow. The days passed in this manner and just as before, Ling Xiao was still meditating.

"You're telling me he's just sitting there, every day? Other than eating a bit every now and then, he's been meditating like that for a month?" After listening to Li Yuanhuan's report on Ling Xiao, Cheng Qiantai couldn't help but view Ling Xiao in a new light.

His other disciples would grow itchy when they had to cultivate for such a long period of time. Yet this youngster hadn't left the Medicine Warehouse for an entire month. Other than Ling Xiao, only Li Yuanhuan had such perseverance in the entire sect!

Ling Xiao's existence slowly slipped from everyone minds save for Cheng Qiantai and Li Yuanhuan.

"What a good boy! When he said he wanted to spend his time researching medicine methods and techniques, he was actually so determined!" Praise was written all over Cheng Qiantai's face. "Yuanhuan, you're to immediately ask him to find me once he comes out. Hmm, no, no need. You just need to inform me. That's all."

"Master, Ling Xiao, he has come out!" Cheng Qiantai was rudely interrupted by a disciple who came running into the grand hall to bring the news.

"He must have had some success!" Cheng Qiantai's heart bloomed with joy as he hastily rushed to the Medicine Warehouse with Li Yuanhuan in tow.

When he saw Ling Xiao again, Cheng Qiantai felt this boy was nothing like the youngster he met only a month ago. Even though he was covered in dust from head to toe, the feeling Ling Xiao exuded was one of extreme freshness. His eyes in particular were as bright and clear as water.

Ling Xiao behaved rather unexpectedly when he saw Cheng Qiantai, laughing in a slightly bashful manner. "Master, you're here."

Ling Xiao felt embarrassed because he hadn't bothered further improving his skills and knowledge regarding medicine during the month he spent in the Medicine Warehouse. If Cheng Qiantai knew why Ling Xiao was behaving so bashfully, he would definitely be blowing his top.

But Cheng Qiantai didn't know. Looking at Ling Xiao's dust-covered clothing and the scent of medicine wafting from his body, Cheng Qiantai was so touched that tears almost rolled down his face.

He patted off the dust from Ling Xiao's arms and amiably asked, "My good disciple, are you tired?"

Ling Xiao replied appropriately, "No matter how tiring and painful cultivating the pill techniques are, it's all worth it for the sect!"

Looking at how excited Cheng Qiantai was, Ling Xiao felt he had done right. Master, it's not that I want to lie to you. It's just that there's nothing to be gained if I tell you the truth. If I tell a lie, you and I will both be happy. Isn't that good?

But how could Cheng Qiantai know of the schemes Ling Xiao had formulated in his mind? Cheng Qiantai was ecstatic when he heard Ling Xiao's words. "The whole sect will have a luxurious meal today to celebrate the successes you've achieved this month!"

When Ling Xiao heard food being mentioned, rumbling sounds cried out from his stomach.

He didn't really eat much since he started cultivating. Although he was used to starving in the past, it was never for so long. He was really famished right now.

"Master, could we maybe change it to this afternoon?" Ling Xiao assumed pitiful puppy eyes as he looked at Cheng Qiantai with hope and expectation.

Cheng Qiantai was speechless, but agreed.

After a scrumptious and filling meal, Ling Xiao returned to his new home which wasn't much of an upgrade from his previous tattered house.

The banquet from a moment ago gave Ling Xiao a little insight into the sect. Although the Northern Jade Sect looked bright and neat from the surface, the reality was they couldn't compare to the wealthy families in Northern Jade City. Although these families sent their children here, they only did so because this was a mysterious place where cultivation was taught. This was the first step on the path of becoming a Chain Soul Master!

A large portion of the Northern Jade Sect's income was reliant on the fees from these rich families. Yet the wealthier ones would send their children to larger sects, so the Northern Jade Sect could only receive a limited amount of fee paying disciples. At present, they only had a few hundred.

The larger sects had their own business ventures in the secular world. Moreover, they could pompously collect large sums of protection fees from their respective administrative regions by protecting them from Demonic Soul Masters.

The Northern Jade Sect was a small sect. As such, the protection fees they received were only limited to the area encompassing Northern Jade City. They didn't have any business ventures for a little extra income either, and a portion of what they did earn had to be gifted to the Sunken Wind Valley.

It would be surprising if they weren't scraping by to make ends meet under such dire circumstances.

Ling Xiao was originally surprised as to why the disciples had to sleep in beds similar to his doghouse-like bed in Northern Jade City, when the Northern Jade Sect looked splendorous and majestic from the outside.

However, Cheng Qiantai previously mentioned that as long as Ling Xiao focused all his attention on concocting medicine and sold half of the pills he made, the Northern Jade Sect would soon see better days.

Cheng Qiantai was very frank and straightforward with Ling Xiao. He was the source of the Northern Jade Sect's income and whether riches would come rolling in depended on his abilities alone.

Moreover, Cheng Qiantai had even showered immense praise on Ling Xiao in front of the other disciples. He pointed out that Ling Xiao had perseverance and willpower while having the best interests of the sect in mind. Ling Xiao was very thick-skinned, but having the envious and hateful gazes from all disciples centered around him made even him blush ever so slightly.

When he recalled that scene from a moment ago, Ling Xiao chuckled mischievously. "Master, oh Master. I love earning money without you telling me, too. Don't you agree, my metal broom?" Ling Xiao spoke to the broom, gently caressing it as he held it in his hands.

When Ling Xiao knew what metal this broom was made out of and how much it was worth, he could finally place a monetary value on it. To an avaricious person like Ling Xiao, this broom was like his child.

Although Ling Xiao was now absurdly rich, only he knew of this fact. The others were oblivious to it.

"Hmm? There's words written on here!" When Ling Xiao caressed a certain area of the broom's handle, the subtle coarseness that grazed his fingertips didn't escape from his acute senses.

Ling Xiao quickly raised the broom and carefully inspected the small row of words the size of louses inscribed on the handle.

"Sweep every day and you'll sweep the world away!"

Ling Xiao was stunned. "What's this about?"

Chapter end