Chapter 202: Origins of the Demon Lord, Changes in the Inner Domain

Chapter 202: Origins of the Demon Lord, Changes in the Inner Domain

"Have you heard? Elder Tianren cultivates the Great Wilderness Martial Way, and he doesn't bully those of lower realms. With the power of his realm, he single-handedly crushed the rebels of the Faction Against Heaven."

"I heard about that too! The Great Wilderness Martial Way is the true orthodox path of martial arts!"

"I'm going to switch to cultivating the Great Wilderness Martial Way no matter the cost!"

"Me too!"

Within the Inner Domain's martial arts world, Elder Tianren and the shift towards cultivating the Great Wilderness Martial Way were the hottest topics.

"My child, the martial arts of the Inner Domain are too weak. There's no need for you to cultivate our family's inherited techniques. While you're still young and your martial arts foundation is not yet solid, it's best to switch to the Great Wilderness Martial Way."

"Starting today, all new disciples of our sect will cultivate the Great Wilderness Martial Way."

"From today onwards, my martial arts gym will only teach the Great Wilderness Martial Way."

After Elder Tianren crushed the rebels of the Faction Against Heaven with his own power, despite being of the same realm, the Great Wilderness Martial Way became the top choice for all aspiring martial artists who had not yet joined a sect.

At the same time, the Tianbao Pavilion timely released Qi and Blood Realm martial arts techniques for sale.

As for the techniques above the Qi and Blood Realm, they were not put up for sale. Those who wanted to obtain them would have to go to the Great Wilderness to seek them out.

Because of this, a small portion of people hesitated, worried that the conditions for obtaining advanced techniques in the Great Wilderness Martial Way would be harsh, and without those advanced techniques, wouldn't they be stuck at a certain point? Of course, even more people resolutely chose to cultivate the Great Wilderness Martial Way, after all, not every martial artist believed they could break through to the Grand Master realm.

Similarly, those who considered themselves to have average talent and no hope of reaching the Grand Master realm, didn't think the distinction between innate and non-innate talent was important anymore.

Cultivating the Great Wilderness Martial Way would, at the very least, make their Qi and Blood Realm stronger than those who cultivated the Inner Domain's martial arts.

It was worth it.

More importantly, those who cultivated the Great Wilderness Martial Way had lifespans far longer than Inner Domain martial artists of the same level.

The Inner Domain's martial arts world was swept up in a fever for cultivating the Great Wilderness Martial Way.

However, the major powers felt bitter yet dared not voice their concerns.

They even tried to convince themselves that the Faction Against Heaven were rebels and an evil force, and that was the truth!

In the Seven Stars Academy, Bai Yunkong walked through the halls, noticing that more than half of the familiar senior instructors were missing.

This made the entire academy seem to be lacking in instructors.

"The principles of the Seven Stars Academy cannot be violated. These principles are not just empty words; there are some hidden implications within them.

"Is it really that easy to enter the Spirit Domain?

"And what if one does enter? Inner Domain martial artists are still lowly in the end."

Bai Yunkong muttered to himself.

Upon returning to his residence and sipping his tea, he pondered deeply.

The Great Wilderness Martial Way will gradually replace the Inner Domain's martial arts, won't it?

If one day, the cultivation of the Great Wilderness Martial Way is unrestricted and can break through to realms comparable to the Martial Arts Heaven, the Inner Domain will undergo earth-shaking changes.

By then, the situation for Inner Domain martial artists entering the Spirit Domain will be completely different.

"That day is still far off."

Bai Yunkong shook his head and smiled bitterly. Even if everyone in the Inner Domain switched to cultivating the Great Wilderness Martial Way, it would still take time to accumulate and improve their overall strength.

"Sigh, it looks like we Martial Arts Scholars will have to trouble ourselves to teach martial arts to the students. Those instructors are all useless."

An old man holding a folding fan appeared, sighing.

"Pang Yu, as the head Martial Arts Scholar, it's about time for you to lend a hand as well."

Bai Yunkong hummed in response.

Pang Yu shook his head and sighed, "The incompetence of the current Palace Master is exhausting us scholars who are dedicated to the martial path!"

Bai Yunkong couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him.

After sitting down, Pang Yu sighed, "Who would have thought that the Demon Lord, who had disappeared without a trace, was actually dead? I thought he had escaped back to the Spirit Domain."

"You seem to know quite a bit about the Demon Lord."

Bai Yunkong asked curiously.

"I wouldn't say I know too much. The previous head scholar once participated in the ambush of the Demon Lord and nearly died. He was lucky to escape with his life, barely scraping through.

"Before he passed away, he often boasted about his past glories in front of me, so I know a bit about the Demon Lord."

Pang Yu shook his head, his words carrying a hint of disdain for the previous head scholar.

"It is said that the Demon Lord came from the Spirit Domain."

Bai Yunkong said in a low voice.

"Indeed, he did come from the Spirit Domain. Countless people died during the ambush on the Demon Lord. If it weren't for the pursuers from the Spirit Domain who arrived, everyone might have perished."

Pang Yu sighed.

"Now, in the Inner Domain, those who personally experienced the Demon Lord's affairs are probably all dead—the Demon Child, the Great Empress of Daze Country… Those old fellows have all passed away.

"The matter of the Demon Lord was forced to be covered up by a powerful figure who pressured the dynasty and the major powers.

"Just like the situation with the Faction Against Heaven now, the truth is too far from what is being spread."

Pang Yu laughed cheerfully.

Bai Yunkong nodded silently. When they, who had personally experienced these events, passed away, no one would know the truth about the Faction Against Heaven. Only a few rumors would remain, and they would be unconvincing.

In the Seven Stars Academy, Pang Yu and Bai Yunkong laughed and discussed the trends of the Inner Domain.

The fine wrinkles that had begun to form at Bingniang's temples vanished, and she became even more alluring and youthful.

"The Faction Against Heaven, Martial Heaven Humans... Demon Child, you are dead."

Bingniang murmured to herself, a hint of desolation in her tone.

All her old acquaintances from the past were likely gone from this world, leaving only her, alone and clinging to life on the ice lake, absorbing the essence of young girls to maintain her immortality and beauty.

"The Demon Lord's cultivation technique is indeed effective. It's just a shame that it requires consuming the youth of so many young girls every year."

Bingniang mused to herself.

Two veiled women approached and carried away the shriveled corpses that lay on either side of Bingniang.

"The Demon Lord is dead!"

In that moment, a look of despondency crossed Bingniang's face.

The missing Demon Lord had indeed perished.

Bingniang took out a scroll. "Demon Child, your method of revenge is rather peculiar. I probably won't live much longer if I do this, but... very well, I'll do it for you just this once."

Following Demon Child's instructions, Bingniang burned the scroll, activating the jade bead. The bead turned into powder, and in her daze, Bingniang recalled the Demon Lord's mention of something called the Mother-and-Child Pearl—when the child pearl shattered, the mother pearl would sense it.

Perhaps this jade bead was the child pearl?

"Demon Child, I've done as you asked, but whether it goes as you wish or not remains to be seen."

Bingniang muttered to herself.

Her face flushed an even deeper shade of crimson, and she slumped in her chair, her posture unbecoming. She sniffed a few times and gave her orders. "Go and find me a handsome young man, the more handsome the better, and he must be a Mastery Realm cultivator or above!"

"Yes!"

A reply echoed from within the Ice Pavilion.

In the land of Cangbei, at the headquarters of Tianbao Pavilion...

The man with the purple crown stood in the courtyard, his expression a mix of sighs and exclamations. The mighty Faction Against Heaven had been annihilated in one fell swoop.

Moreover, overnight, they had become the villains of the Inner Domain, accused of wreaking havoc and harming cultivators.

"Unbelievable. I never thought the Demon Lord would meet his end at the hands of that man from Canglan Island."

A Half-step Heaven Human cultivator shook his head in amazement.

The purple-crowned man shook his head. "The Demon Lord didn't die by his hand."

"What? Master, why do you say that? The Blood Spirit Blade is on Canglan Island. How could he not have been the one to kill the Demon Lord?"

The strong cultivators of Tianbao Pavilion were all astonished.

The purple-crowned man seemed reluctant to discuss the matter of the Demon Lord, but after some hesitation, he said, "The Demon Lord was marked for death by someone from the Tai Miao Sect. To avoid causing a ruckus in the Inner Domain, she asked me to send a message to lure the Demon Lord into the Wildlands."

The Tianbao Pavilion cultivators were stunned. The sudden disappearance of the Demon Lord was somehow connected to their master?

"Tai Miao Sect?"

One of the cultivators murmured, intending to ask more, but the purple-crowned man shook his head, unwilling to elaborate further.

...

The storm caused by the Faction Against Heaven had passed, and calm returned to Canglan Island.

The reactions of the major powers in the Inner Domain were as expected, and the impact of this battle would have far-reaching consequences.

Once again, all eyes turned to the Great Wilderness.

Kuo Rozhai left Canglan Island and returned to Great Wilderness City. He intended to take advantage of the momentum from crushing the Faction Against Heaven to overthrow the Great Yue Kingdom.

On this day, a Mastery Realm cultivator quietly arrived at Duke Du's mansion, and the duke himself came out to receive the guest, a rare show of respect for someone of such a cultivation level. Clearly, the visitor was no ordinary Mastery Realm cultivator.

This cultivator had come from Great Wilderness City.

In the Great Yue Kingdom, Mastery Realm cultivators quietly visited the families of several of the kingdom's important officials.

Undercurrents were stirring within the Great Yue Kingdom. Taking advantage of the royal family's weakened state and the restlessness of the people, a storm was brewing, threatening to engulf the kingdom.

On Canglan Island, Li Xuan returned to his leisurely days.

Every day, he went boating on the Cang River, enjoying a relaxed and carefree life.

Red Cat seemed to have been stirred by the invasion of the Faction Against Heaven, as if it had a grievance to air. Especially after Shi Er had mocked it for being as timid as a mouse and hiding in the soil.

It was indignant and spent its days sleeping.

Occasionally, rumbling sounds would emanate from within its body, as if it were undergoing some kind of transformation.

Shi Er regretted teasing Red Cat. What if this big cat took revenge on him after its transformation?

Soling Xiu was focused on her self-improvement and had completely neglected the Pill Refining Room. She was studying the Dan Yi Wu Dian, using it as a foundation to delve into higher levels of pill medicine cultivation.

She was eager to enhance her strength.

And the key to enhancing her strength lay in how to utilize pills to strengthen herself.

Zhou Ying had become even more diligent in her cultivation.

Once again, Li Xuan returned from his boat ride on the Cang River.

"Your disciple Xu Yan has broken through to the initial stage of the Insightful Profundity Realm, and you've reached the perfection stage of the same realm."

Feedback from the golden finger came abruptly.

"Xu Yan broke through so quickly?" Li Xuan was surprised. It seemed that the Tomb of Heaven's Man indeed held something extraordinary.

With his strength enhanced once more, Li Xuan prepared for another boat ride the next morning. Suddenly, golden light appeared before him.

"Your disciple Meng Chong has broken through to the Insightful Profundity Realm, and your Majestic Golden Body has achieved greatness (Insightful Profundity Realm)

. Your strength is a hundred times that of your peers."

Meng Chong had broken through to the Insightful Profundity Realm as well.

Li Xuan was overjoyed, as his strength increased yet again.

Moreover, the Majestic Golden Body of the Insightful Profundity Realm could transform him into a three-zhang-tall giant.

Of course, Li Xuan did not demonstrate this transformation. After all, if he turned into a giant, his clothes would not accommodate his new size, leaving him naked.

"If Meng Chong wants to use this three-zhang golden body transformation, he'll need to prepare a piece of clothing that can stretch extremely without tearing," Li Xuan mused.

Such clothing did exist in the Inner Domain, woven from Yunhuan silkworms. Even if one transformed into a ten-zhang giant, the clothes would not tear and would cover their body.

However, Yunhuan silkworm clothing was expensive. Although it was now well within the means of the Evergreen Pavilion, Meng Chong didn't seem to have made any preparations.

"I hope Meng Chong doesn't encounter any formidable enemies that would require him to use the three-zhang golden body," Li Xuan worried.

Otherwise, if Meng Chong transformed without suitable clothing, he would be stark naked.

Among his three disciples, Xu Yan had already reached the initial stage of the Insightful Profundity Realm, Meng Chong had entered the Insightful Profundity Realm, and Su Lingxiu had perfected her Innate Realm. It wouldn't be long before she, too, broke through to the Insightful Profundity Realm.

As for the Divine Intent Realm above, Li Xuan believed that Xu Yan would soon achieve enlightenment.

"Your disciple Meng Chong has transformed into a Vajra Spirit Body, and you've obtained the Innate Mountain River Vajra Spirit Body."

The golden finger provided another update: Meng Chong had also achieved a spiritual transformation upon breaking through to the Insightful Profundity Realm.

It had only been three days since Meng Chong's breakthrough.

As Li Xuan sipped his Yunwu Spirit Tea, golden light suddenly appeared before him.

"Your disciple Meng Chong has manifested his three-zhang golden body and is battling a Spirit Beast Snow Bear. Your three-zhang golden body has been enhanced, and your combat experience has increased."

Li Xuan was taken aback. Meng Chong had manifested his three-zhang golden body.

Where had Ziyun gone?

And what was this Spirit Beast Snow Bear?

Did the Inner Domain have spirit beasts?

Li Xuan pondered for a moment. Indeed, there were spirit beasts in the Inner Domain, like the Mountain-Swallowing Toad.

Aside from that, he hadn't heard of any other powerful spirit beasts.

For Meng Chong to manifest his three-zhang golden body, this Snow Bear spirit beast must be incredibly strong, perhaps not far from the strength of a true Heaven's Man.

Soon after Meng Chong's victory over the Snow Bear, the golden finger provided another update.

"Your disciple Meng Chong has comprehended the Divine Art of the Absolute God Slash, and your Absolute God Slash has achieved greatness!"

Li Xuan was astonished. What had Meng Chong encountered, and how had he comprehended a Divine Art similar to the God-Slaying Slash?

Although he hadn't grasped the blade intent that targeted the soul, his comprehension of the Absolute God Slash, which targeted the soul, was still incredibly powerful.

"Your disciple Meng Chong has used the Absolute God Slash to slay a Heaven's Man remnant soul. Your Absolute God Slash has been enhanced, and your combat experience has increased!"

A Heaven's Man remnant soul?

Li Xuan furrowed his brows. Was this Meng Chong's second encounter with a Heaven's Man remnant soul?

The first time, when he was still in the Qi and Blood Realm, he had slain the Demon Master's remaining soul, which had possessed Elder Wu! And now, whose remnant soul had he slain?

Could it be that Meng Chong had entered the Spirit Realm Gate?

Li Xuan wondered if Meng Chong had killed a Martial Heaven's Man and would now be hunted by them.

"Meng Chong has comprehended the Absolute God Slash and broken through to the Insightful Profundity Realm. Even a Martial Heaven's Man wouldn't be his match..."

Li Xuan's brows furrowed further. "No, Martial Heaven's Men also vary in strength. A novice Martial Heaven's Man wouldn't be Meng Chong's match, but a stronger one might be!"

He then thought of Xu Yan, who had been in the Tomb of Heaven's Man for quite some time without any sign of danger.

"Even if a Martial Heaven's Man comes, I probably won't need to take action myself. Just using the mysterious aura should be enough to intimidate them," Li Xuan mused.

In the Cangbei region, at the Demon-Hunting Battlefield...

After Meng Chong destroyed that giant hand, Ziyun began to explain the origin of the Demon-Hunting Battlefield, which was surprisingly connected to the Demon Master of legends.

As they ventured further, Ziyun continued to recount tales of the Demon-Hunting Battlefield and the Demon Master.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end