Chapter 356: The Origin of the Demon Cultivator

Boom!

Lu Qing’s current power—how utterly overwhelming.

Not only were these few puppet slaves, artificially boosted through shortcuts, no match for him. Even a true Xian Tian Jing master couldn’t withstand the force of his fist.

Thus, Lu Qing didn’t even need to strike them directly. The sheer pressure of his punch wind alone was enough to send the four immobilized figures flying backward, spewing blood violently. They crashed onto the ground, their bones shattered, their bodies nearly broken beyond recovery.

“Ah!”

The black tattoos on their bodies surged wildly, trembling as if trying to burst out from beneath their skin. Then, almost instantly, their aura re-coalesced. They began to stir, showing signs of rising again.

“Hmm?”

Lu Qing raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Though he hadn’t used much strength in that punch, it should’ve been far beyond what these four could endure. Yet here they were—only severely wounded, not dead. Worse, they were regaining strength, defying all martial laws.

This was utterly unnatural.

“Something’s off,” Lu Qing realized instantly. The anomaly stemmed from the black tattoos on their bodies.

With a flick of his finger, golden light flashed across his form. The Earth Vein Yuan Ci Li spread out, once more pinning the four figures to the ground, utterly immobilized.

He activated his Abilities, focusing intently.

Moments later, several text tags materialized above their bodies.

【Liu Jing: Disciple of Qingyun Jian Ge.】

【Cultivation Level: Post-Natal Internal Organs Stage.】

【Controlled by a mysterious Demon Cultivator via a Secret Technique, mind lost, transformed into a mindless demon slave. Life force is being drained to temporarily attain Xian Tian-level power.】

...

“So they were indeed controlled,” Lu Qing murmured, not surprised. What did strike him was their identity.

It clicked instantly in his mind. The one who destroyed Qingyun Jian Ge months ago—this mysterious Demon Cultivator was the culprit.

“Roar!”

Even as Lu Qing pinned them with Earth Vein Yuan Ci Li, the Qingyun Jian Ge disciples still struggled. Their black tattoos pulsed rapidly, devouring their life force, generating a fierce aura as they fought to rise.

“You’ll stay put for now,” Lu Qing said coolly.

A subtle shift in his intent amplified the压制 force. The four controlled disciples were instantly slammed back into the ground, unable to move.

With that done, Lu Qing turned his gaze toward Zhou Fu Cheng.

Though he was curious about the black tattoos, now was not the time.

He sensed the demonic formation ahead had reignited. If he delayed any longer, the city’s civilians wouldn’t survive.

Without another glance at the four captured disciples, Lu Qing drew another arrow and nocked it to his bow.

He unleashed the Arrow Technique: Starfall, firing three arrows in rapid succession, streaking diagonally into the sky.

Three deep thuds echoed from within the city. Three more Zhen Fa Jie Dian points were shattered.

And this time, the black spiritual barrier surrounding Zhou Fu Cheng flickered. The once-utterly dense darkness dimmed slightly.

The pinned disciples watched in shock. At last, they understood how the Demon Lord’s formation nodes were being destroyed.

By this young man—using only a bow and arrow!

Three arrows fired, Lu Qing didn’t pause. He drew three more spirit arrows and fired again.

“Damn it!”

The Disheveled Figure, witnessing the blood mist around his Black Bone Sword dissipate by another third, could no longer hold back.

Of the thirty-six formation nodes he’d set, nearly a third had already been destroyed. If this continued, once more than half were broken, the makeshift Shi Fang Rong Xue Lian Hun Zhen would collapse.

He couldn’t afford that. This formation had drained nearly all the resources he’d plundered from Qingyun Jian Ge. If it failed, he’d have nothing left to rebuild it.

His eyes flashed with cold fury. In a flash, he vanished from his spot—empowered by the array, he soared into the air, fleeing toward the city outskirts.

“What in the world…?”

Inside the city, Zhou Fu Cheng’s forces, huddled together fighting the black qi spears, had been watching the dark sky above. Now, seeing the Disheveled Figure fly upward, they were stunned.

Could someone really fly through the air like that?

Even Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe couldn’t fly!

“City Lord!” Wei Xinghe looked up instantly, shouting. “That man is the one who set up the demonic formation surrounding Zhou Fu Cheng! Now that he’s revealed himself, it means the one breaking the formation is outside—fighting the array! If we just hold on a little longer, we may see the moment of liberation!”

Hearing this, Zhou Fu Cheng’s group stiffened. They did feel it—the dark barrier above had dimmed. The power of the black qi spears had weakened.

Wei Xinghe wasn’t lying. There was someone outside, breaking the formation to save them.

Realizing this, the Xian Tian Jing cultivators’ spirits surged. Their resolve to cut down the black qi spears grew stronger than ever.

“Master Demon Lord has left the city?”

In a shadowed alley, Wei Zihao had also seen the Disheveled Figure heading toward the city gate. His heart leapt.

He sensed the power radiating from Zhou Fu Cheng’s group—and knew he could no longer capture his father alone.

Without hesitation, he turned and followed the same path.

The Disheveled Figure flew swiftly, reaching the top of the city gate. He scanned the area, trying to locate his four demon slaves.

But then—his expression flickered.

They weren’t near the gate.

They were over a mile away.

At the moment the Disheveled Figure appeared atop the city gate, Lu Qing sensed it.

He looked up. When he saw the cloaked figure standing on the gate, radiating pure, unrefined demonic energy, he raised an eyebrow.

“Hmph. It is you.”

“You?!”

Unlike Lu Qing’s calm, the Disheveled Figure trembled violently, eyes widening in shock.

“Indeed. The Demon Cultivator scum. In Sheng Cheng, I missed you with my blade. You escaped. And now you’ve come here to torment the world?”

Lu Qing locked eyes with him, instantly activating his Abilities.

Back in Sheng Cheng, he’d tried repeatedly to probe the man’s identity—but time had been too short.

Now, he would find out exactly who this Demon Cultivator truly was.

“Boy,” the Disheveled Figure snarled, a grotesque grin spreading across his face. “Fate is cruel. I’ve searched everywhere for you. And now you’ve come to me—just like a rat running into a trap!”

Recalling the losses he’d suffered in Sheng Cheng, the Disheveled Figure’s heart still bled.

Had those World Origin Qi not been stolen by Lu Qing, he would’ve already forged his Demon Body and swept across the realm.

Instead, he was forced to hide in this remote corner, scheming in silence.

Thinking of it, his desire to kill Lu Qing boiled over—craving to tear him apart, burn his soul, and make him suffer.

But his reason held.

He knew Lu Qing wasn’t ordinary.

As the first cultivator in this world’s history to cross the Heavenly Trial since Qi Lu Fu Su, and the one favored by the Heavenly Dao’s Qi Yun—this was no mere prodigy. He was a monster of talent.

Months had passed since Sheng Cheng. Who knew how far this boy had advanced?

Though his blood boiled with rage, the Disheveled Figure forced it down. He would not charge out.

“Skin and bone, soul refined? You think you have the right, demon spawn? Don’t you remember—you were the one who fled like a rat from my blade!”

Lu Qing mocked, buying time to probe the man’s identity.

His heart, however, thudded.

He’d stared at the figure on the city wall for over ten breaths. Still—no information appeared.

Even at his current level, he could’ve read the data of a spirit artifact in that time.

Yet this man’s origin took longer than even a spirit artifact.

Who was he?

“What?!”

The Disheveled Figure roared, enraged.

A being who had lived for countless ages—called a demon spawn by a mere local boy?

It was an insult beyond tolerance.

“Don’t I speak the truth? You had no courage to face me in open combat. You cowered in the shadows like a rat. With a mind like that, you even dare to seek revenge? You’ve turned your brain to mud with your Demon Cultivation Technique!”

Lu Qing kept taunting, stalling.

“You dare insult me?!”

The third time, the insult crossed the line. The Disheveled Figure was furious—yet paralyzed by fear.

He dared not leave the formation. Without its power, he had no chance against Lu Qing.

And then—finally—Lu Qing saw it.

A set of text tags slowly floated up from the Disheveled Figure’s body.

【Li An: Disciple of Qingyun Jian Ge. Tian Yuan Da Shi Jie’s One Hundred and Eight Mo Jiang under Hei Tian Mo Zun. Reincarnation of An Ye Mo Jiang.】

【Cultivation Level: Xian Tian Jing Mastery.】

【Formerly one of Hei Tian Mo Zun’s generals in the Xian Tian Great World. Hunted by the righteous sects, fled into the stars, eventually suffered fatal wounds and could not recover. Forced to use reincarnation magic to escape death, reborn into this Xiao Shan Jie.】

【Demon General level—comparable to a Qi cultivation Yuan Shen Da Neng. Soul nearly indestructible. After rebirth, has a chance to unlock Tai Zhong Zhi Mi and awaken past-life memories.】

...

Lu Qing’s heart jolted.

He hadn’t expected this.

The Demon Cultivator wasn’t from this world at all.

He came from the Tian Yuan Da Shi Jie—and was a reincarnated general of Hei Tian Mo Zun.

No wonder it took so long to probe his origin.

On the city wall, the Disheveled Figure felt Lu Qing’s gaze. A chill ran through him.

There was something unnatural about it—like Lu Qing could see through every secret, every layer of his soul.

That sudden cold fear snapped him back to clarity.

His mind screamed warning.

He didn’t know why. But he knew—something was terribly wrong.

“Why don’t you come out, demon spawn?” Lu Qing taunted. “You keep saying you want revenge. Yet you cower behind your formation, afraid to face me?”

Now that he knew the man’s origin, Lu Qing’s heart settled.

Yes, the man’s background was terrifying—but his current cultivation was only Xian Tian Jing Mastery.

At the same level, even with a legendary past, Lu Qing wasn’t intimidated.

“Boy,” the Disheveled Figure said, voice icy. “Don’t get too full of yourself. You’re only arrogant because you have Qi Yun on your side. But I’ll tell you this—throughout history, every soul blessed with Qi Yun has ended in ruin. Enjoy your moment now. When the karmic backlash comes, you’ll beg for death.”

Feeling the ancient warning in his bones, the Disheveled Figure calmed completely.

He resolved: unless Lu Qing broke into the formation, he would not step out.

And he spoke half-truths, trying to shake Lu Qing’s spirit.

Sure enough, Lu Qing’s gaze narrowed.

“Hah. Finally scared?”

The Disheveled Figure laughed wildly. “You fools—locals, blind as frogs in a well. Because you have a little Qi Yun, you think you’re invincible? I’ve seen your kind before. Just wait. The more you rejoice now, the more miserable you’ll be later. One day, you’ll wish you were dead.”

Watching the man’s arrogance, Lu Qing fell silent.

Then, slowly, a strange smile curled on his lips.

“Demon spawn,” he said softly, “you dare call yourself Lord? Tell me—what would your master, Hei Tian Mo Zun, say if he learned you were this?”

“What?!”

The Disheveled Figure froze.

His body trembled. His eyes widened in disbelief.

Lu Qing had just revealed his deepest secret.

His mind shattered.

And in that instant—Lu Qing drew his bow.

With a surge of focus, he sucked in all the surrounding Qi within a hundred meters—completely in under three breaths.

The energy condensed into the spirit arrow.

Then—his finger released.

A blinding beam of light shot forth, faster than thought, streaking toward the city gate.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end