My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult Chapter 335

Chapter 335: Chapter 235: Masters from All over the World Enter the List Chapter 335: Chapter 235: Masters from All over the World Enter the List Zongzheng Huachun began, “The current strength of the Ghost Swordsman is such that the average Five Qi Grandmasters cannot match him. My teacher once told me that Xi Hafu is a top-notch expert of our time, and even Qin Shan might not be his match. Therefore, he is one of the experts who can handle the Ghost Swordsman.”

Zongzheng Yue raised her eyebrows and said, “Xi Hafu? His strength is indeed high, probably no weaker than the Sword God, Qi Xuan Dao. During the battle at Yujing City, of the three great experts who rushed towards the Dragon Locking Well, only he emerged unscathed. However, getting him to help us against the Ghost Swordsman might be very difficult.”

After the battle at Yujing City, most of the Five Qi Grandmasters in the world emerged. Qin Shan died, Qi Xuan Dao was gravely wounded, and only Xi Hafu left composedly, making his name resonate across the world.

“He will certainly do it.”

A cold smile appeared on Zongzheng Huachun's lips. “Xi Hafu once cleaved one of his own thoughts to try and bring about the reincarnation of the Buddha. But this Buddha is not as simple as imagined.”

Upon hearing this, Zongzheng Yue nodded and said, “It is said that the Buddha was the son of a feudal lord from the Great Qin Dynasty, who later fell on hard times and became destitute, suffering the hardships of the human world. That was until the day he had a profound realization under the Bodhi tree, becoming a Great Grandmaster overnight, with cultivation so divine he later founded the Buddhist sect and vowed to save all beings. This seems quite similar to Confucian cultivation; such a person is truly no ordinary man.”

Zongzheng Huachun shook his head and said, “All these are just appearances. To reach the Land Immortal Realm overnight, have you seen those Confucian scholars spew their heart and soul into reading how many books, grappling with so much of the great truths, to reach the Land Immortal Realm overnight? And how many Confucian scholars have reached this realm overnight through the ages? Although there are few, there are still some. But what about the Buddhist sect? Besides the Buddha, who else has stepped into the Land Immortal Realm in one go?”

Zongzheng Yue's eyebrows knitted, and she fell into deep thought.

In the historical records and ancient texts, indeed, only the Buddha reached the Land Immortal Realm overnight. Apart from him, there were no others in the Buddhist sect.

Zongzheng Huachun continued, “The Buddha was able to reach the Land Immortal Realm overnight, not just because he had a sudden comprehension of the Buddhist Law; it is merely a means to fool the world. The Buddha became a Land Immortal overnight simply because he was tainted with the aura of evil spirits, turning into one himself.”

“What!?”

Zongzheng Yue was thunderstruck by Zongzheng Huachun's words, “Father, what you're saying… is it true…?”

Zongzheng Huachun calmly stated, “Of course, it's true.”

Zongzheng Yue's eyes widened. Even though she considered herself unflappable in the face of danger, the revelation still left her deeply shocked.

Who could have imagined that the Buddha of the Buddhist sect was not human, but an evil spirit!?

It completely overturned all her previous beliefs.

If this news were to spread, it would create a massive upheaval. The Buddha of the Buddhist sect, one of the three ancient sects, was actually an evil spirit.

Zongzheng Huachun glanced at Zongzheng Yue and said slowly, “I was equally shocked when I first learned of this from my master.”

Zongzheng Yue, incredulous, said, “The aura of evil spirits can seep into one's body and allow them to ascend to the Great Grandmaster realm in one step?”

Zongzheng Huachun answered, “It depends on the person. Some can accept the aura of evil spirits, allowing them to ascend effortlessly to the Great Grandmaster level, while others who are resistant to it ultimately lose their sanity, becoming mindless beasts that only seek to kill.”

“Obviously, the Buddha was a very lucky individual who was quite compatible with the aura of evil spirits.”

Zongzheng Yue hesitated for a moment before saying, “But even if one accepts the aura of evil spirits, they're no longer human, right?”

Zongzheng Huachun slightly nodded, “Evil spirits are evil spirits, naturally they cannot be considered human. Xi Hafu is set on reviving the Buddha, an almost impossible task. Life, once ended, cannot be reborn; even if one becomes an evil spirit, unless one achieves the state of the Heavenly Immortals, that is, transcendence, they will still die.”

“The only chance for the Buddha to be revived would be for Xi Hafu to absorb the aura of evil spirits and become the Buddha himself.”

Zongzheng Yue remained silent, as the implications of Zongzheng Huachun's revelations were indeed too astonishing, almost beyond belief.

The Buddha is an evil spirit; so could there be other people who are evil spirits?

Is becoming an evil spirit really so advantageous?

Zongzheng Huachun continued, “For Xi Hafu, breaking the seal on the Dragon Locking Well is the top priority. Right now, his biggest enemies are the Ghost Swordsman and Zhao Zhiwu, so he will certainly help us.”

Zongzheng Yue seemed to be on the verge of saying something else but hesitated.

Zongzheng Huachun glanced at Zongzheng Yue and said, “Speak your mind.”

Zongzheng Yue took a deep breath and asked, “Father, who exactly is your teacher?”

In his youth, Zongzheng Huachun was but an unremarkable young man from the tribes of the great plains, yet he vowed to unify the plains. At that time, the plains were in chaos, with the Great Yan Court stirring up strife and causing continuous internal fighting among the great tribes. Zongzheng Huachun decided to travel to different countries to learn, and he was gone for ten years.

When he returned after ten years, he was completely transformed, as if he had undergone a rebirth. Not only did he possess cultivation, but his entire thought process had also undergone earth-shaking changes. He later directly joined the holy ground of the great plains, the Great Snow Mountain, and within a mere three years became the Holy Master of the Great Snow Mountain. Then, in barely over a decade, he managed to unify Houjin and become a dominant ruler over the lands.

No one knew where Zongzheng Huachun had been or what had happened during those ten years, but those familiar with him knew of the drastic changes he underwent in this period of learning.

Furthermore, Houjin received 'tremendous help'. In a matter of twenty years, it became a powerful nation standing alongside the great dynasties such as Great Yan, not inferior to such flourishing dynasties.

This was partly due to Houjin's rich resources and Zongzheng Huachun adopting the state policies of Great Yan and Zhao Country, taking the best and discarding the worst. Another part was due to the support and assistance from behind the scenes.

Naturally, such secrets were only known to core members of Houjin like Zongzheng Yue.

Moreover, Zongzheng Yue knew that Zongzheng Huachun had taken a teacher, and the great changes in him were precisely because of this teacher.

“My teacher is a true hermit of the world.”

Zongzheng Huachun's eyebrows twitched slightly, as if falling into a recollection, “If there are immortals in this world, then my teacher definitely is one.”

Zongzheng Yue also heard about Zongzheng Huachun's teacher for the first time and continued to ask, “Then does father's teacher know the true origin of this malevolent energy?”

Zongzheng Huachun pondered for a long time before saying, “He was very secretive about it, and I did not inquire further.”

Zongzheng Yue nodded and said, “Xi Hafu is one, who is the other?”

“Jiang Shang.”

Zongzheng Huachun said indifferently, “Not long ago, my teacher sent me a secret letter, Jiang Shang has been absorbing Undying Blood and his cultivation has been constantly improving, reaching the realm of a Five Qi Grandmaster. In fact, he does not know that the Undying Blood is the blood within an evil spirit's body, and by absorbing an excessive amount of fresh blood, eventually, he will become an evil spirit just like the Buddha from the Buddhist sect. What the evil spirit needs is this malevolent energy. Since he has deep enmity with the Ghost Swordsman and even his son has been swayed by the Ghost Swordsman to confront him, why wouldn't he go and kill the Ghost Swordsman?”

“With the two of them and myself, the Ghost Swordsman would have no escape unless he possesses the strength of a Land Immortal,”
Zongzheng Huachun spoke with confidence. Xi Hafu and Jiang Shang were both high-ranking Five Qi Grandmasters, and he himself was unquestionably the second greatest master in the world after Zhao Zhiwu.

With the three of them working together, how could the Ghost Swordsman escape?

This time, there absolutely must be no accidents. If the Ghost Swordsman were allowed to escape again and cultivate for another ten or eight years, by then he might reach the realm of a Land Immortal, which would become a huge problem.

With determination in his heart, Zongzheng Yue's eyes shone with a keen light, “Father, before that, I have a plan that can make the Ghost Swordsman jump into the trap we have set for him.”

Several days later, North Field, Heavenly Water City.

With the world in chaos and the winds of change stirring, numerous Grandmasters were involved in the battles, and the masters from the various countries and Jianghu suffered casualties.

Especially the masters from Yan Country, engaged in the war between the north and the south, suffered terribly.

Recently, a remarkable person from Zhao Country compiled a power ranking of the world's masters. The Great Yan Emperor, Zhao Zhiwu, was ranked first, followed by Zongzheng Huachun in second place, and Xi Hafu in third because of his reputation after escaping unscathed in the Battle of Yujing City. The fourth place went to Qi Xuan Dao, who was defeated in Yujing City, the first Grandmaster of Zhao Country and the contemporary Sword God. The fifth place was the lord of the Southern Barbarians, while An Jing, after killing Taiyin Kui, was only ranked sixth. Following them were Jiang Shang, Su Tianze, Hua Lian, Xiao Qianqiu, and many other masters.

There were definitely omissions in the ranking, but this list was not widely disputed.

Zhao Zhiwu, who had reached the realm of a Great Grandmaster, was undoubtedly the foremost among the world's masters at that time. Therefore, Zongzheng Huachun, who obtained a great opportunity in Yujing City, was unquestionably the second strongest in the world and the one with the best chance of surpassing Zhao Zhiwu.

The rankings of the other masters were also noteworthy and followed the inherent logic of the list itself.

This ranking spread throughout the world and naturally made its way to the North Field as well.

An Jing stood atop the city walls of Heavenly Water City, looking out at the vast expanse of the grasslands.

The bushes became increasingly dense, and the ground looked as if it had just been rained upon; the air was very fresh. Looking far into the distance, one could see a hazy layer of blue-green.

In front of him was a grassy field, with the azure surface of the water sparkling under the sunlight, a flock of nimble birds either skimming the water's surface, soaring into the sky, or standing quietly with bowed heads.

Situated amidst such vast and boundless expanse, it felt as if there were no boundaries, and one's entire being seemed to open up all at once.

In this moment, An Jing finally understood what Lou Xiangzhen once said, “Travel thousands of miles, cultivate a sword that transcends this world.”

Allowing one's heart to roam freely between heaven and earth, in an instant, all confusions can be desolated.

The ancient swords in the sword box on An Jing's back vibrated, bearing the marks of the years, all being renowned swords of extraordinary origin. They now emitted a faint humming sound, as if responding to the serene and indifferent state of his heart.

Observing all life with a smile, asking not about its desolation; looking down on all heroes, caring not for the danger or fortune on the road.

In this vast world, one floats in solitude within it.

An Jing's heart merged with the heavens and the earth, and not only did he gain new insights into his Sword Dao, but he also made significant progress in Heavenly Human Communication.

“Unity of Man and Sword, both sword and self-forgotten,” An Jing murmured to himself.

The Seventh Realm mentioned in the “Sword Dao Tao General Outline” speaks of Unity of Man and Sword, with both sword and self forgotten.

Unity of Man and Sword is an extremely profound level, and both sword and self-forgotten are mysterious and unfathomable.

Throughout history, the most top-notch swordsmen have all reached the Sixth Realm and have hoped to break through to the Seventh Realm, but very few have touched the threshold of the Seventh Realm, and no one has truly reached the Seventh Realm. Some even say the Seventh Realm does not truly exist.

Because swordsmen are human, and the sword is a sword, how can the two become one, and how can a swordsman forget his sword, or a person forget themselves?

An Jing stood quietly in place, gazing at the vast and boundless horizon.

Ouyang Ping stood far away, commanding the Demon Sect masters to guard, without approaching to disturb.

As time passed, a whole night went by unknowingly.

Only then did An Jing come back to his senses and took out the Imperial Jade Seal from his bosom.

This was the Imperial Jade Seal of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and also that of the Great Qin Dynasty, and within the seal still resided the million Yin soldiers of the Great Qin Dynasty.

An Jing muttered to himself, “With these million Yin soldiers, what do I have to fear even in the face of the Houjin army?”

If the Yin soldiers were to charge out from the Imperial Jade Seal, their combat strength would not be inferior to the Houjin soldiers, let alone having a million of them, storming into the Houjin Royal Court would be as easy as turning one's hand over.

However, borrowing the Yin soldiers was always an undesirable act, and the anomalies in Fengdu had also served as a warning to An Jing, so he did not rashly venture into the Houjin Royal Court.

Just then, Ouyang Ping came over and whispered, “An Tributor, the Buddhist Xi Hafu has arrived.”

“Xi Hafu?” An Jing's eyebrows raised as he asked, “Which Xi Hafu is it?”

There were two Xi Hafus.

Ouyang Ping replied, “He claims to be from Lingtai Temple, and he is wearing a red Kasaya.”

An Jing nodded and said, “Let's go meet him.”

Afterwards, An Jing descended from the city walls to an ancient guest hall.

The Xi Hafu dressed in a red Kasaya was sitting there, looking serene and peaceful.

An Jing chuckled and said, “Master, I greet you with respect.”

The Xi Hafu folded his hands together and said, “An patron needs not be so courteous.”

An Jing asked, “Master has traveled a great distance to come here, I presume there must be something important?”

The Xi Hafu's expression turned somewhat grave as he said, “Indeed, this poor monk has come here on an important matter, seeking patron An. My obsessional incarnation has arrived in Houjin.”

“Oh?”

An Jing couldn't help but recall the Xi Hafu with the icy demeanor, who enjoyed crushing the necks of others and vowed to resurrect the Buddha.

He had a very deep impression of this 'Xi Hafu.'
But wasn't he supposed to be resurrecting the Buddha?

Why come to Houjin?

Xi Hafu slowly said, “He has been invited by Zongzheng Huachun, with the purpose of dealing with you.”

An Jing's eyebrows raised as he said, “To deal with me?”

Xi Hafu placed his hands over his chest and said, “Indeed, because to resurrect that 'Buddha,' it is necessary to wait for an opportunity, which is to break the seal of the Dragon Locking Well, letting the evil spirits pervade the world, and thus the Great Yan Dynasty must be overthrown…”

An Jing's thoughts stirred; so his guess was correct, the entity that the Xi Hafu was carrying on his back wasn't the Buddha, but an evil spirit.

Xi Hafu continued, “This poor monk can't bear to see my own shard of obsession commit evil. Upon receiving the news, I've come here, planning to assist An patron in resisting Houjin, and at the same time, to resolve this shard of obsession.”

An Jing pondered for a moment and asked, “Does Master know what Zongzheng Huachun plans to do?”

Having taken North Field, he already posed a threat to the Houjin Royal Court. It would be abnormal if Houjin had no reaction.

Xi Hafu shook his head and sighed, “This poor monk does not know, but my mental strength has recently increased greatly. I think An patron has already learned about that list. If he joins forces with Zongzheng Huachun, unless An patron can reach the Land Immortal Realm…”

An Jing showed no change of expression on his face, but his eyebrows frowned inwardly.

He was, of course, aware of that list, and he had looked at it. To him, the list also represented considerable effort. It might not be completely accurate, but it was very much on the mark.

In the eyes of others, the second strongest person in the world teaming up with the third to target the sixth strongest was almost certain of success without fail.

Xi Hafu folded his hands together and said, “This poor monk has come from Lingtai Temple to assist you, patron. I can block a mental attack for patron An.”

An Jing touched the sword box on his back and said indifferently, “Master, you only need to block one mental attack from yourself for me. As for Zongzheng Huachun, I will kill him personally.”

At this moment, having absorbed the True Dragon Essence Blood, his strength had greatly increased, and he also wanted to see how much Zongzheng Huachun's strength would improve after obtaining a wisp of the Earth Vein Spirit's intention.

“Amitabha.”

Xi Hafu pressed his hands together in front of his chest and bowed his head.

Just as he bowed his head for a moment, a subtle flash of red light passed in a flash.

In You Mountain, a secret chamber.

Zhao Qingmei was seated upon the Heavenly Yang Stone, as the Supreme Yang Qi continuously flowed into her body, coursing through her limbs and banishing the evil spirits from within her.

The energy of the evil spirits was tenacious, but the Supreme Yang Qi was its natural nemesis, practically dissolving the evil spirits in plain sight.

After the evil spirits' energy and the Power of Supreme Yang fused, massive essences were formed, lingering inside Zhao Qingmei's body.

These essences were unbelievably pure, vast like the boundless sea, yet Zhao Qingmei was not in a hurry to absorb them.

Approximately several hours later, Zhao Qingmei slowly opened her eyes.

Nangong Weiping beside her clicked her tongue and said, “This Heavenly Yang Stone truly lives up to its name as a Supreme Yang Object, and such a large piece at that. If the Great Yan Emperor knew about this, even he might be tempted.”

Zhao Qingmei replied with a smile, “Is Senior Nangong also tempted?”

Nangong Weiping's tone shifted as she countered, “If I were tempted, would you give it to me?”

Zhao Qingmei said, “If Senior Nangong wishes, please feel free to take it.”

Nangong Weiping looked at Zhao Qingmei and asked, “Are you serious?”

Zhao Qingmei nodded and said, “Of course.”

Nangong Weiping inquired, “Do you know what this is?”

Zhao Qingmei replied, “I know.”

Nangong Weiping asked, “You know and you would still give it to me?”

Zhao Qingmei said, “Senior Nangong is willing to give me all her lifelong cultivation, so what is this Heavenly Yang Stone in comparison?”

Nangong Weiping, looking into Zhao Qingmei's bright eyes, suddenly burst into laughter.

The “Nameless Heart Scripture” An Jing practiced was indeed part of the “Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture,” but he was completely unaware of some deep secret techniques within the “Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture.”

The Heart Demon Method by Nangong Weiping was not so simple; the Demon Seed was divided into Child Demon Seed and Mother Demon Seed. Generally, masters of the Demon Sect would coalesce a Mother Demon Seed within themselves. When using the Mother-child Bell, even during the time of cultivation returning, there would be no harm, and it wouldn't even cause a loss of one's own cultivation.

But the Demon Seed Nangong Weiping had initiated in Zhao Qingmei was actually transferring a great amount of her cultivation. Although this would intensify Zhao Qingmei's Heart Demon crisis, the cultivation techniques of the Demon Sect always took unconventional paths, and the faster the cultivation speed, the better it actually was.

The Heart Demons rapidly proliferated, yet they had not taken complete root within one's heart. On the contrary, it was the fastest method to eliminate Heart Demons.

This meant that on Nangong Weiping was a Child Demon Seed, whereas Zhao Qingmei had a Mother Demon Seed. In the end, Zhao Qingmei would completely acquire Nangong Weiping's cultivation, and Nangong Weiping would lose all her cultivation, turning into a skeleton instantly.

It could be said that from beginning to end, Nangong Weiping harbored little malice towards Zhao Qingmei.

Only she did not wish to explain too much, nor did she want to explain at all.

If it weren't for the fact that Zhao Qingmei's cultivation realm in the “Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture” was getting higher and higher, she wouldn't know about the differentiation between Child Demon Seed and Mother Demon Seed, nor would she know that she carried the Mother Demon Seed.

“This Heavenly Yang Stone is useless to me.”

Nangong Weiping shook her head, “No one in this world is capable of reaching the Transcendence Realm, so it's inevitable that my time is up and I will surely die. Keeping this cultivation within me is a waste. Now that you have the Heavenly Yang Stone, your grip over suppressing the Heart Demon is stronger, and I can now transfer my cultivation to you quickly and be at ease.”

Zhao Qingmei solemnly said, “Senior, if you transfer too quickly, your vitality and life span will also diminish faster.”

Nangong Weiping laughed heartily, “I don't have much time left to live anyway, but I have lived quite merrily during this period. Traveling to the Great Snow Mountain in the north and to Zhao Country in the south, I've toured the entire world.”

In these days, Zhao Qingmei had accompanied her from the southernmost waters to the northern borders, witnessing the sunrises and sunsets at the ends of the earth, thus resolving her last life regrets.

When it comes to death, very few in this world can face it calmly.

Initially, Nangong Weiping believed that living had no meaning, merely a process of constant suffering, torment, and injuries that left one battered and exhausted.

Later, upon meeting Zhao Qingmei, she gained a new insight.

Living is about making a seemingly meaningless life have meaning.

Zhao Qingmei earnestly said, “Senior, once the world is settled, I will accompany you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Great Yan.”

“Good.”

Nangong Weiping chuckled lightly, then seemed to recall something, “The master we encountered at the Cloud Tower in Zhao Country, I feel the matter is not so simple, that person seemed to hesitate and did not give it his all.”

Zhao Qingmei's eyes narrowed as she said, “It's indeed no simple matter that a Great Grandmaster is hiding at the Black Ice Platform.”

The deterrent power of a Great Grandmaster could grant Zhao Country an overwhelming advantage against Yan Country. If used properly, it could completely annihilate Yan Country, yet the Black Ice Platform had always kept silent.

If it wasn't for this time when Nangong Weiping wanted to go to the Cloud Tower to get that riding yellow, they might not have discovered that master.

Nangong Weiping pondered for a long while, “Aside from that master, I feel there ought to be other Great Grandmaster experts in this world.”

Chapter end