Chapter 297: Chapter 224: The Primordial Demon of Demons, Shattered by a Single Sword

In the Dao of Alchemy, the inner and outer paths are clearly distinct. As their names suggest, the path of the Outer Elixir refines external substances into medicines and pills, while the path of the inner core uses the human body as a Furnace Cauldron to harmonize the three treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

In this era, it is the art of the Outer Elixir that has become widespread and flourished;

the art of the inner core, constrained by innate talent and difficult to even begin, has gradually been abandoned by the major Daoist Lineages.

"The essence of the inner core art is that ’the Dao is the foundation, and Qi is the vessel.’ Its specific origins are lost to time. We only know that a Daoist Monarch proposed a meditative method of ’opening the divine apertures.’"

Hall Master He listened intently; this was a topic he had some familiarity with.

"The Outer Elixir seeks to grant endless life through the consumption of pills; the inner core, however, seeks to transcend life and death.

That patriarch once said, ’Everyone possesses their own elixir of immortality; why seek for Penglai in the outer world?’ He proposed that the Outer Elixir was the means and the inner core was the principle, once pushing the Dao of Alchemy to its zenith."

True Master Shao smiled.

"Hall Master He is correct. But that which is perfect will become flawed, that which reaches an extreme will reverse, and that which is full will wane. The fortune of the Dao of Alchemy came quickly, but it faded just as fast, ultimately collapsing and being carved up by others."

Such tales of Daoist Lineages rising only to rapidly decline and become nourishment for others have occurred countless times over the millennia.

From the beginning, only the four great Daoist Lineages of today have managed to endure in the Yanfu Vast Land. All others have been like shooting stars, vanishing in a flash.

"An ancient patriarch of my Daoist Lineage took the art of the inner core, altered it, simplified it, and created a technique called the ’Purple Gold Divine Pill technique.’"

True Master Shao’s expression grew grave.

"Does Hall Master He know what this alchemy technique entails?"

Hall Master He shook his head. He had vaguely heard of this old tale, but the details were always unclear, as if deliberately buried and sealed away.

"To refine human elixirs!"

True Master Shao said slowly, emphasizing each word.

Hall Master He mulled over those four words, a sudden chill creeping into his heart.

"Could it be that this Purple Gold Divine Pill..."

"Precisely."

True Master Shao nodded slightly.

"The patriarch spread this technique across the land. Everyone who learned it could open their divine apertures, visualize their True Spirit, and achieve incredibly rapid breakthroughs in their Cultivation."

He pointed to a tray brought over by an attendant. On it lay an assortment of metals and stones, glowing so brightly they were dazzling to the eye.

"The Outer Elixir requires celestial materials and earthly treasures, while the inner core requires nurturing the three treasures of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

This technique, however, changed the ’divine apertures’ into a ’Purple Mansion,’ and the visualization of the True Spirit became the visualization of the ’Supreme Lord of the Profound Palace.’

When Cultivators filled the Four Directions Continent, that patriarch, in a single night, devoured hundreds of millions of living beings, thereby achieving an unparalleled feat..."

Hall Master He was horrified. ’He was raising the people of the world as ’Purple Mansion Pills,’ only to refine them all later.’

Such a method was simply unheard of!

"However, although that patriarch reached a higher level, he was swiftly struck down... There is still no consensus on which Great Divine Power User took action.

The most credible rumor is that the First Patriarch of our Daoist Lineage was enraged.

In one fell swoop, that patriarch had plundered the Life Essence of thirty percent of the world’s Cultivators, damaging the foundations of the four great Daoist Lineages."

This answer from True Master Shao did not surprise Hall Master He.

He was, after all, in charge of a Lower Courtyard under an Ancestral Sect and had long since committed the first principle of the Demon Dao to memory: All beings with a spirit are merely raw materials.

The Demon Cultivators of the current age had always looked down on their "predecessors."

Without the backing of an established Daoist Lineage, so what if you became a Daoist Monarch?

Aside from fleeing to the outer cosmos, there was no other way.

And one of the foundations of a Daoist Lineage is the vast population of mortals that supports the Dharma Lineage.

This was called the "talent dividend."

That Ancient patriarch had defied the world, scheming to drain the pond to catch all the fish. Never mind incurring public outrage and being besieged; even the Demon Dao itself would not have tolerated him.

"I’ve digressed."

True Master Shao changed the subject. His discussion of the past had all been a lead-up to what he was about to say.

"The Purple Gold Divine Pill technique was destroyed long ago, and its practice forbidden. The surviving fragments that circulated became what the Dharma Lineages of the Branch Sects and Grand Sects now call the ’Nourishing Daoist Can.’

Such a crude trick, which involves consuming blood and qi to increase one’s Merit, is unrefined and ensures one can never hope to reach Foundation Establishment.

But the more advanced ’Purple Mansion Divine Pill’ is different. It allows a Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer to have their Divine Sense ascend, temporarily simulating a Foundation Establishment Cultivation."

Hall Master He’s heart trembled. An insurmountable chasm existed between Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment.

Even a top-tier Dao Material like the Daoist, who had gathered the Great Medicine of the six harmonies and condensed supreme True Qi, could not possibly defeat a Foundation Establishment master while still in the Qi Cultivation Realm, no matter how profound his accumulations were.

His victory that was recorded on the Beidou Rankings, where he used the edge of his Slaying Sword to injure a True Monarch, was a truly unprecedented event that shook all of Yanfu.

Take the former Daoist, Ning Hechu, for example. In the Qi Cultivation Realm, he was lauded by the Sect Leader as a "colossal talent."

The former Daoist, Ning Hechu, was praised by the Sect Leader as a "colossal, Dao-shouldering talent" while in the Qi Cultivation Realm.

This was precisely because, at the Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer, he had managed to withstand a Daoist Technique from a Foundation Establishment True Master.

One could only imagine how deep the chasm between the two Realms was.

Hall Master He gave a wry smile.

"A Purple Mansion Divine Pill that can allow a Qi Cultivation Cultivator to simulate Foundation Establishment must be exceedingly rare and hard to obtain. I won’t indulge in such daydreams."

But True Master Shao said,

"That’s not actually the case. The [Juku Continent], controlled by the Eight Sects, is a grotto-heaven that houses Ancient Demon Cultivators.

As far as I know, the Daoist will be heading there soon.

If I am fortunate enough to accompany him, I am willing to gather enough ’human materials’ for Hall Master He to refine this Purple Mansion Divine Pill."

Hall Master He looked surprised and repeatedly declined, saying he was a person of little influence and could not possibly sway the Daoist’s decision.

True Master Shao had made his point and said no more, lest he arouse suspicion in either Hall Master He or the Daoist.

After the two finished their discussion on alchemy, True Master Shao of Zhenfeng was led to a side hall to rest.

Before long, a calico cat swaggered into Baoyang Hall.

Hall Master He hurried forward, bowing deeply.

"Greetings, True Master."

’This is the Daoist’s favorite; I absolutely cannot afford to offend him.’

True Master Xuanmiao casually sat in the seat of honor and asked in a deliberately low voice,

"What did Shao Guansu say to you?"

Hall Master He held his breath and replied respectfully,

"It was much the same as what you predicted, True Master. Shao Guansu wants to accompany the Daoist to the [Juku Continent] to atone for his past mistakes with new merits."

’Could it be that the Daoist is also proficient in the art of divination? How else could he predict things so accurately and see right through Shao Guansu’s intentions?’

Just now, True Master Shao had first built up suspense by recounting the old story of the Purple Gold Divine Pill before bringing up his proposal about the [Juku Continent]—it was exactly as True Master Xuanmiao had described beforehand.

"Let him stew for a few more days."

True Master Xuanmiao said flatly. It was representing Daoist Jiang, after all, so it had to maintain an air of authority.

"I will obey the True Master’s words."

True Master Xuanmiao stroked its whiskers. Sniffing the rich medicinal fragrance in Baoyang Hall, its mouth couldn’t help but water.

’Xiao Jiang hasn’t fed me in a long time.’

Seeing True Master Xuanmiao get up to leave, Hall Master He quickly pulled a red gourd from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

"True Master, this is a ’Yunsheng Pill’ that I have recently refined. I ask for the True Master’s critique, to see where it falls short, so that I might improve."

True Master Xuanmiao made a show of refusing, feigning reluctance while clearly being tempted.

"This isn’t appropriate. If word of this reached the Daoist, he might think that this True Master spends his days extorting gifts."

Hall Master He’s attitude became even more respectful.

"Last time, after the True Master took a ’Yunsheng Pill,’ you offered me a few words of guidance that gave me an epiphany. I benefited immensely. I hope the True Master will not be stingy with his teachings this time either."

True Master Xuanmiao put on a troubled expression and feigned refusal a few more times before "helplessly" accepting the red gourd and turning to leave.

After True Master Xuanmiao left, the young attendant responsible for fanning the furnace fire asked in confusion,

"Master, the ’Yunsheng Pills’ in this gourd are made from the same Medicinal Materials as last time..."

Hall Master He snorted softly and said,

"I added some ’Stevia.’ The True Master enjoys a refreshing and pleasant taste."

The attendant was still puzzled. Stevia had no effect whatsoever on the pill’s medicinal properties, so what was the point of adding it?

But he didn’t dare ask any more questions and could only suppress his doubts.

...

...

「Everlasting Heaven Lake, within the main hall.」

Jiang Yi sat cross-legged in meditation, his eyes closed and his body motionless. Behind him, fiery clouds billowed and golden flames spun, evolving into all sorts of spiritual phenomena.

He had obtained a scroll of the "Five Fires and Seven Beasts Transformation" from True Monarch Xu. After comprehending it, he had reaped great rewards, and his mastery of fire techniques had risen to a new level.

With but a slight stir of his Divine Sense, a fire crow and a Fire Phoenix appeared one after another, merging into a vast expanse that resembled a thick, red cloud stretching for several miles.

In the blink of an eye, the dazzling firelight shifted dozens of times, forming both a terrifying five-clawed flame dragon and a swarming flock of fire crows that blotted out the sky.

Suddenly, Jiang Yi opened his eyes and took a light breath. The tide of majestic Profound Light instantly converged, transforming into a crimson robe embroidered with a coiled dragon patch, which automatically draped itself over his body.

’My technique is complete.’

Just as Jiang Yi was feeling pleased with himself, a streak of sword light shot forth, slashing toward his neck in a flash.

POOF! The body that had been sitting in cultivation exploded, dissolving into a sky full of flowing flames.

"This divine fire clone of yours... even I can’t tell it from the real thing anymore."

A woman in green robes walked slowly into the main hall, her hands behind her back. Her gaze fell upon Jiang Yi’s true body, hidden at the side of the hall.