Xuantian Immortal Cultivation Record

“Cultivating Demonic Arts?” Zhang Xuan's face turned ashen, clearly frightened by those words. In the martial world, the so-called “demons” were mostly vile and utterly wicked individuals.

Zhang Yuanjing said solemnly, “The distinction between cultivating Dao and cultivating Demonic Arts does not lie in good or evil, but in the methods used. Heaven and earth have pure Qi, which rises and becomes spiritual Qi; heaven and earth also have turbid Qi, which descends and becomes demonic Qi. Those who cultivate Dao absorb spiritual energy to refine Qi into spirit, refine spirit to return to emptiness, and refine emptiness to merge with the Dao. Those who cultivate Demonic Arts absorb turbid Qi to refine blood and strengthen the soul, refine the soul to attain emptiness, and refine emptiness to merge with the Dao. The two paths are different, but they lead to the same destination.”

Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, a strange light flashing in her eyes, and asked softly, “Immortal Master, what is turbid Qi? Where can turbid Qi be found?”

“In the depths of the earth, there is a dim and obscure Qi. Those who cultivate Dao become drowsy and have flights of fancy when they inhale it, while those who cultivate Demonic Arts guide it into their bodies, refining it into their blood, thereby strengthening their physical bodies, nourishing their souls, and obtaining extraordinary power.” Zhang Yuanjing carefully chose his words and spoke slowly.

“No conditions are required? Anyone can cultivate Demonic Arts?” Zhang Xuan thought for a moment and then asked.

“No conditions are required, but it is even more difficult than cultivating Dao. Because, for those who cultivate Demonic Arts, without great persistence, great perseverance, and great sacrifice, it is difficult to achieve anything.” Zhang Yuanjing said grimly.

“Immortal Master, please teach me the methods of cultivating Demonic Arts!” Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuan's eyes flashed with a firm look, and she immediately knelt down and kowtowed, begging Zhang Yuanjing to impart the methods.

“If you know that once you become a demonic cultivator, you will be a demonic cultivator for life, with no turning back except in death! Are you still willing to cultivate Demonic Arts?”

Zhang Xuan immediately recalled the scene when Zhang Jun asked Zhang Jun the same question, knowing that it was the most critical moment, and immediately replied decisively, “I am willing!”

“If you know that once you become a demonic cultivator, most of the time, you can only stay in desolate and dark places where people rarely tread, like wandering ghosts! Are you still willing to cultivate Demonic Arts?”

“I am willing!”

“If you know that once you become a demonic cultivator, you will be regarded as a heretic by the cultivation world, and you will always face the encirclement and suppression of those so-called demon-slaying righteous cultivators, and you may fall at any time, or even suffer inhumane torture! Are you still willing to cultivate Demonic Arts?”

“I am willing!”

“If you know that once you become a demonic cultivator, you will constantly endure the erosion of turbid Qi, the pain of refining blood, and the fear of refining the soul, and you are likely to become extreme, irritable, cruel, bloodthirsty, or even insane and lose your mind! Are you still willing to cultivate Demonic Arts?”

“Will I lose my memory?” Zhang Xuan was stunned when she heard this, then seemed to think of something, and looked up to ask.

“No!”

“I am willing!”

“Finally, I must say that I do have the methods of demonic cultivation, but I have never practiced them, nor have I seen anyone practice them, so I cannot give you much guidance. Moreover, this method only goes up to the Golden Core realm. If you achieve something in the future, you will have to find a way to obtain the subsequent methods yourself. Are you still willing to cultivate Demonic Arts?”

“I am willing!”

“Very well, I hope you will remember these five questions for the rest of your life, and do not regret or retreat!” Zhang Yuanjing looked at Zhang Xuan with bright eyes. He did not know whether his decision was right or wrong, and could only hope that Zhang Xuan herself would not regret it, so that he would have a clear conscience.

“Zhang Xuan will definitely remember the Immortal Master's instructions, and will never regret or retreat!” Zhang Xuan swore to the heavens, her voice reaching across the river, lingering in the night for a long time.

Zhang Yuanjing took out the “Candle Shade Sutra” from Feng Wujiu's storage bracelet and handed it to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan stretched out her slender hand, trembling as she took it, as if receiving a giant weight, unable to bear its burden.

“This technique is called the Candle Shade Sutra. I have studied it carefully and it is a superior technique. However, what I obtained is only the first half of the book, lacking the techniques after the Nascent Soul stage. Of course, if you really have that day, and can break through to the Golden Core realm, you can live freely for six hundred years and roam hundreds of millions of miles. You will have plenty of time and ways to find the subsequent techniques.” Zhang Yuanjing's expression relaxed at this time, and a smile appeared on his face.

Zhang Xuan prostrated on the ground: “Zhang Xuan thanks the Immortal Master for imparting the technique. The Immortal Master's kindness is such that Zhang Xuan would be a cow or a horse, and it would be difficult to repay even a fraction of it. If I achieve something in the future, I will do whatever the Immortal Master orders, even if it means dying ten thousand times!”

She was a clever person, knowing that the method Zhang Yuanjing had taught was not his sect's orthodox method, so she did not dare to ask to be his disciple, but only dared to say that she was repaying his kindness.

Zhang Yuanjing shook his head and sighed: “Leading you into the demonic path, the future is unpredictable, how dare I expect repayment!”

Zhang Xuan did not answer, but her eyes were full of determination.

“Demonic techniques are extremely quick to master. You should take this technique back and study it carefully, especially the meridian opening method on the first page, which must be memorized backwards and forwards. In the coming month, I will teach you the true meaning of it. When you understand it, I will take you to find a good turbid Qi vein to protect you as you open your meridians and guide the Qi, and complete this introductory technique. As for the subsequent cultivation, you can only rely on yourself, I can no longer provide you with guidance.”

In the fourth year of Zhang Yuanjing's closed-door cultivation, Ape Thirteen in Mist Spirit Mountain sent him two “squeaks”, indicating that the junior in his clan had successfully broken through the Pseudo-Core stage. But until he left seclusion, there was no news from Han Ji.

He thought that if Han Ji could not steal the pill formula, he would have to attack Crimson Cloud Palace by force, and he would have to personally go to Mist Spirit Mountain to borrow some giant apes from Ape Thirteen as helpers. Therefore, he did not let Ape Thirteen come to find him, but let it wait in the valley first, and then inform it of the arrangements for it in the future.

Now that he was going to find a turbid Qi vein for Zhang Xuan to open her meridians, he might as well let Ape Thirteen look for one in Mist Spirit Mountain. The mountains there were vast, with many deep ravines and abysses, and the chances of finding a good vein were greater. Moreover, Zhang Xuan could also ask the golden-backed giant apes to help protect her when she went to the mountains to cultivate in the future.

A month later, Zhang Yuanjing drove his sword, carrying Zhang Xuan and Zhang Yu, and flew straight to Mist Spirit Mountain. In a few days, they arrived in the mountains.

Along the way, Zhang Yu, who had learned a little about flying, hovered on her flying sword, extremely excited, and regardless of her “strict as a father” elder sister being by her side, she shouted from time to time, “Master, faster”, “Master, higher”, “Master, lower”, Zhang Xuan repeatedly reprimanded her, but she did not change at all.

After arriving in Mist Spirit Mountain, Zhang Yuanjing deliberately lowered the flight altitude. Once he discovered a savage blood realm early-stage demon beast, he would put Zhang Yu down and let her familiarize herself with the control of magical instruments in battle. Zhang Yu was learning the method of controlling instruments for the first time, and it was a time of freshness, so she naturally cheered and jumped, full of interest.

However, the little girl clearly showed fear when she faced five gold-devouring rats for the first time. These gold-devouring rats were the size of hounds, with black bodies, long mouths, and sharp teeth, and they pounced extremely fast. Zhang Yu was stunned for a moment, and was bitten or scratched by three large rats, leaving traces on her body.

Fortunately, she quickly reacted and immediately stepped on her flying sword to ascend into the air, jumping out of the encirclement of the five rats, and landing on the other side, before offering the Fire Shadow Sword, striking out like the wind, and quickly beheading a gold-devouring rat. Then she moved quickly under her feet, killing another one before the four rats could surround her.

In this way, the remaining three rats could no longer form an encirclement against her. After killing another one, the remaining two burrowed into the earth and fled.

“Master, look, I won, I killed three rat demons!” Zhang Yu excitedly showed Zhang Yuanjing the results of the battle.

Zhang Yuanjing snorted: “Why don't you look at the clothes on your body? If you weren't wearing the Azure Gold Armor, you would have lost half your life!”

“Isn't this the first battle? I've already fought very well! Oh, there are scratches on the Azure Gold Armor!” Zhang Yu didn't care at first, but when she saw the damage on the Azure Gold Armor, she immediately felt distressed, looking at Zhang Yuanjing with pitiful eyes.

Zhang Xuan scolded in a low voice: “Don't be rude!”

Zhang Yuanjing smiled: “You know how powerful it is now, right? If you fight like this, it won't be long before this high-grade defensive magic weapon will have to be taken for repair. Okay, don't worry, you can use your mana to nourish it for a few days and it will return to its original state.”

“Oh, I said, a high-grade magic weapon can't be so easily damaged!” Zhang Yu immediately turned from worry to joy, and said coquettishly.

Walking and stopping along the way, Zhang Yu repeatedly fought with demon beasts, and her fighting experience and the level of controlling magic weapons rose rapidly.

Two days later, the three of them came to the valley where the golden-backed giant ape lived. Ape Thirteen had been waiting for a long time, and his thoughts came from afar: “Brother Yuanjing, you've finally come, if you hadn't come, I would have gone to find you!”

“Brother Ape, please forgive me, I was delayed by something. These are two juniors from my clan, Zhang Xuan and Zhang Yu.” Zhang Yuanjing cupped his fists at it, then introduced Zhang Xuan and Zhang Yu, and then said to the two of them, “This is your Uncle Ape!”

Although the two had heard Zhang Yuanjing's introduction beforehand, they were still frightened by its huge body and ferocious face when they saw the “real ape” at this time, and hurriedly called out “Uncle Ape” in a panic.

Ape Thirteen grinned, cupped his fists at the two of them, and said a series of “squeaks”, not knowing what it meant. The two had to nod with a smile.

“Brother Ape, please take us to that vein first.” Zhang Yuanjing was anxious to see the quality of the vein. If it didn't work, he would have to hurry to find it. He really didn't have much time to waste here.

Ape Thirteen waved his palm, signaling Zhang Yuanjing to follow, and sacrificed his flying sword, flying towards the south of the valley. Crossing the high mountains, they immediately saw a narrow rift valley, lying diagonally on the plain under the mountain, hundreds of miles long and unfathomably deep.

“Good place!” Zhang Yuanjing praised loudly.

Ape Thirteen called out a few times triumphantly, and patted his chest hard at Zhang Yuanjing. Then he fell down sharply. Before long, the three of them and one ape arrived above the rift valley. Looking around, the valley was full of strange rocks, and no grass or trees grew, making it look quite desolate.

Ape Thirteen followed the rift valley and flew forward for more than a hundred miles, reaching the middle of the rift valley. He stretched out a finger and pointed downwards, asking Zhang Yuanjing to look.

Zhang Yuanjing looked in the direction of his finger, only to see dozens of deep holes in the valley, the entrances of which seemed to be shrouded in some kind of gas, appearing hazy.

“It really is turbid Qi, and the quality is very high!” Zhang Yuanjing was relieved. Opening the meridians with this kind of turbid Qi would be enough to lay an excellent foundation. So he let Zhang Yu drive the flying sword herself and land on the edge of the deep valley, and told Ape Thirteen to protect her.

Then, driving the flying sword, he took Zhang Xuan to find a suitable cave. Most of these caves were one or two hundred feet deep, a few even exceeded a thousand feet, and only three were less than a hundred feet deep. Although Zhang Xuan had martial arts skills, she was only a mortal after all, and could not withstand the scouring of too strong turbid Qi. Therefore, he chose the shallowest cave, about fifty feet deep.

“If you feel that you can't bear it, speak up in time!”

Zhang Yuanjing lowered the tip of his sword and fell into this cave. Zhang Xuan used her internal force to resist the erosion of the yin death Qi.

“Don't use internal force to resist, circulate the Candle Shade Sutra technique, absorb the turbid Qi, melt the essence and blood, and condense it into blood power. As long as you condense blood power, it will be considered a successful meridian opening. But the grade of this Candle Shade Sutra is very high, and the requirements for the quality of turbid Qi can actually eliminate the vast majority of people. Because, those who do not have a strong will cannot withstand the erosion and washing of this turbid Qi.”

Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, dissipated her internal force, and allowed the cold and gloomy turbid Qi to invade her blood. Immediately, she felt her whole body stiffen, the vitality of her flesh and blood dissipated rapidly, and her face became extremely pale.

She groaned in pain, and then gritted her teeth and endured it. She recalled the meridian opening method of the Candle Shade Sutra in her mind, and silently circulated her energy, using turbid Qi as the fire, and decades of tempered Qi and blood as the material, igniting a gloomy and pale flame on her shoulders and back, constantly burning her flesh, muscles, and bones. With the combination of external cold and internal heat, she felt as if countless poisonous insects were biting her body, and she couldn't help but scream.

Zhang Yuanjing was expressionless, and still carried her down slowly. Every ten feet, he would ask: “Can you bear it?”

Zhang Xuan couldn't speak, but she shook her head stubbornly every time.

Soon, the two reached the bottom of the cave. On the ground was a layer of black soil, from which came the sound of wailing from time to time. The surrounding area was only a zhang in radius, the space was cramped, the air was thin, and a faint light at the top marked the location of the exit. The turbid Qi in the cave swirled and accumulated, and where it was strong, it was like water mist, touching it like ice and feeling it like a sharp blade.

Zhang Xuan's lips were purple, and the clothes on her body were already soaked, and a thin layer of black ice had formed on them. Her throat was already hoarse, and she no longer screamed, but only hummed occasionally. She was exhausted, but did not give up, and was still gritting her teeth and persevering.

Time passed by.

Zhang Yuanjing said: “That's it for today. One hour every day from now on. After ten days, two hours every day.”

He grabbed Zhang Xuan, stepped on the flying sword, and soared into the sky, quickly exiting the cave and landing beside Zhang Yu.

“Big sister!” Zhang Yu was shocked when she saw Zhang Xuan's pale appearance, and rushed up to grab her hand, “Big sister, what's wrong with you!”

Zhang Xuan shook her head weakly and smiled reluctantly: “Big sister is fine, you don't have to worry.”

“What's fine! You're like this, and you still say you're fine!” Zhang Yu said coquettishly, shaking Zhang Xuan's arm, “Big sister, don't practice this demonic technique anymore. It's only just begun, and you've been tortured like this. I don't know how much suffering you'll have to endure in the future!”

A determined look appeared in Zhang Xuan's eyes: “It's okay, I can bear it!”