Chapter 36: Departure

Although no one knew the details of Chen Yang’s contest with Yang Xuan, some rumors inevitably began to spread. The other four great cultivators who had originally planned to pay their respects fell silent, and it was not until the Four Seas Trading Company released the spiritual herbs and materials for exchanging the Primordial Elixir that the entire Nascent Soul cultivator community of Baohua Continent was stirred into action. Each came rushing to Tianyuan Immortal City, bearing their treasured artifacts.

The four major sects also dispatched their disciples to attend. Before the arrival of these Nascent Soul cultivators, the Seven Immortals Alliance, who had scheduled a duel with the Four Seas Trading Company, came in person to cancel the wager and presented the most crucial main material for the Stabilizing Sea Pearl: the luminous pearls from the ten-thousand-year spirit clam.

With this, Chen Yang’s primary purpose for coming to Tianyuan Immortal City was fully accomplished. He did not immediately return to Luoyun Mountain; besides waiting for a few Nascent Soul cultivators to exchange rare sword-forging materials for the Primordial Elixir, his most important reason was still “Zhong Shenxiu,” the disciple he had already chosen in his heart.

Whenever he thought of this chosen disciple, Chen Yang felt deeply satisfied. That day, his duel with Yang Xuan was fierce—any ordinary person would have been unable to resist coming out to watch. Yet, this young man could wander deep within his spirit, remember all Chen Yang had taught, treat the chaos as nothing more than an external demon disturbing his foundation, and remain utterly unmoved. With such insight and resolve, his future was boundless.

Such a peerless prodigy in cultivation was nearly buried simply because he did not fit the spiritual root restrictions of this world. For Chen Yang, his own cultivation could take place anywhere. The Supreme Demon Sect was merely something he had casually created, never held close to his heart; since this chosen disciple possessed such talent, Chen Yang did not mind investing extra care.

As flowers bloom and fall, three years passed in the blink of an eye. Zhong Shenxiu had successfully established his foundation more than two years ago, cultivating the Three Treasures Dao Body, and for over two years had followed Chen Yang closely, practicing the Five Terrace Dao techniques.

By now, his skills in Qi refinement were already well-honed. Seeing the time was ripe, Chen Yang imparted to him the secret method for forging the Hundred Spirit Immortal-Slaying Sword and sent him off to travel the world and craft his own flying sword.

On Mount Shu, forging swords and refining pills was more akin to a unique journey of self-cultivation. The elders, and even Chen Yang’s generation, generally forged their own swords, never obsessing over the powerful treasures and flying swords left behind by previous immortals.

The change came later, when the final calamity for immortals arrived and Emei was to flourish—seizing the boundless destiny, the entire sect ascended together, escaping the last disaster of the immortals.

Many of the ascended immortals had not settled the karmic debts from their time cultivating on Mount Shu; thus, through this calamity, they sent their many treasures and Dao books directly to Emei, hoping the sect would repay their debts.

Emei’s rise depended on the support of these predecessor immortals, and so both sides naturally struck an accord: Elder Changmei schemed in the Immortal Realm, while Qi Xuming and others plotted on Mount Shu.

Using the three sword duels of Five Terrace Mountain as a pretext, they initiated the slaughter of immortals and seized the fortune of the Demon Sect and the heterodox sects.

The Demon Sect was easy enough to understand, but what were the heterodox sects? Anyone not subservient to Emei was deemed heterodox, including the Wudang Sect passed down by Master Sanfeng and even the Kunlun Sect, originally an orthodox branch of the Dao.

Anyone unwilling to be Emei’s lapdog was branded heterodox.

Both those sects were somewhat lacking in resolve: they could not abide Emei’s domination, yet dared not openly oppose it. To contest Emei, they surreptitiously mingled with true heterodox and evil sects, making Emei’s claim to legitimacy even stronger.

The reason Chen Yang did not join Xu Feiniang was his disdain for their contradictory attitude—wanting to resist, but lacking the courage to do so. If one was to oppose Emei, it was better to do so openly, plunging headlong into the Demon Sect.

If you claim to be the true orthodox Dao, then I am the true Demon Sect. You gather a host of bald monks; I unite the fragmented Demon Sect, forging a true battle against Emei.

Chen Yang’s efforts were already bearing fruit, but the old demons, powerful as they were, each had their own ulterior motives—especially his nominal master, who was the most devious of all. This old demon, though a giant of the Demon Sect, secretly held another identity among the Buddhist sect; exactly which eminent monk he was, Chen Yang did not know, but his status was certainly not low.

Chen Yang’s pursuit of Qi Jinchan and the Laughing Monk was partly out of coveting Emei’s Nine Heavens Mysterious Scripture—hoping to use one of the only two treasures on Mount Shu capable of step-by-step cultivation to Golden Immortal, to integrate Dao and Demon and advance further. Secondly, it was to expose his master’s Buddhist identity, making it easier to consolidate the Demon Sect in the future.

What he never anticipated was Qi Xuming’s ruthlessness and decisiveness: risking the destruction of Emei’s foundation by Deng Yin, she defied fate, employing the true Two Yi Microdust Array to utterly annihilate all his vitality, dragging his nominal master into disaster as well.

Thus, human calculation falls short of heavenly calculation, and even the heavens are subject to those above.

All Chen Yang could do was curse and admit his death was not undeserved—he simply lacked any powerful backing.

As for his nominal master, the Red Lotus Demon Lord, it was his own fault for being blind and accepting such a double-minded disciple.

Such is fate.

After sending Zhong Shenxiu to travel the world and forge his sword, Chen Yang decided not to remain in Tianyuan Immortal City. Years of studying the Nine Heavens Mysterious Scripture and other Dao books had not only resolved the burden of his primordial spirit, but as his Dao deepened and his magic grew, he gradually grasped the mysteries of life and death.

Moreover, as his physical body was tempered over time, the solar true fire he could draw upon steadily increased. The first thread of vitality, which he expected would take seven or eight years of arduous cultivation to restore, had already been accomplished the day he sent Zhong Shenxiu away.

With each passing day, his physical vitality grew stronger. In a few more days, he would fully recover, truly becoming a living man.

There was no excitement—this was simply the natural course of things.

Despite all he had done over the years for the Pure Yang Elixir—establishing the Supreme Demon Sect, coming to Tianyuan Immortal City, subduing the Four Seas Trading Company—it was never something he cared much about. More often than not, these actions were merely convenient.

The Supreme Demon Sect was founded to resolve the lingering karmic resentment of his original body, to truly make the vessel his own, and so it was established as a matter of course.

As for the Four Seas Trading Company and Tianyuan Sect, it was simpler—they came to him of their own accord.

Gathering the myriad spiritual herbs and treasures collected over the years through the Primordial Elixir, Chen Yang loaded them all into his alchemical furnace. Without informing anyone, he flickered out of the courtyard where he had lived for years, then again, appearing outside Tianyuan City.

Colorful clouds wrapped around his form as he soared into the sky.

There was no destination, no purpose—he simply followed his heart, flying aimlessly. Several days later, his light passed over a deserted land.

This place was barren, inhospitable, with scarce vegetation—but a single ancient tree, shaped like a canopy, stood proud and solitary.

Delighted, Chen Yang landed beneath the tree, crossed his legs, formed the Dao seals with his hands, and entered a state of meditation.