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In ancient times, there was no distinction between the Immortal Sect and the Demon Sect; they were simply divided into two camps with clear differences in their cultivation methods.
One camp advocated defiance against the heavens. They believed that immortals were cultivated by humans, and humans were the masters of all living beings, inherently superior. The Spiritual Roots of heaven and earth, the naturally born beasts, and the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were all meant for human use. Thus, the primary focus of this camp's cultivation was to kill beasts, seize treasures, and obtain demon cores for their own use. They forcibly enhanced their cultivation through these means.
The other camp emphasized refining one's Qi and cultivating oneself, utilizing the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth to compensate for innate deficiencies and achieve enlightenment.
The former camp progressed rapidly in their cultivation, often achieving results in a fraction of the time it took the latter camp. However, strangely enough, at a certain stage, their methods would often lead to backlash, causing many to lose their hard-earned cultivation overnight.
In contrast, while the latter camp's progress was initially slow and their power less apparent, it became increasingly stable over time. For instance, upon reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, practitioners from this camp would be a hundred times more stable than those from the former camp, with their power beginning to multiply.
Both sides had their advantages and disadvantages, and neither was willing to yield to the other.
Gradually, as spirit beasts became scarcer and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were increasingly depleted, the former camp found itself in a predicament. It was unclear who first discovered that they could seize the essence of the latter's cultivation for themselves; this gradually became an alternative path. Many were killed in this pursuit, with entire sects being wiped out for their cores.
At this point, the Immortal Sect officially formed an alliance to resist the latter camp. The people of that camp originally referred to themselves as the Dao Sect but were soon dubbed the Demon Sect due to their wicked actions.
From then on, the Immortal Sect and Demon Sect became irreconcilable enemies.
The Demon Sect faced limitations due to their methods and lost public support due to their nefarious actions; they gradually fell into a disadvantageous position and became increasingly secretive. However, they never completely vanished. Whenever there was a shift in the Spirit Scheme, they would stir again, hoping to seize control of Middle-Earth and the Nine Great Caves. This was always a time when the Demon Sect would re-emerge after recuperating.
Four thousand years ago, a remarkably talented individual emerged from the Demon Sect. It was said that he improved upon the Demonic Cultivation Technique so that it no longer required absorbing spirit beast cores or killing members of the Immortal Sect for their cores. The Demon Sect quickly grew powerful again. Three thousand years ago coincided with another shift in the Spirit Scheme; under the leadership of this Old Demon, the Demon Sect made a full-scale emergence.
The battle between immortals and demons erupted once more.
In that conflict, while it appeared that the Demon Sect was defeated on the surface and both sects reluctantly reached a truce, the truth was that they had fought for over a hundred years. Many major sects within the Nine Major Sects suffered significant losses—including Nine Li Sect—with few elders remaining. Smaller sects and families of cultivators were annihilated or eradicated entirely. They were on the brink of collapse. Seeing that the period of change in the Spirit Scheme had passed without gaining much advantage while suffering heavy losses themselves, the Demon Sect chose to propose peace instead. They once again retreated underground and faded from view.
Now, as another period of change in the Spirit Scheme approaches, the Demon Sect is poised to return.
Upon hearing this, Li Hong felt an uncontrollable thought arise within him as he exclaimed in shock: "That Old Demon must have four thousand years of cultivation now! Will demons from the Demon Sect also ascend? If we calculate based on years of cultivation, shouldn't that Old Demon have ascended by now?"
Yue Changzi coldly smiled, "People from the Demon Sect can indeed transcend tribulations and ascend, but it is certain that the Old Demon has not ascended yet." He paused and continued, "The arrival of a Tribulation is a significant event! That Old Demon, no matter how powerful he is, cannot hide it from the ears and eyes of our Immortal Sect. It is certain that no one has ascended in the past thousand years, not just from the Demon Sect, but even from our Immortal Sect."
"What!" Li Hong suddenly stood up.
Yue Changzi sighed, "It has been a thousand years since anyone ascended; this is already an open secret. The Demon Sect knows it, and we in the Immortal Sect are also very clear about it. The only ones who might not know are some junior disciples."
Li Hong immediately thought of a question, cold sweat breaking out as he murmured, "If that Old Demon is still alive, his cultivation..."
"Yandao Demon Lord, the first Old Demon of the Demon Sect, the leader of the Demon Sect, has been in power since he became the leader a thousand years ago. For three thousand years, it has always been him! All of us at the elder level in the Immortal Sect are well aware of this," Yue Changzi said coldly.
Having been the leader of the Demon Sect for three thousand years! Yue Changzi's words struck heavily in Li Hong's heart.
This Old Demon must possess extraordinary power; perhaps even Sect Master Xuan Xuzi would not be his match!
"However, I have heard that in recent years, Yandao Demon Lord has been reclusive and rarely meets even his trusted disciples. Perhaps he has been in seclusion contemplating ascension. Hehe, I hope he disperses his power and returns to paradise soon!" A rarely seen malicious smile appeared on Yue Changzi's lips.
"Why have neither the Immortal Sect nor the Demon Sect had anyone ascend in nearly a thousand years?" Li Hong then thought about this major issue. This was directly related to his own situation; Heavenly Torch was still waiting to reshape his golden body. At the same time, there was Yun Jiuzi, who had been stuck at the Heavenly Fusion Stage for five hundred years. It was said that if he could not ascend within another five hundred years, he would lose his powers.
"I don't know; this is a major problem that troubles all of us in the Immortal Sect. I believe the Demon Sect Monsters are equally puzzled. In my opinion, perhaps our cultivation levels are simply insufficient," Yue Changzi said regarding this issue with apparent indifference. He smiled and added, "Cultivating immortality is inherently against nature; living longer than ordinary people by hundreds or thousands of times is already remarkable. As long as life is exciting and one stays true to their conscience, why worry about ascending or not!"
Li Hong felt enlightened upon hearing this and laughed heartily, "What Master says makes sense." However, he still found one aspect puzzling: "What does the history of the Immortal Sect and Demon Sect have to do with my plan to refine that Yin Dan-receiving artifact?"
"Although most of the current Demon Sect Monsters primarily practice Yandao Demon Lord's self-created Demonic Arts, they can still simultaneously cultivate those old techniques. While I do not understand what principles Yandao Demon Lord's self-created Demonic Arts entail, I believe they must still relate to their old methods. Therefore, there are still Demons who kill us to seize dan for their own use. Think about it; killing people to seize dan is something we in the Immortal Sect abhor. If we were to do such things ourselves, wouldn't we tarnish our own reputation?"
Li Hong was about to refute when Yue Changzi said seriously, "Though they may lack compassion, I cannot afford to be unkind. Destroying the Yin Dan of the Demon Sect Monsters means eradicating their souls along with it. They can do it; we should not follow suit."
Li Hong disagreed; he had seen with his own eyes how a Demon seized dan and swallowed it whole—why should there be any morality when dealing with Demons!
Yue Changzi understood Li Hong's thoughts and quietly said, "Actually, there is another reason. Three thousand years ago during that peace agreement, the Immortal Sect made a pact with the Demon Sect to mutually refrain from aggression. The first clause was that neither side could kill or seize dan from each other. Originally, this agreement had already been overturned by them themselves. But who knows? Our Nine Li Sect has lost many elders over six years due to constant battles and suffered greatly in strength. If we give them an opportunity now and lead the Demon Sect to attack us, that would be troublesome."
Li Hong could no longer hold back and shouted, "Once this magical artifact is completed, any issues that arise will have nothing to do with you, Master. I will bear all the responsibility myself. Hmph! I killed three Demons, merely destroying their physical bodies, yet they devoured Elder Ling Fangzi's heart. Such beasts! What morality can we discuss with them? I wish I could tear them apart and eradicate their Yin Dan completely. If we give them a handle, they might use it as an excuse to attack us. Haven't they already attacked? They've come knocking at our door without needing any excuse!"
Yue Changzi fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding, "Alright! Let's proceed, but I will first report this to the Sect Leader so he is aware."
"It doesn't matter," Li Hong said, almost looking down on Yue Changzi's cautiousness.
Yue Changzi understood this well and smiled bitterly, "You child, you see things too black and white. Sometimes you need to be more tactful and consider the consequences..."
Before he could finish, Li Hong interrupted, "Master, stop worrying about those trivial matters. Let's get to work!"
Yue Changzi could only smile wryly.
********
Ten days later, Li Hong staggered out of the Artifact Hall. He was tired but felt an indescribable satisfaction in his heart.
Under the blue sky, he extended his palm, revealing a crystalline object.
It resembled a jade bottle, fiery red in color, two inches long and about a finger's width thick, with a small mouth and a large belly, completely translucent. Intense heat emanated from the bottle's opening in wisps. This small jade bottle seemed to be constantly spewing flames.
Crafted from Supreme Fire Jade Essence, its nature was purely Yang. The bottle's mouth had a Sensing Array that would automatically detect a Demon's Yin Dan when activated and draw it in. It would then trigger layers of Minor Fire Arrays inscribed inside the bottle to incinerate the Yin Dan completely.
This item was classified as a mid-grade magical artifact; it couldn't be made any better in such a short time. However, Yue Changzi had already promised that Li Hong could use it first while he researched and developed a more advanced version over the next few days. The main reason was that this jade bottle couldn't absorb many Yin Dans at once. According to Yue Changzi's estimation, it could take in at most three to five at a time; any more would cause an overwhelming amount of Yin Power that could shatter the bottle.
Li Hong was very satisfied and even reassured Yue Changzi that quantity mattered more than quality; it would be best if each member of the Patrol Team had one to ensure those Demon Sect Monsters were destroyed both physically and spiritually.
The benefits of refining such a specially purposed jade bottle were evident; he learned many practical techniques. One cannot learn artifact crafting merely by reading; it requires on-site observation and practice.
He hummed a cheerful tune as he flew towards Nine Vermilion Peaks to present his treasure to the Spirit Stone.
Sure enough, Spirit Stone's eyes widened the moment he saw it, and without a word, he flew towards the Artifact Hall, shouting, "I haven't got mine yet! Hurry up!"
Spirit Stone had extorted Yue Changzi to the extreme. Fortunately, with a successful product in hand, creating the same item became much easier. Yue Changzi worked tirelessly for ten consecutive days, during which Li Hong also lent a hand. The master and disciple teamed up and finally managed to produce twenty items in bulk.
As soon as Spirit Stone received the news, he immediately took all of them away, claiming they were for equipping the Patrol Team.
During these ten days, Spirit Stone was not idle either; he recruited more personnel to join the Patrol Team. However, due to a shortage of manpower, they could not completely fill the original vacancies. In the end, the Patrol Team increased by twenty members, finally reaching a total of forty.
As a result, there was another gap in the purchasing team of elders responsible for buying food for the Nine Li Sect. Spirit Stone and Ling Xuzi decided to merge their efforts and establish the Purchasing Patrol Team. Each time, they would send out a purchasing team of about ten people while the remaining members continued patrolling and providing support outside the mountain.
The new Purchasing Patrol Team barely gathered fifty elders, which accounted for more than half of all elders still present at the Mountain Gate of the Nine Li Sect. The remaining Elders were mostly from the Heavenly Pill Hall and those guarding the Scripture Repository; they were all stationed at the Li Fire Formation. This arrangement was already the most efficient use of personnel.
Once the Purchasing Patrol Team was ready to head out again, Li Hong found himself accompanied by a familiar face—his senior brother Chuming, who had fully recovered from his injuries.
Originally, Third Senior Brother Chu Li had a higher cultivation level than Chuming. Chuming was only at the early stage of Refining the Heart, while Chu Li was close to the late stage of Heart Refinement. However, because of this, his Heart Demon Barrier could appear at any moment; if he were to engage in battle with an enemy then, it would be disastrous. Therefore, Spirit Stone assigned him to take care of miscellaneous tasks within Mountain Gate for the Nine Vermilion Peaks Elder Brother lineage as a replacement for Chuming.
Li Hong couldn't help but smile wryly upon hearing this; Third Senior Brother Chu Li was famously indifferent to worldly matters and focused solely on cultivation—how could he handle administrative tasks? He hoped that when they returned to Mountain Gate, Nine Vermilion Peaks wouldn't be in disarray like a disturbed hornet's nest.
After leaving the mountain, Li Hong immediately received his first mission: to procure enough food to sustain three thousand low-level disciples in the inner sect for a month.
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