Chapter Seventeen: The Thunder Command of the Demon Valley

After mastering this mystical art, Yang Nan felt a deep gratitude toward his burly, bearded senior brother. Since arriving at the Kunlun Sect, he had encountered only fellow disciples like Ren An and Li Yun. Li Yun had already become an adversary, and Ren An, upon learning that Yang Nan was not a descendant of Bu Xu, vanished without a trace. Only this bearded senior brother had shown him the kindness of both elder and father.

Such genuine affection deserved to be called "senior brother."

Yet, Yang Nan was not one to forget kindness. With respectful sincerity, he said to Hu Yuan, "The teaching you have given me fills me with shame, Brother. When you reach the grandmaster's perfect realm, I promise to repay your generosity in full."

Hu Yuan was only a step away from becoming a revered master, but that step was formidable. Achieving the revered level required not only fulfilling a great vow to perfect one's Dao heart, but also the aid of a peerless spiritual spring. Yang Nan immediately thought of using the Celestial Origin Purity Talisman to repay his elder brother.

Hu Yuan was taken aback. "Yang Nan, I taught you this technique out of goodwill, not expecting any reward. Besides, after reaching grandmaster's perfection, how could you possibly help me in breaking through to revered status?"

His words were not without reason. With Yang Nan's current cultivation, he was still far from grandmaster. Helping Hu Yuan break through to the revered realm would be like a foolish dream.

Yang Nan did not reveal his plans, merely saying, "If you manage to reach grandmaster's perfection, I may not be able to help with the Dao heart, but when it comes to the spiritual spring, I will certainly lend my strength. When the time comes, seek me out."

Hu Yuan nodded, knowing his young junior brother possessed a mature mind and extraordinary potential. If Yang Nan made such a promise, it was with confidence, not idle words. Since Yang Nan offered his goodwill, there was no reason to refuse.

To become a grandmaster required not only superior techniques but also a place where the spiritual spring flowed with the fortune of heaven and earth. Only then could one hope to ascend. To become revered, the requirements were even more stringent; without abundant spiritual energy, it was impossible.

Yang Nan dared to guarantee this because of the Celestial Origin Purity Talisman in his possession—one of the three great mountain-protecting talismans of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

This talisman had absorbed countless years of spiritual energy in Dragon Tiger Mountain. The master who forged it possessed divine skill, and the inscriptions on the talisman allowed it to draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth endlessly, compressing it into tangible spiritual clouds. Its absorption and refinement far surpassed any cultivator.

Over thousands of years, who could say how much spiritual energy the talisman had gathered? The caves, pavilions, and white clouds within were all formed of pure spiritual energy, its power rivaling the natural spiritual springs of heaven and earth.

Even more precious was the talisman's ability to continuously purify spiritual energy. Any cultivator who entered at the right realm could use it to break through, with results equal to or greater than a spiritual spring.

For millennia, the spiritual springs of the world had been depleted by cultivators seeking breakthroughs. Even Kunlun Mountain, called the ancestral dragon of the world and the root of spiritual springs, could not withstand the endless consumption, and its energy grew thin.

Finding a spiritual spring for grandmaster was possible, but for revered was exceedingly rare, and for Saint, nearly impossible.

Even Bu Xu, a revered master, intended to use this talisman as a backup when attempting saintly ascension, so its use in breaking through to revered was unquestionable.

For all these reasons, Yang Nan would never reveal the talisman's true nature. As a mountain-protecting treasure of a major sect, its mystical properties were boundless. Who knew how many grandmasters, revered, and saints Dragon Tiger Mountain would lose without this inexhaustible source of spiritual energy?

After mastering the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Grand Evolution, Yang Nan took the registry and returned to his residence. In a month, he would be assigned to oversee the Demon Valley, and Hu Yuan, knowing time was short, did not try to detain him.

Back in his cave, Yang Nan sought out a secret chamber and opened the Celestial Origin Purity Sanctuary. He summoned Old Crab, King Golden Scale, Chiyang, and the three women inside. A month was neither too long nor too short—just enough for Yang Nan to cultivate the mystical techniques he had recently acquired.

The assembled demons marveled at the talisman's sanctuary, secretly praising its wonders. Since Yang Nan had allowed them to know of its existence, he would never let them leave—otherwise, if Dragon Tiger Mountain came seeking it, even the Kunlun Sect Master would find it hard to explain.

Except for Chiyang and Dieyi, the demons all practiced the Mysterious Yi Azure Water Technique. Though a third-grade Dao method, it was wondrous but incapable of raising them to revered status. For now, with limited resources, Yang Nan could only have them cultivate the water-based method. Dieyi possessed the Divine Wind Method, acquired from the wild pheasant spirit, a barely second-grade technique sufficient for grandmaster achievement.

Within the talisman sanctuary, where spiritual essence became tangible, the demons trained diligently. A month’s practice here equaled a year outside.

Early progress was swift. Each day, Yang Nan sat within the sanctuary, practicing various techniques, finally mastering the Supreme Demon Body to the level of a thousand demon strength. With master-level power as his foundation, Old Crab trained over a thousand demon soldiers. Once Yang Nan unleashed the Supreme Demon Body, he could challenge grandmaster-level experts.

The newly acquired Thirty-Six Transformations became increasingly proficient. Each transformation had its own limits; as long as his power sufficed, transforming was no obstacle. Only the new Nether Army Devouring Heaven Manual proved slow to advance, reaching just the second level. Nevertheless, its power far exceeded other techniques.

Within the sanctuary, Yang Nan practiced the first transformation of the Nether Army Devouring Heaven Manual. The Shadow-Eroding Magic Weapon could become a spirit weapon over ten zhang long—sharp enough to cleave mountains, nothing could withstand its edge!

The deeper his power, the stronger the weapon. The giant magic weapon consumed immense energy. After mastering the first transformation, Yang Nan felt a surge of pride, as if wielding a sword and gazing down upon the world.

A weapon over ten zhang long was a mighty blade, capable of severing hundreds or thousands in a single strike.

With the manual’s method, the Shadow-Eroding Magic Weapon could freeze souls and destroy bodies with unmatched force.

Gently wielding the giant weapon, its crescent blade swept through a massive rock, which instantly vanished without a trace.

After practicing the first transformation, Yang Nan felt more confident. With its deadly edge, any demon or monster with weaker power would be slain in a single strike. Combined with the Supreme Demon Body, he could challenge even the demon kings!

Indeed, the Nether Army Devouring Heaven Manual lived up to its reputation. The first transformation alone possessed such power, and over a dozen more remained. Yang Nan was secretly delighted: if his power grew as vast as the sea, what terror would the twelve divine transformations unleash?

But the month passed quietly. One day, a steward disciple arrived at the sanctuary, carrying a jade command token shaped like a decree.

Upon receiving Old Crab’s report, Yang Nan summoned the steward inside. The disciple bowed respectfully. "Master Yang, by order of Grandmaster Yuanxu, I have been sent to deliver this Demon Valley Thunder Decree for your inspection."

Yang Nan accepted the decree with calm, examining it closely. The front was engraved with a map of the seventy-two Demon Valleys, and the back bore a Supreme Thundercloud talisman. Yang Nan had heard from Hu Yuan that this decree was crafted by Grandmaster Qingxu from thunder jade, containing a pure and powerful force of thunder. Even grandmasters found its thunder impossible to resist!

The talisman was not only potent, but also convenient to use, able to absorb thunder during storms to increase its power—a treasure for inner disciples overseeing the Demon Valley to punish monsters.

Yet Yang Nan noticed the thunder within was greatly diminished, unlike what Hu Yuan had described—no longer capable of unleashing seven bolts of pure, violent thunder.

"Has someone tampered with the Demon Valley Thunder Decree?" Yang Nan frowned, asking, "Who was the previous overseer of Demon Valley?"

The steward replied in a low voice, "It was Master Fang Wen."

Yang Nan sneered inwardly. He was now certain Fang Wen was connected to Li Yun! They had depleted the thunder within the decree to leave him powerless—a clever ploy indeed...

Now, with only a month, it was impossible to recharge the decree. With just one bolt of thunder left, what good would it be against seven demon kings? Even if he subdued one, what then?

But was he truly limited to a decree with only a single thunderbolt? Li Yun underestimated him!

Yang Nan looked up and said, "Return to Grandmaster Yuanxu and tell him I will inspect Demon Valley today. Have all assigned disciples come to Black Cloud Peak immediately."

The steward nodded. "Yes, Master. I will report to the master at once."

After the steward departed, Yang Nan caressed the decree, his eyes contemplative. Li Yun was clearly a formidable adversary, hiding lethal intent behind every move. Whether inciting the rotation of duties as a test or tampering with the decree, his schemes knew no bounds.

Yet Yang Nan bore no resentment. In the cultivation world, strength was law. Had Yang Nan been a grandmaster, Li Yun’s tricks would have been futile. Ultimately, strength prevailed.

All this stemmed from a reckless junior’s arrogance. Yang Nan could only sigh inwardly. Though he had only met Li Yun once, both knew that neither would forgive affronts. Li Yun would never allow Yang Nan to rise unchecked.

To nip danger in the bud was the act of every wise man!

Who said cultivators must turn the other cheek after being struck? In truth, they were fiercer and more decisive than ordinary folk. To annihilate a lineage was but a moment’s thought. Without such ruthless resolve, how could one attain the supreme Dao?

The path to immortality was full of hardship, never a smooth road. If Yang Nan were Li Yun, he would do the same.

Sometimes, to destroy a person, one need not kill them—simply extinguish all hope.

Should he fail at Demon Valley, Yang Nan would lose his place as an inner disciple, forever barred from orthodox succession. Without that, he could never learn the true path to longevity. Then, the Li family—a revered elder, several inner disciples, and outstanding juniors—would have nothing to fear from him.

Yang Nan understood these consequences well. The real contest lay in who could achieve immortality.

Without immortality, all else was illusory.

As Yang Nan pondered, Chiyang and the others finished their preparations. The stakes were high; all knew their fate depended on this trial. If Yang Nan failed, they would share in his loss.

Yang Nan put away the Demon Valley Thunder Decree, stored the demon soldiers in the Rivers and Mountains Ring, and left the sanctuary with Chiyang. As an inner disciple tasked with overseeing Demon Valley, he required the aid of outer disciples. Outside, Commander Shrimp awaited with more than ten outer disciples, ready to assist Yang Nan.