Chapter Twenty-Nine: An Old Acquaintance

Yang Nan looked up and saw that two of the Daoist priests among the cultivators, having overheard his conversation with Ai Muyun, mistakenly assumed he was an accomplice. Without so much as a word, they hurled two talismans in his direction. Ai Muyun, seeing Yang Nan caught up in the mess, quickly said, “Fellow Daoist Yang, why don’t we join forces to rid ourselves of these detestable cultivators and resume our conversation later?”

Yang Nan was about to ignore her when, suddenly, a golden radiance burst forth above his head—a wheel shrieked through the air, barreling toward him with enough force to smash him to pieces. He sighed inwardly, understanding that if he didn’t kill these cultivators now, he would never be able to shake off the accusation of collaborating with the demonic sect.

Resolute, Yang Nan summoned the Yin-Eroding Armament, transforming it into three thousand black serpents. With the gentlest coil, they shredded the wheel into fragments.

The three thousand black serpents, as fine as threads and as insubstantial as mist, swirled like a dark cloud toward the cultivators. The king-grade magical weapon was impossibly sharp and inescapable, and with the help of fiends, blood-rings, and other sinister entities, it was only a short while before all the cultivators’ magical treasures were destroyed. With their weapons gone, they stood no chance against the onslaught of demons, ghosts, and fierce souls, and died screaming, one after another.

Ai Muyun and her black-robed companion extracted the souls of the fallen, sealing them into magical artifacts. They also stripped the bodies of all valuables, even taking the inner core and soul from within. Witnessing these ruthless methods, Yang Nan felt a wary chill in his heart.

Only after collecting the souls, core spirits, and treasures did Ai Muyun destroy the corpses and approach Yang Nan, saying, “Fellow Daoist Yang, for your assistance today, I, Ai Muyun, will surely repay you someday.”

Yang Nan laughed coldly to himself. Disciples of the Demonic Sect only cared for their own interests; when the two sides had been evenly matched, Ai Muyun had deliberately drawn him into conversation, just to drag him into the fray. Otherwise, why speak in the thick of battle? Still, Yang Nan held no fondness for those self-styled righteous cultivators either; killing them was no great loss, and it eliminated future troubles.

Seeing Ai Muyun’s sincere expression, Yang Nan replied coolly, “I’d be content if you don’t harm me; how dare I ask for your gratitude?”

Ai Muyun was taken aback. Proud herself and repeatedly brushed aside by Yang Nan, she felt a surge of anger. “Twice now I have honored your help. If you scorn me merely because I am of the Demonic Sect, then go your own way. Do you think I, Ai Muyun, fear a disciple of Kunlun?”

Yang Nan’s voice was icy. “That day, your reckless actions on Kunlun Mountain caused me to fall into enmity with the Li family. As a result, I was sent to Spirit Beast Mountain to face off against the Seven Great Demon Kings, and even Yuan Na was driven from the mountain. Today, you make me an enemy of the righteous path. If word of this gets out, how can I remain among them?”

Ai Muyun’s eyes grew cold. “You mention the Li family—was it that brat Li Guo? No wonder you feel this way. One day, I shall demand justice from them myself! I can see you’re not a narrow-minded man; if not for good reason, you wouldn’t bear prejudice for sect alone.”

Yang Nan nodded. “Yuan Na left Kunlun disheartened and traveled to the Western Continent to seek the Buddha. Though you meant no harm, the blame still originates with you.”

Ashamed, Ai Muyun said, “A true man takes responsibility. Back then, my cultivation was shallow and my mother gravely ill. In desperation, I climbed Kunlun intending to steal a ninth-grade spiritual lingzhi to save her. I never meant to implicate you. It is only right that you blame me, and I apologize here and now. Should I meet Yuan Na again, I will beg his forgiveness myself.”

Yang Nan saw that her apology was genuine, and her quest for medicine for her mother was justified; in truth, this matter could not be entirely blamed on her. After all, Li Guo was so arrogant that even without this incident, enmity would eventually have arisen. Ai Muyun was right—a true man shoulders his own guilt; what good is it to shift the blame to others?

Yang Nan’s expression softened a little. “The fault is not entirely yours. Seeking medicine for your mother is a matter of fate. But how is your honored mother now?” Ai Muyun had been driven from the mountain that day, so surely she hadn’t obtained the medicine; did she not hate Kunlun to the bone?

But Ai Muyun only laughed. “Of course I got the medicine. I had my own clever way to fool those dead Daoists; what they took from me was only what I let them have.”

Yang Nan was startled, realizing that if Ai Muyun had the skill to hide her vital essence and ascend the mountain, she could certainly steal the herb as well. Demonic sect arts were often strange and unpredictable; perhaps Ai Muyun’s own master was extraordinary. Yang Nan’s curiosity about these magics grew, and he ventured, “You managed to conceal your essence and steal the herb—what kind of technique is so mysterious?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt regret. Every cultivator’s art is secret and rarely revealed to others, especially between those with scant acquaintance. He had been too forward.

Ai Muyun, however, laughed. “Had it been anyone else, I’d say nothing. But you’ve shown me great kindness; it would be dishonest to withhold the truth. I practice two of the Demonic Sect’s twelve supreme arts: the Sublime Form True Demon Technique and the Blood Fiend Calamity Art. At its peak, the Sublime Form can transform into an immortal and take on countless forms; demonic energy can become immortal, Confucian, or Buddhist energy. The Dao is manifold but always one. I’ve only scratched the surface, but hiding my vital essence is trivial—as long as the Kunlun Elders didn’t see me, how could they spot the flaw?”

She spoke with pride, and Yang Nan was inwardly astonished. If the Sublime Form True Demon Technique could truly lead to immortality, then it was a peerless method—while at Kunlun, he could only dream of such a path, yet the Demonic Sect offered it so readily. No wonder so many flocked to it...

Seeing Yang Nan’s shifting expression, Ai Muyun could guess his thoughts and smiled. “Though my technique is supreme, mastery is hard-won. The Sublime Form has twelve layers; even the first requires absorbing fifty thousand fierce souls, refining blood essence, and overcoming inner demons. Each step is arduous and takes years. To reach perfection is almost impossible.”

Yang Nan frowned. “How cruel of the Demonic Sect, to require the souls of the dead for advancement. If one cultivated all twelve layers, wouldn’t it mean slaughtering the whole world?”

Ai Muyun had anticipated this objection and shook her head with a smile. “You are mistaken, friend. Disciples of the Demonic Sect are human too—why would we slaughter the innocent? To gather fierce souls, we seek places where spirits congregate or at the gates of the underworld. If we killed mortals, the righteous sects would hunt us down, and our entire sect would be annihilated by countless saints and immortals.”

Yang Nan suddenly understood. The so-called righteous path had always slandered the Demonic Sect as cruel and murderous, but in truth, it was only an excuse to kill and seize core spirits for themselves. The core spirit was a treasure—why would the righteous let it slip through their fingers?

Clearly, whether Daoist, Confucian, Buddhist, or Demonic, each sought the path to immortality, though by different means. To harbor prejudices was only to make a mockery of oneself.

He stood and bowed deeply. “In the past, I held many misunderstandings about the Demonic Sect. Yet you never gave up on me; I am truly ashamed.”

Ai Muyun, delighted by Yang Nan’s sincere apology, said, “There’s no need for such formality between those fated to meet. Since you bear no prejudice toward my sect, let me introduce you to my fellow disciples.”

Yang Nan nodded, and Ai Muyun introduced the group behind her. The yellow-faced man was Yi Leng, who wielded a Fierce Soul Banner, with a master-level ghost as its spirit—once unleashed, its power was formidable. The pale-faced man was Xuan Sha, whose blood bone ring housed a bone demon that devoured flesh and souls, his whole being enveloped in deadly aura. The other disciples were somewhat less formidable: two women, Zang Xue and Fei Yue, and two young brothers, Wang Long and Wang Hu, all holding Fierce Soul Banners, though theirs were not as potent as Yi Leng’s or Xuan Sha’s.

Earlier, they had used a wondrous technique to merge their magical weapons into one, forming a mighty demon to attack their enemies—it was a fearsome sight.

The demonic disciples greeted Yang Nan, who returned each gesture with equal courtesy. Noticing that this prominent disciple held no arrogance—on the contrary, he was gentle, refined, and friendly—they felt a growing fondness for him and soon found themselves enjoying his company.

After a few exchanges, Yang Nan realized that most of these disciples were straightforward and forthright in temperament. Though some were sharp-tongued or extreme, they were nothing like the hypocritical faces of the so-called righteous sects. Relaxing, he let his true nature show and laughed and chatted freely with them.

Ai Muyun observed Yang Nan’s composure and poise with surprise. When first they met, he had been a mere youth; now, after three years, he bore the air of a true disciple of the great Daoist sects. Truly, one cannot judge by appearances.

After a pleasant conversation, Yang Nan took his leave, explaining that pressing matters at Demon Valley required his attention and he could not linger. Ai Muyun, hearing that he was already lord of the Seventy-Two Demon Valleys on Spirit Beast Mountain at such a young age, was deeply impressed. “Since you command the Demon Valley, you must have wild, unruly beasts under your command. I once learned a soul-control secret art that can keep them obedient. If you are willing, I’d gladly share it with you.”

Yang Nan, troubled by his inability to control his many beastly minions, was overjoyed. “Is that true, Ai Daoist? This soul-control art must be formidable—teaching it to me so readily is a great loss for you. In that case, let me offer you the Supreme Beast Body Technique in exchange; you gain a powerful new skill for self-defense as well.”

In fact, Yang Nan preferred to keep his dealings with Ai Muyun strictly transactional.

Ai Muyun nodded with a smile. “Such generosity! I’ve heard that the Supreme Beast Body Technique is exceptionally powerful, allowing one to challenge opponents above their rank. Trading it for my soul-control art is more than fair. In that case, let me also offer you the Soul-Congealing and Transformation Art. With it, you can collect fierce souls and refine fiendish energy to create a formidable demon. Even as a Daoist, if you ever face a stronger foe, unleashing such a demon would surely trouble them.”

The two shared a hearty laugh. Ai Muyun hoped to befriend Yang Nan, and Yang Nan, for his part, wanted more defensive techniques. As both possessed methods for dealing with underhanded foes, what harm was there in such an exchange?

At once, they each formed hand seals, transmitting their respective arts into the other’s mind. Yang Nan exchanged one technique for two secret arts and was quite pleased; Ai Muyun, too, was satisfied, having acquired the Supreme Beast Body Technique, which was, in fact, a considerable gain.

Yang Nan stepped upon the Yin-Eroding Armament and smiled at the demonic disciples. “It has been my good fortune to meet you all today. Should you find yourselves near Spirit Beast Mountain’s Seventy-Two Demon Valleys, you are most welcome—my doors will always be open!”

Bidding farewell to Ai Muyun and her companions, Yang Nan transformed into a streak of light and soared into the clouds. Dozens of miles away, he took out the Heavenly Origin Pure Void Talisman, invoked the Spiritual Radiance Incantation, and in an instant, flew a thousand miles, returning to the domain of Spirit Beast Mountain.