In her previous life, Yun Chan eventually became a powerhouse of immense strength, but she was destined to be little more than a stepping stone for Jiang Fan. Ultimately, she met her end at the hands of a Demon God. Because of this, Chu Yuan still felt a flicker of sympathy for her.
"Ding! The Host has slain seven Earth Realm experts without hesitation, perfectly embodying the conduct of a true demonic cultivator. Wickedness maximized! Gained 700 Demonic Dao Points!"
The System finally chimed in.
"Seven hundred? Put it into my stats. Add it to my physique."
Chu Yuan was curious to see how much progress these Demonic Dao Points would actually grant him. He couldn't increase his realm at the moment, as he needed to maintain his current level to participate in the ancient ruins, so his physique was the only logical choice. If he could fully master the Demon-Sealing Immortal Physique, he would gain access to even more terrifying abilities.
"Ding! Allocation complete! Demon-Sealing Immortal Physique progress increased to 14%!"
"Note: The Host's physique is too heaven-defying and does not belong to this dimensional realm, hence the progress only increased by 4%. Had the physique been a top-tier divine body of this world, the progress would have risen by several dozen percentage points."
"I see."
Chu Yuan figured four percent wasn't bad at all; the physique was already incredibly potent. If killing a few Earth Realm cultivators granted him ten or twenty percent, it would have been frankly absurd. He closed the System interface.
*Hum—!*
A tremor passed through Chu Yuan’s chest as several spatial rings materialized, floating in the air. These were the spoils left behind by the elders of the Wind God Sect. Once consumed by his Demon-Sealing Immortal Physique, they would be refined into pure energy. For practitioners at the Earth Realm level, Chu Yuan could refine them with a single thought.
This was the terrifying nature of the Demon-Sealing Immortal Physique: once a cultivator was drawn into his body, they were thoroughly suppressed. They could not use any techniques, magical treasures, or martial arts—everything was sealed away. They could only watch helplessly as they were refined. Much like the supreme artifact of the Demon Clan, the Human Emperor Banner, his physique was a super-powered, enhanced version of such power.
Beyond this ability, the Demon-Sealing Immortal Physique possessed even more dreadful powers that Chu Yuan couldn't yet access. Perhaps once he used the System to further increase his progress, he could unlock them.
"In one month, the Aurora Sacred Land will open the ancient ruins. Almost all the arrogant prodigies from every sect will be there, and there will undoubtedly be demonic cultivators among them. In this lifetime, I’ll finally be able to see the pathetic state of my former junior sisters and junior brother with my own eyes..."
A faint smile touched Chu Yuan’s lips. He remembered that in his past life, after his cultivation was crippled, he had been confined to the forbidden grounds of the back mountain, though some disciples would occasionally bring him news from the outside world. After the ancient ruins opened, his three junior sisters and his junior brother, Jiang Fan, had all attended. As expected, they were ruthlessly tormented by the geniuses of other sects and utterly crushed by demonic cultivators who had infiltrated the event disguised as righteous practitioners.
He never thought he would have the chance to witness that spectacle firsthand in this life. A thrill of dark amusement stirred in his heart.
"Not bad," Chu Yuan thought, feeling as refreshed as if bathed in a spring breeze.
As the demonic path revived, a Golden Age would soon dawn upon the world. Opportunities would erupt everywhere, and ancient relics would spring up like bamboo shoots after rain. The overall strength of the Human Clan would see a massive leap. Yet, against this backdrop, while others scrambled for opportunities, Chu Yuan—hidden away in the forbidden zone, focusing solely on tapping into the potential of his Demon-Sealing Immortal Physique—would possess the strength to suppress an entire era.
The physique clearly belonged to a dimension far beyond this world. It was like a cheat code that dealt a dimensional blow to everything in this realm. It was a pity that the former Chu Yuan, trapped in the forbidden grounds, had never truly grasped its nature. That failure had forced him to sacrifice his own physique to suppress the Demon God at the very end, reducing himself to nothing.
If he didn't concern himself with the Demon God in this life, this physique alone would be enough to carry him to the pinnacle of power. If he could truly master it and unlock all its latent potential, he could suppress even the Demon God with a wave of his hand. But even if he could, he wouldn't bother. Let the peerless prodigies of the Azure Cloud Sect and their "invincible" Sect Master deal with it.
*Ah—!*
A wave of drowsiness hit Chu Yuan, and he stretched his body. He hadn't had a proper rest in nearly a decade. He could afford to relax during this month; he didn't need to push for the Saint Lord Realm just yet, as the ancient ruins only permitted those up to the Heavenly Realm to enter.
***
Meanwhile, within the Azure Cloud Sect.
"I have business to attend to. Continue your training."
Sect Master Xiao Junmo received a message, his brow furrowing instantly before he turned and strode away, leaving Jiang Fan alone by the spiritual vein pool.
"Master, I will not let you down! I will train diligently and strive to break into the Heavenly Realm within this month!"
As the words left his lips, a strange, sinister smile crept across Jiang Fan’s face. He began to devour the spiritual energy of the pool with a ferocity several times greater than before. Because his absorption rate was so vast, the entire sect—elders and disciples alike—suffered. Everyone could clearly feel the spiritual energy in their own cultivation areas thinning rapidly.
Elsewhere, Xiao Junmo reached the main hall of the Azure Cloud Sect.
"Sect Master, the leader of the Wind God Sect reports that several of their elders were slain by a young man. Witnesses claim that young man was Chu Yuan!"
"Chu Yuan?" Xiao Junmo shook his head slightly upon hearing this. "He was struck by my attack; his cultivation will be eroded bit by bit. He is likely just trying to vent his frustrations before his power completely fades away. He won't be jumping around for long!"
"I thought it was something important. So what if a few elders died? They are dead because they were weak!"
The people in the hall dared not look up after being reprimanded by Xiao Junmo. The members of the Wind God Sect felt a chill at the Sect Master’s cold-blooded indifference.
Xiao Junmo glanced at them coldly. "If you want revenge, follow him. His cultivation will continue to decline. It won't be too late to strike once he drops to the Earth Realm. Don't bother me with such trivial matters again!"
"This... as you command." The Wind God Sect members bowed and withdrew.
Shortly after they left, another report arrived.
"Lord Sect Master, three disciples have entered the ninth level of the cultivation grounds and are now trapped inside! Please, you must save them!"
"The ninth level?" Xiao Junmo frowned. "Can't you just take a few elders and go?"
The reporting disciple replied, "Lord Sect Master, have you forgotten? You placed a seal on the final three levels yourself. Only disciples with your permission can enter! Even the elders cannot get through!"
"Is that so?" A flash of irritation crossed Xiao Junmo's face. "I see."
He headed toward the cultivation grounds, arriving shortly at a massive pagoda several hundred meters tall and just as wide. Each level provided a multiplier for cultivation speed. The ninth level offered a nine-fold increase.
"Could it be Senior Sister Han and the others? That shouldn't be. They frequently train in the ninth level without issue. Why would an accident happen today?"
"Could it be because of Senior Brother Chu?"
"You don't know? Chu Yuan didn't enter the pagoda with Senior Sister Han today; he has already left the sect. And Chu Yuan... he's a demonic cultivator!"
"What?!!"
Thousands of disciples gathered at the base of the pagoda, whispering in shock. Many who had been in deep cultivation didn't even know Chu Yuan had left, let alone that he was a demonic practitioner.
Inside the ninth level of the pagoda, Han Renxue, Jiang Wanqing, and Yu Qiuchiu were trapped, their faces filled with anger and resentment.
"Dammit, that villain Chu Yuan actually brought us to such a dangerous place to train before! How hateful!"
"So he really was that evil. This ninth level is far too dangerous; the Power of Laws is so dense here. If it weren't for Senior Sister Han, we would be in terrible trouble!"