novelraw Chapter 80 : Lu Changyuan, Corrupted by the Desire Demon
Chapter 80 : Lu Changyuan, Corrupted by the Desire Demon
Chapter 80: Lu Changyuan, Corrupted by the Desire Demon
On the day Su Youwan was born, every Buddhist temple throughout the Glazed Dynasty resounded with the sound of Buddha’s chants, and the golden light at the horizon was dazzling beyond compare.
All of this signified that she was extraordinary.
Later, she entered Cihang Palace and met her master.
Her master said to her, “I have a method that can sever your emotions, allowing you to attain a heart of no desire without cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness.”
Those who cultivated the destined Heavenly Dao had no need for emotions.
Thus, her master forged a birdcage for her, and she locked all her emotions within it, cultivating the Destined Heavenly Dao in this way.
“You are the first to cultivate this path, and you will also be the last.”
Those words from her master stayed with her for many years.
Heaven’s Dao takes from the excess to replenish the deficient.
Su Youwan was still young and lacked comprehension of the Dao, so her master instructed her to witness the mortal world. She saw many people; the world of mortals was always overflowing with emotions, vivid and colorful.
People of all kinds passed through her life like fleeting travelers of fate, never stirring a single ripple in her heart—until she saw the black-robed youth standing upon that boat.
The flavor of the Supreme Forgetfulness.
Just like her.
The youth, like her, was exceedingly sensitive to Desire Demons—this was the privilege of those who walked the path of Supreme Forgetfulness.
Because one was without desire, one was sensitive to desire.
Su Youwan suddenly caught the scent of a Desire Demon upon the youth.
He was tainted by a Desire Demon?
That was unmistakably the scent of a Desire Demon, yet for some reason, Su Youwan could not find any trace of the demon’s corruption.
That should not be possible.
Su Youwan thought that even if Lu Changyuan had lost his Supreme Forgetfulness, he should not have been corrupted by the Desire Demon so early.
He had no obsession.
And one without obsession—how could they be tainted by the Desire Demon?
Perhaps she was mistaken.
“Your Highness, the Third Princess?”
Lu Changyuan’s voice drifted, sometimes near, sometimes far.
Su Youwan pressed her forehead, nearly losing her balance.
And then she saw it again—
That sword.
The sword Lu Changyuan had swung toward the heavens, dazzling to the point that it nearly killed her.
“It’s nothing. Is this Young Master Lu’s bed?”
“It is.”
“Youwan wishes to meditate for a while. Would Young Master like to join?”
Seeing him remain silent, Su Youwan sat cross-legged upon the bed, placed the birdcage beside her, and entered meditation—her five desires emptied, her fate uncertain.
She intended to use the Destined Heavenly Dao to divine it.
Su Youwan was not the only one who sensed the presence of a Desire Demon.
Lu Changyuan sensed it as well—if only for a brief moment.
As Su Youwan sat cross-legged upon the bed, Lu Changyuan suddenly turned his head toward her birdcage.
He squinted at the silver-haired girl sitting in meditation, then picked up Severed Thought.
So beautiful.
No one in this world should be so beautiful.
Lu Changyuan walked to Su Youwan’s birdcage. It was always covered by a layer of black cloth; no one knew what lay within.
“I wish to take a look at Your Highness’s birdcage. May I?”
“As Young Master pleases. There is nothing inside.”
Lu Changyuan lifted the black cloth and looked inside—empty.
The birdcage was indeed empty, just as he had expected.
Unless Su Youwan herself looked, no one else could see what was inside, for the birdcage held the emotions of this Third Princess.
Lu Changyuan thought of how he had once used a similar method.
When he retraced the Red Dust Path, he created a calamity body from half his own being and locked his emotions within it.
Only then did he manage to walk the Red Dust again and attain the realm of Radiant Jade.
Wait.
At this thought, a strange idea suddenly struck him.
He had already confirmed that this world was no mere game.
Could it be that those “game memories” were ones he himself had altered—transforming his own past memories into a game in order to cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness?
Because it was a game, he could act as an executioner without emotion. Because it was a game, he could view all living beings as equals.
…..
“Do not touch the spirits, nor provoke them—unless you wish to die.”
Draped in a black robe, Mei Zhao Zhao’s cold voice rang out.
Wang Lian and Xiao Hai followed behind her respectfully.
Before them stood a massive blood-red character, upon which was written the word “West.”
This was West City.
Behind them were many others—from the Imperial Sword Sect, from the Beast-Taming Palace—all soaked through and panting heavily.
They had fought the Sea Demons for half a day before the sun in the sky split into black and white.
Not long after, the great Gate of the Nether Kingdom opened.
Because of the fallen whale, these cultivators had been forced to battle the Sea Demons within the water; blood and seawater left them utterly disheveled.
Mei Zhao Zhao did not glance at the others.
She had not come to the Nether Kingdom for enlightenment, nor for the Three-Life Fruit—she had come searching for someone.
Wang Lian said, “Saintess, we should first find a place to rest.”
Mei Zhao Zhao did not answer.
She walked upon the stone bridge leading into the city, her gaze caught by its ancient form.
“Did you hear that?”
Wang Lian and Xiao Hai both shook their heads.
But Mei Zhao Zhao truly heard voices—not the murmurs of spirits, but human voices. She shook her head, then suddenly saw faint writing on the bridge.
Five hundred years of wind.
Five hundred years of sun.
Five hundred years of rain.
After such cycles, one shall return.
“Saintess! The lanterns have changed color!”
Mei Zhao Zhao’s head snapped up—at the city gate, the lanterns were turning pale, the red wax candles gradually fading.
Night was coming.
“Go! Quickly, find a house—otherwise, it will be too late.”
Mei Zhao Zhao rushed into the city, and Wang Lian had no choice but to drag Xiao Hai along.
Wang Lian pointed toward Xiao Hai. “Saintess, we have him.”
She turned her head toward Xiao Hai. “Take out the memorial tablet.”
Xiao Hai froze—the tablet was trembling violently. Then, suddenly, it transformed into a beam of light and shot into the distance.
Mei Zhao Zhao said coldly, “Follow the tablet.”
One of the cultivators—clearly ill-prepared—spoke up. It was Li Lang. “Why are they in such a hurry?”
“You came here without any preparation at all, didn’t you?”
A disciple of the Imperial Sword Sect sneered, transforming into a streak of light and flying into West City.
They would not bother explaining the Nether Kingdom’s rules to someone like him.
Still, one kind-hearted person called out, “Hurry! Once night falls, if you remain outside, you’ll die.”
Li Lang’s heart jolted.
He had only heard of the Three-Life Fruit’s wondrous effects, and out of greed, he had entered the city—utterly ignorant of the rules.
Upon hearing the warning, he quickly rushed into the city.
That kind soul continued, “Find an empty house—there should still be vacant ones within the Nether Kingdom.”
But Li Lang could no longer hear him. In his desperation to survive, he dashed toward a small house not far away and yanked the door open.
Someone was inside.
It was a spirit—in the form of a child.
Seeing him barge in, the spirit grew furious and let out a hoarse shriek as it lunged toward him.
Li Lang snorted coldly, drawing his sword to engage it—but before he could, the child spirit swelled monstrously in the wind and devoured him in one gulp.
The cultivators standing outside, watching the scene unfold, felt a chill crawl up their spines as cold air surged uncontrollably through them.