Infinite Professions

Chapter 202 - 103: Harvest

This time, the Daoist Sword’s demon-slaying earned Shen Hex a bountiful harvest.

Among the four Nascent Soul demons, three perished under the sword, and another was captured without resistance.

Just the treasures from these four Nascent Soul demons were enough to make this newly advanced Golden Core salivate with greed.

Not to mention he captured many Demon Sect cultivators and Heterodox Outsiders. Although not as significant as the four Nascent Soul demon cultivators, most were either at Foundation Establishment or Core Formation cultivation level. Previously, in the Profound Void Secret Realm, he had also reaped considerable rewards, significantly enriching his coffers.

It wasn’t just material gains; these people could also be of great use. Those with grave sins and obstinate resistance could be used to refine the Demon Saber Daoist Sword. Those with light karmic forces and willing to turn back could be reformed through labor to repay their sins, contributing to the development of Fish Dragon Island.

Shen Hex was not a pedantic person, and considering the current extraordinary times, it wasn’t impossible to give them a chance for the bigger picture.

But before that, he’d open the treasures and see what the four Nascent Souls had collected.

Shen Hex picked up a ring, a relic of the Black Mountain Demon Monarch, stored within his Nascent Soul. After the Nascent Soul’s destruction, it burst forth and was retrieved by the Daoist Sword.

The ring was pitch-black, like ink jade, and appeared profound.

It must be a storage treasure.

Shen Hex activated his true essence magical power, and the Demon Saber Daoist Sword also trembled, revealing the Demon-slaying Sword Qi and the Karmic Fire Three Calamities, forcibly erasing the Earthly Fiend Technique Prohibition within.

Although this ring was not of low grade, being a Tier Six upper-grade spiritual artifact, since it wasn’t a lifebound treasure, the Black Mountain Demon Monarch hadn’t refined many prohibitions, only twenty-seven layers of three nines. Against the Demon-slaying Sword Qi and the Karmic Fire Three Calamities, it was obliterated in no time.

With the ring now opened, Shen Hex reached in with his spiritual sense and was immediately dazzled by the sight.

No wonder he was a Nascent Soul of the Orthodox sect of the Demon Sect, his wealth surpassing that of Xin Chenzi and other Core Formation juniors by untold amounts. Within the ring’s space, Spirit Stones were piled like mountains, both of middle and upper grades, alongside numerous pills, talismans, Dharma artifacts, and spiritual objects, all of substantial grades.

This indeed resolved Shen Hex’s urgent needs. His "Krypton Life" was nearing its limit. If he wanted to use the Ten Thousand Dao Root Source Great Method for enlightenment or to refine the Demon Saber Daoist Sword, he would need to find ways to restore his life essence.

The Black Mountain Demon Monarch’s party was like a pillow offered to a drowsy head, just the solution he needed.

Besides that...

Shen Hex took out an item, but it wasn’t a pill or Dharma artifact. It was a cluster of flames, or more precisely, a fire seed.

The fire was entirely red, with a golden gleam inside, emitting astonishing heat — it was the Great Sun True Flame.

Additionally, there was a cluster as clear as ice crystals, exuding boundless cold — the Profound Ice Spirit Fire.

A cluster entirely dark red, resembling a red lotus, faintly showing human faces with wails of deceased souls — the Red Lotus Karmic Fire.

A cluster as explosive as thunder, like lightning, yet burning like fire — the Celestial Spirit Thunder Fire.

A cluster of pitch-black color, dragon-like, spewing toxic smoke — the Earth Lung Poison Fire.

Fire seeds upon fire seeds, numerous fire seeds.

Truly the collection of the Black Mountain Demon Monarch.

He cultivated the Black Demon Sect’s sect-level divine technique, the Six-Flame Demon Fire. This divine technique required the cultivator to refine day and night and to collect various spirit fire seeds to enhance the demon fire rank and prohibition of divine techniques.

Thus, a significant hobby of Black Demon Sect cultivators was collecting various fire seeds. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, the Black Mountain Demon Monarch was no exception; these fire seeds were painstakingly acquired by him and served as sustenance for refining divine techniques, with none below Tier Five, and some even reaching Tier Six.

Although Shen Hex did not cultivate the Six-Flame Demon Fire, these fire seeds were still greatly beneficial to him.

"Great Sun True Flame, with the power of Pure Yang, can be sent to the Alchemy and Artifact Room to collaborate with the Eight Trigrams Furnace in alchemy and artifact refining, compensating for the deficiencies in descending the Earth Vein."

"Red Lotus Karmic Fire, blood-refined, can be used for the refinement of the Karmic Fire Three Calamities, augmenting the power of this Demon Saber."

"Profound Ice Spirit Fire, Celestial Spirit Thunder Fire, Earth Lung Poison Fire, and other spirit fires corresponding to the Five Elements can be used to refine the Five Flames and Seven Beasts Fan. Though reaching Tier Seven magical treasure level might be ambitious, achieving a Tier Six upper-grade spiritual artifact should be feasible."

"Well done, Black Mountain Demon Monarch, hahaha!"

Soon, Shen Hex determined the uses for these spirit fires, his expression growing brighter and eagerly taking up the second storage treasure.

It was a Profound Pearl, belonging to Miao Shaotian, a person from the South Sea Demon Sect, tutored by the Green Robe Ancestor. Although not on par with the Black Demon Sect’s Three Fierce of the West Sea, he was still a notorious demon owl.

This Profound Pearl was his lifebound spiritual artifact, of the Netherworld attribute, containing the power of life and death, with an interior space for storing items and capturing people.

In the earlier battle, the pearl was broken by his Demon-slaying Daoist Sword. Now, with its prohibitions in disarray, it could barely resist and was quickly refined away by his True Yuan.

With prohibitions eradicated, the spatial opening revealed nothing but bleached white bones, hundreds of corpses reduced to mummies.

"Demon!"

Shen Hex’s gaze sharpened, but he soon shook his head in resignation and placed the hundreds of remains into another storage pouch.

The South Sea Demon Sect and the Green Robe Ancestor practiced the "Mystic Nether Burial Yin Secret Demon Great Technique," excelling in manipulating the power of life and death.

Miao Shaotian, as a direct disciple, mastered the same technique, imprisoning countless cultivators alive within the Profound Pearl, seizing their vitality when encountering foes, resulting in multiple skeletal remains.

Hence, the cruelty of demon cultivators!

The Mystic Sect Orthodox Sect may not be entirely virtuous and may harbor hypocrites, but even so, they far surpass these demon cultivators who murder and rob life to achieve the Dao.

Therefore, it’s no surprise the Demon Dao declines; such methods of cultivation inevitably face public rejection, and that rejection is the rejection of the Human Dao. The Human Dao leads the Celestial Dao, naturally inclining the fortune; the decline of the Demon Dao and the flourishing of the Orthodox Dao align with the people’s wishes and the reason of the Celestial Dao.

This is why the people of the Mystic Sect often say that demon cultivators do not recognize the heavenly order, and this is indeed true.

But then again, if given a choice, who would want to be a demon cultivator?

...

After clearing away those bones, they saw a few Spiritual Objects, which seemed insignificant compared to the Black Mountain Demon Monarch, but still brought some surprise.

"Undying Soul Reviving Grass!"

"Tier Seven Treasure Medicine, a gift to the Primordial Spirit!"

"Miao Shaotian practiced the Mystic Nether Tomb Yin Forbidden Magic Great Technique, which requires transitioning from death to life and from life to death, experiencing the Mystic Nether transformation, to achieve the Primordial Spirit."

"Yet this method is extremely dangerous; a slight misstep could lead to the annihilation of life and the Dao. Thus, he painstakingly searched for this Undying Soul Reviving Grass."

"This plant is a Tier Seven Treasure Medicine, not only can it assist people in cultivating such Demon Skills as the Mystic Nether Great Technique, but it can also resurrect Cultivators under Foundation Establishment. If refined into a Nine Transformation Soul Rejuvenation Pill, it might even help Divinity Transformation Cultivators to rebirth their Purple Mansion Primordial Spirit."

"As for me, consuming it directly can restore a thousand years of Life Essence, but that would be too wasteful. Better to keep it for now and use it later to refine the Nine Transformation Soul Rejuvenation Pill or the Tier Six Nine Transformation Life-saving Pill!"

Having collected this Undying Soul Reviving Grass, Shen Hex was hardly interested in anything else. He picked out some Demonic Materials that he couldn’t use but could be devoured by the Karmic Fire Three Calamities, and retained the rest for future use.

Finally, as he examined the possessions of Situ Lie, it turned out the guy was a pauper, with nothing but the Nine Sons Blood Infant Sword, which had already been consumed as sustenance by the Karmic Fire Three Calamities. The remaining Spirit Stones, pills, and Dharma Artifacts were either too ordinary to look at or utterly unusable by Demon and Evil Dao.

Shen Hex simply handled it without trouble by discarding these unusable Demonic Materials and some demonic Dharma Artifacts to the Karmic Fire Three Calamities.

This was also the benefit of using the Demon Refining Saber, those Demonic Materials that couldn’t be used or easily sold, finally found a purpose. The Karmic Fire Three Calamities could consume anything, perfect for processing them.

Of course, doing this had its risks, which might lead to a backlash from the Demon Saber, but Shen Hex used his Life Essence for the sacrifice, along with the special effects of the Demon Saber Dao Sword, completely suppressing such risks.

Eat, feel at ease to eat!

Having dealt with the relics of the three Nascent Souls, Shen Hex waved his sleeve and released another item.

It was a Golden Silkworm.

Heterodox Nascent Soul — Pan Wangpo!

The Golden Silkworm quickly transformed, becoming an old lady who knelt before Shen Hex: "Many thanks to the Upper Immortal for sparing me; this little insect has nothing to repay and is willing to serve at the behest under the Upper Immortal’s seat."

Shen Hex looked at her: "A dignified Nascent Soul, how did you end up like this?"

"The Upper Immortal is unaware!"

Upon hearing his words, Pan Wangpo’s face showed some melancholy: "I was born an exotic being and a Heterodox Cultivator, despised by the Mystic Sect and bullied by the Demon Sect, forced to live by others’ indulgences, barely surviving in the cracks. If I hadn’t mastered the art of flattery and observation, I couldn’t have survived until today."

"No need to feign before me."

Shen Hex looked at her indifferently: "Your whole body is entangled in karmic sins, not much different from a demon cultivator. Were you entirely forced, colluding with the wicked?"

This body has not yet converted to a Saint Walker, but with the power of the Karmic Fire Three Calamities, he can sense human karmic sins. He has long observed this Pan Wangpo.

The so-called karmic sins are actually a manifestation of Celestial Dao power. In this Taiyuan Realm dominated by the Human Race, killing brings karmic sins and consequences; once entangled, not only are Celestial Tribulations hard to transcend and Divinity Transformation difficult to achieve, but one will also face disdain from the heavens and increased misfortunes.

Do not protest, nor talk about how the Human Race also slaughters other beings; in this world dominated by the Human Dao, the rules of Celestial Dao are set by the Human Dao, your protest is useless.

"I dare not deceive the Upper Immortal!"

Pan Wangpo’s expression stiffened, then she placed her forehead on the ground: "Being born an exotic being, seeking cultivation indeed led me to commit many karmic sins. The Upper Immortal sparing me follows the cycle of heavenly law; this little insect has no complaints or regrets!"

Seeing her in this state, Shen Hex shook his head: "This realm is indeed difficult for you creatures in the Human Dao world. So be it, I offer you an opportunity; enter my sect and redeem yourself through merit. Now, as the demonic chaos devastates the world, all beings are caught within. If you sincerely repent, quell the demonic unrest, attain merit, there’s a chance for you to achieve the Primordial Spirit in the future."

"This little insect is willing to change, willing to change!"

These words made Pan Wangpo overjoyed, bowing repeatedly: "This little insect will not fail the Upper Immortal’s grace, even rushing through fire and water to atone for past sins."

"Stand up!"

Shen Hex readily agreed upon hearing this: "First revert to your original form, open your mind, and I shall establish a Spirit Contract with you and remove the Demon Fire Restriction thereafter."

"Yes!"

Pan Wangpo dared not delay, again transforming into her original form.

Shen Hex spoke no more and directly formed a Dharma Seal to execute the Spirit Control Contract.

Moments later, thus it was done.

Panwang Gu

Spirit Beast Rank: Tier Six (Nascent Soul)

Spirit Beast Species: Golden Silkworm (Gu Insect)

Spirit Beast Combat Skills: ...