Infinite Professions

Chapter 206 - 105: Karmic Fire (Part 2)

"Yes!"

Several people knelt and responded, their faces sincere, but inwardly, they were secretly complaining.

In past times, if someone in the Heterodox Sect achieved Nascent Soul attainment, they would definitely arrange a banquet, invite friends from all around, and celebrate for seven days and nights while dividing various benefits.

But now, no one has the inclination or time, not even Red Corpse Daoist.

A few days ago, the Demonic forces broke through Xuanxiao Mountain and then hastily proceeded to Hidden Sword Mountain, intending to completely annihilate the cultivators of the Mystic Sect and the Celestial Destiny Two Talents.

However, the Mystic Sect was not easy to deal with; several Nascent Soul Cultivators joined forces to use the Profound Void Secret Realm as their base, setting up a defensive array and remaining within.

Though the Demonic forces are strong, they struggled to breach the Mystic Sect’s array temporarily and could only resort to old tactics, surrounding Hidden Sword Mountain, consuming the Profound Void Power, and waiting for the opportunity to break the array.

Then they issued orders to all parties, instructing anyone achieving Nascent Soul to hurry to Hidden Sword Mountain to participate in the grand event to annihilate the Orthodox Dao and the Celestial Destiny Two Talents.

The Three Heroes and Two Talents, with the Celestial Destiny Demon Breaker, is a perilous threat to Demon Cultivators, as if a sword hangs overhead, its menace beyond words.

Additionally, when Demon Path teachings are imparted, some manipulations occur, allowing control over practitioners, so new Nascent Souls like Red Corpse Daoist must obediently go to Hidden Sword Mountain for deployment.

This is the Demon Dao, deep as the sea; once you enter, you can’t turn back on your own accord.

Red Corpse Daoist must go, and so must his disciples. They not only bear the heavy responsibilities of providing resources but must also act as lackeys, collecting various blood food to send to Hidden Sword Mountain to ensure Red Corpse Daoist’s cultivation.

It’s quite a pit!

But they have no choice; Red Corpse Daoist imposed restrictions, and if they disobey, they’ll end up like the former cultivators of Taohua Mountain, drained of essence by the Blood Sea Divine Demon, becoming another member of White Bone Skull Mountain.

"It shall be so, I’m leaving as your master!"

Having given his disciples their tasks, Red Corpse Daoist wasted no time, getting up to head to Hidden Sword Mountain.

That Blood Sea Divine Demon of his, though having gained a Pure Yang opportunity in the Celestial Tribulation and significantly increasing in power with overwhelming demonic might, showed signs of losing control.

Thus, he must go to Hidden Sword Mountain to seek a restrictive method from the Blood Demon Dao to subdue the Blood Sea Divine Demon, otherwise, he might be devoured by it.

This is the hidden danger of Demon Path Techniques—many manipulations occur during transmission, which he only became aware of after reaching the Golden Core stage, but the depth is like the sea, leaving no way to extricate himself, forcing him to walk blindly down this path.

However...

Just as Red Corpse Daoist rose, he saw someone suddenly appear in the distance.

Someone, rapidly approaching from afar.

In truth, it was instantaneous, like their feet shrink space into inches—one moment still on the horizon, the next at the mountain’s exterior, and then within the mountain.

"Hmm!?"

Red Corpse Daoist’s pupils constricted as he suppressed his body, cautiously observing the approaching individual.

As he looked, the newcomer was clad in fluttering black robes, with a mighty physique emitting oppressive pressure, carrying a long saber on the back with potential assassinations bubbling beneath, resembling more a Jianghu warrior than a cultivator of the Cultivation Realm.

"Who are you, and why have you come here?"

Though unable to discern the opponent’s cultivation, sometimes the absence of an answer is the answer itself. Red Corpse Daoist’s eyes sharpened, summoning the Blood Demon Banner as he watched the stranger like facing a formidable foe: "I am a guest cultivator of the Blood Demon Dao, and there is a clear command from the Three Honored Sovereigns of West Sea that Nascent Soul cultivators must not kill each other!"

"Puff!!!"

Before he could finish his words, a muffled sound was heard.

The stranger stopped, their right hand falling to the shoulder, gripping the dark red saber handle, seemingly about to draw the blade.

No, not drawing the saber!

Red Corpse Daoist’s pupils shrank, incredulously lowering his head, seeing a blood mark appear on his chest with dark red flames igniting therein.

The saber was already drawn!

During his very speech.

Red Corpse Daoist felt a great alarm in his heart, pressing one hand to his chest, while the other waved the demon banner. With magical power urged rapidly, the Blood Sea Divine Demon emerged again, but it wasn’t attacking the enemy. Instead, it merged with the Demon Lord to suppress the terrifying saber wound.

Survival is paramount!

"Boom!!!"

However, unexpectedly, as soon as the Blood Sea Divine Demon entered his body, that chest wound expanded dramatically, and the dark red demon fire burned fiercely, incinerating flesh and bones, magical power, and divine soul.

"Roar!!!"

The moment the Blood Sea Divine Demon entered his body, it let out a miserable wail, its illusory form twisting directly, struggling desperately, trying to separate from Red Corpse Daoist, the Demon Lord.

But before the two could separate, the dark red knife mark suddenly expanded, swallowing everything in an instant. The Red Corpse Nascent Soul, the Blood Sea Divine Demon, all turned to ashes in the Karmic Fire Three Calamities.

In an instant, just an instant, the Red Corpse Daoist, was dead and his Dao vanished!

"Master!?"

Below White Bone Skull Mountain, several Golden Core Demon Cultivators looked horrified, unable to comprehend the development of events.

Their master, who had just achieved Nascent Soul, was actually slain by this mysterious person with one strike, without even seeing the blade drawn.

Who is this person?

A Venerable of Divinity Transformation?

Or is it...

"Run!!!"

The chaotic thoughts were abruptly cut off, and the few were awakened, immediately fleeing like birds and beasts.

However, just as they moved, they saw the karmic fire blazing, some bodies flew up, while others were left behind, turning to ash in an instant.

Shen Hex descended, taking the place of the Red Corpse Daoist atop White Bone Skull Mountain, closing his eyes to cultivate Demon Fortune Primordial Skill.

If the Sacrificial Demon Slaying Sword follows a purely numerical route, then the Karma Fire Three Calamities Blade leans towards "mechanism."

What mechanism?

Karmic Cause and Effect!

This Saber Technique actually shares the same principle with his Saint Walker profession, being able to sense the opponent’s karmic force and ignite karmic fire based on it—the more karmic force, the stronger the fire.

The Red Corpse Daoist is just an example. Although he used Blood Demon Dao Technique and Blood Sea Divine Demon to dissolve part of the karmic force, it was just partial. There was still some left within, waiting to be repaid.

Shen Hex struck him down with one blow, igniting the karmic fire internally and externally. This newly advanced Demonic Nascent Soul couldn’t withstand it, and even the Blood Sea Divine Demon was rendered to ash, with all its essence becoming nourishment for the Demon Saber.

So it seems, this Karma Fire Three Calamities Blade is actually a Demon Dao Saber Technique that restrains the Demon Dao.

But this isn’t surprising, Shen Hex had long investigated and found that the great demon who originally created the Karma Fire Three Calamities wasn’t a purely demonic cultivator, but a Demon Buddha who turned from Buddha to demon!

This can also be seen from the cultivation of Karma Fire Three Calamities; the Three Calamities and Four Tribulations are originally Buddhist teachings, casting demons through Buddha aligns perfectly with the position of that Demon Buddha.

As for why a Buddha would fall into the Demon Dao, this is indeed a significant feature of the Buddhist Sect.

A True Awakened is Buddha, an extreme one becomes a demon!

The Three Calamities and Four Tribulations are the cycles of cause and effect for all things in the world, even the world and the Buddha have a time of extinction.

But extinction is not the end; it is an entry into the realm of beginning and transcendence, where after the Buddha’s extinction, he will attain Nirvana, creating a new cycle of rebirth and cultivation until achieving supreme true awakening.

That Demon Buddha believed the same, just in an extreme manner, intending to artificially accelerate the process, thus creating the Karma Fire Three Calamities, aiming to speed up the Three Calamities and Four Tribulations, including his extinction, to achieve supreme true awakening.

This obviously deviated from the Orthodox Dao, leading him to fall from Buddha to demon.

So, although the Karma Fire Three Calamities is a Demon Path Technique, it actually restrains the Demon Dao.

This is just the early stage; later, when the Demon Saber is fully refined, mastering the Three Calamities and Four Tribulations along with karmic cause and effect, it can even create something from nothing, reversing truth and falsehood. Even if you’re a Righteous Cultivator or a Merit True Immortal, your "merit" can be turned into "karmic force" to burn.

This is the mechanism of Karma Fire Three Calamities!

Shen Hex hasn’t refined it to that extent yet, so it only specifically targets the Demon Dao.

But this is enough, especially for newly advanced demonic infants like the Red Corpse Daoist. One strike can trigger the karmic fire to conclude him, even the Blood Sea Divine Demon can’t suppress it.

Of course, this is partly due to his switching sects mid-way, with the Blood Sea Divine Demon not being fully refined. If it were an orthodox Demon Cultivator, with methods to cut off cause and effect and reduce sin karma, they could withstand a few more blows, not so easily.

Leaving matters of the dead aside for now, Shen Hex sat on White Bone Skull Mountain, quietly waiting.

He came here for the Red Corpse Daoist, but not just for him.

Currently, the Demon Dao has heavily surrounded Hidden Sword Mountain, trapping the cultivators of the Mystic Sect in the Profound Void Secret Realm. He can’t go to their rescue and doesn’t plan to.

After all, those are more than ten Nascent Souls, and most of them are orthodox Demon Dao members, with an array set outside Hidden Sword Mountain, taking advantage of time and place.

Though Shen Hex now has the Dao Golden Core, Demon Saber Dao Sword, along with numerous cheats from his profession, and earlier in the Profound Void Secret Realm, he achieved a brilliant battle record of defeating three with one sword—a feat close to his limit.

Shen Hex estimates that six Nascent Souls joining forces can balance with him, and any additional threats will endanger him.

Now that Hidden Sword Mountain is heavily surrounded by the Demon Dao with over ten Nascent Souls on high alert, he certainly won’t go looking for trouble.

Therefore, he decided to fish, seeing if he could lure one or two Demonic Nascent Souls through the Red Corpse Daoist, split them apart like flowers, and beat them one by one.