novelraw Chapter 187 : “Demonic Cultivator—Qiu Qianhai!”
Chapter 187 : “Demonic Cultivator—Qiu Qianhai!”
Chapter 187: “Demonic Cultivator—Qiu Qianhai!”
“What, Junior Brother, you’re going out? And you want me to go to Liancheng Mountain? This good place, and you’re not even going?”
Forgotten Worry Island.
When Ji Yuan came over to bid farewell to Hua Yaoyue, he happened to run into Feng Zhi Tao, who was here.
So he told her everything in one go.
“I don’t want to go out either, but I have no choice, sigh.”
Ji Yuan shook his head and sighed.
“That’s true. Otherwise, with your temperament, you’d definitely hide on Forgotten Worry Island, stay holed up for hundreds of years without leaving, and be a turtle shrinking in its shell, hmph hmph.”
Feng Zhi Tao crossed her arms in front of her chest, lifting the deep abyss, and slightly raised her head as she spoke.
“What a pity, this time I can only trouble Senior Sister.”
Ji Yuan did not continue the topic and changed the subject.
“It’s not trouble at all. I should thank you for giving me such a good opportunity… Is there anything you need help with? If there is, Little Junior Brother, don’t you dare be polite with me.”
In some ways, Feng Zhi Tao wasn’t much different from Yun Qianzai—both had that mouth.
Yun Qianzai liked to show off.
Feng Zhi Tao, on the other hand, had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
“At the moment, there’s nothing you can help with. If there is, I definitely won’t be polite with Senior Sister.” Ji Yuan said earnestly.
“Alright.”
Feng Zhi Tao still wanted to say something but received a message from Real Person Xuan Shui. “Then I’ll head over to Sect Master Martial Uncle first. If you need anything, Junior Brother, just send me a message.”
“Alright, thank you in advance, Senior Sister.”
“You, ah, are too polite.”
Feng Zhi Tao waved her hand, piloted her flying boat, and left Forgotten Worry Island.
But before Ji Yuan could turn around, he heard Hua Yaoyue’s voice from behind, “What’s this, the Corrupt-Firefly Yin Locust I gave you isn’t enough, so you’re going out to get some yourself?”
Ji Yuan: “!!!”
Turning around, facing Hua Yaoyue lying on the soft chair, Ji Yuan could only give a helpless smile. “No one is wiser than Master.”
“Your disciple can hide nothing from Master’s discerning eyes.”
“Enough, stop putting that high hat on me.” Hua Yaoyue cut straight to the point, and Ji Yuan didn’t feel embarrassed.
“With your temperament, it’s good for you to go out for a walk.”
Hua Yaoyue rose from the soft chair, and Ji Yuan tactfully took a step back.
“You have many techniques and usually cultivate diligently, but you must remember one thing.”
“Please instruct me, Master.”
Ji Yuan perked his ears, knowing that what Hua Yaoyue was about to teach would surely be of the utmost importance in cultivation.
Hua Yaoyue didn’t rush to answer, seeming to ponder, or perhaps to organize her words. She walked out of the pavilion into the sea of flowers.
Ji Yuan followed closely behind, quietly waiting for her answer.
“Having techniques alone isn’t enough; you must know how to use them well. Polishing yourself alone and fighting others are two different matters… Do you feel this?”
“Yes.”
Ji Yuan answered without hesitation, “No matter how much one trains alone, it’s just familiarity with techniques. But in real combat… the enemy is alive, not dead.”
“So, do you understand what I mean?”
Hua Yaoyue stopped and asked again.
Ji Yuan took a deep breath.
“Kill!”
“If you think your strength has improved, then go kill people, go kill demonic beasts! Only then can you maximize your strength.”
When facing Hua Yaoyue, Ji Yuan dared to say anything.
After so many years together, he naturally knew his master wasn’t from the demonic path, but neither was she purely from the righteous path.
“Crude.”
Hua Yaoyue summed it up in one word. “But not wrong.”
“If you just hide away and cultivate, you’re building cars behind closed doors. You’ll never know how many tricks the enemy has. That’s why, in battles of the same realm, demonic cultivators often outmatch the righteous path.”
After speaking, Hua Yaoyue finally turned to look at Ji Yuan, at her closed-door disciple, and slowly said:
“If you want to survive and go far… it’s not as simple as you think. Even if you happen to survive for the moment, when real storms come, without enough strength, you’ll still be someone else’s stepping stone. Do you understand?”
Ji Yuan took a deep breath and gave Hua Yaoyue a deep bow.
“Your disciple will remember Master’s teachings.”
Seeing him like this, Hua Yaoyue suddenly chuckled.
Her laughter left Ji Yuan puzzled.
It was the first time he had seen Hua Yaoyue laugh like that.
“Do you know why I have such an insight?” Hua Yaoyue asked.
Ji Yuan replied immediately, “Because Master’s talent…”
Before he could finish, Hua Yaoyue interrupted, “Because I was once like you, finding a deserted island to hide and secretly cultivate. Later…”
“And later?”
It was the first time Ji Yuan had heard Hua Yaoyue talk about her past, and he couldn’t help but ask.
“Later, I died.”
This simple sentence from Hua Yaoyue stirred up turbulent waves in Ji Yuan’s heart.
Damn, my master really is an old monster!
Reincarnation?
Or body possession cultivation?!
Ji Yuan really wanted to ask but didn’t dare.
“Alright, you can go now.”
After giving her advice, Hua Yaoyue dismissed him.
Ji Yuan left nearly a hundred jars of Wishful Wine before taking his leave.
On the way back to Misty Island, Ji Yuan was still pondering Hua Yaoyue’s words. At first, they seemed like a lot, but thinking carefully, it was just six words.
When you should hide, hide; when you should kill, kill!
You can’t always kill, nor can you always hide.
“I just didn’t expect Master to have died once… judging from her current state, it’s probably reincarnation cultivation.”
“Doesn’t quite look like someone who possessed another’s body.”
If Hua Yaoyue wanted to say something, like today, Ji Yuan wouldn’t need to ask—she would tell him herself.
But if she didn’t want to say, even if he asked, she wouldn’t tell him.
After returning to Misty Island, Ji Yuan began preparing the items he would need for this trip.
And this time, he would be going out under the identity of a demonic cultivator, so it was different from before.
When it came time to fight demonic cultivators in the Ghost-Seeking Pit, his primary method would naturally be the Yin Ghost Formation. As for other things… spiritual artifacts were fine, but techniques like the Water Dragon Technique couldn’t be used.
Using that would be no different from flashing his ID.
“It’s just a pity I didn’t learn any techniques from Joy Palace or Medicine King Valley; otherwise, I could have another disguise.”
Formations were more acceptable, as they weren’t divided between righteous and demonic. If needed, he could use them.
At this thought, Ji Yuan took a storage pouch out of another storage pouch within his storage pouch.
Inside were items he had accumulated over the years—only three spiritual artifacts in total.
A mid-grade offensive spiritual artifact called “Bone-Melting Yin Claws,” a low-grade defensive spiritual artifact called “Black Demon Armor.”
And the last one was very much of the demonic path.
It was called the “Blood Marrow Pearl.”
It could absorb others’ essence blood to nourish itself, and in a critical moment, using it could temporarily boost one’s strength… with no side effects whatsoever.
The only cost was that when the Blood Marrow Pearl was depleted, to use it again, it had to be refilled with essence blood.
These three spiritual artifacts commonly used by demonic cultivators were prepared by Ji Yuan for his demonic cultivator identity.
Although they had consumed quite a few spirit stones,
everything was worth it—not only did it increase his means and strength, but more importantly, it made his disguise more convincing.
With just these three spiritual artifacts, plus his Yin Ghost Formation… any righteous cultivator who saw him would probably spit a few times.
The spiritual artifacts had long since been refined, and Ji Yuan spent several more days familiarizing himself with them.
After that, he took out a Spiritual Beast Pouch he had prepared in advance and went to the dense forest on the western side of Misty Island, where he collected 8,000 Spirit-Devouring Bees.
Even the Tier-2 Queen Bee was taken away with him.
Since these things already formed combat power, they naturally had to be used. Leaving over 4,000 at home to continue breeding was more than enough.
Ji Yuan also retrieved the Ice Flood Dragon from Yunyu Marshlands.
For this trip, there might be situations where it could be used. Even if it wasn’t, it had to be carefully nurtured with the aim of advancing it to a Tier-2 demonic beast.
Once everything was ready, Ji Yuan went to Everything Island to find Bai Piao, and the two of them talked for an entire day.
By the next day, Ji Yuan was piloting his flying boat into the air, glancing back at Misty Island.
This time, who knew when he would return again.
But to improve his strength, it was worth it. Just as Hua Yaoyue had said, relying solely on hiding… would eventually lead to a dead end.
Hide when you can, kill when you must!
“Let’s go.”
Ji Yuan said to himself, then urged the Sky-Slicer Boat straight south.
……
Two months later.
After using five Shapeshifting Talismans and changing his identity five times, Ji Yuan finally arrived safely in Great Love City, within the territory of Joy Palace.
Since entering Joy Palace’s domain, Ji Yuan had visited several cities along the way.
These cities, including the current Great Love City, all shared one obvious characteristic in his eyes… an abundance of dual-cultivation places. These dual-cultivation places didn’t just mean there were many female cultivators—there were plenty of male cultivators too.
They cultivated dual-cultivation techniques, which was mutually beneficial.
“It’s a pity… when I transmigrated, I ended up in Water Dragon Sect territory. If I had another chance, I’d definitely choose to transmigrate straight into a place like Joy Palace.”
Ji Yuan mused to himself.
His next strongest impression was—chaos!
Literal chaos—whether it was rampant robbers or constant duels.
Since heading south and stepping into Joy Palace’s territory, Ji Yuan could clearly sense that battles had become more frequent, even inside the cities.
It truly gave off the feeling of “I don’t like your face, so let’s fight.”
Fortunately, he was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator now. Ordinary cultivators who saw him would respectfully call him “Senior.”
It was risky at times, but without real danger.
Upon arriving at Great Love City, Ji Yuan first found a place to stay, then spent three days wandering the city to gather information.
Three days later, he returned to the courtyard he had rented.
He summarized and organized the information he had obtained, comparing it to what he had learned from Bai Piao.
Great Love City officially had 20 Foundation Establishment cultivators—15 were Joy Palace disciples, the remaining five were independent cultivators living there.
Occasionally, a Golden Core Real Person from Joy Palace would also be stationed here.
Just this alone showed that Great Love City was a large city.
For comparison, the Linshui City Ji Yuan once guarded only had three Foundation Establishment cultivators, all Water Dragon Sect officials, and not a single independent cultivator.
Then there was the matter of Ghost-Seeking Pit—after all, this was Ji Yuan’s destination.
That place… was famous not only in Great Love City but also throughout Joy Palace’s domain.
Strictly speaking, Ghost-Seeking Pit was a gray area.
Inside, there were not only demonic cultivators but also righteous cultivators who had fled there to escape pursuit. Add to that the many demonic beasts and the natural treasures produced there, and it became a hotspot for cultivators willing to risk danger for resources.
In short, it was extremely chaotic.
There were many Qi Refining cultivators inside, as well as dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators, organized into several factions fighting each other.
It was said that deep inside Ghost-Seeking Pit, even Golden Core cultivators had been sighted—though no one knew if that was true.
A place this chaotic… south of Falling Star River, only Joy Palace’s territory had something like it. North of Falling Star River, only Corpse Herding Mountain’s domain had anything similar.
Put simply—if not for Shangxi’s demonic sect,
then Corpse Herding Mountain and Joy Palace would be Shangdong’s demonic sects.
“From the looks of it, there’s definitely Corrupt-Firefly Yin Locust inside, and with so many demonic cultivators, it’s the perfect chance for me to pick up an identity.”
But going there directly was impossible—finding it on his own would take too much effort.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator had to have the bearing of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
So once Ji Yuan had learned enough about Great Love City, he used another Shapeshifting Talisman to change his appearance into a bearded, burly man before going out.
He wandered around, glaring at anyone who looked at him, perfectly embodying the image of a fierce Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Half a day later, he arrived at a tavern in Great Love City.
Inside were only Qi Refining cultivators. When Ji Yuan walked in, the previously noisy tavern instantly fell silent.
Everyone stared at him in shock.
In such a large city, Foundation Establishment cultivators were still rare—certainly not as common as dogs.
Ji Yuan didn’t say a word, just gave them a cold stare. In less than a moment, every cultivator quickly paid their bill and left.
Only then did he turn to the innkeeper, who looked like he was about to cry.
“Alright, look at you.”
Ji Yuan casually tossed a Middle-Grade Spirit Stone onto the table. The innkeeper’s frown instantly turned into a fawning smile. “I don’t know what business this Senior has?”
“If there’s anything this small one can do, I’ll help even if it costs me my life.”
Ji Yuan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he walked over and shut the tavern door.
The innkeeper’s heart, which had just settled, instantly leapt into his throat again.
“Bai Piao—do you remember him?” Ji Yuan asked directly.
“Bai Piao?” The shopkeeper froze for a moment when he heard the name, then quickly reacted and asked anxiously, “Senior, do you have any news of him?”
“He is my closest friend. Ever since he left Great Love City and headed north, I have not heard from him again. How is he now?”
Ji Yuan looked at him without speaking.
The originally excited shopkeeper finally calmed down, took a deep breath, and cupped his hands toward Ji Yuan. “This junior was impatient. Please do not blame me, Senior.”
“No matter. He is doing very well, you need not worry.”
“That’s good, that’s good.”
“I was able to find you because he told me where to look.”
The shopkeeper’s fawning smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. “I don’t know what business brings you here, Senior. My name is Wu Yunbo, and I will do everything I can to assist you.”
“I want to enter Ghost-Seeking Pit, preferably making direct contact with a Foundation Establishment cultivator inside.”
Ji Yuan spoke bluntly, without a trace of unnecessary words.
“Enter Ghost-Seeking Pit?”
Wu Yunbo’s frown immediately eased. “That’s not difficult. As for finding a Foundation Establishment cultivator—Senior, you are already one yourself, so that’s even simpler.”
“Oh? Tell me in detail.”
Ji Yuan raised an eyebrow, picked up a pot of spiritual wine from the table, examined it, and then stored it in his Storage Pouch.
“At present, Ghost-Seeking Pit has four Foundation Establishment factions: Skyfire Cave, Divine Vulture Palace, Blood Prison Helm, and Red Dragon Gang.
“Of these, Divine Vulture Palace is the strongest, with 12 Foundation Establishment cultivators. Its palace master is even a False Core expert. The other two—Skyfire Cave and Red Dragon Gang—are about the same, each with around eight Foundation Establishment cultivators. The weakest is Blood Prison Helm, with only five Foundation Establishment cultivators.
“That’s all for the factions. There are also a few independent Foundation Establishment cultivators hiding inside, but this junior does not know their details.”
After listening carefully, Ji Yuan had only one thought—
This man was indeed the owner of a tavern; the information he knew was quite extensive.
“Which of these four factions acts the most righteously?”
Wu Yunbo raised an eyebrow. “Senior, once you enter Ghost-Seeking Pit, there is no such thing as righteous.”
Ji Yuan laughed heartily.
“Excellent, excellent.”
What he feared wasn’t demonic cultivators—it was righteous cultivators hiding among the demonic ones!
“In that case, if I want to join a faction, which do you think is most suitable?” Ji Yuan casually pulled over a chair and sat down.
“This…”
Wu Yunbo hesitated. Asking him for information was fine.
But asking him to recommend a faction—that he dared not do.
If the faction he recommended turned out to be good, that was fine. But if the faction caused this Senior trouble…
It would be a case of: “If I can’t kill them, can’t I at least kill you?”
Ji Yuan saw his concern, waved a large hand, and said directly, “Whichever faction you can contact, I’ll go find them myself.”
Wu Yunbo instantly let out a sigh of relief.
“All four factions have branches here in Great Love City. If Senior is not in a hurry, you can check them all out and then decide which to join.”
Then Wu Yunbo gave him the locations of all four faction branches.
As for a map of Ghost-Seeking Pit—Ji Yuan didn’t even ask.
If you dared to follow a map inside Ghost-Seeking Pit, it only meant you weren’t dying fast enough… Ji Yuan looked at the white paper in his hand, where the four branch locations were written.
He glanced down at the paper, then up at Wu Yunbo, and suddenly smiled.
“I wonder—which faction do you belong to?”
“Wha… what?”
Wu Yunbo’s face changed slightly. “Senior, what do you mean? This junior is merely an independent cultivator here in Great Love City.”
Without realizing it, Ji Yuan was already toying with a Messaging Talisman in his hand.
Wu Yunbo instinctively widened his eyes.
Ji Yuan slowly rose to his feet and looked toward the back room of the tavern.
With his arms folded across his chest and a slight smile, he said, “Since fellow Daoist is here, why not come out and meet me? Or… is it that you can’t show yourself?”
As soon as his words fell, a wisp of black mist seeped from the gap in the back-room door, finally condensing behind Wu Yunbo into the figure of a black-robed man.
“I wonder which fellow Daoist honors me with his presence?”
The man before him was cloaked in black, his face hidden behind a ghost mask, but from his voice, Ji Yuan could tell he was male.
Ji Yuan stroked the beard on his chin, then activated the Yin Ghost Flag from his Storage Pouch. In an instant, a wave of yin energy spread around him.
He laughed, his “jie jie jie” echoing throughout the tavern.
“This venerable one never changes his name or surname.”
“Demonic Cultivator—Qiu Qianhai!”