Chapter 105: Crimson Flowers Hidden in White Bones (5)
Lumen Mountain rose high into the clouds. For this grand gathering above the heavens, Tianqing Sect had even commissioned Fairy Yun to forge a platform suspended among the clouds. Immortal mist drifted all around, and the sound of silk and bamboo instruments floated through the air—audible even from Lumen City below, as if music were drifting from the horizon in waves of cloud and fog.
Even though Bai Chunsheng and Bo Yan arrived late, they were unquestionably the central figures of the event. Presiding over the banquet from the main seat was Jiang Ji, whose cultivation had only reached the peak of the Dao stage. She had been gravely injured several times while fleeing to the Southern Region, yet now she appeared largely recovered, her cultivation even slightly improved.
This time, Bai Chunsheng did not disguise himself. Only Bo Yan wore the half-mask he had used when attending the banquet on Penglai Island.
When Bo Yan appeared, everyone at the banquet either bowed their heads or knelt in salute. Now that Bo Yan was the Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect and Bai Chunsheng was the Pavilion Master of the Star-Plucking Pavilion, it was only proper and natural for Bai Chunsheng to follow behind him.
After Jiang Ji saluted Bo Yan, she relinquished the main seat. When she saw that the one accompanying Bo Yan today was Bai Chunsheng, she raised a smile. “It has been a long time since I last saw the Little Demon King.”
Bai Chunsheng inclined his head slightly in greeting.
The smile on Jiang Ji’s face deepened, tinged with a trace of hatred. “This is perfect.”
Judging by the grand announcement Tianqing Sect had made, the Lumen Banquet should have begun long ago. Yet everyone present seemed to agree that only when Bo Yan arrived did the gathering truly begin.
After the formalities, the music resumed and the dancers continued as before. It was Bai Chunsheng’s first time sitting in the seat of honor, looking down at the sea of people below and feeling the probing and questioning gazes cast toward him again and again. A growing sense of foreboding stirred in his chest.
He noticed that many important figures had come to this Lumen gathering hosted by Tianqing Sect: Lord Cuixia of Cuiwei Palace, Lingxuan Zhenren of Penglai Island, the Loose Cultivator Liaoji of the Three Pure Spirit Realm… all prominent names. Taixu Sect had also sent someone—their sect master—but Yan Jianhang had not appeared. It seemed the rumor Bai Chunsheng had heard on Penglai Island was true. Like Immortal Miaoyan, Yan Jianhang’s lifespan was nearly exhausted, and he could not be bothered to attend even such a banquet.
It was not until the latter half of the night that someone from outside approached Jiang Ji and whispered a few words into her ear.
Bai Chunsheng watched as her smile grew ever brighter. She stood, dismissed the performing spirit-demons, and bowed to Bo Yan. “It has only been a few days since I last saw you, Your Excellency, yet I have missed you greatly.”
Bo Yan replied, “Have we met?”
Jiang Ji covered her lips with a hand and laughed lightly. “Naturally, you would not have taken notice of someone like me.”
“The last time we met on Penglai Island, I thought you looked somewhat familiar. After returning, I pondered deeply and finally realized why.” Her voice was not weak; beneath its softness lay unyielding resolve. She spoke steadily. “Several months ago, Daoist Changping passed away at Mount Qiuru in the Eastern Sea, and Tianqing Sect fell into chaos. Lin Zeming of Tianqing Sect took advantage of the situation to betray the sect, inviting external enemies inside. Internal strife broke out, and powerful foes attacked.”
“Tianqing Sect was forced to abandon its territory in the Middle Realm. Only by seeking refuge in the Southern Region were we able to survive and endure that most difficult period.”
Seated second on the right was the Loose Cultivator Liaoji of the Three Pure Spirit Realm, a gaunt man with a sharp expression, renowned for his mastery of the Five Elements. He chuckled. “Everyone knows Tianqing Sect had a hard time back then. But what does that have to do with today? I heard there was some story to be announced that could overturn the entire cultivation world—that’s why I came to watch the excitement.” He spoke bluntly. “Don’t tell me it’s just your sect’s old troubles. That’s hardly enough to shake the whole world.”
“Of course not.” Loose Cultivator Liaoji was at mid–Mahayana and the Realm Lord of the Three Pure Spirit Realm; he had no need to give Jiang Ji face. She responded courteously. “Tianqing Sect’s past was only the prelude. The important matter comes afterward.”
“While fleeing from the Middle Realm to the Southern Region, I was fortunate to be rescued by two individuals. It was thanks to them that I escaped Lin Zeming alive.”
Hearing this, Bai Chunsheng couldn’t help but glance at her. He hadn’t expected Jiang Ji to have recognized that the person and duck in the carriage on the road to the Southern Region had been him and Yan Yi.
Bo Yan took a sip of wine and admitted calmly, “How did you recognize me?”
Jiang Ji smiled again. “We can speak of that later. I mentioned Tianqing Sect earlier only to lament that after Daoist Changping’s death, our sect became like a small boat upon the sea, helpless before the tides of the world. Even our promising young sect master was driven to leap from a cliff to his death.”
“That reminded me of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect, which experienced something similar…”
Before she could finish, Bo Yan interrupted, “The current Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect is me. What are you implying?”
Jiang Ji immediately said, “I misspoke.”
Unknowingly, she had walked to the center of the banquet hall and was pacing as she spoke. “But isn’t it strange? First, the Demon King Bai Feng of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect was reduced to ashes under tribulation lightning. Then Daoist Changping passed away without cause. Only a few months later, Immortal Miaoyan of Penglai Island died in drunken slumber.”
Before Lord Cuixia of Cuiwei Palace sat only a single cup of tea. She sighed. “After flourishing comes decline; such is the pattern of spring and autumn, and so it is for all things. Do not cling too tightly to life and death, nor obsess over present prosperity.”
“If this were truly fate, I would not be standing here like this,” Jiang Ji replied.
Her tone shifted sharply. “This was deliberate. Someone orchestrated it behind the scenes.”
Bai Chunsheng had nearly grown drowsy, but at this, he understood that the real point had arrived. He straightened in his seat and listened closely.
Loose Cultivator Liaoji’s interest was piqued. “Orchestrated? Orchestrated what, and harmed whom?”
Jiang Ji said, “Like Lord Cuixia, I once believed Daoist Changping’s death was simply fate. But half a month ago, the boundary wall trembled, and a demon crossed into the Southern Region. Fortunately, it descended within Xu family territory. While devouring human flesh, it revealed a flaw and was discovered by the Xu family. After confirming it was truly a demon, the Xu family immediately informed Tianqing Sect. The two sides set aside past grievances and paid a great price to capture the demon alive.”
At the words “demon,” an uproar swept through the banquet. Only two hundred years had passed since the war with the demon realm; everyone present bore scars from that conflict.
Bai Chunsheng remained calm. Thankfully, Shen Yuying had told him earlier—otherwise he would have been among those gasping in shock. Thinking this, he straightened slightly, even feeling a small, secret pride at knowing more than the others. He continued listening, curious how this demon connected to Immortal Miaoyan’s death on Penglai Island.
Murmurs still filled the hall.
“That’s impossible. The Sword Sovereign sealed them personally,” someone protested.
“Impossible! It’s only been two hundred years!” another exclaimed.
Jiang Ji turned and approached the nearest skeptic step by step. “Impossible? Why impossible? Do you not know why Fairy Hongtao of Cuiwei Palace was sent to the Ten Thousand Demon Cavern for punishment?”
Lord Cuixia asked, “From where did this demon originate?”
Jiang Ji enunciated each word clearly: “The Shattered Stone Mortal Realm.”
Even Lord Cuixia hesitated. “When Hongtao went, she carried the Myriad Staff Instrument. All her actions were recorded. To prevent demons from possessing bodies, the entire Shattered Stone Mortal Realm was annihilated. How could any have escaped?”
Jiang Ji replied, “If that is so, then it means that besides Fairy Hongtao, many others of Cuiwei Palace also had their souls stripped and cast into a false illusion.”
Loose Cultivator Liaoji frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
Jiang Ji did not answer Loose Cultivator Liaoji’s question. She said, “That demon escaped a few days ago. We were unable to capture him.”
“Outrageous!” The cultivators seated opposite Jiang Ji spoke almost in unison, shocked and furious. “How did you handle this? Why didn’t you kill him? Why did you even leave him alive and lock him up?”
He Shan, who had been sitting all this time, stood up to retort, “The doubts surrounding that demon had not yet been clarified. How could we have killed him outright?”
Jiang Ji gestured for He Shan to sit down. She continued calmly, her tone unhurried. “There was a reason the Tianqing Sect delayed dealing with him after capturing him. That demon’s appearance was almost identical to that of our Daoist Changping. We suspected he was the divine soul of Daoist Changping, who had long been missing and was once believed to have dissipated naturally.”
“This…” The others were left speechless.
Even Loose Cultivator Liaoji revealed a look of shock, no longer able to maintain the ease and composure befitting a Mahayana cultivator. “Could it be that after his soul was stripped away, it was forcibly catalyzed into a demon? But such wicked soul arts—there are only a handful of Demon Gods in the Demon Realm capable of that. Unless… unless a Tribulation Transcending cultivator skilled in soul arts had also appeared in the Demon Realm. No, Yan Jingqiu is already dead. If the Demon Realm were to break the seal and invade the Grand World again, I fear few would survive under his hand.”
“Evil techniques involving souls have long been banned in the cultivation world for hundreds of thousands of years. Who could possibly counter such bizarre methods?” Loose Cultivator Liaoji’s mind flashed with a name, but he quickly sighed. “His lifespan was nearly exhausted. I’m afraid he was powerless to change anything.”
Jiang Ji paid no heed to this and continued, “Although he escaped, by tracing the flaw through which he entered, we discovered the true Shattered Stone Mortal Realm.”
“Inside, it had already become another living hell. The Tianqing Sect believed its strength insufficient to surround and eliminate the place, so after a brief search, they withdrew. However, within the true Shattered Stone Mortal Realm, we did not come away empty-handed.”
Jiang Ji let out a long sigh. “There, in that Shattered Stone Mortal Realm, I encountered an old acquaintance.”
“He told me about the drastic changes that had taken place in the Shattered Stone Mortal Realm during these days.”
Listening to all this, it seemed to have little to do with Bo Yan.
Just as Bai Chunsheng began to suspect that Jiang Ji was merely using a pretext to summon Bo Yan and draw everyone’s attention to him, Jiang Ji continued, “The upheaval in the Shattered Stone Mortal Realm began in a place called Fuyu Mountain. On Fuyu Mountain, there was a steward of the Fuyu Market. One day, that steward suddenly died a violent death.”
“At the same time, all his enemies, as well as the women and attendants around him, also died suddenly. The sect governing the Shattered Stone Mortal Realm sensed something amiss and dispatched several Golden Core cultivators to investigate.”
“During the investigation, they encountered a half-formed demon. Many were severely injured, and in the end, that demon vanished without a trace.”
“At that time, the Tianqing Sect was in the midst of internal strife. Matters that should have been handled by Tianqing were transferred to Cuiwei Palace. By an unfortunate coincidence, due to the turmoil, the request for aid was only remembered several days later by the people of Cuiwei Palace, after they had finally resolved their internal troubles.”
“The wife of the governing sect’s master was serving in the Upper Realm’s Tianqing Sect. When he received the news and saw that it came from Cuiwei Palace, he assumed his Dao companion had already died. He knew that if news of the demon spread widely, it would certainly be a blow to Cuiwei Palace. Determined to avenge his Dao companion, he chose to conceal the matter instead of reporting it. The delay dragged on and on, and in the end, it led to a grave disaster—”
Bai Chunsheng had personally experienced this incident. He had simply never imagined that so much had happened behind the scenes. At the time, he thought Bo Yan had come to capture him, so he had fled for his life and never looked deeper into the demon that had appeared on Fuyu Mountain. Had he known earlier, he would have paid closer attention and pursued the matter. The Shattered Stone Mortal Realm would not have turned into a living hell.
At this thought, Bai Chunsheng felt a trace of regret. He could not help but sneak a glance at Bo Yan, but the mask concealed his expression, and he could not tell what Bo Yan was thinking.
As for Cui Xia Yuanjun, who had sought help and tried to curry favor with Cuiwei Palace, Jiang Ji spoke of Cuiwei Palace’s opportunistic intervention in passing. The bitterness behind it was something only she herself could truly explain.
Bo Yan said calmly, “If I remember correctly, today’s discussion should have been about Miaoyan Zhenren of Penglai Island.”
He did not care about demons, nor about any living hell. If not for those stubborn old Daoists of Tianqing Sect insisting that he had killed Miaoyan Zhenren, he would have been in bed teasing Bai Chunsheng at this very moment.
Jiang Ji replied, “Please do not be impatient, Your Excellency. What I am about to speak of is precisely Miaoyan Zhenreen.”
“The White Phoenix Demon King, Daoist Changping, Miaoyan Zhenren. Next, perhaps the Yan family’s old ancestor whose lifespan is nearing its end. The realm lords of various races and worlds…”
Among all these names, Jiang Ji alone did not mention the very first person whose death had once been announced.
She smiled for quite a while before saying, “For such mighty figures to die one after another—some naturally, some unnaturally—is truly rare.”
Bo Yan asked, “So what of it?”
Jiang Ji said, “At first, I also thought it was nothing. That was until the Tianqing Sect joined forces with the Xu family and captured the demon who looked almost identical to Daoist Changping, though much weaker. That was when I learned something.”
“In the distant past, long, long ago, the cultivation world had experienced a similar and equally strange event.”
“At that time, the cultivation world was at its peak. Even in the mortal realms, Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators were everywhere. As for the Grand World, needless to say, there were several times more Tribulation Transcending and Mahayana cultivators than there are now.”
“There was a cultivator at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage. He wanted to become the strongest.”
“He passed through one heavenly tribulation after another. He endured the heart tribulation of the Life-and-Death Realm. Yet he remained at the peak of Tribulation Transcendence, without the slightest change.”
“So he challenged others everywhere. He killed many Tribulation Transcending cultivators, and many Mahayana cultivators as well. And before he realized it—”
“Amidst overwhelming killing intent, bearing the resentment of the dead, he allowed the Heavenly Dao, which had always been bound by fullness and deficiency, to reach completion.”
“He came to understand that this was the secret to becoming a Sovereign.”
“And that person was Emperor Qinghua”
“After this Immortal Sovereign died, his corpse transformed into a new world—the origin of the Demon Realm.”
“People all believed that the final step of Tribulation Transcendence was surviving the heart tribulation of the Life-and-Death Realm. In truth, that was not so. The final step was to bring the Heavenly Dao to completion.”
With her back to Bo Yan and her expression blank, Jiang Ji said, “How does one complete it? By slaughtering a flourishing cultivation world into decline—transforming fullness and deficiency, until deficiency becomes fullness. Only then is the Heavenly Dao complete.”
“There are too few who can reach the peak of Tribulation Transcendence. That is why no one knew what the final step truly was.”
Bo Yan curled his lips and laughed softly. “There is some sense in what you say. But at most, I was only at the peak of Mahayana. I was still far from this so-called peak of Tribulation Transcendence. You should not have suspected me.”
“No.”
Jiang Ji turned around to face him, staring fixedly at Bo Yan seated upon the high platform. “Yan Jingqiu, guess how I recognized you?!”
Author’s Note: Let me recount the matter of the Shattered Stone Mortal Realm once more, because it is very important. The reason [redacted] chose to target the Tianqing Sect stemmed precisely from this.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
