Chapter 109: The Emergence of the Colossal Demon

The practice of Yin-Yang masters, from the Realm of Void Observation to the Realm of Subtle Return, involves refining the quintessence of the Five Elements into magical power. This power nourishes the five internal organs, strengthens muscles and bones, and reshapes the physical body. Practitioners can survive without consuming grains and cereals, which is to say they reach the state of “feeding on qi, thus becoming divine and living long.”

These seven characters first appear in the Huainanzi, a Taoist classic of the Western Han dynasty. "Feeding on qi" is the first stage of Taoist Yin-Yang masters’ “bigu” (grain avoidance) cultivation. The phrase “not eating five grains, but inhaling wind and drinking dew” refers precisely to the method of refining the quintessence of the Five Elements.

In Zhuangzi’s “Free and Easy Wandering,” wind and dew ostensibly mean “heavenly wind” and “rain dew,” but in truth, they signify the quintessence of the Five Elements produced by the earth’s veins. This is the primordial energy of heaven and earth—pure and unblemished. By abstaining from grains, one can eliminate the “three corpses” within the body, and only then can one achieve the supernatural power to “ride the cloud qi and command the flying dragon to roam beyond the four seas.”

What does “riding the cloud qi” mean? It is the ability of the physical body to fly through the air, attainable only upon reaching the Realm of Spirit Entry. This is the second stage of the “bigu” practice.

Once a Yin-Yang master breaks through to the Realm of Spirit Entry, their soul grows powerful and begins to draw in the essence of the sun and moon for body refinement, reaching the stage of “not eating and not dying, yet becoming divine.” Here, “not eating” no longer refers to grains or cereals but even ceases to consume the quintessence of the Five Elements.

Though the quintessence born of the earth’s veins is pure and theoretically capable of eliminating the “three corpses,” in reality, it remains a mortal power and cannot completely eradicate them. The earth has its veins; the heavens have theirs, and the sun, moon, and stars constitute the heavenly veins.

Taoist theory holds that if one wishes to become an immortal, the first step is to stop eating grains; the second is to abstain from the quintessence of the Five Elements. The third stage is to cease all consumption, relying solely on the power of the heavenly veins to cultivate the soul, eventually transcending the physical body and transforming into a soaring immortal.

Of course, these are merely vague accounts recorded in certain ancient Taoist texts before the ancient era—partial theories rather than a complete cultivation system. Theory and practice are different matters. From ancient times to the present, Taoist sects have left countless classic works that anyone can read and ponder, yet no one has succeeded in ascending to immortality by their means.

Later, after Qin unified the six kingdoms and the Nine Provinces entered an era of great unity, the ancient breath cultivators gradually vanished from history. Subsequently, through the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, by the Wei and Jin eras, practitioners of Taoism, Buddhism, and even demonic sects adopted a new title: Yin-Yang masters.

Over centuries of evolution, various sects perfected the cultivation system of Yin-Yang masters, creating a multitude of methods. From the Realm of Void Observation to the Realm of Celestial Union, and finally to the Sage Realm of Immortality, each divided into nine levels, every step of cultivation meticulously detailed. The Realm of Spirit Entry marks a watershed for Yin-Yang masters: upon breakthrough, their souls absorb the essence of the sun and moon, carrying their physical bodies to fly across the eight wildernesses, truly freeing themselves from the bonds of heaven and earth and discerning the essence of the vast universe.

The reason Yuan Tiangang mentioned the “Triple Nine Mysterious Skill” was that Li Chunfeng began drawing in the essence of the sun and moon while still at the Realm of Subtle Return. This ability should only appear at the Realm of Spirit Entry, so its presence in a Subtle Return cultivator was extraordinary. Even Yuan Tiangang himself, blessed with the Ghost Star Eye, could not achieve it. Thus, Li Chunfeng could hold his own against Ouyang Tianming, leader of the Nine Poisons Sect, earning widespread respect and caution.

The night was as cool as water; the celestial wind swept past the Vermilion Bird Gate, stirring up a cloud of yellow dust. Though still summer, the surrounding atmosphere was tense, as if deep autumn had arrived. Li Chunfeng watched the swirling dust scatter in every direction, his once-bright eyes suddenly clouded with a touch of haze.

“I heard from my disciple that you once passed through Yuezhou and saved his life, but when taking on disciples, you chose his cousin, leaving him behind alone in a small town. Actually, both come from the same place and are destined individuals. With your cultivation and the power of the Ghost Star Eye, you shouldn’t have made such a mistake.”

“Destined individuals? Ha ha ha… You think too simply. What if I told you someone forcibly reversed time and space in this era? Then nothing is fate; it’s all man-made. But who that person is, with our current cultivation, we still cannot see through.”

“If that’s true, it becomes even more interesting. But a fair warning first: Yuan Tiangang, if you dare harm him in the slightest, I will make sure we perish together. As for the past, let it rest. But from now on, make your disciple behave, lest he perish prematurely in Chang’an.”

“Ha ha, since the matter is laid bare, I, Yuan, need not explain further. We’ll just wait and see which side this so-called fate truly supports.”

Yuan Tiangang sneered twice, then lifted his gaze to the night sky, as if awaiting something. Li Chunfeng remained silent, also staring upward; their eyes locked on nearly the same spot.

After about three minutes, at the crossroads of the central east-west and north-south axes of Chang’an, a thunderclap suddenly split the air. Above, thousands of zhang high, black clouds churned, growing larger and descending lower. Lightning flashed and thunder roared; a crimson glow surged, as if a primordial beast was stirring—terrifying beyond words.

In an instant, the city, just settling into calm, was engulfed in an ill omen. Thunder rolled incessantly, occasionally punctuated by low, ominous growls that chilled the soul. At that moment, Lu Xin stood atop the roof outside Xiaofu Temple, watching the black clouds swell and drop as if mountains pressed down, a scene more dreadful than even the appearance of the “Ba Snake.”

“Xin, it seems Chang’an’s calamity is far from over. This is the scene only a colossal demon’s birth brings. Look around—the Five Elements’ essence is all being drawn into that black cloud. I sense a force within, not yet awakened, but already powerful enough to alarm me.”

Gazing at the roiling darkness, Moonless Night’s expression grew fearful—an instinctive terror rooted deep in his bloodline. Demons, after all, are animals transformed. And animals’ instincts are far more intense than those of humans skilled in concealment.

Lu Xin pondered for a moment, frowning deeply, then suddenly dashed southwest.

“Yang Qin, quickly fetch your sister. The three of us need to find a place to lay low.”

“Xin, I’m returning to the pagoda to meet the scholar. You go and come back quickly.”

Without much discussion, the three split up in tacit agreement. Lu Xin sent Yang Qin to find Yang Xiu, while the severely injured Moonless Night returned to the pagoda at Xiaofu Temple to meet the scholar. Lu Xin swiftly descended from the rooftop and ran through the alley for a while, but Yang Qin suddenly lost their direction.

Looking at the walls on either side, signs of battle were everywhere, even traces of unique Miaojiang sect magic. This confirmed Yang Xiu had been here, but the traces did not extend further.

“If my distance calculations are correct, we’ve entered Anren Ward. Passing through this alley a bit more will lead to Vermilion Bird Street. Would your sister take the main road?”

“That’s impossible. Cao Xiong always darted through alleys. If he made it here, he must have continued into smaller paths. But… there are too many streets ahead, I can’t tell which one.”

As Yang Qin spoke, their anxious gaze flickered towards the sky. Lu Xin stared at the several streets ahead, hesitated, and decided to turn left. Just as they stepped forward, a figure appeared on a nearby rooftop.

“You two in such a hurry—where are you going? Our karma isn’t settled yet, is it?”

The voice was low and hoarse, blending with the fierce wind, chilling to the bone. Lu Xin’s face darkened immediately. This sudden appearance was the “Black Cloak” he had recently clashed with outside Xiaofu Temple. The man claimed royal lineage from the Ba Kingdom and possessed high cultivation, nearly at the Realm of Subtle Return.

What shocked Lu Xin most was not the figure’s arrival but that his arm remained intact. Yang Qin, seeing this, covered their mouth in shock.

“If you won’t relent, aren’t you afraid of pushing us too far, ending in mutual destruction?”

“Tsk tsk tsk… Two lowly juniors, yet so bold? Mutual destruction? I, Ji Yu, won’t stumble twice in the same place. But now, I’m intrigued. Little one, who exactly are you? A scion of some noble family, or a direct heir of a sect? If you confess honestly, I might spare your life.”

“Oh? Ji Yu, that’s a fine name. But who I am isn’t important. What matters is if you persist, you might really trip twice in the same spot.”

“Ha ha ha, what a joke!”

The man called Ji Yu showed no patience. His voice turned cold, and his body transformed into a long serpent, rushing down from the rooftop with lightning speed. To Lu Xin, he was merely a dark blur, impossible to discern.

Without hesitation, as Ji Yu struck, Lu Xin drew a talisman, transforming into his divine form. He tossed it forward; the talisman instantly burned to ashes. Amid the flames, a figure in azure suddenly lifted their head, pointed a finger, intending to strike Ji Yu’s forehead. Ji Yu halted abruptly, blood streaming from his orifices, screaming in pain. The serpent scales he had just manifested vanished instantly.

Meanwhile, the black clouds pressed down to less than a hundred zhang above Chang’an city. With a terrifying thunderclap, the sky itself seemed to collapse. Lu Xin involuntarily looked up; deep within the swirling darkness, it seemed as if a head lifted, stepping a massive foot into Chang’an.

Boom!

The entire city trembled. To Lu Xin’s eyes, a colossal foot, like a mountain, landed heavily upon Vermilion Bird Street.