Chapter 183: Reincarnation of the Demon World

After entering the Demon World, Lu Yan quickly confirmed that this version of the world indeed contained spiritual energy.

However, the concentration of spiritual energy in the Demon World was far inferior to that of the Immortal Cultivation World—at best, only about half as rich.

What truly dominated the Demon World was the pervasive presence of Demonic Qi.

In the few days leading up to the banquet, Lu Yan had pored over the Li Family’s ancient texts and tomes, using them to study the nature of this so-called Demonic Qi.

He eventually confirmed that Demonic Qi was, in essence, the residue left after the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth assimilated all living beings.

Within the True Dharma cultivation system of the Demon World, every practitioner was essentially striving to become closer to the Heavenly Dao itself, in order to gain deeper enlightenment into its mysteries.

In the Mundane Shedding Realm, one shed their mortal body to form a Dao Body.

In the Soul Burial Realm, one buried their soul to comprehend the essence of the Dao.

In the Demon Fiend Realm, one merged themselves with their Dao Intent, fusing with the Dao itself.

All these paths were active processes of self-assimilation into the Heavenly Dao.

When a True Dharma cultivator died, though their soul and body appeared to be absorbed into the Dao, in truth, only the soul infused with Dao Intent was devoured by the Dao. Their physical body merged into the heavens and earth, transforming into the ever-present Demonic Qi.

This Demonic Qi was the very foundation of the True Dharma system.

Thus, cultivating the Immortal Dao required stripping spiritual energy of its contamination by Demonic Qi—an undeniably daunting challenge.

After revealing the Everlasting Spring Art, the representatives of the thousand-year-old families were initially ecstatic. But soon after, they noticed a critical problem.

“Honored emissary,” Ye Qi asked respectfully, “why does this cultivation method only describe how to absorb spiritual energy, yet contains no technique for purifying it of Demonic Qi?”

At this moment, Lu Yan’s identity as the Underworld Emissary had been fully accepted. Since he had even shared a True Dharma from another world, despite the clans’ previous scheming, none of them dared show disrespect now.

Lu Yan glanced at Ye Qi coldly.

“This is a path to immortality from the Immortal World. It was never meant to appear within the Demon World.”

“It is only because the Great Emperor took pity on your short-lived lives and your suffering under demonic afflictions that he has granted this method to you.”

“This method is fundamentally incompatible with the system of the Demon World and contains only the most basic foundation—the Qi Refining stage. To cultivate it here, you will need to join forces and develop techniques that suit this world.”

“The Great Emperor is compassionate and seeks to guide all beings. But that does not mean the Underworld must do everything for you—including modifying this method on your behalf.”

Lu Yan understood very clearly: presenting the Everlasting Spring Art and his talk of the Path to Immortality was a calculated move—meant to forge a transactional alliance with the major clans, tethering them with mutual benefit and shielding himself from further corrections by the Heavenly Dao.

Although the three ghost-god “computers” inside his Soul Banner could indeed simulate a cultivation method adapted to this world, doing so would bring immense trouble.

The mainstream cultivation in the Demon World was the True Dharma—and it was one of the foundational pillars of this version’s cosmic order.

True Dharma cultivators practiced to a certain level, were assimilated by the Dao, and their bodies returned to the world as Demonic Qi—nourishing the next generation. It was already a perfectly balanced cycle of reincarnation.

The Everlasting Spring Art was a low-tier method that merely raised one’s lifespan slightly through spiritual energy, without truly reshaping a cultivator’s foundation.

But if Lu Yan were to provide methods for Foundation Establishment, allowing practitioners to build Dao Foundations and cultivate Nascent Souls, he would be introducing a path that cultivated not just life but fate.

This would create a dual cultivation between life and Dao, giving True Dharma cultivators greater resistance to assimilation by the Dao.

If such methods were widely adopted, it would upend the entire karmic cycle of the Demon World’s Heavenly Dao.

To damage that order would trigger not just another correction—but direct intervention by the Demon World’s Heavenly Dao itself.

Given Lu Yan’s current fragile state, even a minor Demon Fiend from a small clan could suppress him—let alone the Heavenly Dao.

Thus, everything he offered was carefully calculated. It might benefit the clans, but would never endanger the balance of this world’s Dao. Let the ancient families figure the rest out themselves.

The representatives, unaware of these intricacies, found Lu Yan’s explanation perfectly reasonable.

The Underworld had no alliance with any of the clans—in fact, its subordinate, the Li Family, had been a recent target. For the emissary to share a method from another world at all was an act of great generosity.

At this, Ye Qi stood up and bowed respectfully to Lu Yan.

“I was deceived by a side branch of the Li Family and took part in testing the Underworld with a fake emissary.”

“I never expected that not only would the emissary show no anger, but even offer us a method of immortality. I am deeply ashamed!”

With Ye Qi leading the way, the rest of the representatives also rose and bowed in unison.

“Hmph.”

A cold snort echoed through the hall as Lu Yan’s Soul Banner trembled. The might of the Soul Continent surged forth once more, engulfing the hall in overwhelming pressure. Everyone felt a suffocating force pressing deep into their very souls.

Lu Yan swept his gaze over the crowd, his voice icy.

“From the moment the Great Emperor resolved to bestow the Dharma, this world’s Heavenly Dao began to stir.”

“The Path to Immortality is not the orthodoxy of this realm. The Heavenly Dao rejects it. Before it can manifest, calamity must follow.”

“Have none of you wondered—why were you so quick to oppose the Underworld?”

His words sent a jolt through the crowd. As they reflected on their past decisions, their faces went pale.

Soul Burial Realm cultivators could perceive the Dao. They understood many of its secrets.

Among the myriad Great Daos, some were exceedingly rare.

Take, for example, the fourth-ranked True Dharma on the True Dharma List—formerly the pinnacle prior to the appearance of Xuanpin’s Sutra of Dharma Transmission—The White-Bone Bodhisattva Observes the World.

At its peak, this Dharma could conceptually erase the existence of any object or being. Even Abyss Profound Realm ancestors could not remember what had been erased by it.

If a Dao could erase concepts, then there certainly existed Daos that could modify cognition.

And as the representatives thought back carefully, they suddenly realized just how strange and unreasonable their hostility toward the Underworld had been. It was as if their thoughts had been altered.

Recalling Lu Yan’s claim that the method was rejected by the Heavenly Dao, all of them instinctively looked up toward the ceiling of the hall.

Beyond the hall, across the boundless heavens—it felt as if an enormous hand was casually weaving the threads of fate and perception.

“Could it be…”

Someone in the crowd murmured in disbelief, too afraid to speak the name aloud.

Lu Yan’s voice then rang out again, as if answering their thoughts.

“Yes. It is exactly who you think.”

“If not for the fact that the root of this affair does not lie with you… do you think the Underworld would have so easily forgiven your provocation?”

Everyone instinctively shivered. Their awe and fear of Lu Yan deepened.

But Lu Yan didn’t indulge in their reverence. He knew all too well: if the Underworld had been in a weaker position, even if he had explained the Heavenly Dao’s correction, these families would have used it as a pretext to tear the Underworld apart.

Only because the Underworld now stood at a position of power did his words instill fear—because they implied that the Underworld could provoke the Heavenly Dao itself.

In the end, it was still just a matter of strength.

Lu Yan’s gaze turned slowly toward the two Demon Fiend Realm elders of the Li Family’s Second Branch.

These two elders were among the core culprits of the recent turmoil.

Previously, Lu Yan lacked the strength to control the situation, so he had stayed his hand.

But now the clans had bowed, and his momentum was at its peak—it was time to settle the score.

Feeling Lu Yan’s gaze, Li Kuang and Li Qie fell to their knees, crying out:

“Please spare us, emissary! Have mercy!”

“This was all Elder Li Sheng’s doing! We were merely deceived by him! Please, emissary, spare our lives!”

Their desperate pleas drew scornful looks from all around.

Li Sheng, a newly promoted third elder, manipulating two seasoned Demon Fiend experts? Laughable.

It was obvious—Li Sheng had been the one manipulated by them.

The two elders’ disgraceful display earned only a cold glance from Lu Yan, who turned to Li Hao, still standing below like a loyal attendant.

“Patriarch Li.”

“Present!”

Li Hao stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“You have been acknowledged by the Blood God. You now belong to the Blood God’s lineage within the Underworld. It would not be proper for me to interfere with Li Family matters. I leave this to you.”

Li Hao’s eyes lit up with delight.

“Thank you, emissary!”

With that, the fate of the two elders was sealed.

Li Hao looked down at them, his aged frame upright and proud.

“You two—end yourselves.”

Despair twisted across their faces. No longer bothering to beg, they roared in rage:

“Li Hao! You’re nothing but the Underworld’s lackey! What right do you have to judge us?!”

As they spoke, the oppressive auras of mid-stage Demon Fiend cultivators erupted. Their humanoid forms began to morph, revealing grotesque Demon Fiend Dao Bodies as waves of Dao Intent surged around them.

“Utterly foolish.”

The air twisted. Li Hao raised his hands and formed seals. Dark runes swirled around his fingers.

In the blink of an eye, thick Yin energy engulfed the entire hall. From beneath it, a massive ghostly domain began to emerge, filled with howling spirits and swirling resentment.

With a single motion, ghostfire of a sickly green flared into countless blades that tore through the void.

The two elders, just barely manifesting their Dao Bodies, scrambled to defend themselves. But from the ghostly realm rose an unending tide of vengeful souls, drowning them in a flood of hatred.

Screams rang out as their bodies withered rapidly under the corrosive Yin energy.

The representatives of the ancient clans swallowed hard.

None of them had expected a ghostly formation of this caliber to be hidden beneath the hall.

Even Demon Fiend elders had no power to resist.

Clearly, this formation wasn’t meant solely for those two—it had been prepared to wipe out everyone if needed.

Only now did the representatives realize just how terrifying this seemingly unremarkable Li Family patriarch truly was.

As the two elders’ bodies were nearly destroyed, their Dao Intents—reliant on their physical forms—could no longer be maintained.

Two souls burst from their decaying flesh and fled toward the hall’s exit.

Li Hao formed another seal, eerie ghost energy swirling at his fingertips.

The fleeing spirits were yanked back by an invisible force and turned into two orbs of ghostly blue flame.

Li Hao was just about to crush them when he suddenly paused. As if reconsidering, he raised the flames high and dropped to one knee, facing Lu Yan.

“I wish to offer these two souls to the emissary.”

A smile tugged at Lu Yan’s otherwise cold face.

With a wave of his Soul Banner, dense ghost fog surged forth, swallowing the two Demon Fiend souls into the banner.

(End of Chapter)