Chapter 102: Demonic Seed

Vane lifted his head.

Before him was a gargantuan creature, resembling a bird but possessing nine heads. Those nine beaks wailed toward the heavens in unison; the shrill cries were sharp enough to shatter the eardrums of any mortal within a radius of several miles.

Several cultivators whose training was insufficient clutched their bleeding ears, their forms swaying as they nearly collapsed on the spot.

"Senior Brother Vane—it’s a Nine-Headed Bird! Watch out for its flames!" a disciple who was still holding on shouted loudly.

Vane remained motionless, withdrawing the thin protective film of spiritual power covering his ears.

He said, "Leave first. Return to the sect."

The disciple swallowed hard and hurriedly said, "Alright! Senior Brother Vane, be careful!"

Supporting one another, they quickly departed, leaving the youth alone.

The Nine-Headed Bird spat intense, raging flames from its mouths. They didn't just burn; they had the power to sear into one’s very bones and soul. A cascade of fire swept through the sky, attacking from all directions.

The long spear seemed weightless in his hand; he gripped it easily, spinning it to block the oncoming inferno.

"Nine heads..."

Vane seemed somewhat troubled, his brow furrowing slightly.

"I wonder which head needs to be cut off to be fatal."

If every head represented one of the monster's lives, he would be able to feel the tactile sensation of killing nine times over.

As the monster landed, the gust of wind made the youth's ponytail sway. He stood unmoving, letting the wind tug at his robes. The red tassel on his spear danced, and the surrounding flames reflected in his dark eyes, making them shine brilliantly.

It was as if a fire were hidden within them, eager for the battle to come.

"Will Senior Brother Vane be alright?"

Several cultivators retreated, leaning on one another for support.

They had originally accepted a mission suited to their level, but after killing a minor monster, they had inadvertently disturbed a great sleeping demon nearby. It was likely that the person who posted the mission hadn't realized there was a slumbering monster in the vicinity at all.

Although they were disciples of the December Sect, that didn't mean others in the sect were obligated to drop everything and risk their lives to save them.

They had heard that the most approachable and powerful person was Senior Sister Zora.

But she wasn't there.

Thus, the disciple had rushed to the peak where Senior Brother Vane resided to try his luck.

Fortunately, he was in.

The disciple let out a long breath and comforted his companion: "He should be fine. That’s Senior Brother Vane! Have you forgotten his skill?"

"Then... shall we wait here for him?"

The disciple shook his head: "Senior Brother Vane told us to return to the sect."

Someone disagreed: "But if we leave and something happens to him, there will be no one to find help from the sect."

"But staying here won't let us see how he’s doing either. We’ll only be a burden."

An exceptionally inconspicuous man with a low presence suddenly spoke up, saying: "...How about I stay behind? You go back and report the situation to the sect to see what they decide. If Senior Brother Vane resolves it, I’ll send word to you."

"Can you handle it alone?"

A disciple recognized him: "Eh, of course he can. Wu Xuan is a veteran of the sect. Don’t look down on him just because of his cultivation."

The man called Wu Xuan gave a simple, honest smile; he had the appearance of a middle-aged man.

Among these low-cultivation disciples, Wu Xuan could be considered one of the "older generation." He had joined the sect before the Great War of the Demon Realm, but his cultivation had never improved, leaving him buried among the masses.

However, the sect was full of such mediocre cultivators, each with their own lives. He wasn't very noticeable; if you threw Wu Xuan into the crowd of outer disciples, he was a ghost you couldn't find.

Over the years, these outer disciples had developed their own methods. Like hamsters, they constantly accumulated wealth and spiritual tools, at least to preserve their lives in the peril-filled cultivation world. If one had a good mindset, they could be considered quite carefree, eventually dying of old age after a few hundred years.

The others agreed and left Wu Xuan behind to monitor the Nine-Headed Bird from afar.

He found a hidden, safe spot to sit.

In the distance, the cries of the Nine-Headed Bird gradually grew more vicious, followed by the sound of heavy objects crashing to the ground and the monster’s tragic, furious roars.

The sound waves traveled far, accompanied by a chilling spiritual power laden with intense killing intent. It made one tremble instinctively—in the wake of such powerful aftershocks, one could only flee or stand frozen, not daring to move.

Wu Xuan also couldn't stop shivering; his legs were turned into jelly by the terrifying pressure emitted by the young cultivator.

This was merely the pressure he emitted unconsciously. If one were truly his enemy, how horrific would it be?

The flesh on Wu Xuan's face trembled.

There was another massive crash of something heavy hitting the ground. Splashing blood nearly overshot the tallest trees, flickering past Wu Xuan's field of vision.

This was followed by seven consecutive crashes. The monster's roars grew smaller and smaller until finally, even its torso fell heavily, pressing a deep crater into the earth.

A deathly silence followed.

...Is it over?

Wu Xuan realized he had been holding his breath.

He hesitated for a moment.

Senior Brother Vane should be coming out.

—Outer disciples universally referred to capable inner disciples like Vane as "Senior Brother," regardless of when they joined the sect.

Wu Xuan waited for a while. Seeing no movement, he tentatively walked toward the place where the flames had died out and black smoke lingered.

What many do not know is that several hundred years ago, a Demonic Seed appeared.

It was just like the legendary Sword Bone; as long as it existed within a person's body, it would exert its influence.

The world only knew that those possessing the Demonic Seed would eventually become demonic cultivators who took pleasure in slaughter, yet they didn't know why.

Too much time had passed; such information had become a long-buried secret known to no one.

The Demonic Seed requires demonic Qi to grow; the best soil to nourish it is the Demon Realm. As soon as any demonic Qi approaches, it silently absorbs it to strengthen itself. If the host has the desire to fall into demonhood, it follows suit. If not, once it absorbs enough demonic Qi, it will break through the host's spiritual power and frantically shake the host's state of mind.

Vane was bound to encounter some demonic Qi in the cultivation world; over the decades, the Demonic Seed had matured significantly. However, if he were not in the Demon Realm, he might be found and hunted by those from there, and danger could also trigger the seed. Either way, it was a single path, as if dictated by fate.

Becoming a demonic cultivator was destined, but even after that, the seed would continue to absorb demonic Qi. Excessive demonic Qi would cause the host to lose their reason; in the past, not a single demonic cultivator had a heart strong enough to resist the seed's temptation, eventually becoming a madman. It was like a parasite, drinking the host's blood and destroying everything they possessed.

Yet many today are unaware of its true nature. Most in the cultivation world only remember that those with the Demonic Seed are guilty of the most heinous crimes and must be eliminated upon appearance. Those in the Demon Realm only remember the demonic Qi the seed brings; its immense power can make one soar, allowing rapid advancement in a very short time to become a supreme overlord.

In the original world-line modified by the villain, Vane was conscious at the very end.

He resisted the Demonic Seed, yet still found no place to belong. Before he even fell into demonhood, he was subjected to the ultimate punishment by the cultivation world. When he went to the Demon Realm, the old powers there tried to wipe him out to seize the Demonic Seed.

The Immortals would not tolerate him, and the Demons coveted his seed; everyone wanted to cut open his flesh and take the thing for themselves.

He never stopped for a single moment, not daring to feel exhausted, unable to feel exhausted.

During those days, even a youth who enjoyed slaughter had to exert all his effort to suppress the seed because he didn't want to be controlled by it. He resisted his own nature to such an extent that he once felt nauseated by killing, yet he had to continue slaying endless enemies.

By suppressing it on one hand while being hunted by the entire Demon Realm and countless cultivators on the other, he grew into a powerhouse rarely seen in the world.

His temperament was twisted significantly; he never had a kind personality to begin with, and in the end, he was filled with a desire for self-destruction.

Wu Xuan had seen a person with the Demonic Seed a long time ago, pierced through the heart by a single strike from the Sword Sovereign, Wanghua-jun. He remembered vividly what it looked like when the Demonic Seed took hold.

"..."

Wu Xuan's eyes widened. He didn't dare step forward, watching the scene before him from the bushes in absolute shock.

The youth seemingly hadn't expected to have a Demonic Seed in his body. After killing the Nine-Headed Bird, the seed absorbed the demonic Qi. Having nurtured itself for many years, it was now growing frantically, seizing the youth’s spiritual roots and heart, tugging at him, forcibly trying to make him turn demonic.

Thud!

The youth collapsed to the ground in unbearable agony, his forehead striking a tree trunk. His skin was torn and his flesh mangled, yet he seemed completely unaware.

"—"

Vane had never been in such pain. He even lost a portion of his reason, focusing solely on resisting that inexplicably surging, dominant power.

There were no screams; his lips were bitten until they bled, with only occasional muffled groans of visceral pain.

In Wu Xuan's eyes, the youth clutched his head and collapsed on the ground, curling up and trembling piteously. Then he would suddenly slam his head against the tree trunk, using the pain of his outer skin to keep himself conscious.

He didn't even think to reach for his spear.

Dense demonic Qi swirled around his body, spreading continuously until it nearly obscured his face.

"Demon..." Wu Xuan's voice trembled. "The Demonic Seed..."

He suddenly fell to the ground, shrinking back in terror, and immediately scrambled up to run away.

Vane didn't notice; it should be said that currently, he couldn't perceive anything.

He rolled on the ground several times, striking the rough trees again, his head broken and bleeding. Blood flowed into his eyes, blurring his vision.

So painful.

It was so painful.

It felt as if someone were stirring his internal organs, as if his soul were being torn apart, shaking his Dao heart and spiritual roots.

After a long while, the youth only curled up piteously, coughing violently several times and spitting out red blood that stained the grass.

His fingertips left bloody gashes on his scalp. The youth's eyes were wet, mixed with blood as it flowed down like tears of blood.

Vane's brain could not think.

He didn't want to cry; the tears were just a physiological reflex of the body, uncontrollable.

However, when he realized in his haze that he was shedding physiological tears, even if he couldn't think, even if the pain went to his very marrow, a kind of instinctive reaction carved into his bones prompted a muddled yet natural thought to emerge.

...What use is crying now? I should have cried in front of her.