Chapter 92

Martial Dao Eye.

Can pierce through all illusions of the world—

And it is said that if this pair of eyes, as the master’s cultivation advances, is refined to the highest depths, few among the myriad heavens and myriad Dao paths can deceive its perception; it can observe all ten directions, boundless worlds, and illuminate every being’s form and radiance.

It is a supreme, world-renowned spiritual power comparable to the Buddhist “Heavenly Eye Penetration,” the Daoist “Flame-Eyed Golden Gaze,” or “Heavenly Eye” techniques!

Though the demonic qi clinging to Huaiwu Cave Lord was skillfully concealed by his secret arts, not even the Dongxuan Lianshi of the Wu Guang Sect or the Flower Goddess Mansion could detect any trace.

Even a Jin Dan True Person could not see through his disguise.

But his true nature could not deceive.

Not Yuan Yangsheng’s Martial Dao…

“If he merely carried demonic qi, I’d assume the old man was practicing some sinister Dao art and had picked up a bit. But before the chief elders of these immortal sects arrived to observe the ceremony—

I personally saw, at the gambling den, several of his direct disciples…”

Yuan Yangsheng fell silent for several breaths, then slammed his thigh hard and shook his head:

“To be honest, those things were merely wearing human skin—beneath the flesh, they were no longer human.”

Several days ago.

At a gambling den in Fuyu Lake.

He initially intended to gamble lightly, quit while ahead—but instead of winning, he lost all the way to the bottom, nearly losing even his pants.

Had he not pulled himself away in pain, he might have been detained at the den.

Though Yuan Yangsheng suffered heavy losses, he was fond of gambling and did not leave; he merely stood by the table, arms crossed, watching the spectacle.

Just as he grew bored, two Daoists of great stature arrived downstairs; everyone around them bowed and kowtowed, respectfully.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Yuan Yangsheng circled around and unconsciously activated his Martial Dao Eye, shining it upon them.

In that single glance, he saw something utterly unexpected.

Thick, rigid spines and knotted, dark-gray scales formed a grotesque, monstrous body; countless pupils covered both arms, blinking like flickering fireflies, oozing thick, black, putrid pus.

Under the Martial Dao Eye’s vision, they were two scaled beasts, their eyeballs deeply embedded in their hands, reeking of foul stench; when they spoke, their black teeth writhed with wriggling black maggots, which tumbled from their gums, crushed by their tongues, bursting into foul, bloody pus.

But when he closed his Heavenly Eye with interest and looked again,

He saw only two dignified Daoists in ancient crowns and splendid robes, their skin glowing like flawless jade—clearly high cultivators who had perfected Qi cultivation.

The incense pouches at their waists emitted a fragrance like orchid and musk, refreshing the spirit with a single breath.

The two Daoists paused briefly, then took their leave.

Through subtle inquiries nearby, Yuan Yangsheng learned these two were Huaiwu Cave Lord’s direct disciples, granted the privilege to enter chambers without prior announcement, deeply favored.

…

“After that, I quietly investigated further, deliberately seeking out Huaiwu Cave Lord’s direct disciples and shining my Martial Dao Eye upon them—without exception, they all looked the same…”

Yuan Yangsheng calmly picked up his teacup, did not savor it, but drank it down like a cow devouring peonies.

The intense bitterness made him grimace and spit several times.

“All of Huaiwu Cave Lord’s direct disciples have been transformed into Flesh-Armor Demons—lower-class demons of the Heavenly Demon race!”

He coughed a few times, shaking his head and waving his hands.

“Flesh-Armor Demons? It seems Brother Yuan is quite familiar with the Heavenly Demon race, even able to distinguish their classifications?”

Chen Hang said.

“Brother Chen, I’m from Nan Chan Zhou—that entire great province is pure demonic land! Through constant exposure, though I was once a beggar living off alms, I’ve heard enough to know! My knowledge is extensive.”

At this point,

Yuan Yangsheng felt slightly embarrassed, as if he’d boasted too much, and hastily added:

“Besides, my elder brother taught me methods; I understand basic cultivation principles, which is why I recognized them as Flesh-Armor Demons at a glance.”

The Nine Provinces and Four Seas of Xu Du Tian—

Are Dong Mi, Dong Hun, Dong Huan, Nan Gan, Nan Chan, Xi Su, Xi Yi, Bei Lu, and Bei Hao—the Nine Provinces—and the Four Seas to the East, West, South, and North.

Nan Chan Zhou differs from Dong Mi Zhou, where the two of them now stand.

Within Dong Mi Zhou, the Eight Sects and Six Clans number only three: Yu Chen Sect, Chi Ming Sect, and Hu Zhao Sect.

Two Daoist great sects and one demonic clan.

They roughly maintain a balance between Dao and Demon…

But in the vast land of Nan Chan Zhou, only the Primordial Demon Sect holds absolute dominion; there is no room for any other on its very bed!

This great demonic sect has long held the top position among the Six Demon Clans.

Even in the past tens of thousands of years, it has subtly emerged as the dominant force among all Eight Sects and Six Clans.

Under such dominance, Nan Chan Zhou has become a realm where demons swell and Daoists decline.

The Primordial Demon Sect’s dominance in Nan Chan Zhou is like an earthly emperor wielding royal authority, holding the power of life and death; beneath it, countless minor demonic sects are nobles and generals who must pay tribute, kneel, and bow to claim even a sliver of land.

Even if others wish to establish a sect or lineage in Nan Chan Zhou, they must first submit a petition to the Primordial Demon Sect, register their name, and gain its approval before opening their gates and recruiting disciples.

If they act without permission, they need not wait for the Primordial Demon Sect to act—immediately, surrounding minor demonic sects will rush to exterminate them, competing to curry favor.

In Nan Chan Zhou, not even spiritual veins or cave dwellings, let alone a single city, pool, blade of grass, or tree, are unassigned—they all belong to the Primordial Demon Sect!

…

“Brother Chen, you’re from Dong Mi Zhou—you don’t know how brutal Nan Chan Zhou is…”

Yuan Yangsheng’s face twisted into a bitter smile as he sighed.

“But if you speak of Heavenly Demons, across the entire Nine Provinces and Four Seas, none know them better than Nan Chan Zhou.”

He added.

Some of the demonic sects’ esoteric arts and spiritual powers require Heavenly Demon bones and blood as offerings—or even require the Heavenly Demons themselves as aids.

Thus arose the concept of demonic familiars.

These are merely Heavenly Demons raised and bred like spiritual pets or beasts; over the years, this has become a widespread custom—not only among the Six Demon Clans, but even among weaker demonic sects, it is common.

As a result, precious royal bloodlines among Heavenly Demons, when auctioned, can fetch prices equal to those of primordial great beasts like the Western Golden White Tiger, Teng She, or Qing Niao.

…

Although I cannot fathom the Huaiwu Cave Lord’s intentions, the Heavenly Demon behind him was undoubtedly cultivated in secret without the seal of the Eight Sects and Six Clans—once exposed, he would be a rat on the run, hunted by everyone and barred from entering or exiting the Gangqi Layer!

After enthusiastically explaining, Yuan Yangsheng raised his brows confidently and clapped his hands.

“What do you think, Brother Chen?”

He asked.

“It must be so.”

Chen Hang did not dispute his firm conclusion; after a moment of thought, he nodded slightly.

For demonic sects to summon a Heavenly Demon, they must first send a Golden Sword Letter to the Gangqi Layer, requesting the array spirit’s awareness and opening a Gang hole to guide the Heavenly Demon down to Xu Du Tian.

If the array spirit receives no Golden Sword message, no matter how hard the demonic cultivator tries, not a single Heavenly Demon can be summoned.

Given the peril of the Gangqi Layer,

Without the array spirit’s guidance, even a Buddhist adept who attained the Vajra Immortal Luminous Body would be trapped and die within.

In countless past ages, this has happened to more than one such being.

How much less so for the despised “Daoist locusts,” the Heavenly Demons…

Only those Heavenly Demons who enter Xu Du Tian through Gang holes may walk openly within the Nine Provinces and Four Seas, entering and exiting the void.

For their masters are all orthodox disciples, Elders, or great spiritual powers of their sects, and their bloodlines are recorded by the Gangqi Layer’s array spirit upon entry and exit.

If others, especially those from powerful clans or sects, privately cultivate Heavenly Demons without reporting to the array spirit, it’s merely a minor matter—barely worth mentioning, at most requiring a simple record.

But if the cultivator is merely an ordinary hermit,

Not only is it forbidden to act without the array spirit’s consent, but merely the crime of privately raising a Heavenly Demon is enough to condemn him to death a thousand times over.

Even Huaiwu Cave Lord, a Dongxuan Lianshi, is no exception.

The Gangqi Layer is a creation jointly forged by the Eight Sects and Six Clans, designed to guard against all external threats—Heavenly Demons are among them.

Huaiwu Cave Lord’s actions have violated the centuries-old customs; even if the Eight Sects and Six Clans do not intervene, others will rush to eliminate him.

Moreover, Heavenly Demons are inherently calamities; such evil entities can endlessly ascend and reproduce as long as they have blood or spiritual energy, and cannot be restrained without advanced Dao arts.

…

“But since Brother Yuan noticed Huaiwu Cave Lord’s anomaly beforehand, why risk entering Huaiwu Cave? To steal from the tiger’s mouth? Do you really need those few strands of essence? Leaving aside the Heavenly Demon—”

Chen Hang said calmly:

“Huaiwu Cave Lord alone is beyond your strength. Your Ten Directions Pure Eye may not even hold a Dongxuan Lianshi, let alone block his lethal strike.”

“How could one miss such a delightful opportunity? Besides, Huaiwu Cave must be filled with heroes—fighting them is the only way to fulfill my quest to challenge the world!”

Yuan Yangsheng smiled dismissively;

“Besides, my elder brother gave me many protective methods before leaving; even if I can’t defeat Huaiwu Cave Lord, I can certainly escape—he can’t stop me, Yuan Yangsheng!”

He cheerfully pulled a lump of resin from his sleeve, slapped it onto the table, making the teacup rattle, and pushed it toward Chen Hang.

“What’s this?”

“My elder brother gave me this Flying Fortune Fruit before he left—when activated with blood qi secrets, it instantly transports me ten thousand li away! This fruit was freshly picked; see, it’s still fist-sized—it can serve me over ten more times!”

Yuan Yangsheng crossed his arms, beaming proudly:

“With this, even a Dongxuan-level Huaiwu Cave Lord can’t track me—let alone a proper immortal sect Jin Dan True Person!”

“You’d waste such a thing here?”

“How is it wasteful if it saves your life?”

Yuan Yangsheng glared: “That old Huaiwu will strike during his sermon the day after tomorrow—if I don’t have the Flying Fortune Fruit, I’ll be turned into a Flesh-Armor Demon!”

Chen Hang looked at him deeply.

He paused for several breaths.

Then he said:

“Brother Yuan, you’d do well to be more cautious in future—don’t display everything you have before others; it may well invite disaster.”

“You’re not some stranger—why would I fear you stealing from me?”

Yuan Yang shrugged dismissively and waved his hand:

“Brother Chen is a good man—you even warned me earlier to avoid trouble, which proves it. I’d never suspect you!”

“A good man? That’s the first time anyone’s called me that.”

Chen Hang let out a quiet, amused laugh.

The next moment, Yuan Yang pushed the flying-lu fruit on the tea table toward him again, earnestly saying:

“Brother Chen, I came here specially today to invite you to flee with me. You yourself said the Lord of Huaiwu Cave is a Cave-Xuan Alchemist, with a Heavenly Demon lurking behind him—neither of us can stand against him.”

He spoke:

“We’ve taken his things, I’ve had a satisfying fight, and I’ve claimed all the benefits. If not now, when?”

“I have urgent matters—I cannot leave.”

Meeting Yuan Yang’s gaze,

Chen Hang fell silent for several breaths, then shook his head lightly:

“Thank you for your kindness, Brother Yuan.”

“Is it because of your wife’s matter?”

Yuan Yang first scratched his head in confusion, then suddenly remembered something and exclaimed: “So you two have other designs on Old Huaiwu—can you kill him?”

“It’s my senior sister—don’t go pairing up random couples.”

“I get it, I get it.” Yuan Yang chuckled.

“But.”

He felt a pang of regret: “Among the things my elder brother left me, there’s nothing reliable for protection. I’m afraid I won’t get to see this spectacle…”

The two exchanged further words, discussing insights on the manipulation of blood and qi.

Until the moon rose high, Yuan Yang, seeing the night was late, exchanged a few final pleasantries, sighed, and bowed to take his leave.

“Brother Yuan, there’s one thing I don’t understand.”

As he reached the door, Chen Hang called him back one last time.

“You said your elder brother, Chen Xuanwu, passed on to you the Heavenly Storm Martial Path to gain your aid against his own father?”

Chen Hang’s gaze flickered slightly as he voiced this question—though it sounded like idle gossip, it had lingered in his heart for a long time:

“What deep hatred exists between Chen Xuanwu and his father? Has he ever told you the reason?”

“...This?”

Yuan Yang, who had already risen, froze at this, startled—as if he hadn’t expected Chen Hang to suddenly ask this.

“There’s certainly hatred—otherwise, with my elder brother’s cultivation of composure, he wouldn’t lose control every time he mentioned his father... But what exactly the grievance was, or what title his father held, he never told me—he said it might trigger some resonance and endanger me.”

Though surprised, Yuan Yang thought for a moment, then spoke honestly:

“But his father is undoubtedly a titan among Immortal Dao cultivators!”

“A titan?”

“My elder brother once reached the Primordial Spirit realm in orthodox Immortal Dao, then scattered his entire Dao fruit to switch to the Heavenly Storm Martial Path. As for why—”

Yuan Yang spread his hands:

“My elder brother said he was destined never to catch up in Immortal Dao.

To defeat his father,

he had no choice but to try the Martial Path and forge a new path...”

Chen Hang was momentarily stunned.

After Yuan Yang took his leave, Chen Hang rose silently to see him off.

Then, Fu Can’s Ancestor in his space pouch suddenly sneered.

“Martial Path? Forge a new path? Hahahaha! This kid’s hidden himself well—he even reached Primordial Spirit! A fine fellow! But even if he becomes a Martial Sovereign, his chances are negligible—he won’t even survive! Hahahaha!”

“What do you know of the inner details?”

“Nothing, nothing—don’t ask me, don’t ask me.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

Chen Hang’s face was expressionless.

“My wife just gave birth! I’m delighted!”

After this flimsy excuse, Fu Can’s Ancestor refused to speak another word.

During these days of companionship, Chen Hang had come to understand the old man’s absurd love for spectacle; his eyes darkened slightly, and he deemed it pointless to waste more words on him.

He sat back down on the cushion, closing his eyes once more.

Once he had cast aside all distractions, he opened his eyes, swept his sleeve, and several space pouches suddenly appeared in his hand.

“Aren’t you going to ask me? Aren’t you curious?”

Seeing Chen Hang begin sorting through his spoils on his own, Fu Can’s Ancestor—who had feigned silence until now—grew curious.

“You wouldn’t answer even if I asked.”

Chen Hang said coolly:

“Better to spend my energy solving what’s before me than wasting it on you.”