Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 197 Demonic Heart
"An ominous object."

Li Xiangming muttered to himself, unable to resist touching the evil green robe he was wearing.

"According to the few words left by the ginseng, this thing is called 'Demon Heart'. It will change into different shapes in different people's hands, and it is like a bone-deep carbuncle that cannot be gotten rid of."

As he spoke, Liu Xiong Yu chuckled and looked at Li Xiang Ming: "I suppose you've tried taking it off too?"

Li Xiangming's face was grim, and he remained silent.

Even Grand Uncle Li Huinan was helpless against the evil green robe. He suspected that even if a Golden Core cultivator personally intervened, he would not be able to remove the evil green robe without harming his life.

"Although the omen is unclear, this item was left behind by the mountain ginseng, and some people with ulterior motives identified it as the item for the succession to the throne of the sect leader. Countless people were caught up in the struggle, and in the end, it was snatched up by the third generation sect leader."

After a pause, Liu Xiong Yu's eyes darted away: "Or rather, the person who seized this item became the third-generation leader of the sect."

"For the next three hundred years, every master of the Mang Sect fought tooth and nail for this item, causing the Mang Sect to decline and become a third-rate rogue group in the cultivation world of Zhangning Prefecture, not even worthy of being called a sect."

"Until a hundred years ago, someone recognized the danger of the demonic heart and sealed it in the cenotaph of the Taoist priest, and the turmoil caused by the Mang Sect finally subsided."

"This matter is extremely confidential, because there are many cenotaphs of the Taoist Cansheng, and only a few people know the exact location. At that time, the Mang Sect searched high and low but still couldn't find it. I don't know how you obtained this item, but its appearance will only bring you harm and no benefit."

Li Xiangming frowned, his mind filled with doubts.

The Evil Green Robe was originally taken from Smiling Tiger, but Smiling Tiger did not actually know the true identity of the Evil Green Robe.

Not only the Smiling Tiger, but also, over the course of a century, no one else in the Mang Sect besides Liu Xiong Yu knew of the existence of this green-robed man.

Could it be that the Smiling Tiger, by sheer chance, dug up the tomb of the first cult leader and inadvertently discovered the evil Green Robe?

Besides, Li Xiangming really couldn't understand why the evil green robe, which had been fought over by the Mang Cult for three hundred years, would end up in the hands of the Smiling Tiger.

Li Xiangming took a deep breath and solemnly said, "Please tell me, Chief Liu, what is wrong with this thing?"

"I don't know, not even what's so good about it."

Liu Xiong Yu poured himself a cup of tea and took a small sip: "Everyone who has obtained the Demon Heart cherishes it like a treasure, like a beautiful woman in her boudoir, never showing it to others. Therefore, the sect has not left a single word about whether the Demon Heart is good or bad."

"But the rumors about it spread widely."

"My master, Mu Ya Zi, learned about the story of the Demon Heart from a senior member of the Mang Sect, and also found out its whereabouts."

"But in the end, Mu Ya Zi did not let the Demon Heart see the light of day again, because he was a smart man."

"The Demon Heart Sect has had thirteen masters in total, including six sect leaders and seven protectors, all of whom were outstanding talents of their time."

"However, all of these people died suddenly and mysteriously during their cultivation. Their final cultivation levels were all at the ninth level of Qi Refining or the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. None of them were able to establish their foundation."

Liu Xiong Yu looked at Li Xiang Ming meaningfully: "The Demon Heart must have many benefits for the path of cultivation, otherwise it could not have created such a large number of geniuses. But I think you know its harm better than I do."

"Legend has it that it is spiritual, understands people's hearts, and devours people's souls. The reason why the mountain ginseng deliberately left it is to use the entire Mang Sect to raise it. If you take it away, you may gain temporary benefits, but the day you establish your foundation will be the day you die."

At this point, Liu Xiong Yu smiled slightly: "Of course, if you are confident that you are smarter and more outstanding than the masters of the Demon Heart in previous generations and can control it to build your foundation, then just ignore what I said."

Li Xiangming clenched his fists; he certainly didn't think he was exceptionally talented.

In fact, both Li Xiangren and Liu Xiongyu present were far superior to him in terms of talent and cultivation.

If it weren't for the evil Green Robe, he might still be struggling with his bottleneck, not even qualified to sit here and drink a pot of meager tea.

So where does he get the confidence to escape the fate of the demonic masters of all generations?

Recalling his first encounter with the evil green-robed man, and the overwhelming attack of evil thoughts, Li Xiangming's face turned pale, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.

He had always believed that as long as he fed the evil Green Robe, he could rest easy. But was the evil Green Robe truly satisfied?

Li Xiangming didn't know.

Last time at Puyin Mountain, Li Xiangming was chased by the Burning Sky Violent Ape. Although he escaped by running fast, he was torn between whether or not to rescue Li Xiangru and Li Xianghua.

At that time, the evil green-robed figure suddenly acted strangely, almost causing Li Xiangming to suffer a qi deviation.

This is enough to prove that after absorbing a small amount of magic power, the evil green-robed man was not as well-behaved as Li Xiangming had imagined.

Thinking about this, Li Xiangming was restless.

If one's magical power is insufficient, the evil green-robed man will act strangely; if one's spirit is unsettled, the evil green-robed man will also act strangely.

As everyone knows, the day of Foundation Establishment is the weakest time for a Qi Refining cultivator.

At this critical juncture, cultivators not only need to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, but also to overcome the tribulation of inner demons.

The inner demon tribulation descends silently, formless and intangible, yet omnipresent, like a chilling current piercing through the cultivator's mind, awakening the darkest and most hidden fears and desires.

The terror of the inner demon tribulation lies not in its power, but in its erosion and distortion of the cultivator's mind.

If a cultivator wavers even slightly, their inner demons will act like a swamp, dragging them step by step into an abyss of no return.

Therefore, one cannot overcome the tribulations of inner demons without great perseverance.

If one's will is not firm, even with hundreds or thousands of Foundation Establishment Pills, it is impossible to successfully establish one's foundation.

Furthermore, when a cultivator fails to establish their foundation, it only results in damage to their foundation and a regression in their cultivation level.

Those who fail to overcome their inner demons live a muddled and insane life, or worse, suffer from demonic possession, lose control of their magical powers, and commit suicide.

Li Xiangming's eyes were vacant and his expression was dazed. When he thought of the inner demon tribulation, how could he not know why the masters of the evil green robes in the past all died suddenly at the ninth level of Qi Refining?

This is because these people all triggered inner demons during the foundation building process.

The inner demons stir, precisely when a cultivator's soul is in turmoil.

Imagine what it would be like if the evil green-robed figure suddenly made a move at this moment, and countless evil thoughts swarmed in.
Li Xiangming felt a chill run down his spine. Those with strong wills could overcome inner demons, but they could not stop the countless torrents of evil.

In other words, for him, who carries the evil green robe, the path to Foundation Establishment will be thousands or even tens of thousands of times more difficult than for an ordinary cultivator.

It could even be said that it is impossible to successfully establish a foundation—the owners of the evil Green Robes throughout history are examples of this.

Unless he has no inner demons, but that's almost impossible.

Because he knew he was not a saint.

Li Xiangming was truly frightened. His mouth was dry, and he didn't care whether there was anything wrong with the tea. He gulped it down.

"Is it really impossible for me to achieve Foundation Establishment?"

Li Xiangming asked unwillingly.

"Have!"

Liu Xiong Yu stared intently at Li Xiang Ming, "Find a way to take off your green robe. As long as you don't have it, you can proceed with your Foundation Establishment as usual."

(End of this chapter)