Is the cultivation world now only populated by demonesses?

Chapter 126, Section 125: Something Even More sinister is Coming

The rain started falling instantly.

The winter rain, accompanied by biting wind, transformed into a man-eating curtain of water, chillingly cold.

Lu Changyuan rushed into the room with Qiu Yuehan in an instant, and the rain did not touch the two of them at all.

The heavy rain pounded on the ground, splashing water droplets that turned the land black.

The entire village appeared somewhat eerie and terrifying under the inky rain.

"The rain of the Red Phoenix Ancestor... no, is it the painting demon?"

Why is the Painting Demon here?

Lu Changyuan turned around and looked at the dimly lit room, which contained only a few furnishings: a bench, a wooden table, and a lit candle.

A soft cough came from the darkness.

"Getting wet in the rain will be terrible. People in the village have all disappeared after getting wet in the rain."

A figure emerged from the darkness, dressed in purple, with long hair reaching her waist, and red lips, exuding an air of worldliness.

Lu Changyuan frowned: "Xue Yanluo? Why are you here?"

Xueyanlu coughed again, his face turning an unknown pale white, with half of his body still hidden in the darkness: "I have no connection with the Blood Demon Palace anymore, and I have no ill intentions towards you. You don't need to be wary of me."

He saw Lu Changyuan's broken heart and his eyes flickered: "I came here to meditate. Why have you two come to this village?"

Lu Changyuan said coldly, "This is my home, can't I come back?"

Xueyanlu smiled bitterly: "Is this really your home? You two shouldn't have come back. Now you're probably going to suffer the same fate as me."

Only then did the former young master explain.

At that time, when they were at the inn at the foot of Miaoyu Palace, Xueyanluo returned the token and left with Baiwei far away, returning to this village.

He then secluded himself here to cultivate.

Originally, life was peaceful and tranquil in the countryside, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys. The slow pace of life allowed Xue Yanluo to calm down and even approach the fifth realm. However, things changed drastically just a few months later.

It started raining in the village every few days.

This was not unusual; the autumn rains were frequent every year, and the villagers initially dismissed it as simply bad weather.

But no one knows when it started, some people in the village suddenly disappeared. At first, it was carpenter Wang, who made most of the benches and tables in the village.

Carpenter Wang once joked with Lu Changyuan, saying that when Lu Changyuan got married in the future, he would make a brand new set of furniture for him. At that time, Lu Changyuan could only refuse with a smile because Carpenter Wang's daughter's waist was as thick as Lu Changyuan's one and a half times.

A bit scary.

Unmarried girls from all around were eyeing Lu Changyuan, and Wang the carpenter's daughter was no exception. She wasn't there to make furniture; she was there to test the waters.

Then there's Li the Hunter.

Unlike Wang the carpenter, Li the hunter's disappearance was something that someone had clearly foreseen.

One night, there was thunder and lightning in the village, and it was about to rain. Someone saw Li the hunter carrying a fox home at the village entrance, and the person greeted Li the hunter.

Li the hunter smiled at the man as he mentioned the fox, but suddenly, a torrential downpour began. As the rain hit Li the hunter, he vanished in an instant.

At first, the villagers thought there was a monster in the rain that carried Li the hunter away, but that was clearly not the case.

From that day on, the village began to experience ink-wash-colored rain.

Several children curiously darted into the inky rain and disappeared in an instant.

Rain can eat people!

This terrified the villagers, and apart from a few families, everyone else hurriedly left the village.

Xueyanluo said sadly, "Bai Wei, also known as the bitter girl you mentioned, was the one who rushed into the rain on the first day. The reason I haven't left this place is to look for her, but I have been searching for a long time without finding a way, and I dare not rashly enter the rain, so I have been lying in wait here."

God knows what the consequences would be if I went out in the rain.

Lu Changyuan frowned and said, "It really is the Painting Demon. With Ancestor Hongluan dead, it was freed from its restraints and fled. But why did it come here?"

The demon is hidden here, its demonic aura is not obvious, and it is extremely difficult for Jiang Jiayi to see it.

Qiu Yuehan thought for a moment and said, "It's possible that it was also injured and needs to recuperate here."

That statement makes sense.

When the Ancestor Hongluan awoke, her strength had also greatly diminished, and the Painting Demon was certainly not in much better shape.

The problem now is not what state the painting demon is in, but why the painting demon is here.
Lu Changyuan added, "There might be something here that can heal its injuries."

That's the only explanation we can come up with.

But why did Xueyanluo say that returning to the village would mean certain disaster? If all else fails, why not just leave like the villagers?

Xueyanluo quickly explained the problem, his voice was somewhat hoarse and wavering, as if his throat was swollen: "If the two of you had come seven days ago, things might have been alright, but now, you can't get out."

A sound suddenly came from outside the door.

Lu Changyuan and Qiu Yuehan looked over at the same time.

Xueyanluo said sharply, "They're here."

Something damp seemed to be wriggling on the ground, and the footsteps outside the door grew louder.

"what?"

Lu Changyuan, expressionless, yanked open the door. In the inky rain, all sorts of creatures were gathering, the leader appearing to be a watercolor bear, which stood several feet tall and walked in with its claws outstretched.

Qiu Yuehan whispered, "The Ink Clan, this is the Ink Clan's ability."

"The Ink Clan?"

"Yes, it has some similarities with our abilities and those of the Spirit Race. However, compared to the Spirit Race, which directly summons the thoughts of the dead, the Ink Race uses its own life force to outline the forms of other creatures as a means of attack."

Both the Ink Clan and the Spirit Clan possess the ability to summon other allies.

Qiu Yuehan paused for a moment: "The Ink Clan is a kind of eyeless, spherical creature with white on the left and black on the right. It looks like a large inkwell and is not easy to deal with."

Lu Changyuan had never heard of this race before, nor had he ever seen it in any records. It was most likely that they were wiped out in the ancient war of myriad races. Only an old monster like Qiu Yuehan would know a little bit about them.

The Moon Fairy drew her sword and said, "Shall you do it, or shall I?"

Lu Changyuan was slightly surprised, withdrew his thought, and made a gesture of invitation.

This was the first time Lu Changyuan had seen Qiu Yuehan wield a sword in her full strength, without any injuries.

Miaoyu's Thirteen Swords - A boat swaying in the water, reflecting the moon.

The sword light seemed to bounce like ripples in the rain, slowly spreading out and crushing the ink monster in the rain with irresistible power. But this was not the end, because the next sword came in an instant.

Xuanying!

This is Lu Changyuan's Winter Sword.

Under the pressure of the fairy and Jiang Jiayi, Qiu Yuehan forced herself to quickly master the Four Seasons Sword Technique.

It was winter, and this sword move was already several times more powerful. With Qiu Yuehan wielding the sword, it appeared even more terrifying, tearing the clouds in the sky apart.

Xue Yanluo looked at Qiu Yuehan in disbelief, a hint of fear appearing in her eyes.

The chief disciple of Miaoyu Palace should be at the half-step fifth realm at this moment. Even if he had a fortuitous encounter in the past six months and broke through to the fifth realm, he shouldn't be this strong.

Whose Five Realms can shatter the heavens?

Lu Changyuan's family.

Lu Changyuan stroked his chin, feeling that even he found Qiu Yuehan's sword strike terrifying.

What a fierce Moon Fairy! What a fierce sword!

Xueyanluo groaned, panting as if he were about to die, and said, "The reason I said that you two can't get out is because the rain will stop later. You two should go and see for yourselves. The road out of this village no longer exists. I tried it a few days ago, but no matter which way I went, I always ended up back in the village."

At first, there was no such thing as a boundary, but seven days ago, Xueyanluo found that everything had changed. There were monsters in the rain, and the road at the entrance of the village was blurry. At this time, Xueyanluo could not get out even if he wanted to.

It didn't take long. Perhaps because it was daytime, the dark rain seemed wary of the sun's brilliance, or perhaps it was wary of Jiang Jiayi atop the Tianshan Mountains, so the rain stopped quickly.

Qiu Yuehan said, "The rain has stopped, shall we go out and take a look?"

Lu Changyuan nodded.

They left Bai Wei's house. The ink-black rain that had fallen to the ground began to fade and then gradually dissipated. The snow that had been stained black and had not yet melted gradually returned to its original white color.

The heavy rain seemed to be the magic that had been used to draw the demon. At this moment, the magic failed, and everything naturally returned to its original state.

When they reached Lu Changyuan's house at the village entrance, Qiu Yuehan spoke softly: "He has an aura of death on him."

Although she had not yet taken over the path of death, Fairy Moon could still see that Blood Smoke Luo was about to die.

Lu Changyuan nodded, having naturally noticed it as well. He then said, "The Yin and Yang energies are in disarray; perhaps he has suffered a backlash? But judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to have forgotten his gender."

Those who cultivate the Yin-Yang Dao will be devoured by the Dao in an instant if they forget their own gender.

However, Xueyanluo was clearly still masculine, and it's unclear why the backlash was so severe.

Following the road they had come from, Qiu Yuehan and Lu Changyuan arrived at the village entrance.

"can not go out."

The road ahead was blurry and looked no different from when we came, but if you looked closely, you could see a hazy feeling on the side of the road.

Lu Changyuan spoke, squatting down and looking at the hazy space: "If you keep walking along this road, you will eventually turn back."

It's like the folk tale of being trapped in a maze, where you can get in but can't get out. But this isn't the real maze; it's a more sophisticated method.

The painting demon erased the concept of "exit," so no matter which way you go, you can only enter the "entrance," which, as Xueyanluo said, means returning to the village.

Qiu Yuehan drew her sword and asked, "Shall we go out?"

Seeing the Moon Fairy's eager expression, Lu Changyuan could only say, "No rush."

The things created by the Painting Demon, who was once Yao Guang but has now fallen to the sixth realm, would be difficult for other people to get out of.

But is Qiu Yuehan an ordinary person?
Obviously not.

The ability to erase concepts through painting is already a very underhanded trick in the cultivation world, but there's an even more underhanded one beside Lu Changyuan: Qiu Yuehan, the Underworld Lord who can imbue inanimate objects with the concept of death.

Who can outwit the Underworld King when it comes to underhanded tactics?

Lu Changyuan looked at the elegant fairy in her black dress with a subtle expression.

Then I remembered Qiu Yuehan's white bellyband.

Qiu Yuehan was a little puzzled: "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face? Or are my clothes not straightened properly?"

Not appropriate.

She should have carefully straightened her skirt when she got out of the sedan chair.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to see you. We're not in a hurry to go out."

What are you going out to do?

Lu Changyuan stretched, not flustered at all, and even wanted to laugh a little.

There's no way this demon could possibly kill Lu Changyuan, or even Qiu Yuehan; the roles of offense and defense have shifted. No, from the moment the two entered the village, the hunter's identity had already changed.

Since we're already here, we should at least eat something before we leave.

The Blood Demon only ate half of it, and Lu Changyuan was still not full. Hey, Lu Changyuan thought this Painting Demon was pretty good, and it was quite filling.

Lu Changyuan smiled as he looked up at the sky: "I never expected to have such an unexpected gain while visiting the old man's grave."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Since there's no rush, let's first accomplish the initial goal.

Go and visit the old man's grave.

Things must be done one at a time.

The Demon Painter is contemplating whether to leave this place.

Suddenly, a dazzling golden mark appeared in Lu Changyuan's eyes.

The fairy's voice brought Lu Changyuan back to his senses: "When we find the grave, should I bow down and kowtow as well?"

"Why? I'm too lazy to even do it, why would you?"

"After all, they are elders."

It seems to be a custom for daughters-in-law to kowtow to deceased elders, but now only the fairy in the white dress is bowing to Lu Changyuan; the aloof fairy in the black dress hasn't even entered the house yet.

What are they trying to do? Are they trying to get to know their elders before Xia Lianxue does?
Lu Changyuan shook his head: "There's no need for that. I now suspect that the old man didn't die at all."

Qiu Yuehan glanced sideways slightly: "What do you mean? Are you not dead, or have you come back to life?"

"There's always a group of old fogies in the cultivation world who like to fake their deaths to deceive people, and then one day they'll pop out and tell the younger generation, 'Your life plans have always been part of my plans, and now everything you have belongs to me.'"

The Red Phoenix Ancestor was just like that, and the little fairy in the white dress was schemed against for more than a thousand years.

This is also an essential part of the cultivation world.

People in the cultivation world who live a long time, coupled with being constantly controlled by desires, are prone to psychological abnormalities.

Lu Changyuan continued, "Do you remember the boss who gave you the bone?"

That boss must be a powerful figure at least at the sixth level, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to deceive Qiu Yuehan, who was already at the fifth level.

The fairy frowned slightly: "You mean, he's the old man?"

"Who knows, what if?"

Qiu Yuehan fiddled with her hair: "But we weren't guided here by the dragon bones either."

That's true.

The two things were completely unrelated. It was simply that Lu Changyuan felt there was something strange about the old doctor in his memory, so he came back.

"Ok?"

Lu Changyuan stopped in his tracks, staring blankly into the distance.

"what happened?"

"The grave is gone."

The sun was setting, and the setting sun cast a soft glow on the slightly melted snow.

The two did not leave the village, but came to a field not far from the village entrance. Stepping on the uneven clods of earth, Lu Changyuan pointed to a spot: "I buried the old man here back then."

On the day the old man died, Lu Changyuan spent a lot of money to buy him a very nice coffin, then hired people to help him with the encoffining, and even had a commotion of gongs and drums for several days, and also hired several opera troupes.

Finally, according to the local custom, the closer the deceased elder is buried, the stronger the power to bless future generations, so he was buried not far from Lu Changyuan's home.

Lu Changyuan also erected a stone tablet for the old man, inscribed with the old doctor's name and life story. The day of his burial was considered an extremely important funeral in the surrounding area.

It is said that the old man treated people from all around during his lifetime, accumulating a lot of good karma, which is why so many people came to visit.

Everyone saw with their own eyes that the old man was indeed dead.

But now the place that should have been a large mound of earth is empty, and not only that, the stone tablet from back then has also disappeared.

"The old man's name was Lu Ping, so he named me Lu Changyuan."

Both of his lives were named Lu Changyuan. When Lu Changyuan's memories were awakened, he initially thought it might be a coincidence. After all, it's normal for someone named Lu Ping to have a name like Lu Buping, Lu Bu'ao, or Lu Changyuan.

But now it seems that this may not be the case.

"The painting demon has been suppressed for many years, and now it is so weak, yet it has come to this small village. The strangest thing about this village to me is the old man's grave. Now that the grave is gone, it is probably here for the old man's grave."

"Then how do we do it?"

"No matter what it does, since it hasn't left yet, it definitely hasn't taken the things from the grave."

(End of this chapter)