Transmigrating to the Qi Cultivation Path, I became an outdated Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Chapter 118 Demonic Shadow

Changyang Mountain, outside Guiyuan Cave.

He Ziyang stood with his hands behind his back under the crooked old pine tree in front of the cave. The mountain wind swept through the valley, making his blue robe flutter in the wind.

Although he tried his best to maintain a calm expression, there was a clear sense of barely suppressed anxiety in his eyes beneath his slender, sword-like eyebrows.

It has been a full ten days.

From the moment He Jingxing swallowed that earth-lung sulfur fire energy and entered the Guiyuan Cave for seclusion, ten days quietly passed.

Logically speaking, with He Jingxing's spiritual root talent, coupled with the resilience he had been honed by He Ziyang in a cruel way over the years, and his rudimentary understanding of sword intent, he should have already passed the hurdle of "burning blood and refining marrow" and entered the threshold of "Zhu Yan Yuan Xing Gong".

However, there was no sound coming from inside the cave.

The unique aura of [Li Huo] within the cave fluctuated in strength.

When it gets really strong, it feels like fire is erupting from deep within the mountain, scorching people's faces.

When weak, it is like a candle flickering in the wind, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

This unpredictable fluctuation made He Ziyang increasingly uneasy.

He wanted to go in and take a look, but he was afraid of disturbing He Jingxing. If He Jingxing was at a crucial moment and he was interrupted, it would only cause trouble.

"Could something have gone wrong?"

He murmured to himself, his anxiety almost palpable.

A slightly unsteady sound of footsteps came from the other side of the mountain path, accompanied by the tapping sound of a dragon-headed cane striking the bluestone ground.

He Ziyang turned his head and saw the clan elder He Weixian, leaning on a dragon-headed cane, slowly walking over with the help of a clan steward.

The old man was wearing a brand-new black robe today, and his white hair was neatly combed. He looked much more energetic than usual.

"Ziyang, is there still no movement?"

He Weixian stopped beside the pine tree, his cloudy old eyes fixed on the tightly closed stone door of the cave, his tone tinged with caution.

He Ziyang shook his head and remained silent.

He Weixian remained silent for a moment, then whispered his advice: "Man proposes, God disposes."

Jingxing, this child, chose this path himself and is willing to disperse his cultivation to rebuild the "Zhu Yan Yuan Xing Gong". Just this determination alone is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Success or failure...

It all depends on his own fate.

His tone was exceptionally polite, even carrying a hint of inferiority towards superiors.

The elder's attitude was not only because He Ziyang was of noble status, but also because in the past four years, He Ziyang's cultivation had soared to the eighth level of Qi Refining.

It should be noted that He Ziyang has only been cultivating the "Purple Cloud Annihilation Sword Technique" for a few short years, yet his progress is even faster than that of He Sheng, who was once known as the number one cultivator in the Silver Sand River.

As for He Ziyang's strength, it was unparalleled throughout Changyang Mountain, and no one dared to challenge his sword.

Of course, everyone knew that He Ziyang's rapid progress meant he was not far from reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Once he reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, he will travel to Xia Prefecture to join the Tianxuan Sect and officially become a disciple of Master Guicang.

He Ziyang fell silent upon hearing the elder's words.

The mountain breeze brushed against the stray hairs at his temples and across his angular face, which had lost all traces of youthful innocence.

He suddenly turned around slowly, his gaze fixed on the verdant mountains in the distance, which was the direction of the main peak of Changyang Mountain and the ancestral home of the He family.

"Elder Clan."

He Ziyang's voice was soft, yet carried an extraordinary sense of composure.

He Weixian quickly stepped forward, slightly hunching his back, and listened intently.

"Ziyang has something he would like to ask the clan elder for help with."

"Tell me, as long as it's within my power, I'll do it without hesitation."

He Weixian answered without hesitation.

He Ziyang paused, a very subtle ripple flashing in his calm, deep eyes, as if he were carefully considering his words or hesitating.

After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Ziyang would like to ask the elders of the clan to help me find a suitable marriage within the Silver Sand River area."

He Weixian was stunned when he heard this.

He opened his mouth, a bellyful of questions almost bursting out...

Marriage?

Aren't you about to go to Tianxuan Sect?

In those supreme immortal sects, what kind of noble ladies couldn't they find? Why insist on seeking a marriage in this small Silver Sand River?

But before he could finish speaking, He Weixian suddenly shut his mouth.

Having been in charge of the He family for decades, he was incredibly shrewd and astute. In the blink of an eye, he understood the deeper meaning behind He Ziyang's actions.

This child wants to keep his roots in the He family!

Although He Ziyang was born into the He family, he was from a collateral branch. His parents had passed away long ago, and he did not have close ties with the clan. Otherwise, he would not have been born without a generational name.

Once he reaches the Foundation Establishment stage and goes to the Tianxuan Sect, he will become an unapproachable disciple of the Tianxuan Sect, and the gap between him and the He family will widen.

In terms of official status, he is still a member of the Ho family.

But if he were to cultivate, settle down, and build a career at the Tianxuan Sect in the future, his ties with the He family would only weaken over time.

But if he left a wife in the He family, or even had children, everything would be completely different.

He then truly found his roots in the Ho family!

Once he understood this, an irrepressible joy immediately bloomed on He Weixian's deeply lined old face.

"Good! Good! Good!"

The old man said "good" three times in a row, his hands trembling slightly as he held the dragon-headed cane.

"Ziyang, don't worry, leave this to me!"

"In the territory of the Silver Sand River, the He family's words still carry weight. I will personally take charge and select the most outstanding women from among the various Foundation Establishment families for you!"

Looking at the elder's inexplicably excited expression, He Ziyang's eyes flashed with a complex emotion.

He had only thought about it briefly and didn't really intend to take it that far.

But what he saw and heard in Changyang Mountain over the past few years made him increasingly aware that the invisible chasm between him and the He family was widening day by day.

The tribesmen's attitude towards him gradually changed from initial envy and jealousy to fear and alienation.

Even his former classmates from Qingzhu Academy now avoid him whenever they see him.

Only He Jingxing could get along with him normally.

No matter how the Ho family treated him, he had deep feelings for them.

He left his roots in the Ho family, not only for the sake of the Ho family, but also for his own sake.

Just as He Ziyang was about to say something more, he suddenly shuddered.

He turned around abruptly and stared intently at the tightly closed stone door of Guiyuan Cave.

Deep within the cave, the ever-shifting and unpredictable aura of the "Fire of Separation" suddenly seemed to break free from some invisible constraint, erupting with an unstoppable force!

Even through the thick stone door, He Ziyang could clearly sense the intense, fiery spiritual pressure, which contained a profound and mysterious meaning, rising steadily.

"It's done!"

A genuine smile bloomed on He Ziyang's face.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the stone door, which had been closed for ten days, burst open with a loud bang.

A scorching wave of air surged out of the cave entrance, distorting the air in its path.

The air blast swept over the crooked old pine tree, instantly scorching and curling its needles, making a sizzling sound.

A figure strode out from the sweltering heat.

It was He Jingxing!

Four years have passed, and the boy who once had a somewhat childish look has now grown into a broad-shouldered, spirited young man.

He had shed his childhood frailty and was now a bit taller than He Ziyang. The calmness between his brows remained, but he had gained a sharpness that came from being tempered and tempered.

He was still wearing a crimson brocade robe, the hem of which still bore scorch marks from the flames, yet he was full of energy, his eyes shining brightly, as if two dark blue flames were quietly burning deep within his pupils.

With He Ziyang's keen eyesight and his understanding of the Qi-cultivation method over the past few years, he understood a lot about it at first glance.

Burning blood and refining marrow, undergoing a complete transformation.

It's done! It really is done!

He looked He Jingxing up and down, his eyes filled with increasing satisfaction.

He Jingxing strode up to the two men, bowed respectfully, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Brother Ziyang, Elder Clan, I have finally... mastered the 'Slaying Flame Yuanxing Technique'!"

His voice was a few decibels lower than usual, but every word he uttered was filled with heartfelt excitement.

He Weixian was so moved that tears streamed down his face.

He stepped forward, his withered hands gripping He Jingxing's shoulders tightly, examining him closely from head to toe, left to right, as if looking at a rare treasure that had been lost and found again.

"good!

OK!"

He Weixian repeatedly said "yes," his voice trembling.

He turned to the clan elder beside him and shouted in a loud voice, "Pass down the order to immediately hold a grand banquet and celebrate for three days!"

From within the mountains, from outside the mountains, whether from the main branch or a collateral branch, come on over!!

The elder still had some favoritism in his heart. After all, no matter how good He Ziyang was, he would be going to Tianxuan Sect in the future and could only become the He family's backer.

In his eyes, He Jingxing was the pillar of the He family's future!

At the same time, gongs and drums were being played and people were celebrating joyfully inside Changyang Mountain.

Outside Changyang Mountain, on the ridges of Hejiawan fields, a figure stands quietly in the twilight.

It was a man dressed in a blood-red robe, exuding a faint aura of bloodlust.

This person was extremely tall, yet shockingly thin, with sunken cheeks and high cheekbones, making him look like a skeleton wrapped in a monk's robe at first glance.

The most shocking thing was the hideous scar on the corner of his left eye.

The scar was about an inch long, like a centipede crawling there, winding down from the corner of the eye and disappearing into the collar.

The edges of the scar were tinged with an abnormal dark red, clearly a mark left by some kind of sinister magic.

The man stood with his hands behind his back on the ridge of the field, his blood-red robe fluttering in the evening breeze.

His gaze passed over the thriving rice paddies and the well-arranged farmhouses, and landed on the towering Changyang Mountain.

That mountain was once his home.

Even the land of Hejiawan beneath his feet belongs to his family.

"After more than thirty years... I, Xu Zi'ang, have finally returned!"

The man's voice was hoarse and deep, carrying a complex meaning that was hard to describe.

It contained a deep-seated hatred, a sense of trepidation at the prospect of returning home, and above all, a resolute determination that had been building up for decades and had finally found an outlet.

"Back then, the He family seized my Xu family's property and slaughtered my Xu family's bloodline, leaving only me to escape with my life..."

He murmured softly, his voice growing lower and colder, as if each word was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"For over thirty years, I have endured hardship and traveled thousands of miles to become a disciple of the Blood King Sect, cultivating day and night, all for the day I can return to the Silver Sand River and reclaim everything my Xu family has lost!"

As he spoke the last few words, his aura suddenly changed.

An intense, viscous aura of bloodlust erupted from his body, its chilling, sticky quality suggesting the struggle and wailing of countless wronged souls within it.

Bloodlust rapidly condensed behind him, transforming into a blurry, blood-red phantom. The phantom's features were indistinct, yet it exuded a terrifying pressure that sent chills down one's spine with just a glance.

"He Sheng, though you are dead, your He family still exists."

The blood debt you owed my Xu family back then will be repaid one by one by your clansmen!

Before he finished speaking, he transformed into an extremely eerie blood shadow, instantly darting a hundred feet away.

The blood-red shadow was silent and still, not even disturbing the rice paddies on the ridges, as if it were just a passing evening breeze.

However, Xu Zi'ang did not head towards Changyang Mountain. Instead, he quickly moved away, and judging from the direction he left, he went to the Zhou family's Luoyun Mountain.

As night deepened, the blood-red shadow moved silently like a ghost.

Three months later, at the rear hall of the Wanshoutan Water Palace.

The ghostly blue flames burned silently in the water.

The flames were not intense, but they were bone-chillingly cold. At the heart of the flames, a single, intense white light lingered and did not dissipate, forcing the surrounding spiritual spring water to freeze inch by inch, making a crackling sound.

Under the control of the green snake, the icy blue flames transformed into nine slender fire lines, which coiled around a fist-sized bead like serpents.

The bead was pure white, with a faint silver-gray halo flowing across its surface.

Under the halo, intricate forbidden patterns could be vaguely seen, interwoven like blood vessels, each line pulsating slightly, as if alive.

"Qing'er, increase the firepower by two points."

He Sheng sat cross-legged beside the main spring, using the [Slight Ripple] to enhance his divine sense, carefully observing every change in the Ice-Slaying Yin-Thunder Pearl, and issuing commands from time to time.

The green snake coiled to the side, its head, as large as a millstone, slightly raised, its vertical pupils reflecting the eerie blue flames.

It opened its mouth and inhaled, and the Xuanzhuo Ice Flame Seed that had been cultivated in its belly for several years suddenly trembled, and a layer of cold light mixed with blue and green appeared on its scales.

Driven by it, the nine fire lines suddenly grew thicker, their color changing from a deep blue to a nearly transparent ice blue. Wherever they passed, even the water of the spiritual spring was frozen into tiny ice crystals.

The luminous white bead began to tremble violently under the influence of the icy flames.

The silver-gray halo that had been flowing around the pearl quickly contracted inward, as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

With each shrinking of the halo, the bead solidified, and a muffled rumbling sound emanated from within it.

Hearing such a commotion, He Sheng knew that the refining of the Ice-Slaying Yin-Lightning Pearl was nearing its end. The clash of ice and fire would generate ice and lightning, and once the Ice-Slaying Yin-Lightning was activated, the treasure would be considered complete.

This treasure was made primarily of the Frost Soul Mystic Crystal Stone, the Thousand Cold Ice Jade, and the dragon horn of the Black Jade Blood Serpent that could unleash crimson lightning, supplemented by various second-tier spiritual materials. He Sheng spent nearly two years painstakingly refining it into a preliminary magical artifact.

But the real finishing touch must be achieved by using the power of the cold flames to complete the dual refinement of water and fire.

According to the "Secret Records of the Twelve Spiritual Treasures of the Upper Heaven," the core of the Ice-Slaying Yin-Thunder Pearl lies in the harmony of ice and fire, and the mutual generation of yin and yang.

Cold flames belong to Yin, while lightning belongs to Yang.

The Cold Soul Mystic Crystal Stone is extremely cold, while the crimson lightning contained in the dragon horn is extremely yang and intense.

The two substances have conflicting properties; if they were forcibly fused using ordinary fire-refining methods, the furnace would inevitably explode.

Only the Cold Flame, though of a cold and yin nature, possesses the refining power of fire.

Using the icy flames as a medium, the lightning within the dragon's horn is slowly extracted, purified, and then pressed into the core of the Frost Soul Mystic Crystal. Only then can the Yin and Yang forces complement and generate each other when ice and fire clash, ultimately forging the Ice-Slaying Yin Lightning.

After an unknown amount of time, He Sheng's voice rang out again: "Reduce your firepower by half."

The green snake narrowed its vertical pupils slightly, and the nine lines of fire trembled simultaneously, their flames suddenly receding.

At the moment the fire line converged, the luminous white bead suddenly burst forth with a dazzling silver-white light.

Amidst the light, a thin, hair-like streak of crimson lightning was forcibly pulled out from deep within the bead.

Although the lightning was thin, it exuded a terrifying aura of destruction.

The moment it appeared, the temperature in the entire rear hall soared, and the water of the spiritual spring began to boil gurgle and bubble amidst the icy flames. Steam and ice crystals coexisted, and the interplay of hot and cold shattered the starlight reflected on the dome.

This is the remaining primal thunderous energy within the dragon's horn.

He Sheng had carefully sensed it with the [Slight Ripple] supernatural power. Although the horn of the Black Jade Blood Python was not fully grown, the intensity of the lightning contained within it had already faintly touched the threshold of the third rank.

If one attempts to refine it by force, the slightest mistake will result in a backlash from the lightning; at best, the pearl will shatter, and at worst, the person refining it will be devoured by the lightning and fire.

But the Frost Flame is precisely the nemesis of this Thunderous Fiend.

The icy blue flames seeped into the crimson lightning like mercury spilling onto the ground. Under the clash of hot and cold, the lightning was peeled away and purified layer by layer at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Impurities transformed into wisps of black smoke that overflowed from the bead and dissipated into the spiritual spring;

The purified lightning then took on a pure silver-white color, gradually merging with the silver-gray halo of the bead itself.

This training lasted for ten days.

During these ten days, He Sheng and Green Snake dared not be careless in the slightest.

The green snake was in charge of controlling the cold flames, slowly refining them with a gentle fire, extracting, purifying, and then pressing the blood-red lightning back into the bead.

He Sheng then used the Micro-Ripples Divine Power to enhance his divine sense, constantly sensing every strand of spiritual energy flowing inside the bead, and immediately adjusting it if there was any slight deviation.

During this time, the Green Snake's magical power was exhausted several times, and it was only through He Sheng's small spirit-gathering array set up with spirit stones that it was forcibly replenished.

He Sheng's own spiritual sense was also greatly depleted, but since he was a pseudo-core cultivator, he could still withstand it.

When the last wisp of crimson lightning was completely purified, the luminous white bead suddenly trembled.

The densely packed forbidden patterns on the surface of the bead lit up at the same moment, with silver-white lightning and icy blue flames intertwining and rapidly traveling along the veins of the forbidden patterns.

In an instant, the temperature in the entire rear hall plummeted to its lowest point.

The water of the spiritual spring silently froze into a huge block of ice, and the starlight-illuminous light and shadow on the dome was also frozen solid.

Everything seemed to be frozen in that moment, except for the round bead that slowly rotated in the center of the ice block.

With each rotation, the bead shrinks by one centimeter.

The size of a fist, the size of an egg, the size of a longan, finally coalesced into a translucent white pearl no bigger than a thumb joint, with a thin, silvery-white lightning bolt slowly moving inside.

The lightning appeared docile, yet it exuded a terrifying aura of destruction.

hum...

A very faint buzzing sound emanated from the bead.

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to resonate deep within one's soul.

Immediately afterwards, the pearl burst forth with dazzling light.

boom!

The ice shattered. The water from the spiritual spring surged upwards, transforming into a continuous, billowing mist.

Amidst the mist, a luminous white pearl the size of a thumb joint shot into the sky, hovering in the very center of the dome of the rear hall. It radiated a dazzling silver-white light, within which icy blue flames and silver-white lightning intertwined and flowed.

He Sheng raised his head, his eyes filled with shock.

He gestured with his hand, and the precious pearl trembled slightly before transforming into a silvery-white stream of light that fell into his palm.

This object was icy cold to the touch, yet a faint warmth emanated from the wandering lightning.

Yin and Yang intertwine, ice and fire coexist.

This also means that the Ice-Slaying Yin-Thunder Pearl is complete!