Chapter 75: Me and My Inner Demon
Chapter 75: Me and My Inner Demon
“So actually, my ability to break free wasn’t closely related to my Statue Avatar. The key was that the authority of the Fate Forge was slightly higher.”
Li Si sat in the corner of the Stone House, taking a bowl of Hundred Herb Soul-Restoring Decoction handed to him by the little girl Bai Yu.
“Brother Dog, what are you thinking about? Senior Sister told us not to overthink things when nothing is wrong.”
“How is your cultivation of the 【Heaven-Turning Scripture】 going?”
Li Si smiled slightly. Bai Yu was the name the internet-addicted Old Madam gave to this little girl. As for the other little girl he rescued, she was named Qi Linger.
However, this little girl was very diligent and could endure hardship. Every day, besides taking care of her younger brother, she just cultivated, practically the model of a top student.
In comparison, Bai Yu was completely a super slacker, taking every break between cultivation to run around asking questions here and there.
“Brother Dog, cultivation is so boring! I want to learn Dao Techniques!”
“Why?”
“Once I learn Dao Techniques, I will become stronger, and then I can go out and play!”
Li Si curled his lips. Clearly, she hadn’t suffered the brutal beatings from the Evil God. He patted Bai Yu’s little head and casually cast a low-level Mind-cleansing Aura on her.
“Go cultivate now. If you dare be distracted again, I’ll have Senior Sister deal with you!” Li Si showed no mercy, directly bringing up the big shot Jiang Ying.
Starting today, disciples of the Floating Cloud Sect could no longer idle around. Otherwise, they would let down the efforts of the clay-bodied Old Madam!
Including himself. While the Evil God had unfollowed and blocked him during this period, he had to seize the time to break through to the Golden Core Realm!
Thinking this, Li Si looked worriedly at the spot one step in front of the Old Madam. Who would have thought that a terrifying Blood Coffin would be there?
After shooing away the little girl Bai Yu who came to join the fun, Li Si slowly drank the Hundred Herb Soul-Restoring Decoction while using the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl to illuminate the Mortal Realm and the Illusory Void. This was truly a good item. The identity of that woman who spawned a mushroom with every step, whom he killed earlier, must not have been simple.
Because, in Kao Mountain Town, including the three Temple dogs, none of the Temple devotees had similar magical tools. No one could directly communicate with the Illusory Void to attract Little Mushrooms.
That woman probably came from Heishi Town downstream. He would visit there when he had the chance later.
After finishing the bowl of Hundred Herb Soul-Restoring Decoction and refining the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl over a dozen times, Li Si successfully got a clear view of the Blood Coffin in front of the Old Madam.
First, he was quite sure this Blood Coffin was the same as the one he encountered. In other words, that Evil God was using methods meant to deal with a True Immortal against a mere Foundation Building cultivator like him. That was just too bullying.
Second, what trapped the Old Madam were still the bloody chains formed by the masses of the world. With the power of a True Immortal, it might not be impossible to sever them. But making that cut would likely cost countless lives. Besides, it would also sever the last thread of Causality, or perhaps affection, between the cultivation sect and this world.
Li Si saw very clearly. In the previous Blood Coffin he encountered, only people from the twelve Puppet Kingdoms were pulling him.
But the chains pulling the Old Madam contained not just the masses, but also the phantom images of mountains, large cities, and rivers. If all these were severed, this world would truly have no connection left with her.
This kind of overt scheme was truly vicious.
Sighing inwardly, Li Si stood up and left the Stone House. Without needing Jiang Ying to urge him, he consciously entered the Quiet Room to begin cultivating.
Now, Ji Chang was building the fourth Quiet Room, intended for Xu Shen. This was because Xu Shen’s trip to Kao Mountain Town yielded incredible opportunities, giving him the qualification to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. Therefore, both Ji Chang and Jiang Ying agreed that they must spare no cost to ensure Xu Shen successfully broke through to Golden Core, as this was extremely important.
With a Golden Core expert holding the fort, not to mention other benefits, the village’s protective Formation Array could be upgraded by several levels.
However, in Li Si’s view, this still wasn’t enough. In a couple of days, he would have Wang Wu come again. This time, the goal was to restore Ji Chang’s cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Realm. As a talisman-making maniac and a master-level talisman creator, he was absolutely necessary. Especially his Martial Arts Talisman Puppets were very important.
His thoughts were flying everywhere, making it hard to enter a meditative state. There was just too much he needed to consider.
“This won’t do for me.”
Inside the Quiet Room, Li Si decisively stopped cultivating. This stuff couldn’t be forced. Even if he maintained his Heart-Clearing Domain constantly, it was useless. Prolonged forcing could easily lead to trouble.
“How to dispel worries? Only mushrooms.”
Li Si took out the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl. Since it could illuminate the Illusory Void, attracting some Little Mushrooms shouldn’t be a problem, right? Today, even if he had to rely on grinding, he would grind out a Crystal Clear Dao Heart.
Immediately, Li Si first popped his own Heart-Clearing Domain, Disaster-Averting Domain, and Evil-Repelling Domain. Then, he used the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl to illuminate the Illusory Void, and recalled Xu Shen’s mental state from that day. That negative emotion, containing guilt, shame, grievance, weariness, confusion, cowardice, fear, and also the anger from humiliation, the destructive urge to smash the pot since it’s cracked anyway…
Yes, this was the flavor.
Li Si had personally experienced Xu Shen’s Inner Demon that day, so his recollection now was spot-on. However, no Little Mushrooms took the bait.
Right, this wasn’t his genuine emotion; it was just his imitation.
Thinking about it, Li Si withdrew his final mental defenses, forgot his identity, forgot the fact of his transmigration. He just let this negative emotion brew in his heart. Then he began recalling some things from before his transmigration. For example, his heartbroken buddy, his heartbroken buddy’s girlfriend, his own girlfriend, his girlfriend’s mother, his job, his colleagues, his boss, his house, the bride price…
Scene by scene, event by event, that mass of negative emotion fermented, spread, swept through his memories, and engulfed his soul.
A person could truly turn to the dark side.
That gloomy aura was truly full of destruction.
It was at this moment that a black Giant Mushroom silently grew above Li Si’s head. Nourished by the depressive, destructive emotion in Li Si’s heart, it grew larger and larger.
But strangely, this destruction mushroom didn’t pull Li Si into an illusion. Because no illusion was needed for catalysis; his whole being had already stepped into destruction. Now he only wanted to destroy everything, including himself.
Finally, when this Giant Destruction Mushroom grew to a certain extent, it exploded, turning into a mass of black gas. The black gas then morphed into a skull, as if it had its own life, posturing fiercely.
More black Little Mushrooms sprouted in batches on Li Si’s head, practically using him as a mushroom culture medium.
They greedily absorbed the destructive, dark emotions from Li Si’s heart.
Simultaneously, streams of information frantically appeared, but Li Si paid them no mind, letting them ferment.
“Aberrant Corruption +10%”
“Due to your Flawless Dao Body, you are exempt from this contamination.”
…
“Demonic thoughts germinated. Your Inner Demon is growing and challenging you.”
“Warning: Your Inner Demon has been devoured by the Destruction Mushroom.”
…
“Demonic thoughts germinated. Your Inner Demon is calling for your help. You shared one life, you are like brothers. Not saving him when he is in mortal danger makes you a big idiot!”
“Warning: All your Inner Demons have been devoured by the Destruction Mushroom!”
…
“Boom!”
A Heart-Clearing Domain and an Evil-Repelling Domain erupted simultaneously. The dark, destructive aura that was about to explode in the Quiet Room was swept away at the last moment.
Clear breeze and bright moon, a vast sea and sky, as if nothing had happened.
Li Si’s gaze was gentle. His whole person seemed bathed in a glorious light like the morning sun. At this moment, he thoroughly understood what Dao Heart Purity meant, and truly comprehended what it meant to lay down burdens and travel light.
“Eliminated Inner Demon. Obtained Crystal Clear Dao Heart.”
“Crystal Clear Dao Heart: One of the seven great Dao Hearts a Cultivator can obtain. Can be acquired by experiencing the mortal world, letting countless ships pass by, and severing the Inner Demon. After acquisition, speed of comprehending cultivation methods and learning Dao Techniques and Divine Abilities increases by 100%. Increases the success rate of breaking through to the next cultivation realm by 50%. Furthermore, enables comprehension of the highest level of Dao Techniques, obtaining Half-step Divine Abilities.”
“After obtaining Crystal Clear Dao Heart, when encountering physical Aberrant Corruption, can resolve 30%. When encountering Soul Alienation Contamination, can resolve 50%.”
—
Seeing this information, Li Si was stunned for a moment, finally understanding why the Old Madam absolutely had to give the precious Myriad Spirits Pill to Xu Shen back then. Because once he possessed the Crystal Clear Dao Heart, it would increase his chance of breaking through to Golden Core by 50%.
The Old Madam’s move was brilliant!
No wonder Xu Shen immediately went into closed-door cultivation after returning from Kao Mountain Town today. With this 50% chance, plus so many Divine Grace Baptisms, it was basically guaranteed.
“Also, Xu Shen most likely has already regained his Flawless Dao Body!”
Li Si calculated.
Because the Myriad Spirits Pill itself had the effect of removing Aberrant Corruption. Added to the total of nine Divine Grace Baptisms he gave before and after, plus the 50 Dispelling Talismans Zhang San gave, Xu Shen indeed had the possibility of having repaired all his hidden injuries and ailments, regaining the Flawless Dao Body.
This way, Crystal Clear Dao Heart + Flawless Dao Body. Xu Shen’s advancement to Golden Core truly had no suspense left.
Regarding this, Li Si felt very happy.
After all, with great calamity looming, he shouldn’t be the only one carrying the burden, right? Weren’t they supposed to be the Four Heroes of Floating Cloud?
He smiled slightly, pretending nothing had happened, and quickly entered a meditative state to cultivate. Flawless Dao Body + Crystal Clear Dao Heart meant the cultivation speed was simply fast, equivalent to a 200% increase.
However, the difficulty of cultivating the third layer of the 【Heaven-Turning Scripture】 was at least ten times harder than the second layer.
Even with Heart-Clearing Domain + Heart-searching Soul Seal + Flawless Dao Body + Crystal Clear Dao Heart, Li Si only managed to advance his cultivation progress to 3% after half a day and a full night.
But the effect was truly explosive.
The first layer of the 【Heaven-Turning Scripture】 was the simplest. After cultivation was completed, it only gave 100 points of Magic Power upper limit.
When he reached the second layer, the difficulty was many times harder than the first layer, but the increase in Magic Power upper limit was a full 10,000 points.
Now, at the third layer, while the difficulty increased, the Magic Power upper limit also grew substantially. It was estimated that upon breaking through to Golden Core, he could obtain 100,000 points of Magic Power.
If he reached Nascent Soul, it would probably start at a million Magic Power, wouldn’t it?