Chapter 150: Venerable Kun

After the various big shots departed, True Immortal Nirvana also emerged from the burial chamber.

She came to the secret realm to meet with Wang Li and invited him to serve as the Elder of the Scripture Dissemination Hall.

Wang Li refused.

Taking on actual duties was far too troublesome; he preferred a life of freedom and cultivation.

Though he declined the post of Scripture Dissemination Hall Elder, he agreed to accept a nominal, sinecure elder position under True Immortal Nirvana.

As a result, apart from Wang Bie, his entire family had now become elders of the Pure Yang Sect. It seemed only Wang Liu managed the Scripture Pavilion, while everyone else simply collected their stipends without doing any actual work.

With few duties, high pay, and a home right around the corner, probably none of the leaders of those minor sects outside could ever dream of such treatment.

Wang Li had told the various big shots to return and discuss the matter of the three sacred artifacts, knowing that no results could possibly be reached within a few years.

The Pure Yang Warning Bell was bound to the fortune of the Pure Yang Sect, and the Carefree Heavenly Book had not yet been fully refined by Hua Ying. Both sacred artifacts carried the interests of too many people, so whether they could be brought out for shared use remained unknown.

The Grasping Cause Sword, however, was of little consequence. Before leaving, the true form of Five Willows Zhengying had transferred ownership of the Grasping Cause Sword to the Pure Yang Sect. Moreover, not just anyone would dare to dabble in the sword's paradoxical attribute of being neither purely righteous nor entirely evil, so using it to establish a complete system for gathering and converting karmic power should not pose much of a problem.

However, Wang Li had no desire to meddle in such power struggles. He had just taken two Dao companions and newly established his immortal dwelling; he simply couldn't bear to neglect cultivating the barren land that had lain fallow for thousands of years.

After half a month of blissful life, Venerable Kun of the Sea Demon Clan paid a visit.

Reluctantly tearing himself away from the secret realm, Wang Li headed out to meet him within the Pure Yang Sect.

Since Venerable Kun was of the demon race, the Pure Yang Sect could not possibly allow him to enter the Pure Yang Secret Realm to discuss matters as other human cultivators and big shots had.

No matter how fiercely the human race bickered over power internally, it was still an internal human affair, and a compromise could always be reached. The demon race was entirely different; their mindset and cultivation methods diverged drastically from those of humans, leaving almost no room for compatibility.

Humans and demons stood in staunch opposition, each viewing the other as their greatest enemy.

That Venerable Kun was even permitted to enter the mountain gates of the Pure Yang Sect was entirely due to his relatively moderate stance toward humans and his substantial contributions during the affairs at the Sacrificial Altar; had it been any other demon, they would likely have been driven away long ago.

A brief clarification: the Myriad Demon Abyss, headed by Chihuang, was not composed of true demons, but rather of demon cultivators.

Demon cultivators referred to humans who possessed a trace of demon bloodline. The physical characteristics of the demon race on them were so minimal as to be practically negligible. When all was said and done, they were still members of the human race. The only difference was that while cultivating human techniques, they did not discard the cultivation of their inherent demonic talents, making them somewhat stronger in the same realm than ordinary human cultivators and pure demons. It was precisely because of this that the Myriad Demon Abyss—despite not having an overwhelming numerical advantage—was able to become a regional overlord.

Yet, precisely because of their minuscule demon bloodline, they were not looked upon favorably in the eyes of the righteous path. They were merely considered a subset of humanity, and the righteous sects kept their distance from them.

The Demonic Path, however, was different. Since they could accept dark and sinister sects like the Ghost God Sect and the Corpse Burial Sect, they naturally had no qualms about accepting demon cultivators. Thus, demon cultivators became a crucial component of the Demonic Path.

Because of this, among the apex powerhouses of the human race, the demon cultivation experts led by Chihuang were not ostracized.

Demon cultivators held an innate sense of affinity toward the demon race—at the very least, they would not fight to the death upon a single encounter—making them crucial bridges of communication between humans and demons.

When Wang Li first laid eyes on the Venerable, he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

After an explanation from Old Sheng, he realized that Venerable Kun was none other than the colossal entity he had encountered in the depths of the ocean years ago.

Venerable Kun's true form was an extremely rare Kunpeng, though his bloodline was impure and fell short of divine beast status. Nevertheless, his innate talent was exceptional, and reaching the peak of the Heavenly Immortal Realm was no mean feat.

According to Old Sheng, a demon of Venerable Kun's caliber would be nothing more than a dish on the dining table for certain big shots in the prime world.

Though his words carried a clear undertone of looking down on Venerable Kun, Old Sheng still reminded Wang Li to maintain a good relationship with him, as he might prove immensely helpful in the future.

"How am I supposed to build a good relationship with him? Just with empty words?"

Wang Li asked.

"A demon's cultivation relies heavily on their bloodline. I happen to have a technique here that can purify bloodlines. Hand it to him, and I guarantee his favorable impression of you will multiply."

Wang Li glanced over the technique produced by Old Sheng; it bore no grade and exhibited no distinct attributes.

"Why does this technique look so similar to my own? They both focus primarily on the physical body. Are you certain that physical cultivation can purify bloodline?"

Wang Li asked curiously, "Besides, with all the techniques you have stored away, wouldn't it be simpler to just give me one superior to my current one instead of making me synthesize it myself? That's entirely redundant."

Old Sheng retorted huffily, "Which top-tier powerhouse hasn't created their own technique? If you cultivate someone else's technique, the absolute furthest you can reach is that person's level. Only by creating your own technique can you break through to higher realms. Don't you even understand such a simple truth?"

Fine, Wang Li conceded defeat.

Old Sheng had never once backed down on the matter of techniques.

They proceeded to discuss how to utilize the undersea burial grounds to establish a karmic power collection system with Venerable Kun.

"Fellow Daoist, the undersea burial grounds are a forbidden zone for the Sea Demon Clan. I cannot make this decision alone and must return to consult with the other elders."

Venerable Kun stated, "Aside from using the undersea burial grounds, are there any other methods to establish this karmic power collection system?"

He was always straightforward, voicing his doubts right then and there.

The undersea burial grounds were a closely guarded secret of the Sea Demon Clan; if they were opened for all demon clans to use, it would inevitably provoke the discontent of his own people. He certainly didn't want to miss out on the grand feast of sentient beings' karmic power over this matter.

"Not for the moment. I am still searching for loopholes in the world's rules, and I have no idea when I will be able to completely shed my reliance on the sacred artifacts."

Wang Li spoke frankly: "This issue requires internal coordination on your end. If you fear opposition within the Sea Demon Clan, I can give you something that might make them compromise."

What thing?

Venerable Kun remained silent, staring intently at Wang Li.

Being stared at by this burly man standing over a zhang tall made Wang Li feel quite uncomfortable. Not wanting to waste time, he directly brought up the matter of the cultivation technique.

"This is a technique capable of purifying bloodlines. Fellow Daoist can give it a try. I cannot guarantee how miraculous it is, but it is certainly far superior to the technique you currently practice, and it is even more suited for cultivators of the Sea Demon Clan."

Wang Li transmitted the technique over to Venerable Kun.

Venerable Kun merely attempted to circulate it for a single cycle before discovering the profound marvel of the technique.

For the Sea Demon Clan, there were only two ways to elevate their bloodline: one was to temper their bodies using the cultivation methods passed down through their lineage, and the other was to constantly reshape their physical structures using the immense pressure of the deep ocean.

Both methods possessed irreparable flaws.

The inherited techniques could only allow them to reach the realm of their forebears, and pushing any further depended entirely on sheer luck.

Using oceanic pressure was only effective for demon cultivators below the Earth Immortal Realm; once that realm was attained, the pressure of the sea completely lost its effect on them.