Chapter Ninety-Six: Divergence

The air was heavy with fragrant mist, and the sound of flowing water murmured softly. Thin wisps of smoke drifted from the crevices of the palace chambers, the damp haze appearing to caress the face, delicate, undulating, and pure as jade.

"You wish to test me?"

Chen Heng had long since shifted his fetal breath to the attributes of the "Gold Ingot True Qi" at the Qi-refining stage. His entire being radiated a sharp, metallic essence, so piercing that even the movement of his gaze seemed to strike sparks like a whetstone against a blade—clanging, formidable, and overwhelming to the senses. His vital energy and essence had also been significantly obscured by the "Scattered Scenery and Form-Concealing Technique," leaving only half of his true capacity.

At this moment, he appeared to be nothing more than a talented prodigy from a minor sect. While his external aura was spirited and unrestrained, it lacked the foundational depth of a true orthodox school. Had a cultivator of profound attainment been present, a single glance would have sufficed to see that this was merely a facade of strength covering internal weakness—like a pillar built within a wall or crude brick from a kiln, clearly lacking the true lineage of the Great Dao. Though he might display a moment of grandeur, it would not last. Having never been tempered by water and fire, nor honed by the biting cold and scorching heat, he would crumble at the first sign of a torrential storm or a rising tide. His foundations were fragile; he was destined to miss the path to supreme immortality.

In fact, the talented disciples of those minor sects—such as Zhou Xingling of the White Crane Cave, Qin Xian of the Blood Lotus Sect, or Yan Zhen of the Xuanzhen Sect—all wore such masks. Between each of the nine ranks and thirty-six grades of True Qi, there lay a world of difference. For disciples of great sects versus those of minor ones, the divergence began at the very first step of the Qi-refining method, opening a chasm as vast as the sky.

Ever since he perceived the ulterior motives of the Master of Huaiwu Cave, Chen Heng had consistently presented himself with the attributes of the Xuanzhen Sect’s "Gold Ingot True Qi," masking the inner reality of his "Primordial Origin True Qi." Even when battling the Blood Lotus Sect cultivators within the cave, he had deliberately suppressed his aura to prevent any leakage. Otherwise, he would not have needed to rely on his "Primordial Jade Body"; his fetal breathing technique alone, comparable to ordinary True Qi, would have been more than enough.

...

Chen Heng’s gaze flickered. Though he remained vigilant, the arrow was already on the string; he had to let it fly. Hesitation might unnecessarily arouse the suspicion of the Cave Master and ruin his grand plan. Thus, after a pause of a few breaths, he flickered his sleeves and strode forward.

Just as he was about to part the doors of the palace, one of the attendants—the leader, a woman with a delicate pear-blossom makeup and a charming, captivating face—suddenly bowed gracefully and spoke to him.

"Honored guest, please wait a moment."

Chen Heng stopped and glanced at her, remaining silent.

"Please allow us sisters to change our attire before we attend to your bathing."

The woman, who appeared to be in her twenties, had skin white as snow and lips like cinnabar. Unlike the other attendants, she wore a brilliant, luminous pearl at her waist; its ripples of light marked her status as different. She cast a bashful, provocative glance at Chen Heng, her eyes swirling with a bewitching allure, and laughed softly:

"My name is Green Pearl. I wonder what style of clothing the honored guest prefers? My sisters and I can change into them to serve you and provide your entertainment. Also—"

"I require no one to serve me."

Before Green Pearl could finish, Chen Heng interrupted with icy indifference:

"The Cave Master’s lecture is imminent. Within the grounds of a senior, how could I indulge in carnal pleasures with his attendants? Withdraw at once, and say no more!"

"Honored guest, there is no disrespect intended. Having us attend to you is a specific instruction from our Master, it is—"

Seeing the cooked duck about to fly away, Green Pearl grew anxious. Disregarding decorum, she reached out to grab his sleeve. But the moment her jade-like fingers moved, she caught the cold, expressionless look in Chen Heng's eyes. Instantly, she felt as if her skin were being flayed by knives, a sharp, unbearable pain. A cold sweat broke out over her body, and she stood frozen, as if stalked by a predatory beast. When she finally regained her composure, she realized her clothes were soaked with sweat and her makeup was ruined.

"...It seems my humble appearance is unworthy of the honored guest's notice, or perhaps your tastes differ? You have no love for women?"

This was the first time in her life she had been rejected so bluntly. A flush of red and white alternated on Green Pearl's face. Finally, she forced a laugh and flicked a wooden tablet. In the distance, a pavilion suddenly opened, and a group of beautiful men draped in light gauze emerged. They were painted with feminine makeup and dressed audaciously, their chests exposed, waiting for Green Pearl’s call to approach.

"Honored guest—"

Green Pearl barely managed a smile, about to inquire again, but saw Chen Heng turn away, his expression unmoved. With a soft click of the door, he vanished.

...

Her face grew hideous, and she gnashed her teeth, her charming features twisting in fury. After a long while, she flicked the wooden tablet again, driving the men back into the pavilion, and walked away in silence.

Only after entering a side hall and having the attendants shut the doors did Green Pearl tear the ink paintings on the walls to shreds, smash plates of fine porcelain, and let out a series of screams to vent her frustration.

"Sister, this man is destined to be refined into a demonic thrall by the Mistress today, just like us. Why are you so anxious? Why waste your anger?" A fellow attendant held her hand and urged, "Once he becomes a demon-citizen, he will naturally be a creature of burning desire and suppressed emotions. Sister, you are a 'Red-Makeup Demon' born of the Mistress's own heart-blood; your nature is far above his. If you want him to do something, can he possibly refuse? By then, let alone his bed, even if you wanted him to bark like a dog and beg at your feet, would that be difficult?"

These words made the other women cover their mouths to hide their smirks, and Green Pearl’s expression finally eased, revealing a faint, shallow smile. She reached up to adjust half of her face, which had begun to peel and hang loosely against her cheek. Carefully, she stepped before a mirror and applied several layers of waxy, greasy ointment to stick it back in place, covering the maggots and rot beneath and masking the foul stench.

"You are right! I am a Red-Makeup Demon born of the Mistress’s heart-blood, destined to bear the young master's heirs. My nature is surely far above his; he cannot defy me!" Green Pearl gave a cold laugh and pressed firmly on the reattached skin. "In my rage, I nearly tore this perfect facade. That was my mistake."

She issued an order, and several colorfully dressed attendants returned with a few sturdy, robust men. These men did not resist; though they were tall and filled with vital blood, their faces were vacant and joyful, saliva dripping from their mouths as if they had lost their minds, leaving them to be toyed with at will.

"It is a pity that I have not been born for long; I can only feed on mortals and those with fetal breath, not Qi-refiners." Green Pearl sighed inwardly. The most critical ingredient for the advancement of a Red-Makeup Demon was human essence, regardless of gender. Once enough was harvested, the blood-elixir would be complete. But she was still newly born, and even the faint fetal breath of a low-level practitioner was hard for her to digest, let alone a true Qi-refiner.

"Once I ascend, the Master and Mistress will surely value me more. Both my Red-Makeup Demon form and the young master’s Strength-Strange Demon are no common lot. To put my mind at ease, they should grant me a few small requests."

As she mused, Green Pearl climbed onto the bed, beckoned one of the sturdy men over, and lowered the gauze curtains, thinking: *Although that man just now was rude, he was incredibly beautiful! It made my heart race! I wish I could have enjoyed him on the spot! Still, it won't be easy to keep him by my side... I fear the Mistress might also take a liking to him and fight me for him; that would be a headache!*

With a heart full of restless thoughts, the bed shook violently, the sounds of gasping rising and falling.

In less than a hundred breaths, a figure was flung out from behind the deep-green gauze curtains, rolling across the floor until hitting the threshold.

By then, the man who had been as sturdy as a lion was reduced to a fragile sack of skin stretched over bone. His breath was thin as a thread, his skin translucent as a cicada's wing, revealing the squirming, dark-red organs within. In just a few dozen breaths, he seemed to have aged sixty years, his hair white, until, with one short gasp, his head lolled to the side, and he went silent forever.

The next moment, amidst Green Pearl's satisfied laughter, another man was lifted off the ground, flying uncontrollably toward the bed.

While the red curtains swayed, Chen Heng, now dressed in new robes, continued toward the altar of the Master of Huaiwu Cave, guided by other attendants.

"Just now, a divine sense scanned you repeatedly. Judging by that evil aura, it was nine-tenths likely to be that 'Wicked-Resentment Yin-Victory Demon'... Fortunately, you concealed your fetal breath well with the Scattered Scenery and Form-Concealing Technique, or you would have been in trouble!" The voice of Ancestor Fu Can suddenly echoed in his mind. "Why bathe and change first? I see it now! It was clearly out of fear that you were wearing inner armor or carrying some hidden protection! Not only that, even your Qiankun bag was scanned inside and out; all your secrets are exposed!"

"Can a Heavenly Demon truly inspect the contents of a Qiankun bag?" Chen Heng asked in surprise, communicating via telepathy.

"It’s no surprise. Heavenly Demons are locust-like creatures of the void, and that was an 'Wicked-Resentment Yin-Victory Demon' at that. Although the Qiankun bag is a low-grade talismanic vessel with internal space, it is crude and cannot hide from such eyes." Ancestor Fu Can laughed heartily. "You are currently penniless, aside from those few combat talismans, you truly have nothing else! Rest assured, that stupid demon certainly won't recognize the true utility of those talismans and won't suspect a thing!"

"Is there no way to—"

"Once you achieve the Purple Mansion, you can store items within it. That is a world created by heaven itself, impossible to spy upon!" Before Chen Heng could finish, Ancestor Fu Can guessed his thoughts and explained helplessly: "Besides, the one scanning your bag was a Heavenly Demon; only the cream of that locust crop has such power! If it were that Master of Huaiwu Cave, he wouldn't see a damn thing. Don't be so paranoid, you boy, suspecting everyone!"

Chen Heng fell into deep thought. Along the way, the two chatted aimlessly. Ancestor Fu Can was immensely curious about the relationship between Chen Heng and Wei Lingjiang, repeatedly trying to dig for the truth. But the man before him was tight-lipped, and no matter how the Ancestor probed, he could learn nothing. This made Ancestor Fu Can’s face turn from green to purple, then purple to green, until he finally gave up in frustration.

"It’s a pity you aren't rotting in a prison, boy. Your mouth is so tight that even torture wouldn't pry it open!" Ancestor Fu Can grumbled, just about to continue, when he suddenly frowned and fell silent.

"Stop communicating. We’ve reached their territory..."

With that final remark, he went dormant.

Chen Heng looked up. In the distance stood a bright yellow palace with four doors wide open, appearing empty. In the center stood an altar made of water-jade, about thirty-three feet high. Seated atop it was a tall, stern-looking old Daoist in orderly robes—the Master of Huaiwu Cave. Below the altar, three apricot-yellow prayer mats were arranged, two of which were already occupied.

"Honored guest, please."

The attendant who led him there gave Chen Heng a deep look, smiled inexplicably, and retreated.

"Greetings to the Cave Master, and to you two fellow Daoists."

Chen Heng did not hesitate; he flicked his sleeves, walked to the altar, and performed a graceful obeisance.

"Little fellow Daoist, you look in excellent spirits. Very good, very good." The Master of Huaiwu Cave flicked his whisk, paused slightly, and smiled. "No need for formalities. Please, take your seat."

"Daoist, you have arrived. Please, please." The two on the mats did not dare to be negligent, quickly standing to return the greeting with great respect...

Because Yuan Yangsheng had sensed something amiss and escaped early using a Flying-Lu Fruit, his vacant seat had been filled by a Qi-refiner from the Blood Lotus Sect. Chen Heng, the itinerant cultivator Lu Yu, and the Blood Lotus Sect practitioner were the first three to have the fortune of hearing this lecture.

After the exchange of greetings, they sat without further pleasantries. After a few opening remarks, the Master of Huaiwu Cave did not waste time, diving straight into the topic. With a slight smile, he began to elucidate a profound Daoist technique involving the use of armor to shift forms and substitute death.

Like clouds and rain, the flowers fell in profusion. Talismans, Qi-harvesting, pill arrays, spirit-refining, puppets... He spoke of the abstruse and debated the Dao. The Master of Huaiwu Cave held nothing back, as if determined to impart everything, his voice ringing like gold and jade. For a Dongxuan-level master to share his insights was a monumental opportunity, even for disciples of great sects, let alone itinerant cultivators.

The audience below was spellbound, immersed so deeply they lost track of time.

Half an hour passed in silence. Suddenly, Chen Heng’s heart spiked with alarm, and he opened his eyes. The warm, steady voice of the Master of Huaiwu Cave still echoed, now discussing the refining methods of the Great Treasure Yellow Pill. Lu Yu and the Blood Lotus Sect practitioner were listening with rapt attention, eyes closed in concentration.

But to Chen Heng, the seemingly ordinary pill formula began to sound increasingly absurd and grotesque.

Blood rivers, corpse wax, skulls, rotting flies...

The sound of shrieking emerged from nowhere, growing louder and louder! Finally, the void before him parted like a translucent curtain. A skinned, bloody corpse screamed as it squeezed into the reality of the world, lunging forward with open arms to embrace him!