Chapter 178: Resolving His Heart, Four Nascent Soul Fragments

Ling Shuxian’s brow twitched slightly as she spoke in a low voice, “What protection? That monster devours two children every ten days! Protection? Only those ignorant barbarians would worship it as a deity.”

Yu Xian’s expression stiffened slightly.

A monster that eats children… such a thing should be slain…

But who truly knows whether that’s the truth?

After all, the Great Elm Tree from before had never harmed anyone in the village.

On the contrary, it had saved the villagers countless times from droughts and floods.

And yet, in the end, it was branded a demon, blamed for all the droughts in the county, and destroyed.

It was all just an excuse, a pretext cloaked in righteous justification.

Just like now—these seven Golden Core cultivators who came to “slay the demon”—they weren’t here to protect anyone. They were after the Nascent Soul fragments and the demon’s blood and core.

Killing the demon for eating people? That was just a convenient excuse.

Seeing Yu Xian’s faintly melancholic look, Ling Shuxian frowned in confusion.

What’s that look supposed to mean? Regret? Guilt? Does he think we’re robbing someone?

They had come to kill a demon, seize its core, and obtain Nascent Soul fragments. This was an opportunity—a great fortune. Why the long face?

Shouldn’t he be thrilled like the other Foundation Establishment disciples? Look at them—each one has stars in their eyes.

Does he have a screw loose?

How did someone like him reach mid-stage Foundation Establishment?

Has he never heard the phrase “Humans and demons cannot coexist”?

Humans need demon cores and blood to refine pills, forge weapons, cultivate, and grow stronger.

Demons, in turn, desire human flesh and blood for the same reason.

Humans are the noblest of all life—our blood is the most nourishing!

So from ancient times until now, demons eat people, and people kill demons.

It’s always been a kill-or-be-killed relationship.

But now, Yu Xian had changed.

Gone was the youthful obsession that once burned in him.

He had grown, become more insightful, and now understood this simple truth clearly.

Still… even if what that elder did wasn’t technically wrong—killing a powerful tree demon for its core, a path any cultivator would take—it didn’t matter.

Because he killed his Elm Mother!

Of all the demons he could’ve slain, he had to kill her?

Even if the Jade Emperor himself came down, Yu Xian would never forgive it!

This grudge must be avenged.

And just like that, the heart demon that had lingered in him for years shattered.

He no longer needed any lofty justifications—his desire for revenge was enough.

He would kill not for justice, not for profit, but simply to avenge Elm Mother.

His gaze grew firm.

Yes, humans and demons may be eternally at odds.

But he had resolved something within himself: he would never kill good-hearted demons like his Elm Mother.

Only evil demons deserve death!

With that stone in his heart finally laid to rest, Yu Xian smiled lightly and bowed toward Ling Shuxian. “Many thanks for the guidance, Senior.”

Ling Shuxian gave him a glance. Her confusion faded. She said no more.

“Alright then,” Fang Jue said, waving his hand. “Let’s wait for the battle six days from now.”

He stepped aside, found a clean spot, and sat down cross-legged.

The other Golden Core cultivators followed suit, each picking a place to rest and conserve their energy for the upcoming fight.

Even though the demon’s strength was sealed under the Heaven-Earth Grand Ban, making it no stronger than mid-stage Golden Core, the seven weren’t going to take chances.

The six Foundation Establishment disciples also sat in meditation by their respective seniors—except Mo Yao, who was skipping around, collecting rare herbs from the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Seeing no one stopped her, she eventually got bored, sat down, and began to cultivate.

Six days passed in a flash.

On the seventh day, an oppressive atmosphere descended. Even Yu Xian felt his cultivation suppressed—his strength dropped by a third.

Dark clouds covered the sky, and a suffocating pressure filled the world.

The Heaven-Earth Grand Ban had arrived.

This was the once-in-a-century catastrophe where demons were purged from the land.

In a world where beasts vastly outnumbered humans—by factors of tens, hundreds, millions—it was this suppression and humanity’s superior cultivation that kept humans on top.

Birds, beasts, scaled and shelled creatures—only a tiny fraction became demons. But if all had the chance, wouldn’t the world belong to monsters by now?

Yet across the five continents, humans ruled. Only the endless oceans were domain to the demon races.

Why?

One reason: humans were the lords of all life, with incredible talent.

And second: the Heaven-Earth Grand Ban.

A catastrophe that suppressed demonic growth at key turning points—right as they gained intelligence or neared transformation.

A thunderous rumble rolled across the sky as a lightning dragon slithered through the clouds.

Boom!

Thunder crashed down!

The seventh day had come.

Any demon that dared show itself today would face destruction by divine retribution.

Fang Jue opened his eyes, sharp light flashing within them.

The others followed, gazing toward the distant Yangman Tribe.

He said to the disciples, “Most of the Nascent Soul fragments will be in the demon’s nest. But a few may be scattered throughout the tribal grounds. Your task isn’t to fight the demon—that’s ours. Your job is to search the area for any leftover fragments. Whoever finds one, keeps it.”

So that’s why they were brought here.

Yu Xian now understood—this was an opportunity granted to them by their seniors.

The disciples wouldn’t be fighting. The barbarians posed no threat. But any Nascent Soul fragment found would be a massive windfall.

Even Ling Shuxian’s constant bragging now made sense. She had done him a real favor.

At that, Fang Jue stood and shouted, “Let’s go!”

“GO!”

All seven Golden Core cultivators erupted with power, their auras no longer suppressed.

Boom!

They soared like thunderbolts toward the heart of the Yangman Tribe.

A terrifying three-tailed fox-wolf demon emerged, roaring in fury!

“Let’s move!”

The Foundation Establishment disciples sprang into action, rushing toward the tribe in search of their fortunes.

Yu Xian used his Cloud-Stepping Technique, trailing just behind the others—not the fastest, but far from the slowest.

Soon, the central tree came into view—and the battlefield became a thunderstorm of spell-light and demonic howls.

The demon fought fiercely, releasing thunder and fire from its tails, spewing fireballs from its mouth.

Even under the Grand Ban, it rivaled mid-stage Golden Core cultivators.

The seniors didn’t hold back. Treasured artifacts flew, full spells cast, leaving no room for mistakes.

In the distance, Mo Yao’s eyes sparkled.

“Wow, such a big fox! So pretty! I wish I could have it as a mount!”

Yu Xian twitched.

The others smirked or sneered.

What a foolish young lady.

That beast was a peak-grade monster. If it reached Nascent Soul, it could even take human form.

Make it a mount? Utterly ridiculous.

Well… unless her Nascent Soul grandfather showed up and forcefully sealed the beast for her. Then maybe.

Meanwhile, Yu Xian quietly searched the area.

Soon, he found a small shard glowing with spiritual light. The moment it touched his hand, a wave of enlightenment flooded his mind.

A Nascent Soul fragment!

He didn’t need anyone to explain. He knew.

He saw a faint glimpse of some profound insight—an echo from the Nascent Soul expert who once owned this piece.

Though only the size of a fingernail, even one percent of that expert’s comprehension was a century’s worth of cultivation!

He stored the fragment in his pouch and pressed on.

By the time the search was nearly over, Yu Xian had collected four fragments.

Others smiled too—clearly, no one walked away empty-handed.

But they had no time to admire each other’s gains. Above them, the real battle raged.

The fox-wolf demon was heavily wounded, bleeding, but still dangerous.

It was a rare ancient beast—a remnant of the Primordial Age.

Mo Yao clapped her hands. “So cute! I want it!”

Everyone ignored her.

But suddenly, the beast’s blood-red eyes locked onto the seven Foundation Establishment disciples below.

A golden chance—it could devour them to regain power and escape!

Yu Xian’s eyes flashed—he bolted back without a second thought.

“Die!”

“Outsiders deserve no mercy.”

“Move!”

The others hurled magic or weapons, blasting through the tribal defenders like insects.

Mo Yao hesitated, then cried out, “Don’t come near me! I don’t want to hurt you!”

But when hundreds of barbarians surrounded her, she screamed and finally lashed out, her silk-ribbon weapons sending foes flying, blood splattering the earth.

Yu Xian, meanwhile, remained calm.

He used his vine techniques to knock attackers unconscious—painful, but not fatal.

As the chaos deepened, Yu Xian moved steadily, scanning the earth with his spirit sense.

Suddenly—he paused.

Something was buried a meter underground. Something brimming with spiritual light.

Another fragment?

He had no way of knowing until he saw it.

The vines dove in, grasped it, and pulled it up—

A fingernail-sized shard, glowing like colored glass.

Another Nascent Soul fragment.