Chapter 193: Opening the Self to the Dragon Demon Body

It’s simple to say, but in reality, it’s very difficult.

The Dao Heart Seed Demon Art was like a guiding beacon, correcting the somewhat chaotic aura in Qin Haoxuan’s body. Under its guidance, the yin energy flowed through his meridians for a full cycle. After this cycle was complete, he felt a faint trace of yin energy remain in his body. This energy no longer needed the guidance of the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art; he could now command it freely according to the method of the Advent of the Ghost God.

As the yin energy was born within him, the aura of the surrounding area instantly turned sinister, and a thick, gloomy feeling permeated the air. This was the sign of having successfully entered the first level of the art. The most difficult threshold had been overcome with ease. Qin Haoxuan himself had never expected it to be so smooth. Once he began circulating his energy with this method, he couldn’t stop. Time passed unknowingly, and he cultivated for an entire night.

Xing looked at him in disbelief. The energy circulation method of the Advent of the Ghost God was the complete opposite of a cultivator’s. How could he just dive in and cultivate for a whole night?

It wasn’t until the sky showed the pale light of dawn that Qin Haoxuan completed his final cycle. A faint yin-cold energy had formed within his body. Although it was weak, it was many times stronger than the initial trace. It resided in his sea of qi, as quiet as a small flame, neither flickering nor extinguishing. With this, he had successfully cultivated the first level of the Advent of the Ghost God.

When he opened his eyes, Xing was looking at him with a concerned expression. He had thought that after such a long time, he must have made no progress and was about to offer a few words of comfort.

“I’ve succeeded in cultivating the first level,” Qin Haoxuan said.

Xing, who had been about to console him, was left with his mouth agape, speechless for a long moment. “Holy crap, you’re a monster! Even for a genius from the Netherworld like me, this art would take at least a month to learn! How the hell did you master it in one day? Even an Unsurpassed Purple Seed from your cultivator world couldn’t possibly be this fast, yet you reached the first level in a single night? Impossible! This is impossible!”

Although his face was full of disbelief, his expression betrayed him. He believed it. In truth, there was no reason not to. Qin Haoxuan had no reason to lie about such a thing.

The Advent of the Ghost God was similar to a demonic art, and drawing ghosts into one’s body was supposed to reduce one’s lifespan. An ordinary cultivator would not only have their lifespan shortened but would also find it extremely difficult to succeed. The reason Xing had dared to let him cultivate it was because he knew he practiced the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art, which theoretically would prevent any loss of lifespan. Xing had never expected him to succeed, let alone so quickly.

Of course, neither of them knew that the Immortal-Demon Seed was slowly beginning to display its power. If not for it, mastering the first level in a single night would have been nothing more than a fool’s dream.

Now that he had succeeded, the next step was refining. But it was already daytime, which was unsuitable for the process. The souls in the jade vial were too weak. To refine them in the bright yang energy of the day would harm them, resulting in a weak ghost soldier.

After his success with the art, the next step was to create a ghost soldier. But it was now daytime, and the souls in the jade vial were too weak to be refined in the strong yang energy without being damaged. He would have to wait.

Just then, Su Wu came to the outside of his tent and kowtowed. “Reporting to the High Immortal, the enemy’s immortal was slain by you last night. Their morale is now at its lowest. I would like to seize this opportunity to launch a surprise attack. What do you think?”

Qin Haoxuan said, “The affairs of you mortals are for you to decide.”

“Yes!” After receiving his approval, Su Wu immediately returned to his own tent and mobilized his troops. The morale of the enemy army, now without their immortal protector, was at an all-time low. In contrast, Su Wu’s army was full of fighting spirit. At the front of the battle line, he roared, “Their immortal has been slain by ours! Brothers, it is time for our revenge! Fight without fear! With our own High Immortal watching over us, our victory is certain!”

“Our victory is certain! Our victory is certain!” the soldiers roared in unison.

“Charge!” Su Wu, brandishing his silver spear, led his spearmen at the very front. They had been suppressed by the enemy for days, and their hearts were filled with a burning rage. Their thunderous charge shattered the enemy’s morale, and many of their soldiers threw down their weapons and fled. In a short time, Zhao Pu’s army was routed, and Zhao Pu himself was pierced through by Su Wu’s spear, dying on the spot.

After the enemy was defeated, Su Wu came to Qin Haoxuan’s tent again. “By the grace of the High Immortal, the enemy has been defeated. Shall we advance or remain here?”

Qin Haoxuan looked at Xing. “Do you think it’s safer to go or to stay?”

Xing shrugged, indicating it didn’t matter. “As long as you’re mixed in with the army, Master Chi Lian won’t be able to find you. But if you leave, it’s hard to say.”

Qin Haoxuan sighed softly and said in a loud voice, “General Su, you may decide on the army’s movements.”

After receiving his permission, Su Wu immediately gave the order to break camp and advance. Qin Haoxuan had no choice but to go with them.

“Aigh, how long will this life of fleeing last?” he said to Xing, unable to hold it in any longer.

Xing, who was sitting comfortably in a carriage, said, “We can leave after the tracking spell on you has worn off. It’s only the first day, and you’re already losing your patience? I see that General Su is treating you like an ancestor, serving you with the utmost respect. You should be enjoying it!”

Qin Haoxuan rolled his eyes at him. “To have to constantly face enemy cultivators and be careful not to leave any tracks, lest I be discovered by Master Chi Lian, this kind of life is like walking on thin ice. Only a ghost would enjoy it.”

Xing chuckled mischievously. “As long as you teach me the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art, after I’ve cultivated it and recovered my strength, never mind the enemy’s cultivators; I won’t even be afraid of that Spirit Tree Realm Master Chi Lian!”

Qin Haoxuan didn’t bother to reply. This fellow never strayed far from his main topic, constantly scheming to get his hands on the art.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Xing persisted shamelessly. “Or you could just teach me the Dragon Demon Golden Body. With my aptitude, it wouldn’t take long to cultivate. After I’ve mastered it, I can help you fend off that old fellow Chi Lian.”

Qin Haoxuan was silent for a long moment, just staring at Xing, which made his skin crawl.

“What are you looking at? It’s the middle of the night. Don’t look at me with those eyes… it’s creepy, you know?” Xing instinctively took two steps back.

Qin Haoxuan sighed. “If I teach you the Dragon Demon Golden Body, how long will it take you to master it?”

“If I’m lucky, a year or two? If not, maybe ten or eight years? Or a hundred? It won’t take a thousand, will it?” Xing calculated on his fingers. “You know, the things in the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art are all top-tier. Even for a genius demon like me…”

“Alright…” Qin Haoxuan cut off his boasting in time. “Then it seems teaching you won’t be of any immediate use, will it?”

“How could it be useless?” Xing leaped up. “I may not be able to master it, but I can at least achieve a minor completion, can’t I? You should know how heavy that old thing Chi Lian’s sword is, right? The last time, even when I turned into a shield, I was almost split in two! If he hits me a few more times, I’ll really be killed! If I have the Dragon Demon Golden Body, when I turn into a shield, I can at least hold on for a little longer…”

“Then if I teach you… you won’t cause trouble everywhere?” Qin Haoxuan confirmed again.

“Damn it! The thing I hate most about you is this nagging!” Xing plopped down on the ground, displeased. “Fine! I promise you, I will not use the Dragon Demon Golden Body to do anything you don’t like, alright?”

“Alright! It’s a deal!”

“I’m so impressed with you…” Xing held his forehead and muttered, “What did I owe you in my past life? Why can’t I do anything about you? If you were a beautiful demoness, I could understand. I must have taken a fancy to you!”

“Are you done?” Qin Haoxuan interrupted his muttering. “Are you going to learn or not?”

“I’m done! I’ll learn! Whatever you say is right!” Xing turned to look at him. “Come on! I’m ready!”

Qin Haoxuan adjusted his spiritual sense. With his recent practice, he could now use it to transmit information directly to another person’s mind, completely eliminating the possibility of being overheard.

Xing opened himself up completely, ready to receive what Qin Haoxuan was giving him.