Way of the Devil

“This bunch of… This bunch of… good-for-nothings…” Mu Yun was not even bold enough to curse them in secret. The notable True Lords of the Vital Energy Sect would instantly detect it if someone was cursing them behind their backs.

This was especially true since he was a Wicked Cultivator. The possibility of him being detected was even higher.

After he vented his frustration, Mu Yun gritted his teeth and returned to his abode.

The deeper parts of the abode was a quiet, beautiful, vintage, and clean environment. One cave led to another. Stalactites hung from the ceiling and formed a forest, and strange rock formations could be seen everywhere.

In the deepest cave was a black rock hall that was slightly modified. The walls and floor were covered and smoothened out with special ice-cold rock slates. There were all kinds of furniture, such as a wooden couch, bookshelves, and a deck chair.

The other rooms connected to this hall were the Cultivation Room, Tribulation Shelter Room, Taming Room, and others. Everything that a cultivator should have could be found here.

Mu Yun had just entered the rock hall when a boy and a girl with their hair tied in a bun atop their heads came out to greet him. “Abode Master, Taoist Bi Ling from the western Thousand Flourish Island has sent a messenger talisman.”

“Bring it to me.” Mu Yun felt that his thoughts were in chaos. He heard that the Fated Child was only about seventeen or eighteen years of age. He was a Wicked Path elite who was more than three hundred years old, yet he was forced to entrust his cultivation base of three lifetimes to a teenager. He even had to follow the script and beg for the kid’s mercy.

When he thought of this, flames of anger flared up within him again. He had the urge to kill that so-called Fated Child.

However, he knew full well that quite a number of old monsters would be lingering around the Fated Child in secret. The elites of the Righteous Path would definitely not allow the Fated Child to be in any dangerous situation.

He suppressed the anger, and remembered about Taoist Bi Ling who wrote to him. This person had the same fate as him: the Righteous Path was threatening them to surrender their most prized treasure to the Fated Child. Otherwise, they would be captured as steeds and their Inner Core would be destroyed.

He had written an invitation to this Taoist Bi Ling to discuss this important matter together.

Mu Yun drew a deep breath. His Inner Core circulated, and all distracting thoughts were immediately suppressed. He received the messenger talisman from the child and checked the message within it by sending out his thoughts.

Currently, he had thirteen islands under his command, and a hundred disciples under him. Among his disciples, there were about 30 Foundation Building cultivators. In the overseas Cultivator World, this was already a formidable force.

If he could partner up with the Inner Core elite Taoist Bi Ling, and combine his strength with the seventeen islands and more than 40 Foundation Building elites on Bi Ling’s side, they could perhaps join forces and search for Senior Nine Dragon True Lord in the deep sea and come up with a way of fighting against the Vital Energy Sect.

In the Cultivator World, there were four tiers, namely Qi Cultivating, Foundation Building, Inner Core, and Divine Soul. The Divine Soul tier was the most powerful existence in the entire Cultivator World.

Every tier was divided into differing amounts of stages of different sizes. Mu Yun himself was at Inner Core Early Stage. After that would be Inner Core Middle Stage, Late Stage, and Complete. After he endured the Seventh Tribulation, he would be at Divine Soul Early Stage.

Nine Dragon True Lord was a mainstay in the overseas Cultivator World. He was a great cultivator who managed to cultivate to the Divine Soul tier in this barren overseas region. He was much more powerful than the great cultivators inland.

The Vital Energy Sect wanted to extend its tendrils from the inland to the overseas region, but they had to go through him first. Although Nine Dragon True Lord rarely involved himself in these affairs as most of his time was spent sleeping, he would not back off if it was a crucial problem.

With these thoughts in his mind, Mu Yun slowly started to read the contents of the messenger talisman.

He almost regretted reading it, for when he did, he felt as if thunder erupted in his heart. He even felt as if his head was struck by lightning as his ears buzzed. For a time, he could not hear anything, and even his thoughts ceased to move.

Taoist Mu Yun stood there with a blank expression. He was known to have mood swings and he frequently hit, cursed, and killed people. His greatest peeve was being disturbed by others. Hence, after the two children presented the messenger talisman, they had fled the scene immediately. They dared not stay around him any longer than necessary. Currently, there was nobody in the rock hall. He was alone as he stood there in the center.

Nine Dragon True Lord… was assassinated by the allied forces of the Vital Energy Sect and the Mist Immortal Palace.

The information contained within the messenger talisman made him feel as if he was struck by a thunderbolt. It instantly obliterated and completely shattered Mu Yun’s final hope.

For a time, all his hopes were dashed. The Qi within his Inner Core was initially in perfect order. However, with the great fluctuation in his spirit from the shock of the news, black spots started appearing on his initially intact greenish Inner Core. These were the impurities formed by the distracting evil thoughts and the pain in his heart.

Inner Core had the inherent ability to clean its host’s heart. However, Mu Yun’s Inner Core was of the lowest grade, grade one. It could be said that he only managed to form this core under a combination of favorable conditions and after exhausting himself to the brink of collapse.

When it faced a huge change, it immediately showed the great difference it had compared to the other Inner Cores.

In truth, most of the Wicked Cultivators of the Wicked Path were like him. They made shocking progress before the Foundation Building stage, but the more advanced the stage they were at, the more limited they become. Their potential was also exhausted due to the overexertion from their forced cultivation.

When Mu Yun learned of the depressing news, the final hope and pillar of support in his heart completely crumbled as well.

Internal Demons grew within himself. Fright, cowardice, fear, worry, pain, and evasion. Various emotions were mixed up within himself.

“Click!”

The messenger talisman in Mu Yun’s hand suddenly exploded into shreds. His initially clear and bright eyes instantly turned pure pitch black from a faint green.

The pitch-black color only lingered for a brief moment. A peculiar aura lingered in the air. This peculiar aura went into the back of Mu Yun’s head in the blink of an eye. At the same time, it devoured the black Qi that was growing denser in his body.

Mu Yun stood where he was for a moment. Then, his body suddenly shook, and he snapped back to his senses.

“Oh no! Internal Demon!” He suddenly registered the change. When he saw the black spots on his Inner Core, he hastily circulated his Qi and made a seal with his Divine Awareness. He produced a small emerald vial and was about to open it to consume the medicine.

“Pcchht!”

In an instant, it was as if time had been accelerated countless times. The black spots quickly dyed his entire Inner Core black.

Mu Yun’s face was contorted. His hand that was reaching to the vial suddenly stopped. He froze there in midair.

“Oh? It seems that you’re in quite a pinch. Why don’t you let go? If you let me take over, I can help you out of this difficult situation.” An alien deep voice of a man came out of his mouth.

Mu Yun’s struggling expression grew stronger and stronger,

“You’re already at the end of your rope. Just let me take over. I am you, another you. You’ll only have a chance if you do that,” the voice spoke again.

“Have you forgotten the humiliation you’ve suffered from the Vital Energy Sect? You were like a rat that has gone down to the sewers as you fled everywhere to hide. Now, even when you’re overseas, they’re still onto you. They’re even making you a pawn to aid the Fated Child’s growth. Are you willing to accept this?”

When Mu Yun heard this, his entire body shook.

The voice was right… He was at the end of his rope. ‘Foreign Heavenly Devil… if you have a plan, then I’ll leave it to you! I’m done with living a fate such as this!’

Mu Yun’s furious and sorrowful spirit finally faltered. It faltered only for a bit, yet the black Devil Qi instantly spread throughout his Inner Core.

Silence, a silence as heavy as death.

Mu Yun slowly retracted the hand that was reaching for the vial. He took in his surroundings.

“This place isn’t too shabby. It seems that my possession this time ended up well, if I discount the terrible situation I’m currently in.”

Mu Yun, or rather the current Lu Sheng, was inspecting his surroundings with a pleased expression. He inspected his host’s cultivation base as well.

Mu Yun’s memories flashed across his mind at speed. He quickly understood the situation this host was about to face.

“A pawn, huh? Vital Energy Sect? Overseas Cultivators? Nine Dragon True Lord? Fated Child? Interesting.” The edge of his lips hooked upward slightly. He suddenly scattered the Devil Qi within his body and the Inner Core within him exploded with a poof! It scattered without leaving a trace, and was devoured by his main body which had taken over this host.

The Inner Core contained Mu Yun’s mark. He could not use it. Even if he had completely taken over his body, it would still be a hassle for him to use it. There was no other way but to destroy it.

“Let’s see. This Mu Yun’s cultivation method…”

Lu Sheng recalled the relevant part of his host’s memories, and immediately understood why Mu Yun’s Inner Core was merely a grade-one Inner Core.

This world cultivated Spirit Qi as well. It was the most legitimate world of cultivators in Lu Sheng’s memories.

Among the tiers of Qi Cultivating, Foundation Building, and Inner Core, Inner Core was the third highest tier. The Core might be divided into nine grades. Grade one, grade two, and grade three were low-grade cores, the weakest of all Inner Cores. Grades four, five, and six were middle-grade cores. In the Cultivator World, a person with a middle-grade core could be considered a peak elite of a small sect. The sects of the Wicked Path and the sect masters and patriarchs of small and middle-sized sects were mostly of this cultivation base.

Only the high-grade cores were known as Golden Cores. Only peak genius elites with shocking and unparalleled talent or cultivators from great and established sects with great luck and a huge amount of resources could possibly become peak experts such as this.

Only cultivators with high-grade Golden Cores had actual hope of making it into the Divine Soul tier. The middle-grade and low-grade core cultivators were as good as dead. They could only dream of attaining the Divine Soul tier.

Hence, Mu Yun was in an extremely awkward position. If he founded a sect, there was no way he could maintain his position, since his Inner Core was the weakest of the low-grade cores. His cultivation method was also based on Wicked Qi, and could not be displayed in public. He could not join a large sect as a guest cultivator.

Also, he was unwilling to humble himself and lord over some cultivators in a remote place.

Then, under some unfortunate turn of events, he had crossed paths with the greatest sect of the Righteous Path, the Vital Energy Sect. He was hunted down and suffered grave injuries. Feeling helpless, he fled overseas and ended up where he was now.

Lu Sheng organized Mu Yun’s memories. The Mu Yun in this world was actually one of his other selves in the countless worlds.

However, one could not expect all seeds to produce identical flowers after they were sowed. Mu Yun was completely different from him, and this was logical.

Still, the other qualities were unimportant. As long as the nature of their spirits was the same and he could assimilate him perfectly, it was enough for him.

Lu Sheng organized Mu Yun’s main cultivation method in detail. In this world where cultivation method was king, a skill formula that could lead one to greatness was the most secret tome which every cultivator dreamed of having.

Mu Yun had lived three lifetimes and reincarnated thrice. Even so, he barely managed to cultivate the orb atop his head and form his Inner Core. It could be said that he had endured countless hardships and tribulations.

“Triad Brilliant Nether Collection.” This was Mu Yun’s sole secret cultivation tome. It was also a tome of the Wicked Path which enabled him to somehow form his core.

This tome of the Wicked Path which barely enabled a cultivator to form a core should not be looked down upon. If it were left in the open, it could be the source of battles and killings among small-time cultivators. Heads would be broken and blood would be shed in the process.

Naturally, disciples of the great sects would not give something like this a second glance. However, ordinary cultivators and rogue cultivators usually planned their next step after taking one step. They had to overcome plenty of hardships for Foundation Building alone, let alone forming their Inner Cores.

Otherwise, Mu Yun would not have to cultivate for three lifetimes to form his core.

Lu Sheng organized the contents of the secret tome. Currently, his main body was hidden deep within Mu Yun’s heart. He needed time to adapt to the rules of this Other World. Hence, the only thing to rely on he had was this secret tome.

In addition, Mu Yun’s Inner Core was already impure because of the change in the body’s ownership. It had completely crumbled and turned into pure energy, which was devoured by Lu Sheng’s main body.

Currently, he was the same as an ordinary person. At best, he could pass off as a mortal whose body was nourished by Core Qi for many years.

He had to start from scratch.

Naturally, this condition did not account for his main body. However, once he used his main body before adapting to the Laws here…

A rash appearance would only end in his forced repatriation to his origin world without accomplishing anything. He would have wasted this opportunity which this crossover and possession brought.

‘It’s alright, I have Deep Blue. There’s still more than thirty thousand Mental Energy units in it. It’ll be enough.’ Lu Sheng was not flustered. With Mu Yun’s memories, he could utilize his Mental Energy and restore his Inner Core cultivation base in a few days.

However, with his nature, there was no way that he would retrace the old path and repeat the same mistakes. Although this secret tome was not bad, a grade-one Inner Core was far inferior than what he had in mind.