Demonic Cultivation: Devouring Ten Thousand Demonic Beasts
Chapter 12: Demonic energy

Chapter 12: Demonic energy

Demonic beasts...

Everyone knew they were born from ordinary animals corrupted by demonic energy.

But that led to another question—where exactly did demonic energy come from?

The most widely accepted theory was that demonic energy was a negative force, neither purely yin nor yang, but something twisted and born from corrupted minds and overwhelming negative emotions.

Thus, anyone could produce it.

Pain.

Hatred.

Grief.

Despair.

Helplessness.

Greed.

And lust...

All these emotions generated dark energy, clouding the heart and polluting the environment around it.

Of course, a normal person without cultivation could never release enough to cause true harm. Their sorrow or rage might fester, yet it would never reach the potency of genuine demonic energy.

But when tragedy struck on a massive scale—a war between great nations, a deadly clash between powerful sects, or the slaughter of an entire city...

Or when a cultivator of immense strength sank so deeply into despair that they lost all sense of self—

The consequences could be catastrophic.

Demonic energy would manifest, and the stronger the source, the more pervasive that energy became.

Worse still, demonic energy was contagious.

It never stayed in one place. It spread, corrupting everything it touched—seeping into the land, polluting the air, poisoning rivers, mutating animals and plants into monstrous forms. The natural world itself twisted, becoming something vile and alien.

And this was exactly why eating demonic beasts was considered sheer madness.

Because consuming their flesh and blood meant taking in demonic energy itself. Once inside the body, it would corrupt one’s qi, distort the spiritual sea, and slowly chip away at sanity.

Hallucinations would come first. Then madness. Eventually, bloodlust—often without the victim even realizing what was happening.

There were bone-chilling tales of cultivators who lost themselves after exposure. Some became feral, unraveling as they surrendered to their darkest instincts. Others committed horrific atrocities—slaughtering innocents, turning on their own sects, even killing loved ones in fits of uncontrollable madness.

Some transformed entirely, losing their very humanity and becoming grotesque abominations of flesh and spirit.

Eating demonic beasts wasn’t merely reckless; it was a fool’s death wish.

Yet somehow, Shangguan Yue Ling had survived on it for years.

___________________________________

Langtian sat in stunned silence, the horrific truth settling heavily on his mind.

His stomach churned at the thought that the senior sister he cherished had been surviving by consuming that vile, tainted flesh. Just imagining it made him nauseous.

Of course, he understood why. The animals in this cursed valley were long corrupted. Normal food sources probably didn’t even exist here. And yes, cultivators needed to eat as well. Logic dictated there was no other choice.

But still...

There was a difference.

A line one should never cross, no matter how desperate.

Between dying as a human, mind and dignity intact...

And dying as a beast—devoured from within by madness, lost forever to darkness...

The choice seemed clear.

Across from him, Yue Ling heaved a long sigh and shook her head gently. Her voice softened as she spoke again.

"Then, my dear junior brother, let me ask you a simple question."

Langtian lifted his head slowly.

"Yes?"

"Do you still want revenge?"

...

Revenge?

Revenge!

The word pierced through him like a sword to the heart.

Of course, revenge!

How could he forget?

How could it have ever slipped from his thoughts, even for a moment?!

He still had to kill Yan Hao Yang, that treacherous bastard who had ripped out his core and left him to die like a dog!

He still had to avenge his family—slaughtered like animals, their blood staining the ground, their deaths forever seared into his memory!

If he gave up now... if he perished here in this accursed valley... then those monsters would walk free. The ones who’d ruined his life, stolen everything he loved, and laughed as they crushed him beneath their heels—they would continue living, breathing, thriving beneath the sun, as if none of it had ever happened!

Justice would rot alongside his bones, nameless and forgotten.

But if he lived...

If he could crawl, bleed, drag himself back from the brink, then perhaps he still had a chance.

Even if that chance was thinner than a strand of hair, he would seize it.

Even if it meant staining his soul.

Even if it meant becoming a demon himself.

He would gladly pay that price.

"Yes!" he shouted fiercely, gritting his teeth, fury blazing in his chest, eyes burning with hatred.

Then he growled, trembling with rage like a wounded animal.

"Yan Hao Yang! You bastard... I’ll kill you with my own hands! I’ll rip out your core, just as you stole mine! I’ll grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes to the wind so your soul never knows peace!"

At his declaration, the flames in the fire pit surged, roaring higher, crackling wildly, as if answering the call of his wrath.

Yue Ling’s eyes gleamed with approval.

A satisfied smile curled her lips.

"Good."

Reaching into her Qiankun storage pouch, she withdrew a neatly folded set of clean clothes and tossed them toward him.

"Put these on," she instructed calmly. "And follow me outside."