Demonic Cultivation: Devouring Ten Thousand Demonic Beasts
Chapter 48: Mysterious deceased man

Chapter 48: Mysterious deceased man

As they traveled deeper, the tunnel gradually sloped downward, forming what felt like a natural staircase beneath their feet. Bit by bit, they descended into the earth. The air grew colder and damper with every step. It also grew quieter too, eerily so.

In such a narrow space, even the smallest sounds became magnified. Langtian could hear everything: his own heartbeat, the soft rasp of their boots against the stone, and somewhere deeper within the mountain, the faint trickle of underground water. Occasionally, a droplet would fall and land with a quiet plonk against the rocks, sounding much louder than it should have.

But as they went further, he began to notice something strange.

The glowing Crimson Dawnlight Crystals that had lit the upper part of the tunnel began to thin out. Fewer and fewer of them appeared along the walls, until the tunnel grew dim, the shadows stretching long and heavy around them.

Soon, the red glow faded almost entirely, and it became hard to see.

Without a word, Yue Ling reached into her Qiankun pouch and pulled out a small torch. It was no treasure or mystic artifact, but merely a rough stick wrapped in cloth, soaked in demonic beast fat. Holding it steady, she conjured a small flame with a flick of her fingers, using some of basic alchemist’s fire control art.

The flame flared, then settled into a warm, steady glow, casting flickering light across the rough stone walls.

"Wait a minute..." Langtian said suddenly, narrowing his eyes. "The demonic energy... it’s gone!"

Yue Ling gave a small nod. "Yup. Feels good, doesn’t it?"

"Yeah!" he said, breathing in deeply.

He could feel it. That thick, heavy pressure that had wrapped around the entire valley—the kind that clouded thoughts and weighed down the spirit—was no longer present. With each step they took, it felt like the air itself was becoming lighter, clearer... almost purified.

His chest didn’t feel tight anymore. The dull ache in his mind had lifted. Even his limbs, which had felt sluggish since falling into this cursed valley, now moved with ease.

"Woah... it feels so good to finally breathe normally again," he said at last, letting out a long, relieved sigh.

And then...

"Senior Sister... the lotus seed in my spiritual sea... it’s reacting!"

Langtian quickly closed his eyes and focused inward. Deep within his spiritual sea, the Lotus Seed of Tranquil Dao pulsed rhythmically, a soft light blooming with every breath he took. It was glowing brighter than ever before!

"Hoh?" Yue Ling turned toward him, brow raised.

"It’s like... something deep below is resonating with it!" Langtian said, eyes widening. "Could it be... I’m not just imagining it? The spiritual energy here... it’s incredibly dense! And pure! There’s not even a trace of demonic taint... It’s even purer than the spiritual veins at our Sect!"

"No, you’re not imagining it," Yue Ling said softly with a small smile. "That lotus seed is responding to him. The spiritual energy he left behind... is calling to it."

"Him?" Langtian blinked. "You mean... the person down there?"

She nodded.

"Yes. From what I know, the man I’m taking you to meet was once an Elder of the Crimson Lotus Sect. He had cultivated the Lotus Heart Sutra of the Tranquil Dao to its highest state. At that level... even after his death, his body still emanated spiritual energy strong enough to dispel all demonic corruption in the area."

Hearing that, Langtian’s jaw parted slightly, stunned.

"Heavens... so that’s what it is," he murmured. "Even after death... the spiritual energy he left behind is still this powerful..."

And so, they continued on.

Their footsteps echoed softly against the stone floor, the torchlight dancing ahead of them like a flickering guide.

’This man...’

Langtian clenched his fists slightly, heart pounding faster with each step.

He could wait no longer.

He had to know — just who was this man?

_____________________________________

Soon, the two of them arrived at the cave dwelling where the mysterious figure was said to reside.

The moment they stepped past the threshold, Yue Ling quietly extinguished the torch. There was no need for it anymore, because the chamber ahead was already aglow.

And Langtian...

He couldn’t move.

His breath caught in his throat.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Oh my Heavens..." he whispered, the words barely leaving his lips. His hands trembled slightly, overcome by the sheer beauty and majesty of what stood before him.

The chamber was enormous, easily large enough to house a multi-story pagoda. The stone walls curved high above, disappearing into shadows, while the floor was carpeted in vibrant wildflowers. Blossoms of every color—blue, violet, gold, crimson—bloomed in full, untouched by decay, as if time itself dared not intrude here.

In the very center stood a towering tree with golden leaves, each one shimmering like sunlight caught in mid-fall. Its roots curled around the stone. Just nearby, a small pond rested still and clear, reflecting the glowing ceiling and the tree’s golden canopy.

And in the very heart of the pond floated a lotus.

It was massive and translucent, gently spinning above the water’s surface without touching it. Its petals were glass-like, radiant, and suspended atop it was a young man.

He sat in silent meditation posture, legs crossed, hands resting upon his lap.

His hair was long and silver-white, flowing like snow down his back. He wore pristine white Daoist robes, perfectly clean.

From Yue Ling’s earlier words, he had expected some ancient elder—hunched and wrinkled, his beard long and white, eyes sunken with wisdom and age.

But this man...

He looked so young...

His face was serene, youthful—perhaps no more than thirty by appearance—but his presence felt impossibly vast.

Langtian stood still, stunned.

Both the figure and the lotus emitted a soft, radiant light—so bright it filled the chamber... and yet, it didn’t hurt to look at. In fact, simply standing in that light filled Langtian’s heart with peace. Joy. A kind of quiet warmth that washed away all tension.

And on top of that, floating in the air around the man were countless smaller lotuses, each one transparent and glowing too.

Yue Ling stepped forward, drawing closer to the still figure in the lotus’s center.

"I am Shangguan Yue Ling, disciple of the Mysterious Sun Sect. Today, I humbly bring my junior brother, Bai Langtian, to pay his respects to Elder Guo Lanfeng."