Flood: I, the Nine Turns of the Golden Pillar, all want to eat me!
Chapter 24 - Immortal Golden Pill, Demonized Dragon Vein

Chapter 24: Immortal Golden Pill, Demonized Dragon Vein

In the blink of an eye, many years passed.

Xuan Qing remained silent in cultivation, relying on the pure spiritual aura of the Purple Heavenly Palace to condense his Origin Qi. Over time, the nine-turn golden dan within his body, nourished by the Taoist sound transmission and immersed in Daoist resonance, underwent a profound transformation. The Daoist rhythm refined the dan further, elevating it into a Great Dao Golden Dan—a quality that seemed to surpass the nine-turn dan.

As Xuan Qing continued using the alchemical method to refine the dan and gather Origin Qi, the purified energy fused seamlessly into the golden dan within. This dan, in turn, merged with the Great Dao of Alchemy that Xuan Qing comprehended. Through this union, an immortal aura gradually emerged.

Eventually, the dan transformed into an Immortal Golden Dan, and with it, Xuan Qing’s cultivation realm ascended into the Golden Immortal stage. A rhythm of the Immortal Dao resonated from him as he absorbed the surrounding aura without restraint.

Even Hongjun, preoccupied with his sermon, failed to notice the vast amounts of aura merging into Xuan Qing’s body. With each wave of aura, Xuan Qing’s Immortal Golden Dan became denser and more powerful.

Yet, Xuan Qing did not stop. He continued to cultivate, now focusing on condensing the Middle Dantian and preparing to refine a new divine elixir.

Despite the profound nature of Hongjun’s sermon, Xuan Qing did not listen to it in full. He knew how to make trade-offs. He had already engraved ten Great Daos branded with Violet Cloud and understood that Hongjun would eventually reveal the paths to the Great Luo Realm for each. As such, Xuan Qing chose to temporarily discard the rest.

Besides, with so many cultivators present, each comprehending their own Dao, new cultivation methods and divine abilities would inevitably be born. Sooner or later, he would be able to obtain these and turn them into his own Daos. There was no need to rush. With the Violet Rhyme Mark, he would one day return to refine and comprehend the other Great Daos.

Thus, Xuan Qing continued to cultivate in silence.

Time passed gradually. The Dao sounds faded into stillness.

One by one, the guests of the Purple Heaven Palace emerged from their trance and turned their gazes toward Hongjun.

Hongjun stroked his beard and said mildly, “The sermon has lasted many years. You may now take your time to comprehend it.”

“Teacher Hongjun,” a cultivator spoke, “the Great Dao you preached touches upon the Great Luo Realm, which we have partially understood. But… as for the Mixed Yuan Realm, will there be guidance on that path?”

This speaker, judging from his aura, had likely already achieved the Dao Fruit of Great Luo, using Laozi’s classification.

Hongjun replied calmly, “To step into the Mixed Yuan Realm—this will be discussed in the next sermon. Today’s teachings are meant to lay the foundation for that.”

At these words, many cultivators were struck with realization: the sermons in the Purple Heavenly Palace would not occur just once. This session had only covered the Great Luo Realm. The next would delve into the elusive Mixed Yuan Realm.

Joy lit the faces of many present. They resolved to return and digest the insights gained, not only deepening their understanding of their personal Dao but also exploring the other Daos. Even through indirect comprehension, improvement was possible. Mastering the other Daos could lead to new divine abilities and techniques.

As cultivators began discussing among themselves, a sudden shift occurred.

A cultivator rose from his seat, his body glowing with Pure Yang Qi, radiating a unique Dao rhythm and an overwhelming aura. At his presence, many cultivators turned to look at him, their expressions shifting to admiration and familiarity.

He clasped his hands and addressed Hongjun respectfully. “Teacher Hongjun, your disciple—the Duke of the East King—has gained immense insight from your sermon. However, I have a request.”

Hongjun, his expression unreadable, responded calmly, “Speak.”

“This matter concerns the ancient conflict between Dao and the Devil. In the past, the Devil Ancestor Luo Shu sought to demonize all beings and corrupted countless dragon veins, transforming them into channels of demonic qi. Although many of these were destroyed during the Dao-Demon War, numerous demonized dragon veins still linger, particularly in the West.

“The demonic qi suffuses the land, causing countless cultivators to succumb to corruption. As long as these dragon veins persist, the stream of devil cultivators will never cease, making eradication futile. I ask: is there a way to cleanse these demonized dragon veins?”

A hush fell over the Purple Heaven Palace. The mood grew solemn.

Many of the guests had fought in the Great War or were familiar with its horrors. The thought of the lingering demonic aura still infesting the world stirred unease in their hearts.

Xuan Qing, curious, turned to Nuwa and asked, “Mother Nuwa, what exactly is this Demonic Transformation Dragon Vein?”

Nuwa glanced at him with a gentle smile. “You have only recently taken form, but you are full of curiosity. Back then, the Devil Ancestor Luo Shu aimed to transform the very essence of Heaven and Earth. He wanted to corrupt the aura of the Flood with demonic qi, infusing it with his will and inheritance.

“Those who absorbed this demonic qi would naturally receive his teachings and cultivate the Devil’s Path. Using this method, Luo Shu created a vast Devil Dao lineage. His ambition was to demonize all dragon veins—fragments of Pangu’s meridians—so they would continuously pour forth demonic qi, converting all beings into devil cultivators. He sought to become the Supreme Lord of the Devil Dao.

“Such madness drew the wrath of the Three Realms. A great war erupted, and although Luo Shu was defeated, many of his corrupted dragon veins escaped destruction. What Duke Dong Wang speaks of now is precisely that—Devil Dao Dragon Veins.”

As Xuan Qing listened, a sense of awe arose in his heart.

So the Dao-Devil War had long since passed, but the remnants still festered. Luo Shu’s ambition had been unfathomable—to imprint his inheritance into the very aura of the world. Absorb the qi, and one would become a devil cultivator.

If he had succeeded, the Floodlands would have become his domain.

No wonder Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the others united against him…

But though Luo Shu had failed, the residual demonic qi and dragon veins continued to haunt the world.

The current Floodlands were far more complex than what the legends had revealed.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Hongjun finally spoke.

“Duke Dong Wang, you are the embodiment of Innate Yang Qi. Such a constitution has a natural restraining effect upon demonic qi. Today, I bestow upon you the Dragon-Head Cane—forged from the meridians of Great God Pangu. It holds dominion over dragon veins and will aid you in seeking out and subduing the demonized ones.”

The Duke of the East King immediately bowed low. “Many thanks, Dao Ancestor Hongjun. I shall not fail in this task.”

A cane shaped like a dragon’s head flew through the air, brimming with pure dragon qi and spiritual energy. Its majestic aura captivated the cultivators present.

They knew well: the essence of all dragon veins originated from Pangu’s meridians. And now, this cane—refined from those very meridians—was like a mobile dragon vein itself.