Demoness, Stop! - Chapter 15 - Chapter 15 – Elder Sun’s Reminder

The next day.

At Baiyun Temple.

Elder Sun, lying in his rocking chair, fully opened his slightly narrowed eyes after hearing Li Yu recount the events of last night. He slowly sat upright and asked, “Another Qi Refining ghost?”

Li Yu nodded and said, “If we hadn’t been lucky, we probably wouldn’t have made it back. It was supposed to be a routine mission, yet two unexpected incidents happened in a row. I suspect there’s some conspiracy behind all this…”

Elder Sun pondered for a moment. Then, after rummaging through his robe, he pulled out a conch shell. Injecting it with spiritual energy, he spoke into the shell’s mouth, “Zhang, are you dead yet?”

A moment later, a hoarse voice responded from within the shell: “If you’re not dead yet, how could I be?”

Li Yu looked at this magical conch with admiration. Although this world hadn’t developed modern technology, some artifacts had functions surprisingly similar to advanced technology of later eras.

Elder Sun chatted briefly with the person on the other end, then slowly said, “The Baiyun Temple disciples have had some accidents on missions down the mountain recently. There must be something strange going on. Have someone investigate…”

After a short while, Elder Sun put away the conch, then looked at Li Yu again, a trace of surprise in his eyes. He asked, “Have you had any extraordinary experiences these past few days?”

Li Yu knew that Elder Sun wouldn’t miss his progress, so he smiled awkwardly and said, “A couple of days ago in the mountains, I found a strange fruit. After eating it, I opened my second acupoint…”

Li Yu slightly altered the truth of what really happened. Elder Sun stroked his white beard and said, “From what you said, you must have mistakenly eaten an immature ‘Zhu Guo.’ The Zhu Fruit belongs to the fire element, which matches your spiritual energy. You’re really lucky. If that fruit had been older, it wouldn’t have just opened your acupoint—it would have caused you to explode from within…”

Li Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead, showing a look of relief.

Elder Sun gave him a strange glance and asked again, “You also opened the Water and Wood spirit veins?”

Li Yu didn’t deny it and replied, “I’ve been cultivating the Fire spirit vein for a long time with little progress, so I tried to push other meridians. Unexpectedly, I succeeded, but I still can’t open the Earth and Metal spirit veins…”

After successfully refining Qi, it is indeed easier to open other acupoints. Elder Sun didn’t say much more, nor did he ask how Li Yu acquired other cultivation methods. When Li Yu was about to leave, Elder Sun reminded him, “It seems your talent for the other two spirit veins isn’t bad either. But when cultivating one vein, the biggest taboo is aiming too high. With your talent, if you focus on just one vein honestly, you might still have a chance to establish a foundation this lifetime. If your heart is scattered and your focus not dedicated, you won’t achieve much. Such a pity…”

Elder Sun didn’t elaborate further. After saying this, he lay back down and slowly closed his eyes, looking like a decayed withered tree.

Li Yu earnestly cupped his fists and said, “Thank you, Elder Sun.”

In Li Yu’s impression, Elder Sun had always seemed like a man nearing the end of his days—reserved, speaking little, usually just basking in the sun, seldom initiating long conversations.

He had lived for over two hundred years, and a casual word of guidance from him might be something disciples spent decades trying to comprehend.

Li Yu returned to his room and saw Chen Ming waiting outside.

Last night, after being possessed by a female ghost, Chen Ming’s Yang energy was depleted, and his face was pale. Chen Ming handed Li Yu two thin manuals and said, “These are the basic cultivation methods you asked for.”

That morning, when the three returned to the mountain together, Li Yu mentioned to Chen Ming that he wanted to take a look at his cultivation methods. Chen Ming agreed without hesitation.

When Chen Ming learned that Li Yu also needed a basic Earth-element cultivation method, he confidently promised to find a way to get that last manual for him as well.

Baiyun Temple happened to be located within Chen Dynasty, and since Chen Ming was a prince of Chen Dynasty, even within Baiyun Temple he was never short of followers. Getting a cultivation manual was simply a matter of asking.

Li Yu accepted the two thin booklets and smiled, “I’ll return them after I finish reading.”

Chen Ming waved his hand and said, “Take your time, no rush.”

He looked at Li Yu with gratitude.

In the past, if there was anyone Chen Ming hated most in Baiyun Temple, it was definitely Li Yu. But now, Li Yu had become the person he liked most in the sect—even more than Junior Sister Zhou.

Twice, Li Yu had saved his life. That kind of grace was no different from being reborn.

If he were a woman, he wouldn’t hesitate to offer himself in marriage.

Having grown up in the royal family surrounded by many brothers and sisters vying for the throne—most of whom wished him dead—Chen Ming deeply understood how heavy this debt of gratitude was, coming from an outsider like Li Yu, who had twice saved his life despite being an enemy.

Moreover, when the female ghost possessed him, Li Yu could have easily killed him to protect himself, but instead chose to save him.

Thinking about his past deeds, Chen Ming’s heart filled with regret.

He cupped his fists to Li Yu and said, “Such great kindness needs no thanks. If you ever get tired of the cultivation world, come to Chen Dynasty. When my father dies and I become emperor, I’ll make you a prince and grant you endless wealth and honor…”

…

Li Yu returned to his room and flipped through the two manuals.

The two basic cultivation methods were for the Metal and Earth elements: one called “Diamond Skill”, the other “Thick Earth Technique”.

After successfully refining Qi, Li Yu’s memory was excellent, and he quickly memorized the last two spirit veins of the human body, along with a few minor spells from the other two elemental systems.

He kept Elder Sun’s reminder deeply in mind: he would not actively practice the other elemental cultivation methods. But if he ever encountered similar spiritual medicines or fruits again, it would be better to use them to cultivate himself rather than exchanging them for spirit coins.

Spirit coins were just external things; only cultivation truly belonged to oneself.

After a while, once he had committed all the content to memory, Li Yu returned the manuals to Chen Ming.

Then he went to Baiyun Temple’s back kitchen, personally brewed some brown sugar water, and brought it to Jiang Li’s room.

Usually lively and energetic, Jiang Li now lay weak on her bed, looking fatigued. Seeing Li Yu enter, she weakly said, “You’re back. How was the mission… was it smooth?”

“Pretty smooth,” Li Yu said without elaboration, handing her the bowl. “Brown sugar water with some ginger slices. It should help you feel better.”

He had bought the brown sugar on his way down the mountain. Since Jiang Li was unwell, as a brother, he felt he should care more.

Jiang Li sipped the brown sugar water slowly, gradually regaining some color. Li Yu sat by the bed watching her. He had to admit, she had a good foundation; in men’s clothing, she looked especially heroic—just a little more and she might have challenged his position as Baiyun Temple’s most handsome disciple.

After finishing the drink, Jiang Li suddenly said to Li Yu, “Li Yu, teach me how to fight.”

Li Yu replied, “Don’t you already know how to fight? Why do you need me to teach you?”

When they once beat up Chen Ming together, she certainly didn’t look like someone who couldn’t fight.

Jiang Li shook her head and said, “That’s different. I mean, like when you fought that female ghost…”

She leaned against the headboard, imitating Li Yu’s arm swings, eyes full of admiration. “Once I learn how to fight like that, I’ll be able to help you.”

Li Yu nodded and said, “In a few days then.”

What Li Yu used to deal with the possessed Chen Ming was actually Krav Maga, recognized worldwide as the fastest and most efficient combat technique. Many countries’ police and military study it. This martial art emphasizes speed and decisiveness, and it’s easy to pick up.

For more than half a month afterward, Li Yu focused on cultivation and did not go out on any missions.

One reason was that the Kunlun Sect’s disciple selection period was approaching, and almost all Baiyun Temple disciples were diligently cultivating, trying to make breakthroughs in the final stretch. Another reason was that two ordinary missions had nearly cost him his life. Li Yu deeply understood how dangerous the cultivation world was. For just a few spirit coins, it wasn’t worth risking his life.

One day, just as Li Yu was about to go out to cultivate, he suddenly heard the sound of a bell outside.

Baiyun Temple rarely rang the bell; its ringing meant Elder Sun had something important to announce.

Li Yu stepped outside his room and, together with Jiang Li, went to a square inside the sect.

There were already a dozen or so figures standing on the square, and disciples were arriving one after another.

Zhou Zixuan was standing somewhere, waving at Li Yu. “Junior Brother Li, over here!”

Li Yu and Jiang Li walked over and asked, “Senior Sister Zhou, what’s going on?”

Zhou Zixuan shook her head. “I don’t know, but it’s been a long time since the sect bell last rang. It must be something important.”

Within less than fifteen minutes, all the disciples inside the sect—except those out cultivating—had gathered there.

After another fifteen minutes, Elder Sun slowly arrived, reclining in a rocking chair, and announced a matter to everyone.

This matter was related to Li Yu and his companions.

The unexpected events in the two ghost-exorcising missions had already been investigated by the sect.

There was indeed a hidden hand behind the incidents. The culprit was a disciple from the Soul Refining Sect of the demonic path, who had long been wanted by major sects.

The Soul Refining Sect was one of the three major demonic sects. Its disciples specialized in ghost-taming and spirit-hunting arts, often targeting civilians and righteous disciples, and were notoriously infamous.

This Soul Refining Sect disciple, afraid to provoke the formal disciples of the major sects, instead set his sights on the probationary disciples, who had not yet formally entered the sect and whose highest cultivation was only Qi Refinement stage.

He first created disturbances with restless spirits in the secular world to lure the probationary disciples to exorcise ghosts.

If only restless spirits were involved and no civilians were harmed, these missions would be handled by probationary disciples.

Once these low-cultivation probationary disciples descended the mountain, he would release the trained ghosts he had raised. These ghosts had power comparable to Qi Refinement stage cultivators, and the probationary disciples were completely unable to resist.

Before Li Yu and his group, dozens of probationary disciples from various sects had already been trapped and killed by him.

This person was very cunning and skilled in escape techniques, repeatedly evading formal disciples from major sects.

His last known appearance was half a year ago, when he was seriously injured by a disciple from the Shushan Sect and then disappeared without a trace.

Unexpectedly, half a year later, he reappeared disguised as a feng shui master in Kunlun territory.

To protect these probationary disciples, from now on, all matters involving restless spirits will be handled by Kunlun Sect’s formal disciples, and the outer sects will no longer release such missions.

This announcement stirred righteous indignation among the disciples.

“A demonic path disciple is truly ruthless and cruel!”

“With so many righteous sects, why don’t we unite and completely eradicate the demonic path?”

“It’s not that easy. The demonic path is also powerful. Even if we win, it would be a costly victory…”

…

After being possessed by the female ghost twice, Chen Ming was itching for revenge. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Damned demonic path, I’ll remember this grudge. Once my cultivation matures, I’ll kill every single one I meet!”

Zhou Zixuan’s wounds had healed, but thinking of the past still made her feel a dull pain. She bit her teeth and said, “I hope one day we can completely eradicate these demonic fiends…”

Though the demonic path disciples were despicable, they were not entirely without use.

At least, they instilled a clear sense of good and evil in these young people just starting their cultivation journey, who had not yet entered the immortal sects. Even if they were not selected into Kunlun Sect later, they would be less likely to fall to the demonic path.

Listening to the surrounding voices full of righteous anger, Li Yu sighed softly.

He also had a heart to slay demons and exorcise evil, but unfortunately, he was on the wrong side…

Zhou Zixuan sensed Li Yu’s mood and asked in confusion, “Junior Brother Li, what’s wrong?”

Li Yu took a deep breath and said seriously, “I mourn for the righteous comrades who died. Damn those demonic fiends. Li Yu will never be at peace with them in this lifetime…”