Demoness, Stop! - Chapter 18 - Chapter 18 – Only the Immortal Way Is Eternal

“……”

Praised publicly, Zhou Zixuan’s pretty face flushed pink, while Li Yu remained expressionless.

Elder Sun’s words silenced everyone, showing no concern for their feelings as he said, “Beauty has always been an advantage. It’s the same in the cultivation world. If you want to blame anyone, blame your parents…”

For some reason, after saying this, Elder Sun suddenly fell into a long silence.

No one dared to interrupt and quietly waited for him to continue.

After a long pause, Elder Sun finally spoke again, “Let me tell you a story.”

His gaze drifted into the distance as he slowly began, “Two hundred and thirty years ago, right here at Baiyun Temple, twenty young disciples faced the sect’s selection. That year, among the selectors was a stewardess over two hundred years old. She took a fancy to the two most handsome among them and wanted to form a dual cultivation partnership with one of them…”

The disciples hadn’t expected to hear gossip from over two centuries ago and listened intently, holding their breath.

Elder Sun’s eyes wandered as he continued, “One of them, who was more talented, directly refused her, while the other agreed…”

Hearing this, the disciples couldn’t help but start whispering among themselves.

“A stewardess over two hundred years old? She could be my great-great-great-grandma. How dare she ask?”

“The chosen disciples are at most twenty years old. How could one say yes? If it were me, I’d refuse too!”

“I really look down on the one who agreed!”

“Disgusting!”

“Gross!”

…

Elder Sun twitched the corner of his mouth and a few lines of pride appeared on his wrinkled face as he said, “Yes, that one was only nineteen or twenty at the time. He successfully gathered Qi on the very first day of cultivation and had plenty of pride. He thought of himself as a favored son of heaven, destined to reach Golden Core and then Nascent Soul. How could he agree to that old woman over two hundred years old?”

“That’s what a cultivator should be like!”

“Exactly! Cultivators must have pride!”

“And then? What happened next?”

…

Some female disciples eager for gossip couldn’t help but urge him on. Elder Sun fell silent for a moment before his hoarse voice said, “Well, that proud one died at over two hundred years old, still only at the late Foundation Establishment stage…”

No one expected that ending. The disciples had thought that proud young man would have reached Golden Core and become an elder at the sect.

Someone couldn’t help but ask, “What about the shameless one?”

“That shameless one—well, not long after, his cultivation partner died. He inherited her legacy, reached Foundation Establishment by thirty, Golden Core by two hundred, and now holds an important position in the sect. Hahaha…”

“……”

No one saw this sudden twist coming.

More than a dozen people stood frozen on the spot, stunned and speechless.

“Hahaha…”

Elder Sun suddenly burst out laughing loudly, his throat sounding like a broken bellows. Tears even welled up in his murky old eyes. He gripped the chair’s back fiercely, veins bulging on his hands, glaring viciously at the disciples and asked, “Tell me, isn’t it funny?!”

At that moment, a terrifying aura radiated from him.

These young disciples who had just gathered their Qi could not withstand such pressure; one after another, they turned pale and collapsed weakly to the ground.

Li Yu was the strongest; even under this pressure, he stood firm.

Zhou Zixuan’s face was pale, and she clung to Li Yu’s arm, forcing herself to stand as well.

Fortunately, the aura came suddenly and left quickly. When everyone looked up again, Elder Sun had returned to his normal self, as if nothing had happened.

After everyone finally managed to get back up, he slowly said, “So you see, being good-looking is an advantage, even in the cultivation world. Look, that Golden Core elder of the sect—wasn’t he chosen because he was handsome? He suddenly gained an extra 250 years of lifespan from nowhere.”

Everyone’s gaze involuntarily shifted to Li Yu and Zhou Zixuan. The two stood arm in arm, truly like a perfect couple.

To be honest, if they were Foundation Establishment elders, they would want to enjoy some pleasures before dying…

The young disciples hadn’t even set foot in the main gate of Kunlun Sect, so naturally, they didn’t dare to comment on the Golden Core elder. But after hearing the story, some of their thoughts began to change.

Most of them came from prominent worldly backgrounds. Why had they given up worldly wealth, fame, and status to come cultivate in this remote, desolate place?

Wasn’t it for immortality?

Compared to having a 500-year lifespan, what’s wrong with having a 200-year-old Dao partner at the age of twenty?

If you had a Foundation Establishment partner while you were still in Qi Gathering, how many years of effort could that save you?

Zhou Zixuan sneered quietly and whispered to Li Yu, “If you have to be with someone you don’t like, what’s the use of immortality? The longer you live, the more miserable it becomes. Li Yu, if it were you, would you agree?”

Li Yu shrugged and said, “Depends on the situation…”

Zhou Zixuan’s eyes widened, “Depends on what?”

Li Yu smiled and said, “If that stewardess were as young and beautiful as Senior Sister Zhou, and with such a great figure, I might consider it…”

Zhou Zixuan blushed and lightly twisted his waist, embarrassed, “Ew, you’re impossible! Is there really such a young and beautiful Foundation Establishment elder?”

Reclining in his rocking chair, Elder Sun chuckled and said, “Oh, but there are. In the big sects, reaching Foundation Establishment by twenty isn’t even considered a genius. And twenty-year-old Golden Core… rare, sure, but not unheard of.”

Hearing this, the disciples were stunned, their worldview shattered.

At twenty, they were still worrying about gathering Qi. Most were still stuck at the first acupoint of the first level of Qi Refining, while others of the same age had already reached Golden Core?

To them, it was no different from a myth.

Elder Sun, unusually talkative today, was pleased to see their shocked expressions and said leisurely, “No need to be so surprised. Those people aren’t like you. From birth, they were taken to the sect for training. Not only did they have elders in the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms carefully guiding them, but they also consumed countless heavenly materials, spiritual pills, and elixirs. They’re true favored children of heaven. Your lives will never intersect with theirs…”

Although Li Yu was shocked by Elder Sun’s words, he quickly regained his composure.

He thought of that demoness.

Li Yu was good at reading people. Although he had only briefly interacted with her, judging by her words and behavior, that demoness was not very old.

Elder Sun’s cultivation was late Foundation Establishment stage. With him stationed at Baiyun Temple, that demoness could still come and go freely without being detected by Elder Sun—her strength must be above Elder Sun’s.

So in a way, he had crossed paths with those so-called children of heaven.

Though not in a particularly fortunate way.

Usually taciturn Elder Sun had unusually spoken a lot today. Every word he said repeatedly shattered the disciples’ worldview and understanding, so much so that many stood there in a daze, their minds wandering far away.

After a long while, Elder Sun steadied himself by the chair and stood up. Looking at everyone one last time, he said slowly, “I will give you one last piece of advice. On the path of cultivation, the most important thing is to have an unshakable heart devoted to the Dao. Remember this: dignity and pride are illusions; fame and fortune are but dust; beauty and charm will eventually fade to bones… The great Dao has many paths—but only the immortal path is eternal!”

Silence fell all around, with only the old voice echoing.

“The great Dao has many paths—but only the immortal path is eternal!”

At this moment, the young disciples present could not fully grasp the meaning of this sentence.

However, decades or even centuries later, when their lifespans drew to a close and they lay on their beds, breath faint and flickering, looking back on their lives—no matter how illustrious and wealthy they had been, no matter how much fame they gained, or how much territory they had built—the phrase spoken by an old man in a mountain temple somewhere in the distant past would often come to mind…