Demoness, Stop! - Chapter 22 - Chapter 22 – Li Yu’s Choice

After bidding farewell to Elder Sun, Li Yu arrived at the square in front of the main hall.

Liu Dong, Chen Ming, and Zhou Zixuan were already waiting on a raised platform. Not far off, a dozen or so disciples of Baiyun Temple stood watching the trio on the stage, their expressions filled with envy.

Just as Li Yu arrived, the young man among them glanced at the people beside him and said, “Junior Sister, fellow Daoists, I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll return to the sect first.”

As he finished speaking, a silver light flew out from within his body, transforming into a flying sword. He leapt onto it, turning into a streak of light that vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

The Foundation Establishment stage elder smiled as well and said, “I’ll be heading off first too.”

He took a flying shuttle from his robe, which transformed into a flying boat in the wind. He grabbed Liu Dong by the shoulder and boarded the boat. Soon, they too disappeared into the sky.

The plump woman looked at Chen Ming and said, “Let’s go.”

Chen Ming glanced at Li Yu and Zhou Zixuan, forcing a smile onto his face. “See you in Kunlun.”

Once their flying boat was gone as well, Xu Qingxin waved her sleeve, and a delicate spirit boat suddenly appeared in front of Li Yu and Zhou Zixuan.

The spirit boat was about three zhang long, with elegant pavilions and towers on board. Its exquisite and refined appearance stunned all the disciples watching from afar.

Even Li Yu couldn’t help but sigh—clearly, the cultivation world had a huge wealth gap…

They were all using flying tools, but compared to Senior Sister Xu’s spirit boat, the flying boats used by Elder Sun and the other two Foundation Establishment deacons were like bicycles next to a sports car.

Xu Qingxin smiled brightly and said, “Let’s go as well.”

Li Yu and Zhou Zixuan boarded the spirit boat, which slowly rose into the air. Standing at the bow, they watched as Baiyun Temple grew smaller and smaller, until it became a tiny dot, eventually vanishing into the clouds.

Back at Baiyun Temple, the dozen or so disciples looked up at the sky, watching Li Yu and the others leave. In their hearts, they knew—those fellow disciples who had once cultivated alongside them were now walking a path that would never again cross with theirs.

From this point on, they were separated by the divide between mortals and immortals.

High above the clouds.

Li Yu stood at the bow of the ship, thick clouds swirling below. The spirit boat clearly flew at a much higher altitude than the flying boats—while flying boats typically hovered a hundred or several hundred meters high, this spirit boat flew at over ten thousand meters.

The air currents at this altitude were extremely stable, and the spirit boat traveled at incredible speed. An invisible barrier seemed to surround the ship, so standing at the bow, Li Yu felt no wind, and the temperature remained pleasantly mild.

Compared to this, Elder Sun’s flying boat instantly lost its charm in Li Yu’s eyes.

He observed the spirit boat closely and noticed that the hull was engraved with intricate and beautiful patterns. Several small flags were also planted around the vessel. Between the patterns and flags, spiritual light flowed brilliantly.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this was a formation—a complete array integrated with the spirit boat itself.

In addition to that, Li Yu spotted a mark resembling a pagoda on the side of the ship.

As he was staring at the mark, Xu Qingxin walked over and explained, “This spirit boat was crafted by the Qingcheng Sect. That pagoda is their emblem.”

Li Yu and Zhou Zixuan had both been cultivating in Baiyun Temple all this time, with little contact with the outside world. Elder Sun didn’t speak much either, so they knew very little about the wider cultivation world.

From Baiyun Temple to Kunlun, even at the speed of the spirit boat, it still took two hours. With nothing else to do, Xu Qingxin decided to introduce them to the cultivation world.

“The Qingcheng Sect’s artifact refining techniques are unrivaled in the cultivation world. Most powerful artifacts come from them. Our Kunlun Sect specializes in alchemy, so our emblem is a pill furnace…”

Li Yu glanced at Xu Qingxin’s chest. On the left side, where the curve of her bosom rose and fell, there was a small pill furnace emblem.

This reminded Li Yu of the mark on his own chest. He had always thought it was an incense burner, but now he suddenly realized—it resembled a pill furnace even more. That would mean… he might be quite fated with the Kunlun Sect.

“Among the Ten Great Daoist Sects,” Xu Qingxin continued, “Kunlun is known for alchemy, Qingcheng for artifact forging, Maoshan for talismans, Huashan for unparalleled formations, the Tianji Sect carries the legacy of ancient heavenly secrets, and the Beast Taming Sect has unique techniques for raising spirit beasts. Then there’s also Tianyin Sect, Shushan, Emei, and Heavenly Dao Sect… Once you join the sect, you’ll gradually learn more about them.”

“Oh, right—there’s one more important thing. After new disciples enter the sect, they must choose their cultivation path—alchemy, artifact forging, talisman crafting, herb cultivation, etc. Let me give you a brief overview…”

Li Yu listened intently as Senior Sister Xu explained. The mysterious Kunlun Sect gradually became clearer in his mind.

Kunlun was a major sect in the cultivation world, with tens of thousands of disciples. To keep such a vast organization running smoothly, it naturally needed many people. Some focused on cultivation and defending the sect, while others handled external affairs or managed the outer sect. Alchemy, artifact forging, spirit herb cultivation, and spirit beast care—all required people to do the work.

Almost all disciples were expected to choose a specialization after entering the sect. Each month, the sect would issue them spirit coins based on their contributions. These coins could be used to exchange for cultivation resources like pills, artifacts, and talismans within the sect.

Xu Qingxin patiently explained the pros and cons of each path in detail.

After becoming a Kunlun disciple, one could choose to focus solely on cultivation, without taking on tasks like alchemy, forging, or herb cultivating. However, without contributing to the sect, they would have to take on missions to earn spirit coins.

This path allowed for more time and freedom in cultivation—but it also carried more danger. The outside world wasn’t as safe as the mountain sect, and each year, many disciples perished while on missions.

On the other hand, choosing paths like alchemy, artifact forging, or herb cultivation meant taking on responsibilities within the sect. In return, the compensation was generous, and there was little danger. The only downside was slower progress in personal cultivation.

Xu Qingxin first turned to Zhou Zixuan and said, “Junior Sister Zhou, you possess a Wood Spiritual Root. I suggest you choose the path of spirit herb cultivation. You’d only need to tend to spirit herbs daily. There’s plenty of time for personal cultivation, and the spiritual energy around the herb fields is abundant—it will benefit your growth.”

Zhou Zixuan gratefully replied, “Thank you, Senior Sister Xu.”

Xu Qingxin smiled, “You’re welcome. Any friend of Sister Jiang is a friend of mine.”

Then she turned to Li Yu and said, “Junior Brother Li, you’ve opened three spiritual meridians. You can consider pursuing the alchemy path. With both Fire and Wood roots, your talent is especially suitable for refining pills. Our Kunlun Sect has built its foundation on alchemy and holds the most complete inheritance in this field. Of the top ten alchemists in the cultivation world, eight are from Kunlun…”

Li Yu’s choice had nothing to do with her, strictly speaking, but she could tell that he held a special place in Sister Jiang’s heart, so she offered him the most suitable advice.

Li Yu quickly weighed his options.

To cultivate was to seek immortality. Whether it was alchemy, forging, or talisman crafting—before the goal of longevity, these were all just auxiliary techniques. The heart of cultivation was still improving one’s cultivation base.

But he wasn’t Jiang Li. He didn’t have heaven-defying talent, nor unlimited resources. Even if he cultivated diligently every day, he might never get past the Foundation Establishment stage—at best, like Elder Sun, he might get a chance to break through to the Golden Core stage near the end of his lifespan.

And doing missions to earn resources was far too risky.

Li Yu hadn’t forgotten—he had only ever accepted two missions, and both times he’d nearly died. That clearly showed he didn’t have the best luck. If you keep walking by the river, eventually your shoes get wet. Who’s to say when one mission might end his journey—and his reincarnation—for good?

So the first path was out of the question.

Choosing the path of alchemy, however, was a promising alternative.

Unlike artifacts or talismans, pills weren’t just external tools. He could use the pills he refined to enhance his own cultivation. Plus, he had that mysterious incense burner. If he went down the alchemy path, he’d naturally come into contact with many spirit herbs—and if he “borrowed” a bit here and there, wouldn’t his cultivation advance much faster?

Xu Qingxin smiled and added, “Alchemy masters are also highly respected in the cultivation world. Though Kunlun may not be the most powerful sect, it holds a lofty position as the second most prestigious righteous sect. Becoming an alchemist is one of the best paths a Kunlun disciple can take. If you achieve something in this field, the sect will surely invest in you heavily—your cultivation speed might not be slower than anyone else’s.”

Just the opportunity to access spirit herbs was enough to convince Li Yu.

He had already made up his mind. Facing Xu Qingxin’s well-meaning suggestion, he smiled and nodded, “I’ll follow your advice, Senior Sister.”

Xu Qingxin smiled.

“I hope you can make something of yourself in the alchemy path. Who knows—one day, I might come asking for your help.”

Li Yu responded earnestly,

“If that day ever comes, I’ll do my utmost.”

← [Chapter 21] | | [Chapter 23 ] →