Chapter 1064: Lesser Imperial Devil World
At this time, a tree that resembled a bridge grew in front of a cliff. There was a fruit hanging from it that looked just like a lantern.
Below this tree sat an old man meditating with his legs crossed. His hair was as red as blood and his back had two wings growing from it.
The most awe-inspiring aspect of this old man was the evil energy surging from his body. It had reached the level of materializing in the form of silk-like strings. They had a green color, so at first glance, he seemed to have a lot of green hair growing from him. A slight evil light emanated from his eyes, giving the sense that he was a devil that crawled out from hell.
His body had no blood energy and his fresh had dried up. However, he was still alive and very powerful. His situation was very similar to the sacred monks on the eighteen temples of Spirit Mountain. The only difference was that those monks emitted a Buddhist light while this old man exuded an evil energy.
All the girls entered a battle-ready state after seeing this old devil, ready to fight at any time.
Li Qiye gently shook his head: "They are not interested in us. Neither the imperial soldiers nor the devil kings care for outsiders. If we don't provoke them, they won't bother us at all.
Having said that, he freely walked around the old man. The girls followed right behind him. Just like he said, the old man continued to sit there and didn't bother to care about the passing group.
Chen Baojiao asked after they passed him while looking at the lantern-like fruit growing on the old tree: "Is he protecting that fruit?"
"Yes. Timeworn Redsun Fruit, it's quite rare." Li Qiye gently nodded.
The group moved on and traveled through creeks and hills. As they went further from the border, they felt the evil energy growing more powerful, as if it wanted to haunt their bodies. Luckily, they remained unaffected due to their powerful dao hearts.
"If the evil energy enters our bodies, will we turn into devils?" The cold Li Shuangyan asked after feeling the lingering energy.
Mei Suyao shook her head slightly: "Even though this place is the same as the Buddhist Funeral Plateau, it is different in the sense that even if this energy enters the body, one won't turn into a devil. If one has a wavering dao heart, the energy will only make the inner devil more powerful."
"What is the relationship of this place and the plateau? Is there actually a connection? How come those monks back at the plateau changed so much after being converted? No body, no blood energy, and able to live forever." Chen Baojiao curiously asked.
Even the knowledgeable Mei Suyao had trouble with this question. She glanced over at Li Qiye instead.
He smiled in response: "They are both related yet not related. As for the real reason, you don't need to know right now because you haven't reached that level."
The group marched on and saw many devils along the way. In fact, calling these things devils was not suitable, it was more apt to refer to them as dark cultivators.
These dark cultivators all had withered lifespans and were void of blood energy, yet they continued to live on.
The number of dark cultivators increased along the way. One of them was a huge serpent with steel scales. The evil energy on its body pulsed all around it. When it coiled its body, it looked just like a huge mountain. It was protecting a little rose.
Another one was just a skeleton. Blood coagulated to form the muscles of this cultivator. In its eyes were two burning flames. It was squatting down on top of a sacred tree.
One of them was just a slab of mud. This sludge slab continued to flow. When its evil energy surfaced, it would turn into a giant or a mountain. Occasionally, one could see an old vine growing on top of its body.
The dark cultivators here came in all shapes and forms, but the basic principles remained the same — they were devoid of blood energy and lifespan, yet they were still living well.
The girls all stared at these dark cultivators carefully. When they met a few of them in human form, they were especially attentive.
However, even the most well-read among them, Mei Suyao, couldn't tell which era or sect they were from based on their appearance and clothing. They all wore archaic clothing that was beyond identification.
"Even if they have been immortal all this time, they must have had a starting era?" Even the muted Bai Jianzhen commented.
Mei Suyao shook her head slightly: "I have no way of knowing. There are no records, or at least my sect has no writings on this matter."
She looked at Li Qiye at this point. Maybe he was the only one who could give an answer.
Li Qiye smiled and replied: "A very, very old era. I can only tell you guys that it is before the Buddhist Funeral Plateau came to be. However, it is difficult to say which between the Imperial Border and Devil World is older, this requires more research and evidence."
"Even before the plateau!" Li Shuangyan was caught off guard: "Rumor has it that the plateau existed before the Desolate Era. All twelve burial grounds are extremely old to the point that no one can trace back to them."
"Some things can be, others can't." Li Qiye chuckled and didn't elaborate on the topic.
"Are all the dark cultivators here watching the spirit medicines and trees?" They met many dark cultivators, but these cultivators simply had no interest towards outsiders.
"The Devil World has spirit vegetation while the Imperial Border has royal metals." Mei Suyao explained: "Dark cultivators need elixirs and grasses while the imperial soldiers require royal steel. I heard they continue to live on just because of these materials. If no one bothers them, they will stand guard over these things forever."
"Why do they need elixirs if their lifespans and blood energy are already gone?" Chen Baojiao was quite confused on this matter.
Li Qiye smiled: "It is not that they need elixirs. Don't believe me? You can try to trade a King Medicine to them and see if they want to trade or not." Having said that, he handed her a King Medicine root.
This action made Bai Jianzhen and Mei Suyao look at him in bewilderment. They were both from imperial lineages, but their sects considered King Medicines to be very precious all the same. However, Li Qiye was treating this root as if it was just a simple cabbage.
This only made Chen Baojiao even more curious. She grabbed the King Medicine and ran to trade with a dark cultivator. This dark cultivator had a lion head and a human body. He was inside a cave under a cliff to protect a budding blade of a leaf. No matter how one looked at it, this young grass was not comparable to the King Medicine in Chen Baojiao's hand.
Alas, the dark cultivator ignored her request to trade. In the beginning, she was afraid that the dark cultivator wouldn't understand her, so she communicated with her divine intent. Regardless of the place and era, using one's divine intent was the most direct form of communication, anyone could understand it.
Nevertheless, the dark cultivator simply ignored her. He eventually became irritated by her nagging and slammed down his hand. Chen Baojiao retreated in a hurry at this point.
After she left the cave, this cultivator didn't chase after her. He only gave her a lazy glance before closing his eyes to enter deep sleep again.
"Fine then, don't trade. Did you need to be so rude?" Chen Baojiao muttered to herself.
She didn't understand and asked Li Qiye: "Young Noble, what's the reason for this? They have to know their stuff, right?"
Li Qiye answered with a smile: "I'll take you guys to go see something and you will understand right away."
He led them until they eventually climbed a tall peak. In front of them was a ravine with an old vine tree growing at the bottom. Who knows how long this tree had been there for? Its vines were growing all over the ravine.
It emitted a faint brilliance that resembled the moonlight in an incredibly beautiful manner.
"It has matured. Devil Imploration is about to begin." Li Qiye sat down on the peak and quietly watched over this vine tree ahead.
Mei Suyao and the others sat down with him and patiently waited.
Moments passed by. Eventually, an arachne climbed up from the bottom of the vine. Its upper half was human while the lower half was of a spider.
This arachne was quite ancient. It looked around for a bit before a huge blast resounded. The evil energy in its entire body soared to the sky and instantly turned into a giant cauldron.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!" The vines made a lot of sounds. The entire tree was sucked into the giant cauldron. Next, the evil energy turned into a flame. After bursts of refinement, the tree was turned into a liquid as green as jade.
"Boom!" The cauldron suddenly sprayed this medicinal liquid out into the sky.
"Bang!" In the blink of an eye, a portal opened in the sky with intersecting runes that were arranged in a mysterious and complex manner. No one could discern them.
The portal instantly devoured all the medicinal essence. Next, an evil energy poured down like a surging river.
The dark cultivator didn't think twice. It opened its mouth to swallow this evil energy. The portal then disappeared and after devouring the evil energy, the evil flame around its body became even stronger than before.
This scene left the girls astonished.
Chapter 1065: Sacrosanct Moontree
The girls didn't expect that dark cultivators weren't protecting the spirit vegetations to eat, but rather to sacrifice them to the heavens.
"This is called Devil Imploration. Others also call it praying to the devil as well." Li Qiye lightly explained: "Using spirit medicines to trade for evil energy allows them to become stronger. The longer they guard the sacrifice, the more precious these medicines will be and the more evil energy they will receive."
Mei Suyao finally turned her gaze away from the sky and asked Li Qiye: "What lies behind that portal?"
Even her Immortal Bone couldn't comprehend that portal earlier. The runes were too mysterious and profound, not to mention the sheer number of them. It was a vast and mystical sea.
"Well…" Li Qiye's eyes slightly peered at the sky: "It is a secret, a secret that no one knows."
Mei Suyao knew that Li Qiye must know at least a little, but he was unwilling to divulge any more.
At this time, Li Qiye looked at Chen Baojiao and smiled: "You should now know why these dark cultivators aren't willing to trade with you. Our spirit medicines are refined with the flames inside a cauldron. Evil energy would only defile them. However, the vegetation here is different. Growing up in this place, evil energy has no effect on them."
"I still don't understand." Li Shuangyan spoke: "These dark cultivators already have eternal life, why do they want more evil energy? What's the point of having more?"
"You are mistaken there. In the Devil World, one's rank is very strict. The more powerful you are, the higher the rank." Li Qiye gently shook his head.
"What's the point of becoming stronger? They can't leave the Devil World anyway. Don't tell me that after becoming powerful, they would work together to break the seal from Spirit Mountain?" Bai Jianzhen asked with an indifferent tone.
"Incorrect again. They aren't doing it to break the seal from Spirit Mountain. The suppression placed in the lesser world is for a different reason." Li Qiye said.
Chen Baojiao inquired: "For what reason do they not leave? Even though the Devil World is big, it is still too tiny compared to the nine worlds."
Li Qiye chuckled and responded with his own questions: "Have you ever seen a monk from the plateau leave? Or a sacred monk leaving Spirit Mountain?"
"The Buddhist sea is boundless." Mei Suyao murmured in a daze: "I heard that after entering Spirit Mountain, there is no leaving. Well, they wouldn't want to leave either. In their eyes, Nalanda and the Buddhist Kingdom are their final destinations. Once they ascend, they will be able to have true eternal life."
"That statement is both right and wrong." Li Qiye explained: "Your words are correct for Spirit Mountain, but not for the Lesser Imperial Devil World. In fact, these are two different issues." He looked at the group and went on: "The monks and dark cultivators as well as the imperial soldiers here have different reasons for not leaving. In fact, dark cultivators and imperial soldiers will leave, or rather, with respect to this conversation, they can choose to leave."
Having said that, he gazed at the horizon and spoke: "Their departure is different from the departure you all think of. If you think that leaving the Lesser Imperial Devil World is departure, then that would be wrong. They are departing to another place."
"Where will they go afterward? I have never heard of dark cultivators and imperial soldiers in the nine worlds." Mei Suyao found her vast education insufficient.
"I don't know." Li Qiye pondered for a bit when this question was brought up. After a long time, he slowly spoke: "The expedition of imperial soldiers and evil slaying of the Devil World, both will have an end, but who knows what this end really is?" 1
The girls didn't know what Li Qiye was talking about. Only Mei Suyao tilted her head and contemplated his words. Her Eternal River School had three emperors, so she was aware of more secrets.
"Okay, let us move on." Li Qiye stood up and the group went on their way.
Many cultivators had entered both the Imperial Border and the Devil World. The Devil World had more intruders for a very simple reason — the spirit vegetation here was coveted by cultivators since they were quite precious. On the other hand, the royal metals on the other side weren't particularly useful.
Therefore, cultivators who came to the Lesser Imperial Devil World would come for the Devil World's spirit vegetation. At this time, one could see their presence everywhere in the Devil World.
The vegetation protected by dark cultivators seemed to be even more precious, inciting the greed of regular cultivators. This resulted in many skirmishes between the two sides.
The consequences could be easily imagined. Not to mention that these dark cultivators were quite powerful, they were also unkillable. Thus, the losers of these battles were regular cultivators. Many of them were torn apart alive or sucked dry of their blood energy and became a dried corpses.
Some strong existences did manage to steal some medicinal materials from these dark cultivators. However, when they met the truly powerful ones, they could only run for their lives. Immortality combined with raw power was quite frightening!
In the end, most cultivators couldn't beat the dark ones and had to find grasses without an owner. There was no lack of spirit vegetation in the Devil World. Alas, the more valuable ones all had an owner already.
Along the way, Li Qiye's group also saw many precious plants and flowers. When they passed by a dark valley, there was a golden tree growing in this place. A fruit that resembled a round moon hung on this tree, emitting faint rays.
"Sacrosanct Moontree…" Even Mei Suyao was moved by this golden tree. It only existed in records. Very few people had actually seen it in person.
At this time, many experts could be found standing right outside of the valley, but no one dared to enter. This was because a large group had died already. The entrance of the valley was laden with corpses and quietly flowing blood.
An old man was meditating beneath the golden tree. Evil energy was floating around him, so no one could see his face. A divine sword was lying on top of his knees and could be unsheathed at any time.
"Fiercest is here." Many people made way for his group.
Some actually hoped for him to do something after seeing his arrival. One person whispered: "If Fiercest attacks together with the ladies, maybe they will be able to obtain it."
Li Qiye stood at the entrance and shook his head to say: "That is indeed a good item, but a good item is only good if one stays alive to enjoy it. Even if a Godking comes here, they wouldn't be able to break through."
Having said that, he turned around and left.
Others were disappointed to see him unwilling to take action. Of course, they didn't dare to taunt him and quickly left as well after hearing the comment.
"That was a divine tree of the legends." Even Bai Jianzhen was in awe.
"It is indeed a divine tree." Li Qiye glanced at her and chuckled: "But that tree is not very useful for you."
"Can Young Noble actually take it?" Chen Baojiao had to ask. In her eyes, there was nothing that her omnipotent Young Noble couldn't do.
"Taking it is not difficult." Li Qiye glanced back at the divine tree and spoke: "But everything is a matter of fate and fortune. Sometimes, one can't be too greedy."
Li Qiye didn't stop here and continued on the road. They saw even more precious plants along the way and even an immortal grass on the same level as the Sacrosanct Moontree. However, Li Qiye didn't give it too much thought and kept on going.
Eventually, they reached a barren hill. It was desolate, devoid of both people and vegetation. Li Qiye looked around before standing up straight.
Li Qiye smiled and told the girls: "Stand a bit further back, I want to transform."
The group quickly retreated and maintained a far enough distance. He then opened his mind and stomped on the ground while shouting: "Open!"
"Zzz—" With that, the earth seemed to crack. Runic lines emerged and intertwined to form a grand formation.
At this point, he quickly transformed into someone else. The runic patterns on the ground weaved into his body and became a devil robe while his dao heart turned into a devil heart.
"Boom!" An evil energy engulfed the sky along with demonic plumes of flame. These plumes slowly came together and turned into a pair of gigantic wings on his back.
Once Li Qiye turned into a devil, even powerful existences like the girls trembled a bit inside. They felt a pressure that caused them to have the impulse to kneel down.
Li Qiye stood there like a supreme Devil King capable of controlling the rest of his kin in this world in an unstoppable manner. Anyone would lose their mind to fear after seeing him.
It was a shocking transformation. No one would be able to connect the dots between this form engulfed in demonic flames and his previous usual self. His eyes were especially terrifying. They drilled into the world and devoured the souls of others.
Even Bai Jianzhen was astounded to see his new form and murmured: "What is that…" She could feel his power. Even though it was not as strong as when he was a Buddha, its strength was still of a dreadful magnitude.
"One thought to become Buddha, another to become Devil." Li Qiye slowly spoke while looking at the rest of the world in disdain: "This is me, the Heaven Relinquish Devil King, the supreme of the Devil World!"
"Is this a title that you have chosen for yourself?" Chen Baojiao curiously gazed at his new form.
I know this is confusing. I'm translating as literally as possible because I don't know the answer either because the author is being vague on purpose. Evil slaying here might be cutting their ties to evil energy to ascend. Who knows? ↩Chapter 1066: Heaven Relinquish Devil King
"No…" Li Qiye gently shook his head while carrying a commanding presence. The simplest of gestures from him could cause myriad devils to kneel. He explained: "This is a different existence, I am only borrowing his title."
"Heaven Relinquish Devil King, abandoned by the heavens…" Li Shuangyan murmured.
"Yes, forsaken by even the high heavens, but so what?!" Li Qiye laughed as his evil flames engulfed the sky. He raised his palm upward and declared: "The high heavens is only a wretch."
He was domineering enough in his devilish presence. Li Qiye had become Heaven Relinquish with an unspeakable charisma. Even though a Devil King was quite scary, they also had a fatal temptation to their charm.
"Borrowing alone is not enough to become a devil." Mei Suyao was moved: "If the heart does not have evil, how can one rule the world by becoming a devil?!"
She was referring to the fact that borrowing someone's form alone shouldn't be enough to reach this level. If he didn't have a devil heart, how could the evil flames be devouring the sky right now? How could he reign over the world as a devil?
"This place is the Devil World where one thought can turn one into a devil." Li Qiye chuckled. In his current form, even his smile carried a strangely evil yet graceful aura.
"Just like Evil Buddha…" Bai Jianzhen's expression shifted. Li Qiye had changed into Evil Buddha and now a Devil King. This transformation could be said to be without flaws; it was as if he was the real deal. In fact, this was now reality.
One could pretend to be a monk as well as borrow someone else's name. However, the power of Buddhism and the evil presence couldn't be faked.
For example, Heaven Relinquish standing before them was just like his name, where his flames assaulted the sky. It was a substantial manifestation.
"Have you cultivated the devil way before?" Even Li Shuangyan found it astonishing.
Prior to this, Li Qiye had cultivated Buddhism. In just a short amount of time, he became Evil Buddha with an unstoppable dharma.
"One thought can turn you into Buddha, but one thought can turn you into Devil as well." Li Qiye only chuckled. He naturally wouldn't reveal the secret in this.
There was a period when he used to stay in this lesser world for a long time. He became an invincible Devil King here, and before he left, he sealed his evil energy deep underground at this location.
This time, he became a devil once more. However, he didn't use his own past name but rather one from a different Devil King. There was a reason for this choice.
"Where is the palanquin?" He ordered as an untouchable Devil King.
Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao had already prepared all the necessary items. They took out a palanquin for him.
Li Qiye sat on the carriage and commanded: "Raise it, let's go. Remember, do not ask or say anything. Everything is up to me."
The group acted as his bearers. Even a goddess like Mei Suyao could only take up this menial duty. However, she didn't hesitate in carrying the palanquin at all. Her expression remained carefree and natural since she didn't care for status.
If anyone were to see this, they would be scared silly. Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao was one thing, but Bai Jianzhen was the current Sword Goddess and Mei Suyao was even nobler. Hailing from the Eternal River School, she had unmatched looks and was praised as the number one beauty.
But at this moment, both of them could only carry Li Qiye's palanquin.
Li Qiye sat on it and closed his eyes to rest, just like a king looking down on the world. Geniuses and invincible characters could only be his servants. This was true invincibility.
The four girls carried the carriage across rivers and hills into a remote region. Along the way, they met more dark cultivators who were protecting their spirit medicines; they were sleeping for the most part. However, when the palanquin came by, no matter how powerful these cultivators were, they immediately woke up to prostrate on the ground. Even though no words were exchanged, their expressions were full of respect.
The Devil World was a place where ranks mattered. Heaven Relinquish was an exceedingly high-ranked devil, so wherever he went, these dark cultivators would pay him respect.
Eventually, under Li Qiye's guidance, the four girls carried the palanquin into a large river. After separating the current to make way, they instantly went down to the bottom of the river.
Finally, they sank into an extremely deep underwater abyss. They found that there were wisps of light in this region among the currents.
In this place was a crystal palace. However, it was closed and sealed off by a powerful force.
Li Qiye scowled after seeing the closed palace. In the blink of an eye, his devil flames soared and the entire palace trembled.
"Clikkk—" At this second, the palace slowly opened. A devil dragon swam out from within. This dragon was still a flood dragon since it had the unique characteristics of this race. However, it was on the verge of transforming into a true dragon.
It was extremely powerful and frightening and absolutely worse than some of the dark cultivators outside. It was at least at the same level as the old man sitting beneath the Sacrosanct Moontree.
"I didn't know My Lord was coming, please forgive me." The dragon lied on the ground and bowed respectfully.
Li Qiye remained emotionless with his terrifying evil aura surging about like the storm. He didn't bother answering while the four girls carried his palanquin into the crystal palace.
There were countless lights emanating from the innumerable treasures in this place. Divine stones, heavenly weapons, immortal metals… these treasures were scattered randomly on the ground. It seemed that the devil dragon had no interest in these treasures.
Any cultivator would be driven crazy by the sight of this treasury. Li Qiye, on the other hand, didn't care about these treasures. The girls were afraid of being seen through, so they maintained a calm demeanor. They focused on carrying Li Qiye's palanquin without batting an eye at the treasures.
After entering the palace, Li Qiye sat on the throne without any hesitation. The devil dragon didn't dare to show any slight. He stood to the side in a subservient manner. Nevertheless, he still stole several glances at the girls.
"What? Are you interested in my concubines?" Li Qiye coldly glared at the dragon as he sat proudly on the throne.
The dragon quickly fell to the ground and said: "Please forgive me, My Lord. This little one was only curious for a second."
The girls blushed a bit after hearing Li Qiye, but they didn't say anything to maintain the act.
Li Qiye didn't become angry. He said indifferently: "I came to your place for just one item."
"May I ask what My Lord desires? Just say the word and this little one will go grab it for you right away." The dragon responded instantly.
Li Qiye coldly spoke: "In your crystal palace, the only item that can garner my attention is the flower in your Inner Chamber."
The dragon began to hesitate after hearing the request. It softly spoke: "My Lord, about that, about that…"
Li Qiye waved his sleeve dismissively: "I know you want to use it for your Devil Imploration, so I won't take it for nothing. Write down your wish. On a different day on the Evil Slaying Platform, your wish shall be on it!"
"Thank you, My Lord." The dragon no longer hesitated and quickly bowed before going to grab the item.
After a while, the dragon came back and offered a jade box with both hands to Li Qiye. Li Qiye didn't bother looking at it and accepted it right away.
"My Lord, this is my Devil Prayer." The dragon respectfully gave Li Qiye his written wish as well. It was a divine jade engraved with his prayer.
"In the future on the Evil Slaying Platform, go to that place and your prayer shall be answered." Li Qiye spoke coldly.
"Thank you for your grace." The dragon prostrated again with true gratitude.
With a heartless demeanor, Li Qiye commanded: "Raise the palanquin."
Having said that, he closed his eyes again with an imperious temperament. This was very suitable for his current identity as a Devil King.
The girls didn't dare to snub him in the slightest. They immediately obeyed and carried the palanquin out of the crystal palace.
Once they left the river, Li Qiye casually threw the jade box to Li Shuangyan and said: "Little girl, this nice item is your reward."
Li Shuangyan was a bit surprised. She calmed down, caught the box, and opened it. A sacred light emerged in an overwhelming yet flawless manner. Anyone who saw it would feel pure inside, as if nothing was holier than this item.
It was a lotus flower that resembled a jade carving. It was flawless — truly perfect.
"What kind of immortal lotus is this?" Even those who didn't know better could tell that it was extraordinary from just a glance.
"Earthmother Sacred Lotus." Li Qiye lightly said: "This flower is very useful for you since you cultivate the Void Imperfection Physique. With it, you will be able to unravel the more mystical aspects of the physique."
"Thank you, Young Noble." Li Shuangyan thanked him and put away the jade box.
"Young Noble swindled this immortal lotus from that devil dragon." Chen Baojiao said: "If it finds out, it will definitely go crazy."
Li Qiye disguising himself as Heaven Relinquish to trick the lotus from the dragon was too clever. He didn't need to expend any effort and still managed to obtain such a peerless item.
"No, I didn't lie to him." Li Qiye gently shook his head: "Though I am not the real Heaven Relinquish, I didn't truly deceive him."
This answer left the group a bit confused. They didn't understand him.
"But you are not the real Heaven Relinquish." Chen Baojiao commented.
"Yes, I'm not him." Li Qiye smirked: "But the real Heaven Relinquish will help fulfill their prayers."