Chapter Fifty-One: The Invasion of the Inner Demon

When the Aurora Sword collided with the dragon’s tail, Yu Ming immediately felt an overwhelming force surge through his weapon. His body was thrown out of control, sent hurtling into the mountainside with a thunderous crash.

“Third Brother! Third Brother!” Fu Aoxuan and Wang Haochen saw Yu Ming struck away and instantly soared into the air, racing toward the spot where he had fallen, their voices echoing with concern.

“Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I’m fine,” Yu Ming emerged steadily from the swirling dust, wiping a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. His face was calm as he spoke to Fu Aoxuan and Wang Haochen. “I hadn’t expected Chen Yi’s attack to be so powerful. If I hadn’t defended myself in time, I can’t imagine what state I’d be in now.”

Even Chen Yi himself hadn’t anticipated the might unleashed when the Bloodthirst Spear was paired with the corresponding technique. To think he could send Yu Ming, an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, flying with a single blow.

Before acquiring the Bloodthirst Spear and its technique, Chen Yi’s strength, relying only on his formidable Dragon-Elephant Body and the uncanny Wind-Thunder Phantom Sword, was roughly equal to a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Now, with the Bloodthirst Spear and its technique, his power should match the early Foundation Establishment stage. Of course, being able to defeat Yu Ming in one move relied on the suppression effect of the Devourer of Immortals and Yu Ming’s underestimation of him—otherwise, who knew how long this bout would have lasted.

“Brother Chen Yi, thank you for showing mercy,” Yu Ming suddenly declared, conceding his loss. “I admit defeat in this match, but I look forward to crossing swords with you again.”

“Third Brother, you…” Wang Haochen couldn’t understand why Yu Ming would concede when he clearly hadn’t lost.

“Second Brother, say no more. Third Brother lost this duel.” Fu Aoxuan interrupted Wang Haochen, having recognized that Chen Yi had indeed held back at the crucial moment.

It was only because Yu Ming had quickly channeled his spiritual power to shield himself the instant he was struck, and because Chen Yi had withdrawn most of his strength at the last moment, that Yu Ming escaped serious injury.

“Brother Chen Yi, thank you for showing mercy to my Third Brother. As we agreed before the competition, tomorrow we’ll go together to complete the mission in the Heavenly Dragon Mountains,” Fu Aoxuan said, expressing his gratitude and confirming their upcoming expedition.

“No need to stand on ceremony,” Chen Yi replied. “We were only sparring, not fighting for our lives. There was no need for me to go all out. Tomorrow, I’ll meet you all on time, and we’ll journey into the Heavenly Dragon Mountains to complete the mission together. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Farewell, Brother Chen Yi,” Fu Aoxuan called after him.

“See you tomorrow, Brother Aoxuan.”

With that, Chen Yi summoned his spiritual power, raised his Rainbow Sword, and soared away into the distance.

“This Chen Yi truly lives up to his reputation,” Fu Aoxuan sighed after Chen Yi departed. “He defeated Dongfang Tian and became champion of the Outer Sect Competition. And now he’s crossed an entire major realm, displaying the power of Foundation Establishment while still in the Qi Refinement stage—truly terrifying.”

“Throughout history, those capable of battling above their cultivation are peerless geniuses, rare in ten thousand years. It seems Chen Yi is such a one. If he can maintain this ability, his future will be limitless. He may one day become a figure we can only look up to.”

Seated under the plum blossom tree in his small courtyard, Chen Yi gently stroked the Bloodthirst Spear. He hadn’t expected that the treasure he’d found so casually in the Vault would possess such astonishing power. Gazing at the spear, he couldn’t help but think of his previous life. In the legends of his past, there had been a mighty being whose weapon was reminiscent of the Bloodthirst Spear. Yet that weapon far surpassed Chen Yi’s own; it was said that a single strike could even annihilate a sage.

Though the memories of his past and present lives had completely merged, leaving no distinction between the two, Chen Yi still felt deep longing for the family and friends of his former life. He wondered if his parents were well after his departure. Lost in these memories, Chen Yi did not realize he was already ensnared in the greatest crisis of his cultivation journey.

Beneath the plum blossom tree, black mist began to coil around his body, his expression contorted and eyes vacant. In the sea of his consciousness, his spiritual fire was being enveloped by that same black mist, which hungrily devoured it bit by bit.

Since awakening the memories of his former life and obtaining the Daoist treasure, the Classic of Virtue, his cultivation had soared like a rocket, leaping from the third to the ninth level of Qi Refinement in under a year.

But Chen Yi did not realize that his state of mind had failed to keep pace with his rapid progress. As he reminisced about his past life, his spirit developed a crack, through which a Heart Demon infiltrated his sea of consciousness, seeking to devour his soul, seize his body, and use it to walk the mortal world. The black mist consuming his soul was none other than the dreaded Heart Demon.

The invasion of a Heart Demon is one of the greatest fears for cultivators, especially for those who follow the demonic path. Such practitioners rely on slaughter and devouring to rapidly increase their power, but these acts defy the natural order and the harmony of humanity. Thus, they are surrounded by karmic repercussions and heavy with the burden of sin, making them especially vulnerable to Heart Demons. Most who tread the demonic path die at their hands.

Ordinarily, Heart Demons roam the void and rarely invade the mortal realm. But when someone is consumed by overwhelming hatred, greed, delusion, obsession, or resentment, the Heart Demon finds a way in. Chen Yi, trapped by obsession with his former life, had thus exposed a flaw, allowing the Heart Demon to enter his consciousness.

Once a Heart Demon invades, the afflicted cultivator rarely awakens without tremendous willpower to shatter the illusion and dispel the demon. Yet everything has two sides; misfortune and fortune coexist. Though the invasion brings grave peril, should one overcome the Heart Demon, their cultivation will soar.

The ordeal tempers the soul, and such tempering elevates the state of mind, which in turn spurs further cultivation. Thus, this invasion was both a trial and an opportunity for Chen Yi. Whether he could break free from his obsessions, destroy the Heart Demon, and refine his spirit depended on his own strength.

At the heart of his sea of consciousness, the Heart Demon continued its relentless assault on Chen Yi’s soul, while he remained lost in memories of his previous life, completely unaware of the peril. Fortunately, his soul was strong, comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, which slowed the Heart Demon’s progress. Still, if he could not awaken in time, even the strongest soul would eventually be consumed.