Chapter 531: As long as the action is fast enough, a flaw is not a flaw |
No one chasing us?
Du Ge glanced back in the direction of the capital, puzzled. Are the cultivators in the capital really this cowardly?
Or were they frightened by the commotion he caused? If he had known the capital's defenses were this weak, he wouldn't have left.
"Senior, did you really kill Prince Duan?" Liao Jiulong asked cautiously.
His heart still hadn't calmed down.
He had witnessed Du Ge taking down the Qi Refiners guarding the capital with a single strike each, always attacking from behind—truly ruthless.
His own cultivation level was merely that of a Qi Refiner, and compared to those whom Du Ge had eliminated, he felt he was truly blessed by his ancestors.
Liu Ziyun and Du Ziming didn't dare to breathe too loudly.
Previously, Du Ge had toyed with them in various ways. Even though he only killed evildoers at Longliu Manor, it made them think that the Heavenly Demon was quite approachable.
"I never miss when I strike," Du Ge said with a smug smile. With a thought, he used his divine power to erase all the marks from the stolen flying swords. He then selected the best quality sword and pushed the remaining ones forward. "You can choose too. If there's a better sword than yours, you can swap it. Following me in cultivation, I won't let you suffer."
"No need, my flying sword is fine," Du Ziming said, glancing over the swords and politely declining. He had once thought of following Du Ge without hesitation, but now, he hesitated.
Du Ge was too reckless, and he feared dying without a proper burial.
Liu Ziyun also shook his head.
However, Liao Jiulong quietly took back his flying sword. Without it, more than half of his combat power would be gone.
"Senior, with Prince Duan dead, what do we do next? Go back to train those children, or search for other demons?" Liao Jiulong asked.
"Take me to Dragon and Tiger Mountain!" Du Ge said with a smile.
The trip to the capital was thrilling yet safe, but it made Du Ge realize that his understanding of this world was too superficial. Relying on robbing cultivators would only leave him passive and unable to deal with powerful enemies.
Instead of waiting passively for death, it was better to take the initiative and dive into the tiger's den. First, he could obtain the subsequent cultivation techniques, and second, he could gain a clear understanding of the cultivation world.
Supernatural powers, spells, magical treasures, talismans, formations...
He lacked too many things, and time was running out for him.
"Dragon and Tiger Mountain?" Liao Jiulong's eyes widened, and he swallowed lightly. "Senior, what are you going to do at Dragon and Tiger Mountain?"
"Of course, to obtain the subsequent techniques of the Nine Transformations of the Universe Technique," Du Ge replied. "I urgently need to restore my strength. Once I comprehend the new techniques, it will benefit you as well."
"Senior, your hundred-year cycle..."
"Senior's identity going to Dragon and Tiger Mountain might..."
Liao Jiulong and Liu Ziyun both started speaking but stopped halfway.
"Master, you go first," Liu Ziyun said.
"Senior, your identity is too sensitive. At this sensitive time, going to Dragon and Tiger Mountain, if my sect's elders notice, it might be disadvantageous for you," Liao Jiulong said, glancing at Liu Ziyun with a forced smile.
He wasn't worried about Dragon and Tiger Mountain being a threat to Du Ge; he was worried Du Ge would destroy Dragon and Tiger Mountain!
He had seen how quickly the Heavenly Demon grew. Dragon and Tiger Mountain was Master Xu's domain. If the Heavenly Demon destroyed it, he would be a sinner to his sect, with no way back.
"Liao Daoist, don't overthink it. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. What you consider a disaster might not be bad, and what you consider a blessing might not be good," Du Ge said, looking at Liao Jiulong. "When calamity strikes, some things can't be avoided just because you want to. Instead of running away, it's better to face it bravely. Who knows, Dragon and Tiger Mountain's future backer might not be the Celestial Master but the Emperor."
"Besides, can a mere Qi Refiner like you really stop me? Stay by my side, observe more, listen more, and make fewer assumptions. You'll find that your gains will increase. Conversely, the things you don't want to happen might just happen."
"..." Liao Jiulong was stunned.
"The bigger your heart, the bigger the stage. If you focus only on a small Dragon and Tiger Mountain, your ultimate achievement might just be successful ascension, becoming a minor celestial at the mercy of the celestial realm. But if you see Dragon and Tiger Mountain as a stepping stone, your achievements might be as a Celestial Master, an Emperor, a Spiritual Officer, or a Marshal..."
Du Ge smiled, feeding Liao Jiulong with motivational words. "The Heavenly Emperor and the Emperor control all the power in the celestial realm. Naturally, they want you to cultivate step by step, ultimately serving them and contributing your centuries or millennia of cultivation to the vast celestial realm.
But do you really want to cultivate for hundreds of years, only to ascend and become a minor celestial soldier?"
Liao Jiulong swallowed hard, looking at Du Ge with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Du Ziming seemed deep in thought.
"Remember, don't let your heart imprison your power," Du Ge said, looking at the three of them. "Break out of the framework they've set, and you'll find that there's much to accomplish between heaven and earth."
Gulp!
Liao Jiulong swallowed again, sighing heavily in his heart. He admitted he was swayed. The Heavenly Demon constantly touched the most vulnerable part of his heart, making it too difficult to maintain his original intentions in front of him!
"Breaking out of the framework requires opportunity," Du Ge continued with a smile. "And I am your opportunity, not Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
Follow me, and if one day I rebuild this world, you will be the pioneers of the new world; if I fail, your outcome will still be glorious."
Glorious?
The three of them didn't understand, looking at Du Ge with confusion.
"Yes, glorious," Du Ge chuckled. "Liao Daoist, you once told Du Ziming that if you follow me and I fail, your lifespan will only be a hundred years."
"Isn't that so?" Liao Jiulong retorted.
"The one who passes the Path of Heart Refinement becomes an Emperor; failing doesn't necessarily mean a dead end," Du Ge smiled, glancing at the sky. "If I don't reveal my identity, who would know I'm the Heavenly Demon?
Mastering martial skills to serve the emperor. I've told you before, the Heavenly Demon has a thousand faces. How do you know there aren't Daoist friends in the celestial realm who have walked the same path as me?"
With these words.
Liao Jiulong and the other two were stunned, their minds blank.
Indeed!
The Heavenly Demon is ever-changing. Without careful discernment, who can know the thoughts of the celestial beings?
"After all, I'm an existence on par with the Dao Ancestor. Does he really think he can suppress me forever?" Du Ge said with a faint smile, mocking.
"Senior, since you reincarnate every hundred years and are from the same era as the Dao Ancestor, you must have accumulated countless techniques. Why seek techniques from Dragon and Tiger Mountain?" Liu Ziyun finally voiced his doubts. "Even a random technique from ancient times, or from the five Emperors who walked the Path of Heart Refinement with you, would be better than those from Dragon and Tiger Mountain!"
"Hmph!" Du Ge snorted coldly. "Even you can think of that. Do you think the Dao Ancestor can't? If I could retain my memories of techniques, how could a hundred-year cycle trap me?
To hinder my growth, every hundred-year cycle, he erases all my memories of techniques. Therefore, in every life, I have to cultivate anew. But with my talent and wisdom, gathering techniques from a hundred schools and creating my own supernatural powers is not difficult.
This time, I intend to break the hundred-year cycle's mandate and suppress the Dao Ancestor, letting him taste the suffering of endless reincarnation."
"But what about those Qi Refiners who followed you..." Liu Ziyun whispered.
"Techniques are easy to obtain. Why would I expose my millennia-long plan for such a trivial matter?" Du Ge looked at Liu Ziyun as if he were an idiot.
Liu Ziyun was speechless.
"Senior, how do we get to Dragon and Tiger Mountain?" Liao Jiulong finally let go of his prejudices against Du Ge and asked proactively.
"Just say I'm a new disciple you've found!" Du Ge dispelled the divine power surrounding him, revealing a youthful face. "Lead me into the mountain, and I'll handle the rest."
"Alright." Liao Jiulong paused for a moment, then agreed readily.
After Liu Ziyun voiced his doubts, not only was he not convinced, but he also became more suspicious of Du Ge.
So far, apart from his extraordinary growth speed and his unfathomable supernatural powers, all other key information was hidden by him.
If he truly was the reincarnated Heavenly Demon, even if the Dao Ancestor sealed his memories, he might not want to alert the pieces he had previously set up for the big picture.
During the reincarnation process, finding a secret place to hide techniques or treasures from past lives for future use would be possible!
Previously, he didn't say much, so there were fewer loopholes. But as he revealed more information, the doubts increased.
Therefore, bringing him to Dragon and Tiger Mountain for observation, if he truly is the reincarnated Heavenly Demon, there will be signs;
If not, gathering the power of Dragon and Tiger Mountain to suppress him would be easy.
After all.
Dragon and Tiger Mountain is Master Xu's domain. If he truly intends to cause trouble, the headmaster can summon the Celestial Master at any time.
Master Xu is the foundation of Dragon and Tiger Mountain...
...
Du Ge saw through Liao Jiulong's thoughts but didn't expose him.
The skill of leading people astray can only stir the evil thoughts in others' hearts. The more you paint a picture, the more flaws it has.
After all, he didn't understand the structure of the divine world in this realm.
The gods in folklore are just stories and can't be used as references.
Lies without real events to back them up are the easiest to expose, which is the downside of not possessing a suitable identity.
If only he knew the names and duties of the celestial beings and their pasts, the stories he could weave would be more convincing and believable.
For now, he could only take it one step at a time.
There was one thing Du Ge didn't lie about; he truly saw Dragon and Tiger Mountain as a stepping stone.
...
Du Ge and his group set off for Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
This time.
With Liao Jiulong leading the way with his sword light, their speed was much slower, taking over three hours to reach Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
During this time, the assassination of Prince Duan finally stirred up the capital of New Moon, with almost all the nobility aware that Prince Duan and the Golden Elixir master of Prince Duan's mansion were killed by the Demon Head who caused havoc in the capital.
Even though the old emperor of New Moon issued a gag order, there are no secrets that time does not reveal, and the cause of Prince Duan's death spread.
For a time.
Everyone was on edge.
Including the public in the capital, they couldn't discern whether Prince Duan's wounds had demonic energy. They only knew that the demonic energy from the Demon Head in the sky was so overwhelming that it blocked out the sun, and the Demon Head had threatened to slaughter the New Moon upon his return.
With such a ruthless Demon Head targeting their lives, how could they not panic?
Who would want to die in such a humiliating way?
Du Ge even gained a notorious nickname in New Moon—The Demon of Ruin.
Riding the wave of Prince Duan's assassination, Du Ge's status jumped another level, and while all the Alien Star warriors hid themselves, he firmly secured the top spot.
The offerings of New Moon returned to their sects to seek reinforcements.
City Gods, Earth Gods, and other deities stationed in the capital reported the Demon of Ruin's information to their superiors.
Typically, they wouldn't interfere in the affairs of cultivators and mortal kingdoms, but at this sensitive time, everyone, gods and mortals alike, adopted a "better safe than sorry" approach.
Moreover, after secretly examining Prince Duan's wounds, these deities unanimously concluded that the Demon of Ruin was undoubtedly connected to demonic forces.
Orders were issued, and the Longliu Manor case caught everyone's attention.
Imperial envoys, along with court officials skilled in investigations, hurried to Fancheng, while various Yin and Yang deities also received orders to investigate Longliu Manor, starting their inquiries in secret...
The Qi Refiners from the cultivation sects were the slowest to react.
A single move affects the whole situation.
Du Ge's plan to draw all attention to himself with Prince Duan's death succeeded, but he hadn't considered that the Longliu Manor case couldn't be avoided.
After all, his influence in this world was too weak.
The most crucial point was his unfamiliarity with the three-dimensional operation of the divine world.
...
Dragon and Tiger Mountain was far removed from the mundane world.
The mountain gate was majestic, with layers of steps leading to the summit. At the top, there was a Daoist temple where one could see Daoist priests cultivating, some meditating, others practicing martial arts, and in the main hall, the statue of Master Xu was enshrined.
However, Liao Jiulong, leading Du Ge, didn't stop at the lower temple but headed straight up, entering the clouds at the summit.
Outside the mist.
Liao Jiulong formed a hand seal.
The mist parted before them, revealing the true entrance to Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
It was as if several mountain peaks suddenly appeared among the clouds, with palaces on the peaks radiating colorful lights. In front of the halls, exotic flowers and herbs bloomed, strange beasts and birds flew between the peaks, and various colored sword lights flew back and forth, entering and exiting the mist, each representing a cultivator.
Upon reaching the Daoist grounds of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, spiritual power naturally flowed into Du Ge's body, its concentration far surpassing that of the outside world.
He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was amazed.
Damn!
This is a true celestial abode!
Compared to this, the previous Alien Star Battlefield was really low-tier. Did Pan-Universal Entertainment ever consider giving Alien Star warriors a chance to survive on such a planet?