Guardians of Mountain and Sea - Chapter 19

Since the giant tiger set out, the Demon Sect true disciple had found a spot on its back to sit cross-legged, closing her eyes in silent meditation.

Lin Pu knew Lingyi was feeling indignant. First, Lin Pu had used tricks right under her nose to snatch the Earth Spirit Water Soul, a top-tier water attribute treasure. Then, she had been rescued by Lingyi, who used such a precious flight tool to save her life. Lin Pu had certainly reaped all the benefits. Putting herself in Lingyi’s shoes, Lin Pu knew she would be beyond frustrated and wouldn’t want to speak to her either.

With this in mind, Lin Pu behaved herself and stayed quiet for a few days.

However, life on the road was incredibly dull. She was young, after all, and couldn’t sit still for long. Moreover, from childhood to now, she had always had someone by her side—first her playmates in the Wild Mountains, then Granny Ji. Later, after stepping onto the immortal path, she had Wuyanzi in the Primal Sea, and during the tedious training in the Hidden Realm, she had her Senior Sister and the priestesses. Even during the days after leaving Fan City, she could chatter away with Senior Tiger.

Now, a living, breathing, beautiful lady was sitting right behind her. This Senior Sister was a fellow genius from another sect and had saved her life; keeping her mouth shut was truly agonizing.

Thus, on this day, before Lingyi could even wake from her trance, the young cultivator, who had held back for a long time, plucked up the courage to turn around and said expectantly, “Senior Sister, are you awake?”

No one answered.

After staying quiet for a while longer, she rested her chin on her hand and watched the two birds hopping and chirping on the tiger’s head. Suddenly struck by a thought, she took a small bottle from her storage pouch, hesitated for a second, and then stealthily crept toward the back.

Lingyi opened her eyes. “What are you doing?”

The young cultivator blinked and asked, “Senior Sister, are you hungry?”

Lingyi shot her a glance and took out a fasting pill to eat on her own. Lin Pu gave a dry laugh, put the bottle away, and sat back at the front with her head hanging.

After a long while, Lin Pu suddenly sat bolt upright with an “Ah!” and turned around in a hurry. “I knew I forgot something! Senior Sister, I left that ghost back there!”

Ghosts summoned from the underworld using the Ghost Emperor Seal were bound by sin chains, so there was no fear of them doing evil in the mortal world. However, there were rules for summoning ghosts with the square seal. When the seal issued a summons and the golden stamp fell, whether they were willing or not, a ghost within the laws of the realm had to obey. Being forcibly driven by the master of the seal was considered a form of punishment for their crimes.

As for previously removing a thin layer of the sin chains, that was just Lin Pu returning a favor. In truth, she could have ignored it entirely and dominantly ordered the seal to send the ghosts back, but the young cultivator felt guilty about making someone work for nothing. She had only obtained the treasure by chance; she didn’t truly see herself as some Ghost Emperor or overlord. Since they had helped, she at least asked the seal to discern their records and grant remissions accordingly.

The ghost left behind this time had truly been a big help, yet she had forgotten him. It was truly shameful.

Lingyi’s almond eyes widened as she snapped, “Don’t tell me you want to go back for a ghost!”

Lin Pu shook her head vigorously. “No, no, we’ve come so far. He can sense the square seal; I’ll just let him catch up on his own.”

In any case, those summoned were all sinful spirits and evil ghosts. Although Lin Pu felt a bit sorry, her compassion wasn’t that overflowing. Clearly, the beautiful Senior Sister who had saved her life was more important. Lin Pu said with a smile, “Senior Sister, you’re willing to talk to me now?”

The beautiful lady went back to ignoring her.

The first step is always the hardest. Since the fairy was willing to respond, she wasn’t truly disgusted with her. Not discouraged, the young cultivator said seriously, “Senior Sister, don’t be mad at me. I promise, if I ever find another treasure like the Earth Spirit Water Soul, I’ll definitely save it for you!”

“Do you think these natural five-element treasures are like common cabbages, found everywhere?” Lingyi’s lingering resentment was stirred, and she gave her a sharp, annoyed look.

Lingyi had come to the Eastern Lands specifically to find water-attribute spiritual items. Since she had entered the sixth realm decades ago, her cultivation had been stuck, so she had to seek external aids to progress. It just so happened that there was a spiritual treasure gathering for the Eastern Continent in Songzhou recently, so Lingyi thought she would try her luck.

As it turned out, she first suffered losses in Fan City and destroyed a bunch of tools. Then, after tracking a drop of Earth Spirit Water Soul through its water essence and thinking her luck had finally turned around, she ended up being tricked in a “shallow ditch” by a third-realm brat. She had even lost two precious flight tools. She must have been possessed by a demonic obsession to play the good samaritan!

Lingyi felt unwilling. “Hey, you owe me four favors. Remember to pay them back later.”

“Senior Sister, my name is Lin Pu, but you can just call me A-Pu.” Finally introducing herself, Lin Pu asked in confusion, “Why are there four?”

“Does using a supreme treasure to help you break through count?”

“Yes.”

“Does yielding the Earth Spirit Water Soul to you count?”

“But I was the one who—” Catching the demoness’s narrowing eyes, the young cultivator decisively changed her tune. “It counts too.”

“You snatched the Water Soul and made me angry, yet I didn’t kill you and let you keep your life. That’s another one.”

“…”

“And back in Fan City, when we fought the Heaven-tier corpse, you got the Ghost Seal. The black coffin should have been mine, but you took it.”

“Senior Sister,” Lin Pu said softly, “Fan City shouldn’t count, right? I was the one who used the True Monarch’s talisman.”

“I knew you were going to be stingy about it.” The fairy waved her hand grandly, acting shamelessly with total confidence. “Fine, then we’ll count it as three. Lin Iron-Head, don’t you forget it when you return to your sect, favors must be repaid.”

“It’s Lin Pu,” the young cultivator corrected. She wanted to argue further but thought better of it and stayed silent.

Lingyi was surprised. “You’re accepting it? Without mentioning any conditions?”

“Mhm.” Lin Pu nodded. “Anyway, for any request you make, if I can do it, I definitely will. If I can’t, there’s nothing I can do.”

Isn’t that nonsense! If there’s nothing she can do for things she can’t achieve, then what’s the point of my three requests!

A surge of frustration rose in Lingyi’s chest. She turned her head away, once again not wanting to talk to her.

However, the young cultivator was fearless and stubborn. Having already seen the demoness’s sour face and temper, she was used to it and wasn’t afraid. She leaned in curiously. “Senior Sister, why are you stuck in the sixth realm?”

She had heard Wuyanzi say that demonic cultivators could turn their inner demons into their own cultivation. Logically, demonic cultivators should progress the fastest during the Mortal Immersion stage.

Lingyi glanced at her. “Do you think that just by being a demonic cultivator, you progress rapidly without bottlenecks, and that by refining inner demons in the sixth realm, your cultivation advances a thousand miles in a day?”

Lin Pu nodded honestly; she truly thought so. The little demoness was amused by her matter-of-fact attitude.

“If things were as great as you think, everyone in the world would be a demonic cultivator. Why don’t you see many demonic giants around?”

Lin Pu was stumped. she blinked and said nothing.

“In other Heavenly Sects, there are tens of thousands of disciples but only a dozen or so true disciples. Yet, the Myriad Demon Sect has a hundred thousand demonic followers and only twenty-seven true disciples. Do you know why?”

It was simply because entering the demonic path was easy, but transcending the mundane was difficult. Most people only saw that demonic cultivation allowed one to act without restraint and without fear of inner demons, but they forgot the meaning of “Demon.”

A Demon is one who is mad and enters the Extreme Path. And those who can be called “Extreme” are only the few at the very summit. Every kind of human desire and obsession corresponds to a Demon God, and Demon Gods only favor those who reach the extreme.

In truth, demonic cultivation isn’t necessarily stronger than the righteous path. The Heavenly Dao is fair. Though righteous cultivators must endure tribulations of inner demons and their path is rocky, it is a broad and stable road ahead. Demonic cultivators, however, do not cultivate their character and can refine their inner demons, but without the favor of a Demon God to bestow a Demonic Seed, they can never hope to break through into the Heaven tier. The path for demonic cultivators is like hundreds of millions of people trying to squeeze onto a single narrow bridge.

Lingyi paused there, discreetly observing the clean-looking young cultivator. Lin Pu had previously thought demonic cultivation was easier than the righteous path, yet she had remained steadfast in her heart, not wavering in the slightest when Lingyi had extended an olive branch. It was no wonder True Monarch Hong Ling favored this little fool.

Lin Pu fell into thought. No wonder her Senior Sister had said during her enlightenment in the Primal Sea that in the millions of years of history, there had been countless brilliant geniuses, but eighty or ninety percent of them fell at the Mortal Immersion realm. Now it seemed that this “eighty or ninety percent” didn’t just refer to the righteous path, but also included the Demon Sect. It was just that righteous cultivators died from “fire deviation,” while demonic followers were stuck in the sixth realm, wasting their lifespan away.

In the current Myriad Demon Sect, only twenty-three people possessed a Demonic Seed personally bestowed by a Demon God. This included the thirteen Demon Lords, including the Sect Leader, and ten true disciples. The other seventeen true disciples were those who had joined the lineages of the thirteen Demon Lords and had “False Demonic Seeds” implanted in their dantians by their masters.

Lingyi possessed a False Demonic Seed. Because of this, she absolutely needed water-attribute treasures to help her break through the sixth realm, which was why she was heading to Songzhou.

Hearing this, Lin Pu pushed her luck and pried, “Then Senior Sister, what kind of Demon do you practice?”

Lingyi looked at the young cultivator who had leaned in close, huffed, and didn’t answer.

Songzhou was located at the border of the Eastern Lands and the Central Region of the continent. Even with the giant tiger in its original form running at full speed, it took nearly two months. Standing on this side of the mountain range, they could see a vast expanse of cities from afar, with the smoke of human habitation stretching to the horizon.

The giant tiger turned back into a small cat. Lin Pu picked it up and followed behind the Demon Sect Senior Sister. Entering Songzhou meant entering the territory of the Central Plains; it was no longer like the Eastern Lands, which were desolate and filled with wilderness and forests.

After entering the city, they had only walked a few steps when Lingyi, wearing a pair of embroidered shoes with Wild Mountain characteristics, suddenly stopped. She turned back to Lin Pu and said, “Why are you still following me? The teleportation array is in the East City. Go on your way.”

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