Crafting an Immortal Race with Daily Hexagrams

Chapter 713: Chapter 260: Sacrifice (Part 6)

"At least in the future, if the Dao Source of Yangnao Land is truly extracted and the Shen Family reaches a dead end, we can still rely on that Stone Egg to enter the Dao Source Secret Realm."

Upon hearing his father’s explanation, Shen Wen’an could only reluctantly agree.

"If this matter does not succeed, don’t force it. I have long deduced the ’Yin Yang Mutual Aid’ and naturally have a countermeasure in mind."

"However, this plan can only protect the Shen Family; if you wish to also care for Luoxia Mountain, I’m afraid it won’t be possible."

"Now that Qiuling has become the Sect Leader of Luoxia Mountain, the Shen Family can no longer commit acts of ingratitude or betrayal. Just let you give it a try first."

Shen Wen’an cupped his hands, saying: "Then I’ll take my leave first."

Leaving Black Water Pavilion, he immediately took out a miniature Bronze Battleship from his Storage Bag and tossed it into the air.

With a flash of light, the miniature Bronze Battleship instantly transformed into a vintage warship over ten yards long, exuding a vast aura.

This Bronze Battleship was a gift from a Golden-haired Monkey at the Purple Mansion Realm encountered at sea.

But Shen Wen’an was accustomed to Sword Flight, so the Bronze Battleship had been stored in his Storage Bag, never used.

This time, he decided to use it because traveling to Danzhou required passing through Beidi County.

Since Feng Changyou was now in Beidi County, flying by sword would easily reveal his presence.

With a leap, he landed on the Bronze Battleship and took out more than ten Spirit Crystals, throwing them into the ship’s core array. The battleship then transformed into a stream of light, flying north.

...

Southern Border, Yangquan Mountain.

After being rescued from Jianan Temple, Shen Chongxu returned to the Bai Xuan Sect at Yangquan Mountain.

Apart from Wushi Qianrou, the rest of Bai Xuan Sect remained unaware that their Sect Leader was almost used as nourishment for growing trees.

After a brief appearance, letting Dongyun Pao and others focus on searching for everything related to Witchcraft and Gu Dao, Shen Chongxu shut himself inside the sleeping palace, studying how to dismantle the [Demon’s Arrival] Secret Technique.

Sea of Consciousness.

"You truly want to dismantle the [Demon’s Arrival] Secret Technique and let me go?"

Trapped within the barrier, the Outer Celestial Demon still doesn’t believe Shen Chongxu would let it go.

"You know that actively dismantling the [Demon’s Arrival] Secret Technique, given your current cultivation, requires a sacrifice of at least a hundred years of lifespan."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chongxu furrowed his brows: "Is the cost truly this high?"

The Outer Celestial Demon couldn’t help but sneer: "Regretting it, aren’t you?"

Within the Spirit Platform of the Sea of Consciousness, Shen Chongxu stood with his hands behind his back, looking at it: "Since I said I would let you go, I won’t break my word."

"Just tell me directly how to dismantle the [Demon’s Arrival] Secret Technique."

The Outer Celestial Demon stared blankly at him, hesitant for a long time before reluctantly revealing the method.

Having obtained the method to dismantle the [Demon’s Arrival] Secret Technique, Shen Chongxu suddenly asked: "I’m curious, how long have you lived?"

The Outer Celestial Demon hesitated slightly before answering: "We Celestial Demons have no concept of lifespan."

"The strength of our cultivation is solely related to the souls we’ve devoured."

"If none have been devoured, Celestial Demons who live for a year or ten thousand years are no different."

Shen Chongxu understood.

"Then how do you typically devour souls?"

The Outer Celestial Demon seemed to have no qualms about this, answering indifferently:

"All living beings with souls harbor demonic thoughts in their hearts. We Celestial Demons can traverse various worlds, seeking out beings whose demonic thoughts have been triggered, either cajoling or tormenting them, causing their Divine Spirit to perish, and then devouring them."

"Besides, when you cultivators breakthrough, invoking rules that bring about calamities is also our biggest opportunity."

At this, the Outer Celestial Demon seemed somewhat envious: "Unfortunately, my power isn’t enough to become a calamity."

"Otherwise, if only I could devour the Divine Spirit of a cultivator capable of triggering catastrophic calamities, not even that damned Bodhi Tree Seedling would stand a chance."

"Well, I’ve said enough to repay you."

"If you truly wish to let me go, hurry up. If not, stop trying to trick me."

Shen Chongxu responded with a faint smile: "Is my century of lifespan only worth this paltry repayment?"

"Forget it...."

With that, he withdrew his Divine Sense from the Sea of Consciousness, returning to his body, and after brief contemplation, immediately activated the secret technique to dismantle the [Demon’s Arrival] Secret Technique.

In an instant, he suddenly felt a supreme and ancient aura akin to divine majesty unexpectedly arise!

With his mind in a haze, he vaguely saw that supreme aura transform into a terrifying long blade, slashing towards him!

Shen Chongxu instinctively closed his eyes.

But the imagined excruciating pain never came!

The long blade passed through his body without harming his flesh in the slightest.

While Shen Chongxu was still perplexed, he suddenly felt a strong sense of weakness!

Before his eyes, his mane of black hair instantly turned silver-gray, and fine wrinkles appeared on his face.

Within the Sea of Consciousness.

Shen Chongxu’s Divine Spirit sat cross-legged on the Spirit Platform, weakly waving his hand, releasing the barrier that trapped the Outer Celestial Demon.

"You’re free now...."

Saying this, Shen Chongxu ignored it and immediately started circulating his cultivation technique, calming the damage caused to his body by the loss of lifespan.

Without the barrier’s control, the Outer Celestial Demon sensed its connection with Shen Chongxu was truly severed, feeling deeply astonished.

"You actually.... are willing to sacrifice a century of lifespan to dismantle the secret technique?"

Shen Chongxu didn’t respond, or rather, he no longer had the energy to deal with this Outer Celestial Demon now.

While lifespan loss didn’t result in overt injuries, the consequences of such loss were still severe.

"I don’t know whether to call you foolish or...."

Watching Shen Chongxu abandon it like this, the Outer Celestial Demon wanted to pounce immediately, exploiting his current weakness due to lifespan loss, to shatter his Dao Heart and devour his Divine Spirit.

But considering that Shen Chongxu’s current state was due to letting it go, the Outer Celestial Demon felt a bit agitated.

"Aren’t humans supposed to be selfish, greedy, cunning creatures?"

"How does a straightforward guy like him survive till now?"

"Moreover...."

Gazing at Shen Chongxu seated cross-legged on the Spirit Platform, the Outer Celestial Demon unexpectedly sensed that Shen Chongxu’s mindset resembled a still, deep abyss!

This mindset was most troubling for them.

It provided no opportunity for infiltration whatsoever.

"What a peculiar fellow...."

The Outer Celestial Demon muttered, and strangely enough, it didn’t leave right away but instead emitted a purple mist to surround Shen Chongxu’s Divine Spirit.

The purplish mist emitted an ethereal glow that formed a light curtain within Shen Chongxu’s Sea of Consciousness.

The images projected within the light curtain surprisingly depicted scenes from Shen Chongxu’s life, from his birth to his mother Zhao Xuan’s passing, then to his father’s concubine Hu Mei’Er entering the Shen Family, and the subsequent decadence and departure in anger.

Prying into the memories of a soul to find exploitable weaknesses and attacking the soul’s essence is a basic ability of an Outer Celestial Demon.

The Outer Celestial Demon watched Shen Chongxu’s half-life unfold like a movie.

Time passed, the length unknown.

When Shen Chongxu stabilized the effects of lifespan loss on his body, slowly waking, he found the Outer Celestial Demon still lingering in his Sea of Consciousness!

This time, it had transformed into the guise of a human woman.