Chapter 431: Chapter 262: Sui Yuqing’s Secret, Buddhist Karmic Force, Demonic Thoughts, Myriad Entanglements
Inside the boisterous tavern.
Ostensibly, only Lu Mingyuan and Luo Ying were in a corner of the tavern, but in reality, circle after circle of Cultivators were secretly patrolling outside.
"Elder Sui, do you think the Holy Emperor’s current strength is enough to resolve Great Yan’s present predicament?" a Daoist Cultivator from the Daoist Academy asked, standing by the railing with his arms crossed.
"Are you referring to the Six Paths of Celestial Destiny and Fortune?"
Sui Yuqing wore a flowing, long-sleeved Daoist Robe. Her black hair was tied up, secured by a Lotus Daoist Hat. A touch of vermilion red marked the space between her brows, and she held a Duster in her hand. Her aura was exceptionally cold and aloof.
"Yes. Right now, all the major Dynasties and Sects are talking about this. Logically, the location of the Celestial Destiny Dynasty should be the best destination for all the Sects in the world. If we choose the right side, it means we can get a share of the Celestial Dao Fortune—the more, the better."
The Daoist Cultivator had a yearning look on his face. He clearly wanted to use the Dynasty’s Destiny to break through his current Realm in one fell swoop.
According to rumor, any Sect that allied with the Celestial Destiny Dynasty would receive considerable benefits.
A new cycle of Reincarnation every five hundred years was a chance for a Dynasty to rise.
But for a Sect, wasn’t it the same?
For an obscure, minor Mountain Sect to become a major power that could establish its own lineage, this was the most direct method—more effective than recruiting disciples and maintaining their worship.
Hearing this, Sui Yuqing’s expression remained perfectly calm. She said faintly, "No matter how the situation changes, the Celestial Master’s Mansion will always stand with the Great Yan Dynasty."
She said this because many Sects within Great Yan were already planning to accept invitations from other Dynasties and relocate, as those Dynasties would offer them territory and a mountain of their own.
Many Sects in Great Yan Country were well-established and enjoyed abundant worship, making them highly sought after. If they joined another Dynasty, they would be a great asset, but they would also lose a significant amount of their current following.
It was all a matter of personal choice and investment.
The Daoist Cultivator felt an aloofness from her that kept people a thousand miles away, yet he couldn’t help but look in Sui Yuqing’s direction.
Because Sui Yuqing was simply too beautiful.
As the number one beauty of the Dao Alliance, she had countless suitors in the Taoist Sect. Sui Yuqing was a woman whose beauty had once caused a sect master to lose all restraint and attempt to force her into dual cultivation.
She was like a Divine Maiden descended from the heavens, yet she carried a hint of the Mortal World’s warmth. The crimson of her lips, seen from the side, looked somewhat enchanting. It was this wisp of mortality that was so utterly captivating, stirring an irrepressible urge to defile her.
Sui Yuqing didn’t glance at them out of the corner of her eye, but she seemed to have noticed their gazes all the same.
She had long grown accustomed to it all.
But there was nothing she could do.
’After all, I have my own unspeakable hardships.’
From the moment she was born, auspicious purple clouds stretched for a hundred miles, a white deer acknowledged her as its master, and her Destiny rivaled that of an entire continent. From then on, she was set upon a path destined for greatness.
’However, a path like this...’
’Is it really what I want?’
’In truth, it’s not.’
’Sometimes, I just want to be a little more ordinary, but I can’t.’
Sui Yuqing didn’t possess the Innate Enchanting Body of the Qingqiu Fox Demon clan, but no matter where she went, she always attracted a great deal of attention and burning gazes.
In her youth, she had seen it as a source of pride and flaunted it without reservation.
This led to a tragic end.
Her own master had actually wanted to use her as a Tripod Furnace to absorb her Destiny.
’On the surface, it was dual cultivation, but in reality, wasn’t that just using me as a Tripod Furnace?’
’No matter how great your Destiny is, if you can’t protect it, it becomes a burden.’
’Before you’ve grown strong enough, you’re just nourishment for others.’
The master Sui Yuqing had always respected so deeply actually wanted to devour her Destiny.
When she stumbled upon this secret, she was utterly panic-stricken. She would never forget that night of wind, rain, and crashing thunder.
A dignified Master of a Sect was actually going to move against her, a mere Inner Sect Disciple.
’Promoting me to a True Disciple was just my master’s sweet lie.’
So, she ran.
If she hadn’t met an elder from the Celestial Master’s Mansion, she would have likely died long ago, buried behind some green mountain on the Sect’s grounds.
Even after joining the Celestial Master’s Mansion and becoming an outstanding disciple, that incident remained buried deep within her heart.
As a child, she had developed a Heart Demon.
For a Qi Cultivator, having Demonic Thoughts take root in one’s heart is a very bad thing.
Perhaps for an ordinary person, a childhood trauma is just a childhood trauma. It’s nothing major, just something that might cause nightmares at night.
But if a Qi Cultivator develops a Heart Demon, it will grow stronger as their Cultivation increases, feeding on its host’s power to grow.
Then, at a critical moment—such as during the tribulation for Ascension or while in secluded Cultivation—it will suddenly emerge to fight the host for control of their Flesh Body.
Her aura now seemed stable, and she exuded an invisible, enchanting power. But fundamentally, this was the Heart Demon at work.
Influenced by her immense Destiny, her Cultivation still advanced at a divine speed despite the Heart Demon’s interference. However, the Demonic Thoughts she endured grew just as quickly.
Hadn’t Sui Yuqing noticed?
Of course she had. But she was powerless, able only to watch as the Heart Demon grew stronger day by day. Later, to prevent these Demonic Thoughts from arising, she made a special effort to study the Buddhist Dao.
This was because the Holy Sanskrit Scripture of the Buddhist Dao could calm the mind and nourish one’s nature, stabilizing the Heart Spirit. It was the best way to suppress a Demon Barrier.
At first, it was indeed very effective.
Sui Yuqing was exceptionally gifted with outstanding aptitude. Not only was her Daoist Cultivation swift, but her progress in the Buddhist Dao was just as divinely fast. She quickly cultivated the Buddhist Dao to a very high Realm, and for a time, all was well.
