Chapter 432: Chapter 262: Sui Yuqing’s Secret, Buddhist Karmic Force, Demonic Thoughts, Myriad Afflictions
After reaching the Twelfth Realm, she discovered that to break into the Upper Three Grades, she needed to achieve Integration.
During the process of Integration, she attempted to merge the Dao and Buddhism.
Just a moment before her success.
The long-dormant Demon Barrier erupted.
The Heart Demon, which had not manifested in a long time, returned in a terrifying form, forcing her to relive the shadows of her childhood. This time, it was even more severe, to the point of creating a Heart Demon’s reflection.
A Heart Demon’s reflection meant the Heart Demon could now conjure illusions to influence its host in the physical world.
For example, people long dead might reappear before your very eyes.
The things you fear most would manifest at crucial moments, constantly affecting you.
Once you see it, you can’t just pretend it isn’t there; you will inevitably be affected.
This is what the world would call demonic possession.
In fact, Sui Yuqing had been possessed for a long time.
Furthermore, due to her initial attempt at Integration, her former Demonic Thoughts had transformed into karmic obstacles of the Buddhist Dao. This rendered her Buddhist cultivation nothing more than a decoration, powerless to suppress the Heart Demon’s growth.
For these karmic obstacles of the Buddhist Dao had also begun to take root within her.
Just resisting the Demonic Thoughts had already left her utterly exhausted.
The dual assault of the Buddhist Karmic Force and her Dao Heart Demons left her in constant agony. Subtly, insidiously, the Heart Demon’s influence over her had grown profound.
If this continued, at best, she would lose her clarity of mind, unable to distinguish friend from foe.
At worst, the Heart Demon would seize her body, and she would fall completely into the Demon Dao.
She had to find a solution as soon as possible.
The Demon Barrier, which used to erupt once or twice a month, was now flaring up once or twice every half-month. She could resist the Heart Demon at first, but now she could barely hold on.
Over her century of cultivation, the Heart Demon had never disappeared, nor had it been exorcised. It was merely suppressed by her Buddhist Cultivation Method. Having grown alongside her for decades, its power was now immense.
Sui Yuqing didn’t consider herself a cold or aloof person. But when her Demon Barrier acted up, she had to maintain a rigid expression to fight off the Heart Demon’s corrosion. It was so exhausting that, over time, she developed a permanent poker face.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to find a solution.
Ten years ago, she had sought the counsel of the Elder Celestial Master of the Celestial Master’s Mansion, asking how to completely eradicate her Heart Demon.
The Elder Celestial Master’s solution required a person of great Destiny—specifically, one whose Destiny was even stronger than her own. Only such a person could suppress her Demonic Thoughts. Using their Destiny to slowly grind down and obliterate her Heart Demon was, he said, the best way.
For Sui Yuqing, this solution was next to impossible.
It was no less difficult than breaking into the Upper Three Grades.
She had been born a person of great Destiny, a Destiny comparable to that of an entire continent. Growing up, she had almost never met anyone whose Destiny was greater than her own.
Later, she tried becoming a National Preceptor, hoping to use a nation’s fortune to suppress her Heart Demon.
Unfortunately, it was a failure.
The National Fortune of the Lion Frost Country was still insufficient.
Perhaps the Lion Frost Country’s National Fortune was too weak, completely incapable of resisting her Heart Demon.
Later, the Elder Celestial Master suggested she try the Great Yan Dynasty.
The Great Yan Dynasty was the reigning Celestial Destiny Dynasty. Its National Fortune was at its zenith, the greatest under heaven.
Therefore, Sui Yuqing volunteered to come to the Great Yan Imperial Capital. She replaced Xu Changqing as the liaison between the Celestial Master’s Mansion and the Sixth Prince.
Later, she set her sights on Lu Mingyuan.
Did she have other motives for approaching Lu Mingyuan? Of course she did.
In truth, Sui Yuqing’s initial target had been Emperor Yong’an, not Lu Mingyuan.
But over time, she discovered that while Emperor Yong’an’s Destiny was great, it was unstable, constantly in flux.
Sometimes it was vast, other times it dwindled.
Lu Mingyuan, however, was different.
His Destiny was constantly growing, without pause.
And so, she developed a profound interest in him.
Later, when he became the Crown Prince, his Destiny had already grown to rival her own.
Sui Yuqing was overjoyed by this discovery.
She felt that she could finally be saved.
For this very reason, Sui Yuqing had never left the Capital City, silently watching over Lu Mingyuan.
Lu Mingyuan’s Destiny continued to soar, surpassing one peak after another.
Now, he had become the ruler of the nation, the reigning Emperor.
His Destiny now completely surpassed her own.
On the surface, it was Lu Mingyuan who chose her, who chose the Celestial Master’s Mansion.
In reality, it was she who chose him, who set her sights on Lu Mingyuan.
"Senior, are you alright...?"
The Daoist Cultivator called out softly to Sui Yuqing, who was staring blankly ahead.
"Uh... I’m fine."
A forced smile appeared on Sui Yuqing’s face.
At this moment, clusters of black, burning Karmic Fire appeared in her Qi Sea.
Flickering phantoms swirled through the street.
Every person who passed before Sui Yuqing’s eyes transformed into the same face: a middle-aged man with a flowing gray beard. His eyes and bearing radiated an air of stern righteousness, yet his lips were curled into a bizarrely eerie smile. It was incredibly stiff and cold, as if carved there with a knife.
Sui Yuqing’s eyes were devoid of emotion as she witnessed this.
"Still haunting me after all these years."
She shook her head and tried her best to ignore the Demon Barrier’s influence, choosing to treat everyone around her with absolute coldness and indifference.
「A quarter of an hour passed.」
The restaurant was still bustling, but Luo Ying had already emerged. She looked utterly crestfallen and devoid of spirit.
It was as if she had received some news that she found difficult to accept.
"Lord Qingying, what were His Majesty’s orders?"
The other members of the Endless Pavilion stepped forward and asked respectfully.
Luo Ying took a deep breath, composing herself. "Relay my orders. Have all Endless Pavilion branches in the other dynasties mobilize. They are to track the movements of their respective Royal Families and funnel all military intelligence from across the land to the Imperial Capital. The Celestial Mandate Plan... begins now."
