Chapter 56: The Inner Demon

Three days later, Wu Shaoyuan sensed that the true essence within his body had reached its zenith, and the bottleneck to advancement had loosened. He began preparations for Foundation Establishment.

Within the Spirit Gathering Array set up by Liu Junhuai, Wu Shaoyuan sat cross-legged on the ground. After several cycles of circulating his energy, he felt a burning heat enveloping his body, as though wrapped in an inexplicable blaze.

He took out a Foundation Establishment Pill, about the size of a pigeon’s egg, and placed it in his palm. The pill was lustrous and infused with spiritual energy, its color reminiscent of creamy jade, exuding an intense medicinal fragrance.

After steadying his nerves, he swallowed the pill. As it entered his stomach, it slowly dissolved, merging with the spiritual energy within and forming a tremendous stream of true essence.

The medicinal power blended gradually with his internal spiritual energy, forging a fine yet incomparably potent current of true essence.

Strands of true essence continuously seeped from Wu Shaoyuan’s body, swirling around him in a hazy aura.

His cultivation method operated frenetically, and a formidable, terrifying power surged forth.

The immense true essence generated by the pill began flowing from the main meridians into even finer channels, and the pain it caused became almost unbearable for Wu Shaoyuan.

“Quick, drink the spiritual liquid!” Liu Junhuai called out, noticing that Wu Shaoyuan was struggling to endure the agony.

At his words, Wu Shaoyuan swiftly uncorked a jade bottle and poured a few drops of spiritual liquid into his mouth.

A wave of purest spiritual energy instantly fused with his true essence, prompting a violent eruption.

Under this explosive impact, the pain transformed into streams of cool energy that rushed through his meridians, propelling his true essence to circulate at a terrifying speed.

The true essence within his dantian gradually began to vaporize, coalescing into a misty white glow at its center.

At that moment, Wu Shaoyuan felt a thunderous surge—the barrier to Foundation Establishment shattered like a dam bursting, and all pain in his meridians vanished. His senses sharpened, and his spiritual awareness grew markedly stronger.

A marvelous sensation filled his heart, as if the entire world had become clearer and more vibrant.

All his meridians widened severalfold, and the immense flow of true essence coursed through them before merging into a now vast dantian, filling him with a sensation of clarity and comfort.

Wu Shaoyuan rose to his feet, overwhelmed by his newfound power, and could not restrain a triumphant howl toward the sky.

Everyone hurried forward to offer their congratulations, and Wu Yaohan’s eyes brimmed with joyful tears.

“Brother Shaoyuan, though you’ve just formed your Foundation, you must stabilize it and lay a solid groundwork before you can truly count yourself among the ranks of cultivators. Congratulations!” Liu Junhuai stepped up and spoke warmly.

Still in the throes of exhilaration, Wu Shaoyuan could hardly express his gratitude to Liu Junhuai, so he simply clapped him heartily on the shoulder.

At this moment, Wu Yaohan spoke: “Shaoyuan, listen to your brother Junhuai. Go and meditate to stabilize your foundation. You young people will have plenty of time to talk in the future—there’s no need to rush.”

After Wu Shaoyuan returned to the array, Wu Yaohan turned to Liu Junhuai and said, “Now that Shaoyuan has made such a promising start, I have newfound confidence in forming my own Golden Core. We owe everything to you, Junhuai; that drop of spiritual liquid was crucial. But isn’t it a bit wasteful to use such a precious thing just to set up this array?”

Liu Junhuai chuckled, “How could it be wasteful? It’s only a temporary replacement for a spiritual vein. As long as it helps someone advance, no treasure is wasted. With such abundant spiritual energy, all of us save years of cultivation. Isn’t that far more valuable?”

Wu Bini added, “That’s right, Grandfather. We’re all family here, so my brother brought out his treasures for everyone to share. There’s no need to stand on ceremony among kin.”

Liu Junhuai teased, “Oh? Since when did our Nini start speaking like an adult? But you’re right—among family, precious or not, only the effect matters.”

Shen Duoduo interjected, “Nini only acts spoiled in front of Brother Junhuai. This is her true self now. Not like me—no matter who I’m with, I always keep my innocence.”

Seeing Shen Duoduo acting up again, Mo Sitong quickly pulled her aside. “You two have the weakest cultivation here. In the future, you can’t just play around. If Brother Junhuai ascends to the upper realm, he’ll leave you behind, and you’ll have a hard time ever seeing him again. From now on, you’ll both train with me. My cultivation is even higher than your brother Junhuai’s.”

These words struck a nerve with Shen Duoduo. The thought of being unable to stay by Liu Junhuai’s side brought tears to her eyes.

Wu Bini rushed over to grab her hand. “Duoduo, we’ll train with Sister Sitong from now on. If the gap grows too wide, it will be too late to catch up.”

Shen Duoduo nodded vigorously and pointed to the two-story pavilion near the lake, saying to Liu Junhuai, “Brother Junhuai, from now on, Pavilion One will be our residence—the home for me and my sisters. We’ll cultivate there, and you must visit us!”

Liu Junhuai agreed, “Of course. Go on ahead now, and save a guest room for your brother. You must follow Sister Sitong’s training plan—I’ll be checking regularly.”

Mo Sitong led the two girls to their new quarters, leaving Liu Junhuai feeling a sense of relief.

“Grandfather Wu, how has your cultivation gone here?”

“The results are obvious. My dantian already feels restless—I plan to attempt breaking through to the Golden Core stage in the next few days. I was worried about Shaoyuan before, but now I have no more concerns.”

“Good. I need to go out tonight. Here’s a communication talisman—signal me if anything happens.” Liu Junhuai handed him several jade slips.

Wu Yaohan took the talismans and returned to his cultivation. Liu Junhuai went to Pavilion One to arrange an array for the girls.

Once all was set, he pulled Mo Sitong with him into the Hall of Myriad Phenomena.

He described the situations of Shen Duoduo and Wu Bini to the old steward, asking him to devise training plans for the two, then headed with Mo Sitong to the artifact-refining chamber.

After guiding Mo Sitong to successfully craft her first talisman, they began work on refining array flags.

With each flag they completed, their skills grew steadily—though compared to alchemy, Mo Sitong’s talent for artifact-refining was not as pronounced, which brought Liu Junhuai a measure of comfort.

He then asked Mo Sitong to bring out her red ribbon and called the old steward in, indicating the ribbon. “I’ve always thought this ribbon was extraordinary. Do you have any suggestions? Is it possible to upgrade it?”

The old steward examined the ribbon carefully and said, “This is the Seven-Brocade Sash. Madam, can you tell me what color aura appears when you infuse it with true essence?”

Mo Sitong replied, “There’s a faint red glow along the outer edge. My sect master gave it to me, but even she didn’t know its origin.”

The old steward explained, “The Seven-Brocade Sash is said to have once adorned the waist of the celestial maiden Chang’e. It comes in seven ranks: Scarlet, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Purple. Madam, yours is only the first rank, Scarlet. There’s a four-line verse about it in legend: ‘Forged after midnight, shaped before noon; fortune blends with heaven and earth. Cycles turn in ordered sequence; the Eight Trigrams are the cause.’

“These lines mean the sash was forged between midnight and noon, and its refinement coincidentally melded the patterns of the Qian and Kun trigrams, attuning it perfectly to the cyclical balance of yin and yang in the universe.

“In other words, the Seven-Brocade Sash is a creation of heaven itself. Its value is such that even the God-Slaying Spear cannot compare.

“It’s said that advancing the sash’s rank is extremely difficult—comparable to the challenge of progressing your own Ninefold Heart Technique.

“As it is already a divine artifact, you must never attempt to refine or alter it.”

Mo Sitong was stunned to learn the true, legendary origin of her weapon.

“What do the various colors signify?” Liu Junhuai asked.

“They represent Yin and Yang, Heaven and Earth, Worldview, Mountains and Rivers, Sovereignty, Reincarnation, and Piercing the Void—each color corresponding to a different form of the sash’s power,” the steward replied.

Liu Junhuai took Mo Sitong’s hand. “I had thought to melt the sash down and blend in some Heavenly Silk to make you a special gift. I never realized it was a treasure in its own right—my ignorance nearly destroyed it. Just because I’ve advanced to a third-rank artificer, I let it go to my head. Clearly, my state of mind has strayed.”

Mo Sitong gently took both his hands. “I don’t blame you. Your intentions were for my sake. Don’t dwell on it.”

The old steward’s face grew solemn. “Master, your state of mind has indeed become overconfident lately. If this continues, it will greatly harm your cultivation. The seeds of a heart demon are already taking root. You must not take this lightly.”

A cold sweat broke out on Liu Junhuai’s back, and he spoke with lingering fear. “You are absolutely right, Steward. I’ve been neglectful. I won’t let my guard down again.”

Mo Sitong, too, felt a chill. “The essence of cultivation is the pursuit of the Dao. Thank goodness for your warning—only then did he realize the heart demon within. Our good fortune is having you by our side. And mine is having you with me. But you must not let my presence disturb your cultivation—that would mean I no longer deserve to be at your side.”

Liu Junhuai embraced her slender waist, his expression resolute. “Never. Now that I’m aware of this heart demon, I will conquer it. With you at my side, I am even more inspired to cultivate.”

The old steward continued, “Madam is absolutely right. No matter how a heart demon arises, it is an inevitable byproduct of growth. What you must do is not retreat, but confront it. Only then will your will truly be tempered.”

Both Liu Junhuai and Mo Sitong nodded in earnest agreement.