Conquering That Great Demon Lord [Xian Ni Fan Fiction] - Chapter 12: Luo He

Chapter 12: Luo He

The Grand Ancestor slowly rose, passing through the sheer curtain. His countenance fell into Li Muwan’s clear and steady gaze. “A cultivator’s Soul of Life?”

Over the past four years of changes, the Grand Ancestor felt she had become more restrained and steady than before. Perhaps the four-year journey to the Sea of Demonic Cultivation had transformed her temperament, much like returning from a campaign beyond the domain.

A trace of satisfaction appeared on the Grand Ancestor’s face. “My master once mentioned that the Soul of Life is an indispensable aspect of all cultivators’ practice. However, some cultivators are born with incomplete Souls of Life, and the reason for this remains unknown to this day.”

“This disciple has heard that a deficient Soul of Life can hinder a cultivator’s training, preventing advancement in cultivation and ultimately leading to death from exhausted lifespan?”

“For cultivators, there are indeed many reasons preventing advancement in cultivation. Yet in our Fire-Burning Alliance over millennia, among those who reached the Nascent Soul Stage, none have been heard to perish due to a deficient Soul of Life.”

Li Muwan pondered for a moment. “Perhaps this disciple is overthinking.”

The Grand Ancestor said, “The Sea of Demonic Cultivation contains countless demonic cultivators. It’s not surprising you’ve heard such rumors.”

“However, you’re still only at the Foundation Establishment Stage. An incomplete Soul of Life won’t significantly affect your cultivation. But if…”

Li Muwan waited patiently for the Grand Ancestor to continue.

“If one completely lacks a Soul of Life, that would be a different matter.”

This aligned closely with what the Soul Pearl had said. Li Muwan furrowed her brow and asked, “If a cultivator completely lacks a Soul of Life, what would happen?”

“This… my grandmaster never told me,” the Grand Ancestor said. “The Luoshui Sect’s ancient books also contain no records of this. Wan’er, this matter doesn’t concern you. Don’t trouble your mind over it. First focus on recovering from your injuries. The War God Hall recently commissioned our Luoshui Sect to refine a batch of elixirs. After you’ve recovered, join your Senior Brothers and Sisters in alchemy refinement.”

“Grand Ancestor, this junior takes her leave.” Li Muwan rose and bowed in farewell, returning to the northern compound where disciples resided.

Her room was small but elegantly and simply arranged. Gazing at the long-unseen furnishings in her room, she recalled again that cave residence in the Sea of Demonic Cultivation.

Those corals would eventually wither and die after the two of them departed. Then she remembered something – during the Core Formation cultivator’s attack, she had placed Blood Moon in her Storage Bag. Fortunately, she had brought it out too.

If she had died under that Core Formation cultivator’s hands, Blood Moon would have inevitably perished as well.

Resting her chin in her hand, Li Muwan couldn’t help but recall Wang Lin’s timely assistance during the crisis. That perpetually stern-faced ice block could actually be so tender.

Thinking of this, she unconsciously let out a soft laugh, a smile even she didn’t notice herself.

“Blood Moon, where do you think that Fiend has gone now?” Li Muwan poked the rabbit’s ears. Blood Moon shook twice, shaking its head as if responding that it didn’t know.

Her Spiritual Power remained unstable, occasionally dissipating. Since completing the refinement of the Azure Dragon Jade Tablet, Li Muwan hadn’t rested, hurrying back to the Luoshui Sect the entire way.

Only now did she have time to sit cross-legged in meditation, circulating her energy to regulate her breathing. She patted her Storage Bag, and several bottles of elixirs landed on the desk. The plum blossoms on the desk had withered. With a thought, Li Muwan replaced them with a fresh spray of white plum blossoms in the white spring-flower jade porcelain vase.

The elixirs given by the Grand Ancestor were all high-grade pills from the Luoshui Sect. Among them was a fourth-grade Great Unity Pill, something even elite disciples like her rarely saw, along with Essence Nurturing Pills for consolidating foundations.

Sect disciples had regulated quotas for drawing medicinal materials for personal use. In the past, the materials she drew each month could ultimately only refine ten Essence Nurturing Pills.

The moment the medicine bottle was opened, the spiritual energy of the elixir seeped out. Li Muwan consumed three Essence Nurturing Pills and one Great Unity Pill. Her spiritual power began to recover, and she would fully restore her cultivation level after a period of seclusion.

At this moment, she recalled the bottle of Spirit Elixir Wang Lin had gifted her before their parting. When she opened that jade vial, the spiritual energy emanating from it was even more abundant than that of the Great Unity Pill and Essence Nurturing Pills.

“This is…” Li Muwan’s face showed disbelief, her eyes filled with astonishment, “Spirit Elixir?”

Whenever Wang Lin’s spiritual power was depleted, he would take out a gourd and drink some liquid, quickly restoring his cultivation level. Remembering this, Li Muwan took out a few drops of the Spirit Elixir and let them seep into her mouth. Immediately, she felt her body become light and buoyant.

“The effects of this Spirit Elixir are remarkably fast-acting.” She carefully cradled the jade flask.

Such a treasure had never been seen in the Luoshui Sect, nor even in the entire Fire Burning Country, indicating its precious rarity. She had only consumed those few drops and treasured the remainder, storing it back in her storage bag.

This Heaven Defying Pearl Spirit Elixir was something Wang Lin had never shown to anyone elseonly to Li Muwan.

He had left her his most precious Spirit Elixir and Extreme Awareness, while she had used her life’s work to refine the Azure Dragon Formation for him. Even in separation, they had each left behind one final means of assistance for the other’s path ahead.

Seven days later, Li Muwan emerged from seclusion. Li Qiqing had been severely injured during the great battle with the Fire Beasts. For four years, she had been unaware of her brother’s current condition, and upon returning to the sect, she hadn’t heard any senior brothers or sisters mention him.

She wondered if this Spirit Elixir could help with her brother’s injuries.

The first thing Li Muwan did after emerging from seclusion was to ask her master about the secluded chamber where Li Qiqing was recovering. She then learned that Li Qiqing had already recovered from his injuries a year ago and had spent that year tirelessly searching for news of Li Muwan. Everyone in the sect had tried to console him, saying that Li Muwan’s chances of survival were slim and that she had likely perished at the hands of cultivators from the Xuanwu Country.

Despite this, he never stopped searching. Li Qiqing had since been dispatched by the sect to escort elixirs to a fourth-level cultivation country.

It was highly likely that Li Muwan wouldn’t see her brother for several months.

Her small room had a windowsill overlooking a cliff, where many flowers bloomed and birds nested in the tree branches.

When she opened the window in the morning, the morning sun and dewdrops greeted her. The dew clinging to the green plants on the cliff instinctively made her want to gather it.

But as she took out her gourd, she shook her head and smiled. The fiend was no longer here; collecting dewdrops would only be for brewing tea. The dewdrops needed for the sect’s alchemy were gathered daily by dedicated disciples, so her efforts weren’t required.

With two fingers pressed together, she traced a line of light, and a spring willow branch fell into her hand. Li Muwan placed it in a vase and then left her room.

She returned to her usual routine of cultivation within the sect. Every day, besides refining elixirs with her fellow disciples, she would visit the Scripture Repository to search for records related to the Soul of Life and the Death Curse Technique.

During this time, she had been pondering whether the fiend might not have been practicing the Death Curse Technique but rather a technique extremely similar to it. As for which one imitated the other, she couldn’t yet determine.

Day after day, she had now become a Foundation Establishment Stage disciple capable of independently refining a batch of Sky Sundering Pillsa rarity in the Luoshui Sect.

Her master devoted great effort to nurturing her, and the pill formulas she now had access to were of higher grades than before. However, the inability to gather all the required medicinal ingredients had become a constraint on her alchemy.

As for the limitation that Sky Sundering Pills must be consumed within half an hour after refinement, while immersed in her research on the Soul of Life and the Death Curse Technique, she discovered a method to preserve Sky Sundering Pills for extended periods and successfully tested it.

The master approved a private Pill Furnace for her, allowing free use of the sect’s medicinal materials as long as they were properly utilized.

Li Muwan lay on a peach tree atop the cliff, arms pillowing her head as petals filled the sky, drifting into the valley with the wind sweeping from the precipice.

Scattered blossoms adorned her flowing wide-sleeved robes, while the slanting sunlight through the branches glinted off her pearl earrings. Her hair accessories glowed under the sunset, making her appear even more ethereal.

Fellow disciples noticed Li Muwan had changed since returning from the Sea of Demonic Cultivation. She would often seek quiet corners for solitary meditation or lose herself in thought.

Previously, she had enjoyed bantering with peers about cultivation theories, exchanging insights on pill refinement techniques, and accompanying Senior Brothers and Sisters to marketplaces to trade newly crafted Elixirs for novel trinkets or treasures.

“What’s happened to Senior Sister Muwan?”

“Probably missing her brother since Senior Brother Qiqing hasn’t returned. We shouldn’t disturb her.”

“I feel Junior Sister Muwan is different from before.”

“I heard Senior Sister Muwan was stranded in the Sea of Demonic Cultivation with a disciple from War God Hall…”

Several Luoshui Sect disciples watched the figure basking on the peach branch, sleeping contentedly – a rare moment of leisure for her.

Rumors about her and the War God Hall disciple had quietly spread through Luoshui Sect.

“Junior Sister Muwan is now personally cultivated by our master. She needn’t refine pills with us – everyone should focus on their own tasks,” one Luoshui Sect disciple chided the complaining peers from behind.

The crowd dispersed.

The Senior Brother lingered on the silhouette against the peach branches for a moment, calculating that Li Qiqing should return soon.

After everyone left, Li Muwan opened her eyes. The glaring sunlight made her wince, so she conjured a banana leaf to shade herself.

Blood Moon crouched on a branch, chewing petals that drifted onto her eyelashes. Looking up, Li Muwan saw the creature nibbling enthusiastically.

Reaching overhead, she scooped the mischievous creature into her arms and tweaked its ears. “Little Blood Moon, what do you think the Fiend is doing now?”

Blood Moon nestled against her hand, bit a Spirit Herb, then spat it out distastefully.

Tilting her head, Li Muwan chided, “What? You don’t like this Spirit Herb? This is an Immortal Herb unique to Luoshui Sect. If not for the master’s permission, a grass-eating Spirit Beast like you would have been expelled long ago.”

As if understanding, Blood Moon buried its head sheepishly. Li Muwan took out some fruits from her Storage Bag. “These are the last ones brought back from the Sea of Demonic Cultivation.” Her eyes clouded with melancholy. Blood Moon whimpered and nuzzled her palm.

“Are you missing the Fiend too?”

Blood Moon nodded. Comforted by this shared sentiment, Li Muwan sighed, “He injured you before, yet you always disturb his cultivation in the Stone Chamber. Actually, you’re just after his fruits, aren’t you?”

Blood Moon nodded again, then shook its head upon seeing Li Muwan’s frown, darting several steps away to perch on a branch and relish the fresh fruit.

Spirit Beasts possess human-like understanding. Those of Blood Moon’s caliber lack offensive power, relying on endearing appearances to serve as spiritual companions, offering solace to the lonely.

For Wang Lin, companionship was needed – this innate healing instinct is inherent to Spirit Beasts.

And Li Muwan possessed this same instinct, which was why Blood Moon felt close to her as well.

In the distant mountains where Spiritual Energy permeated the air, Li Muwan closed her eyes and summoned the Soul Pearl. A pearl radiating colorful light hovered mid-air. Blood Moon eagerly lunged for it but was stopped by Li Muwan.

[Soul Pearl: Master finally remembers me. The scenery here at Luoshui Sect is far better than the Sea of Demonic Cultivation.]

[Li Muwan: Soul Pearl, can you sense the Fiend?Soul Pearl: If the Fiend’s favorability changes, I will perceive it.]

[Li Muwan: How did you choose me back then? Which seven emotions and six desires did your previous Cultivator absorb from souls?]

[Soul Pearl: Those chosen by the Soul Pearl are all destined individuals. And your choice of the Fiend also makes you one of destiny.]

Li Muwan pondereddestined individuals? What defines destiny? Who decides it? The Heavenly Dao?

[Li Muwan: But I cannot find the Fiend to complete my mission.]

[Soul Pearl: I advised you to leave with the Fiend before, but you refused.]

[Li Muwan: That was never a possibility.]

[Soul Pearl: Then does Master wish to change her target?]

[Li Muwan: …No.]

Besides, how could she find another Fiend while staying at Luoshui Sect?

With a grim expression, Li Muwan stored the Soul Pearl and contemplated the War God Hall disciple surnamed Mathe only clue she had about the Fiend.

Perhaps one person would know.

A figure leaning against the peach tree turned slightly and slipped through the window, landing steadily before the desk. The desk was laden with various writing implementsbrushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Well-read and skilled in calligraphy and painting, she had acquired many of these items through Li Qiqing’s travels.

Her slender fingers brushed past the brushes hanging from the rack before selecting a lightweight one. Unfolding a fresh sheet of paper, she noticed Blood Moon sprawled over ancient texts, watching her expectantly.

Dipper brush dipped in ink, she slowly traced lines until a sharp profile emerged on the paper. As indoor light faded into nightfall, Li Muwan lit a candle. By its flickering glow, she remained seated before the desk deep into the night before finally retreating to a low couch. Left on the desk was a vividly rendered portrait of a young nobledashing with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, yet bearing an expression both aloof and fierce.

The ink not yet fully dried, she laid a defensive Formation around the desk to prevent Blood Moon’s mischief. Secure in this barrier, she drifted into sleep.

At dawn, light crept through window cracks, illuminating the pair of profound eyes in the portrait. The dried scroll rendered the gaze strikingly lifelike. Upon waking, Li Muwan’s first act was to inspect the painting. Her exquisite features relaxed into a smile as she carefully stored the scroll with satisfaction.

That day, her master required a batch of Elixirs delivered to War God Hall. Li Muwan volunteered for the task, tidied her attire, and donned her disciple robes once more.

Her ethereal figure vanished from the cliffside. At a training platform in War God Hall, after delivering the Elixirs, she sought out her closest frienda woman of grace and elegance who had grown more composed and reserved since returning from the extraterrestrial battlefield, her Cultivation level significantly enhanced.

This was none other than Zhou Zihong.