Demonic Cultivator: Immune To Common Side Effects - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Poor Daoist Zhang Jiu—Isn’t it normal for talisman water to contain rice and meat?

After drinking the talisman water, Li Yan waited for the System to prompt him about any side effects.

In his mind, this Daoist was undoubtedly a charlatan, preying on the villagers for their meager earnings.

Yet as he swallowed the bowl, no voice echoed in his mind.

This talisman water… has no side effects?

Not only did it quench his thirst without any discomfort, but Li Yan also felt his Blood Qi circulating more smoothly.

This far exceeded his expectations.

Having been swindled before, Li Yan’s wariness was deeply ingrained.

He never imagined that this talisman water, which looked like a blatant scam, would contain no hidden tricks.

Initially, Li Yan had even anticipated that this backwater alchemist might add some potent, harmful substance to induce side effects.

Instead, the talisman water Zhang Jiu provided genuinely seemed to alleviate the people’s ailments.

Seeing no malice in Celestial Master Zhang’s eyes, Li Yan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. “Many thanks for the talisman water, Fellow Daoist…”

Before Li Yan could finish speaking, several cold voices suddenly echoed from the distance.

“Daoist Zhang, what is it this time? Who authorized you to distribute gruel here without the Venerable One’s permission?”

Li Yan followed the sound and saw several Monk Soldiers clad in gray robes, wielding staves. They were sternly driving away the surrounding villagers while pointing at Daoist Zhang beside Li Yan.

Faced with the Monk Soldiers’ accusation, Daoist Zhang chuckled heartily, calmly stroking his long beard as he explained unhurriedly, “Esteemed Masters, you misunderstand this poor Daoist.”

“My name is Zhang Jiu. I’m merely distributing talisman water here to bless the people and drive away illness.”

“How can you claim I’m distributing gruel?”

The Monk Soldiers exchanged glances before stepping forward and kicking over Daoist Zhang Jiu’s wooden bucket. The talisman water spilled across the ground, revealing a layer of rice grains and fatty meat at the bottom.

The so-called talisman water was simply white gruel simmered with fatty meat.

Li Yan suddenly understood why his Blood Qi had flowed more smoothly after drinking it.

The Monk Soldiers pointed at the rice and meat. “Daoist Zhang, how do you explain this?”

“The Venerable One has repeatedly decreed that no one within Mishan City may set up unauthorized charity stalls.”

“Anyone wishing to offer alms must first register with the Abbot Elder at the Universal Salvation Temple.”

Li Yan quietly retreated to the side, unwilling to become entangled in the affairs of strangers.

Having absorbed the memories of Xuanwang and others, he understood all too well the exorbitant price of righteous deeds in a world overrun by demonic anomalies.

Knowingly inviting trouble was not courage, but the folly of reckless idiocy.

Despite the Monk Soldiers’ aggressive demeanor, Zhang Jiu maintained his smile.

“But Poor Daoist Zhang Jiu is only offering talisman water. As for the rice and meat in this wooden bucket, perhaps kind-hearted villagers donated it, intending it as a gift for me.”

The Daoist was blatantly lying through his teeth. The villagers were destitute, the outer city’s residents bled dry. Where would they find rice and meat to give away?

Yet the Monk Soldiers found themselves speechless before Zhang Jiu’s flimsy excuse.

“You…”

“Enough of your silver tongue, Daoist Zhang! Fine!”

“If we catch you distributing congee without authorization again, we’ll lock you in the Buddha Pagoda!”

After hurling a vicious threat and glaring menacingly at Daoist Zhang, the monks turned and strode away.

Only then did Daoist Zhang squat down to clean up the mess they had left scattered on the ground.

Li Yan stood silently nearby, glancing at the scene before preparing to leave.

But Daoist Zhang called out from behind, reminding him, “It’s getting dark, Fellow Daoist. Don’t stay at the inns outside Mishan City. Find a secluded place to camp instead.”

“The people beyond these walls are more terrifying than demons.”

Li Yan paused, taken aback by this unexpected kindness. He clasped his hands in gratitude. “Many thanks, Fellow Daoist!”

In this chaotic world, Li Yan had never encountered someone who sought neither money nor favors, acting purely out of benevolence.

In this era of cannibalistic alchemy, Daoist Zhang Jiu’s virtuous deeds seemed strikingly out of place among other cultivators—almost freakish.

Nevertheless, Li Yan heeded Daoist Zhang Jiu’s advice. Instead of staying at an inn, he sought refuge in a secluded grove deep within the forest.

Li Yan raised his hand, channeling his Blood Qi to manipulate his fingers. He twisted the tree vines into sturdy ropes, fashioning a hammock suspended between the branches.

As he did so, he rummaged through his Storage Ring. “Old Ghost Xuanwang’s ring should be brimming with treasures. Hmm? There it is!”

Li Yan spotted four Concealing Banners inside Xuanwang’s ring. With a flick of his wrist, he planted them in the four corners of his makeshift camp, creating a protective barrier. This would minimize the leakage of his aura and muffle any sounds from within.

To an outsider, the place appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary patch of woodland. No one would suspect that someone had set up camp there.

Having finished his preparations, Li Yan lay back in his vine hammock, watching the fiery hues of the sunset paint the crimson evening sky.

Recalling his harrowing experiences in Broken Sword Valley, he murmured, “The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains are riddled with ancient ruins, each hiding countless bizarre horrors and sinister secrets.”

“And now Mishan City is under lockdown. Since things have come to this, I might as well focus on cultivation.”

Lying in the hammock, Li Yan retrieved the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp, a Sacred Artifact of the Ancient Demonic Sect.

Clutching the lamp’s handle, he began silently reciting the haphazardly learned Cultivation Technique:

“Death Yin, Blood Glazed… Seven orifices condense blood into lotus petals.”

Detected host commencing reckless cultivation of a flawed technique with severe side effects. Converting side effects into a hundredfold increase in cultivation speed!

As a faint white light began to emanate from Li Yan’s body, two shadows materialized on the ground. The shadows sat cross-legged, as if mirroring his cultivation efforts.

Meanwhile, Corpse Puppet Su Mo instinctively rose to her feet. She slashed her arm with the Demonic Bone Greatsword, letting Death Yin Blood drip onto the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp.

The blood splattered, and the lamp’s flame surged higher!

The Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp emitted an even more sinister and crimson glow, bathing Li Yan’s face in its light.

Instantly, Li Yan felt his cultivation speed skyrocket, and his Blood Qi boiled within him.

Detected Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp igniting the ‘Yin Candle’ with severe side effects. Commencing absorption of side effects and conversion into Yang Qi.

The scarlet light from the Yin Candle seeped through Li Yan’s skin, transforming into golden threads within his body. These threads streamed into his Dantian, enveloping the blood-red core. Li Yan’s Dantian now resembled the Golden Core of ancient Immortal Cultivators.

Clearly sensing the changes within him, Li Yan sighed inwardly, “The Blood Shifting Realm leads to the Blood Core Realm. Others form Blood Cores, but I’ve somehow ended up with a Golden Core instead?”

Li Yan watched as his dantian gradually transformed, his cultivation realm advancing from the first to the second layer of the Blood Shifting Realm.

As layer upon layer of golden threads coiled around his dantian, he finally broke through to the third layer of the Blood Shifting Realm!

He didn’t know how long had passed when Li Yan felt a sudden weight pressing down on him.

Opening his eyes, he found the delicate body of Corpse Puppet Su Mo collapsed on top of him.

“This girl…” Li Yan chuckled softly as he stroked Su Mo’s head. “She’s drained her blood again to aid my cultivation.”

The Corpse Puppet, with the mental age of a toddler, whimpered weakly, her face deathly pale, “Master… hungry…”

Li Yan sat up, a doting smile on his face, ready to feed Su Mo some Spirit Liquid.

But then he heard a faint sound.

“Shhh! Listen!”

Li Yan signaled for silence, scanning the surroundings.

It was past midnight, yet the forest twinkled with firelight like scattered stars.

Upon closer inspection, he saw a large group of villagers, their faces haggard and eyes vacant, searching through the dense woods with torches. They moved like puppets on strings, their spirits seemingly long gone.

The villagers appeared to be searching for Li Yan.

Remembering Daoist Zhang Jiu’s warning against staying at the inn…