Demonic Cultivator: Immune To Common Side Effects - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Facing the Old Demon—I Can Fail Countless Times!

Sometimes, the more you try to explain, the weaker your position becomes.

The more you care about something, the easier it is for others to exploit your vulnerabilities.

Obscured Moon Sword Immortal desperately wanted to clear her name. Her sole focus in this life had always been the Sword Dao, and she had never sought a companion.

She firmly believed that adhering to the Path of Ruthlessness was the only correct path.

To attain sainthood, an Immortal Cultivator must sever the Three Corpses, cutting off all emotions and desires.

Yet she couldn’t understand why, despite having long severed the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, she felt a peculiar connection to Li Yan.

It was as if…

As if this young loose cultivator had pierced through her innermost thoughts.

This inexplicable mental link caused Obscured Moon Sword Immortal to unconsciously care deeply for the young man.

Enraged by the Demonic Path cultivators’ taunts, a heart demon surfaced within her.

With a sweeping sword strike, she slashed at the Sect Master of the Demon Shadow Sect.

The Sect Master dodged the attack while continuing his jeering.

“This doesn’t seem like the Obscured Moon Fairy I know.”

“Did I strike a nerve? Did my words hit too close to home?”

The disheveled Old Demon of the Demon Shadow Sect grinned wickedly.

“Is this little brat your lover?”

“Relying on soft power to break through to the Golden Core Stage at such a young age? Hahaha, now that’s the joke of the Immortal Cultivation World!”

“The Obscured Moon Sword Immortal, who has always upheld her pure Dao, is actually keeping a secret lover!”

The Old Demon’s twisted, grotesque expression pierced Obscured Moon Sword Immortal’s heart, disrupting her Dao.

Panic began to set in.

How could a cultivator of her Realm have her mental state so easily shaken?

Yet the connection between Li Yan and her constantly tugged at her heart, disrupting her composure.

Reality was interfering with the Illusionary Realm, shattering the Obscured Moon Fairy’s Dao heart.

Even her sword strikes became erratic. Several Moonlit Slashes flew past, easily dodged by the Old Demon of the Demon Shadow Sect.

“Hah! I’ve struck a nerve with the Fairy! Look, everyone, her swordplay has become unsteady.”

“If I were to capture her little lover, wouldn’t her Dao heart shatter, driving her into demonic madness?”

The Demon Shadow Sect’s Old Demon turned his gaze to Li Yan, a sickly grin spreading across his face. He extended a hand, releasing dozens of shadows.

He hadn’t originally intended to bother with Li Yan, but now he realized how much the Fairy cared for this young man.

He had no choice but to seize him!

“Boy, come here!”

Seeing the Old Demon target Li Yan, Obscured Moon Sword Immortal immediately slashed at the shadows with her sword.

But her faltering skills couldn’t intercept them all. One shadow slipped past her defenses and lunged toward Li Yan.

Li Yan didn’t evade the incoming shadow. Instead, he drew his sword and assumed the Moon Essence Stance.

After all, I’m invincible in this Illusionary Realm, and with the shift to reality, this world has become genuine.

Why not seize this chance to test myself against a Great Ascension Stage Immortal? Even if I can’t withstand their attack, there’s no shame in a Golden Core cultivator failing against such a powerhouse.

As the shadow lunged, Li Yan, poised in the Moon Essence Stance, struggled to react.

“So fast!”

With a whoosh, the shadow pierced straight through his heart, leaving him no chance to block it.

After all, the gap between the Great Ascension Stage and the Golden Core Stage was as vast as the gulf between gods and mortals.

Unfazed by his failed parry, Li Yan remained composed.

But the Demon Shadow Sect’s Old Demon, who had been gloating moments before, now found his laughter silenced.

“Hmm?”

“This brat is… peculiar.”

“How could my strike have missed him? When did he slip through my Shadow Network?”

The Old Demon had intended to capture Li Yan and use him as leverage against the Sword Immortal.

Yet his foolproof spell had inexplicably passed harmlessly through Li Yan’s body, proving utterly ineffective.

Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, the Old Demon muttered, “Am I hallucinating? My Shadow Network clearly enveloped him. Why isn’t he bound?”

The Demon Shadow Sect’s Old Demon racked his brains for hours, unable to make heads or tails of the situation.

After much deliberation, he concluded it must be an illusion. Defying his doubts, he raised his hand again.

Hundreds of shadows surged from beneath the Old Demon’s feet.

“Go! Seize that brat!”

The shadows rose from the ground, transforming into Shadow Fiends that swarmed Li Yan from all directions.

Seeing himself completely surrounded by the fiends, the Obscured Moon Sword Immortal scoffed, “You, the Sect Master of the Demon Shadow Sect, a Great Ascension Stage cultivator, using your full strength to bully a mere Golden Core cultivator? Have you no shame?”

The Old Demon threw back his head and roared with laughter. “I tread the Demonic Path! What use have I for your talk of honor and decency?”

“Have I struck a nerve by targeting your little paramour? Have I finally found your weakness?”

As he spoke, countless Shadow Fiends surged toward Li Yan.

Li Yan didn’t dodge. He wanted to practice the Moon Essence Stance and his parrying techniques. Facing an Immortal of the Great Ascension Stage was an opportunity too rare to pass up!

Even if he could successfully parry just one attack from these hundred Shadow Fiends, it would greatly increase his mastery of the cultivation technique.

Since I’m invincible anyway, and I have free sparring partners, why not savor this moment to the fullest?

To onlookers, Li Yan’s encirclement by countless Shadow Fiends seemed a certain death sentence.

But when the battle began, everyone’s jaws dropped.

The Shadow Fiends swarmed Li Yan, striking him countless times, yet he remained completely unscathed.

Instead, Li Yan desperately parried and blocked, attempting to deflect their attacks.

After tens of thousands of strikes, Li Yan finally managed to raise his sword in time to intercept one.

Clang!

A crisp metallic ring echoed as his Moon Essence Stance successfully deflected the attack.

Like a wisp of straw overturning a mountain, he channeled his strength to redirect the enemy’s magical power back at them.

With a piercing shriek, a Shadow Fiend disintegrated into ashes.

The spectators erupted in thunderous cheers.

“That kid actually pulled it off!”

“Forget about why he isn’t getting hurt—for a Golden Core loose cultivator to dare draw his sword against the Sect Master of the Demon Shadow Sect… that’s some courage!”

“Strange… In the face of such world-shattering magical power, he should have been reduced to dust long ago.”

“Isn’t it obvious? The Obscured Moon Fairy must be protecting him.”

The crowd buzzed with speculation, each theory more outrageous than the last.

Yet here was Li Yan, a mere Golden Core cultivator, managing to destroy a Shadow Fiend controlled by a Great Ascension Stage Old Demon.

That single feat alone would give him bragging rights for a lifetime.

System: Host has parried the Shadow Fiend’s attack. The Moon Essence Stance has advanced from Elementary to Small Accomplishment.

Having tasted the sweetness of the Moon Essence Stance, Li Yan mused inwardly, “While it’s nearly impossible to deflect spells from enemies stronger than me…”

“…parrying spells from opponents of equal strength shouldn’t be too difficult, as long as I master this stance.”

Gripping his treasured sword, Li Yan grinned.

He could fail countless times, but just one successful parry would grant him a profound understanding of the Moon Essence Stance’s elegance.

“No wonder it’s a stance comprehended by a Sword Immortal. Shaped like a crescent moon, it’s equally effective for offense and defense.”

Growing addicted to the stance, Li Yan suddenly had a daring idea.

With his left hand, he drew the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp and murmured, “Shadows, arise!”

In an instant, the lamp ignited.

Thirty-two Sub Shadows, along with the Main Shadow, surged from the ground. The thirty-three shadows rose and assumed the Moon Essence Stance.

The Demon Shadow Sect’s Old Demon across from him turned green with fury.

“Boy! How do you know my Demon Shadow Sect’s supreme technique?!”

“And where did you get that counterfeit Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp?!”