I Swear I’m Not a Demonic Cultivator - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Sect’s Benevolence Weighs Heavier Than Mountains

Fang Zheng solemnly cupped his hands and bowed towards the empty ceiling above.

The senior cultivator he had never met had vanished, having transformed his life’s cultivation base into a life-giving rain to bestow upon this junior disciple.

This was the true inheritance of the Dao.

Fang Zheng straightened his spine, his heart swelling with reverence for the righteous path. He could feel the power within him, the force gathered from the “Collective Vow Power,” solidifying into an unprecedented density.

His realm remained at Qi Refining.

But the foundation of his Myriad Ghosts Undying Body had become an immortal divine mountain, built from 329 Heroic Soul Blessings.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the System interface lit up in his mind, displaying crimson and golden characters:

Ding! Host has successfully resolved a high-level ‘Unwilling Obsession’, earning immeasurable Merit!

Passive Skill Vengeful Power Devour has been upgraded to Demonic Heart Feedback!

Note: The stronger the malice, the more nourishing the feedback. Every challenge shall become a stepping stone to your growth.

Fang Zheng’s breath caught in his throat for a moment.

Demonic Heart Feedback.

No, it’s Bright Heart Feedback!

Using my Bright Heart to nourish my very being!

This Cultivation Technique was practically tailor-made for honest folks like me, a divine art of fraud prevention.

Just as Fang Zheng was basking in the warmth of his progress…

Boom—!!!

A deafening roar erupted from above.

The entire Demon Sealing Pagoda shook violently, dust raining down in torrents.

Fang Zheng looked up.

Cracks were spiderwebbing across the indestructible ceiling of the second floor, right above the spot where he had devoured the remnant soul of the Divine Transformation elder!

A trace of his aura, unconsciously leaked, had shattered the seal!

Countless fragments of stone rained down, revealing a bottomless, pitch-black void overhead.

A split second later, a tidal wave of energy crashed down upon him!

This energy pulsed with the most primal life force—warm, gentle, and brimming with vitality.

Devoid of even a trace of resentment, it was impossibly pure.

Fang Zheng was engulfed by the torrential energy.

The 329 Ghost Face Totems of his Myriad Ghosts Undying Body writhed like they were being doused in scalding oil, emitting silent shrieks.

The shrieking lasted barely half a second.

Then, the totems opened their ravenous maws, devouring the life-giving torrent from the heavens with even greater frenzy and efficiency.

Fang Zheng felt every one of his thirty-six thousand pores erupt in jubilation, his body weightless, as if he might float away.

He understood immediately.

This was his reward!

The Sect Ancestor was bestowing upon him, the “Heaven Chosen,” his ultimate cultivation, holding nothing back!

“The Sect’s kindness towards me is as heavy as a mountain!”

A surge of heat flooded Fang Zheng’s chest.

Without hesitation, he strode towards the cascading torrent of life energy gushing from the opening, each step leading him up the stairs to the Demon Sealing Pagoda’s third level.

The moment he stepped onto the first stair, Fang Zheng felt as if he had entered a waterfall composed of pure life energy.

With each upward step, his body was violently cleansed, a hundred times more brutal than soaking in the most top-tier spirit liquid.

When he reached the final step, the sight before him froze him in place.

The third level of the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

It was small and empty.

No torture instruments, no cages, no skeletal remains.

In the entire space, there was only one thing.

At the very center, a colossal “heart” floated in mid-air, pulsing slowly and steadily.

Carved entirely from the world’s most flawless jade, its verdant surface glowed with a gentle, azure light that illuminated the entire space like daylight, filling it with warmth and vitality.

Countless thick vessels, formed from pure Spiritual Energy, extended from the “heart” and rooted themselves into the walls and foundation of the Demon Sealing Pagoda, channeling its lifeblood to the entire Azure Cloud Sect.

The Azure Cloud Spirit Vein Heart!

This was the sect’s foundation! The source of the entire sect’s ten-thousand-year destiny!

Fang Zheng stared in stunned silence.

The sect’s “ultimate reward” was for him to come face-to-face with the sect’s sacred relic!

What extraordinary trust!

Just as Fang Zheng’s heart surged with emotion, the quietly pulsing Spirit Vein Heart sensed his arrival.

Wēng—

A piercing, ear-splitting alarm blared from the heart.

Its rhythmic beating instantly spiraled out of control.

The gentle azure glow transformed into a deathly pallor mottled with crimson, flickering wildly!

The entire third-level space trembled violently in response to its “emotions.”

On Fang Zheng’s body, the Myriad Ghosts Undying Body, a technique forged from three hundred twenty-nine Resentful Souls and Demonic Thoughts, stood in stark opposition to the pure life energy of this place.

The Spirit Vein Heart was terrified.

It sensed an aura of imminent danger.

Witnessing everything, Fang Zheng couldn’t contain his excitement:

“I hear it—a resonance of joy!”

“I see it—the thrill of reunion!”

Warmth spread through Fang Zheng’s heart.

In his mind, the System’s notification chime sounded at the opportune moment:

【Ding! Host’s pure, righteous energy has achieved deep resonance with the Azure Cloud Spirit Vein Heart!】

【The Spirit Vein Heart is cheering for you! It senses a shared, supreme intent of ‘protection’!】

Fang Zheng’s body trembled with excitement.

So, this is it.

My Dao, the grand ambition to “protect all living beings” enshrined within my Myriad Ghosts Undying Body, aligns perfectly with the Spirit Vein Heart’s very essence—its dedication to safeguarding the Sect!

We are kindred spirits!

Fang Zheng took a step forward.

Buzzing! Buzzing! Buzzing!

The Spirit Vein Heart trembled violently, each pulse sending the Demon Sealing Pagoda groaning under the unbearable strain.

Yet a gentle smile bloomed on Fang Zheng’s face.

“Don’t worry, I understand you,” he murmured, as if comforting an old friend he hadn’t seen in ages.

“You’ve guarded the Sect for ten thousand years. It must have been… so hard.”

Hum…

The Spirit Vein Heart’s radiance dimmed for a fleeting moment.

It was afraid.

It wanted to flee.

But its roots ran too deep.

Just then, golden text flashed across the System panel once more:

Ding! Discovered the Sect’s core energy nexus!

Detected massive accumulations of Spiritual Energy Impurities and Dust of Time within the nexus, the result of ten thousand years of operation!

Ultimate Trial Mission issued: Purify the Spirit Vein Heart!

Mission Objective: Eliminate all impurities to restore the Spirit Vein Heart to pristine condition, granting the Azure Cloud Sect a surge in fortune! This is boundless Merit!

Fang Zheng’s breath caught in his throat. His chest heaved violently.

So… this was the Sect Ancestor’s true purpose in sending me here!

Not to reward me!

But to entrust me with this sacred mission, crucial to the Sect’s future prosperity or decline!

Purify the Spirit Vein Heart!

Gazing at the violently trembling “heart” before him, Fang Zheng felt only the heavy weight of responsibility.

And the supreme honor of being so trusted by the Sect.

Fang Zheng extended his hand, palm downward, making a reassuring gesture.

“Don’t worry, I’m here to help you.”

Before the words had fully left his lips, he took his final step and stood before the Spirit Vein Heart.

The pallid, bloodless hand, adorned with three hundred and twenty-nine Ghost Face Totems, hesitated not for a moment.

Gently, it pressed down upon the ceaselessly pulsing, azure-green heart.