I Swear I’m Not a Demonic Cultivator - Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Heroic Souls Guard the Dharma
The night passed without a single deer.
Far from feeling exhausted, Fang Zheng was bursting with energy, his eyes shining with an unnerving intensity.
He could clearly sense a wisp of Sword Qi in his Dantian, thinner than a strand of hair yet gleaming like polished obsidian, slowly coiling within him.
This was the Sword Qi of the Myriad Souls Heart-Devouring Sword!
After just one night of practice, its solidity already far surpassed the Vast Righteous Sword Qi he had painstakingly cultivated for two and a half years!
“This is insane! This speed… it’s like riding a rocket!”
Fang Zheng was so exhilarated he nearly climaxed on the spot.
But he restrained himself.
No, stay calm.
A stroke of heavenly fortune requires even greater composure.
He mentally delved into his mind, summoning the interface that had changed his destiny.
Host: Fang Zheng
Bound System: Heaven Rewards Diligence (Demonic Modification)
Current Optimized Cultivation Technique: Myriad Souls Heart-Devouring Sword
Cultivation Efficiency: 5000%
Technique Potency: 10000%
Righteous Goal: Defeat Li Mu in the Sect Grand Competition to prove the value of diligence.
Fang Zheng’s gaze locked onto the five characters: Myriad Souls Heart-Devouring Sword.
Once he had calmed down, these five characters felt like five venom-coated ice needles piercing his scalp, making it tingle with dread.
Myriad Souls… Heart-Devouring…
This name… It just doesn’t sound like something a righteous cultivator should practice.
Human sacrifices, soul-draining, essence-devouring… The stench of Demonic Path’s vile arts wafted from every syllable.
“System, this name… are you sure there’s no problem?”
Fang Zheng’s heart, once so steadfastly righteous, churned with intense unease.
He yearned to prove himself through honorable means. If the System offered him a Demonic Cultivation Technique, he’d rather perish!
Even if it meant expulsion from the Sect and a lifetime of mediocrity, he would never succumb to the Demonic Path!
This was his unyielding bottom line—the very “obsession” that triggered the System’s activation.
Host, please do not be alarmed.
The System’s voice remained icy, yet utterly reliable.
The Cultivation Technique’s name is merely a codename; its essence lies in its true meaning.
Cultivation Technique Explanation: The Myriad Souls Heart-Devouring Sword is an Ancient Righteous Method. Its core principle lies in invoking the unwavering guardian wills of myriad heroic souls across heaven and earth, concentrating their power into a single blade. This sword can instantly devour all arrogance, malice, and evil thoughts within an enemy’s heart, shattering their Dao Heart. Hence its name: Myriad Souls Heart-Devouring. This is a majestic and righteous sword, one that annihilates the heart’s corruption and defends the righteous path!
This lengthy explanation, like a divine ray of light, instantly dispelled all the darkness in Fang Zheng’s heart.
So that’s what it meant!
I… I actually misunderstood the System!
Guilt instantly flooded Fang Zheng’s face.
How could I have been so foolish?!
“Myriad Souls” isn’t about vengeful spirits or malevolent ghosts—it’s about the “Unyielding Heroic Souls” guarding heaven and earth!
“Heart-Devouring” doesn’t mean consuming hearts—it means devouring the “wicked thoughts” within an enemy’s heart!
This… this is a thousand times more righteous than the Vast Righteous Sword Qi!
The Vast Righteous Sword Qi at best slays demons and exorcises evil spirits—a purely physical endeavor.
But the Myriad Souls Heart-Devouring Sword purifies the enemy’s evil thoughts at their very source—a “Heart-Piercing” Sword, a “Sword of Righteousness”! It’s a dimensional strike against their very consciousness!
The difference is clear as day!
No wonder it’s an Ancient Righteous Method! Even its name carries such profound depth and philosophical weight!
Fang Zheng had an epiphany, his remaining doubts about the System vanishing, replaced by admiration.
He began to reflect: Perhaps my own Realm is too low, my vision too narrow, to grasp the true nature of this supreme Sword Art.
“Thank you, System, for clarifying this!”
“You’re a good System,” Fang Zheng said sincerely.
This is the System’s inherent duty. Host, discard distractions and focus on your cultivation.
“Alright!”
Fang Zheng nodded emphatically, his fighting spirit blazing.
Li Mu! Sect Grand Competition!
Here I come!
He sat down again, this time without a shred of doubt, his mind and body completely focused on cultivation.
As he activated the cultivation technique, that chilling black qi descended once more.
But this time, instead of discomfort, Fang Zheng felt an overwhelming sense of comfort.
This frigid sensation must be the manifestation of the Myriad Martial Souls’ will!
In life, these Heroic Souls were righteous and unwavering; in death, their wills naturally became icy and resolute!
This isn’t Yin energy at all! It’s the purest, most righteous Guardian Intent, protecting my cultivation!
Fang Zheng rejoiced in his newfound understanding.
My path is finally clear!
As his cultivation deepened, the strange phenomena within the wooden cabin intensified to terrifying levels.
The flame of the oil lamp on the table instantly turned a ghastly green, and a dense layer of black ice crystals formed in the surrounding air.
The remaining ink in the inkstone cracked audibly, freezing into a layer of black ice etched with eerie frost patterns.
The faint, murmuring whispers that had lingered in the air gradually grew clearer.
That wasn’t a whisper at all!
It was a cacophony of countless voices, a tormented chorus of cries and roars filled with anguish, hatred, and despair!
“Kill… kill me…”
“It hurts~ too much!”
“I’m gonna give Sanguosha a five-star review!”
“Heh heh heh… time to grind in Valorant!”
Had any ordinary cultivator been present, their Dao Heart would have shattered on the spot, convinced they had fallen into the Nine Netherworld Hells.
But Fang Zheng listened with rapturous fascination.
“This… this is the lament of the Heroic Souls?”
“I can feel it—their unyielding will, their fury, their determination to protect this land even in death!”
“Rest assured, seniors!”
Fang Zheng’s expression turned solemn and reverent as he swore silently in his heart:
“Your will… I shall inherit it!”
“I, Fang Zheng, shall wield this Sword of Righteousness and purge all demonic forces from this world!”
His emotions resonated with his Cultivation Technique in a miraculous harmony.
Within his Dantian, the wisp of black Sword Qi seed trembled violently, swelling to twice its size. The chilling aura swirling around it grew even more intense.
Meanwhile, in a small grove a hundred meters from Fang Zheng’s wooden cabin, an Outer Disciple named Wang Er was squatting in the bushes, relieving himself.
Just as he was pulling up his pants, a bizarre sound suddenly echoed from the direction of the cabin.
It wasn’t the wind.
It was… the piercing screams of countless people!
Wang Er’s face drained of color in an instant, and his just-fastened trousers nearly slipped down again.
Suppressing the urge to flee, he inexplicably parted the bushes in front of him and peered toward the source of the sound.
One glance was all it took to freeze the blood in his veins.
He saw it.
Fang Zheng’s dilapidated wooden cabin was now shrouded in a dense, swirling black mist.
Countless pale-black, twisted humanoid phantoms writhed and wailed within the mist, as if the place had transformed into a true Ghost Realm!
Wang Er’s teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
A demon… a Demon Lord!
That brat Fang Zheng was actually cultivating a Demonic Cultivation Technique!
After an unknown length of time, Fang Zheng slowly withdrew from his cultivation, exhaling a mouthful of black, turbid qi.
He felt more powerful than ever before.
Yet simultaneously, a violent, bloodthirsty impulse surged uncontrollably from the depths of his heart.
He desperately wanted to find something—anything—and utterly crush it with his sword!
Fang Zheng’s heart jolted with alarm.
This is bad! The Myriad Souls Heart-Devouring Sword is too domineering. The Heroic Soul’s Will to Slaughter it contains is too overwhelming. My Heart Realm can barely contain it.
He knew well that any powerful Cultivation Technique required a corresponding Heart Realm to master it.
A sharp blade demands a righteous heart!
I must find an auxiliary method to calm my mind, focus my spirit, and stabilize my Dao Heart!
Fang Zheng immediately began searching through his memories.
Soon, the basic Heart Method given to every Outer Disciple materialized in his mind.
Ice Heart Manual!
That’s it!