Chapter 666: Great Demon 29
Naturally, as blood essence flowed from his body, Qing Ming could feel his cultivation level steadily declining. He had been at the twelfth layer of the Qi Cultivation stage, but now it was starting to fall.
The Heavenly Thunder crashed down with increasing speed. Qing Ming had become a mangled, bloody heap, his original form completely unrecognizable. However, all the Great Demons and Half-demons watching could sense it—he was becoming more and more like a demonic beast.
His body was aligning further with that of a demonic beast, while the part of him that belonged to a Cultivator was fading.
The fox-tailed girl asked, her voice laced with fear, "Will it... be the same for us?"
"Of course," the two-tailed cat said, swishing its tails. "Hang in there. I’m rooting for you."
Watching the two-tailed cat’s wide grin, a slow smile spread across the fox-tailed girl’s face as well. "Alright. I’ll see it through."
’I don’t understand why the demons here are so friendly, but I can tell they don’t mean any harm. That’s enough. After so many years of wandering and hardship, how many people have ever shown us any kindness?’
’So, the Demon Market? Could this finally be our home?’
Inside the Array, Qing Ming had almost completely transformed into a demonic beast. But it wasn’t enough. He could feel a vibrant core of blood essence still residing in his chest—he knew it was his Cultivator bloodline.
Biting his tongue hard, Qing Ming forced some clarity back into his mind. A voice reached his ears. "You feel it too. Compared to the Cultivator’s blood essence, the bloodline of the Demon Clan is far more powerful."
"Keep the Demon Clan bloodline, and you’ll have a chance to survive. If you keep the Human Clan bloodline, death is certain."
Qing Ming recognized Tan You’s voice. He struggled to lift his head, his eyes fixed on her outside the Array. "Senior, I want to keep the bloodline of the Demon Clan."
Tan You nodded. "A wise choice. Center your spirit..."
The words had barely left her mouth when a thick bolt of Heavenly Thunder slammed down on Qing Ming. He was struck down instantly, collapsing in a heap. The eyes of every Half-demon filled with dread. ’Is he... dead?’
Only Tan You, upon seeing the globule of a Cultivator’s blood essence float out from three inches above Qing Ming’s head, allowed a slow smile to grace her lips. "It worked. I didn’t expect him to be so resilient."
Bai Ze teased, "Are all you snakes so durable?"
Tan You shot him a look. "I think he just has something driving him. It has little to do with his race. Otherwise, how would Little Uncle have made it through when he’s so fragile?"
A little mouse popped its head out of Bai Ze’s sleeve in protest. "Huanhuan, you have to call me Baby! I’m a genuine treasure-hunting mouse now."
"Alright, Baby," Tan You said, her face deadpan. "Can you go wait on the side, Baby? I have actual business to attend to."
"So insincere," the little mouse grumbled, its beady eyes narrowing. It still shrank back into Bai Ze’s sleeve. ’Oh well, this is fine too.’
With a beckoning gesture, Tan You drew the droplet of a Cultivator’s blood essence from above Qing Ming into her hand. She stared at it for a long moment before raising an eyebrow. "Blood essence from a female Cultivator... and it’s tainted with a great deal of karma."
Bai Ze clicked his tongue. "Just what’s in the inherited memories of you Golden Ring Snakes? You can even see karma?"
Tan You boasted shamelessly, "After studying for so many years, I had to have learned something."
"Now that you’ve extracted the Cultivator’s blood essence, the person on the other end will definitely have sensed it," Bai Ze continued. "The only question is whether they’ll come looking. Honestly, I’ve never seen a Cultivator so entangled in karma."
The two-tailed cat asked in surprise, "Huanhuan, have you seen many Cultivators?"
"Didn’t we see plenty of Cultivators the last time we went out? Not one of them was so... hmm... entangled in karma," Tan You said, searching for the right words. "I actually think she’s a Cultivator of the Killing Path."
Bai Ze glanced at the droplet of blood essence. "Perhaps. What do you plan to do?"
"Nothing," Tan You said bluntly. "It has nothing to do with me. This is that little cub’s own problem. Why should I get involved?"
With that, Tan You dispelled the Array. Qing Ming, who had been struck to within an inch of his life, finally relaxed. His head felt heavy, and then he knew no more.
Peacock went over and picked up Qing Ming, who was now no thicker than a thumb. He gave the small snake an instinctive shake. "Jin Huan, at least he still has a form. I remember when you passed your tribulation, you turned right into an egg."
Tan You shot Peacock a glare. "Are you enjoying this? How was I supposed to know I’d turn into an egg? This impure bloodline is a real curse. Even the inherited memories I received are a fragmented version."
Qing Ming hung limply from Peacock’s fingers like a dead snake. Peacock sighed. "Jin Huan, what should we do with this little cub?"
A slight smile touched Tan You’s lips. "Didn’t we set up a Spirit Gathering Array? Just place him where the Spiritual Energy is densest. For now, let him recuperate. Once his body has fully recovered and his foundation is solid, he’ll take another trip through the Array."
The fox-tailed girl shivered. "He has to go again?"
The two-tailed cat patted her with one of its tails. "Of course. Even after retaining the demonic beast bloodline, it’s not pure. It needs to be refined further so his cultivation path will be longer in the future."
"But there’s no rush for now. Huanhuan said it has to wait until at least the Sixth Rank." The two-tailed cat let out a soft MEOW. "Once you become full-fledged demonic beasts, you have to start all over again. Even with exceptional talent, it will take hundreds of years to cultivate to the Sixth Rank."
"Think about the Human Clan’s Cultivators. How long does it take them to reach the Nascent Soul stage? Even the most breathtakingly talented among them need at least a century or more."
The fox-tailed girl sighed. "I’m just worried that by the time I’ve cultivated for that long, the person I’m after will have already ascended..."
The two-tailed cat replied, "Then you’ll just have to cultivate diligently. Besides, any Cultivator tainted by karma can’t ascend unless they completely resolve it, right?"
"Doesn’t that thought make you feel a little better?"
The fox-tailed girl considered it. "You’re right. The thought of him being unable to ascend... I suddenly feel a lot better. The Demon Clan has long lifespans, anyway. We’ll just see who can outlast whom."
"Exactly! Broaden your perspective," the two-tailed cat MEOWED again. "Once you broaden your perspective, nothing in this world seems so difficult anymore."
While the small demons and Half-demons were happily getting acquainted, in a forbidden land far to the east, a female Cultivator who had been in seclusion slowly opened her eyes.
She had entered seclusion to contemplate the profound truths of the Dao. But the further she progressed, the more she felt those truths, once reasonably clear, grow hazy. Even her Dao heart was now veiled by a shadow that could not be swept away.
This forced the female Cultivator to emerge from her seclusion. First, there was the disruption to her cultivation path. Then, her Sword Servant came to report, "Qing Ming... is missing."
The female Cultivator’s brow furrowed. "What do you mean, missing? Wasn’t he told to stay in his residence at the foot of the mountain?"
The Sword Servant was forced to his knees by her oppressive aura. "I went to inquire. Qing Ming had been staying in the residence as instructed. But two months ago, the Eldest Young Master and Second Young Miss went down the mountain."
"I heard... they sent Qing Ming to an auction at the Treasure Pavilion..."