Twilight deepened, and a bright moon began to rise.
Deep within the mountain forest, tall, ancient trees cast dappled shadows.
Qin Xuan's eyes flew open. He looked down to find himself dressed in coarse linen, the garb of a woodcutter.
'I've... transmigrated?'
A torrent of complex memories flooded his mind, and Qin Xuan suddenly understood. He had arrived in a Fantasy World.
Just moments before, two meteors had streaked across the sky, crashing to the earth as brilliant shafts of light and carving out a massive crater. The powerful fluctuations of True Essence had awakened his Innate Wisdom from a past life, shattering the veil of ignorance that had clouded his mind since birth.
Qin Xuan's brow furrowed. He focused his gaze and realized the brilliant lights before him were not meteors, but two living, breathing people.
Two Cultivators, their auras and attire starkly different, lay in the crater.
The handsome young Daoist, clad in a navy Daoist Robe and pale-faced, was the first to speak from where he lay half-propped up in the crater. "Young brother, I am Fang Lin, head disciple of Qingyunzi of the Daoist Sect. I was battling this Demon, but my True Essence has been depleted and my Dantian destroyed."
"My own life is forfeit, but please, young brother, lend me your strength. Pick up that Blood Sword and slay this fiend. Restore peace and prosperity to the world!"
The young Daoist's features were as handsome as carved jade, his expression open and honest. Despite his grievous injuries, he radiated an awe-inspiring righteousness, and every word he spoke was for the sake of the world's common people.
"Bah! You Daoists of the Cyan Cloud Sect are the biggest hypocrites I've ever seen!"
The other man, a Black Armored Demon Cultivator dripping with blood, sneered with wild abandon.
"You spineless cowards, you don't even have the guts to admit what you've done! What's the big deal about blood-sacrificing the one hundred and forty million people of Lin Country? Your Cyan Cloud Sect was the one behind it, and now you're trying to pin the whole thing on me. I won't take this fall!"
"Young brother, don't listen to this fiend's ravings. He's twisting the truth."
Fang Lin's aura was faint, yet his face held an expression of profound compassion, as if his entire body were shrouded in a holy light.
"The frequent disappearances of Lin Country's people were the work of the Blood Demon Sword Sect. How could my Cyan Cloud Sect, renowned throughout the world as a bastion of the Righteous Dao, ever commit such a heinous act?"
"You won't be saving me; you'll be saving all of humanity."
The bottom of the crater was a disaster zone, evidence of a recent, titanic battle. A Bell-shaped Small Tower and a sword radiating Blood Qi were both dim, and fragments of Magical Treasures and armor littered the ground. Neither man could so much as lift a finger to drive away the scavenging vultures.
It was clear the two, one from the Righteous and one from the Demon Paths, had fought until both were completely spent. They had exhausted every last trick, only to end up in an awkward stalemate where neither could finish the other.
"Which of you is telling the truth?"
Qin Xuan scrubbed a hand over his face.
Gazing at the dazzling array of Magical Treasure fragments, Qin Xuan picked up the dim, blood-stained sword and slowly advanced.
"How about this? Whichever one of you can offer me something tangible, I'll help."
'…Or, if I just kill you both, won't all these treasures be mine?'
"Hahaha! Good, kid! You've got guts!"
Chen Xuanba roared with laughter.
"You're the first mortal ant who's ever dared to demand something from me."
Chen Xuanba said, "If you save me, I can guarantee you entry into my Blood Demon Sword Sect."
"However, you only have Five Spirit Roots, so you'll have to start as a bottom-tier Demon Disciple. If you happen to die within the Sect, it's none of my concern."
'Damn it. He wants me, a Transmigrator, to be a Demon Cultivator…'
'And with no warranty?'
Hearing this, Qin Xuan immediately lost interest.
He tightened his grip on the Blood Sword and looked at the young Daoist. "I don't want to be a Demon Cultivator. Their reputation is terrible. I'd rather pursue proper Cultivation."
A chill fell over Fang Lin's face, and a sinister glint flashed in the depths of his eyes, but it was instantly replaced by a gentle smile as warm as a spring breeze.
"Rest assured, young brother. As long as you help me slay this fiend, my Cyan Cloud Sect will not treat you poorly."
"What does it matter if you have Five Spirit Roots? I, Fang Lin, promise you this: whether it be the Supreme Dao Scripture or Spiritual Elixirs and Immortal Pills, as long as I return to the Sect, I will help you achieve immortality and reach the very pinnacle of the Dao!"
For some unknown reason, Fang Lin's words seemed to carry a strange, magical power.
Just then, a large orb of light suddenly flashed within his mind.
Three Ancient Bamboo Sticks flew out from the orb.
[Top-Top Lottery: Save the Demon, join the Demon Sect. You will obtain the legacy of the Blood Demon Sword Dao and live a life of freedom. Great Fortune.]
[Middle-Lower Draw: Save neither, gain nothing. You will be hunted by both the Demon Sect and the Righteous Dao. Your life may be in danger. Misfortune.]
[The Worst Draw: Save the peerless prodigy. You will be silenced to cover his tracks before he can repay you, leading to your demise. Great Misfortune.]
The moment the orb of light appeared, Qin Xuan's eyes lit up, and his Spirit Platform was instantly cleansed.
'Holy crap, I almost fell for that Daoist's trick!'
In an instant, Qin Xuan understood. This orb of light in his mind was his Golden Finger, and it had the power to guide him toward good fortune and away from disaster.
Whenever he faced a choice, two or three bamboo sticks would fly out to prophesize the outcome.
The bamboo sticks offered five types of Divinations: Top-Top, Upper-Middle, Middle-Middle, Middle-Lower, and The Worst Draw.
A Top-Top Lottery indicated "Great Fortune." An Upper-Middle Draw was simply "Fortune." A Middle-Middle Draw was "Neutral," meaning no danger. A Middle-Lower Draw was "Misfortune" and could even be life-threatening. The Worst Draw meant certain death.
Additionally, the Divinations would indicate opportunities ranked from First to Ninth Grade, with First Grade being the best and Ninth Grade the worst.
However, when Qin Xuan saw the contents of the Divination clearly, his expression turned foul.
'You two-faced dog of a Daoist.'
'You talk about helping me achieve immortality and reach the pinnacle of the Dao, but the moment I save you, you'll turn around and kill me?'
Qin Xuan made his decision in an instant.
He looked at Chen Xuanba. "So, uh, is letting me into the Demon Sect really the only thing you can offer? Nothing else?"
Chen Xuanba shot Qin Xuan a disdainful glance. "Your aptitude is too poor. You can only start as a Demon Disciple."
Qin Xuan asked, "Can't we negotiate a bit?"
Chen Xuanba scoffed. "So what if you save my life? We Demon Cultivators always put our own interests first. I live my life openly and without regrets, seeking only to follow my own will."
"If you can survive among the other Demon Disciples, perhaps I'll offer you some protection."
"If you don't survive… well, as a Demon Cultivator, if you die, you die. It's as simple as that."
"Fine, fine! Then you can just wait here to die. Dammit."
Qin Xuan raised the sword and thrust it toward the Demon Cultivator.
A gleam flashed in Fang Lin's eyes, and he was instantly overjoyed.
Chen Xuanba closed his eyes in resignation, a tragic air about him like a hero at the end of his road.
"To think that I, Chen Xuanba, who have rampaged across the lands my entire life with countless deaths to my name, would end up dying at the hands of a mortal."
"You know, if you'd just offered me a little more, I wouldn't have to kill you," Qin Xuan tried again.
"You ant! Stop being so wishy-washy! If you're going to kill me, then get on with it!"
"In my next life, I'll be a Demon Cultivator again!"
"Fine! Then I'll grant your wish!"
Exasperated, Qin Xuan spun around and plunged the sword into Fang Lin's chest.
SPURT! Fang Lin's eyes flew wide open. A trickle of crimson blood spilled from the corner of his mouth as he twisted his head to stare at Qin Xuan, his face a mask of utter disbelief.
"But... we agreed... you'd kill him..."
He couldn't even finish his sentence. The blood-red sword seemed to come alive, greedily slurping down the blood from Fang Lin's body. In a matter of moments, the dignified Saint Child of the Daoist Sect was reduced to a shriveled, skin-and-bones corpse.
Fang Lin's head lolled to the side, his eyes wide open in death.
Even in the final moment before his consciousness faded, Fang Lin couldn't understand why Qin Xuan had stabbed *him*.
A tide of pure True Essence surged into Qin Xuan's body. Even though the Blood Sword absorbed ninety-nine percent of the essence of his Blood Qi, the remaining sliver of energy felt like it would make Qin Xuan's Dantian explode.
Qin Xuan's face flushed red. He was filled with a tremendous power he couldn't release, and his meridians swelled uncomfortably. He thought Fang Lin hadn't died properly and was now haunting him.
"Dammit! I'm the butcher and you're the meat on the block! You still dare to cause trouble?"
Qin Xuan stabbed Fang Lin repeatedly until his guts were spilling out, then slit his throat for good measure.
Only after he had hacked Fang Lin into a full eighteen pieces, practically grinding his bones to dust, did the excess True Essence in Qin Xuan's body finally dissipate.
"Whew… So, uh, for Cultivators, is this considered completely dead?" Qin Xuan plopped onto the ground, letting out a long breath. He was drenched in sweat.
Profound astonishment surfaced in Chen Xuanba's eyes.
"Haha! It counts! Of course, it counts!"
"Kid, you're born to be a Demon Cultivator! Hahaha!"
Chen Xuanba threw his head back and roared with laughter.
The next moment, the clear, piercing sound of a flute suddenly drifted from the horizon.
Chen Xuanba's expression changed.
"Dammit, the Cyan Cloud Sect has caught up."
Completely spent, Chen Xuanba was powerless to protect himself and could only rely on Qin Xuan.
"Young brother, quickly! While the Void Illusion Tower's power to obscure fate is still active, I have a Seven-Revolution Blood Escape Talisman on me. Activate it, quickly! It can save both our lives."
Qin Xuan scrambled to pull a stack of colorful talisman paper from inside Chen Xuanba's robes.
Just as he assumed the blood-red talisman paper printed with seven stars was the Seven-Revolution Blood Escape Talisman, Chen Xuanba's sharp shout stopped him.
"Have you lost your mind?! Put that down! That's a Nine Nether Thunder Burst Talisman, equivalent to a full-powered strike from a Purple Mansion Cultivator! The Blood Escape Talisman is the white one!"
A cold sweat broke out on Qin Xuan's brow.
He hastily dropped the Thunder Burst Talisman.
'Dammit, you guys in the Demon Sect are too insidious. It's bad enough that the Nine Nether Thunder Burst Talisman has seven stars on it, but the Blood Escape Talisman defies all logic by not even being red!'
'Is this so you can screw over your enemy one last time, even in death?'
After some difficulty, Qin Xuan finally fished a white Magic Talisman printed with the image of two ghastly white skulls out of the messy pile of Talismans.
Meanwhile, the sound of the flute from the horizon grew ever closer.
"Focus your intent on your Dantian, try to control that wisp of white energy inside you, and guide it into the Talisman."
As soon as he finished speaking, the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves echoed through the air. The clouds on the horizon split into two distinct colors: black and white.
It was clearly reinforcements from the Demon Sect.
"Qingdi! Where has your Daoist Sect hidden my Senior Brother!" an androgynous, furious Demonic Sound boomed across the sky.
"Green Blood, you whelp! Say no more! My martial nephew's Soul Lamp has been extinguished, and it's all thanks to your Senior Brother! Today, I'll have your life as payment!"
In that instant, the sound became as mournful as weeping blood, and the flute's tune intensified.
Qin Xuan felt as if his eardrums would rupture. If it weren't for the protection of the power he'd gained from the Blood Sword when it devoured Fang Lin's Blood Qi, the terrifying sound of the flute alone would have been enough to kill him.
'He silently rejoiced. Thank goodness he'd listened to his Golden Finger and hadn't killed them both. Otherwise, not only would he have missed out on the treasures, but he'd also be hunted down by the allied forces of the Righteous and Demon Paths.'
'Now that I've basically thrown my lot in with the Demon Dao, and this Black Armored Demon Cultivator's junior brother has arrived, I should be safe, right?'
Unexpectedly, Chen Xuanba's expression grew even more frantic.
"Kid, what are you spacing out for? Activate the Blood Escape Talisman, now!"
"If we fall into the hands of that shrew, Qingdi, we might at least leave intact corpses behind! But if we fall into the hands of my junior brother, the Green Blood Sword Demon, the only way we'll see each other again is inside his Honorable Soul Banner!"
Qin Xuan was dumbfounded.
'Fuck, so no matter what, everyone in the Demon Sect is an actual Demon, huh?'
His heart pounded in his chest. Qin Xuan focused his mind, trying to use his intent to control the wisp of white energy he had just obtained.
VMMMM!
On the Blood Escape Talisman, one of the two skulls suddenly opened its eyes, which glowed with two beams of ghastly white light.
The next moment, Qin Xuan and Chen Xuanba vanished without a trace.
…