Although Lu Ge was a Primordial Spirit, having his schemes unraveled in an instant left him stunned and speechless for a long while.
Zhang Yan cast another glance at him and said, "Previously, you demonstrated remarkable tenacity, willingly surrendering the Demon Storage rather than forfeiting the chance for survival. Your cultivation surpasses mine. If you were driven to despair and chose to battle me to the death, I would not be surprised. But to see you take your own life so readily—it leaves me rather suspicious."
Lu Ge, seeing all his plans rendered full of holes in Zhang Yan’s eyes, suffered a great blow to his confidence. Even his Primordial Spirit form swayed faintly as he sighed toward the heavens, "Enough, enough. Daoist Zhang, your intellect and cultivation surpass mine—it is fate. It seems that this Demon Storage is not mine to claim. I am willing to divulge everything to you, provided you grant me the chance to reincarnate. What do you say?"
Zhang Yan smiled and replied, "I cannot promise you that. Speak if you wish. If you wish not, then remain silent—it matters little to me."
Lu Ge, seeing Zhang Yan unwilling to concede his release, could only resign himself to buying as much time as he could. With this thought, he spoke, "Daoist Zhang, please do not act rashly. I will teach you a mantra to summon that Demon Storage. Once you’ve seen it, you will know I speak the truth."
He then moved his lips and uttered a spell.
Zhang Yan pondered briefly before forming the spell with his hands. In less than a stick of incense’s time, the Flying Pavilion Demon Storage emerged from the depths and hovered before them.
Lu Ge took the lead and walked inside. As a Primordial Spirit, although he could employ Dharma techniques, he could only drive Magic Artifacts through Soul Splitting. Thus, Zhang Yan feared no tricks from him and stepped in as well.
Inside the Demon Storage, every wall was lined with ancient bookshelves filled with bamboo books, jade scrolls, and gold-copper artefacts. At its center stood a Prohibition Stele. It was here that Ni Qianying fell victim to scheming, imprisoned within the Demon Storage, presumably gathered by Lu Ge.
Zhang Yan surveyed the surroundings without ascending to the pavilion’s upper level. Instead, he asked, "I wonder how Fellow Daoist Mu and her party have fared under your hands?"
Sneering, Lu Ge’s face twisted into a cruel smile as he replied, "I thought Daoist Zhang wouldn’t ask. Well, Dai Hongchen, unwilling to submit to my instructions, was slain seven or eight months ago. As for the other three women, I released one back, but as to the remaining two—"
With an eerie smile, he pointed to the eastern bookshelves and said, "Daoist Zhang, take down that jade scroll and you will learn their fate."
Zhang Yan glanced at him, then casually walked to the shelves, retrieved the jade scroll, and opened it briefly to peruse. Moments later, he sighed softly and said, "So that’s how it is."
Lu Ge stared intently at his expression, noting Zhang Yan was deeply engrossed. Suddenly, Lu Ge shouted and pointed, "Now look at the writing on the stele!"
Following his gesture, Zhang Yan examined the Prohibition Stele. On the front, there had been nothing visible except for a few talismans. But now standing on the back side, he saw blood-red characters: "To those cultivating this path, divine retribution shall descend. Beware, beware!"
The warning was painted with scarlet lacquer, resembling fresh, dripping blood—an intensely unsettling sight. Zhang Yan studied the inscription for a brief moment but then chuckled nonchalantly, clearly unimpressed.
Lu Ge barked angrily, "What are you laughing at?"
Shaking his head, Zhang Yan laughed lightly and replied, "I was wondering why Fellow Daoist Lu was so eager to divulge everything—it turns out this was the reason."
"And what do you know now?" Lu Ge snapped, his voice carrying an edge of panic.
Zhang Yan sighed and said, "You originally intended to cultivate this method yourself but were ultimately slain by me. Thus, you assumed that if I were to cultivate this technique, I too would meet a grim fate. Hence, you decided to share everything. But you still were not at ease, so you purposely had me examine this jade scroll before revealing this cautionary stele, attempting to plant a Heart Demon within me. Isn’t that so?"
Once again, Zhang Yan struck at Lu Ge’s true intentions. Lu Ge’s already wavering Primordial Spirit flickered as though about to dissipate, his rage reaching a breaking point. He roared, "And what if it is so? You have already read this cultivation technique—how can you resist its allure? I refuse to believe you won’t practice it!"
Zhang Yan considered the question seriously, then smiled and said, "This Dharma technique is highly beneficial to me. Being an Ancient Secret Transmission, though it arises from the Demon Sect, it is unorthodox yet not depraved. I fully intend to cultivate it."
Lu Ge immediately relaxed, letting out a sinister laugh. "Then even if I am scattered into oblivion, I can rest assured. You will inevitably face heavenly calamities one day, suffering the same end as me—haha..."
As he finished, he laughed madly toward the skies.
Zhang Yan smiled faintly and said, "But there’s one thing, Daoist, that you have misunderstood."
Lu Ge froze and asked, "What is it?"
"For all your cunning and schemes, let me ask you—if you knew that cultivating this method would bring calamity, would you inscribe such a warning on this stele to alert future generations?"
Lu Ge responded instinctively, "I don’t believe I would..."
The moment the words left his mouth, he stopped in shock.
Pointing at the stele, Zhang Yan laughed and said, "This so-called divine retribution—how do you know it’s meant for the cultivator? Perhaps the cultivator themselves is the calamity unleashed upon the world."
Zhang Yan knew his words might not be the truth. Who could fathom the mindset of those Ancient Demon Sect cultivators?
Yet he remained calm. Having endured countless trials and tribulations throughout his cultivation path, why should he concern himself with a mere threat of divine retribution?
Lu Ge, on the other hand, was deeply shaken by Zhang Yan’s remarks. He suddenly saw his life’s schemes as a grand joke. Driven to madness, he laughed maniacally and charged at Zhang Yan, forgetting he was merely a Primordial Spirit.
Shaking his head, Zhang Yan swept his sleeve, releasing a ray of Xuan Guang. A swirl of golden fire engulfed the crazed Primordial Spirit, erasing it in the blink of an eye.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)