Chapter 451: Everyone Practices the Heavenly Demon Art
Chen Huaian handed Li Zongsi a top-grade Whirlwind Pill, its crystal-clear surface revealing swirling spiritual energy within.
This pill wasn't crafted by him, but by Zhou Xuanzi, the sect master of the Alchemy Sect.
Whirlwind Pills functioned similarly to experience pills—after consumption, cultivators would automatically enter a cultivation state, rapidly absorbing surrounding spiritual energy.
The difference was that this energy merged directly and violently with the cultivator's true essence without purification.
Such impure true essence would drastically increase the burden on a cultivator's meridians and dantian, inevitably damaging their foundation over time!
However, this Ascender from the Black Blade Sect had no foundation to speak of, as Chen Huaian had already discerned. For him, forcibly accelerating growth with Whirlwind Pills was perfectly appropriate.
"This is a specially made pill from our Wind Spirit Sect called the Ascension Pill—it can rapidly enhance one's power."
Chen Huaian's eyes gleamed as he rebranded the Whirlwind Pill.
"Are there any side effects? Headaches? Vomiting blood?" he asked cautiously.
"None," Chen Huaian shook his head.
"That's... that's wonderful!" Without hesitation, Li Zongsi tossed the pill into his mouth.
Truthfully, he would have accepted even severe side effects. Ever since his cultivation had dissipated from the Golden Core stage, reducing him to a mortal, the crushing sense of loss had nearly driven him mad! Now he only wanted to reclaim his former glory as quickly as possible!
Chen Huaian and Zhang Yibai stood silently observing.
Soon, spiritual energy began converging toward Li Zongsi.
This gathering differed completely from spirit-gathering formations—those drew energy gently and naturally without forcing it into the cultivator's body. But now, this impure energy violently flooded into Li Zongsi like a crashing wave.
The turbulent energy rapidly filled Li Zongsi's empty meridians and dantian. His cultivation visibly surged, recovering to late Foundation Establishment stage in moments. Only then did the pill's effects gradually weaken.
"Incredible!" Chen Huaian marveled at Li Zongsi's glowing figure. "Old bro, we could mass-produce cultivators with these Whirlwind Pills!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Zhang Yibai rolled his eyes, dashing Chen Huaian's hopes. "His rapid breakthrough only works because he was once at Golden Core stage. Though the Ascension Pillar is trash, his dantian and meridians remained Golden Core level—those don't disappear when cultivation scatters. The pill just refills an emptied cup."
After some time, Li Zongsi slowly opened his eyes.
Clenching his fists, his face twisted with uncontrollable ecstasy.
"My cultivation has truly returned! Hahahaha! I'm an Ascender again!" He roared with laughter. "Though only late Foundation Establishment, Golden Core isn't far! And I feel I could break through in just days!"
Now addicted to the results, Li Zongsi gazed at Chen Huaian with burning intensity.
Having witnessed the pill's power firsthand, he now regarded Chen Huaian as an extraordinary alchemist.
"Senior, since this Ascension Pill is so potent, why not take several more? We might reach Nascent Soul or even Divine Transformation! Then our Black Blade—" He suddenly cut himself off, hastily correcting, "No, our Wind Spirit Sect could dominate all other sects!"
Chen Huaian also rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Each pill's effect diminishes—depending on constitution, five would be the absolute limit before they become useless."
"Fine." Li Zongsi sighed.
Even without unlimited power gains, these results already satisfied him.
Seeing the 'Ascension Pill's' spectacular effects on Li Zongsi, other disciples began consuming their pills.
Soon most regained their former strength, with some even surpassing previous levels.
Now came the internal cultivation techniques.
As a martial arts grandmaster, Zhang Yibai could teach any weapon—but selecting suitable internal techniques proved problematic. Not that his techniques were all sword-related, but these disciples' talents were simply too lacking.
"Sect Leader, I'm sorry, but I truly can't comprehend this technique."
Li Zongsi set down the jade slip, clutching his head in pain. He recognized every character individually, but their combined meaning left him dizzy and confused.
The other disciples fared no better.
This was already the seventeenth internal technique Zhang Yibai had presented.
Each one progressively lower in grade.
From mid Profound-grade to Yellow-grade, then to top Human-grade—yet none could be understood.
Human-grade was Zhang Yibai's limit.
He possessed no lower-grade techniques.
These few Human-grade manuals were gifts from his early wandering days.
"How can you not understand something so simple?"
Zhang Yibai was utterly baffled.
He'd explained every word meticulously—True Martial Holy Land disciples could grasp this blindfolded and deaf! Why couldn't these people comprehend?
"Sect Leader, we genuinely don't understand... we can't parse the meaning when these characters combine."
Zhang Yibai felt shattered.
Never had he imagined his new sect's first crisis would stem from disciples being too untalented to understand cultivation manuals.
Could they really keep practicing Ascender techniques?
Chen Huaian pondered solutions.
He rummaged through his player inventory on his phone, then brightened.
—〈Heavenly Demon Art (Righteous Cultivator Edition)〉
Zhang Yibai's techniques were incomprehensible.
The Heavenly Demon Art required no comprehension.
This was a stone stele—just looking at it imprinted the cultivation method directly into one's mind, no memorization needed.
Plus, Zhang Yibai's exaggerated physique clearly indicated body cultivation—what was wrong with disciples following suit?
Shouldn't Ascenders count as righteous cultivators?
In that case, the 〈Heavenly Demon Art (Righteous Edition)〉 might be less effective than the evil version.
As his gaze settled on the technique, detailed information appeared:
【Purple Heaven Divine Lightning tempers the demonic body.】
【Samadhi True Fire refines fiery eyes.】
【Yin-Yang harmony condenses the dragon spine.】
【Mortal faith forges the golden form.】
【Sun and moon adorn the shoulders, stars dissolve into palms—this path's end refines heaven, earth, and demons, with all evils as fuel!】
【In your world, Ascenders qualify as evil! All who disrupt cosmic balance, seize power unjustly, defy heavenly principles are evil!】
Chen Huaian's eyes sparkled.
Ascenders counted as materials now?
"Old bro, don't waste anger on these blockheads." Chen Huaian patted Zhang Yibai's shoulder, grinning. "I've got an excellent body cultivation technique here!" He placed the Heavenly Demon stele before Zhang Yibai, announcing to the disciples:
"From now on, you'll cultivate this! Stare at the stele and see if you can grasp its meaning!"
The disciples instantly became transfixed, with Li Zongsi directly entering meditation. Seeing this, Chen Huaian knew it worked.
"Little bro... this demonic art is... intriguing..."
Zhang Yibai reluctantly tore his gaze from the stele, stammering, "At first glance, it's so evil it circles back to righteousness!"
Chen Huaian smiled mysteriously.
More than just circling back?
As the art's creator,
every Heavenly Demon cultivator would become his puppet!
No betrayals to fear, no future concerns—he could teach them everything without reservation!