"At Stage Four, most demonic energy won’t even be able to enter your body. Do you really want that to happen?"
At that question, Langtian’s eyes widened as realization struck.
He had been aiming for the wrong goal all along.
His current objective wasn’t enlightenment, nor was it achieving some higher state of spiritual purity. It was demonic cultivation. It was reforging his shattered golden core and gaining real, tangible power.
Sure, resisting demonic influence was helpful. Essential, even. But would practicing the Lotus Heart Sutra of the Tranquil Dao alone grant him the strength he needed to face what lay ahead? To take revenge?
The answer was obvious—no.
The Sutra was just simply, at its heart, a method of calming the mind and purifying the spirit. It had little to no offensive value. If he wanted true power, he would need to rely on demonic cultivation.
And demonic cultivation, at its foundation, meant absorbing and refining demonic energy—nurturing the body with it, transforming it into strength, not suppressing it.
So in a way, the relationship between the two was quite... a paradox.
In the early stages, the Lotus Heart Sutra was indispensable. It helped calm the mind, resist corruption, and made it possible to endure the dangerous mental side effects of absorbing demonic energy. It was truly a must-have for anyone brave enough to walk this treacherous path.
But once one progressed further—just as Senior Sister Yue Ling had warned—its strength would turn into a limitation. At Stage Four, the lotus would begin purifying demonic energy before it even entered the body.
And that... was the last thing he needed.
"You’re right, Senior Sister Shangguan..." Langtian murmured. "I can’t believe I almost fell into that trap."
"And not to mention," Yue Ling added, "at the higher stages, you’d be required to sever the Seven Emotions and Six Desires. That’s not something to take lightly either."
"Haha, yeah." Langtian chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "The manual really did mention that, but I was too dumb to realize what it truly meant."
"Nah, you’re not dumb," Yue Ling said with a smile. "It’s just easy to overlook things when there’s so much else to focus on."
"Yeah..." Langtian nodded quietly. "I guess you’re right."
The Seven Emotions and Six Desires.
It’s a well-known concept among cultivators.
The Seven Emotions are: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Fear, Love, Hate, and Desire.
Meanwhile, the Six Desires are: The craving of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
Many believed these were the root cravings that chained mortals to the cycle of samsara, forever keeping them from attaining true enlightenment.
And in a way... they weren’t wrong.
But that kind of ’enlightenment’—that cold, detached stillness—wasn’t the path Langtian sought.
After all, those emotions, those desires... they weren’t just hindrances. They were the essence of being human, the flame that lit the heart, the thread that tied one to love, grief, rage, and purpose.
They were the core of one’s being.
Not something you could just tear away.
How could he possibly do that? Letting everything go that easily?
Not when his chest still burned with the fire of vengeance.
Not when his hands still trembled at the memory of his family’s slaughter.
And not when Yan Hao Yang was still out there, living freely.
With that thought, the answer became clear.
Advancing the Lotus Heart Sutra of the Tranquil Dao beyond the third stage would only lead him into a dead end.
A path not meant for him.
But then, as Langtian thought more deeply, another concern began to rise.
"But... Senior Sister, will the third stage of the Lotus Heart Sutra really be enough?"
"But... Senior Sister, will the third stage of the Lotus Heart Sutra really be enough?"
Sure, reaching that level would definitely help him resist the side effects of consuming Rank 4 demonic beast meat. Maybe even Rank 5.
But what about the ones beyond that?
The stronger the beast, the more terrifying the power, and the more overwhelming the demonic energy it would be containing.
"Of course not," Yue Ling said, shaking her head. "You know, I once encountered a Rank 7 demonic beast a few years ago, back when I was exploring the deeper parts of this valley. That monster..." she paused, her expression tightening, "its aura alone nearly shattered my mind. Just being near it felt like I was drowning in a nightmare. I can’t even begin to imagine what would’ve happened if I’d actually tried to eat its flesh."
As she spoke, Langtian noticed a faint tremble in her body.
It was clear that even now, long after it had passed, the memory still haunted her.
His brows furrowed in concern.
"Then... what do we do?" he asked nervously. "Should we keep cultivating the Lotus Heart Sutra past the third stage then? Or... is there another better technique that can protect the mind?"
"Haha, look at you." Yue Ling laughed and poked his forehead. "Trying to run before you can even stand huh?"
"Oh... right..." Langtian chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Silly junior brother," she said, shaking her head fondly. "Don’t worry. I’ve already thought about this. I’ve actually come up with a solution."
Langtian blinked. "Wait, really? You have?"
Yue Ling grinned. "Reach Stage Three first, then I’ll tell you."
"Oh, come on!" Langtian groaned. "Can’t you at least give me a hint?"
Seeing his exaggerated pout and eager eyes, Yue Ling let out a soft laugh and finally relented, although just a little.
"Fine. Just one hint," she said, leaning in with a playful glint in her eyes. "You’ve heard the saying, right? Junior Brother. Sometimes... the wise do not resist the tide—they ride it."
"Huh?" Langtian stared blankly. "the wise do not resist the tide—they ride it? What’s that supposed to mean?"
But no matter how much he prodded or pleaded after that, Yue Ling sealed her lips and refused to say another word.
Only her faint, mysterious smile remained.