The Queen Mother of the West had once said that Kunlun possessed ten cave-heavens that connected to the Immortal Realm, each endowed with its own marvelous purpose. The cave-heaven connected to Kunlun's Jade Pool could refine immortal spiritual energy into Jade Pool immortal water, reviving the dead and growing flesh on white bones. Even ancient deities who had been dead for many years could be brought back to life through Jade Pool immortal water!
His father, Xu Jing, had also said that the ten cave-heavens of Kunlun had existed since ancient times. Some within the clan believed that the ten cave-heavens were artificially created, while others believed they had formed naturally.
Xu Ying's purpose in seeking instruction from Fairy Qingbi regarding the Cang Emperor Heart Sutra was precisely to verify whether there could be other cave-heavens beyond the six major ones. That inquiry had ultimately led to him and Qingbi venturing deep into the Supreme Realm and rescuing Daoist Wukong.
However, although the Cang Emperor Heart Sutra also communed with the Supreme Realm to open cave-heavens, it had nothing to do with Kunlun's ten cave-heavens, which had left Xu Ying rather disappointed.
He had never expected to encounter a method for comprehending the ten cave-heavens here with the Demon Ancestor, which filled him with overjoyed excitement.
The Demon Ancestor smiled. "I obtained this method purely by chance as well. As for who authored it, that remains unknown. Follow me."
He led the way, with Xu Ying, Ling Siyi, and Yuan Qi following behind.
Ling Siyi glared fiercely at the chubby Yuan Qi, flicking her eyes toward the exit to signal that he should hurry up and roll out of here. This was a sacred ground of the demon race, not a place an earthworm-snake of his lowly standing was permitted to enter.
Yuan Qi acted completely at ease, trailing closely behind Xu Ying with not the slightest intention of leaving.
Ling Siyi lowered her voice. "The place we are heading to is a sacred ground of the demon race that conceals immense secrets. You aren't qualified to enter. Are you going to leave on your own, or do I have to throw you out?"
Yuan Qi whispered back, "If I'm not qualified, does that make you qualified?"
Ling Siyi fumed, "I am the Demon Ancestor's disciple, of course I'm qualified!"
Yuan Qi replied, "I'm with Ah Ying, and Ah Ying is my brother. Even the Demon Ancestor hasn't driven me away, so what right do you have to kick me out?"
Ling Siyi choked with anger.
The Demon Ancestor led them through the interior of the ancient palace, which was constructed inside a hollow of the Fusang tree. Once they emerged from the palace, another long corridor stretched out, winding and twisting deep within the hollow trunk toward an unknown destination.
On both sides of the tree hollow were colossal shrines carved into the inner walls. Upon these shrines stood ancient immortal spirits of the demon race—all Great Sages of the demon race, mostly with beasts' heads and human bodies. Even though they had been dead for who knew how long, they still radiated intensely potent demonic qi!
Their expressions were solemn and dignified, each frozen in a distinct posture.
They looked like gods, yet they were demons, and immortals to boot, evoking an eerie, marvelous sensation.
They embodied natural forms of the Dao. If a Qi Refiner came here, they could comprehend Dao manifestations from them and cultivate divine powers. Such powers would undoubtedly be overwhelmingly mighty, incomparably domineering, and endlessly versatile!
"From these Great Sages of the demon race, one can also comprehend different supreme martial arts!"
Xu Ying gradually slowed his steps. Circulating his formidable divine consciousness, he visualized the posture and form of each Great Sage in turn, sensing the profound truths of various demonic arts and Daos flooding into his mind.
His heart itched with excitement. He could feel that these Dao methods could certainly be forged into diverse divine powers—be they supreme martial arts, transformations of the physical body and primordial spirit, or divine powers of magical prowess, flight, movement techniques, and more.
The auras of these Great Sages of the demon race were so overpowering that even Xu Ying felt his breath stifled under their pressure, which could not help but make him solemn.
With his current cultivation and strength, there were truly few beings capable of making him feel breathless; only when facing Heavenly Lord Pingnan had he felt such a suppressing weight.
Yet every single corpse of the demon Great Sages lining the corridor gave him that exact same sensation. It was truly shocking!
"Lord Qi, comprehend them with all your heart," Xu Ying whispered.
Yuan Qi looked blank. "Comprehend what?"
"Comprehend the golden bodies of these Great Sages! They have already forged Dao bodies; comprehending them will be of immense benefit to you!" Ling Siyi rolled her eyes at him in disdain and whispered.
Yuan Qi came to his senses and hastily thanked her, asking, "How do the Dao bodies of these Great Sages compare to the art Demon Sovereign Jinghong passed down to me?"
Ling Siyi said, "Every Great Sage here was more formidable than Demon Sovereign Jinghong when they were alive. They were sages who guarded the imperial clan."
Yuan Qi grew solemn and quickly halted his steps, focusing wholeheartedly on his comprehension.
"Demon Ancestor, what level of cultivation did the Great Sages of the demon race possess in life?" Xu Ying collected his thoughts and inquired.
The Demon Ancestor smiled and said, "The cultivation realms of immortals during the Immortal Court era were divided differently from those of today, and they also differed somewhat from the ancient eras. In the Immortal Court era, there was no Human Immortal realm. The immortal realms were divided into Xuan, Earth, Heaven, Golden, Lord, Sage, Daluo, and Wondrous Realm, among others."
The "Immortal Court era" he spoke of actually referred to the era of the Demon Immortal Court.
As the Demon Ancestor of the demon race, he spoke from the demons' perspective, so his division of eras differed from the outside world's. In the eyes of outsiders, there were only two eras: the ancient era and the present day, with the Immortal Court era of the demons subsumed within the ancient era.
Yet for the demon race, the period ruled by demon immortals had to be distinguished from other eras.
The Demon Ancestor continued, "If one were to draw a rough comparison, a Golden Immortal of the Immortal Court era is comparable to a modern Immortal King. A Great Sage is comparable to a modern Heavenly Lord. Later, when the Immortal Court era collapsed and the human race took power, 'Sage' was changed to 'Sovereign,' styled as Demon Sovereign. Cultivation methods varied across different eras, so comparisons between realms cannot be generalized."
Xu Ying came to a general understanding.
The Demon Ancestor chuckled and said, "That Daoist Wukong, though wild-born, is the most formidable Great Sage of our demon race. His cultivation is extraordinary. Having attained enlightenment in the Supreme Realm, his cultivation and realm are already fathomless."
Xu Ying deeply agreed.
Cultivating in the deepest part of the Supreme Realm was more than a thousand times more effective than elsewhere. Daoist Wukong had sat before the Great Rift of the Supreme Realm for who knew how many tens of thousands of years; his cultivation and Dao attainment had likely reached an unimaginable height!
Xu Ying even suspected that he had already attained the level of a Supreme.
The Demon Ancestor seemed quite amused, chuckling, "If he wants to give you a reward, I'm afraid he will have to rack his brains."
Xu Ying was utterly perplexed. The Demon Ancestor laughed and said, "That monkey is as competitive as they come. When he used his golden eyes to inspect you, it was to see who had given you favors; the reward he gives you can by no means be inferior to anyone else's. Daoist Taiqing's favor to you was mending the heavens of Lihen Heaven, allowing all the profound Great Dao truths of Lihen Heaven to become yours. Daoist Yuxu's favor to you was mending the heavens at the Jade Void Palace in the Kunlun Realm, which also enabled you to attain the Dao. Then there are the Ancestral God, Grand Dao Lord Void Sovereign, and the others—none of the rewards they gave were meager."
He glanced at Xu Ying and laughed. "He refuses to be outdone by others, yet he has only just escaped the Supreme Realm. He doesn't bother cultivating a Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit, refines no bodhimanda, and leaves no brand upon heaven and earth. Empty-handed, with nothing of worldly possessions on him, he is naturally in a bind."
Xu Ying smiled. "So that's how it is. I already told him that rescuing him was unintentional and that he didn't need to take it to heart. Why should he care so much?"
The Demon Ancestor said solemnly, "The higher his cultivation realm, the more he cares. Yet the more he cares, the more difficult it becomes. Now, once I show you the comprehension method of the ten cave-heavens, he will be in an even greater bind!"
He could not help breaking into a smug grin, adding, "That monkey is so competitive; if he can't produce something better than my method, he will definitely be miserable to death!"
Xu Ying did not know whether to laugh or cry, thinking to himself, 'These seniors have the mindsets of mischievous children.'
As they ventured deeper into the Fusang tree, clusters of blazing fire unexpectedly appeared ahead. The flames looked somewhat like Daluo golden flames, burning with intense heat.
Scrolls of golden books floated within the fire, miraculously neither burning nor decaying in such immortal fire. The flames served as natural restrictions, preventing anyone from stealing the golden books.
Xu Ying looked ahead to see countless clusters of immortal fire lining both sides of the path. An untold number of golden demon classics were stored here!
"What is recorded in these golden classics are scriptures and cultivation arts of our demon race that are at the very least of the Sage grade. There are even scriptures of the Daluo Golden Immortal and Daluo Wondrous Realm among them, which are exceedingly rare."
The Demon Ancestor sighed and shuffled forward unsteadily. "The only thing lacking is the imperial clan's most exalted Eastern Emperor Heaven-Pacifying Art. Such an art was passed down only within the imperial clan and was lost long ago. Now that Jin Buyi has brought the Eastern Emperor Heaven-Pacifying Art, he is already the destined Demon Emperor. It is just that the authority of the demon race has fragmented, and it is no longer the Immortal Court era..."
He shook his head, trailing off before continuing, "I hold the oldest and most powerful arts of the demon race here, but there are also arts and divine powers that do not belong to the demon race. However, those worthy of being recorded into golden classics are extraordinarily few—only three volumes, but all are supreme treasures. The comprehension method of the ten cave-heavens you wish to see is one of them."
Following a branching corridor, he arrived at a pavilion nestled inside the tree. Within the pavilion rested three golden classics, each sealed inside a Daluo golden flame.
The Demon Ancestor reached out, grasped the golden book from the golden flame on the left, and gently drew it out.
Seeing this, Xu Ying thought, 'The Demon Ancestor doesn't look like someone who has perished and possesses no magical power or divine abilities. Though his current cultivation and strength are far inferior to the past, they are by no means something those Demon Sovereigns or the deceased Great Sages of the clans could rival. Why, then, does the Demon Ancestor still allow power to remain fragmented?'
He was thoroughly puzzled.
The Demon Ancestor handed the golden book to Xu Ying and smiled. "The author of this book left behind the comprehension method of the ten cave-heavens, but he likely never mastered it himself either. Once you read it, you will understand why I was determined to seek you out."
Xu Ying took the golden book and opened it. His expression gradually turned grave.
The characters on this golden book had not been inscribed directly onto the golden pages; rather, they seemed to have been written elsewhere—such as on jade slips or Dao books—and rubbings had been transferred onto the golden book with divine powers to preserve them.
Yet what shocked Xu Ying was not the content itself: the wording in the golden book was archaic and brimming with ancient grace and flavor—completely identical in style to the ancient method of the six secret depositories recorded in the hairpin brought by Xiyue!
'The comprehension method of the ten cave-heavens and the ancient method of the six secret depositories came from the same hand!' Xu Ying thought.
He skimmed through it. This comprehension method of the ten cave-heavens had evidently been deduced on the foundation of the ancestral method of the six secret depositories. The person who authored this text had not achieved the ten cave-heavens; rather, he had calculated that cultivating according to this method could allow one to achieve the ten cave-heavens, yet for some reason, it had never been verified.
Thus, even the author could not be certain whether his method could truly forge the ten cave-heavens.
In the book, he wrote: "Those seeking the ten cave-heavens must possess profound Dao attainment, transcend the mundane and enter sagehood, and attain the marvel of a Heavenly Lord. As such, Sages disdained it, Heavenly Lords merely smiled at it, and only Qi Refiners yearned for it in vain. It is, therefore, akin to a chicken rib—too meager to savor, yet a waste to discard."
What he meant was that the demon Great Sages disdained to cultivate it, and human Heavenly Lords merely smiled dismissively; only Qi Refiners desperately desired the ten cave-heavens, yet were frustrated by their lack of such Dao attainment.
The Demon Ancestor smiled. "You taught yourself without a master, possessing Dao attainment on par with a Heavenly Lord while still a Qi Refiner, and opened the six major Immortal Realm cave-heavens. Thus, the moment I learned you opened the Taiqing Cave-Heaven, I knew you were the one who had a chance of cultivating these ten cave-heavens."
Xu Ying closed the golden classic, bowed, and expressed his gratitude. "Many thanks, Demon Ancestor, for granting me this opportunity."
The Demon Ancestor hurriedly supported him, laughing. "I help you, and you will help me. Mutual fulfillment—is that not a wonderful thing? Siyi, Siyi?"
Ling Siyi and Yuan Qi had fallen behind. The two stood before the golden body of a Great Sage, bickering until their faces were red, and did not hear the Demon Ancestor calling.
Xu Ying listened closely. The two were arguing over whether Yuan Qi's comprehension was flawed. Yuan Qi cited scriptures and canonical classics to argue that his comprehension of the Dao method was absolutely correct. Unable to out-argue him, Ling Siyi wanted to get physical, while Yuan Qi declared that a real man doesn't fight a woman, saying he would yield three moves to her once they went outside, and so on.
The Demon Ancestor called out once more. Only then did Ling Siyi hear him. She hurried over and bowed. "Your instructions, Demon Ancestor?"
The Demon Ancestor said, "Arrange accommodations for Young Master Xu to rest."
Ling Siyi acknowledged the order and said, "Young Master Xu, follow me."
She turned her head toward Yuan Qi, raised a hand, and drew it across her neck, hinting that she would beat him to death once they were outside.
Yuan Qi sneered. A slender serpent tail suddenly sprouted behind him and coiled around his own neck, gesturing that he would strangle her to death once they stepped out.
Xu Ying tucked the Ten Cave-Heavens Comprehension Method into his robes. His eyes settled on the other two clusters of Daluo golden flames in the pavilion, and he said with a smile, "Hold on. Senior Demon Ancestor, since the golden classics within these two flames are ranked alongside the Ten Cave-Heavens Comprehension Method, they must be extraordinary as well. Since you want to outdo Daoist Wukong and put him in a bind, why not gift me these two scrolls of golden classics as well?"
His eyes shone brightly. The golden classic recording the Ten Cave-Heavens Comprehension Method sat on the left among the three. The one on the right was likely on the same tier as the left, while the middle scroll was probably a full rank higher than both!
If he could take a look at these two golden classics, the rewards would surely be extraordinary!
The Demon Ancestor hesitated, reluctant to give them up. He chuckled, "The methods recorded in these two golden classics are not necessarily superior to the ten cave-heavens..."
Seeing Xu Ying's skeptical look, he changed his tune. "If you cultivate the ten cave-heavens and heal my Dao injury, I will permit you to peruse them for an hour! And one more thing: the golden classic you tucked into your robes wasn't a gift! Once you learn it, you have to return it!"
Xu Ying smiled. "A deal's a deal, no going back!"
The Demon Ancestor laughed heartily. "How could I deceive you? If word got out, wouldn't that macaque mock me to no end?"
Xu Ying immediately followed Ling Siyi outside. Yuan Qi hurriedly asked, "Demon Ancestor, may I remain here to comprehend these Great Sages' golden bodies?"
The Demon Ancestor glanced at Xu Ying. Seeing Xu Ying pause and look over, he smiled and said, "I permit you to comprehend here, but you are not allowed to touch the golden bodies, nor are you allowed to touch those golden flames. If you touch them, you will be burned to ashes."
Yuan Qi assented.
Ling Siyi chimed in hastily, "Demon Ancestor, may your disciple also come often to comprehend them?"
The Demon Ancestor nodded.
Xu Ying followed Ling Siyi back to the hall, only to find that Daoist Wukong was no longer there, having gone who knew where. After taking leave of the Demon Ancestor and walking out of the Fusang tree, Xu Ying's divine consciousness rippled as he sent a voice transmission: "Miss Siyi, isn't this Demon Ancestor of yours a bit petty? You are his disciple—are you normally not even allowed into those treasure pavilions to comprehend and learn?"
Ling Siyi hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly, whispering, "The matter of my Demon Ancestor being stingy—you must never speak of it to anyone."
Just as they walked outside, they saw Jin Buyi waiting with the big bell and Mother Insect, having been there for quite some time. Seeing Xu Ying, Jin Buyi was filled with immense joy and smiled. "Ah Ying, you're finally here!"
Xu Ying was equally delighted. He promptly tossed the Purple Nether Saber over, laughing, "Lord Jin, catch!"
Jin Buyi raised a hand and caught the Purple Nether Saber. Suddenly, a desolate, tragic killing intent and battle spirit surged from his body, spanning ten thousand li across the sky!
In his grip, the saber seemed to come alive, appearing even more domineering than when in Xu Ying's hands!
Suddenly, Yuan Qi shouted, "Ah Ying, Lord Bell, Lord Jin, Mother Insect, don't leave! Be my witnesses! Today, I shall duel this girl surnamed Ling and see who's superior! I'll even give her a head start of three moves!"
Chapter 477