Inside the meditation chamber, flames interlaced with dark gold flickered unceasingly. The surging brilliance had already engulfed Wang Ping, layering over him so heavily that his human silhouette could scarcely be discerned.
Seeing this, Daoist Nun You continuously shifted her hand seals.
As a result, the surrounding seal scripts and secret talismans seemed to take on life, twisting and leaping in the blazing light like dragon serpents baring their fangs and claws.
On the other side, trapped within the endless radiance, Wang Ping had only one sensation left: pain. The agony of flames scorching his body took deep root within him, until he was almost numb. Behind him, the Six Desires Primordial Fiend had fallen to one knee, its charred skin unable to shed any further.
Armor Shedding had its limits.
After all, this was merely an innate divine trait of the Six Desires Primordial Fiend, not a true spell. How could it withstand the spiritual fire Daoist Nun You had painstakingly prepared?
*I have to endure it.*
Even in the throes of agonizing pain, Wang Ping's thoughts remained lucid. If he used Qi Restriction right now, he was confident he could hold out for several more hours.
However—he couldn't use it.
*I can't explain where I learned Qi Restriction. Even if I used it, it wouldn't turn the tables. It would only alert the snake, utterly pointless.*
It seemed this life was coming to an end.
Wang Ping had nearly resigned himself to fate. Yet right then, outside the array, Daoist Nun You suddenly opened her beautiful eyes and furrowed her brows as she looked his way.
"Where is the resentment?"
"He finally set foot upon the path of immortal cultivation, only to be refined into an artifact by me. Hope turned to despair, reduced to such a plight—and yet there is no resentment?"
Daoist Nun You was somewhat puzzled.
More than that, she was worried. "This won't do. Without resentment, the chances of the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag advancing to upper grade will surely drop."
With that thought, Daoist Nun You instantly shifted her incantation seal. Almost at the same moment, Wang Ping sensed the change in the array. From the dark-gold radiance enveloping him, grotesque and bizarre illusory entities emerged one after another, then surged in a frenzied rush straight into the depths of his glabella.
"Ugh!"
Wang Ping let out a muffled groan as layered illusions rose before his eyes, and he recognized these illusory creatures. *Fiends... Not good, what is she trying to do?*
Fiends, also known as wandering souls or yin ghosts.
As the name implied, they were born of the turbid yin qi of the earth. Formless and incorporeal, they were drawn to the living and possessed the power to invade a cultivator's sea of consciousness to devour their seven emotions and six desires.
Ordinary cultivators were extremely wary of them.
Fierce yet intangible, they had few natural predators and specifically assaulted the sea of consciousness, making them virtually impossible to defend against; the slightest carelessness would result in contamination.
And once infected, at best one's personality would drastically warp; at worst, one would go mad and perish.
Just like now: as a massive swarm of fiends flooded into his sea of consciousness, scenes from the past uncontrollably surfaced in Wang Ping's mind—countless memories flashing by.
Such as his harsh childhood in Northern Liao; his youth spent aspiring to surpass everyone and join the Royal Court; his young adult years galloping freely across the grasslands; his discovery in middle age that immortal cultivation existed, driving him to seek the immortal Dao for eternal life; and then the despair when he learned he possessed no spiritual root...
"...Hm?"
*Wait, this isn't me.*
Looking at the completely unfamiliar parents, children, lovers, and mentors before him, Wang Ping snapped awake. *This is... the lantern-wheel of my predecessor's memories!*
*Right, that venomous woman wants my resentment!*
The resentment she sought naturally came from his predecessor's bitter memories of seeking immortality in vain. But that was his predecessor's grievance—what did it have to do with him, Wang Ping?
Sever it! He had to cut ties!
With this realization, Wang Ping immediately reined in his consciousness and thrust his predecessor's memories to the forefront, letting the fiends dart through them to stir up the rancor within. Before long, the predecessor's memories began to fray and crumble, the surrounding sea of consciousness shattered, and thick resentment slowly wafted upward.
"I hate this!"
"Heaven and earth are unjust! Why can't I cultivate immortal arts? I refuse to accept this..."
"Venomous woman, even in death I will not let you go!"
"I do not accept this!"
As the predecessor's memories shattered piece by piece, the resentment grew heavier and heavier, swelling into echoes like the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves—the very last remnants of his predecessor.
"It worked!"
Outside the array, Daoist Nun You showed a satisfied smile upon seeing this. Forming a seal, she incanted, "With resentment as skin and flesh, with hatred as sinew and bone, with the six desires as the viscera..."
"Let the Heavenly Demon emerge!"
As her words fell, all the resentment surged backward, dragging out every fiend that had rushed into Wang Ping's body earlier, weaving together into a fluttering banner.
Immediately after, beneath Daoist Nun You's tense gaze, the dark-gold brilliance on the banner alternated and flashed several times before finally condensing into a figure.
A green face, protruding fangs, crimson hair, and golden pupils.
At a glance, its appearance bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Wang Ping, yet it was fused with the traits of the Six Desires Primordial Fiend; only its gaze was dull, devoid of intellect.
However, this suited Daoist Nun You's intentions perfectly. Squeezing every last memory dry to convert into resentment was partly to elevate the artifact's grade, but also to prevent the resulting Six Desires Heavenly Demon King from retaining any consciousness. Otherwise, what if it turned on its master at a crucial moment?
"This is just right."
Daoist Nun You nodded. Reaching out, she drew the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag, shimmering with dark gold, into her grasp, then gave it a vigorous wave.
Instantly, gusts of chilling wind arose.
*Whoosh!*
Six hundred and sixty fiends shrieked in unison like disciplined soldiers in formation, with Wang Ping as the general leading the army; every gesture he made was closely shadowed by fiends.
In the next second, all the phenomena subsided.
Like birds returning to the nest, the fiends surged back into the banner, while Wang Ping's figure rapidly faded, ultimately transforming into a ferocious demonic face at the very center of the flag.
"An upper-grade artifact... it truly succeeded!"
Holding the banner, Daoist Nun You examined it for a moment, an impressed look on her face. "What a fine treasure. The resentment remains held in check; once unleashed, it will strike with thunderous force!"
"It seems I cannot use it lightly."
Daoist Nun You carefully put the banner away, calculating in her mind: *Every bit of resentment used is lost forever, and its first deployment will undoubtedly unleash the greatest might.*
*Used properly, it can easily turn defeat into victory.*
With this thought, Daoist Nun You resolved to treat this Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag as her trump card, reserving it strictly for the most critical moment.
She could already envision the scene.
Just as she and an enemy fought to mutual ruin, she would suddenly draw out the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag and release the countless yin soldiers and ghostly generals within.
Among them would be a Six Desires Heavenly Demon King steeped in profound resentment.
Who could withstand that?
When the time came, the opponent's expression would surely be magnificent.
...
Inside the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag.
The Six Desires Heavenly Demon King snapped its eyes open. The memories and consciousness belonging to Wang Ping's true self swiftly surfaced, restoring vivid life to its previously dull gaze.
*I really survived...*
Wang Ping blinked, his heart filled with unexpected joy. Truth be told, he had assumed he would die suddenly like last time and had been getting ready to return to Dashun to show off.
Yet he hadn't died after all.
Not only was he alive, but he had also become the artifact spirit of the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag. Wang Ping could clearly feel his current control over this artifact.
That being said, when Wang Ping attempted to stir the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag, he keenly sensed another power residing within the artifact—the dharmic power and spiritual sense of Daoist Nun You. If he made any real movement, she would likely notice something amiss immediately.
*I still have to endure.*
*Only when Daoist Nun You is pushed to her wits' end, lacking the strength to suppress me, will it be time to turn against her and settle all scores.*
With this in mind, Wang Ping withdrew his consciousness once more.
In the next second, as his field of vision spun upside down, he discovered that he had separated from the Six Desires Heavenly Demon King's body and returned to the Mortuary.
"This is..."
Wang Ping looked around in bewilderment, only to see the towering tome before him rustle and flip through its pages before stopping at the first scroll: Fiend from Beyond.
A new line of text had appeared upon this scroll:
*Detected that the book's master has actively anchored an identity in "Immortal Sect." When entering this world in the future, the master may actively choose to anchor to this identity.*
*Anchored Identity: Six Desires Heavenly Demon King.*
In short, whenever he visited the Immortal Sect hereafter, he would no longer have to worry about randomly becoming a strongman or human material; he could start directly as an artifact spirit.
Of course, this would not restrict him from starting with a random identity either.
"Still... what difference does it make?"
Wang Ping furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up. "Speaking of which, if I become an artifact spirit, will I still be bound by the limitation of a spiritual root?"
Theoretically speaking, he shouldn't be.
From that angle, as long as he could pick a good master, cling to their coattails, and let the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag keep growing...
Did that mean there was hope for the Great Dao?
At that thought, Wang Ping's brow relaxed completely. As expected, human capability had its limits after all. If one wanted to cultivate immortality, one had to cast aside humanity!
Furthermore, having an anchored identity offered another advantage.
"As long as I wish, I can activate Fiend from Beyond right now and voluntarily revive to start over. After all, strictly speaking, I'm already dead."
This was a crucial capability.
"True, I managed to fool Daoist Nun You this time, but that was mainly because her own abilities were lacking, which prevented her from detecting my consciousness."
"In the future, however, if I really latch onto a powerful patron, the higher their cultivation, the more sophisticated their methods for refining the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag will be. I might not have such good luck then. But with this function, I can simply choose to withdraw whenever they refine it."
"That way, the Six Desires Heavenly Demon King bears all the suffering."
"Once they finish refining it, I can return to reap the benefits. I'll let the Six Desires Heavenly Demon King carry the heavy burden for me while I avoid the agony of being refined."
Good, very good!
Wang Ping nodded in satisfaction, then voluntarily withdrew from the Mortuary. Having survived by a stroke of luck, he had no intention of reviving and leaving just yet.
"First, set a small goal."
"You Xuexin—first kill this damned venomous woman, then rip out her soul, refine her into a banner slave, and ruthlessly torture her a thousand times over!"
Wang Ping ground his teeth.
Even so, he had not lost his reason and knew full well that attempting a reckless backlash right now was suicide. He chose to remain because he saw an opportunity.
*That venomous woman still has to escort the Five Thieves Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformations Divine Talisman, a task bound to be perilous. The reason she didn't hesitate to take out a loan just to refine me into an artifact beforehand was undoubtedly to prepare for this escort mission. In other words, there's a strong chance she will land in dire straits.*
That was his chance.
"Enjoy your smugness for a few more days..."
Lurking inside the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag, Wang Ping peered through the demonic face on the banner, glaring sinisterly at Daoist Nun You as she attempted to sacrifice and refine him.
...
"Strange."
Weighing the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Flag in her hand, You Xuexin felt somewhat puzzled. Why did her refining of this artifact feel so obscure and sluggish?
Could it be because its grade was too high?
It was not impossible. After all, she had not yet crossed her heavenly tribulation to forge divine abilities; though she had mastered many spells, the quality of her dharmic power still fell short.
"Never mind, it's merely a transitional tool anyway."
You Xuexin shook her head. The artifact possessed decent power, but once she forged divine abilities, it would no longer keep pace with her and was destined to be discarded sooner or later.
Using it as a one-off trump card was just right.
Expending any more effort on it simply wasn't worth it.
With that thought, You Xuexin shifted her gaze toward the Five Thieves Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformations Divine Talisman in the center of the meditation chamber, a hazy fascination flickering across her beautiful eyes.
"An immortal art..."
When she spoke of it to Wang Ping before, she had only touched upon it in passing, glossing over many details, and the reality differed considerably from what she had claimed.
For instance, the predatory cultivators who practiced the Five Thieves Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformations Divine Talisman were not all merely disciples denied the true heritage; there were also disciples like herself who had received the true teachings, yet ultimately became predatory cultivators out of covetous greed for this supreme technique that eclipsed the entire Immortal Sect.
One had to realize that the Heaven-Stealing Thief had not even begun "refining qi"!
Yet despite that, in the vast Immortal Sect, amidst so many Qi Refiners, cultivators of the true path, and even immortals, none had managed to slay this outcast disciple.
How could such prowess be ordinary?
If evaluated truthfully, the Heaven-Stealing Thief's innate talent was certainly one factor, but the greater reason lay in the technique he practiced.
This manual was the fundamental reason predatory cultivators flocked to it like moths to a flame.
"...Why don't I take a look as well?"
Before she realized it, You Xuexin's thoughts grew increasingly entranced. With a dazed look in her eyes, she walked toward the jade slip step by step, finally infusing it slowly with her spiritual sense and dharmic power.
In an instant, light burst forth.
Unlike other jade slips, this Five Thieves Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformations Divine Talisman seemed eager for all to behold it, directly manifesting its contents outward.
Thanks to this, Wang Ping saw it as well.
"I now impart this teaching, known as: Heaven possesses five thieves, spreading myriad transformations; those who perceive them prosper, those who steal them reign as kings... The five thieves are Life, Matter, Time, Deeds, and Spirit!
"The thief who steals Life can usurp vitality and primordial qi.
"The thief who steals Matter can seize external objects.
"The thief who steals Time can wrest fragments of time.
"The thief who steals Deeds can supplant identity and achievements.
"The thief who steals Spirit can alter knowledge and memory.
"With all five thieves united, stealing the mechanisms of heaven and earth and wresting the qi of the cosmos, it is called the Five Thieves Heaven-Stealing Method. Even without a true spiritual root, one may attain the fruit of refining qi and entering the Dao!"
Seeing that final line, Wang Ping's eyes lit up brilliantly.
Yet right then, You Xuexin, whose eyes had been hazy with enchantment, suddenly snapped back to her senses. She staggered backward a step, shock and fury mingling across her pretty face as she sharply cried out:
"Vile creature!"
Before the echo of her voice faded, a sword hum rang out abruptly.
In the blink of an eye, the brilliantly glowing jade slip that had been displaying the technique dimmed, as if struck a heavy blow, and fell completely silent.
Chapter 37