The sermon lasted seven times seven, forty-nine days.
Wondrous sounds echoed across the Eighteen Mountains like celestial music.
A sea of people packed Mount Jiupan as thunder rolled across the heavens and spring rain showered the earth.
The pitter-patter of spring rain fell upon their bodies, leaving everyone feeling refreshed and invigorated.
A human cultivator's eyes grew misty. "Ever since the sun, moon, and stars vanished, the mortal realm has never heard the divine voice again!"
A demon prostrated on the ground, ready to revere Qi Yuan as the Most Holy Master.
Qi Yuan sat upright on the giant boulder, his voice loud and clear. "The Way of the Human-Demon... is to imprison demons!"
As his final words fell, an art named the Demon Imprisoning Art settled into the hearts of everyone present.
Demons and human cultivators across the entire mountain became enchanted, lost in a daze.
At that moment, an elderly human prostrated himself on the ground. "Thank you, divine being, for bestowing the art and saving our race in a time of peril!"
The Demon Imprisoning Art's greatest function was to help cultivators construct a cage to trap the demonic monstrosities in their hearts.
That way, there would be no more cases of someone getting overly emotional and suddenly having a demonic monstrosity rip out of their flesh.
For both humans and demon spirits, this was unquestionably of monumental significance.
Following the old man's prostration, the rest of the humans and demons, regardless of cultivation level or status, dropped to their knees one after another. In unison, they called out, "Thank you, divine being, for bestowing the art and saving our race in a time of peril!"
Across the hills and fields, demons and humans bowed toward Qi Yuan in an awe-inspiring spectacle.
The Canary's little face froze in shock.
Everyone had dropped to their knees. Should she kneel too?
She immediately brushed the thought aside.
He was this young lady's childhood friend. How could this young lady be the only one kneeling to him?
If someone had to kneel, the two of them should kneel together!
She looked at Qi Yuan, her lovely eyes brimming with pride.
Qi Yuan rose, looking out over the sea of humans and demons across the slopes. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, ultimately coalescing into a single sentence:
"The sermon is over. Everyone go home."
He had not originally set out to deliver a sermon.
It was simply that his comprehension of the Way of the Human-Demon had reached its peak, bringing a burst of inspiration. As he sorted through his own dao, he had naturally begun chanting it aloud.
Demons and humans heard it and gathered below. Gradually, Qi Yuan realized that preaching the dao was itself a way of sorting through the Way of the Human-Demon.
The more the dao was explained, the clearer it became; the more truth was debated, the brighter it shone.
Now that he was done sorting it out... everyone should just leave. Otherwise, it felt rather awkward having all of them stare at him.
Hearing Qi Yuan's dismissal, the crowd of humans and demons across the mountains performed disciple salutes once more and gradually dispersed.
In the end, twenty-six did not leave. Half were human, and half were demons.
Looking at Qi Yuan, they stepped forward in earnest devotion. "We wish to take the Blood Lord as our master and serve at your side."
Qi Yuan wore blood-red robes and had attained his dao through blood, so calling him the Blood Lord was hardly an exaggeration.
Hearing their request, Qi Yuan felt nothing but refusal in his heart.
Why would he take disciples when he had nothing better to do?
However, he glanced at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations in the sky, and many thoughts crossed his mind.
He did need some helping hands to gather more information about the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. Besides, he didn't know when he would return next; having a few familiar faces around was always a good thing.
"I do not accept disciples. If you wish to stay, then stay."
Hearing this, disappointment flickered in the eyes of the twenty-seven present, but learning that they could stay made them ecstatic. Not one among the twenty-seven chose to leave.
"We are willing to serve at the Blood Lord's side!"
The Canary stood beside Qi Yuan, her gaze falling on a woman among the twenty-seven.
That woman was none other than the white fox Shang Yanran from Mount Qipan.
The moment the Canary saw Shang Yanran, she immediately grabbed Qi Yuan's arm and looked down her nose at the crowd, putting on the grand air of a spoiled young lady.
Qi Yuan spoke up then. "Find any spot on Mount Jiupan you like and build yourselves huts to live in."
"We obey!"
Whatever their temperaments or identities had been in the past, all twenty-seven looked at Qi Yuan with deep reverence. Qi Yuan's sermon and art on Mount Jiupan—especially the Demon Imprisoning Art—would practically reshape the destiny of both the human and demon races.
The twenty-seven present understood that after today, word of the sermon and teachings on Mount Jiupan would swiftly spread throughout the Liufeng Realm.
They knew what immense significance this seemingly ordinary sermon held.
Before long, Mount Jiupan would become a true sacred ground, and the Blood Lord would become a being revered by hundreds of millions of living creatures.
What a tremendous fortune it was for them to stay here!
"Mount Jiupan is my turf! This young lady will take you to find a place!" The Canary was very enthusiastic—especially since these twenty-seven were now her childhood friend's lackeys.
Seeing this, Qi Yuan said nothing. The Canary could do whatever she pleased.
He would continue contemplating the Gate of Myriad Manifestations for now. Other matters could wait.
The Canary led the twenty-seven, high in spirits.
"The Blood Lord's name is Blood Pearl, and he's my childhood friend!" With Qi Yuan out of sight, the Canary's little mouth babbled away without stopping.
Among the group, the white fox Shang Yanran looked at the Canary with envy. "The Blood Lord truly dotes on Fairy Canary."
She recalled how, not long ago, the Blood Lord had flown the Canary across the Eighteen Mountains, playfully shouting all the while that the Canary was the number one beauty of the Eighteen Mountains.
For the unfathomable Blood Lord to engage in such absurd antics showed just how much affection he held for the Canary.
Beside her, Shang Yanran's husband, Bai Ze, added, "A while back, the Blood Lord indeed proclaimed that Fairy Canary was the greatest beauty of the Eighteen Mountains."
With their words, the two revealed what had taken place across the Eighteen Mountains earlier.
The gaze of everyone present toward the Canary shifted.
At first, they had assumed the Canary was merely the Blood Lord's attendant, but now it seemed their relationship was far from ordinary. Their expressions turned increasingly fawning.
Hearing all this, a faint blush unexpectedly crept across the Canary's fair face. She still knew how to be embarrassed, after all.
...
Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye after Qi Yuan's sermon.
By now, the Demon Imprisoning Art had begun circulating through the mortal realm. Every day, large numbers of cultivators made pilgrimages to Mount Jiupan, which had become a sacred ground of the Liufeng Realm.
The world said that a naturally born divine being resided on Mount Jiupan, known as the Blood Lord.
The Blood Lord had stepped forth from chaos, preached on Mount Jiupan for seven times seven, forty-nine days, and founded the Demon Imprisoning Scripture, temporarily suppressing all inner demons.
As long as one cultivated the Demon Imprisoning Art, one would no longer have inner demons erupt without cause or demonic monstrosities tear out of one's body as in the past.
This act saved the common people.
One had to understand that in the past, barely one in a hundred humans or demons lived from birth to adulthood, and those who died of old age were practically one in ten thousand.
With the arrival of this art, the populations of both races grew exponentially.
Some claimed the Blood Lord was like a sage, and among the twenty-seven original followers, someone even suggested honoring him as the Human-Demon Sage!
Qi Yuan flatly rejected it.
He was unworthy of being called a sage, and as for being a ladyboy... he had even less desire to be one.
One day, Qi Yuan stood at the summit of Mount Jiupan, the place he had first arrived.
By now, his comprehension of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations had grown deeper and deeper. Unfortunately, he could not approach any closer to the gate, which hung several hundred zhang away. He feared that if he drew nearer, he would simply evaporate along the way.
If he could get close or even enter it, his comprehension of the origin would undoubtedly become far more profound.
Dressed in blood-red robes, Qi Yuan stood on the peak. Below him were five men and women exuding terrifying auras—five of the original twenty-seven who had stayed behind.
"Blood Lord, the Demon Imprisoning Art has spread across eleven provinces of the Liufeng Realm and is expected to cover the entire world within a century," said a dull-looking man, though his expression carried a hint of worry. "In recent years, the rate of progress has slowed slightly. Faintly, it seems someone is obstructing the spread of the Demon Imprisoning Art."
This dull man was the head of the twenty-seven, known as Daoist Yu.
Hearing this, the other four darkened with anger. The spread of the Demon Imprisoning Art was a great boon to the Liufeng Realm. To think someone dared obstruct it—how could they not feel baffled and enraged?
"Which bastard dares get in the way of the Demon Imprisoning Art? I'll chop him in half with my axe!" a burly giant roared, his temper flaring.
In the past, the demonic monstrosity within him had nearly broken free several times, bringing him a hair's breadth from death. Only after cultivating the Demon Imprisoning Art had that stopped happening. However... his temper had only grown worse.
"Leave that aside for now." Qi Yuan didn't care. He smiled at Bai Ze and Shang Yanran. "How has the investigation into the Gate of Myriad Manifestations gone?"
For these twenty-seven and those who followed him later, Qi Yuan occasionally didn't mind explaining the Way of the Human-Demon and the Demon Imprisoning Art. Every piece of guidance gave them profound insights and immense gains, deepening their reverence for him.
Of course, Qi Yuan was not making selfless contributions; he also had them gather useful information for him. Bai Ze and Shang Yanran had been sent to investigate the Gate of Myriad Manifestations.
The white fox Shang Yanran stepped forward. "Blood Lord, the origins of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations appear to be tied to the ancient gods."
Qi Yuan's interest was piqued. "Tell me in detail."
Shang Yanran continued, "Legend has it that in ancient times, there was an archdemon in the Liufeng Realm known as the Buddha."
"The Buddha?" Qi Yuan was astonished. That was not a name to be used lightly.
"According to the records, the Buddha was an immortal god who descended to the mortal realm for tempering. Once he endured ten thousand mortal tribulations, he could return to the realm of immortals and gods.
"However, back then, the Buddha traveled to Luosha City and met a woman who altered his destiny.
"From the moment he laid eyes on her, his mortal heart was stirred, and he viewed her as the fated partner of his lifetime.
"That woman was the daughter of a demonic path titan and was besieged by righteous path powerhouses.
"The Buddha stepped in to rescue her, and through this, a bond formed between them as they fell deeply in love." A touch of regret crept into Shang Yanran's eyes as she spoke. "If you ask me, the Buddha shouldn't have saved that demoness, and none of this mess would have happened!"
Bai Ze spoke up then. "What wrong did that woman commit? Just because she was born to the demonic path, was she supposed to be besieged by the righteous path?"
Shang Yanran rolled her eyes at her husband. Bai Ze was an auspicious beast by nature, so it was only normal for him to harbor universal pity and benevolence.
Qi Yuan, on the other hand, was momentarily stunned.
What Shang Yanran described sounded like something straight out of a xianxia TV drama.
"That Buddha didn't destroy the entire world for that woman, did he?"
'For you, I am willing to become the enemy of the whole world' seemed to be the reigning trope.
"No." A smile appeared on Shang Yanran's face. "In the end, faced with the choice between the common people of the world and that demoness, the Buddha chose the common people. The demoness died."
She was clearly very satisfied with this outcome.
Bai Ze murmured softly, "How could a weak woman bear the weight of such a world?"
"And then?" Qi Yuan wasn't particularly interested in the love story between the Buddha and the demoness; he wanted to know how it connected to the Gate of Myriad Manifestations.
"Unfortunately, the Buddha's mind was not resolute enough. Because of the demoness's death, a crack appeared in his heart for mortal tempering.
"Though he had saved the common people, it had cost the demoness her life. Rumors spread through the world that he was a sanctimonious, cold-blooded hypocrite who used an untainted demoness to forge his own glorious reputation, treating her as nothing more than a stepping stone.
"The Buddha sat withered before the demoness's grave for three hundred days, ultimately going mad, descending into the demonic path, and becoming a great archdemon."
Shang Yanran sneered cold-heartedly as she spoke. "People fear might, not virtue. If you ask me, if the Buddha had simply slaughtered everyone slandering him behind his back, how could any of this nonsense have followed?"
Bai Ze sighed sorrowfully. "Slaughter solves nothing."
"What does this have to do with the Gate of Myriad Manifestations?" Qi Yuan asked.
In the end, it was still romance destroying the world.
"When the Buddha transformed into a demon, the thoughts in his heart turned into inner demons, triggering the Inner Demon Tribulation of the Liufeng Realm. From that point on, a demon resided in the heart of every mortal. Whenever greed, anger, or delusion stirred in a mortal heart, an inner demon would rip out of their body," Shang Yanran explained plainly, setting aside her personal commentary. "The inner demons were bizarre and spread through the hearts of men. The great realms neighboring the Liufeng Realm all shut their gates leading here.
"The Liufeng Realm became an isolated realm. Yet... the boundless inner demons eventually summoned, or rather forged, a gate—a replica of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations from myth and legend.
"In the mythical Gate of Myriad Manifestations, boundless inner demons reside; even immortals and gods would succumb if they entered.
"Rumor has it that only by pushing open the true Gate of Myriad Manifestations will inner demons completely vanish."
Pushing the gate open and entering it were not mutually exclusive here.
"Boundless inner demons created this replica of the Gate of Myriad Manifestations?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.
Didn't that mean the Gate of Myriad Manifestations tasted delicious and was practically a giant bar of experience points?
He looked up at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, greed welling in his heart. He genuinely wanted to leap up, take a bite out of it, and see how it tasted.
He wondered why there had been no Gate of Myriad Manifestations during the North-South Accord.
Could it be that someone had eaten the Gate of Myriad Manifestations?
If so, that was utterly unforgivable.
...
"I'm back?" Qi Yuan looked at his surroundings in the City of No Return, scenes flashing through his mind.
This time, his contemplation of the origin had lasted a full one hundred and twenty years.
His greatest gains were the Way of the Human-Demon and the Demon Imprisoning Art.
"So... the fact that people of this era only have demonic monstrosities appear when they die of old age—was that caused by me?" Qi Yuan pondered. "Going back to the past and actually altering reality... it really doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Gah, my brain is starting to work again; I can't keep overthinking this."
Qi Yuan thought no further.
It was just a game.
As long as he had fun and left no regrets, that was enough.
Qi Yuan thought of his neighbor, the Canary, once more.
"I wonder when we'll meet again?"
"Level 120?"
"Or... has she already perished in the river of time?"
"Pity. Without touching the origin, I can't even glimpse the mysteries of samsara."
"After Level 120, I hope I can enter the Gate of Myriad Manifestations."
Before leaving this time, Qi Yuan had dropped hints to the Canary in advance.
Surely she would be better prepared to accept this reality.
Chapter 106