Chapter 321: Cuckoo's Nest

“Do you want revenge?”

In the corner, Chen Luo wasn’t joining the other demonic cultivators in their assault on Hong Madam. His attention was focused on the boy named Ao Ye. This child possessed powerful Demonic Heart Power, and if successfully converted, he could prove immensely helpful.

Revenge?

Ao Ye stared blankly at Chen Luo, momentarily confused by his words. Isn’t this man with those Marauder Cultivators?

“Think about it carefully,” Chen Luo said, patting Ao Ye’s shoulder before turning and walking into the Treasure Vault.

The battlefield had descended into bloody chaos. Twelve Marauder Cultivators swarmed Hong Madam, invisible strands of energy subtly influencing their minds. Hong Madam was formidable; even their combined might could only hold her at bay. The Blood Blade Marauder Cultivator had already shattered three of his blades—his soul-corrupting swordsmanship utterly ineffective against her. His blades couldn’t even pierce her serpentine skin. The Marauder Cultivator attempting to breach the Restriction fared even worse, Hong Madam’s brutal strikes reducing him to whimpering agony.

The Treasure Vault was vast but conspicuously empty of valuable treasures, containing only mundane items. Hong Madam wasn’t foolish. If Marauders had looted the vault, they would inevitably leave behind worthless trinkets. An unnaturally clean vault was the greatest sign of something amiss.

Chen Luo walked to a corner and picked up a rhombus-shaped crystal. This ordinary-looking stone was the treasure Xue Ning had left behind, and as Chen Luo had suspected, the Great King of Black Horn was unaware of its true purpose.

After storing the gem in his Pouch of Holding, Chen Luo turned and returned to the courtyard.

Outside, seven Marauder Cultivators lay fallen. Hong Madam had gained two new allies, one of whom was Zuoqiulong, the “Marauder Cultivator leader” who had lured Chen Luo’s group into this trap. Zuoqiulong’s body was covered in dense rows of black scales, and his aura closely resembled Hong Madam’s, instantly revealing his identity. Chen Luo found it strange how Zuoqiulong had managed to conceal himself so well; he hadn’t noticed him at all before.

Demon Blood?

After observing for a moment, Chen Luo discovered Zuoqiulong’s secret. The man was indeed human, but he had cultivated a Demon Clan technique and even replaced his own blood with demonic blood, essentially becoming an artificially transformed demon. However, this path was destined to end poorly. While it might work in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment realms, once he reached Core Formation and needed to comprehend the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, his demonic blood would become his greatest obstacle.

“Sir, I want revenge.”

A small hand tugged at Chen Luo’s sleeve. He looked down to see Ao Ye speaking.

After realizing that the Dragon Transformation Secret Art he had painstakingly cultivated was merely a collection of stories, Ao Ye felt utterly despair. His emotions surged with such intensity that they nearly materialized. Within the Water Mansion, he knew without a doubt who was behind this. Watching the First Madam clash with the Marauder Cultivators in the arena, his hatred reached its breaking point.

“Good,” Chen Luo said with a faint smile.

He recalled the methods of the Demonseed Sect Leader. Though the Demonic Heart Art had been twisted, it remained effective. Demonic Hearts originated from human hearts; the stronger one’s emotions, the more potent the Demonic Heart cultivated, and the greater the power it would return. Had Chen Luo not intervened, the Demonseed Sect Leader might have eventually broken through to Core Formation.

Chen Luo raised his hand, a wisp of gray spiritual energy materializing in his palm.

The key ingredient had been found. Now, all that remained was to convert it into power. Chen Luo was eager to see if Xue Ning’s legacy—the Nascent Soul Foundation—could truly propel him directly to the next realm.

“Please, Master, grant me this opportunity. I wish to take matters into my own hands,” Ao Ye suddenly spoke.

Hatred fostered growth, and this was particularly evident in Ao Ye.

“Oh?”

Chen Luo stopped what he was doing. They had been talking for so long, yet no one nearby seemed to have noticed anything amiss.

Though Ao Ye was just an ordinary person, he sensed something was wrong. The man before him was likely the true mastermind. In the stories he had heard, the hidden puppet masters always possessed this calm, detached demeanor.

“Please, Master, accept me as your disciple!” Ao Ye suddenly knelt and kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead thudding against the ground.

“Aren’t you curious about who I am?” Chen Luo watched Ao Ye, a faint smile playing on his lips. The boy was clever—no wonder he had been chosen as a Demon Seed. His shrewdness far surpassed that of his peers.

Chen Luo had waited here for half a day, precisely to take this child away. The Nascent Soul chapter of the Demonic Heart Art, prepared by the Mummified Brain, required numerous high-grade Demon Seeds. This so-called “teaching” involved spreading these seeds, disseminating the Demonic Heart, and ultimately reclaiming them.

It was a grand cycle designed to pave the way for “shattering the Pill to form the Nascent Soul.”

“I only know that you are my only chance, Master. If I remain in the Water Mansion, I’ll be a corpse by tonight.” Ao Ye had overheard every word the First Madam had said earlier. He wasn’t foolish; he knew which path to choose.

“It’s a pity I don’t take disciples.”

“I know the secret of how the Great King of Black Horn transformed into a dragon. I’m willing to give this secret to you, Senior.” Ao Ye decided to take a gamble. The secret his mother had revealed to him before her death was his only bargaining chip. Even if he failed, things couldn’t get any worse—at worst, he’d die. As long as he could cause trouble for that woman, he was willing to risk it.

“Tell me.”

Chen Luo didn’t stop him, uninterested in secrets.

The small area where they stood was enveloped in a swirling, glass-like energy, constantly distorting like a small sphere. This simple application of the Demonic Heart Art was one of the many tricks Chen Luo had learned since breaking through to Core Formation.

His External Brain was constantly learning, with no fewer than twenty brains researching how to enhance his divine abilities’ control over Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

His tasks were fully scheduled.

As soon as the processes completed, the results would immediately be fed back to him.

Ready to use right away—incredibly convenient.

“There’s a Dragon Tomb beneath the Water Mansion. The Great King of Black Horn obtained his bloodline there,” Ao Ye said through gritted teeth, revealing the secret he had guarded for years.

A Dragon Tomb?

Chen Luo’s interest was immediately piqued.

A tomb meant there was a brain involved. He had been fretting about finding high-quality brains and had even planned to expand his channels. Before he could act, opportunity had delivered itself to his doorstep.

The Great King of Black Horn truly was destined for him!

“The Great King of Black Horn built his Water Mansion here specifically to conceal this secret. Every century, he enters the Dragon Tomb, and upon emerging, his strength immediately surges.” Ao Ye only referred to him as the Great King of Black Horn, a clear indication of the deep-seated hatred he harbored for his father.

“The key to unlocking the Dragon Tomb lies in bloodline. Any descendant of the Great King of Black Horn’s lineage can open the door, but it requires a cultivation level of at least the second rank to activate the Formation.” As he spoke, Ao Ye glanced at Chen Luo.

“Are you saying you can help me open the door, but until I break through to the second rank, you’ll need my protection?” Chen Luo chuckled, patting Ao Ye on the head.

“Since I promised to take you away, I won’t let you die here.” With that, Chen Luo strode into the courtyard. “You want to exact your own revenge, don’t you? I’ll give you the chance.”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

A flicker of delight crossed Ao Ye’s face as he hurried after Chen Luo. After all, he was still just a child, his intentions as transparent as glass. Chen Luo didn’t mind; these people meant nothing to him. He had already secured what he needed; the rest was irrelevant.

With a single step, Chen Luo instantly appeared above the courtyard.

The Restriction laid by Hong Madam was as good as nonexistent in Chen Luo’s eyes. The aura of a Core Formation cultivator surged forth, mobilizing the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. Everyone engaged in combat within the courtyard sensed it simultaneously. They froze, their faces etched with shock as they gazed upward.

A Core Formation True Person!

“Gu Demon Khan Jiu?!”

The Blood Blade Marauder Cultivators were equally incredulous. They had traveled with Chen Luo all this time, completely unaware that he was a Core Formation cultivator. Why would a Core Formation True Person associate with the likes of them?

“Fellow cultivators, our meeting is fate! I shall bestow upon you a great opportunity!” Chen Luo laughed heartily, spreading his palm. A swarm of tiny gray specks flew forth like seeds, scattering toward the foreheads of everyone present, including Hong Madam. Before anyone could question him, Chen Luo flicked his fingers in mid-air.

One of the three strands of Tribulation Qi he had accumulated during his Demonic Heart Tribulation was extracted and merged into the void of the courtyard.

He planned to bring everything into the Demonic Heart Tribulation, using it to digest the two secret treasures left behind by Xue Ning.

To walk through the tribulation, life and death are determined by fate.

“Senior Han, we’re on the same side!”

The Marauder Cultivator who had been trying to blast through the Restriction attempted to flee, while the Blood Blade Marauder Cultivator detonated all the Blood Blades on his person.

“Senior, the Water Mansion is the Great King of Black Horn’s Dao Arena. This humble one…”

Hong Madam also tried to escape, never expecting a Core Formation True Person to suddenly appear. Glaring fiercely at Zuoqiulong, who was fleeing alongside her, she thought, Is this the Foundation Establishment Tribulation Cultivator you found?

Zuoqiulong’s face was pale with terror. He had never imagined that a casual attempt to lure in scapegoats would uncover such a formidable figure.

“Come, all of you.”

With a single downward press of his hand, the power of a Golden Core cultivator erupted from Chen Luo like a tsunami, sending out a ring of grayish-white mist. Instantly, dense Heart Demon Qi swept across the entire area, engulfing both the fleeing Blood Blade Marauder Cultivator and Hong Madam, who was attempting to escape using a遁术.

Ao Ye stood frozen in shock.

He had suspected his Teacher might be the mastermind behind everything, but he never imagined the extent of his power. Everyone in the entire courtyard, including Hong Madam, the object of his hatred, was suppressed like mere weeds in this man’s hands, utterly helpless.

“You want revenge, don’t you? I’ll give you a chance. Whether you succeed depends on you.”

Chen Luo approached Ao Ye, a wisp of clear light gathering at his fingertip. He tapped Ao Ye’s forehead.

Ao Ye’s consciousness plunged into darkness, his entire being sucked into a vortex.

Having done this, Chen Luo soared into the air and retrieved a set of Formation Flags from his Pouch of Holding. Hanging Brother’s brain immediately sprang to life, beginning to modify the Water Mansion’s Formation. Beneath this place lay a Third-Tier Spirit Vein. Chen Luo extracted the vein’s spiritual energy and integrated it into the Formation, using its power to neutralize the Tribulation Qi.

One by one, the Formation Flags descended around the Water Mansion. Countless specks of light scattered from Chen Luo’s hand, transforming every cultivator within the mansion’s boundaries—Marauder Cultivators and the Water Mansion’s original monster cultivators alike—into his Demon Seeds.

Let the first Demonic Heart “sermon” begin here.