Chapter 253 Ancient Demonic Path

Ruoxian Hermitage, the main building.

It was the tallest and most magnificent building in this small courtyard.

The Old Madam, whom the demons of Panshan Ridge respectfully called, resided within.

Her true name, Zizhuer, was now barely known to anyone, let alone her original background as a celestial maiden.

Because of a lingering illness she had contracted, the Old Madam usually did not step out to see anyone, fearing she could not suppress the violent demonic nature within her, and fearing even more that others would see her aging countenance.

But one must not underestimate this demon king who had lived for over a thousand years because of this.

How could anything that happened in Ruoxian Hermitage escape her eyes and ears?

The Old Madam's spider silk spread across almost the entire Spider Web Cave.

Even if she could not perceive Chen Nuo's presence, the Old Madam could tell from the Second Sister's low, soft laughter that the annoying fellow had arrived.

After all, who else could make her daughter so happy?

“This fellow is simply ten times more of a scoundrel than that man was.”

The Old Madam cursed in a low, angry voice.

The man she spoke of was naturally her old flame from the past—the former Marshal Canopy, now the Altar Cleansing Envoy, Zhu Bajie.

The two had known each other back in the Heavenly Court.

Back when she was a celestial maiden in the Moon Palace, Zizhuer had fallen in love with Marshal Canopy at first sight, and later even descended to the mortal realm for him, reincarnating into this demon.

This was the disadvantage of reincarnation.

If one did not reincarnate into a good womb, even if they regained their past life, they would inevitably be affected by their current life.

Just like Zhu Bajie, who was considered an honest man back in the Heavenly Court, but after being reborn in a pig's womb, his vile roots of lust and laziness grew along with it.

Of course, perhaps he had simply exposed his true nature.

When they met back then, that pig-head had constantly teased her sisters with words, but he was only talking. How could he compare to this kid, who actually intended to marry all five sisters at once?

Although the five sisters were not the Old Madam's biological daughters, she treated them as her own. How could she allow them to be ruined like this?

If she hadn't been unable to defeat him, the Old Madam would have truly wanted to swallow him in one bite. She had almost revealed her true form on the spot, if not for Chen Nuo running away so quickly.

But now that she had calmed down and thought about it carefully, this might not be a bad thing for the five sisters.

Looking at the ancient golden hairpin in her hand, she could not help but think of the life-threatening object on her own body. The Old Madam's eyes grew deeper, and she murmured softly.

“Senior Brother, in the end, you still can't let go... But then again, how could this be up to us?”

Back then, the Hundred-Eyed Demon King failed to eat Tang Sanzang. His golden array was broken by Bodhisattva Pilanpo, who then took him in to guard her mountain gate.

Originally, if he had settled down and accepted this fate, it would have been a decent place to end up. However, the people of Kunlun saw the resentment and unwillingness in the Hundred-Eyed Demon King's heart, and joined forces with him to plot against Bodhisattva Pilanpo.

They severely injured her, even severing both of her hands.

If the Bodhisattva had not fled to Lishan Mountain and obtained protection, she would have barely kept her life.

But her son, Star Lord Maori, did not have such luck. Sensing his mother was in danger, he hurried down from the heavens, only to be ambushed by the well-prepared Hundred-Eyed Demon King.

Originally, Star Lord Maori only needed to crow once to force the Hundred-Eyed Demon King back to his original form, but a golden hairpin burst out from the Great Void, slicing open his throat, severely injuring him, and breaking his divine ability.

Thus, the Hundred-Eyed Demon King subdued his natural enemy and entered the service of Kunlun, engaging in this business of raising Gu.

From this, it was evident that there was probably much friction between the two immortal mountains of Kunlun and Lishan.

As a former natural-born celestial maiden, Zizhuer could naturally see the origin of this golden hairpin, which possessed the wondrous power to divide Yin and Yang and carve out the river of stars.

After all, that lady was the one in charge of all female immortals in heaven.

How could the Old Madam have imagined that Chen Nuo would possess such capability?

Originally, Chen Nuo driving back the Hundred-Eyed Demon King and occupying Ziyun Mountain had already astounded her. She never expected that he could actually seize that Empress's golden hairpin.

Keenly speaking, the battle between the Daoist Master and the Mountain Lord that day was not as simple as it appeared; there were other contests going on in private.

Kunlun had probably exerted immense effort behind the scenes.

Yet despite all that, Chen Nuo still occupied that mountain. She truly had no idea what this fellow's background was.

But for the Old Madam, the more powerful Chen Nuo's divine abilities and the deeper his background, the better it naturally was.

After all, having known each other for a hundred years, the Old Madam could see that Chen Nuo had genuine feelings for the Zhu sisters.

Their family seemed to rule the mountain as kings, enjoying infinite glory, but only they knew the hardships and difficulties within.

If the Mountain Lord truly possessed immense capabilities, it wouldn't be a bad place for her daughters to go. It was better than being trapped in this cave, living in fear all day long.

That being said, whenever she thought about her carefully raised daughters all being handed over to a single person, the Old Madam felt her anger flare up.

With such greed, why don't you just ask to marry me too?!

Just then, the sound of crying and shouting came from outside the room.

“Old Madam, a terrible thing has happened! That Mountain Lord actually attacked the temple today! The Daoist Lord's old wounds had not healed, and he was no match for that powerful man. Though he kept his life, he has lost another pair of eyeballs...”

A centipede spirit, holding twin axes and standing upright like a human, prostrated at the hermitage gate, crying hoarsely.

“...Second Sister, go fetch some medicine for your Martial Uncle.”

Zizhuer's voice rang out from the main building.

“Thank you, Old Madam! Thank you, Old Madam!”

The centipede spirit kowtowed repeatedly with loud thuds. It was unclear which branch of the Hundred-Eyed Demon King's relatives he belonged to, to be so dedicated.

“Yes, Mother.”

The Second Sister of the Zhu family pushed open the door and stepped out. She gave a gentle bow toward the main door before walking over to the centipede spirit, speaking in a cold tone.

“Enough, stop. Don't break the floor tiles of our home.”

“Yes, yes, yes, Second Mistress.”

The centipede spirit hurriedly stood up, hunching his body and lowering his head, not daring to look.

Otherwise, he would have certainly noticed that the lips of this Second Mistress of the Zhu family were much redder than usual, and even seemed slightly swollen.

In the past, the spirits of the temple, relying on the high strength of their Temple Master, had been somewhat arrogant when they came to this Spider Web Cave.

However, after coming to beg for medicine twice in a row, they had now become submissive and honest, looking much more agreeable.

Then again, having one's eyes gouged out twice in a row, even her Martial Uncle would probably take a long time to cultivate his power back, not to mention the lost loyalty and reputation.

At this time, the role of the Spider Web Cave became even more prominent.

The temple and the cave watched out for each other.

It was only because Ziyun Mountain had not yet opened its gates to recruit disciples; otherwise, who knew how many demons would want to squeeze into that blessed grotto-heaven.

On second thought, having fewer demons also had its benefits.

If there were too many wild demons, wouldn't it ruin the air of tranquility?

Although she was not yet married, the Second Sister already considered herself the mistress of the house and had long begun to consider the mountain's affairs.

As for the grievance between Chen Nuo and her Martial Uncle?

That was simply because her Martial Uncle himself did not understand reason.

Bullying the junior and failing was one thing, but he still refused to accept it and played tricks in secret. Now that his temple gates had been smashed through, he thoroughly deserved it. He should be grateful just to have kept his life.

Actually, this was somewhat of a misunderstanding of the Hundred-Eyed Demon King.

It wasn't that he didn't know Chen Nuo's strength; he had suffered a great loss not long ago. If not for the pressure from Kunlun, why would he have rashly made a move to test him?

Even so, he had been extremely cautious, taking a roundabout way and plotting to send an outsider monkey instead.

It was said that the Mountain Lord's physical body had been pierced by the golden hairpin, causing him to lose most of his power.

How could the Empress still lie?!

The Zhu sisters did not feel much closeness toward their Martial Uncle; their fear far outweighed their respect.

Judging by the true feelings their mother occasionally revealed, this senior brother and junior sister had long been estranged, their scheming far outweighing any affection.

It was simply a case of those below following the example of those above.

But he still had to be saved.

The name of the Hundred-Eyed Demon King was still useful for now.

Moreover, since Chen Nuo did not kill him, he surely did not want the Hundred-Eyed Demon King to die either.

Thinking this way, the Second Sister of the Zhu family went to the treasury to fetch a thousand-year-old spiritual medicine that could regrow flesh and bone for the centipede spirit.

“This is the last spiritual lingzhi. If Martial Uncle again...”

The Second Sister did not finish her sentence, but the centipede spirit understood her meaning. Not knowing how to reply, he could only nod with a bitter smile.

“I will report this to the Temple Master. Thank you, Old Madam and young mistresses.”

Glancing at the departing centipede spirit, the Second Sister turned back and said.

“What kind of item did you refine using my Martial Uncle's eyeballs? If you don't succeed soon, he won't have many pairs of eyeballs left to pluck for you.”

“Isn't it right here?”

Chen Nuo took out the glazed eyeball and handed it to the Second Sister. She picked it up, took a look, and frowned slightly.

“This scent doesn't seem like Martial Uncle's. It smells a bit repulsive.”

“Of course not. This eyeball belongs to Star Lord Maori. Your Martial Uncle's eyeballs were merely the catalyst for my array refining, fused into this eye to form the Golden Light Array.”

Chen Nuo explained.

“Star Lord Maori?! Such a celestial figure died by your hand? Was it done cleanly?”

The Second Sister was somewhat shocked, but she was even more worried about whether this would bring disaster to her husband.

“That rooster was harmed by your Martial Uncle. If I hadn't stepped in to send him into reincarnation, who knows what kind of demon he would have turned into. To thank me for my help, he gifted me his entire body and magic treasures.”

“It's just that the Star Lord's physical body was defiled, leaving only this eyeball relatively pure. I kept it and refined it into a treasure embryo.”

Chen Nuo explained the origin of the eyeball.

“So that's how it is.”

The Second Sister realized. No wonder she disliked the aura of this bead; it turned out to come from that rooster.

She then tossed it back with a look of disgust.

“You carry that rooster's eyeball in your pocket without feeling uncomfortable?”

They were both of insect origin and of the Yin attribute, so they were naturally countered by the pure Yang of Star Lord Maori, who ruled the morning crow.

Carrying such an object on one's person was not only detrimental to cultivation but could even be a fatal hindrance.

“Since I attained the Dao, I have already leaped beyond the Three Realms and am no longer within the Five Elements. A mere elemental counter cannot hinder me in the slightest.”

Chen Nuo spoke nonchalantly, showing off a little.

In fact, after achieving the Great Sun in Demon Slayer, he possessed the 'Yang' attribute and could directly swallow solar essence to cultivate, which was incomparable to ordinary demons. Few in the world could do this.

Combining both Yin and Yang, his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.

This was also why he was able to attain the Dao in just a short hundred years.

Of course, compared to the Great Sage born of heaven and earth, he was still a bit lacking.

That one had attained the Dao and become an immortal in just ten years.

However, the difference between them was that Chen Nuo walked the Ancient Demon Path.

This path was not prominent in this era, making it inherently difficult to cultivate, so taking more time was only normal.

But looking on the bright side, this Ancient Demon Path was not without its strengths; it emphasized the unity of spirit and flesh.

Although it lacked the mysteries of the Dharma image, a thoroughly tempered demon body was not inferior in the slightest.

Furthermore, before the distinction between humans and demons was made, this Ancient Demon Path had another name: the Path of Strength.

The Path of Strength has three states: Undying, Imperishable, and Immortal.

Just like the Gathering of the Three Flowers in the Immortal Path.

If one could achieve even one of them, they could be called a Great Sage.

It was just that most of those called Great Sages among the demons nowadays did not live up to the name, and some did not even walk the Demon Path.

Only the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven had achieved an Imperishable Demon Body.

Even the Heavenly Court could not kill him, and could only resort to underhanded schemes to break his Great Sage pride, leaving him in a semi-ruined state.

Do not overestimate the methods of those immortals and gods.

When Chen Nuo achieved 'Imperishable', he had already tested it.

Although the waters of this realm were deep, they could not drown him.

Just as Sun Wukong said, the Three Realms and Six Paths were all ruined by the phrase 'eternal life'.

As the saying goes, heaven and earth nurture living beings, and living beings breed spiritual essence.

Omnipotent and desired by all, it was the currency of the Three Realms.

The eternal life of immortals relied on this spiritual essence; they needed to constantly maintain and increase it.

Yet spiritual essence did not last forever; it would also dissipate.

This period of dissipation was called a 'Calamity' by the immortals.

Although immortals could replenish their dissipated spiritual essence through external things, calamity Qi would be left in their bodies.

And the residual calamity Qi would accelerate the dissipation of spiritual essence.

To eliminate calamity Qi, reincarnation was the only way.

But who knew how long it would take to regain one's cultivation after going through reincarnation?

Even if one did, would their position in heaven still be reserved for them?

Even if only to keep their positions, the immortals did not dare to easily reincarnate to cleanse their calamities.

After all, this represented the distribution of benefits.

If you let a pig sit in the position of Marshal Canopy and enjoy the nourishment of the heavenly office, in less than a thousand years, it too could become Marshal Canopy.

Every post had its occupant, and a crowd of immortals below were coveting them.

Therefore, the gods in heaven today were mostly heavily laden with calamity Qi and did not dare to descend to the mortal realm easily. Once their rate of absorbing spiritual essence could not keep up with their own consumption, they would face the end of their lives and the dissipation of their Dao.

One must know that ninety percent of the spiritual essence in this world was concentrated in the Eastern and Western Heavens, as well as the various grotto-heavens and blessed lands.

The mortal realm was a place of death for most immortals.

And someone like Chen Nuo, who had achieved great divine abilities in a mere few hundred years of lifespan, was completely beyond their comparison.

Moreover, after achieving Imperishable, Chen Nuo did not even know when his own 'Calamity' would arrive.

This was truly living as long as heaven itself.

However, having only achieved Imperishable and lacking an Undying Demon Body like the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven, it was still better to keep a low profile.

After all, even if one were undying, so what?

The people of the Eastern and Western Heavens had plenty of filthy tricks.

Of course, if not for the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven rebelling, the higher-ups wouldn't have been unable to tolerate him ruling a territory in the mortal realm.

Just like Chen Nuo was doing now.

Even though he had occupied the blessed land of Ziyun Mountain and seized that golden hairpin, Kunlun had not come knocking on his door.

Those immortals and gods only cared about benefits, which was spiritual essence.

Come to think of it, the mortal realm becoming so foul was also partly due to Great Sage Sun's karma.

If he hadn't eaten the flat peaches and golden elixirs back then, ruining the Eastern Heaven's business, those immortals wouldn't have been so shameless as to use such methods to make up for the deficit in spiritual essence.

After all, immortals were not demons; they had to maintain some decency in their consumption.

It was best if they were eaten willingly.

Just like the Western Heaven.