Chapter 1263: Fishing for Big Fish

Just as Chen Mobai was considering summoning Du Mengyun to inquire about the Avatar Demonic Art, news of the Calamity Frost Blade reached his ears.

He knew far more about these extraterrestrial demonic treasures than disciples like Liu Wenbo.

After the Lord of the Central Demonic Path acquired the demonic treasure, even top righteous masters like True Immortal Taixu suffered heavy losses. They only managed to regain the upper hand by ultimately deploying True King Taixu's artifact of enlightenment.

To understand the power of a peak sixth-rank artifact, one only needed to consider the old Flood Dragon.

With the Abyssal Stabilizer and Sea Suppressor Pearl, generations of Spirit Transformation cultivators from Dongzhou's righteous path had been unable to defeat it. Ultimately, Chen Mobai, by using the Dharma Realm to isolate the Mysterious Sea and leveraging the elemental suppression of his Primordial Chaos Bell, was able to slay it.

Indeed, Chen Mobai's rise to become the most powerful figure in Dongzhou also largely depended on the might of his artifacts.

Wen Buyue had not yet achieved Spirit Transformation; thus, even possessing a demonic treasure, he certainly couldn't unleash its true power. If this threat could be eliminated preemptively, it would be the most favorable outcome for Dongzhou's righteous path.

Therefore, upon receiving this news, Chen Mobai immediately informed the other three Sacred Lands.

True Monarch Wuchen and the others were greatly surprised by this.

Their surprise wasn't that Wen Buyue had gained the demonic treasure's recognition, but rather that Chen Mobai hadn't considered monopolizing the Calamity Frost Blade for himself.

Cultivators in the Sky River Realm typically held the belief that "its nature is determined by its use," meaning many who acquired demonic artifacts were confident they could refine and tame them.

Even a demonic treasure, after all, was a peak sixth-rank artifact.

One must remember that the Heaven-Reaching Dao Refining Pagoda and the Grand Harmony Sword of the Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect were even of a lower rank than the demonic treasure.

Had it been True Monarch Wuchen and his counterparts, their immediate action upon receiving this intelligence would undoubtedly have been to mobilize their sect's forces to eliminate Wen Buyue and retrieve the Calamity Frost Blade.

Only if they found themselves truly unable to refine it later would they consider other options.

Yet, Chen Mobai had directly shared this intelligence.

This left True Monarch Wuchen and the others feeling somewhat ashamed.

They mused that, as expected of one who cultivated the Great Dao of Sacred Virtue, his moral character was indeed exceptionally high.

Chen Mobai had initially intended to disseminate this news to every member force within the Dongzhou Immortal Alliance, but True Monarch Wuchen and his peers dissuaded him. They unanimously asserted that it was their inherent duty as Sacred Lands to eradicate demons and uphold the Dao. Given that Wen Buyue was already a Nascent Soul master and now possessed a demonic treasure, only a Spirit Transformation cultivator could reliably secure victory. To avoid collateral damage to innocents, they insisted it would be best for them, the elders, to take action.

Confronted with a peak sixth-rank demonic treasure, even the Spirit Transformation cultivators of Dongzhou's Sacred Lands found their hearts stirred.

After all, even if they couldn't refine it themselves, taking it to the Central Continent could earn them a significant favor from the Millennium Brushwood Forest.

Furthermore, all five continental branches of the Grand Void Ethereal Palace had received direct instructions from True Immortal Taixu himself: any demonic treasure encountered must be dealt with immediately, and if they were unable to handle it, they were to notify the Central Continent headquarters.

It was for these reasons that, after Chen Mobai conveyed the news, the two Spirit Transformation True Monarchs, Grand Void and Wuchen, immediately set out to find traces of Wen Buyue.

The Nine Heavens Demon Eradication Sect, meanwhile, was preoccupied with the Life-Death Plate and thus did not participate in this matter, though they still expressed their gratitude for Chen Mobai's profound righteousness.

It wasn't that Chen Mobai was entirely unswayed by the peak sixth-rank demonic treasure; rather, he understood perfectly that artifacts of such caliber had long since integrated with their associated Great Dao, essentially becoming crystallizations of the Dao itself. A cultivator who did not cultivate that specific Great Dao could, at best, only unleash a superficial fraction of its power.

With his Pure Yang foundation, it was fundamentally impossible for him to convert to cultivating the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect's techniques merely for a single Calamity Frost Blade.

Once he understood this, Chen Mobai harbored no further covetous desires.

The primary reason he shared this news with the Dongzhou Sacred Lands was that he needed to inquire about something with Du Mengyun, and this was a way to offer her a small benefit.

However, no sooner had he finished handling Wen Buyue's situation than he discovered Du Mengyun had fled.

The news had been relayed by Hong He.

However, this also revealed to Chen Mobai that the Lord of the Central Demonic Path might already be in Dongzhou, possibly even within the Five Elements Sect's territory.

This particular detail caused Chen Mobai's expression to turn solemn.

Although he believed his Pure Yang Scroll made him invincible against the demonic path, the reputation of the Sky River Realm's foremost demonic figure, especially combined with two powerful demonic treasures, led Chen Mobai to feel this might be the most formidable enemy he had encountered throughout his cultivation.

Under these circumstances, Chen Mobai was determined to do everything in his power to increase his chances of victory.

His first priority was intelligence gathering.

He instantly teleported to Yaoguang Immortal City.

"Greetings, Patriarch!"

Upon seeing Chen Mobai materialize out of thin air before him, Hong He's expression shifted to one of great surprise, and he offered a deep bow.

"Tell me everything you know."

Chen Mobai asked. Hong He nodded and recounted everything he had witnessed and everything Du Mengyun had told him.

"Does the Avatar Demonic Art truly possess such hierarchical restrictions?"

Chen Mobai was somewhat surprised after hearing this.

One could only conclude that when it came to exploitation and control, the demonic path cultivation methods of the Sky River Realm were indeed remarkably potent.

However, he instantly recalled his Primordial Demonic Talisman.

Which seemed to be an even more sophisticated demonic control method, caused him a slight pang of shame.

Hong He replied, "Reporting to Patriarch, that's all I know. For more specific details, we might need to locate Senior Sister Du."

Chen Mobai said, "In that case, let's ask her directly."

This statement caused Hong He's expression to become one of astonishment, and then his jaw dropped.

Before Hong He's eyes, Chen Mobai, standing there, swept a wide sleeve of his Fire Spirit Daoist Robe. The void abruptly split apart, as if opening a path to another realm. In that realm, Du Mengyun was looking up, her face etched with terror.

After activating the Primordial Demonic Talisman to pinpoint Du Mengyun's location, Chen Mobai employed Void Teleportation, directly seizing her from a thousand li away and retrieving her from where she had hidden deep within the desolate ruins.

A thud echoed.

Du Mengyun's body plummeted from mid-air, hitting the floor with a painful impact, yet she dared not cry out. She scrambled to her feet immediately and began kowtowing repeatedly to Chen Mobai, pleading, "Patriarch, please don't kill me! I was momentarily muddled, please don't kill me..."

Observing her fright, like a startled bird, Chen Mobai mused that his reputation shouldn't be this poor.

In Dongzhou, he was supposed to be a universally lauded sage; why did he now feel like a ruthless arch-fiend?

"Get up, confess honestly, and I will spare your life."

Chen Mobai didn't bother to elaborate with Du Mengyun; he simply went along with her pleas. As expected, she immediately stopped kowtowing, nodding profusely to confirm she would answer every question.

"Can you directly transcribe the Avatar Demonic Art?" Chen Mobai asked, knowing that many cultivation methods in this region required cultivators to swear Dao-heart oaths before transmission, and thus unsure if Du Mengyun was permitted to share it.

"Reporting to Patriarch," Du Mengyun began, "among the Eighteen Demonic Sects, only the Avatar Demonic Art's inheritance has no restrictions. This is because the more individuals who cultivate this art, the more the highest-ranked cultivator can harvest and gain." As she spoke, she retrieved a jade slip from her storage pouch and respectfully offered it with both hands.

"If that's the case, why haven't you widely disseminated it?" Chen Mobai asked after taking the slip. He had immediately noticed upon arriving that Hong He's cultivation foundation had already shifted to that of the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect.

If the Avatar Demonic Art allowed for such harvesting, wouldn't it be more beneficial, by the demonic path's logic, to propagate this method?

"Patriarch, he and I are genuinely in love; I would never harvest my own husband," Du Mengyun stated with a straight face, causing Hong He's mouth to twitch slightly at her side.

"I meant, why haven't you spread the Avatar Demonic Art throughout the entire world? Isn't the demonic path inherently selfish?" Chen Mobai clarified, simultaneously assimilating the jade slip's contents with his divine sense.

"This cultivation method is forbidden by all Sacred Lands across the five continents and four seas," Du Mengyun explained with a bitter smile. "Once its widespread propagation is discovered, it's relentlessly pursued until death. Furthermore, the dissemination of the Avatar Demonic Art ultimately only benefits the person with the highest cultivation." It was precisely for this reason that, despite cultivating the Avatar Demonic Art, she had not abandoned her foundation in the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect.

However, both paths were ultimately traps; it remained to be seen whether she could transcend by leveraging the inheritances of these two demonic paths.

"Demonic Grand Beings are truly inhumane!" Chen Mobai couldn't help but utter after finishing the jade slip in his hand.

The Avatar Demonic Art was an inheritance from the Supreme Heart Demon, one of the Three Thousand Demonic Paths.

He had known this beforehand. This inheritance bore a surprising resemblance to the Primordial Heavenly Demon, with the distinction that the Primordial Heavenly Demon integrated the Three Thousand Demonic Paths to attain "Primordial," whereas the Supreme Heart Demon manipulated the demonic thoughts, desires, and obsessions in the hearts of all beings, eventually manifesting in countless forms, becoming omnipresent and omniscient.

This particular path was known as the Great Dao of Heart Demons.

Once manipulated by a heart demon, one would be completely enslaved, eternally lost, and stripped of their self.

Ironically, those burdened with the heaviest heart demons were precisely the cultivators of this Great Dao. Consequently, anyone who cultivated the Avatar Demonic Art would inevitably fall under the control of a superior being tied to that very cultivation method.

Even the Lord of the Central Demonic Path, if he were to encounter the Supreme True Demon who originally transmitted the Great Dao of Heart Demons, would instantly lose his sense of self.

Such was the Demonic Path!

So-called disciples and inheritances were nothing more than a means of fattening livestock, waiting for them to grow ample enough to provide a grand feast for the Demonic Grand Beings.

And Chen Mobai's Primordial Demonic Talisman followed a similar principle.

Once Du Mengyun or Hong He achieved Spirit Transformation, he could in turn harvest them, thereby perfecting the Primordial Heavenly Demon's method.

Reflecting on this, Chen Mobai wondered if his acquisition of the World-Destroying Great Mill also made him mere fodder in the eyes of the Demonic Lord.

A chill ran through him, and he resolved that from now on, his primary focus should be on cultivating the Great Dao of Sacred Virtue.

At the very least, this Great Dao possessed the ability to suppress ultimate misfortune.

Furthermore, Chen Mobai had derived both Sacred Virtue and ultimate misfortune from the Pure Yang Scroll, and he trusted that Daoist Master Zixiao would not betray him, his last closed-door disciple, in this matter.

"To identify individuals cultivating the Avatar Demonic Art," Du Mengyun explained, "besides planting Pure Tranquility Bamboo, one can also find another cultivator of this art. For instance, if I am at the Nascent Soul stage, I can sense anyone else practicing this art within my perception range, except for those who have cultivated it to the Spirit Transformation stage."

Du Mengyun immediately volunteered, stating her willingness to help Patriarch Chen identify any Avatar Demonic Sect cultivators potentially hidden within the Five Elements Sect.

"Can you sense the approximate location of the Lord of the Central Demonic Path?" Chen Mobai inquired instead. He had already used the Five Tones of Law to comprehend the Avatar Demonic Art, and by referencing his own knowledge system, he had conceived more effective methods to identify those cultivating it.

For example, cultivators of this art are plagued by heavy heart demons, and Chen Mobai's destined artifact, the Morning Bell, is precisely the nemesis of heart demons. He simply needed to summon cultivators from all departments of the Five Elements Sect back for reporting; by having them listen to the bell's chimes, anyone afflicted by heart demons would be exposed, their divine senses thrown into disarray.

Furthermore, the Vast Sky Mirror, ever since merging with Daoist Dandeng's Sky Phoenix Mirror, had acquired an additional power for warding off evil. When combined with Profound Yang Divine Light, its radiance would cause not just heart demons, but almost any cultivator practicing demonic path techniques, to feel as if they were being consumed by raging fire, experiencing unbearable agony.

The higher their cultivation, the more pronounced their reaction to the mirror's light would be.

From then on, Chen Mobai planned to periodically convene meetings for the upper-echelon cultivators of the Five Elements Sect. He would then hang the Vast Sky Mirror above the doorway, requiring everyone to pass under its light before entering.

This was to ensure that no nefarious individuals were lurking among the higher ranks.

However, since there was only one Vast Sky Mirror, the cultivation of Pure Tranquility Bamboo still needed to be promoted. Conveniently, this spiritual plant, besides emitting pure qi, was also beneficial for enhancing divine sense and could even reach the sixth rank, allowing for widespread cultivation.

"The Lord of the Central Demonic Path possesses profound cultivation; he can only sense and command me," Du Mengyun said, shaking her head, clearly unwilling to attempt it.

"If that's the case," Chen Mobai questioned, "why were you previously able to perceive him accessing your memories?"

"Because that's the only explanation," Du Mengyun stated with a look of certainty.

Having cultivated the Avatar Demonic Art for several centuries, she was acutely aware of its characteristics. For her, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, to attempt to probe the Central Demonic Lord in return was akin to a caterpillar trying to climb an elephant.

"In that case, may I propose a hypothesis?" Chen Mobai asked, looking at Du Mengyun, his eyes slightly narrowed, and his expression somewhat unusual.

"Patriarch, what hypothesis?" Du Mengyun instantly inquired, while Hong He, nearby, listened with rapt attention.

"If the Avatar Demonic Art is truly so formidable," Chen Mobai began, "then, in theory, the Lord of the Central Demonic Path could not only access your memories but even directly manipulate your heart demon, enslaving and controlling you. Therefore, is it still truly you who is speaking with me now?" Chen Mobai's question caused Du Mengyun to freeze in place.

Hong He, meanwhile, first furrowed his brow, then turned to look at Du Mengyun, his face filled with horror.

"Although the Avatar Demonic Art allows for hierarchical control," Du Mengyun began, "my heart demon is ultimately my own. To fully enslave me, even the Lord of the Central Demonic Path would need to spend a period of time merging his own heart demon with mine..."

Du Mengyun started to rationalize, attempting to prove that she was still herself, and not controlled by the Lord of the Central Demonic Path.

"Was the time between your departure from Yaoguang Immortal City and my capture of you sufficient?" Chen Mobai continued to inquire, his expression calm.

At this point, Du Mengyun finally ceased her explanations.

She narrowed her eyes, lifted her head with an intrigued expression, and met Chen Mobai's gaze. "When did you realize?"