Chapter 743: Talk to End the Fighting

Ji Yuan’s control over the Samadhi True Fire was now quite effortless. Although the Samadhi True Fire remained extremely dangerous, it posed no threat to Ji Yuan himself.

All the demons could flee, but the severely damaged Devouring Beast couldn't outrun the sea of Samadhi True Fire, nor could it react in time. However, as Ji Yuan stood in the air and flicked his sleeve, the fiercely erupting True Fire automatically split to the left and right as it approached the Devouring Beast, bypassing it before continuing its spread into the distance.

The Tiger Demon King's cultivation was, of course, extraordinary. Even after being engulfed by the Samadhi True Fire, he still thrashed in agony within the sea of flames. Relying on his powerful demon body and immense demonic power, he stubbornly resisted the True Fire, attempting to escape the inferno.

A mountain peak was instantly crushed by the Tiger Demon King, sending countless rocks and dust flying in a circular ripple. The Demon King used the recoil force, combined with an escape technique, to burst forth at incredible speed, astonishingly darting out of the Samadhi True Fire's range.

"Ah... fire, fire, it's burning me, it's burning me to death..."

"Rumble..."

Thunder roared in the sky. As some demons cast spells, the already cloud-covered sky suddenly began to pour down heavy rain. Countless raindrops fell, but before they could even touch the Tiger Demon King, they vaporized into steam.

The Demon King had completely lost his sanity. He crashed through several mountain peaks, resembling a burning man, letting out painful roars as he charged wildly.

Ji Yuan was not at all concerned about the Demon King escaping the True Fire's range. He simply stood calmly at the center of the vast sea of Samadhi True Fire, where a pure aura naturally rose from the midst of the terrifying red and grey flames.

Ji Yuan's gaze indifferently watched the Tiger Demon King, who was shattering rocks and mountains in mere seconds. Meanwhile, all the fleeing demons and monsters watched in horror at Ji Yuan, who stood like an immortal descended to the mortal world amidst the sea of fire, and the utterly agonizing Demon King.

Several demons attempted to cast spells to save the Tiger Demon King, but nearly all were ineffective, some even proving counterproductive. Moreover, the burning Tiger Demon King charged back and forth, almost hitting other demons several times. In those brief moments, all the demons facing him felt the approach of death.

Ji Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the tiger demon. With his hands behind his back, one held the sword's blade and the other its hilt, ready to draw at any moment. Below, in the wilderness, a humanoid flame roared in agony.

Ji Yuan had originally thought that the Demon King's demonic arts were powerful and that he might find a way to resist or break free from the Samadhi True Fire at some cost. In that case, Ji Yuan would have followed up with another sword strike. But now, it seemed there was no need to use the Azure Vine Sword.

The Tiger Demon King's last act was to desperately charge into a mountain river. But apart from a "plop" sound, his body continued to burn as it rolled in the water, and the pain seemed to tear his very soul apart.

The river water began to boil. Samadhi True Fire can convert between yin and yang; at this moment, the True Fire was primarily characterized by intense heat.

"Hoooooahhh—"

In the churning boiling water, the demonic soul of a fierce tiger tried to escape its body. When it floated to the surface, the demonic soul itself was also ablaze with surging flames.

It was unclear whether the tiger demon possessed no special life-saving artifacts, or if he did, they proved ineffective. In any case, after being completely ignited by the Samadhi True Fire, the Tiger Demon King, unfamiliar with its properties and originally having a chance to resist, repeatedly fueled the flames instead, leading to both his demon body and soul being consumed by fire.

After plunging into the mountain valley river, the entire river glowed with fire, but it was all in vain. After a while, the flames in the river gradually dimmed, but everyone knew this didn't mean the Demon King had extinguished the fire.

After another moment, a charred black tiger floated to the surface. It slowly drifted away, carried by the mountain valley river, whose water level had swelled due to the heavy rain and flash floods.

The Tiger Demon King's agonizing process wasn't excessively long, but it was considerably longer than that of any demon previously ensnared by the Samadhi True Fire. During this time, the Demon King tried various methods to escape in extreme agony, only to endure more pain. The final outcome was clear for all to see, striking dread into the hearts of the demons.

At this moment, Ji Yuan slightly opened his mouth, and the Samadhi True Fire surrounding the sky and fields flowed back in streams, quickly re-entering his mouth. The heavy rain from the sky could then fall unimpeded.

The sky, scorched by the Samadhi True Fire, now appeared so clear, with all evil auras completely gone. The curtain of rain swept through, beautiful as glazed glass. Ji Yuan stood in the sky, his pure aura flowing in harmony with the rain curtain. Even though the rain was originally summoned by demonic magic, at this moment, it felt like an embodiment of the Dao and nature.

"Now, everyone can stop, right? Hmm, I suppose I spoke out of turn."

Ji Yuan didn't even need to say it; at this moment, every demon and monster was keeping a wide distance from both the Devouring Beast and him.

Ji Yuan slowly flew back to the Devouring Beast's forehead. The Devouring Beast remained suspended in the air, its consciousness long past its frenzied state. Although the bleeding had stopped, its damaged body looked incredibly desolate and terrifying, with some areas revealing bones shrouded in mist.

Ji Yuan scanned the Devouring Beast repeatedly. At this moment, the Devouring Beast was neither asleep nor unconscious, but its consciousness seemed to be fading. This wasn't due to mental weakness, but more like a state experienced by cultivators during their practice.

Ji Yuan then looked around at the distant demons, who were like tiny black dots forming a circle. At this point, the demon kings, who had previously exuded overwhelming demonic energy, had all reined in their aura, appearing not much different from the surrounding monsters. However, Ji Yuan could still instantly discern their positions, his gaze finally settling on Miaoyun.

"My lords, demon kings, and fellow South Barren demons, we did not intend to provoke a conflict this time. The Devouring Beast suddenly went mad and became uncontrollable, then charged into the South Barrens. Indeed, the fellow Daoists from Weimei Sect were initially at fault for using the Demon-Attracting Incense to lure demons here... There's no need for me to elaborate; I believe you all understand."

Jiang Xueling glanced sideways in Ji Yuan's direction, saying nothing more.

Ji Yuan paused, then continued.

"Those devoured by the Devouring Beast are not truly dead; they have merely lost some vitality. How about this: I can have the Devouring Beast spit out these demons. In return, the fellow Daoists from Weimei Sect will compensate each of them with a 'Root-Strengthening, Source-Nourishing' pill, the medicinal effect of which will certainly exceed their losses. How does a ceasefire sound?"

As he spoke, Ji Yuan seemed to recall the Tiger Demon King he had burned to death with the Samadhi True Fire, and he glanced toward the mountain valley river.

"As for that fiend, he refused to listen, and it was his fate to encounter this tribulation. His inability to overcome it was truly the will of Heaven."

Ji Yuan's words were calm and indifferent, devoid of any mockery, but those who heard them couldn't help but feel a strange sensation. The Demon King was already dead; if Ji Yuan declared it to be the will of Heaven, then so it was. However, no one dared to refute Ji Yuan. Jiang Xueling and the others naturally wouldn't, and the other demons had not yet recovered from the recent shock.

Having finished speaking on his own, Ji Yuan found that no demon or monster stepped forward as a representative, so he looked at Miaoyun.

"You must be Demon King Miaoyun, right? Your exquisite swordsmanship is unforgettable to me. We've exchanged blows, so we can consider ourselves acquainted. I propose this; I hope you can consider it and help facilitate it. If there are any other reasonable demands, they can also be raised..."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan looked around at all the demons before continuing.

"If we continue to fight, we will undoubtedly have to battle several more times to break out of the South Barrens, and who knows how many peaceful cultivators will perish in the process."

Ji Yuan's voice was still not loud in his last sentence, but in the hearts of the demons, it resonated the loudest. They had known before that this immortal was a sword immortal, but his fire-controlling divine ability just now was terrifying beyond their comprehension. For the first time, some demons truly recognized the horror of a "True Immortal," and thus, no demon would ignore the weight of his words.

Miaoyun took a deep breath and cupped his hands towards Ji Yuan.

"I will discuss it with them. Immortal's sword arts are profound, and your magic power is unfathomable. Miaoyun is truly impressed, and I thank you for your leniency."

The vast mountains of the South Barrens were home to countless demons, including innumerable powerful ones, and maintained a state of chaotic balance internally. It was also a very realistic place; regardless of how powerful or prestigious the Tiger Demon King was before, now that he was dead, few truly cared about him.

As Miaoyun's voice fell, several streaks of demonic light from among the crowd of demons darted away and gathered in the distance.

Seeing this, Jiang Xueling and the others understood that this difficult situation was basically resolved. Jiang Xueling turned to Ji Yuan and solemnly bowed to him.

"Many thanks, Mr. Ji, for stepping in to resolve the crisis and save Xiao San. Now, Xiao San has turned misfortune into a blessing, becoming the most promising of all Devouring Beasts in Weimei Sect's history to successfully undergo transformation."

"As long as Fellow Daoist Jiang and Weimei Sect don't blame me for taking the liberty to negotiate terms with the South Barren demons, that's enough."

Ji Yuan smiled, and Jiang Xueling also smiled, twirling a broken strand of hair near her temple with her index finger.

"Compared to the outcome, if this matter can be resolved in such a way, what does anything else matter?"

Not long after, Miaoyun and the remaining demon kings approached the Devouring Beast's location. Miaoyun again stepped forward to speak.

"Immortal Ji, we have discussed this. We hope that Weimei Sect will also provide us with a bottle of elixir, one that will be beneficial to our cultivation. Additionally, we need to ask those demons who were spat out; if they agree to let the matter rest, then it shall be settled."

When did the vast mountains of the South Barrens become so democratic? Of course, that was impossible; this was merely a formality to save face for the demon kings. Ji Yuan naturally agreed readily.

The result was no surprise. The Devouring Beast spewed out puffs of mist, from which several suspended, unconscious monsters emerged. They slowly awoke upon contact with the mountain's spiritual energy, and when the terms were explained, not a single one refused.

What a joke! If they didn't agree, what else could they do? Fight this immortal again? Better to take the immortal elixir and be done with it. Perhaps they could even advance their cultivation through it.

As the Devouring Beast spat out demons like pouring beans, Demon King Miaoyun carefully approached its forehead. Jiang Xueling and the others pretended not to notice him, while Ji Yuan smiled and nodded at him.

Seeing this, Miaoyun felt a little more at ease. He had heard these immortals addressing Ji Yuan as "Mr.," so he hesitated before speaking.

"Mr. Ji, how were you able to break my sword strike with just a simple finger? In terms of power, the two..."

"In terms of power, the two are incomparable. However, your intent when wielding the sword was not pure. Although that's already quite rare among demons, it was still significantly lacking. Of course, many times, your swordsmanship has been quite impressive to me."

"Pure?"

Miaoyun looked confused. He had paid a great price to practice swordsmanship; how could it still not be pure? Before he could ask, Ji Yuan spoke again.

"As a demon, residing in the South Barrens, and also a demon king, it's inevitable to be troubled by evil aura and chaotic desires. Evil karma obstructs the heart, demonic practices follow their course, and the spiritual platform is dim. No matter how diligent your sword practice, your intent is not pure..."

Ji Yuan paused, then, holding an unspoken command in his mouth, he uttered a faint sentence that struck Miaoyun's heart.

"I ask you, why do you practice swordsmanship?"

At Ji Yuan's question, Miaoyun felt as if his spiritual platform had been tapped by a knuckle. His body trembled slightly, and he spoke without thinking.

"Of course, it's to..."

But at this point, the tremor in his mind cleared Miaoyun's primordial spirit, connecting his thoughts to his purest original intention. He suddenly couldn't continue speaking.

To become stronger? To stand out among demons? To hunt for blood food? For what? For what?

"For what?"

Miaoyun mumbled the question aloud.