Chapter 477: The Great Ambitions and Hegemony of the Sage

Chu Shaoqiang left Sage Peak. The Sage continued to pace back and forth in the garden, while his disciples stood silently nearby.

The Sage stopped, surveying his disciples. "What do you all have to say?"

This question was difficult to answer. If no one spoke, the Sage would surely become enraged and might even kill someone. However, speaking required careful consideration of what the Sage wanted to hear.

A disciple named Song Deke stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Master, I suspect there's a trick involved. We should send someone to monitor Chu Shaoqiang."

Another disciple, Du Xiangwen, disagreed with Song Deke. "Junior Brother Song, if we do that, I'm afraid it will chill Lord Chu's heart. Among these people from Neizhou, Lord Chu has never been disrespectful to you, Master..."

"That is his duty as a subject!" the Sage retorted furiously. "If he doesn't even understand proper etiquette, what right does he have to stand here and speak with me?"

The disciples lowered their heads in silence. The Sage gnashed his teeth and said, "To ensure Chu Shaoqiang's safety, I poured my heart into it, used so many connections, and handled so many matters for him. And now he tells me the Heavenheart Stones were lost halfway? He dares to fob me off with such nonsense!"

Song Deke declared, "Chu Shaoqiang is treacherous and deceitful. We should take this scoundrel's head to appease your wrath, Master!"

"Absolutely not," Du Xiangwen advised. "This is a great opportunity for you, Master, to reclaim the land. We must not let a temporary setback ruin this important matter."

The Sage sighed deeply, then slowly said, "Wait three more days. Let's see what explanation Chu Shaoqiang offers."

At the foot of the mountain, Li Banfeng repeatedly instructed Old Niu, "Tell the brothers to patrol the mountain base. No one is allowed to go up. The Local Deity's rewards are generous, but the penalties for mistakes are severe!"

Old Niu nodded repeatedly. "Seventh Master, don't worry. Whether for you or for the Local Deity, we will definitely do our utmost."

Cui Tik packed his belongings and said to Li Banfeng, "It's about time. Let's go up the mountain."

"We?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I really don't want to climb this mountain again."

Cui Tik looked at the dense forest and the mist in the mountains and said sincerely, "I know nothing about Blade Demon Ridge. I can't even find a suitable path up. If I die on this mountain, do you know what the consequences will be?"

Li Banfeng replied, "You'll turn into a Blade Demon."

Cui Tik nodded. "Do you know the consequences of a Disease Cultivator becoming a Blade Demon?"

"The consequences are severe; you'll bring disaster," Li Banfeng weighed his options and came up with a better solution. "If I kill you now, you won't turn into a Blade Demon."

Cui Tik sighed with emotion. "Saying something like that harms our friendship. I hope you'll come up the mountain purely as a kind warning. If I really become a Blade Demon, even if you can't stop it, you'll at least be prepared. When I go on a rampage, you might still have a way to deal with it."

Li Banfeng deliberated carefully. "I still think the best way to deal with it is to kill you before you turn into a Blade Demon."

Cui Tik sighed again. "Our friendship began at Hải Chỉ Ridge. Back then, we worked together to fight against disaster. Since then, I've known you have a unique affection for Puro State. Now we're joining forces again, also to prevent disaster. In a sense, Blade Demons are my fellow cultivators. You should know how Disease Cultivators treat their peers."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and nodded slightly. This was indeed a way to solve the problem. If all the Blade Demons were killed, most of the problem would certainly be solved.

The two ascended the mountain together. To be honest, even if Cui Tik hadn't asked, Li Banfeng would have gone to Blade Demon Ridge himself. Hong Ying was right; the allure of cultivation was simply too great.

"The aura of dark energy," Cui Tik said, walking with some difficulty through the forest. "The dark energy here is too intense. I might not be able to resist it."

Hong Ying had said that thirty-three Daoist sects could significantly benefit from Blade Demon Ridge, but she hadn't mentioned Disease Cultivators, as she didn't know what they were. Cui Tik's inference was likely correct: Blade Demon Ridge might be the origin of Disease Cultivators, leading to his strong reaction.

"No need to go any further. Let's start the first round of investigation right here," Cui Tik said, sitting under a tree. Swellings periodically appeared on his face, moving around near his cheekbones.

"The Blade Demon's lesions are getting hard to suppress," Cui Tik said, rubbing his cheeks. "This still feels a bit different from the Ancestor's. Most of the Ancestor's lesions exist as bacteria and viruses. To explain it with external state science, the lesions the Ancestor can control are all life forms based on deoxyribonucleic acid. Is what I'm saying too technical?"

Li Banfeng chuckled. "Aren't you just talking about genes? What's so complicated about that?"

Cui Tik continued, "The real complexity isn't the concept, but the principle. Nucleic acids encoding protein production is a universally accepted principle of life. But what if there are no nucleic acids? Can proteins self-replicate? Prions have achieved this process, which challenges the principles of life. Which came first, nucleic acids or proteins? Which truly dominates life? Like you and me, we are both dark energy users. Dark energy changes the protein structure in our bodies, giving us extraordinary abilities. So, is dark energy also changing the fundamental nature of our lives?"

Li Banfeng frowned. "You're using science to study cultivation?"

Cui Tik smiled. "All the nations in the outer states are conducting similar research because science and cultivation were never contradictory to begin with. Every cultivator of every Daoist sect has been influenced by dark energy. Divination Cultivators have exceptionally strong perceptive abilities; this is an ordered change dark energy causes in their bodies, and this is the very essence of Daoist sects. Blade Demons, however, have also undergone impactful, destructive, and disordered changes from dark energy. These changes are not just physical but also perceptual. How do disordered changes affect a Blade Demon's perception? I've pondered this for a long time and even experimented on myself yesterday. Why do Blade Demons always appear during thunderstorms? Everyone says it's their habit, but where do these habits come from? Only after contracting the Blade Demon's lesion did I truly understand. The prions destroyed some of my nerves, causing problems with my perception. I feel extremely thirsty, but my vision has also been affected by the prions; I can't distinguish a water bottle, or even what water is. When I can't see water, I have to endure extreme thirst, and that's when thunder becomes very important to me. Thunder means rain, and when it rains, I can open my mouth and drink water. That's why Blade Demons are sure to appear during thunderstorms. Thunder and rain sounds are life-saving sounds to them, which makes them excited and intensely aggressive. This is the origin of their so-called habits. As for where Blade Demons are when it's not raining, we still need to continue our research."

Li Banfeng exclaimed, "To explain your research findings in such an accessible way, how much effort have you truly put into the origins of Daoist sects?"

Cui Tik gave a wry smile. "All roads lead to Puro, but some people are born in Puro State. I have to compensate for my innate disadvantages through acquired effort."

He took out two seeds and scattered them into the soil.

"These are crops with divination cultivation properties. I bought them from a friend nearby."

These seeds clearly came from Zhang Wanlong. Cui Tik was discerning and knew from whom to buy good things.

After dripping on the liquid medicine, the seeds grew rapidly. Two minutes later, a morning glory bloomed before their eyes.

Cui Tik pressed his ear to the trumpet-shaped flower, listened for a moment, and then said to Li Banfeng, "There's a Blade Demon underneath. Judging by its breathing and heartbeat, it should be fast asleep."

Li Banfeng asked, "Do you want to dig it out?"

"That would be too crude. It's like pulling someone out of their bed. If we dig it out, it will inevitably become very agitated, which would be detrimental to future communication." Cui Tik directed a strange, trembling sound from his throat into the flower's opening.

"Gurgl-gurgl-gurgl." It sounded as if an unknown liquid was being forced up a throat by air, making Li Banfeng want to cough. Cui Tik explained, "I'm imitating thunder." Li Banfeng didn't think it sounded like thunder, but Cui Tik said, "To a Blade Demon's hearing, this sound is exactly like thunder."

Li Banfeng frowned. "You talk as if you're a Blade Demon."

"I can be!" Cui Tik's forehead and cheeks swelled, and his facial features became blurred.

He let out a few more roars into the morning glory's opening, and the soil on the ground began to stir.

Li Banfeng quickly moved away, and Cui Tik also kept his distance.

After a while, a Blade Demon emerged from the soil, tilting its face skyward with its mouth open. She was trying to catch rainwater to drink. It was a female Blade Demon; her features were quite distinct.

After waiting for a long time, she received no rainwater. Thirst and disappointment made her look at Cui Tik.

Li Banfeng stood in the distance, curious to see how Cui Tik would fight the Blade Demon. If Cui Tik could indeed find a way to eliminate Blade Demons, the threat from Blade Demon Ridge would significantly decrease, giving Li Banfeng more options in dealing with it.

Cui Tik's swollen face had some effect; the Blade Demon opposite didn't rush to spray venom, seemingly mistaking him for one of its kind.

Cui Tik also didn't rush to use any techniques. He took a drawing from his pocket.

To be precise, it wasn't a single painting, but a geometric figure formed by arcs of varying lengths. At first, it looked like a static image, but after staring at it for a while, one would feel that something was moving on the canvas. This was an optical illusion caused by line orientation, a concept Li Banfeng had learned about in school. He observed the Blade Demon's reaction.

The Blade Demon approached the drawing and continuously rubbed it with its flesh-like arms. After rubbing for a while, the Blade Demon's lips opened and closed, it wiped its mouth, and then returned to the soil.

Cui Tik let out a long breath, and the swelling on his face subsided, returning to its normal appearance.

Li Banfeng was very surprised. What method did Cui Tik use to subdue the Blade Demon?

Holding the drawing, Cui Tik said, "If I told you now that I'm a Painting Cultivator, would you believe me?" Considering the frequency of his chest tattoo updates, it was entirely possible.

Cui Tik put away the scroll and smiled. "I'm not a Painting Cultivator. I just drew some water for the Blade Demon."

"Those things you drew were water?"

"Certainly not in your eyes, but to the Blade Demon, that *was* water. The Blade Demon's visual system has been damaged by prions, so what it sees is different from what we see."

Li Banfeng still didn't understand. "Those lines you just drew look like water to a Blade Demon? Haven't they seen real water too? How could they mistake such lines for water?"

Cui Tik took out a piece of paper, pulled a pen from his jacket pocket, and drew a few gentle wavy lines on it. "This is the simplest way to draw a river. Why do we perceive such lines as water?"

Li Banfeng couldn't answer.

Cui Tik put away the paper and smiled. "Blade Demons' vision is different from ours, just as we can interpret lines as a river, while other creatures cannot. When these lines are transmitted to our minds through sight, our brains generate corresponding amines, enzymes, and proteins. These proteins solidify in our cognition, making us perceive the lines as water. But what if I told you this was a disease, would you believe it?"

"What kind of disease?"

"A contagious disease," Cui Tik said, pointing to the lines on the drawing. "People from different places, with different languages, cultures, and customs, all perceive these lines as water. Isn't that a plague? Proteins have infected all humanity with the same plague. That's why I've always believed one thing: proteins are the masters of life."

Li Banfeng pondered for a long time but couldn't find a reason to refute him.

At dusk, the two descended the mountain. Li Banfeng asked Cui Tik, "How confident are you?"

Cui Tik smiled faintly. "Facing this special type of life, I can't speak of confidence; I can only do my best. Wiping out fellow cultivators is a tradition among Disease Cultivators, and it's also my personal wish."

That evening, Cui Tik spent the entire night concocting a potion. To be precise, it wasn't a potion; it was a lesion. Cui Tik was very confident in the lesion he had created.

After sleeping for two hours before setting off, he followed Li Banfeng up Blade Demon Ridge again.

At the same clearing as before, Cui Tik poured the concoction into a washbasin and arranged six drawings around it. Each drawing was composed of intricate lines. Li Banfeng didn't look at the specific patterns; he didn't even want to glance at them. He was gradually understanding Cui Tik's way of thinking: some visual perceptions were, in themselves, diseases.

Once ready, Cui Tik gave Li Banfeng a brief explanation: "These six drawings form a layout with a stereoscopic perspective. For Blade Demons, this is equivalent to seeing gushing spring water. The pathogen I've created will be drunk by them as if it were spring water."

"Will drinking it kill them?"

Cui Tik shook his head. "A rapidly fatal pathogen is not suitable as a plague carrier. If a Blade Demon ingests the concoction and dies within an hour, it would be difficult for it to transmit the pathogen to the next target. Even if transmission is successful, the chain would easily break. The infected Blade Demon must survive for a period, giving it ample time to spread the plague."

Li Banfeng said, "If it doesn't rain, the Blade Demons are sleeping underground and don't come into contact with each other. This means that for your plan to succeed, it must rain before the infected Blade Demons die."

Cui Tik shook his head. "I never gamble on luck. I've made more thorough preparations."

He made a bubbling sound towards the morning glory on the ground.

"Gurgl-gurgl-gurgl."

The soil on the ground loosened, and the female Blade Demon they had woken up yesterday crawled out of the dirt.

She approached the washbasin and crawled around it using her fleshy, segmented limbs.

"Wooo... Woooo..." She let out a different sound than before. Cui Tik lowered his voice and said, "Did you hear that? She's pleased. She's found a water source! I've successfully altered her perception; I've made her understand that she can find other water sources besides rainwater."

The Blade Demon knelt down and took a large gulp. Li Banfeng said, "You only have so little of that concoction. Be careful she doesn't drink it all by herself."

"She won't!" Cui Tik was confident. "The concoction contains special ingredients that quickly suppress her thirst and create a strong feeling of fullness. See? She's not drinking anymore."

After just one sip, the Blade Demon was sated.

Cui Tik smiled. "She now wants to contact her kind. She has a strong desire to communicate with them, and that's the key to the concoction."

"Wooo... Woooo..." The Blade Demon squatted on the ground, howling repeatedly.

Before long, the surrounding bushes rustled.

Many Blade Demons were approaching. Li Banfeng warned, "Shouldn't we leave?"

Cui Tik replied, "Don't rush. We need a little more time to observe. I can't determine the infection efficiency yet. The concoction is limited, so there won't be many primary infected individuals. From now on, they'll have to infect each other."

A dozen Blade Demons darted out from the bushes and quickly drank all the concoction from the basin. They squatted on the ground, howling together. At their call, hundreds of Blade Demons gathered.

Li Banfeng urged again, "We really should go." With so many Blade Demons, even one blast of black mist from each would be enough to kill Li Banfeng.

Cui Tik remained calm. "Don't rush. Let's wait a bit longer. After taking the concoction, they shouldn't notice us. They only want to communicate with each other, and they shouldn't use their venomous mist against their own kind."

"What will they do then?"

"Let me guess: they'll argue among themselves because they all want to know where the water went."

Cui Tik's prediction was accurate. The Blade Demons roared incessantly, already bickering.

"They'll also fight. They're all very thirsty for water, and those who didn't get any should be quite angry."

This was also correct; some Blade Demons had already started fighting, all part of Cui Tik's planned infection process.

"They will also..." Cui Tik froze.

A male and a female Blade Demon embraced.

Cui Tik thought they were entangled in combat, but then realized parts of them were connected.

"I hadn't expected that even with such significant changes in their life forms, they would still retain this instinct."

Subsequently, large numbers of Blade Demons embraced, their joyful roars echoing one after another.

Cui Tik pressed his lips together and said, "Li Qi, it seems a certain ingredient in the concoction was overused. They're too agitated now. I think we should leave. Li Qi, Li Qi..." Cui Tik looked beside him. Li Qi wasn't there. Li Qi had already left, and had been gone for quite some time.

The Blade Demon awakened by the morning glory came to Cui Tik, crawling around him.

Cui Tik perceived hostility from her; this Blade Demon had sensed traces of an outsider on him. She opened her mouth, possibly to spray venom or to roar.

If she merely sprayed venom, Cui Tik might still be able to fend her off with difficulty. However, if she summoned other companions to spray venom together, it would be fatal for Cui Tik; he couldn't possibly control such a massive number of pathogens in a short time.

At this critical moment, Cui Tik relaxed his suppression of the pathogens within his body. His face quickly swelled, his features blurred, and his body became covered in viscous fluid.

Seeing Cui Tik transform in this manner, the Blade Demon's hostility gradually faded.

But she did not leave. She circled behind Cui Tik and slowly embraced him.

Cui Tik had many things he wanted to say, but at that moment, he didn't know which language to use to express them.

The next morning, Cui Tik arrived at the foot of the mountain and glared angrily at Li Banfeng. "You left me alone on the mountain. That severely damaged our friendship!"

Li Banfeng asked a serious question. "How did you escape?"

Cui Tik didn't answer directly. "I saved your life. Is this how you repay me?"

"Repaying a kindness and accompanying you to your death are two different matters."

"How can this be called courting death? We are collectively resolving a disaster!"

"Has the disaster been resolved?"

Cui Tik was silent for a moment. "The process was a bit convoluted. I didn't expect the Blade Demons' vitality to be so tenacious. The lesion I created couldn't kill them, but we did achieve some results."

"What results?"

Cui Tik said, "Previously, Blade Demons would appear every time there was a thunderstorm because they needed to drink water. Now, under the influence of the lesion, their physical characteristics have changed to some extent. They can actively seek out water sources through visual perception. This means that in the future, when thunderstorms occur, we don't have to worry about being ambushed by Blade Demons. There is no longer a necessary connection between lightning and Blade Demon behavior."

Li Banfeng's mind buzzed, and he asked in a low voice, "Can you put it more directly?"

Cui Tik pondered for a moment. "It means they can now come out even without thunder."

A cold wind blew. Li Banfeng looked up at Cui Tik and said, "I should have killed you before we went up the mountain."

Cui Tik sighed. "Don't be so pessimistic. I'll make some more improvements to the lesion. Next time, I guarantee better results."

"When is 'next time'?"

Cui Tik thought for a long time, then looked at Blade Demon Ridge. "That doesn't depend on me; it depends on them. The lesion has made them somewhat agitated. After all, being able to find their own water is an exciting thing for them. As for the current situation, I don't know when they'll calm down. Perhaps they never will."

Li Banfeng looked at Blade Demon Ridge, at a loss for words for a moment.

Cui Tik returned to his camp. As Li Banfeng was heading back to his portable residence, a man in a gray trench coat blocked his path.

Chu Shaoqiang approached Li Banfeng, a smile on his face. "I don't like to think badly of people, but there's something I genuinely don't understand: why are you involved in every messy situation I've encountered recently?"

Li Banfeng asked, "Are you here about Blade Demon Ridge?"

"Yes!" Chu Shaoqiang didn't deny it.

"Did you bring Blade Demon Ridge here?"

"Not exactly," Chu Shaoqiang shook his head. "While I was bringing Blade Demon Ridge, the Heavenheart Stones I was using for guidance disappeared. There were five of them. Perhaps you know their whereabouts."

Li Banfeng didn't answer, continuing to ask, "Where do you intend to send Blade Demon Ridge?"

"I can't reveal that to you."

"If you want my help, you must tell me the truth."

Chu Shaoqiang hesitated for a moment. "This was the Peddler's order, to move Blade Demon Ridge elsewhere. As for the specific purpose, I don't know..." Mid-sentence, Chu Shaoqiang stopped. He was blowing rose-scented soap bubbles. He had never understood why this happened. He had told many lies to the Sage on Sage Peak, and many more when questioned by people from Neizhou, and he had never shown any abnormalities on those occasions. Only when he met the Peddler and Li Qi did he start blowing soap bubbles whenever he lied. He had no idea when the bar of soap the Peddler made him eat would finally digest. Li Qi saw the soap bubbles, so naturally, he wouldn't believe his lies. Chu Shaoqiang then tried to come up with a more roundabout explanation: "This matter actually has nothing to do with the Peddler, but I did this because Pu-gurgl-gurgl-gurgl-ro State..." As he uttered the "Pu" sound, he blew a stream of soap bubbles and choked, coughing.

Li Banfeng was deeply disappointed in Chu Shaoqiang. "Try to come up with a more convincing excuse."

Chu Shaoqiang wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "Fine, I'll tell you the truth. I'm taking Blade Demon Ridge to Sage Peak. The Sage on Sage Peak wants Blade Demon Ridge."

"What does he want Blade Demon Ridge for?"

"He wants an army to restore his former status."

"What was his status?"

"He was the last emperor of the former dynasty. After losing the war and his empire, his territory was split into two parts: one was controlled by the imperial family, becoming today's Neizhou, and the other is the current Puro State."

This time, Chu Shaoqiang didn't blow soap bubbles; he was telling the truth. But Li Banfeng didn't understand. "If Neizhou is controlled by the imperial family, why doesn't the Sage return to Neizhou? Isn't he the emperor?"

Chu Shaoqiang said, "I don't know much about his past. He did live in Neizhou for a period, but unable to tolerate the imperial family's oppression, he left Neizhou and occupied Sage Peak, and even the entire Jianren Ridge."

"The imperial family oppressed the emperor?" Li Banfeng understood even less.

"Because the imperial family has been completely manipulated by the people of Neizhou. As for the origin of the Neizhou people, I can't say for sure; I only know that they weren't originally from this world."

Li Banfeng roughly sorted out the logic. "The Sage wants to turn the Blade Demons on Blade Demon Ridge into his own army to conquer Puro State?"

Chu Shaoqiang nodded.

"You were sent by Neizhou. Why are you obeying the Sage's orders?"

Chu Shaoqiang said, "Actually, this is also Neizhou's order-gurgl-gurgl-gurgl..." Soap bubbles sprayed out again; Chu Shaoqiang was lying again.

Li Banfeng shook his head. "This isn't an order from Neizhou. This is a transaction between you and the Sage."

Chu Shaoqiang nodded. "Yes, Ge Junma is dead. He was from Neizhou, and that's a consequence I can't bear. If I want to survive, someone has to take responsibility for this for me. The Sage took responsibility for me, and in return, I must deliver Blade Demon Ridge to Sage Peak."

"Blade Demons' minds are completely different from humans'. How does the Sage plan to control them?"

"The Sage has mastered the means to control thunderstorms within a certain range. This is equivalent to controlling the Blade Demons' ability to advance and retreat."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Just with that? You think he can control Blade Demons solely with thunderstorms?"

Chu Shaoqiang said, "I told the Sage that this is still a long way from forming a true army. But the Sage believes that by controlling thunderstorms, he has already grasped the fundamentals for domesticating Blade Demons. He sees this as the beginning of his grand ambition."

Li Banfeng pursed his lips, his nose twitching repeatedly.

Chu Shaoqiang said, "I know the Sage's ideas are somewhat unrealistic, and his chances of controlling the Blade Demons aren't very high. That's why I agreed to hand Blade Demon Ridge over to him. And now the Heavenheart Stones are lost here, and you just happened to be here. If you told me you had nothing to do with this, I certainly wouldn't believe it. But if you're willing to offer some assistance and help me find the Heavenheart Stones, I'll give you a generous reward."

Li Banfeng pondered for a long time. "Helping you isn't out of the question, but you lost five Heavenheart Stones. Finding all of them would be too difficult."

Chu Shaoqiang said, "We need to find at least two, otherwise Blade Demon Ridge can't be moved."

Li Banfeng replied, "Two might be somewhat hopeful, but it depends on how much you're willing to pay."