The Ancestor of All Demons

The one who stopped Xiong Man was none other than Cang Lingzi, the Sect Leader of the Qinghai Sect.

Shu Mountain had a saying about the Three Immortals, Two Elders, and One Child amongst the Seven True Ones, and Cang Lingzi was that "One Child". He didn't cultivate orthodox practices of the Mysterious Sect, yet his name was mentioned alongside the Three Immortals and Two Elders, a testament to his considerable Daoist power and mana.

He was short in stature, famously known as the three-inch Midget, resembling a juvenile despite his age, but whenever he donned his Daoist robe, his expression would be exceedingly stern. With a mere point of his finger, red light would emanate from its tip to capture the flying sword of Xiong Man.

Xiong Man's flying sword emitted a pure white brilliance, of even higher quality than Wei Fengniang's. However, when entangled by the red light, it couldn't break free, leaving her astounded and backing away. With hand signs for spells ready, she cautiously asked, "Who are you?"

Cang Lingzi looked at her with a complex expression, then let out a sigh and, with a raise of his hand, shot another red light from a distance towards Xiong Man's forehead. Caught off guard and alarmed, Xiong Man was about to speak but then recalled memories of her past life.

Only after she had fully absorbed her recovered memories did Cang Lingzi speak, "I have used the Separation and Reunion Divine Light to restore your past memories. I am Cang Lingzi, worshipped as a deity on the highlands. In your previous life, you pined for me and suffered greatly from unrequited love, eventually dying of sorrow. This life was destined for our joyful union, to take place several months before the Geng Xin Day earlier this year."

In this life, Xiong Man and her two martial sisters had sworn never to marry, and upon hearing such audacious words, her face blushed crimson. Yet, the memories of her past life were undeniable; she had indeed wished to marry Cang Lingzi, longed very much and intensely, until her longing led her to death…

In her previous life, with the filter of a devoted believer, she saw Cang Lingzi as a god and desperately yearned for his favor, to serve him with her body. Now in her current life as a Sword Immortal, absent that filter and seeing Cang Lingzi as small and short, not particularly handsome, she could not understand her past self's desires, wondering how she could have wished for such a person and died from lovesickness!

Embarrassed to discuss her past, she changed the subject, "Senior, why do you stop me? Could it be that you also desire the Heavenly Book?"

Cang Lingzi sighed again, "Considering our past entanglements and my current stature and position, it's improper for me to compete with you for the Heavenly Book. My intervening is truly meant to persuade you to turn back and let go of the Heavenly Book."

Xiong Man was genuinely puzzled, "If you say it's improper to vie with me, why still advise me to let go?"

Cang Lingzi explained his reasons, initially, he came to Immortal Mountain hoping to gather medicinal herbs, particularly those that had taken human form and roamed the earth. Subsequently, he learned of a Demon Dragon hoarding treasures on Dinghu Peak and wished to slay it to obtain the Heavenly Book.

As sentient Spiritual Medicines inherently knew to embrace fortune and avoid disaster, Cang Lingzi found a cave where he would meditate in the flesh, sending his Primordial Spirit out to seek Spiritual Medicines.

At that period, Xiong Man had ascended Immortal Mountain. She was supposed to encounter and slay the mating Tortoise and Snake, but instead ran into Cang Lingzi's physical body while chasing the Queen Mother Grass. Mistaking Cang Lingzi for a herb that had achieved human form, she unleashed her flying sword in an attempt to capture him. In the ensuing chaos, Cang Lingzi, with his Primordial Spirit, took hold of the sword, and both were contaminated by the aura of mating, leading to confusion and, consequently, to their entanglement, where both lost their chastity.

Following that ordeal, Cang Lingzi had to face the most arduous trials for an Independent Immortal, the Forty-Nine Catastrophes. Being a practitioner of an unorthodox Cultivation Technique, he was close to a nine-death-one-life situation. Likewise, Xiong Man was to fall into the mortal world and suffer many tribulations, ultimately accepting her fate to marry a mountain hunter, bear children with him, and grow old.

Cang Lingzi told Xiong Man, "This is the greatest tribulation in our lives that I've deduced; due to it concerning myself, it was difficult to foresee in advance. I was here tonight to slay the Demon Dragon and snatch the Heavenly Book. I was about to release the Separation and Reunion Divine Light when suddenly the Spiritual Light Refracted. I had an epiphany and, upon calculation, I realized that we had quietly passed this tribulation.

Two days before the incident, the Demon Dragon found the Queen Mother Grass ahead of time, moved it elsewhere, and passed on the Red Snake Technique. The snake went off to cultivate on its own, changing locations. You didn't encounter the turtle and snake nor did you see the little person transformed from the Queen Mother Grass. Ultimately, you didn't meet me; a disaster disappeared into thin air, all because of the Demon Dragon's actions.

Although he didn't do it intentionally, he truly saved both of our paths to immortality; he is our re-creator. We cultivators often span hundreds or thousands of years, or even several lifetimes. Our greatest fear is losing our spiritual light, drifting aimlessly between life and death. Ensuring our spiritual roots remain unclouded, never to sink again, this grace surpasses even the mortal world's greatest acts of lifesaving gratitude. If we were to harm him now, it would be as if repaying kindness with ingratitude and we would surely incur heavenly retribution!"

Cang Lingzi's Dao Level was exceedingly high, his predictions thorough, his explanations clear. Although Xiong Man could not deduce this herself, she had recovered the memories of her past life and knew Cang Lingzi would not deceive her over such matters. She agreed with this logic.

"Just like that, I won't be able to obtain the Heavenly Book and my future path to immortality seems vague." Xiong Man looked towards Dinghu Peak with a sense of sourness in her heart. Her senior and junior sisters had secret techniques passed down to them, following which they cultivated; not to mention the future, their current achievements are already immense, and their future potential limitless. My own future was once pinned on this Heavenly Book, yet now, even though it is within reach, I cannot obtain it, which is truly upsetting.

Cang Lingzi knew something about her future destiny but refrained from speaking. He barely escaped the tribulation and did not want to get too involved with her again. One misstep and he might ruin his own cultivation and fall.

"Didn't your master leave you a letter? Tonight is the turning point of your fate; there must be a prophecy. Wait until after the midnight hour to look at it. But as for this Heavenly Book, you really can't covet it any longer." Cang Lingzi suddenly raised his hand and pointed, "There, someone else is coming. I'll go and send them away. Everything has been made clear, but there's one thing—the Demon Dragon will also have a fate full of trials and tribulations in the future. When the time comes, I will help him avoid one difficulty to repay the kindness, and what you choose to do is up to you; let's hope to meet again!"

With those words, he flicked his body and vanished, flying to the opposite Peak Rock and intercepting three Sword Immortals, persuading them to retreat.

After the midnight hour, Xiong Man opened the letter left by her master, which contained a new plan for her. She descended the mountain in Sword Control.

Cang Lingzi outside dissuaded several groups of people. With his status, his words were respected by both good and evil forces. Those who didn't respect his words were fought until respect was given. He did not use his Flying Sword, but simply using the Separation and Reunion Divine Light, he resolved the confrontations.

Shi Feiyang was unaware that Cang Lingzi had secretly resolved several groups of enemies for him. He had deduced from the bottom of the lake that there would only be Wei Fengniang and Brooyinca as enemies, and once they were dealt with, all would be well. Cautiously, he did not leave his hiding place until daylight.

Through this shedding of his skin, Shi Feiyang's body had grown several zhang, his chest girth even larger. Months later, his full body's black scales had regrown, and he looked even more like a True Dragon. His Dragon Horns and mane had grown longer, and his inner core inside his belly had also expanded by several folds.

Every day at noon, he would go to the peak to bask in the Sun, drawing in the True Sun Fire. Other times, he would cultivate quietly at the bottom of the lake, occasionally teasing the little person Mo Zhui when bored, or crawling to the edge of Peak Rock to look out at the scenery of Immortal City.

Watching the Medicine Gatherers in the distant mountains, the farmers in the woods, the fishers on Alchemy Creek... he felt envious.

Being human was better, after all. Although this Dragon Body was powerful, it was not as convenient as a human body, nor dare he venture out at will.