In the days leading up to the Winter Solstice, Shi Feiyang once again recited a spell, connecting with Esheng Fan through soul bond.

Esheng Fan, elated, continually transmitted his joy to Shi Feiyang. The connection between a divine demon and a cultivator required no words, for they could directly empathize with each other's emotions.

Shi Feiyang also shared his feelings, restrained yet joyful, "It's been a long time, I wanted to see how you are."

Esheng Fan expressed his intense emotions, "I have longed day and night for a Dao friend like you, with such a rare demon cultivating talent that appears once in a thousand years. It would truly be a pity if you do not practice my demon skills! Over these past thousand years, the Demon Path has declined, constantly criticized ignorantly; 'demon' has even become a derogatory term, how absurd!

If you, my Dao friend, do not practice the Demon Path, it will continue to sink into oblivion, forever like an endless night. Only you can master the Supreme Demon Great Technique... I feel that your Heavenly Secret Demon Technique has already made minor accomplishments, truly a rarity in this world! I have been regretting recently that, due to my influence, you have developed an aversion to the Divine Demon Skills, which would be a grave fault of mine, utterly unforgivable!"

Shi Feiyang was delighted, "Since you say so, I forgive you. What other magic do you have? I'll learn a bit more."

Esheng Fan, aware that Shi Feiyang had practiced the Heavenly Secret Demon Technique and reached a high level, yet was still unable to directly control his Primordial Spirit, secretly resented, "This cunning one is still wary of me, only wanting to learn my techniques without being controlled by them.

But this is normal. Didn't I also practice like this in the past? It's unfortunate that the senior who helped me deal with the Absolute Venerable, that bald monk, made me lower my guard, and at my proudest moment he ruthlessly captured my Lifebound Primordial Spirit and imprisoned it here.

I'm not afraid of you guarding against me; I'm only afraid you would ignore me. There has always been a saying, 'A thief can't be on guard for a thousand days, but there's no one who guards against a thief for a thousand days.' As long as you are willing to practice my Divine Demon Skills daily, the deeper your skill becomes, the more you are influenced, and the moment you let your guard down, I will immediately subdue you!"

He made up his mind and taught Shi Feiyang another spell from the Demon Cult.

After hearing it, Shi Feiyang was noncommittal, "I still want to see the complete Demon Scripture. Teaching me bits and pieces each time is like the blind men and the elephant, it's really uninteresting."

Esheng Fan, still unable to control his Primordial Spirit, worried that Shi Feiyang was deliberately setting a trap, and would destroy both him and the scripture upon seeing it.

Seeing his hesitation, Shi Feiyang said, "If you're unwilling, then forget it, I'll continue to practice Daoist Techniques, which are quite powerful too..."

"Daoist Techniques are powerful, my ass!" Esheng Fan quickly interjected, "I've always only battled against the Buddhist monks; I never even consider Daoist folks! Back then, an old Daoist from the Emei Sect, Lianshan, boasted about being from the Mysterious Sect and made a great vow to enlighten the unorthodox. What happened in the end? A slight scheme of mine... never mind about him, let's talk about you. If you want to see the complete Demon Scripture, that's fine. How do you plan to see it?"

He had already made a decision. His final trial was fast approaching, and the two who practiced Demonic Destruction Treasure Scroll were soon to arrive. Without a plan, he would only have another twenty to thirty years at best. Shi Feiyang was his last hope for successfully overcoming the trial.

Besides, although Shi Feiyang hadn't been controlled in his Primordial Spirit, he had truly practiced the Heavenly Demon Refining Form and the Heavenly Secret Demon Great Techniques. Anyone practicing these techniques certainly did not belong to the righteous path of Buddhism or Daoism, and thus would not destroy such a precious scripture.

Shi Feiyang said, "I'm at the Outer Heaven Divine Mountain. Come to the Outer Heaven Divine Mountain too, it's too dangerous outside. Have Gui Wu bring you and the three Secret Demon Divine Shuttles over."

"You know about the Secret Demon Divine Shuttles?" Esheng Fan was slightly surprised.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly, "After all, I am a Sword Immortal who has attained the Dao from the Mysterious Sect. What's so surprising about knowing you have Secret Demon Divine Shuttles? Besides, the Spiritual Pearl hasn't been quiet about it."

"Alright," Esheng Fan calculated, "Let's do that!"

After they severed contact, he summoned the Spiritual Pearl and the three other Island Masters along with Gui Wu. They packed him into a stone casket that could hide his demonic Qi and Demon Light, and then took it with them, planning to cross through the Aurora Fire into the Outer Heaven Divine Mountain on the Summer Solstice.

They had barely crossed the Aurora Fire when the Commander of Jinting Pass, Zhuang Xiaoyun, with three thousand troops breathing fire, confronted them, "By the Dragon Emperor's decree, only Gui Wu is allowed to carry the scripture to the Five Bright Palace for an audience. All unrelated personnel, return from whence you came!"

The Spiritual Pearl and the other three Island Masters, only heeding Esheng Fan's orders, communicated telepathically to ask Esheng Fan what to do.

Unsure, Esheng Fan instructed the Spiritual Pearl to temporarily bring him back to Wuyu Island and then contact Shi Feiyang again.

When the Spiritual Pearl attempted to leave, Zhuang Xiaoyun intervened, his hand waving, and his army surrounded them in the center, "What is this place, Outer Heaven Divine Mountain? Do you think you can come and go as you please? The Dragon Emperor's decree allows only Gui Wu to carry the scripture to the Five Bright Palace for an audience. Did you hear that clearly? Gui Wu! Take the scripture to the Five Bright Palace. The rest of you, get lost!"

The tension between the two parties escalated rapidly.

The three island masters of the Black Spiritual Pearl were among the most powerful cultivators in the Forty-Seven Islands of Little Antarctic; otherwise, they would not have been chosen by Esheng Fan for the sacrificial refinement of the Divine Shuttle. Having practiced the Demon Scripture, their mana had risen to an even higher level, and each one of them possessed several Magical Treasures. Facing these three thousand demons, they genuinely believed they would not be overly apprehensive should a battle ensue.

Further seeking guidance from Esheng Fan proved challenging for him. Currently, he could only exist within the scripture, equivalent to an "Artifact Spirit," and lacked the ability to emerge and duel with others. Surely, he could not simply detonate all three Secret Demon Divine Shuttles at once, as the situation had not yet escalated to such extremeties.

He attempted to connect telepathically with Shi Feiyang across the vast Heaven and Sea, but could not locate him. Instead, he introspectively forecasted the future, finding a sense of serenity in his heart. Staying in Outer Heaven Divine Mountain, staying by Dragon Emperor Shi Feiyang's side, he realized he could indeed transcend his tribulation.

He then had the Black Spiritual Pearl hand over the stone box to Gui Wu and instructed them to return to their island first, allowing only Gui Wu to go meet Shi Feiyang with him.

After handing over the stone box, the Black Spiritual Pearl left with his companions, traveling through the Aurora Fire back to the Forty-Seven Islands. Only when the Aurora Fire rose anew and restored itself did their heavily laden hearts find some relief.

Over the years, they had been enslaved by the Esheng Fan within the Demon Scripture, forced to refine the shuttle relentlessly, suffering torture on their Primordial Spirits whenever something was slightly unsatisfactory—the pain far exceeded any physical torture. Now that this plague demon had finally been dispatched, they could indulge in the blessings of immortality!

Although Esheng Fan could still influence them, the distance now reduced his grasp, and being merely a lonely ghost within a book, if they were careful, he could no longer dominate their lives as before.

The three island masters, overjoyed, congratulated each other and agreed to lay out a feast in a cave on Lianshan Island, calling upon beautiful maids from various islands for a lavish and joyous "unobstructed gathering."

Meanwhile, Gui Wu, carrying the stone box, soared across the vast sea to the West Coast and entered Five Bright Palace to meet Shi Feiyang.

Shi Feiyang did not see him personally. Standing on the palace steps was a blue-robed youth, Lin Han, the rotating disciple for the year: "Give me the stone box, and then head to Shenzhe Palace. Rest and cleanse there, and you may leave when the next Aurora Fire opens. To reward you, you are allowed to go to the second floor of the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion and pick an Immortal Pill you require."

Hearing this, Gui Wu quickly bowed in gratitude, then proceeded to Shenzhe Palace with the palace guard, Jia Dali, also one of the Green Flood Dragon brothers Shi Feiyang had recruited by Yan Lake years ago who had now transformed into a human with a dragon's head, carrying an Immortal Sword proudly.

Lin Han with the stone box did not enter Five Bright Palace but instead flew towards the rear toward Tianxin Palace.

During this time, Shi Feiyang had been quietly cultivating treasures in Tianxin Palace. When Lin Han entered and handed over the stone box, he asked him to leave immediately.

Upon opening the stone box, which consisted of two layers, the upper part held a demonic scripture bound in red silk with black characters—blood light filled the air. Opening the lid instantly shrouded the entire great hall in blood-red. Below, there were three unrefined Divine Shuttles.

These scriptures and shovels had always been kept in an underwater cave. The Black Spiritual Pearl three had studied the scripture and refined treasures there as well; otherwise, lifting them out would paint the vast swathes of the sea red, bloodlight soaring to the sky, alerting other cultivators from afar about the birth of a demon creature, who would immediately call for companions to gather for a demon-slaying assembly.

Shi Feiyang, delighted, opened the Demon Scripture and chuckled, "My good friend, how have you been?"

Esheng Fan, unable to leave the Demon Scripture, appeared as a red silhouette on the opened page: "Finally seeing you! My Daoist friend, you possess an immortal-root and a dignified appearance, it's unbelievable that such a person exists in this world! From now on, whenever you read this Demon Scripture, I'll be here to explain anytime..."

This fellow was a Divine Demon, just a step away from becoming a Heavenly Demon. Despite such close proximity, he still could not sense Shi Feiyang's inner thoughts; he felt as if engulfed by chaos, as if Shi Feiyang harbored no thoughts at all.

His speech was full of flattery, but his heart was full of astonishment. He kept trying to subtly sense Shi Feiyang's eyes.

Shi Feiyang seamlessly responded to him, expressing emotions like any normal person, yet still, he could not detect even a single thought of Shi Feiyang. When his Divine Sense reached out, it felt like entering chaos, an endless empty expanse of space, not only devoid of any findings but also leaving him feeling like his punch had hit an emptiness, causing a momentarily discomfort.

Shi Feiyang commenced flipping through the Demon Scripture, reading swiftly. The Heavenly Demon Refining Great Technique and the Heavenly Secret Demon Great Technique he had already practiced were entirely similar to those in the Demon Scripture; it also contained a vast array of contents, mainly about Daoist views: the worldview, life philosophy, and value system.

The worldview leads to the life philosophy, the life philosophy determines the value system. Buddhism espouses the worldview of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, suggesting life philosophy as segmented life and death, karma, continuous reincarnation, naturally leading to the value system that regards life and death lightly, considering the body but a vessel, aspiring to ascend to the higher paths and decry the lower paths, perceiving transcendence as enlightenment, and worldly doctrine as folly.

This Demon Cult's worldview was different; it was a universe derived from all heavens, with countless worlds within this grand universe, each world being dimensional: a world could exist within a flower, or a drop of water; the ultimate value for a demon is to continuously seize benefits, exploit all beings, grow powerful, dominate a small world, then a large world, turning all beings into their devil's descendants, ultimately ruling over all heavens!

Shi Feiyang adhered to the Three Emperors Dao, believing in the worldview of the Mysterious Sect: Dao as the essence of the cosmos and the origin of all beings. With people in Dao and Dao in people, Dao is not far from people, people are far from Dao. Aligning with the Dao is like a fetus in a mother's womb, breathing Innate Qi, connecting the existence and nonexistence, practicing non-action while achieving everything. Thus, ruling the world with Dao, all things return to it.

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