White-Robed Chief

This was also the reason why Chu Li wanted to join the Heavenly Demonic Sect. With the Heavenly Demonic Sect’s assistance, he could quickly improve his level of the Heavenly Demonic Power.

However, when he was in Ji Dynasty, he did not dare to expose the Heavenly Demonic Power. Neither did he as well when he became a part of the Amethyst Mountain as he could not devour the force of the experts publicly.

Now, through Elder Bai and the others, he knew that this was no simple task. The Heavenly Demonic Power was easy to cultivate but difficult to achieve a breakthrough. He must have a unique inner state and an exceptionally high level of comprehension, or else he would not make any progress despite having an abundance of inner energy.

Moreover, the difficulty in achieving a breakthrough increases with each level. At first glance, there was not much difference between the sixth and the seventh level, but it was overwhelmingly tough to ascend to the next level. The higher the level, the greater the requirements towards one’s inner state. Furthermore, inner states were often unpredictable, mysterious and hard to comprehend. He might end up getting stuck at the same level.

Chu Li closely analyzed the reason he could advance quickly to the sixth level and he discovered the key point — the Heavenly Demon Scripture.

The Heavenly Demonic Power and the Heavenly Demon Scripture did not originate from the same source. Apparently, the Heavenly Demonic Sect did not possess the Heavenly Demonic Scripture. Instead, the Heavenly Demon Statue was used to pass on the Heavenly Demonic Power. It coagulated and transformed into a Heavenly Demonic Orb which they had used to cultivate.

Chu Li then realized his Heavenly Demonic Scripture was one of a kind. Not only could it remove the obstructions in one’s boundary, but it had made him achieve breakthroughs unconsciously which hastened his cultivation. As long as he had the right amount of skill, he could progress towards the next level.

Unfortunately, this form of cultivation was still too slow for him. The accumulation of skill required to progress from the sixth level to the seventh level was insanely huge. It would take forever for Chu Li to rely on devouring forces.

He followed Qu Jing out of the valley of the Heavenly Demonic Sect and walked for a hundred miles before Qu Jing allowed him to remove his mask.

“What are your plans?” Qu Jing asked.

They stopped by a post-house. It was dawn and the air was cool.

“I’m thinking of a way to reach the seventh level as quickly as possible.” Chu Li frowned. “Do you know about this, Elder Qu?”

“Actually…” Qu Jing contemplated with knitted brows and shook his head. “There is a shortcut.”

Chu Li asked, “What kind of shortcut?”

Qu Jing looked at him and shook his head again. “Unfortunately, it’s useless even if you know about it.”

“Tell me, Elder Qu,” Chu Li replied, “I want to know.”

Qu Jing said, “The fastest way is to devour the Enlightened Master’s energy.”

“The Enlightened Master’s energy?” Chu Li was skeptical.

Qu Jing spoke, “When the Enlightened Masters deal a few blows to you, you’ll soon achieve the seventh level.”

Chu Li looked at him.

There was a subtle smile on Qu Jing’s face.

“Looks like you plan to kill me, Elder Qu,” Chu Li remarked calmly.

Qu Jing spoke coldly, “I’m a disciple of both the Heavenly Demonic Sect and the Church of the Divine Blood!”

“Are you going to do it now?” Chu Li smiled. “Why didn’t you try to kill me when I had my face covered, Elder Qu? Wouldn’t that be easier?”

“Hmph, I’m not that kind of person!” Qu Jing retorted.

Chu Li shook his head. “Elder Qu, your outdated beliefs will only result in more deaths of the Church of the Divine Blood’s experts.”

“Intense fights will often lead to death and that can’t be avoided,” Qu Jing said. “That’s why it depends on one’s abilities. I don’t do these lowly things!”

Chu Li spoke, “So, are you saying that it’s not lowly of the Church of the Divine Blood to send an expert like you to deal with a young disciple, but bold?”

“We have to obey the sect’s orders,” Qu Jing replied. “Plus, the sect’s missions differ from our personal missions. The sect only cares about profits and the rest don’t matter.”

Chu Li said, “Then, we shall meet again someday!”

“Next time, I won’t show you mercy. I will kill you,” Qu Jing said threateningly.

Chu Li gave a fist salute before he turned around and left.

Soon, he arrived at a steep mountain. He waited until it was midnight and he suddenly appeared in front of the Heavenly Demonic Sect. The moment Chu Li stepped into the cave, he appeared at the valley.

The valley was brightly lit at night, making it seem like it was daytime. Lanterns were hung everywhere.

In contrast, the valley was not crowded but somewhat quiet. Most of the disciples were cultivating in their own homes. Not many people stayed outside, and the ones who did were training in the martial arts field.

The basilica in which Chu Li had entered earlier was now pitch black.

An elderly man was seated on a cattail hassock inside the basilica, meditating. He blended in with the darkness and he took long pauses between each breath, making him look like he was dead. Chu Li recognized that the man was an Elder.

This Elder had a high cultivation level that was greater than that of Qu Jing’s. His entire body seemed to have blended in with Heaven and Earth. He seems to have an ethereal form, yet he possessed immense power. Chu Li revered the man. The Elder might not be as intimidating as an Enlightened Master, but Chu Li decided to keep his distance.

He knew that he was no match for the Elder despite using his secret technique. The Elder of the Heavenly Demonic Sect had an astonishing cultivation level and it was impossible to tell how far he had achieved in his mastery of the Heavenly Demonic Power. The Heavenly Demonic Orb was as tiny as a speck of dust and almost invisible.

Chu Li had a hunch that the smaller the Heavenly Demonic Orb, the greater one’s boundary.

His own orb was the size of a red bean and much larger than that of the Elder. Chu Li was at least two levels below him. Although the Elder had probably reached the ninth level, he had not perfected his mastery yet.

It was said that once a person had perfected the Heavenly Demon Scripture, he would become an Enlightened Master. It looked like he was missing one small step.

He crept into an empty house, laid on the bed and used the Omniscient Mirror to observe the entire valley. He wanted to locate the secret’s hiding place.

Chu Li also wanted to inspect the Heavenly Demon Statue as it contained many secrets. Perhaps, the key to him making a breakthrough and achieving the seventh level of the Heavenly Demonic Power depended on it.

A whole night had passed, yet the elderly man on the cattail hassock did not move. When it was time for breakfast, another Elder arrived and the Elder on the cattail hassock left. Then, the other Elder sat down and became as still as a statue.

Chu Li’s heart sank. ‘Will they continuously guard the Heavenly Demon Statue?’

If that was true, he would have no chance at all. He could not afford to cause a commotion to lure the Elders away. Doing so would alert them and it would result in more trouble for him.

So, he left silently and avoided getting too close to the Elder. Such experts were extremely intuitive and they would certainly detect Chu Li’s presence if he got too close.

With the formation in place, Chu Li could not observe what went on in the valley. In order to do so, he had to be in the valley. The valley’s formation was mysterious and that was the reason why the Heavenly Demonic Sect had not been exposed for the past few years.

He came out of the valley and soon arrived at the mansion in Adjacent Town.

Xiao Qi and Xiao Shi were preparing their meals. When they noticed his return, they asked him about his experiences. Chu Li summarized everything with an emphasis on interesting topics such as the Ultimate Temple and the Church of the Divine Blood. He omitted details about the dangers he faced.

After having breakfast, Chu Li left at once and headed back to the valley where the Heavenly Demonic Sect was located. He continued to observe the events in the valley.

He ignored everything on Zheng Ze’s side. Still, he believed that the people of the Ultimate Temple were not a bunch of cowards. When the Church of the Divine Blood sent a centenarian master to deal with the disciples of the Ultimate Temple and caused the latter to suffer, the Ultimate Temple would not back down. They would surely assign a centenarian master to protect them too.

As long as Chu Li remained in the Heavenly Demonic Sect, the Church of the Divine Blood would not be able to find him. The Heavenly Demonic Sect’s formation would render the Church of the Divine Blood’s tracking technique useless, thus Chu Li could stay put and carry on with his observation in peace.

He stayed there for five days as he waited patiently for his opportunity to arrive.

On this day, at noon, the opportunity Chu Li had been waiting for had finally arrived. A young disciple of the Heavenly Demonic Sect suddenly ran back to the valley. His whole body was covered in wounds and he looked like he was about to die. Immediately, the Four Elders rushed forward to help him.

The disciple was about the same age as Chu Li and he was a handsome man. He had reached the fifth level in his mastery of the Heavenly Demonic Power. Chu Li could tell that the Four Elders favored this disciple as they carried him to a hot spring and took turns to treat his wounds.