Great Wilderness Demon Lord

The room fell silent again, save for the soft rustling of bamboo leaves outside the window. Xiao Yunlan sat quietly at the table for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the objects that would determine his future, finally settling on the thinnest booklet.

He reached for the "Qi Cultivation Manual." The booklet was old, with worn edges and yellowed pages, exuding a musty smell of having been read many times. Opening the title page, the ink was somewhat faded, but the characters were still clearly defined:

"Qi is the essence of heaven and earth, the origin of all things. The path of cultivation begins with sensing Qi, guiding it into the body, and refining oneself..."

Following the most basic method described in the book, he sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts and focus his attention on the ethereal boundary between himself and the outside world, to sense the so-called "Qi of Heaven and Earth".

At first, it was just a blank space. However, just as his mind gradually calmed down and his distracting thoughts subsided, deep within his dantian, the eight strange objects that had been dormant and entrenched suddenly trembled all at once!

Two of them, in particular, reacted violently: one burst forth with scorching heat, while the other exuded a bone-chilling cold. At the same time, an unprecedentedly clear perception emerged—countless tiny, imperceptible, yet vibrant, pale golden energy wisps floated in the surrounding air. They were omnipresent, slowly circulating.

This is "Qi".

The eight beings within Xiao Yunlan's dantian, like ferocious beasts that had slumbered for millennia, suddenly smelled blood and unleashed astonishing greed and desire. An invisible suction force surged forth, frantically seizing the Qi threads flowing through Xiao Yunlan's body.

"Buzz—"

A low, resonant sound that only Xiao Yunlan could "hear" was heard.

The invisible constraints tightened instantly.

Under his inner vision, he "saw" eight chains made of pure light emerge from nothingness, intertwining into a complex and majestic formation that firmly locked the eight restless halos of light around his dantian in eight directions.

Whenever a stream of Qi was forcibly pulled closer, the chains would light up slightly, shattering and isolating most of it. In the end, only a tiny, almost negligible stream of Qi was able to seep into his dry and fragile meridians through the tightly sealed gaps.

The Eight Formations for Binding Demons. It is like a cage, imprisoning the dangerous "tenant"; it is also like a dam, blocking his channels for drawing power.

Xiao Yunlan didn't stop. He patiently guided the meager flow of Qi again and again, like guiding a small stream to slowly wash and nourish the nearly barren meridians. The efficiency was so low that it was despairing, but after several cycles, the barely perceptible fullness and warmth in the meridians were real and tangible.

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly exhaled a long breath and opened his eyes. His eyes showed obvious fatigue, but also a deep, unwavering determination.

The road was treacherous and narrow, but in the end, the first step was taken.

-----------------

His new residence, named "Tingzhuxuan," was located to the west of the Xiao residence. The courtyard wasn't spacious, but it was decorated with considerable elegance and tranquility. A clump of lush bamboo grew against the wall, rustling in the wind and adding to the serenity. Madam Liu assigned four maids and six servants to manage his daily life. There were two guards, one visible and one hidden: the visible guard was named Tieshan, around thirty years old, with a burly, mountain-like build, taciturn, always standing guard near the courtyard gate like an iron tower; the hidden guard, Yingqi, never showed himself, Madam Liu only saying that he would remain hidden nearby, only appearing in life-or-death situations.

That afternoon, steady footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate and stopped outside Tingzhu Pavilion.

The newcomer wore a sky-blue silk Taoist robe, the sleeves embroidered with the Big Dipper in silver thread. Though worn, the robe was neatly pressed, exuding an air of meticulous officialdom. His white hair was styled into a Taoist bun, secured with a simple ebony hairpin. His face was lean and refined, his eyes calm as a deep pool. In his hand, he held an ancient bronze compass—it was none other than Xuan Chengzi, the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Observatory, whom he had met briefly in the ruins of the altar that day.

After receiving the message, Xiao Yunlan went to the courtyard to greet him. As soon as they met, the copper needle in the center of the compass in Xuan Chengzi's hand, which was called the "Eight Extremes Star-Fixing Compass," began to tremble violently without warning. Then it began to spin wildly, so fast that only a blurry afterimage remained, emitting a low but piercing buzzing sound.

Xuan Chengzi's gaze fell on the compass, then he looked up at Xiao Yunlan, his expression unchanged, and he simply nodded slightly: "Sit."

He sat down first on a stone bench in the courtyard, placing the compass on the stone table. The wildly spinning needle did not affect his steady movements. Xiao Yunlan sat down opposite him, and Tieshan silently retreated to the courtyard gate, standing with his back to the door, his eyes wary.

Xuan Chengzi didn't exchange pleasantries. His gaze lingered on Xiao Yunlan's face for a moment before he slowly spoke, his voice flat and carrying an unquestionable authority: "Xiao Yunlan, the object sealed within your body is called the 'Eight Demon-Binding Formations.' This is a forbidden technique created by the Grand Astrologer of the previous dynasty, using living people as formations to seal demonic thoughts. The eight demonic thoughts within you are still active, which is extraordinary."

He lightly pressed his finger on the edge of the compass, and the frantic spinning gradually slowed down and finally stopped, but the needle tip still trembled slightly, pointing directly in Xiao Yunlan's direction.

"I am here today on the orders of the Supervisor to inform you of three things." Xuan Chengzi's tone was calm, yet his words were clear, like reciting a verdict. "First, demonic thoughts need 'food.' They do not directly devour spiritual energy, but rather crave to satisfy the 'concepts' they represent—war intent, slaughter, scheming, deceit, loyalty, desire, medicine, and plague. This is the essence of demonic nature and the source of its power."

"Secondly, the essence of the Eight Demon-Binding Formations lies in balance. The eight demons are mutually reinforcing and restraining, maintaining a balance of yin and yang. If you use the power of a certain demonic thought to 'feed' it, then the demonic thought opposite it will feel 'hunger'. If the imbalance lasts for more than twelve to twenty-four hours, the seal will tilt. At best, the mind will be disturbed; at worst, the demonic thought will backfire and take over the body."

Xiao Yunlan listened intently, etching these words into his heart. Xuan Chengzi's tone lacked concern, only calmly informing, like a physician informing a patient of their condition.

"Third," Xuan Chengzi raised his gaze slightly to look at Xiao Yunlan, "the Great Wilderness you are about to go to is no ordinary place. There, the ancient war spirit has not dissipated, poisonous miasma and plagues are rampant, and there are secrets buried in the ruins of the previous dynasty—all of which are environments that can easily arouse demonic thoughts. And the eight demons in your body are like beacons in the dark for the evil cult branch of the Great Wilderness."

These words, spoken casually, sent a chill down Xiao Yunlan's spine.

Xuan Chengzi took out three yellow paper talismans from his sleeve. The talismans had intricate cinnabar patterns and faintly shimmered with spiritual light. "These are 'Heart-Cleansing Talismans,' which can help you temporarily stabilize your mind and suppress restless demonic thoughts. However—" He paused, his tone still calm, "this talisman only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. The Imperial Observatory gave you these to maintain stability while you are in the capital. As for what happens after you arrive in the Great Wilderness…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: the Imperial Observatory was concerned about preventing any incidents in the capital. As for the situation in the Great Wilderness, that was another matter.

Xiao Yunlan accepted the talisman with both hands and solemnly said, "This junior understands."

Xuan Chengzi nodded slightly, signaling him to relax, then extended a finger and lightly touched Xiao Yunlan's brow. A warm yet irresistible spiritual sense probed in, wandering through his limbs and bones, before withdrawing after a moment.

"Your innate talent is ordinary, you're practically a bottom-tier cultivator." Xuan Chengzi withdrew his hand, his tone calm. "But the presence of the eight demons within you gives you an exceptionally keen perception of certain 'concepts.' Such talent carries unpredictable fortune and misfortune. The Imperial Observatory will not interfere with your choices, but only hopes you understand: these eight demons within you are excellent 'bait' for certain forces."

The words were spoken cryptically, but Xiao Yunlan understood. The Imperial Observatory tacitly allowed him to go to the Great Wilderness, perhaps precisely to see how many "fish" hidden deep in the wilderness could be drawn out by this "bait" containing the Eight Demons.

After saying this, the old Taoist turned and left, his steps steady, his Taoist robe fluttering slightly in the autumn wind, without pausing for a moment.

Xiao Yunlan stood in the courtyard, watching the figure in sky-blue disappear beyond the bamboo shadows. The three calming talismans in his hand felt slightly cool, and the words from earlier still echoed in his ears.

The Imperial Observatory's attitude was clear: they didn't care about his life or death, only the stability of the capital, and—whether they could use him to lure out those shady things deep in the wilderness.

He slowly tightened his grip on the talisman, his gaze growing somber.

Whether it's a chess piece or bait.

At least for now, he still has a choice.