Redemption of a Born Demon-Chapter 86: Why Heed Old Sayings? A Clear Spirit and Light Qi Are Better for the Struggle
SWISH!
The next moment, with a light tap of her foot, Zhou Qingchen leaped down from the branch. Her form was ethereal as she landed on the ground, making almost no sound, as quiet as a bird alighting from the sky.
Dressed in a white Daoist Robe with a neat, short haircut, she had a tall, slender body and a back as straight as a sword. Her features were androgynous, and her gaze was clear and sharp.
In the eyes of Meng Qianyuan and the others, this person was like a Fallen Immortal who had descended to the mortal realm.
Having "severed the red dragon," who could say that women were inferior to men?
Physiologically, women are not as strong as men; this is determined by genetics and biology. Therefore, for a woman to exhibit Cultivation and Mana comparable to a man, she must "sever the red dragon."
The so-called "red dragon" refers to a woman’s menstruation. To sever it means to stop menstruation, but on a deeper level, it represents the ability to control one’s own endocrine system, thereby unlocking the body’s various latent potentials.
Clearly, Zhou Qingchen was such a being, which explained her androgynous appearance.
Throughout history, female Saints were few and far between.
Those who could Ascend as a Saint in a woman’s body were all individuals of great opportunity, great perseverance, and great enlightenment.
But Zhou Qingchen was more than just that.
Not only did she achieve Ascension, but she did so at the age of thirty-two, a feat that could be called a miracle in the mortal world.
"A Celestial Demon Body, just as I thought. Your Evil Qi is like an ocean, and your talent is extraordinary. But because of this, your demonic obstacles must be as deep as an abyss. Yet you managed to Ascend at twenty-seven. How did you do it?"
Zhou Qingchen’s gaze, as sharp as a sword, swept over Yi Beidou. She could almost see black smoke coiling around him, his Evil Qi surging to the heavens like a beacon of war—fierce and terrifying. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
"From the age of seven, I began suppressing my Demon Nature and sealing myself off. I used my Divine Sense to endure tribulations, severed the six roots of sensation, and extinguished the seven emotions. After twenty years, I finally mastered my Demon Nature, achieved freedom, and Ascended on the spot."
Yi Beidou didn’t mind revealing his Cultivation process in the slightest, unconcerned that others might study him.
But when these words reached the ears of the Emei Disciples, their expressions became difficult to read.
Although Yi Beidou’s description was brief and calm, they could all sense the chilling difficulty and danger it entailed.
’With such Heart Intent and perseverance, it’s no wonder he could Ascend at such a young age.’
"Suppressing your Demon Nature to achieve freedom, cultivating the belief that ’my fate is my own to control’—what a magnificent Free Celestial Demon!"
Zhou Qingchen clapped her hands in praise.
"You are no simple matter yourself," Yi Beidou said, his gaze sizing up Zhou Qingchen, genuinely curious about her experiences. "You were born with the bearing of an Immortal; your spirit and Qi are clear and light, yet your demonic obstacles must have been just as profound. According to the classics, a constitution like yours should be cultivated through nurturing the self in serenity and non-action. Only then could you follow the will of heaven, harmonize with your body, and allow your obstacles to vanish, thereby achieving fruition. But I see your intent is like diamond, your Pure Qi forming a sword that pierces the nine heavens. How did you Ascend?"
From their brief encounter and his own perception, he could already tell that she too was extraordinarily gifted.
A clear spirit, light Qi, and the bearing of an Immortal.
Her bones and muscles were naturally lighter than an ordinary person’s, and her lung capacity was far greater.
This lightness did not mean she was weak.
Titanium alloy is lighter than iron, but its hardness is greater.
Zhou Qingchen’s body was a similar case.
Her body was the result of a benign mutation. Her bones were lighter but harder than a normal person’s, and her muscles, while light, maintained impressive explosive power.
This was the so-called innate Sword Bone Immortal Attitude, a Sword Bone Heaven-Born.
For any extraordinarily gifted body, the initial stages of Cultivation are smoother than for an ordinary person, but the demonic obstacles during Ascension are also deeper.
In Yi Beidou’s current understanding, this was because exceptionally talented people had different genes, causing their Life Magnetic Field to differ from ordinary people. This made achieving a Transformed Body even more difficult.
Compared to his Celestial Demon Body, Zhou Qingchen’s Sword Bone Immortal Attitude was much more benign and gentle. The ancients had even developed corresponding Cultivation methods for this type of constitution.
That path was one of nurturing the self in serenity and non-action, of sitting in oblivion, free of dust.
To put it bluntly, it meant using a tranquil Heart Intent and magnetic field to more easily harmonize with the body’s natural talents, merge with them, and trigger a qualitative transformation.
But Zhou Qingchen had not taken this path. Her Pure Qi formed a sword, her Qi soared to the clouds, and her entire being was like a finely-honed blade, showing no sign of serenity and non-action. She had gone completely against the nature of her constitution.
This was what made Yi Beidou most curious.
"Indeed. From the moment I began my Cultivation, my masters and elders constantly warned me that I had to be serene and inactive, that my Heart Intent had to be peaceful to align with my constitution. But I never agreed with that."
"I knew very well that for me, personally, if I did not strive, I would never have even walked the path of Cultivation. As for the era we live in, this is an age of great contention. If our predecessors hadn’t fought for it, there would be no peace and prosperity today. A woman like me would likely still be dependent on others, toiling like an animal, and dedicating her life to her husband and children. How could I ever have opened my eyes to see the world?"
"What good is ’serenity and non-action’ or ’uniting with the Dao to find truth’? They can’t bring peace to the world or prosperity to humanity! So I chose to strive. My will is a sword. I shattered my demonic obstacles, broke through my bottlenecks, and Ascended on the spot! Demon Nature, divine nature—neither is inherently good or bad. Both are destiny. But I will have my destiny be my own! And having a clear spirit and light Qi only makes it easier to strive!"
Zhou Qingchen’s words were as crisp as the wind, but her will was as sharp as a sword. Her True Intent rippled like an ocean tide. The Qi and blood in her body surged, and with every breath, she seemed to be lifting into the air, as if about to ride the clouds away.
Her origins were humble. She was born in the mountains to a family with traditional values that favored sons over daughters. Because they had too many daughters, she was despised by her parents from a young age and fed table scraps. When she was eight, her family sold her to be a child bride.
Though she was young and naive, she refused to accept such a fate. Halfway to her new home, she risked her life to escape into the mountains. She was nearly eaten by a wild boar but was thankfully discovered by an Emei Disciple who was traveling through the area to gather herbs. She thus escaped disaster and set foot on the path of Cultivation.
’So what if I have a clear spirit, light Qi, and the bearing of an Immortal?’
’If I hadn’t taken that risk and strived back then, my life would be completely different now.’
If one simply accepts their fate, how could the world we know today even exist?
The times have changed, so the Dao and Skill must also change.
Had she followed the path recorded in the ancient texts, one of serenity and non-action, she would have had to wait until she was around fifty to completely quiet her spirit and break through her bottlenecks. But she used her youthful vigor and her sword-like Heart Intent to, as a woman, fight for and achieve the miracle of Ascension at the age of thirty-two.
BOOM!!
As if stimulated by her Heart Intent, the Qi and blood in Yi Beidou’s body also began to churn. His True Intent surged, his Evil Qi billowed like smoke, and his eyes flashed like lightning.
"It seems you and I truly are kindred spirits. In that case, let’s test each other’s Taoist Skill."
Yi Beidou’s voice was like muffled thunder. His body seemed to grow taller, his wild hair flying, and his unrestrained, flamboyant aura forced Meng Qianyuan and the others behind him to retreat.
Even the few disciples from the Emei Sect, who were some distance away, couldn’t help but show their astonishment and backed away, increasing the distance.
’He just Ascended, yet his aura is already so astonishing? Not even Zhou Qingchen had such a blazing presence when she first Ascended, did she?’
Facing a fellow Saint, Yi Beidou was the first to act.
His fingers formed a Lotus, one hand pointing to the sky and the other to the earth. He seemed to transform into a God or Buddha standing upon a stone dais in a temple.
Zizai Dharma Seal, Invert Yin and Yang!!
Moreover, Yi Beidou’s Zizai Dharma Seal was now even more potent. After his experiences with the "Lotus" Dream Manifestation, the struggle with Zhu Zi’Er over the body’s duality, and viewing the Spirit-Suppressing Painting in the Yellow Heaven Tiger Dojo, his understanding of magnetic fields and Mana had deepened. Naturally, the might of his Zizai Dharma Seal was greater than ever before.
Under these conditions, even if Yang Mutong were to use the footwork of the Peacock Dance of Shared Light to its absolute limit, she would have no hope of getting within ten steps of Yi Beidou.
However.
SWOOSH!!
Zhou Qingchen’s figure suddenly moved, seemingly ignoring the terrifying influence of the Zizai Dharma Seal’s Dao Field as if it were nothing.
Yang Mutong’s pupils contracted. Using her Innate Wisdom Eye, she saw that Zhou Qingchen wasn’t just stepping on the critical nodes of the chaotic magnetic field. A clear light emanated from the soles of her feet, creating a void in the magnetic field wherever she passed and allowing her steps to avoid its influence.
This wasn’t her intent being tranquil, nor her Pure Qi purifying all techniques. It was her Heart Intent being like a sword—sharp and cutting everywhere, severing all techniques in its path, unstained by dust.
With this kind of footwork, Arrays would struggle to trap her, and the chaos of the world’s magnetic field could hardly affect her.
This was the "Dustless Sword Step"!
「Dragon Tiger Mountain Peak.」
The Elder Celestial Master watched as the Pure Qi and Demonic Qi entangled, clashing against one another and growing ever more incandescent, and a light gleamed in his eyes.
"Both are the paragons of this generation, the youngest Saints to have Ascended. One Yin, one Yang; one pure, one demonic. Who is stronger, and who is weaker?! To witness such a scene before my death... the heavens have truly been kind to me!"
The Elder Celestial Master laughed heartily.
