CHAPTER 548: CHAPTER 546: GUIDANCE

"The truth..."

On the deck, a Cultivator tried to suppress the unease and panic in his heart, feigning composure as he said, "Taoist Head Luo, what in the world are you talking about? Wasn’t the Fish Demon eradicated by our combined efforts..."

"Firstly, let me clarify one thing," Luo Siyuan said with a gentle smile. "The giant fish you just killed was not a Demon. Over the years, I have been feeding the giant fish with the flesh and blood of Demons collected from all over. As time passed, it became enveloped in a thick demonic aura, which deceived all of you."

"Luo Siyuan!" General Du Tinghuai’s eyes suddenly widened. He took a step forward and sternly exclaimed, "Are you saying that you deliberately bred a Demon, turning it into a disaster for the Ling Shui River?!"

"The first part is correct; the second part is not," Luo Siyuan shook his head and said. "I indeed fed the giant fish with Demon flesh and blood. But even without the giant fish, the Ling Shui River is a natural, unknown disaster that has taken root in the heartland of the Central Plains."

The crowd was puzzled. They thought Luo Siyuan was referring to the frequent floods of the Ling Shui River, which inundated farmland and displaced countless people. In contrast, the Taoists from Longhu Mountain’s complexions changed dramatically. A middle-aged Taoist said with a somber and gloomy voice, "Junior Brother Luo, do you realize what you are saying?"

"I do. Wasn’t this plan proposed by me, after all?" Luo Siyuan glanced at the clueless people on the ship and smiled as he explained, "The Ling Shui River passes through Chenzhou, Fengzhou, Qizhou, and other places, with a dense network of tributaries, providing water for hundreds of millions of people in the Central Plains. Several years ago, I proposed to the Sect Leader that we divert the Demonic Qi from the Demon Refining Cave into the Ling Shui River. By using the river’s current to dilute the Demonic Qi, we could alleviate the imminent destruction of the Demon Refining Cave. If you all think about it carefully, you should realize that in recent years, reports of Demons within the Ling Water River Basin have increased significantly—the widespread proliferation of Demons is one of this plan’s consequences."

"..."

The military officer from the Wude Guard widened his eyes and clenched his fists, muttering, "So it is true. Whenever I led my troops on patrols, I always felt that the Demons in Chenzhou were only increasing in number, no matter how many we killed. I reported this to my superiors, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea; no response ever came. When I went to the capital to report for duty, my superiors even reprimanded me. They said I was making a mountain out of a molehill and told me not to spread rumors or cause alarm."

"Absurd," General Du Tinghuai said through clenched teeth. "If this is true, why was I completely unaware?"

Luo Siyuan spoke indifferently, "Even the governor is not privy to this matter. Throughout the entire world, only a select few nobles from the imperial city and the elders of Longhu Mountain are aware of the full details of the plan. After all, if the world knew that Longhu Mountain was tacitly condoning, or even deliberately fostering, the proliferation of Demons, it would spell disaster. And these fellow Taoist brothers of mine, while they appear to be stationed in Chenzhou assisting the Wude Guard with patrolling for Demons, are actually monitoring me in secret. They’re here to prevent me from letting things slip one day and spreading the news everywhere."

The few Taoists remained silent, their faces sullen and ominous, like dense, dark clouds hanging in the sky, refusing to disperse.

"Heh," Luo Siyuan chuckled, ignoring the angry stares of his fellow disciples. He casually explained, "The Celestial Master Tao has been based at Longhu Mountain for a thousand years, serving as the foremost leader of the righteous path in the world. The Cultivators of Longhu Mountain delve into profound mysteries and comprehend the Tao; their Mana is immense.

"The Demon Refining Cave of Longhu Mountain is an exceptional treasure, said to have been bestowed in a dream by the Old Lord to Celestial Master Zhang. It is on par with sacred items like the Justice League Prestige Talisman, the Three Five Demonic Slash Dual Welding Sword, and the Yang Ping Divine Seal. The Six-Ding Divine Fire burning within the cave can refine all manner of spirits and specters in the world.

"Even the most ferocious Demons, once suppressed within the cave, are swiftly burned to ash by the eternally burning Six-Ding Divine Fire, leaving behind only one or two essences similar to post-mortem liberation relics or Zen Relics. These are then repurposed, forged into Magic Artifacts and spiritual treasures, and provided to righteous Cultivators so they may continue hunting down Demons.

"It can be said that the Demon Refining Cave of Longhu Mountain is of paramount importance in the world. Without the Demon Refining Cave, the righteous path would wane, Demons would flourish, and evil would run rampant."

Luo Siyuan calmly scanned the crowd and continued, "However, the most critical component within the Demon Refining Cave—the wick that sustains the Six-Ding Divine Fire—was destroyed hundreds of years ago. A traitor from the White Lotus Cult, who had infiltrated Longhu Mountain, self-detonated and destroyed it. After the wick was obliterated, although the Six-Ding Divine Fire in the Demon Refining Cave did not go out, it now needs to burn incessantly. If it were to pause for even a single second, the now-rootless Six-Ding Divine Fire would be instantly extinguished, never to be rekindled."

"..."

The Cultivators on deck could hardly conceal their astonishment; they had never heard such secrets before.

"You must be wondering," Luo Siyuan continued, addressing their unspoken questions, "if it’s merely a missing wick, why can’t we use a ritual track to directly contact Celestial Master Zhang, who has already ascended to the Fairy World, and ask him to bestow a new one upon us?"

He sighed. "In truth, Longhu Mountain lost all contact with the Fairy World hundreds of years ago. No matter what methods we employ, it’s impossible to connect with any Immortal. Since we cannot obtain a new wick, we can only maintain the current situation: desperately gathering Demons from all over the world to use as fuel, continuously feeding them into the Demon Refining Cave.

"However, while the Divine Fire burns eternally, the supply of Demons is finite and will eventually be exhausted. In a desperate bid to keep the Divine Fire alight, Longhu Mountain has tried almost every conceivable measure. During the most dire times, when no usable Demons could be found, elders whose lifespans were nearing their end and who had no hope of ascension even walked into the depths of the Demon Refining Cave to offer themselves as kindling, thereby sustaining the Six-Ding Divine Fire and the hopes of the mortal world."

Luo Siyuan shook his head. "Several years ago, inspired by ancient texts, I designed a Formation. This Formation can channel the Demonic Qi from the Demon Refining Cave into the Ling Shui River, using the river’s current to dilute it. This approach has two main benefits.

"First, it allows for the controlled creation of Demons. Newly born Demons nurtured by this diverted Demonic Qi are mostly low in cultivation and pose little significant threat. Thus, they can be easily hunted and used as kindling for the Divine Fire.

"Second, it relieves the immense pressure within the Demon Refining Cave. For hundreds of years, the Demonic Qi has been accumulating relentlessly at the top of the cave, to the point where it has almost solidified. The entire Demon Refining Cave is like an earthenware pot, with water boiling fiercely inside while its lid is forcibly held down—constantly at risk of exploding. Channeling away some of the Demonic Qi helps to stabilize the Demon Refining Cave."

"..."

The Cultivators were collectively struck dumb; not a sound could be heard on deck.

A middle-aged Taoist from Longhu Mountain stated expressionlessly, "The Formation buried beneath the riverbed of the Ling Shui River, designed to channel the Demonic Qi, has indeed created a vast number of Demons. However, this was a choice of the lesser of two evils. The Immortals and Buddhas do not save us; we mortals can only save ourselves."

"Well said." Luo Siyuan nodded. "The Sect Leader adopted my proposal and secretly constructed the Formation in the Ling Shui River. The Nine Curves Locking River God Subduing Formation that you all see before you at this very moment is, in fact, a contingency that I, as its designer, secretly left in place."

"..."

General Du Tinghuai took a deep breath and said slowly, "Taoist Head Luo, why bother telling us all this? We knew nothing of Longhu Mountain’s secrets to begin with. There was no need for you to silence us, so why trap us here with this Formation?"