Re-cultivating the Demon Arts

Yang Fan's expression turned serious, though his voice remained calm. "I acquired a rather fine piece of material for crafting. But why such impatience, brother? You hold all the treasures Father left behind, and I haven't questioned you about that yet."

"What Father left behind naturally goes to the capable," Yang Lei replied coldly, a faint sneer tugging at his lips. "Brother, I suggest you stop bringing this up. It will only worsen the relationship between us. Besides, everyone is entitled to their secrets. You have yours, and I, mine."

"True, everyone is entitled to their secrets…"

Yang Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied his brother from a peculiar angle, noticing the significant change in Yang Lei's demeanor since his return. Could it be that his brother had encountered something extraordinary, much like himself? But what opportunity could rival his own—the *Xianhong Ring*, with its miraculous entrance to another realm, and a set of cultivation techniques that could lead to immortality?

A faint smile tugged at Yang Fan's lips.

"Is everything prepared?" he asked slowly.

"Humph, there's no need for you to worry about that. Just manage your medical hall. Hu Banshen is already under my strict surveillance. As soon as the perfect opportunity presents itself, he will be dealt with," Yang Lei said with pride, his tone filled with confidence.

"Very well. I'll be watching closely. But should you fail, my plan will be set in motion regardless."

Yang Fan smiled softly, then made his way into his room.

"You'd better not interfere with my plan!" Yang Lei hissed through clenched teeth before vanishing into the night, his form melting into the shadows with ghost-like grace.

"What an eerie movement technique…"

Yang Fan's mind was awash with suspicion as he instinctively tapped into his heightened awareness, catching the fleeting afterimage of his brother's departure. His brother had clearly reached the peak of the Qi Refining stage, and if they were to face off, Yang Fan might even be at a disadvantage.

His face grew grim. The cultivation method he practiced, *Xianhong Jue*, was known for its long breath control, immense healing abilities, and superb stealth, but it lacked in areas such as offense, defense, and agility. Seeing his brother's swift, enigmatic movement only added to the pressure weighing on Yang Fan.

"It seems I must cultivate a technique with overwhelming power..."

In that moment, a memory flickered in his mind—the black manual, *The Nine Nether Demon Canon*.

He had studied it briefly once before and found it staggeringly powerful, the kind of dark art that could complement his shortcomings in combat.

Returning to his quarters, Yang Fan sat cross-legged, quietly activating the Qi Refining chapter of *Xianhong Jue*. He attuned himself to the endless life force that flowed through the universe, sensing his body undergo further subtle transformations. Within him, a faint mist of vitality circulated endlessly, seeping into every corner of his being rather than gathering in his dantian, unlike most conventional cultivation methods.

In fact, Yang Fan's dantian was entirely empty.

This oddity troubled him. If *Xianhong Jue* did not store energy in the dantian, how would he ever form a Golden Core when he surpassed the Foundation Establishment stage? Traditional cultivation methods involved gathering Qi in the dantian until it reached a critical mass, allowing the cultivator to condense it into a Golden Core and step onto the path of higher immortality.

"Since *Xianhong Jue* doesn't focus energy in the dantian, I could feasibly cultivate a second technique without conflict. Even a demonic one."

After a long period of reflection, Yang Fan finally arrived at a decision that could potentially reshape the entire cultivation world.

**The Demon Arts.** He would cultivate them.

In his view, cultivation techniques were neither righteous nor evil—only strong or weak. So long as the technique was powerful, it mattered not if it belonged to the demonic path or the righteous one.

Immortality and damnation were separated by nothing more than a thought.

Having made this momentous decision, Yang Fan exhaled deeply but did not immediately retrieve *The Nine Nether Demon Canon*. First, he laid down several concealed wards around the room, ensuring absolute privacy. Then, from his storage pouch, he took out the golden box—*the gift from Liu Degui*.

When Yang Fan first opened the box, even he felt a moment of uncontrollable excitement, which spoke volumes of its value. Now alone in the quiet of his room, he held his breath and opened it once again.

A hum filled the air.

Golden light flooded the dark room, illuminating it with a brilliance that seemed to pierce the heavens. The sharp aura that emanated from the box was filled with a domineering force, as though the room itself were caught in the midst of battle. The sheer intensity of it would strike fear into the hearts of lesser beings, a force so fierce that even spirits would flee in terror.

Yang Fan's eyes gleamed with joy as his hand reached out to touch the infant-palm-sized piece of metal inside, his fingers trembling ever so slightly.

"There's no mistake. This is exactly as described in the ancient texts!"

He quickly closed the box with a click, sealing it under layers of protective wards before storing it in his personal space within the *Xianhong Ring*. Yang Fan had long since developed a cautious habit of stashing away precious items that should never see the light of day—especially things that could attract the attention of powerful cultivators with far-reaching spiritual senses.

"To think that this *Ruihuang Stone* is a treasured heirloom of Liu Degui's family… What a fortunate surprise."

The *Ruihuang Stone* was an advanced material for crafting magical artifacts, one that could greatly enhance a weapon's sharpness and power. It was a dream item for any artifact refiner. Yet with the spiritual decline of the cultivation world and overuse of its resources, materials of this caliber had become exceedingly rare.

"With this stone in my possession, I'll definitely be able to forge an exceptional artifact one day," Yang Fan thought, his confidence surging.

After safely stowing the *Ruihuang Stone*, he finally retrieved a black-bound book from his space. It bore a title imbued with untold profundity: *The Nine Nether Demon Canon*.

Opening to the first page, Yang Fan submerged his consciousness within the text. This was his third time delving into the demonic cultivation method. The first time had been out of curiosity. The second, driven by hesitation. This time, however, he approached it with unwavering resolve.

His mind sank deeper into the vast, dark world of the canon, where the essence of demonic cultivation revealed itself more clearly than ever before. Black runes pulsed and flickered like malevolent flames, each one brimming with lethal allure, beckoning him forward. Unlike before, the canon no longer resisted his entry but instead welcomed him.

After a long while, Yang Fan's eyes snapped open, revealing a subtle but powerful gleam of dark light within his gaze—an eerie brilliance that concealed an overwhelming gravitational pull.

"So, that's how it is. Demonic arts aren't inherently evil. If I fully embrace it without reservation, what is demonic can be righteous, and what is righteous can be demonic."

A smile of realization graced his lips. He had not expected to reach such understanding so easily.

But what Yang Fan did not know was that during his immersion in the demonic cultivation method, a hidden, nurturing energy from the *Kumu Gong*—his other technique—had quietly radiated out from him, naturally harmonizing with the world and making his presence nearly invisible.

That night, Yang Fan continued to cultivate the demonic arts, his progress shockingly rapid, enough to leave even the most gifted demonic prodigies in the dust.

By dawn, he stretched out his hands, and a thin, almost invisible layer of power rippled from his palms. In that moment, a wisp of pure demonic energy flickered into existence—from his hands, from his dantian, from his very consciousness.

In a single night, he had already entered the demonic path.

Such progress could defy the heavens, awe the world, and even shake the very foundations of demonic cultivation!