Chapter 77

Yue Qing, in the Green Snail Valley, launched a massive construction project. He demolished the palaces built by Fan Naji and Kayin Shabu and rebuilt a grander and more magnificent Demon God Palace. Around it, he constructed ten courtyards, each with its own demon palace. Luyin Jia brought Long Hua and Leiyin to live in the Heavenly Demon Palace, Feilong Master lived in the Yin Demon Palace, and Yue Qing, along with Lei Qilong and a young apprentice named Shen Teng, whom he had taken in two years ago, lived in the Demon God Palace.

To strengthen the Demon God Palace, Yue Qing and his followers forcibly recruited people from various places, such as Jin Xian Shenmu Pumiao and Bayan Jinguang Sikong Hu from Chongming Island in Jiangsu, Qin Li and his disciple from Hongxin Cave on Baihua Mountain in Yunnan, Wu Xing and his disciple from Chuangxin Cave in Niugan Gorge in Wushan, and dozens of other scattered cultivators, all of whom were incorporated into the Green Snail Palace.

Yue Qing was selective in his recruitment. First, he chose those without powerful backers to avoid major troubles. Second, he selected those who were known for their wicked and immoral behavior. He brought these people back to the Green Snail Valley, selected those with good potential and character, and took them as his personal disciples, such as the Northern Sea scatter immortal Mi Tuo and Liu Yuran. The rest were assigned to the appropriate demon palaces based on their aptitude and enlightenment, to practice the magic arts suitable for them.

Within just two years, the strength of the Green Snail Valley grew rapidly, rivaling the Western Demon Sect led by the Poison Dragon Venerable, the Southern Demon Sect led by the Green Robe Old Ancestor, and the Eastern Demon Sect led by the Five Ghosts Heavenly King Shang Heyang.

Yue Qing strictly enforced the rules of the sect, prohibiting his disciples from acting recklessly and oppressing the people. Their daily routine was to practice the Ten Demon Scriptures, including himself, who also organized and studied the techniques of the three sects, making rapid progress in his cultivation.

Everyone in the Green Snail Valley worked like wound-up machines, focusing on cultivation and refining treasures. To avoid excessive pressure and resentment, Yue Qing had Feilong Master build a Heavenly Desire Pavilion in the Yin Demon Courtyard, where he gathered many licentious female cultivators. He taught them techniques from the Classic of the Virgin, and whenever someone accomplished a task, they were allowed to enjoy a day in the Heavenly Desire Pavilion. The women there, skilled in the art of the bedchamber and having practiced the Classic of the Virgin, were unmatched in their abilities. Once the men from other sects experienced it, they could never forget it, and found other women to be bland in comparison. Therefore, whenever Yue Qing issued a task, they all vied to be the first to complete it.

In the Demon God Palace, Yue Qing had a white jade screen with a list of names of cultivators he intended to recruit. He would use his finger to mark those who had joined, and now about one-fifth of the names were crossed off. He stared at one of the names, "Gui Lao Dan Wu," and muttered, "It's about time to establish the Divine Demon Department..."

Leaving the Green Snail Valley for now, let's return to Wutai Mountain. Three years had passed, and the magical treasures in the Heavenly Work Furnace had been successfully refined. On the top of the Taiji Hall, Yue Qing's body was still sitting in meditation, with the Taiqing Eight Scenic Lamps in front of him. The central flame was burning more steadily than before, without any flickering, and it was almost white, indicating that his main spirit had fully merged with the void, making it unlikely to separate again. As long as his main spirit was anchored in the void, he could be considered immortal, unless the entire world and time collapsed and were destroyed, no one could completely kill him.

The seven surrounding flames were his divided spirits, which could possess seven other bodies like Wei Fengniang, but they could not actively possess; they had to be drawn by the other's obsession.

When Wei Fengniang was still a young girl and her Daoist arts were not yet complete, she encountered Yue Qing bathing in a pond. At that time, she was just beginning to experience romantic feelings and was very innocent. Seeing a naked stranger made her feel both ashamed and curious, with a mix of seven parts curiosity and three parts impulse. This was the most profound impression she had. Over the following days, Yue Qing personally taught her sword techniques, and although she later slept with many men, Yue Qing remained the most special to her. She was unwilling to admit that he was the most important, but deep down, her obsession with him was the strongest. Because of this obsession, Yue Qing was able to possess her body, and the Heart Stealing Technique was just a means to assist. Otherwise, Wei Fengniang's expertise in the demonic arts was far greater than his, and she would not have been so easily deceived.

Besides Wei Fengniang, there were others who had an obsession with Yue Qing, such as Situ Ping, who depended on him like a father, or Wei Kan, who admired him as a hero. However, he would not possess their bodies. Possessing and transforming into a spirit was just an additional function of the technique. His actions towards Wei Fengniang were already on the path of the left-hand path, so he tried to avoid it whenever possible. Like the Grand Master Taiyi Hunyuan, after his own death, he could have possessed the bodies of loyal disciples like Xu Feiniang, Yue Qing, and Fayuan, but he did not. If Wei Fengniang had not been so stubborn and the great calamity had not been imminent, Yue Qing would not have done this.

The small flame figure at the Qian position on the Taiqing Eight Scenic Lamps suddenly flew up and merged into Yue Qing's body. A moment later, Yue Qing slowly opened his eyes.

At this time, the Heavenly Work Furnace had completely extinguished, and the Earth's Yin Fire had retreated into the crust, while the Qian Heaven Clear Qi had dissipated.

Yue Qing shot out Hunyuan True Qi from his hands, directing it to the orifices above the Two Instruments Hall. Soon, the doors on both sides opened simultaneously. First, two cold, radiant light rings flew out from the Yang Extreme Hall, and a bowl-sized fireball flew out from the Yin Extreme Hall. Before Yue Qing could act, twelve beams of colorful light shot out, illuminating the entire mountain in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Yue Qing had already prepared for their escape, placing the Taiyi Wuyan Luo in the air. These treasures were blocked by the colorful smoke, darting around like fish, searching for an exit.

Finally, a black and a white beam of light, each about ten feet long, emerged and clashed in the air. Yue Qing shot out Hunyuan True Qi, forcing them together, and after spitting out three mouthfuls of True Qi, they merged. A golden light flashed, and a treasure sword appeared in Yue Qing's hand.

Yue Qing used the Taiyi Wuyan Luo to collect all the treasures, then flew out of the Heavenly Work Furnace and walked out of the Hunyuan Hall. Xu Feiniang and Liu Quan were already waiting with the Wutai Sect's core disciples. Xu Feiniang said, "Congratulations, Junior Brother, your Daoist arts have reached a new level!" She was perceptive and noticed that Yue Qing's eyes were clear and his spirit was focused, indicating significant progress in his Daoist arts. Liu Quan congratulated Yue Qing on the successful refinement of the treasures.

Yue Qing sealed the Northern Pole Immortal Palace, and then they all returned to the Seven Stars Hall. Liu Quan and Xu Feiniang presented the treasures they had collected to Yue Qing. Yue Qing picked out a set of the Four Primordial Spirit Banners: "Choose what you need, and give the rest to Senior Sister. In the future, when there are disciples with excellent character, advanced Daoist arts, and outstanding contributions, they can be rewarded." He then took out the last treasure sword he had collected and handed it to Xu Feiniang, "Senior Sister, this is one of the five major mountain-guarding swords of our sect, the Taiyi Yin-Yang Sword. We have spent a long time refining it, and now it is complete. From now on, this sword will be in your hands to enforce the rules, reward the good, and punish the evil, as the first guardian of the Wutai Sect!"

Xu Feiniang took the sword, which was enveloped in immortal energy, with one side black and the other white, and gently caressed the blade, her voice trembling: "The Taiyi Yin-Yang Sword is the sword of balance and moderation. If we had refined this sword instead of the Five Poison Immortal Sword, how would things have been different?" She thought of the Grand Master Taiyi Hunyuan and tears streamed down her face.

Yue Qing said, "Senior Sister, there's no need to be so upset. The fact that we were able to refine this sword is also the will of heaven. We found the ten-thousand-year-old cold iron and the True Water of the First Heaven in the Purple Cloud Palace. As long as we strive to improve and align with the will of heaven and the needs of the people, the Wutai Sect will surely grow and develop. Our teacher would be pleased."

Xu Feiniang wiped away her tears and smiled, "Junior Brother is right." She took out her seven Green Dragon Sea-disturbing Swords and called Lu Rongbo to her side, "Now that I have the Taiyi Yin-Yang Sword, I no longer need these Green Dragon Sea-disturbing Swords. They were refined by my master and I have cultivated them for over five hundred years. There are very few swords in the various sects that can match them. I will now bestow them upon you to assist you in your cultivation and becoming an immortal."

Lu Rongbo was surprised and delighted that Xu Feiniang would bestow her long-held treasure swords to her, and she quickly accepted them with both hands.

Yue Qing said, "Our Wutai Sect's sword-refining techniques are unparalleled, even surpassing the Emei Sect. As the eldest disciple of Senior Sister Xu and the first female immortal of the second generation of the Wutai Sect, your flying sword should not be too shabby, lest others mock you."

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed a young child standing next to Lu Rongbo's seat. The child looked to be about five or six years old, with a face as smooth as jade, eyes like shooting stars, and a complexion as white and tender as a baby. His hair, which reached his waist, was tied with a jade ring, and his physical and spiritual potential was extraordinary, even surpassing Yang Li. Yue Qing was taken aback and asked Lu Rongbo, "Who is that child?"

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