On his way back to Shushan Sword Sect, Jason Chu traversed mountains and rivers, the lush green landscape sprawling beneath his feet.
"Although this journey out of the Swordmaking House was rewarding, there were some disappointments as well," he mused. "Sarah mentioned the world was in turmoil, filled with demons and monsters. Yet I hardly encountered any on the way."
Jason felt a pang of regret. Growing up in the Swordmaking House, his knowledge of the outside world largely came from Sarah Qin's accounts. Before leaving Shushan, he had signed in at the Demon-Suppressing Grand Hall, obtaining the Demon-Slaying Sutra, a technique that allowed him to increase his cultivation by slaying demonic beings. His intention during this journey was to test it, yet, after months of wandering, he hadn't encountered more than a few minor demons.
What Jason didn't know was that the fall of the Great Demon at the Heavenly Gate stage in the Valley of Fallen Demons had driven many demons and even the three major demon sects into hiding, bringing a rare period of calm to the world.
Jason's journey was casual, signing in wherever he felt inclined rather than actively seeking out demons, making encounters with them even less likely.
"Almost there," he thought. "This trip has yielded much, and I should be able to condense a Golden Core soon. The Golden Core stage offers a chance for transformation; maybe it will restore my sight."
Sensing the familiar aura of Shushan Sword Sect from a distance, Jason quickened his pace, feeling a mix of anticipation and excitement.
In an instant, he covered the last thousand miles.
Approaching the floating peaks of Shushan, Jason cast a protective veil of clear spiritual energy over himself. With this aura concealing him, he blended seamlessly with the surrounding spirit energy, making himself undetectable to even Golden Core and Longevity practitioners. This was thanks to the Grand Technique of Celestial Concealment, a superior cloaking technique he had gained from signing in.
Stealthily, he returned to the Swordmaking House, unaware of the significant upheaval that had taken place in Shushan. Once back, he resumed his secluded cultivation with ease.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Jason's ears twitched, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
Pausing his cultivation, he extended his Primordial Spirit.
"Strange."
"I was out traveling for months and barely sensed any demonic aura. Why am I picking up on it here within the sect?"
"Could it be that a demon has infiltrated Shushan? But that doesn't make sense…"
His mind raced. Moments earlier, he had felt a stir in the Demon-Slaying Sutra within him, alerting him to a trace of demonic aura. But this was Shushan Sword Sect—what kind of demon would dare trespass here?
Or perhaps…
Jason recalled an incident from years ago when a rift had briefly appeared near the Swordmaking House, through which a demon had emerged. Could another rift have appeared within Shushan?
His Primordial Spirit, powerful and cloaked by the Grand Technique of Celestial Concealment, instinctively expanded outward, probing the surroundings without alerting anyone.
"It's… a person?"
"He seems to be an elder of Shushan, doesn't he?"
Jason's brows knitted. Under the scrutiny of his Primordial Spirit, everything was laid bare. The demonic aura was indeed present, yet there was no new rift. The source of the aura was coming directly from a person, someone who had concealed it well but could not escape Jason's detection.
Even more surprising was the familiarity of this aura; the individual had visited the Swordmaking House at least twice before.
"A Shushan elder, carrying demonic energy," Jason thought with intrigue. "It seems there's more to this than meets the eye."
In his previous encounters, Jason hadn't yet cultivated the Demon-Slaying Sutra, so he hadn't sensed anything amiss. Now, however, the presence of this demonic aura piqued his curiosity.
"There's another source of demonic aura," Jason noted, his interest growing as his Primordial Spirit continued its meticulous search.
In addition to discovering many concealed, powerful presences, he detected a second demonic aura hidden even more carefully than the first. The strength of this second individual was formidable, to the point that Jason almost missed it.
"An existence at least on par with the Longevity Stage," he estimated.
"This is getting interesting. Those two, both carrying demonic energy… it seems they're about to meet," he mused, following their interactions through his Primordial Spirit.
Just as he expected, the two individuals, both bearing demonic energy, met openly within Shushan Sword Sect.
"Justin, you're here," a voice, old and weary, came through, reaching Jason's ears via his Primordial Spirit.
"Father," came the reply in a low voice. "The time is near. Tomorrow is the Sect Leader's inauguration ceremony. Once I assume the role of Sect Leader and claim Shushan's luck and influence, our goals will be within reach."
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