Demonic beasts…
Everyone knew they were born from ordinary animals that had been corrupted by demonic energy.
But that led to the next question: where did demonic energy come from?
The most widely accepted theory was that demonic energy was a type of negative force, neither yin nor yang in nature, but something born from a corrupted mind and overwhelming negative emotions.
And thus, anyone could produce it.
Pain.
Hatred
Grief.
Despair.
Helplessness.
Greed…
And lust…
All of these emotions could generate dark energy, clouding the heart and corrupting the environment around.
Of course, a normal person without any cultivation power could never release enough of it to cause real damage. Their sorrow or anger might fester, but it would never reach the level of true demonic energy.
But when tragedy struck on a massive scale, such as a war between two great nations, a deadly clash between powerful sects, or the massacre of an entire city…
Or when a cultivator of immense power fell into despair so deep that they lost all sense of self—
The consequences could be devastating.
Demonic energy would be born, and the stronger the source, the stronger and more pervasive that energy would become.
Worse still, demonic energy was contagious.
It didn't just stay in one place. It would spread, corrupting other energy sources through exposure. It would seep into the land, twisting the air, poisoning the rivers, turning animals and plants into their demonic version. The natural world began to mutate into something monstrous.
And that was also why eating them was considered borderline madness.
Because by consuming their flesh and blood, you weren't just ingesting meat, you were taking in demonic energy itself. And once that energy entered your body, it would begin corrupting your qi, distorting your spiritual sea, and chipping away at your mind.
You would fall into hallucinations, into madness, and even bloodlust, sometimes without even realizing it.
There were bone-chilling stories of cultivators who lost themselves after being tainted by demonic energy. Some went feral, their minds unraveling as they gave in to their darkest desires and instincts. Others committed horrific crimes like slaughtering innocents, turning against their own sects, even murdering their loved ones in fits of madness.
Some even transformed, losing their own body too.
Twisted beyond recognition, they transformed into monsters in both spirit and flesh.
That was why eating demonic beasts wasn't just reckless, it was madness. A fool's death wish.
And yet… Shangguan Yue Ling had survived on it for years.
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Knowing the truth now, Langtian sat in stunned silence.
His mind reeled, and his stomach churned at the thought that the senior sister he held so dear had been surviving by eating that unclean, tainted demonic meat. Just imagining it made him want to vomit.
Sure, he understood. The animals in this cursed valley had long been corrupted. A normal food source probably didn't exist anymore. And yes, even cultivators needed to eat. Logic told him there was no other choice.
But still…
There was a difference.
A line that one should never cross, no matter how desperate they were.
Between dying as a human, with one's mind and dignity intact…
And dying as a beast… lost to madness, devoured by darkness from the inside out…
It seemed clear which choice was the right one.
Across from him, Yue Ling heaved a long sigh and shook her head. Her voice softened as she spoke again.
"Then, my dear junior brother, let me ask you a simple question."
Langtian looked up.
"Yes?"
"Do you still want revenge?"
…
Huh?
Revenge…
Revenge!
The words pierced him like a sword through the chest.
OF COURSE! REVENGE!
How could he forget?
How could he ever let it slip from his heart, even for a single breath?!
He still had to kill Yan Hao Yang, the treacherous bastard who ripped out his core and left him to die like a dog!
He still had to avenge his family, who were butchered like animals, their blood staining the blood and their death forever burned into his memories!
If he gave up now… if he died here in this godforsaken valley… then those monsters would walk free. The ones who had ruined his life, who had stolen everything, who had laughed as they crushed him beneath their feet, they would go on living, breathing, thriving under the sun, as if none of it ever happened!
And justice would eventually rot alongside his bones, nameless and forgotten.
But if he lived…
If he could crawl, bleed, and drag himself back from the brink, then there was still a chance.
Even if that chance was no more than a thread, thinner than hair, he would take it.
Even if it meant staining his soul, even if it meant becoming a demon himself.
He would gladly pay that price.
"Yes!" he shouted, gritting his teeth, fury burning in his chest, his eyes blazing with hatred.
Then he growled to himself, like an animal trembling with rage.
"Yan Hao Yang! You bastard… I'll kill you with my own hands! I'll rip out your core the same way you stole mine! I'll grind your bones into dust and scatter your ashes to the wind so your soul never knows peace!"
At his words, the flames in the nearby firepit surged, roaring higher, crackling wildly, as if answering his rage.
Yue Ling's eyes gleamed.
She smiled, satisfied.
"Good."
She reached into her storage pouch and pulled out a neatly folded set of clean clothes, then tossed them toward him.
"Put that on," she said. "And follow me outside."