Translator: CinderTL
"Could it be Senior Sister Mengdie?" Jiang Qinqin speculated.
"Very likely," Qi Liang nodded slightly, though he knew it was Fang Xiang.
"Indeed. Among the remaining candidates, Mengdie is the strongest. It should be her," Tu Wanshan agreed.
He also knew it couldn't be Mengdie, because the Token he held had been snatched from her. As for Mengdie... she had long since been reduced to a bloody pulp.
Of course, he couldn't admit to killing Mengdie. After all, she was a disciple of Hua Gu. Admitting it would be like deliberately offending her for no reason. Though he wasn't afraid, there was no need to provoke her unnecessarily.
Xu Sanyan shook his head inwardly, sensing the Demonic Seed growing closer. He knew it was Fang Xiang returning, but he remained silent.
Clang!
Colorful clouds drifted, and a bronze bell echoed. Hua Gu rose and gazed down the mountain. A figure was approaching, the first thing to catch her eye being a dazzling bald head.
Hua Gu sighed softly, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Qinqin. Regardless, Joyous Harmony Mountain now had a Holy Son, even if it wasn't the one she had chosen.
"Five Elements Ascending to Heaven, the Holy Son takes his place!"
Venerable He Yu spoke loudly. His Blood Refinement Branch had emerged as the greatest victor, with two of the five Holy Sons hailing from Blood Refinement Mountain.
With this, the Holy Son Competition came to a complete end.
Xu Sanyan, Jiang Qinqin, Tu Wanshan, Qi Liang, and Fang Xiang were chosen as the second generation Holy Sons of the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect.
"Greetings, Holy Sons!"
Except for the three Hall Masters, all elders, whether in the Dao Seeking Realm or the Soul Refining Realm, rose to bow in respect.
Everyone knew that although the five were currently at the Foundation Establishment Perfection realm, they wouldn't remain there for long. They would soon break through to the Dao Seeking Realm and rapidly advance to the Soul Refining Realm.
This was the terrifying power of the Holy Scripture: it allowed cultivators to swiftly overcome the Dao Seeking Realm!
The Dao Seeking Realm had blocked countless prodigies. Qin Manyang, for example, had been stuck there for decades, making no progress, and was forced to leave the sect in search of opportunities.
Xu Sanyan felt a flicker of anticipation. He had long been trapped at Foundation Establishment Perfection due to a lack of cultivation methods, and now he was finally about to enter the next stage.
The three Hall Masters rose simultaneously. The Mad Daoist waved his sleeve, and his Spiritual Power enveloped the five, carrying them away.
Xu Sanyan looked down at the earth below, a pang of envy in his heart. He longed to fly.
However, flight consumed a tremendous amount of Spiritual Power, requiring at least a Soul Refining Realm cultivation level to make it a regular practice. Even Dao Seeking Realm cultivators likely couldn't manage it.
Fang Xiang glanced at Xu Sanyan, his eyes instinctively shrinking back in fear.
Xu Sanyan smiled in response. He knew this was the effect of the Demonic Seed, now fused deep within his heart, impossible to extract. Whenever Fang Xiang saw him, he would instinctively cower.
The three Hall Masters led the group to a corner of Harmonious Heart Mountain and set the five Holy Sons down. Xu Sanyan scanned the surroundings, his gaze settling on a mountain cave.
Venerable He Yu spoke toward the cave, "He Yu of Blood Refinement Mountain, the Mad Daoist of Crimson Dragon Mountain, and Hua Gu of Joyous Harmony Mountain, along with the five newly appointed Holy Sons, have come to observe the Holy Scripture."
As he spoke, he flipped his hand, producing a Token that floated directly into the cave. Moments later, the Token reappeared, accompanied by an ancient voice, "Enter."
He Yu turned to the five Holy Sons and said, "Go ahead. The Holy Scripture awaits within. Just walk straight in; there's nothing to worry about."
"Yes," the five Holy Sons replied, nodding in agreement, though they didn't understand why Venerable He Yu felt the need to give such explicit instructions.
Xu Sanyan pondered. When they visited the Heart-Inquiry Hall, an old man had been stationed there. Now, another old man guarded this place, and the three Hall Masters showed both elders great respect. Their strength must be considerable.
It seemed the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect's true power far exceeded what they had revealed. Besides the Sect Leader and the three Hall Masters, many other powerful figures were hidden throughout the sect.
Xu Sanyan shook his head. They shouldn't worry about those things for now; mastering the Holy Scripture was the priority.
The five disciples filed into the cave one after another.
As soon as they entered, their vision plunged into darkness. Xu Sanyan glanced at the other four, noticing their cautious expressions. They were likely first-timers as well.
The deeper they went, the narrower the cave became. The five disciples could only walk single-file, with Xu Sanyan in the second position, directly behind Jiang Qinqin.
"It's so dark..." Jiang Qinqin murmured.
With their cultivation levels, the disciples could normally see clearly at night. For them, there was little difference between night and day.
But the darkness in this cave was different. Xu Sanyan could barely make out Jiang Qinqin's back ahead of him.
"Are... are you all still here?" Jiang Qinqin's hesitant voice reached Xu Sanyan's ears.
"Yes," Xu Sanyan replied softly.
"Here," Tu Wanshan's voice answered.
"Ah," Fang Xiang added.
After a moment, they still hadn't heard from Qi Liang.
"Where's Senior Brother Qi?" Jiang Qinqin asked quietly.
Fang Xiang replied, "He was right behind me just now."
Tu Wanshan spoke up, "Don't worry. My father and the others are waiting outside. Besides, this is our own sect. What could possibly go wrong? Let's keep going."
"Mm..."
The others agreed. They relaxed and continued forward.
Xu Sanyan listened as the footsteps around him gradually faded, until only his own echoed in the silence.
The group of five had somehow dispersed.
Xu Sanyan strode forward, and a faint glimmer of light gradually appeared before him. As he ventured deeper, the light grew increasingly crimson and eventually became almost blinding.
Shielding his eyes against the dazzling white glare, Xu Sanyan squinted, trying to make out what lay ahead.
Suddenly, as if stepping into empty space, he plummeted downward at breakneck speed, plunging into a narrow passage.
The sudden drop sent a jolt through his heart. Instinctively, Xu Sanyan flailed his arms, desperately grasping for something to slow his descent, but his efforts were futile.
After what felt like an eternity...
When he opened his eyes again, his perspective had shifted. Two milky-white snowballs stared back at him, and Xu Sanyan froze in confusion.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What's going on?
His mind was a complete blank. He couldn't recall what had happened, only that he shouldn't be here.
"Good boy, it's time for dinner."
A gentle voice pulled him back from his thoughts. Xu Sanyan swallowed hard and instinctively leaned forward to begin feeding.
As his lips sucked, his gaze drifted upward. A young woman's face appeared above him, no older than twenty. Her hair was pinned up in a bun, styled like a married woman's, and her features were quite ordinary. Only her eyes were truly beautiful, and they were now gazing at him with loving tenderness.
Xu Sanyan opened his mouth to speak, but only a series of "wah-wah" sounds escaped his lips.
He... had been transformed into an infant?
Xu Sanyan felt this was utterly absurd, yet he couldn't quite pinpoint why.
Hearing her son's cries, the young woman frowned in confusion. She lifted Xu Sanyan's diaper to examine him, muttering to herself, "Huh, he hasn't pooped. What's wrong?"
A man's voice called from outside, "Wife, I'm home! Let me see our eldest son!"
Xu Sanyan froze. Could the "eldest son" this man was referring to possibly be... him?
(End of the Chapter)
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