Exploring Immortality Cultivation

After being subjected to the Forbidden Technique and officially becoming a member of the Zhenhai Navy, Qiu Xianke took Wang Qi to select his subordinates.

The Charging Camp was known as the elite of the four seas, yet the situation there still surprised Wang Qi greatly. Scattered here and there were several stone castles of varying sizes, and their arrangement was indeterminate and disorderly. Qiu Xianke seemed quite proud of this, "Sha Liantai, what do you think of my military formation?"

"Indeed… it is... well-regulated," Wang Qi had no idea how else to respond.

The dwellings of the Human Clan were much more orderly than this.

Qiu Xianke burst into laughter, roaring, "All those under the rank of General who have not undergone Transformation, step forward immediately!"

As his words fell, chaos ensued among the demons. Wang Qi counted, and it took about three breaths for a group of demons to gather in front of him and Qiu Xianke. If one could assemble in three breaths in the Human Clan's army, they would be considered incredibly fast, but don't forget, these "soldiers" were the weakest of the Transformation Demon Beasts! They were equivalent to Nascent Soul of the Human Clan! With the reaction speed and movement technique of a Transformation Demon Beast, they should have assembled in less than a breath.

Facing the group of demons who were crowded together, Qiu Xianke laughed heartily, "Sha Liantai, pick two hundred from here to be your subordinates. If you're pleased, you can imprint them with Seals and Forbidden Techniques. If you don't know how, you can ask anyone in the army—of course, before imprinting the Seal, you'll need to subdue them."

The Yellow Robed King strolled around and came to the midst of the Transformation Demon Creatures. The demons knew a new General had arrived, one at the level of Divine Power Stage. However, those capable of entering the Charging Camp were all demons of extraordinary talent and strong foundations. When serious, even the weakest of the Divine Power Stage Demon Clan could not be easily killed.

Only such unruly and fierce creatures could suppress the fear of the Dragon Clan that ran deep in their bloodlines, only they could withstand the Dragon's Majesty!

Hundreds of Sea Demons surrounded the Yellow Robed King, and hundreds of pairs of eyes – some light yellow, some pale green, and some blood red – stared at him. Qiu Xianke just watched on the side, allowing the provocations of the Transformation Stage demon beasts. For him, this too was a test for his new subordinate.

Inside the Pagoda, Mi advised Wang Qi, "Need help?"

"It's just a few Transformation Demon Beasts," Wang Qi waved his hand, indicating for his Senior Sister to go play by herself. It was a joke; they were merely at the Transformation Stage. Even without using the Heart Demon Curse to corrupt them, he could still overpower them.

Wang Qi extended his hand and drew a swift Spirit Formula. Then, he renewed the Demon Emperor's imposing pressure, releasing a thread of it.

However, just a thread was enough.

A fear from deep within the hearts of the demon group took hold. This was different from the bloodline instinct that evolved over ten thousand years' fear of the Dragon Clan. It was purely a reverence for the essence of life, an insurmountable chasm between lower and higher lifeforms. The few demons who had inappropriately approached the Yellow Robed King were the most miserable. They only felt an indescribable sensation grip their hearts as if gazing up at a tall mountain, as if staring into an abyss. This fear, higher than instinct, overpowered their lineage. Even creatures like octopuses, which lived between heaven and earth, developed thoughts of "admiration" and "worship."

Even Qiu Xianke, who had an attitude of watching a show, looked as if he had seen a ghost. Really, seen a ghost—where did this octopus get such terrifying Demon Power?

"Huhuhuhuhu... Just a mere Illusion Technique, scared? Are you?" The Yellow Robed King let out a strange laugh.

The Demon Emperor Aura displayed by Wang Qi, after all, was just a thread. How could those bloodthirsty and ferocious creatures admit defeat so easily? How could they feel subservient to this odd octopus?

Immediately, these demon beasts unleashed their Demon Power or their Essence, resisting this unique oppressive force. Suddenly, a dark shadow, like an arrow released from a bow, lunged at Wang Qi. This demon beast's attack ignited a chain reaction, and all the demons exploded into action, with various Demon Arts and Divine Skills striking towards the Yellow Robed King. Right after them came countless fierce figures.

Qiu Xianke hurriedly shouted, "No, no! I said to send them in waves to be subdued, not for a one-on-one battle against a group!"

These Transformation Demon Species here were extraordinary, the strongest among their peers. Wang Qi heard Qiu Xianke's shouting but showed no sign of acknowledgment. This was his tactic.

Logically, if he couldn't beat one or a few of them at a time, he naturally couldn't beat the entire group. But Wang Qi was an exception. With his reaction speed, he was already struggling to keep up with Nascent Soul movements. If he really fought these Transformation Sea Demons one-on-one, most would realize that this Yellow Robed King, aside from good defense and the ability to poison, was unable to do much else. But fighting a group, especially a group whose power was suppressed, was a different matter entirely.

The Dao Heart Pure Yang Mirror fully unleashed, locking down every space around the Yellow Robed King with hundreds of gold mirrors, large and small. At this moment, such a stance was not unfitting. Now was the time to establish rank, recruit subordinates, and recognize authority—not a fight to the death. Thus, those Transformation Stage demon beasts did not give their all or fight desperately. Coupled with the suppression of the Demon Emperor Aura, their attacks were quite feeble. Within the Heart Demon Curse System, the Witch and Mirage Demon, two high-order Divine Separation Stage powerhouses, constantly provided strength, and the attacks of those Transformation Demon creatures actually could not break through the mirrors of the Heart Pure Yang!

Qiu Xianke inwardly marveled, "What a remarkable octopus, such strong defensive demon arts! Who would have thought that this octopus, not only skilled in using poison, would be no less in cultivation than a turtle of the same stage."

Wang Qi's fingers moved like lightning as the intricate Wanxiang Diagrams swiftly interwove, issuing countless commands. Suddenly, a multicolored radiance twirled atop the Yellow Robed King's head, coalescing into a ring of prismatic light. Colorless beams rained down indiscriminately; various demons either sprouted gloomy blue thorns, were ignited by verdant flames, or were outright slain by magical weapons that materialized out of thin air. For a moment, the demon horde was in utter disarray, crying out for parents and gods alike. The Heart Demon Curse inherently focused on the spirit, making it top-notch in casting illusions.

Then the Yellow Robed King withdrew his tentacles and said to Qiu Xianke, "General, may I pick a few for myself now?"

"As you wish!"

Wang Qi then began to select among the sea demons. His criteria for choosing members of the Demon Clan were twofold: one was the robustness of Mana, and the other was an active and cunning mind. Following these standards, the chosen were mostly marine mammals and creatures such as squid and octopus.

Qiu Xianke seemed to cast a meaningful glance at the Yellow Robed King, "Learning to curry favor with General Jing Aojia now, are we? And also rallying your own kind… Clever."

Wang Qi laughed helplessly inside the pagoda. If Jing Aojia knew that Wang Qi was using his kin to refine the Heart Demon Curse, one couldn't imagine what he would think.

Indeed, Wang Qi had already resolved to plant the Heart Demon Curse within all these sea demons, expanding the system. Even those hundreds of transformation stage demons he had just battled had had a strand of the Heart Demon Curse planted within them, all lurking in secret.

Wang Qi knew that these demons were about to battle with that little dragon. In the worst-case scenario, he would have to ensure his escape with the little dragon, breaking out from encirclement. Out of caution, he wished he could plant the Heart Demon Curse in every demon beast of the Charging Camp, and even every beast in the Zhenhai Navy.

Of course, apart from the feasibility of such a thing, Feng Luoyi would not allow it. Heavenly Based Weapons might be classified, but a leak was still preferable to confronting the rampage of the Heart Demon Curse that ravaged a vast ecosystem.

After selecting around two hundred demons with the richest Essence and the most complex psychologies, Wang Qi took them and moved away from the important camp to rebuild their nest on the periphery. Once out of Qiu Xianke's sight, Wang Qi gathered all the demon beasts, then manifested several instances of "Boluo Divine Flame" again, bestowing them upon the marine mammals and other transformed sea demons. He conjured several Thousand Illusion Flutes and presented them to the squid and octopus-kind, saying, "These contain two simple, yet complete Spirit Formulas. Refine these items I have condensed with Demon Essence, and the formulas will reveal themselves."

The demons were uproariously excited; the Demon Clan desperately lacked inheritances, yet this yellow octopus had just casually handed out two complete ones!

Was this some kind of joke?

Wang Qi paid no mind to their reactions. He merely dropped the words, "Cultivate on your own," then wrapped himself in a Heart Demon Curse Light and burrowed into the mud, ignoring all calls from the other demons.

After completing all these tasks, Wang Qi sat down and let out a sigh of relief, "The chaos among the sea demons of the West Sea has really caught me by surprise."

Mi Yuanli watched Wang Qi and exclaimed, "It's also new to me; I never knew such a group could exist…"

"You actually define them as 'a group'?" Wang Qi couldn't help but chuckle: "Senior Sister, they're not even of the same species!"

Mi puzzled over it for a moment before laughing, "That's true. I'm just so used to seeing your Human Clan, seeing these demons just strikes me as incredible."

"I hadn't expected it to be like this either," Wang Qi shook his head slightly: "I had thought that high-order demons, in terms of processing power and speed, were no different from humans. Even if the Demon Clan Civilization was severed, they wouldn't be like wild beasts. But seeing them with my own eyes, I realize they truly are beasts—an intelligent kind of beast."

The same intelligence, when possessed by a beast, is merely used for hunting, securing food, and breeding the next generation, rather than forming societies and creating mutual aid agreements like humans do. Humans are pseudo-social beings; their social attributes are the result of their own choices, not dictated entirely by genetics like bees and ants. This was beyond the comprehension of a beastly mode of thought.

Mi chimed in with interest, "Maybe this is a microcosm of the 'Eternal Class Theory' that our teacher mentioned? The unawakened are beasts, mere food, regardless of whether an individual shares your bloodline. After awakening, despite the wisdom, there's no need to band together, so they remain ignorant."

Through the Heart Demon System, Wang Qi looked at the chaotic throng of demons outside and mused, "Perhaps that's the case."

The mayhem in the West Sea might indeed be a microcosm of the cosmos. Ordinary Life Beings are the first class, those who undergo the Demonization process are the second, and the Dragon Clan is the third.

Intelligence does not equate to civilization. (To be continued. If you like this work, I invite you to support it by voting for it on Qidian, your backing is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)