The Demon with Holy Radiance

The first thing Yang An saw was a burning bonfire. The fire itself hadn’t changed much, except that its once-gray flames were no longer pure.

Fu Ming stood beside the bonfire, but he was no longer himself.

The world seemed to have grown hazy, as if a thin layer of fog had been draped over Yang An’s eyes.

Fu Ming appeared somewhat blurry. His face hadn’t changed, but his body had taken on a different form.

It was as if black flowers were blooming all over his body, from head to toe.

These flowers bloomed and closed as if breathing, but they were actually composed of countless fine, black filaments.

He stood there as if being corroded by these things. Even his gaze, as he looked at Yang An, held a hint of something wrong.

Then, a thumb-sized, dark red flame suddenly appeared on his forehead.

The familiar firelight illuminated him, and his form grew clearer. He still retained his altered appearance, but clarity had returned to his eyes.

Yang An sensed the change in Fu Ming. Clearly, the moment the flame appeared, Fu Ming had also arrived in this layer of the world.

’Then who was the Fu Ming here before he arrived?’

The world seemed filled with a certain viscosity. Pain continued to wrack Yang An’s body, but upon seeing his surroundings, his consciousness seemed to detach from the suffering, making it irrelevant.

The air was filled with all kinds of insects. They were tiny and could be seen with just a moment’s focus, wantonly gnawing on everything.

They were like microorganisms and posed no threat to Yang An, but their presence gave him the sense that he was seeing the world’s true essence.

The surroundings had originally been a jungle, with dense woods, flowers, and grasses.

Now, all of that was gone. In its place were clusters of twisted monstrosities. Yang An didn’t know what they were, but he could feel that the place was filled with malice.

Farther out, the world was so hazy that nothing could be seen at all.

Yang An suddenly looked down at himself, then held out his hand.

He hadn’t changed, but his body was trembling. The instinctive pain was still present, yet his consciousness was so dazed that it felt distant and unclear.

"Junior Brother, do you see what this place is now? The deeper you go into these worlds, the more you see the essence of the Xian Origin Land. You’ll also see things that don’t exist in the shallower layers."

Fu Ming spoke slowly. Even his voice was no longer very clear, sounding somewhat unfamiliar.

"I know you’re an Innate Flesh Mushroom. You may have never seen this world before because your price hasn’t flared up. In truth, what you see when the price manifests is merely the tip of the iceberg."

"The longer you stay here and the more you see, the deeper you will sink."

As Fu Ming spoke, some of the twisted monstrosities in the distance began to approach them.

These were not humanoid creatures. They were more like amalgams of various twisted things—soil, microorganisms, tree roots, and stones.

They were cobbled together haphazardly, without any rhyme or reason, but they were most certainly alive, and filled with desire.

"Don’t let them touch you, or they’ll become a part of your body."

Fu Ming warned and pointed a finger. Countless tentacles erupted from the ground, smashing the creatures to pieces.

SPLAT! As soon as the monstrosities burst apart, a swarm of the microorganisms in the air rushed toward them.

"The area by the bonfire is the safest place. The farther out you go, the harder it is to define the line between this world’s True Illusion. Without exception, everything here frantically desires to possess."

"There are some things you can accept."

"And there are other things you must never let near you."

"How do I comprehend the Xianyuan Forbidden Artifact?"

Yang An asked the question he most wanted answered.

"Within the True Illusion, you’ll mostly find useless Rules. If you’re willing to go farther out, you can even see the Power of Rules manifest, but it’s largely meaningless."

"You should go to Lower Hu."

"The next layer of the world is named Cang Zhuo. I can’t accompany you there. The me that enters Cang Zhuo might not even be me. There is only slaughter."

"As for your deeper mirror-self, it’s best not to linger and waste time. There are many others there, and they’ll undoubtedly come after you."

"And in Lower Hu, trust no one. Our time is limited."

"That’s all I can tell you. If you can’t take it anymore, return to the Gray Scale. The Gray Scale is the safest place."

Fu Ming explained everything he knew, word by word. Although some of it was cryptic, Yang An managed to grasp the gist of his meaning.

These deeper worlds weren’t just inhabited by them. Cultivators of the Mystic Path Decoded could also enter. Beyond that, there were the native inhabitants of these worlds, as well as manifestations of the Power of Rules.

It was chaotic, but to find the Xianyuan Forbidden Artifact, Yang An had to make the journey. First, he needed to understand this world.

After saying this, Fu Ming slowly backed away, heading into the distance.

"The bonfire is important. Remember this spot. It’s the only stable, eternal landmark that will keep you from getting lost."

Fu Ming’s voice faded, and soon his figure vanished into the distance. Yang An could no longer sense his presence at all.

More monstrosities began to slowly close in on Yang An. Remembering Fu Ming’s warning, Yang An casually waved his hand. A blood-red flash of lightning descended upon the creatures, instantly turning them to dust.