The Demon with Holy Radiance

"The deeper you venture into the Xian Origin Land, the more clearly you’ll be able to perceive its Rules. By comprehending what you witness through your own insights, your chances of obtaining an ownerless Xianyuan Forbidden Artifact will be that much greater."

"How do I enter the depths of the Xian Origin Land?"

Yang An’s gaze swept across the gray world. Every time he came here, he meticulously surveyed his surroundings, not missing a single detail.

But this place felt detached from the rest of the world, like the stark contrast between a bustling city and the remote wilderness. It was a desolate wasteland, a veritable desert without any roads or signposts.

Fu Ming provided the answer to Yang An’s confusion.

"Actually, when we joined the Life Crane Sect, we were already given the key to reach the deeper reaches of the Xian Origin Land."

"You mean... the Lighting Technique?"

Yang An looked at the bonfire before him. He had already used the Source of the Xian Fire Lamp to upgrade his own Lighting Technique to the Xian Fire Lighting Technique, which was unlike what it had been before.

"That’s right. To enter the depths of the Xian Origin, you must leverage the price of the Lighting Technique to let your consciousness drift into a delirious state.

The clearer your consciousness, the more you will be confined to seeing only the superficial, surface level of this world."

Yang An was stunned by Fu Ming’s answer.

’Leverage the price of the Lighting Technique?’ But he had already purified and eliminated its price; his technique no longer had one.

In Fu Ming’s eyes, he was an Innate Flesh Mushroom, capable of suppressing the price, but also capable of lifting that suppression to unleash it.

Only Yang An himself knew the truth: he had completely erased the price the very first time he obtained the Lighting Technique.

This immediately put Yang An in a difficult position. It seemed that every action truly had its consequence.

The very thing that had allowed him to embark on the path of cultivation so easily—erasing the price of a Technique, unlike anyone else—had now become a hindrance.

"Are there any other methods? Senior Brother, could your fire work on me?"

Yang An thought of an unconventional method. Although his own Lighting Technique had no price and couldn’t drive beings within its light into a frenzy, Fu Ming casting the Lighting Technique could plunge him into the same state.

’If all else fails, could I borrow his fire and fuel it with my own blood? Would that work?’

Fu Ming couldn’t help but smile at Yang An’s words.

"It could work, but once we reach the depths, I may no longer be able to help you, Junior Brother. You’d just be sent back here.

Besides, lighting your lamp with an external source is like being a rootless duckweed, liable to be snuffed out at any moment."

He didn’t understand why Yang An had such a strange idea. It was just a matter of using the price of the Lighting Technique; that shouldn’t be difficult at all.

Upon hearing Fu Ming’s reply, Yang An could only frown.

He couldn’t explain the situation to Fu Ming, nor did he intend to.

’This is bad,’ he thought. ’Now things have gotten complicated.’

’I came here fully prepared to find a Xianyuan Forbidden Artifact, only to get stuck right at the start. Don’t tell me I really have to resort to plundering other people’s Spirit Cores?’

’My consciousness needs to enter a delirious state...’ Yang An bowed his head, lost in thought.

Suddenly, his eyes fell upon the Moon Talisman hanging from his neck. Nestled within its groove lay the miniature form of the Bow Lady’s bow. His eyes instantly lit up.

’If the Lighting Technique induces a delirious state through madness and insanity, then what about the past? When the Bow Lady used to bite my soul, the extreme pain also caused my consciousness to slip into a similar state.’

’Could I use that method to reach the deeper parts of the Xian Origin?’

"Bow Lady, can you hear me?" Yang An asked softly in his mind.

From the first time he entered the Xian Origin Land, the Bow Lady had seemed to be afraid of something. She had warned Yang An that she couldn’t speak or make any noise, otherwise she would be assimilated, unable to ever escape.

He was different from the Bow Lady. He held a measure of control over the Xian Origin Land, whereas the Bow Lady was merely an outsider. She had no connection to the *Mystic Path Decoded*, and without Yang An, she would have never been able to enter.

It was also from that time on that Yang An had wanted to find a vessel for the Bow Lady.

’Now that I have the Moon Talisman, I wonder if things are still the same for her?’

The Moon Talisman on Yang An’s chest trembled slightly, as if the Bow Lady was hesitating whether to try and answer him.

After a wait of two full breaths, the Bow Lady’s voice, soft as a whisper, finally reached Yang An’s mind.

"...Go ahead."

Her voice was as faint as the buzzing of a gnat; one could easily mishear it if not paying close attention.

’I never thought the normally assertive Bow Lady had such a timid side to her.’ Seeing that nothing unusual happened after she spoke, Yang An felt relieved, and a little amused.

’So the Moon Talisman doesn’t just house her, it also shields her from whatever’s out here.’

’Could the Workshop Master have anticipated this? Or was it just a coincidence? Only members of the Life Crane Sect know about the Earth Spirit Stele. There’s no way the Workshop Master could have known. It must have been a coincidence.’

He explained his idea to the Bow Lady, expressing his desire to try it.

"I don’t think I can. I can’t leave the Moon Talisman... but... if you really want to, I can try."

Genuine fear laced the Bow Lady’s tone, but after a moment’s hesitation, she still decided to risk it for Yang An.

It was clear the Xian Origin Land put the Bow Lady under immense pressure.

The Bow Lady’s reluctance, in turn, made Yang An hesitate.

’Now that she’s said that, I can’t possibly let her take such a risk just for my own selfish benefit. If anything happened to her because of this, I’d never forgive myself.’

However, methods were rigid, but people were flexible.