046 The Spirit of Law

“Master, Miss Ran has awakened.”

Qin Shuyi entered Pang Yue’s small courtyard and spoke softly.

Pang Yue was seated under a tall ginkgo tree, leisurely sipping tea, holding a scroll of ancient text, absorbed in his reading.

Upon hearing this, he didn’t even lift his head and said, “Go invite Fellow Daoist Ran here.”

“Yes.”

Qin Shuyi responded and turned to leave.

Soon after, a tall and slender figure entered.

Ran Junxin wore a silver long dress, her hair cascading over her shoulders, her face as elegant as ever.

“Fellow Daoist Ran, please sit.”

Pang Yue gestured to the seat opposite him and personally poured a cup of tea.

Ran Junxin sat gracefully and thanked him, “Brother Daoist, I owe you greatly for this. Words cannot express my gratitude; I will remember it always.”

“There’s no need for formality between us.”

Pang Yue looked deeply at her and asked, “Do you remember your experience in the Demonic Illusion Realm?”

Ran Junxin’s expression turned puzzled. She shook her head and replied, “I have vague impressions, but everything is very blurry. If I try to recall deliberately, it becomes a complete muddle.”

“And you, Brother Daoist? Can you remember?”

Ran Junxin’s beautiful eyes rested on Pang Yue, a strange feeling stirring within her.

It was as if the two of them had spent a long life together...

“I’m much the same as you,” Pang Yue replied calmly, taking a sip of tea.

“Is that so?”

Ran Junxin’s expression shifted slightly. She also picked up her cup and took a sip.

A gentle breeze rustled the treetops, leaves whispering in the air.

Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, bringing a sense of ease and tranquility.

The two chatted quietly, sipping tea in leisure. Sometimes they didn’t speak for a long while, yet felt no awkwardness.

After sitting for some time, Ran Junxin rose and took her leave:

“Brother Daoist, I have gained some insights from this experience. I will return to the island for secluded cultivation. Let us speak further after I emerge, shall we?”

Pang Yue smiled warmly and replied, “Cultivation comes first. If you need any assistance, contact me anytime.”

Ran Junxin smiled sweetly, nodded in thanks, and transformed into a streak of light, departing.

Beneath the azure sky.

Ran Junxin’s light soared at a steady pace.

Ahead, not far off, lay her private island.

During her earlier conversation with Pang Yue, she had not revealed her secret.

Now, as she flew, she sank her consciousness into her sea of awareness.

At the center of her sea of awareness stood a stone statue with the head of a bird and the body of a human.

“Senior, my island is just ahead...”

Within her sea of awareness, Ran Junxin’s figure appeared and spoke respectfully to the statue.

...

Zhuoguang Mountain.

Hall of Merit, Main Hall.

There were no elder guards in this hall, only an ancient spirit of law who had existed for countless years, merged with the hall itself, handling daily affairs.

The main hall specialized in exchanges for disciples of the Demon Talisman Sect. The spirit of law was impartial and skilled at identifying treasures, possessing remarkable abilities.

When Pang Yue entered the hall, he was enveloped by a gentle glow and entered an independent, square space.

The space was snow-white, with a long table in the center. Behind the table sat a youth dressed in splendid robes, smiling at him.

“Could this be the spirit of law of the Hall of Merit? It doesn’t quite match the rumors...”

Pang Yue was intrigued and walked forward.

The robed youth asked, “Young friend from the Flame Demon Hall, what business do you wish to conduct?”

Pang Yue was taken aback. “Business?”

The youth nodded, “That’s right. I have all manner of heavenly treasures, cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, talismans, and elixirs. You can buy or sell, but only using the Demon Talisman Sect’s merit points.”

Pang Yue said, “I wish to sell some cultivation techniques.”

“Oh?” The youth’s eyes flickered with interest. “Let’s see them.”

Pang Yue produced a jade slip and placed it on the table.

The youth glanced at it, spiritual light flashing in his eyes, and was slightly surprised.

“The Xuan Yin Water Manipulation Technique—a demonic cultivation method, can be cultivated to the peak of the Golden Core stage. It’s a fine water-element technique.”

He gave a brief appraisal, then said, “It can be exchanged for thirty-two thousand merit points.”

Pang Yue was delighted.

These cultivation techniques were not of great value to him. Maximizing profit by exchanging them for merit was an excellent choice.

He hadn’t expected them to be so “valuable!”

To put it in perspective, his ten years of service on Dragon Scale Island in the Outer Sea had earned him about ten thousand merit points.

Each of the seven divine abilities of the Flame Demon Hall could be exchanged for an opportunity to comprehend them with just ten thousand merit points.

“Very well, exchange it at that price.”

Pang Yue said to the youth.

“Our hall conducts honest business, never deceiving the young or old.” The youth smiled and pointed, and Pang Yue saw the number on his identity token increase.

Thirty-two thousand!

He took out several more jade slips, placed them on the table, and said, “Please, Senior, appraise these as well.”

“More?” The youth was surprised.

He swept his gaze over the jade slips, spiritual light flickering rapidly in his eyes, as if calculating.

Then he spoke:

“Blood Demon Scripture... thirty-six thousand merit points.”

“Heaven and Earth Six Imperial Demon Sword Scripture... thirty-one thousand merit points.”

“Divine Lightning Method... this one’s excellent, forty-three thousand merit points.”

“Maha Demon Subduing Technique... a monk’s cultivation method, thirty-nine thousand merit points.”

“Primordial Demon Strategy... this is average, twenty-eight thousand merit points.”

...

To keep a low profile, Pang Yue only brought out ten jade slips.

After the youth’s appraisal, the total was three hundred ninety-six thousand merit points!

He did not bring out primordial soul-level inheritances like the Primordial Yang Orthodoxy or Nine Gods Puppet.

“Goodness, young man, did you empty the treasury of some sect?”

The youth looked at Pang Yue with curiosity.

Pang Yue only smiled, then asked, “Does Senior have Great Dao Bedrock, Void Iron Essence, Forbidden Spirit Red Copper... or the remains of high-level beasts and cultivators?”

He rattled off a list of treasure names, all principal materials for crafting the nine great spiritual treasures, as well as the Nine Gods Puppet and White Bone Relic.

The youth listened, pondered a moment as if sensing something, and finally said,

“Every item you mentioned is a rare and precious treasure, seldom seen in a century. I have only three pieces of Great Dao Bedrock, one piece of Void Iron Essence... but plenty of high-level beast remains...”

...

Half an hour later, Pang Yue left the Hall of Merit and proceeded to the Scripture Repository.

Within the ancient and mysterious stone chamber.

Seven murals were displayed in sequence.

Though he possessed many cultivation methods, the highest grade and most promising among those accessible to him were the “True Flame Demon Canon” and its subsequent “Secret Treatise of Chaotic Profound Demon Talisman.”

The “Primordial Yang Orthodoxy” was a primordial soul inheritance, but lacked the follow-up primordial soul portion.

The “Nine Gods Puppet” pertained to the path of puppetry; unless absolutely necessary, Pang Yue would not choose it as his main cultivation.

The Demon Talisman Sect’s techniques had been handed down in an unbroken line for seventy thousand years, with ample insights and experiences from Golden Core and primordial soul experts.

They were far superior to any techniques he could explore on his own.

This time, he used sixty thousand merit points to exchange for opportunities to comprehend the remaining six divine abilities.

Great Flame Demon Fist... Flame Sparrow Grand Array... Flame Demon Transformation... Heaven-Scorching Finger... Great Flame Demon Hand Seal... Descent of the Flame Demon!

Pang Yue sat quietly in the stone chamber. The innate Wuji Stele before him radiated pure light as he began to comprehend the divine abilities.

...

Flame Demon Hall.

Pang Yue entered the grand hall.

Eighteen massive stone pillars carved with patterns of Outer Realm Demons stood majestically within.

He swept his gaze over them, pausing at one pillar.

Upon it were countless lantern-shaped demon figures.

The Reincarnation Demon.

At the top of the pillar, within the flames, a figure appeared—it was the long-absent Kui Shan Shui.

Kui Shan Shui, short and stout, still served in the Flame Demon Hall.

Seeing Pang Yue enter, he asked calmly, “What brings you here, junior brother?”

“I’ve come to exchange for the Seven Great True Flames.”

Pang Yue replied.

Because of Ning Daozhen, there had been some friction between them, and they kept their distance.

“Do you have enough merit points? The price for a single seed of true flame is at least fifty thousand merit points.”

Kui Shan Shui asked curiously.

“No need for concern, senior brother.” Pang Yue clasped his hands in a polite salute.

Kui Shan Shui chuckled, pointed, and a firelight descended from above, enveloping Pang Yue and whisking him away.