Be the Hardest Working Demon Cultivator!

Tan Shuchang had never expected that a letter he wrote would bring him an official position.

"Is it to let someone know that the thunder and dew are all graces of the emperor?"

Tan Shuchang pondered thoughtfully.

In his heyday, the Tan family wielded considerable power, especially after he learned that the Zi Xuan Dynasty governed only seventeen states, while his own Tan family dominated thirteen states. Tan Shuchang understood that his family's future would either ascend to the emperor's throne or be utterly obliterated.

Learning from history, although the history Tan Shuchang referred to wasn't from the Jiawu Realm, the affairs of dynasties were quite general.

Thus, when Emperor Yi of the Zi Xuan Dynasty casually bestowed upon him a high official position, Tan Shuchang perceived it somewhat as a warning to the world.

After all, the Tan family wasn't unique. Today there could be a Tan family, and tomorrow a Zhang, Yu, Huo, Li, Liu families, and so forth.

Any family name, as long as fortune favored them, had the chance to achieve the grandeur once held by the Tan family.

However, this had nothing to do with Tan Shuchang.

At this moment, Tan Shuchang was considering how he could cultivate better while preserving himself if he entered this whirlpool of the court.

Entering the Qitian Pavilion might not be a happy affair for the disciples of the Immortal Sects, since they could cultivate just fine within their own sects, with no shortage of necessary resources.

The magic artifacts the Qitian Pavilion could offer were things their own sects could provide as well, and with better quality and greater quantity.

Even if they truly lacked something, they could simply capture some specters and then wait for the underworld messengers to show up. As long as they had enough specters, under reasonable circumstances, any request could be negotiated with the underworld messengers.

However, for the Loose Cultivators, joining the Qitian Pavilion was almost like securing a golden rice bowl.

Even for a lower realm magic artifact, it was extremely hard for a Loose Cultivator to obtain one without either saving for most of their life or draining their family wealth and then incurring huge debts.

And yet, these lower realm magic artifacts would be granted to the staff of the Qitian Pavilion on the day they joined.

Although Tan Shuchang already possessed a magic artifact, and it was even a higher realm artifact, he harbored no resistance whatsoever to joining the Qitian Pavilion.

"Considering the third-rank official position of the Sword Command Daoist General, if I do nothing but collect my salary and cultivation resources, surely no one would fault me?"

Tan's entire strategy was to freeload.

Thus, he prepared to take up his post with a pleased heart. After all, it was as if someone was delivering money to his doorstep.

However, just as Tan Shuchang finished packing his things, he heard a cold sneer: "Fool, Emperor Yi is using you as a pawn to test the intentions of the Immortal Sects, and your death is imminent, yet you still seem so delighted?"

A look of horror flashed in Tan Shuchang's eyes because until the voice emerged, he had not detected the slightest trace of the other party.

It was known that on Black Heart Mountain, he had planted lotus marks with the Blood Refining Lotus Technique.

Even individuals who had cultivated for decades and belonged to the older generation could not escape his detection! The old man who had secretly protected Qiu Junlin before was found by Tan Shuchang in such a manner.

Unless… the person had not yet ascended the mountain?

But if that were the case, the person was even more terrifying. He was on Black Heart Mountain, and even just considering the straight-line distance, from his location to the outside of Black Heart Mountain, there was a distance of ten miles.

Sensory perception spanning ten miles?

What kind of terrestrial immortal was this?

The Heartless Old Man, who had cultivated for a hundred years, did not possess such power even at his peak!

But the next second, Tan Shuchang dismissed the guess that the person hadn't ascended the mountain yet, as a tombstone smashed down in front of him.

"Boy, I see you have great potential on the path of demonic arts. If you can master this Cultivation Technique within three days, not only will I pass on the remaining three volumes of this technique to you, but I will also help you refine that martial family's Magic Artifact you possess.

You may not know, but these martial gate Magic Artifacts can be tracked back to their original owners through a secret method," he said.

"But if you fail to cultivate it, then..."

The voice paused there, but the implied murderous intent was unmistakably clear.

Tan Shuchang had already calmed down, he heard the words and did not say much, immediately stepping forward to inspect the stone stele carefully.

And with that glance, Tan Shuchang couldn't help but reveal a hint of shocked uncertainty in his eyes.

Just by looking at the techniques engraved on the stele, his unique ability began to stir actively.

Fortunately, Tan Shuchang had long since mastered this innate ability of his, so even though his power was greatly influenced by the technique on the stele, he did not show any signs of anomaly.

Because the Cultivation Technique on the stele resonated continuously with his own ability, in just a moment, Tan Shuchang had grasped the essentials of cultivation and began his attempt to enter the doorway of this art.

...

"Could this boy possibly be the Heavenly Demon reincarnated?"

In a guest room of an inn in Qinghe City, the kind-eyed old man was completely stunned.

Even having once been a leader of demonic sects, he couldn't help but feel shocked at this moment.

After all, the "Shadow Retaining Immortal Secret Tome" was no ordinary scripture; it was a Heavenly Power Treasured Tome that could enable one to break through the True Cultivation Realm and achieve the Immortal Realm.

Once one entered the path of cultivation, they could master techniques, laws, and strength—three kinds of power.

It was indeed the legendary type of cultivation method.

Although the "Shadow Retaining Immortal Secret Tome" wasn't the only Heavenly Power Treasured Tome in the Jiawu Realm—the Absolute Immortal Sword Scripture from Tutuo Mountain, the Heavenly Heart Sword Realm from Heavenly Sword Mansion, the Sixteen Feet Golden Body Dharma Form from Western Tuo Mountain, and the Supreme Clear Lotus Sutra from the High Clarity Temple could all be considered its equals.

Even in some respects, they could completely suppress the "Shadow Retaining Immortal Secret Tome."

But it was undeniable that the "Shadow Retaining Immortal Secret Tome" was amongst the top-tier demonic cultivation methods.

Legend had it that three hundred years ago, before myths and traces of immortals had disappeared, the Jiawu Realm had other demonic Heavenly Power Treasured Tomes, such as the "Nine Ghosts and Demon Mother Technique," the "Blood Transmutation Divine Saber Scripture," and the "Myriad Souls Demon Banner Art."

However, the old man had spent most of his life searching for these legendary demonic techniques and had not found even the slightest trace related to them.

"Good, good, good!"

Back in the guest room of the inn, the old man couldn't help but smile again.

Because the faster Tan Shuchang entered the path of cultivation, the more suitable he was for practicing the "Shadow Retaining Immortal Secret Tome," and the less he had to worry.

"There's no future in cultivating demonic paths. By passing on this method, I'm fulfilling my final duty as once the leader of the demonic sect. From now on, I have nothing to do with the demonic paths," he said.

As this thought crossed the old man's mind, a shadow took three stone steles and headed to Black Heart Mountain.

Meanwhile, the old man also left the inn and set off for Tutuo Mountain.

The grand scheme of righteousness and the imminent emergence of the Son of the Heavenly Mandate.

Although it's too early to say whether this grand scheme will succeed, aligning with Tutuo Mountain as it begins could greatly benefit one.

The old man had initially planned to increase his standing by supporting the young dragon plan, but now, having passed on the "Shadow Retaining Immortal Secret Tome," he remained indifferent to being underrated by Tutuo Mountain; taking advantage of the situation was all that mattered.