Be the Hardest Working Demon Cultivator!

A moment later, after a brief conversation, Tan Shuchang was surprised to discover that the voice in the Dream Immortal’s slumber stone was actually the inheritance left by an ancient cultivator who had ascended using dream techniques.

"You ask why I didn’t dissipate on my own after the Ancestor of Sword Disciple Mountain took action, and how I’m still here? Of course, it’s because after I came out I realized I was about to dissipate, so I hurried back! I’m not foolish, why wouldn’t I run home when it starts raining?"

Upon hearing this, Tan Shuchang’s expression remained unchanged, even appearing somewhat gentle, but a hint of a different color flashed in his eyes.

Because he felt that this voice couldn’t possibly be the so-called Dream Immortal’s inheritance.

After all, how could an inheritance be so sentient?

With such intelligence, it was no less than a cultivator. Even the Ancestor of Sword Disciple Mountain at the time was helpless against it.

Tan Shuchang didn’t know what level of cultivation the Ancestor of Sword Disciple Mountain possessed at that time, but he assumed it must at least be that of one confirmed immortal.

Usually, only another Immortal can deceive an Immortal.

"Why aren’t you speaking?" The light and sprightly voice from the Dream Immortal’s slumber stone seemed to be a chatterbox, and seeing Tan Shuchang silent, it immediately started talking to him proactively.

"Because I’m wondering whether you are truly the Dream Immortal’s inheritance, or the Dream Immortal herself?" Tan Shuchang spoke calmly and gently, however, as soon as these words fell, the voice inside the Dream Immortal’s slumber stone suddenly went quiet.

This was a guess based on the Peach Immortal’s behavior.

Although he didn’t know why the Peach Immortal didn’t fully ascend and deliberately left behind her body, it was fine not knowing for now. What’s important is, if one can, so can another; since the Peach Immortal didn’t fully ascend, naturally the Dream Immortal might not have either.

Moreover, the events that took place on Sword Disciple Mountain, especially what Elder Drywood mentioned, his reliance on the Secret Technique passed down by the Ancestor of Sword Disciple Mountain to gather vitality and return to his prime, could easily be sealed away by a ghost using the Ghost Suppressing Technique. It’s hard not to speculate—was that ascension really an ascension?

Not everyone will always be a fool.

Thus, no matter how well hidden the deeds outside Jiawu Realm are, there will always be a few capable of ascending who notice something amiss and leave themselves some leeway.

The soul ascended with the cultivation of the Peach Blossom Path, leaving behind the body—even if the body became a corpse and gave rise to a second consciousness, it could still be considered half of oneself.

Compared to being completely gone, this outcome is undoubtedly decent.

And perhaps this Dream Immortal did the same.

"Are young people nowadays all so smart?" The light and sprightly voice from the Dream Immortal’s slumber stone spoke again, but with a long sigh.

Tan Shuchang hadn’t expected his guess to be correct.

However, the voice in the Dream Immortal’s slumber stone then continued, "But you’re not completely correct, because I can be both the Dream Immortal and the inheritance."

At that moment, the voice was full of self-satisfaction.

"You are the Dream Immortal Technique cultivated by the Dream Immortal?" Tan Shuchang asked, surprised.

"You could guess that too?"

The self-satisfaction in the voice ceased abruptly, and it was now tinged with astonishment.

"Lucky guess, just blurted it out and it happened to be right," Tan Shuchang replied lightly, shaking his head.

"You speak so gently and elegantly, but it doesn’t quite match the fearsomeness of your very being..." the light voice commented, as if in jest.

"Cultivating is also cultivating the heart. For mortals, their daily needs are a form of cultivation; for cultivators, every action and word is cultivation. Burying oneself in hard training for decades and then descending the mountain to travel is, in my view, a waste of time.

Where in the world can the loneliness of solitary hard training refine the heart better than that?" Tan Shuchang spoke slowly, his demeanor calm, giving a sense of spring breeze.

And this was the understanding gleaned from his life twice over.

One only needs to learn endurance and restraint amidst the hustle and bustle of the world, while in arduous cultivation, not only must one endure and restrain, but they must also actively adapt, until they forge a strong inner self.

"Do you know what those like you usually end up becoming?" The light voice in the Dream Immortal’s slumber stone laughed before asking Tan Shuchang another question.

"What do they become?" Tan Shuchang was curious.

"Rebels against the heavens, astonishing demons of their time!"

"The Immortal jests. With my slight cultivation, how could I possibly defy the heavens, let alone become an astonishing demon?" Tan Shuchang was taken aback, and immediately shook his head modestly.

This assessment was too antagonistic for his liking; he didn’t want it.

"Then do you know what a demon is?" the light voice from the Dream Immortal’s slumber stone asked again.

"In the Jiawu Realm, a demon is generally defined as someone who practices demonic Cultivation Techniques and becomes a master of them," Tan Shuchang didn’t voice his own opinion but instead relayed the common understanding.

"You should know, in the early days of cultivating for immortality, there wasn’t such a concept as ’demon.’ Even now, some of these savage and bloody demonic Cultivation Techniques that require killing to increase one’s power, during certain special times, can be a noble and quick path to immortality.

And you may not believe it, but according to today’s classifications, the sword cultivators, who are fierce in slaughter, should be considered demonic in the early days of cultivation,"

Upon hearing this, Tan Shuchang subconsciously felt surprise and skepticism, but the next second, he chose to believe.

A person must not view all things through a lens of prejudice.

"You calmed down quickly, so you accept this explanation?" The light voice in the Dream Immortal’s slumber stone inquired.