Aspiring to the Immortal Path

A glorious victory.

The battle in the Yellow Court World had basically wiped out the Scarlet Terra Ancestor’s demon army, and the survivors had all been taken under Ice Phoenix’s wing. Although the demons were infamous for their lack of credibility, high-tier devils still had a certain level of control over their subordinates. The simplest method was to seize their souls. While this couldn’t obtain their complete loyalty, and their own strength limited the number of subordinates they could control, Ice Phoenix chose to selectively control some high-tier devils, which allowed her to control most of the demons.

Her future success would now depend on her wisdom.

Ice Phoenix was rather confident in this aspect. She had followed Tang Jie for many years and had learned many things by observation.

After gathering the remnants of the demons, Ice Phoenix led them back to the Primordial Fog Domain. According to the agreement, she was now free.

The day of parting had finally come.

At Heavenweave Ridge, Tang Jie personally sent her off.

The 120 war wagons gathered in the sky were all that remained of the demon army. Tang Jie stood on the top floor of the central war wagon, numerous devils prostrating to him. Only Ice Phoenix stood tall, staring proudly back at him.

“Although I know saying this to you is probably meaningless, I still have to say it. The Primordial Fog is rife with danger, and neither the current you nor your current subordinates are strong enough to rely on. If possible, I still hope for you to reconsider your decision,” Tang Jie said.

Ice Phoenix smiled. “As you said, you already know my answer. The Primordial Fog Domain truly is dangerous, and my subordinates truly are unreliable, but none of these are enough to restrain my desire for freedom. I admit that I can live very well under your wings, but so what? I’m a demon! I can never belong to the humans. We demons always act on instinct and desire. Because of all your limitations, I’ve had to live so unlike a demon that I almost suffocated to death! Now that I have an opportunity, how could I let it go? So, if you have a heart, you should wish me good luck.”

“Wishing you good luck doesn’t compare to a good act. Since you’re leaving, what if I gift you something that can let you get a foothold in the Primordial Fog Domain?”

Ice Phoenix’s eyes flashed. “What kind of gift?”

Tang Jie waved a hand, and a group of cultivators came forward. They were led by Cai Junyang, and behind him were Xi Canhen, Peng Yaolong, and a group of Soul Transformation cultivators.

“Them?” Ice Phoenix looked at Tang Jie in confusion.

“Let them go with you to the Primordial Fog Domain to serve as your assistants. You’ve just recruited these demons, so they won’t be too useful for the moment. With them around to share your worries, you will have a much easier time.”

Ice Phoenix shouted, “Are you crazy? The Primordial Fog Domain is thick with demonic energy, and staying long will inevitably result in contamination. Even the Immortal Emperor had to retreat back to the Stellar Chiliocosm because of this problem. The Primordial Fog Domain is not suitable for humans!”

“Not necessarily,” Tang Jie coolly replied. “Can’t your Jade Lady Iceheart Mantra resist the contamination of demonic energy?”

“But I…”

“That’s because your art was broken, not because the art was unable to resist demonic energy. In truth, there are many arts that can deal with demonic energy, but most have been lost to history. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to get my hands on one.”

Tang Jie was speaking of the Jailing Demon Embryo Classic. This art could refine demonic energy into a Demon Embryo that could help one grow stronger, being quite the rare divine art.

But after attaining a perfect body, Tang Jie began to walk his own path. Other arts, like the Violet Jade Mantra, the World Descender Mantra, and the Jailing Demon Embryo Classic all became supportive arts.

The Jailing Demon Embryo was good, but it could never become Tang Jie’s primary focus. Meanwhile, its ability to refine demonic energy could help cultivators resist falling to demonhood, so Tang Jie had thought of passing it on to other cultivators. But he later discovered that while this art could help, unless it was cultivated to a certain level, there was still an extremely high risk of becoming a demon.

This was similar to Ice Phoenix’s Jade Lady Iceheart Mantra. Borrowing the power of darkness to grow stronger carried the risk of falling into darkness.

Thus, Tang Jie had modified the plan, choosing only some cultivators to cultivate this art, and only under Tang Jie’s supervision.

Tang Jie’s protection meant that these cultivators had a much smaller chance of becoming demons, but it also meant that the number of cultivators with Jailing Demon Embryos became much smaller.

The cultivators that had appeared before Ice Phoenix were these cultivators who had attained a Jailing Demon Embryo.

So long as they maintained their art, they didn’t have to worry about the corrosion of demonic energy and could freely travel the Primordial Fog Domain.

“I see,” Ice Phoenix said after hearing Tang Jie’s explanation.

While Cai Junyang’s group was there to help her, couldn’t they also be considered supervisors sent by Tang Jie to keep an eye on her?

Tang Jie was willing to give Ice Phoenix this sort of demon army because he needed this sort of person. This person had to have the status of a demon while still representing the interests of humans. They could travel across the Primordial Fog Domain and kill as they wanted without drawing the fury of numerous other Demon Lords. When Primordial Fog demons attacked, these were internal conflicts, and internal conflicts were commonplace in the Primordial Fog Domain. After all, only through internal conflicts could demons grow stronger.

With such a person around, Tang Jie could defend his own lands while his representative was responsible for invading the Primordial Fog. With such a person around, Tang Jie would have a better idea of the demons’ movements, knowing which enemies were coming, what sort of personality they had, their strong points and weaknesses, and what their general plan was. With this sort of person around, Tang Jie could use demons to fight against the demons…

Ice Phoenix was a prime candidate.

Her ambition was an important tool for realizing Tang Jie’s plan, and Ice Phoenix knew this. At the same time, she knew that if she wanted to get her own piece of land in the Primordial Fog Domain, she needed a force that she could rely on.

She smiled, “Fine;

then I’ll take them. Since I’m just getting started and my subordinates aren’t completely loyal to me, I have a need for personnel. If you don’t mind, I’ll be assigning them important missions.”

Tang Jie chuckled. “Give them as many important missions as you want, so long as they return alive. One day, if you get sick of them and don’t want them anymore, you can send them back, but don’t try any tricks. I don’t require you to bring back everyone, but at the very least, most of them have to be returned alive and with all their parts.”

Ice Phoenix giggled. “Oh my, that puts a lot of pressure on me. I don’t dare to dispatch them on the more dangerous missions then. And what do you mean by ‘most of them’? Can you give me a number? Like 80%? Anything is fine so long as I don’t drop below this level?”

She was speaking properly at first, but gradually, her demon nature grew evident.

Tang Jie’s face darkened. “Just remember that they’re there to help you, not hurt you. Don’t do anything dumb, if only for your own sake.”

“Then you had best understand that demons act on their desire. Not everyone is like you, always able to calculate the gains and losses of everything you do. We demons sometimes simply do things to be happy! So what if they came to help me? This one is even willing to cut off her own arm if it made me unhappy…”

Tang Jie nodded. “I understand what you mean. Be at ease, for I told Junyang and the others that they wouldn’t interfere in your business so long as it didn’t concern the welfare of humanity. And even if it does have to do with the welfare of humanity… so long as it isn’t a big deal, they’ll obey your orders.”

“How do you decide what’s big and small?”

After a brief pause, Tang Jie said, “I will have them do their best to obey and try not to voice objections. So long as you don’t send them to their deaths or harm humans, they won’t object.”

Ice Phoenix gave a victorious grin. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

She turned to Cai Junyang and said, “Why aren’t you greeting your master?”

Cai Junyang scowled. “We came to help you, not serve as your slaves.”

“Look, it’s only the first order and it’s already being disobeyed. Was my order just now to send them to their deaths or hurt other humans?” Ice Phoenix immediately said.

Tang Jie was put in an awkward position, softly coughing, “For the sake of humanity, you must endure this humiliation.”

Cai Junyang took in a deep breath before reluctantly coming over and bowing. “Cai Junyang pays respects to Fairy.”

He could pay his respects, but he would never call her “Master”.

Ice Phoenix raised her head and said, “Don’t call me Fairy. Starting from today, I am Demoness God Phoenix. Since you do not consider me your master, simply call me Leader.”

There was no questioning Ice Phoenix’s status as leader.

Thus, Cai Junyang and the others said in unison, “We pay respects to the leader!”

Thus, everything was settled.

With this assistance, Ice Phoenix’s force was much stronger, and she turned to the spatial gate without hesitation.

Just when she was about to leave, she suddenly looked back at Tang Jie.

At that moment, all of her cunning and ambition disappeared, leaving that purehearted woman of yesteryear.

Standing there, she shouted:

“Tang Jie!”

“What is it?”

“I want to ask you: toward me… did you never once feel tempted? I mean: was there even a little bit of affection?”

Tang Jie was taken aback.

After a while, he nodded and said, “Yes, and not just a little.”

Ice Phoenix’s eyes gleamed.

She said in a shaky voice, “Then why did you reject me?”

“Because that was not a reason to accept. In this world, there are plenty of beautiful things worth loving, but you can’t have them all. Some people are like flowers by the side of the road. Your sole connection with it is to pass it by. Plucking it will only cause its petals to shrivel up and its soul to wither away.”

Ice Phoenix was stunned.

She muttered, “Is that how it was…”

Her face bloomed into a smile as she finally realized something.

She said, “Thank you for your advice. Knowing that you had feelings for me makes me feel a lot better. But alas, I am still a demon. Since I am a demon, I will behave like a demon, so you and Xu Miaoran had better be careful. One day, if I grow strong enough, I will personally invade this domain and take you for myself, and once I’m bored, I’ll cast you aside, castrate you, and kill you!”

She turned and left.

These were domineering words, but nobody noticed the teardrop going up in steam in the corner of her eye.

As he gazed at her departing figure, Tang Jie nodded. “I understand.”

“‘Understand’ what?” Xu Miaoran, who was standing at his side, asked in confusion.

“Those who become demons change their understanding of the world, their understanding of good and evil, their personality, and what they consider right and wrong, but one thing doesn’t change… their emotions, their love and hatred.”