79: Chapter 79: My Fate is in My Own Hands, Not in the Heavens

Xiao Ran was the first to step onto the Ascension Platform.

This white jade platform, a thousand feet in radius, floated above a sea of clouds; a hundred feet ahead, two towering gates stood silently.

The Immortal Gate on the left was wreathed in clear Qi, while the Demonic Gate on the right surged with black mist, an Elder Gu aura faintly seeping from the gap between the doors.

In the center of the platform stood a nine-zhang-tall stone tablet.

Three large characters were carved on the tablet: Heart of Dao Inquiry

Xiao Ran sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing and recover.

The effect of the cloud-climbing boots had already disappeared, but the gains from crossing nine thousand steps remained firmly within his body.

After devouring a massive amount of energy from the steps, the Guixu Body showed faint signs of a Breakthrough.

His Dao Heart, having passed the heart-inquiry test, was as solid as a rock.

His combat experience was several times richer than before entering the Ancient Battlefield.

"So this is the meaning of the trial..."

Xiao Ran closed his eyes and looked inward, feeling the changes within himself.

About half an hour later, a second figure appeared on the Ascension Platform.

It was Li Tianxing.

As he stepped onto the final stair, the blood fiend aura around him churned like boiling water, and a sharp light radiated from his crimson eyes.

Clearly, he had gained greatly on the Demonic Path.

"Junior Brother Xiao, you are quite fast."

Li Tianxing smiled slightly upon seeing Xiao Ran.

"Senior Brother Li is the one who is truly fast."

Xiao Ran stood up and bowed.

While the two were talking, the third and fourth figures appeared simultaneously.

White Bone Scholar and Liu Ruyan.

A layer of dark gold patterns had appeared on White Bone Scholar's bone armor, and his aura was even deeper.

Liu Ruyan's charm techniques were restrained, but a pink luster flowed in her eyes, showing her progress in illusion arts.

"Only the four from the Immortal Path are left."

"I wonder what it's like on their side."

Liu Ruyan looked at the mist below.

Just as she finished speaking, a light flashed from the direction of the Immortal Gate.

Ling Jianxin stepped out of the Immortal Gate, still in white, but the Sword Intent around him was purer, as if it had just undergone a thorough cleansing.

Soon after, Li Changsheng, Jian Wuchen, and Su Qinghan appeared one after another.

All eight people had reached the top!

"Congratulations to everyone for passing the first stage of the Immortal Climbing Ladder."

Elder Gu's voice came from the stone tablet.

"In ancient times, countless great powers of the Immortal and Demonic Paths fought a decisive battle against the Yao Race here; this place was formed from a fragment of that great war."

"Three Immortal Venerables, four Demon Venerables, seven Yao Saints, and countless Cultivators of the Immortal, Demonic, and Yao Races fell here."

"Their Legacies, insights, and treasures are all scattered throughout this world."

"The immortals and demons all agreed that only Cultivators who completely pass the three trials are qualified to receive their Legacies."

"The first trial is complete."

The voice paused and then continued.

"Now for the second trial: Heart of Dao Inquiry."

"The Immortal and Demonic Paths diverge; each follows its own Dao."

"Those on the Immortal Path shall enter the Immortal Gate to be questioned by the Immortal Venerables; those on the Demonic Path shall enter the Demonic Gate to be questioned by the Demon Venerables."

"Those who pass will receive clues to the corresponding Legacies and enter the third stage, the Heaven-Battling Platform."

"Now, enter."

As the voice fell, the two great gates of Immortal and Demon swung open with a boom.

Inside the gates were bottomless passages, with different scenes faintly visible.

Inside the Immortal Gate was the phantom of a palace surrounded by auspicious clouds, while inside the Demonic Gate was an Ancient Battlefield with a blood moon hanging high.

"Let's go."

Li Tianxing was the first to step into the Demonic Gate.

White Bone Scholar and Liu Ruyan followed closely behind.

Xiao Ran took one last look at Li Changsheng; their eyes met, and then they each turned away.

Xiao Ran stepped into the Demonic Gate.

...

Inside the Demonic Gate, the scenery changed.

Xiao Ran found himself standing on a blood-red wasteland.

A blood moon hung in the sky, the ground was cracked with lava flowing, and the air was filled with the scent of sulfur and blood.

Four figures slowly approached from four directions.

To the left, a burly old man with red hair and red eyes, surrounded by churning blood flames.

This person was the phantom of the Blood Fiend Demon Venerable.

To the right, a white-robed scholar as thin as a lath, holding a bone fan.

This person was the phantom of the Netherworld Bone Venerable.

In front, an enchanting and charming woman in purple, her eyes filled with peach blossoms.

This person was the phantom of the Ten Thousand Desires Demon Venerable.

Behind, a hunched figure shrouded in black mist, with poisonous gas permeating the air.

This person was the phantom of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable.

Four Demon Venerables!

Although they were only phantoms of residual will, the pressure they emitted still made Xiao Ran feel suffocated.

"Junior."

"What you practice... is the Guixu Demonic Path?"

Blood Fiend Demon Venerable spoke first, his voice like rolling lava.

Xiao Ran steadied his mind and cupped his hands.

"Junior Xiao Ran practices the Guixu Demon Scripture."

"Guixu..."

"That old monster's Legacy actually hasn't been extinguished yet."

Netherworld Bone Venerable said raspily.

Ten Thousand Desires Demon Venerable chuckled from the side.

"The little fellow is quite handsome; do you want to try big sister's Ten Thousand Desires Heavenly Art? I guarantee you'll be as happy as an immortal."

Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable snorted: "Seduction tricks, not fit for the stage."

The phantoms of the four Demon Venerables showed completely different personalities from the moment they appeared.

Xiao Ran didn't dare to speak and could only let it pass with a smile.

After the four Demon Venerables argued for a while, they finally realized what they were there for and immediately began to question him.

"What is a demon?"

Blood Fiend Demon Venerable asked.

"A demon is one who goes against heaven, seizing the creation of heaven and earth to strengthen themselves."

"But I believe that being a demon is not about indiscriminate killing or madness, but about not obeying fate; my fate is mine, not heaven's."

Xiao Ran answered without hesitation.

The scene at this moment was a bit like a graduation thesis defense, with four supervisors and one student, in a question-and-answer format.

Having experience, Xiao Ran naturally did not feel stage fright.

"Interesting."

As expected.

A flash of appreciation appeared in Blood Fiend Demon Venerable's eyes.

"Then why do you practice the Demonic Path?"

Another question.

"For freedom, for transcendence, to be free from any shackles."

"The Immortal Path speaks of conforming to fate, while the Demonic Path speaks of defying fate to change it; I choose the latter."

Xiao Ran said frankly.

Netherworld Bone Venerable then asked: "If you needed to slaughter millions of lives for freedom, would you be willing?"

"I would not."

Xiao Ran shook his head.

"Freedom is not doing whatever one wants, but having the right to choose not to do something; if freedom is exchanged for slaughter, then freedom itself becomes a shackle."

"Pedantic!"

"The Demonic Path is inherently about the survival of the fittest; if you don't kill others, others will kill you."

Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable sneered upon hearing this.

"Senior is right."

"But survival of the fittest is not the same as indiscriminate killing of the innocent. I kill only those who deserve to be killed, and I seize treasures only because they are things I should have."

"This is called... even demons have a Dao."

Xiao Ran's emotions surged, and he immediately retorted.

After all, as a modern person who had received nine years of compulsory education, no matter how bad he was, how bad could he really be?

The four Demon Venerables fell silent for a moment.

Ten Thousand Desires Demon Venerable suddenly chuckled.

"The little fellow's Dao Heart is quite firm. Then big sister asks you, if you had to choose between your true love and the Great Dao, which would you choose?"

Xiao Ran's heart jolted.

True love and the Great Dao...

This question pointed directly to the greatest desire deep within a Cultivator's heart.

He took a deep breath and said slowly.

"I am greedy; I want both."

"What if you can only choose one?"

Ten Thousand Desires Demon Venerable pressed.

Xiao Ran looked up and stared directly at the phantoms of the four Demon Venerables: "Then I will... break this rule and create a third path."

"Arrogant!" Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable shouted.

But Blood Fiend Demon Venerable laughed loudly: "Good! What a 'break the rule'! This is the kind of spirit our Demonic Path should have!"

He raised his hand, and a streak of blood light entered the space between Xiao Ran's eyebrows.

The Blood Fiend Legacy is three hundred miles east of the Heaven-Battling Platform, in the Blood Fiend Demon Hall.

Inside is the complete text of my Blood Fiend Demon Scripture and my life-bound demonic weapon, the Blood Fiend Heaven-Slaying Halberd.

Netherworld Bone Venerable also flicked his finger, and a bone rune flew out.

The Netherworld Bone Path Legacy is four hundred miles north of the Heaven-Battling Platform, in the Netherworld Bone Tomb.

Inside is my Nine Netherworld Bone Scripture and the ten thousand ancient skeletons I collected throughout my life.

Ten Thousand Desires Demon Venerable smiled charmingly: "Little brother, my Legacy is five hundred miles west of the Heaven-Battling Platform, in the Ten Thousand Desires Heavenly Palace."

However... you must first pass the test of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires that I have set, oh."

Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable snorted and also gave a clue.

The Ten Thousand Poisons Legacy is six hundred miles south of the Heaven-Battling Platform, in the Ten Thousand Poisons Swamp.

My Ten Thousand Poisons True Scripture and the poison path supreme treasure, the ten thousand poison bead, are both there.

However, there are thousands upon thousands of poisonous creatures in the poison swamp; whether you can get them alive depends on your own ability.