The visitor sat cross-legged across from Guo Xingyue and asked, "In your opinion, what is the Dao?"
Guo Xingyue pondered seriously for a moment before answering, "The Dao is nameless and follows nature."
The visitor chuckled and replied, "Then is cultivation about following heaven or going against it?"
"Naturally, it is going against heaven," Guo Xingyue responded.
"If it is against heaven, then what is the meaning of following heaven?" the visitor countered.
Guo Xingyue thought for a while, unable to grasp the essence, and respectfully asked, "I do not understand. I would like to hear your explanation."
With a smile, the visitor said, "Heaven generates all things, and the fittest survive. Or rather, heaven is unkind and treats all beings as pawns, just as sages are unkind and treat the common people as pawns. The Way of Heaven is merely the way of competition."
Guo Xingyue remained silent for a long time before asking, "The Dao is often non-action, yet nothing is left unaccomplished. Water benefits all things without competing, therefore the Dao naturally preserves itself. Furthermore, the way of heaven reduces the excess and supplements the insufficient. What do you think, esteemed elder?"
"The great Dao is nameless; all laws return to one. What is the Dao? The Dao resides in the heart. The Dao is the Dao, and the demon is also the Dao."
Upon hearing this, Guo Xingyue felt a sudden enlightenment, as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. He fell into deep contemplation, the cultivation scriptures swirling in his mind, intermingling various insights and thoughts, leading him into a state of meditation. After a long while, Guo Xingyue awoke from his meditative state, only to find the visitor who had been sitting across from him had vanished, leaving behind a jade pendant on the ground. Guo Xingyue reached down and picked it up, probing it with his spiritual awareness.
Inside the jade pendant was not only a segment of demon cultivation method but also a star map indicating the way to leave the demon cultivation star realm. However, there was no information regarding the mysterious visitor. Other than knowing that the visitor had once been the king of Liro Kingdom, Guo Xingyue had no other knowledge, and he couldn't help but ponder the visitor's intentions, yet remained at a loss. At the very least, he could be certain that the visitor held no malice toward him; otherwise, he would not have taken the time to offer guidance. As for the things he could not comprehend, Guo Xingyue had always set them aside, believing that in time, everything would become clear.
After comparing the demon cultivation method he obtained from the demon cultivator he had slain with the one given to him by the mysterious man, Guo Xingyue found that the two methods were essentially derived from the same source, though the mysterious man's method was much more comprehensive and profound. After studying the mysterious man's demon cultivation method in detail, Guo Xingyue felt a spark of inspiration: the mysterious man was right. The great Dao is nameless, and all laws return to one. For so long, he had only thought of expelling the magic essence from his body, without considering that he could also assimilate it. The cultivation methods of demons and immortals were fundamentally the same; the only difference lay in their focus. Immortal cultivation emphasized harnessing the power of heaven and earth, hence the emphasis on formations, alchemy, and weapon forging, while demon cultivation focused on enhancing one's own energy, akin to refining the body into a weapon. Although their roots were the same, their developmental paths were entirely opposite. Even the simultaneous cultivation of both Dao and Demon might not be unfeasible.
The meridians used for demon cultivation were largely similar to those for immortal cultivation. The difference was that in immortal cultivation, true essence primarily circulated through the main channels of the eight extraordinary meridians, whereas in demon cultivation, the flow of demonic essence also required traversing certain branch meridians. The energy of true essence was relatively gentle, while the energy of demonic essence was overwhelmingly forceful. The focus of immortal cultivation was mainly on tempering the body, while the focus of demon cultivation was on completely transforming the body into something extraordinarily strong.
After considering the possibility of simultaneously cultivating both Dao and Demon, along with the potential risks involved, Guo Xingyue ultimately decided to proceed with it. Although the risks were significant, the rewards were equally great. At the very least, his physical strength and the attack power of true essence would see considerable enhancement. The first step was to tame the demonic essence within him. Although this demonic essence was foreign and had troubled Guo Xingyue for over a decade, now that he understood the demon cultivation method, it had become the foundation of his demon cultivation.
Guo Xingyue began to mobilize the true essence in his infant realm, forcing the demonic essence to react. Once the demonic essence became active, he began to use the demon cultivation method to guide it. Initially, the demonic essence was utterly uncooperative, but with the pressure of true essence and the stimulation from Guo Xingyue's demon cultivation method, strands of demonic essence were gradually drawn out from the infant realm into the meridians, beginning to operate according to the demon cultivation method. As time passed, more and more demonic essence was drawn out, and the infant realm, which had been half-black and half-golden, gradually restored to a faint golden color. This first step was considered a success.
The demonic essence within Guo Xingyue could contend with the spiral true essence and the energy of the lightning orb, its power was undeniably tyrannical. As the demonic essence circulated through Guo Xingyue's body, it began to transform his physical form. However, since Guo Xingyue had no foundation in demon cultivation, controlling this demonic essence was exceptionally challenging. The transformation of his body was not a gradual process, but rather an instantaneous one, bringing immense pain. Fortunately, Guo Xingyue was known for his endurance and paid no heed to the agony of his body, fully concentrating on controlling the flow of demonic essence.
After what felt like an eternity, the transformation of his body by the demonic essence finally concluded. Guo Xingyue cautiously controlled the demonic essence, gathering it towards the infant realm. However, when the demonic essence flowed towards the infant realm, it encountered the blockade of the spiral true essence. The two forces erupted in a fierce conflict at the infant realm, causing the infant realm to tremble violently, nearly injuring Guo Xingyue in the process.
In a panic, Guo Xingyue redirected the demonic essence back into the meridians, repeatedly contemplating how to deal with this demonic essence. Although the demonic essence had essentially been tamed, having troubled him for over a decade, it now served as a foundation for his demon cultivation. While it could be expelled from his body easily, it would be a pity to waste it, especially since this demonic essence could match the true essence of a mid-level spiritual cultivator. However, forcing it into the infant realm could lead to a clash with the true essence. What to do?
After weighing the pros and cons swiftly, Guo Xingyue decided to take a gamble. He carefully controlled the demonic essence and directed it into the dantian, but instead of allowing it to flow into the infant realm, he gathered it nearby. Then, he mobilized the true essence, allowing the two energies to begin to merge outside the infant realm. The true essence and demonic essence could be considered completely different types of energy, and merging these two was originally thought impossible. Yet, with the presence of the lightning orb's energy, which served as a mediator, the true essence and demonic essence began to intertwine bit by bit. Once all the true essence and demonic essence were intertwined, a sudden violent shockwave erupted, causing Guo Xingyue's dantian to feel like boiling water, and the three types of energy collided and clashed violently, shaking Guo Xingyue's infant realm and causing him to spurt a fountain of blood from his mouth.