“Thank you for saving me.” When faced with Lin Xi’s criticism, Zhantai Qiantang didn’t get angry, instead laughing. He showed Lin Xi a sincere bow of respect and asked, “However, why did you save me? This is especially after you learned of my identity, why did you still want to do this?”

“There are two reasons.”

Lin Xi directly threw out everything regarding Journey to the West out of his head. He looked at Zhantai Qiantang and said without hiding anything, “Those three Yunqin children are one reason. That day, if you didn’t take action, then I would have, which would result in many issues, perhaps even ruin some of my plans.”

Zhantai Qiantang didn’t ask about the deeper meanings either. With a smile, he said, “Turns out you were also there that day. What is the other reason? Is it because you have something with Wenren Cangyue?”

“Since even you were able to sense it, then how could it just be something?” Lin Xi nodded. “He is our common enemy.”

“You don’t seem to be like a cultivator from Yunqin’s royal court. Wenren Cangyue’s status is extremely high, a normal cultivator wouldn’t have any chance to bear a direct grudge against him.” Zhantai Qiantang looked at Lin Xi, seriously asking, “Just who are you exactly?”

After remaining silent for a moment, Lin Xi said, “I am named Lin Xi, a Green Luan Academy student.”

Zhantai Qiantang stared blankly for a moment, a bit of an indescribable expression appearing in his eyes. “You are precisely that Green Luan Academy student Lin Xi who killed Gongsun Quan and Qin Qinghuang?”

Lin Xi nodded.

Zhantai Qiantang looked at Lin Xi, a bit moved as he said, “There isn’t anyone more famous than you among Yunqin’s youngsters,.”

Lin Xi’s brows jumped slightly. He looked at Zhantai Qiantang and said, “If you don’t mind, how about we chat while we move?”

Zhantia Qiantang sincerely answered, “If you don’t mind carrying me again, of course we can chat while talking.”

Lin Xi suddenly felt a bit like he was White Dragon Horse.[1]

“Only, even when Xuanzang was the dirtiest, he would still be a bit cleaner than you right now.” While picking up Zhantai Qiantang, Lin Xi couldn’t help but mutter this to himself.

Zhantai Qiantang was a bit apologetic, humbly asking for guidance as he asked, “I already heard you say that I was like Xuanzang just now. Just who exactly is this Xuanzang?”

“A buddhist monk who was so kind he sometimes couldn’t distinguish between good and bad.” Lin Xi began to walk while explaining, “The type where the other party wants to eat your meat, yet you still don’t have the heart to kill the other party, that type of people pleaser who will even give that person a chance at life.”

Zhantai Qiantang couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Actually, I am not this type of people pleaser either. It is just that I feel like the more admirable the opponent, the higher the chance that they aren’t a bad person.”

Lin Xi sneered and said, “But you also aren’t an ordinary person. I feel like you have to at least be a bit more careful than others.”

“Actually, I’m really not like how you think I am.”

Zhantai Qiantang shook his head. “Perhaps it could be said that my situation is a bit worse than even what you have imagined. I have pretty much nothing, the bit of strength my teacher left behind has already been completely used up while fleeing to Yunqin. Even though Great Mang still has people who are loyal to my teacher, unless I have enough strength to protect them, none of them will stand out… That is why even before I came to your Yunqin, I was basically already completely alone, why when I got to Central Continent City, I didn’t even know what to do, standing blankly for a long time. When compared to a normal exiled individual, there already isn’t much of a difference.”

Lin Xi didn’t reply immediately, his head lowered, looking at his surroundings and thinking to himself.

Zhantai Qiantang wasn’t as long-winded as that Xuanzang Lin Xi spoke of, but he felt like Lin Xi definitely didn’t run out of things to say that quickly, nor did he ran out of things to ask. As such, he couldn’t help but say, “What are you thinking about?”

“I am thinking that since you have absolutely nothing, don’t have the slightest value to be exploited, maybe I should just throw you into the river and leave you here.” Lin Xi turned around, looking at Zhantai Qiantang while saying this.

Zhantai Qiantang stared blankly, and then he couldn’t help but roar with laughter, laugh until he began to cough.

He obviously knew that Lin Xi was joking. Even though from the very start, because of the matter of releasing Zhen Kuai, there was a bit of conflict between them and Lin Xi couldn’t be considered respectful towards him at that time, he now became more and more fond and in admiration of this Green Luan Academy student. He began to understand how Lin Xi clearly separated love and hatred, as well as a bit of his nature.

“Purgatory Mountain’s Devil Transformation, after it is used, what kind of effect would it have on a cultivator’s body?” Lin Xi shot this laughing Zhantai Qiantang a sidelong look, asking this.

Zhantai Qiantang’s laughter gradually stopped, seriously saying, “We will become extremely weak, become as weak as a cultivator who hasn’t eaten for fifteen days, moreover experienced a great illness. Only after adjusting our condition for more than a month will we slowly recover.”

Lin Xi said, “Then this means that cultivators who have undergone Devil Transformation, even if they aren’t injured, they will still need more than a month of time before they regain their fighting strength?”

Zhantai Qiantang nodded. “This is indeed the case.”

Lin Xi directly said, “Can you pass this Devil Transformation cultivation method to me?”

Zhantai Qiantang stared blankly. Then, he immediately roared with laughter again.

“Don’t laugh.” Lin Xi said, “Do you not feel like this is a serious question? Also, a Xuanzang like you who has been badly burned, laughing like this while being carried on someone’s back, don’t you feel like this is laughable?”

Zhantai Qiantang began to laugh even louder, to the point where he almost couldn’t breathe. “Could it be that Green Luan Academy’s students, every one of them are as interesting as you… as direct?”

“Probably not.” Lin Xi shook his head. “It is just that not every single Green Luan Academy student has a chance to run into a cultivator who knows Devil Transformation. In the past, when our Green Luan Academy’s students ran into cultivators who are capable of Devil Transformation, only one side would remain standing in the end.”

“What you said makes sense.” Zhantai Qiantang stared blankly. When he thought about how the two of them were originally considered enemies, he couldn’t help but sigh with amazement. “Actually, it isn’t that I cannot pass on this Devil Transformation’s cultivation method onto you… the key lies in that even if I tell you this Devil Transforamtion’s cultivation method, it still won’t be of any use. Neither you, nor any other Yunqin cultivator can cultivate it at all.”

Lin Xi turned around slightly. “Why?”

Zhantia Qiantang didn’t keep Lin Xi in suspense, calmly explaining, “It is because Purgatory Mountain’s Devil Transformation sounds terrifying to those who hear about it and see it, but it is actually just the stimulation of medications, to instantly erupt one’s potential. However, the medicine is a bit more special, the cultivator’s body won’t directly explode and die, able to continuously exist in the cultivator’s body, changing the cultivator’s blood.”

Lin Xi frowned. “It is just using domineering medicine to merge with blood and exchange blood?”

“That is precisely it.” Zhantai Qiantang nodded, becoming serious. “That is why if you want to cultivate Devil Transformation, not only does the cultivator’s body need to be able to resist the many harmful reactions the medicine has during the body’s modification, the key lies in that you need Purgatory Mountain’s unique Devil Transformation medicine.”

After a slight pause, Zhantai Qiantang continued, “Devil Transformation’s medicine is refined from Purgatory Mountain’s Sky Devil Essence. Meanwhile, Sky Devil Essence is rumored to be grown from a type of unique plant in Purgatory Mountain’s restricted land. As for what kind of thing that Sky Devil Essence really is, I have never seen it either. Aart from some of the highest level figures in Purgatory Mountain, no one else has seen it either. The reason why I was able to cultivate Devil Transformation was only because teacher obtained Devil Transformation’s medicine in his early years through some methods. This Devil Transformation’s medicine is extremely precious even in Purgatory Mountain. Out of a hundred Purgatory Mountain disciples, only a few people might be able to cultivate Devil Transformation. Of these few people, there are at least half who cannot successfully cultivate it because their bodies clash with the medicine, or they perish because their bodies cannot endure the first Devil Transformation.”

Lin Xi thought for a bit and said, “Since I can’t cultivate it because there’s no Devil Transformation medicine, then there’s no harm in just telling me the cultivation method, right?”

Zhantai Qiantang couldn’t help but laugh again. “You really are quite persistent.”

Lin Xi declined to comment.

Zhantai Qiantang instead nodded. “Alright, I will write it down for you.”

“Many thanks.” Lin Xi seriously expressed his gratitude.

Zhantai Qiantang could understand this type of earnestness that came from the very source. After a bit of hesitation, he asked, “Because of the crown prince Changsun Wujiang’s death, your Yunqin Empire said that you ought to be executed, so you became even more famous… Later on, I heard that because of a Great Mang spy who was against my teacher, you were seriously injured, there was even a Green Luan Academy student who died to save you?”

Lin Xi remained silent for a moment, and then he nodded. “That was my friend… and the crown prince you spoke of was also my good friend.”

Zhantai Qiantang understood Lin Xi even more. While looking at Lin Xi’s side profile, he said, “Actually, Devil Transformation cannot be maintained forever. Even if you learn it, when facing someone like Wenren Cangyue, he definitely will have a way to stall the Devil Transformation. Only if your cultivation is about the same level as his, can you have a chance of killing him under Devil Transformation… but when your cultivation level is about the same, then you might not even need to rely on Devil Transformation. However, according to what Senior Li Ku deduced through some records, Purgatory Mountain’s Devil Transformation is only an incomplete technique. It is rumored that there is a higher level of Devil Transformation that exists in this world.”

“A higher level of Devil Transformation?” Lin Xi’s mind shook, his brows furrowing, “What does that mean?”

“There are still many unknown things in this world.” Zhantai Qiantang looked at Lin Xi and said, “For example, in your Green Luan Academy behind Heaven Ascension Mountain Range, it is rumored that there is an endless frozen tundra and sea that stretch endlessly. Just like that, there are raging flames and unknown powerful fiend beasts behind Purgatory Mountain, the Sky Devil Plains no cultivator from Great Mang could return alive from. There is also the endless sand behind Sanskrit Temple and many places beyond Great Desolate Swamp, they are all places that are hard for cultivators to step foot in. However, according to some of the earliest hidden recordings from Thousand Devil Nest, these unknown lands might be related to the source of some cultivation methods. Based on the deductions of Senior Li Ku, Purgatory Mountain’s origin is Shentu Clan, while Shentu Clan should be the earliest ones to obtain some cultivation methods from Sky Devil Prison Plains.”

“In the legends of the people of this world, those unknown lands are where gods and devils fought in the past.” After a pause, Zhantai Qiantang looked at Lin Xi and said, “However, Senior Li Ku and teacher have both suspected that those places might very well have been this world’s most prosperous lands before, places where powerful cultivators or cultivation lands existed many years ago. In Thousand Devil Nest’s earliest recording, Purgatory Mountain’s Devil Transformation appeared after Shentu Clan killed Tianzhu Clan. In some of our Great Mang’s folk legends, Tianzhu Clan were demonic beings who were possessed by sky devils after entering Sky Devil Prison, their bodies turning pitch black and massive. Moreover, Senior Li Ku and my teacher deduced from many legends and texts that back then, Tianzhu Clan’s Devil Transformation allowed for transformation at will, and it could continue for a long time, that as long as one had enough soul force, then one could carry out a Devil Transformation. When one’s soul force was exhausted, the Devil Transformation would end, and it wouldn’t cause any damage to the body either.”

1. Xuanzang’s steed