Chapter 288 - 283: Strange Harvest in the Demon Realm

The Demon Realm was far stranger than Song Ciwan had originally imagined.

Skyscraping trees whose tops were lost to sight, continuous trunks, and endless branches... Standing on one of these branches was like standing on a series of wide, suspended bridges. These bridges were primal and three-dimensional, their height and depth immeasurable.

There was no telling how many layers these overlapping branches formed, or where they ended.

Song Ciwan’s first reaction was to feel the Pass Token still in her hand, confirming that it was fine. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she stored the Token in her Vast Sea Grotto Heaven.

This item had to be kept safe, or the journey back would be difficult.

At the same time, Song Ciwan used the Qimen Daoist Skill, A Grain of Sand in the Sea, to reduce her presence to an absolute minimum.

The strangeness of the Demon Realm wasn’t just in the massive tree that seemed to pierce through the entire Realm, but also in a dark, gloomy aura that permeated the air.

To make an analogy, when Song Ciwan was in the Great Zhou, in the true Mortal World, she felt like a fish in water—perfectly at home, a natural feeling that needed no explanation.

But when Song Ciwan passed through the "Human" gate of the Secret Realm and went to the Spirit Realm, the sensation was different again.

If she had to compare, it was like suddenly stepping from the ordinary mortal world into an Immortal Mountain Spirit Realm. A clear, cool, and exceptionally pleasant feeling would immediately envelop a person.

If it weren’t for the oddities of the Golden Core Dao, the Spiritual Qi of the Spirit Realm was actually quite comfortable. No one could say the Spirit Realm wasn’t a livable place.

But when Song Ciwan went from the Spirit Realm to the Demon Realm, while it seemed like a lateral move, in terms of physical sensation, it was as if she had instantly plummeted from a clear and pure mountain peak into a murky, dark Abyss.

The air of the Demon Realm was restless. Among the branches of the great tree, it seemed at first glance as if there were no living creatures. Yet, the moment Song Ciwan landed, invisible, agitated auras surged toward her.

The restless air carried an indescribable, scorching heat that stirred chaos in the deepest recesses of one’s heart.

Faintly, there were also countless indescribable, strange sounds—like the buzzing of insects, the shouting of human voices, or perhaps the sobbing of whispers... These bizarre noises drifted near and far, faint one moment and present the next, coiling around her.

After landing, Song Ciwan heard these sounds while quickly observing her surroundings.

Her first instinct was to try and make out what the sounds were. Yet, when she subconsciously tried to listen, the sounds receded, and she couldn’t hear anything clearly.

But when she gave up listening and began to walk forward, using A Grain of Sand in the Sea to minimize her presence and investigate, those indistinct sounds returned, entangling her once more.

Song Ciwan inadvertently listened again. The next moment, an extreme agitation flooded her heart. Her Qi Blood surged, and for a moment, she felt an overwhelming urge to vomit blood just to relieve the pressure!

’No wonder the White Dragon Head had said that one couldn’t stay in the Demon Realm for long.’

Song Ciwan possessed the Body of Impermanence; her physical body was incredibly tough. And yet, upon entering the Demon Realm, before she had even seen any of the legendary Demons, her own body was already affected to the point that she nearly vomited blood on the spot.

Song Ciwan immediately suppressed the urge to vomit blood and circulated the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting, doing her utmost to restrain her aura.

She raised her vigilance to the highest level and began to move cautiously through the Demon Realm.

At this moment, it was safe to say that Song Ciwan had raised the danger Level of the Demon Realm to its absolute peak in her mind.

Without a doubt, the Demon Realm was far more terrifying than the Illusory Nether City.

Back then, the oppressive Nether Qi of the Illusory Nether City was something Song Ciwan had easily resolved with just a few Armor Talismans.

Now, she possessed the Body of Impermanence. The protection of an Armor Talisman was probably not even one-thousandth of her own current defenses... and yet, the terrifying noise of the Demon Realm had nearly caused her to lose control of her Body of Impermanence in a single instant.

Song Ciwan could only do her best to recall the various Daoist rhythms she had comprehended when she took the stage beneath the Seeking Immortal Tower.

The first thing to understand about Enlightenment is that it is not a permanent state.

While in a state of Enlightenment, a person possesses all kinds of spirituality and insights and might make rapid progress in their Cultivation. But it’s also possible that once they leave that state, they immediately revert to their original form.

Therefore, how to best retain the fruits of Enlightenment after it ends is, in fact, a very important lesson in itself.

Song Ciwan was a rogue cultivator. On her path, aside from possessing the Heaven and Earth Scale, she had never had a renowned master’s guidance or any systematic training.

Thus, through trial and error, she had formed her own unique and simple method: there was nothing to it but repeated practice.

It was like the "question sea" tactic she had experienced in her previous life: find a feeling, grasp a problem type, and then drill it repeatedly—grind it to death!

Terrifying pressure, endless mountains... ’What do I do when the Body of Impermanence can’t withstand it?’

’Rely on the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting. Find the rhythm, analyze the core of the problem, and use softness to overcome hardness.’

’Just like now. Demonic sounds pierce the ears, the aura is agitated, and the Body of Impermanence can’t withstand it again. What do I do?’

’Still, rely on the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting!’

The Path of Sitting and Forgetting uses an Unstable State to solve a stable one.

Using the formlessness of water to overcome the form of all things.

Let the demonic sounds piercing the ears be like a gentle wind brushing the face.

Let the agitated aura be met with a calm and peaceful heart.

It all came back to that same mantra: Let him be strong, the gentle wind simply brushes the mountain peak; let him be fierce, the bright moon simply shines on the great river.