Starting Cultivation During a Trip

”It can’t be... Among those young people, there’s one who’s a disciple of Maoshan. When he was a child, he visited Lao Mountain with some Daoist brothers from Maoshan.”

Hua Yixun was naturally referring to Jiang Hu. Before getting on the train, he brushed past Jiang Hu and recognized him.

Maoshan is one of the Ten Great Daoist Mountains and a sect of the Profound Sect; as its disciple, he would naturally not collude with that fiend.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jingqiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

”As long as it has no accomplices, that fiend won’t escape even if it grows wings.”

”Don’t underestimate it. That’s a demon we’re dealing with.” Hua Yixun lowered his voice. Mentioning that word, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

”A snake demon!”

Since the founding of the nation, spirit monsters have found it hard to become demons, yet the one Gu Jingqiu and his apprentice were hunting was a genuine demon—a snake demon at that.

The ”Nanyang Strange Chronicles” once recorded a story.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, in Nanshan County, there was a bachelor who lived picking herbs for a living, still unmarried in his thirties.

One day, caught in a storm deep in the mountains, the bachelor took refuge in a cave where he met a woman of extraordinary beauty.

Charmed by her looks, the bachelor brought her home, and they lived together happily. A year later, the beauty gave birth to a white egg, which shocked the bachelor. Turning around to find her, she had vanished, leaving only a white snakeskin at home.

Late that night, a fierce wind blew, and the villagers saw a giant white serpent, as thick as a barrel, flying through the air, taking the white egg away.

Later, the bachelor lived over a hundred years and died peacefully in his sleep. When the villagers went to his home, they found his bed lined with that same white snakeskin.

Snakes have always been considered mystical creatures, especially white snakes. Ancient people believed that a white snake shedding its skin signified rebirth and reincarnation, containing the power of life and death, granting new life.

Thus, ancient Daoists created a method to preserve youthful appearances—

By making a cocoon from shed white snake skin. Once inside, a person would gradually merge with the cocoon, gaining the ability to shed their skin. This could remove aged cells and tissues, preserving vitality.

The newly emerged skin would be as tender as that of a young girl, with thick, dark hair...

However, this method has a flaw. After merging with the cocoon, the body’s functions would change, with a metabolism dozens of times that of a normal human. Such a body would gradually consume itself and eventually transform into a real snake.

Even with such a flaw, to this day, some Daoists in the deep mountains still raise white snakes, using pills to spark transformation.

Gu Jingqiu and his apprentice were pursuing a white snake raised by a Daoist. After gaining sentience, the white snake developed demonic techniques, not only escaping but also possessing a Primordial Spirit and transforming into a demon.

”Did you bring the Revealing Incense?” Hua Yixun asked.

A demon, formed through possession, has Primordial Spirit conflicts with the body. During full moons or special environments, they’ll undergo uncontrollable frenzied transformation.

For instance, water-type demons tend to frenzy during thunderstorms.

Additionally, there are various Daoist techniques that can reveal their original form through transformation, such as the [Revealing Incense].

”Master, this is a high-speed train...” Gu Jingqiu couldn’t help but say.

Everyone knows that smoking is prohibited on high-speed trains.

”Idiot... can’t you use the smokeless incense?” Hua Yixun glared fiercely.

”Yes, Master.” Gu Jingqiu nodded.

Lao Mountain’s [Revealing Incense] also comes in a smokeless version, precisely for use in such special environments and places.

”Does that fiend think mingling with the crowd makes it foolproof?” Hua Yixun said coldly.

Once a demon frenzies, it’s uncontrollable. When that happens, its true form will be revealed, and it’ll be caught in the law’s net.

”Master, could the fiend suppress its frenzied transformation?” Gu Jingqiu asked worriedly.

They’re not far from Gusu City; if the snake demon uses its demonic techniques to suppress its body’s transformation once it’s off the train, it’ll be harder to catch.

”No...” Hua Yixun said coldly.

The Heavenly Dao is impartial. Since it grants demons the chance to possess humans, it also lays down flaws.

Frenzied transformation is uncontrollable unless it’s an old demon with over three hundred years of cultivation, which might suppress it. Otherwise, once it starts, it can’t be reversed.

Unless...

”Unless what?”

”In the Daoist Sect, there is a very special power known as [Taming Demons]...” Hua Yixun started to say, then shook his head.

Taming Demons can not only suppress a demon’s frenzied transformation but also stimulate their potential, turning demons into devils.

However, this power only exists in Daoist Canon texts, seldom seen in ancient times, let alone today.

”Master, what is Taming Demons?”

”It’s nothing; you go prepare. The train is about to reach the station.” Hua Yixun instructed.

Gu Jingqiu nodded, taking out a plate of incense from his bag and lightly pinching it, letting an unusual fragrance rise slowly, spreading through the carriage.

”Just wait.” Gu Jingqiu’s lips curled slightly upward as he closed his eyes and relaxed.

Ten minutes later.

Zhang Fan glanced at the time, then cast a sidelong glance at Zhan Xinyue and Sui Chunsheng.

The two of them, one was meditating, and the other was reading a book on ideological and political subjects.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hu was savoring duck necks.

”Look at their sense of duty, and then look at you.”

”Nonsense, they’re on the inside track; how can that be the same?” Jiang Hu licked his fingers, glancing sideways.

”So eager to improve!”

”What are you doing?”

At that moment, Zhang Fan stood up from his seat.

”Going to the restroom.”

Saying this, Zhang Fan squeezed past Jiang Hu and headed to the end of the carriage, pulling the restroom handle.

”Occupied!?”

Turning around, Zhang Fan decided to find the restroom in the adjoining carriage.

A sudden sound of water...

Just then, the door opened, and a slender, white arm reached out, grabbing Zhang Fan by the arm and pulling him in.

The next moment, the restroom door closed again.

”You...”

In the narrow space, Zhang Fan looked at the young girl in front of him, showing an unusual expression.

The girl looked about eighteen or nineteen, slender with fair skin, wearing tight shorts and a ponytail, looking smart and spirited.

At this moment, she was closely pressed against Zhang Fan, breathing heavily, her breath turning cold on his face.

”Are you okay!?”

Zhang Fan looked at the girl’s appearance and raised his hand to open the door.

Just then, the girl suddenly grabbed Zhang Fan’s hand, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around him.

”So cold...”

Zhang Fan’s expression changed slightly, feeling that the girl’s temperature was not like a normal person’s. Even in the summer, her body was this cold, and her temperature seemed to be dropping.

This feeling was like that of a cold-blooded animal.

”I... I feel terrible...”

The girl almost collapsed into Zhang Fan’s arms, her delicate body trembling, her lowered face showing strange, scaled patterns.

She held Zhang Fan tightly, revealing fangs, with an extremely pained expression appearing on her face...

It was the pain of suppressing the desire to feed on warm-blooded creatures.

”Master, I sense a trace of demon aura.”

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Gu Jingqiu’s eyes suddenly opened, with a sharp gleam in them.

”That fiend can’t hide anymore.” Hua Yixun said indifferently.

”Ah...”

At this moment, inside the narrow restroom, the girl bit her lip hard, blood oozing out, but her blood was ice-cold.

At this moment, she seemed unable to suppress it anymore, and the scaled patterns on her face became more vibrant.

”Let me take you outside first.”

At this moment, Zhang Fan raised his hand, grabbing the girl’s slender arm, preparing to open the restroom door.

Buzz...

In an instant, a warm sensation spread through Zhang Fan’s palm, causing the girl’s slender body to tremble. The frenzied transformation stopped abruptly, and the strange scales on her face faded rapidly, visible to the naked eye.

”Hmm!?”

Simultaneously, inside the carriage, Gu Jingqiu’s expression changed abruptly as he looked around, his eyes revealing an incredulous gleam.

”That demon aura... disappeared!!?”