Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 1900 - 1419: Pending修

"Sigh!"

Accompanied by that heavy sigh, an icy voice rang out, "Why won't you simply stay submerged in the illusory world, let me swallow you without resistance, and act as the foundation for my climb to the Outer Heaven Demon Realm? Wouldn't that be perfect? Why did you have to awaken?"

For a Heart Demon such as this, devouring the very entity that spawned it was essential to shatter its bonds and rise to the Luohou Demon Realm, from where it could then sabotage the cultivation paths of others.

Right then, a shadowy form materialized amid the gloom, its features veiled by a faint veil of dark fog, giving it an aura of profound enigma.

This was the very force responsible for plunging Xiaoqing into his dire predicament!

Yet describing it that way felt a bit off, since the Heart Demon's emergence stemmed from his own inner turmoil.

"Hah! You seek to claim my life, yet forbid me from fighting back? What sort of twisted reasoning is that?" Xiaoqing replied, his tone laden with sorrow and his face etched with frost.

Truth be told, his condition right now was far from ideal, as the illusory world had inflicted severe wounds upon him. In a direct clash with the Heart Demon, victory seemed unlikely for him.

Unlike typical entities, the Heart Demon favored assaults on the mind, where the Dao Heart, mental fortitude, and sheer determination played subjective yet crucial roles.

Provided Xiaoqing could cling firmly to his Dao Heart and keep his resolve unshakeable, free from the Heart Demon's sway, the foe would find itself powerless against him!

In essence, it boiled down to trusting in the strength of one's convictions.

Still, pulling this off proved far tougher in practice than in theory; scarcely one in ten could pull it through, since even the faintest flicker of doubt would let the Heart Demon pounce, using that minor crack to strike.

With no alternatives left, Xiaoqing had to resort to this approach in his battle against the Heart Demon.

His Spiritual Soul promptly settled into a meditative pose atop the Sea of Consciousness, murmuring the "Scripture of Purity and Stillness" under his breath, while resuming the long-forgotten practice of the Observation Method "White Lotus Purifying World" that Li Zhirui had imparted to him ages ago.

By chance, or maybe pure fortune, he positioned himself right over a Purifying White Lotus Seed that Li Zhirui had entrusted to him!

Xiaoqing's efforts unwittingly summoned the lotus seed concealed deep in the Sea of Consciousness.

Instantly, a radiant white glow enveloped his form, purification energies swirling around him, as a lotus pedestal gradually rose below his seat.

Beyond that, the white lotus kept blooming further, as if determined to flood the whole Sea of Consciousness.

Witnessing this, the Heart Demon, who had lounged in smug assurance of claiming Xiaoqing's fate, abruptly paled in fury and alarm, bellowing, "Curse you! How in the world do you possess a Purifying White Lotus!"

Born from Xiaoqing's own mind, the Heart Demon lacked his full recollections but recalled vividly those elements that threatened it greatly.

Thus, even as it subtly manipulated Xiaoqing, it always steered clear of Li Zhirui, reluctant to approach anyone who embodied flawless mastery of purification principles.

Lacking the cultivation level of a Heavenly Immortal, the Heart Demon naturally couldn't grasp the arts of such exalted beings.

The odd signs it displayed during its meddling with Xiaoqing had actually been noticed by Li Zhirui, who, with a mere scan, discerned the truth and planted a safeguard for Xiaoqing.

That said, not even Li Zhirui had foreseen events unfolding quite like this; he had pictured the Purifying Lotus Seed emerging only when Xiaoqing faltered against the Heart Demon and teetered on the brink of consumption, to rescue him at the last instant.

Instead, in a surprising turn, Xiaoqing triggered the white lotus seed via his cultivation of the Observation Method "White Lotus Purifying World."

Thanks to that, he now wielded the strength to confront the Heart Demon head-on.

Naturally, this brought welcome relief to Xiaoqing. Though his chances remained faint, he at least avoided facing doom without a fight.

"Hmph! You believe this will spare you?"

With a disdainful huff, the Heart Demon withdrew into the shadows, rapidly weaving incantations that hurled countless black phantoms—hundreds, perhaps thousands—rushing at the burgeoning white lotuses.

Zi Zi Zi——

Like fire meeting water, a fierce clash erupted without delay.

The black phantoms melted away in haste, morphing into inky clumps that pooled into a murky liquid across Xiaoqing's Sea of Consciousness, standing out boldly while covertly infiltrating, striving to corrupt the entirety of the space.

As a result, the white lotus's growth came to a standstill, managing only to defend its territory against the onslaught of those dark forces.

It seemed the white lotus, symbolizing Xiaoqing's essence, held just a modest domain. While much of the Sea of Consciousness stayed free from the Heart Demon's taint, it effectively trapped Xiaoqing, blocking any push to gain ground.

On the flip side, with Xiaoqing contained, the Heart Demon could freely corrupt the leftover expanse of the Sea of Consciousness.

Its strategy now focused on broadening its domain first, then gathering might to crush Xiaoqing for good!

The shadowy void grew steadily larger, granting him scant time, but Xiaoqing remained unperturbed and serene, his mind like a tranquil pond, determination solid as ever, as he persisted in chanting the "Scripture of Purity and Stillness" and practicing "White Lotus Purifying World."

Yet soon enough, the white lotus under him stirred to life.

Rather than pressing outward, the white lotus extended its roots into the ink-black pool crafted by the black phantoms, drawing in and refining its essence to fuel its own growth.

This wasn't Xiaoqing's intent, but rather the white lotus's inherent trait from the moment of its creation: to draw out and purify contaminants, turning them into sustenance.

And it was exactly this power that allowed the white lotus, previously fading under the barrage of black phantoms, to revive vibrantly, reclaim its vigor, and resume its outward bloom!