Monsters also need to cultivate immortality scientifically (12): The true face of the Son of the World is revealed

The two chatted as they walked and soon encountered other demons who had hurried over to help. These demons all basically knew Old Tortoise—or at the very least had heard of him—and upon seeing this pair of old and young, they felt either respect or affection. They stepped forward to greet him, saying, “So you’ve come too, Elder.”

Among demons, identities are never confirmed by appearance but by scent. Therefore, none of them were surprised that Old Tortoise had suddenly become much younger. They only noticed that his aura seemed stronger than before, indicating his cultivation must have advanced significantly.

Old Tortoise’s face glowed with an excitement the other demons couldn’t comprehend. He said to them, “Let me introduce you—this is a little fellow I just met not long ago. He’s exceptionally, exceptionally clever. From now on, if you see him, make sure to take good care of him, understand?”

The demons replied blankly, “Oh, I see.”

Even if the elder hadn’t said so, it was only natural for demons to look after a little one when they saw one.  

With that thought, they rummaged through their storage bags—woven from the fur of a gold-devouring beast—and pulled out some items that were commonplace to them but beneficial for a young one’s health or sturdy enough to withstand rough play. They handed them all to Si Qi, much like adults scooping a handful of milk candies for a child.  

Si Qi looked at these demon-world specialties—rare, highly valuable, nutrient-rich, and incredibly practical for human cultivators—and accepted them without hesitation, beaming as he sweetly thanked them with several “Thank you, uncles and aunties!” The demon cultivators, moved by his adorable demeanor, showered him with even more little gifts.  

Good heavens—just these welcoming presents alone would be enough to make an ordinary cultivator instantly wealthy.  

This also highlighted how items considered precious and useful to human cultivators meant little to these demons.  

They had no idea that the snake molts they shed every year could be crafted into lightweight yet durable clothing, or that the spider silk they casually produced could be made into razor-sharp weapons… Even if they did know, it was only when humans harvested materials from their bodies after death that such things came to light.  

After doting on the little one, the group turned their attention back to Old Tortoise, earnestly discussing how to deal with those despicable humans—to ensure none escaped and caused further harm to other demons.  

The old tortoise pondered, still mulling over a concrete plan, when Si Qi spoke up: “Those human cultivators came mainly to search for a treasure left behind by another cultivator, not to cause trouble for us. Once they find that cultivator’s legacy, they’ll all be teleported away. We don’t need to go through the trouble of hunting them down one by one—we just need to find the legacy as quickly as possible.”  

The demons were astonished. “What? So that’s how it is?”  

One well-informed demon added, “No wonder! I always wondered why humans who suddenly appeared in the demon realm would just as suddenly vanish later. So it was because they found that so-called… legacy thing!”

Old Tortoise wore an expression of sudden realization and couldn’t help but boast proudly, “See? I told you this little one is exceptionally clever and knows a lot!”  

The uncles and aunts all looked at Si Qi with delight, their eyes brimming with affection—completely unrestrained, unlike the reserved expressions of humans—burning with warmth and admiration.  

They asked, “Then how do we find the legacy?”  

Si Qi replied, “We should ask the local lord if he knows about a cultivator who died here long ago—where exactly he stayed before his death and what he did…”  

The demons had an epiphany and waved their hands, signaling their subordinates to scatter and search for the local demon lord.  

After a long while, the wolf clan leader—whom Si Qi had glimpsed from afar before and who had been utterly frustrated by his protective barrier—came running in his beast form. With an awoo, he barked, “What do you want? I’m busy!”  

The other demons seemed to have some complaints about this not-too-bright, husky-like wolf. They called him “dumb wolf” one after another and asked if he remembered a human cultivator appearing here long ago and dying in this area.  

The wolf demon stared blankly for a long time before suddenly recalling, “Oh… I think there was something like that.”  

“Where exactly?”  

The wolf demon looked utterly lost. “Uh…”  

How would he remember something like that? Sometimes he couldn’t even find the bone he gnawed on last night by the next morning!  

The demons glared at him in exasperation. “See? You’re such an idiot!”  

The wolf demon pouted, muttering under his breath, “I’m not an idiot…”  

The demons retorted in unison, “That’s exactly what an idiot would say!”  

Wolf demon: “…………”  

“Only a little one like him is truly smart!” The demons proudly pushed Si Qi forward, their faces full of pride as if they were praising themselves.  

The wolf demon stared blankly at Si Qi, seeing an unfamiliar little thing, and grumbled, “If he’s so smart, then he should go find it!”  

“What’s so hard about that?” The demons puffed up with confidence. “The little one definitely knows!”  

Si Qi: “…”  

Si Qi really wanted to say, You’ve only just met me—why do you have so much faith in me?  

But as it turned out… he actually did know.

He spoke up, “It should be near a certain cultivator.”  

“A certain cultivator? Who?”  

Si Qi: “Surnamed Zhou, male, around twenty years old, dressed in green robes. Slightly taller than me, with a team of one woman and four men.”  

The Son of the World was beloved by the heavens—of course, the greatest benefits of a secret realm would be arranged for him. As long as they followed him, they would find the legacy.  

After listening, the demons turned to their subordinates and said, “You heard him, right? Go find them, quick!”  

The demonic beasts obediently scattered in all directions.  

Seeing their underlings all off to work, the demon cultivators stood around with nothing to do, momentarily stunned.  

This scene was completely different from the bloody battle between the two races they had envisioned… It was almost too peaceful.  

Yet, it aligned perfectly with Si Qi’s plan.  

What should have been a life-and-death struggle was quietly defused. Seizing the opportunity, Si Qi familiarized himself with these demons, subtly reinforcing the narrative he had shared with Old Tortoise. He even handed out bottles of pills, talismans, and formation tools to each of them, sparking strong curiosity and goodwill toward human artifacts.  

“Humans actually like my old claws that much? Ew~ They’ll take anything!”  

“I shed fur twice a year—can I trade that for some of these candy-like pills? I’ve got a whole cave full of fur! I could trade it all!”  

“But what if humans still want to rob us instead of trading? Every time they see us, they either try to kill us or capture us as mounts or enforcers. They’re so hard to get along with…”  

Si Qi smiled. “That’s easy. Right now, I’m studying at a place called ‘Lingxiao Sect,’ and my status is quite high. Once I grow stronger, the entire cultivation world will respect and fear me, willing to listen to my arrangements. I’ll establish a trading zone between demons and humans—no one would dare cause trouble under my watch.”  

The demons instantly understood. “Oh, just like how our Demon King enforces rules in the trading zone of the Demon King’s City?”  

Everyone feared the Demon King’s might, so no one dared to stir up trouble there—everyone behaved impeccably.  

Si Qi nodded. “Pretty much the same idea.”  

The demons studied Si Qi carefully, sensing his current strength, and sighed dejectedly. “But you’re still so young… It feels like we’ll have to wait a long, long time.”  

They were polite enough to only mention his youth—not his current weakness.

Si Qi: “……”  

Weak, my foot! You think I can’t trap you all in an array forever with just one move?!  

Whatever, no point arguing with these demons.  

“I have the sharpest mind, and my master has the strongest martial prowess. Together, we’re invincible,” Si Qi said, shaking his head smugly. “Just wait patiently—good days are coming soon.”  

The demons nodded earnestly, wearing expressions of “Sure, we believe you”, and comforted him, “Don’t worry, we live long lives anyway! We can wait!”  

Si Qi: “……” Did they even know how to talk properly?!  

And so, they spent the whole day chatting and joking around. At dawn the next day, an owl swooped down from the sky, landing in front of one of the demons and hooting, “Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!”  

The demon listened carefully before turning to Si Qi. “We found the person you mentioned and chased him all the way. He did stumble upon the legacy by accident, but the commotion was too big—lots of human cultivators rushed over and started fighting each other.”  

Their underlings, seeing the humans turn on each other, thought ‘What a stroke of luck!’ and immediately joined the fray to make things worse. Now, humans and demons were tangled in chaotic combat, battling fiercely.  

Si Qi: “Alright, take me there. But once we arrive, remember to help conceal my identity.”  

“Of course!” After a whole night of conversation, they’d gained a proper understanding of the human cultivation world and knew just how dangerous it was for a demon to hide among humans. Their hearts ached for this clever little one, fueling their determination to protect him at all costs.  

When Si Qi arrived at the site where the legacy had appeared, he saw a mountain peak jutting abruptly from the ground, its fresh soil and uprooted low-altitude trees at the summit making it obvious that something extraordinary had happened here.  

The mountain was still trembling faintly, as if brewing something—until suddenly, a golden streak of light shot into the sky, landing squarely in the hands of the Son of the World, who just happened to be standing in the right place.  

The next second, a fierce struggle erupted instantly over the Son of the World and the treasure he now held. His companions rushed to his aid, swiftly securing the artifact without leaving any openings, leaving the surrounding cultivators helpless.  

Si Qi studied the mountain for a moment before saying to the demon uncles and aunts around him, “The portal hasn’t opened yet, which means the legacy hasn’t been taken. I’ll go retrieve it—you hold off those cultivators, especially the one in green robes.”  

“No problem.”  

With that, hundreds upon hundreds of demonic beasts surged from the distant forest, charging recklessly into the battlefield, turning an already perilous situation into utter mayhem.

The Son of the World became the prime target of these demonic beasts, receiving an extremely enthusiastic “welcome.”  

At first, the beasts attacked every cultivator in sight with impartial fairness, making it hard to spot anything unusual. But now, at least a third of them had turned their focus solely on the Son of the World, forcing him into a desperate struggle that drew the attention of everyone nearby.  

If this had happened to any other team of cultivators, they would’ve been swiftly overwhelmed—if not outright annihilated.  

But their target was the Son of the World, the favored son of Heaven’s Will.  

Cornered and furious, the Son of the World cursed under his breath. Seeing no other choice, he finally played his trump card—drawing a divine sword from his storage pouch, channeling his spiritual energy, and slashing ruthlessly at the horde of beasts.  

The sudden surge of power sent shockwaves through the battlefield, making nearby cultivators whip their heads around, thinking some supreme expert had joined the fray.  

Instead, they saw a young cultivator wielding a sword with unstoppable might, effortlessly cutting down ferocious demonic beasts in his path. Wherever he stepped, corpses piled—no one could stand in his way.  

Gasps of awe erupted from the crowd. Even the Son of the World’s own companions stared in stunned silence, clearly unaware he possessed such a trump card.  

Their initial excitement soon gave way to confusion.  

—If Zhou Junyi had such a treasure, why didn’t he use it earlier? When he was rescuing those fellow disciples? When he was holding off pursuers to save them? Why let himself appear so desperate and strained, making them feel even more indebted to him…?  

Thanks to the Son of the World’s “life-saving grace,” none of them dared to suspect selfish motives—instead, they assumed he must have had some hidden reason, perhaps the treasure came with severe side effects or other complications…  

But soon, the demonic cultivators, furious at seeing the Son of the World slaughter their kin with impunity, emerged from the forest without warning. One of them lunged at him, aiming a palm strike straight for his head—barely blocked at the last second.  

“Damn it, that’s a Soul Projection-stage demonic cultivator!”  

In the hierarchy of cultivation realms—Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Projection, Integration, and Void Tribulation—each level could effortlessly crush those below.  

The Son of the World, who had just been the envy of everyone moments ago, now became the most unfortunate man on the battlefield. Surrounded by demonic beasts and specifically targeted by multiple Soul Projection-stage demonic cultivators, he was in real danger of dying here.  

His loyal friends, despite recognizing the overwhelming strength of these demonic cultivators, rushed to his aid without hesitation—true camaraderie.  

However, these demonic cultivators had previously received Si Qi’s instructions: Hunt down the Son of the World, but spare his companions. So instead of killing them outright, they merely knocked them aside.  

Frustrated by his allies’ inability to hold their ground, the Son of the World realized he had to act fast—or he would die here. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out another treasure from his storage pouch and swallowed it without hesitation. His power skyrocketed, briefly reaching the Nascent Soul stage.  

With Nascent Soul-level strength and his supreme-grade artifact, even defeating opponents above his level wasn’t impossible.  

The demonic cultivators immediately sensed his sudden surge in power. Remembering the “candy-like pills” the little one had mentioned yesterday, their desire for the human cultivation world’s treasures burned even hotter.  

After a prolonged battle, realizing they couldn’t kill him—and might even fall to a counterattack—the demonic cultivators wisely retreated from this troublesome foe, turning their attention to other cultivators to create more opportunities for Si Qi.  

Panting and glaring as the demonic cultivators fled, the Son of the World slowly descended, his spiritual energy still overflowing.  

This enhanced state would last only a short while—he had to seize the legacy before it faded!  

In his past life, Si Qi had grown so powerful precisely because of this legacy. This time, he could not let this opportunity slip away!  

Just as he was thinking this, several figures flew to his side—his current companions, who in his past life had been Si Qi’s closest friends.  

Their mood was strangely subdued, but the Son of the World paid no heed, his focus entirely on the legacy.  

“Look—there’s light gathering at the mountain’s peak. That must be where the legacy or treasure will appear. We have to get there first!”

The group didn’t question the Son of the World about why he had so many treasures they knew nothing about. They simply nodded silently and followed him as he charged toward the mountain peak.  

Just then, several cultivators suddenly tumbled backward from above, crashing to the ground in a disheveled heap.  

Everyone quickly looked up to see what was happening—only to find a translucent orb of light enveloping a young man standing ahead.  

Dressed in luxurious brocade robes, the youth exuded an air of noble elegance, his every glance carrying a hint of effortless arrogance. It was clear at a glance—this was a young master from an illustrious background, untouched by worldly worries.  

The daughter of the Creation Sect’s leader, well-traveled and knowledgeable, immediately recognized the function of the transparent barrier and gasped. “Judging by its quality, that thing could probably withstand a full-force strike from a Integration-stage expert at the very least…”  

The nearby companions swallowed hard, staring at the invisible shield as if it were a walking pile of top-grade spirit stones.  

Until the Son of the World snarled, “It’s Si Qi!”  

Snapping out of their daze, the group took a closer look—and sure enough, the extravagant young master casually using such a treasure as mere decoration had a very familiar face.  

It was the same youth who had stood beside Immortal Chu when the secret realm first opened!  

The Son of the World, fearing that the treasures of this life would once again fall into Si Qi’s hands, felt more wariness toward him than toward all the other cultivators combined. He turned to his teammates and said, “We cannot let Si Qi obtain the legacy—kill him!”  

“Relax, he’s at the very front, surrounded by demonic beasts and cultivators. Let him take the brunt of the pressure for us,” one friend suggested.  

The Son of the World was displeased. How could the demonic beasts attack Si Qi when he was one of them? They would obviously help him secure the treasure and block anyone trying to compete for the legacy!  

But the next second, he saw Si Qi “fighting” a demonic cultivator in an exaggerated manner, declaring loudly, “You’re truly formidable! Shattering my barrier with one strike—what incredible skill!”  

The demonic cultivator, caught off guard by the praise, almost smirked in pride before remembering they were supposed to be acting. Forcing back the grin, they shouted woodenly, “Damnable cultivator! Your barrier is impressive, but no match for my claws! Take this!”  

The Son of the World stared in disbelief as Si Qi and the demonic cultivator “fought.” The longer he watched, the more it seemed like the two were exchanging exaggerated compliments while barely exchanging real blows—not a single hair was harmed after minutes of “battle.”  

Furious, he spat, “That damnable Si Qi—what a schemer!”  

His friends: “…?”  

Nearby cultivators, meanwhile, were nearly in tears. “How many life-saving barriers has this guy used already? Just those alone are worth as much as the legacy! What is he even doing here?!”  

Already this wealthy, yet still coming to steal opportunities from us poor folk—what a despicable rich kid!  

The upper path was swarming with demonic beasts and cultivators. Any cultivator who tried to advance would immediately become the prime target of the beasts’ attacks.  

They could only inch forward with great difficulty, watching helplessly as the barrier-protected youth strolled ahead leisurely, casually deploying arrays, talismans, and artifacts to ensure his safety. Some cultivators were so envious they nearly forgot about the legacy—why not just rob him instead? He seemed richer than all the treasures in the secret realm combined!  

The Son of the World was livid. He tried to pit Si Qi against Immortal Venerable Chu, hoping they’d become enemies—but instead, he paved the way for Si Qi to rise even higher than in his past life! The moment he entered the cultivation world, he became the wealthiest young master, exploring secret realms without any risk, coasting by on his master’s gifts. It was infuriating!  

He growled, “Si Qi is colluding with those demons—they’re clearly working together!”  

Though true, his words sounded like a joke to the uninformed cultivators.  

“That guy’s Si Qi? Never heard of him before.”  

“Pfft—as if demons would collude with cultivators! They hate us to the bone—who’d risk getting stabbed in the back?”  

“If this is an act, what’s the point? Wasting all those treasures just to snatch the legacy right under our noses? Talk about nonsense!”  

His friends were stunned by the Son of the World’s outburst. “Why would you say that?”  

“Can’t you see? After fighting for so long, not a single demonic beast is injured! He’s obviously holding back!”  

“…Huh. You’re right.”  

Nearby cultivators nearly laughed themselves silly. “That kid up there is only at the Qi Refining stage—even if he wanted to injure those beasts, does he even have the ability?”  

“Exactly! Look at how masterfully he’s using those arrays and talismans—he’s clearly a formation master or talisman master. They’re not known for combat prowess anyway!”

The Son of the World angrily retorted, “Nonsense! Si Qi’s combat talent is unparalleled in this world. Moreover, he has now been taken under Chu Feng’s tutelage—how could he possibly be unskilled in battle?!”

In the cultivation world, it was rare for cultivators to address someone directly by their full name, as it was considered highly impolite. This was especially true when referring to powerful figures, whose names were often treated with reverence. As a result, for a moment, no one even remembered who “Chu Feng” was.

Hearing an unfamiliar cultivator solemnly declare that the young man—who had been passively enduring attacks the entire time, hiding inside a turtle shell without fighting back—possessed peerless combat talent struck them as utterly ridiculous.

This youth was clearly a support-type cultivator, gentle and harmless, the kind who preferred to stay within the safety of his sect conducting research. How could he possibly excel in combat?

True combat prowess didn’t belong to a greenhouse flower like him, decked out in all sorts of magical artifacts. It belonged to rogue cultivators like them, who had to adapt to the law of the jungle from the moment they entered the cultivation world, fighting tooth and nail every day to seize resources.

Thus, no one paid any attention to the Son of the World’s furious outburst. Silently, they continued their struggle against the surrounding demonic beasts, trying to get closer and closer to Si Qi.

Seeing this, the Son of the World grew even angrier. If this situation continued, the inheritance would undoubtedly fall into the hands of Si Qi, who was currently putting on a fake battle with the demons.

Having been reborn, he had already taken so much from Si Qi, enjoying the glory and connections that Si Qi had experienced in his previous life. Now, to watch helplessly as the one thing he was determined to obtain was snatched away by Si Qi—how could he bear it?

“That Si Qi is a demon!” the Son of the World shouted. “He’s in league with these creatures!”

Hearing this, the crowd’s expressions grew even more peculiar. They couldn’t help but glance at the guy who had been making a scene the entire time, thinking to themselves, was this person out of his mind?

Since when did demons carry so many artifacts from the cultivation world? Since when did demons wield formations more skillfully than actual cultivators? Since when did demons put on an act in front of cultivators, pretending to fight just to steal an inheritance meant for them?

This was absurd!

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it!” With that, the Son of the World turned to his companions and said, “Help me slay this demon!”

“…Alright.”

Though they had no idea why Zhou Junyi was so certain Si Qi was a demon, in the past, he had made many similarly prophetic claims—and every single one had turned out to be accurate.

Taking into account the favorable impression the Son of the World had left on them in the past, the crowd still trusted his words and were willing to cooperate with him.  

Si Qi was currently “locked in fierce combat” with the demons when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Son of the World brandishing his sword and charging toward him. He immediately shot a glance at his demon uncle.  

The uncle shrewdly dodged back—just in time, as the next second, the seemingly gentle and harmless young man suddenly whipped out a horsetail whisk and flicked it through the air.  

Silver-white specks of light scattered into the air, quickly reacting with the surrounding spiritual energy. Then—  

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!  

Deafening explosions erupted one after another, shockwaves blasting outward and sending the airborne Son of the World flying backward. His head smacked against a jagged rock, leaving him in a disheveled mess.  

The cultivators were stunned that Si Qi had such a method up his sleeve. This makes sense, they thought. Of course, a cultivator venturing out wouldn’t only carry defensive artifacts—offensive ones were a given.  

But a moment later, they found it odd—why didn’t this young man use any offensive artifacts against the demonic beasts earlier? Yet the moment a cultivator attacked him, he retaliated immediately?  

Could it be…?  

The Son of the World, covered in dirt, scrambled to his feet, both furious and triumphant. “See?! I told you he’s colluding with those demons!”  

Si Qi gave him a baffled look. “You’re really strange. You’ve been targeting me from the start—just because I’m standing the highest? The moment someone stands taller than you, you start slinging mud at them, huh?”  

Then, pointing at the Son of the World, he added, “Are you even hurt? No, right? I just pushed you away so you wouldn’t steal the inheritance from me. Yet you go around slandering me like this—how despicable!”  

The onlookers nodded in agreement. That made sense. The demonic beasts wouldn’t compete for the inheritance, so there was no need to push them away. But cultivators would, so he had to defend himself.  

The Son of the World sneered, “Fine! Then don’t you dare fight me!”  

If Si Qi revealed his combat skills—proving he wasn’t just a passive punching bag—these bystanders would surely realize his true identity as a demon and brand him an enemy of the entire cultivation world!  

Let’s see how Si Qi survives in the cultivation world once he was exposed!  

Seeing the Son of the World stubbornly rise again, sword in hand, charging at him once more, Si Qi thought, What a wonderful opportunity! He mentally reviewed his arsenal of attack methods, ready to teach this guy a lesson he wouldn’t forget.  

But suddenly, several figures leaped out, blocking the Son of the World and his group mid-charge.  

The Son of the World’s companions took a closer look—it was the very same sect disciples they had rescued earlier! Furious, they shouted, “What’s the meaning of this?!”  

“Is this how you repay our kindness?!”  

The senior sister and the others flushed with shame, unable to meet their eyes. But considering Si Qi was only at Qi Refining stage, already struggling against the horde of demonic beasts and demonic cultivators—if he were besieged by cultivators too, becoming everyone’s target, even his vast collection of treasures wouldn’t be enough to save him!  

She couldn’t help but say, “We know this is wrong, but… why must you bully a child?”  

The daughter of the Creation Sect’s sect leader snapped, “You don’t know the truth! This guy acts harmless, but he’s actually vile and ruthless!”  

“Exactly! If Brother Zhou says he’s a demon, then he must be!”  

The senior sister’s face twisted in disbelief. “He’s nothing like that! Earlier, when my senior brother was ambushed by demons, it was Si Qi who risked his life to save him and even gave us top-grade healing pills! Since when does a ‘vile and ruthless’ person do that? And if you claim he’s a demon—our sworn enemies—that’s even more absurd! Why would a demon help us humans?!”  

“That’s right!” The blunt-tempered youth, who had always suspected Zhou Junyi of being a hypocrite, seized the chance to retort, “And back then, he had so many treasures on him—he could’ve easily saved my senior brother! But he didn’t lift a finger! All that talk about ‘not wanting to risk your safety’ was just an excuse to sit back and watch my senior brother die! How laughable! How fake!”  

The Son of the World’s companions were first shocked to hear that Si Qi had been the one to save the senior brother—the “kind stranger” they’d heard about in the communication talisman was actually Si Qi?!  

Then, learning that Si Qi had given them each a top-grade healing pill without asking for anything in return, simply leaving once they recovered—they were even more astonished. This level of generosity was practically saintly!  

And let’s not forget—Si Qi was Chu Feng’s disciple! Would the illustrious Immortal Venerale Chu really fail to recognize whether his own disciple was human or demon? Just the fact that Si Qi was a disciple of the Lingxiao Sect spoke volumes.  

Now that they thought about it, their belief that Si Qi was a villain was entirely based on the Son of the World’s one-sided claims—they had never witnessed such scenes themselves, nor heard them from others. And Si Qi hadn’t harmed anyone, hadn’t used a single offensive spell… He’d been nothing but kind.  

Meanwhile, their “Brother Zhou” had often displayed inconsistencies, leaving them uneasy.  

Could it be… he wasn’t as righteous and selfless as they had believed?  

As this unsettling possibility dawned on them, they fell into a dazed silence. Staring at their once-trusted savior with doubt and disbelief, their hearts ached with betrayal.