Chương 36: A Small Goal for You

"What's an Inheritance Bestower?" Fang Cheng opened his eyes and asked. Instead of answering, Pei Tang asked back, "What happened to your Dao Field?" Fang Cheng described how his Dao Field had transformed into a void, with seven golden lotus thrones holding seven massive, indistinct statues.

"An Inheritance Bestower indeed." Pei Tang laughed heartily, his expression one of excitement.

"Those statues are the Seven Star Lords under the Violet Star Emperor's command. They're also called the Seven Primordial Combat Star Gods. Each statue represents a separate inheritance. The Emperor must have foreseen the coming calamity in the mortal realm and sent these seven inheritances down to help us survive."

"The Violet Star Emperor's inheritance?" Fang Cheng scratched his head.

"Is it like Zhang Ruilin's green glowing bug?"

"No. He was only an Inheritor Disciple." Pei Tang shook his head.

"Zhang Ruilin was a disciple. His inheritance was for his own use alone. If he gave it away, he would lose it. You're different. The Violet Star Emperor has given you the authority of a master. You can use the inheritances of the Seven Star Lords and bestow them upon other cultivators."

"Holy shit. That sounds amazing." Fang Cheng was stunned.

"I can accept disciples on behalf of the Violet Star Emperor himself? Am I really that talented? No way. I've been cultivating for over a decade, and I'm only a Second Level weakling. Han Bingxuan is already a Sixth Realm great cultivator at the same age. How did someone with such trash talent suddenly become the chosen one?" Pei Tang thought for a moment and explained, "Because the mortal realm is heading toward disaster.

The Violet Star Emperor needs righteous cultivators, those who slay demons and protect the people. And you are filled with righteousness. You love upholding justice, helping the weak, and fighting evil. You're the perfect candidate. That's why he bestowed the seven inheritances upon you."

"Righteous? Me?" Fang Cheng found it amusing. He'd only been trying to fool the demon sword. He never expected to fool the Violet Star Emperor himself. That was a bit ridiculous. He thought about it further and guessed that the celestial realm was in chaos. The Violet Star Emperor didn't have time to manage things personally, so he'd set up an automated system to identify and grant inheritances. And Fang Cheng had somehow slipped through. At this thought, Fang Cheng's lips curled upward.

With the Emperor's inheritance, why would he fear the demon sword? And if he didn't fear the demon sword, why bother doing good deeds? The logic was flawless. Hahahaha, finally, he could do whatever he wanted with a clear head. How exciting! Good person? Fuck being a good person. From now on, anyone who pissed him off got a sword through the gut!

"Xiao Ming, I was just walking down the road when Er Pang ran up and slapped me. You have to help me get back at him!"

"Er Pang's been drinking goat milk since he was a kid. He's huge. Even the two of us together couldn't take him."

"Then what? I just take it? No way. I can't swallow this. Xiao Ming, we're brothers who've roasted sweet potatoes together. We have a deep bond of combat friendship. You have to help me."

"Let me think... Got it. Er Pang's family goat just had a kid. He takes the mother goat up the mountain to graze every day after school, and the kid follows. You distract Er Pang, and I'll steal the kid. When his dad finds out, he'll beat Er Pang black and blue."

"Haha, you're so smart, Xiao Ming. What do we do with the stolen kid?"

"Easy. Skin it, roast it, and bury the hide and bones in the ground. No one will know."

"Xiao Ming, is roasted kid good?"

"Obviously. Delicious. Slurp..." Slurp... Hahahaha... Every newborn creature in this world is so cute. Soft, tender, adorable. Just take a little bite, hahaha, sweet and juicy. What do I do? I'm already in love with this feeling. I'm so happy...

"Fang Cheng! Focus your mind! Stop wandering!" Pei Tang's spiritual thought exploded in Fang Cheng's mind. Fang Cheng jolted awake. His eyes were bloodshot, his body radiating murderous intent and violent energy. But his consciousness was clear. He silently repeated to himself:"I'm a good person. I don't eat people. I don't do bad things. I never harm innocent people. Being good is hard, but I'm going to face that difficulty head-on. You hear that, demon sword?

If you don't even dare to be a good person, how can you claim to be a demon? You piece of trash, come be good with me!" Soon, his internal demonic influence was suppressed, and everything calmed down. He looked at Pei Tang and after a long silence, said, "This Emperor's inheritance thing doesn't seem very useful." Pei Tang sighed.

"You're still too weak to use its power. Once you reach the higher three realms, the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Realms, the inheritance will reveal its true power." He paused, his expression growing serious.

"Fang Cheng, the demon sword's influence on you is worse than I thought." Pei Tang's original plan had been to help Fang Cheng break through to the Fourth Level and have the Violet Star Emperor's statue suppress the demon sword. But now it seemed that wasn't enough. Would he have to destroy the sword entirely? According to Han Bingxuan's letter, the demon sword could slay Heavenly Demons. Destroying it would be difficult.

And since Fang Cheng was now an Inheritance Bestower, the sword couldn't be destroyed without risking his life. Pei Tang paced back and forth, thinking. There were other methods: going to the Hall of Eternal Life or the Violet Star Hall in Great Zheng, having Tenth Realm Ascended cultivators work together to seal the sword. But Pei Tang trusted no one now. Fang Cheng's identity as an Inheritance Bestower had to remain secret. He couldn't risk another Zhang Ruilin situation.

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"Sigh." Pei Tang stopped pacing and sighed.

"In the end, dealing with the demon sword is up to you." Fang Cheng: "..." He was speechless. All that effort, all that excitement, and in the end, he was still on his own? Pei Tang explained, "Once you reach the higher three realms and master the Emperor's inheritance, refining the demon sword will be easy. But remember, don't rush your cultivation. Build a solid foundation. Every stage of cultivation is important, and must be stable.

If you push too fast, your mind will crack, and you'll never achieve immortality." I don't even want to achieve immortality. Fang Cheng complained internally. But he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he said, "That's too slow. I'll be a demon puppet long before I reach the Seventh Realm. Isn't there a shortcut?" He looked at Pei Tang with hope.

"Cultivating the mind is the shortcut." Pei Tang replied. Seeing Fang Cheng's expression, he smiled and continued, "Cultivation is ultimately about the mind. Don't rush. If the Dao is in your heart, you'll reach immortality. Only a strong mind can resist demonic influence. And you, possessed by the demon sword, with countless demonic thoughts, as long as you stay focused, you'll progress faster on the path of mind cultivation than anyone at your level. Your mind will be stronger than theirs.

In fact, you could say you're peerless among those of the same level..." Pei Tang trailed off. He realized that last part was pointless. Fang Cheng could already slay Heavenly Demons. Against cultivators of the same level, he was practically slaughtering chickens.

"Fine." Fang Cheng nodded helplessly. So it was back to self-deception and psychological warfare with the demon sword.

"I know this. The cultivation manual says consciousness determines matter. With an unbreakable will, no force can harm you. But I always feel like 'will' is way beyond me." Pei Tang frowned. He realized Fang Cheng didn't fully understand the fundamentals of cultivation, which made sense. He was self-taught, not from a noble family that had grown up absorbing Immortal Crystals. He decided to explain further.

"The power within us is called Divine Energy in the mortal realm, and energy in the celestial realm. This energy manifests in two ways: soul and body. In the cultivation manual, they're called consciousness and matter. Spirit Gathering Arrays absorb the consciousness of countless mortals and convert it into Immortal Crystals. Cultivators absorb these crystals to strengthen their inner power. This is the orthodox cultivation path, sustainable and principled.

Demonic cultivators and spirit beasts, on the other hand, directly devour the flesh and souls of living beings. They skip the array conversion step, so their power grows fast. But the side effects are severe. Every living being carries stray thoughts, rooted deep in their flesh and soul. The more a demonic cultivator devours, the more stray thoughts accumulate. Over time, their soul corrodes, they lose themselves, and sink into madness." He stopped and looked at Fang Cheng.

"What you just did, losing yourself, thinking you were a sheep, that's exactly that state."

"I wasn't a sheep! I was myself." Fang Cheng shook his head vigorously. Then he blinked.

"Wait, I actually turned into a sheep? I thought I was eating mutton with Xiao Ming." Pei Tang laughed and didn't argue. He continued, "When we absorb Divine Energy crystals, we're absorbing the consciousness of mortals. Similarly, we can cultivate our own consciousness. When the mind is strong enough, you can achieve immortality without relying on any external energy. Even an ordinary mortal, if their mind is unshakable, could ascend."

"I know that." Fang Cheng added, "There's a legend. Two hundred years ago, the Prime Minister of Great Sheng got sick of court politics, resigned, and went home to study the classics. One morning, before sunrise, he opened the door and saw heavy snow. He clapped and laughed three times, then composed a poem: The sky is dark like a giant lid; The earth is white porridge in a pot; A yellow dog lifts its leg to sprinkle oil; Steaming hot, a pot of fragrance!

As soon as he finished, thunder boomed, the clouds parted, and a golden gate appeared in the sky. Beside the gate stood a boy who shouted three times: The Literary Star Lord Returns! The Literary Star Lord Returns! The Literary Star Lord Returns! The Prime Minister laughed three times: Ha! Ha! Ha! Then he stepped into the sky, walked through the golden gate, and achieved immortality." Pei Tang: "..." Now it was Pei Tang's turn to be speechless. What the hell was that?

He wanted to curse, but as Fang Cheng's guide on the path of cultivation, he had to maintain composure.

"Those ridiculous legends from the Great Sheng court, take them as entertainment. Don't take them seriously."

"Really? It sounded real to me. You said mortals could ascend in one step." Fang Cheng said.

"The legend even described the Prime Minister in detail, unshaven, wearing a ragged cotton coat. In short, he was broke, with nothing but righteousness. And I've actually seen a yellow dog pissing in the snow, steaming and bubbling, exactly like boiling porridge..."

"Don't get sidetracked." Pei Tang waved his hand.

"All I want you to understand is this: guard your mind, and you can suppress demonic thoughts. I won't say more. You've done well so far. And try not to rely on the demon sword. Use your own abilities instead, unless you're facing a Heavenly Demon or a high-level beast like those in the Everlasting Mountains." At the mention of the Everlasting Mountains, Pei Tang's face tightened. He warned, "Never venture into the inner reaches of the mountains. It's extremely dangerous.

Even Ascended cultivators above the Ninth Realm have fallen there. Don't ask what's inside. It's forbidden. Remember that."

"Understood." Fang Cheng nodded. The cultivation manual said the same. Don't ask what you shouldn't. Curiosity was the first step toward demonhood. It was curiosity that had led him to pick up that damned demon sword in the first place. A lesson learned.

"The Everlasting Mountains are huge. How do I know where the inner reaches begin?"

"The Underworld Bureau has placed stone markers and a large warning line. If you pass through the Everlasting Mountains in the future, stay well clear and never go deeper." Pei Tang stressed again. He couldn't stay by Fang Cheng's side forever. There was too much to handle. A young eagle must eventually leave the nest. Fang Cheng could only walk the path of cultivation alone.

"I understand." Fang Cheng nodded repeatedly. Then he thought of White Flower City, where he was about to take office, and its secrets. He asked Pei Tang about them. Pei Tang was silent for a long time, then said only two words: "Forbidden."

"Is there anything that's not forbidden?" Fang Cheng complained. Pei Tang didn't entertain the question. He advised earnestly, "When you get to White Flower City, follow the same routine as other City Gods. Open in the morning, close at night. This isn't just going through the motions. As an Inheritance Bestower, your top priority is to raise your cultivation level. Nothing else matters. Zhu Youchang's case will be handled by me and Bingxuan. Understand?" Fang Cheng puffed out his chest.

"I'm good at this. When I was a Land God, I punched the clock just like that." Pei Tang thought of something else and quickly added, "Keep your identity as an Inheritance Bestower secret. Choose your recipients carefully. Never let it fall into a demon's hands. Don't even tell Han Bingxuan." Fang Cheng puffed his chest again.

"Don't worry. I know.

'A man with a jade treasure invites trouble.' I'm that man." Pei Tang wasn't so convinced. He'd already seen that Fang Cheng wasn't the type to stay still. He'd slaughtered demon lords just passing through the Everlasting Mountains. If he went to the capital, he'd cause chaos. That was exactly why Pei Tang was sending him to White Flower City. It had few people, the Everlasting Mountains to the north, and an endless sea to the south. Even if Fang Cheng fell to demonhood, he couldn't slaughter many.

"Fang Cheng, since you seem ambitious, I'll set you a goal. Raise White Flower City's population to a hundred thousand within a year."

"Are you joking? That's impossible!" Fang Cheng complained.

"Zhang Ruilin worked diligently for twenty years and only reached forty or fifty thousand. Now after the demon attack, it's all gone. And you want me to reach a hundred thousand in a year? Even if sows were giving birth, they couldn't spawn that fast." Pei Tang knew it was impossible. He just wanted to keep Fang Cheng busy and out of trouble. He couldn't say that out loud, of course. Instead, he said:"You're different from others.

In managing mortals, you have the most talent I've ever seen, better than any Prime Minister in Great Sheng history. A hundred thousand is just a small goal. I'm confident you can do it." Fang Cheng felt he'd heard this somewhere before. Oh, right, back when the minor immortal above had also been drawing him a pie. Since you're putting it that way, I'll reply the same way:"Don't worry, my lord. I'll double the goal.

Hit a hundred thousand in six months, three hundred thousand in a year, overtake the capital in three years! The bolder the people, the more the land yields. – a saying from a bygone era. As long as cultivators have the guts, population will burst like gold coins. It'll just keep climbing!" Pei Tang: "..."