The Demon with Holy Radiance Chapter 34

"Good, good, good. Rise, quickly."

Elder Life Crane smiled and raised his hand slightly. Yang An immediately felt a force lift him to his feet.

"From this day forward, you are my thirteenth Direct Disciple!

Once we return to the Life Crane Sect, I will have someone arrange a grand initiation ceremony for you, where you can formally complete the discipleship rites.

The Life Crane Sect hasn’t had such a joyous occasion in a very long time!"

’The thirteenth disciple?’

’That means I have twelve senior brothers and sisters ahead of me.’

He wasn’t particularly fond of the number thirteen. It had an ominous ring to it, like the title of some infamous gang. Not that he dared to voice any objections.

"Yes, Master. I am at your command!"

Yang An did his best to appear obedient. After all, he had just witnessed how ferocious this old man could be, and he was terrified that the He Tou would actually eat him.

"Your name is Yang An, correct?"

Yang An nodded. He wasn’t surprised that Elder Life Crane knew his name.

’Since I was captured and brought here, it must be because my identity was exposed when I gave my name before entering Mother Divination True Master’s territory.’

’This is a wake-up call. If I ever do something like this again, I can’t use my real name.’

’This time, I ran into Elder Life Crane. It was a complete fluke that I found the person I was looking for, turning a disaster into a blessing. Still, I barely escaped with my life—it was like taking a stroll through the Ghost Gate.’

’If I’d run into some villain who didn’t bother asking questions, they probably wouldn’t have even come for me personally. They would have just used some trick to snuff me out, and I would have died without ever knowing how.’

"It’s a good name, but you’re far too weak right now. Since our master-disciple relationship is established, we can worry about the ceremony later. You, on the other hand, can start learning a few things."

Elder Life Crane said with a smile.

His thoughts turned to his eleven disappointing disciples as his gaze swept over Yang An. The more he looked, the more satisfied he felt.

"You have nine senior brothers and two senior sisters. At your age, the weakest among them had already reached the Late Stage Fake Food Realm."

Hearing Elder Life Crane’s words, Yang An’s heart leaped with joy. ’He’s going to give me some benefits to start with!’

’But wait, something about that doesn’t sound right.’

’Nine senior brothers and two senior sisters... that only adds up to eleven!’

’If I’m the thirteenth, shouldn’t I have twelve seniors in total?’

’Why didn’t the old man mention the other one? Did he forget?’

Puzzled, Yang An felt a strange premonition. He looked up and saw the massive He Tou staring at him, a disturbingly human-like smirk on its face.

"..."

A terrible guess flashed through Yang An’s mind. He sucked in a sharp breath, and his Scalp tingled with dread.

He suddenly understood why Elder Life Crane had phrased it so deliberately.

’It’s a warning. Before giving me any benefits, he’s putting me in my place, telling me I’d better behave!’

Just a moment ago, he had been thrilled. Now, all of a sudden, Yang An realized that acquiring such a master and entering the Life Crane Sect might not be such a good thing after all...

But it wasn’t a matter he could refuse. Until he had the power to resist, he could only endure.

Just then, an object materialized in Elder Life Crane’s hand. It was a small, exquisitely crafted Ancient Copper Coin.

"This is called a Meat Burial Talisman. It’s a fairly decent Magical Artifact that doesn’t require Mana to use, which makes it very suitable for you. This item can also store objects. I’m giving it to you."

"Many thanks, Master!"

Yang An composed himself, then smiled and reached out to accept it.

But just as he extended his hand, Elder Life Crane flicked his finger. The Ancient Copper Coin shot out in a straight line and, with incredible speed, slammed directly into his arm.

In the next instant, a line of blood spurted from Yang An’s arm, and fresh blood gushed forth.

"..."

’FUCK!!!’

It was so sudden that Yang An had no time to react. The Copper Coin was already buried in his flesh, and a wave of pain, as if his bone had been shattered, washed over him instantly.

Fortunately, the concoction Elder Life Crane had made him drink earlier was still in effect. In the blink of an eye, the wound on Yang An’s arm had already healed.

Yang An’s tightly furrowed brow immediately relaxed. At the same time, he realized why the thing was called a Meat Burial Talisman.

’It’s literally what it sounds like—a talisman buried in the meat!’

As the wound healed in an instant, an information box popped up before Yang An’s eyes.

[Meat Burial Talisman: One of seventy-two talismans nourished by the flesh of the Blood Weapon Daoist. This talisman can store items and be used for offense, but requires nourishment in the form of meat. At maximum power, it can simulate a full-force strike from a Perfection Cultivator of the Primordial Feeding Realm.

Cost of Use: This item must be nourished at least once every three days. Otherwise, in a state of hunger, it will begin to consume the user’s flesh and blood.

Status: Purifiable!]

After taking in the item’s information at a glance, Yang An chose to purify it without a moment’s hesitation. The "Cost of Use" in the information box instantly vanished without a trace.

’Are you kidding me? This thing actually eats its user’s flesh and blood? It has to be Purified!’

In truth, Yang An had always wondered about something: were the effects of his Purification exclusive to him, or would they work for others too?

Unfortunately, he’d never had anyone to experiment on, and he didn’t dare rashly expose his special ability. He would just have to find a chance to test it later.

After he Purified the Meat Burial Talisman that had fused with his arm, an inexplicable connection formed in his mind.

He lifted his right hand. With a mere thought, a mouth full of sharp fangs gaped open in the center of his palm, looking both hideous and sinister.

The Meat Burial Talisman had taken root in his arm, forming two special stomach sacs.

One sac had the ability to store things, much like Pan Yu’s Small Sumeru Bag, and could be used for everyday storage.

The other was used to digest the flesh and blood offered as nourishment. It was like a living thing; as long as it was fed, it could unleash a formidable attack.

Elder Life Crane hadn’t been wrong. For someone like him, who still possessed a mortal body, this Magical Artifact was indeed a perfect fit.

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this Magical Artifact upon me!"

Yang An immediately made his gratitude clear.

Elder Life Crane smiled and nodded in satisfaction, then turned to the He Tou beside him.

"Give him the Cultivation Technique."

The He Tou didn’t pull any strange stunts this time. It simply straightened its neck, opened its long beak, and stretched its gape wider and wider until it was the size of a washbasin.

The next moment, a three-inch-long Scroll, covered in some kind of viscous tissue, was spat out from its mouth and landed in Elder Life Crane’s hand.

The He Tou let out a foul burp. The stench that filled the air was overpowering, as if it had just eaten something rotten and hadn’t finished digesting it yet.

Elder Life Crane, for his part, held out the Scroll to Yang An.

"This is my legacy. It contains the Cultivation Technique that will allow you to cultivate to the Perfection of the Fake Food Realm. Once you reach the Fake Food Realm, you may come and ask me for the subsequent parts."

"Later, I will have Mother Divination prepare a Quiet Chamber for you. Go and study this in detail. Strive to reach the Resonance Stage as soon as possible!"

To finally get his hands on a Cultivation Technique after so many twists and turns left Yang An with a complicated, indescribable feeling.

He had originally planned to try his luck at the Communal Feast, hoping to find a Cultivator willing to trade a Cultivation Technique. He never expected to end up receiving the very thing he longed for from Elder Life Crane.

Sometimes, destiny was just that unpredictable.

"Yes, many thanks, Master!"

He bowed respectfully, then cautiously reached out for the Scroll that Elder Life Crane was offering. He was afraid the old man would pull another surprise stunt on him, just like before.

At the same time, Yang An felt a sense of revulsion but dared not let it show.

’This thing was just spat out of that He Tou’s mouth... it’s still covered in some kind of slimy tissue.’ The urge to not touch it was overwhelming, but he had no other choice.

Fortunately, Elder Life Crane made no strange moves this time and simply handed the Cultivation Technique over to him.

SPLAT. The Scroll recording the Cultivation Technique landed in Yang An’s hands.