245 - Elasia Saga

Upon absorbing the demonic energy, everything initially appeared calm, and Fu Yan didn't sense anything amiss. Her sea of qi churned steadily as always, slowly transforming the surrounding demonic aura into true essence, which then gently permeated her limbs and bones, providing her with endless strength for cultivation. For some unknown reason, the absorption rate of her qi sea suddenly accelerated. In just a brief moment, she felt as though her sea of qi was already saturated with true essence. Yet, the absorption of demonic energy showed no signs of stopping; instead, it grew increasingly fierce. When Fu Yan first noticed this change, she instinctively furrowed her brows. She had previously thought her vast sea of qi could absorb at least half of the demonic energy in the forbidden ground. But now, at less than a quarter, it seemed she had reached her true essence threshold. With no alternatives, Fu Yan let out a soft sigh, preparing to cease her cultivation. As for controlling the demonic spirits, she would have to find another way. However, as she made up her mind, she suddenly realized something was wrong. She couldn't stop the influx; the dense demonic energy continued to surge into her body like a torrential flood. How could this be? Upon discovering this, Fu Yan felt a deep fear take hold in her heart. No matter how she tried to mobilize her strength, she could no longer control her true essence. The chaotic demonic energy rampaged through her body, colliding haphazardly as it invaded her bones and blood inch by inch. “Ugh…” This invasive feeling overwhelmed Fu Yan, causing her to groan in agony, yet she still couldn't regain control. All she could do was watch as all the surrounding forces forcibly entered her body. It felt as though all the meridians in her body were being severed, the immense pain contorting her face into a grimace. Her body slowly rose into the air, spreading her arms wide as if to better absorb the various powers in all of heaven and earth. She heard Bai Yue Li's voice calling her. Fu Yan tried to open her eyes, but it was as difficult as scaling the heavens. Her ears were full of noise, and the immense pain in her body was unbearable. The power of the demonic spirit was even more tyrannical than that of regular demonic energy. After absorbing it, Fu Yan felt as if her bones might shatter at any moment. Engulfed entirely by demonic energy, leaving not a trace of her own aura, if someone were to pass by and see Fu Yan now, obscured as she was, they would surely exclaim in astonishment, “What a powerful demonic creature!” Gradually, all movement around her began to disappear. Fu Yan could sense her consciousness fading; she could no longer hear her senior sister's voice or perceive what was happening outside. The acute pain in her body suddenly vanished too, and Fu Yan felt as though she was about to sink completely into darkness. All was silent; there were no sounds anywhere. Nobody knew how much time had passed before Fu Yan finally opened her eyes in the dark void. She lay quietly, unharmed, as if the immense pain from before had been nothing more than a dream. Realizing she was still alive, this was Fu Yan’s first thought upon awakening. With some difficulty, Fu Yan propped herself up slowly from the ground and instinctively looked around. There was nothing but void—nothing to see. Where was she? Where was her senior sister? What about Lu Xiao Wen and the demonic spirit? Wasn't she in the forbidden land of Shuanghua Palace? However, no one could answer her questions. Even though her heart was in turmoil, Fu Yan forced herself to calm down, observing her surroundings as she examined her body. After a while, she confirmed one fact. This wasn't the real world—more accurately, it resembled an ethereal, dream-like spiritual realm. Perhaps she was within her own mental world. “Tap... tap, tap…” Just as Fu Yan was processing this realization, a sound suddenly echoed through the silent mental realm—footsteps. Amidst the silence, the footsteps were particularly distinct; Fu Yan didn’t even need to sense it to instantly raise her gaze in one direction. The footsteps approached her position step by step, coming from directly in front. Fu Yan locked her eyes on the source of the sound, shimmering light flickering in her bright eyes. “Tap… tap, tap…” Soon, a silhouette came into view through the hazy vision. The figure stopped just two steps away from Fu Yan, lifting its gaze to quietly watch her. Seeing the face of the newcomer, Fu Yan gasped, her eyes widening in shock. The person standing before her looked exactly like her! In the void, two Fu Yans stood silently; from head to toe, even a single strand of hair was identical. It was like looking into a mirror. When the other 'Fu Yan' halted, she simply looked at Fu Yan, her face calm and devoid of any expression. Fu Yan swallowed, her thoughts gradually returning to order. Staring at the 'Fu Yan' in front of her, she seemed to realize something but still parted her lips slightly to ask, “Who are you?” The 'Fu Yan' continued to gaze at her silently. Emerging from her initial shock, Fu Yan recognized that what she was experiencing must be her spiritual realm, making this scene not as incomprehensible as it first seemed. When 'Fu Yan' didn't speak, Fu Yan scrutinized her closely, muttering to herself, “Could this be my inner demon?” To be present in one’s spiritual realm, appearing identical to oneself—Fu Yan could think of no other explanation than an inner demon hidden deep within her psyche. For cultivators, inner demons were fairly common. In the early stages, their presence might be negligible, but during later tribulations, they posed a terrifying threat, potentially destroying one’s path with just a small misstep. Worse still, one might completely lose sanity and succumb to demonic obsession. Inner demons are born when one harbors immense shadow or immense fear towards a particular person or event. Only by overcoming this inner demon can one successfully transcend tribulations and ascend to immortality. Pondering this, Fu Yan grew more puzzled. Why would she have an inner demon? Despite enduring hardships on her journey, Fu Yan believed nothing had shadowed her heart, nor did she harbor any overwhelming fears. At this moment, the ‘Fu Yan’ finally broke her silence, her voice calm and clear. “I am you,” she said. Upon hearing this, Fu Yan paused briefly, watching as a series of golden runes glowed around the 'Fu Yan.' Under the golden light, she appeared exceptionally radiant. Fu Yan froze, her eyes fixed on the golden runes, thoughts racing through her mind. She realized she was mistaken; the ‘Fu Yan’ before her was clearly not her inner demon. Inner demons were malevolent and dark, not beings of radiant golden light. “What?” Fu Yan asked, staring intently at the other figure. The ‘Fu Yan’ lifted her hand, and a brilliant flash of golden light surged through the entire space, akin to looking directly at the sun. The brightness prompted Fu Yan to reflexively shield her eyes. The light faded as quickly as it came. When Fu Yan lowered her arm, the once-dark void was now fully illuminated, the surroundings vividly clear. The area around her was filled with towering demonic energy, as if they were sentient creatures, enclosing the two figures standing in the center. In an instant, it felt like countless eyes were fixed upon her. The demonic energy was roaring, clamoring. The oppressive aura suggested they were ready to launch an attack at any moment, intent on devouring Fu Yan, plunging the space into chilling darkness. Startled, Fu Yan rapidly diverted her gaze back to the 'Fu Yan' in front of her, asking again, “Why?” Why was her spiritual realm teeming with so much demonic energy, with each tendril seemingly locked onto them with intent? Yet, the 'Fu Yan' did not respond. “Rustle…” The next moment, all the demonic energy surged towards them. Fu Yan, overwhelmed, instinctively reached out, ready to summon her spirit sword, only to discover her hands were empty. Right, she realized, there's no way she could summon her sword here. With no choice, Fu Yan prepared to fight these demonic entities barehanded. But as she attempted to move, she found herself immobilized. Her legs felt welded to the ground, unable to lift. Countless demonic entities surged forward, yet they collided with a golden barrier that tightly shielded the two figures within, preventing anything outside from penetrating even a fraction. The 'Fu Yan' calmly gazed at Fu Yan, slowly raising a hand before Fu Yan could react. The golden barrier then dispersed again. In an instant, all the demonic energy rushed towards the 'Fu Yan's' palm, coalescing into a fist-sized orb in her hand. Within just a few breaths, the outside demonic energy had been entirely absorbed into this orb. With a single glance, Fu Yan could perceive the terrifying power flowing within the orb. Quickly, the demonic energy within seemed to be fully refined, turning the once-opaque orb transparent, although it still contained a massive amount of power. The next second, to Fu Yan’s mild astonishment, the 'Fu Yan' raised her hand and swallowed the orb whole. Instantly, an invisible but formidable power erupted from 'Fu Yan's' entire being. The golden runes continued to whirl around her, and 'Fu Yan' lowered her right hand again. In a flash, she darted forward like a gust of wind, seamlessly merging into Fu Yan's body. Fu Yan felt as if her entire body was scorched, followed by a tremendous surge of power erupting within, subjecting her to a baptism of immense energy. In the forbidden ground, Fu Yan, suspended in mid-air, suddenly let out a cry of anguish toward the sky. "Ah..."