Chapter 27: First Encounter with Demonic Martial Arts, The Power of the Black Lotus

“Good lad, I knew I wasn’t mistaken about you!” Seeing Lu Sha agree, Cao Meng was overjoyed.

Many with impressive talent had shown interest in the Devil Martial Way, but most were frightened off upon learning of its terrifying side effects. Only those as exceptional as dragons among men dared to walk this path and managed to achieve anything at all. In the end, talent was secondary—what truly mattered was one’s will.

“Since you have the intent, I’ll teach you a basic cultivation method for the Devil Martial Way.” Cao Meng continued, “This technique is called Spirit-Suppressing Formula. It's simple enough—you’ll probably grasp it in half an hour.”

With that, Cao Meng imparted the cultivation method to Lu Sha. He was right—it really was very straightforward. The Devil Martial Way was built on the foundation of martial arts, but it drew upon the power of evil spirits during cultivation. The Spirit-Suppressing Formula taught practitioners how to control this sinister force and use it to temper themselves.

Lu Sha didn’t even need half an hour. In just a quarter of an hour, he had already mastered it. After carefully reviewing the method to make sure he’d missed nothing, he nodded slightly and said, “It is indeed simple—I’ve got it.”

This efficiency left Cao Meng thoroughly satisfied. He went on, “Excellent! Now comes the true cultivation. You still have time to turn back—are you sure you want to proceed?”

As he finished, Cao Meng studied Lu Sha, a little anxious. Many had fled at the last moment.

“Enough nonsense, let’s get started,” Lu Sha replied simply, making his stance clear. Since there was a more powerful system of cultivation, why not try it? The power of evil spirits? He had no idea how much his Black Lotus in the sea of consciousness could suppress, but it held down the Fox Spirit with ease.

“Hahaha, good!” Cao Meng laughed heartily, immensely pleased. “We’ve developed a kind of pill called the Devil Spirit Pill. It contains the power of evil spirits, neutralized by various medicinal herbs. It’s essential for any beginner on the Devil Martial Path. In a moment, you’ll swallow one and cultivate according to the Spirit-Suppressing Formula I taught you.”

As he spoke, Cao Meng reached into his clothes, apparently searching for the pills, but after a long while, he came up empty. Embarrassed, he scratched his short bristle-like hair. “I just broke through to the late stage of Aperture Opening, so I haven’t needed Devil Spirit Pills lately—I forgot to bring any.”

Lu Sha was speechless. The key pill was missing—had all this been for nothing?

At that moment, a shadow flickered nearby: it was White Wasp, masked and silent. In her slender palm, she held a bottle of pills. She spoke coolly, “I have some Devil Spirit Pills here. But think carefully—the further you go in the Devil Martial Path, the greater the risks. You’ll also be shunned by the world; expose your identity or whereabouts, and you’ll be hunted.”

Lu Sha raised an eyebrow at that. Devil Martial practitioners were actually rejected by mainstream society? But what did it matter? He wielded demon power, merged with it—he was more of a monster than any Devil Martial artist. Even the Fox Spirit had mistaken him for one of its own. As long as he was strong enough, everything else could be ignored.

He extended his hand toward White Wasp, making his intentions clear. White Wasp didn’t hesitate—she tossed him the medicine bottle and vanished back into the house.

“Thank you,” Lu Sha called after her. White Wasp seemed cold, but she wasn’t heartless. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have appeared at this moment to give him the Devil Spirit Pills. She was also attentive, filling in the details Cao Meng had forgotten. Once she had Lu Sha’s answer, she acted without a trace of hesitation. He liked dealing with people like her.

Lu Sha opened the bottle and glanced inside. The pills were thumb-sized, black, and exuded a faint medicinal fragrance—ten in all. They looked unremarkable. But under the Demon of a Hundred Eyes’ blood-red gaze, it was another matter entirely. Wisps of viscous black energy curled around the pills, writhing like tendrils—sinister and unsettling.

Speaking of the Demon of a Hundred Eyes—Lu Sha’s left eye was blood-red. When questioned, he claimed it was an old injury from a prison guard’s beating. Cao Meng and White Wasp took his explanation at face value; after all, who would suspect that his left eye was actually a demon?

“How do I take it?” Lu Sha took out a Devil Spirit Pill and asked Cao Meng.

“Just swallow it. But best to first—wait, what?!” Cao Meng had been about to suggest that Lu Sha meditate and get into peak condition before taking the pill and cultivating the method. But Lu Sha simply tossed the pill into his mouth and sat down cross-legged to begin.

“You really have guts!” Cao Meng was stunned. This was the Devil Martial Path—a single misstep could mean death! Many had found the courage to get this far, only to turn back at the last moment. Even those who did go through with it usually approached with extreme caution. Who else but Lu Sha would treat it as nothing at all? His nerve was incredible.

At that moment, Lu Sha had no time to worry about Cao Meng’s reaction. The pill dissolved inside him, instantly transforming into a surge of evil spirit power. The force was similar to demonic power, but more sinister, arcane, and pure. The demon power he’d wielded before was his own, but this was foreign energy, and as soon as it spread, it threatened to go wild.

Unperturbed, Lu Sha began using the Spirit-Suppressing Formula to control the evil spirit power and temper himself. As soon as he started, he noticed the brilliance of the method. The evil spirit power from a single pill was calibrated to the lowest effective dose—any less and it would be useless for tempering the body. The medicinal components also helped neutralize side effects as much as possible. Finally, the simplicity and subtlety of the Spirit-Suppressing Formula allowed him to harness the energy to refine himself. Every step was perfectly calculated—a testament to the strength of the sages who had created the Devil Martial Path.

With the Formula’s help, Lu Sha began to temper his body with the evil energy, starting with his skin. But the power was still too wild—even with so many safeguards, it was volatile and sinister, threatening to spiral out of control at any moment.

“Looks like the Black Lotus will have to step in,” Lu Sha thought. He could have continued cautiously, but the efficiency would be low and the risk high. He wasn’t willing to settle for that. With a thought, the Black Lotus in his sea of consciousness gently swayed and released an invisible force throughout his body. Instantly, the evil spirit power stabilized, obediently following the path of the Spirit-Suppressing Formula to temper him.

His cultivation speed soared. In just a quarter of an hour, the evil spirit power from a single Devil Spirit Pill was completely expended. Sensing the results, Lu Sha realized that what he had just achieved in this brief period was equivalent to three days of his usual training. And that was with him already using rare medicinal herbs to brew Tiger Essence Qi Tonics, greatly boosting his speed. But compared to the Devil Martial cultivation method, it was still slow.

Indeed, the Devil Martial Path had its own formidable strengths.