"The Great Development Art wasn't something I snatched from the Extreme West — it was delivered to my doorstep of its own accord." Han Li's eyes flickered slightly as he spoke in a flat tone.
"Rest assured! The Thousand Bamboo Sect is no longer controlled by disciples of my lineage. Even if it had been stolen, I wouldn't care in the slightest." The Great Development Sovereign replied dismissively.
"As long as it doesn't affect the deal between us, think whatever you like. However, let me ask you one more time, Senior. Are you truly unable to break that Soul-Sealing Curse?" Han Li asked, a trace of gravity in his voice.
"It's not that I can't break it. It's that my lifespan is limited — I don't have time for such a task. Otherwise, no matter how ingenious this curse might be, how could it possibly stump me?" The Great Development Sovereign said disdainfully.
Although Han Li had anticipated this answer, a wave of acute disappointment still washed over him.
"Fine. Since you can't break the curse either, I'll have to make a trip to Fallen Devil Valley." After his expression returned to normal, Han Li said calmly.
To his surprise, the Great Development Sovereign did not respond, falling silent instead. After a long pause, his voice came again.
"Kid Han, going to Fallen Devil Valley is far from a wise move! Back when my great tribulation was approaching, I once considered venturing into the valley myself. But I ultimately didn't go because I had created the Spirit Projection Technique. That said, my knowledge of the valley is anything but shallow. Do you really think that the occasional person who makes it out alive means the valley can be entered and exited without danger? Setting aside the ancient restrictions within, the horror of those spatial rifts is beyond the imagination of anyone who hasn't witnessed them firsthand. And these rifts occasionally..." The Great Development Sovereign's voice halted abruptly mid-sentence.
"What happens then?" Han Li's heart stirred, and he pressed further.
"Occasionally, by sheer coincidence, those spatial rifts can punch open a passage to other planes, releasing demons and monsters into our world. If you ever encounter them, you'd better pray for your own salvation."
"Open a passage to other planes? What do you mean? Other than the Spirit Realm, the Underworld, and the Immortal Realm, are there other planes?" Han Li was startled.
"Long ago, I came across an ancient tome that happened to discuss matters relating to the various planes. The Immortal Realm goes without saying — it has no connection to our mortal realm whatsoever. As for the Spirit Realm and the Underworld, one is a higher plane that likewise rarely establishes contact with our world, and the other is filled entirely with demonic spirits and ferocious ghosts — no great demon or ghost would willingly cross over to our mortal realm. It is the ancient devils of the Ancient Devil Realm, which most closely resembles our mortal realm, that are most eager to come here. If they ever get the chance, they will never pass it up. And some of the powerful, named higher-tier ancient devils — even if only their clones come through, they are utterly fearsome. I reckon that in your current state, you wouldn't stand a chance against them." The old man's voice turned suddenly cold.
"Ancient devils? What are those? I've never heard of them before." Han Li's face was full of astonishment, and he couldn't help but ask.
"What ancient devils are, exactly, is hard to say. But they are certainly not of the human race, nor are they spirit beasts. Their forms are varied and bizarre, each one different from the next. It is said that during the primordial age, the Ancient Devil Realm once opened a passage to our world, and a host of superior ancient devils came through to wreak havoc upon the mortal realm. The cultivators of that era fought them for countless years. Relying on their numbers, they eventually exterminated every last invader. However, the ancient cultivators suffered catastrophic casualties in the process, and their vital strength was gravely wounded. Many primordial techniques and spirit beasts were lost forever. The decline of the ancient cultivators is deeply connected to this event." Through the Great Development Sovereign's solemn words, certain ancient secrets unknown to Han Li were laid bare.
"The ancient cultivators fought these ancient devils?" Han Li's face changed drastically.
He had no idea how powerful the ancient devils were, but he was well aware of the ancient cultivators' prowess through the numerous ancient treasures and ruins they had left behind. From the old monster's tone, the ancient devils' powers seemed to surpass even those of the ancient cultivators. This thought sent a chill through Han Li.
"That's not all. Some of the ancient demonic techniques that modern demonic cultivators practice were created by later generations after learning of the Ancient Devil Realm's existence. Through these techniques, they imitate certain powers of the ancient devils. Some creators even used secret arts to borrow the demonic qi of named ancient devils across planes, channelling it into their own bodies to vastly amplify their abilities. However, while these demonic techniques are undeniably formidable, legend has it that those who cultivate them to their ultimate limit do not ascend to the rumored Spirit Realm but instead travel to the Ancient Devil Realm, becoming one of the ancient devils themselves. Of course, this is merely legend and has never been verified. Yet many demonic cultivators, coveting the power of these ancient techniques, still risk cultivating them. After all, ascending to the Ancient Devil Realm is a matter for the Deity Transformation stage — so remote a prospect that they need not concern themselves with it. That said, the spatial rifts in Fallen Devil Valley do not have a particularly high chance of opening interplanar passages. Perhaps during the days you spend in the valley, nothing will happen at all, and I'm simply being an alarmist." At this point, the old man's voice softened.
But when Han Li recalled the demonic transformations and bizarre phantasms he had witnessed in certain techniques before, he drew in a sharp breath and found himself largely convinced.
"If ancient devils really crossed over through Fallen Devil Valley's spatial rifts, wouldn't our Tiannan cultivation world have fallen into chaos long ago? Yet so many years have passed, and I've never heard of any such creatures appearing." After his expression remained grave for a long while, Han Li still asked with confusion.
"What do you know? These spatial rifts aren't true interplanar passages after all. The demons and monsters that come through can only be avatars or lower-tier existences. And because their cultivation isn't high enough to withstand the rejection of our world's natural laws, they cannot remain in our mortal realm for long. In the end, they either self-destruct or flee back through the rift the way they came. They hardly have time to plague your Tiannan." The Great Development Sovereign laughed coldly, as if curling his lip.
"So only low-tier demons can come through, and even then only for a limited time." Han Li's tense expression relaxed, and he let out a breath of relief. At the same time, he recalled the demonic bird that the Mulan dharma masters had summoned using the ancient lamp — it seemed to have been a similar situation.
"Don't celebrate too early, Kid Han. While this is only speculation, if ancient devils or similar creatures really do appear in the valley, even the weakest among them won't be trivial. As for the ancient devils' techniques, they are beyond bizarre. Even if a human cultivator and an ancient devil of equivalent rank were to face each other, the human would be dead for certain." The Great Development Sovereign offered this rational reminder.