Demon Subduing Pavilion, Zhang Li's Journey to the West

"You're not allowed to go up to the Demon Subduing Pavilion—"

The disciple on duty outside the Demon Subduing Pavilion was wearing green robes and carrying a long sword on his back. He was interrupted by the jade medallion in Zhang Li's hand before he could finish speaking.

"If you don't recognize this medallion, you can ask Wang Qingyang about it," Zhang Li calmly said with one hand behind his back.

To be honest, the disciple on duty really did not recognize the medallion.

However, the patterns on it resembled the symbol of the elder's identity in the temple.

However, he could not identify the person before him.

"Qing Mu, move aside. Let the grandmaster in." Fortunately, a voice rang out from the Demon Subduing Pavilion.

It was the senior grandmaster!

The disciple on duty trembled and quickly bowed to make way.

Zhang Li then walked up the steps.

The stone steps were ancient, and the five-story building before him appeared mottled under the sunlight.

With bluestone as its foundation and logs as its beams, one could see that the entire Demon Subduing Pavilion was covered in dim runes.

When Zhang Li got closer, he could feel something putting pressure on his head.

Was his vitality being suppressed?

Even though he had consumed a Body-tempering Pill that cost 20 spirit stones and tempered his body to an extremely strong state, Zhang Li still felt a trace of oppression as he stood under the tower.

His physical strength had been reduced by at least 20%.

"Greetings, Grandmaster." The dark-red door of the mottled tower opened, and Yuanhe stepped out with cupped hands. He was wearing a pale-yellow Eight Trigrams robe.

"I would like to see the Demon Subduing Pavilion," Zhang Li said directly.

Yuanhe was not surprised. He raised his hand and said, "This way please, Grandmaster."

As Yuanhe walked into the Demon Subduing Pavilion, the four empty walls were filled with runes.

These runes flashed with a faint red glow and appeared somewhat strange in the dark pavilion.

Zhang Li could not recognize these runes, but he could sense that they were the source of suppression.

Yuanhe led Zhang Li around the small building and stepped onto the empty top of the fifth floor.

The sunlight shone through the window and brought with it a hint of warmth.

The suppression of his vitality was extremely strong on the fifth floor. Zhang Li could only activate 50% of his strength.

Yuanhe, who was standing beside him, blushed slightly.

"Yuanhe, do you usually cultivate on the fifth floor?" Zhang Li turned his head to look at Yuanhe with a strange expression.

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Yuanhe's face. He shook his head and said, "I'm usually stationed on the second floor, Grandmaster.

"I don't come to the fifth floor often."

That was more like it.

Suppressing 50% of one's vitality was too damaging to one's body.

However, this was also a good way to train his body.

Thinking about how he still had a body-tempering technique that could follow him to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Zhang Li's heart stirred.

It might work if he used the Demon Subduing Pavilion to temper his cultivation.

However, this was not an urgent matter. He was there for something else today.

"Everyone says that there's a demon in the Demon Subduing Pavilion. Where is it?" Zhang Li asked as he looked around.

"You want to see the demo, Grandmaster?" Yuanhe bowed slightly and softly said, "The demon is barbaric, cunning, and strange."

Ever since he entered the Demon Subduing Pavilion, Zhang Li had felt that Yuanhe was alienating him.

At this moment, there was a hint of intimidation in his words, which made him feel uncomfortable.

Did Yuanhe treat him as an ordinary and sheltered guardian disciple?

"Yuanhe, do you know anything about the cultivation world?" Zhang Li looked at Daoist Yuanhe and asked softly.

There was a glint in Yuanhe's eyes when he heard Zhang Li's words. "Unfortunately, I wasn't fated to be born in it. Otherwise, I, Chen Yuanhe, would definitely be able to cultivate my spirit energy and build my foundation. I would definitely be able to reach the Gold Core Realm," he said in a deep voice.

Zhang Li looked at Daoist Yuanhe and understood.

This fellow looked down on his status as a guardian disciple.

Those in the upper and middle levels of Jing Yang Temple had read the ancient books and learned that the guardian disciples were just poor people who had failed to cultivate spirit energy in the cultivation world. They had wasted their time and their life, so they came to the secular world to mingle.

"In the cultivation world…" Zhang Li narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at a half-opened window. Staring at the clouds outside, he recalled the Journey to the West, which he had read in his previous life.

"There is a heaven-defying monkey demon with a 108,000-pound Compliant Golden-hooped Rod in its hand. It can shake the heavens and the earth, as well as kill the gods and immortals."

A golden rod that weighed 108,000 pounds?!

A monkey demon that could slaughter gods and immortals?!

Yuanhe trembled, and a trace of fear appeared in his eyes.

Was there really such a powerful demon in the world?

As he looked straight ahead, Zhang Li flipped his hand and nonchalantly said, "There is also a Buddha in the cultivation world who managed to suppress the monkey demon for 500 years with a single palm."

Even a powerful monkey demon could be suppressed for 500 years with a single palm!

Yuanhe felt his blood boil.

"In the cultivation world, there is also a divine general who excels in 72 transformations. He can do whatever he wants with a three-pointed double-edged saber. 

"In addition, there is a divine lord in the Dao sect who is unparalleled when it comes to refining weapons. He has a divine furnace that can burn the world. 

"Besides him, there is a great deity who is in charge of the 18 levels of hell. It is said that he cannot become a Buddha if hell is not empty."

"There are also..."

Zhang Li waved his hand, and a trace of melancholy flashed across his face. "Forget it, that's all in the past," he said softly.

Yuanhe lowered his head and hunched a little.

At this moment, the mysterious grandmaster before him seemed to be glowing.

Were the stories of those powerful people in the cultivation world true?

What was the world of cultivation like?

Yuanhe felt a ball of fire burning in his heart. It was as though it was going to burn his heart and body to ashes.

"Wake up!" All of a sudden, he heard a deep shout. It was as if a basin of cold water had been poured on his head. The "coldness" shocked him, and everything in front of him became clear.

"The cultivation of the immortal path focuses on the mind. Your martial arts cultivation might be good, but your mind is in poor condition. It will be easy for demons to take advantage of you."

Zhang Li's voice was cold, but it sounded like a loud bell in Yuanhe's ears.

Inner demons!

There was also a saying that martial arts cultivation was the way of the devil.

It was said that immortal cultivation could be corrupted by demonic intent, and one's cultivation would be completely scattered as a result.

It turned out that he had unknowingly turned into a demon.

Yuanhe's temples were covered in cold sweat.

"Thank you, thank you for saving me, Grandmaster." Yuanhe bowed respectfully.

"This is my fault as well. Even I trembled when I personally saw those mighty figures fight in the past, more so someone like you who was born in the mortal world."

Zhang Li shook his head and took out a jade bottle.

"Your mind is fractured. Take this Soul-burning Pill."

He frightened him first and then gave him a worthless pill; Zhang Li was very familiar with this tactic.

As expected, Yuanhe looked at Zhang Li with respect and gratitude.

He had personally witnessed those mighty figures fighting, after all!

Who was this grandmaster before him?

Yuanhe dared not raise his head, and he said in a low voice, "Grandmaster, the demons in the tower are all suppressed at the bottom of the tower.

"The Demon Subduing Pavilion looks like it has five floors, but it actually has nine floors. There are four more floors underground.

"I can't enter the first underground level."

As he spoke, he walked to the middle of the five-story pavilion and took out a jade tablet. Then, he poured faint True Essence power into it.

Kacha!

The sound of a door opening echoed in the tower. Right then, a staircase leading underground appeared in the middle of the fifth floor.

"Grandmaster, this is the passage to the first underground level."

Looking at Zhang Li, Yuanhe said in a low voice, "The demons are extremely crafty. Although they're subdued, we still need to be careful. Why don't I keep you company down there, Grandmaster?"

Keep him company?

He had just pretended to be a senior expert. Would he want to be accompanied down the tower? Did Yuanhe not care about his face?

Zhang Li waved his hand and stepped onto the stairs.

"Grandmaster, the vitality suppression under the Demon Subduing Pavilion is even more severe. Even a martial arts grandmaster can only stay there for an hour." Yuanhe's voice rang out from behind him.