Demonic Cultivation: Devouring Ten Thousand Demonic Beasts-Chapter 51: Elder Guo Lanfeng

The Voice Spirit Stone is a unique type of spiritual stone, forged from Spatial Crystal combined with Mystic Sound Jade, a rare jade capable of preserving sound and spiritual energy. This artifact takes the form of a small, round gem, compact enough to fit in the palm of a hand, emitting a faint glow of blue or purple depending on its quality. When activated with spiritual energy, it can record voices, sounds, or even a fragment of a cultivator’s divine sense, storing them within its internal spatial realm, where they can endure for thousands of years.

Lang Tian held the spirit stone in his hand, his heart suddenly pounding inside his chest, as he wondered what would Elder Guo reveal to him.

He sat down, crossing his legs in a meditation position.

Yue Ling settled beside him.

"Alright. When you’re ready, channel a bit of spiritual energy into it to activate the Voice Spirit Stone."

"Yes."

Lang Tian nodded.

Then, he took a deep breath.

Spiritual energy flowed from his fingertips into the spirit stone. The entire gem blazed with radiant light. Suddenly, a voice rang out, echoing through the cave.

The voice of Elder Guo Lanfeng, beginning with resonant verses:

"The lotus in this world remains still,

The truth is found in the wind.

Life is like a dream,

A single thought transcends the mundane world."

________________________

To the fated one who hears this voice, do not hastily pass it by.

I am Guo Lanfeng, born in the Heavenly Dragon Kingdom. Together with my senior blood brother, Guo Qingyun, I co-founded the Crimson Lotus Sect, a sanctuary born of fire and compassion, rooted in the teachings we once held dear.

In the days of my youth, shortly after breaking through to the Primordial Embryo Realm, I left our homeland behind. Qingyun and I, still burning with the reckless ambition of our younger years, set forth on a journey across the boundless lands, seeking a cultivation path worthy of our aspirations. We wandered far, crossing rivers, forests, and ancient ruins, driven by the dream of touching the heavens.

It was by a fortunate twist of fate that I came upon tales of the Lotus Path Sect—an ancient sect cloaked in reverence, known for its purity and transcendence. Its guiding principle was the Lotus Heart Sutra of the Tranquil Dao, a scripture spoken of in hushed awe, said to cultivate serenity and clarity beyond the grasp of worldly desires. My heart trembled upon hearing of it. Drawn by instinct and reverence, I journeyed to their sacred grounds and knelt humbly before their gates, pledging myself to their doctrine and vowing to carry their light forward through the ages.

And fortunately, they took me in.

Then, fifty years passed in the blink of an eye.

Fifty years passed like drifting clouds. I cultivated with single-minded devotion, letting go of pride, ambition, even attachments. Day by day, I submerged myself in meditation, allowing the lotus to bloom within my heart. In time, I reached the pinnacle of the Sea of Eternal Serenity Lotus Stage—a realm few in the sect had ever touched.

By then, I had earned the title of elder. I spent my days seated within ancient lotus groves, surrounded by still waters and lotus petals that glowed with spiritual light. The air was always quiet, fragrant with calm. My heart, once stirred by youthful fire, became still... like an autumn lake, untouched by the dust of the mortal world.

Yet... even within that profound silence, a whisper began to rise.

The calmer the world around me became, the more my heart stirred with unrest.

After all...

The Lotus Heart Sutra of the Tranquil Dao—though founded upon serenity and detachment—was not born in isolation from the world.

Its creator, the Pure Lotus Zhenren, once stood among the celestial immortals, yet chose to abandon the lofty heavens and descend into the mortal realm. Why? To endure hardship. To walk through pain and loss. To seek true enlightenment not in stillness alone, but in the ever-changing tides of human life.

When I learned this truth, I could not help but question myself.

If the founder willingly embraced the suffering of the mortal world, believing that true Dao cannot be found without first walking through sorrow and tribulation... then what of me?

I sat in a tranquil forest, surrounded by peace and stillness, untouched by conflict or pain. My days were spent in quiet meditation. My surroundings were like a dream, but my heart... my heart was no longer at peace.

Am I truly cultivating, I asked myself, if I have never walked through fire? If I have never tested the strength of my Dao in the harsh winds of the world?

Burdened by this doubt, I sought out my senior brother, Guo Qingyun. To my surprise, he too had been wrestling with the same thoughts.

And so, without regret, the two of us made a decision.

We relinquished our titles. We set aside the honor and prestige granted to us by the Lotus Path Sect. We walked away from the serenity of its sacred groves and the still pools that had once reflected our youthful faces.

We returned to our homeland, the Heavenly Dragon Kingdom. And there, we founded a new sect—a different kind of sect. One that would not shun the world, but embrace it.

Thus, the Crimson Lotus Sect was born.

A lotus that blooms not in quiet waters, but in a sea of blood. A creed not of isolation, but of experience. A path that does not flee from suffering, but walks straight into it, drawing strength from the very heart of chaos and tribulation.

The version of the Lotus Heart Sutra that I now pass down is no longer the same.

It is a path forged in fire and sorrow, reshaped in battlefields and broken towns. It uses the trials of the mortal realm as both whetstone and flame. It teaches disciples to find their Dao not in stillness alone, but in the cries of the living, the tears of the grieving, the laughter of children, and the last breath of a dying man.

Because only in walking among the living can one truly grasp what it means to transcend death.

If you are hearing these words now, it means that fate has spun a thread between us, however small. Heaven and earth have granted us a fleeting intersection within the vast, endless tapestry of time.

If your heart has ever wavered... if you’ve ever sat beneath the stars and asked yourself what the Dao truly is, what cultivation truly means—then listen well.

Not all who sit in stillness are true cultivators.

And not all who wander the world are mere mortals. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

If the Dao does not intertwine with suffering, how can it ever guide the hearts of men?

_____________________

"If the Dao does not intertwine with suffering, how can it guide the hearts of men? ...Wow, how profound..." Lang Tian murmured, his voice low and filled with admiration.

He had never imagined that Elder Guo Lanfeng was one of the two founding patriarchs of the Crimson Lotus Sect. Even more astonishing was the revelation that the sect had such a storied and meaningful past.

Even now, its disciples still practiced the teachings of Elder Guo. They did not remain secluded within the sect, meditating in silence or isolating themselves from the world. Instead, they willingly descended the mountain to walk among the common people. There, they bore witness to the sorrows and joys of mortal life—experiencing pain and suffering, life and death, joy and happiness... all the emotions and trials that the cycle of life had to offer.

And of course, they also took on the burden of hunting down members of evil sects, cleansing the world of their corruption and cruelty.

"As far as I know, they founded the Crimson Lotus Sect over seven hundred years ago, right?"

"Indeed," Yue Ling nodded slightly. "The sect has seen six generations of sect masters."

"Then... doesn’t that mean Elder Guo has been here for nearly seven hundred years?"

"Perhaps..." Yue Ling replied softly, her voice growing heavy.

"Heavens..."

"There’s more. Keep listening," she urged. "The next part will reveal why the elder became trapped in this place."

"Yes." Lang Tian nodded firmly.

Once more, he channeled his spiritual energy into the Voice Spirit Stone, activating the next portion of the recording.