After contemplating the matter, Tao Qian added,
"Senior, your Dao Heart's resolve is rarely seen in this world."
"Among these Immortal Fish here, I fear you might be the one with the lowest cultivation base, and should have long turned into mush, devoured completely by the other Immortal Fish."
"Yet you have managed to maintain your spiritual wisdom, living off decay, and never fallen to the Demon Path, truly an oddity in this world."
"In the past, something you left behind was of great help to me; this karmic bond should not go unrecognized."
"The Ancestor God Forbidden Technique can restore the human body you have lost, though it lacks the other benefits, which I, as your junior, would like to provide."
"If you wish to return to the Human World and live another life, as your junior, I can ensure you regain your youthful vigor, bestow upon you wealth and honor, a lifespan of several hundred years, and a household full of descendants, free from disasters and illnesses for your entire life."
"If your aspirations remain unchanged, still seeking the Immortal Path and questioning the Dao, within the Cultivation World of Daoist, Buddhist, Demon, and Devil, and the many Daoist Lineages such as heresy and heterodoxy, you can directly say which path you wish to take, and I, as your junior, will try my best to arrange it for you."
This question from Tao Qian had thrown Wu Ming into excited disarray.
Now aware of Tao Qian's identity and his Dao Heng's cultivation, he was still immersed in shock and awe, feeling like it was all a dream.
No wonder he felt this way; anyone with such an encounter would respond the same.
"The diary I madly scribbled as I neared death was picked up by a young man, leading him to enter the Dao and cultivate, and eventually, he ascended step by step into the Spirit Treasure Sect's cultivation, becoming a True Inheritor, even taking Duobao True Monarch as his master, establishing such unbelievable deeds, and now he has reached the status of Perfect Ultimate Happiness Great Master?"
"Even in dreams, this is too wild; could it be that I finally could not hold on and have utterly fallen to the Demon?"
Thankfully, the efficacy of Tao Qian's Spirit Treasure Sublime Dharma was excellent, and Wu Ming quickly came to.
Realizing, it was all real.
And he finally understood: the opportunity he had been waiting for years had finally arrived.
With his long-standing wish fulfilled, Wu Ming fell into indecision, unsure of what to choose, and could only respond with a trembling voice, "I, this old man… I, this old fool, lack experience and do not know how to choose."
Seeing him thus, Tao Qian quickly assisted him, intending to do something.
But just then, Yuan Gong, who had been silent for a long while, suddenly flew out, manifested his form, and without being courteous, glared at Tao Qian and soon spoke in displeasure:
"Good lad!"
"You've made such progress in Dao Heng in just a few breaths, and already you're using it on your master, thinking I don't know you have mastered the 'Spirit Treasure Wisdom Body Viewing Skill' within that formation?"
"With this Miraculous Skill, you can look at him once and know what this old man's natural talent is like, suitable for what kind of magic, what Daoist Lineage to enter?"
"Purposely unclear, still you lavishly praise this old man, as you have seen that he is most suited for my Secret Demon Sect, using this direct approach to draw out the master, to grant him more benefits."
"Hmph, truly taught by Duobao."
Having said that, Yuan Gong then turned to look at Wu Ming.
A flash of red light in his eyes, he soon revealed a look of astonishment that he did not hide his joy, and directly said to Wu Ming:
"Old man, your life's encounters may not seem too profound in my eyes, but it's indeed remarkable that you could endure so many years in Li Wanshou's fish pond, truly possessing an extraordinarily tenacious Dao Heart."
"The reason you have practiced so many mishmashed spells and never achieved entry is that you chose the wrong path."
"With ordinary talent but a strong Dao Heart... The paths of Daoist, Buddha, Devil, and others are not suited for you, only my Demon Path is fit for you, and especially my Secret Demon Sect."
And in speaking, Yuan Gong did not even ask Wu Ming what he chose.
Abruptly, he began to chant a special scripture.
That scripture came from the "All Heavens Secret Demon Scripture Seeking Chapter", the Human Volume.
Within were no aggressive Divine Powers or profound spells, only some profound words related to seeking the Dao and transcendence.
When heard by Tao Qian, it seemed complicated and tedious, enough to make one sleepy.
But when it reached Wu Ming's ears, it was like an awakening, an epiphany of life.
His muddy eyes suddenly became clear and tranquil, and even seemed to possess an aura of seeing through everything.
His face, full of age spots, revealed a radiant smile at this moment.
Standing on the Treasure Boat, he immediately gave Yuan Gong a salute, yet not as a gesture of taking him as a master, and the old man said,
"Senior is right, I may not have had the good fortune of Tao Master, but I have indeed cultivated spells from various paths like Daoist, Buddhist, Demon, Devil, and Heterodox without comprehending their essence, never able to truly enter the Door."
"Now that I've heard this chapter of the 'All Heavens Secret Demon Scripture Seeking Chapter,' only now do I know which Magic Skill I should cultivate."
"Little old man, my only wish is to enter Secret Demon."
"However, Senior's pervasive Sword Intent almost cleaved Tiandu asunder. It seems unlikely that you would take this little old man as your disciple."
"Being able to cultivate the Secret Demon magic is good enough for me; this little old man will follow Senior's arrangement."
After saying this,
Master Yuan also followed with a mysterious smile and immediately nodded, saying,
"The little old head truly understands things, far more astute than this lad. You indeed aren't suitable to be my disciple, but rest assured, I have already thought of whom you should take as your master."
"In my Secret Demon Sect, there is an ancestor who has secluded himself in the Outer Realm. His life experiences and temperament are quite similar to yours. If you can take that ancestor as your master, you won't only receive an unparalleled inheritance, but your status won't be lower than mine, and that will be quite the bargain."
By all accounts, this conversation could have ended there.
But Master Yuan then looked at Wu Ming, quite seriously, and said, "Should this really come to pass, you owe me a favor. In the future, should I or my disciple here require something of you, you cannot refuse."
Upon hearing this, Wu Ming pondered for a few moments and also replied, "Fortune and opportunity come from Master Tao, and through Senior, they are realized; this little old man dares not to disobey."
Tao Qian was now also a Great Divine Power, a Daoist True Monarch; naturally, he could tell that Master Yuan was plotting something.
And he had incidentally roped in "Senior Wu Ming."
His brows furrowing slightly, he turned his head, meaning to inquire, but Master Yuan ignored him, merely leaving behind a phrase, "Lad, quickly deal with the irrelevant aftermath, and then obediently go to Jade Ring Mountain to accompany your wife for the birth, lest Grandma Taizhen returns from the Outer Realm and comes looking for you to cause trouble."
Afterward, the red smoke returned to the statue, silent and still.
What Tao Qian didn't know was that before entering the statue, Master Yuan seemed to remember something, a look of sudden realization appearing on his face.
Half helpless and half annoyed, he cursed in his heart,
"Duobao, you've really thought this through thoroughly, expecting me to be waiting for you here."
"You said before that you'd let me teach your disciple, and also present a good disciple to me, so that after he encounters human trials and establishes numerous merits, he can naturally join my Secret Demon Sect and become a restorative Demon Lord, reconstructing the Secret Demon Mountain Gate in this realm."
"You make it sound so good, but then the lineage of Jade Ring Mountain intervenes; do you think I can't see that you're playing the 'one bride for two brothers' game?"
"That Kitten, having a child takes a full three years, and if she goes to flatter Grandma Taizhen, God knows how many more years it will delay."
"Humph!"
"I suppose you knew I'd be annoyed once I figured it out, so you sent me another disciple ideally suited for the second generation ancestor [Nameless Demon Lord] of my Secret Demon Sect."
"You rascal, could it be that you've even calculated taking the child's destined death, using it to resolve the karmic debts of Ten Thousand Treasures, and cleanly undergoing Corpse Disintegration and reincarnation... all as part of your plan?"
...
What Master Yuan was thinking, Tao Qian would temporarily remain unaware.
Although he sensed some scheming, he had considerable trust in Master Yuan.
Moreover, his previously used Spirit Treasure Method, that "Viewing Body Skill," also concluded: Senior Wu Ming was extremely suitable for cultivating the Secret Demon Sect's Method.
To put it precisely, he was the Innate Secret Demon Son.
After resolving these matters, Tao Qian glanced around at the other survivors.
There were no few presences like the 'Immortal Fish Pond' among the bloody ruins.
For example, a giant earthenware pot floated in the Void, its color dark red, covered with snake patterns, and within it, at least tens of thousands of white snakes, powerful and majestic like pythons or dragons, intertwined and fought each other. Clearly, the pot had no lid, and these white snakes possessed Divine Power, but not a single one could be seen escaping.
They were all blocked by a sharp treasure sword suspended over the pot's opening. That sword seemed to be the white snakes' natural predator, where a single burst of Sword Qi could slay scores or even hundreds.
This pot belonged to Liu Pei, and those "white snakes" were once cultivators of the Human Clan.
There were many, many objects of a similar nature.
However, Tao Qian need not worry about them, as Forbidden Techniques were already in action, adjudicating and filtering, dealing with the aftermath.
After a meticulous inspection that nothing was overlooked, Tao Qian immediately rode the Miraculous Tree Treasure Boat back inside the realm.
ps: As this is a transition chapter, some details were glossed over; please excuse any lack of depth. Lighter scenes are up next, including Master Xiao's return and then the start of a new volume.