After Transmigrating into an Evil God - Chapter 8

The originally half-dried pond was now seventy percent filled with water. Spring eyes at the bottom gurgled forth bubbles, the pool water clear and transparent, with no fish, shrimp, or insects visible—only clusters of soft, emerald-green aquatic plants at the bottom, making this pool of water appear like jade.

Li Chi lowered his eyes to gaze for a moment, then extended his hand to cover the water’s surface. The shadow of his palm fell into the pool, emanating some pure and clear spiritual energy.

Before long, a silvery fish shadow condensed from the spring eye, swimming joyfully to the shadow filled with spiritual energy and wagging its tail. Neither alive nor dead, seeming real yet ethereal.

The Manor Spirit Hou Li watched and couldn’t help but exclaim in wonder.

He wasn’t amazed by the fish shadow’s existence—he had long known of this fish shadow’s existence and origins.

When the Li clan had not yet declined, this spiritual spring had nurtured many living beings. This spirit fish was the one with the most spiritual nature among them. Later, when the manor became desolate and vitality was scarce, the creatures in the pool gradually dwindled, and this spirit fish couldn’t endure either, losing its vitality like the old pine before the manor.

Though the spirit fish died, its spiritual nature didn’t disperse, transforming into the spring eye. It would often absorb moonlight on moonlit nights, becoming a rare companion for the Manor Spirit.

However, with the spirit fish dead and the spiritual spring gradually drying up, this bit of spiritual nature began to gradually collapse, with death energy spreading.

The Manor Spirit hadn’t seen it for a long time and had originally thought its spiritual nature had finally dissipated. He never expected to see it again today.

With High God Li Chi cultivating here, just as Manor Spirit Hou Li’s spirit body had solidified from receiving divine grace, the fish shadow was also nourished by spiritual energy and restored its spiritual nature.

Hou Li wasn’t amazed by this—what astonished him was that vitality had actually appeared within this fish shadow.

Going from life to death was easy; going from death to life—how difficult that was!

Hou Li suppressed the amazement in his heart and recounted the fish shadow’s origins in detail.

Li Chi extended his hand into the spring water. The fish shadow affectionately rubbed against his palm—though ethereal to the touch, it felt like a solid object. Life energy and death energy blended and balanced within it.

“This silver fish… will it be able to resurrect in the future?” Hou Li asked.

Li Chi shook his head. “With life and death intertwined, this is the most it can achieve in the future. Forcibly breaking the balance to resurrect would likely bring calamity.”

The silver fish leisurely wove between his fingers, not knowing whether it didn’t understand or simply didn’t care.

Seeing this, Hou Li couldn’t help but sigh. “I wonder how much spiritual intelligence it has left.”

The silver fish understood—this was calling it stupid. Quite unhappy, it flicked its tail and raised its head to spit a stream of water at Hou Li. Though ethereal and faint, it contained sharp sword intent.

Li Chi made a sound of surprise.

Hou Li didn’t dodge. The silver fish hadn’t intended to hurt him. It was still just a shadow and couldn’t create real water splashes. That strand of sword intent was only to propel the water stream—the sword intent dissipated before touching Hou Li, only carrying the shooting water to leave a damp spot on his body.

Hou Li was quite delighted and explained, “Before the altar was established, this courtyard was an empty space where Li clan members practiced martial arts and swordsmanship. Having watched for so long, it also developed a mouthful of sword energy, hidden in its belly.”

The silver fish proudly flicked its tail. It understood everything, just didn’t care to show it.

Li Chi stirred the pool water, playing with the silver fish for a while. This fish shadow also trusted him, allowing him to examine its condition.

The fish shadow’s state was very special. After death, its spiritual nature had merged with the spring eye—it wasn’t a ghost type, having transformed from the silver fish’s soul, yet it wasn’t a spring spirit either, having no physical form, just a shadow.

After pondering for a moment, Li Chi pointed at its forehead and sent in some divine power.

The silver fish froze in the water, its form shifting from ethereal to solid, then from solid to ethereal. In just a moment, it could control the transformation itself, condensing from a semi-transparent shadow into a physical form.

The silver fish was overjoyed, leaping restlessly on the water’s surface, bringing up strings of water droplets. Its huge tail fin spread like silk, glimmering in the sunlight.

Hou Li was also happy for it and bowed in thanks to Li Chi.

Li Chi waved his hand dismissively. After Hou Li left, he said to the silver fish with great interest, “Spit out another mouthful of sword energy for me to see.”

The silver fish opened its mouth, and a misty white sword energy shot out.

Li Chi reached out to grasp this strand of sword energy, feeling the sword intent within it.

Solitary, sharp, leaving no retreat.

Li Chi looked at the fish in the pool—it quite matched its character.

The spirit fish’s divine soul had chosen not to reincarnate but merged with the spring eye instead. If it dissipated, it would be completely annihilated.

That strand of sword energy disappeared in Li Chi’s hand. He closed his eyes to ponder for a moment, then according to what he had gleaned from the silver fish’s sword energy, circulated his divine power. Bringing two fingers together like a sword, a sharp, pale white sword energy emerged from between his fingers, gradually extending to three feet long, solid as metal.

Li Chi smiled, withdrew the sword energy from his fingertips, and turned to walk out of the courtyard.

Now that he had learned this method of wielding sword energy, he could feel more at ease.

Yesterday he had only explored the situation down the mountain; today he wanted to look in a different direction.

Just as he stepped out of Li Manor’s main gate, he heard a cacophony of chattering and quarreling.

Li Chi looked up and saw the dove demon Jin Yan standing on the courtyard wall, arguing with a large group of bird demons outside the wall. Hou Li had blocked out their voices; only now that he had left the manor did he discover them.

“What’s this about?” Li Chi asked.

Jin Yan’s mouth stopped moving, and he flapped his wings to fly beside him, saying proudly, “These guys used to always mock my ugly nest-building. Now I have a house that’s sturdier and prettier than any of their nests!”

Today he had specifically gone to show off to the bird demons who used to mock him—what a moment of triumph and vindication!

The other birds started chattering noisily again. These bird demons hadn’t yet refined their hyoid bones and couldn’t speak human language. Though Li Chi didn’t understand bird language, he grasped their meaning. They were cursing that stolen was stolen, yet he still wanted to put gold on his face.

Jin Yan cursed loudly, “Being able to steal it shows beautiful skill! You little demons who can’t even speak should have your feathers plucked bare to know how ugly you really are!”

Those numerous bird demons weren’t afraid of him either, preening their feathers smugly on the branches while chattering back and forth with Jin Yan.

Li Chi smiled and shook his head, lifting his foot to leave.

Seeing this, Jin Yan immediately stopped talking and turned to ask Li Chi, “Where are you going? Take me along! I haven’t finished telling you about yesterday’s events in Liquan Village.”

Li Chi thought briefly and nodded in agreement.

The bird demons in the trees, having no one left to quarrel with, felt quite bored and dispersed one by one.

Li Chi watched and laughed. “You’re quite friendly—only quarreling, not fighting.”

Jin Yan chuckled twice: “We fight too, and I pluck their feathers! But that’s about the extent of it. We don’t have any great enmity, and we don’t devour essence and blood to cultivate.”

He perched on Li Chi’s shoulder, shaking his head and sighing deeply, “Cultivation isn’t easy. Although the Divine Court has broadly opened the path of cultivation, this path isn’t easy either. Many fellows die before reaching the standard to obtain the Divine Court’s seal. So some demons simply don’t take this path—wouldn’t devouring essence and blood be faster than slowly absorbing spiritual energy? Though the aura becomes turbid, at least they can live a few more years. Moreover, with power, they might not lack methods to obtain other cultivation techniques.”

“However, without these essence-and-blood-devouring fellows, cultivating the divine path would be even more difficult.” Jin Yan smacked his lips twice, bringing the topic back around. “Take the Great King Yishan who protects Liquan Village—if it weren’t for fear of those man-eating demons, who would worship him?”

“There are plenty of powerful deities, but with so many people worshipping them, such deities may not have the energy to spare attention for such small villages. There are quite a few turbid demons in the mountains and wilds. Though we’re not the same type as them, we also envy how quickly their cultivation advances.”

“Yesterday I saw the villagers’ spring sacrifice, praying to Great King Yishan for favorable weather and abundant harvests,” Li Chi said.

Jin Yan cackled with laughter. “How could he manage that? At most he can make these villagers stronger so farming isn’t strenuous.”

“Are you familiar with him?” Li Chi asked.

“I know him, but he doesn’t know me,” Jin Yan said enviously. “He doesn’t protect just Liquan Village! Though this place is remote, it allows him to monopolize all the faith. Those big towns and cities are different—they worship many deities. Cooks worship kitchen gods, and there are several kitchen gods! I’ve seen three: one ghost god, one demon god, and one human god. Some wealthy families even have household gods. All the faith gets diluted, and they have to compete with other fellows.”

Li Chi turned to glance at Jin Yan on his shoulder. Though he was also talkative, he felt less lively than yesterday.

“Are you tired from quarreling with them?” Li Chi asked.

“That was nothing! I could quarrel with them for three days and nights without problem!” Jin Yan puffed out his little chest, then chuckled twice more. “I have a favor to ask!”

“What is it?” Li Chi asked.

Jin Yan swallowed and his round, dark eyes showed some nervousness. “You see, cultivation isn’t easy, and our meeting is also fate. How about I follow you from now on?”

He had started thinking about this last night after seeing Li Chi’s cultivation.

They were demons who, before achieving cultivation, were all wild beasts of the mountains and forests, survivors of the naked law of the jungle. Hunting was perfectly normal for them.

The demons who could abandon the method of hunting and devouring each other’s essence and blood, persisting on this more difficult cultivation path, all had aspirations for the road ahead.

Opportunities were hard to find, but yesterday he had stumbled upon one—how could he willingly let it slip away?

Born with wings, he could fly across the vast sky and earth, and had seen countless deities, yet never one like Li Chi with such clear aura that could even influence the surrounding heaven and earth.

When restraining his aura, he had seemed like an ordinary mortal, but that glimpse during cultivation was like a celestial being from the Ninth Heaven who never touched mortal dust.

But Li Chi shook his head. “I can’t help you with anything.”

His memories were gone, and he still needed Jin Yan to help supplement common knowledge. He didn’t think there was anything special about himself, assuming the situation during cultivation was something every deity would produce.

As for power, his divine body was still ethereal, and that severe injury showed no signs of healing. Though his divine power was slowly recovering, it now barely covered the bottom of the pool. He knew even fewer divine arts, fumbling through everything on his own—even the sword energy was stolen from the silver fish today. He was truly quite weak now.

Jin Yan’s face was full of disappointment as he said dejectedly, “Then… can I just stay by your side often? Like that gray mouse?”

Li Chi nodded.

Jin Yan continued probing. “Then… if you go somewhere else in the future, can I still follow?”

Li Chi nodded helplessly.

Jin Yan became excited at once.

Since he agreed to let him follow along, could the day of truly being taken under his wing be far away? Maybe he could even become a guardian or something, cultivating all the way to become an immensely powerful demon god, entering the Divine Court, receiving worship from people…

When he returned, he could even show off to Hou Li, whose house was rooted here and couldn’t follow Li Chi around like he could. But well… given Hou Li’s reminder yesterday, although that stubborn, petty fellow had only given him a woodshed, he would still be very magnanimous in forgiving Hou Li. When the time came, he would also give him some guidance, making him deeply regret how he had treated him back then…

Just as Jin Yan was fantasizing blissfully, Li Chi suddenly stopped walking and turned to look toward the depths of the mountain forest.

His expression was serious as he said to Jin Yan in a low voice, “Don’t make a sound.”