Demonic Cultivation: Devouring Ten Thousand Demonic Beasts

Having finished demonstrating the first eight moves of the Ten Thousand Lotus Palm, Yue Ling withdrew her hand and slowly turned to face Lang Tian. A faint smile played at the corners of her lips, and her eyes shimmered with a quiet light.

"Well?" she asked gently, "What do you think of this palm technique?"

"It's truly profound!" Lang Tian exclaimed, eyes wide with admiration. "Senior Sister, it's unlike anything I've ever seen!"

As he had watched her glide through each graceful motion, a strange and refreshing sensation had surged within him. It was like a cool spring breeze stirring through the dust that had long settled in his heart. His long-held beliefs about martial arts, carved deep through years of rigid training, were suddenly and completely overturned.

Up until now, he had believed that martial strength meant overwhelming force—that to win was to dominate, to crush, to meet every strike with greater power and every technique with a fiercer blow. Strength defeating strength. Might triumphing over might.

But now… that belief lay shattered like brittle glass.

Now, he realized that there existed palm techniques which, instead of relying on brute force, embraced transformation as their guiding principle. These techniques used softness to conquer strength and control in place of slaughter.

These moves required neither excessive expenditure of spiritual energy nor an overwhelming aura, yet they could seamlessly blend offense and defense, adapt to any situation, and thrive in myriad circumstances.

'To think… such a path exists,' Lang Tian thought, wonder blooming in his chest.

A martial art of this caliber, refined in concept and exquisite in execution… perhaps even in the entire Celestial Dragon Kingdom, there was nothing quite like it.

Seeing the glow in his eyes and the excitement written across his face, Yue Ling couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"So, do you wish to learn it?"

Lang Tian immediately clasped his hands and bowed deeply, his voice brimming with reverence.

"Yes! I beseech Senior Sister to guide me!"

Yue Ling's smile softened, warm and gentle, as she stepped closer and ruffled his hair.

"Heh, of course."

She brushed a strand of hair aside and strode to the center of the clearing.

"Very well. Let us begin. I will perform each move slowly, one by one. Observe closely and mimic my actions."

"Yes, Senior Sister!"

And so, from that hour onward, beneath the dim glow of the red crystals overhead and the eerie demonic aura pervading the valley, one demonstrated while the other followed. Lotus shadows flickered, half-real, half-dreamlike, dancing in the twilight.

As the hours passed, Yue Ling found herself quietly astonished.

Lang Tian's talent… it was far beyond what she had expected.

His comprehension was sharp—unnaturally so. Even seeing a technique only once, he was able to understand the rhythm and intent behind it, as though some part of him resonated with the art itself. His movements were rough at first, but with only minor corrections to his stance, hand angles, and spiritual flow, he began to mirror her forms with startling accuracy.

In less than half a day, Lang Tian had somewhat learned all eight initial moves of the Ten Thousand Lotus Palm.

___________________

Lang Tian stood motionless in the heart of the clearing. His eyes were half-closed, his breathing steady and deep.

The spiritual qi within his body moved like a calm river, its flow directed by the oral mantra of the Lotus Heart Sutra of the Tranquil Dao. Each breath guided the current; each thought shaped its path. As the energy coursed through his meridians, it warmed his limbs and settled his mind into quiet focus.

He silently recited the verse:

"One flower, a thousand petals; one thought, ten thousand transformations…"

Abruptly, Lang Tian shifted his weight forward. His right foot stepped ahead, grounding him, while both hands moved in unison to form the seal of a palm strike. With a focused exhale, he launched the first move.

"Lotus Shadow Blooming Beneath the Moon!"

His palm struck forth, his movements still slightly stiff, yet brimming with intent. A faint white glow shimmered from his palm, and an ethereal lotus materialized in the air, suddenly blossoming into countless layers of flickering petals.

The petals, half-illusory, swirled in the void, layer upon layer radiating from Lang Tian's form. Though he could not yet shake the air as Yue Ling had done, his strike stilled the earth for a fleeting moment, as if a gentle breeze had passed, carrying a serene and graceful spiritual intent.

Before him, a large boulder tilted under the residual force, its surface lightly fissured as if sliced by a delicate blade. While it lacked the power to shatter, it clearly embodied the essence of the Ten Thousand Lotus Palm: a lotus blooming amidst chaos, softness overcoming strength, stillness transforming motion.

Yue Ling gave a subtle nod, her eyes gleaming with approval.

Lang Tian pressed on without pause, shifting his stance with the Lotus Step, his feet tracing the pattern of blooming petals. His hands converged before his chest.

"Heart-Chaos Lotus Blossom!"

This second strike was as gentle as a spring breeze. His hands slowly parted, spiritual energy coalescing into faint ripples that spread through the air.

There was no thunderous roar, nor dazzling light, but only a subtle unease that emanated from the center of his palms. The surrounding space seemed to warp, as if an invisible whirlwind spiraled outward.

Delicate lotus petals materialized, tracing arcane curves through the air, defying conventional patterns. Even Lang Tian himself staggered slightly, nearly losing his rhythm. His control of spiritual energy was not yet refined, his mind still swayed by faint ripples.

Yet his demeanor was unmistakable.

Though flaws remained, though his palm strikes lacked fluidity, for one who had never studied a technique of control, Lang Tian had grasped the essence of the lotus—the stillness within motion, the invisible disruption woven into the palm technique.

Yue Ling observed for a long moment, her eyes curving gently, a tender smile gracing her lips.

"Not bad…"

For her junior brother was truly a promising lotus bud.