Dao God of the Demonic Path

chapter 6 – broken cultivation stage

Han Tian Yi noticed how many clothes Xiao’er was placing into the empty spatial ring. The faint rustle of silk and the soft clink of jade accessories filled the quiet room.

“There’s no need to bring so many clothes, my wife.” he said gently, his voice carrying a calm warmth. “In the higher realm, I will buy you the most beautiful and expensive robes there are.”

“B-But… husband… I don’t want to burden you…” she whispered, her fingers trembling slightly as she adjusted a delicate hairpin.

In truth, Xiao’er was afraid. Han Tian Yi came from a high-ranking Immortal Clan, while her own clan could barely be considered one.

She herself was only at the early stage of the Qi Gathering Realm. Her heartbeat quickened as she imagined the consequences of failing him.

If she were not careful, she feared she would one day be cast aside. Aside from her beauty, she felt she had nothing to offer.

Before those thoughts could consume her, Han Tian Yi suddenly pulled her into a firm embrace.

The faint scent of his robes, mingled with the crisp energy of spiritual essence, wrapped around her like a shield.

“How could you say such a thing, my wife?”

He said, his voice filled with warmth and reassurance, soft yet commanding.

“What is mine is yours now. Don’t speak such nonsense. Are you saying your husband is so poor that he can’t even buy clothes for his own wife?”

Xiao’er’s eyes trembled, glistening with unspilled tears, as she looked up at him. Then she nodded softly.

“N-No… I’ll do as you say, husband…”

In the end, she only kept a single keepsake, an old ornament left behind by her late mother, its faint fragrance still lingering.

Before they departed, Han Tian Yi handed He Feng a high-rank Spiritual Art manual, the edges warm under his fingertips, as if acknowledging the transfer of responsibility.

When the two arrived at the Han Clan’s headquarters, they immediately went to meet Han Tian Yi’s parents.

The air inside the clan’s estate was rich with spiritual energy, tingling against the skin and making Xiao’er shiver slightly with awe.

“Mother… Father… this is He Xiao’er, my wife.” Han Tian Yi said, holding Xiao’er’s hand firmly, letting the warmth of his grasp reassure her.

“Ohh~ no wonder even my son fell in love…”

Fairy Yu Xing said with a warm smile, the soft rustle of her dress like water flowing over jade.

“She truly is a beauty, like father, like son~”

“Big brother… is this my big sister now?” Han Tian Shi asked, eyes wide, his small hands fidgeting with the hem of his robes.

Han Tian Yi nodded.

“This is my mother, my father, and my adorable little brother.” he said, introducing his family to her with a gentle, affectionate smile.

He Xiao’er lowered her head slightly, her voice soft and respectful.

“I greet you, Mother, Father, and Little Brother.”

The sound of her voice was almost musical, tinged with nervous reverence.

The Han Clan held a grand banquet that night to commemorate Han Tian Yi and He Xiao’er’s betrothal.

Lanterns swayed gently above the tables, casting soft shadows that danced across the intricate carvings of the estate.

The scent of rare herbs and incense mingled with the aroma of fine dishes, overwhelming Xiao’er with sensory richness.

The Han Clan spared no expense, making everything lavish and magnificent. They invited other clans to celebrate with them while also re-announcing Han Tian Yi’s position as the clan’s heir.

Han Tian Shi did not object. He also felt that he was not suited to be the heir and that this position had always belonged to his big brother.

Many neighboring Immortal Clans whose territories were nearby attended the banquet. Xiao’er felt overwhelmed by the number of fairies present.

Here, her beauty was only slightly above average. Many women surpassed her and came from high-ranking Immortal Clans.

They clearly hoped to attract Han Tian Yi’s attention, yet he did not even spare them a glance. The faint hum of their cultivated aura barely registered to him, leaving Xiao’er comforted and secure in his devotion.

Gifts arrived one after another: rare spiritual beast eggs, miraculous medicines, divine elixirs, and precious cultivation resources—items that glowed faintly with spiritual energy.

To Xiao’er, their brilliance was dazzling, but to the Immortals, they seemed ordinary.

The banquet ended three days later, and the Immortals began returning to their respective clans. Han Tian Yi personally thanked them for attending before they departed.

He brought Xiao’er throughout the inner cities and immortal markets, spending spiritual stones as if they were pebbles, buying her rare jade accessories, spirit-thread robes that shimmered with woven qi, hairpins carved from soul-warming crystal, and bracelets infused with nourishing energy.

Every purchase was accompanied by the faint scent of spiritual essence or the subtle hum of imbued energy. To outsiders, he looked like a fool who had fallen too deeply for his wife.

Even his parents were secretly astonished by how completely head over heels their son was for her. Wherever the couple went, whispers followed, carried on the wind like sparks.

By now, the entire Immortal world was already aware that Han Tian Yi loved his wife so much.

A week passed in quiet peace. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until, without warning, his cultivation base suddenly regressed.

In the span of a single night, his Foundation Establishment Stage collapsed, falling back to the peak of the Qi Gathering Stage. The faint hum of spiritual energy around him dimmed, like a candle flickering in a storm.

Alone in the vast library, the scent of ancient scrolls and polished wood filled his senses, and a deep frown creased Han Tian Yi’s face.

“What’s going on…?”

He immediately closed his eyes, inspecting his body from head to toe. His meridians were intact, his spiritual roots stable, his dantian undamaged. Everything seemed perfectly fine.

So why had his cultivation fallen?

His gaze darkened, the faint flicker of candlelight reflecting off the sharp edges of his eyes.

He reached into one of his spatial rings and pulled out a strange, ominous book. Its cover, made of human skin, was cold and slightly sticky under his fingers, the faint pulse of runes crawling across the surface as if alive.

He read through it again, line by line. That was when he found the mistake.

His earlier translation had been incomplete. He did not only need ten heaven-defying body constitutions. He needed to consume one every time he advanced to a higher realm until he reached the Dao God.

Once his cultivation regressed, he would have a span of seven days to refine another body. If he failed, his Cursed Body Constitution would awaken and devour him from within.

Han Tian Yi slowly clenched the book, the skin of the cover pressing cold into his palm.

“…It means I still need to consume seven more.”

A cold light flickered in his eyes, the faint chill around him sharpening.

“I still have two at my disposal…”

Han Tian Yi’s gaze turned cold as calculations flashed through his mind.

“If I refine Xiao’er, advancing will be difficult, but still possible. But if I refine my little brother, my parents would kill me. They are not my puppets yet…”

A faint, chilling smile curved his lips.

The choice was obvious. He would choose He Xiao’er.

Refining his brother right now would be a disastrous risk compared to refining Xiao’er. And he did not truly need the Phoenix Body Constitution. He was confident he could reach the Dao God through his own means.

“But…”

His brows slowly furrowed, and the faint scrape of his shoes against the polished floor echoed in the empty library.

“I can’t just refine her openly. After all, she’s my wife…”

He paced in silence, the faint crackle of the fire and the rustle of his robes accompanying his thoughts.

“Hm…”

His fingers tightened slightly, the subtle creak of his grip against the book audible in the quiet.

“So troublesome…”