Transmigrating as the Heart Demon of the Ruthless Sword Venerable – Chapter 2
by Little PandaHeart Demon
Killing Is Addictive
The familiar sting of pain pierced through her once more. Tang Wenchun grabbed the girl’s hand, looking at her composed face, and asked, “W-why do you want to kill me…”
The girl gave her wrist a flick, effortlessly slipping free of Tang Wenchun’s grip. Her long sword slid out, accompanied by a cold voice: “Ridiculous. You are my Heart Demon1. The sword slays the heart demon to prove the Dao for Immortality2. If I don’t kill you, who should I kill?”
A heart demon—she was actually a heart demon!
There had to be a mistake. There had to be.
Tang Wenchun’s eyes flew open. She gasped for breath, her fingers instinctively pressing against where she’d been wounded before. Just like last time, her fingers could feel the faint rise and fall of her abdomen, but the wound itself was completely gone. Tang Wenchun looked around.
The grassy area, which had originally been only the size of a small courtyard, had expanded considerably. She heard the sound of water and walked slowly toward it. There, amid the green grass, a clear pool had appeared, lotus leaves overlapping, young lotus buds just showing their tips, swaying gently in the breeze—a scene of perfect tranquility.
In the distance, the faint outlines of green mountains were visible, though they remained indistinct beneath the enveloping white fog.
Tang Wenchun had read enough novels to know what a heart demon was. Cultivators with heart demons found their cultivation obstructed, and normally, to advance further, they had to slay those heart demons. The novel she’d been binge-reading recently, Immortal Path Hard to Find, was exactly like that—though its setting had some differences. While heart demons were born from the cultivator, they weren’t simply the cultivator’s dark side.
“So… does this mean I’ve… transmigrated?”
Tang Wenchun shook her head. She surveyed her surroundings, then muttered to herself, “Then this place… is that girl’s Sea of Consciousness3?”
“Girl” might not be accurate—she could be several hundred years old, for all Tang Wenchun knew. She thought about this, then slumped to the ground, clutching her head. “How did I get so unlucky… No, wait, I can’t be a heart demon. Something must be wrong.”
Not only did she have no System or golden finger4, but from the looks of it, that girl might kill her over and over again. Even if she could revive, the pain of being pierced through was real, and the sensation of sinking into darkness after death was terrifying.
“I don’t want to die… I need to talk sense into her!”
Tang Wenchun leaped to her feet. She needed to find a way to survive. But first, she had to understand what was happening outside so she could piece together more information. Stuck in this Sea of Consciousness, she knew nothing. Was there any way to see the outside world?
Tang Wenchun looked up. The white fog seemed to respond to her thoughts—after a bout of churning, the scene appeared once more.
It was still the same cave, but from the light filtering in, dawn had arrived. The girl opened her eyes. A faint spiritual light flickered across her body, rising and falling with her breath, before gathering entirely and returning to her Dantian5.
The girl stood. She reached out her hand, and the long sword beside her seemed drawn by an invisible force, leaping up and landing in her grip. She lowered her eyes, sword in hand, her fingers tapping lightly against the hilt several times. A fleeting look of bewilderment crossed her eyes.
“That look in her eyes…”
The sigh was so soft it was barely perceptible. The disciples nearby had already gathered around: “Congratulations, Eldest Senior Sister, on your breakthrough!”
The girl gave an affirmative hum. Sword in hand, she strode out of the cave. Behind her, a voice full of admiration drifted faintly: “Eldest Senior Sister is so impressive… she actually broke through.”
The girl ignored this, striding out of the cave to an open clearing. Gripping her sword, she formed a sword mudra: “Divine Prison Piercing the Sky — Rise!6“
Sword light flashed, forming a silver cage with interwoven lightning that dazzled the eye and transfixed the mind.
Tang Wenchun, an ordinary university student, had never seen anything like this. She let out a “wow,” her heart filled with longing. Her fingers twitched as she mimicked the girl’s posture, making a sword-gripping gesture. To her surprise, her hand suddenly grew heavy—a sword had actually appeared.
Tang Wenchun looked at the sword in her hand, then at the sword in the girl’s.
The same dark diamond pattern, the same austere simplicity—as if someone had hit ctrl+c/v and copied it.
“This… this works too?” Tang Wenchun raised the sword. It had real weight to it, yet she didn’t find it heavy. When she turned her wrist, it felt as natural as moving her own arm. She performed a sword flourish—unusually fluid, as if her body already held the memory. Her heart followed the sword’s direction, impossibly smooth.
Tang Wenchun exclaimed in amazement. Remembering the technique the girl had used, her mind stirred, and her hands naturally formed the sword mudra, the incantation tumbling from her lips. Sword light erupted in all directions, forming a cage. Lightning crackled and roared—but unlike the girl’s clear, righteous lightning, Tang Wenchun’s version blazed purple-red. One look and you could tell it didn’t belong to a good person.
“So amazing…”
But Tang Wenchun also suddenly realized that this seemed to increase the likelihood she really was a heart demon. Otherwise, how could she explain the connection between herself and that girl?
“No, no way…”
Tang Wenchun gaped, dumbfounded. The sword in her hand seemed to sense her shock and dissolved away with a whoosh. She stared blankly at the white fog, only then realizing that someone new had appeared outside.
“Eldest Senior Sister.”
Standing before the girl was the young man who had given her pills earlier—Han Dan. He stood with his head bowed before Yu Zhaoming: “Thank you, Eldest Senior Sister, for saving my life before.”
The girl shook her head. “You and I are both disciples of the Sword Sect.”
Han Dan offered a bitter smile. “Those of us from the Alchemy Peak hardly count as…” He paused, then continued, “Given the Sword Sect’s current situation, we urgently need spirit stones and spirit herbs. That’s why I resorted to this—provoking that Nascent Soul bird demon… Eldest Senior Sister… could I ask you for a favor?”
Tang Wenchun, who’d read plenty of novels, immediately narrowed her eyes. “Bringing this up now—this guy is definitely up to no good. If only she’d keep her guard up.” But of course, the girl couldn’t hear her, so warning her was impossible. Besides, the girl had killed her—Tang Wenchun wasn’t exactly inclined to help.
The girl moved her hand slightly, watching Han Dan in silence.
Han Dan lowered his voice. “I’m just an ordinary disciple from the Alchemy Peak. I can’t compare to your reputation and prestige in the Sword Sect—everyone respects you. Could I ask you not to tell anyone that I deliberately provoked the demon beast?”
“The nerve! Isn’t this just blame-shifting?” Tang Wenchun fumed. “This guy is obviously no good!”
The girl’s expression suddenly darkened. She pressed her lips tightly together, which to Han Dan looked like a sign of displeasure.
Han Dan called out anxiously, “Eldest Senior Sister!”
“Why should I hide it?” The girl glanced at Han Dan and asked.
Han Dan pressed his lips together, lowering his gaze to conceal eyes full of jealousy. “We’re in a Secret Realm right now—unity is what matters most.” He licked his lips. “Everyone knows you, Eldest Senior Sister Yu Zhaoming, possess the Innate Sword Body7 and an Ice-Snow Exquisite Heart8. You’re the future leader of the Sword Sect. Everyone looks up to you—even if there are a few hiccups, it won’t cause friction.”
Yu… Yu Zhaoming?
Tang Wenchun’s eyes went wide. She only knew of one Yu Zhaoming in the Sword Sect, and coincidentally, that person also had an Innate Sword Body and an Ice-Snow Exquisite Heart. She was the female lead’s white moonlight9 master in the novel she’d been passionately arguing about before transmigrating! But that Yu Zhaoming wasn’t some Eldest Senior Sister—she was a true great power at the Crossing Tribulation stage, the Sword Venerable who sat at the Sword Sect.
“Yu Zhaoming stood atop the clouds, gazing down. Her expression was serene, as if everyone below her were mere ants. Only when she looked at the girl did her gaze soften, a faint smile blooming slowly, making the girl’s blood surge with passion, wanting only to offer up her whole heart.”
That was a passage from Immortal Path Hard to Find, the novel Tang Wenchun had been reading before she transmigrated. In it, Yu Zhaoming was the Sword Sect’s Sword Venerable. The book described her as “practicing the Emotionless Dao10, slaying heart demons with her sword all the way, her cultivation never stagnating until she reached Crossing Tribulation Great Perfection11—and there she stalled, unable to advance further, unable to achieve Unity with Dao12 and ascend.”
And yet this top-tier fighter in the novel had her Dao Heart13—her Emotionless Dao heart—broken simply because she saw an ordinary, loving mortal couple in the mortal world. Before dying, she left all her cultivation and treasures to the female lead.
When Tang Wenchun read that part, she simply couldn’t accept it. Yu Zhaoming was like an exalted, flawless deity of ice and snow. Almost every mess the female lead and her group got into early on was solved by Yu Zhaoming. She was an invincible existence—during the human-demon war, she slaughtered the demon race so thoroughly they didn’t dare make a sound. And she practiced the Emotionless Dao! How could her Dao heart break just because of a mortal couple?
This was clearly the author losing control of Yu Zhaoming’s combat power and just writing her off casually!
Tang Wenchun couldn’t stand it. She ranted to her best friend about it for a week, plus posted daily long reviews, writing lengthy arguments about how Yu Zhaoming’s Dao heart couldn’t possibly break over mortals, how her death was far too easy and illogical. Her reviews drew the author’s attention, and the two of them got into a heated flame war.
The author had just replied with: “If you think you can do better, you do it!”
And then everything went black…
Great. According to the transmigration law, all signs pointed to one conclusion: she had transmigrated, transmigrated right into Immortal Path Hard to Find—and as the heart demon who gets slain by the sword all the way through? She had the script in her hands, a massive advantage—except the script was set who-knows-how-many years in the future. She’d basically transmigrated for nothing!!
If she shouted “Sword Venerable, I’m your dog” right now, could she avoid getting killed?
Tang Wenchun felt very melancholy about this.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhaoming and Han Dan were still in silence. After a moment, Yu Zhaoming said in a low, heavy voice: “…Don’t let there be a next time.”
“Thank you, Eldest Senior Sister!” Han Dan’s face immediately lit up with joy.
Yu Zhaoming turned away. She pushed aside the vines hanging at the cave entrance and went in. The other disciples immediately gathered around.
“Eldest Senior Sister, what should we do?”
Yu Zhaoming shook her head in silence. The disciples exchanged uncertain glances.
As they spoke, Han Dan also came in. He surveyed the situation in the cave, then asked, “Eldest Senior Sister, what should we do now?”
“That bird demon has branded me with a mark. It will come for me soon,” Yu Zhaoming said. The disciples’ faces all changed, but Yu Zhaoming seemed not to notice, her voice remaining calm. “We can’t just sit and wait. We set out now to find that bird demon.”
“What!” Everyone was shocked, exchanging glances. “We’re not going to flee?”
“The Desolate Heaven Secret Realm is fraught with danger. There’s already a Nascent Soul bird demon on the outer perimeter—who knows what lies deeper within. Since we can’t escape, we might as well face it head-on.”
“The Desolate Heaven Secret Realm—so this is the Desolate Heaven Secret Realm!” Tang Wenchun wasn’t unfamiliar with the name. She remembered that later, the female lead would enter the depths of the Desolate Heaven Secret Realm during her trial, reaching the divine palace with three Sword Talismans left by Sword Venerable Yu Zhaoming, and ultimately obtaining a divine artifact. Because of this, she became the only cultivator in a world that hadn’t seen an ascension in ages who might actually ascend.
“But… that doesn’t make sense. Shouldn’t the outer perimeter of the Desolate Heaven Secret Realm only have Golden Core-level demon beasts? Nascent Soul beasts are supposed to be in the middle layers?” Because the Desolate Heaven Secret Realm had controllable dangers and clearly layered beast cultivation levels, even though it only restricted entry to those with a bone age14 below 100 years, the major sects still used it as a training ground for their disciples.
And the female lead had her extraordinary encounter precisely because she was hated by others, who drove her into the depths of the Secret Realm.
That’s right! Tang Wenchun recalled—the treasure the female lead found was a divine tomb, containing countless treasures. Perhaps there was something there that could free Tang Wenchun from Yu Zhaoming and rid her of this absurd “heart demon” identity.
If she couldn’t find anything even among a deity’s legacy, then Tang Wenchun couldn’t imagine how else she might escape this awkward identity and her future of being killed.
But how could she get Yu Zhaoming to go there? That place was incredibly dangerous, and Yu Zhaoming was only at Golden Core right now. Going in would likely be impossible.
Tang Wenchun was stumped.
Yu Zhaoming’s fingers brushed lightly against the sword hilt. She said nothing.
A disciple spoke up: “The path ahead in this Secret Realm is uncertain, but demon beasts are fiercely territorial. We could go to another demon beast’s territory and lure the two into fighting. When both are injured, we’d be out of danger and could seize the spirit herb in one stroke!”
Yu Zhaoming looked at the disciple. “On our way here, did we encounter another Nascent Soul demon beast?”
The disciples paused. Indeed, they hadn’t encountered any demon beast exceeding Nascent Soul on the way here.
“Yu-shijie15 has the rare Innate Sword Bone and can fight above her level. Could she have a plan…”
Yu Zhaoming remained impassive and answered directly: “I can’t beat it. But I do have a plan.” She looked at them. “I need all of you to follow my orders when the time comes and be ready to crush your Transmission Talismans16 and leave.”
The Secret Realm had its own rules for entry and exit. Transmission Talismans were merely the last lifeline each sect gave its disciples—once crushed, the user was teleported out and could never return, wasting all remaining opportunities in this trip.
The disciples’ faces changed. For a moment, no one spoke.
Han Dan couldn’t help but speak up: “Eldest Senior Sister, if we crush our Transmission Talismans and leave, what about you?”
That was a clever thing to say. Yu Zhaoming hadn’t mentioned herself—presumably she had her own plans. Han Dan’s question drew the other disciples’ suspicious gazes toward her as well.
Tang Wenchun practically exploded with rage: “This guy is up to no good! He’s deliberately stirring up dissatisfaction among the other disciples while playing the good guy himself!! She shouldn’t have agreed to him earlier!”
“I’ll fight.” Yu Zhaoming glanced at Han Dan.
Han Dan smiled at Yu Zhaoming, his expression earnest. “We disciples of the Sword Sect share one heart. Though my abilities are lacking, I still want to help Eldest Senior Sister as much as I can.”
Tang Wenchun spat in disgust: “Hypocrite! The moment she says she’ll fight, he rallies everyone to join. This Han Dan definitely wants to fish in troubled waters and grab some benefits for himself.”
Understanding flashed in Yu Zhaoming’s eyes, and she spoke at greater length: “I see how it is. That bird demon is guarding a Ninth-Grade Soul-Condensing Herb17 in this area. I also cut off its feathers before, so it must hate me to the bone. I’ll draw its attention away while you seize the chance to harvest the Ninth-Grade Soul-Condensing Herb and crush your Transmission Talismans. That haul is enough to make this trip worthwhile.”
The disciples exchanged glances, unable to hide the gleam in their eyes. Han Dan’s hands trembled slightly.
Yu Zhaoming added, “Han-shidi18, you’re one of the few pill cultivators in the Sword Sect. Are you satisfied with this arrangement?”
At these words, Han Dan froze for a moment, suddenly feeling the other disciples’ gazes on his back like needle pricks. He managed a strained smile, then pulled several small porcelain bottles from his robes, offering them with both hands to Yu Zhaoming: “Eldest Senior Sister, I have nothing else of value—only these pills. Please be careful, Eldest Senior Sister.”
Yu Zhaoming didn’t stand on ceremony. She accepted them and said, “Thank you, shidi.”
Tang Wenchun burst out laughing, rolling on the ground: “Beautifully done! Got called out and now he’s feeling guilty, isn’t he?”
“Eldest Senior Sister, are you confident you’ll survive? That’s a Nascent Soul beast.” A female disciple nearby suddenly spoke up.
Tang Wenchun made an appreciative sound: “Out of all these people, she’s the only one who actually cares. This one’s reliable.”
Yu Zhaoming nodded, her expression softening somewhat—though even softened, her face still seemed cooler than most people’s. “I can’t promise anything else, but I’m fully confident in luring that bird demon away. Thank you, Bian-shimei19, for your concern.”
Bian Man’s face flushed crimson at once, and she said loudly: “Who’s worried about you!!”
Tang Wenchun shook her head: “What a tsundere. With that kind of mouth, her social standing is probably pretty bad.” She felt like she was watching a live-action cultivation novel. Since Yu Zhaoming wouldn’t think to enter the Sea of Consciousness anytime soon, Tang Wenchun actually found a moment of relaxation and started commentating.
Yu Zhaoming watched Bian Man quietly for a moment: “My shimei has poor social standing?”
“You!! My social standing is not bad!!” Bian Man stomped to the side and stopped talking.
Yu Zhaoming fell silent. She ran her hand along her sword, then said: “We rest for half a shichen20, then move out.”
The disciples exchanged glances and answered in unison.
One shichen later, the group gazed at the distant cliffs. They had originally spotted the Ninth-Grade Soul-Condensing Herb while sword-riding, only to somehow provoke the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird. Now they were still about a hundred li from the Scorching Fire Phoenix Bird, not daring to get any closer for fear the bird demon would sense their presence.
“I’ll take the lead.” Yu Zhaoming raised her hand, leaped up, and landed on her sword. She turned to face her shidi and shimei, hands behind her back. “You set out one shichen later.”
“Eldest Senior Sister…” Bian Man’s eyes reddened, and she couldn’t help but say, “May Eldest Senior Sister have a safe journey and return in victory.”
The other disciples said in unison: “May Eldest Senior Sister have a safe journey and return in victory!”
Yu Zhaoming nodded. She recited the sword incantation, and her sword soared into the sky.
In her Sea of Consciousness, the white fog churned, faithfully reflecting the outside world. The mountains and forests of the Desolate Heaven Secret Realm swept past beneath Tang Wenchun’s feet. Though she couldn’t feel the wind, the scenery still took her breath away.
Riding a sword like a flying immortal—this was a romance unique to Chinese people. Roaming free through mountains and waters, unfettered and at liberty—this was a feeling hidden deep in everyone’s heart.
“So… so beautiful… Wow! How can there be scenery this beautiful!!” Tang Wenchun remembered that Yu Zhaoming was flying off to fight a life-or-death battle with that demon beast, and couldn’t help but cheer her on: “Yu Zhaoming! You’re a woman destined to be the Sword Venerable! You’ve got this!”
But in the next instant, she suddenly sensed a surge of energy within the Sea of Consciousness. She didn’t know where this feeling came from, but having been killed twice before, she was instantly on alert.
The white fog surged, and Yu Zhaoming appeared in the Sea of Consciousness. She surveyed her considerably expanded Sea of Consciousness, walking with hands behind her back, her gaze sweeping across it.
Lush green grass, ancient pines with gnarled, intertwining branches, and in the distance, lotus pods standing gracefully in the pond—the scenery was superb. The only thing missing was a living soul.
Yu Zhaoming paused: “Where is she?”
Hidden in the depths of the pond, desperately holding her breath, Tang Wenchun: ?? Why come to the Sea of Consciousness at a time like this! Don’t tell me she’s here to kill her again? Does she have an addiction to slaying heart demons?!
The author has something to say:
Author: Tell me, why did you come in?
Yu Zhaoming: She said I’m going to be the Sword Venerable someday—she has me in her heart!
Tang Wenchun: Pah pah pah!!
Author (whispering): She also said you have an addiction to slaying heart demons.
Tang Wenchun: Pah pah pah pah!!
Please bookmark! Please bookmark! rolling on the floor
Footnotes
- A heart demon (xinmo) is a manifestation born from a cultivator's psyche that obstructs their path to immortality. Slaying it is necessary to prove one's Dao.
- A cultivation concept: proving one's Dao through slaying heart demons, thereby achieving immortality.
- The Sea of Consciousness (shihai) is a cultivator's inner mental space, which can manifest as a personalized landscape and grows as the cultivator advances.
- Internet slang for a special cheat ability or advantage granted to a protagonist, common in Chinese web novels.
- The Dantian is the energy center in a cultivator's body where spiritual energy is stored.
- A named sword technique that creates a silver cage of sword light interwoven with lightning. The full name means 'Divine Prison Piercing the Sky.'
- A rare innate constitution that makes one naturally gifted for sword cultivation.
- A rare innate constitution suggesting purity, clarity, and keen perceptiveness — 'ice and snow' for purity, 'exquisite' for clarity.
- Chinese internet slang for an idealized, unattainable love — someone pure and perfect but forever out of reach, like moonlight you can see but never touch.
- A Dao path based on severing all emotions to advance in cultivation. The cultivator slays heart demons without hesitation to progress.
- The highest sub-stage of the Crossing Tribulation stage, just below Unity with Dao and Ascension. Few cultivators ever reach this level.
- The stage of merging with the Dao, a prerequisite for ascending to immortality.
- A cultivator's spiritual foundation for their Dao practice. Breaking one's Dao heart can be fatal.
- A cultivator's biological age as measured by bone structure, used to determine eligibility for events like Secret Realm trials. It reflects true physical/cultivation age rather than chronological age.
- Shijie: a term of address for a senior female fellow disciple in the same sect. Suffix form attaches to names with a hyphen.
- A last-resort escape talisman provided by sects to disciples entering Secret Realms. Crushing it teleports the user out, but they cannot re-enter, forfeiting all remaining opportunities.
- A rare ninth-grade spirit herb valued for soul-related cultivation effects.
- Shidi: a term of address for a junior male fellow disciple in the same sect. Suffix form attaches to names with a hyphen.
- Shimei: a term of address for a junior female fellow disciple in the same sect. Suffix form attaches to names with a hyphen.
- A traditional Chinese time unit equal to approximately two hours, or one-twelfth of a day.
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