Seeing the old man's grave expression, Mu Can couldn't help but panic.
"Purple Cloud sister, what is this Demon Heart Mark?"
But no matter how Mu Can called out to Purple Cloud in his mind, he got no response.
It was as if Purple Cloud had disappeared after retreating back into the Reincarnation Pearl.
The chubby one looked at the Ghost Face mark on the back of Mu Can's neck anxiously and asked hurriedly.
"Master, what is the Demon Heart Seal?"
Bing'er also pricked up her ears and watched the elder anxiously.
"The Demon Heart Seal is a unique mark of the Demon World. It requires the sacrifice of a part of one's soul to leave a mark on someone. A person marked with the Demon Heart Seal can be sensed by the entity from the Demon World no matter where they are."
The elder carefully observed the mark on Mu Can and explained.
"Then, are there any side effects?" Mu Can touched it but felt nothing.
"Every month, there will be a Heart Demon Rebound. However, this Demon Heart Seal is not without a solution."
The old man's brows were tightly furrowed, indicating that the situation was not as simple as it seemed.
"The pain of Heart Demon Rebound is akin to having one's flesh slowly sliced with a blunt knife, but if you can endure it, your resolve will become incredibly steadfast. To solve it, a strong inner spirit is the best way."
After considering, the elder patted Mu Can's shoulder meaningfully.
The implication was clear; if you could withstand it on your own, consider it a form of tempering.
"By the way, Can'er, what exactly happened here?" The elder looked around at the devastation everywhere; the recent battle nearly overturned the entire Mu residence.
Not to mention the representatives of the various families below who had lost their ability to fight after taking Mu Can's medicine.
"My second uncle was possessed by the Demon Clan and wanted to kill me. The elixir you gave me failed, so he set up this whole scheme. But in the end, I killed him."
Mu Can couldn't fully explain everything that had happened, so he briefly described the situation to his master.
"Then what about your cultivation?" While inspecting Mu Can, the elder discovered that Mu Can's cultivation had actually been restored.
"A fortunate encounter, Master, where I consumed a strange fruit, after which my cultivation was restored, and my ability to cultivate returned to normal."
Mu Can thought for a moment and did not mention the Reincarnation Pearl; Purple Cloud had long cautioned him that, even to the closest people, the matter of the Reincarnation Pearl must not be divulged.
It was not a matter of distrust, but in the face of great temptation, Purple Cloud could not guarantee that everyone would keep the secret.
Even with Purple Cloud present, currently only a remnant soul, she couldn't protect Mu Can from top experts in the Human Realm.
The Human Realm was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and in a certain sense, it could be considered forbidden territory for the Heavenly Realm.
"That's good. Let's return to the academy now that it's all settled here."
The elder could sense that Mu Can was hiding something, but he didn't mind. Mu Can had entered the academy at the age of ten and had always been by his side.
The elder had a lot of confidence in his disciple.
"Yes, naturally, I also wish to continue cultivating by Master's side. By the way, Master, why have junior brother and sister come along, yet I haven't seen elder brother?"
Mu Can hesitated before raising the question. Both Hu Dingyi and Bing'er had come with the master, but his eldest senior brother, who used to take care of him the most, was conspicuously absent.
Upon Mu Can's question, a rare expression of pain crossed the elder's face, which was highly unusual for someone of his cultivation who could become the vice dean of an academy.
"What's wrong? Has something happened to senior brother?" Mu Can saw the expression on his master's face and knew that things might not be as simple.
Given how senior brother has taken care of me, I know he would be the first to rush here should I run into trouble.
But now he's nowhere to be found, so there's only one explanation—senior brother has encountered a problem.
Upon hearing about senior brother, the fat disciple's eyes, which had just cleared of mist, began to gather fog once again.
"After you left due to the incident, senior brother had a conflict with Donghuang and others. He was defeated in a duel and left the academy saying he was going to the Demon Cave to cultivate. It's been three years since he returned."
As he talked, the tears began to flow from the fat disciple's eyes once more.
The Demon Cave, known as one of the top ten forbidden places, is called the lesser Demon World of the Human Realm. It's a convergence point for demons where cultivators who enter are faced with endless battles.
Throughout the history of cultivators, only a handful of people have successfully entered and then left the Demon Cave.
And most of these individuals have ascended to the Immortal World.
Upon hearing Donghuang's name, Mu Can clenched his teeth tightly, this name has always been the motivation behind his three years of cultivation.
The nemesis, a life-and-death adversary.
"It's Donghuang again. If something has happened to senior brother, I swear I will annihilate your entire clan."
A surge of brutal energy emanated from Mu Can, and it seemed as though the temperature around him dropped.
"Mu Can, Ghost Face is smiling, the Ghost Face on your back is moving," the little fatty pointed at the mark on Mu Can's body and spoke.
The Ghost Face on Mu Can's neck actually made the same expressions as a human. The already terrifying demon mark twisted into a smile, as if it was laughing.
"Steady your mind, do not be shaken by the Demonic Qi, and make sure not to have too great of emotional fluctuations. This Demon General Level Heart Demon Seal will always be inciting your inner Heart Demon."
Seeing this situation, the elder immediately grabbed Mu Can's hand, slowly calming the energy within Mu Can that was being stirred to rage by the Heart Demon.
After a moment, Mu Can returned to calm, and the Heart Demon Seal on his neck returned to normal.
"Do not let the Demon Heart Mark trigger your Heart Demon; that is the most dangerous aspect of the Demon Heart Mark. As for your senior brother, I believe he will be fine."
Seeing Mu Can regain his calm, the elder spoke softly.
Mu Can was his most favored disciple, while the senior brother Mu Can spoke of was his most promising one.
"Master, after going back, I must visit the Demon Cave. No matter what, this matter started because of me. Even if it's hell, I will bring senior brother back. As for Donghuang, I already suspect his involvement in my fall into the Fallen Eagle Gorge. Should it be confirmed, I will directly challenge him."
Mu Can said staunchly; everything that had begun was because of him, this Donghuang had already been a thorn in Mu Can's heart for three years.
Just like a thorn, Mu Can's painful cultivation every day was for the day when he could return for vengeance.
"Don't worry. Although I may not be the strongest, let the younger generation handle their own affairs. If anyone dares to interfere, I won't just stand by. That Donghuang, relying on his noble heritage to stir trouble in the academy, has long been a thorn in my eye. If he dares to scheme against my two disciples again, had it not been for the dean intervening last time, I wouldn't have let him continue to wreak havoc in the academy."
Mentioning Donghuang, the elder also had his own grievances, taking advantage of his status as a prince to create cliques within the academy.
After his eldest disciple's defeat and departure for the Demon Cave last time, the elder had confronted Donghuang, yet indeed was stopped by the dean.
However, this time, Mu Can was determined to trouble Donghuang again, and he believed no one would come out to stop him.
The only question was, could Mu Can defeat Donghuang?
PS: First chapter today, two more chapters to follow later - rest assured to collect, roll, and recommend.