Volume Two, Chapter Twenty: The Art of Transformation

Yu Mu was completely baffled and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Meng, did I get the incantation wrong? Isn't this transformation meant to turn me into a pig?"

"Hahaha, you didn't get it wrong. This is indeed a spell to transform into a pig, but not quite in this fashion. I have no idea why it turned out this way. Hahaha… this is killing me!"

Seeing Yu Mu’s bewildered face, Meng Fang offered no further explanation. He simply transformed himself into a boar, sporting a pair of long tusks—while Yu Mu, in contrast, had become a plump, snow-white domestic pig. No wonder Meng Fang was laughing so hard.

Yu Mu could only force a bitter smile, powerless to change the result, especially since Meng Fang himself didn’t understand the reason behind it. Though this form wasn’t intimidating—if anything, it looked rather adorable—it still served its basic purpose.

Meng Fang finally stopped laughing and reminded him, "This transformation spell may not be powerful, but it’s an important skill for you to disguise yourself in the coming days. You’d better practice more, so you aren’t easily exposed."

"I understand, Brother Meng. Could you tell me now about the differences between humans and us, the demon cultivators, in the path of cultivation?"

As a former human, this was the question that truly weighed on his heart. He longed to become human again and return to his mother’s side.

"Oh, that question! I almost forgot to explain. To answer, we must start with the fundamental differences between humans and demons. Due to our divergent species, the process of attaining the Dao brings about certain changes—just as we possess the ability to transform forms."

"Can humans transform into demons like us?" Yu Mu recalled a figure from a myth—a three-eyed man who competed with a monkey in change-shifting magic.

Meng Fang was puzzled by the question but answered nonetheless, "Humans can also transform at this level, but they must learn transformation spells, just as you’re learning now. For us, taking on a human form is innate. However, very few humans bother to study such spells, because their cultivation talents already surpass ours. In fact, our natural gift for transforming into humans is proof of their superiority. Humans are better than us!"

"But those two girls just now were at a higher level than us. Why couldn’t they handle you? You simply ran, and wore out the two of them—even though they could fly."

"The reasons are many. First, I sensed they were both injured, appearing quite weak," Meng Fang replied, causing Yu Mu’s cheeks to flush with embarrassment.

"Second, their skills happen to be countered by us. Their true attack power lies in the spiritual realm, but unfortunately for them, they faced simple-minded fools like us. We’re susceptible to spiritual attacks, but it’s hard for such attacks to cause us serious harm. Take that girl who cast illusions—your mind and mine are so uncomplicated that even if we hallucinate, the visions aren’t complex enough to truly affect us."

Yu Mu realized this was indeed accurate. As troublesome and disorienting as the two girls’ attacks had been, the pain paled in comparison to a physical beating.

Meng Fang continued, "I once heard an elder skilled in mental arts say that the more complex and formidable one’s mind, the more susceptible they are to spiritual attacks."

Yu Mu could understand this as well. In some ways, the stronger a person’s resistance, the more severe the injury if that resistance is breached—like someone who never gets sick suffering terribly when illness finally strikes.

"Third," Meng Fang went on, "those two girls, though more advanced than I am, lack real combat experience. They only know how to pursue, never adapting or taking risks. Had they dared to close in and fight me hand-to-hand, just one of them could have defeated me. What’s more, that little one with the illusions didn’t go all out. Otherwise, you and I would have been riddled with holes by now."

At these words, the image of a pure, delicate girl flashed in Yu Mu’s mind—her beauty so radiant it could outshine the moon, her skin smooth and fair, soft and springy…

Bah! How could I entertain such indecent thoughts?

Unaware of Yu Mu’s wandering mind, Meng Fang glanced at his odd expression and continued, "The most crucial point is that our own strengths enabled us to escape unscathed. This is the fundamental difference between us and humans."

Yu Mu, realizing they had finally reached the heart of the matter, snapped out of his reverie and asked, "So what exactly sets us apart from humans?"

"The greatest difference between humans and us lies in innate talent. As I said, humans are more gifted in cultivating the Dao, while we excel in instinctive abilities. For example, the Gravity Stomp I used earlier is a kind of innate divine power. Such inborn abilities are possessed by almost all demons."

At this, Meng Fang cast a glance at Yu Mu before continuing, "Our physique is also stronger than that of humans. That’s why we managed to shake off those two troublesome girls—they simply couldn’t keep up. Yet, as the saying goes, every advantage comes with a drawback. Perhaps our natural gifts are too great, or perhaps we’re limited in other respects, but we lack the creativity of humans. A demon may take a thousand years to attain the Dao, ten thousand to ascend to immortality—such is our fate."

Yu Mu nodded in agreement. He knew this well. He had spent over three thousand years merely regaining his sentience, and whatever had allowed him to progress further was likely linked to that mysterious place. Beyond that, he had no clue how to continue his cultivation.

"Humans, being weaker physically, dedicate themselves to study and innovation, compensating for their shortcomings. The world’s most powerful Daoist arts were largely created by humans. Their understanding of the Dao is deeper than ours, and the further one travels on the path of cultivation, the more apparent their advantage becomes. In short, our strength lies in our innate gifts, but we lack what humans gain later in life. For humans, it’s just the opposite."

"Can we learn human Daoist arts?" Yu Mu couldn’t help but ask.

Meng Fang shook his head. "Most of them can’t be cultivated by us."

"Why not?"

"That brings us to the fundamental difference between humans and demons—the source of our Dao." As he spoke, Meng Fang opened his mouth and spat out a bead the color of yellow clay, about the size of a ping-pong ball, shrouded in a mist of spiritual energy.

"What’s this?" Yu Mu’s eyes widened with curiosity as he stared at the bead.

"That’s a demon core! It’s what we cultivate."

Upon hearing this, Yu Mu immediately began searching himself up and down. "Wait, how come I don’t have one?"

"Hahaha, of course you do! Unless you haven’t formed a core yet, but without a core, how could you have taken on a human shape?" Meng Fang examined Yu Mu. "You’re the first tree demon I’ve ever seen. For most beast demons, the core is in the heart; for humans, the inner core is in the abdomen. As for you, I’m not sure where your demon core is. You’ll have to look more carefully."