txolops Chapter 156 Dragon Swims into the Sea, God of Slaughter Emerges from the Abyss
Chapter 156 Dragon Swims into the Sea, God of Slaughter Emerges from the Abyss
The underground river flows slowly and silently.
The black rock walls on both sides are covered with mottled, dark green moss.
Gu Yan walked on the slippery pebble beach, and when his toes touched the ground, not a drop of mud or water splashed up.
This place is hundreds of feet deep above the ground, completely isolating the shouts of battle and the roar of magical artifacts from above.
The only sounds in the entire cave were his even breathing and the rushing sound of the undercurrent.
After Gu Yan had walked for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he discovered a stiff corpse lying at the bend in the stream ahead.
He stopped, glanced around, and made a judgment.
The deceased was a rogue cultivator, wearing a patched gray Taoist robe. He had a huge penetrating wound on his chest, with the edges of the wound showing signs of charring, clearly indicating that he had been killed instantly by some extremely powerful fire-based magic.
The corpse was half-submerged in the water, with half of its flesh eaten away by blind fish in the underground river, making it look extremely gruesome.
Gu Yan walked forward expressionlessly and used a folding fan to lift the clothes around the corpse's waist.
There hangs a perfectly intact meteorite token.
"You were killed in the secret realm, and even your points token wasn't taken. It seems that the person who killed you either encountered bigger trouble and fled in a hurry, or they simply didn't care about your meager points."
Gu Yan bent down and picked up the jade pendant covered in mud and sand between two fingers.
The back of the jade plaque is engraved with three distorted characters: Mo Lao Er.
The points column was marked with a glaring zero.
"The name is a bit tacky, but it suits me just fine."
Gu Yan straightened up, casually tossed the meteorite token with his name on it into the deepest part of his storage ring, and then hung the jade pendant engraved with Mo Lao Er on his waist.
He activated the Divine Demon Golden Core within his body, forcing out a drop of blood from his fingertip, which landed on the jade tablet.
At the same time, his divine sense transformed into two extremely fine threads, which, along the cracks in the rock strata above his head, established a profound and mysterious array resonance with the Yin-Yang Paper Sword Servant who had already penetrated the ground.
From this moment on, every enemy slain by the Yin-Yang Paper Sword Servant, and every bit of luck seized, will flow directly into Mo Lao Er's jade tablet through Gu Yan's body.
After doing all this, Gu Yan walked to a dry, flat-topped boulder by the dark river, sat down cross-legged, took out a set of purple clay teaware from his storage ring, and took out a few pieces of fine silver wire charcoal. He then slowly started a fire to boil water.
The spring water in the kettle gradually began to gurgle and boil.
Gu Yan picked up the teacup, gently blew away the floating leaves on the water, and closed his eyes.
His vision split in two, descending upon the killing field on the ground.
……
The middle layer of Meteorite Abyss, a blood-red Gobi Desert.
The strong wind whipped up rough sand and gravel, which hit the bronze surface with a pattering sound.
A massive war chariot, pulled by three fiery tigers, was rampaging across the Gobi Desert.
Five burly men stood on the chariot, all elite disciples of Wanshou Mountain.
The leader was named Xiong Ba. He was shirtless, and his muscles were covered with ferocious monster totems, exuding the aura of a Golden Core expert.
Behind the chariot, a dozen or so mutilated corpses were being dragged along by thick iron chains. Judging from their clothing, these corpses were disciples of a small sect.
"Hahaha, that's great! This so-called grand competition is a hunting ground tailor-made for our Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain!"
Xiong Ba gulped down the strong liquor, casually tossed the liquor bag on the ground, and wiped the liquor stains from his mouth.
He glanced down at the Meteorite Token at his waist; its points had already surpassed three thousand, placing him firmly in the top fifty.
"Senior Brother is awesome! At this rate, the top ten rewards are definitely ours for Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain. Those so-called righteous geniuses will be scared out of their wits when they encounter our beast horde charging in."
A disciple who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage was loudly flattering him.
Xiong Ba laughed triumphantly, preparing to give the order to continue searching for prey.
Suddenly, the three Crimson Tigers pulling the cart stopped at the same time, letting out uneasy growls, their limbs gripping the ground tightly, refusing to move forward even half a step no matter how much they were whipped.
"What happened?"
Xiong Ba frowned and suddenly looked up ahead.
Amidst the windswept Gobi Desert, a figure appeared out of nowhere.
It was a person wearing a pure white robe.
The person had no facial features; their face was a pale, smooth sheet of paper.
He exuded a sacred aura of compassion and mercy, like a savior descended from the heavens, completely out of place in the bloody and murderous Meteor Abyss.
"You charlatan! How dare you block the path to Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain! Run you over!"
Xiong Ba's eyes flashed with ferocity as he slapped the chariot's pivot.
The three-headed Crimson Tiger let out a deafening roar, its eyes turning red, and dragged its heavy bronze chariot like three burning volcanoes as it charged toward the white-robed man.
The white-robed, paper-sword-wielding attendant stood quietly in place, facing the earth-shaking charge without showing any intention of retreating.
Just when the chariot was less than ten feet away from him.
The white-robed paper swordsman slowly raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together, pointing towards the sky.
A pure white cloud suddenly appeared in the void in front of the chariot.
The clouds and mist swirled, from which came solemn and dignified chanting of Buddhist scriptures, as if performing a ritual to deliver all the souls of the dead from the mortal world.
"What kind of lousy fog is this? Disperse!"
With a roar, Xiong Ba produced a huge mountain-splitting axe and cleaved it fiercely at the white mist.
However, the axe cleaved into the white mist without encountering any resistance.
The white mist was like a completely non-existent phantom, directly piercing through the chariot's defensive formation, the Crimson Flame Tiger's fur, and even the protective aura of Xiong Ba and the others, enveloping them all.
One moment it's formless smoke and mist, the next it's a deadly blade.
The moment the white mist completely enveloped the chariot, the compassionate chanting within instantly transformed into a chilling, slicing sound.
Countless white paper scraps, even smaller than dust particles, transformed into millions of indestructible miniature sword energies under the impetus of the Flowing Cloud Myriad Transformations Sword Technique.
They burrowed into Xiong Ba and the others through their seven orifices and began a frenzied strangulation from the inside.
"ah."
The piercing screams echoed across the Gobi Desert, only to abruptly cease.
In just three breaths.
The white mist slowly dissipated.
There were no more arrogant disciples of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, nor were there any of the three ferocious Crimson Flame Tigers.
The bronze chariot remained intact, but on it lay only five crystal-clear skeletons, along with scattered storage bags and meteorite tokens.
Even that trace of flesh and blood was transformed into nothingness by this sacred sword energy.
The white-robed paper sword attendant lowered his right hand, rolled up his wide sleeves, and put all the meteorite tokens and storage bags into them.
Then, he blurred into a white streak of light and continued to rush towards the densest crowd.
……
Meanwhile, on the eastern side of Meteor Abyss, lies the Black Mud Swamp.
Foul-smelling black bubbles churned and burst on the surface of the swamp, releasing deadly poisonous gases.
A group of core disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect were carefully advancing in formation through this swamp.
Leading the group was Lin Ye, a true disciple of the Azure Dragon Sect, who was at the early stage of the Golden Core realm and held a top-tier magic weapon longsword that shimmered with azure light.
"Pay close attention, everyone. There are many high-level demonic beasts lurking beneath this swamp, so be careful! The fluctuations of the star fragment are just ahead. If we can get the fragment, our Azure Dragon Sect's ranking will rise another level."
Lin Ye transmitted his voice in a deep voice, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily.
Suddenly, the black mist deep in the swamp began to churn violently.
An extremely cold and sinister aura, filled with endless karma and resentment, surged in like a tide.
Lin Ye's heart tightened, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks. The long sword in his hand burst out with a dazzling blue light, protecting his body.
"Form an array. A powerful demonic cultivator is approaching!"
More than a dozen Azure Dragon Sect disciples quickly gathered, each unleashing their magical treasures, ready for battle.
The black mist ahead split open to both sides.
A faceless figure dressed in a long black robe floated slowly over, stepping on the void.
He possessed no holy aura whatsoever, only pure destruction and decay to the extreme.
When the poisonous swamp gas around him came into contact with his black robe, it seemed as if it had encountered a natural enemy, and it all retreated and dissipated.
"Which demonic sect are you from, sir? I am Lin Ye from the Azure Dragon Sect. We have always kept to ourselves, so please make way for me. My sect elders will certainly repay this favor with great courtesy in the future."
Lin Ye's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he lowered his posture to the extreme.
Even with the secret techniques he had learned from his master, he still couldn't see through the cultivation level of the man in black robes before him.
That sense of dread that came from the depths of his soul made him unable to muster even the slightest thought of resistance.
The black-robed paper sword attendant didn't speak, but simply raised his hand and gently pressed it down on the Azure Dragon Sect's formation.
"boom."
A pitch-black cloud exploded above the heads of the Azure Dragon Sect disciples.
The dark clouds descended, transforming into countless tiny black paper swords.
These paper swords are imbued with the extreme demonic energy of the right half of the Divine Demon Golden Core; once touched, they become like a bone-deep infection.
"My sword. My sword spirit has been corrupted."
One of the disciples screamed in terror.
Lin Ye was horrified to discover that the moment his top-grade magic weapon sword came into contact with the black mist, large patches of red rust appeared on its surface, and its spiritual energy was being lost at an alarming rate.
"Retreat. Retreat quickly."
Lin Ye's eyes were bloodshot as he shouted loudly.
Unfortunately, it was all too late.
The black storm of sword energy engulfed everyone.
The demonic energy entered their bodies, directly disintegrating their dantian (energy center).
Their flesh withered rapidly under the corrosive influence of demonic energy, turning into pools of foul-smelling black water that merged into the swamp.
Not even a complete skeleton was left.
The black-robed paper sword attendant stood silently above the swamp, like a cold-blooded grim reaper. After reaping lives, he waved his hand, and more than a dozen meteorite tokens flew into his sleeve.
He then disappeared back into the darkness, searching for his next prey.
……
On the outskirts of Meteorite Abyss, inside a hidden cave.
Nangong Yue sat cross-legged on the ground, her face still pale.
She had suffered serious internal injuries from withstanding the Blood Swordsman's attack.
Shen Youwei sat to the side with her eyes closed, resting, while Su Hongxiu held a whetstone and was somewhat irritably sharpening a long knife.
Gu Changsheng's death, while removing a burden from the team, also made the atmosphere extremely oppressive.
Nangong Yue opened her eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, took the Meteorite Token from her waist, and prepared to check the current situation.
As she probed the jade tablet with her divine sense, a ranking list radiating golden light appeared in her mind.
[First place, Guixu Sect, Zhou Tianqi, 15,000 points.]
[Second place: Cangxuan Sect, Li Qingge, 13,500 points.]
[Third place, Wan Shou Shan, Tuoba Ye, 12,400 points.]
……
The top ten names on the list are all renowned and unparalleled geniuses of Dongzhou.
Not only are they strong themselves, but they also have the backing of a major sect and countless fellow disciples under their command, so their points naturally increase.
Looking down, Nangong Yue saw that Liuyun Sect currently had 2,100 points, ranking 78th.
This result isn't particularly good, nor is it particularly bad, considering the competition has only just begun.
However, just as Nangong Yue was about to withdraw her divine sense.
The data on the leaderboard suddenly started to fluctuate wildly.
An extremely unfamiliar name, carrying a string of points that made one's scalp crawl, was climbing wildly upwards like a rocket, with an unreasonable and domineering attitude.
[Ranked 500th.]
[Rogue cultivator, Mo Lao Er, 3000 points.]
……
[Ranked 100th.]
[Rogue cultivator, Mo Lao Er, 6500 points.]
……
[Fiftyth place.]
[Rogue cultivator, Mo Lao Er, 8900 points.]
Nangong Yue suddenly stood up, her eyes filled with shock.
Even because her movements were so large that they aggravated her wound, she couldn't help but gasp.
"What's wrong?"
Su Hongxiu put down the whetstone and asked with a frown.
Nangong Yue didn't speak, but simply projected the rankings of the Meteorite Tokens into mid-air.
Shen Youwei and Su Hongxiu looked at the same time, and then their pupils suddenly contracted.
The name Mo Lao Er is still alive.
In just half an hour, this name was like a tireless harvesting machine, constantly devouring other people's points.
In the end, they pressed their advantage and reached a point that no one present could believe.
[10th place, rogue cultivator, Mo Lao Er, 11,600 points.]
"What's going on? Where did this monster, Mo Lao Er, come from?"
Su Hongxiu's voice was hoarse and filled with panic.
11,600 points.
This would require killing countless cultivators and seizing countless star fragments within these few short hours.
Moreover, this person was acting alone under the guise of a rogue cultivator, which means that he earned all these points by himself.
Shen Youwei stared at that name, her expression extremely serious.
"There's probably an extremely terrifying being lurking in this Meteor Abyss. The speed at which they kill is something even Li Qingge and Zhou Tianqi can't match. We must be even more careful; if we encounter this person, we absolutely cannot fight them head-on."
It's not just the Flowing Cloud Sect.
At this moment, the geniuses of the various sects within the Meteor Abyss, and even the elders of the various sects outside who were responsible for monitoring the progress of the competition, were all shocked by Mo Lao Er's sudden entry into the top ten.
In the Cangxuan Sect's camp, Zhou Tianqi looked at the waist token with a furrowed brow.
Among the Guixu Sect's ranks, several elders looked at each other in bewilderment.
Everyone was frantically trying to find out who this Mo Lao Er was, what he looked like, and what kind of martial arts he used.
But they were destined not to find the answer.
Because the person who truly orchestrated this massacre is now sitting leisurely by an underground river, sipping tea.
……
Inside an underground cave.
Gu Yan looked at the Meteorite Token belonging to Mo Lao Er at his waist, which was flashing with 11,600 points, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
"That's about it."
Gu Yan put down his teacup and, through his divine sense, gave the order to the two paper sword servants who were frantically killing each other on the ground to stop hunting.
He knew the principle that a tree that stands out in the forest will be felled by the wind.
Tenth place, that's a perfect ranking.
This way, one can reliably secure the Nascent Soul Pill and top-grade spiritual treasure rewards from the top ten, without becoming the target of a joint attack by all the super sects, unlike the first-place winner.
Moreover, his target was that fragment of the Taixu Demon-Suppressing Tower.
As long as you stay in the top ten, by the last day of the competition, when all the top talents vying for first place have revealed their trump cards and fought to the bitter end, you'll be able to win.
This Mo Lao Er, hiding in the shadows, is able to act like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, reaping the benefits without lifting a finger.
Gu Yan's fingers tapped lightly on the stone surface.
The white-robed and black-robed paper sword servants on the ground stopped moving, transformed into two thin pieces of paper, and stuck to a hidden crevice in the rock, temporarily concealing all their aura and entering a dormant state.
Only the Blood Swordsman was left outside to compete for points in order to maintain his tenth place position.
Gu Yan picked up the golden-brown blind fish roasted by the fire again, tore off a piece of tender fish meat, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.
"The fish in this cave taste quite good. It's just a pity that those so-called prodigies above are ultimately just bait on this chessboard, used to pave the way for me to find fragments."
Gu Yan laughed and muttered to himself, his eyes reflecting the flickering firelight.