txolops Chapter 207 Ancient Demon Blood Flame! Fellow Daoist Lin, save me!
Chapter 207 Ancient Demon Blood Flame! Fellow Daoist Lin, save me!
As dawn broke, the divination panel in front of Lin Chuan refreshed precisely on time.
Today's divination result: Very auspicious.
[The divination reads: Today you will travel 600 li eastward, choosing a seemingly heavily fortified passage to enter the inner valley. By evening, you will successfully find an ancient site and reap a rich reward.]
"Great luck!"
A hint of joy flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes.
Danger lurks at every turn in the Fallen Demon Valley.
Having a "very auspicious" hexagram as guidance is undoubtedly the greatest guarantee.
Without further hesitation, he determined the direction and cautiously flew eastward.
A journey of six hundred li is usually just a moment's time for a Nascent Soul cultivator.
However, in the Demon Valley, which was riddled with restrictions and spatial rifts, it took Lin Chuan nearly an hour to finally find the passage indicated by the divination.
The passage is hidden between two cliffs, and the entrance is covered by a light gray membrane with flowing runes.
The restrictions have caused significant fluctuations.
Even Lin Chuan spent three hours barely managing to break through the layers of ancient restrictions.
After entering the passage, all that was ahead was a vast expanse of white mist.
When divine sense probed into it, it was greatly disturbed, and could only vaguely sense the area within a hundred feet.
"There's something strange about this fog."
With a thought, Lin Chuan unleashed his boundless divine sense, which spread like mercury across the ground, instantly covering an area of several hundred feet around him.
Under the precise perception of divine sense, the twisting and swaying phantoms in the mist had nowhere to hide—they were actually venomous snakes with emerald green bodies and fine, dense scales!
These venomous snakes lurked in the mist, their foul-smelling tongues flicking, waiting for their prey to walk right into their trap.
"die!"
Lin Chuan snorted coldly, not needing to summon the seventy-two Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords, as the sword energy alone was sufficient.
Several sharp, cyan sword energies pierced through the air, like hot knives cutting through butter, instantly slicing the dozen or so lurking venomous snakes into pieces. The foul-smelling snake blood splattered on the ground, corroding and creating hissing pits.
After slaying the venomous snake, Lin Chuan continued on his way. Soon, a black mountain covered in vines came into view.
On the mountainside, a cave entrance, sealed by a barrier, can be vaguely seen.
"This is it."
Lin Chuan stepped forward and began to focus on breaking the restrictions at the cave entrance.
With his mastery of formations and the strength of his spiritual sense, the restriction was broken in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Meanwhile, in another part of the inner valley of Fallen Demon Valley.
Han Li was walking side by side with two Nascent Soul cultivators.
One was the burly, bearded Marquis of Nanlong, and the other was Lu Weiying, an elder of the Tianji Sect dressed in white with an air of otherworldly wisdom.
The three of them had previously joined forces and, after much effort, managed to lure out and kill a level seven demonic beast called "Fire Toad Beast" that was guarding a treasure in a cave filled with churning lava.
Subsequently, they found the remains of an ancient cultivator who had long since passed away deep in the cave, and plundered several ancient treasures and a large number of spirit stones from them.
After dividing the spoils, Han Li took his share and, using the excuse that he needed to refine the treasure, parted ways with Marquis Nanlong and Lu Weiying, leaving alone.
Watching Han Li's departing figure, a shadow crossed the Marquis of Nanlong's eyes, and he lowered his voice to say to Lu Weiying:
"Fellow Daoist Lu, let that Han boy keep his things for a few more days. We don't need to tell him the secret of the 'Blood Curse Gate'."
Lu Weiying stroked his beard and nodded, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes as well:
"That's right, behind that door there's not only a longevity pill, but also an ancient treasure of immense power. We can kill him after we get our hands on it."
"Let's go, I hope everything goes well!" Marquis Nanlong took a deep breath. The two did not follow Han Li back, but instead sped off in another direction.
In the basin on the other side.
The Ghost Spirit Sect Masters Wang Tiansheng and Wang Tiangu, along with Wei Wuyai of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, were standing beneath an enormous altar.
Behind them followed several Core Formation disciples of the Ghost Spirit Sect, all looking tense and cautiously on guard against their surroundings.
The altar was constructed entirely of an unknown black boulder, towering into the clouds with its layers upon layers of steps that seemed to have no end.
Because they had encountered a powerful complex restriction ten miles away from the altar, they had to stop and do their best to break it, which took up most of the day.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that although this altar is magnificent, it has been abandoned for countless millennia.
Weeds grew in the gaps between the steps, and the edges of many steps were weathered and broken, appearing mottled and weathered.
"Let's go! Once we reach the top of the altar, we can find traces of the Spirit Garden and figure out a way to get in."
Wang Tiansheng stared at the top of the altar, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism:
"According to that remnant soul, the entrance to the Spirit Garden is right here on this altar!"
After saying that, he took a deep breath and stepped onto the first step.
However, after taking only a few steps, Wang Tiansheng's expression suddenly changed. He abruptly stopped and couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath: "Damn it!"
He turned around, his face grim, and said to the crowd behind him, "Everyone be careful! Besides the weathering, there are other restrictions remaining on these steps. It seems that climbing to the top of the altar will not be an easy task."
Gazing at the long staircase that seemed to lead to the sky, Wang Tiansheng gritted his teeth, his body radiating spiritual light, and continued his arduous climb.
Wei Wuyai and Wang Tiangu followed closely behind, their expressions solemn.
……
After a difficult climb and breaking through the barriers, Lin Chuan finally entered the cave deep within the black mountain.
The cave was dry and cool inside. In the center, a skeleton sat cross-legged, long since turned to ashes, leaving only a tattered robe.
Beside the skeletons sat a dusty, gray storage bag.
Lin Chuan stepped forward, picked up the storage bag, and scanned it with his divine sense.
"A good harvest."
The storage bag contained not only tens of thousands of spirit stones, but also several well-preserved ancient treasures and more than a dozen jade slips recording cultivation techniques and supernatural abilities. However, what attracted Lin Chuan's attention the most was one of the jade slips that exuded an ancient aura.
He pressed the jade slip to his forehead and probed it with his divine sense. After a moment, a look of shock flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes.
"The Primordial Jade Disc...a defensive, heaven-reaching spiritual treasure!"
This jade slip actually records the method for refining a heaven-reaching spiritual treasure called the "Primordial Jade Disc"!
This magical artifact is renowned for its defensive capabilities. Once activated, it forms an indestructible shield of primordial energy, capable of withstanding even the full-force attack of a Nascent Soul cultivator for a short time.
Lin Chuan checked the list of refining materials and found that he had already collected most of them in his storage bag!
The remaining species are rare, but they are not impossible to find if you look carefully.
"A celestial treasure... This deity has long wanted to study it personally. Young Lin, quickly show me the jade slip!"
Suddenly, the voice of the Great Evolution Divine Lord rang out from the bamboo tube behind Lin Chuan, filled with barely suppressed excitement. His obsession with crafting magical artifacts far surpassed his pursuit of cultivation.
Lin Chuan didn't waste any words and handed over the jade slip directly.
The Great Evolution Divine Lord's divine sense immediately immersed itself in it, and began to analyze the extremely complex refining runes.
Lin Chuan continued rummaging through his storage bag and pulled out another talisman, its color scorched yellow and its edges tattered.
This talisman looks extremely ancient, and the cinnabar runes on it are already somewhat blurred.
"This is……"
Lin Chuan infused a wisp of magical power into the talisman, activating it.
"Buzz—"
The talisman instantly ignited, transforming into a semi-transparent circular light shield that enveloped Lin Chuan.
Lin Chuan tried to impact the light barrier with his sword energy, but the barrier only rippled slightly and remained completely still.
"Such strong defense! With the power of this talisman, it's enough to withstand the fierce attack of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator for a moment."
Lin Chuan was satisfied and carefully put the talisman away.
This place is not safe to stay any longer. Now that we have obtained the method for refining the Primordial Jade Disc, it is time to return.
"Let's go, it's time to go back!"
Lin Chuan exited the cave along the original route and began to break out.
With caution, he used his sword energy to clear a path, avoiding several newly appeared spatial rifts, and soon returned to the entrance of the passage he had come from.
However, just as he was about to fly out of the inner valley, he ran into a group of panicked monks.
The group's cultivation levels varied, with most being at the Core Formation stage. They were all pale and fled in a sorry state, like stray dogs.
"What happened?" Lin Chuan stopped one of them and asked in a deep voice.
The Core Formation cultivator looked up and saw Lin Chuan, as if he had seen a lifeline. He stammered, "Senior Lin...it's terrible! There...there's a demon over there! He's devouring cultivators' Nascent Souls, it's terrifying!"
Before the words were finished, a piercing scream and a whooshing sound came from the distant horizon.
Two streaks of light appeared ahead, fleeing in disarray; one was a man, the other a woman, both at the Nascent Soul stage.
Behind them, a figure shrouded in dense black mist was hot on their heels!
The aura emanating from that black mist was cold and sinister, actually reaching the level of the late Nascent Soul stage!
"puff!"
Suddenly, a beam of dark light shot out from the black mist, instantly piercing through the protective aura behind the male cultivator in front and shattering his magic weapon.
The male cultivator screamed in agony as his physical body instantly disintegrated, leaving only a dim nascent soul that fled in panic.
However, the black mist was incredibly fast, catching up in an instant and swallowing the nascent soul whole like a giant maw!
"Hehehe... It tastes good."
A chilling laugh echoed from within the black mist.
Then, the black mist dissipated, revealing a pale and ferocious face—it was the pursuer!
At this moment, the last remaining female cultivator had already escaped to the vicinity of Lin Chuan.
She glanced back at the terrifying demon, then at Lin Chuan, who stood calmly before her, and a fierce will to survive instantly ignited in her eyes.
"Fellow Daoist Lin! Save me!"
This female cultivator was the Grand Elder of the Hidden Moon Sect. She had witnessed Lin Chuan's power during the great battle between Tiannan and Mulan and knew of his extraordinary abilities.
In this desperate situation, Lin Chuan was practically her only lifeline!
Lin Chuan didn't speak, but simply watched the black mist slowly dissipate.
His gaze, sharp as a torch, fell upon that familiar yet unfamiliar face.
That was indeed the face of the Marquis of Nanlong, but those eyes were no longer the murky and greedy ones of the Marquis of Nanlong; instead, they were filled with an ancient, bloodthirsty, and aloof indifference.
Lin Chuan understood that the soul within this body had long been replaced by the ancient demonic blood flame.
Only the main soul of such an ancient demon could unleash the terrifying combat power of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator instantly after possessing another's body.
"I remember you!"
At this moment, the black mist completely dissipated, revealing the face of the Marquis of Nanlong.
But at this moment, his face was completely bloodless, and a cruel smile played on his lips. He stared at Lin Chuan, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. "I found fragments about you in the memories left in this body... Lin Chuan from Huangfeng Valley, the junior who killed Master Zhong at the border."
"So, you're planning to turn around and run away?" Lin Chuan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mocking smile.
"Escape? Heh heh, what utter arrogance!" Ancient Demon Blood Flame, controlling Nanlong Hou's body, threw his head back and laughed, his laughter piercingly loud. "I'm in the midst of my enjoyment after devouring that Nascent Soul cultivator. Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, I'll devour your Nascent Soul as well, to replenish my demonic energy and nourish my body!"
Before the words were even finished, the ancient demonic blood flames stirred!
He didn't use any magic weapons, but instead directly concentrated his demonic energy in his palms. His figure blurred, leaving an afterimage in the spot. His true body instantly approached Lin Chuan, and a pitch-black palm that exuded a bloody aura went straight for Lin Chuan's heart, intending to engage in close combat with Lin Chuan!
"Want to get closer?"
A glint flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes. He would not back down in the face of such a demon. However, he did not meet the attack head-on. Instead, with a thought, the inconspicuous Shadow Cloak on his body trembled slightly, and his figure instantly became elusive, like a ghost.
The Ancient Demon Blood Flame's palm strike, which seemed determined to succeed, actually passed right through Lin Chuan's afterimage and missed its target!
Just as the ancient demon's old power was exhausted and its new power had not yet been generated, Lin Chuan appeared ten feet away, creating distance between them.
"If you want to fight, then let's try a different approach."
With a flick of his sleeve, Lin Chuan unleashed seventy-two Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords in a single file!
The swords rang out clearly and brightly, their golden light flashing, each flying sword radiating a chillingly sharp and powerful aura.
"The Great Geng Sword Formation!"
Lin Chuan let out a low shout, and the seventy-two flying swords instantly split into hundreds of extremely condensed golden sword lights, which rushed towards the Ancient Demon Blood Flame like a storm!
"These are... flying swords forged from ten-thousand-year-old Golden Thunder Bamboo? Seventy-two of them? All of them?!"
The ancient demon blood flame's previously disdainful expression froze instantly, replaced by incredulous shock and a hint of instinctive apprehension! The Golden Thunder Bamboo is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth, specifically designed to subdue demons, let alone seventy-two of them! Each bite is infused with Geng essence, making it incomparably sharp!
"How is this possible? How could a junior in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm possess such extravagant methods!" Ancient Demon Blood Flame was greatly alarmed. His initial underestimation of his opponent vanished instantly. He hurriedly activated his demonic energy to protect himself, his figure flashing repeatedly as he tried to dodge the sky full of sword nets.
However, the Great Geng Sword Formation was Lin Chuan's trump card, and it was not so easy to dodge. Hundreds of sword lights intertwined to form a net that blocked all of the ancient demon's escape routes.
For a moment, the sound of metal clashing was deafening. Although the Ancient Demon Blood Flame struggled to hold on with its powerful body and demonic energy, it was still defeated and in a sorry state in front of the extremely strong and yang Gengjing Flying Sword!
This scene not only left the Grand Elder of the Hidden Moon Sect, who was watching from afar, dumbfounded, but also the Supreme Elder of the Spirit Control Sect, Dongmen Tu, who had just arrived, and the several Nascent Soul cultivators behind him, all frozen in place, their eyes filled with shock.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
The ancient demon blood flame roared repeatedly. Although he was strong, he seemed helpless in the face of such a countered magic weapon.
After fighting for several more rounds, seeing the sword light tightening, he gritted his teeth and retreated rapidly, decisively choosing to escape!
"Trying to run?" Lin Chuan sneered, his sword array glowing even brighter as he prepared to give chase.
However, the Ancient Demon Blood Flame's target was not Lin Chuan, but the members of the Spirit Control Sect who had just arrived!
"Heh heh, since this kid's troublesome, I'll use you guys as my first taste of meat!"
Ancient Demon Blood Flame's figure flickered, instantly appearing in front of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator from the Spirit Control Sect.
Before the cultivator could even react, a beam of dark light pierced through his protective aura, and his physical body instantly disintegrated!
"No—!" Dongmen Tu's eyes widened in fury.
The next moment, the ancient demon blood flame opened its mouth wide, and a suction force came. Before the cultivator's nascent soul could even scream, it was swallowed into the ancient demon's belly!
With a "gulp" sound, accompanied by the sound of swallowing, the demonic energy on the body of the Ancient Demon Blood Flame surged. The body of the Southern Marquis, which was originally only slightly ferocious, began to undergo a terrifying transformation after devouring the new nascent soul!
With a few crisp "splatter" sounds, Nanlonghou's back was torn apart, and two ferocious arms covered with scales suddenly grew out!
Immediately afterwards, a second head was forcibly squeezed out from behind the original head!
In the blink of an eye, the "Marquis of Nanlong" in front of them completely transformed into a monster with two heads and four arms!
The head in front still vaguely resembled that of the Marquis of Nanlong, but its face was covered with purple scales, and a white bone horn several inches long had grown from its forehead.
The head behind it was smaller, completely resembling a demon, with a blue face and fangs. Its black lips opened and closed, revealing a long, blackish-red, purple tongue covered in barbs that darted out like a venomous snake.
The eyes of both heads had turned into narrow, vertical pupils, flashing with a cold, silvery-white light, icy and ruthless, devoid of any human emotion.
Not only the head, but also the body below the neck and the four long arms were densely covered with dark purple scales.
At the tips of all ten fingers grew sharp nails like bone spurs, gleaming with a cold, silvery-white light.
"Two heads and four arms...that's interesting."
Looking at the transformed monster, Lin Chuan's eyes showed no fear, but rather an even stronger fighting spirit. After devouring the Nascent Soul, the Ancient Demon Blood Flame's strength had clearly increased, its aura becoming even more sinister and violent.
"kill!"
Lin Chuan no longer hesitated, and activated the Great Geng Sword Formation at full power. Hundreds of golden sword lights surged towards the two-headed, four-armed monster like a tide.
The monster was not to be outdone, and with all four arms outstretched, its demonic energy soaring, it clashed fiercely with the sky full of sword light!
In an instant, golden light and demonic energy intertwined, and explosions rang out incessantly.
With the sharpness of the Great Geng Sword Formation and the aura of the Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder contained in the flying sword, Lin Chuan actually suppressed the Ancient Demon Blood Flame, forcing it to only parry and have no power to fight back!
Just as Lin Chuan was locked in fierce combat with the Ancient Demon Blood Flame, another earth-shattering battle was unfolding high in the sky a thousand miles away.
In the sky, large swirling patches of black and purple light shimmered and danced, obscuring half the sky like the aurora borealis and emanating a suffocating, overwhelming demonic aura. Beneath these lights, a vibrant green cloud, several acres in size, was slowly rising, its surface swirling gently against the backdrop of the black and purple light.
"Boom!"
Each time the green clouds and the strange light intertwined and collided, a deafening roar would erupt, causing even the ground below to tremble slightly.
Those roars, seemingly from the ancient wilderness, faintly emanated from the area shrouded in strange light.
The demonic energy emanating from this strange black and purple light, though originating from the same source as the ancient demonic blood flame, is...
However, the concentration and pressure were far greater than those of the "Nanlonghou" that Lin Chuan was currently fighting!