The mask was engraved with the face of a woman, her phoenix eyebrows and large eyes exuding solemnity and majesty, as if she were a celestial goddess or an empress of the mortal world, completely shielding her from prying eyes.
Her aura was noble and imposing. Just standing there, she evoked spontaneous reverence and worship, forbidding any thought of disrespect.
Even without seeing the face beneath the mask, the disciple of “Pili Sword Immortal” was completely captivated, eyes lowered, trembling with awe as he extended his hands to offer a small ancient tripod, his expression devout and enraptured.
“Very good,” a melodious female voice emerged from behind the mask. The disciple was so thrilled that his entire body trembled—she had praised him! She had acknowledged him!
The woman’s fingers were slender and pale, as if glowing faintly. As soon as she touched the Zhenyun Cauldron, an unexpected transformation occurred. A vast and boundless energy surged from within the ancient cauldron, piercing the sky and pressing upon the earth. In the darkness of night, it shone like a bright moon—so striking, so extraordinary.
The masked woman seemed unprepared for this change. Why had the cauldron remained stable in the hands of Pili Sword Immortal’s disciple, yet reacted strangely when she touched it?
She unleashed her aura, suppressing the “vast energy” and sealing it into a jade-green ring on her left hand. Then, glancing westward in contemplation, she moved forward like a ghostly shadow or a graceful immortal, vanishing swiftly into the ruins, leaving no trace.
The disciple of Pili Sword Immortal smiled faintly before collapsing slowly to the ground, his breath already gone.
…
The Hundred-Fathom Taoist seemed to transform into a whirlwind, his palms striking rapidly. So fast was he that Zhao Heng could only see afterimages, as if the entire sky was filled with palm shadows, indistinguishable between real and illusory, slightly suppressing the slow and heavy Corpse Demon.
“‘Qi Moving the Universe’ truly lives up to its reputation…” Zhao Heng silently praised. Even among those who had reached the threshold of the external realm, the Hundred-Fathom Taoist was quite formidable. Compared to the Corpse Demon and Fire Demon, whose power came from demonic energy, the Taoist surpassed them slightly in cultivation—indeed, the Three Sages of Salvation were no ordinary beings!
After finishing off the remaining zombies, Zhao Heng quickly rushed toward the Hundred-Fathom Taoist, hoping to expand their advantage and eliminate both demonic foes.
The mission prompt clearly stated that at least six demonic beings needed to perish and release their demonic energy in crystal form to destroy the demonic realm’s portal. If he couldn’t seize this opportunity to kill more demons and obtain more crystals, he might spend the next month running all over the place, even confronting the Extreme Heaven Sect directly!
As for the other side, he felt relatively at ease. With Jiang Zhiwei, Su Meng, Ruan Yushu, and Qi Zhengyan working together, as long as they remained vigilant, didn’t act recklessly, and weren’t cowardly, the four of them should be able to handle the Fire Demon and the Weapon Demon.
On this side, although the Hundred-Fathom Taoist was stronger than Jiang Zhiwei, it would likely take the combined strength of the Pili Sword Immortal and the Eight-Finger Divine Palm to match the “Wild Blade.” Without Zhao Heng’s assistance, if the Corpse Demon and Iron Demon sensed danger and were willing to pay the price, they might still escape.
Zhao Heng inhaled deeply, then swung his sword downward at the Iron Demon. His aura was grand and righteous, like the sovereign of ten thousand people, with dragon energy swirling around him. His intent struck first—before the sword even arrived, the Iron Demon’s soul was trembling and its demonic energy dispersing.
Seeing that help had arrived, the Hundred-Fathom Taoist summoned his strength, transforming into a whirlwind. His hands, feet, shoulders, and elbows all became weapons. Slap after slap, he clashed with the Corpse Demon’s claws, forcing the demon into a defensive stance.
Although the Corpse Demon couldn’t match the Hundred-Fathom Taoist’s speed, its strength was immense. Its body resembled rotting wood—when struck, it merely exuded pus, seemingly unaffected. The grayish-white corpse mist still lingered. In the long run, the Taoist would inevitably be affected.
Neither side unleashed their ultimate techniques, instead using regular attacks and defenses to create opportunities.
At that moment, a piercing scream tore through the heavens, echoing from afar.
“Fire Demon?” The Hundred-Fathom Taoist, Pili Sword Immortal, Eight-Finger Divine Palm, Corpse Demon, and Iron Demon all simultaneously identified the source of the scream. Their hearts were filled with shock and confusion—had the Fire Demon suffered a grave injury, standing on the brink of death?
Could the Fire Demon, who was slightly weaker than the Corpse Demon due to his inability to control zombies, really have let out such a cry?
Could they actually achieve such a result?
Was there truly an extraordinary expert from overseas?
Both sides snapped back to focus. The Corpse Demon’s body suddenly expanded. Its right palm, resembling an iron banana leaf fan, struck outward, its color shifting from pale to deep black, as if an endless abyss, devoid of even a trace of vitality.
One palm decided life and death!
Corpse energy surged backward, accompanied by the wails of evil spirits. Semi-transparent souls emerged, rushing toward the Hundred-Fathom Taoist.
The Fire Demon must be in grave danger—this place was no longer safe! As a demonic overlord who had long terrorized the world, the Corpse Demon made an immediate decision without hesitation.
Facing this terrifying attack, the Hundred-Fathom Taoist remained calm and composed. With his left hand forming a seal and his right hand moving like a breeze descending from the heavens, he struck out freely and unboundedly.
Suddenly, a violent wind arose, swirling around the Taoist’s body and right palm. The wind grew stronger, as if a hurricane were forming nearby. The ground’s soil was swept upward, and countless weeds were uprooted, swirling around the Taoist as he dispersed the evil spirits and struck the Corpse Demon’s right palm.
Boom!
The corpse energy scattered. The hurricane slightly tilted, blowing straight upward, scattering soil and sending grass flying, resembling a natural disaster.
The Corpse Demon took a step back, its body cracking, yellowish pus oozing from the wounds. The Taoist’s face darkened, blood slowly trickling from the corner of his mouth. Yet he did not stop—he locked onto the Corpse Demon’s aura and pursued relentlessly.
Suddenly, a vast and boundless energy surged into the sky, as if it could obscure the moon, disrupt the clouds, and change the landscape.
“The Zhenyun Cauldron?” The Hundred-Fathom Taoist felt a surge of joy, but immediately his heart sank, for the energy abruptly vanished, leaving no trace.
Distracted by the cauldron, the Taoist was seized upon by the Corpse Demon. Its left hand detached from its body and flew outward, exploding midair with a deafening boom, like a death-dealing talisman.
Black gas and corpse mist surged. The Taoist was forced to retreat several steps by the explosion. By the time he tried to pursue again, the Corpse Demon had already vanished.
The demon was highly skilled in short-range earth遁 (dun) techniques and concealment. Without Tong Yao’s spiritual artifact capable of detecting corpse energy, the demon might have already assassinated them. Now, using it to escape was like a fish returning to water.
As for the Iron Demon, it couldn’t flee as swiftly. It had intended to dash away during the explosion, but Zhao Heng had been watching it closely—more attentively even than the Zhenyun Cauldron. His sword techniques were grand and majestic, like the might of humanity itself, unstoppable and overwhelming.
Blocked, the Iron Demon naturally met a grim fate. With the Hundred-Fathom Taoist joining the fray, its death was sealed—caught between attacks, it didn’t even have time to self-destruct.
Its demonic corpse disintegrated, reverting to the demonic energy used in its infusion. The energy condensed into a dark, deep-black crystal.
“Senior Bai Zhang, did something happen to the Zhenyun Cauldron?” Zhao Heng asked while collecting the demonic crystal, his manner so natural and open that Tong Yao and Zu Wenzhong didn’t even consider stopping him, thinking it only right.
They gathered the remaining items from the Iron Demon’s body, including several sheets of paper.
The Hundred-Fathom Taoist nodded slightly before immediately turning and heading toward the source of the energy leakage in the ruins’ center.
…
The Fire Demon fell, its body bursting into flames. The flames contracted, condensing into two objects: one was a pitch-black demonic crystal, the other a slowly burning crimson flame, as if sculpted, exquisitely detailed and beautiful, yet brimming with terrifying heat.
“What is this?” Meng Qi extinguished the flames on his chest, bare-chested, pointing at the crimson flame.
“This is the Demon Flame Core,” said Ruan Yushu, who had just arrived after defeating the demonic army. She had come to assist, ensuring the two demons couldn’t escape. “Legends say that demons capable of communicating with heaven and earth will form an inner manifestation of their external realm within their bodies—the source of their supernatural powers. This is one such example: the Demon Flame Core.”
On the other side, the Weapon Demon, perhaps due to its body often transforming into weapons, only left behind a demonic crystal, nothing else.
As soon as Ruan Yushu finished speaking, a vast and boundless energy surged into the sky, overwhelming everything, darkening heaven and earth.
“The Zhenyun Cauldron?” Meng Qi blurted out, but the energy vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had never existed.
Was it a natural phenomenon, or had someone suppressed it?
Were there outsiders in the ruins?
The four exchanged glances before collecting the Demon Flame Core and demonic crystal and heading toward the ruins’ center.
As they ran, Meng Qi took out a Hundred Herbs Pill and swallowed it to heal his injuries and restore his energy.
When he realized he was facing the Fire Demon, he had, as a precaution, flung the items in his possession far away during a sword swing, retrieving them only afterward.
Ruan Yushu retrieved a set of male green robes from her Jiuzi Ring and tossed them to Meng Qi.
They had started running before the Hundred-Fathom Taoist but were farther away, so they arrived slightly later. Upon reaching the scene, they saw the others’ solemn expressions and the corpse on the ground, smiling peacefully, as if in a pleasant dream.
“A single strand of yin-soft energy pierced straight through the skull, completely shattering its interior…” the Pili Sword Immortal directly stated the cause of death, glancing at Meng Qi and the others to see if they recognized the deceased.
Meng Qi shook his head, indicating he didn’t know. “Was the Zhenyun Cauldron taken? Could another demon have sneaked in?”
“That’s impossible. All four directions were guarded. From the moment we rushed to assist, there wasn’t enough time for a demon to directly locate the Zhenyun Cauldron,” Zhao Heng refuted.
His implication was clear to Meng Qi: if not a demon, then someone else—could it be another Reincarnator?
“Perhaps there was already a demon in the ruins. After eliminating other areas, unwilling to confront us directly while outnumbered, it lay in wait, patiently hiding in the last unsearched area,” the Hundred-Fathom Taoist offered another possibility. “However, my intelligence was reliable—Iron Demon only invited three allies. Whoever took the Zhenyun Cauldron remains unknown…”
If it was a Reincarnator, then judging from his inaction, even if his strength was greater than theirs, it wouldn’t be by much, or he had other constraints… Meng Qi mused thoughtfully. “Are there any other clues?”
Tong Yao retrieved several sheets of paper from the Iron Demon’s body and examined them, slightly surprised. “The Three Treasures of Zhenyun—they actually discovered the whereabouts of all three!”
“Besides the Zhenyun Cauldron, what are the other two?” Zhao Heng asked.
Tong Yao replied, “The ‘Dingguo Seal’ is with Master Budian, and according to the intelligence gathered by Iron Demon, the ‘Huangyu Bell’ should be hidden in the ‘Wangxin Hut’ of Master Jiuzhen.”
“Have they found the location of Wangxin Hut?” the Hundred-Fathom Taoist said in astonishment.
Meng Qi and the others looked confused, not understanding their shock. As for Master Budian, they had only heard of him from Zhao Heng’s introduction—as one of the Three Sages of Salvation.
Tong Yao nodded affirmatively. “Wangxin Hut is located in the Yan Mountains, half a month’s journey from here.”
As she spoke, she showed the papers to the Hundred-Fathom Taoist and Zu Wenzhong.
“Who would have thought Wangxin Hut would reappear in the world…” Zu Wenzhong murmured with emotion.
Seeing Meng Qi’s expression, the Hundred-Fathom Taoist inhaled deeply and offered a brief explanation: “You may not know, but Jiuzhen Chan Master was a mythical figure.
“In ancient times, when the Demon Realm was directly connected to our world and demons often came to feed on human flesh, martial cultivation was flourishing, and experts emerged one after another, allowing humanity to barely survive. Later, Jiuzhen Chan Master obtained some unknown extraordinary fortune, comprehending supreme Chan cultivation techniques, and constructed the Wangxin Hut himself. His might rivaled that of an Arhat.
“Full of compassion, he entered the Demon Realm alone, unleashing the Nirvana Palm, shattering the Primordial Demon and forcing it back into slumber, while severing the Demon Realm’s passage, restoring peace and clarity to the world. Unfortunately, he also perished in the Demon Realm, and the Wangxin Hut vanished from the world. Who would have thought that demons, using intelligence passed from the Demon Realm, would eventually track it down after years of searching.”
He folded the paper and handed it to Meng Qi and the others. After the previous battle, he had acknowledged their sincerity and strength as allies.
“This matter is unknown even to the Extreme Heaven Demon and the other demons, but once the Corpse Demon returns, it will surely report upward. This old Taoist must act before them and retrieve the Huangyu Bell. Would you all be willing to assist?” the Hundred-Fathom Taoist asked with a respectful bow.
“When will the Extreme Heaven Demon and the other demons arrive?” Meng Qi and the others had only obtained three demonic crystals, still needing half more.
The Taoist hesitated before replying, “Yan Mountain lies in the opposite direction of the Extreme Heaven Sect. Allowing for time to travel and exchange information, the Extreme Heaven Demon should arrive in about ten days. Also, we must remain vigilant against whoever took the Zhenyun Cauldron earlier. Therefore, we cannot afford to delay.
“The other demons won’t arrive for at least a month, and may not come at all. If the Extreme Heaven Demon intervenes, what need would there be for them?”
In that case, time was insufficient… Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei exchanged slight frowns.
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