“You know of our Sacred Realm?” A trace of surprise flashed across the scholar’s face as he glanced at Wei Wuyi with unexpected curiosity.
“Though I know little of the ancient Demon Realm, I do know that you are sworn enemies of the ancient cultivators. In ancient times, you sought to dominate our human realm—that alone is enough,” Wei Wuyi replied coldly from within the green mist.
Upon hearing this, the Ghost Spirit Sect Master and Wang Tiangu’s expressions darkened instantly. Black light flickered around them as wisps of yin energy emerged, forming protective barriers. The two cautiously eyed the scholar, instinctively taking two steps back.
Though they had never heard of the ancient Demon Realm or the ancient demons, seeing Wei Wuyi treat the scholar as a formidable foe and recalling the scholar’s unshaken confidence, their wariness surged.
“What I am is of no concern to you three now,” the scholar said calmly, his tone measured. “But I propose a deal. If successful, it will allow your cultivation realms to soar—perhaps even reaching the Deity Transformation stage. Would you care to hear it?”
“Oh? Such a generous offer? Speak, then,” the Ghost Spirit Sect Master and Wang Tiangu exchanged glances before responding indifferently.
“It’s simple. You must have noticed the ancient demon corpse behind me. I need your help in breaking its seal. In return, I will use this body to open a rift to the Sacred Realm and borrow the True Demon Qi of a Sacred Ancestor to infuse you with demonic energy, forging supreme demonic bodies. You will then become members of our Sacred Realm. With your talents, once the infusion succeeds, your cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds—reaching the Deity Transformation stage will be within grasp. What do you say?” The scholar’s voice dripped with temptation.
“Break the seal… infuse demonic energy?” The Ghost Spirit Sect Master’s heart raced. The prospect of instantly boosting his cultivation, even reaching the Deity Transformation stage, was undeniably alluring.
His gaze shifted to Wang Tiangu, whose expression mirrored his own excitement.
“Have you both lost your minds? Do you truly believe you’ll remain yourselves after demonic infusion? You might lose your sanity and become mere puppets of the ancient demons!” Wei Wuyi, ever shrewd, saw through their thoughts and immediately warned them.
“Brother Wei, what do you mean?” Wang Tiangu felt as if cold water had been poured over his head, snapping him back to reality.
“What do I mean? You dare trust the words of an otherworldly demon? Though I don’t know the specifics of this ‘demonic infusion,’ forcibly elevating your cultivation with such tainted energy, regardless of your foundation—do you think there’ll be any good outcome?” Wei Wuyi’s voice was merciless from within the toxic mist.
With each word, the Ghost Spirit Sect Master and Wang Tiangu’s faces grew grimmer. By the end, their gazes toward the scholar had turned icy.
The scholar frowned, seemingly about to persuade them further, but then Wei Wuyi’s expression turned eerie.
A sharp shriek erupted from the rubble behind the scholar, and a slender black shadow shot out without warning, piercing through the scholar’s abdomen before circling back and hovering midair.
It was a bizarre black serpent with a needle-like head, crowned by a thumb-sized white horn as sharp as a blade. Its body was smooth and glossy, devoid of scales.
The scholar’s abdomen had burst open, leaving a gaping hole the size of a bowl. Since he was a spectral entity, no blood spilled—only the shattered remnants of a walnut-sized emerald core remained.
“You knew the location of my Soul Stone?” The scholar looked down at his abdomen, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
From the green mist, Wei Wuyi’s emotionless voice rang out: “I don’t practice ghostly arts, so I wouldn’t know of any ‘Soul Stone.’ But my Soul-Severing Serpent specializes in slaying specters. Destroying a mere ghostly manifestation is child’s play.”
The scholar gave a bitter smile before his body exploded into a swirling mass of gray-white mist.
The Ghost Spirit Sect Master and Wang Tiangu were taken aback but felt a wave of relief upon glancing at the massive demonic corpse nearby.
“Brother Wei, should we destroy this demonic body?” Wang Tiangu asked, unable to shake the oppressive feeling it evoked.
“If it could be destroyed, do you think the ancient cultivators wouldn’t have done so? Let’s leave it as it is and depart swiftly,” Wei Wuyi replied after a moment’s hesitation.
Wang Tiangu hesitated, but the Ghost Spirit Sect Master nodded in agreement. “Brother Wei is right. This place is too eerie. We should leave at once.”
With both in accord, Wang Tiangu made to take flight—but then a chillingly calm voice echoed behind them:
“Who said you could leave? Having trespassed upon the seal of this venerable one’s demonic body, did you think you’d walk away alive? Since you refuse the easy path, your lives shall remain here!”
The familiar voice sent shockwaves through the trio. They spun around to see the dispersed white yin qi not dissipating but instead coalescing anew.
In an instant, a gray, horned ghostly head took form, its eyes glaring malevolently at them.
The Ghost Spirit Sect Master reacted swiftly, hurling a black flying blade that sliced through the ghostly head—only for the two halves to merge back seamlessly.
The three gasped in horror. The Ghost Spirit Sect Master, in particular, felt a sinking dread. His sect specialized in ghost-slaying techniques, and his flying blade was refined for such purposes—yet it had no effect.
Wei Wuyi let out a sharp whistle, and the horned serpent shot forth again. Simultaneously, a ghastly green hand emerged from the mist, lunging at the ghostly head.
Wang Tiangu and the Ghost Spirit Sect Master joined the assault—one unleashing a wave of yin energy, the other spewing a golden skull that shrieked toward the foe.
Their combined attack was swift—but the ghostly head let out a piercing, unearthly screech.
In response, the sealed demonic corpse within the crystal pulsed with dark light. Its eyes snapped open, shooting two crimson beams that enveloped the ghostly head in a bloody shroud.
A thick, metallic stench filled the air.
Their attacks collided with the shroud—only to be silently absorbed, strengthening it further. Only the serpent and golden skull continued their assault unimpeded.
Before they could regroup, the demonic corpse underwent another shocking transformation. Its dark glow shifted to a bloody hue, and crimson threads seeped from its body, turning it into a blinding, luminous mass.
Meanwhile, within the bloody shroud, the horned ghostly head floated at the center, eyes shut. Beneath it, countless worm-like crimson filaments wove together, forming a humanoid shape.
Flesh and bone materialized in a grotesque display, layer by layer, until a fully formed body emerged—blood-red and horrifying.
Wang Tiangu’s eyes widened as he noticed the shrinking of the demonic corpse’s luminous form, connected to the emerging figure by the crimson beams.
“Body-Shedding Transformation!” he gasped, recalling a legendary demonic art. “This is the supreme demonic technique—Body-Shedding Transformation!”
He hurled two bronze talismans inscribed with black runes, severing the crimson beams.
Wei Wuyi and the Ghost Spirit Sect Master, startled by his cry, watched as the talismans cut the connection.
The horned demon—now nearly fully formed—opened its eyes, one black, one violet, and grinned with savage delight.
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