The Rise of the Sect: I am the most persistent person in the world of immortal cultivation

The wild and untamed land is dotted with thousands of dark peaks and deep ravines.

Here, vast stretches of primeval forest block out the sun, and the intertwined branches and leaves make it difficult for even sunlight to penetrate, leaving only dappled light and shadow.

The air should have been filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs and abundant spiritual energy.

This place was shrouded in an eerie, deathly silence.

"Dao Ancestor! Dao Ancestor, something terrible has happened!"

Ye Yang's figure tore through the void, his sword energy not yet fully concealed.

The moment the sound landed, it had already traversed thousands of miles and hovered steadily above this desolate stronghold.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping downwards, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Even Ye Yang, who was used to life-and-death battles, was shocked by the scene before him.

Looking up, the entire vast, untamed forest was enveloped in a thick layer of dark purple smoke.

The smoke was no ordinary miasma; it was slowly writhing and churning like a living thing.

Sometimes it coalesces into a ferocious beast shape, and sometimes it disperses into fine wisps of mist.

At the same time, a nauseating stench mixed with the smell of decay assaulted the senses, penetrating the nostrils and seemingly piercing the very soul.

Within the stronghold.

The once well-planned and spiritually rich spiritual fields were suddenly rendered lifeless and desolate.

The fields of rice drooped with withered, yellow ears of rice, the stalks black and brittle, breaking at the slightest touch, as if scorched by a raging fire, completely devoid of vitality.

In addition, there are large quantities of ancient ginseng, purple ganoderma, and dragon's beard grass, all withered and rotting in patches, attracting countless flying insects to buzz and hover above them.

On the ridge at the edge of the sacred field.

More than a dozen cultivators' corpses lay sprawled on the ground, their postures contorted.

Their bodies were shriveled like dead wood, and their skin had an unnatural bluish-black color, as if all the blood and essence in their bodies had been drained.

Some of them remained in the posture of running and fleeing, their pupils frozen in extreme terror and despair.

There was still blood on the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had died in extreme fear.

What alarmed Ye Yang even more was that countless slender black creatures were writhing wildly within the dark purple smoke.

They are about the thickness of a finger, jet black, covered with a layer of fine scales, and reveal fine fangs when their mouths open and close.

These leeches were densely packed, covering the sky and covering the earth, and there were countless of them.

Like a black tide, it reappeared and ceaselessly shuttled between the spirit fields and the stronghold, frantically absorbing the remaining spiritual energy in the spirit fields.

With each inhalation, the body swells, and the scales on its surface become increasingly shiny.

"...Such a massive swarm of leeches!"

Shortly after Ye Yang landed, Zhao Yan, an elder of the Flying Heaven Sect, also staggered and stopped, just like Ye Yang.

He stared ahead, his voice trembling, his face ashen.

He was the elder deacon specially dispatched by the Flying Heaven Sect for this development of the wilderness.

He clearly remembered that when he went to find Ye Daozu, the situation wasn't this serious.

Only a few hours have passed, and the number of these demonic leeches has already increased further.

The entire interior of the wild and desolate region has been transformed into a scene resembling purgatory.

"This is definitely not something that formed naturally!"

Zhao Yan gritted his teeth and forced down his fear.

"Dao Ancestor, these demonic leeches are naturally solitary. Unless they are driven by special means, they would never gather in such a large scale. Someone must have arranged this in secret!"

"It seems that someone has objections to our Flying Heaven Sect's expansion into the wilderness."

Ye Yang snorted coldly and looked ahead.

Under his soaring murderous aura, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

His gaze swept across this world, then settled on the stone house shrouded in dark purple smoke at the core of the stronghold.

At this moment, the protective array outside the stone house was still in operation, while the pale golden light shield was covered with cracks.

The light was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, and it could collapse at any moment.

Through the gaps in the light shield, one could vaguely see several thin figures inside, desperately pouring in spiritual energy to maintain the operation of the magic array, their faces filled with despair and fear.

"go with!"

Ye Yang let out a low shout, not loud, but it carried the force of thunder, making the surrounding air buzz.

Before he finished speaking, the sword and saber energy around him suddenly erupted.

Countless cyan sword energies and black saber energies surged forth like a tidal wave, coalescing behind him into a gigantic cyan dragon phantom hundreds of feet long.

The azure dragon's scales were clearly visible, its whiskers fluttered, its eyes flashed like lightning, and its body was surrounded by pure spiritual energy.

The dark purple malevolent aura below formed a stark contrast.

"Roar!"

The illusory image of the Azure Dragon looked up and roared to the sky. The dragon's roar shook the heavens and the sound waves spread outwards as if they were real.

The demonic leeches that were frantically absorbing spiritual energy were affected by the dragon's roar, and they all let out sharp hisses and their bodies convulsed violently.

Many weaker leeches were directly blasted to death by the shock, turning into pools of black fluid.

Ye Yang's eyes were icy cold as he struck out with his palm.

Upon receiving the command, the majestic azure dragon phantom behind him instantly swooped down, its dragon claws, formed from a combination of swords and blades, tearing through the void and drawing mysterious trajectories above the stronghold.

Immediately afterwards, countless cyan sword energies poured down like raindrops, condensing into a huge cyan light shield around the stronghold.

Above the light shield, countless ancient runes flowed endlessly, radiating a vast and mighty pressure that enveloped the entire stronghold and the surrounding ten-mile area.

The dark purple smoke that was spreading outwards was bounced back the moment it hit the light shield, as if it had hit an impenetrable wall, and could not advance any further.

Moreover, the light shields were slowly contracting inward, firmly compressing all the malevolent energy and demonic energy within the stronghold's area, cutting off any possibility of their spread.

"His! His! His!"

Countless demonic leeches sensed the deadly threat of the sword energy and went berserk. They abandoned the possibility of absorbing spiritual energy and frantically crashed into the light barrier, trying to break through.

But each impact would stir up a large amount of cyan sword energy.

The powerful energy contained within those swords and blades is the nemesis of these evil and demonic creatures.

Countless demonic leeches were instantly incinerated in the flames, turning into wisps of black smoke, emitting mournful screams, and dissipating into the air.

"Elder Zhao, take men inside and rescue them first!"

Ye Yang gave a cold order, and as he spoke, he quickly formed hand seals. The illusory image of the Azure Dragon roared again, and countless azure sword energies intertwined into a huge sword net above the stronghold.

The sword nets slowly pressed down, each sword aura precisely locking onto a demonic leech without the slightest deviation.

With a flash of sword light, swarms of demonic leeches were cleaved in two, black fluids splattering everywhere, and the stench growing stronger.

They actually managed to carve out a passage through the swarm of demonic leeches, leading directly to the core stone house.

"Yes!"

Zhao Yan dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately composed himself, and with a flash, he transformed into a streak of light and rushed towards the core of the stronghold.

In just a few breaths, Zhao Yan rushed outside the stone house.

"Are the people inside still alive? I am Zhao Yan!"

A weak but ecstatic response came from inside the stone house.

"Elder Zhao... Elder Zhao! We're still alive! Quickly... quickly get us out of here!"

It was the voice of a young man, hoarse.

Zhao Yan took a deep breath, and the magic sword in his hand shone brightly. He poured all his spiritual energy into the sword and struck the core node of the magic array with precision.

"Crack!"

The magic circle flashed a few times before shattering with a deafening roar.

Then the door of the stone house was pushed open by the people inside, and more than a dozen cultivators staggered out.

Their faces were as pale as paper, their lips were purple, and they were trembling uncontrollably. Clearly, they had been infected by malevolent energy and suffered serious injuries.

Some of them were so weak that they could not stand and had to support each other to keep their balance.

The leader was a young man in his twenties, whose blue clothes were already tattered and covered with blood and mud.

He had a deep, bone-revealing wound on his chest, and blood was still seeping out, instantly staining his clothes red.

He was Li Zheng, an inner disciple of the Flying Heaven Sect.

Li Zheng looked up and saw Ye Yang floating in mid-air, and his eyes instantly reddened.

Unable to hold on any longer, she collapsed to her knees with a thud, her voice choked with sobs.

"Elder! Your disciple is incompetent! I failed to defend the stronghold! So many disciples have died! Please punish me, Elder!"

The cultivators behind him also knelt down, some sobbing softly, others gritting their teeth, their eyes filled with grief and resentment.

“Dao Ancestor, those demonic leeches emerged from the ground! Without any warning!” A young cultivator raised his tear-streaked face and said in a trembling voice.

"They first attacked the spirit spring, polluting all the water into a dark purple murky liquid, and then they frantically sucked up the spiritual energy from the spirit field!"

"Senior Brother Zhang was the first to rush forward to protect the thousand-year-old purple fungus in the spirit field, but... he was entangled by a swarm of demonic leeches, and in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his life essence was drained, and he turned into a dried-up corpse..."

At this point, the other monk could no longer contain his grief and covered his face, bursting into tears.

Ye Yang looked at the disheveled cultivators before him, and then at the corpses lying haphazardly at the edge of the spirit field, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes.

These people are all part of the future of the Flying Heaven Sect.

But who could have imagined that the pioneering journey in this wild and untamed region had only just begun?

Some of them remained on this land forever.

"Get up."

"This is not your fault. These demonic leeches are strange and cunning. It seems that they were left behind as a hidden weapon after the demons retreated. No one could guard against them. It's not your fault!"

Apart from the currently discovered Netherworld Purple Ganoderma, these leeches are difficult to eradicate effectively.

Once these insects discover a place where a large amount of spiritual energy is gathered, they will swarm there and absorb all the spiritual energy.

While absorbing spiritual energy, they release a large amount of malevolent and demonic energy, polluting the surrounding environment and making it impossible for cultivators to cultivate there.

Even more terrifying is that these demonic leeches reproduce extremely quickly. As long as there is a sufficient supply of spiritual energy, a single demonic leech can split into hundreds within just a few days.

If they are not eliminated in time, it won't be long before all the strongholds in the entire wilderness are destroyed by them.

"Senior brother is right."

Just then, a voice came from the sky above China.

Everyone looked up and saw Yan Qingying's figure rushing towards them from afar, as fast as lightning, and instantly landing beside Ye Yang.

“I just carefully examined the ley lines around the stronghold and found that there is a strong residual demonic aura deep within them.”

Yan Qingying bowed respectfully, then spoke in a deep voice.

"Someone has set up a hidden magic array underground, specifically to attract demonic leeches. Moreover, the location of this magic array is extremely tricky, right below the spiritual spring at the stronghold, and connected to the spiritual energy node of the spring."

"Once the magic array is activated, it will emit a special aura that attracts leeches from the surrounding area. At the same time, the magic array will also guide the leeches to attack the spirit spring first, polluting the source of the spirit vein."

"With the spirit spring destroyed and the spirit fields deprived of their spiritual energy supply, they naturally became prey for the demonic leeches."

Yan Qingying added, her tone tinged with anger.

"The other party's calculations were absolutely flawless."

Ye Yang frowned, his eyes growing colder: "Can you find the traces of the person who set up the formation?"

Yan Qingying shook her head, a hint of helplessness on her face.

"The opponent was extremely cautious. After setting up the formation, they immediately withdrew, leaving only a faint trace of aura in the magic array, which has now almost completely dissipated."

"However, judging from the method of arrangement, he is at least a master of formations, and it is impossible to tell whether he is a human cultivator or a demon."

"Let's ignore him for now."

Ye Yang took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart.

"The most urgent task is to eliminate these leeches and restore order to the stronghold, not to track down the person in the shadows."

He looked at Yan Qingying and gave her a deep order.

"Qingying, immediately go underground to stabilize the earth's veins and completely destroy that demonic array. We must not leave any hidden dangers. I will deal with these demonic leeches."

"Yes, senior brother."

Yan Qingying responded, and with a flash, she transformed into a streak of light, disappearing directly underground.

Ye Yang then turned to look at Zhao Yan.

"Elder Zhao, go to the stronghold warehouse immediately and retrieve all the Netherworld Purple Mushrooms, the more the better."

Zhao Yan was taken aback, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes: "Netherworld Purple Mushroom? The Dao Ancestor intends to... use the Netherworld Purple Mushroom to purify the evil energy?"

The Netherworld Purple Ganoderma grows in extremely yin places and is extremely rare. Each one is priceless and is one of the treasures of the Flying Heaven Sect.

"good."

"The Netherworld Purple Ganoderma is naturally able to absorb evil energy and demonic energy, and has an extremely strong purification ability. Although it cannot directly kill the demonic leeches, it can purify the pollutants they release and destroy their living environment. As long as the environment is purified first, these demonic leeches will become rootless, and it will be much easier to eliminate them later."

Zhao Yan suddenly realized and quickly bowed in response.

"Yes, disciple will go and fetch it right away!" After saying that, he turned around and left quickly, not daring to delay for the slightest.

Ye Yang then turned his attention back to the demonic leeches.

He formed hand seals, and the azure sword energy around him surged once more. The azure dragon phantom let out a deafening roar, and countless sword energies poured down like a storm.

They killed the leeches that tried to approach the stone house in batches.

As the sword flashed, the black leech corpses piled up like mountains, emitting a strong, pungent stench.

However, Ye Yang's expression grew increasingly serious.

He discovered that there were far more leeches than he had imagined.

With each batch killed, more leeches emerge from the holes in the ground.

They seemed endless, surging in continuously, as if they could never be killed.

"Damn it!"

Ye Yang let out a low shout, and the spiritual energy around his body circulated to its maximum.

The illusory form of the Azure Dragon grew even larger, its claws slamming fiercely into the ground.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, a huge crater was blasted into the ground, and the surrounding land trembled.

Countless leeches emerged from the holes at the bottom of the pit, so densely packed that it sent chills down one's spine.

But before they could escape, they were shredded into pieces by the torrent of cyan sword energy, and black fluid splattered all over the deep pit.

After the demonic leeches were killed, Zhao Yan hurriedly returned with several cultivators from the Flying Heaven Sect.

They held exquisite jade boxes in their hands, filled with Netherworld Purple Fungus.

These Netherworld Purple Mushrooms are deep purple in color, with a faint fluorescent glow on their surface, and they emit a unique fragrance that contrasts sharply with the surrounding stench.

"Dao Ancestor, all the Netherworld Purple Mushrooms are here!"

Zhao Yan handed the jade box to Ye Yang with a respectful tone.

Ye Yang nodded without hesitation and gave the order in a deep voice.

"Distribute them all! Cover the entire stronghold area!"

"Yes!"

Zhao Yan and the others immediately opened the jade box and threw the Netherworld Purple Mushrooms one by one to various parts of the stronghold. As soon as the Netherworld Purple Mushrooms landed, they immediately took root, and their purple roots spread rapidly, frantically absorbing the surrounding evil energy and demonic energy.

A magical scene happened.

The originally dense, dark purple smoke faded at a visible rate as it was absorbed by the Netherworld Purple Ganoderma.

The black pus in the spirit field gradually solidified and dried up, and the pungent stench faded, replaced by the unique fragrance of the Netherworld Purple Ganoderma.

After losing the cover of malevolent and demonic energy, the leeches began to shrink rapidly, their movements became sluggish, and the fierce light in their eyes dimmed considerably.

Clearly, malevolent energy and demonic energy are essential sources of their vitality; without them, their strength would be greatly diminished.

Ye Yang seized the opportunity, his eyes narrowed, and a sky full of sword energy swept away the weakened demonic leeches like autumn leaves.

Wherever the sword light passed, the demonic leeches turned to dust and could no longer pose a threat.

Time passes little by little.

Half an hour later, the entire stronghold finally returned to calm.

The rampaging leeches have been completely wiped out, leaving only black stains and some broken leech corpses on the ground.

The Netherworld Purple Mushrooms had grown to half a person's height, their entire bodies radiating a dazzling purple light, illuminating the entire stronghold like a fairyland.

Their leaves are thick and plump, exuding a rich spiritual aura.

It not only purified the evil and demonic energy, but also repaired the damaged spiritual veins to a certain extent.

Ye Yang slowly withdrew his sword energy, and the illusory azure dragon behind him gradually dissipated.

He turned to look at the cultivators who had survived the ordeal, his voice deep and powerful.

"You must quickly organize your forces to properly collect the remains of the deceased disciples and give them a proper burial in a place rich in spiritual energy. Their families will be properly taken care of by the Flying Heaven Sect, and they will be provided with sufficient compensation to ensure that their families have enough to eat and wear."

He paused, then added.

"Furthermore, this attack by the demonic leeches must not be disclosed to outsiders."

"The wilderness reclamation has only just begun, and the cultivators at each stronghold are not yet at peace. If this matter gets out, it will inevitably cause panic, and if morale collapses, the reclamation plan will be ruined."

(End of this chapter)