Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 515 A Thousand Caves and Netherworlds Peering into the Turbid World, A Demonic Arm Lurks, Concealing True Secrets (Seeking Donations and Subscriptions!)

In the boundless sky, a streak of purple sword light flew rapidly. Many cultivators disliked riding swords through the wind, finding it dangerous and uncomfortable.

Relatively speaking, there are more cultivators who prefer mounts and flying vehicles.

However, Lu Cheng felt that riding the sword light was more exhilarating, tearing through the gale, traveling thousands of miles with a single sword strike, roaming between heaven and earth.

The filthy demonic arm hovered about a foot away from Lu Cheng, its color as dark and dull as solidified blood scabs, or as if it were wrapped in murky mud that had not dissipated for thousands of years.

Strands of dark, invisible threads silently sprouted and spread from the jagged joints of the broken bone, gradually wrapping around the protective aura of Daoist Lu Cheng.

It wasn't a brute-force attack, but rather infiltration—a cold, slippery will originating from ancient resentment, gently prying open the tiny cracks in the defenses of the mind…

Just then, Lu Cheng suddenly stopped, and the streak of light he had been flying away on his sword abruptly receded. He turned around sharply, staring at the severed limb beside him that exuded a foul and ominous aura, and realized what was happening.

"What a vicious creature!" Lu Cheng thought with a chill.

The slight distraction and the barely perceptible deviation in the flight path just now were not intentional whims, but rather the result of the demonic arm's own thoughts subtly influencing it.

It seemed to be sensing and searching for something, or perhaps hiding from something, and was able to subtly disturb the primordial spirit of a Nascent Soul God.

Sensing something was wrong, Lu Cheng immediately used the Samadhi True Fire to refine himself for a week. He found that he was not tainted by any evil spirits. It seemed that after this period of fighting with him, the tainted demonic arm had given up on tainting him and probably just wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

"If I really follow the route it points to, where will I end up?" Lu Cheng pondered for a moment and continued flying on his sword. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he found his destination.

Looking up, all I could see was dim light and shadow ahead.

A vast and menacing cluster of caves is embedded in the spine of this majestic mountain range.

The cave entrance is jagged and twisted, resembling countless gaping, greedy mouths, or the painful wounds left behind by an ancient demon god within the mountain.

A thick, murky aura gushed forth, condensing into a visible pale gray miasma in the air.

Hidden within are various distorted faces of pain and grotesque horror: the final lament of those whose souls are extracted and refined, the endless pain of those whose skin is peeled and bones refined, the profound despair of those who are forever trapped in the belly of demons... These illusions, condensed from pure resentment and malevolence, arise and vanish in the gray mist, emitting silent shrieks, and then collapse and re-merge into the suffocating filth.

The entire area was shrouded in a chilling, low hum, the malevolent intent of countless demons lurking and hordes of monsters lurking within.

This was the destination led to by the whispered demonic arm beside him.

Lu Cheng frowned slightly upon seeing this, then relaxed. Since they had ended up here by chance, there was no harm in exploring.

For cultivators, even perilous and filthy places may hold hidden opportunities and true spiritual connections.

With a flick of his sleeve, the last few strands of clear light around him completely disappeared, his aura became calm and deep, and with a sway, he disappeared into the gloomy atmosphere of the mountain cave.

As soon as you step into the main path crisscrossed by caves, a murky wind mixed with the smells of blood, decay, demonic saliva, and some kind of old poison hits you, stinking and sticky.

The passage itself was not carved out by man; it is more like a huge natural cave that was widened and twisted by brute force.

The stone walls were slippery, covered with thick, dark green or purplish-black moss, and exuded a rotten smell.

Above, stalactites hang like deformed fangs, slowly dripping an unknown, filthy viscous liquid.

The light was extremely dim, with only a few torches powered by demonic energy or special fluorite stuck in the grooves of the cave walls, flickering with eerie light that was either pale green, ghostly blue, or scarlet, casting the shadows of people and beasts coming and going onto the jagged rocks, like a chaotic dance of demons.

A diverse array of "residents" moved about in the dim, flickering light.

An old woman, wrapped in a tattered gray robe, hunched over and huddled in a shallow hollow in the corner of a mountain cave. In front of her lay a small piece of fur from some unknown wild animal, with a few dark bone fragments and feathers scattered on it.

She lowered her head, muttering incantations, her dry, wrinkled hands slowly rubbing together some grayish-white powder. With each rubbing, extremely faint, fine, needle-like wails could be heard in the air—the sobs of souls being repeatedly crushed, becoming the material for her "soul-soothing dust."

Two fierce-looking men, covered in dark blue tattoos and exuding a strong aquatic demonic aura, were shoving a huge, rough iron cage, the iron bars of which were covered in dark brown grime.

Inside the cage, several strangely shaped birds huddled together, their feathers disheveled and dull, their eyes filled with terror and confusion, trembling with fear.

They seemed to have been captured recently, and their primal aura was still visible. However, that aura had been mixed with a chaotic and bloodthirsty demonic power that had been forcibly injected, causing their souls to teeter on the edge of collapse and madness.

Every time the cage was pushed, it made a piercing clanging sound, which made the bird inside even more agitated, banging its beak against the iron bars.

Further away, a figure shrouded in a heavy black cloak walked almost touching the shadows of the cave. His footsteps were silent, like a drifting ghost.

On either side of his shoulders floated two fist-sized, solid, and persistent eerie green phosphorescent flames, their flickering light constantly illuminating two distorted, tormented faces struggling and wailing silently at the heart of the flames.

Those are the vengeful spirits who were forcibly bound and imprisoned, repeatedly burned and refined, and unable to be freed. They themselves are the wick and fuel of this "ghost phosphorus fire".

This person was like a moving tomb of souls, carrying a cold and deathly aura. Wherever he passed, even some low-level demons would subconsciously give way.

On the mountain wall here, four scarlet ancient seal characters are deeply engraved: Thousand Caves!
Lu Cheng walked silently through it. He could clearly feel countless greedy, scrutinizing, curious, and fearful gazes being cast from the darkness all around, sticky and cold, like slippery tentacles brushing against his body.

Their target wasn't him, but the filthy demonic arm that hovered beside him.

This demonic arm itself was an extremely yin and evil object, and the filthy magical power it condensed was so pure that it was terrifying. Although Lu Cheng's magical power suppressed most of the leaking fluctuations at this moment, the pressure and pure baleful aura originating from the Void Returning Giant Demon's original level were as conspicuous as a torch in the dark in the eyes of a demonic giant who truly understood this path.

It is a superior treasure for cultivating demonic arts, a core offering in blood sacrifice rituals, and a key catalyst for cultivating certain demonic techniques!

Therefore, several figures in the shadows could hardly contain themselves and surrounded them.

A gaunt, middle-aged Taoist priest with a bluish face, a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, and wearing a tattered robe, approached first. His eyes gleamed with greed as he rubbed his fingers together and said:
“Brother Dao? The thing beside you is truly a treasure! Such pure True Demonic aura… Name your price? Blood Pill? Demon Soul? Or… Hehehe, I have a newly acquired ‘Thousand Infant Soul-Sucking Banner,’ its power is boundless. If refined properly, it can be equivalent to a thousand years of arduous cultivation!” He exhaled a foul stench, carrying a chilling aura like that of a venomous snake.

"Do you possess the Taiyi Yuanjin?"

This is a legendary material for forging swords. If one can refine it into one's own magic sword, it can indeed be equivalent to a thousand years of arduous cultivation.

The other person paused for a moment, then shook their head.

"Then do you possess the essence of the Ice Heart Jade?"

This is a treasure that can assist cultivators in their practice and cleanse their inner demons. If one can keep it by their side while cultivating, it can eventually be equivalent to a thousand years of arduous cultivation.

The gaunt middle-aged Taoist priest remained silent again, and finally shook his head.

"Then what do you have? I don't need spirit stones."

This middle-aged Taoist possessed a blood pill, a demon soul, and a demonic treasure, but ultimately he couldn't reach an agreement with Lu Cheng. He lingered on the sidelines, reluctant to leave, yet watching Lu Cheng with a sense of apprehension, and dared not make a move.

Immediately afterwards, another pungent smell of blood assaulted the senses. It was a burly man, as fat as a mountain of flesh, with an unsettling fake smile plastered on his face. His skin was uneven, as if stretched by countless tiny insects, and had a sickly pale sheen.

His open shirt revealed a chest covered in black hair, with a hideous demon head tattoo covering the entire chest and abdomen area, its mouth wide open and fangs bared.

"Fellow Daoist, don't listen to that starving ghost's nonsense! His tattered banner won't amount to anything! Look at ours!" As he spoke, he suddenly slapped the evil ghost tattoo on his stomach, and the ghost's mouth began to writhe strangely, spitting out several pills the size of longan, red and luscious, covered with strange demonic patterns, exuding a strong aura of essence and blood and a nauseatingly sweet and fishy smell.

"Look at our 'Blood Spirit Divine Pill'! Each one is refined for ten years with the lifeblood of a hundred beings with considerable magical power. Taking one will strengthen your demonic body and make your blood and qi abundant. In exchange for your severed demonic arm, you won't be at a loss, fellow Daoist!" He spat as he spoke, and the ghost tattoo on his chest rose and fell with his breath, faintly emitting a low chewing sound.

"That's right. If you've already lost your way and only want to run rampant for a while, then you can take his 'Blood Spirit Divine Pill' to make up for your blood and essence deficiency. After taking it for a while, you'll become delirious and your essence, energy, and spirit will be in disarray. When you turn around, you probably won't be able to find this fiend again."

A soft rustling sound came from another corner, like countless tiny feet crawling. An old woman dressed in a strangely colorful robe moved silently over.

Her eyes seemed to be covered by a thin white film, her pupils cloudy and unclear. She didn't speak, but a hoarse, effeminate voice, like the flicking of a viper's tongue, resonated directly in Lu Cheng's heart:

"Young man... this old woman has the larvae of the ancient Heart-Eating Gu here... combined with the essence of your precious severed arm... its uses are endless... whether you want to become an immortal or a demon, it's all in a single thought... I wonder how much you can offer?" As she spoke, an even denser rustling sound came from under her sleeves, as if millions of poisonous insects were lurking beneath her.

Lu Cheng's gaze swept indifferently over the faces that swarmed around him like vultures. The greed in their eyes was naked and undisguised.

With a slight thought, the demonic arm hovering to his side seemed to sense the countless covetous gazes. The dark runes on its surface flashed rapidly, and the suppressed, terrifying demonic power suddenly surged. An even deeper, more sinister, invisible wave, seemingly originating from the abyss of blood, suddenly rippled outwards!
hum!
Invisible ripples swept across, like icy stagnant water washing over the insteps. The stall owners who gathered around, the ones with the strongest presence, were the first to be affected.

The gaunt, middle-aged Taoist priest in his tattered robes suddenly turned deathly pale, his body trembling uncontrollably as if struck by an invisible hammer. His greed vanished, replaced by utter terror. The white bone pendant at his waist, writhing with black energy, jolted violently, cracking open with a sharp "crack!"
He made two "hoarse" sounds in his throat, staggered, and dared not speak again. He stared in horror at the severed demonic arm, then scrambled back into his dark corner, never daring to look up again.

The exaggerated, fake smile on the face of the enormous, fleshy man froze and twisted instantly, like a shattered mask. His skin suddenly turned a dark red, heaving and rolling violently, as if what lay beneath had been utterly enraged and then instantly subdued. He groaned, his dark red face turning a pale blue-white, and staggered back several steps, his back slamming heavily against the slippery stone wall, causing a few drops of foul, sticky fluid to fall from the stalactites above his head.

He dared not look at the demonic arm again, nor at Lu Cheng, panting heavily like a fish out of water. As for the old woman, whose voice was transmitted through telepathy and whose sleeves were rustling with insect sounds, her body trembled violently. The white veil covering her face seemed to crack open, revealing an indescribable sense of fear.

This fleeting leak of energy was like a thunderclap dropped into a murky pond.

The previously eager, prying eyes in the vicinity vanished instantly, like embers extinguished by snowmelt!

Many beings hidden deeper, with even more eerie and profound auras, also fell silent for a moment, then disappeared into the darkness, unwilling to reveal themselves again.

These beings originally thought that this was the long-severed arm of some old demon, its ferocity gone, making it the perfect material for a demonic treasure.

But Lu Cheng's move just now clearly told them that the arm had just been severed, and the original owner might not even be dead yet, which immediately scared away most of the buyers.

Lu Cheng's expression remained unchanged, as if the oppressive aura he felt hadn't originated from his side. Inwardly, however, he sneered:

These evil heretics are the most opportunistic bullies, always changing their tune depending on the situation. If it weren't for the rules here, they would have swarmed in, killing and robbing, which would have been the norm for them.

However, if I demonstrate sufficient magical power and strength, they will be the ones least likely to make a move.

Lu Cheng's gaze swept across the surroundings. Behind those dispelled gazes lay a deeper covetousness and anger, like a dangerous undercurrent surging beneath a reef.

In the depths of this den of iniquity, where the strong prey on the weak, every shadow harbors a silent threat.

However, behind this naked, bloody law of the jungle, there is an even more powerful force that holds it back—like an invisible fence that encloses all the restless fangs and claws.

Lu Cheng raised his eyes. Beneath the highest and widest dome of this Thousand Caves Cave, instead of stalactites hanging down, hung a strange magical palace lantern.

The lamp body is carved from a warm, translucent, cloud-white jade, resembling an inverted lotus flower just beginning to bloom, with overlapping and unfolding petals and smooth, beautiful lines. The entire body is enveloped in a hazy, ethereal glow. The halo of light falls softly and steadily, not intensely, yet it covers nearly half of the important area of ​​the cave, like an invisible, flowing veil.

Where this radiance shines, the restless, twisted resentment and the pervasive, rising malevolent poison seem to be forcibly smoothed, suppressed, and dispersed into the chaotic zone at the edge of the light, like ice and snow meeting the sun.

Just as the demonic arm lost control of its malevolent aura, the light of this cloud-veiled palace lantern seemed to solidify slightly for a moment.

The hazy light, like flowing water, subtly added an invisible "thickness" to the space around Lu Cheng and between him and the demonic arm.

It did not forcibly suppress the oppressive power of the demonic arm, but precisely prevented this force from further impacting the rules and order of the cave itself.

This ensured that the demonic power was confined to a ten-foot radius around Lu City, as if a transparent container had been forcibly placed over the surging, filthy mud.

At the bottom of the lotus lantern, an ancient seal script character "云" (cloud) is clearly imprinted. The strokes are concise and engraved, exuding a majestic and dignified aura that has been accumulated over thousands of years, just like an emperor's seal.

This is the rule. This is the sword hanging over the heads of all the demons and monsters here!

Under the absolute power of this "cloud" element, whether you are a seasoned demon or a ferocious monster king, you must restrain your claws and trade according to the "market." To seize by force? To commit violence? That would be tantamount to courting death!

"The Yun family, the Yun clan?"

Lu Cheng's gaze swept coldly over the twisted, resentful, and fierce aura that was faintly visible at the edge of the palace lanterns' light, and his mockery deepened.

What kind of sacred land or spiritual treasure of Nuwa is it? It's nothing more than a slaughterhouse that's been embellished with greater refinement and decorum.

They raise lambs and keep wolves in captivity, all to extract the most succulent gravy left behind after they tear each other apart.

The Wa clan intermarries with the human race, and both sides jointly govern the Wa Emperor Sacred Realm. Currently, the most powerful human families in the Wa Emperor Sacred Realm are the Li, Wang, Nangong, Jiang, and Yun families.

The piles of white bones, the churning blood pools, the demons devouring each other, the demonic cultivators eating each other... every tragic scene is a necessary nutrient to maintain that brightly lit, colorful, and prosperous place!

According to ancient records, although the Nuwa clan were noble innate deities, they were kind and gentle by nature, valued simplicity, and treated human beings and all living things with kindness.

For countless ages, the goddess of the Nuwa clan has been in love with five human cultivators of the surnames Li, Wang, Nangong, Jiang, and Yun. Later, the five cultivators assisted the Nuwa clan in managing the sacred land, ensuring its enduring prosperity.

It seems now that seeing someone's reputation is worse than hearing about them, and hearing about them is even better than seeing them.

Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin, both forged from flesh and blood, and interdependent. Just as Lu Cheng felt that this trip was meaningless and was about to leave, a strange commotion came from not far away, accompanied by a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy and a pure yet eerie fragrance of spiritual herbs.

As fate would have it, Lu Cheng naturally looked in the direction of the sound.

Ahead, on a relatively open cave platform, a large group of people were gathered.

A young man dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, trying his best to restrain himself but still unable to hide his arrogance, was speaking and showing off something, surrounded by several powerful guards.

He held a shimmering jade box in his hands, inside which floated seven pills, each the size of a longan, of different colors, emitting a strong medicinal aura.

"Seven Souls Nourishing Essence Pill!" someone exclaimed. "This is a divine pill that can directly nourish and strengthen the primordial spirit! It's extremely rare!"

"It's Young Master Yun Mingxuan from the third branch of the Yun family. No wonder he has such a precious elixir!" Someone immediately recognized the young man in the brocade robe.

Yunmingxuan!
Lu Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he thought to himself that he was indeed a member of the Yun family.

"Fellow cultivators," Yun Mingxuan said, his voice carrying a hint of deliberately suppressed pride as he watched the precious pill in his hand attract the attention of the crowd. His gaze swept across the entire scene, lingering for a moment on several powerful evil cultivators.

"This is a rare treasure collected by my Yun family over a century, refined by a master alchemist in our clan. Its medicinal power is overwhelming, and not an ordinary physique or primordial spirit can withstand it," Yun Mingxuan said loudly. "Therefore, I have come here to find a destined person to 'cooperate' with in consuming this pill!"

His gaze was intense as he continued:

"A 'Dan-Talent Guide' with a strong soul and a solid Dao foundation is needed. The Dan-Talent Guide will first consume a Xuan Dan and circulate his energy to refine its violent medicinal properties within his soul and primordial spirit! After the medicinal power has been initially tamed and nurtured for forty-nine days, I, the young master, will personally use a secret method to transfer the refined medicinal power and essence that has been tamed within the Dan-Talent Guide's body into my own body!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent at first, then a chorus of suppressed gasps and whispers arose, for this method was... extremely vicious!
The so-called "elixir guide" is essentially a human-shaped furnace that bears the poison and violent medicinal power of the elixir, and nourishes and filters its medicinal properties.

The process is bound to be extremely painful and dangerous, and in the end, the medicinal properties and the fundamental source of the Dao will be completely drained, which is almost the evil method of seizing the foundation.

No wonder they searched in this cavern; how could ordinary sects or markets allow him to act so openly?
However, a great reward will surely attract brave men. The value of the Seven Souls Nourishing Essence Pill is truly immense, especially for those cultivators who are stuck at a bottleneck, whose primordial spirit is damaged, or who are practicing certain special demonic arts.

Soon after, people took the initiative to respond.

“Young Master Yun!” An old demon with a sallow complexion and sunken eyes, who was in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, stepped forward first. His voice was hoarse: “My Nascent Soul was injured in my early years and has not yet healed. I am willing to be the one to guide the pill. I only ask that you bestow two Xuan Pills upon me after the matter is completed!”

“I am an elder of the Soul Devouring Sect. The secret technique I cultivate can devour the essence of souls. Controlling the power of this pill is my forte. I would like to ask Young Master Yun to use me!” Another cultivator shrouded in black robes and exuding a ghostly aura stepped forward.

Seeing this, Yun Mingxuan's face showed a satisfied expression, looking down at these "materials" who had voluntarily offered themselves as sacrifices with a sense of superiority.

Of course, he had to choose a furnace cauldron that was sturdy enough to withstand the domineering medicinal properties of the Seven Souls Nourishing Essence Pill in its early stages without being immediately destroyed.

Just then, Yun Mingxuan's gaze swept across the crowd and suddenly landed on a young Taoist priest with an ordinary appearance in the corner.

This person's aura was obscure and restrained, seemingly at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Floating beside him was an object enveloped in powerful magic, faintly radiating a terrifyingly fierce and evil aura.

"Huh?" Yun Mingxuan raised an eyebrow slightly. As a direct descendant of the Yun family, he naturally possessed a secret treasure to protect and nurture his body. This item could arouse the subtle aura of the spiritual jade he wore close to him, so it was definitely no ordinary object!
Moreover, that fierce and evil aura... seemed somewhat familiar, more like the remains of a top-tier ferocious demon recorded in ancient texts!

"Fellow Daoist!" Yun Mingxuan completely ignored the several eager "furnaces" in front of him and shouted towards Lu City from afar:

"Is that thing beside you... the remains of some kind of high-level ancient demon? This thing is deeply demonic. Although you have the power to suppress it, if left unattended for too long, it may damage your own foundation and cause endless trouble."

"I have considerable experience in dealing with such malevolent creatures. Why don't you sell it to me, fellow Daoist? I will exchange it for a 'Seven Souls Nourishing Essence Pill'! I need not elaborate on the preciousness of this pill, do I? In exchange, you can get rid of this malevolent creature's entanglement and avert disaster. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Trading a Xuan Dan for that demonic arm that even made his spiritual jade react? To outsiders, this price seemed like Young Master Yun was being kind-hearted, even "taking a loss."

But the astute people present instantly realized that the value of that demonic arm was probably far greater than a single Xuan Dan, and that Young Master Yun had his eye on it!

In an instant, all the cultivators present focused their attention on Lu Cheng, their gazes filled with curiosity, greed, jealousy, and anticipation of a good show.

Lu Cheng never expected that he had only wanted to watch the excitement, but ended up becoming the center of this excitement.

"I am honored by your high regard, Young Master Yun," the Taoist replied, his voice not loud, yet it rang out clearly in the cave, which had become so quiet you could hear a pin drop in an instant.

"However, this item has a dangerous origin. I obtained it by chance only after risking my life. It has its own use, so it is not convenient to trade it."

(End of this chapter)