Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 554 The Golden Crow Transforms into a Rainbow and Vanishes, Unable to Escape the Abyss and Bury the Star (Seeking Donations and Subscriptions!)

Deep within the Eastern Celestial Ruins, a spatial rift originally formed by an accidental natural evolution has expanded into a gigantic, dark eye that devours all matter and light. Because of its existence, this world has become several degrees darker, with pure chaos and tangible malice churning within the darkness.

Countless cultivators were busy around the black hole. They captured all the cultivators who were originally searching for spiritual objects and the Fountain of Immortality in the secret realm, and then brought them here to bleed them dry one by one.

As the gushing blood flowed into the magic circle, the black hole above it expanded even further. Around it, streaks of blood-red lightning seemed to be forming.

The few elders who had escaped back were the surviving cultivators who had previously besieged Lu Cheng, Huo Ling, and Zi Yang.

At this moment, they knelt before the black hole rift that spewed terrifying fluctuations, their heads bowed, their very souls trembling.

"Reporting...reporting to the Demon Ancestor..." The leader of the remaining five demon cultivators spoke in a hoarse, trembling voice: "Elder Linghu and Elder Chen...have perished..."

However, we have already killed the culprits on the spot, avenging Elder Linghu and Elder Chen!

The voice of the fused demonic cultivator echoed in the deathly silent space, like a stone thrown into an abyss, without stirring up any response, only a deeper gaze from the depths of that black hole.

In the darkness, a light seemed to appear!

The kneeling demonic cultivators became even more uneasy, cold sweat dripping onto the ground.

Although demonic cultivators may progress slightly faster in their cultivation, they are ultimately controlled by the Yin Demon and cannot be free. Even if they ascend to the Ancient Demon Realm, this situation will not improve and may even become more severe.

The Demon Ancestor remained silent, so the leading demon cultivator, who had reached the Nascent Soul stage, had no choice but to continue, "Elder Chen, along with his three great protectors, were also slain by that Taoist's sword. We..."

The words have not yet fallen.

"Hey!"

A ferocious giant claw, formed purely from dark red demonic energy, emerged from the black hole rift without warning, moving faster than the divine sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

In an instant, he firmly grasped the mid-stage Nascent Soul demon cultivator who was reporting.

"I'll see it myself!"

"Demon Ancestor, Demon Ancestor!! Ahhhhh!"

After the screams came a chilling, eerie sound, as if millions of souls were being crushed and shredded in an instant.

The demonic cultivator's body convulsed and swelled violently, his eyes bulged out, and black and red demonic flames mixed with shattered divine souls spewed from his seven orifices.

His physical body and primordial spirit were being used as a vessel by that giant claw, and were being extracted in reverse by an extremely domineering and cruel secret technique. It was drawing out his last life essence and cultivation, turning them into fuel.

In just a few breaths, a once-powerful and unstoppable demonic cultivator, who had stirred up a bloodbath, was completely withered, shattered, and turned to ashes before everyone's eyes. Not even a trace of his soul remained; everything was greedily swallowed up by the black hole.

The black hole expanded slightly, and an extremely large entity seemed to want to emerge from it, but no matter how hard it tried, the black hole was still too small for it.

"not enough!"

"not enough!"

'escape! '

The other four Nascent Soul demon cultivators kneeling there were all old demons who had been around for many years. Seeing this scene, how could they not understand what the Holy Ancestor wanted to do? They exchanged glances and immediately used their escape techniques to try to get away.

However, the giant claw that was extracting souls did not stop, and swung back as if swatting a fly.

"Bang. Bang. Bang."

Three muffled explosions rang out almost simultaneously.

Where the crimson demonic claw swept, three other Nascent Soul stage demonic cultivators were caught off guard, their bodies shattering like fragile terracotta figures.

Before they could even scream in agony, their demonic bodies, fragments of their natal magic treasures, and scattered fragments of their primordial spirits were instantly crushed into the purest, most primitive demonic essence by that overwhelming force, and then violently sucked into the rift.

Bloody, cruel, and undeniable.

With the replenishment of these blood-based foods, the fissures began to expand and grow rapidly.

The suppression of lower-level demonic cultivators by higher-level demonic cultivators far exceeds the suppression of lower-level cultivators by higher-level righteous cultivators.

Especially within the same system of inheritance.

However, in most cases, demonic cultivators would not do such a thing. After all, it is not easy to cultivate a fused demonic cultivator, and doing so would be tantamount to cutting off one's own arm, especially when one is about to wage war against an Earth Immortal Realm.

The only remaining cultivator at the Fusion Stage was stiff and cold, his mind frozen.

The horrifying sight of his fellow disciples instantly turning to ashes, and the chilling cruelty of utter contempt, were deeply etched into his soul. This was the true demon, willing to sacrifice everything, including disciples and henchmen, to achieve his goals.

Inside the black hole rift, surging demonic energy surged violently due to the sacrifice, emitting a deep, mournful roar that seemed to come from the ancient wilderness.

At the same time, a grand and cold voice, devoid of any emotion, resounded directly in the hearts of all the surviving demonic cultivators present, carrying a pressure that made them instinctively tremble:
"Nightmare... your passage... is now secure... these wastes... are the price to pay."

Another clear and pleasant voice responded:

“Brother Jiyuan… With the great battle imminent, why are you still so impatient? These disciples are not easy to cultivate.”

The first voice, belonging to the Demon Ancestor of the Silent Abyss, possessed an even more violent and domineering intent:
"My magical power has advanced to an uncontrollable degree. Rather than ascending to the upper realm and becoming a slave to those demons for eternity, I'd rather fight to the death and let the demons corrupt this realm. If I can gain the favor of the demonic path, I can extend my stay here. Nightmare, if you dare to use any tricks against me in this matter, I will take you with me before I die!"

"Brother, you're too kind. I'll do as you say..."

As he spoke, the black hole rift violently twisted and expanded. The surrounding space shattered like fragile glass, spewing out dense primordial demonic energy, mixed with fragments of decaying stars and the demonic shadows of all living beings sinking into a sea of ​​blood!

A terrifying, indistinct phantom, seemingly pieced together from countless fragments of space, is relentlessly squeezing through the spatial barriers, attempting to break free.

His aura was rapidly approaching the legendary pinnacle of this world—the Great Ascension Realm—from the peak of the Integration Realm!
With the blood sacrifice of the entire mind and power of the four combined demon cultivators, the Demon Ancestor of the Demon Realm finally succeeded in descending upon this world.

The reason their previous telepathic conversation was intermittent was because the spatial distance between them was constantly increasing, crossing boundaries:

"Finally, I'm... out!"

A man dressed in a pure white Taoist robe, with an extremely handsome and scholarly appearance, stepped out of the hole.

"Your subordinate pays respects to the Nightmare Demon Ancestor!"

The last remaining cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage immediately knelt down to pay his respects, and the demonic cultivators from all directions around him knelt down in a dense mass.

"Ah."

The Nightmare Demon Ancestor seemed easy to talk to, nodding and smiling as he walked past.

Just as he passed by the kneeling, merged-stage demonic cultivator, the cultivator's flesh and blood dissolved, turning into a wisp of demonic energy, which was then inhaled and swallowed by the Nightmare Demon Ancestor.

"With this food, I can unleash Mahayana magic for a certain period of time."

After saying that, he instantly transformed into a black rainbow and fled into the sky.

Far from this secret realm of the Eastern Celestial Ruins, in a hastily constructed cave, the atmosphere was heavy and uneasy.

Inside the cave, spiritual light emanates like a cocoon.

The cramped temporary cave isolated the demonic atmosphere from the outside world, leaving only three Taoists sitting cross-legged, embracing their inner energy and guarding their core.

Lu Cheng and Fairy Huo Ling first joined forces and used various methods to repeatedly examine Master Zi Yang's body to confirm that there were no demonic tracking methods or hidden demonic control.

Then, the two joined forces to heal Master Ziyang's internal injuries.

After all, the Immortal Realm is incredibly vast, and the nearest sect, Taiqing Sect, is quite a distance away, requiring a considerable journey. Furthermore, Venerable Ziyang is severely injured, making it difficult for him to escape far, and even maintaining his internal injuries to prevent them from worsening is proving very challenging.

At this moment, Master Ziyang's eyes were tightly closed, his face was as pale as gold paper, and a layer of lingering gray-black turbidity surrounded his body, making even breathing almost impossible.

Fire Spirit Fairy's jade fingers danced like butterflies, instantly striking three vital points in mid-air: the top of Ziyang Venerable's head, his heart, and his dantian.

With each finger strike, a burst of pure, flawless fire-elemental immortal light, brimming with intense vitality, shot out, transforming into three slowly rotating, crimson-gold fire lotus phantoms that sank into Zi Yang's body.

This is the Jade Purity Wonderful Technique, the Samadhi Stabilizing Seal. It is not for healing, but rather to lock in the vital energy that is on the verge of collapse, temporarily acting as a dam to prevent the foundation from completely crumbling.

Almost simultaneously, Lu Cheng sat cross-legged behind Master Ziyang, his palms lightly pressing against the back of Master Ziyang's chest. Unlike the ethereal and pure Jade Purity Daoist technique of Fairy Fire Spirit, what emanated from his palms was the unique chaotic and profound light of the Mysterious Heaven Divine Art, which contained the meaning of birth, death, and reincarnation.

As Lu Cheng practiced his skills, it seemed as if thirty-six layers of divine and demonic phantoms appeared behind him, and the five elements in his chest manifested as an invisible bond, connecting heaven and earth.

Next, he continuously channeled his powerful divine and demonic body energy into Ziyang's body, not to fill his deficiencies, but as an overwhelming force to forcefully open up Ziyang's blocked and broken meridians, helping his remaining magical power to circulate through the body with difficulty.

Half an hour later.

"Hiss—!" As the meridians were forcibly opened, wisps of grayish-black foul energy, like venomous snakes, were forced out of Zi Yang's body through countless pores by Lu Cheng's vast Yuan Power! This foul energy seemed to possess life, condensing into a twisted demonic face in the air and howling, even attempting to retaliate. The Fire Spirit Fairy's gaze was icy cold. With a flick of her finger, a wisp of immortal flame transformed into a crimson-gold fire line, precisely wrapping around the overflowing foul energy, instantly burning it into wisps of green smoke that dissipated, filling the air with a pungent, acrid smell.

With the demonic influence initially dispelled, Master Ziyang's breathing became somewhat stable, but his meridians were as withered as scorched earth, his internal organs as cracked as parched land, and the flame of his life still flickered precariously. Lu Cheng nodded to Fairy Huoling.

The Fire Spirit Fairy understood and carefully presented a small jade bottle from her palm. The moment the stopper was removed, an indescribable, pure and ethereal aura spread out, instantly dispelling the lingering anxiety and gloom in the cave.

The Taiqing Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill didn't belong to Lu Cheng; it was actually from the Fire Spirit Fairy's collection. It was a top-grade healing pill, but its medicinal properties were too potent. Without proper qi circulation and refining, it could harm one's physical body. Pale golden pill qi rippled within the jade bottle, containing sparkling spiritual light, and its aura refreshed one's primordial spirit.

Without the slightest hesitation, she used a magic incantation to draw out the elixir and feed it to Master Ziyang. Under the impetus of Lu Cheng's pure magic power, the domineering medicinal power transformed into countless extremely fine streams, permeating Master Ziyang's eight extraordinary meridians and his entire body.

In an instant, Master Ziyang's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and his nearly depleted spiritual energy in his sea of ​​consciousness was nourished by the medicinal power contained in this Taoist elixir, as if it had received sweet rain.

Finally, after the effects of the Taiqing Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill were mostly exhausted, the gray and black turbid aura around Master Ziyang vanished, and the deathly golden color on his face faded, turning into a warm and jade-like hue. Subtle yet resilient magical power began to circulate within his body again, and a trickle of life flowed through his withered meridians.

Although he was extremely weak at this moment, his life was saved, his internal injuries would not continue to worsen, and his collapsed foundation was also reshaped.

Lu Cheng and Fairy Huo Ling finished their cultivation at the same time, and the Jade Purity Immortal Light and Chaos Profound Light flowing in the cave slowly dissipated.

Fire Spirit Fairy breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes to meditate and regulate her breathing. Lu Cheng stood up, glanced at the cave entrance, and after confirming that there was no danger, he used his divine sense to say, "Senior Brother Ziyang's foundation is solid. Let's go for a walk outside."

"As it should be."

Outside the cave, a cool, faint light streamed in.

"Senior Brother Lu, this life-saving grace is like a second birth." Fairy Fire Spirit looked at Lu Cheng, her beautiful eyes filled with gratitude and sincerity.
"In the previous battle, if my senior brother had not used his peerless sword technique in time to cover our retreat and use himself as bait to lure away the seven combined old demons, my senior brother Ziyang and I would probably have died."

Lu Cheng waved his hand upon hearing this:

“You flatter me, Fairy. As fellow members of the Three Pure Ones sect, it is only right that we help each other. Moreover, if it weren’t for your divine talisman that severely injured the demons, I, Lu, would have been unable to accomplish anything. The most urgent task is to return to the sect and report the matter of the rift in the Demon Realm.”

Lu Cheng and Fairy Huo Ling had already sent messages to their respective sects via flying talismans, but the Earth Immortal Realm was rich in spiritual energy and had many magnetic mineral veins that interfered with it. Remote communication was not very safe without the support of a fixed earth vein formation.

"I never expected that what I thought was just an ordinary sect mission would now involve an ancient demon invasion. The heavens are unleashing their killing intent; it's truly terrifying and irresistible!"

Fire Spirit Fairy sighed and said this.

Half an hour later, inside the cave, the Venerable Ziyang, who had been sitting cross-legged and meditating, slowly opened his eyes. His face was still pale, but his breathing had calmed down considerably, no longer on the verge of collapse as before. Upon seeing Lu Cheng and Fairy Huoling before him, Venerable Ziyang bowed deeply according to the etiquette of the Daoist sect. Then, he carefully took out an ancient stone bottle from the black iron ring on his finger.

Although a hint of reluctance flashed in his eyes, he still handed it over to the two people in front of him.

The moment the stopper was opened, a refreshing fragrance, as if containing the essence of the primordial world, filled the air, invigorating the mind and spirit.

"This is a bit of the 'Fountain of Immortality' that I obtained by chance when I ventured deep into that secret and dangerous place. There are about four portions, enough for my two junior brothers and sisters to share equally."

"Although it is not enough to fully repay your kindness in saving my life, it is just a small token of my gratitude. I hope you will accept it, so that my senior brother will not suffer from inner demons and damage his cultivation in the future."

Since Master Ziyang had already said so, they had no choice but to accept it. Lu Cheng and Fairy Huoling both solemnly accepted it and thanked him profusely.

These rare and precious materials offer immeasurable benefits, whether sold to the public or used for personal cultivation.

After spending the night, the three dared not linger. They once again used their respective secret techniques to send urgent messages via talismans to the Taiqing Sect, Yuqing Sect, and Shangqing Sect:

Fu Guang disappeared into the void, carrying urgent information about the "Eastern Extreme Heavenly Ruins Secret Realm," the "Ancient Demon Realm Rift," the "Suspected Arrival of the Great Ascension Demon Ancestor," and the perilous situation the three of them were in.

If the sect could receive the communication talisman, they would immediately mobilize cultivators to come and support them. Meanwhile, Lu Cheng and his two companions dared not fly high, hiding by day and traveling by night, using their divine speed techniques to carefully advance on land for several days.

On this day, the three of them passed through a valley surrounded by mountains, with clear water as green as jade embedded in the ground.

With its babbling brooks, ancient trees, blooming exotic flowers, and swirling mist, it is truly a serene, peaceful, and ethereal paradise.

However, the moment I stepped into this beautiful place...

"Pfft!"

Lu Cheng's heart suddenly pounded like a drum. An indescribable sense of nausea, suffocation, and impending doom swept over him without warning.

It felt as if a thick layer of filth and grime had covered my heart, making me feel suffocated, and as if countless venomous snakes were staring coldly at the back of my neck.

Lu Cheng suddenly stopped and looked at the Fire Spirit Fairy beside him, whose expression had also changed drastically. He saw that she was in a similar state to him.

Master Ziyang was severely injured and his spiritual senses were dulled, so he did not react. However, after Lu Cheng stopped, he quickly realized what was going on when he saw the expressions on the two people's faces: "Is this a sudden whim, or a warning from the heavens?"

The higher a righteous cultivator's cultivation level and the more merit they accumulate, the more favor they receive from Heaven. When they encounter a major calamity, they are more likely to experience this kind of sensation.

Therefore, according to ancient records, when immortals fought, they would first confuse the secrets of heaven. Otherwise, unless a great calamity occurred and all living beings were blinded by the calamity, it would be difficult for an immortal to perish.

'No, Fire Spirit is one thing, but I feel the same way, and it's so strong. An ordinary fusion-level demonic cultivator might defeat me, but it's almost impossible for them to kill me.'

...A Mahayana demonic cultivator!?

"Let's go." Daoist Lu Cheng made a quick decision, his first thought being for the three of them to speed up and escape.

We have already tried various methods to check repeatedly, and the possibility that it is still a demonic tracking method is very low, but we still have to try it. If it really is a demonic tracking method, then it will be a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune!
But as he transformed into light and flew away, and time passed, the feeling of being locked on, like a maggot clinging to his bone, not only did not get rid of it, but became clearer and clearer.

The speed was almost unbelievable!

“Fellow Daoists, the pursuers possess astonishing magical power, likely already at the Mahayana realm. If we flee together, we will become too conspicuous, and there is no chance of survival.”

“Lu possesses a secret technique that might offer him a chance to escape. I will distract him.”

Facing a strong opponent with inferior strength, and especially against such a high-level cultivator, the three of them splitting up and fleeing was the only option. Lu Cheng was merely suggesting it in advance, which could be considered as gaining an extra favor.

Moreover, besides the Transformation Ascension Technique, after cultivating the Three Flowers at the Top, Lu Cheng has gained another trump card for survival, which should be useful.

"Senior Brother Lu!" Fire Spirit Fairy cried out urgently, her face drained of all color.

"Junior Brother Lu...sigh, one of us must return alive to report this matter to the sect!" At this moment, Master Ziyang used the Burning Yuan Secret Technique again, his face filled with blood, and his escape speed increased.

"I hope to meet you all again at the Dao Sect!"

Before he finished speaking, Lu Cheng shot into the sky like a golden arrow released from a bow.

The Golden Crow Transformation into a Rainbow Technique was unleashed at full power, transforming it into a giant sun in human form. Its golden light almost burned down the tranquil valley, and it unabashedly fled in a rainbow formation away from the Fire Spirit Fairy and her companion.

The terrifying sense of oppression that had been focused on the three people was instantly drawn away by this dazzling "bait".

It was truly remarkable that someone who was only at the Void Returning stage of cultivation could unleash a fusion stage escape technique, and operate it with such ease and skill.

Now, the Nightmare Demon Ancestor faces two paths: one is to kill the two people not far away, and the other is to pursue and kill the cultivator who transformed into a rainbow and fled.

Such escape techniques might actually offer a sliver of hope in escaping their pursuit!

"That variable shown in my divination is you, isn't it? I'll see for myself how you can ruin my entire plan!"

Lu Cheng fled at full speed for only a few dozen breaths. Just as his figure rushed out of a forest, the picturesque landscape below instantly lost all its color.

Space seemed to freeze; the stream stopped flowing, the mist ceased to move, and even the wind froze in mid-air.

It wasn't a true freeze, but rather that all the "dynamics" within that space were enveloped, defined, and smoothed out by a higher-level, purer "nothingness."

Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared out of nowhere in mid-air a hundred feet in front of Lu Cheng, blocking his way.

It was not the hideous demonic statue or the overwhelming surge of demonic energy that had been expected.

The newcomer wore a wide, faded Taoist robe, its style ancient and simple, and stood tall and slender. He had a handsome face with regular features, and his brows even carried a hint of otherworldly grace. A faint, ethereal smile played at the corners of his mouth, and his temperament was extremely lively and clear, like a Taoist master who had attained enlightenment and was playing among mortals, without a trace of demonic intent.

However, Lu Cheng's pupils suddenly dilated as if he had encountered a mortal enemy.

Because he couldn't sense even the slightest trace of life in this "Taoist" before him. There was no warmth of flesh and blood, no fluctuation of soul, only a profound emptiness that made his consciousness tremble. A kind of indifference that regarded all the ways of the world as dust that could be easily erased, and that regarded all good and evil as nothing.

Even more strangely, with the appearance of this Taoist, Lu Cheng clearly sensed that the Heavenly Dao Laws he had comprehended, cultivated, and aligned with were spontaneously distorted, disordered, and reversed.

The gentle breeze, which should have been warm and refreshing, was now mixed with a bone-chilling cold, and faintly carried the wailing of resentful spirits; the vibrant vegetation below, which was originally lush and green, suddenly became dull in color, as if its life force had been drained, and it exuded signs of decay and decay; even the Xuan Tian magic power that flowed smoothly and powerfully within his body felt a kind of indescribable stagnation, as if it were enveloped by an invisible swamp.

Extremely vicious, extremely wicked, extremely evil, extremely sinful...

These demonic energies, which should have been rejected and suppressed by the Heavenly Dao of this realm, were not suppressed around this person. Instead, they strangely integrated into the environment itself, becoming part of the operation of the laws. Wherever he stood, the Heavenly Dao there was distorted, altered, and even partially reshaped into a demonic realm that benefited him, thus confusing the Heavenly Dao.

They have reversed right and wrong, and obscured the truth of the universe!

(End of this chapter)