Immortals of the End Times

"Oh!"

An invisible sword aura exploded in the void.

Even before its ferocious maw was fully in mid-air, the fist-sized insect inside its skull was shredded into a cloud of black mist by the sharp sword intent.

The woman's body suddenly collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide open. The demonic energy remaining in her skull twisted like a living thing, eventually condensing into a small, black snake that hissed and flicked its tongue at Zhao Wuji.

"Heart-Eating Demon Gu?"

Zhao Wuji frowned, his gaze sweeping towards the southeast.

This is a vicious method used by demons to track their prey. Those words just now have probably alerted the caster of the curse.

This woman did not truly escape; rather, she was used by the cunning demonic cultivator as bait to lure other cultivators.

Southeast, a hundred miles away.

A cold wind swept through the withered forest.

A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dressed in black robes sat cross-legged on a blue stone, surrounded by demonic energy.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and a blood-red Gu pattern between his brows flashed violently before shattering with a "crack".

"My Gu worms... have been destroyed?!"

He abruptly stood up, his black robes fluttering in the wind, and shouted sharply, "Who dares to destroy my Heart-Eating Demon Gu?!"

The dozen or so demonic cultivators around him fell silent, bowing their heads and not daring to meet his gaze.

The demonic cultivator leader's face was gloomy, and his divine sense spread out like a tide, extending a hundred miles away.

However, the distance was too far, and when his divine sense barely reached that area, he could only "see" an empty space, and even the body of the woman who had been the bait had disappeared without a trace.

“Strange…” He frowned, his heart filled with doubt and unease.

Just as I was wondering, a gust of mountain wind suddenly swept up the withered leaves in front of me, making a rustling sound.

The demonic cultivator leader felt a sudden sense of alarm. Before he could react, a green shadow appeared silently a foot away from him, riding the wind like a ghost.

"Who?!"

The demonic cultivators were shocked and roared angrily. Their magical treasures surged with demonic energy, but they had not yet made a move.
"town!"

Zhao Wuji remained calm and composed, flicking his sleeve and making a hand seal before letting out a low shout.

The Suppressing Divine Technique suddenly erupted!
"Om!!"

The void trembled, and eight golden lines emerged from between his brows, intertwining to form a profound Dao seal of the character "镇" (zhen, meaning "suppress"). His divine sense, like an invisible mountain, crashed down!
In an instant, more than ten demonic cultivators were trapped in amber, their bodies stiffened, and they couldn't even move their eyes.

The leader, a late-stage Nascent Soul demon cultivator, suddenly shrank his pupils, feeling as if his soul had been struck by a massive hammer. His sea of ​​consciousness churned, and he couldn't even lift a finger. He was horrified: "What...what kind of divine power is this?!"

Zhao Wuji remained indifferent, taking a step forward to stand before him. His black hair fluttered beneath his cloak as he raised a finger and pointed it at the demonic cultivator's brow.

The moment the fingertips touched the skin, the golden patterns of the Suppressing Divine Art coiled around the skin like chains.

At the same time, the Dream Marriage Technique instantly invaded the other party's sea of ​​consciousness!

"Enter the dream!!"

His gaze was icy, and his consciousness constructed a dream, instantly hypnotizing the other party and pulling them into the dream vortex.

Then, the sword of divine sense pierced into the depths of the other party's memory, turning the demonic cultivator's memories into a dream scroll.

In the dream, the Crimson-Eyed Demon King's single crimson eye flickered in the darkness, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Thirteen Demon Princes.

Behind them, a dark horde of demons surged like a tide, rushing rapidly towards the Seven Mist Gorge in the southeast.

The demonic aura and the demonic mist intertwined, clearly indicating that something was being plotted.

"So this person is the old servant of the thirteen demon princes."

Zhao Wuji withdrew his divine sense, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

Although the demon servant Chang Xiangwan did not know the specific plan, he revealed that the thirteen demon sons had colluded with powerful forces in other states and had other plans in Beiyun Dizhou.

"A demon king at the late Golden Core stage, a demon prince at the early Golden Core stage, and a mysterious outside helper."

His eyes flickered slightly as he secretly made his plans.

With his current strength, even if he is defeated, he can still escape unscathed.

If the foreign player isn't strong, maybe they can still...
"call!"

He suddenly took out the first sword token and used it to transmit the intelligence he had gathered back to the Qilin Sword Sect.

Then, with fingers like a knife, he cut off a strand of Chang Xiangwan's hair and extracted three drops of his heart's essence.

With a flick of his sleeves, the Blood King Gu hummed as it emerged, sweeping across the land like a blood-red storm.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten demonic cultivators, along with their magical treasures, were all turned into blood mist and devoured.

Only Chang Xiangwan remained.

"Goo!"

The Blood King Gu emitted a satisfied buzz, its malevolent energy surging, even corroding the ground with spiderweb-like cracks.

"Not bad." Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, his body twisting as his hand gestures changed.

In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into the appearance of the demonic cultivator Chang Xiangwan in the horrified gaze of the opposite side, even his aura was exactly the same.

"I'll infiltrate these demons as a demon servant, meet them, and see what their plans are."

With a sinister old face, Zhao Wuji smiled coldly, waved his sleeve to knock Chang Xiangwan unconscious, and then casually put the man into his Pot Heaven Space to control him.

Such cultivators at the late stage of the Concentration Realm usually have their soul lamps provided within the sect.

Killing it might alert the enemy.

Therefore, he spared the dog's life for the time being, intending to take it from him later.

His figure flashed like a ghost, heading southeast.

Inside the Affairs Hall of the Qilin Sword Sect.

Shu Chundong was engrossed in reviewing the jade slips when suddenly the sword token at his waist trembled, signaling a message.

"Hmm? His Highness Zhao sent a message so quickly?"

He frowned, puzzled.

He's only been gone a few days?

Logically speaking, it should take at least ten days to half a month to find out the whereabouts of the Crimson-Eyed Demon King and the demonic cultivators. How come there is news so quickly?

He quickly formed a hand seal and probed the sword token with his divine sense to check the message content.

The next instant, his pupils contracted sharply, and he jumped up from the desk, exclaiming, "What?!"

In the message, Zhao Wuji not only found out the whereabouts of the Crimson-Eyed Demon King and the demonic cultivators, but also marked in detail their suspected hiding places and routes of movement.

It was even revealed that powerful figures from other continents were involved!

"How is this possible?!"

Shu Chundong was shocked, and the sword in his hand trembled slightly.

How many days has it been?

Zhao Wuji not only found the Crimson-Eyed Demon King's trail, but also figured out the details of the demonic cultivators and even uncovered the powerful force behind them.
Their intelligence gathering capabilities are simply terrifying!

He took a deep breath, suppressed his shock, immediately put away the jade slip, and strode out of the Affairs Hall, heading straight for the Sword Pavilion where the Grand Elder Fang Lingchu was.

Inside the Sword Pavilion, Fang Lingchu was meditating on the sword technique with his eyes closed, his body surrounded by sword energy that swirled like a dragon.

"Great Elder!"

Shu Chundong hurriedly stepped in, his expression solemn. He cupped his hands and said, "His Highness Zhao has sent word that he has located the Crimson-Eyed Demon King and the demonic cultivators, and the information is extremely detailed, even involving experts from other continents!" Fang Lingchu slowly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them: "So fast?"

Shu Chundong nodded and said in a deep voice, "This matter is of utmost importance. Should we immediately mobilize other deacons and swordsmen to provide support?"

Fang Lingchu pondered for a moment, then shook his head and smiled calmly: "No need."

"No need?!"

Shu Chundong was taken aback and said urgently, "But the other side has a powerful force behind them, as well as the Crimson-Eyed Demon King and demonic cultivators. Your Highness Zhao is all alone, what if..."

Fang Lingchu raised his hand to interrupt, a deep smile appearing in his eyes: "You, you still don't understand this number one swordsman enough."

He stood with his hands behind his back and slowly said, "Do you know that he once infiltrated under the nose of the Wang family for many years, and finally joined forces with the Sword Lord to kill Wang Wujiang?"
This man is meticulous in his thinking and ruthless in his methods; he is not someone to be trifled with.

"If he really needed help, he would have asked for it. Since he didn't, it means he was already confident."

Shu Chundong frowned, still somewhat worried: "But after all, this is a matter of great importance."

Fang Lingchu smiled meaningfully and said, "Master Zhao has just entered the sect. Although his sword is superior to all the heroes, his seniority is still shallow."

If I can resolve this matter on my own and make a great contribution, my prestige will be further enhanced, making up for my lack of seniority.

You said that if you sent some people over without his consent at this time, they might help but take away some of the credit.

If it's not helpful and just makes things worse, then…

"Moreover," he said, his gaze deep, "since he refused to take other disciples with him when he left and chose to travel alone, there must be a reason for it."

Upon hearing this, Shu Chundong remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed, "In that case, I'll wait and see."

He gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with both expectation and a hint of worry.

If you are really worried.

The elder smiled and said, "In a couple of days, we will invite Xiao Chenzhou to investigate. His Highness Xiao has a good relationship with him, so perhaps he won't hold it against us."

Southeast, a hundred miles outside of Qiwu Gorge.

A cold wind swept through the withered forest, and a mountain range shrouded in black mist lay prostrate like a giant beast.

Based on Chang Xiangwan's memories, Zhao Wuji followed her on his sword and arrived. His gaze swept over the approaching Wang family territory, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Could these demons have their eyes on the Xuanming Dynasty?"

He flashed and transformed into a gray shadow, disappearing into the depths of the mountains.

The cave inside the mountain was filled with the stench of blood.

The Crimson-Eyed Demon King sat on a throne of white bones, his single eye as red as blood.

His lion-like red hair stood on end like steel needles, and his fangs were exposed. He was drinking blood wine from a goblet made from a human skull.

The liquor dripped down the fangs, hissing white smoke as it corroded the stone ground.

All around, the rock walls were embedded with fist-sized spirit stone cores, their spiritual light flowing around them. They were actually formed by forcibly extracting and compressing the spiritual veins of the Flying Eagle Cave!

The cave was filled with dense spiritual energy, almost condensing into mist, but upon closer inspection, cracks had appeared on the surface of the spiritual core.

This is clearly a demonic method of draining the pond to catch all the fish, forcibly extracting the essence of the spiritual veins at the cost of destroying them, and providing it to this Golden Core demon to draw upon in the wild, which is intolerable to the righteous path of the Nine Provinces.

"Report!!"

Footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave, indicating that the demon servants had returned.

Thirteen Demon Princes, their black robes fluttering and pale faces hidden beneath their hoods, coldly stared at the "demon servants" who had entered, and demanded, "Chang Xiangwan, I sent you to search for young female cultivators, and you dare to return empty-handed?"

Disguised as a demon servant, Zhao Wuji bowed respectfully and said, "Reporting to the Demon Prince, I have arranged for disciples to keep watch over there. I have come to inquire if there are any other tasks."

"Useless!" The Thirteenth Demon Prince was about to rebuke him, but his eyes showed impatience.

"Hehehe," the Crimson-Eyed Demon King suddenly interrupted with a sinister laugh, his single eye flashing with cunning, "Of course I have a mission! We're about to attack the Wang family, and since you're here, you'll come along too."

He licked his fangs and said in a sinister tone, "With your late-stage Nascent Soul realm strength, you're quite a formidable opponent."

Thirteen Demon Prince's fingers trembled slightly beneath his black robe as he cursed inwardly that the foolish lion demon had seen through his thoughts.

He originally intended to transfer his capable lieutenants to reduce his own losses, but unexpectedly, the incompetent lieutenants proved to be hopeless and returned on their own.

"Attack the Wang family?!"

Zhao Wuji's heart skipped a beat, but his expression became even more respectful. He hesitated and asked, "Will this alarm the Qilin Sword Sect?"

"Humph!"

From the corner, the masked man who had been silent suddenly spoke.

The man, dressed in a brocade robe, spoke with a distinctive accent from Southern Chu State beneath his mask: "The Wang family now has only two Golden Core cultivators left, giving us an absolute advantage. As for the Qilin Sword Sect..."

He sneered, "We have a terrible relationship with the Wang family. They weren't even invited to the previous Qilin Sword Tournament. Why would we take action for them?"

Amidst the stench of blood, Zhao Wuji's double pupils flickered slightly.

The faint trace of human presence emanating from beneath the mask, and the subtle patterns on the cuffs of the brocade robe...
"Southern Chu Prefecture belongs to Yang Su of the Yang family!"

He instantly recognized the identity of this "mysterious person," whom he had met once before. His lowered eyelids narrowed slightly.

It seems that the Yang family of Nanchu Prefecture has their eyes on the true head of Xiang Yu from the Hua family.

Wang Wujiang once had the ambition to unify the four schools.

However, his ambitions were not fulfilled, and he passed away prematurely.

After that, the four families, intimidated by the power of the Qilin Sword Sect, behaved themselves for a while.

Now, seeing the Qilin Sword Sect's cold attitude towards the Wang family, they probably can't hold back anymore and are starting to make moves.

Zhao Wuji outwardly obeyed the order, but was then impatiently dismissed by the Thirteen Demon Princes.

After leaving the cave, he secretly activated the Dream Marriage Technique and quietly contacted the Dream-Attracting Worm within Hua Qingshuang's body.

"Peak Master, the Wang family is about to be attacked. In seven days, the Crimson-Eyed Demon King and the demonic cultivators will collude with the Yang family to attack the Wang family. Make preparations immediately."

Five thousand miles away, inside the boudoir of the Wang family's Balong Mountain.

Hua Qingshuang's consciousness jolted as she sensed Zhao Wuji's voice coming from the Dream-Attracting Insect. She immediately asked urgently, "Wuji, what's going on? Are you in danger?"

Zhao Wuji chuckled and replied, "It's alright. I disguised myself as a demonic cultivator and blended in with them. They didn't suspect anything."

He then briefly explained the situation and the plan.

When the enemy attacks the Wang family, Hua Qingshuang needs to temporarily withdraw the protective mountain formation to lure the enemy deeper into the territory, and then activate the formation to block their retreat.

At that time, he will personally set up the formation, and together with the power of Xiang Yu's true head, they will surround and kill the demon king and the demonic cultivator.

After hearing the plan, Hua Qingshuang gradually felt relieved and solemnly agreed: "I will make arrangements immediately. Wuji, you are in the Demon's Lair, so please be careful."

"Don't worry, Peak Master, I can survive even if my head is cut off. Of course I will lead the way back to see you. It's been several months since I last went back."

After cutting off the communication, Zhao Wuji pretended to be on patrol, but in reality, he secretly observed the outer perimeter of the mountain range.

The spiritual energy here is scarce, and the mountain mists are sparse.

Clearly, most of it was absorbed by the demon king and other high-level beings in the cave, leaving only a little mixed spiritual energy for these low- and mid-level demon beasts to consume.

Along the way, monsters raged. A wolf demon with a blue face and fangs was tearing apart the cultivator's limbs, leaving a bloody mess between its fangs.

On the other side, the snake demon was coiled around the pile of corpses, spewing poisonous mist that corroded the bones, emitting a stench that filled the air.

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed like lightning as he scanned the area with his divine sense, silently counting in his mind: "Seventeen late-stage Qi Refining Gu, two early-stage Spirit Condensation Gu... Heh, these are good materials for deciphering the Demon-Slaying Technique, and the Blood King Gu's food supply will be secured."

He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes: "With the revival of spiritual energy, demons and monsters have emerged in droves. So be it. I can wield my sword to slay demons and roam freely across the land. These demon resources have come to my advantage."

(End of this chapter)