Immortals of the End Times

Several days later, inside the Immortal Saint Sect.

In the Immortal Saint Palace shrouded in spiritual mist, Zhao Wuji waved his sleeve, and a dim remnant of his primordial spirit immediately appeared in mid-air.

The surface of that soul was covered with spiderweb-like demonic patterns, which was the hideous appearance of the Liu family patriarch when he was corrupted by demonic nature.

"A dignified Nascent Soul cultivator was so easily infected and bewitched by demonic forces."

Seated opposite him, Cang Yunzi's white eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his whisk moved without any wind.

Upon seeing the surging demonic energy within the remnant soul, the face of this Nascent Soul Dao Lord grew even more somber.

"It's not just this person; as far as I know, there's another one like this."

Zhao Wuji suddenly tapped his finger, and a figure in purple ribbons appeared within the remnant soul. "Elder Wei of your sect's outer sect has also been corrupted by demonic energy."

"Ok?"

The spiritual energy in the hall suddenly stagnated. Cang Yunzi frowned, his Taoist robe fluttering, and an astonishing spiritual pressure erupted from his body: "Since returning from the Ninth Heaven, I have noticed frequent disturbances in various places."

The mortal realms are constantly at war, and the various immortal sects' grotto-heavens are also locked in infighting.

He conjured a map of the Nine Provinces from spiritual energy, densely marked with numerous blood-red dots. "These are all conflicts that have broken out in recent years."

"During my seclusion, I have ordered Elder Pang to direct the stewards and disciples to act as inspectors and go to various places to supervise the suppression of the rebellion."

In the past few months, it is said that dozens of demonic cultivators have been captured.

I never imagined the situation would become so dire that even Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the vicinity of my Immortal Saint Sect have been transformed into demons.

Before the words were finished, a whooshing sound suddenly came from outside the hall.

Then, the figure of the Supreme Elder Pang Xixue arrived on a cloud, with a purple-robed cultivator bound by a rope-like magic artifact beside her. It was Elder Wei from the outer sect of the Immortal Saint Sect.

"Reporting to the Sect Master!"

Elder Pang's voice boomed, "The entire Liu family is now under the control of the enforcement team. Elder Wei even tried to escape using the Blood Escape Technique! But I intercepted and captured him in time!"

"I'm innocent, Sect Master!"

Bound by the Demon-Binding Lock, Wei Junliang knelt on the ground, his Taoist robe tattered. Veins bulged on his forehead as he hissed in protest: "Sect Master, please be wise! Although I obtained the Demon Tome and Demon Blood in that Demon Cave with the Liu family patriarch, I never colluded with him to cultivate together."

"Noisy!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhao Wuji unleashed a lightning-fast strike that instantly aimed at Wei Junliang's brow.

"Ugh!!"

Wei Junliang trembled violently, his face contorting in pain.

Thick demonic energy spewed from its seven orifices, and its Taoist robe tore apart inch by inch in the churning turbid waves.

His originally slender body swelled rapidly, transforming in an instant into a ten-foot-tall demonic form. His face was blue, his fangs were bared, and his body was covered in demonic scales. His ten fingers suddenly transformed into sharp, menacing claws.

"You bastard!" Cang Yunzi narrowed his eyes, his face turning ashen.

"Shh!"

Zhao Wuji made a grasping motion with his five fingers, and the True Meaning of Intercepting the Dao was like peeling silk from a cocoon, pulling out all the memories sealed in Wei Junliang's sea of ​​consciousness.

In an instant, the hall was filled with a play of light and shadow, revealing numerous bloody and evil scenes.

However, within the numerous large and small grotto-heavens, countless cultivators were being controlled by his henchmen, their collarbones pierced by iron chains like livestock, howling in agony as they turned into withered bones in the blood array.

Some cultivators were even imprisoned beside alchemy furnaces and cauldrons, refining magical treasures and pills day and night like walking corpses.

Especially those female cultivators with captivating charm were almost always used as alchemical furnaces, with prices clearly marked, and sold to various immortal sects and markets, or became playthings of some high-level cultivators.

What is most appalling is that his henchmen disguised themselves as venerable immortal masters and swindled talented young people in various mortal kingdoms.

Those innocent children who dream of becoming immortals are led into the celestial realm and embarked on the path to immortality, only to be immediately bound by restrictive shackles.

Although they claim to be cultivating immortality, in reality they are no different from controlled slaves.

Such demonic behavior hardly befits the righteous leadership of the Immortal Saint Sect.
Even in Zhao Wuji's view, this behavior was somewhat similar to a certain industrial park in the northern part of his previous world, and it was simply inhumane.

"evil creature!"

Cangyunzi's white beard bristled with rage, and his divine power was as overwhelming as a collapsing mountain.

The beams and pillars of the Immortal Saint Palace trembled violently at the angry shout, and the star map on the dome flickered uncertainly.

"Before the True Lord who vanquishes demons and manifests sainthood, you demonic child, who has committed countless evil deeds, still dare to argue that you are innocent?!"

"Brother Dao, please calm down!"

Zhao Wuji quickly raised his hand to stop him.

If he didn't stop him, he suspected that Cang Yunzi would kill Elder Wei on the spot.

"metropolitan!"

Elder Pang, standing to the side, said with a solemn expression, "Elder Wei's state of demonic possession is exactly the same as that of the cultivators imprisoned in the sect who have gone astray."

Before its demonic transformation, it remained deeply hidden, making it extremely difficult to detect any demonic aura on its body.

As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, revealing a scene in a water mirror.

Within the layers of restrictions in the scene, dozens of demonized cultivators were separated and imprisoned.

"I thought that by sealing these people off with a grand formation, everything would be foolproof, but who would have thought..."

Elder Pang frowned deeply, "The demonic nature within these people is contagious, like a plague."

In recent months, several of the guards have been corrupted by demonic forces and have become demonized, and some have even released demonic cultivators on their own.

"If it weren't for the timely warning and the ban, there would likely have been even more trouble."

Cang Yunzi was astonished, "How could demonic energy still infect the guarding disciples through the array?"

"So it seems so."

Zhao Wuji's eyes narrowed slightly. "The demonic nature within these people is a seed planted by the six great ancestral demons using some unknown means. It contains profound demonic essence, far surpassing ordinary demonic possession."

No one is perfect; who can be without desires? Almost everyone has seven emotions and six desires.

Greed, anger, ignorance, and delusion are like tinder for a demonic fire; a little stirring and they can ignite a raging inferno.

"I see!"

Cang Yunzi's Taoist robe fluttered without wind, and he said solemnly, "No wonder the demonic chaos has intensified in recent years; it turns out that those six old demons are the ones causing trouble in the dark!"

The old Daoist looked intently at Zhao Wuji: "Fellow Daoist Zhao's Intercepting Dao technique seems capable of intercepting other Nascent Soul cultivators. Do you have a way to break this Dao Integration Demon?"

"I'll try."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly, his fingers forming a sword shape, and the true meaning of the Intercepting Dao transformed into golden threads that entered Wei Junliang's brow.

The golden threads meandered through the meridians, suddenly entangling a wisp of surging black energy, pulling it out as if peeling silk from a cocoon.

After the demonic energy left the body, it transformed into a greedy nine-headed serpent, like nine gluttonous snakes, roaring and struggling in the void, before turning back into black mist and seeping back into the seven orifices.

"You wretched creature! How dare you act so insolently here!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes shone with fierce power, his Taoist robe billowed, and thousands of golden patterns suddenly burst forth from his sleeves.

The golden patterns, like a net covering the sky and the earth, instantly enveloped Wei Junliang, revealing the demonic nature within him in every detail.

All that could be seen were numerous black lines intertwined within the five internal organs and the sea of ​​consciousness.

But under the strangulation of the golden patterns, the demonic nature melted away like snow being poured with boiling water.

But in less than three breaths, new black energy seeped out from the bone marrow and the depths of the opponent's consciousness, instantly forming a demonic net.

Zhao Wuji put down his hand seals, shook his head and sighed softly, "This person's Dao heart is corrupted, and greed has eroded his bones."

Even if one banishes all demonic influences, if greed remains, one will inevitably repeat the same mistakes.

This is why the six ancestral demons have been able to succeed time and again, and why demonic infection is so difficult to prevent: When there is a flaw in the human heart, the seed of demonic growth will naturally sprout.

Cang Yunzi frowned slightly, and his whisk moved without wind: "The three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance are truly the greatest taboos in cultivation."

"Very well! Since I cannot subdue demons with my mind, then I will have no choice but to subdue them with my body today."

He sighed deeply, then suddenly pointed his fingers like a sword, his eyes sharp, and unleashed a burst of divine power, shouting, "Break!"

"what!"

Wei Junliang screamed in agony as his nascent soul in his dantian shattered inch by inch, and spiritual energy in his acupoints leaked out like a burst dam.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed from its hideous demonic form back into human form, its eyes filled with resentment as it lay slumped on the ground.

"Breaking your cultivation will make it difficult for you to commit evil deeds again. Unfortunately, this is ultimately a temporary solution rather than a permanent one."

Cang Yunzi's voice boomed like a bell as he said in a deep voice, "It seems that only by slaying the six Ancestral Demons can we sever this plague-like source of demonic corruption!"

He turned to Pang Xixue and solemnly said, "Elder Pang, issue an order to all sects and factions in the Nine Provinces that, from this day forward, all disciples must practice the Purifying Heart Mantra."

Those who have previously acted with impure intentions and violated precepts should be especially closely monitored!

Then, pointing at the critically injured and dying Elder Wei, he said coldly, "The people involved in the case from this scoundrel's subordinate caves shall be handed over to the Enforcement Hall for strict punishment! And those cultivators and mortals under control shall also be dealt with properly."

"I will obey the sect master's decree!"

Pang Xixue bowed and accepted the order. Immediately, his white beard fluttered as he walked out of the main hall, mounted his escape light, and soared into the sky.

"It is truly a long and arduous task to eradicate the evil scourge from this land."

Cang Yunzi sighed softly, his gaze turning deep as he looked at Zhao Wuji: "However, Fellow Daoist Zhao, the heavy responsibility of upholding the world and resolving the calamity of the end times still needs you to take the helm."

Although this demonic affliction is severe, it shouldn't hinder your cultivation progress. Leave these matters to me."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji shook his head and smiled, "Brother Dao, you think too highly of me."

In truth, Zhao had no grand ambitions of upholding justice or saving the world. He was merely doing what he should do.

He casually waved his sleeve and said, "We have cultivated to this point, and our path is now connected to heaven and earth. If we allow calamities to descend, we will both become stranded fish."

At that time, we will be like dragons stranded in shallow waters, mocked by shrimp; tigers fallen to the plains, bullied by dogs. If we do not resolve this calamity of the end times, our future will be sealed.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao is too modest."

Cang Yunzi shook his head and chuckled, sweeping his whisk across the ground, saying, "We judge things by their actions, not their intentions. What you have done, fellow Daoist, is the true meaning of righteousness."

After a brief chat, Zhao Wuji took his leave.

In the past few days, he has summoned Hua Qingshuang and the other three women to temporarily gather in the Second Pot Heaven Space.

To guard against the threat of the six ancestral demons, he decided to personally provide the four women with a layer of mental protection to prevent incidents like Xiaoyue's from happening again.

In the blink of an eye, his figure appeared within the second Heavenly Realm. "Unfettered!"

"Husband!"

"Good nephew, what happened? Why did you suddenly summon the four of us here? Is it going to be like last time?"

"Senior brother, could you please not freeze me this time?"

But then, the four women, Hua Qingshuang and her companions, with their skirts fluttering, gathered around her like colorful butterflies.

Zhao Wuji looked at the four chattering women who had gathered around him, his expression slightly helpless.

What were they thinking?

Would he be the kind of person who would solemnly call all four women over just because of 'that kind of thing'?
In a few words, he recounted Xiaoyue's Golden Core Tribulation and the changes in the Liu family.

"This actually happened?"

Hua Qingshuang's pretty face suddenly hardened: "I never expected that those old demons deep in the Nine Netherworlds could bewitch people with such methods."
Recently, news has indeed circulated from several minor factions affiliated with the Hua family that some cultivators have inexplicably suffered from qi deviation. I initially thought it was just a mishap in their cultivation, but could it also be due to being infected by demonic forces?

As Wu Ji said, flies don't land on eggs without cracks.

Yan Lan, dressed in fiery red, hummed softly, "As long as our Dao hearts remain as still as a clear pool, no matter how those demons try to bewitch us, it will all be in vain."

"But...don't you find it strange?"

Nan Zhixia, her hair flowing down her back, looked on with worry in her gentle eyes: "If such methods are so powerful, why have the six ancestral demons of the Nine Netherworld never used them before?"

"It may have been used, but that was probably not a recent event."

Zhao Wuji shook his head slightly and said, "Moreover, such methods definitely require depleting the essence of demonic cultivation, so there must be many limitations in their execution. Perhaps, they also require favorable timing and location to be effective."

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes flashed with golden light, and he looked at the four women and said, "Since those six old demons have already declared that they will target those close to me, you will inevitably be the first to be affected."

Therefore, I have summoned you all to plant layers of protection deep within your primordial spirit and soul, just in case.

Upon hearing this, the four women exchanged glances for a moment. A ripple appeared in Hua Qingshuang's icy eyes, and Nan Zhixia and Li Shiyu nodded in unison.

"I will leave it to my husband's arrangements."

"You brat, my junior sister and I still have the seed you planted inside us. Do you want to plant something else? How about..."

Yan Lan's eyes were alluring, her lips slightly pursed, "You can plant them for us yourself."

"You still like to joke around at times like this."

Zhao Wuji covered his head and waved his sleeve, saying, "Listen to me, everyone, sit around me first."

"I'll listen to you on important matters first."

Yan Lan gave a soft snort, but still did as she was told.

The four women, their robes fluttering, sat cross-legged in a lotus formation, surrounding Zhao Wuji.

"Duh!!"

Zhao Wuji made a hand seal with his fingers together, and four golden rays suddenly burst forth from his fingertips, which darted into the brows of the four women like swimming dragons.

It was clearly the first layer of protection formed by the exorcism technique.

The golden light transformed upon entering their bodies, forming layers of Sanskrit characters around the four women's primordial spirits.

With a clang, like an ancient bell being overturned, the four women's primordial spirits were completely protected.

"Concentrate and calm your mind."

Zhao Wuji suddenly drew a path through the netherworld with his left hand, while his right hand drew upon the energy of the Nine Netherworlds.

The two techniques of "Penetrating the Netherworld and Chasing the Soul" are activated simultaneously.

Suddenly, dark blue and black chains began to rise from the tops of the four women's heads, coiling around their souls like serpents. As the chains interlocked, the ghostly script of the underworld and the cloud patterns of the celestial realm intertwined to form a net.

Instantly, a layer of shimmering glass film was coated onto the surface of the four women's primordial spirits.

As the light membrane swirls, the phantom images of the Six Paths of Reincarnation appear and disappear, and any demonic thoughts that touch it are as if they have vanished into thin air.

Zhao Wuji gave a low shout, "The Soul-Chasing Barrier can sever entanglements of cause and effect."

This is the second layer of protection, specifically designed to prevent evil spirits from possessing the body and to prevent inner demons from invading.

As the chains swung, they stirred up gusts of cold wind, but when they touched the Golden Bell of the Primordial Spirit, they transformed into a gentle spring rain, a perfect blend of strength and softness.

The four women's delicate bodies trembled slightly at the same time.

Hua Qingshuang lightly bit her red lips with her pearly teeth, Nan Zhixia tilted her head back and whimpered, Li Shiyu's slender fingers gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, and Yan Lan's toes were pointed and curled up.

This mysterious transformation from yin to yang made their souls feel as if Zhao Wuji was gently embracing them with Daoist charm.

A warm current flowed from my mind into my limbs and bones.

In an instant, her fragrant sweat soaked through her light gauze dress, and her soft breaths filled the vast expanse of heaven and earth, all transforming into an enchanting atmosphere.

"cut!!"

Zhao Wuji suddenly clasped his hands together, and the Intercepting Fortune Seal burst forth with brilliant light from his palms.

The four women immediately felt the energy being pulled, and the golden threads of energy around their bodies were lifted into the air as if being unraveled from a cocoon.

Hua Qingshuang and Nan Zhixia both had fair skin with a peachy pink hue, while Li Shiyu and Yan Lan unconsciously straightened their backs.

The silk threads formed from the essence of their true energy flowed through their meridians, intertwining with the starlight of the Budding Technique, and finally condensed into four translucent jade pendants at their collarbones.

The jade pendant melts like spring snow upon touching the skin, connecting with the heart's pulse.

All four women felt a gentle, warm Daoist energy tapping their hearts. They instinctively clutched their chests and breathed heavily, faint golden lines appearing between their brows, their faces flushed, like snow-white jade warmed by the sun in the clouds.

"This pendant can sense danger and provide timely warnings if you are in danger."

Zhao Wuji's breathing was slightly disordered, indicating that he had expended a great deal of energy.

"With these three layers of protection, even if the six ancestral demons resort to their old tricks, they should be unable to harm you in the slightest."

"Unrestrained."

The four women were about to speak when he raised his hand to stop them.

"I'm fine. Next, I will go into seclusion to cultivate and prepare to break through to the Dao Integration Realm. This seclusion may last for several decades."

"Decades have passed. Although we have reached the Nascent Soul stage and enjoy a lifespan of 1,500 years, how many more years will a woman have left when she is young?"

Before Zhao Wuji could finish speaking, Yan Lan had already voiced her complaint, her red robes blazing as she rushed forward.

"I don't care, if you want to build a fourth layer of protection, you have to do it yourself."

"Husband!"

Nan Zhixia and Li Shiyu, one on each side, immediately grabbed his sleeves.

Although Hua Qingshuang's expression was aloof, her eyes held a deep reluctance, and she hesitated to speak.

"You guys are really something."

Zhao Wuji chuckled helplessly, looking at his Daoist partner in front of him, whose temperament and style were like 'spring, summer, autumn and winter'.

He shook his head, stood up, and said, "Fine, that's enough for today."

"Not only today, but last time it was only three days, one day less, this time it will be four days."

"Alright, alright, four days it is. Although I love cultivation, a few more days won't make a difference."

Four days of spring sunshine.

For Zhao Wuji, who had four wives representing spring, summer, autumn, and winter, it was as if he had gone through a cycle of the four seasons.

After calming the four women down, he did the same thing again, heading into the First Heavenly Space to plant protective spells on Xiaoyue and Xiaoya.

"With this arrangement, all future troubles have been eliminated."

Inside the Pot Heaven space, Zhao Wuji's eyes narrowed slightly. "However, the six Ancestral Demons are all old monsters in the Dao Integration Realm after all. Such a threat cannot be completely ignored."

A hint of seriousness appeared on his face.

"My sixth Dao Intent has taken shape. The only thing missing for me to reach the Nascent Soul stage is the accumulation of magical power. It's time to put the matter of merging with the Dao on the agenda."

He pondered to himself, realizing that the situation now allowed no room for complacency. He had to guard against the ancestral demons and find a way to awaken the fallen Heavenly Dao.

These two things are complementary.

If the Heavenly Dao can be awakened, then the power of Heaven and Earth can be used to suppress the Ancestral Demon.

But would those old demons sit idly by and watch him communicate with the Heavenly Dao? They would probably risk being devoured by the Heavenly Dao to stop his path.

With this thought in mind, he suddenly made a hand seal, and the Gate of the Mysterious Female suddenly opened in front of him.

He stepped in and in the blink of an eye, he had arrived at the third Heavenly Realm.

Today, this third-party space has been perfectly integrated with the inner secret realm and the ancient and mysterious land, forming a seamless whole.

The space was filled with ancient spiritual energy.

The towering tree stands tall in the distance, its branches casting hazy shadows of celestial palaces and jade pavilions, with numerous golden palaces and celestial terraces appearing and disappearing intermittently.

It was as if the ancient world had been incorporated into Zhao Wuji's pot-shaped space, forming a small world within a pot.

In the depths of the distant, misty spiritual energy, countless sword beams were faintly visible.

It was caused by the sword shadow and sword energy emitted by that nine-leaf sword grass.

Every blade of grass is as sharp as a sword.

The Nine-Leaf Sword Grass in this Heavenly Secret Realm was originally a fragment of the true sword grass from the ancient sword domain, which was then transformed by an ancient sword immortal with a single flick of his finger from a drop of morning dew containing supreme sword intent.

The dewdrops hanging on the blades of grass were as clear as mirrors, reflecting the true form of the peerless sword grass atop the Sword Immortal Mountain in the ancient sword domain.

It's as if some mysterious connection has been established between the dewdrop and Sword Immortal Mountain.

Since the ancient Sword Domain closed its gates, it has become increasingly difficult for people to set foot in that sacred land of sword cultivators.

But now Zhao Wuji has a new idea.

Now his wall-opening technique has reached a level of "proficiency".

Perhaps by using the magical dew on these sword grass leaves as a guide, we can use the Wall-Opening Technique to forcibly create a temporary passage to the ancient sword domain.

If he could obtain the real Nine-Leaf Sword Grass from Sword Immortal Mountain, his sword attack power would increase several times over.

At that time, even when facing powerful beings like the Six Great Ancestral Demons who have reached the Dao Integration Realm, they will have a better chance of winning.
(End of this chapter)