Chapter 569 - 314: The Swift-Footed Arrives First

The Celestial Demon’s baleful aura was overwhelming. In just a few breaths, it had claimed several lives one after another.

Seeing its aura surge as it was about to recover to Late-stage Core Formation, Lü Zhong, to avoid any complications, prepared to strike with his full strength and slay this Celestial Demon.

But just then, he sensed a wave of Sword Qi coming at him from behind.

"Heh!" Lü Zhong sneered.

’Some blind fool actually wants to sneak-attack me.’

’In that case, I’ll grant you your wish!’

Lü Zhong no longer suppressed his aura. A Spiritual Pressure at the Nascent Soul True Monarch Level erupted, instantly enveloping the entire area. Only then did the cultivators present realize in shock that a Nascent Soul Old Monster had been mixed in with the crowd.

At that moment, the expression on Chan Xu’s face was a sight to behold.

It was a mixture of shock and regret, filled with utter disbelief.

How could he have ever imagined that the person he was trying to sneak-attack was actually a Nascent Soul Old Monster?

"Senior, I—"

Unfortunately, before Chan Xu could finish, a dense barrage of Mirror Light arrived. Before everyone’s horrified eyes, it easily shattered his Protective Gang Qi and then pierced straight through his body.

He was dead beyond dead in a single exchange.

Pulling a Storage Bag into his hand, Lü Zhong ignored the other cultivators and turned his gaze back to the Celestial Demon. In just a few breaths, the demon had already broken through to the Late-stage Core Formation.

Seeing Lü Zhong look its way, the demon showed not a hint of fear. Instead, it let out a series of roars as a baleful flame ignited in its eyes. With a low growl, it transformed into a Blood Shadow. Its body abruptly swelled to a hundred zhang, becoming a giant beast of flame that charged forward, roaring and spewing fire.

Wherever it passed, flames covered the ground.

It forcibly forged a path of crimson lotus.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. The difference of a Great Realm was a celestial chasm, nearly impossible to overcome.

For him, dealing with this demon was as simple as eating a meal or drinking water.

Casually, a Small Flag flew out from his sleeve.

It was the Human-Faced Flood Dragon Banner!

Soon, a crimson Little Flood Dragon shot out. It opened its mouth toward the flames unleashed by the Celestial Demon and inhaled. The roiling fire turned into streams that flowed into the flood dragon’s mouth.

Every last bit was absorbed by the Human-Faced Flood Dragon.

When the beast transformed from the Celestial Demon saw this, it knew at once it had met its nemesis. Its baleful aura vanished in an instant. It hastily stopped, its two claws kicking up a shower of dirt and rock. With a leap, it transformed into a cloud of fire and shot into the sky in just a few moves, clearly intending to flee.

At the same time, a fiery light flashed from its body, and it shot out over a hundred millstone-sized Fireballs.

"Hmph. Still trying to stall for time?" Lü Zhong snorted coldly.

Seeing that this demon was nothing special, he decided to send it on its way.

He first commanded the Human-Faced Flood Dragon Banner to absorb all the incoming Fireballs. Then, with a thrust of his left hand, the long-brewing Thunderous Spear shot out. It transformed into a thin silver line that, in an instant, struck the fleeing Celestial Demon.

BOOM! A muffled explosion rang out.

A Thunder Ball exploded, annihilating everything within its range. The Celestial Demon caught within was naturally obliterated, not even a bone left behind.

CLANG! A piece of scorched black metal fell to the ground.

Lü Zhong pulled it into his hand. When he got a clear look at it, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "To think the Divine Witch Order was hidden inside the Celestial Demon, and I just had to go and destroy it..."

Fortunately, the destroyed Divine Witch Order was only one of the lowest-grade Five Central Orders.

However, this also made him realize that the Divine Witch Orders hidden in the Stone Hall were most likely placed randomly. Otherwise, it was impossible to explain why killing a Tier Four Great Demon would only yield a single Five Central Divine Witch Order.

’Why would the Witch Cultivators do this?’

Lü Zhong had his suspicions, but he couldn’t be certain.

’I should gather more information...’

He took a deep breath and turned to the Stone Hall where the red and white light had vanished. The vast space was completely empty. It seemed to be just a prison for confining the Celestial Demon.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong did not linger.

...

Hidden within a thick fog, before a towering Stone Hall, stood a middle-aged Daoist with dark eyes, his hands clasped behind his back. He was currently gazing at the Prohibition enveloping the Stone Hall, a pensive look on his face.

Behind him stood three other figures, all with Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation.

Looking deep into the hall, one could faintly see glimmers of treasure light. This had once been a place where Witch Cultivators refined treasures. Any artifacts that could survive to this day after such a long time were clearly extraordinary.

"What’s wrong, Senior Brother? Can’t you break it?" Nanyin took a step forward and couldn’t help but ask.

"I’m not very confident. Only a fifty-fifty chance." Nan Cang prided himself on his mastery of the Array Dao and could easily set up a Tier Four Grand Array, but he still found these Ancient Prohibitions to be a huge headache.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t break it by force.

But if he did, the treasures inside would be destroyed.

That would mean all their effort was for nothing.

Just then, Nan Cang turned and focused his gaze behind him.

A thousand zhang behind him, several Nascent Soul Cultivators were hovering in mid-air.

The one in the lead was a withered old man in a dark red Dharma Robe, his expression gloomy. Sparks of fire gathered around him, and he faintly emanated a thick aura of decay.

Taking in the scene, Nan Cang chuckled and said coolly, "So it’s Fellow Daoist Zhuyuan and Fellow Daoist Huoyaozi of the Eternal Life Hall. And these three... must be Fellow Daoist Wanmu and Fellow Daoist Qingding of Changchun Valley, and Fellow Daoist Fire Dragon of the Xuanyang Sect. I wonder, have the five of you appeared here to decide the winner ahead of time?"

"Nan Cang, if I were to truly make a move, would you dare to face me?" Zhuyuan stroked his beard and sneered.

The two had been rivals for several hundred years, so he knew Nan Cang quite well. He naturally understood the man’s way of doing things: always formulating a plan before acting and never doing anything he wasn’t certain about.

Perhaps it was for this very reason that Nan Cang—who started as a mere Daoist Child with no background or status—had managed to rise up with his Three Spirit Roots aptitude, undergo Nascent Soul Formation to become a Mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator. And judging by the current trend, he might even have a chance of one day becoming a Great Cultivator.