Chapter 357 - 328: What of Immortals, and What of Demons?

Chapter 357: Chapter 328: What of Immortals, and What of Demons?

"Wielding a sword through the way of the saber will harm your Sword Intent."

"If something changes, I’ll pin it down. You deliver the killing blow!"

A palm-sized Token was handed to him, immediately followed by a telepathic message from Xu Changqing.

Chu Mu instinctively took the Token. Xu Changqing had already leaped down.

He looked at the Token. It was shaped like a sword, its surface as smooth as a mirror. Faintly, the phantom of a Flying Sword seemed to flicker upon it.

When he probed it with his Divine Sense, a terrifying Sword Intent shot straight into his Sea of Divine Soul, almost making him tremble.

His expression shifted slightly. He instinctively placed the Token into his Storage Ring and, with a subtle glance around, took several steps back without a trace.

But the next moment, a throb of premonition from his Sword Intent suddenly emerged.

It seemed that if he retreated any further, disaster would surely strike.

He looked into the cavern. The old man’s somewhat murky gaze seemed to sweep over him.

Chu Mu didn’t dare to meet his eyes. He glanced up at the sky, which churned with Demonic Qi. The towering City Defense Array was still active.

They were cut off from the outside, with no way to retreat.

"Spiritual Radiance!"

He chanted the name in his mind, and his fearful, anxious heart was instantly suppressed.

His mind became free of distractions, replaced by an imperturbable indifference.

Chu Mu hesitated no longer and leaped down after him.

Given his Cultivation and abilities, facing a Late Stage of Golden Core master was a hopeless situation, a certain death.

His only chance of victory lay with Xu Changqing.

That single sword strike had severely wounded a Golden Core Demon Cultivator.

Judging by his recent words and actions, he likely had more trump cards than just that one attack.

"The Jieyin Demon Sect has been scheming for decades. This must be their ultimate goal."

The old man’s voice trembled, as if he had finally fulfilled a lifelong wish.

With that, the old man waved his sleeve. The viscous, magma-like blood receded at a visible rate, revealing the bottom of the Blood Pool.

Even through a thick layer of bloodstains, the crisscrossing Array Patterns etched into the ground were clearly visible.

Stained by the blood, the Array Patterns glowed an eerie, sanguine red.

The intersecting Array Patterns all converged at the exact center of the cavern floor.

There stood an altar, about twenty feet high.

The altar was not enormous. Its entire surface was stained dark red with blood, covered in countless intersecting Array Prohibition Patterns. Wisps of Demon Flame coiled around it.

And atop the altar, a monstrous Demon Body seemed to be... sleeping?

With a single glance, that one word surfaced in the minds of everyone present.

Life and death are two completely different states.

The Demon Body before them was clearly alive.

They could even hear the clear, steady beat of its heart.

As Demonic Qi from the Demonized Spiritual Vein and a ceaseless tide of blood flowed into it, the monstrous Demon Body on the altar—a horned, bone-winged creature—seemed to be drawing ever closer to a full awakening.

"They’re trying to awaken this True Demon!"

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator cried out in horror.

"Not awaken it."

The old man shook his head.

"To perform the Demonization of a Tier Three Spirit Vein and blood-sacrifice tens of thousands of Cultivators... that’s for far more than just awakening a True Demon."

"This True Demon’s Divine Soul was grievously wounded, leaving only a sliver of its True Spirit. Its consciousness is almost completely gone, rendering it a True Demon Body in an eternal slumber."

"They’re doing this to control the True Demon Body, to turn it into a foundational power for the Demon Sect..."

"Their ambition... is truly vast!"

The old man let out a soft sigh, a rare, complex look on his face.

"I implore you, True Master, suppress this demon!"

At that, Xu Changqing stepped forward and spoke respectfully.

"Suppress it?"

A sharp glint flashed in the old man’s eyes as he gave Xu Changqing a look full of profound meaning.

"And why should I suppress it?"

The moment he spoke, the cavern, which had been abuzz with murmurs about the Demon Body, fell deathly silent.

Dozens of disbelieving gazes converged on the old Golden Core True Master.

"I have watched over the Chu Capital for a century, allowing the Jieyin Demon Sect to scheme for decades. Today, my wish is finally granted. Why would I suppress it?"

The old man’s tone was almost an interrogation, tinged with the manic glee of a wish finally fulfilled.

At his question, the faces of all the Longevity Sect disciples present turned ashen.

"True Master, the Immortal and Demon Daos cannot coexist!"

Xu Changqing stepped forward, his voice firm and steady.

"HAHAHAHA! To hell with ’cannot coexist’!"

"What does it matter if it’s the Immortal Dao or the Demon Dao?"

"If the path of the Immortal Dao leads nowhere, then what’s to stop me from walking the Demon Dao?"

"I will take this True Demon Body for myself, and the Nascent Soul Dao Fruit will be within my grasp."

"With such power, where in this world could I not go?"

The old man roared with laughter. His Magic Robe billowed without a wind as a terrifying Demonic Qi erupted from him, no longer concealed in the slightest.

At this sight, no one present could conceal their terror.

Who could have imagined that a dignified Late Stage Golden Core master of the Longevity Sect had secretly Fallen into the Demon Dao!

Now, everything became terrifyingly clear.

All the strange occurrences within Chu Capital City suddenly made sense.

The greatest reason the Jieyin Demon Sect’s many schemes could proceed so covertly and successfully was likely the deliberate indulgence of this Golden Core True Master.

With the Jieyin Demon Sect providing the vast manpower and resources, and this Longevity Golden Core master deliberately turning a blind eye—perhaps even secretly helping them—all for the sake of this final harvest.

With all these factors, how could they possibly have failed!

"Out of respect for the Sect, I will spare your lives."

Finally, with a wave of his hand, the Cyan Bamboo Staff hovered before him. The old man gazed at it, his expression clearly wistful.

An Immortal Dao Treasure and the Demon Dao were incompatible.

Hundreds of years of Cultivation, a lifetime of Immortal Dao Techniques...

As if with a sigh, the Cyan Bamboo Staff transformed, instantly forming the Green Bamboo Array.

In the blink of an eye, it descended to envelop everyone present.

Chu Mu instinctively tensed, but just then, a faintly weak voice sounded in his ear.

’Young friend, do not act rashly.’

Chu Mu froze. He glanced around, and an instant later, he jerked his head down to look at his chest.

A Jade Bottle. A ball of Bloodline Essence.

It was the Residual Soul... the one who claimed its time was short!

Chu Mu’s expression changed. He remembered clearly. After their deal was made, he had fed it with blood. He had checked it many times afterward, but there had been no trace of any Divine Soul within the Bloodline Essence.

It really seemed as though the Residual Soul had told the truth—that its time was short and it had already faded away.

Although he had remained vigilant and suspicious of its intentions, he hadn’t detected anything unusual all this time.

’To reveal itself now, in a situation like this...’

He said nothing. In front of a Golden Core master, attempting to reply via Telepathy with his level of Divine Soul strength would be tantamount to speaking aloud. There would be no secrecy at all.

’Do not worry, young friend. You and I have a contract. Until it is fulfilled, our fates are intertwined.’

The voice sounded again. Chu Mu stared intently at the Golden Core True Master.

’A telepathic message from such a close range, yet the old man hasn’t noticed a thing...’

’And his Cultivation is at the Late Stage of Golden Core!’

Chu Mu pursed his lips. He glanced at Xu Changqing, who also remained still, and slowly lowered the Sword Order he had been about to activate.

He allowed the Giant Bamboo Array to descend and imprison them all within it...