Chapter 372 - 370: True Demon Holy Body

Chapter 372: Chapter 370: True Demon Holy Body

The elder from the Life-Killing Sword Sect, a Nascent Soul True Monarch, was pierced by an inconspicuous awl. The numerous Defensive Magical Treasures he wore had been completely ineffective.

It was as if he were a sheet of thin paper, repeatedly punctured by the crystal-like awl, which was covered in swirling patterns.

All his flesh and blood were sucked into a vortex, drained in an instant, leaving not even a fleck of bone behind.

Kong Bai, standing nearby, stumbled back in horror. He raised his sword to help, but by the time he did, all that remained was the elder’s Nascent Soul, clutching a short sword as it fled for its life.

The Nascent Soul’s tiny, wrinkled face was a mask of terror. With a flicker, it was about to teleport away.

The crystal awl vanished, then stabbed out from the void once more, precisely interrupting the elder’s Nascent Soul mid-teleport.

The awl pierced through. Even the Nascent Soul was powerless to resist; it was like a balloon being popped.

With a soft POP, a Nascent Soul Cultivator perished before their very eyes. His Divine Soul was annihilated, and not even his Nascent Soul had managed to escape.

"Senior Brother Xun!"

Kong Bai bellowed, venting his rage while also trying to quell his terror.

Elder Xun’s power was unremarkable among Nascent Soul Cultivators, with no particular strengths. Still, he was a veteran Nascent Soul who had been in cultivation for over six hundred years.

To be slaughtered like a chicken was simply too much to believe. ’Could it be a cultivator at Nascent Soul Perfection?’

Kong Bai’s mind raced with suspicion. The thought that it might be an expert hired by the Tianhe Sword Sect flashed through his mind, and countless beams of Sword Light erupted from him.

"The aura of an Ancient Demon!"

Ge Cang and Yann Yuanzai’s faces changed drastically at the same time. They each deployed their defensive techniques. The crystal awl had vanished in a flash, but its aura was something anyone who had encountered an Ancient Demon would never forget.

Not far away, the Flower-Picking Arhat threw out his Buddha Beads, which transformed into twelve Dharma Guardian Generals that circled around him, enveloped in layers of profound Buddha Light.

Years ago, he had been led out of the Burial Immortal Valley by Ju Bo Arhat and had not faced the Ancient Demon directly, so his memory of it wasn’t as sharp.

Now, with this reminder, he reacted with utmost speed.

"How could an Ancient Demon appear here? Did it break free from the Ancient Restriction?"

The Supreme Qingwei Sword Box flipped over. Moon Xuan hung high above Bai Zichen’s head, casting its moonlight down upon the mountain peak where he stood.

This crystal awl could clearly traverse the void and attack you from any location.

Bai Zichen didn’t know if his As Clear as Daylight ability could see through the crystal awl’s movements. Based on its performance, it was far stronger than the Void Divine Techniques of the Fire Demon he had encountered in Black Mountain.

Both its speed in traversing the void and the agility with which it moved—as if guided by an invisible pair of hands—far surpassed it.

’If this surpasses Tier Four methods, then even with Moon Xuan acting as my eyes, I won’t be able to detect it.’

"It can’t be the Ancient Demon. If it had truly reappeared in the world, all of us would be dead already. It wouldn’t resort to sneak attacks," Yann Yuanzai said. "The Ancient Demon was only suppressed to the Divinity Transformation Realm due to the laws of this world. Even if it was weakened by the refining over the past hundred thousand years, leaving it with less than a tenth of its original power, without the Ancient Immortal’s restriction, it should at least be able to recover to the strength of a Nascent Soul Perfection cultivator!"

The Xing Yao Sword in Yann Yuanzai’s hand pulsed with starlight, exuding a sense of joy.

The Sword Light drifted almost unconsciously, drawing closer to Moon Xuan.

"My Senior Brother once told me that someone was plotting behind the scenes during the Burial Immortal Valley incident. He uncovered a few clues, but the trail went cold when he tried to investigate further... It was definitely a True Monarch from the Northern Domain with immense authority who was involved. Even Ju Bo Arhat and True Monarch Jiulian might have looked the other way and allowed it to happen."

"Everyone, this matter has absolutely nothing to do with my master," the Flower-Picking Arhat said calmly, his palms pressed together as he felt several gazes fall upon him. "This place is dangerous. We should leave first and discuss this later!"

"Someone has set up Array Banners on Meili Snow Peak! I fear it’s a Tier Four Grand Array!"

The black mist blocked the path of his Buddha Light. The Flower-Picking Arhat charged it twice but failed both times.

He even manifested his Flower-Picking Dharma Aspect, holding a jade wheel and conjuring countless illusory figures to bombard the barrier.

The black mist only roiled violently; he still couldn’t break a path out.

The entire Meili Snow Peak was enveloped in black mist. A group of Nascent Soul True Monarchs had actually been trapped.

"Good. Good! GOOD! To think someone would dare to plot against me again and again on the Frost Country’s own soil! And this time, to trap so many of my fellow Daoists... I’d like to see just what brazen cur has such audacity!"

Iron Core of the Nine-Forged Sect’s body suddenly swelled. A suit of Treasure Armor materialized around him, radiating with ten thousand rays of rosy light and a thousand streams of auspicious energy, rendering him impervious to all evil.

Decades ago, he had been lured into a perilous situation where a demonic shadow ambushed him. He had nearly lost his life.

He had only managed to carve a bloody path out by relying on this ancestral Treasure Armor.

The True Martial Treasure Armor consisted of eighteen components. Each one was equivalent to a Top-Grade Magical Treasure, and when assembled, they formed a Low-Grade Spiritual Treasure.

The Demonic Qi revealed by the crystal awl was very similar to that of the demonic shadow that had attacked him before. It was clearly the work of the same person.

But the power on display now was worlds apart. If his attacker had possessed this void-traversing, omnipresent crystal awl back then, Iron Core didn’t think he would have survived, even with the True Martial Treasure Armor.

"Xiangg Ji, are you insane?! A Demon Cultivator is trying to use our duel to their advantage, to reap the spoils by taking all the Nascent Soul Cultivators here as sacrifices!"

Tang Fei retreated, disheveled. He hadn’t expected Xiangg Ji to be this unhinged.

A Demon Cultivator was lurking in the shadows and had just killed one of his fellow Nascent Soul sect members, yet Xiangg Ji paid it no mind.

The Life-Killing Demon Sword in his hand only grew faster and more ferocious with each strike, completely unaffected by the chaos.

"Yes, I see it! True Demon Qi, a mere Void Escape Technique... After I cut you down, I’ll go and deal with him!"

Xiangg Ji’s tone was cold. Another Profound Ink Giant Sword coalesced, poised to slay everything with the force of a thunderbolt.

Tang Fei felt a sense of powerlessness. He had to admit that Xiangg Ji was far more insane than he was.

Perhaps it was this very irrationality, this madness, that had allowed Xiangg Ji to become the first cultivator in the Life-Killing Sword Sect in millennia to successfully refine the Life-Killing Demon Sword himself.

The legendary Divinity Transformation Ancestor from their sect had walked this same path.

Unfortunately, after reaching Divinity Transformation, that ancestor had vanished without a trace, leaving behind not a single word, nor the Tier Five Life-Killing Demon Sword.

A Sword Tomb materialized behind Tang Fei. It spanned several miles and was densely packed with countless Flying Swords.

It contained all the Flying Swords from the Tianhe Sword Sect that had failed during refining or been damaged in battle over the past millennium.

A wave of Sharp Sword Qi, carrying a tragic and ferocious aura, slammed into the Profound Ink Giant Sword.

Another earth-shattering BOOM. Thousands of broken swords within the Sword Tomb exploded, turning to dust.

Flying Sword Fragments shot out in all directions. The Nascent Soul Realm shook violently, and Tang Fei’s face grew another shade paler.

He was at the end of his rope. He knew it was incredibly dangerous and unwise to use his Nascent Soul Realm directly against the Slaughter True Intent, but he had no other choice.

If he couldn’t block it, he would die.

With the Slaughter True Intent saturating the entire area, if his physical body were destroyed, it would be nearly impossible to even attempt a Nascent Soul Escape.

While the two were still locked in a struggle between Great Dao True Intent and a Nascent Soul Realm, another incident occurred among the observing Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

The crystal awl struck again from the void. It pierced through a wave of water and stabbed directly into True Monarch Du Heng’s body, sending a spray of blood into the air.

Unlike Elder Xun, True Monarch Du Heng reacted in time. He mobilized his entire river of Profound Nether Heavy Water and managed to suppress the elusive crystal awl.

"Fellow Daoist Tie, quickly, lend me a hand! This Demon has immense power! I can’t even hold it down with the full weight of my Profound Nether Heavy Water!"

True Monarch Du Heng’s voice was strained. It was clear he was struggling. Activating a treasure like the Profound Nether Heavy Water, which crushed enemies with overwhelming momentum, placed an extremely high demand on one’s True Essence.

"Alright! I will lend City Lord Du a hand!"

Iron Core, who was closest, strode forward. His body swelled once more as he pushed his Nine-Forged Body to its absolute limit, intricate patterns appearing layer by layer on his skin.

At the same time, the light from his True Martial Treasure Armor gathered and condensed. His massive, fan-like hands were also covered by the armor as he reached out to grab the crystal awl.

"Got it!"

A hint of excitement was in Iron Core’s deep voice as he took control of the crystal awl.

But he quickly realized something was wrong. The power coming from the awl was far too weak. Any Nascent Soul True Monarch could have easily controlled it.

The Profound Nether Heavy Water crashed down. The rushing river pinned him in place, its weight far beyond measure.

"I’ve long suspected you were in league with a Demon Cultivator, and I was right! True Martial Divine, activate!"

Iron Core roared like a clap of thunder. His True Martial Treasure Armor erupted in a blinding radiance, unleashing the might of a Mid-Grade Spiritual Treasure.

"I added six Top-Grade Magical Treasures to the ancestral Spiritual Treasure, successfully upgrading it to a Mid-Grade Spiritual Treasure! Let’s see what you can... Wait. You’re not at the Early-Stage Nascent Soul realm!"

"I never did tell you that one should make some progress after so many years of cultivation..."

The waves of the Profound Nether Heavy Water parted, revealing an elder wearing a crown and magnificent robes. His expression was majestic, his bearing extraordinary.

Unfortunately, the skin visible outside his clothes—his palms, wrists, neck, and cheeks—had all turned an unsettling indigo color, ruining his noble air.

His aura surged, rising until it reached the level of a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul, completely pinning Iron Core in place.

Then, he picked up the crystal awl and slowly plunged it into Iron Core’s chest.

His fifth-layer Nine-Forged Body and his Mid-Grade Defensive Spiritual Treasure, the True Martial Treasure Armor, were both useless against this crystal awl.

The awl’s advance slowed as it pierced him, making a grating sound as it pushed slowly but surely through his Protective Spirit Light.

In the end, he met the same fate as Elder Xun. Amidst screams of agony, Iron Core’s flesh and bone were sucked dry, and his Nascent Soul was annihilated by the True Demon Qi, unable to mount any effective resistance.

After its master’s death, the True Martial Treasure Armor transformed into a streak of Cyan Radiance and tried to fly away. Just as it was about to escape the black mist, a giant indigo hand shot out and snatched it from the air.

The Mid-Grade Spiritual Treasure struggled frantically within the giant hand’s grasp, but it could not escape and was firmly suppressed.

Outside the black mist, a colossal demonic shadow materialized. Its entire body was indigo and wreathed in burning Demon Flames.

A single glance from it was enough to incite Demonization in an onlooker.

"The Ancient Demon? No, that’s a True Demon Holy Body!"

The Flower-Picking Arhat blurted out in shock, but he quickly refuted his own guess.

Although the demonic shadow bore a strong resemblance to the Ancient Demon from the Burial Immortal Valley, it only radiated the power of a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

With a flicker, Du Heng appeared outside the black mist, standing before the demonic shadow.

"Thank you all for helping my Demon Dragon Awl awaken into a Low-Grade Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure... Once I Blood Refine the rest of you, I will reach the Late-Stage Nascent Soul realm in an instant!"

The words came from the mouths of both Du Heng and the demonic shadow behind him, speaking in a layered, echoing chorus.