Chapter 446 - 438: Striking a Fatal Blow

Chapter 446: Chapter 438: Striking a Fatal Blow

"You jest, True Monarch. While the Thirty-Six Demon Caves do cooperate when facing external enemies, we don’t coordinate in advance when accepting outside missions."

The black-robed cultivator despaired, terrified that a single wrong answer would get him run through.

’He cursed whichever Demon Cave had been so sloppy, attracting such a terrifying figure.’

"I have no patience to sort out your relationships. Either give me some valuable information, or I’ll take it myself..."

The Thunder Radiance Sword Light locked onto the pair. Bai Zichen’s voice was chillingly calm, devoid of any emotion.

For eleven months out of the year, Gang Winds and sandstorms ravaged the Sea of Suffering. A route safe one day could become a death trap the next.

Even with a map of the Thirty-Six Demon Caves and the power to withstand the Gang Winds and sandstorms, the ever-shifting paths would still significantly slow his search for each Demon Cave.

The Demon Caves were eternally dark and devoid of Spiritual Qi, making it impossible to establish a Grand Array inside.

At best, they could use the natural terrain to lay a few Forbidden restrictions, which might have some effect on Core Formation Cultivators.

But before a Nascent Soul True Monarch, such measures were as fragile as paper. Not even the most arrogant Demon Cultivator would believe they could block an attack from a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

"Outsiders refer to the Thirty-Six Demon Caves of the Sea of Suffering as a single entity, but in truth, we have clear internal divisions."

The black-robed cultivator on the left pulled back their hood, revealing a Female Cultivator. Her face was ashen, her silver hair fell to her waist, and her features held a trace of ferocity, her expression as cold as frost.

She spoke in a rush, terrified that even a moment’s delay would be mistaken for hesitation or concealment.

The terrifying, soul-chilling pressure was so immense that only the two Core Formation Cultivators could remain on their feet. The others were thrown into disarray, prostrating themselves on the ground in a wretched state.

’According to her intelligence, this True Monarch Bai had been missing for decades. As the most renowned Core Formation True Man in the Northern Domain in the past millennium, he had always been a figure of intense interest.’

’Many speculated he had gone into seclusion to pursue the path to the Nascent Soul Realm, waiting only to accumulate enough power before triggering his Celestial Tribulation.’

’His appearance now, already in the Nascent Soul Realm, confirmed those suspicions.’

’Yet his power was nothing like that of a newly advanced Nascent Soul Cultivator. The pressure he exuded was far greater than that of many veteran True Monarchs.’

’As a Demon Envoy, the silver-haired Female Cultivator had met at least a handful of Nascent Soul True Monarchs from all sides.’

’But none of them had crushed her with such a sense of near-despair as Bai Zichen. She didn’t even have the courage to resist; all she could do was cooperate completely.’

’Her Cultivation Technique was unparalleled in its use of Spiritual Sense for premonitions. It was by relying on this that she had escaped disaster many times, allowing her to survive and practice her Cultivation in a place like the Endless Sea of Suffering until this day.’

"The Thirty-Six Demon Caves are divided into the Outer Eighteen Demon Caves and the Inner Eighteen Demon Caves. Our members and our methods are vastly different... For instance, my ancestors were disciples of the Primordial Sect. After the Sect was destroyed, various powers hunted down its survivors, so they fled into the Endless Sea of Suffering. To me, the Endless Sea of Suffering is my home; I was born and raised here. Many of my fellow cultivators in the Outer Eighteen Demon Caves have similar stories. They were either born here in the Sea of Suffering, or they came from unorthodox paths or even the Righteous Dao, seeking refuge here to survive. We are not all the wantonly evil Demon Cultivators of rumor, the kind whose very name makes people pale."

"The Inner Eighteen Demon Caves, however, are more in line with the common impression. Every Demon Envoy there was once a notorious Core Formation Demon Cultivator who fled to the Sea of Suffering after committing heinous crimes. Working for outside forces and posing as Tribulation Cultivators to raid and plunder is common for them... It is highly likely that they are responsible for your disciple’s disappearance, True Monarch."

’A descendant of the Primordial Sect?’

Bai Zichen gave the silver-haired Female Cultivator a curious look. The Primordial Sect was arguably the only sect in the history of the Northern Domain that could be called a Super Major Sect.

The Primordial Ancestral Master had relied on his Great Wilderness Holy Body to ascend to the Divinity Transformation Realm, establishing a peerless legacy and becoming an overlord of his time.

However, that was all during the Middle Ancient Era, before the four nations of the Northern Domain had even formed. It was debatable whether that period could even be considered part of the Northern Domain’s history.

Because of his own Great Wilderness Holy Body, he had once taken an interest in the Primordial Sect and had specifically looked into the fate of that once-glorious Sect.

The Primordial Ancestral Master was hailed as the greatest Body Cultivator of the Middle Ancient Era, possessing extraordinary power. Unfortunately, he ultimately couldn’t escape his fate, passing away quietly when his lifespan ran out.

Without its Sea-Spanning Purple Gold Beam, the Primordial Sect first descended into internal chaos, with several of the Primordial Ancestral Master’s disciples and their supporters battling one another.

Later, outside forces got involved, and the various factions of the Primordial Sect grew progressively weaker, eventually fading into history.

A Super Major Sect that had controlled the entire Northern Domain at its zenith lost its glory with the death of its founder. Now, not even a trace of its lineage survives in the Cultivation Realm.

It was a clear testament to how unpredictably the world can change.

"I don’t care about your internal and external divisions. I just want to know the fastest way to find Huo Feiyan."

"The Nine Nether Cave, the Netherworld Cave, and the Piyao Cave... Among the Inner Eighteen Caves, those three are the leaders. Even if they weren’t directly responsible, they would certainly know what happened."

The silver-haired Female Cultivator rattled off the names without a moment’s hesitation.

’Better them than me.’ The relationships among the caves were not harmonious; in fact, conflicts were frequent.

Resources were scarce in the Endless Sea of Suffering, and the smallest discovery could spark a conflict in which no one would yield.

"Good. I will verify this myself. If there is any falsehood, death is the only path for both of you. Don’t even dream of your souls being reincarnated."

With a flick of his hand, Bai Zichen shot out two wisps of Sword Qi that pierced the collars of the two Core Formation True Men. Only then did he depart on his sword.

"Don’t think about trying to get rid of the Sword Qi or changing your clothes. I can sense it at all times... I will pass by here again on my way back. Or you could just move out of the Sea of Suffering altogether."