Chapter 561 - 560: You Get Neither Our Heads Nor Our Lives

Chapter 561: Chapter 560: You Get Neither Our Heads Nor Our Lives

Celestial Book Tomb

This place was now mostly under the control of Demon Cultivators.

Of course, this so-called control merely meant that they had driven out many of the smaller sects and factions.

The same went for the so-called Daoist Cultivators.

This time, Daoist Cultivators had to stay behind the Demon Cultivators, or they would suffer the consequences.

The Demon Cultivators also knew that it was impossible to completely keep the Daoist Cultivators out.

However, the Daoist Cultivators could only scavenge for opportunities on the outskirts; getting inside was practically impossible for them. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

This was because the number of entry slots was limited.

The keys were extremely rare, with only a few dozen in existence.

The Demon Cultivators didn’t even have enough for themselves, let alone for the Daoist Cultivators.

Outside the Celestial Book Tomb lay three layers of Array Restrictions.

These three layers of Array Restrictions barred the entry of most people.

One could not enter without a certain level of strength.

Even scrounging for opportunities required strength.

These three Array Restrictions served as the Celestial Book Tomb’s natural barrier.

A Maze Array, a Defense Array, and a Killing Array—the three merged into one to form the barrier.

Over time, this barrier had taken on the illusory form of a prairie.

A prairie that appeared to be boundless.

Without the strength of Tier Three, it was impossible to cross this barrier unless one had help.

At that moment, Jiang Zuo himself had appeared before the barrier.

To him, this Array was practically non-existent, but he didn’t plan on going in just yet.

He needed something.

An entry slot, which was a component of the key.

The Celestial Book Array was no challenge for Jiang Zuo, but the key could still delay him for some time.

He could probably get in if he spent some time on it.

’But if he could just get a slot, wouldn’t it be foolish to waste time breaking in?’

The foundational Array had already been activated. As long as Jiang Zuo got a slot, he could easily access the entire Celestial Book Tomb and then attempt to modify a few things.

’As for access control, there were all sorts of tricks he could play.’

With that thought, Jiang Zuo shrouded himself in the Mist.

The Mist still carried Jian Shisan’s technique.

He was confident that no one here could see through him.

The Enlightenment Stone was powerful, but its effects diminished the higher one’s Cultivation.

Those at Tier Seven and above wouldn’t stoop so low as to come out and fight for it.

Shrouded in the Mist, Jiang Zuo walked along the outer edge of the barrier. There was no one else around for now.

The Celestial Book Tomb hadn’t truly opened yet. They had the keys, but they still had to get past the Celestial Book Array.

The foundational Array was opened by the keys, but the Celestial Book Array had to be cracked by cultivators.

Only after it was cracked could those with the entry slots go inside, and only then would the Enlightenment Stones begin to appear.

After that, it would be every man for himself.

Jiang Zuo had used the Tianhe Group’s express delivery service to get here, a trip that had scared the staff half to death.

The delivery department had to give an enormous bonus to the person who brought Jiang Zuo over.

’A few more trips like this,’ Jiang Zuo mused, ’and the express delivery department will have to start replacing its staff quite frequently.’

Jiang Zuo walked along the edge of the prairie. Someone with an entry slot had to be nearby. He fiddled with a coin in his hand.

He soon sensed it—fluctuations of Spiritual Qi up ahead. Someone was probably fighting.

They weren’t very strong, only around Tier Three.

Jiang Zuo headed unhurriedly toward the center of the Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

After crossing a river, he saw them.

It was indeed two people fighting, both at Tier Three Cultivation.

Moreover, they were both Demon Cultivators.

Upon seeing them, Jiang Zuo neither spoke nor acted. He simply stood there and watched in silence.

It was of no importance to him which of them lived or died.

All that mattered was that the entry slot he wanted was there.

The two were frantically unleashing their power, and booming sounds echoed all around.

The ground around them was constantly being torn apart as their battle grew more intense, the epicenter of the fight drifting closer and closer to Jiang Zuo.

Just then, the long-haired Demon Cultivator was struck squarely by the short-haired one’s palm.

The long-haired Demon Cultivator was a woman. She spat out a mouthful of blood as she was sent flying toward Jiang Zuo.

Jiang Zuo sensed the female Demon Cultivator’s aura growing steadily weaker, as if she were on the verge of death.

The male Demon Cultivator, showing no mercy, pressed his advantage and gave chase.

The female Demon Cultivator flew right past Jiang Zuo, who naturally chose to ignore her.

Just as the woman passed him, the male Demon Cultivator’s attack followed.

However, this point-blank attack was not aimed at the woman, but directly at Jiang Zuo.

Meanwhile, the supposedly heavily injured female Demon Cultivator recovered in an instant. With an elegant spin, she attacked Jiang Zuo from behind.

One from the front and one from the back, they intended to pincer Jiang Zuo.

Jiang Zuo watched all this unfold, feeling not the slightest ripple of emotion. His expression remained impassive.

To him, this was not the least bit surprising.

It wasn’t just that he had seen through their act from the very beginning.

Even if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been surprised.

’Cultivation isn’t child’s play. What you see isn’t necessarily the truth.’

These two were both Demon Cultivators, and they appeared to be on good terms.

When a strange Daoist Cultivator suddenly appeared during their duel, it was only natural that they would try to take him out first.

It would have been foolish for them to continue fighting to the death at a time like this.

So, from the moment Jiang Zuo appeared, the two Demon Cultivators who had seemingly ignored him were already putting on an act.

The injury was fake, and the weakness was fake. It was all a show for Jiang Zuo.

The woman being "knocked" toward him was, in fact, a multi-purpose test.

Indeed, for the two Demon Cultivators, having the woman fly over, seemingly injured and weak, was a way to see how Jiang Zuo would react.

Would he save her, dodge her, or perhaps even attack her himself?

They had considered many possibilities, but they never imagined that Jiang Zuo wouldn’t even spare her a glance.

This both surprised and delighted them, as it made their ambush even easier.

’This Cultivator is either incredibly naive or a complete fool.’

’So, first, let’s incapacitate him.’

Just as they thought their plan had succeeded, Jiang Zuo moved.

It wasn’t a large movement, just a slight turn of his body.

Yet with that one simple motion, the two Demon Cultivators discovered to their horror that he had perfectly dodged both their attacks.

’How did he do that?’

What they expected even less, however, was the sudden appearance of a blade. As the two of them passed each other, the blade swung down, clean and sharp.

THUD! Two hands dropped to the ground.

The two Demon Cultivators finally came to their senses and instantly retreated.

As they retreated, they decisively severed their own arms at the shoulder.

They had discovered that the blade was laced with a frost poison.

If they had been a moment too late, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Jiang Zuo looked at their severed arms, slightly surprised. ’These two are decisive and know how to cut their losses.’

But it was only a fleeting moment of surprise.

What surprised him more than their decisiveness was the fact that they were both blind.

’If they hadn’t been, they would have known better than to attack me, and I wouldn’t have had to act at all.’

That’s right, both Demon Cultivators were blind. Their pupils were a milky white, completely devoid of color.

’Probably a side effect of their Cultivation Technique,’ he surmised.

Then, Jiang Zuo extended a hand toward the two of them. "I want one thing from you."

The two Demon Cultivators huddled together.

The man said, "Not our heads."

The woman said, "Not our lives."