Wei Fuming had the courage to face four opponents at once, but he didn’t have the cultivation to match.
Seeing the drought demon absorb the essence of the demonic cultivators, he decided to retreat and began preparing to leave.
At this moment, as everyone’s attention was focused on the crimson land, he swung his golden staff, creating a flurry of afterimages, and then slammed it into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Taking advantage of the chaos, he used the Demon Sect’s great escape technique to flee the battlefield.
Lin Heng’s face turned cold as he was about to fly off, but a clear voice suddenly sounded in his ear, “No need to chase.”
Li Jingyu calmly glanced at her companion and said, “We can’t catch up with the Demon Sect’s great escape technique.” Her gaze turned to the dangerous mountain peaks ahead.
The sun had just risen, hanging in the sky, casting a fiery glow over the mountains.
This area was already unbearably hot due to the drought demon, and now it felt like a steamer.
“The Demon God Stake is buried in the mountain,” Qin Ruoshui said, taking a deep breath and frowning seriously.
“We need to find the Earth Mother and destroy it before the demonic cultivators do.” The Twelve Demon God Stakes had been appearing across Jiuzhou, with Xuanming defeated and suppressed, while Shebi Corpse was taken by the demonic cultivators.
These “Demon Gods” were aligned with the demonic path, constantly changing, and each increase in power posed a greater threat to the Immortal Sect.
Lin Heng turned to Qin Ruoshui and asked gravely, “Can we do it with our strength?” The drought demon they encountered earlier was equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, but what about after it merged with the red earth and became the Earth Mother? He glanced at the fiery Wuqishan, a shadow of worry clouding his heart.
“The drought demon is outside, the Earth Mother is inside.
Now that the drought demon has returned, the Earth Mother needs to absorb its power to break free from the earth’s constraints,” Li Jingyu pondered for a moment and continued, “If the Demon Sect wants to bring back the Earth Mother, they need to build an Earth Altar to awaken it from its slumber.”
Qin Ruoshui looked at Li Jingyu in surprise.
Although the Immortal Sect had records of the Twelve Demon Gods, they were ancient, and the Twelve Forms of the Demon Ancestor were as mysterious as the Eighty-One Transformations of the Dao Ancestor.
Li Jingyu met Qin Ruoshui’s gaze calmly, not intending to explain.
Qin Ruoshui said, “Then let’s head to Wuqishan first.”
A few miles away.
Gao Cang’s face was ashen, his expression extremely unpleasant.
All the Demon Sect cultivators who accompanied him had fallen, leaving only him to escape.
Although he had achieved his goal, his heart was still filled with resentment and anger! He was so close to using this opportunity to step into the Golden Core stage! Progress also depended on a bit of fate, but that feeling had disappeared, and he didn’t know how to regain it.
Taking a deep breath, Gao Cang took out a talisman from his sleeve.
A faint blood color spread across the talisman, soon revealing the vague figure of a Daoist.
Gao Cang quickly bowed his head and respectfully said, “Disciple greets Master.
The drought demon has returned, the land is crimson for miles, and the Earth Mother will soon awaken.”
“Well done,” the Daoist’s grand voice rumbled like thunder.
“Next, bring the Earth Mother back to our Demon Sect.
If you succeed, there will be great rewards in the hall.”
Gao Cang suppressed his turbulent emotions, feigning gratitude, and replied, “Yes, thank you, Master.” The Daoist did not respond further but pointed at him.
Gao Cang felt a powerful force pouring into his body from thousands of miles away, and his mind was filled with dense text, clearly the method for constructing the Earth Altar.
As he silently absorbed this information, a red figure approached, the fierce wind cutting his face like a knife.
A ghostly flame appeared in front of Gao Cang, and he retreated.
“What is Brother Wei doing?” Gao Cang looked at the furious Wei Fuming, squinting with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Wei Fuming snorted coldly, put away his magical weapon, and said angrily, “Gao Cang, you wanted to use me as food for the drought demon?” Gao Cang replied, “As Demon Sect cultivators, we should sacrifice ourselves for the revival of the demonic path!” Wei Fuming mocked, “Then why don’t you, Gao Cang, feed yourself to the demons?” After a pause, he added, “Don’t think I don’t know about your Tianhai Demon Sect’s schemes! The Twelve Demon God Stakes, you want to change the world and unify the entire demonic path, don’t you?” Gao Cang raised his eyelids slightly, giving Wei Fuming a faint glance without responding.
Although the other person had stopped, no one knew when he might attack.
Wei Fuming squinted, indeed considering killing Gao Cang.
But now that Gao Cang was busy with the Twelve Demon Gods, if he acted against him, even his master might not protect him.
After thinking for a moment, he shouted, “I’ll let you go today, but if we meet again, I’ll be ready to learn from you!” Gao Cang watched Wei Fuming until his figure completely disappeared before heaving a sigh of relief.
Demon Sect cultivators were not easy to deal with, but once he became the head of a hall in the Tianhai Demon Sect, he wondered what they could do.
Gao Cang felt invigorated but quickly calmed down.
He needed to build the altar, but with his status, he could only mobilize a limited number of demonic cultivators.
Would he have to endure his distaste and seek help from the female cultivators of Huoxin Palace? Gao Cang squinted, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave.
· Dong’e City.
Located to the east of Wuqishan, about ten miles away.
Due to Wuqishan’s influence, this place had also suffered from a long drought, but there was a Dragon God Temple here, worshipping the Well Dragon King, so the river and well water had not completely dried up.
Streams of light flew back and forth in the sky, and the people in the city pinned their hopes on these immortals.
However, before the drought could be resolved, the land outside and within the city turned crimson, and the crops in the fields turned to ash as if burned by fire.
“Can’t find any trace of the Earth Mother in Wuqishan, can we find a solution here?” The speaker’s voice was light, tinged with anxiety.
It was Lin Heng speaking.
Their group had circled Wuqishan without finding the Earth Altar or the Earth Mother, and the overwhelming heat forced them to leave quickly.
The land turned crimson for miles, and Dong’e City was the closest populated city to Wuqishan.
“Let’s send the message back through the station first,” Qin Ruoshui suggested.
As he spoke, he glanced at Li Jingyu, hoping to glean more information from her, but she remained silent, detached, as if uninvolved.
That strange feeling surged again.
Qin Ruoshui’s brow furrowed tightly, and he turned to Li Jingyu, saying, “Junior Sister Ran, the land is crimson for miles, and the well and river water here are about to dry up.
Can you perform the rain summoning technique?” Li Jingyu nodded, “I’ll try.” A smile played on her lips as her gaze shifted to Ji Yutang, “But if I work with Yutang, the effect might be better.
What do you think, Yutang?” Summoning rain was a natural ability of true dragons, and the Jewel of the Rising Tides contained enough water to provide ample moisture.
The playful tone carried a hint of lightheartedness, like a tuft of soft green grass brushing against the heart.
Ji Yutang shivered at the familiar tone but quickly focused on the task at hand.
Earlier, she had merely followed Qin Ruoshui and the others without contributing much, so she couldn’t refuse Qin Ruoshui’s suggestion now.
Eighteen rivers crisscrossed Dong’e City, with markets scattered like stars.
Lin Heng and Qin Ruoshui went to their respective sects’ stations, while Ji Yutang followed Li Jingyu, searching for the source of the waters.
Ji Yutang had mixed feelings about Li Jingyu, past and present intertwining, leaving an indelible mark on her heart, constantly changing, never forming a clear image.
She deliberately slowed her pace, not wanting to walk alongside Li Jingyu, but to her surprise, Li Jingyu stopped, seemingly waiting for her.
Ji Yutang’s thoughts churned, and Li Jingyu spoke at that moment.
“Daoist Friend Ji, this trip is for Dong’e City.”
From the familiar name to the distant “Daoist Friend Ji,” Ji Yutang’s emotions were stirred, never settling.
She quickened her pace, walking ahead of Li Jingyu, the hot wind slapping her face, finally calming her turbulent heart.
The words spoken before her wedding left a mark in her heart; she shouldn’t care too much about Li Jingyu’s attitude.
She intended to sever that inexplicable connection, so how could she get lost in it? The more Ji Yutang thought, the calmer she became.
She reached for the grass braid hanging from her waist, but the ordinary red string couldn’t withstand the fierce wind and suddenly snapped, carried away by the wind.
Ji Yutang took a deep breath and looked ahead.
She didn’t notice Li Jingyu’s actions behind her, unaware that the grass braid she discarded was gently picked up and placed into a sleeve.
The rivers in Dong’e City hadn’t dried up, and the moisture in the air was much more than in the small village.
With the help of the Jewel of the Rising Tides, thunderclouds quickly gathered in the sky.
A dragon’s shadow moved through the clouds, seemingly chasing the nine brilliant pearls, and soon, rain poured down, covering the entire Dong’e City.
Li Jingyu hovered in the air, her robe glowing faintly, untouched by the rain.
As she used her power, she released a few strands of Three Light Divine Water into the rain, which now contained purifying power.
When it fell on the crimson soil, the red hue faded slightly.
This was a rare and precious rain.
The city’s residents cheered loudly for the rain, thanking the heavens, believing it to be a divine blessing.
However, cultivators were different from ordinary people, easily sensing the power of divine abilities within the rain.
“It seems someone is performing a rain summoning ritual.
This rain contains purifying power.
I wonder which fellow cultivator is doing this,” a female cultivator in scholar’s robes whispered.
“If you’re curious, why not go over there and take a look?” A lazy voice chimed in.
The female cultivator, looking disheveled, was fiddling with a wine gourd, her eyes carrying a hint of intoxication.
“We still have—” Before she could finish the word “business,” the female cultivator with the wine gourd flew towards the area with the strongest magical fluctuations.
Her companion frowned, knowing it was too late to say anything, and quickly followed her to prevent any trouble.
The rain wove a hazy curtain between heaven and earth.
Ji Yutang gazed through the misty rain curtain at Li Jingyu, sensing a distant and ethereal feeling, like the moon in water or flowers in the mist.
Even though she had many prejudices against Li Jingyu, she had to admit that the other had a face that could captivate a nation.
In her over twenty years of life, she had met many beauties, but few could tug at her heartstrings like Li Jingyu.
However—Ji Yutang’s mind flashed with a thought she couldn’t quite grasp before a voice full of surprise interrupted her.
“Eh? Junior Sister Ji, Junior Sister Ran, are you the ones performing the rain summoning here?” Ji Yutang turned around, surprised, and replied, “Senior Sister Yan, Sister Shen?” After leaving Bailu Academy, she thought it unlikely to meet these fellow cultivators for years, yet here they were, meeting so soon and coincidentally.
The appearance of familiar faces dispelled the chaotic thoughts in Ji Yutang’s mind like smoke, and she asked, “What brings you here?”
“It’s a long story.” Yan Shouxia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said leisurely, “The matter of the Twelve Demon Gods has spread everywhere.
We were ordered by the academy’s master to search for related traces, and we ended up chasing a demonic cultivator from Qingtian Sect to near Wuqishan.
Unfortunately, he was skilled in escape techniques and got away.
We planned to return, but then the ‘Thousand Miles of Red Earth’ incident occurred here, so we came to investigate.”
Ji Yutang nodded in understanding and said, “I see.” After a pause, she added, “We came because of the red earth too.
It turns out all of this is the work of the Demon Sect.” She then explained the situation with the Earth Mother Houtu and the drought demon, concluding, “We need to destroy the true body of the Earth Mother to resolve this disaster, but we have no leads at the moment.”
Li Jingyu, with her arms crossed, watched Ji Yutang and Yan Shouxia’s heated discussion.
Her eyes darkened slightly, and upon hearing “no leads,” she smiled and said warmly, “Why say there’s no lead? Isn’t the Earth Altar one?” Ji Yutang glanced at Li Jingyu.
To be honest, not finding anything related to the Earth Altar in Wuqishan made her doubt the accuracy of Li Jingyu’s information.
“Altar?” Yan Shouxia frowned slightly, exchanged a glance with Shen Zao, hesitated for a moment, and said, “On our way to Dong’e City, we saw an altar but didn’t pay much attention.” In Jiuzhou, altars are numerous, and unless one exudes ominous energy, they generally go unnoticed.
Shen Zao, with a pair of drunken eyes, lazily said, “Since there’s nothing else to do in the city, we might as well take a look.” She was not one to delay, and as soon as she decided, she disappeared into the wind and rain.
Yan Shouxia pressed her brow, feeling helpless about Shen Zao, apologized to Ji Yutang and the others, and left as well.
“They seem less confrontational than when we saw them at Bailu Academy,” Li Jingyu chuckled softly as she watched their retreating figures.
Ji Yutang didn’t respond, but she couldn’t help recalling the discussions at the academy related to Yun Chixin.
Could it be that the barrier between them had dissolved, and they had reached an agreement? Or had they learned to disguise themselves, gradually blending in with ordinary people? Shen Zao and Yan Shouxia’s investigation lasted until nightfall without a trace.
In the night of Dong’e City, the wind and rain had long ceased, leaving only the fresh scent of rain lingering in the air.
Countless eaves and pavilions were hidden in the darkness, leaving only a black silhouette, like mountains standing still.
Lanterns swayed in the wind, casting long shadows, and a ghostly figure flickered by, restoring the silence.
Fulai Inn.
With a soft click, the innkeeper opened his sleepy eyes and was startled upon seeing the tall, elegant figure.
He hurriedly got up, lacking the commanding presence he had when dealing with guests during the day, instead appearing timid, as if a mountain weighed on his back.
Li Jingyu leisurely walked through the corridor, passed through an illusion, and entered the hidden world within Fulai Inn.
In the quiet garden, exotic flowers and plants swayed in the wind, occasionally releasing an intoxicating fragrance.
The pearls embedded in the walls illuminated the area brightly.
Li Jingyu brushed past the flowers and willows, stopping only in front of a room.
The tranquility did not envelop this room, as silver bell-like laughter occasionally emerged from within.
Li Jingyu covered her mouth and coughed lightly before pushing the door open.
With a creak, the room fell silent.
Moments later, a wave of voices surged towards Li Jingyu like a tide.
Chattering like a flock of sparrows.
After the chorus of “Senior Sister” subsided, Li Jingyu asked, “What has the Tianhai Demon Sect been up to lately?”
“They’re—” A female cultivator lounging on a couch, playing with dice, showed a hint of disdain and snorted, “A mess.”
“News came from Gao Cang, asking for our help,” another person said, looking at Li Jingyu.
“It seems that during the Wuqishan expedition, many of the Tianhai Demon Sect’s lunatics died, and now Gao Cang is short on capable people.”
Li Jingyu’s eyes sparkled with interest, and she asked, “What do they need you to do? What are they offering?”
“Building the Earth Altar.” The speaking female cultivator’s face was full of disdain as she mocked, “To think they would come to Huoxin Palace for such menial work.
They’re offering ten cauldrons, but what do we need cauldrons for? Can’t we find partners for dual cultivation ourselves?”
“This Gao Cang is truly rude.
Every time he sees us sisters, he looks as if we owe him something.”
“He also provided a piece of information, saying that the Demon God Stake was refined using the flesh and blood of the Demon Ancestor.”
Li Jingyu’s eyes sharpened, and she frowned, “Demon Ancestor?” After the Demon Ancestor perished alongside the Supreme Dao Ancestor, the body was torn apart and its whereabouts unknown.
Could the Tianhai Demon Sect have found the Demon Ancestor’s remains? No wonder the Twelve Demon Gods emerged.
But would the Demon Gods born from the Demon Ancestor’s body obey the Tianhai Demon Sect? If the Demon Ancestor’s twelve forms could reconstitute into the Demon Ancestor, what would happen to Jiuzhou?
“Senior Sister, should we help Gao Cang? The Earth Altar is meant to awaken the Earth Mother, which is our Demon Sect’s strength.
With it, we might be able to deal with those hypocritical cultivators of the Immortal Sect.”
The voice brought Li Jingyu back to her senses.
She smiled slightly and said, “Why not help him? Tell Gao Cang that the Immortal Sect has already found the Earth Altar, so he should be cautious.
Gao Cang is ambitious but narrow-minded.
He wants to accomplish this but doesn’t want the Tianhai Demon Sect cultivators to share the credit.
He’s already offended Wei Fuming, so now he can only rely on us at Huoxin Palace.
As for the reward, let him offer some ‘White Cang Yin Wood Seed.'”
The White Cang Yin Wood Seed is a fuel for cultivating the White Cang Yin Fire technique, containing rich yin energy.
Li Jingyu, who practices the path of the lunar yin, can absorb the White Cang Yin Wood Seed.
She had sought it in the past but found nothing.
Now that Gao Cang needed Huoxin Palace’s help, it was only right to make him pay.
“Alright!” The female cultivators of Huoxin Palace, obedient to Li Jingyu, immediately agreed.
“By the way, when the time comes, embed this into the ‘altar,'” Li Jingyu added.
She took out a talisman from her sleeve, pointed at it, and it flew into the hands of a junior sister.
The talisman contained a seal of “Three Light Divine Water.” As Houtu awakens through the Earth Altar, this Three Light Divine Water buried in the altar will also be sealed into its corporeal form.
Three Light Divine Water is the convergence of the sun, moon, and stars into a galaxy, containing the purest star power.
Hou Tu, being the most filthy and impure Demon God, would be corrupted from the inside out if invaded by the Three Light Divine Water.
Once its power is gone, it can be completely devoured.
“Senior Sister, what are you—” The Red-clothed Female Cultivator caught the talisman, her eyelid twitching as she nervously looked at Li Jingyu.
Li Jingyu smiled slightly and asked, “Junior Sister, do you still believe in the Demon Ancestor? What is the Demon Ancestor like in your heart? Is it similar to the twelve Demon Gods of the Tianhai Demon Sect?” Time changes, and while the Eight Great Immortal Sects still worship the Supreme Dao Ancestor, the Demon Sect has long been fragmented.
What the Demon Ancestor looks like is unclear to anyone.
In the Tianhai Demon Sect, it is the twelve Demon Gods who are ferocious and feed on humans; in the Qingtian Sect, it is the ancient demon with immense power capable of splitting heaven and earth; in the Huoxin Palace, it is the ever-changing celestial maiden.
The so-called Demon Ancestor is actually the “ancestral god” envisioned by one’s own path.
The Dao Ancestor is the purest, while the Demon Ancestor is the most impure.
They can take any form.
“Instead of worshipping the Demon Ancestor, why not take me as your ancestor, Junior Sister, what do you think?” Li Jingyu does not believe in the Dao Ancestor or the Demon Ancestor.
She pursues the great path, with the sole goal of reaching the highest.
After the fall of the Dao Ancestor and the Demon Ancestor, that era has already passed.
Both the Dao Ancestor and the Demon Ancestor are paths, but cultivators who enter the path do not merge into it.
Entering the path with oneself, but not losing one’s true self.
The Red-clothed Female Cultivator was greatly shocked, hearing such straightforward words for the first time.
After a while, she looked at Li Jingyu with a complex expression and murmured, “But this era’s fate lies with the Immortal Sect.” If it weren’t for this, the Tianhai Demon Sect wouldn’t have set up the Demon God Stake to extract the turbid evil energy.
When fate is with the Immortal Sect, both luck and cultivation speed surpass the Demon Sect, causing the Demon Sect to suffer repeated setbacks in battles.
Li Jingyu smiled and said, “Junior Sister, it’s all up to people.” The world changes, and the rise and fall of purity and impurity have their own cycles, changing every fifteen hundred years.
During these changes, the world will descend with calamity energy.
Regardless of cultivation level, if caught in the calamity without enough luck, one will be eradicated by the world.
Immortal Sect cultivators cultivate themselves to reduce their burdens as much as possible, but demonic cultivators do not restrain themselves, instead indulging, and it’s no wonder their fate is diminished under the pressure of calamity energy.
The demonic path is one of the three thousand great paths and will not perish, but as for the three sects of the Demon Sect, their fate is uncertain.
The master has already sensed the approaching calamity and intends to change, so there should be a way to escape from the calamity.
