The Devil Race Was Indeed Cunning and Deceitful

Following the direction in which the Ruyi Heart Sutra floated, you discovered that the senior's cave abode was within the Underground Abyss.

The dark-red city walls stood a full hundred zhang tall.

From afar, they resembled a blood-colored curtain of sky stretched across the earth.

Jiang Chuan stood atop the city wall and gazed into the distance.

An incomparably narrow crack, stretching for over ten thousand li, was embedded in the yellowish earth.

The fissure was dark and bottomless, as if it connected to the eighteen layers of hell and sought to devour all living things.

"Ancient texts record that the Underground Abyss has seventy-two layers in total. Every layer is guarded by countless Earth Demons, and the farther down one goes, the more Earth Demons there are—and the greater the danger."

"I hope that senior's cave abode is within the first few layers. Otherwise, this will truly be troublesome."

Cultivators divided demons into three kinds: heavenly, earthly, and human.

Earth Demons were the Demonic Beasts that lived within the Underground Abyss.

The Asura Demon Jiang Chuan had severely injured with a single kick during the Warrior Monk Institute assessment had also been a type of Earth Demon.

Earth Demons were cruel and bloodthirsty. They often left the Underground Abyss and massacred ordinary people without restraint.

Thus, the major powers of the Qingyuan Realm issued missions year-round to exterminate and hunt the Underground Demons.

Before heading to the Underground Abyss, you went to the Heavenly Dao Pavilion in Youyun City and spent two thousand Spirit Stones to purchase information on Lu Chenling's whereabouts.

After paying the Spirit Stones and cursing them inwardly for being money-grubbers, you got Lu Chenling's whereabouts as you wished.

Lu Chenling had entered the Underground Abyss three days earlier to train himself.

You immediately set off for the Underground Abyss.

Upon arriving at the Underground Abyss, the sight before you left you stunned.

The pitch-black Underground Abyss was like an enormous gluttonous beast, roaring toward the heavens and swallowing every ray of light.

The moment he entered the Underground Abyss, Jiang Chuan swept out with his Divine Sense and saw many cultivators constantly shouting.

"Fellow Daoist, do you need protection? One thousand Spirit Stones per day."

"A fourth-realm cultivator offering protection! Two thousand Spirit Stones per day."

"Earth Demon heads for submitting sect missions! Three hundred Spirit Stones each."

Looking at the mountain-like pile of Earth Demon heads, Jiang Chuan silently gave the shouting cultivators a thumbs-up.

You even dared to do this kind of business? You truly weren't afraid of death!

Would sects like Bodhi Temple care about a few Earth Demon heads?

Of course not.

A large part of the reason they issued such missions was to temper their disciples.

It would be fine if they were not discovered, but if they were exposed, they could directly be branded as—

Obstructing the original intent of the Qingyuan Realm's major powers to train their disciples, with the intention of harming the younger generation of cultivators in the Qingyuan Realm.

When that happened, even dying would be difficult.

Following the Ruyi Heart Sutra's guidance, you advanced and were soon noticed by a group of Yakshas.

Yakshas had blue skin, crimson hair, and two horns growing from their heads. They were Demonic Beasts born from the union of Blood Demons and zombies. Among Earth Demons, they were among the weakest.

You activated the Low-grade Treasure Artifact, the Jadeite Saber, and slaughtered dozens of Yakshas with three slashes. But you were immediately noticed by Winged Demons.

Winged Demons had wings on their backs, bird heads, and human bodies. They were cruel and bloodthirsty, and delighted in eating human brains.

"Catch that human! Don't let him get away!"

"I want that human's thigh."

"I want his palm!"

"You've divided everything up already, so what am I supposed to eat?"

"Eat shit!"

"Bastard! Is that any way to talk?"

Jiang Chuan: "."

Watching the Winged Demons turn on one another, Jiang Chuan did not know whether to laugh or cry.

The good news was that the Winged Demons were fighting among themselves.

The bad news was that they were fighting because they could not agree on how to divide him up.

"Stop arguing! The Asura Demon territory is ahead. If we don't speed up and chase him now, then once the Asura Demons kill this human, we won't get a single bite of meat."

Hearing the voices rise behind him, Jiang Chuan activated the Jadeite Saber beneath his feet, made a sharp turn, and chose to go around the area ahead.

Among all Earth Demons, Asura Demons could rank within the top ten.

If he rashly entered Asura Demon territory, he might attract fourth-realm or even fifth-realm Asura Demons.

Then Jiang Chuan would have no choice but to stretch out his neck for the slaughter!

"Gaga! Look at how stupid this human is! I told him the Asura Demon territory was ahead, and he actually believed it." A Winged Demon laughed loudly.

"Damn it, I was actually played by a Winged Demon!"

Jiang Chuan's face darkened, and he was so frustrated he wanted to vomit blood. "The Devil Race was indeed cunning and deceitful! Not a single word they say can be trusted!"

Clang!!!

An earth-shaking sword cry suddenly rang out.

The next moment, resplendent sword light shone like a rising sun, illuminating the entire first layer of the Underground Abyss.

Cold, chilling killing intent swept across heaven and earth like an ocean bursting through a dam.

"This sword strike!"

Jiang Chuan shuddered in alarm.

The Winged Demons pursuing him relentlessly behind him screamed in terror as well.

"A human great power is fighting a Devil Race Demon Emperor! Run! If we don't run now, it'll be too late!"

"Zhuo Yunsheng! You killed three of our great Demon Emperors. Are you trying to have Bamboo Immortal Island wiped out?!"

The furious roar exploded like thunder, shaking the heavens until they trembled chaotically.

It felt as though a thousand needles had stabbed into his mind. Excruciating pain instantly spread through Jiang Chuan's entire body.

Jiang Chuan's features twisted, and he nearly fell from the Jadeite Saber.

Ignoring the pain, only one thought remained in Jiang Chuan's mind.

"Run! Run now!"

Even the weakest Demon Emperor among Earth Demons was a seventh-realm expert.

When seventh-realm experts clashed, even the aftermath was enough to grind Jiang Chuan into dust.

Jiang Chuan controlled the Jadeite Saber, transforming into a streak of light that tore through the sky.

"Wipe out Bamboo Immortal Island? Chigou, are you worthy?"

The instant Zhuo Yunsheng's words fell, a blood-colored storm appeared from nowhere.

Wuuu! Wuuu! Wuuu!

It sounded like the wails of countless vicious ghosts, yet also like a demon god roaring toward the heavens.

The blood-colored storm swept across the eight desolations. Wherever it passed, all things were annihilated.

The clash between Demon Emperor Chigou and Zhuo Yunsheng of Bamboo Immortal Island affected several layers of the Underground Abyss.

Many Rogue Cultivators and Devil Race members had no time to flee and were directly reduced to dust by the aftermath.

You narrowly avoided the aftermath and survived the shockwaves of this great battle.

"Truly, when immortals fight, mortals suffer!"

Jiang Chuan looked at the bare land before him and sighed.

This had originally been a pitch-black mountain range inhabited by vast numbers of Yakshas, but after being struck by the aftermath of the clash between Demon Emperor Chigou and Zhuo Yunsheng, it had been reduced directly to dust.

"The Qingyuan Realm is too dangerous. If I want to survive, I can only become stronger!"

Jiang Chuan clenched his fists, and longing for power rose in his eyes once more!

With the desire for power rising in your heart, you continued deeper into the Underground Abyss under the Ruyi Heart Sutra's guidance.

Because of the earlier battle, many Devil Race members had been wiped out.

You arrived at the sixth layer of the Underground Abyss without incident.

On the sixth layer of the Underground Abyss, you saw cultivators from the major powers, which greatly surprised you.

Jiang Chuan entered the sixth layer and stared at the many cultivators in the distance with a puzzled expression.

"Little monk, if I were you, I would turn around and leave right now."

A female cultivator dressed in red and wearing a phoenix hairpin sat cross-legged atop a large boulder. Noticing Jiang Chuan approach, she slowly spoke.

Jiang Chuan pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. Fellow Daoist, why do you say that?"

"Little monk, stop playing dumb."

The female cultivator paused, then continued, "One month ago, Elder Tingquan of the Yellow Springs Demonic Sect deduced before his death that a great opportunity was about to emerge on the sixth layer of the Underground Abyss. The cultivators who have come here now have all come for this imminent opportunity."

"You're merely a small third-realm cultivator. Do you think you can compete with us for this opportunity?"

"If you know what's good for you, leave quickly. Otherwise, if you encounter demonic-path cultivators, even if you want to leave, you won't be able to."

"Leave? Where would I go?"