Sharp shrieks pierced the cave's silence as the grotesque form of a demon slammed into the mid-level Defense Talisman Array. Its black scales reflected a ghostly glow, while its sharp claws dragged across the array's barrier of light, leaving behind grating scratches. The creature had the body of a wolf, but three heads and six arms. Each head spewed black demonic flames. It was clearly a vanguard that had been the first to break through the Demon Tide. Though weaker than a Demon God, it was fearless and savage, and its demonic flames carried a powerful corrosive force.
Xuan Fu sat cross-legged in the center of the cave, his talisman body floating in midair as cyan-gold, emerald-green, and pitch-black patterns shifted restlessly. He remained completely calm. With a light tap of his fingertip—the tip of the talisman—he sent a Purification Talisman silently flying out. Cyan-green light landed on the Defense Talisman Array, instantly repairing the scratches before transforming into a fine Light Net that spread toward the demon.
The Purification Talisman's life force happened to counter the demon's wicked aura. The instant the Light Net touched the demonic flames, it hissed. The black flames quickly went out as though they had encountered their natural bane. The demon let out a painful wail, and all three heads simultaneously spewed dense black mist in an attempt to break free of the Light Net's restraints. But Xuan Fu had been prepared. Rigid-Soft Talisman Power followed close behind, and a cyan-gold talisman blade swept across like lightning, precisely severing the joints of the demon's six arms.
Several wet chops rang out. The demon's arms broke off, and black demonic blood gushed forth, corroding the ground into tiny pits. Before it could react, Xuan Fu condensed another Malevolent Spirit Talisman at his fingertip. Pitch-black talisman power wrapped in an Aura of Destruction stabbed straight into the core demonic crystal between the demon's brows. The instant the crystal shattered, the demon's body collapsed with a boom and transformed into wisps of black demonic aura, which the Purification Talisman thoroughly purified. Only a fingernail-sized Demon Core remained, radiating a faint Origin Aura.
Xuan Fu waved his hand and stored the Demon Core in his storage space, the talisman patterns rippling faintly. This Demon Core contained the demon's pure Origin Power. Though it was not as overbearing as the Fiend Spirit Origin, it carried a unique wicked rhythm and was perfectly suited to improving his Malevolent Spirit Talisman. It might even allow him to condense a Demon Suppressing Talisman specifically designed to counter demons.
After dealing with the demon before him, he did not lower his guard. His Spiritual Sense extended outward through the array, and his expression instantly darkened.
The Black Crack at the edge of the Kunlun Mountain Range had expanded to a width of ten thousand zhang. It looked like a hideous wound across the Primordial Wilderness, with countless demons surging out like a tide and densely covering half the sky. They shrieked and slaughtered as they went. Innate plants were burned to nothing by their demonic flames, weak Innate Beings were devoured in an instant, and even the mountains and stones were stained by demonic blood, becoming black rocks that radiated wickedness.
Farther away, the Demon Tide collided with the four factions that had previously been locked in battle. The black fiendish aura of the Malevolent Spirit Crystal intertwined with the demons' wicked aura, producing a strange resonance. The fiendish aura became even more violent, suppressing even the White Light of the Jade Void Palace to some extent. Seeing this, Kongming Demon God immediately changed tactics. His Power of Space no longer targeted the Malevolent Spirit Crystal but swept toward the demons instead. He clearly intended to use the demons to weaken the other factions while collecting their Origin Power. Ao Guang, Feng Yao, and Qilin Cang were forced to form an alliance once more. Their three-colored Origin Power intertwined into an even stronger barrier of light, resisting the Malevolent Spirit Crystal's fiendish aura while blocking the Demon Tide's assault.
The battle instantly became even more chaotic. Fiendish aura, demonic flames, Space Blades, Water Dragons, Fire Phoenixes, and earth armor interwove and collided in the sky. The Energy Storm was even more violent than before, and the Innate Barrier of the Kunlun Mountain Range trembled on the verge of collapse. Even the power of the Dragon Vein deep within had fallen into disorder.
Xuan Fu's brows—the talisman patterns—furrowed slightly. He had not expected the Demon Tide to be so vast, nor had he expected the demons' wicked aura to resonate with the Malevolent Spirit Crystal's fiendish aura. This undoubtedly made an already bad situation even worse. What shocked him more was the terrifying aura faintly coming from the depths of the Black Crack. It was even deeper and more evil than Demon Ancestor Luohu's aura. Clearly, it was the true source of the Demon Tide—a demon commander whose strength far surpassed every expert present.
"This aura... doesn't seem to belong to a demon native to the Primordial Wilderness. It feels more like wickedness from Beyond Chaos." Xuan Fu pondered inwardly. He had spent countless years in Chaos but had never seen such a pure aura of evil. His opponent seemed to live on destruction and devouring. Wherever it passed, all things would become scorched earth.
His Spiritual Sense raced as Xuan Fu quickly reached a decision. The situation was far too dangerous. The demon commander had yet to appear, yet these vanguard demons alone had already thrown Kunlun into chaos. If the commander personally took action, the four factions present would probably be unable to resist. If he continued lurking here, he could be dragged into the battle at any moment and reduced to cannon fodder.
But he did not choose to flee immediately. Though the Demon Tide was dangerous, it was also a rare opportunity. The Origin Power of these demons contained a unique wicked force. If he could collect enough Demon Cores, he could not only perfect the Demon Suppressing Talisman and the Malevolent Spirit Talisman, but perhaps even open up a new "Demon Suppressing Talisman Dao," giving himself another trump card for survival in the future Tribulation.
"Fortune is found amid danger. I'll collect a batch of Demon Cores first, then find an opportunity to escape into the depths of Kunlun."
Having made up his mind, Xuan Fu once again activated the Universe Folding Talisman, disguising his aura as a strand of demonic wickedness. His talisman body transformed into an almost imperceptible black light and silently shot out of the cave, blending into the demons on the outskirts.
The demon horde was a complete mess. They devoured and slaughtered one another as well, and no one noticed the inconspicuous black light. Xuan Fu was like a fish entering the sea, weaving nimbly through the horde while focusing on the weaker demons that acted alone. He did not use the powerful Malevolent Spirit World-Breaking Talisman. Instead, he condensed tiny talisman blades with Rigid-Soft Talisman Power, precisely killing the demons and collecting their Demon Cores.
These demons on the outskirts were not strong. Most were only at the level of low-tier Demon Gods and could not detect Xuan Fu's presence at all. Like a farmer harvesting chives, Xuan Fu collected over a hundred Demon Cores in barely half an hour. The Demon Cores piled up in his storage space, radiating dense wicked Origin Power and causing even his talisman body to resonate faintly.
Just as he was preparing to go deeper into the demon horde to find stronger demons and collect their Demon Cores, a sudden change occurred.
Deep within the Black Crack, that terrifying aura suddenly surged. A huge Black Shadows slowly rose from the crack. It stood ten thousand zhang tall and had the form of a giant spider, but it bore a hideous human head. Its eight thick legs were covered in barbs, and every step made the earth tremble violently, producing countless tiny Space Rifts.
"Demon Spider Commander!"
Ao Guang was horrified, and undisguised fear filled his voice. The aura of this Demon Spider Commander had actually reached the Quasi-Saint level, far surpassing every expert present. It was even several degrees more terrifying than the aura of the hidden Innate Great Power from the Jade Void Palace.
The Demon Spider Commander let out a sharp shriek. Crimson light flickered in the eyes of its human head as all eight legs moved at once, spraying countless strands of black web silk. These strands were no ordinary threads. They were condensed from pure wicked power and carried potent corrosive and restraining forces. Wherever they passed, they corroded long marks into space.
"Not good! Retreat!" Feng Yao's face went deathly pale. Her flames shrank instantly, transforming into a streak of fiery-red light that fled toward the depths of Kunlun. Ao Guang and Qilin Cang did not dare delay either. They activated their Origin Power and fled. They knew that before a Quasi-Saint-level Demon Spider Commander, all resistance was futile. Only by fleeing into the depths of Kunlun and borrowing the power of the Jade Void Palace would they have a chance of survival.
Kongming Demon God's expression also became exceptionally ugly. He was greedy, but he knew that staying alive was more important. His Power of Space erupted in an instant, transforming into a streak of pitch-black light that fled in the opposite direction from the three clans.
Only the chaotic consciousness of the Malevolent Spirit Crystal remained fearless. Its cloud of fiendish aura expanded wildly, transforming into a gigantic Malevolent Spirit Hand that struck toward the Demon Spider Commander. Clearly, it viewed the Demon Spider Commander as new prey and wanted to devour its Quasi-Saint Origin Power to perfect itself completely.
"An overconfident fiend!"
The Demon Spider Commander shrieked, the corners of its human mouth curling into a cruel smile. All eight legs exerted force at once, weaving countless strands of web silk into a massive black net that descended over the Malevolent Spirit Hand. When the black net collided with the hand, the Malevolent Spirit Hand was instantly wrapped in web silk. Corrosive and restraining power poured in frenziedly, and the fiendish aura receded like a tide. The Malevolent Spirit Hand soon fell apart.
The Malevolent Spirit Crystal let out an enraged roar. Its cloud of fiendish aura contracted again as it tried to flee. But the Demon Spider Commander clearly had no intention of letting it go. Its enormous body instantly moved in front of the cloud, and all eight legs stabbed into it at once. Wicked power surged in wildly and began devouring the Malevolent Spirit Crystal's Origin Power.
"Roar—"
The Malevolent Spirit Crystal's roar was filled with pain and unwillingness. Its cloud of fiendish aura shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye, and its pitch-black patterns dimmed. Clearly, before the Demon Spider Commander's absolute strength, it had no power to resist.
Hidden behind a demon corpse, Xuan Fu watched the scene before him, his heart filled with shock. Quasi-Saint-level strength was actually this terrifying. With his own power alone, the Demon Spider Commander had suppressed the previously invincible Malevolent Spirit Crystal and forced the three clans and Kongming into a panicked escape.
Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and activated the Universe Folding Talisman, fleeing toward the depths of Kunlun. The Demon Spider Commander had already taken control of the battle. If he stayed, the other party might discover him at any moment. He had to reach the vicinity of the Jade Void Palace as quickly as possible and rely on its spiritual light for protection to evade the Demon Spider Commander's detection.
The instant he fled, the Demon Spider Commander seemed to notice something. The crimson gaze of its human head suddenly swept over and landed precisely in the direction where Xuan Fu had been hiding. Although Xuan Fu had already fled, that gaze carried powerful penetrating force, making his talisman body tremble involuntarily.
"What powerful perception!" Xuan Fu was secretly startled. He did not dare linger and pushed the speed of the Universe Folding Talisman to its limit.
The talisman light sped through the forests and mountains. The Demon Spider Commander did not pursue, evidently focusing its attention on devouring the Malevolent Spirit Crystal. Xuan Fu breathed a sigh of relief, but he still did not lower his guard. His Spiritual Sense remained focused on the movement behind him.
As he traveled deeper into the Kunlun Mountain Range, the surrounding spiritual energy grew denser and denser, while the wicked aura in the air was gradually purified. Along the way, he saw quite a few Innate Beings fleeing toward the Jade Void Palace, clearly seeking shelter. Xuan Fu blended in among them, concealing every trace of his aura and approaching the Jade Void Palace like an ordinary Innate Being.
The Jade Void Palace floated in the Core Area of the Kunlun Mountain Range, shrouded in thick spiritual light like an immortal palace above the clouds. Countless Innate Spirit Grass swayed in the breeze around the palace, radiating dense Life Talisman Power that formed a sharp contrast with the distant demonic flames and fiendish aura.
Xuan Fu did not rashly approach the Jade Void Palace. Instead, he stopped on a mountain peak outside the palace and laid down multiple Stealth Talisman Arrays. He could feel that the spiritual light of the Jade Void Palace contained powerful defensive force, making it impossible for outsiders to enter easily. Moreover, the hidden Innate Great Power in the palace had yet to appear, clearly observing the situation and unwilling to act unless absolutely necessary.
He found a secluded cave, reinforced the talisman arrays once more, then took out the over one hundred Demon Cores he had collected and began refining them with complete concentration. Though the wicked Origin Power within the Demon Cores was violent, the Purification Talisman quickly converted it into pure energy, which merged into his talisman body.
The pitch-black patterns on the talisman's surface grew increasingly profound. They perfectly fused with the cyan-gold Rigid-Soft Talisman Power and the emerald-green Life Talisman Power, forming a wondrous rhythm of three circulating colors. His Spiritual Sense continued to expand and had already reached a distance of ten thousand li. The pressure of his talisman body had also faintly touched the threshold of the Quasi-Saint realm.
He attempted to condense a Demon Suppressing Talisman, using the Origin Power of the Demon Cores as its core and incorporating the Life Talisman Power of the Purification Talisman and the suppressive force of the Rigid-Soft Talisman Power. A cyan-gold talisman with emerald-green patterns slowly condensed in his hand. This Demon Suppressing Talisman could not only purify wicked aura but also suppress the Origin Power of demons. At a critical moment, it could even reflect their wicked power back at them. Its might was boundless.
Just as Xuan Fu was immersed in the joy of his breakthrough, the spiritual light of the Jade Void Palace suddenly surged. A gentle yet powerful voice spread throughout the entire Kunlun Mountain Range: "The Demon Tide has brought calamity to the Primordial Wilderness. Kunlun is the source of the Dragon Vein and cannot be left unprotected. Fellow Daoists of the Primordial Wilderness, if you are willing to join forces to repel the demons, this palace is willing to offer an Innate Spiritual Treasure in thanks."
Xuan Fu's heart stirred. The expert of the Jade Void Palace was finally going to act, and had even brought out an Innate Spiritual Treasure as bait. Clearly, they intended to gather the experts of the Primordial Wilderness to fight the Demon Spider Commander together.
He did not respond immediately and instead continued lurking in the cave. Though an Innate Spiritual Treasure was tempting, it also carried enormous risks. The Demon Spider Commander was at the Quasi-Saint level. Even with numerous experts gathered, driving it back would undoubtedly require paying a terrible price. He had no desire to become cannon fodder in this great battle.
At that moment, his Spiritual Sense suddenly caught several powerful auras rushing toward the Jade Void Palace. Some carried dense Wood Attribute power, while others carried violent Lightning Attribute power. They were clearly hidden Innate Great Powers of the Primordial Wilderness, drawn by the bait of the Innate Spiritual Treasure.
As more and more experts gathered, the auras around the Jade Void Palace grew increasingly powerful. Xuan Fu could feel that a great battle aimed at the Demon Spider Commander was about to begin.
By then, the Demon Spider Commander had completely devoured the Malevolent Spirit Crystal's Origin Power, and its aura surged once more, reaching the mid-stage Quasi-Saint level. It let out a triumphant shriek and moved its enormous body toward the depths of Kunlun. Its target was the Jade Void Palace. Clearly, it wanted to devour the palace's spiritual light and the Origin Power of the Dragon Vein, breaking through to an even higher realm.
The great battle was on the verge of erupting.
Xuan Fu gripped the Demon Suppressing Talisman and Malevolent Spirit World-Breaking Talisman in his hands, rapidly weighing his options. He could take advantage of the battle's outbreak to secretly collect the demons' Origin Power, and might even seize the Demon Spider Commander's Origin Power and charge into the Quasi-Saint realm. But he could also be caught in the battle and become a sacrifice in the contest between the experts.
Just as he hesitated, faint footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave.
Xuan Fu's heart tightened. He immediately concealed his aura and extended his Spiritual Sense to investigate. He saw a handsome young man in white standing at the cave entrance. Faint Wood Attribute spiritual light surrounded him. His aura was gentle but not weak, clearly marking him as another Innate Great Power drawn here by the Jade Void Palace's summons.
The young man seemed to sense the movement inside the cave. He smiled faintly and cupped his hands toward the entrance. "This junior is Donghua. I happened to pass by and saw that the talisman array here was exquisite. I presume a great master of the talisman path is cultivating in seclusion here. Now that the Demon Tide has brought chaos to Kunlun, this junior takes the liberty of inviting the senior to head to the Jade Void Palace together and discuss plans to repel the demons."
Donghua?
Xuan Fu's heart stirred. He had not expected to encounter this legendary expert of the Primordial Wilderness here. It was said that Emperor Dong Hua had been transformed from an Innate Wood Spirit and excelled at deducing the Great Dao. His strength was unfathomable, and in the future he would become one of the great powers of the Primordial Wilderness.
After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately decided to reveal himself. Emperor Dong Hua had a gentle temperament and was not bloodthirsty. Cooperating with him might be the safest choice in this battle.
Xuan Fu activated the talisman array and slowly walked out of the cave, transforming into the appearance of a cultivator in cyan robes. He cupped his hands toward Donghua. "This junior is Xuan Fu. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Donghua. Since you have extended such a gracious invitation, this junior will naturally comply."
A trace of surprise flashed through Donghua's eyes. He clearly had not expected this great master of the talisman path to be so young in appearance, but he quickly returned to normal and smiled. "Fellow Daoist Xuan Fu, you are too courteous. Your attainments in the talisman path are unfathomable. With your assistance, repelling the demons will certainly be twice as effective with half the effort."
The two exchanged smiles and flew toward the Jade Void Palace.
As they flew, Xuan Fu could feel more and more experts gathering nearby, while the auras around the Jade Void Palace grew increasingly powerful. The Demon Spider Commander's silhouette had already appeared on the horizon deep within Kunlun. Its enormous body pressed forward like a dark cloud, carrying suffocating pressure.
A battle concerning the survival of the Kunlun Mountain Range—and even influencing the balance of the entire Primordial Wilderness—was about to erupt.
What Xuan Fu did not know was that, even as he and Donghua headed toward the Jade Void Palace, the crimson gaze of the Demon Spider Commander had already pierced through layers of forest and locked firmly onto him. Clearly, when he had collected the Demon Cores earlier, the other party had still noticed something strange.
Before you continue