Demon Tide Devours Spirits, Talismans Hide in Kunlun

A sharp screech pierced the stillness of the mountain cave as a demonic beast's twisted form slammed into the mid-layer defense talisman array. Black scales gleamed with a faint light, and claws reeking of blood drew grating scratches across the array's luminous barrier. The creature was wolf-like in shape but bore three heads and six arms, each head spewing black demonic flames. It was clearly a vanguard breaking through the demon tide—weaker than a demon god but fearless, its flames carrying a potent corrosive force.

Xuan Fu sat cross-legged at the cave's center, his talisman body hovering midair, its cyan-gold, emerald-green, and pitch-black patterns flowing in constant flux. Unflustered, he lightly tapped with his fingertip (the tip of the talisman), and a purification talisman flew out silently. Its cyan-green light landed on the defense talisman array, instantly repairing the scratches while forming a fine light net that swept toward the demonic beast.

The life force of the purification talisman perfectly countered the beast's evil aura. The moment the light net touched the demonic flames, a sizzling sound erupted, and the black fire extinguished as if meeting its bane. The beast let out a pained howl, its three heads spewing thick black mist in a desperate attempt to break free. But Xuan Fu was prepared. Rigid-soft talisman power followed closely, and cyan-gold talisman blades flashed like lightning, precisely severing the joints of the beast's six arms.

With a series of puchi sounds, the arms snapped off, and black demon blood gushed out, corroding small pits into the ground where it fell. Before the beast could react, Xuan Fu condensed another malevolent spirit talisman at his fingertip. Pitch-black talisman power, laced with an aura of destruction, pierced straight into the core demon crystal at the beast's brow. The moment the crystal shattered, the creature's form collapsed with a crash, dissolving into wisps of black demonic energy that were fully purified by the purification talisman, leaving only a fingernail-sized demon core emitting a faint trace of origin power.

Xuan Fu waved his hand, storing the demon core in his spatial storage as the talisman's patterns rippled faintly. This core held pure demonic origin—less domineering than a fiend spirit origin but carrying a unique evil rhythm, perfect for refining his "malevolent spirit talisman" and possibly even condensing a specialized "demon-suppressing talisman."

Having dealt with the immediate threat, he didn't let his guard down. His spiritual sense extended through the talisman array outward, and his gaze instantly darkened.

At the edge of the Kunlun Mountain Range, the black crack had expanded to ten thousand zhang wide, like a gruesome wound on the primordial earth. Countless demonic beasts poured out like a tide, densely covering half the sky. They howled and slaughtered, burning innate spirit herbs to ash with demonic flames as they passed, devouring weak innate beings in an instant, and staining even the mountain rocks into evil-radiating black stone.

Further off, the demon tide collided with the four factions locked in earlier combat. The black Sha Qi of the malevolent spirit crystals intertwined with the evil aura of the demonic beasts, producing a strange resonance that made the Sha Qi even more violent. Even the white light of the Jade Void Palace was suppressed. Seeing this, the Kongming Demon God immediately shifted tactics, directing his power of space away from the malevolent spirit crystals and toward the demonic beasts, clearly aiming to weaken the other factions through the beasts while collecting demonic origin. Ao Guang, Feng Yao, and Qilin Cang were forced to ally once more, their three-colored origin powers weaving into a stronger light barrier to both resist the malevolent spirit crystals' Sha Qi and block the demon tide's assault.

The battle situation instantly grew more chaotic. Sha Qi, demonic flames, space blades, water dragons, fire phoenixes, and earthen armor clashed and intertwined in the sky. The energy storm raged fiercer than before, the innate barrier of the Kunlun Mountain Range teetered on the brink of collapse, and even the deep dragon vein power began to destabilize.

Xuan Fu's brow (his talisman's patterns) furrowed slightly. He hadn't expected the demon tide to be so vast, nor that the beasts' evil aura could resonate with the malevolent spirit crystals' Sha Qi, worsening an already dire situation. What unsettled him more was the faint, terrifying aura emanating from deep within the black crack—darker and more evil than even the Demon Ancestor Luohu's presence. It was clearly the true source of the demon tide: a demon beast commander whose strength far surpassed every powerhouse present.

"This aura... it doesn't feel like a native demonic beast of the primordial world. It's more like an evil entity from beyond chaos," Xuan Fu mused inwardly. He had spent countless ages in chaos and had never encountered such pure evil. It seemed to live on destruction and devouring, turning everything in its path to scorched earth.

His spiritual sense raced as he quickly made a decision. The current situation was too perilous. The demon beast commander hadn't even appeared yet, and its vanguard alone had thrown Kunlun into chaos. If the commander struck personally, none of the four factions present could likely contend. If he continued lurking here, he risked being swept into the battle and becoming cannon fodder.

But he didn't choose to flee immediately either. Though dangerous, the demon tide was also a rare opportunity. The origins of these demonic beasts held unique evil power. If he could collect enough demon cores, he could not only perfect his demon-suppressing and malevolent spirit talismans but might even forge a new "demon-suppressing talisman path," gaining an extra life-saving card in the coming tribulation.

"Fortune favors the bold. I'll gather a batch of demon cores first, then bide my time and slip deep into Kunlun."

With his mind made up, Xuan Fu activated the universe folding talisman again, disguising his aura as a wisp of demonic evil. His talisman body transformed into an imperceptible black light, silently darting out of the cave and blending into the outer ranks of the demon tide.

The demonic beasts were in chaos, devouring and slaughtering each other, so no one noticed this faint black light. Like a fish entering the sea, Xuan Fu weaved nimbly through the horde, targeting weaker, solitary beasts. He didn't use the powerful malevolent spirit world-breaking talisman but instead condensed fine talisman blades with rigid-soft talisman power, precisely slaying the beasts and collecting their cores.

These outer demonic beasts were weak, mostly at the level of low-tier demon gods, and couldn't detect Xuan Fu's presence at all. Like harvesting weeds, he gathered over a hundred demon cores in just half an hour. Piled in his spatial storage, they emitted a dense evil origin that resonated faintly with his talisman body.

Just as he prepared to venture deeper into the horde for stronger beasts, a sudden change occurred.

Deep within the black crack, the terrifying aura surged. A massive black shadow slowly rose from the fissure. This shadow was ten thousand zhang tall, shaped like a giant spider but with a grotesque human head. Its eight thick legs were covered in barbs, and each step made the earth tremble violently, spawning countless tiny spatial rifts.

"Demon Spider Commander!"

Ao Guang cried out in terror, his voice laced with undisguised fear. This demon spider commander's aura had already reached the quasi-saint level, far surpassing every powerhouse present—even more terrifying than the hidden great power of the Jade Void Palace.

The demon spider commander let out a sharp shriek. The human head's eyes gleamed with crimson light as all eight legs moved simultaneously, spraying countless black spider threads. These weren't ordinary silk but pure evil power condensed, carrying strong corrosive and binding force. Wherever they passed, space was corroded into long trails.

"No! Retreat!" Feng Yao's face turned pale. Her flames instantly contracted, transforming into a fiery red streak that fled deep into Kunlun. Ao Guang and Qilin Cang didn't dare linger either, urging their origin powers to turn and escape. They knew that against a quasi-saint-level demon spider commander, any resistance was futile. Only by retreating into Kunlun's depths and relying on the Jade Void Palace's power could they have a sliver of hope.

The Kongming Demon God's expression also turned grim. Greedy as he was, he knew survival came first. His power of space erupted, turning him into a streak of black light fleeing in the opposite direction from the three clans.

Only the chaotic consciousness of the malevolent spirit crystal showed no fear. The Sha Qi cloud expanded wildly, forming a massive Sha Qi hand that slammed toward the demon spider commander. Clearly, it saw the commander as a new prey, aiming to devour its quasi-saint origin and perfect itself.

"Presumptuous evil!"

The demon spider commander shrieked, a cruel smile curling on its human head's lips. All eight legs pushed off simultaneously, weaving countless spider threads into a giant black net that enveloped the Sha Qi hand. The net and hand collided, and the Sha Qi hand was instantly entangled. Corrosive and binding power flooded in, and the Sha Qi receded like a tide. The hand soon disintegrated.

The malevolent spirit crystal let out an enraged roar. The Sha Qi cloud contracted again, trying to flee. But the demon spider commander had no intention of letting it go. Its massive body instantly moved in front of the Sha Qi cloud, and all eight legs stabbed into it. Evil power surged in, beginning to devour the malevolent spirit crystal's origin.

"Roar—"

The crystal's roar was filled with pain and unwillingness. The Sha Qi cloud visibly shrank, its black patterns growing dim and lifeless. Clearly, against the demon spider commander's absolute strength, it had no power to resist.

Xuan Fu hid behind a demonic beast corpse, watching the scene with shock. Quasi-saint-level power was terrifying. Alone, it had suppressed the once-arrogant malevolent spirit crystal and forced the three clans and Kongming to flee in panic.

Without hesitation, he turned and activated the universe folding talisman, fleeing deep into Kunlun. The demon spider commander had seized control of the battle. Staying any longer risked discovery. He had to reach the Jade Void Palace's vicinity quickly, using its spiritual light for shelter to evade the commander's detection.

The moment he fled, the demon spider commander seemed to sense something. Its human head's crimson gaze swept over, landing precisely on where Xuan Fu had been hiding. Though he had already escaped, that gaze carried piercing force, making his talisman body tremble involuntarily.

"Such keen perception!" Xuan Fu thought, alarmed. He didn't dare pause, pushing the universe folding talisman to its limit.

The talisman light sped through the mountains. The demon spider commander didn't give chase, apparently focused on devouring the malevolent spirit crystal. Xuan Fu sighed in relief but didn't relax his vigilance, keeping his spiritual sense fixed on the rear.

As he traveled deeper into the Kunlun Mountain Range, the surrounding spiritual energy grew denser, and the evil aura in the air gradually purified. Along the way, he saw many innate beings fleeing toward the Jade Void Palace, clearly seeking refuge. Xuan Fu blended in, concealing all his aura like an ordinary innate being, drawing closer to the palace.

The Jade Void Palace floated in the core area of the Kunlun Mountain Range, shrouded in a thick layer of spiritual light like a celestial palace above the clouds. Around the palace, countless innate spirit grasses swayed in the wind, emitting a rich life force that starkly contrasted with the distant demonic flames and Sha Qi.

Xuan Fu didn't approach recklessly. Instead, he stopped on a peak at the palace's outskirts and set up multiple layers of stealth talisman arrays. He could feel that the palace's spiritual light contained powerful defensive force, making it impossible for outsiders to enter easily. Moreover, the hidden great power within had yet to appear, clearly observing the situation and unwilling to act unless absolutely necessary.

He found a concealed cave, reinforced the talisman arrays, then took out the hundred-plus demon cores he had collected and began refining them. Though the evil origin in these cores was violent, under the purification talisman's effect, it quickly transformed into pure energy, merging into his talisman body.

The black patterns on the talisman's surface grew deeper, perfectly fusing with the cyan-gold rigid-soft talisman power and the emerald-green life talisman power into a three-colored flowing rhythm. His spiritual sense expanded continuously, reaching ten thousand li, and the pressure of his talisman body faintly touched the threshold of quasi-saint.

He attempted to condense a demon-suppressing talisman, using the demon core origin as a core, infusing it with the purification talisman's life force and the rigid-soft talisman power's suppression. A talisman seal with cyan-gold and emerald-green patterns slowly formed in his hand. This demon-suppressing talisman could not only purify evil aura but also suppress demonic origin, and even reflect the beast's evil power back at it in critical moments, with boundless might.

Just as Xuan Fu was immersed in the joy of his breakthrough, the Jade Void Palace's spiritual light suddenly surged. A gentle yet powerful voice echoed across the entire Kunlun Mountain Range: "The demon tide ravages the primordial world. Kunlun is the source of the dragon vein and must be protected. Fellow daoists of the primordial world, if you are willing to join forces to repel the demons, this palace offers innate spiritual treasures as a reward."

His heart stirred. The great power of the Jade Void Palace was finally making a move, offering innate spiritual treasures as bait to gather the primordial world's strong against the demon spider commander.

He didn't respond immediately, remaining hidden in the cave. Innate spiritual treasures were tempting, but they came with great risk. The demon spider commander was quasi-saint level. Even with many powerhouses gathered, driving it back would come at a heavy cost. He had no desire to become cannon fodder in this battle.

Just then, his spiritual sense caught several powerful auras heading toward the Jade Void Palace. Some carried dense wood-attribute power, others violent lightning-attribute power—clearly hidden innate great powers of the primordial world, lured by the promise of innate spiritual treasures.

As more and more powerhouses converged, the aura around the Jade Void Palace grew stronger. Xuan Fu could feel that a great battle against the demon spider commander was about to begin.

Meanwhile, the demon spider commander had fully devoured the malevolent spirit crystal's origin, its aura surging again to the mid-quasi-saint level. It let out a triumphant shriek, its massive body moving deeper into Kunlun, targeting the Jade Void Palace. Clearly, it aimed to devour the palace's spiritual light and dragon vein origin to break through to a higher realm.

The battle was on the verge of erupting.

Xuan Fu gripped the demon-suppressing talisman and the malevolent spirit world-breaking talisman in his hand, quickly calculating his options. He could use the chaos of battle to secretly collect demonic origin, perhaps even seize the demon spider commander's origin to break through to quasi-saint. But he might also be caught in the crossfire, becoming a sacrificial pawn in the powerhouses' game.

As he hesitated, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside the cave.

Xuan Fu's heart tightened. He immediately restrained his aura and extended his spiritual sense to investigate. At the cave entrance stood a youth in white robes with a handsome face, surrounded by a faint aura of wood-element spiritual light. His presence was gentle yet not weak, clearly another primordial great power drawn by the Jade Void Palace's summons.

The youth seemed to sense the activity within the cave. Smiling slightly, he cupped his hands toward the entrance and said, "This junior is Donghua. Passing by this place, I noticed the exquisite talisman array here and assumed a talisman master was cultivating in seclusion. Now that the demon tide is wreaking havoc on Kunlun, I take the liberty of inviting you to the Jade Void Palace to discuss a plan to repel the demons."

Donghua?

Xuan Fu's mind stirred. He hadn't expected to encounter this legendary primordial great power here. It was said that Lord Donghua was born from the primordial wood spirit, excelled in deducing the Great Dao, possessed unfathomable strength, and would one day become a titan of the primordial world.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to reveal himself. Lord Donghua was gentle by nature and not one to kill indiscriminately; cooperating with him might be the safest choice in this great battle.

Xuan Fu activated the talisman array and slowly walked out of the cave, taking the form of a green-robed cultivator. He cupped his hands toward Donghua and said, "This junior is Xuan Fu. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Donghua. I gladly accept your kind invitation."

A flicker of surprise passed through Donghua's eyes—clearly, he hadn't expected the talisman master to look so young (in appearance)—but he quickly regained his composure and smiled. "Fellow Daoist Xuan Fu is too polite. Your talisman mastery is unfathomable. With your help, repelling the demons will surely be twice the result with half the effort."

The two exchanged smiles and flew toward the Jade Void Palace.

During the flight, Xuan Fu could sense more and more powerful beings gathering around them, and the aura around the Jade Void Palace growing stronger. The figure of the Demon Spider Commander had already appeared on the horizon deep within Kunlun, its massive body pressing down like a dark cloud, exuding a suffocating pressure.

A great battle that would determine the fate of the Kunlun mountain range—and even affect the entire primordial world—was about to erupt.

What Xuan Fu didn't know was that, while he and Donghua were heading to the Jade Void Palace, the Demon Spider Commander's crimson gaze had already locked onto him through the dense forests. Clearly, his earlier collection of demon cores had been noticed.