Earth Immortal Suppresses the Demon Shadow
A streak of azure-gold light pierced the sky, like a rainbow imbued with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. It trailed a half-zhang-long tail of light through the clouds, from which tiny Spiritual Energy Particles drifted down like falling stars. These particles landed in the forests below, causing the shrubs, barren for decades, to sprout a few green shoots, and even tender green buds to emerge from the withered branches. The light lingered, as if trying to etch its Pure and Holy aura into the very fabric of heaven and earth, dispelling all gloom from the world.
Ren Xiaoyao walked on the wind, his toes untouched by dust. His azure robes fluttered gently with the air currents, the hem shimmering with a faint azure-gold halo—a mark of the fusion of the Earth Immortal Power and the spiritual Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. He didn't need to consciously circulate his spiritual power; his Earth Immortal Realm essence seamlessly blended with the surrounding Spiritual Qi. With each breath, he could draw the Spiritual Qi within a ten-mile Fang Yuan to converge like a tide, transforming it into a visible azure current that surged into his lungs. After being refined in his dantian, it became pure Earth Immortal Power, flowing throughout his body along the meridians covered with a golden membrane.
As his figure swept across the Black Miasma Mountain Range on the outskirts of the Nether Abyss, the Pure and Holy aura surrounding him was as gentle yet firm as melting snow in spring, silently dispelling the gloom of the mountains. The Black Moss that had clung to the rock walls was instantly reduced to ashes by the aura; the black evil liquid that seeped from the cracks in the rocks, upon encountering the Pure and Holy aura, immediately evaporated into wisps of white smoke, carrying with it the mournful wails of evil spirits being purified, before finally dissipating into the wind, leaving not even a trace of odor.
This aura of the Earth Immortal, Heaven and Earth Resonance, is far purer than that of an ordinary early-stage Earth Immortal cultivator. It possesses the weight of Ancient Emperor Power, with each breath carrying the steadiness of mountains and rivers pressing down, and the ground beneath one's feet seems to tremble slightly under the pull of this power; it also possesses the clarity of the Purifying Power of the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet, which seems to wash away all the filth of the world when it flows, even the fine Demonic Dust floating in the air is completely purified.
As the aura spread across the mountains, it caused dozens of evil crows circling deep within to tremble. These crows, originally mortals corrupted by the evil power of the Nether Abyss, had long since lost their minds. The demonic energy condensed on their black feathers was as viscous as tar, and now, scorched by the Pure and Holy aura, it emitted a violent "sizzling" sound. The tips of their feathers instantly turned black, and even Mars fell from the gaps between their feathers. The evil crows dared not even utter a wail; their wings trembled violently with fear as they frantically fled towards the depths of the Nether Abyss. The air currents from their flapping wings carried a bone-chilling cold, leaving only a few mournful cries that echoed repeatedly in the empty valley before finally dissipating in the cold wind carrying the aura of evil, leaving not a trace behind.
Yet this pure and upright aura of the Earth Immortal, the instant it crossed the barrier of the Three Realms, acted like a beacon piercing through the eternal darkness, forcefully entering the perception of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall in the Demon Realm. The Ten Thousand Demon Hall was situated atop the Heaven Burning Demon Mountain, the core of the Demon Realm. The entire palace exuded a chilling stillness. Its foundation was constructed from the skeletons of millions of High Antiquity cultivators, the gaps between which still held the lingering aura of wronged spirits. The walls were covered with glowing demonic iron, engraved with hideous Demonic Runes, each Demonic Runes absorbing the Demon Realm energy of the Demon Realm, making the palace increasingly cold and sinister. The interior was perpetually pitch black, save for the nine Blood Red Demon Lamp hanging from the dome, emitting an eerie glow—each lamp forged from the heart of an High Antiquity cultivator. As the wicks flickered, it seemed as if wronged spirits were howling madly within, their voices penetrating the lamp walls and echoing throughout the palace, sending chills down one's spine.
The light shone on the wrinkled face of the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm, making his sunken eye sockets and twisted wrinkles like old tree bark appear even more ferocious. His mouth drooped, revealing a few sharp teeth that gleamed with black light. The sinister look in his eyes was so thick that it seemed to drip ink, and even the demonic aura surrounding him carried an aura of destruction.
At this moment, the Ninth Ancestor sat cross-legged on the dark Demon Throne in the center of the hall. The Demon Throne was crafted from the skull of an Ancient Demonic Rhino, inlaid with dozens of black Demonic Crystal, within Demonic Crystal flowed dense Demonic Power. His withered fingers formed complex demonic hand seals, and the Black Demonic Markings at his fingertips flickered continuously with the flow of the seals. The Demonic Runes moved across his fingertips as if they were alive, and within them, one could vaguely see countless remnant souls struggling and howling. These were the remnant soul marks left by the thousands of cultivators he had devoured throughout his life. Each mark carried extreme pain and resentment, serving as the "nourishment" for his cultivation of Devil Cultivation Method.
When that pure Immortal Aura an Earth Immortal broke through the Demon-Bane's perception barrier along the Three Realms Passage, the Ninth Ancestor's demonic incantation abruptly stopped, the Black Demonic Markings instantly dimmed, even the demonic energy surrounding him became somewhat disordered, and the Demonic Crystal on the Demon Throne flickered erratically, losing its former luster. The Ninth Ancestor suddenly opened his eyes, a look of disbelief flashing across them, which was then replaced by extreme coldness. His voice was as grating as sandpaper rubbing against Mysterious Iron, echoing in the empty Ten Thousand Demon Hall: "Impossible... That brat from Qingfeng Valley, three hundred years ago he was just a Golden Core Cultivator who could be chased around by Demon General, without even a decent protective magic Law Treasure. Now his cultivation is only at the late Golden Core stage. He should have had his soul crushed by the Ancient Emperor Power in the Secret Realm, without even a chance to reincarnate. How could he have such a pure Immortal Aura? Could it be... that he actually passed the test of the Holy Land, which even High Antiquity Devil Cultivator dared not set foot in, and even obtained the inheritance of Emperor Power?"
Scenes from three hundred years ago suddenly flooded into the Ninth Ancestor's mind like a tidal wave. Those humiliating memories he had deliberately forgotten became clearer at this moment: At that time, Ren Xiaoyao was still a novice disciple of Qingfeng Valley, wearing a faded blue sect uniform with patches sewn on the cuffs, holding only an ordinary iron sword in his hand. However, in the ancient forest on the outskirts of the Kunlun Spirit Veins, he accidentally uncovered Ren Xiaoyao's secret plan to send three Demon General to infiltrate the Mortal World.
The three Demon General were all at the Nascent Soul Early Stage stage, carrying Demon Realm treasures. They intended to secretly seize the core essence of the Kunlun Spirit Veins —the source of Spiritual Qi in the Mortal World. If the Demon Realm controlled it, the Spiritual Qi in the Mortal World would greatly diminish within a hundred years, making it difficult for cultivators to advance, and they might even experience a regression in their cultivation levels. Meanwhile, the Demon Realm army could use this opportunity to tear open the barrier Three Realms, drive straight into the Mortal World, and turn it into the Demon Realm Mortal World's "granary."
From that moment on, the Ninth Ancestor regarded Ren Xiaoyao as a thorn in his side, dispatching seven waves of Demon General hunt him down. The pursuit covered every dangerous place in the Mortal World: from the ancient forests filled with miasma and poisonous insects, to the frozen snowfields of the far north, where spiritual energy could be frozen hundreds of miles below zero; from the humid, miasma-filled Miasma Swamp teeming with High Antiquity evil creatures, to the Barren Gobi Desert, devoid of any Spiritual Qi and filled with yellow sand. In each pursuit, the Ninth Ancestor laid out a deadly trap, even using the "Corrosive Heart Demonic Poison" that could corrode the soul and the "Profound Ice Demonic Artifact" that could freeze spiritual energy, vowing to tear Ren Xiaoyao to pieces.
Ren Xiaoyao always managed to escape by virtue of his extraordinary "Return All Things to Origin" sword intent and his astonishing comprehension in the face of dire straits. In the final pursuit, he even used the power of the Spirit Vein in the ancient forest to kill two Demon General and seize one of their Demon General Devil Artifact, causing the Ninth Ancestor to lose face in front of the elders of the Demon Realm and become Demon Realm stock. When the Ninth Ancestor learned that Ren Xiaoyao had entered the Ancient Secret Realm in search of the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet, Ninth Ancestor was secretly delighted. He thought that the test of Emperor Power in the Secret Realm, which even High Antiquity cultivators could not withstand, would eliminate this major threat to him. However, he did not expect that Ren Xiaoyao not only did not die, but also advanced to the Earth Immortal Realm, which even the elders of the Demon Realm needed a thousand years of arduous cultivation to reach. This gap between "prey" and "powerful one" made the Ninth Ancestor's killing intent grow stronger, almost bursting out of his chest.
"Even if you become Earth Immortal, you're nothing more than a greenhorn who has just entered this realm. Your foundation is not yet stable, and you haven't even grasped the basics of the Earth Immortal Method. Do you even deserve to block my path? Do you even deserve to possess the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet?" The Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm suddenly raised his hand, and a ball of rolling Black Demonic Flame instantly appeared in his palm. The demonic flames danced in his palm like living things, and were filled with a dense Destructive Aura. The temperature was so high that even the black Mysterious Iron floor tiles in the hall, which were as hard as steel, began to heat up, and charred patterns gradually appeared on their surfaces. The Black Demonic Qi seeping from the cracks in the floor tiles was instantly ignited when it encountered the flames, and the air was filled with a "sizzling" burning sound, as if even space itself was about to be burned through by this demonic flame, showing subtle distortions.
His fingertips flashed with magical hand gestures, and he silently chanted obscure and difficult-to-understand Demonic Incantation. The strange syllables of the Demonic Incantation carried a bewitching power, echoing throughout the empty Ten Thousand Demon Hall. This caused the Blood Red Demon Lamp on the dome to flicker even more violently, and the howls of the wronged souls within the lamps to grow clearer, as if trying to break through the lamp's walls and escape its constraints. As the last demonic sound fell, the Black Demonic Flame in the palm of the Ninth Ancestor suddenly exploded, transforming into a Black Incarnation identical to himself. When the Incarnation landed, the entire Ten Thousand Demon Hall trembled slightly, and circles of Black Demonic Markings appeared on the ground.
The Incarnation was surrounded by a faint demonic mist, within which countless remnant souls could be vaguely seen struggling and weeping. Each struggle made the demonic mist thicker, and one could even see the withered arms of the remnant souls reaching out, as if pleading for help. The Incarnation's eyes were as cold as knives, devoid of any warmth, seemingly capable of slicing through the void. The demonic pressure emanating from its body was as heavy as a mountain, enough to contend head-on with an early-stage Earth Immortal cultivator. If an ordinary Earth Immortal cultivator encountered this, this demonic pressure alone would be enough to disrupt their spiritual energy, leaving them without even the strength to grip their Law Treasure, let alone the courage to fight it.
"Go, crush Ren Xiaoyao's soul, let him taste the pain of his soul being scattered, then take his Earth Immortal body back to the Demon Realm and refine it into nourishment for my breakthrough to the Earth Demon Realm! If you can seize the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet, bring it back as well!" The Ninth Ancestor's voice fell, carrying an unquestionable majesty. The Black Incarnation bowed and accepted the order. With each movement, the hem of his Demonic Robe fluttered, bringing with it a biting cold wind. The Blood Red Demon Lamp in the hall swayed slightly, and the howls of the wronged souls within the lamps rose and fell accordingly.
Immediately, the Incarnation transformed into a streak of black light, piercing through the barrier of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall like a meteor. This barrier, jointly laid down by the nine Progenitor of the Demon Realm, incorporated countless high-level Demonic Crystal and the remnants of cultivators' souls, possessing extremely strong defensive capabilities. It could withstand a full-force attack from Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator, and even an early-stage Earth Immortal cultivator would need to expend most of their spiritual power to tear a crack in it. However, this barrier was as fragile as paper before the Incarnation's demonic flames, easily torn open with a tiny fissure. The demonic energy overflowing from the fissure spread wildly along the Three Realms Passage, turning the originally clear Spiritual Qi into turbid chaos wherever it passed. Even passing Demon Realm birds flapped their wings to avoid it, fearing that they would be corrupted by this demonic energy carrying an aura of Destructive Aura and turned into mindless monsters.
At this moment, Ren Xiaoyao had just landed at the foot of the Black Miasma Mountain Range. He looked down at the black evil marks left on the ground, his brows furrowing slightly. The marks were left by the evil power of the Nether Abyss that had seeped in for many years. The patterns were twisted like snakes, emitting a faint black light, and were still slowly spreading in all directions. If an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator were to come into contact with them, his soul would be instantly eroded, turning him into a puppet who only knew how to kill, and he would never be freed.
Ren Xiaoyao raised his hand and grasped the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet in his palm. The jade disc seemed to sense the surrounding evil energy, instantly emitting a soft blue light. The blue light was as fine as spring rain, without any aggression, yet carrying a powerful Purifying Power, which was evenly sprinkled on the ground. Wherever it passed, the black marks faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the originally blackened ground gradually returned to normal, revealing the green grass that had been hidden below. Even the grass blades gradually showed a vibrant green, and several small, snow-white insects even crawled out of the soil, slowly moving towards the direction of the blue light, as if sensing this Pure and Holy aura.
Just as the azure light dispelled the last black pattern, a bone-chilling cold emanated from Ren Xiaoyao's back. The cold was far more biting than the wind of the far northern snowfield, carrying a chill that penetrated to the bone marrow. It felt as if countless blades coated with demonic poison were pointed at his back. Even the Spiritual Qi flowing around his body seemed to freeze, becoming stagnant and slow. His breath was filled with icy demonic energy, making his throat tight and his chest ache.
He didn't need to turn around. Years of life and death experience had already honed his keen senses. The Earth Immortal Power around him instantly condensed into a cyan -Golden Shield. Sun and moon patterns faintly appeared on the shield. The sun pattern shone with a warm pale gold, and the moon pattern shone with a soft silver-white. The two Dao Patterns intertwined and flowed, circulating endlessly like the rotation of heaven and earth, and collided heavily with the Black Demonic Flame that attacked from behind.
A deafening roar, like thunder, echoed through the valley, sending boulders tumbling down the mountainside and piling up in small heaps. Several fist-sized stones even rolled down the slope into the stream below, splashing water everywhere. The black miasma that had shrouded the mountains was scattered, revealing the distant, rolling green hills. Most of the clouds above the peaks dissipated, allowing a clear view of the rocks at the summits. The surrounding trees shook violently, their thick trunks bending into arcs, branches and leaves falling. But the moment they came into contact with the Purifying Power and demonic flames of the protective barrier, they were transformed into a green mist by the Purifying Power, merging into the air to nourish the surrounding vegetation, or burned to ashes by the Black Demonic Flame, falling to the ground and leaving behind a pungent, burnt smell that lingered for a long time.
The Black Demonic Flame crashed into the cyan -Golden Shield, leaving only a shallow scorch mark. The scorch mark was immediately repaired by the Purifying Power flowing across the shield, leaving not a trace, as if it had never been attacked. Without the support of the Ninth Ancestor' Devil Cultivation Method, the demonic flames were completely dissipated, turning into wisps of black smoke that gradually dissipated in the air. Even the slightest trace of demonic energy was washed away by the Purifying Power, leaving only the fragrance of grass and trees in the air.
Ren Xiaoyao slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the Black Incarnation before him. His brows furrowed slightly, and his fingertips unconsciously traced the cloud pattern on the hilt of the Carefree Sword —a pattern carved by the Qingfeng Valley Patriarch, which, after decades of his caress, had become smooth as jade, carrying a familiar warmth. His tone carried a hint of coldness, yet concealed a hatred suppressed for three hundred years. His voice was not loud, but carried an undeniable power. "The aura of the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm... Three hundred years ago, you sent Demon General to hunt me down, destroying my fellow disciples and ruining my Medicinal Field, plunging Qingfeng Valley into dire straits; three hundred years later, you sent Incarnation to seek death. This grudge of being hunted down is well-deserved, saving me the trouble of settling scores with you when I Ten Thousand Demon Hall in the future."
The Black Incarnation, seeing that his attack had missed, was surprised. He carried thirty percent of the power of the Ninth Ancestor Ninth Ancestor and some of their Devil Cultivation Method. He had thought that even if Ren Xiaoyao had become Earth Immortal and his foundation was not yet stable, he would not be able to withstand his attack, which contained all his Devil Cultivation Method. However, the cyan -Golden Shield in front of him was several times stronger than he had expected. Even the demonic flames that could burn the flesh of Nascent Soul cultivator could not erode it in the slightest.
But his surprise was quickly replaced by a cold laugh. The Incarnation raised his hand and clenched his fist in the void. Dense demonic energy instantly gathered from all directions, even drawing in a considerable amount of evil power from the Nether Abyss, condensing into a three-foot-long Black Demonic Sword in his palm. The sword's blade gleamed with an eerie light, its edge covered with tiny Demonic Runes, wreathed in dancing demonic flames. As the blade sliced through the air, it left trails of black light. Wherever the trails passed, even light seemed to be swallowed up, creating a brief darkness. It slashed towards Ren Xiaoyao's neck, each strike deadly, showing no mercy, clearly intending to kill him in one blow.
This sword strike contains the "Soul-Burning Demonic Art," cultivated throughout the lives of the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm. The demonic flames are also wrapped in the "Corrosive Heart Demonic Poison," which can corrode the soul. The poison is extremely potent. If an ordinary early-stage Earth Immortal cultivator were to take it head-on, even if their physical body survived, their soul would be burned by the demonic flames, their cultivation would plummet, and they might even be controlled by the demonic poison, turning into a half-human, half-demon monster, never to be reborn, without even the chance of reincarnation.
Ren Xiaoyao, however, showed no fear. His gaze grew even more resolute, and the Earth Immortal Power and the Emperor Power intertwined and flowed around him, forming a faint azure-gold halo. Even his clothes were held up by this power, fluttering in the wind. His right hand gripped the hilt of the Carefree Sword on his back tightly, and a Sword Hum like a dragon's roar rang out, clear and resonant, echoing for a long time in the valley. It even caused the demonic sword in the Black Incarnation's hand to tremble slightly, and the demonic flames on the sword to dim a little, as if in fear of this Pure and Holy sword intent.
Immediately, the azure-gold sword light was drawn from its sheath, like a beam of light piercing the darkness, carrying the aura of Pure and Holy and the weight of Emperor Power, and collided heavily with the Black Demonic Sword.
"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing was extremely piercing, causing the surrounding birds to flap their wings and flee. The sound of their wings flapping and the Sword Hum's clash intertwined, creating a noisy yet intense sound. The pebbles on the ground bounced and formed ripples, with some stones even being shaken into the air before falling heavily back down. The distant stream was also shaken by the sound waves, causing the water flow to become turbulent.
Ren Xiaoyao felt a slight vibration in his arm. The vibration, as soon as it entered his meridians, was easily neutralized by the Emperor Power flowing within him. In fact, the vibration even helped the Emperor Power circulate more smoothly in his meridians, and the Nascent Soul in his dantian trembled slightly, absorbing the Spiritual Qi in the air. The Black Incarnation, on the other hand, was shaken back three steps, leaving three shallow pits in the ground beneath its feet. Its palms were numb, and the demonic flames on its demonic sword had dimmed considerably, with some even extinguishing completely. The cold smile in his eyes vanished completely, replaced by a look of solemnity—he finally realized that the Ren Xiaoyao before him was no longer the Golden Core Cultivator who had only managed to escape by luck and comprehension in dire situations three hundred years ago. The current opponent already possessed the power to confront him head-on, and even crush him.
"Return All Things to Origin, use power to subdue demons!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, his voice booming like thunder through the valley, carrying the majesty of Emperor's Will. The surrounding plants and trees bowed slightly, as if in submission. The Emperor's Will in his sea of consciousness suddenly awakened, like a dragon that had slumbered for thousands of years opening its eyes. With the majesty of High Antiquity emperor ruling the world and Protecting All Living Beings, it surged into the Carefree Sword through his arm. The sun and moon patterns on the sword instantly lit up, the light dazzling yet not blinding.
The sun pattern radiated a blazing golden light, like the midday sun, dispelling the surrounding demonic energy and warming the originally cold air, causing the grass and trees on the ground to stretch their branches and leaves; the moon pattern shone with a soft silver light, enveloping the Purifying Power emanating from the Pure Firmament Jade Tablet. The two lights intertwined, making the azure-gold sword light even more condensed, like a materialized Heaven and Earth Laws, directly cleaving the demonic flames on the Black Demonic Sword in two. The demonic flames fell to the ground, and before they could burn, they were completely dissipated by the Purifying Power, leaving not even a trace of black smoke, only a few shallow scorch marks on the ground, which were then repaired by Spiritual Qi.
The Black Incarnation's expression changed drastically, a strong sense of crisis surging within him. His survival instinct made him unable to maintain his composure any longer. He turned around and tried to retreat, fleeing towards the Nether Abyss —where the evil energy was dense, and perhaps he could use it to resist Ren Xiaoyao's attack, or even find a chance to escape. But as soon as he moved, he found that the air around him had already been firmly locked by the Earth Immortal Power and the sword intent of "Return All Things to Origin," as if he were tightly bound by countless invisible chains. His limbs were stiff as if filled with lead, and even his fingertips could hardly move. He could only watch helplessly as the azure-gold sword light, which was condensed with the Emperor Power and the Purifying Power, approached him with World-Ending Aura.
The Pure and Holy aura within the sword light grew increasingly intense, transforming into fine threads of light that drilled into Incarnation black avatar's meridians, instantly disrupting the demonic energy within his body. His previously condensed Devil Cultivation Method began to crumble, and even the strength to maintain his form was rapidly dissipating. For the first time, fear appeared in the Black Incarnation's eyes, and a strange "hoarse" sound came from his throat, but he couldn't even utter a word of begging for mercy, only able to let the shadow of death envelop his entire body.
Ren Xiaoyao's figure flickered, and with the resonance of the Earth Immortal Power and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, he instantly disappeared from the spot. His movements were so fast that they exceeded the limits of the naked eye, leaving only a faint cyan-gold afterimage in the air, which even the air currents could not react to.