Searching the Demon Abyss for Formation Traces
Ren Xiaoyao sped through the deepest part of the Black Miasma Mountain Range. The gusts of wind stirred up by his fluttering robes collided with the thick, sticky miasma around him, only creating a faint ripple before being instantly swallowed up. The further he went towards the Demon Abyss, the heavier the air became, as if it were filled with lead. The miasma, which was originally a hazy, pale gray, was gradually stained with an unfathomable dark purple, like solidified ink suspended in mid-air, making it difficult for even light to penetrate. Occasionally, a wisp of miasma would seep into his nostrils with his breath, and he would feel a chill sink down his throat, reaching his dantian. This caused the pale golden Emperor Power protecting his body to stagnate, and fine ripples appeared on the surface of the protective barrier, like a lake encountering wind and rain. Each ripple was a resistance against the silent erosion of the demonic energy.
The demonic Demon Beast in the forest were no longer as timid as before. Nourished by demonic energy, they had shed their docile nature and transformed into bloodthirsty Devil Creature. As they reached a narrow canyon, three dark figures suddenly pounced from the bushes on either side, the stench of which nearly swept them into the abyss—they were three Demonic Pattern Tiger forged from demonic energy. They were at least five zhang long, their bodies covered in dark black scales, from which Ink Green Venom constantly seeped, dripping onto the fallen leaves and instantly scorching them to black ash. Their sharp fangs were stained with fresh, bloody flesh, clearly from a recent hunt. Their scarlet tiger eyes were fixed on Ren Xiaoyao, their pupils surging with a violent red light, causing even the surrounding miasma to stir.
The lead Demonic Pattern Tiger launched the first attack, its massive claws Sky-Rending Strike with the force to shatter rocks, aiming for Ren Xiaoyao's chest. But before its claws could even reach within three feet of Ren Xiaoyao, it was struck hard by the pale golden Emperor's Might, as if hitting an impenetrable wall. With a deafening bang, the Demonic Pattern Tiger's massive body was sent flying backward, crashing heavily against the canyon wall. The crisp sound of shattering bones echoed through the canyon. It was already lifeless when it hit the ground. Before its corpse could even cool, the surrounding... The Dark Purple Miasma, like a hungry wolf smelling blood, instantly enveloped the tiger, its body hissing and corroding incessantly. In just a few breaths, the five-zhang-long tiger corpse turned into a pool of dark green pus, seeping into the soil through the cracks in the rocks, leaving not a single hair behind. The other two Demonic Pattern Tiger, seeing this, flashed a hint of fear in their scarlet eyes and turned to flee, but were struck by two streams of Emperor Power flicked from Ren Xiaoyao's fingertips. Their bodies instantly stiffened, and then, under the burning of the Emperor Power, they turned into two wisps of black smoke and dissipated.
After carefully avoiding the Devil Creature and treacherous miasma along the way for most of the day, a colossal abyss stretching across the heavens and earth finally appeared before them— Ren Xiaoyao's destination, the Demon Abyss. The rocks along the abyss had an eerie bluish-black hue, their surfaces covered with intricate Demonic Runes like spiderwebs. These Demonic Runes were not static, but rather pulsated slightly like the blood vessels of a living creature, emanating a chilling aura. Ren Xiaoyao reached out and gently touched the rock; his fingertips immediately felt an icy chill. The chill seemed alive, spreading rapidly from his fingertips to his meridians, even causing his normally flowing Emperor Power to stagnate, as if his meridians had been frozen.
He looked up into the Bottom of the Abyss, only to find it bottomless and pitch black. The only sound were low, guttural roars emanating from its Bottom of the Abyss, sometimes like the howls of ancient beasts, shaking the ground, sometimes like the wailing of countless wronged souls, piercing and unsettling. Black Demonic Qi, carrying a thick, foul wind, surged upwards from the abyss, mingling with the Dark Purple Miasma in the air to form swirling black vortexes. Where these vortexes passed, the surrounding rocks were corroded, leaving pitted and scarred. A hissing sound filled the air, and even space itself seemed to be Demonic Qi Erosion, distorting subtly—the danger of this Demon Abyss was a hundred times greater than any other area of the Black Miasma Mountain Range.
Ren Xiaoyao Emperor Mark Jade in his arms. At this moment, the jade pendant was trembling violently, as if trying to break free from the restraints of his clothes. The pale golden patterns on its surface became increasingly clear, like awakened golden threads, winding and flowing across the jade pendant, pointing precisely to the depths of the Bottom of the Abyss, resonating strongly with the aura of the hidden Emperor Array. He knew that the Emperor Formation Fragment were at the Bottom of the Abyss. Without hesitation, his Emperor Power surged suddenly, and the pale golden halo instantly thickened by three feet, like a forged golden shield, completely isolating the surrounding demonic energy and foul wind. Then, he lightly touched the cliff wall with his toes, and his figure soared towards the Bottom of the Abyss like a falling stone. The Demonic Runes on the cliff wall, touched by his Emperor Power, instantly turned into black ash and dissipated in the howling wind.
The darkness at the Bottom of the Abyss was far denser than imagined, so thick that one could not see their own hand in front of their face. Only the occasional flickering eerie green demonic flames on the rock walls could barely illuminate an area of about ten feet around. These demonic flames were not naturally formed, but rather demonic Devil Creature born from the extreme condensation of demonic energy. They floated in mid-air, their light flashing intermittently, reflecting the horrifying scene on the ground—the ground was covered with layers upon layers of broken bones, piled up to half a person's height, like a deathly sea of bones. Among them were the colossal skeletons of demonic Demon Beast ten feet long, thick and robust... The leg bones were thicker than an adult's waist, with sharp claw marks and bite marks remaining on them, clearly indicating death in a battle with Devil Creature; there were also the remains of cultivators, whose clothes had long since turned to ashes under the erosion of time and demonic energy, leaving only black traces stained by demonic energy. Some skulls were even crushed, with lingering demonic energy remaining in the brain cavity, indicating that many cultivators had heard that the Demon Abyss contained treasures and had ventured in to search for them despite the dangers, only to become nourishment for the Demon Abyss and remain here forever.
Following the jade pendant's guidance, Ren Xiaoyao trudged through the pile of bones. The bones beneath his feet cracked and groaned, each sound particularly jarring in the silent Bottom of the Abyss. He dared not relax for a moment; the demonic energy of this Demon Abyss was far stronger than he had anticipated. Even with the protection of his Emperor Power shield, traces of demonic energy still seeped into his meridians through the gaps, like tiny needles, wandering freely and causing sharp, stabbing pains. He had to move forward while simultaneously circulating the Qingfeng Valley's ancestral <Flowing Cloud Art>, allowing his pale blue spiritual energy to flow slowly through his meridians, cooperating with his pale golden Emperor Power like two intertwined streams, gradually enveloping and purifying the demonic energy that had seeped into his meridians. Even so, the continuous exertion caused cold sweat to gradually bead on his forehead, his face to turn paler, and the fluctuations of his Emperor Power to weaken slightly.
He didn't know how long he had been walking through the pile of bones—perhaps an incense stick's time, perhaps half an hour—when suddenly a faint yet incredibly pure golden light emanated from ahead. This light pierced through the dense demonic energy, like a lighthouse in the darkness, resonating even more strongly with the aura of the Emperor Mark Jade, causing it to tremble violently, almost leaping out of his arms. Ren Xiaoyao was overjoyed and quickly quickened his pace, rounding a mountain of bones before a massive cavern suddenly appeared before him.
The cave was about a hundred feet high and several tens of feet wide. Countless Stalactite hung from the rocks at the top, Stalactite surfaces covered with black demonic grime, exuding a chilling aura. The cave walls were densely covered with High Antiquity Emperor Mark. The lines of these Emperor Mark were ancient and vigorous, as if carved by the hands of Ancient Great Emperor. Although they had endured tens of thousands of years and were covered with a thick layer of black demonic grime, like a layer of dust, one could still feel the residual Emperor's Might within them. They were of the same origin as the Emperor Mark on his fingertips, causing the Emperor Power around him to flow involuntarily, as if echoing the High Antiquity Emperor's Might.
In the center of the cave, a half-person-high cyan crystal was embedded in the rock wall. The crystal was smooth and lustrous, like a precious jade nourished by a clear spring. Pale golden Emperor Mark flowed on its surface. As the Emperor Mark shimmered, they emitted an aura of the same origin as the Emperor Mark Jade and the Emperor Mark on the fingertip. Needless to say, this was the other Emperor Formation Fragment that he had been searching for!
A flicker of excitement flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes. Just as he was about to step forward, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the depths of the cave. The roar was filled with intense killing intent and violence, causing the cave walls to tremble slightly. Immediately afterward, three burly Demon General rushed out of the darkness. Each Demon General was three zhang tall, their bodies shrouded in dense Black Demonic Qi that condensed into hard armor covering their entire bodies, leaving only a pair of scarlet eyes, like burning will-o'-the-wisps, staring intently at Ren Xiaoyao. They wielded demonic blades covered with spikes, the blades engraved with ferocious Demonic Runes that resonated with the demonic energy within the cave, radiating a chilling pressure that seemed to envelop the entire cave in killing intent.
"Human cultivator, how dare you trespass into my territory! You're courting death!" the leading Demon General roared, his voice booming like thunder, as he slashed fiercely at Ren Xiaoyao with his demonic blade. Before the blade even reached him, the chilling demonic energy transformed into sharp Saber Qi, piercing through the outer layer of the Emperor Power shield and slicing across Ren Xiaoyao's arm like a blade, leaving three shallow bloodstains. As soon as the bloodstains appeared, they were quickly stained by the demonic energy, turning into an eerie black. The black color spread rapidly along the wounds towards his meridians, bringing excruciating pain, as if countless poisonous insects were gnawing at his flesh. Even the Emperor Power in his dantian was affected, becoming disordered.
"The Demon Abyss actually harbors Demon General. It seems the demonic energy here has already nurtured Demon Realm beings." Ren Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed. He endured the pain in his arm and used his Emperor Power to temporarily suppress the spreading demonic energy. The Carefree Sword at his waist seemed to sense its master's danger. With a "clang," it was automatically drawn from its sheath. The Sword Hum's clear and resonant sound pierced through the Demon General's roar, carrying the warmth of the mountain and forest Spiritual Qi, instantly dispelling the surrounding chill. A cyan -Golden Sword Light burst forth from the sword, instantly expanding to over ten feet wide. The sword technique "Emperor Array - Demon- Demon Slaying Sword" was unleashed—this sword strike condensed his Emperor Power and spiritual power after breaking through to the mid-stage of Earth Immortal. The sword light contained the might of High Antiquity Emperor's Might, as scorching as the sun. The moment it collided with the Demon Blade, the Black Demonic Qi was burned by the Emperor Power, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating. The air was filled with a pungent, burnt smell.
Although the three Demon General could manipulate dense demonic energy, drawing upon the surrounding Emperor Array energy to aid their attacks with each strike of their demonic blades, they were ultimately at a disadvantage against Ren Xiaoyao, who had broken through to the mid-stage of the Earth Immortal and mastered the power of the Emperor's Array. Ren Xiaoyao, wielding the Carefree Sword, moved with the agility of a gentle breeze, weaving through the Demon General ' attacks and dodging their demonic blade strikes. Each swing of his Golden Sword Light left a Golden Traces on the Demon General ' demonic armor, and the Emperor Power seeped into Demon General bodies along the marks, continuously eroding their forms formed from demonic energy.
After only a dozen or so rounds, the leading Demon General could no longer hold on. His demonic blade was severed by the cyan- Golden Sword Light, and the broken blade dissipated into Black Demonic Qi. Taking advantage of the situation, Ren Xiaoyao stepped forward. With a flash of sword light, the cyan-gold stream of light pierced through the Demon General's chest, leaving a golden hole. Demonic energy surged wildly from the hole, and the Demon General let out a shrill roar. His body gradually melted under the burning power of the Emperor Power, eventually turning into a pool of Black Demonic Qi, which was completely purified by the Emperor Power. Seeing this, the other two Demon General ' scarlet eyes flashed with intense fear. They dared not linger and turned to flee into the depths of the cave. But Ren Xiaoyao would not give them a chance. With a light touch of his toes on the ground, he instantly caught up. With a swing of his Carefree Sword, two cyan -Golden Sword Light struck the two Demon General in the back of the heart. The Demon General did not even have time to scream before they turned into black smoke and dissipated into the cave.
Having dealt with the Demon General, Ren Xiaoyao finally breathed a sigh of relief. He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, circulated his Emperor Power along his meridians, and completely cleared away the remaining demonic energy on his arm. The wound also gradually healed under the nourishment of the Emperor Power. Then, he slowly walked to the cyan crystal, the Emperor Mark on his fingertips lit up, and a pure light golden stream of light flew out from his fingertips and landed on the surface of the crystal.
The moment the light touched the Emperor Mark, the black demonic grime on the crystal was instantly stripped away, turning into black ash, which dissipated with the airflow within the cavern. The golden Emperor Mark on the crystal's surface fully awakened, rapidly flowing across the crystal like living golden threads, resonating strongly with the Emperor Mark on his fingertips. Immediately afterward, a thick stream of High Antiquity information surged into his mind along the Emperor Mark, crashing against his sea of consciousness like a tidal wave—this information not only recorded the origin of this corner of the Emperor Array but also contained the complete method of control.
It turns out that this formation is called the "Emperor Array: Boundary Sealing Gate." In Ancient Times, the Demon Realm army broke through the boundary and invaded the human and Immortal Realm Mortal World, causing widespread suffering. To protect both realms, the Ancient Great Emperor personally traversed mountains and rivers to set up this formation, specifically designed to seal the passage between the Demon Realm and Mortal World and keep the Demon Realm army outside the boundary. Now, this fragment of the "Boundary Sealing Gate" echoes the fragments of the "Immortal Suppressing Seal" and "Repel Foreign Enemies" that he previously possessed, like three pieces of a puzzle. If all the Emperor Formation Fragment can be collected, a complete Primordial Emperor Formation can be formed. This formation will not only completely resist the invasion of the Demon Realm and protect the safety of both realms, but its Emperor's Might and power will also deter all forces in the immortal Immortal Realm that covet the Emperor Array, preventing them from easily provoking it again.
As the method of control gradually integrated into his mind, the cyan crystal suddenly trembled slightly, and the Emperor Mark on its surface shone even more brightly. Then, the crystal broke free from the constraints of the rock wall, transforming into a pale golden stream of light, like a bird returning to its nest, flying towards Ren Xiaoyao's dantian, and finally merging into it.
Within his dantian, two Emperor Formation Fragment immediately intertwined, the pale golden fragment of the "Boundary Sealing Gate" and the pale blue fragment of the "Immortal Suppressing Seal" merging together, radiating a rich Emperor's Might, like two small suns illuminating the entire dantian. The already abundant Emperor Power surged again under the blessing of the Emperor Formation Fragment, flowing rapidly through his meridians like a flood bursting its banks. The meridians were nourished by the Emperor Power, becoming even more resilient. The wounds previously Demonic Qi Erosion, as well as the minor Hidden Danger left from his battle with Li Xuan, were completely eliminated under the power of the Emperor Formation Fragment.
Ren Xiaoyao slowly opened his eyes, a brilliant glint flashing in them. He could clearly feel that his control over the Emperor Array had increased, and his aura had become even more profound. Even when facing a cultivator in the early stage of the Heavenly Immortal realm, he now had the confidence to fight head-on. But at this moment, a strong spatial fluctuation suddenly came from the depths of the cave. The fluctuation carried a rich aura of the Demon Realm, which repelled the aura of the remnant of the "Boundary Sealing Gate" in his dantian, like fire and water, causing his Emperor Power to become chaotic.
Ren Xiaoyao's heart stirred, and he immediately concealed his aura, slowly moving forward in the direction of the spatial fluctuations. The depths of the cave were even darker than the outer perimeter, with only the Black Demonic Qi seeping from the Rift ahead barely illuminating the path beneath his feet. The chill and oppressive feeling in the air grew stronger, causing him to involuntarily tighten his grip on the Carefree Sword.
After walking for about half an incense stick's time, he finally stopped. At the end of the cave, a black Rift more than ten feet wide was clearly visible on the rock wall. The rocks at the edge of the Rift were Demonic Qi Erosion, turning them jet black and shiny, as if they had been soaked in ink. Traces of being scorched by demonic energy remained on the surface of the rocks. Dense Black Demonic Qi continuously surged from the Rift. This demonic energy was several times purer than the demonic energy in the Demon Abyss, carrying an aura of world-destroying power. Even inhaling just a wisp of it could cause one's consciousness to tremble and one's mind to lose control. It was far more dangerous than the demonic energy on the Demon General earlier.
What concerned Ren Xiaoyao even more was that faint traces of golden Emperor Mark remained at the edge of the Rift. The patterns and aura of those runes were exactly the same as the Emperor Mark on the fragments of the "Boundary Sealing Gate." He instantly understood that this was the Demon Realm passage that the "Boundary Sealing Gate" had once blocked. However, as ten thousand years passed, the power of the Primordial Emperor Formation gradually dissipated, and the passage reappeared with Rift, becoming a weak connection between the Demon Realm and the Mortal World. It was precisely because of this that Demon General could infiltrate the Demon Realm and entrench themselves in the Demon Abyss.
Ren Xiaoyao cautiously approached Rift Rift, gazing intently towards the other side. Through the dense demonic energy, he saw a completely different scene—a desolate black land, riddled with dark red ravines. Boiling magma flowed through these ravines, churning and releasing suffocating heat waves and dense demonic energy that stained the sky dark. In the distance, a towering black castle could be vaguely seen, its walls constructed of hard black rock, its surface etched with hideous Demonic Runes. A huge black banner fluttered atop the castle, its Demonic Runes Demonic Runes to those on the Demon General's body. The banner fluttered in the demonic energy, exuding a chilling sense of oppression, as if proclaiming the majesty of the Demon Realm.
"No wonder Demon Abyss roam the Demon General; it turns out this passage has long had cracks, Psionic Energy Demon Realm beings to infiltrate the Mortal World." Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank, and his expression became extremely grave. He knew very well that if this Rift wasn't sealed quickly, it would grow larger over time. Once the passage was fully open, a large number of the Demon Realm beings would flood into the mortal and Immortal Realm Mortal World, plunging both realms into catastrophe. At that time, even gathering all the Emperor Formation Fragment would be insufficient to avert the devastation.
Immediately, the Emperor Mark on his fingertips lit up, and a pure, pale golden Emperor Power surged from them, flowing into the Emperor Array marks at the edge of the Rift. He attempted to use the power of the "Boundary Sealing Gate" fragment within his dantian to temporarily reinforce the gap and suppress the outflow of demonic energy. However, the Emperor Formation Fragment was ultimately incomplete, and the injected Emperor Power could only make the Emperor Mark at the edge of the Rift flicker slightly, like a candle in the wind. It barely slowed down the outflow of demonic energy, but could not completely seal the passage. Black Demonic Qi continued to seep out of the Rift, accumulating in the cave and causing the surrounding demonic energy concentration to rise higher and higher.
"It seems we must gather all the Emperor Formation Fragment as soon as possible to completely seal this passage to the Demon Realm," Ren Xiaoyao muttered to himself, his sense of urgency to collect the Emperor Formation Fragment growing stronger. Just as he was about to withdraw his Emperor Power and leave the cave to search for the next clue to the Emperor Formation Fragment, a series of heavy footsteps suddenly came from the other end of the Rift —the footsteps were like thunder, each step carrying through the Rift into the cave, causing the cave walls to tremble slightly, and the skeletons on the ground to shake.
Immediately afterwards, an aura several times stronger than the previous Demon General spread out along the Rift. The aura carried a world-destroying pressure, enveloping the entire cave like a dark cloud. This caused the Black Demonic Qi within the cave to instantly become violent, and the eerie green demonic fire on the rock walls to intensify. The leaping flames illuminated the entire cave, Ren Xiaoyao's Emperor's Might was suppressed and trembled slightly. The Emperor Formation Fragment within his dantian also became restless, constantly emitting golden spiritual light, as if issuing a danger warning to him.
Ren Xiaoyao's expression changed drastically. He immediately suppressed his aura, quickly retreated several steps, and gripped the Carefree Sword tightly in his hand. A cyan -Golden Sword Light quietly shone, protecting his vital points. He focused his attention on sensing the aura behind the Rift, his heart filled with vigilance—the strength of this aura was at least at the Late Heavenly Immortal, far exceeding his current strength. Even with the help of the Emperor Array, he had no chance of winning. If he fought head-on, he would only perish here.
Soon, a massive black figure appeared at the edge of the Rift. The figure was five zhang tall, even more imposing than the previous Demon General. Dense black mist swirled around it, and sharp bone spikes could be vaguely seen within the mist, like the sharp blades on armor. However, its face remained obscured, with only a pair of scarlet eyes visible, like two burning will-o'-the-wisps flickering in the black mist. These eyes pierced through the Rift, locking onto Ren Xiaoyao with unwavering focus. The murderous intent and greed surging in its eyes almost burst through the Rift. Clearly, the opponent had sensed the aura of the Emperor Formation Fragment within Ren Xiaoyao's dantian and considered it its prize.
"A human cultivator actually possesses Emperor Formation Fragment..." A deep, hoarse voice came from the Rift, carrying the chilling aura unique to the Demon Realm beings, like fingernails scraping against rough rock, so grating it made one's heart tighten.