Dark Undercurrents on the Return Journey

The three flying boats fled the suffocating core region of Burial Demon Valley at top speed, like startled birds.

Only after the twisted blood-red canyon and the deep black hole had vanished completely beyond sight, swallowed once more by layers of gray mist, did the people aboard the flying boats finally breathe a little easier. Yet their taut nerves had not fully relaxed.

The atmosphere on the return journey was even more oppressive than on the way there. Although they had successfully destroyed the core of the blood sacrifice and prevented the ruins' entrance from being fully opened.

The horrifying sight of that black hole swallowing a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, along with the ancient, chaotic aura emanating from the ruins that far exceeded everyone's expectations, weighed on every heart like a boulder.

What exactly was hidden inside? Was Netherworld Elder, who had been swallowed, dead or alive? Everything was filled with the unknown and danger.

Mo Yuan sat cross-legged in a corner of the Azure Wood Boat, his eyes lightly closed. He fully circulated the Basic Qi Refining Manual (Foundation Establishment section) and the Yi Wood Eternal Life Art, absorbing the spiritual qi from the High-Grade Spirit Stone in his hand to repair his nearly drained Dantian and slightly damaged meridians.

Forcibly drawing upon Thunder Emperor's Will and the Five Thunder Divine Method to unleash that devastating strike had consumed far more than he had anticipated. Had the black hole's sudden change not drawn away the powerful enemy at the final moment, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Senior Brother Mo, how are your injuries?"

Chen Feng and Zhao Gan came over with concern, offering him healing pills.

"It is nothing. I merely expended too much True Essence. A short period of meditation will suffice."

Mo Yuan opened his eyes, accepted the pills, and swallowed them. He gave the two of them a faint smile. After fighting side by side in blood and battle, their friendship had grown even deeper.

Zhang Tianyun and Luo Li also came over. Zhang Tianyun cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Mo, you turned the tide just now. Zhang truly admires you!" His tone was sincere. He already regarded Mo Yuan as an equal, or perhaps even someone on a higher level.

Luo Li looked at Mo Yuan with her cool eyes and softly said, "The thunderous might Senior Brother Mo invoked at the end... was no ordinary lightning technique. It was nearly a manifestation of Dao laws. Congratulations, Senior Brother, on catching a glimpse of the path to the Great Dao."

She was exceptionally knowledgeable and had recognized the extraordinary nature of Mo Yuan's lightning techniques.

Mo Yuan returned the gesture modestly. "Fellow Daoist Zhang's sword art is fierce, Senior Sister Luo Li's formations are exquisite, and Senior Brother Ying's concealment is unmatched. Mo does not dare claim the credit. Without everyone working together, success would have been impossible."

He did not reveal the details of Thunder Emperor's Will or the Five Thunder Divine Method, merely glossing over them as profound lightning arts.

After exchanging a few simple words, they each returned to meditate and recover.

Yet Mo Yuan could feel that after this battle, his prestige among the younger generation of the three sects had already been established. Whether in strength or temperament, he had earned their genuine respect.

"System, check in."

[Ding! Check-in successful! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining: Top-Grade Spirit Stone x3, Soul Nourishing Pill (High Grade) x5, Ancient Demonic Script Analysis (Basic) x1, a remnant aura of the Primordial World: a thread of pure Demonic Origin Source (purified)!]

[ Soul Nourishing Pill (High Grade) ]: An exceptional medicinal pill that nourishes and repairs divine consciousness.

[ Ancient Demonic Script Analysis (Basic) ]: Records methods for identifying and interpreting some common Ancient Demon characters and runes.

[ A thread of pure Demonic Origin Source (purified) ]: Refined demonic energy stripped of chaotic will. It can be absorbed and converted by specific cultivation techniques, or used to refine special Dharma artifacts and medicinal pills. (Warning: Non-demonic cultivators must use it with caution.)

"Ancient Demonic Script? Demonic Origin Source?" Mo Yuan's thoughts stirred, and he immediately thought of the black stone slab and the Ancient Demon Ruins.

The system's reward had once again precisely addressed his current needs. He immediately absorbed the knowledge from Ancient Demonic Script Analysis. Although it was only basic knowledge, it was enough for him to recognize most common demonic runes.

As for the purified thread of Demonic Origin Source, he temporarily sealed it in a corner of his Dantian, wrapping it in lightning True Essence for future study.

As he meditated, he recalled the twisted symbols he had seen on the black stone slab.

Combining them with the demonic script knowledge he had just obtained, he tried to interpret them.

Most of those symbols were incomplete and blurred, making it difficult to form complete sentences. Yet he could vaguely identify several crucial fragments:

"Seal...", "key...", "sacrifice...", "return..."

The combination of those words sent an even colder chill through Mo Yuan's heart.

The stone slab seemed to point toward a sealed existence, while the blood sacrifice and some kind of "key" were conditions for its "return." Could the thing sealed deep within those ruins truly be an ancient Demon God?

Several hours later, the flying boats finally left Burial Demon Valley and returned to relatively normal lands.

Everyone felt their bodies lighten as the pervasive oppression faded by more than half.

The three elders leading the expedition ordered the flying boats to land on a safe mountain peak for a brief rest and to tally the gains and losses from the operation.

In terms of losses, five Qi Refining disciples from the three sects had died, while more than ten others were injured. However, their core fighting strength remained intact, which was a blessing amid misfortune.

The gains were mainly concentrated in the black stone slab and several captured low-level evil cultivators, whom Ying Wuhen had conveniently seized amid the chaos.

Martial Grand-Uncle Qing Yun carefully examined the black stone slab, his brows tightly furrowed. "The material of this slab and the demonic runes upon it indeed originate from ancient times, and their aura shares the same source as the ruins' entrance. The content it records... concerns an ancient sealed existence. It seems a specific 'key' and an immense amount of energy—blood sacrifice—are needed to break the seal."

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji conducted a simple soul search on the captives. The information he obtained was limited, but it confirmed the core purpose behind this operation by the Netherworld organization and the Black Fiend Sect.

They intended to use the power of the blood sacrifice, together with some "key" they were seeking, to open the seal of the ruins and release the "Sacred One" within—the sealed ancient demon.

As for what exactly that "key" was, these low-level cultists did not know.

"We must report this matter to the sect master as soon as possible!"

Elder Qing Ming said solemnly, "Netherworld and the Black Fiend Sect have plotted this for a long time. They will never abandon their plans because of one failure. They must still be searching for that so-called 'key.'"

After resting, the three flying boats set off once more, racing toward their respective sects.

Before parting, the disciples of the three sects bade one another farewell and agreed to remain in contact and face the future turmoil together.

By the time they returned to Stone Bamboo Shoot Mountain of Maoshan, night had already fallen.

Upon hearing that the expedition had returned, sect master Shi Jian and the elders had long been waiting in Three Purities Hall.

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji gave a detailed report on the operation, especially how Mo Yuan had destroyed the totem pillar at the critical moment and triggered the changes in the ruins, as well as their deductions regarding the black stone slab and the ancient demon's seal.

The hall fell silent, with only the soft sound of Shi Jian's fingers tapping against the armrest.

Everyone's gaze focused on Mo Yuan once again, filled with shock, praise, and scrutiny.

"Mo Yuan."

Shi Jian slowly spoke, breaking the silence.

"This disciple is here."

"You rendered great merit in this mission. You have enhanced the prestige of Maoshan and uncovered crucial intelligence. I award you ten thousand Sect Contribution Points and permit you to enter the fifth floor of the Scripture Pavilion for one day! In addition, you are specially permitted to enter Ancestor Cave for three days of contemplation!"

The fifth floor of the Scripture Pavilion! Ancestor Cave!

Even several elders were moved by this.

The fifth floor of the Scripture Pavilion housed Maoshan's true sect-defending scriptures and forbidden secret arts. No one without immense contributions to the sect could enter.

Ancestor Cave was an even holier place, where generations of Maoshan predecessors had left behind their Dao insights before passing away or ascending. To contemplate within it was an opportunity beyond measure.

This reward was even more generous than before and showed the sect's wholehearted cultivation of him and its expectations for him!

"Thank you, Martial Grand-Uncle!" Mo Yuan suppressed his excitement and bowed in gratitude.

He knew that this was both a reward and a sign of greater responsibility.

"As for the Ancient Demon Ruins and this 'key'..."

Shi Jian's sharp gaze swept over the crowd. "This concerns the lives of all under heaven. I will immediately send letters to Dragon Tiger Mountain and Ge Zao Mountain to discuss the matter. We will jointly investigate the whereabouts of the 'key' and strengthen surveillance over the ruins in Burial Demon Valley. Everyone in the sect must remain vigilant and cultivate diligently, prepared for any eventuality!"

"We obey the sect master's decree!"

The crowd dispersed.

Uncle Nine brought Mo Yuan back to Listening Thunder Abode. Looking at his disciple, who had brought him surprise after surprise, the countless words in his heart finally became just one sentence. "Rest well and consolidate your cultivation. The opportunity in Ancestor Cave is rare, so make proper preparations."

"This disciple understands."

After returning to his quiet chamber, Mo Yuan did not immediately rest.

He first used his True Essence to nourish the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear and the Soul Cleansing Banner. Both Dharma artifacts had also suffered considerable depletion in the recent battle.

Then, he took out the purified thread of Demonic Origin Source.

This energy was pure yet tyrannical. Although the system had purified its chaotic will, its essence was still demonic energy, fundamentally incompatible with his righteous lightning path.

"The energy purified by the system should be harmless... Perhaps I can try the principle of 'fusing all methods into a single furnace' mentioned in the Primal Chaos Qi Refining Canon?" A bold idea arose in his heart.

He attempted to draw out a nearly imperceptible thread of Demonic Origin Source, using his lightning True Essence as a furnace to refine it with the utmost caution.

The process was exceedingly difficult. The two utterly opposing energies repelled one another and nearly erupted into conflict.

Yet with his powerful divine consciousness and precise control over power, Mo Yuan forcibly restrained them and drew upon that thread of Chaos Qi to reconcile them.

Chaos encompassed all things and could give birth to all creation.

With the intervention of Chaos Qi, that thread of Demonic Origin Source was truly and slowly worn down by the lightning True Essence, stripped of its final trace of savagery.

In the end, it transformed into an incomparably pure drop of liquid, black as ink. It merged into the edge of his violet-gold lake of True Essence without causing any rejection. Instead, it gave his True Essence an indescribable resilience.

"It worked!" Joy surged within Mo Yuan.

Though it was only an extremely tiny amount, it proved that his idea was feasible.

If he could continuously refine this kind of high-level origin energy, the quality of his True Essence would steadily improve, and his foundation would become even more solid.

He carefully put away the remaining Demonic Origin Source, intending to refine it slowly in the future.

Afterward, he turned his attention to the newly acquired introductory Five Thunder Righteous Method - Heavenly Heart Scroll and the undying Thunder Emperor's Will.

These were the true foundation of his future path!

The Five Thunder Divine Method did not refer to five types of lightning. Rather, it represented five distinct great Dao concepts of thunder: evil-slaying, delusion-breaking, life and death, punishment, and creation.

The introductory Celestial Heart Scroll primarily explained the two concepts of "evil-slaying" and "delusion-breaking," which happened to correspond to the power he had used when destroying the totem pillar.

He immersed himself in comprehending the Five Thunder Divine Method. Combined with Thunder Emperor's Will, his understanding of lightning deepened at a visible rate...

Several days later, Mo Yuan had adjusted himself back to peak condition. Accompanied by Uncle Nine, he arrived at Ancestor Cave in the forbidden region behind the mountain.

The cave entrance was ancient and simple. Only the words "Ancestor Cave" were carved there, yet they contained endless Dao charm.

The moment he stepped inside, it was as though he had entered another world. Time and space became blurred, while countless fragments of insight left behind by predecessors and sages shimmered in the void like stars.