The night was black as ink, clouds veiling the hidden stars. Only a white moon hung silently in the vast sky.
As wolf howls drew steadily nearer, cold moonlight slowly spilled down from the heavens, bathing the Immortal Tomb at the center of Qianling Mountain.
At that moment, the Immortal Tomb lay completely exposed to the wolves.
Of course, beneath the gaze of that True Person-level wolf king's evil soul, Qianling Mountain could never have concealed it anyway.
The unseen karma of blood debts drew countless wandering souls riding the wind, surging like a black tide.
Ao Ding sat in his stone house, cautiously leaning against the window to steal a look outside.
Billowing dark clouds rose and fell at the foot of the mountain. Pairs of phosphorescent green lights bobbed within them, and deep, heavy growls drew ever closer.
Clink-
Suddenly, a golden pearl appeared out of thin air inside Ao Ding's stone house.
Sun Chen's calm voice drifted over:
"This is the Qianling Mountain-Calming Pearl, the essential quintessence of this mountain's earth veins. Keep it for me for now. When they charge into the Immortal Tomb shortly, I will find a way to engage them. Once the golden pearl shines brightly, lower the Dragon-Severing Stone and bury them inside the tomb for good."
The Immortal Tomb was not merely Sun Chen's immortal abode for guarding his corpse; it was also his final killing move against the Nethermoon Wolf King.
"As for those little wolves, you needn't worry-they cannot break in. Wait a few days, and they will disperse. However, when you inherit my karma, the wolves will hunt you. But rest assured, I have already made arrangements for that."
Moon-white immortal light flashed, and a Water-Moon Daoist Robe appeared before Ao Ding. Its sleeves were broad, with glimmers of flowing water patterns faintly visible along their edges. It was clearly a robe-shaped Dharma Artifact brimming with spiritual power.
"Put on the Water-Moon Robe, and you can conceal your tracks, ward off fire, command water, and protect your life."
This was the parting gift Sun Chen had spent many days preparing for Ao Ding.
"Though it has not passed all three treasure-refining tribulations, the Spirit-Nurturing and Form-Tempering tribulations will certainly be no trouble for it-consider it a fitting acknowledgment of our acquaintance."
Rumble-
Suddenly, the ghost wolves outside the immortal abode moved.
The beast tide surged, charging wave after wave toward the immortal abode that shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Though they knew full well that it stood within a dharma realm, they feared no danger and charged blindly ahead.
Bang, bang-bang-
One vicious wolf after another struck the dharma realm's barrier and exploded. Immortal light churned, and the retaliating Dao Qi slaughtered swathes of wolves, scattering their souls into oblivion. Yet the pack knew nothing of fear and continued throwing themselves forward.
"Old dog, don't bring these mongrels out to make fools of themselves..."
Laughter echoed from within the tomb.
A fissure abruptly split the dark clouds below the mountain, opening a passage to the netherworld. A white demon wolf draped in cold moonlight strode out. His chilling killing intent locked onto the graveyard, and blood baleful qi soared a thousand feet into the sky.
The man inside the tomb seemed oblivious and continued laughing. "Back when I smashed your Wolf Court, these mongrels could not even approach me. My guardian golden dragon's divine light struck them dead on the spot."
At its former height, the Nethermoon Wolf Court had possessed three million wolf demons. Now, fewer than a third of its surviving remnants remained in the world of the living. Sun Chen had slain all the rest. After the wolf king died, he used his demon soul to perform the Moon-Worshipping Secret Art, turning all two million wolf demons into ghost wolves and preparing his revenge in the underworld.
This was also commonplace in clashes between True Persons and the Demon Court. Many demon kings' resentment lingered after death, and they became demon ghosts seeking vengeance.
Awooo-
A piercing, mournful howl rang out, and six streaks of demonic light soon appeared behind the wolf king.
Nine fox tails burned with ghost fire, swaying in the chill wind as seductive laughter sounded intermittently.
A red-bronze tiger covered in sharp blades glared at the immortal abode with eyes as large as bronze bells.
A white-robed scholar carried a turtle shell on his back and held the Luo Book, using copper coins to calculate divinations.
A bone-white snake twisted and coiled within a mass of dark mist. Green poisonous vapor drifted between his bones like tiny spirit snakes.
A burly red-robed man with an octopus's head held a vicious netherworld weapon in each of his eight tentacles, eyeing the immortal abode like a tiger watching its prey.
The last demon king was an old locust-tree demon, his roots writhing like dragons and snakes, his long green hair rustling like a tree's crown.
"Everyone, let us tear open the dharma realm together, go inside, and seize his destiny."
With that, the wolf king led the charge, transforming into a moon-rending streak of cold light that slammed into the dharma realm.
Immediately afterward, the other six streaks of demonic ghost light struck together. Their powerful demonic light tore open the dharma realm, causing golden light and sinister qi to intertwine and collide as the entire mountain range rumbled.
"Trouble indeed-"
Watching the seven streaks of demonic light rip through the dharma realm and head straight for the Immortal Tomb, Ao Ding looked somewhat worried.
Could Senior Sun Chen, in his current condition, contend with seven True Person-level demon ghosts?
Even without their physical bodies, the true souls of seven demon kings were certainly no easy opponents.
The seven streaks of demonic light charged into the Immortal Tomb, illuminating its lightless depths.
"Hmph-a Spirit-Realm Dharma Realm? Was the Qianling Dharma Realm outside not enough, so you set up another dharma realm in your grave?" The wolf king laughed darkly. "You aren't planning to rely on a dharma realm to contend with seven demon kings, are you?"
"Why not?" Golden light slowly brightened, and an old man with the bearing of an immortal strolled out from the depths of the tomb passage.
The True Person's hair and beard were white, his face lean and clear, and hazy purple qi flowed over his purple Daoist robe.
Seeing his Primordial Spirit brimming with immortal light, the seven demon kings felt a chill in their hearts.
The nine-tailed fox said softly, "Careful. This old fellow's physical body is already failing. He has spread the magical power leaking from his body throughout this graveyard-using the graveyard as his 'body,' he intends to fight us with the advantage of terrain. Ignore him. Go straight to his physical body and break his Daoist arts."
The bone snake said sinisterly, "Snuff out his last breath of life, and we can replace his destiny, seize his allotted fate, and reincarnate!"
Reincarnation in the netherworld was overseen by the Northern Yin Ghost Dao. Great demons and evil ghosts burdened with grave sins could never reincarnate-even if they did, they would struggle to enter the path of cultivation.
For this reason, these demon ghosts, once imprisoned in hell, had devised a method-borrowing a life.
Our lives have already been nailed fast in the Register of Life and Death.
But we can steal the destiny of a virtuous True Person and use his blessings and Yin Virtue to be reborn into the immortal path.
Without anyone needing to speak, the seven demon kings erupted into action.
The bronze tiger's sharp claws tore through space, and keen red-bronze primordial fire True Qi ignited within the tomb. Before the True Person could act, the bone snake on the other side lashed his long tail, sending a dense swarm of venomous snakes snapping toward him.
Roar-
The golden dragon abruptly appeared, sweeping away the venomous snakes with a flick of his tail and meeting the bronze tiger with his sharp claws.
The True Person raised his hand as well. A bolt of divine lightning burst forth, blasting back the wolf and fox ghosts who had launched a sneak attack from behind.
"Heavenly Heart Thunder Art." Wary, the fox demon exchanged a glance with the wolf king, and each spat out a precious pearl.
Heavenly Demon Inner Cores.
Each inner core released a beam of supreme yin mystic light, neutralizing the divine lightning's power.
At this sight, the True Person's smile remained unchanged. As he conjured purple qi and golden lotuses to block the attacks of the turtle, octopus, and other demon kings, he called on Ao Ding to close the entrance.
Inside the stone house, the golden pearl blazed with dazzling light.
"It is time. Lower the Dragon-Severing Stone!"
Ao Ding immediately activated the restrictions. The Immortal Tomb rumbled as a Dragon-Severing Stone forged from a star beyond the heavens slowly descended, sealing the Immortal Tomb completely with the vast power of starlight. At the same time, a wave of golden light rippled outward from the Immortal Tomb, concealing the stone house where Ao Ding stood.
"Boy, stay put for a few days-once the demon kings are dead, the little wolves will retreat on their own."
Without a demon king presiding over them, the wolves could not detect Ao Ding's location at all.
They merely kept attacking the Immortal Tomb, trying to join the demon kings, their assaults growing increasingly frenzied and fierce.
Wait?
Ao Ding ran his hand over the ten long spears laid beside him and murmured, "One glance tells you they're vicious wolves and savage ghosts steeped in blood baleful qi. Wouldn't it be better to wipe them all out? Letting them loose would bring disaster on the mortal world."
The ten long spears before him gleamed coldly. They were low-grade curse implements Ao Ding had put all his effort into crafting.
Inside the curse implements was a special gift Ao Ding had prepared specifically for wolf demons. But his cultivation was low, and his artifact-refining skills were not particularly advanced. These curse implements were only temporary; the curses empowering them would last just five days. Once those five days passed, the wooden spears would become ordinary objects again.
Against the wolves before him, however, they were unquestionably formidable killing weapons.
Still, with so many wolves, Ao Ding did have some reservations and wanted to wait a little longer and observe.
First, he had to make certain there were only wolves here.
Rather than encompassing all five kinds and ten classes of creatures, capable of stabbing and killing every living being in the world, Ao Ding had specifically refined the wooden spears' curses to target "canines."
Their precision and destructive power were enhanced.
But the drawback was equally clear: these spears had no killing power whatsoever against anything that was not a "canine." Even though a wooden spear itself could injure someone, the curse's counteracting effect ensured that anyone stabbed would survive unharmed. Ao Ding could even think of a way to use this counteracting effect. If someone is injured and dying, and help cannot arrive in time, I can immediately stick a "dog-slaying spear" into them. As long as the curse power on the shaft does not dissipate, it will keep them from breathing their last, allowing them to wait until help arrives.
As for whether wolves counted as canines...
They did!
This was a conclusion Ao Ding had verified through experiments.
Once, in the kitchen garden, Ao Ding had discussed a question with several outer disciples-had dogs been domesticated from wolves?
This was not Earth. In another world, would dogs have the same origins?
But those outer disciples offered differing accounts, and Ao Ding had been unable to find the truth.
He had simply asked Luo Qiushui to catch a few wild wolves outside and bring them back, then Ao Ding tested hell curses on them.
Curses that worked on dogs also worked on wolves.
Later, while the two of them were eating wolf-meat stew, they happened to run into Wang Weilong, so Luo Qiushui added another bowl and pair of chopsticks.
After hearing Ao Ding's conjecture, Wang Weilong told him a story recorded by the immortal sects.
In the age of the Savage Wilderness, beasts ran rampant. Among them was a vicious beast called the Heaven-Swallowing Beast. Shaped like a dog and black all over, it could devour the heavens and swallow the sun and moon. It was later slain by the immortal sects' Purple Sun True Lord. At the time, the beast had many offspring, including such unusual breeds as the Gedan, earth wolves, white wolves, golden jackals, and black hounds. Taking pity on the innocent offspring, the True Lord brought them back to his sect to raise them. The spirit hounds now kept by the immortal sects, and even the domestic dogs raised by mortals, all originated from the Purple Sun Sect. As for jackals and wolves, they had escaped from the Purple Sun Sect during a great upheaval long ago and wreaked havoc outside.
Leaving aside whether such a legend involving a True Lord was true, the Six Sects agreed that wolves, dogs, and jackals shared a common ancestor.
Adjusting the Primordial Truth Mirror in his left eye, Ao Ding inspected the area section by section.
Suddenly-
On a hill, he spotted several blood-drenched wolf souls.
At that moment, Ao Ding's expression became exceedingly strange.
He recognized those wolves-
Six years ago, when he had transmigrated into this world, the reason his initial shaping had failed at the final hurdle, preventing him from possessing an Innate Dao Body upon arrival, was precisely because a pack of vicious wolves had interfered.
"So... we formed this feud long ago."
Ao Ding murmured to himself, the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger.
Once he was truly certain that there were only wolves here, with no souls of other kinds of monsters, Ao Ding could no longer restrain himself. He pulled out a wooden spear and lightly pointed it toward the sky.
"Die-"
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