"I?"
Li Wentian was stunned and couldn't help but ask:
"My master has been incredibly kind to me. If there's anything I can do to help... please don't hesitate to ask."
"But I am foolish and do not know what use I could be?"
"Hahaha."
The Heaven-Devouring Patriarch laughed heartily and said:
"My good disciple, you only need to focus on your cultivation. You can use the sect's resources as you please."
"Those powerful figures from the Nine Provinces Continent are indeed formidable, but I, their ancestor, am not to be trifled with either."
"Um?"
Li Wentian suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of foreboding, but he still respectfully said:
"Thank you, Master."
On the other side.
The fame of the Devil-Slaying Sword Immortal spread Nine Provinces Continent.
Han Xuanji had already quietly left the Nine Provinces Continent and arrived at the Endless Sea.
His Nine Steps of the Great Void have now been mastered.
Each step he takes can traverse countless miles, and with the Nine Heavens Star-Treading Boots, traversing the entire Spirit Realm is but a fleeting moment.
However, the consumption is naturally not small either.
"Almost there."
Han Xuanji stood with his hands behind his back, a slight thought stirring in his heart.
With the memories of the previous soul search and the locked aura, it wasn't long before he crossed countless islands and arrived at the Linyuan Continent.
The Heaven-Devouring Patriarch was also the type to play it safe and develop his strength. Han Xuanji naturally didn't want this kind of enemy to continue to play it safe. It would be more reassuring for him to deal with him as soon as possible.
Most importantly, this Cultivation Method is far too evil.
"Although the Heaven-Devouring Patriarch's aura was powerful, it did not exceed the realm of the Immortal Ascension Realm."
"The cultivators on this continent are truly unlucky."
Under Han Xuanji's Double Pupils, he could see how miserable the mortals and ordinary cultivators on this continent were.
Black Stone City, on the Linyuan Continent.
The sky was gloomy, and a cold wind blew constantly.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of blood and an indescribable stench of decay.
A middle-aged man, his life force waning, was dragged out of a dilapidated courtyard by two law enforcement disciples dressed in standard black robes. The iron ring around his neck was particularly conspicuous.
The middle-aged man's face was ashen, like that of a dead man, with sunken eyes.
"Cough cough... Spare... Spare me..."
The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse and weak.
"My cultivation has been stolen... Give me some more time."
"Pooh!"
The man in black robes spat fiercely, then kicked the man in the leg, angrily saying:
"Waste!"
"You've only handed over your cultivation once and you've already become this wretched state! You only reached the Foundation Establishment Realm because you took out a loan to obtain your cultivation. Now, after having your cultivation extracted, you can't even condense the lowest-grade ' Devil Essence Pill '!"
"Then what use are you?"
"How about we use you to make up the numbers and add some substance to the ' Devil Blood Pool '!"
Upon hearing the Devil Blood Pool," fear welled up in the middle-aged man's eyes.
"No... don't..."
He struggled and pleaded:
"Let me live, I'm still useful... I can still cultivate..."
"Someone like you can still cultivate?"
Another tall man in black robes impatiently drew his demonic whip from his waist and lashed it hard at the middle-aged man.
"You have Profound-Grade Spirit Root, how come you're such a waste?"
Snap!
A crisp sound.
The corrosive demonic energy attached to the whip instantly tore a deep, bone-revealing gash in the man's skin.
The middle-aged man let out a shrill scream, his body convulsed violently, and his breath weakened even more.
"Take away!"
The man in black robes said coldly, and then they dragged the middle-aged man, who looked like a tattered sack, toward the square in the city center that reeked of blood.
The monks along the way watched numbly, their eyes filled not with sympathy, but with deeper fear and a hint of... relief that they hadn't been taken away.
Han Xuanji watched this scene quietly.
"So this is... the world under the rule of the Heaven-Swallowing Devil Sect...?"
Han Xuanji murmured to himself, his eyes as cold as ancient ice.
Within the Double Pupils, the man's body was clearly reflected, riddled with holes, as if it had been devoured by countless termites.
His Dantian and dantian were depleted and shrunken, and his spirit was dim and lifeless, like an oil lamp about to burn out.
The iron ring around his neck, like a maggot clinging to his bone, was still greedily sucking away his last remaining life force.
This person was originally just an ordinary person whose cultivation aptitude was detected. Under the system of the Heaven-Swallowing Devil Sect, it can be said that he had already been dealt with clearly long ago.
What awaited him was having his cultivation stolen, becoming nourishment for the Devil Blood Pool, and perishing completely in endless agony.
Such people are a reflection of most cultivators on this continent.
" Heaven-Devouring Patriarch... you... deserve to die a thousand deaths."
Han Xuanji sighed softly.
He did not draw his sword, nor did he make any other movements.
However, his gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the two fierce-looking cultivators.
An invisible force descended upon him instantly.
The sinister smiles on their faces froze instantly.
Like two lifelike statues, they were frozen in place, unable to move even their eyes.
The middle-aged man stared blankly at the bizarre scene before him, not understanding what was happening.
Han Xuanji slowly stepped forward and walked to the man's side.
He glanced down at the iron ring that exuded an ominous aura, his brows furrowing slightly.
Then, he extended his right index finger and gently tapped the iron ring.
puff!
A soft sound.
The iron ring, forged from a special metal and engraved with intricate magical patterns, shattered instantly, turning into dust.
The suction force that had been binding the man suddenly disappeared.
The man felt a sudden lightness throughout his body, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted.
Although my body was still extremely weak, the terrifying feeling of being constantly drained of my life force finally disappeared.
He raised his head blankly, looking at Han Xuanji with disbelief and shock in his eyes.
"Thank you so much... Immortal Master for saving my life..."
He choked up, his voice hoarse.
Upon seeing Han Xuanji, they thought they had met a true immortal.
Han Xuanji did not answer, but a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
While the light couldn't completely repair his riddled origins, it was enough to keep him alive and prevent him from dying quickly.
The middle-aged man bowed and thanked him as he spoke:
"Immortal Master, you should leave quickly. If the Holy Sect finds out, they will not forgive you."
It's alright.
Han Xuanji's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable power.
"You should find a place to survive first."
Everything will pass soon.
Heaven-Swallowing Holy City.
In stark contrast to the desolation and despair of Black Stone City, this place is the core of the Heaven-Swallowing Devil Sect's rule, a place where the essence of all living beings gathers.
Within the city, the buildings are magnificent, with a vast complex of palaces standing side by side.
Countless powerful disciples of the Demonic Sect moved among them. They were dressed in gorgeous clothes, had arrogant expressions, and their demonic energy surged around them. Their cultivation level was at least above the Spirit Transformation.
There are many Void Return Realm experts here, and occasionally you can even catch a glimpse of experts at the Body Integration or Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
This is a paradise for the strong and a hell for the weak.
Every Devil Cultivator who has gained a foothold here has climbed up by stepping over countless corpses.