by Shian Jeen
During this small interval, Gaunt Devil Shi Jiuxin had retreated to Shi Jiutian’s side, glaring fiercely at Huwang Xiao, “Big brother, you mustn’t let this old codger escape!”
Shi Jiutian took a quick glance at Shi Jiuxin’s chest wound and turned to face Huwang Xiao, “This gentleman is...? What matters have you in my Crimson Devil City?”
Watching Crimson Devil’s attitude, Huwang Xiao issued a harsh chuckle with a hoarse voice, “What matters I have in your Crimson Devil City? Could it be that other people aren't allowed to come to Crimson Devil City? Then this old man is confused, does this means the ten thousand Baihu coins I paid for this identity token were fake?” Huwang Xiao took out the identity token as he was saying this.
Shi Jiutian frowned, not missing the mockery in Huwang Xiao’s tone and words.
“The grace of your palm attack today, I will repay it twofold.” Huwang Xiao added. With that said, Huwang Xiao disappeared from the spot in a flicker, without the slightest ripple in space, as if he was never there.
Shi Jiutian watched the spot where Huwang Xiao disappeared, but he didn’t make a move, allowing him to leave.
“Big brother, you’re letting that old codger go just like that?” Shi Jiuxin sounded anxious.
Shi Jiutian tilted his head, “So what if you catch up to him? This person is quite strong, I don’t have full confidence of killing him.”
Shi Jiuxin’s mouth opened and closed. He wanted to persuade Shi Jiutian, but no words would come out. Shi Jiutian coldly reminded, “I think you'd better heal your wounds before thinking of other things.” He snorted and left.
A while later, Huwang Xiao’s figure appeared close to a hundred thousand li outside of Crimson Devil City, above a forest area.
In the next moment, he reached a valley within the forest and quickly arranged a defensive formation in the surroundings before sitting down cross-legged to heal his injuries.
Crimson Devil’s palm force contained an overbearing evil force like a crimson flame, and even though he would be able to expel it from his body with the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Divine Fires, a second faster this force was out from his body would be a second earlier he could feel at ease.
This place was the Devil Domain Mainland after all, anything could happen at any given time.
Half an hour later, Huwang Xiao breathed in relief after he had completely expelled the crimson flame energy in him. He stood up, turned into a black streak of light, and left the valley.
It didn’t take long for him to arrive at another large city called West Raven, which was one of the main cities under Ghost Demon Valley’s territory.
In the following month, Huwang Xiao stayed in this West Raven City, inquiring for related information.
According to the information he managed to gather so far, Huwang Xiao eliminated the possible locations one by one. In the end, he deduced there were two locations with the highest probability of being the place where the Hundred Spirits Beast King’s legs were sealed. One was a place called Devil Cave on the southern side of the Devil Domain Mainland, whereas the other was on the far north, an extremely cold land.
However, there was an ancient sealing formation over the Devil Cave, and the sigil keys to open it fell into the hands of the four hegemonic powers, the Flaming Devil Sect, Ghost Demon Valley, Gorb Fiend House, and the Crimson Devil City. Hence, Huwang Xiao could only head to the northern cold lands first.
“Hopefully, the Hundred Spirits Beast King’s legs are sealed in the northern cold lands…” Huwang Xiao muttered under his breath, otherwise, if they were inside that Devil Cave, it would be a load of trouble.
At this point, his own strength wasn’t weak, but he had yet to reach the level where he could snatch the four sigil keys from the hands of the four hegemonic powers.
Having made his decision, Huwang Xiao left the West Raven City, heading toward the northern cold lands.
At the speed of his flying sword, one day later, Huwang Xiao arrived at the edge of the northern cold lands. Standing high in the air, all that entered his sight was mountains, one after another.
However, the ice on those mountains emitted a faint black light that was enough to creep out anyone who saw it from afar. Even the hail falling from the sky above was also black in color.
Huwang Xiao summoned the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Divine Fires, creating a protective barrier around himself, and started flying through the black hail.
After a while, he chose to stop above an ice mountain and drew a drop of blood essence from his finger. Using the Blood Sacrifice Law, he sent the drop of blood essence into the ground below.
The drop of blood essence quickly passed through the ice mountain, sinking deep into the earth. A long time passed, but there was no reaction.
This result was a disappointment to Huwang Xiao.
Shortly, he stopped above another ice mountain, once again spilling a drop of blood essence into the earth using the Blood Sacrifice Law. After a few times, Huwang Xiao had checked the entire northern cold lands with no reaction at all. He didn’t look too good at this moment.
If it wasn’t there in the northern cold lands, there was only one place left where the Hundred Spirits Beast King’s legs could be sealed.
“The Devil Cave.” Huwang Xiao’s brows were tightly locked together.
There was no other method to enter the Devil Cave other than wait for the four hegemonic powers to open it with the sigil key. Unfortunately, snatching the sigil keys from the four hegemonic powers wasn't a realistic option.
For now, Huwang Xiao was at a loss, not knowing how to proceed. While thinking of this, he flew back to West Raven City.
Not long after he left the northern cold lands, he heard two voices in front of him.
One of them said, “I wonder if we'll have a chance to enter the Devil Cave when it opens one year later.”
“Our chances aren’t high. From our Hundred Devils Gate, only our Patriarch can enter following Lord Ghost Demon.” His companion shook his head and sighed.
Devil Cave opening? Huwang Xiao’s interest was piqued, arriving in front of the two devil cultivators in a flicker.
The two Hundred Devils Gate disciples were startled at Huwang Xiao’s sudden appearance. Before they could even react, both of them were sucked into Huwang Xiao’s palms. The two disciples’ faces twisted in pain as Huwang Xiao read through their memories.
After the soul-scouring ended, Huwang Xiao destroyed the two cultivators’ souls.
From these two’s memories, Huwang Xiao found out that every thousand years, the Devil Cave would birth something called Demonic Devil Bead by gathering the purest devil qi in this world, a rare treasure hard to come by.
Hence, every thousand years, the Flaming Devil Sect, Ghost Demon Valley, Gorb Fiend House, and the Crimson Devil City would come together, taking out the four sigil keys to open the Devil Cave. All eligible forces would enter and compete for the Demonic Devil Bead.
One year later was the time when the four hegemonic powers would gather to open the Devil Cave once again.
Huwang Xiao let out a delighted whoop.
When the four hegemonic powers opened the Devil Cave, all he needed to do was sneak in with the other cultivators.
Ch.821
Knowing that the four hegemonic powers of the Devil Domain Mainland would gather to open the Devil Cave in a year’s time, Huwang Xiao stayed in West Raven City. He focused on his cultivation as he waited for the day of the Devil Cave’s opening.
One year was neither long nor short, but it quickly passed by.
In this one year, Huwang Xiao continued to absorb Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird star force to temper his physical body, enhancing his True Dragon Physique’s defenses and attack power by a large degree.
His true immortal essence force and Asura god battle qi surged endlessly, inexhaustible.
In this one year’s time, Huwang Xiao also allocated time to refining some Spring Autumn Hundred Life Divine P
ellets and Amethyst Water Droplet Divine Pills.
When there were three days left until the opening of the Devil Cave, Huwang Xiao left West Raven City. He needed to determine which forces’ Patriarchs and Chiefs would be following the four hegemonic powers into the Devil Cave. Once he determined their identities, he would be able to select his target, kill them, and then replace them in entering the Devil Cave.
After inquiring around, Huwang Xiao decided on the Hundred Devils Gate’s Patriarch, Bai Zhisheng.
The reason for his choice was that Bai Zhisheng was also a perfection stage late-Tenth Order God Realm cultivator, the same cultivation realm as himself, and understood more about the Hundred Devils Gate after soul-scouring the two Hundred Devils Gate disciples.
Another reason being that the Hundred Devils Gate’s headquarters was the closest to West Raven City.
After deciding on the Hundred Devils Gate Patriarch Bai Zhisheng as his target, Huwang Xiao flew toward the sect’s headquarters.
Arriving in close proximity to the Hundred Devils Gate headquarters, Huwang Xiao secretly spread out his divine sense and soon located Patriarch Bai Zhisheng, who was cultivating in an underground secret chamber.
Upon entering the secret chamber, with almost no effort at all, he killed the Hundred Devils Gate Patriarch Bai Zhisheng.
Although Bai Zhisheng was at the same cultivation realm as him and cultivated a powerful devil sutra, in front of Huwang Xiao, Bai Zhisheng did not have the slightest power to resist.
Before killing him, Huwang Xiao scoured Bai Zhisheng’s soul. From his memories, he came to know that, among the Ghost Demon Valley’s liege forces, other than the Hundred Devils Gate Patriarch Bai Zhisheng who would be following the Ghost Demon into the Devil Cave, there were eighteen more people. All of them must gather outside the Devil Cave the day after tomorrow.
There was ample time before the gathering, therefore Huwang Xiao stayed in the secret chamber under the Hundred Devils Gate to familiarize himself with Bai Zhisheng’s personality before altering his own features and physical body to Bai Zhisheng’s. When morning came, Huwang Xiao departed from the secret chamber, heading to the Devil Cave.
A day later, Huwang Xiao arrived at his destination, the Devil Cave.
By the time he arrived, there was already a large group of devil sect Patriarchs and Chiefs waiting on the wide open space in front of the Devil Cave. Among these devil sect Patriarchs and Chiefs, the weakest ones were still at peak late-Tenth Order God Realm.
Just as ‘Bai Zhisheng’ arrived, he immediately felt a strong killing intent directed at him. This killing intent was almost tangible as if it wanted to tear Huwang Xiao into a million pieces to vent this person’s wrath.
Huwang Xiao’s gaze traced the source of the killing intent to a middle-aged man clad in a skeleton robe at the other end of the field. He had black patterns all over his skin and was fixing a deathly cold glare at Huwang Xiao.
Seeing this middle-aged man, Huwang Xiao slightly frowned. Through Bai Zhisheng’s memories, he found this middle-aged man to be the Chief of a sect called Skeleton Sect, named Mo Leng.
This Mo Leng’s Skeleton Sect was one of the forces that swore allegiance to Crimson Devil City’s Crimson Devil and had a deep grudge with Bai Zhisheng. There was a time in the past where Bai Zhisheng and this Mo Leng were competing for a Demonic Devil Bead, resulting in countless Hundred Devils Gate and Skeleton Sect masters’ death, causing blood to flow like a river.
Amongst those who died in Bai Zhisheng’s hand was Mo Leng’s female companion. And, the Demonic Devil Bead of that time also fell into Bai Zhisheng’s hand. From then on, Mo Leng was the person who wanted Bai Zhisheng dead the most.
A moment later, the frown on Huwang Xiao’s forehead smoothened.
Even though this Mo Leng was a bit stronger than Bai Zhisheng, to Huwang Xiao, Mo Leng was not a threat at all. Of course, if this Mo Leng didn't know how to control himself after entering the Devil Cave, hindering him from searching for the Hundred Spirits Beast King’s body, he would quickly ‘solve’ this Mo Leng problem.
Toward these devil cultivators, Huwang Xiao had no humane feelings to spare.
As time trickled by, more and more devil cultivators arrived at the field, somewhere around one hundred and ten people. With no exception, each of these people were infamous devils of the Devil Domain Mainland.
All of a sudden, more than a dozen whelming divine mights enveloped the square. Under these frightening divine mights, all the devil cultivators on the square revealed fear and apprehension on their faces, hurrying to kneel.
Huwang Xiao immediately understood, this meant that Crimson Devil, Gaunt Devil, Ghost Demon, and the other heads had arrived. Imitating the other cultivators, he lowered himself to the ground with a fearful expression.
“Hahahaha, Ghost Demon, haven’t seen you in a thousand years, but it seems your Ghost Demon Cultivation didn’t improve much ah.” A complacent laughing voice resounded in the air.
Huwang Xiao and the other devil cultivators knelt on the field with their heads lowered. Listening to the voice, he knew it belonged to Crimson Devil Shi Jiutian.
“Hehe, same same, I don’t see much improvement in your Crimson Heart Devil Technique either.” A hoarse voice retorted.
In the next second, twenty-two figures whistled through space, descending in front of the Devil Cave entrance.
“All of you may rise.” Crimson Devil said, looking at the devil cultivators kneeling on the field.
Ghost Demon, Flaming Devil, and Gorb Fiend also said the same to the devil cultivators under them.
Huwang Xiao stood up, the corner of his eye taking a quick glance at the Crimson Devil Shi Jiutian clad in a crimson brocade robe.
Behind Crimson Devil was Gaunt Devil Shi Jiuxin, as well as the other three Devils of Crimson Devil City.
Beside Crimson Devil was a slightly rounded old man in a garnet-colored robe. According to Bai Zhisheng’s memories, this rounded old man was the Ghost Demon Valley’s Master, Pan Hai. Behind Ghost Demon Pan Hai also stood four people, Ghost Demon’s four mighty Grand Enforcers. All four of them were First Order Highgod Realm masters and above.
On the other side, next to Crimson Devil, was a thin old man that emitted a faint dark violet flame from his entire body.
Looking at this thin old man, Huwang Xiao’s pupils shrunk. This thin old man was none other than Devil Domain Mainland’s strongest person, acknowledged by everyone, nicknamed Flaming Devil. He was Ruan Ji, the Flaming Devil Sect’s Sovereign, possessing unfathomable strength.
Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi was a peak late-Second Order Highgod Realm master, extremely close to breaking through to Third Order, but Huwang Xiao keenly sensed that this Flaming Devil Ruan Ji was slightly above the old dragon, just a little bit.
Beside Flaming Devil Ruan Ji was the Gorb Fiend House’s Master, Wang Han. He was hidden entirely underneath a large black cloak, leaving only a pair of visible green eyes.
While Huwang Xiao was secretly observing the four hegemonic powers’ leaders, Shi Jiutian, Pan Hai, Ruan Ji, and Wang Han each took out a stone sigil key about the size of two palms. Then, they seemed to be chanting some kind ancient devil mantra to merge the four stone sigils, causing them to fly toward a patterned stone notch in front of the Devil Cave.
Just as the stone sigils entered the stone notch, the wall of light sealing the Devil Cave’s entrance gradually dimmed and lastly disappeared.
Shi Jiutian, Pan Hai, Ruan Ji, and Wang Han each collected their own stone sigil. Then, Flaming Devil Ruan Ji led the Flaming Devil Sect and its forces into the Devil Cave, followed by Ghost Demon Valley’s forces. After Ghost Demon Valley’s five Highgod Realm masters entered the Devil Cave, Huwang Xiao and other forces under Ghost Demon Valley followed inside.
The moment Huwang Xiao entered the Devil Cave, demonic devil qi rushed past his body like fierce winds.
Ch.822
That insidious devil qi was dense and suffocating, even some
high-level God Realm devil cultivators would have a hard time enduring it. However, for these devil cultivators who were peak late-Tenth Order God Realm and above, the demonic devil qi was still bearable.
Moreover, to those old devils with high cultivation, this insidious devil qi was in fact a treasure. If they could stay and cultivate inside this Devil Cave for a hundred years, it would definitely be comparable to their improvement in a thousand years outside.
As Huwang Xiao flew deeper into the cave, he continuously circulated the Asura Tactics, drawing the surrounding devil qi into his body, refining and absorbing it. Huwang Xiao was inwardly delighted after absorbing that insidious devil qi for some time, for he discovered that this devil qi also contained the Hundred Spirit Beast King’s demonic qi!
Even though the Hundred Spirits Beast King’s demonic qi contained within the devil qi was extremely weak and others might not detect it, Huwang Xiao had refined the other parts of the its body parts, hence he was familiar with its demonic qi.
Initially, Huwang Xiao had only deduced that the Devil Cave could be one of the places where the last part of the 100 Spirits Beast King’s body was sealed, but he was sure of it now.
Right at this moment, Pan Hai who had been flying at the front suddenly stopped and turned his piercing gaze toward Huwang Xiao.
“Bai Zhisheng, come here,” said Skillet Hai.
Huwang Xiao’s heart tightened, did this Ghost Demon see through him?
However, Huwang Xiao experienced no option but to step forward, saluting respectfully, “Lord Ghost Demon.”
“I heard that some time ago you got your hands on a Ghost Emperor Scripture?” Ghost Demon Pan Hai asked.
Ghost Emperor Scripture? Huwang Xiao secretly breathed in relief hearing this.
This Ghost Emperor Scripture was one of ancient devil sects’ Ten Great Devil Tenets. Some time back, Bai Zhisheng found the Ghost Emperor Scripture by luck and had been cultivating it in secret ever since. No one knew about it, who would have thought that this Ghost Demon found out.