LRAB Chapter 202 Trapped in the Demonic Sect
Chapter 202 Trapped in the Demonic Sect
Chapter 202 Trapped in the Demonic Sect (6k words, 2 bonus chapters for the Alliance Leader)
Half a month later, the flying boat, like a lone boat, slowly sailed into the heart of the Monster Mountain Range.
The mountain range's unique demonic aura was no longer a thin, lingering presence on the outside, but rather seeped in like ink seeping through rice paper, seeping in through the gaps in the flying boat and the weak points of the spirit array.
The candlelight inside the cabin was bluish-black, and even when Foundation Establishment cultivators meditated, their spiritual energy would flow backward, and their fingertips would feel sluggish when forming hand seals.
The Qi Refining cultivator coughed as he put away his magical artifact, finding it difficult even to maintain the simplest protective aura.
Almost all cultivators stopped cultivating, and even activities that consumed mana, such as refining and drawing talismans, were halted.
Currently, one can only replenish their mana by using pills while consuming mana in the Demon Realm. Even a single ordinary second-tier pill costs at least several dozen spirit stones, which is too costly. It would be better to endure it for a month or two and wait until we cross the mountains and reach the Central Plains.
Chen Yi, however, was kept in a first-class room every day, completely unaffected.
He sat cross-legged in the center of the near-third-tier spirit array, his fingertips pinching the beast pill embryo. As soon as the demonic energy approached within three feet of him, it was silently devoured by the system.
In his spare time, he also refined three Tier 3 Beast Pills and tossed them to the Treasure-Seeking Rat and the Crimson Soul Sparrow.
These two spirit pets already had a natural resistance to demonic energy. With the help of the Beast Pill, the Treasure-Seeking Rat's speed increased even more, and the Crimson Soul Sparrow's lightning spirit body became much more solid, with even the lightning on its feathers shining a bit brighter.
On this day, there was a gentle knock on the cabin door, and entered the person who was Master Fei Hong, the manager of the Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce.
His dark robes were stained with dust formed from demonic energy, and his tone was polite yet solemn:
"Master Chen, in three days we will reach the 'Rift Valley,' where monsters are most rampant. At that time, the flying boat will inevitably suffer a lot of attacks."
My Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce will activate a triple defense array, and our Core Formation guards will also take action. However, if there are too many demonic beasts, exceeding the guards' capabilities, we request that True Person Chen lend a hand at that time.
This point is clearly stated in the contract before boarding, and I am simply reminding you of it now.
Chen Yi nodded in agreement: "Of course. Safety concerns everyone, and when that time comes, I, Chen, will certainly not stand idly by."
He knew perfectly well that under normal circumstances, flying across the Monster Beast Mountain Range wouldn't require the guest's assistance, but no one could guarantee that extreme situations wouldn't arise.
The agreement to "jointly defend against the enemy" was a consensus among the merchants and cultivators, since no one could escape if the airship were destroyed.
The contract even included a clause stating that "the ship must be abandoned in the event of force majeure," and any cultivator who chose this path was well aware of the risks involved.
Several days later, the airship entered the rift valley section.
A flock of "Crimson-Beaked Wind Falcons" swooped down from the mountain walls on both sides. The wind blades brought up by their bluish-gray wings could slice through second-tier spirit armor, and their pecking was filled with sharp demonic power.
The pale golden light shield on the outer layer of the airship lit up instantly, crackling as it was pecked by the wind falcon, and cracks spread along the surface of the shield.
The two Core Formation guards from the Chamber of Commerce acted decisively, stepping out with their swords. Their swords flashed like silver ribbons, slashing and killing. The Wind Falcon's corpse was still twitching when it fell, and its blood dripped onto the black soil below, only to be instantly absorbed clean by the demonic energy.
This minor disturbance quickly subsided; the flying boat only swayed slightly, and the spirit array remained undamaged.
Throughout the entire process, the person in charge of the flying boat, the retainer of the Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce, and the Xuan Shui Zhenren, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, did not show up.
Standing atop the flying boat, her white robes spotless, water swirling around her like living things, she glanced at the battle before closing her eyes to rest, clearly this small scene was not worth her attention.
However, the good times didn't last long, and this trip seemed to be particularly unsuccessful.
Several days later, just as the flying boat rounded a mountain bend, it was blocked by a sudden natural disaster.
That was the "Black Wind Fiend". The black wind, carrying millstone-sized fiend stones and mysterious ice, swept in from the western horizon, instantly turning the world dark gray. A low mountain in the distance was swept by the wind and half of it collapsed, with broken rocks falling like raindrops.
Such ferocity would disrupt the magical power of even a Nascent Soul cultivator who forced their way in, let alone a flying boat.
Immediately, Master Fei Hong directed the flying boat to land in a depression at the foot of the mountain, where three layers of spiritual shields rose up.
The black wind crashed against the shield with a muffled thud, and the shield surface was covered with frost flowers. Even the spiritual energy of the spirit array fluctuated violently.
Not only did the flying boats have to hide, but the monsters in the mountains also hid. Some burrowed into caves, some huddled in rock crevices, and even the usually arrogant third-tier monsters dared not show their faces, only daring to let out low roars from their lairs.
This violent storm lasted for a full month.
The cultivators hid inside the flying boat. Although they couldn't cultivate, they were safe thanks to the spiritual array protecting them.
Most people were still chatting optimistically: "Luckily we dodged in time. This Fiend looked scary, but we can continue on our way once it's over. The Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce is indeed reliable."
But Chen Yi's expression was serious.
He took out the jade map given to him by the little monk, and after injecting spiritual power, the red dot on the map lit up. The flying boat was now eighty miles east of the original route, and landed exactly in the "Black Wind Fiend Frequent Zone" marked in red on the map!
"The Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce has been operating flight routes for thirty years; they couldn't possibly deviate this much... What exactly are they trying to do?"
Chen Yi stroked the jade pendant with his fingertips, his doubts growing stronger, but he didn't say anything. Without evidence, speaking out rashly would only be seen as worrying unnecessarily.
A month later, the black wind and raging storm finally subsided.
The guild manager quickly informed the cultivators: "Fellow Daoists, the violent storm has passed; the flying boat shall depart immediately!"
But just as the airship started moving, a deafening roar suddenly came from the rift valley!
Swarms of monstrous beasts surged in from all directions, including the "Rock-Armored Bear" with its thick armor that feared not even crashing into mountains, and the "Azure-Eyed Snake" that spat out emerald venom that could corrode spirit armor.
Even several third-tier "Thunder-Patterned Tigers" with wings on their backs and pale purple lightning around their bodies were mixed in, as if attracted by some great opportunity, heading straight for the flying boat.
The flying boats were blocking their only way.
The cultivators inside the cabin panicked instantly, and even the previously optimistic ones changed their expressions.
Immediately, all the Core Formation cultivators stepped forward, with True Person Xuan Shui even floating in mid-air.
Her white robes fluttered, water swirled around her as if alive, and her hair still clung to wet droplets. Her late-stage Core Formation cultivation power spread like an invisible barrier, suppressing the cultivators' restlessness. Her voice was clear, cool, and powerful:
"Fellow Daoists, this is a beast tide that occurs only once every hundred years. The Merchant Guild cannot protect everyone; we must all join forces to defend against the enemy!"
With her magical aura stabilizing the situation, the hundreds of cultivators felt temporarily at ease and raised their magical artifacts.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators formed a simple formation and released spiritual light;
Qi-refining cultivators assist with simple tasks such as replenishing spiritual energy and guarding the array plates.
As one of only five Core Formation cultivators on the flying boat, Chen Yi naturally couldn't hide and not come out, but he also didn't intend to really go all out.
He stood at the back of the crowd, flicked his finger, and two second-tier iron golems landed with a "clatter". The golems held up their giant shields in front of them and withstood the charge of the rock-armored bear.
He himself was making wood-based hand seals, and pale green vines sprouted from under the deck, wrapping around the monster's legs, looking extremely busy.
In reality, less than 20% of the mana was used.
A Golden Core cultivator's magical power is inherently longer than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and coupled with his deliberate slacking off, he maintained an excellent state.
The treasure-hunting rat reaped an even greater harvest. It had already concealed itself using the puppet's shadow, its tiny claws like sharp daggers, specifically targeting and finishing off dying monsters.
When it sees a monster that has been beaten to the point of near death, it sneaks over, slashes the monster's vitals with its short blade, and then runs back with the monster's core and bones in its mouth, without being noticed by anyone the whole time.
This bloody battle lasted for a full day and night.
The golden shield of the flying boat was cracked by the impact, and half of the array nodes were emitting black smoke, on the verge of complete collapse;
Eighty percent of the cultivators had exhausted their magical power; some even collapsed onto the deck, panting, without the strength to even lift their hands.
There was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator in a gray robe who, seeing a Thunder-Patterned Tiger dead outside, became greedy and secretly slipped out through the broken hatch, just about to steal the Thunder-Patterned Tiger's demon core...
Suddenly, a green-eyed snake darted out from the side and swallowed him whole. Its forked tongue licked the demon core, and blood dripped from its scales onto the deck of the flying boat.
The cultivators inside the cabin turned pale at the sight, and no one dared to greedily go out to pick up any leftovers.
Fortunately, the beast tide finally receded.
As if they were still thinking about that "opportunity," they gave up trying to harass the flying boat when they found it too difficult to gnaw on, and headed straight for the depths of the rift valley.
On the flying boat side, although the cultivators suffered no casualties, they almost lost their fighting ability. Only Chen Yi was still standing upright, maintaining about 80% of his magical power.
The treasure-hunting rat sneaked back and slipped six third-tier demon cores and some spiritually potent beast bones into Chen Yi's hand with its tiny paws. A slight smile appeared on Chen Yi's lips.
This seemingly dangerous beast tide actually made him quite a bit of money.
Master Fei Hong, the manager of the Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce, held a Perception Mirror. The mirror surface shimmered with a pale blue spiritual light, clearly reflecting the state of the cultivators on the flying boat.
The light spots in the mirror varied in brightness; most of the Qi Refining cultivators' light spots were as dim as beans, and the spiritual light of Foundation Establishment cultivators also became weak by about 80%.
He put away the precious mirror, quickly walked to the Mysterious Water Immortal, bowed, and reported:
"The Grand Elders and Qi Refining cultivators are mostly exhausted and have collapsed. Eighty percent of the Foundation Establishment cultivators have lost their fighting ability. Of the dozen or so Pseudo Core cultivators and five True Core cultivators, about half of them are still able to fight."
Xuan Shui Zhenren stood on the top floor of the flying boat, his white robes still stained with the blood of the beasts left by the beast tide a few days ago. The water around him was moving half a beat slower, but he still carried the pressure of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.
Upon hearing this, the flow of water between her fingers paused slightly, and she said calmly:
"Understood. When you set off again, turn west about 1,500 li away."
"Offering, you mean... going to that 'Spirit-Stagnant Mist Pool'?"
Master Fei Hong gripped the edge of the perception mirror tightly, his tone hesitant.
He had long heard of the formidable reputation of that misty pool. The mist contained spiritual energy that could impede magical power. If a cultivator went in, their magical power would become sluggish, which was no small matter.
"We're not going to the Fog Pool, we're just passing through overhead. We both have antidotes for the cold fog, so there's no need to worry."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Xuan Shui Zhenren's lips.
"The stickiness of that mist is just right to reduce the quality of a Core Formation cultivator's mana by 30%, so they naturally won't be able to withstand a subsequent horde of demonic beasts. Only by handing people over to the Demonic Sect in the most 'obedient' state can we get the largest share."
"But... that 30% reduction in magical power is irreversible!"
Master Fei Hong lowered his voice even further, "If they recover in the future, how could they possibly let the Chamber of Commerce off the hook?"
"Let them go?"
Master Xuan Shui chuckled, and the speed of the swirling water increased slightly.
"What the Demonic Sect lacks are capable people, not geniuses. Do you really expect any of these people to produce Nascent Soul cultivators who will come after us?"
The contempt in his tone was undisguised, clearly showing that he didn't care about the future of these cultivators.
Three days later, the flying boat indeed encountered trouble.
A late-stage, third-tier "Golden-Eyed Eagle" with a wingspan of three zhang (approximately 10 meters) chased after them from behind. Its beak gleamed with a cold light, and its sharp claws could tear through second-tier spirit armor. Each dive caused ripples to appear on the airship's protective shield.
Xuan Shui Zhenren tried several times, but because he was still recovering from injuries sustained during the previous beast tide, he was unable to get rid of the demonic bird.
Left with no other choice, the flying boat had to temporarily change course and turn into a valley shrouded in a light gray mist, which was the "Stagnation Mist Zone" that Xuan Shui had mentioned.
Just as they entered the fog zone, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was about to activate a magical artifact's protective shield.
But he found that his spiritual energy was like lead filling his meridians, making it difficult even to lift his hand, and he immediately cried out in alarm:
"This fog is wrong! My magic power is malfunctioning!"
The higher a cultivator's cultivation level and the purer their magical power, the more pronounced this feeling becomes.
A True Core cultivator tried to activate his Core Power to protect his heart, but found that the Core Power only managed to circulate three times outside his dantian before it could barely move. His face instantly turned ugly.
As soon as Chen Yi entered the fog zone, a system notification sounded in his mind:
[Sticky, cold mist spirituality detected; currently being absorbed...]
The fog that could stick to magical power was being gradually stripped of its core spirituality under the system's operation.
Chen Yineng could clearly feel that the magical power in his meridians was still flowing smoothly. On the contrary, the sticky spiritual energy was compressed into dark beads the size of rice grains and hidden in the bone orifices of his body.
He had no intention of transforming his magic into this "viscous" state.
After all, poison cultivation is not his path, but these hidden beads might be useful as underhanded tricks when encountering powerful enemies in the future.
To Chen Yi's surprise, when he turned to look at Lao Hu's family, he noticed that Xiao Mingyue's fingers, which were forming a magic seal, paused, and her little face scrunched up, clearly feeling that the flow of spiritual energy had slowed down.
Old Hu remained calm and composed; in fact, when he raised his hand, the flow of his magical power was smoother than before, and a faint spiritual light emanated from his body.
Clearly, this battle not only did not deplete him, but also allowed him to touch the threshold of Foundation Establishment.
"Old Hu's opportunity is truly extraordinary. To be able to establish a foundation at the age of eighty is quite a remarkable thing."
Chen Yi sighed inwardly, not pressing further, for everyone in the cultivation world has their own secrets.
After the fog cleared, the cultivators were in an uproar.
A fake Core Formation cultivator clenched his fist, his voice filled with suppressed anger:
"We paid eight thousand spirit stones for first-class rooms, and you're making us venture into this foggy area! Our magic power is thirty percent stagnant; how are we supposed to fight enemies in the future?"
Others echoed his sentiments, and even several True Core cultivators frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce's actions.
Master Xuan Shui's white robes were still stained with the blood of demonic beasts, and his tone was calm yet carried an undeniable authority:
"Being chased by a peak third-tier demonic bird, we had no choice but to temporarily change our route. Once we enter the Central Continent, the Merchant Guild will arrange for an alchemist to heal our injuries. Instead of worrying about that now, we should think about how to survive."
Her excuse was flawless; the cultivators were furious, but there was nothing they could do.
With his magical power thirty percent stagnant, if he were to truly turn against Xuan Shui, who was in the late stage of Core Formation, he would not fare well at all, so he could only endure it for the time being.
Several days later, the flying boat was attacked again by a horde of monsters.
This time, a pack of "Crimson Flame Wolves" arrived, led by a wolf demon at the late stage of the third tier, whose flames could burn through second-tier spirit armor.
Xuan Shui Zhenren's water shield had barely blocked the first wave of flames when it was slapped by the wolf demon's sharp claws, causing ripples to spread. She groaned, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
The reason given was that her previous injuries hadn't healed, and her magic power was sluggish, so she couldn't unleash the full power of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.
The other Core Formation guards from the merchant guild also suffered repeated defeats. Some had their arms scratched by wolf demons, while others had exhausted their magic power and could only rely on their magical artifacts to endure the attacks.
"Fellow Daoists, the flying boat can't hold on much longer!"
Master Xuanshui's voice carried a hint of urgency, "Those who don't want to die, make your move!"
This time, five True Core cultivators, more than a dozen False Core cultivators, and dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators who still had combat power all rushed forward.
Chen Yi had no choice but to abandon his plan to coast along. He activated wood-based magic with his fingertips, and vines wrapped around the wolf demon's legs like snakes. At the same time, he allowed the treasure-hunting rat to continue to hide and scavenge. Even so, he tried to conserve his strength, only activating 60% of his internal energy.
The bloody battle raged from dawn till dusk, leaving the deck of the flying boat covered in the blood of demonic beasts and cultivators.
After a while,
Of the five True Core cultivators, three collapsed on the deck, unable to even activate their Core power.
The dozen or so pseudo-core cultivators were all injured and their mana was almost depleted;
Chen Yi also pretended to be pale and exhausted, and lay down. In reality, he still had nearly 70% of his magic power left.
In the end, the protective array of the flying boat was shattered by the wolf demon. The three third-tier wolf demons rushed into the flying boat and tore two Qi Refining cultivators apart with a single claw.
The monks were utterly desperate.
The instant the airship's protective shield shattered, three third-tier wolf demons pounced into the cabin, bringing with them a foul stench. Their sharp claws were about to tear apart the Qi Refining cultivators in the front row.
at this time,
A jet-black chain suddenly shot out from the void, coiling around the wolf demon's neck like a venomous snake.
With a few sharp cracks, the wolf demon's head was twisted off, and its corpse fell onto the deck, splattering blood all over the surrounding cultivators.
Before everyone could recover from their shock, dozens of black streaks of light landed around the flying boat. The leader, dressed in a dark red patterned black robe, had an ordinary face but exuded an aura of power; he was none other than the Black Lotus Envoy of the Demonic Sect.
She held a blood-red token between her fingers. As the token spun, the remaining demonic beasts whimpered and retreated as if they had encountered their natural enemy, and even the distant pack of Crimson Flame Wolves dared not approach any further.
"The Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce's flying boats still have some resilience."
The Black Lotus Envoy's gaze swept over the disheveled cultivators on the ship, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.
She walked gracefully down from the sky, each step causing subtle black ripples in the void beneath her feet. Every movement stirred the demonic energy of heaven and earth, and even the surrounding demonic mist converged in her direction.
"Peak of Core Formation..."
Chen Yi was secretly shocked when he sensed the cultivation level of the black-robed female cultivator.
"I can save your lives and even help you repair the magic power damaged by the stagnant spirit mist—but on the condition that you sign this blood pact and come under the rule of my demonic sect."
As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of contracts glowing with blood appeared out of thin air and floated in front of each cultivator.
The words "lifelong slavery, life and death at the mercy of fate, no escape" on the contract were particularly glaring, clearly indicating that it was a black slave contract that treated people like cattle and horses.
A deathly silence fell over the airship. Some cultivators gripped their magical artifacts tightly, their eyes filled with resentment.
Some people looked at the wolf demon corpse on the deck, their faces turning pale. Having just escaped from the jaws of a monster, they were about to fall into the hands of the demonic sect again. No one was willing to sign such a death pact.
Xuan Shui Zhenren suddenly stepped forward, his white robes still stained with demon blood, his face as pale as paper, carrying just the right amount of despair:
"Envoy! This contract... is it for us to be slaves for life?"
The Black Lotus Envoy glanced at her indifferently: "Sign or die. Deep within the Demon Beast Mountain Range, there are plenty of monsters that can devour people. Do you think you have any other choice?"
Master Xuan Shui's body trembled slightly, as if he had made a great struggle. Finally, he suddenly raised his head, a resolute look of "survival" flashing in his eyes:
"I'll sign! My Nine Heavens Chamber of Commerce has traveled between two places for thirty years, and I've never thought of siding with the Demonic Sect, but now... I don't want to die!"
As she spoke, she squeezed out a drop of her essence without hesitation and dripped it onto the blood pact in front of her.
The blood pact glowed red and entered her brow. She even deliberately showed a pained expression, as if she was enduring the immense pain of being branded into her soul.
This scene, witnessed by the other cultivators, instantly shattered their last shred of hope.
"Even the late-stage Core Formation cultivator, the Mysterious Water Fairy, has signed... Do we even have a choice?"
A Qi Refining cultivator whispered in a trembling voice, looking at the menacing demonic cultivators around him, and finally gave in, trembling as he dripped his essence blood onto the contract.
"I'll sign too! So what if I'm a demonic cultivator? As long as I survive, there's always a chance to turn things around!"
The fake Core cultivator who was desperate to survive gritted his teeth, and the moment his essence blood fell, he even showed a relieved expression.
With one person taking the lead, more people began to waver.
Some cultivators looked at the contract, their fingers hesitating for a long time, but in the end they could not overcome the fear of death;
Some, their eyes filled with humiliation, were forced to sign a blood pact under the watchful gaze of the demonic cultivators.
After all, in the world of cultivation, there is hope only if you live. No one wants to really die in this desolate wilderness, waiting for the illusory reincarnation to start cultivating again.
Xuan Shui Zhenren stood at the front of the crowd, seemingly "forced to submit" like the other cultivators, but in reality, he secretly glanced at the Black Lotus Envoy out of the corner of his eye. Seeing the other party nod in satisfaction, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Her act of "leading the signing" completely shattered the cultivators' will to resist.
She then portrayed herself as a "fellow victim," and no one would doubt that this "Demon Gate rescue" was a scheme orchestrated by her and the Black Lotus Messenger from the very beginning.
Only Chen Yi stood at the back of the crowd, watching the calculating glint in Xuan Shui Zhenren's eyes, and sneered inwardly.
This late-stage Core Formation cultivator has taken "disguise" to the extreme, even using himself as a pawn. His cunning is even more ruthless than that of demonic cultivators.
"Uncle Chen, do we also have to sign a blood pact and become slaves for life?"
Xiao Mingyue asked Chen Yi with a hint of worry.
Chen Yi gestured for her to calm down; he wasn't in a hurry.
just because,
Among the group of demonic cultivators, he spotted a long-unseen face.
Standing right next to the female cultivator in black robes was a stunningly beautiful woman in a black dress.
The woman was dressed in a well-tailored black dress that accentuated her slender and graceful figure. Her ankles, which were exposed beneath the hem of the dress, were delicate and fair. Even from a distance of several dozen feet, her stunningly beautiful face could still be clearly seen. Who else could it be but Ning Bu'er, whom she had not seen for fifteen years?
What shocked Chen Yi even more was that when he secretly probed with his divine sense, he sensed that Ning Bu'er's demonic power had become as condensed as silk. Although the fluctuations in her magical power were not as terrifying as those of the woman in front of her, they were still steadily at the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm.
Fifteen years ago, Ning Bu'er was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but now he has advanced to Core Formation. His cultivation speed is even faster than Chen Yi's three-patterned Purple Extreme Golden Core!
(End of this chapter)