The Thousand Corpse Sect was located deep within the desert, with over a dozen towns under its jurisdiction and a membership of around thirty thousand. From a distance, it seemed less like a sect and more like a nation. Yan Junyu followed the Thousand Corpse Hermit into the main hall, his manner relaxed, as if he had no concern for being ambushed by these people.
"Immortal, please take a look. This is our sect's teleportation array," the Thousand Corpse Hermit said, leading the person into the sect's restricted area and pointing to an octagonal pattern after lifting multiple prohibitions.
Yan Junyu, by Qi Ze's side, had naturally learned a lot. He had a basic understanding of alchemy, formations, talismans, and even the Dao of Pills. He could easily recognize that this was an extremely intricate teleportation array. If activated with high-grade demonic crystals, it could send someone to any location in the Demon Realm. Crafting such an array was no easy feat, and the cost of a single activation was immense.
"Here's my fare." Yan Junyu tossed nine high-grade demonic crystals to the Thousand Corpse Hermit.
"Thank you, Immortal!" The Thousand Corpse Hermit was overjoyed, immediately pouring demonic energy into the array and said solicitously, "Immortal, please step in, I will send you on your way right away."
Yan Junyu gave him a meaningful look before stepping into the array bathed in white light. However, after a few breaths, the person who should have appeared at the edge of the Demon Realm was still standing there, the upper array slowly dissipating to reveal the restraining array below. The hard granite floor turned into a pool of blood, and many white bones churned in the blood, looking quite terrifying.
"Hmph, relying on your upper realm heritage to run rampant in the lower realms. You fail to realize whose turf you're treading on. Is my Thousand Corpse Demon Pond a place you can come and go as you please?" The Thousand Corpse Hermit sneered, "This pond is made from the blood of eighty-one innocent girls, eighty-one innocent boys, eighty-one kind people, and eighty-one evil people, heated by yin flames. Thousands of living beings are then thrown in and continuously boiled until the flesh separates from the bones. Since the founding of our sect, this pond has existed. After tens of thousands of years, the number of people who have died in it is incalculable. The density of resentment and demonic energy is so strong that even a Golden Immortal would not be able to withstand it. I wonder how a mere Profound Immortal like you can resist!"
"The Demon Ancestor, once this pond has refined his magic power, you can absorb it for yourself. It's possible you could ascend!" an elder said joyfully.
"My thousands of years of waiting for the opportunity corresponds to a naive child who doesn't know the ways of the world. This is truly a case of searching desperately and finding it by chance, hahaha..." The Thousand Corpse Hermit laughed maniacally, but in the next moment, his eyes bulged and his throat choked. The other elders' eyes also protruded, mouths wide open, as if they had seen a ghost.
"You, you, you, what are you doing?" The Thousand Corpse Hermit couldn't even speak properly.
Upon stepping into the restricted area, Yan Junyu had started to act, because he sensed that something was here that his belly's Gu pill desired immensely. But thinking of his beloved far away on the other side of the continent, he unhesitatingly gave up this opportunity. He knew that since it was kept in the restricted area, it must be the Thousand Corpse Sect's most precious treasure. If he took it, there would inevitably be a big fight, and he had to find his beloved as soon as possible, without wasting a single second.
Once his mind was made up, he wanted to leave peacefully, but unexpectedly, the Thousand Corpse Sect was so generous, directly delivering the item to him. This reminded him of his beloved's most cherished phraseâIf heaven bestows something on you and you don't take it, you will inevitably face punishment.
Traveling outside, how could he not listen to his wife? Thinking this, he summoned the Gu pill and sucked the blood, resentment, and demonic energy from the Thousand Corpse Pond dry. He then drew out the Blood-Drinking Saber and split the Thousand Corpse Hermit in half, before draining the magic bodies of several elders, leaving only one alive. He asked calmly, "Your sect's hospitality is very satisfactory. Where is the real teleportation array?"
"In, in, in, in the main hall!" The only surviving Sixth Elder was terrified. What about the naive upper realm fool who didn't know the ways of the world? What about the Demon Pond that could boil even a Golden Immortal to pieces? How could it be so ineffective?
"What other gifts does your sect have for me this time? Your sect is indeed very courteous, I won't refuse such generosity." Yan Junyu stepped out of the already dry blood pool, saying with a half-smile.
"Immortal, please leave quickly! Our sect has no more valuable gifts than the Demon Pond. The Demon Realm is a chaotic place, and it's difficult for our sect to have a foothold here. Please leave us a way to survive!" The Sixth Elder finally understood. With this person's strength, he could easily wipe out the Thousand Corpse Sect. The other side originally didn't intend to linger in the Thousand Corpse Sect, and by respectfully sending the person away, there would have been no trouble, and they could have received nine high-grade demonic crystals as compensation. Now, however, the Thousand Corpse Demon Pond was gone, the Demon Ancestor had fallen, and nine of the ten elders were dead. What a disaster!
"I was just passing by, it was your sect's disciples who insisted on blocking me." Yan Junyu explained politely while throwing out a vine that pierced the Sixth Elder's ankle and said calmly, "Lead the way. If you delay my journey again this time, I'll stay."
The Sixth Elder was extremely bitter, wishing he could resurrect the disciple who had died violently and then carve him up a thousand times. He limped forward to lead the way, not daring to harbor any thoughts, and after opening the real teleportation array, he said anxiously, "Immortal, please step in, I'll send you on your way right now!"
Yan Junyu didn't waste words, retracting the vine and entering the array, disappearing on the spot. He then appeared on a plain, half of which was barren to the extreme, while the other half was covered with lush grass and beautiful flowers; even the color of the sky was different, one dark and the other clear, as if divided by an invisible substance into two completely different worlds.
Yan Junyu slowly walked to the junction of the two worlds, pressing his hands forward and indeed touching a layer of barrier.
"Tsk, another demon wants to break the barrier," the cultivator responsible for guarding the barrier said with derision.
"No need to bother with him, I'll have someone replace us tomorrow, so we can return to Chongming Continent earlier," his companion said softly.
"Oh, finally found someone to replace us? That's not easy. I've heard that the Young Sect Master of Supreme Divine Creation Sect is a once-in-a-thousand-years fusion body, and the entire cultivation world is looking for him. If we can capture him first and refine him into a pill, wouldn't we instantly ascend?"
"Exactly. Such a rare opportunity, we can't waste time here."
As the two were eagerly discussing how to capture Qi Ze and how to consume his flesh and blood, the boundary guard on the Demon Realm side was also eyeing Yan Junyu with covetous intent.
"Which sect's foolish boy is this? Touching the barrier, truly thinking he can break it? Go, bring him over and ask."
"Hahahaha, why ask him, let him feel it enough... cough cough cough cough..." This demon was interrupted by choking on his own saliva, his eyes wider than a gong, looking utterly incredulous.
The tall man, whom they had considered a fool, simply drew a line with his fingers, actually slashing open a seam in the barrier set up by immortals. Then, he pulled with both hands outward, and the seam turned into a hole. The demonic energy of the Demon Realm and the spiritual energy of the cultivation world immediately came together, forming a fierce gale.
That man walked into the cultivation world through the gale and then disappeared, leaving the hole that was blown larger and larger by the gale, beyond control. The lush plain began to become barren, while the barren plain was covered with fine grass leaves and flower petals. The two worlds merged together with an unstoppable force.
"The barrier has been breached! The barrier breaker is an old demon, his realm unknown, his sect unknown, his origins unknown! He has now entered the cultivation world, his destination unknown!" This message was simultaneously spread, attracting attention from all sides. The Demon Realm side was overjoyed, spreading the news far and wide, while the cultivation world side was in a state of high alert, in a panic.
Yan Junyu, of course, knew what this barrier meant to the Qianyuan Continent, so he deliberately slashed it open. Since those "upright people" had nothing to do all day and only thought about consuming other people's flesh and blood, he would let them taste the feeling of being devoured aliveâ
The closer he got to Ling Shui Palace, the more lakes and rivers there were. One day, when Qi Ze was bending down to wash his hands by the river, a nimble fish delivered a pale blue jade pendant. In this world, apart from his father, only Su Huaiyun could easily find his location, because she also had a life tablet.
Finding a hidden cave, Qi Ze used his spiritual energy to activate the pendant, and Su Huaiyun's worried voice slowly flowed out, first explaining why she hadn't been able to come to the rescue of The Supreme Divine Creation Sect in time, then expressing her grief.
Her words were sincere, both indicating that she needed to pay the price of the entire sect's destruction to rescue her son, so she hesitated slightly; and also indicating that after careful consideration, she couldn't let go of motherly love, and was prepared to fight. She told Qi Ze to go in the opposite direction from Ling Shui Palace, and when he reached Shifang City, someone would naturally meet him and help him fake his death and escape. This jade talisman contained a teleportation array, and crushing it could teleport someone to the restricted area of Ling Shui Palace. At that time, she would find a way to send her son to the Tri-Realm Neutral Zone near the Demon Realm. That place was relatively safer than inland.
"... Although we haven't been together every day, you are still my flesh and blood. Mother can only help you this much, I hope you take good care of yourself." Su Huaiyun's unique, cold voice slowly disappeared in the cave.
Qi Ze leaned against the stone wall and laughed softly. Go in the opposite direction to avoid implicating Ling Shui Palace, be teleported to the restricted area of Ling Shui Palace after faking death, and then secretly imprison himself to be refined into a pill. Su Huaiyun, you are indeed a good mother, truly going to great lengths!
Recalling the last time, how moved he was to tears by this "timely help" jade pendant, and how he had recklessly walked into Su Huaiyun's trap, almost being thrown into the alchemy furnace... Qi Ze finally stopped laughing and murmured, "You take the first step, I take the fifteenth. This time, we can settle the score."
He walked out of the cave, shed his disguise, and brazenly headed in the direction of Ling Shui Palace. Su Huaiyun wanted to act in secret, didn't she? Well, he would make a lot of noise for her. If he encountered ambushes along the way, he could take the opportunity to get his revenge, and he wouldn't have to find them one by one.