Chapter 65 Breaking Free

Before the ball of light could speak further, a small cauldron suddenly materialized in Cao Yun’s hand. The cauldron was wreathed in rich, churning spiritual energy, making it instantly clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item.

"A spirit treasure? A Foundation Establishment cultivator like you actually possesses a spirit treasure?" The ball of light let out a sudden gasp of utter astonishment.

"Oh? So this is a spirit treasure," Cao Yun said with a calm smile. "I wonder if senior would be willing to condescend and inhabit this spirit treasure?"

"Naturally. With this spirit treasure as a vessel, the recovery speed of my primordial spirit will undoubtedly multiply," a voice filled with unconcealed excitement came from within the ball of light.

"Then why doesn't senior inhabit it right now?" Cao Yun asked softly, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.

Before his voice had even faded, the ball of light flashed and vanished instantly, sinking deep into the small cauldron in Cao Yun's hand.

"Ah, not bad. Although it is a spirit treasure forged by a Deity Transformation cultivator, the density of the spiritual energy it gathers is already no less than inhabiting the dantian of a Deity Transformation cultivator," the excited voice of the ball of light emanated from the small cauldron.

"Oh? A spirit treasure forged by the Deity Transformation stage? Senior, in the past I had only heard of magical instruments and magic treasures, and this is my first time hearing of a spirit treasure. Might senior enlighten me?" Cao Yun asked with a look of doubt and sincere curiosity.

"The so-called spirit treasure is a treasure of the divine and miraculous. Infinite transformation is called spiritual, and supreme reverence and cherishment is called a treasure. In heaven it is spiritual, on earth it is a treasure. The spiritual transformation of heaven is unfathomably wondrous and infinitely pervasive; the myriad treasures of earth nourish all things and generously bear all living beings. Like heaven and like earth, it can cover and can bear; possessing both the spiritual and the treasured, its merits are boundless. To realize this Dao heart is why it is called a spirit treasure. The spiritual is the shared title of all sages; the treasure is what all sages cherish. Emptiness and mystery constitute the spiritual, entering and storing constitute the treasure, which is why it is called a spirit treasure," came the detailed explanation from inside the small cauldron.

"So that's how it is. Thank you for your guidance, senior. My name is Cao Yun, and I have yet to ask for your esteemed name," Cao Yun said, cupping his fists in a salute.

"My name has long since vanished into the long river of history along with the ancient wars. You may just call me Demonic Fiend," the voice claiming to be the Demonic Fiend slowly resounded from within the small cauldron.

"Demonic Fiend... Senior's name is certainly quite unique," Cao Yun smiled faintly.

"Hehe, in time you will come to know whether my name is ordinary or not. The most urgent task right now is to find a way out of here. Judging by this momentum, in another half a day, this demonic Qi will fill the entire grand array. By then, this Origin-Isolation Array will no longer be able to withstand the oppressive pressure of the demonic Qi," the Demonic Fiend's tone was full of disdain.

"I wonder what brilliant strategy senior Demonic Fiend has?" Cao Yun asked.

"You brat are quite clever. If you want to get out, the only way is to wait for the demonic Qi to burst the array's protective barrier. With your current realm and this Origin-Isolation Array, it is utterly impossible to endure the crushing pressure of the demonic Qi. Fortunately, you brought out a spirit treasure, otherwise I might not have been able to protect you completely," the Demonic Fiend said.

"Then I thank senior Demonic Fiend in advance." Hearing this, Cao Yun's heart settled completely, and his tone grew even calmer. "Those cultivators have all perished by now, and there must be quite a few treasures on them."

The Demonic Fiend in the small cauldron made no reply. Cao Yun did not mind either; he stored the cauldron away in his storage pouch, his figure transforming into a streak of azure light as he sped swiftly toward the location where the group of Foundation Establishment cultivators had been.

When Cao Yun returned, he saw that the demonic Qi in the air was already surging downward like a raging torrent.

"Senior Demonic Fiend, should you make your move now?" Cao Yun asked in a deep voice, gazing at the Origin-Isolation Array which was being squeezed by the demonic Qi to the point of emitting continuous strange noises.

"Hehe, you brat really know how to keep your composure." Before his words had even finished, the small cauldron inside Cao Yun's storage pouch flew into the air on its own, hovering above his head as a protective barrier—as pale as wisps of smoke and as thin as a cicada's wing—instantly enveloped him.

"Senior, this barrier seems a bit too flimsy, doesn't it?" Cao Yun gazed at the barrier, a trace of unease inevitably welling up in his heart.

"No matter. With me here, you can rest completely assured," the Demonic Fiend said in a tone of absolute confidence.

"Then this junior's life rests entirely upon senior. If this junior meets with any mishap, I certainly have my ways of dragging senior down to the grave with me." Cao Yun looked with icy eyes at the Origin-Isolation Array, which was already squeezed out of shape and distorted, his voice as cold as frost that had not thawed for a thousand years.

Hearing this, the Demonic Fiend remained silent.

At this moment, the Origin-Isolation Array had been compressed to a size comparable to the barrier released by the small cauldron. The creaking and groaning sounds of compression from outside made Cao Yun's heart palpitate with fear, as if he could be ground into fine dust by this demonic Qi at any second.

With a soft "pop," the Origin-Isolation Array finally shattered completely.

Yet that seemingly impossibly frail barrier still guarded Cao Yun as steadfastly as a rock, showing not the slightest bit of distortion or deformation.

With a deafening "boom," the grand array covering the entire capital city exploded violently at that very moment, and the towering demonic Qi surged outward in all directions like a mad tide.

An azure light carrying a small cauldron broke through the air from within the demonic Qi, speeding away with the velocity of lightning and quickly vanishing at the edge of the horizon.

"Senior, is hunting demonic beasts in the Outer Seas, as you mentioned, really easier than the Myriad Beasts Forest?" At this moment, Cao Yun was standing atop a jade disk more than ten feet wide, flying forward at extreme speed.

"This old man has roamed this realm for tens of thousands of years; how could the various conditions of this realm possibly escape this old man's discerning eyes?" The Demonic Fiend's voice slowly drifted out from the cauldron.

"Then let it be as senior says. Let's first go to Fuzhou in the Zhouwu Kingdom, find that ancient teleportation array to head to the Outer Seas, and hope that ancient teleportation array is still intact." Cao Yun said slowly.

"Rest assured, brat Cao. That ancient teleportation array is shielded by a grand array and won't be easily discovered by others." The Demonic Fiend inside the small cauldron appeared thoroughly confident that the ancient teleportation array had yet to be discovered.

"Senior, you mentioned that Tianbei might erupt into an Immortal-Demonic War in the near future. Will the Outer Seas be implicated by then as well?" Cao Yun asked.

"It will certainly be implicated to some extent, but as for the degree of implication, that depends on the scale of this Immortal-Demonic War. Immortal-Demonic Wars have occurred from time to time since antiquity, often destroying a realm or wiping out a region—none of that is strange. What matters are those people who manage to survive such wars," the Demonic Fiend expounded slowly.

"The people who survive? What does senior mean by that? Could ordinary cultivators in the mortal realm actually have a chance at survival in a war of a scale capable of destroying an entire realm?" Cao Yun asked with internal doubt.

"Of course they do. Crisis is often accompanied by opportunity. You must understand that the resources of the lower realms are limited, and moreover, they are firmly controlled by the major sects. Under such conditions, ordinary cultivators have no other way to improve their cultivation realm except by risking their lives. But once the Immortal-Demonic War erupts, the resources of the immortal realm will flow down into the lower realm, and the original territorial divisions of the lower realm will be reshuffled. As long as one can seize the opportunity, let alone surviving the war, breaking through to Deity Transformation and ascending to the immortal realm is by no means a difficult task," the Demonic Fiend said leisurely.

Two days later, Cao Yun's figure abruptly appeared above a vast expanse of a lake in Fuzhou of the Zhouwu Kingdom. He stood quietly upon the surface of the lake, his gaze as piercing and profound as torches, as if capable of perceiving everything at the bottom of the lake.