Chapter 115: Descent

A host of great demons and ancient monsters joined forces with the demonic faction to destroy the righteous path, instantly shifting the tide of the battle. For a time, the disciples of the Seven Sects suffered heavy casualties, though fortunately, the righteous side also boasted many skilled experts, leading to a fierce and protracted struggle between the two.

Daoist Poison Dragon faced off against Daoist Heavenly Dragon. The former, an ancient dragon from the toxic swamps, possessed a thousand-foot-long body and five-clawed limbs. He soared through black mists—noxious gases distilled from millennia of rot, which induced nausea upon smelling and death upon contact. Opening his maw, he spewed the essence of Kui Water, manifesting as rolling divine thunder. Opposing him, Daoist Heavenly Dragon wielded the Heavenly Dragon Subjugation Blade; the blade’s spirit manifested as a five-hundred-foot, nine-clawed golden dragon, treading upon auspicious clouds with boundless dominance. As the two dragons vied for supremacy, the surrounding black and white clouds surged and subsided. True to the old saying, "Dragons bring clouds, tigers bring wind," the two creatures intertwined like pythons, clashing Kui Water Divine Thunder against Demonic Subjugation Thunder in a stalemate.

However, Daoist Poison Dragon’s physical form was, after all, flesh and blood. After four or five hours, his strength began to wane. Daoist Heavenly Dragon seized the opportunity, unleashing a beam of golden light that struck his opponent down from the clouds. Just as he prepared to pursue, he was intercepted by the Great Bitter God-Monarch of the Middle-Level Demonic Sect.

The ninety-nine Jade Smoke Needles refined by the Great Bitter God-Monarch were the perfect counter to the Heavenly Dragon’s spirit. With a wave of his hand, countless needles, each as fine as an ox’s hair, erupted from his sleeves. They pierced the golden dragon’s body, leaving hundreds of holes from which green, ghostly fire burned. The dragon shrieked in pain and spat a torrent of dragon flame over a hundred feet wide. Yet, while needle-type artifacts were difficult to refine, they were rarely countered once completed, for their extreme speed allowed them to return to the God-Monarch’s sleeve in an instant.

Daoist Heavenly Dragon gestured, and the golden dragon reverted into the Heavenly Dragon Subjugation Blade, which hummed in his hand, its luster visibly diminished. Frowning, he chose not to use it against his foe, instead forming a series of hand seals to release countless Azure Cloud Immortal Thunders—a profound technique reserved for those who had mastered the Qingcheng cultivation method to its pinnacle. This immortal energy was peerless at shattering artifacts. However, the Great Bitter God-Monarch let out a mocking cackle, for he had been joined by two allies: the Ancestor of Myriad Poisons from Sesame Valley in Mount Diancang, and Yin Fuzi of the Antarctic Sect. Yin Fuzi waved his strange hands, scattering refined Yin Thunder that crackled across the sky like a string of firecrackers. Meanwhile, the Ancestor of Myriad Poisons withdrew a black-skinned gourd, uncorking it to release an infinite swarm of insects that formed a rolling, buzzing cloud as they surged toward Daoist Heavenly Dragon. Simultaneously, Yin Fuzi channeled his Profound Yin cultivation, manifesting his primordial spirit into a giant hand of the Yin Demon to seize his opponent.

Though trapped in peril, Daoist Heavenly Dragon remained calm. He gestured continuously, weaving immortal clouds into the shape of a thousand-foot mountain to withstand the demon hand—a defensive formation known as the Primordial Five Mountains True Form Map. Yet, the insect cloud smothered the mountain, turning its surface black as the sound of ravenous gnawing filled the air. The exotic insects raised by the Ancestor of Myriad Poisons could consume spiritual energy and cloud essence, and in the blink of an eye, the mountain was half-eroded. At this critical juncture, two immortal sword beams slashed toward the necks of the two attackers; it was the couple Lu Lingxian and his wife, arriving to aid their senior brother.

The two flying swords were shrouded in immortal mist, their beams extending over a dozen feet with formidable power. The Ancestor of Myriad Poisons and Yin Fuzi were forced to divert their artifacts and insects to defend, erupting into a chaotic six-way brawl. However, the battlefield was ever-changing; the six were soon separated, and Lu Lingxian’s wife, Su Ru, was swept into a demonic formation alongside the Ancestor of Myriad Poisons.

This formation, known as the Bina Demon Array, used naked, dancing succubi to tempt the mind; a single moment of wavering in one’s Daoist heart would lead to an eternal fall into the realm of desire, while yin fire and blood thunder rained down from all directions. Su Ru quickly transformed her flying sword, Cold Immortal, into a screen of light to block the onslaught while she deduced the formation’s eye. The Ancestor of Myriad Poisons cackled, as countless strange insects—the Hundred-Poison Gu, Seven-Emotion Gu, and Golden-Thread Gu—crawled from his sensory orifices to merge with his overhead cloud, manifesting a profound formation that encircled Su Ru without a gap.

Fortunately, the Qingcheng method was renowned for its deep, enduring power, and with Su Ru’s advanced swordsmanship, she was able to hold her own. Yet, as the insect cloud blanketed the sky, her sword light grew heavy and sluggish. Su Ru immediately activated the "Great Yin Cold Soul Divine Light" forbidden technique, and with the sword Cold Immortal itself being forged from ten-thousand-year-old ice, she turned the tide. The insects, fearing the cold, died in droves, and frost coated the clouds. This enraged the Ancestor of Myriad Poisons, as these were his prized insects, refined over many years.

He recalled them and switched tactics, bombarding her with Myriad Poison Divine Thunder. Su Ru’s face turned pale, and she spat blood, while the surrounding succubi mocked her with filth and obscenity. "In this old ancestor’s opinion, your husband surely cannot satisfy you. Submit to me, strip, and lift your hips, and I shall grant you a path to survival!"

Who would have thought that while Su Ru appeared as delicate and fair as a lotus, she possessed a fiery spirit? Her face turned purple with rage, yet she retorted, "It is not for me to boast, but even my husband’s member is far larger than your stunted, five-foot frame!"

This stung the Ancestor of Myriad Poisons, who despised being mocked for his height. Furious, he prepared to sacrifice his Gu King at any cost to shatter her defenses. But before he could move, the array shook violently as a hundred-foot beam of golden light tore through the barrier. Seizing the moment, Su Ru merged with her sword, charging through the demonic fire and thunder. She transformed into a stream of icy energy, sweeping through a corner of the formation and freezing several demonic disciples before escaping.

Outside, she saw the golden light tearing an enemy’s primordial spirit apart, leaving no chance for restoration. The demon’s physical body ceased its incantations and fell from the sky along with its banners. Su Ru recognized him as the "Little Demon Child" of the Middle-Level Demonic Sect—a master of the primordial spirit, now permanently annihilated by a Pure Yang Immortal Sword.

She flew over to find the Moon-Chasing Elder, one of the Seven Sons of Emei, holding his Nine-Sun Sword in profound grief. "Senior Brother Taibai," he whispered, "has fallen."

"Daoist Taibai?" Su Ru gasped. He was the most profound of the Emei Seven. "Who did this?"

"The Green Lotus Old Demon of the Immortal Cave on Black Wind Mountain!"

Before she could offer comfort, three brilliant hundred-foot sword beams surged into the demonic ranks—it was Chu Xiangu, Yinru the Nun, and Dongyangzi, the remaining Emei Seven. Bound by brotherhood, they sought vengeance. "I go!" the Moon-Chasing Elder cried, merging with his sword to follow.

Su Ru looked around. Her senior brother, the Fire Daoist Tian Wen, had transformed into a rolling cloud of fire, reddening half the sky. Within the flames, a mysterious turtle, its shell a hundred acres wide and composed of ninety-nine dark green plates, represented the manifested spirit of the Withered Wood Old Freak. The beast roared, spewing basaltic Yin-Sha Divine Thunder that made the sea of fire churn.

On the other side, Cold Moon the Nun wielded three thousand, six hundred and fifty-four Taiyi Bodhi Needles against the Ancestor of Myriad Poisons, who had just emerged from the array. The needles turned into golden threads, raining down upon the insects until the Ancestor merged his spirit with them to manifest six Gu King Gods, spewing poisonous black water to combat the needles.

Seeing them safe, Su Ru did not intervene. She scanned the ten-thousand-foot void of the Heavenly Gate, where righteous and demonic sword immortals were locked in combat. Finally, miles to the southeast, she spotted her husband, Lu Lingxian, battling the three succubi of the Naked Teaching. The trio commanded a "Yin-Cha Heavenly Demon Net" that covered miles, raining down yin thunder and demonic light. Lu Lingxian was struggling, wielding his Frost God sword with one hand and Azure Cloud Immortal Thunder with the other. Su Ru immediately flew to his aid. As they fought, their hearts beat as one; their swords, Frost God and Cold Immortal, merged. A blinding white light erupted, frost manifested in the void, and the image of the Snow Goddess, Frost Moth, was summoned from the cracks of the nine heavens. The four-to-five-foot-tall apparition, clad in flowing white robes, played a seven-stringed zither, raining down divine snow that purified all filth in the world. Even the Heavenly Demon Net recoiled under the assault.

Elsewhere, the four sword beams of Chu Xiangu, Yinru, Dongyangzi, and the Moon-Chasing Elder merged into a thousand-foot golden light. Within it, countless磅礴 sword qi condensed without dissipating—the pinnacle of swordsmanship. They shattered three formations and slew four masters of the primordial spirit, thinning the demonic ranks by hundreds before stopping to stand in the void. They realized they had penetrated deep into the demonic lair, surrounded by encroaching shadows.

"Cackle, cackle! What courage, what grandeur! Worthy of the Emei Seven," the Ghost Granny cackled as she emerged from the darkness, accompanied by a dozen other masters of the primordial spirit—the Seven-Emotion Child, Queen Lu, the Dragon-Slaughtering Master, the Seven-Kill Immortal, and the Old Ancestor of the Red Demon. Their combined aura sealed the void.

"Where is the Green Lotus Old Ghost? Why does he not dare show himself?"

"Daoist Fang, are you prepared?" Ai Ruzhen stroked his beard with a frown. The demonic forces had grown significantly; even with the Seven Sects united, they only held a slight advantage against the Middle-Level Demonic Sect.

Two primordial spirits suddenly burst through the righteous formation, racing toward the Golden Crow. One transformed into a hundred-mile-long Bridge of No Return, while the other became a dark cloud of thunder. Just as Ai Ruzhen prepared to strike, two rays of Great Brahma Buddha light and an ancient Red Lotus Buddha appeared in the void, capturing the two demons with a sweep of a Buddha hand, the chanting of sutras beginning the process of conversion.

"My thanks to the three masters," Ai Ruzhen bowed.

The three monks—Puding, Benyin, and Shizhen—returned the bow.

"Begin ahead of schedule," a voice said faintly.

"Junior Nephew Zhou? Junior Nephew?"

Zhou Qian finally snapped back to reality. He had never witnessed such a scene—the burning of mountains and boiling of seas, the destruction of heaven and earth. He never imagined such beings existed.

"I am about to awaken the Golden Crow energy within you! Brace yourself!"

Zhou Qian nodded. He knew this was the turning point. Ai Ruzhen gestured, and Zhou Qian felt a tremendous force lift him into the air, followed by agonizing pain—as if his very soul were being torn apart. He heard a strange bird’s cry, and as his vision faded, he saw black energy swallowing the entire void. His head dropped, and he lost consciousness completely.

He knew not how much time had passed—an hour or a year—when he awoke to a gentle voice.

"Ha, you are finally awake. It has been nearly a month."

"I... where am I?"

"We have passed the Min River. We shall be at Qingcheng shortly."

"Qingcheng?"