Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Bedevilment

Chapter 372: Bedevilment

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Master Xi Lian’s plan had indeed bought him some time. However, there were still cultivators in the Mountain and Sea Realm who had reached the Combined aperture tempering realm stage and were beginning to persuade others to join forces in eliminating Shang Wu City.

Initially, only a few responded to their call, but as time passed, they managed to assemble a team of five Combined aperture tempering realm cultivators. With this team of five, it was more than enough to deal with Master Xi Lian and his kind.

However, before the team of five Combined aperture tempering realm cultivators could take action, shocking news struck everyone like a thunderbolt.

The North Mist Sect, an influential sect that had Combined aperture tempering realm powerhouses, suddenly vanished overnight. Not only did the North Mist Sect disappear, but the entire North Mist City near the sect also turned into a deserted ghost town.

Tens of thousands of residents who lived in North Mist City just the day before had vanished without a trace.

What had been a lively North Mist City one day became an empty and desolate place the next.

The North Mist Sect had a long and storied history, with its peak occurring a hundred years ago when its elder, You Shounan, broke through to become a Combined aperture tempering realm cultivator. He was the first Combined aperture tempering realm cultivator in the North Mist Sect, and his breakthrough catapulted the sect to a dominant position, exerting influence far and wide. Thanks to You Shounan, the North Mist Sect had expanded rapidly.

Over a century had passed since then, and You Shounan’s life was nearing its end, especially in recent years when he rarely appeared in public. In fact, for over a decade, You Shounan had been searching for treasures and methods to extend his lifespan, but his efforts had yielded little. Only in recent years did his search slow down, seemingly accepting his fate.

Within North Mist City, there were no clues to be found, and it was as if everyone had vanished into thin air.

Some brave individuals ventured into the territory of the North Mist Sect. Before they even got close, they sensed a bone-chilling coldness emanating from the sect’s mountain gate. It was a deep-seated grudge, a resentment that penetrated to the core. The entire North Mist Sect seemed to be saturated with grievances, almost to the point of being visible to the naked eye.

As they delved deeper into the sect, many people faintly heard chilling curses. They couldn’t discern the specifics of the curses, but the intense hatred behind them was palpable.

Before everyone could fully process this eerie atmosphere, urgent reports arrived from Shang Wu City. The entire city was suddenly expanding, and the power contained within was rapidly increasing. It was as if another Combined aperture tempering realm cultivator had merged with Shang Wu City.

This speculation was soon confirmed when the shadow of Master Xi Lian appeared in the sky above Shang Wu City. Beside him was another shadow, the vanished You Shounan.

You Shounan had directly joined Shang Wu City and, judging by his aura, he was now on par with Master Xi Lian. This development sent shockwaves throughout the land.

What sent shivers down everyone’s spines was You Shounan’s act of devouring the entire North Mist Sect. To transform oneself into a person of eerie nature, You Shounan ruthlessly treated the entire North Mist Sect as his sustenance.

At this point, everyone understood that to achieve eerie nature, one had to use their entire clan, along with those who practiced the same technique, as a source of sustenance and personally slay them.

By harnessing the power of kindred souls, converting it into boundless resentment, and thoroughly transforming the energy within the Combined aperture tempering realm cultivator’s body into eerie power, they would then consume the blood of tens of thousands of commoners to stabilize their eerie nature.

You Shounan cared little for the North Mist Sect he had painstakingly cultivated or for the bonds of family and discipleship. His sole desire was to prolong his own lifespan.

For the sake of longevity, You Shounan was willing to abandon everything.

However, You Shounan’s current eerie nature was far from stable, or rather, he couldn’t be considered a true eerie being just yet. Becoming a genuine eerie being was not an easy feat.

At this moment, You Shounan was more in the process of transforming into an eerie being, and this process would take many years. Therefore, he directly arrived at Shang Wu City and joined Master Xi Lian.

Not only could he rely on Shang Wu City, the eerie city, to gradually transform into an eerie being, but he could also enhance the overall power of Shang Wu City. Otherwise, if Shang Wu City were eradicated, You Shounan would have no chance of survival.

“You Shounan, you actually dared to lay your hands on the thousand-year foundation of the North Mist Sect. Is it just to eke out a few more years for yourself?” Zhang Tu, outside of Shang Wu City, glared at You Shounan and rebuked him angrily.

“I represent the North Mist Sect. As long as I’m here, the North Mist Sect will continue to exist,” You Shounan looked at Zhang Tu, a hint of madness in his smile. He continued, “If I’m no longer around, even if the Northern Mist Sect can survive for eternity, what relevance does it have to me?”

“You…” Zhang Tu’s eyes widened slightly. He had seen You Shounan in his early days, and back then, You Shounan had been devoted to the North Mist Sect, willing to do anything for the sect’s sake.

It was with this determination that You Shounan ultimately broke through to the Combined aperture tempering realm, successfully leading the North Mist Sect to grow and become a dominant force.

However, now, in order to save his own life, You Shounan had shockingly and without hesitation, devoured the North Mist Sect, to which he had dedicated his entire life. Among those devoured were countless individuals close to You Shounan, but they were unable to prevent him from committing such an act.

“Insane!” Zhang Tu shouted in anger.

“You still have many years left in your lifespan, so you wouldn’t understand. When you reach my position, you will naturally comprehend the temptation of extending one’s life!” You Shounan’s eyes emitted a faint and eerie light. He had become obsessed, willingly descending into darkness.

Here, we welcome any fellow cultivators. If you have any doubts about the cultivation methods, feel free to ask. I shall answer all your questions!” Master Xi Lian laughed loudly, his laughter filled with satisfaction.

With You Shounan joining him, his strength had doubled. Trying to eliminate him now would require a tremendous amount of power, vastly different from the previous situation.

“My comrades, this person is skilled at manipulating the hearts of others. Today, we shall eliminate him to prevent others from falling into his influence!” Zhang Tu turned to the other four Combined aperture tempering realm experts and said in a deep voice.

“Indeed!”

“Agreed!”

With those words, the elemental forces from all directions surged, their terrifying momentum soaring into the sky.

Many Combined aperture tempering realm experts, separated by tens of miles, watched from afar as the sky in the distance changed. For how many years had this dynasty gone without so many Combined aperture tempering realm experts engaging in a fierce battle? Today, they would become witnesses to this historic event.

The sky’s clouds were directly pierced, and the intense fluctuations could be clearly felt even from dozens of miles away.

The vital energy surged, and the ground trembled slightly. The power of the combined aperture tempering realm experts was fully displayed, sending chills down people’s spines.

Only with such power can one suppress the sect’s destiny and command respect from all directions.

In a more distant place, countless people were watching the battle here.

Although the sudden addition of You Shounan had greatly strengthened the power of Shang Wu City, the true eerie being was still just Master Xi Lian. Moreover, on Zhang Tu’s side, there were still five experts at the Combined aperture tempering realm. In terms of strength, they still held some advantage.

At the peak of Immortal Cloud Sword Sect’s main peak, in front of a thatched cottage, Tong Zhongqiu quietly watched in the direction of Shang Wu City.

Immortal Cloud Sword Sect was extremely far from Shang Wu City, and the commotion from the battle between combined aperture tempering realm experts couldn’t possibly reach this far. However, Tong Zhongqiu continued to watch as if he could see the scene over there.

“Grand Elder…”

The sect leader of Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, Gong Guanzhi, looked at Tong Zhongqiu and hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say.

” Your heart appears somewhat agitated.”

Tong Zhongqiu turned to look at Gong Guanzhi and said in a deep voice, “As the sect leader, others may have wandering thoughts, but you cannot. If you have agitated thoughts, what will become of our Immortal Cloud Sword Sect?

“Your admonition is well received, Grand Elder,” Gong Guanzhi said in a low voice.

“You are afraid that I will follow in the footsteps of You Shounan, aren’t you?”

Tong Zhongqiu looked at Gong Guanzhi, a faint smile on his face, and said, “The temptation of prolonging one’s lifespan is indeed great, I admit. But if it means becoming like that, I’d rather die!”

Tong Zhongqiu’s voice was not loud, but his tone was resolute and unwavering.

Everyone desires longevity, and Tong Zhongqiu is no exception. However, he realized early on that with his aptitude, it was simply impossible.

He had achieved the Combined aperture tempering realm through his unwavering dedication to the cultivation path. Going any further was beyond his reach.

Therefore, when Immortal Cloud Sword Sect produced its second Combined aperture tempering realm expert, Xin Zhiqing, Tong Zhongqiu was willing to sacrifice his own treasure to help Xin Zhiqing achieve the same level. Unfortunately, Xin Zhiqing’s life was cut short by an ambush from Jian Jinsheng of the Divine Flame Sect, who took advantage of Xin Zhiqing’s lack of a treasured weapon. Tong Zhongqiu’s plan was thwarted.

Tong Zhongqiu also wanted to continue living, protect Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, and pursue a higher path in cultivation. But if staying alive meant the destruction of Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, Tong Zhongqiu would rather not.

“Grand Elder, I deserved to die,” Gong Guanzhi said with a hint of shame, lowering his head.

Originally, no one in Immortal Cloud Sword Sect would have suspected Tong Zhongqiu of walking down this path, considering the lifelong dedication he had shown to the sect. However, You Shounan’s actions were too shocking, causing doubts to arise in people’s hearts.

“Go and cultivate diligently. If any of you can break through to the Combined aperture tempering realm, I can rest assured and go seek Jian Jinsheng to meet our end together!”

“Grand Elder…”

Go!” Tong Zhongqiu waved his hand, and Gong Guanzhi couldn’t help but swallow his words. He bowed and left the main peak.

“Sigh…”

Tong Zhongqiu let out a light sigh and turned to look in the direction of Shang Wu City, his eyes filled with desolation.

A day later, the outcome of the battle in Shang Wu City spread far and wide.

Both sides were heavily wounded, with Zhang Tu even losing an arm. The other four combined aperture tempering realm experts were also injured. However, neither Master Xi Lian nor You Shounan were killed.

At a critical moment, Master Xi Lian brought out a damaged superior-grade artifact. Although this damaged superior-grade artifact had already been shattered, it still possessed the power of a medium-grade artifact and was completely connected to Master Xi Lian’s aura. It was possible that Master Xi Lian had obtained this artifact in the first place, which allowed him to later cultivate the technique of transforming into an eerie being.

This damaged superior-grade artifact was Master Xi Lian’s true trump card. Offering the technique was a diversion. If no one had been tempted, Master Xi Lian also had a certain confidence in protecting himself.

Amidst the chaos outside, within the Primordial Sword Sect, Chen Fei stood in the courtyard, pointing forward with his finger.

As if thunder roared, a sword light flashed, leaving behind a pitch-black sword mark on the ground.

The Great Thunder Sword had reached the level of proficiency.

Looking at the sword mark, Chen Fei pondered for a moment. He then made a gesture with his right hand, and a long-unused meteorite bow fell into his hand.

As he nocked an arrow and drew the bow, the power of thunder and lightning surrounded the arrow. Slowly, a strong propulsive force began to attach itself to the arrow.

Electromagnetic acceleration!