The towering deity before him, standing only ten feet tall, was utterly insignificant compared to the powerful demon race beings Feng Bingwen had once encountered, who were hundreds or even thousands of feet tall. Yet, within this seemingly insignificant divine body lay a vast and mighty power that would make even immortals tremble.
"You're too kind, True Lord!"
One of the elders from Jiuwei Mountain gave a lukewarm reply, clearly not intending to engage in much conversation with this True Lord. They had come here to do good deeds, and not for any reward.
To be fair, if that message hadn't come from the Supreme Dao, Jiuwei Mountain wouldn't have sent such a large team to respond.
Their presence here is solely out of respect for their own Taoist leader. As for the divine path, frankly, what does it have to do with them? They don't care at all.
"Supreme Daoist, Feng Bingwen, greets the True Lord!"
Seeing the reactions of the cultivators from Jiuwei Mountain beside him, Feng Bingwen took it upon himself to respond.
"So you're a disciple of the Supreme Daoist Master!"
Upon hearing Feng Bingwen reveal his sect, the Heavenly One Demon-Slaying True Monarch immediately turned his gaze to him, while paying little attention to the few Nine Peaks Mountain cultivators beside him.
"I am very grateful to you for sending this message, Master. Otherwise, we would all be kept in the dark and have been slaughtered by those demons!"
Clearly, this True Lord also knew who had spread the news, mainly because Jiuwei Mountain didn't want to take credit for it; there was no need for that.
"To my shame, I only discovered the anomaly by chance while passing through this place. If I had set off earlier, I might have been able to find some clues sooner and spared the people here some suffering!"
"That's not how it works! Who could have predicted this!"
Shendao Zhenjun shook his head, his words of comfort tinged with self-reproach as he addressed Feng Bingwen.
This Jing Kingdom is under the jurisdiction of their divine path, and this Supreme Daoist is still an unrelated cultivator. He has already blamed himself to this extent, so what should these gods who are supposed to protect the people say?
"The True Lord is absolutely right!"
Feng Bingwen nodded, seemingly realizing that what he had said was somewhat embarrassing, so he abruptly changed the subject and got back to business.
"Speaking of which, on your journey eastward, did you encounter any drought demons, True Lord?"
"I have found many traces along the way, but I have never encountered a drought demon!"
When it came to serious matters, the Demon-Subduing True Lord became even more serious, which made him appear even more dignified.
"However, this drought demon is nothing more than a minor ailment, not worth my time to investigate!"
"Does the True Lord live up to his divine title by saying such things?"
Upon hearing the True Lord of the Divine Path say such things, a true disciple of the Nine Peaks Mountain could not help but speak.
"Ziwei, don't be rude!"
As soon as he finished speaking, one of the accompanying elders rebuked him. However, judging from his expression, he clearly shared the same thought. These cultivators were searching everywhere for the traces of the drought demons, but this True Lord from the Divine Path sent him to say that those monsters were just a minor ailment. What did he take them for?
Doesn't that imply that they were only doing trivial, insignificant things?
"It's only a matter of time before those obviously flawed zombies are dealt with. We need to find out exactly what those demons are trying to achieve by going to such lengths."
The Demon-Slaying True Lord clearly didn't care about the sarcastic remarks made by a mere true disciple.
Given his status, one must at least be a cultivator who has just begun to explore the path of immortality and is approaching longevity to be qualified to speak with him. Those below that level, to put it bluntly, are no different from ants and are not worth caring about at all.
"Does this even need to be investigated? What those remnants of the demonic path love to do most is massacre cities, collect souls and blood essence to refine magical artifacts and increase their cultivation!"
Another disciple couldn't help but mutter something under his breath. In their eyes, it was obvious, and there was no reason for a True Lord to investigate it.
"Therefore, I want to know, where did the souls, blood, and the resentment, hatred, and other calamities of those mortals who perished in this great calamity go?"
Hearing those barely audible questions, the Demon-Slaying True Lord looked at Feng Bingwen in front of him and answered directly, thus resolving the same doubts in Feng Bingwen's mind.
"Does the True Lord mean that those remnants of the demonic path are causing chaos here not merely to destroy and assert their existence, but for a greater purpose?"
Feng Bingwen realized that in the eyes of the divine path, those remnants of the demonic path who were hiding and barely surviving were stirring up trouble in their territory, clearly with other ulterior motives, and not just for slaughter and destruction.
"That's right. The number of mortals here has decreased far too much. This is just a rough estimate. At least 60% of the mortals in Jing Kingdom have suffered calamities, and at least 30 million mortals have lost their lives!"
The True Lord before them presented several shocking figures, making it difficult even for the most detached cultivator to remain calm.
"What a bunch of beasts!"
Damn it!
"Why didn't the Martial Ancestor wipe out this bunch of bastards back then!"
Several true disciples from Jiuwei Mountain couldn't help but curse. The composure of cultivators vanished at this moment, replaced by intense killing intent.
"And that is precisely what worries me the most!"
A hint of worry appeared in the eyes of the Demon-Subduing True Lord.
"Logically speaking, large-scale deaths caused by natural disasters and other forces that mortals cannot resist will inevitably create places where corpses are raised and yin energy gathers. Given the current state of Jing Kingdom, where ghosts and zombies roam freely, I am not surprised."
"However, since I entered the Jing Kingdom, I have seen many places that are completely empty and unbelievably clean. There is hardly any resentment or malevolence. Although there are zombies and ghosts, they are far too few to match the number of dead and injured mortals!"
"That was my oversight; I didn't even notice that!"
Upon hearing what the True Lord had said, a look of solemnity appeared in Feng Bingwen's eyes.
This unusual situation undoubtedly indicates that those remnants of the demonic path are clearly brewing some big move in this mortal kingdom.
Even if they are just mortals, their blood, energy, and essence are insignificant compared to immortals. However, when a huge number of them are piled up and rise to the level of tens of millions, not to mention earth immortals, even celestial immortals will feel uneasy.
Not to mention that many of the city-level underworld offices in Jing Kingdom have been breached. Feng Bingwen hadn't thought much about it before, but now that this True Lord mentioned it, he suddenly felt terrified upon closer examination.
Putting aside other things, the number of wronged souls and vengeful ghosts accumulated in any city-level underworld that has been established for a slightly longer period of time will inevitably exceed the number of living people in the area.
Once these ghosts imprisoned and bound in the underworld are released, not only will there be a hundred ghosts roaming at night, but ten thousand ghosts roaming during the day—that's an absolute certainty.
But now those underworlds are empty everywhere. There are ghosts and demons, but far fewer than in times of peace and prosperity. This situation is undoubtedly abnormal.
"The drought demon is wreaking havoc, and eliminating it is indeed a top priority. However, the actions of the demons who orchestrated all of this should not be ignored either!"
The Demon-Subduing True Lord's expression was solemn.
"I earnestly request all of you immortals, if you have the spare capacity while investigating the drought demon, please keep an eye out for the whereabouts of those demons. If you find anything, please inform us as soon as possible. If you make any progress, you will be richly rewarded!"
The sincere plea even silenced the nine cultivators from Mount Jiuwei. Although they had never gotten along well with the Divine Path, they were still able to make the right choice on such a crucial issue.
"If I discover anything, I will certainly inform the True Lord!"
One of the elders from Jiuwei Mountain immediately expressed his opinion: putting aside everything else, the risk of investigating such a matter is quite high, and it is naturally best that the Divine Path is willing to take on this responsibility they should fulfill.
"I agree!"
Another elder echoed this sentiment, while Feng Bingwen, aside from saying "I feel the same way," had nothing else to say.
"Thank you all, esteemed masters. I shall take my leave now!"
After seeing that the three immortals in front of him had made their promises, the Heavenly One Demon-Slaying True Lord did not linger for a moment. He immediately disappeared from everyone's sight, stepping on the red clouds. The reason he came here was simply to find more cultivators to help him.
"I never imagined that those remnants of the demonic path would harbor such ambitions!"
Recalling the concerns expressed by the Divine Lord, Feng Bingwen sighed.
"Those wretched creatures are constantly thinking about returning to the Nine Provinces!"
"They can only dream about it. Although the Nine Provinces are vast, there is not an inch of land for beasts to stand on!"
"If they dare to come back, I will make them know what it means to repay a debt with a tooth and blood!"
Let's go!
Hearing the indignant discussions of the young true disciples around him, Feng Bingwen did not linger there and led his group away.
Tracking down the drought demon is naturally the top priority. This monster's destruction of the terrain is terrifying. If left unchecked and allowed to roam freely, this country will soon become a wasteland, and it is unknown how many years it will take to slowly recover.
However, compared to the harm caused by the drought demon, the demonic cultivators hiding in the shadows are more concerning. But in the absence of any news, we should prioritize the drought demon.
Seven days later, a group of cultivators arrived above a desolate and dilapidated town, looking down at this town that, from the outside, looked no different from other towns and settlements that had declined and been abandoned due to famine.
"Senior Brother Feng, is this the place?"
"Yes, this is it!"
Meeting that slightly admiring gaze, Feng Bingwen avoided the somewhat fiery stare and responded calmly, looking down at his feet.
At first glance, there seems to be nothing unusual. After all, when famine spreads, the survivors would easily make the decision to flee in order to survive. The instinct for survival could easily overcome their attachment to their homeland.
"Senior Brother Feng is amazing!"
No sooner had Feng Bingwen finished speaking than that sweet voice followed, its meaning so clear that even someone with little experience could discern its intent.
"These are just some common little tricks!"
Looking at the female cultivator beside him who was becoming increasingly open about her purpose, Feng Bingwen maintained a basic level of composure.
As the current Daoist disciple of the Supreme Dao, Dan Ding is about to step down, but it is perfectly normal for him to encounter such a thing. Whether it is his handsome appearance or his unparalleled talent, it is perfectly normal for him to be admired by thousands of female cultivators.
"Invincibility Begins with Sacrificing to the Ancestral Master"
"If Daozi's move can be called a minor trick, then there is probably no Daoist technique in this world that can be called a supernatural power!"
Upon hearing Feng Bingwen's humble words, an elder from Jiuwei Mountain, who could be described as having the bearing of an immortal, chuckled. As for the blatant behavior of his own disciples, he simply ignored it. Although it was somewhat embarrassing, if they could really hook up with them, they would definitely not lose out.
"I'm sorry you all had to see this!"
Feng Bingwen looked down, and in his eyes, a bright yellow light was extremely clear, even though he was currently hundreds of feet underground and there was almost no fluctuation of his aura emanating from it.
That bright yellow ball of light was none other than one of Feng Bingwen's guardian spirits, the Earth Spirit!
As a special spiritual entity formed innately, its innate talent allows it to use earth-based escape techniques without any hindrance, moving freely through the earth.
Most importantly, even when traveling through the earth's veins, it will not emit any fluctuations that would attract the attention of others, making it incredibly convenient for tracking and exploration.
Feng Bingwen only recently discovered this ingenious use. After all, given his status before, he didn't need to do such menial work; it was basically not his place to do it.
"Daozi, please wait a moment. Before I go down to investigate, please allow me to report this matter to Peak Master Dianxu!"
"Can!"
Feng Bingwen would naturally not object to this kind of entrustment. If things really went wrong due to some unexpected event, he could also count on external forces to turn the tide.
After the final insurance work was completed, Feng Bingwen and his group sank directly underground and headed towards the cave that the Earth Spirit had explored. Even though they were mentally prepared, the moment they separated from the soil and rocks, the dense black gas that rushed towards them still shocked and angered the group of cultivators, including Feng Bingwen!
"Found it!"
Whether it was joy or anger, the young cultivator clenched his fists, looking at the terrifying cavern before him, which was even worse than purgatory.
Crimson flesh clung to the rock wall, pulsating slightly as if it were alive, seemingly breathing. Within it, one could even see structures resembling blood vessels and fascia, as if they were transporting something to some part of the cave!
"The Wanhua Demon Fetus!"
At the same time, a gasp of surprise also resounded within Feng Bingwen's body.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com