Demon Core
Chao Du's mind raced, and he laughed too, a chilling and terrifying laugh: "Could the leader be Fu Buci?"
“Yes, the leader of the Immortal Alliance came to rescue you personally,” Ling Ni said sarcastically. “But he doesn’t seem to have any intention of rescuing you alive.”
As Chaodu dodged the attacks, he nodded and said, "He wants to wait until we are both exhausted, especially after I die, so that he can reap the benefits and also get rid of his biggest threat through you. What a clever scheme."
You Cang successfully persuaded the Immortal Alliance to send people to support her, but she could not control the timing of the support. If Fu Buci delayed even slightly, the outcome of the support would be completely different!
Ling Ni looked at Chao Du with pity: "Regret it now? The cultivation world is full of hypocrites, and you're the only one who foolishly came here to save people."
Chao Du smiled and said, "I have my own path, and it has nothing to do with them." But if the people of the Immortal Alliance refuse to go into the sea to save her and only want to wait for her to die so they can reap the benefits, how can she break this deadlock?
If the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl is crushed, a giant wave should rise in the sea, enough to wash away the demonic cultivator and give her a chance to escape.
But with the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl destroyed, the waves of this sea will probably not be so peaceful in the future... Perhaps a new Sea-Stabilizing Pearl can be forged? After all, this one has already been polluted to such an extent.
As Chao Du pondered rapidly, suddenly, accompanied by a hoarse and distorted dragon's roar, the seawater in all directions began to ripple, the chi sounds around him abruptly ceased, and an immeasurably high and thick wall of waves condensed and then suddenly rushed towards the encirclement formed by the demonic cultivators!
Ling Ni glanced at the wave wall, calmly played the chi, and a huge blood-red vortex immediately formed around the encirclement, absorbing and dissolving the wave wall completely!
Although the encirclement did not loosen, many demonic cultivators' attention was diverted to the massive sea wall. Chao Du seized the opportunity instantly, transforming into a thin and sharp sword aura that pierced through the demonic cultivators' two layers of formations, and then transformed into a stream of seawater that shot towards the direction from which the dragon's roar had just been heard, like a sharp arrow.
Ling Ni's chi music and the hundreds of demonic cultivators followed her like shadows. Chao Du could not resonate with the demon-infected seawater and could only try her best to increase her speed.
Faster, faster! We need to find Long Mingxuan. Why hasn't he left? He's even revealed his location!
As Chao Du sped forward, she suddenly noticed a strangely twisted mass of flesh and blood, resembling tangled seaweed, flying towards her.
That familiar aura… Is that Long Mingxuan?!
Asahi caught the bizarre mass of flesh and blood that lunged at her.
His body was severely deformed by the sound of the chi, he could not speak, and could not distinguish his head from his hands and feet. He had no idea how much effort it had taken to stir up that towering wave.
A bloody piece of flesh trembled as it placed a glittering golden pill into her hand.
Then, the twisted mass of flesh melted away from her arms like snow, leaving only a sword with a white jade sheath and a green jade blade.
This was her gift to him as a parting present.
Asaka's fingers trembled as he gripped the sword. Suddenly, he heard his weak voice come from within the sword: "I've rescued them all. Xiao Lan has already led them away. Only you are left... Eat my demon core, and you should be able to leave this place."
In the short time it took to hear his spirit speak, Ling Ni had already led the group of demonic cultivators to catch up and surround her again, each keeping a close eye on her, not daring to let their attention be diverted even slightly.
Ling Ni glanced at the sword and demon core in Chao Du's hand and exclaimed in surprise, "There's actually another fool here today."
Chao Du gripped his sword tightly, tilted his head back and swallowed the demon core, then looked coldly at Ling Ni.
Ling Ni feigned surprise and asked, "Can cultivators eat demon cores? Wouldn't that be considered demonic cultivation?"
The surrounding demonic cultivators burst into laughter:
"Even sword immortals have become demonic cultivators!"
"It's clear that demonic cultivation is better!"
"A warm welcome to Sword Immortal Sect Master Xi for joining us as a demonic cultivator!"
Chao Du remained silent, focusing on absorbing the power within the demon core.
Generally speaking, for cultivators to obtain the power from a demon core, a long transformation process is required, and they may even suffer a backlash from the demon core during the process.
However, this demon core, perhaps influenced by its master's will, almost actively filled Chaodu's meridians with power.
Sensing the change in spiritual energy emanating from Chao Du, Ling Ni's expression changed: "How could you absorb this demon core so quickly?!"
Asaka remained silent, but with a wave of her hand, twelve swords flew out from her sleeve and slowly rotated around her.
Two other swords, the Thousand-Pound Sword and the Jade Sword, floated beside her, poised to strike.
Originally, she just wanted to leave, but now she wants to leave them all behind, forever.
All the demonic cultivators fell silent; no one could laugh anymore. Everyone could sense the tremendous change in her spiritual power and aura.
The once caged beast has torn the cage apart, its cold gaze fixed on its former onlookers—now its prey.
The sound of the chi rang out again, even more urgent and eerie than before. Chao Du was wrapped in sharp lightning, and not a single bud of flesh could break through his skin.
Hundreds of demonic cultivators launched their attacks, and Chao Du no longer merely defended and dodged, but instead countered and took the initiative to attack!
The twelve swords and her twelve clones formed a sword formation, easily tearing apart the array created by the demonic cultivators.
Hundreds of demonic cultivators became hundreds of prey fleeing in panic.
The seawater turned even redder, this time stained with the blood of demonic cultivators.
Upon hearing the news, Fu Buci rushed over with the Immortal Alliance members, only to see the long sword flashing with lightning that had repeatedly appeared in his nightmares piercing the heart of Demon Lord Ling Ni, and another sword resembling green jade severing the Demon Lord's bone—how did she acquire another fine sword?!
"You're too late." Chao Du raised his hand and sheathed the thirteen swords, holding only the Thousand-Jin Sword, and coldly looked at the latecomers from the Immortal Alliance.
“We’ve arrived as quickly as possible.” Fu Buci tried to remain calm, but his trembling voice betrayed his fear upon seeing the Thousand-Pound Sword again. “The situation at sea is unclear. We’ll come over as soon as we’ve figured it out.”
Chao Du gently stroked the Thousand-Jin Sword, smiled and nodded: "After finding out that I was not dead and was able to kill this group of demonic cultivators, you came to steal the credit. But unfortunately you are too late and did not get any credit."
The members of the Immortal Alliance all lowered their heads, none daring to speak. Fu Buci forced a smile and said, "This is a misunderstanding. Here's what we'll do: you go and get some rest, and we'll take care of the remaining demons in the Dragon Palace."
Chao Du suddenly chuckled softly, his gaze as cold as ice: "Alliance Leader Fu, how come you're so good at abacus calculation? Are you a swordsman or an abacus master? You should be an accountant; being an alliance leader is a waste of your talents."
Fu Buci's face turned ashen, and he sneered, "No need for your guidance. I would like to ask, Sword Immortal Sect Master Xi, why are you now covered in demonic energy? Did you consume a demon core? This is the cultivation of a demon."
Suddenly, the members of the Immortal Alliance had the courage to raise their heads and look at Chao Du. Their eyes changed instantly, becoming contemptuous and disdainful.
Amidst the whispers of the crowd, Fu Buci raised his head and declared arrogantly, "You have lost your qualification to cultivate immortality. You are no longer a cultivator, much less an immortal!"
Chao Du suddenly burst into laughter, laughing out loud, laughing heartily, until tears welled up in his eyes.
"Is this your understanding of immortals?" Chao Du wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes and said sarcastically, "Now I know why none of you can become immortals. You neither understand immortals nor the Dao. You are just pretending to be immortals."
The faces of the group immediately turned ugly, especially Fu Buci.
Chao Du didn't speak again. She raised the Thousand-Pound Sword and stabbed at Fu Buci with lightning speed in an instant.
Fu Buci instinctively raised his sword to parry, and at the same time, an almost desperate fear permeated his bones and soul.
He watched as those familiar, cold eyes appeared behind his new sword, just like they had that night.
But this time, he was prepared. The jade pendant on his body could activate a twelve-layer protective array. He didn't believe she could still shatter his sword!
Chao Du watched indifferently as the twelve-layered formation unfolded, the tip of the Thousand-Pound Sword frozen for a moment.
Then, the new sword he had finally chosen shattered again.
The nightmare that had haunted him for countless days and nights reappeared.
"No—!" Fu Buci gasped for breath, his eyes bloodshot, as if drowning. He dropped the remaining hilt of his sword as if it were a hot iron, crying out in terror, "No, this can't be!!!"
"You are not worthy to wield a sword." Chao Du sheathed his sword and said calmly, "You are also not worthy to be the leader of the Immortal Alliance."
Having said that, she turned and left, returning to the Dragon Palace and heading straight for the Dragon Palace Treasury, hoping to find the Sea Spirit Shell that could reshape her body and the Sea Spirit Pearl inside.
However, the treasure vault was wide open, and the inside was empty, having already been completely looted by the group of demonic cultivators.
Chao Du clenched his fists, gritting his teeth: "Ling Ni!!!"
She knew that Ling Ni was not dead. Ling Ni had many clones, and today he had only killed one of her important clones, destroyed her commonly used bone flute, and severely damaged her power.
Where will Ling Ni move all the treasures from the vault?
Chao Du instantly remembered the name of a city: Mingming City.
It was a city designed by the former Demon Lord and the current Ghost King Ling Wen. It is now under the control of Ling Ni, and her beloved master Ling Wen also lives there, but he doesn't concern himself with city affairs.
“Benefactor…” A tired, hoarse voice rang out from behind Chao Du.
When Chao Du looked back, she saw two bloodied and mangled people supporting each other as they walked towards her step by step.
They were the former king and queen who were imprisoned by Longmingyuan and controlled by Lingni. After Lingni's clone died, they regained their senses and found the only living person in the Dragon Palace.
"My benefactor, why do you bear Xiao Xuan's aura..." The late Queen Long Yuezhu raised her blood-stained face, her voice trembling as she asked, her eyes filled with hope as she looked at Chao Du, "Is Xiao Xuan still alive?!"
The late King Long Dinglang looked at Chaodu expectantly: "I think I just heard Xiao Xuan's voice, where is he?!"
Chao Du remained silent, unsure how to respond. She recalled what Long Mingxuan had told Long Youlan before he left: "I am well, but I am traveling the world and do not wish to return to the Dragon Palace for the time being."
But given the current situation, these two are unlikely to believe it and will probably guess his true situation.
Chao Du said softly, "I'll ask him if he wants to see you."
Long Yuezhu couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "How could Xiao Xuan not want to see us?!"
Long Dinglang gave Chao Du a deep look, as if he realized something, and pulled Long Yuezhu back, comforting her, "It's good that Xiao Xuan is still alive, nothing else matters."
"But I miss Xiao Xuan! I haven't seen him for over a hundred years!!!" Long Yuezhu's tears fell, mingling with the blood on her face and landing on the ground. Her voice trembled as she asked, "If Xiao Xuan is perfectly fine, why wouldn't he want to see us? What happened to him???"
Chao Du shook his head slightly, walked into the depths of the treasure vault, took out the jade sword, and told his spirit, "Your parents want to see you."
His soul did not respond, seemingly falling into a deep sleep. He had no power of heavenly thunder within him and could not resist Ling Ni's chi sound. The chi sound not only distorted his body but also severely injured his soul.
Chao Du gripped his sword tightly, slowly sheathed it, and returned to the entrance of the treasure vault. Looking at the two expectant demons, he said softly, "He misses you very much, but he was afraid you would worry. He's not in good condition right now and wants to recover before seeing you again."
Long Yuezhu burst into tears again, and Long Dinglang repeatedly comforted her, "Did you hear that? Xiao Xuan is still alive. He's just afraid we'll worry. Don't cry. You'll see Xiao Xuan again soon!"
Long Yuezhu nodded repeatedly, but she couldn't stop her tears.
Chao Du sighed softly, took out two boxes of pills and handed them to her: "Take care of yourselves, these pills can help you heal your injuries."
"Thank you, my benefactor." Long Yuezhu accepted the pills, then looked at the empty treasury with embarrassment, saying, "You have done the Dragon Palace a great favor, but the Dragon Palace really has nothing to repay you with..."
Chao Du shook his head slightly: "No need to be polite. Today he saved the demon of Bijinhai, and he also saved me. By the way, return this Dinghai Pearl to the Dragon Palace, but how to purify it is a problem. Perhaps we can refine a new one."
Long Dingbo took the blood-red Sea-Stabilizing Pearl and sighed deeply, "The Void Dew that Kuli originally had was capable of purifying demonic energy, but it's all been taken away..."
“I will retrieve them,” Asawa replied.
Afterwards, she bid farewell to the late king and queen, summoned the orca, and rode it back to the sea, where she set off fireworks: Long Youlan had seen these fireworks in the Immortal Hidden Sect, but his communication jade slip was lost, and this method might be able to contact him.
Sure enough, after a moment, a small shark poked its head out of the water, looked at her, and then excitedly swam over, circling the orca.
"Stop turning." Asakawa pointed to the empty space next to him. "Turn into a human and come here."
Long Youlan leaped joyfully from the water, transforming into human form and landing beside Chao Du: "You even dealt with the Demon Lord? That's amazing! Where's His Highness? He insisted on going back to find you... Why do you have His Highness's demonic aura on you?"
Chao Du opened her mouth, letting the demon core float out. The spiritual power in the core was 30% less than before it was given to her. After all, it was a rare opportunity to severely injure the Demon Lord... She would find a way to replenish it later.
Long Youlan stared blankly at the demon core, then asked in a panic, "His Highness, where is he?! How come there's only the core left?!"
“That body is gone. I’ll make him another one later, but his soul is also injured.” Chao Du summoned the jade sword, looked down and sighed. “The Soul-Nourishing Pill, which is the best for repairing the soul, is only one left, and it’s already used up. Now we only have Lotus Moon Soul-Tranquilizing Dew left. His awakening speed this time should not be as fast as last time. He needs to rest in the sword for a while.”
Long Youlan curiously leaned closer to examine the sword: "Your Highness is really inside? So Your Highness has become a sword spirit now?"
Asawa: "...It's only temporary." But how did he become a sword spirit again?
This coincidence left her with mixed feelings. She shook her head, remembering the important matter of summoning Long Youlan: "Go back to the Dragon Palace as soon as possible and protect the late King and Queen. The people from the Immortal Alliance may go to the Dragon Palace later. Send a demon to keep an eye on them. Keep this communication jade slip with you. Contact me anytime if anything happens."
“Alright!” Long Youlan took the jade slip and immediately headed to the Dragon Palace.
Chao Du ordered the Orca to transform back into a White Jade Crane and carried her back to the Immortal Hidden Sect.
On the way, she contacted Youzang again.
On the other side of the communication jade slip, You Cang heard her voice and visibly breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great, you're still alive! Fu Buci initially disagreed with going to support you, but was forced to agree later, and then insisted on leading the team himself. I was really afraid he would cause some trouble and harm you."
Chao Du smiled faintly: "Then why didn't you tell me in advance that Fu Buci was the one coming to help?"
Youzang fell silent.
Chao Du lay on the white jade crane, gazing at the boundless night sky and starry river, and sighed softly: "With your intelligence, you couldn't possibly not have guessed that he intended to harm me. It's just that you feel I am a huge variable. You're unsure whether I will benefit the cultivation world or whether I will become its enemy in the future. You'd be more at ease if I were dead, wouldn't you?"
On the other side of the jade slip, there was a long silence.
Chao Du smiled and sighed, "Your essence has indeed not changed, but it's not for me, but for the cultivation world. I don't blame you, after all, I don't really belong to this world."
Yuzang: "…………Sorry."
Chao Du suddenly didn't want to answer anymore. After thinking about it again, he realized he had nothing important to say, so he closed the communication jade slip.
She closed her eyes, looking somewhat tired.
Rationally, she knew she shouldn't blame Youzang, but being deceived and schemed against by someone she trusted was truly disheartening.
I just want to find a quiet place to get a good night's sleep.
Chao Du pondered where would be a suitable place for her to hide away and take a nap. Perhaps she should return to the Immortal Hidden Sect, feigning seclusion while actually sleeping. Speaking of the Immortal Hidden Sect, she wondered if the others had discovered her departure. If not, should she tell them?
As Chao Du was pondering this, the jade slip containing the sound transmission suddenly lit up again.
She opened it and saw that it was still about traveling to Tibet.
Yuzang's apologetic voice came from the other side: "I'm sorry, I..."
Asawa: "If you're just going to apologize, that's not necessary. I already said I don't blame you."
“Actually, I received a secret letter three days ago from Sect Leader Yan Ke.” You Cang’s speech became faster and faster, as if he had made up his mind to reveal the secret. “The letter said that he had divined that there would be a great calamity in the cultivation world, when yin and yang would be reversed and all living people would die.”
Chao Du frowned: "Who could possibly accomplish such a massive calamity?"
Then it dawned on her: "You think I was responsible for this catastrophe?"
You Cang did not give a definite answer, but said only: "There are not many people with such terrifying power. You are one of them. Besides you, perhaps only Ghost King Ling Wen can do it. Even Demon Lord Ling Ni is not qualified."
Chao Du understood her line of thinking: "So you want to eliminate both me and the Ghost King, these two potential dangers, preferably by making us both suffer heavy losses."
You Cang did not answer, but said only: "Ten years have passed. Ten years ago, it was not the cultivation world that won, but the Demon Lord and the Ghost King who suddenly stopped their attack. Perhaps now, they are about to achieve their goal, and we know nothing about it."
Chao Du couldn't help but ask, "Doesn't the cultivation world here have an intelligence gathering department called the 'Fleeting Robe Division'?"
“It’s been established,” Youzang sighed softly, “but this one is completely controlled by the Alliance Leader, and I have no right to interfere.”
Asawa: "...Ha, he's really taking this kind of thing seriously. Where has his investigation even gone?!"
You Cang shook his head and sighed, then said, "I can create a special team to investigate the movements of the Demon Lord and Ghost King, but the selection of personnel is a big problem. The Demon Realm is treacherous and dangerous, and there are not many people who are capable and willing to go. Moreover, cultivators are easily identified and discovered in the Demon Realm because they do not have demonic energy. If they are discovered... even death will be a luxury."
The methods of those demonic cultivators are more terrifying than nightmares and more cruel than torture.
“Perhaps the best candidate is a demonic cultivator who yearns for the world of cultivation.” You Cang smiled bitterly. “What kind of demonic cultivator is that… Hmm, it seems there really is one.”
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