Chapter 1075
Chaos in the Southwest
Since receiving Song Changsheng's mission, Song Qingxing has been investigating the source of demonic energy in the cultivation world of Lu Kingdom, while also dealing with monsters and using the [Dongxu Tower] to transfer mortals along the way.
There was actually quite a bit of demonic energy left at the scene, but for some reason, this demonic energy could not be used as a medium to find the source, and the investigation was temporarily deadlocked.
However, nothing stays hidden forever. As more and more people and monsters were corrupted by demonic energy, he eventually discovered some clues.
Following these traces, they soon discovered a group of rogue cultivators who had been corrupted by demonic energy.
Influenced by demonic energy, they have completely lost their humanity and hunt mortals and cultivators in droves, their numbers expanding rapidly.
When Song Qingxing discovered them, there were more than three thousand mortals and cultivators who had fallen into demonic possession, as well as hundreds of demonic beasts.
This is undoubtedly a shocking number, and what is most disturbing is that these people experienced a surge in strength after becoming possessed by demons.
A mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, after falling into demonic possession, was able to unleash the strength of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, with speed, endurance, explosive power, and physique all being comprehensively enhanced.
After those mortals were upgraded, a dozen or so of them rushed forward, and even cultivators in the early stage of Qi Refining had to avoid their attacks.
Actually, strength is secondary; the most deadly thing is demonic energy.
The demonic energy was all-pervasive, and Qi Refining cultivators had almost no ability to resist it. Foundation Establishment cultivators, with their spiritual protective energy, could withstand it for a while, but once their spiritual protective energy was broken, they would only be corroded by the demonic energy.
After becoming possessed by a demon, not only will one's strength increase dramatically, but one will also develop an almost pathological obsession with flesh and blood. Every piece of flesh and blood one devours will be directly converted into strength, with an extremely high efficiency, as if there were no bottlenecks at all.
When Song Qingxing first encountered these people, he tried to expel the demonic energy from their bodies. After capturing a few and trying it out, he found that these people were even more like demonic cultivators than demonic cultivators themselves, and were not worth saving at all.
After discovering this, he selectively spared a few prisoners, and then decisively struck, wiping out the demon's den of three thousand people with a single sword strike.
One of the rogue cultivators at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment level even briefly unleashed strength comparable to that of a cultivator at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm, which was particularly terrifying.
Even now, with the Song family having an unlimited supply of treasures like the Breakthrough Pill, the probability of a Foundation Establishment cultivator breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage is only 30% to 40%, which is already a very high number. Even established forces like the Golden Crow Sect and the Heavenly Vein Sect are no better.
Purple Mansion cultivators remain the backbone of major forces in the border regions, and there are certain entry requirements.
These people, after becoming possessed by demons, can forcibly increase their strength by devouring flesh and blood, which is terrifying, as they can grow stronger very quickly.
Following in Song Changsheng's footsteps, Song Qingxing had become quite well-read, but this kind of thing was unheard of.
If the source of such bizarre demonic energy is only a single demonic cultivator, then the destruction of the borderlands would be a simple matter of turning one's hand, and there would be no need for such trouble.
He vaguely sensed that his direction had deviated, and the source might not be a specific creature, but more likely something else, such as the small world inhabited by demons or some powerful magical artifact.
But whatever it is, it must be very well hidden, and now he can only place his hopes on these few prisoners.
Three prisoners were captured, the one with the highest cultivation level being the one who had reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage.
These people's minds have been corrupted by demonic energy, so interrogation will definitely yield nothing; searching their souls directly is the best option.
With his cultivation level, he could almost plunder all the memories of a Foundation Establishment cultivator by using the Soul Searching Technique on them.
Through soul searching, he temporarily pinpointed the "source" to two Foundation Establishment cultivators riding demon wolves.
Both were human cultivators corrupted by demonic energy, but these two clearly had not lost their minds. Logically speaking, it would have been impossible for them to do this given their cultivation levels.
Therefore, he could be absolutely certain that these two were the key to the breakthrough, and even if they weren't the real source, they certainly knew the inside story.
Furthermore, he discovered a crucial detail: the two individuals were wearing the uniforms of Rakshasa Hall disciples. Having dealt with Rakshasa Hall disciples extensively, he was absolutely certain of this.
He took out a communication flying sword, recorded his discovery on it, and sent it back to Cangmang Peak along with portraits of the two people.
When you see one cockroach in your home, there are already swarms of cockroaches in some hidden corner.
This principle applies equally to the current situation.
The den of demons he found contained as many as three thousand people.
In fact, just three days ago, this place was only used by a dozen or so rogue cultivators who had received the [Demon Extermination Order] to gather and rest. After falling into demonic possession, it has grown to this size in a short period of time.
In just three days, the number of people increased several hundred times.
From the time someone first discovered and reported the demonic disaster until now, it has been far more than three days. In those unknown places, there must be many more, larger demonic lairs hidden, and they are expanding rapidly.
This calamity had already spread unnoticed.
The number of people who have fallen into demonic possession is probably already astronomical.
Now, in addition to finding the source of the demonic energy, we also need to curb the development of the demonic disaster. This is not something that can be done by the power of a single sect. He sent a message back to Cangmang Peak, intending to have Song Qingxi mobilize the entire Southwest Alliance and devote himself to the extermination.
Compared to the threat of the demonic calamity and its potentially severe consequences, the scattered monsters seem insignificant.
Just as he was about to pursue the two men in the direction the prisoners remembered, he suddenly heard a clear whooshing sound, clearly coming from his direction.
He was most likely drawn here by his previous sword strike. He didn't want to waste time, but he inexplicably felt that the newcomer's aura was very familiar, so he stopped in his tracks.
The sound of something cutting through the air dissipated, leaving behind two figures with vastly different auras.
One person had snow-white hair and a deep, resonant voice.
One of them had low cultivation level and held a wooden sword that looked like a child's toy.
Even he was stunned when he saw the white-haired youth's face clearly, his heart filled with shock and disbelief.
The moment Zhao Wuji saw Song Qingxing, his pupils dilated sharply, and he was also somewhat incredulous. Memories from his youth flooded his mind like a tidal wave.
Because the surprise came so suddenly, he didn't notice the unusual interaction between Song Qingyun and Song Qingxing at all, and hurriedly bowed deeply, saying, "Disciple Zhao Wuji greets Master!"
His voice trembled slightly, and he kept his head down, not daring to meet Song Qingxing's gaze.
The two had the de facto relationship of master and disciple but not the formal title of master and disciple. After a hundred years, he was not even sure if the other party still remembered him, and the tension in his heart was indescribable.
His actions brought both of them back to their senses.
It was only then that Song Qingxing realized that his companion was none other than Zhao Wuji, whom he had taught for a period of time when Song Qingxing was recuperating in that remote border town of the Great Qian cultivation world. No wonder he felt a sense of familiarity; the wooden sword in Zhao Wuji's hand was even made by him. (See Chapter 7 of Volume 6 for details)
Song Changsheng had mentioned Zhao Wuji's past to him before, and he guessed that the other party left the East Sea Alliance probably to find him, but he did not expect that the other party would be with Song Qingyun.
Song Qingyun never expected that the little cultivator he casually saved by the roadside would become Song Qingxing's disciple. It can only be said that it was all fate.
"Get up."
Song Qingxing spoke softly, acknowledging their past master-disciple relationship.
He had told Song Qingxi that if they were destined to meet again, he would take her as his disciple and pass on his mantle.
More than a hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye, and this connection has finally been rekindled.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji was overjoyed and all his worries were relieved.
Just as he was about to introduce them, Song Qingyun spoke first: "Elder brother."
His voice was hoarse, as if something was stuck in his throat. Those two simple words conveyed the bitter guilt and remorse accumulated over two hundred years. Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji was stunned. His gaze darted between the two men, and he secretly wondered, "Could it be that Master really is from the Wangyue Song Clan?"
He only knew that Song Qingxing's surname was Song, and he had guessed it before, but now it has finally been confirmed.
At this moment, Song Qingxing had no time to care what his adopted disciple thought; his attention was entirely focused on Song Qingyun's striking white hair.
After staring at you for a long time, he spoke stiffly, "Two hundred years have passed, and we all thought you died in some barren land."
Song Qingyun's face was full of bitterness, and he lowered his head like a child who had made a mistake.
"What, have you lost your temper?" Song Qingxing's eyes flashed sharply.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Wuji subconsciously shrank his neck.
"I……"
Song Qingyun opened his mouth, a thousand words stuck in his chest, but for a moment he didn't know where to begin.
Two hundred years have passed without any news, and any explanation seems pale and powerless.
Song Qingxing walked step by step to him, like a majestic mountain. Although they were both at the early stage of Golden Core, Song Qingyun's aura was so overwhelming that he could hardly breathe.
From childhood to adulthood, he respected Song Changsheng the most, but feared his own elder brother the most.
Looking at the younger brother he had watched grow up, he felt both angry and relieved, but the other's full head of white hair made him unable to say anything harsh.
At 216 years old, he was considered a young man among Golden Core cultivators, a time when his vitality was at its peak.
He found it hard to imagine what the other party had gone through in the past two hundred years.
"Where have you been all these years? Do you know how worried your grandmother and uncle have been about you?"
Although it was a question, the tone had unconsciously softened considerably.
"It's a long story." A fleeting look of pain crossed Song Qingyun's eyes.
Song Qingxing stared at him for a long time, but in the end, he did not continue to ask in front of the younger generation. He nodded and said, "It's good that you came back alive."
Take Wuji back to Cangmang Peak first. Although your uncle is far away in the East Sea fighting against the sea tribe, your elder sister and grandmother are still in the tribe. They miss you very much.
I have important matters to attend to. We can talk when I get back.
At that time, I expect you to give me a reasonable explanation.
After saying that, he prepared to leave, but Song Qingyun quickly stopped him and said, "Brother, wait a moment. I made a discovery on my way back."
"What's the matter?"
Song Qingyun described the whole incident in detail. Upon hearing that a demon wolf had attacked the village, Song Qingxing's attention was immediately drawn to it.
He unfurled a map of the cultivation world in Lu State and asked, "Where is it located?"
"Probably around here."
Looking at the area circled by Song Qingyun, Song Qingxing's expression darkened.
In just three days, the opponent had crossed most of the cultivation world of Lu Kingdom, and was still expanding and growing stronger along the way. Judging from the direction the opponent left, it was actually the Cangyuan cultivation world.
Clearly, the other party was not content with merely causing trouble in the cultivation world of Lu; their wolfish ambitions were blatantly obvious.
"I'll go after them."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Qingxing transformed into a streak of sword light and disappeared.
"I'll go too." Knowing the seriousness of the matter, Song Qingyun quickly followed.
"Master, senior..."
Zhao Wuji couldn't catch up and was left alone.
After his calls went unanswered, he decided to proceed with his original plan to Cangmang Peak.
He arrived before Song Qingxing's communication flying sword.
After browsing through the contents, Song Qingxi instantly realized the seriousness of the matter.
While sending messages to other forces in the alliance, she also made copies of the two people's portraits to contact the surviving cultivators of the Rakshasa Hall to confirm their identities.
Throughout history, any matter involving demonic calamities has never been a trivial matter. Upon receiving the news, the major Golden Core factions immediately dispatched people to Cangmang Peak to inquire about the specific details.
Song Qingxi simply held a short meeting for them.
The team worked very efficiently and quickly finalized a specific response plan.
After returning to their respective sects, each major power left only a small force to deal with the remaining demonic beasts and conduct internal investigations. The rest of their personnel were transferred to the Lu Kingdom and several neighboring cultivation worlds. They also informed cultivators of the existence of the demonic calamity and ordered all cultivators to stay at home for self-defense.
As various forces rushed to the cultivation world of Lu, they conducted a carpet search from north to south and from east to west.
With a frenzied sweep that left no stone unturned, more details about the demonic calamity began to surface.
Hundreds of dens of iniquity have been exposed, with some involving thousands and others dozens of people, totaling over 100,000.
And these are just the tip of the iceberg.
The cleanup operation was not smooth, and the Qi Refining cultivators had almost no use for their skills, resulting in considerable losses when they first came into contact with the enemy.
If the scope is limited to the cultivation world of Lu, no matter how many demonic caves there are, there will eventually be a day when they are all eradicated.
Perhaps realizing they had been exposed, demonic calamities broke out in various places shortly after the incident, plunging the southwest into chaos.
The demonic calamity spread rapidly like a plague. According to the Nine Mysteries Sect's investigation, it even spread to the central region. The speed and scope of its spread were astonishing.
Even using all the power of the Nine Realms of the Southwest could not stop it.
The southwest and central regions are fine, as most mortals live in specially designated mortal realms, making them relatively easy to protect and control.
However, the southeast region is different. The cultivation world in Daqian and the surrounding areas is densely populated, with a mix of immortals and mortals. Once it spreads there, there will be no way to reverse it.
Seeing that the situation had completely exceeded expectations, Song Qingxi hurriedly sent an urgent message to the East China Sea.
Unfortunately, the decisive battle had just ended, and Song Changsheng was in pursuit of Kongsang Baijue, but lost contact due to the great distance...
……
P.S.: I'm actually busier during holidays, so my vacation ended early. I can add an extra chapter tomorrow! (End of Chapter)