Chapter 1129
The Source of Spells
Shi Ji calmly analyzed, "The most crucial thing now is to verify whether what you said is true. Can you take us to the place where the demonic plan is to cast the spell? Or can you provide other, more compelling evidence to prove your sincerity?"
Upon hearing this, the cultivator quickly nodded: "I can take you to the place where the demonic path plans to cast the spell; there are special marks I left there. At the same time, I am also willing to tell you other information I know about the demonic path to prove my sincerity."
After listening, Qing Xuanzi nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, then take us to that place. If what you say is true, we will definitely keep our promise."
So, this cultivator led Qing Xuanzi, Shi Ji, Liu Yichen, and Shi Ji's group to the place where the demonic path planned to cast the spell. Along the way, he also told them all the other information he knew about the demonic path.
After careful planning and preparation, they finally arrived at the place where the demonic path planned to cast the spell. The place was filled with demonic energy and runes, clearly an extremely evil location.
Seeing this, Qing Xuanzi and the others immediately began setting up defensive and offensive formations, preparing for the upcoming decisive battle. Meanwhile, Shi Ji used the special abilities of the Soul Mirror to search for the source of the curse.
After a thorough search, Shi Ji finally found the source of the curse—an ancient talisman sealed away by a powerful demonic cultivator using evil power. He immediately informed Qing Xuanzi and the others of this.
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi frowned and said in a deep voice, "We must destroy this talisman as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable once the demonic path uses its spells."
Thus, a thrilling battle began. Shi Ji led her team, cutting through the tentacles of the demonic path like a sharp blade; Liu Yichen strengthened the surrounding defenses to ensure that the demonic path could not break through their lines; and Shi Ji also used the special ability of the Soul Mirror to try to destroy the ancient, sealed talisman.
The demonic forces clearly had no intention of giving up their plans easily. They dispatched powerful demons and evil cultivators in an attempt to stop Qing Xuanzi and his group.
In his attempt to destroy the talisman, Shi Ji encountered unprecedented difficulties. The talisman seemed to possess its own consciousness, constantly releasing evil power, attempting to devour his soul. He gritted his teeth and persevered, knowing in his heart that he could not fail, otherwise the entire cultivation world and the mortal world would be plunged into chaos.
"Qing Xuanzi, I need your help!" Shi Ji shouted, her voice filled with an urgent sense of crisis.
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi immediately understood Shi Ji's predicament. He quickly directed the others to continue fighting against the demonic forces, while he himself rushed to Shi Ji's side.
"Shiji, hold on! Let's destroy this talisman together!" Qing Xuanzi shouted, his hands already gathering powerful immortal energy.
With Qing Xuanzi's help, Shi Ji finally found a way to destroy the talisman. The two joined forces and poured their immortal power into the talisman, attempting to break its evil seal.
However, just as they were about to succeed, the demonic forces suddenly launched a fierce attack. A powerful evil force assaulted their defenses, attempting to prevent them from destroying the talismans.
"Not good, the demonic forces have intensified their offensive! We must hold on!" Shi Ji shouted, her voice filled with determination.
Liu Yichen nodded in agreement: "That's right, we can't let them succeed! Strengthen our defenses and protect Shiji and Qingxuanzi!"
With everyone's combined efforts, they finally succeeded in repelling the attack from the demonic forces. Meanwhile, Shi Ji and Qing Xuanzi seized the opportunity to completely destroy the talisman, thwarting the demonic forces' plot to unleash their magic.
With the destruction of the talisman, the demonic forces' attack instantly crumbled.
"We did it!" Shi Ji gasped for breath, a tired but satisfied smile on her face. "The threat of the demonic path has finally been eliminated."
Qing Xuanzi nodded, his eyes flashing with determination: "Yes, but this is only a temporary victory. We must remain vigilant in case they make a comeback."
Shi Ji walked over and patted the two on the shoulder: "Well said, but now, let's celebrate this victory first. Everyone worked hard!"
Liu Yichen smiled and suggested, "Indeed, we should rest and recover our strength before discussing the next steps."
“I agree,” Shi Ji said, looking at Qing Xuanzi. “Qing Xuanzi, what do you think we should do?”
Qing Xuanzi pondered for a moment, then replied, "First, we need to strengthen the defenses of the cultivation world to ensure that the demonic path cannot easily invade again. Second, we should seek out more like-minded cultivators to bolster our strength. Finally, we must thoroughly investigate the true purpose behind the demonic path to prevent them from plotting similar schemes again."
“Well said,” Shi Ji agreed. “Then let’s get started. Liu Yichen, you’re in charge of strengthening the defenses; Shi Ji, you continue to use your Soul Mirror to investigate the movements of the demonic path; and I will go and find more allies.”
"And what about me?" Qing Xuanzi asked with a smile.
“Of course you’re in charge of the overall situation,” Shi Ji said with a smile.
Qing Xuanzi smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes: "Commanding the overall situation? That's a good idea. However, before officially taking on this responsibility, I think we should deal with the immediate troubles first."
Everyone was taken aback, then followed Qing Xuanzi's gaze and saw a group of ragged, fierce-looking people slowly approaching from not far away. Their eyes gleamed with greed and malice, clearly intending to take advantage of the chaos.
"Hmph, these guys really know how to pick their timing." Shi Ji snorted coldly and was about to step forward when Qing Xuanzi gently stopped her.
"Don't rush, Shiji. These are just small fry. It'll be perfect for me to test my newly learned spells." Qing Xuanzi said, raising his hands slightly and flicking his fingertips. Brilliant beams of immortal light gathered in his palms. "Go!" With a soft shout, the immortal light transformed into several streams of light, instantly surrounding the group of robbers. Startled, they felt an irresistible force surge towards them, freezing them in place, unable to move.
"Hmph, mere mortals dare to disturb the peace of cultivators?" Qing Xuanzi said calmly, then waved his hand to disperse the immortal light. The robbers woke up as if from a dream, and fell to the ground, their faces filled with fear.
The robbers looked at each other, and one of them mustered his courage and asked in a trembling voice, "Seniors, we are wandering cultivators from the nearby mountains. We heard that there was a fierce battle between cultivators here, so we came to find out what was going on. We did not expect to offend you seniors. We hope you will forgive us."
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over these rogue cultivators as he pondered to himself. He knew that the cultivation world was not without its share of unscrupulous individuals, but these people before him did not seem to possess any particularly strong cultivation; they appeared to be ordinary mortals or disciples who had just entered the path of cultivation.
Among those robbed, a figure who appeared to be the leader, though pale-faced, forced himself to remain calm and bowed, asking, "Seniors, we meant no harm. We are merely a small gang in these mountains. We heard that the demonic path has been stirring recently, and we were worried about innocent people being affected, so we came to investigate. Unexpectedly, we have disturbed you, seniors. We are truly sorry."
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of the other party's words. After a moment, he chuckled lightly: "Oh? A small gang? You do have some courage. However, investigating matters of the demonic path is not something mortals like you can meddle in. I will not pursue today's matter, but remember, the affairs of the cultivation world should not be taken lightly."
Upon hearing this, the leader nodded hurriedly: "Senior is right to teach us. We will definitely remember this in the future and will never get involved in the affairs of the cultivation world again."
Shi Ji chimed in from the side, "Hmph, remember this: if you dare to do this again, don't blame us for being impolite."
Liu Yichen, on the other hand, was more lenient: "Alright, it was an unintentional mistake on their part. Qing Xuanzi, let's continue discussing our business."
Qing Xuanzi nodded and looked at everyone: "Indeed, the matter of the demonic path is more urgent. However, this matter also serves as a reminder that the demonic forces may be stirring in the shadows, and we must be even more vigilant. Alright, let's continue with our plan."
As soon as Qing Xuanzi finished speaking, Shi Ji frowned and said in a deep voice, "Qing Xuanzi is right. The demonic path is stirring, and we must act as soon as possible. I suggest that we not only strengthen the defense of the cultivation world, but also take the initiative to find the traces of the demonic path and nip them in the bud."
Upon hearing this, a ruthless glint flashed in Shi Ji's eyes: "I agree with Shi Ji's opinion. We cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom; we must take the initiative and catch the demonic path off guard."
Liu Yichen nodded, but his tone carried a hint of worry: "Taking the initiative is indeed a good idea, but we must also proceed with caution. The demonic forces are vast, and we cannot underestimate them."
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi pondered for a moment before saying, "Liu Yichen is right. We must take the initiative, but also proceed with caution. Let's split up. Shi Ji, you continue to use the Soul Mirror to investigate the movements of the demonic path; Shi Ji, you lead a group to take the initiative and search for traces of the demonic path; Liu Yichen, you are responsible for strengthening the defenses of the cultivation world to ensure absolute safety. As for me, I will be responsible for overall coordination and will provide support to you at any time."
As soon as Qing Xuanzi finished speaking, two strange gases suddenly appeared in the sky. One was shrouded in black mist, carrying a cold and oppressive aura, while the other was billowing purple mist, containing mysterious and unpredictable energy. The two gases hovered in the air, seemingly searching for something, causing everyone to look up and watch.
"What is this?" Shi Ji asked, frowning, his eyes revealing wariness.
Shi Ji also stared at the two wisps of gas, her brows furrowed: "They don't look like a naturally formed celestial phenomenon; they seem more like a manifestation of some kind of force."
A solemn look flashed in Qing Xuanzi's eyes: "That's right, these two wisps of gas give me an ominous feeling. Black gas is usually associated with the demonic path, and as for that purple gas, although I have never seen it in person, I always feel that it contains some kind of ancient and powerful force."
Liu Yichen nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on the purple aura for a moment: "The arrival of purple aura from the east often foreshadows change. Perhaps this is related to the demonic threat we are about to face."
Qing Xuanzi pondered for a moment, then made a decision: "No matter what, we cannot sit idly by. Shi Ji, you continue to monitor the movements of those two wisps of gas, and at the same time investigate the situation of the demonic path. Shi Ji, you lead a group of people to prepare for any possible emergencies. Liu Yichen, while strengthening the defenses, also be aware of the potential impact of these two wisps of gas. As for me, I will try to contact some reclusive seniors to see if they know the origin of this purple energy."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded and immediately began to act according to Qing Xuanzi's instructions. Shi Ji closed her eyes and concentrated, activating her Soul Mirror again in an attempt to capture more information about the two wisps of gas; Shi Ji also quickly organized a small team, ready to deal with any possible crisis; Liu Yichen began to set up even more stringent defensive measures in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Qing Xuanzi took out an ancient communication jade slip, intending to contact those long-absent senior cultivators, hoping to find a clue from this sudden change.
Qing Xuanzi was holding a communication jade slip, about to contact a senior in the cultivation world, when suddenly, the black mist swirling in the air trembled violently, as if sensing something, and began to slowly approach them, carrying a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.
"This black mist is actually..." Shi Ji's voice was filled with disbelief. His Soul Mirror had captured some images within the black mist, images filled with evil and chaos, which made him gasp.
“The aura of the demonic path is so strong; this black mist is probably some kind of technique used by a master of the demonic path.” Shi Ji clenched her fists, her eyes revealing a firm fighting spirit. “Whatever it is, we cannot let it threaten the peace of the cultivation world.”
Liu Yichen also sensed the ominous aura, and his expression turned solemn: "We must strengthen our defenses and not allow this black energy to have a chance to invade the cultivation world. At the same time, we must also find the demonic master behind it and completely eliminate this threat."
Upon seeing this, Qing Xuanzi immediately put away the communication jade slip, his eyes becoming exceptionally firm: "That's right, we can't sit idly by and wait to die. Shi Ji, continue to use the Soul Mirror to investigate the origin of this black mist and the demonic master behind it. Shi Ji, lead your team to prepare for battle. Once the black mist makes any move, attack immediately. Liu Yichen, the defensive fortifications must be completed as soon as possible, without any oversights."
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison, and then got to work.
Shi Ji closed his eyes and concentrated again. The light of the Mirror of Souls shone even brighter as he tried to delve deeper into the nature and origin of that black aura.
Shi Ji closed his eyes and concentrated, the light of the Mirror of Souls growing ever brighter as he focused intently on trying to delve deeper into the nature and origin of the black mist. As time passed, his brows furrowed, as if he had encountered some difficulty.
"Qing Xuanzi, this wisp of black energy seems rather unusual," Shi Ji suddenly spoke, a hint of confusion in her voice. "I tried to investigate it with the Mirror of Souls, but I discovered it seems to possess some kind of shielding power, preventing me from fully seeing through it." (End of Chapter)