Chapter 1316
Pacifying the Demonic Plague, the True Demon Escapes
Upon seeing the black ring above Song Qingming's head, the woman in white's expression instantly changed.
It seems they didn't expect this treasure to appear in the other party's possession.
When the woman in white and the others opened the seal on the "Mysterious Heavenly Demon Treasure," Song Qingming happened to be in that hall.
It was there that they obtained one of the three treasures that sealed the demonic artifact, the "Yin-Yang Twin Rings".
However, Song Qingming had used the Illusion Technique to change his appearance, and with so many cultivators rushing into the hall at the time, the woman in white hadn't noticed him.
To everyone's surprise, the man in blue who took the "Yin-Yang Double Rings" was...
It could be Song Qingming, who sabotaged his plans and stole the Boundary-Breaking Ancestral Wood back in the "Dark Cloud Mountains".
Now that she knows the truth, the woman in white looks at Song Qingming with a hint of regret in her heart.
If I had known it was Song Qingming earlier, I wouldn't have let him go so easily, even if it meant paying a higher price.
"Senior Song! Are you alright?"
Compared to the white-clad woman who looked slightly surprised, the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" and the others were filled with joy when they saw Song Qingming escape.
It should be noted that with the support of the true demonic energy surrounding her, the white-clad woman's supernatural powers were already not much weaker than those of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
If even Song Qingming is no match for them, then these people will certainly have no chance of escaping today, and will have walked right into a trap.
Fortunately, Song Qingming did not disappoint them. He not only easily got rid of the opponent's black light, but also absorbed most of the true demonic energy around the white-clothed woman.
At this moment, her aura was noticeably weaker than before.
Seeing this, the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" naturally wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass by, and immediately led his demons to surround him.
Despite being surrounded and attacked by the crowd, the woman in white showed little emotion on her face.
"Hmph! You think you're worthy to fight me?"
He activated the black sphere in his hand, and countless black lights emerged, instantly repelling "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" and the others.
Just as the woman in white was displaying her prowess on the battlefield, a white ring suddenly appeared out of thin air above her head.
The next moment, a flash of spiritual light appeared above the white ring, and runes materialized and fell down.
The "Yin-Yang Twin Rings" were a magical artifact left behind by Lü Tianrang to suppress the Xuan Tian Demon Treasure in this world. They contain a very powerful sealing restriction.
Upon seeing the sealing runes materializing within the white ring, the woman in white immediately lost her previous ease and quickly cast a spell to activate the black light, transforming it into a protective shield above her head.
The moment the black light touched the runes, it was instantly imprisoned in mid-air, and the woman in white could not activate it even slightly.
Seeing that the sealing runes were suppressing the black light and about to fall on her, the woman in white immediately changed her expression and used her magic to activate her escape light to dodge to the side.
Although she successfully evaded the sealing restrictions, the black sphere that the white-clad woman had used to unleash her true demonic energy had already fallen into the sealing restrictions.
Seeing this, the woman in white immediately cast a spell to produce a jade tablet, on which a black flying sword was engraved.
As soon as she activated the spell, the black sword talisman flew out of the jade tablet and floated in mid-air.
Immediately afterwards, a powerful pressure enveloped the entire battlefield.
Just as the woman in white activated the black sword talisman, Song Qingming also cast a spell to activate the Yin Ring in front of him.
The black sword talisman had just flown into the air when it was directly imprisoned in place by the Yin Ring and could not move.
Seeing that her attack had failed to pose any threat to Song Qingming, a hint of annoyance flashed across the white-clad woman's face.
He immediately burrowed into the black mist beside him, intending to escape out of the valley.
Before she could get very far, a golden light suddenly descended from the sky and landed on the woman in white.
Seeing that the other party wanted to escape, the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor", who had been waiting on the side, also seized the opportunity to activate the "Purple Gold Treasure Gourd" in his hand.
This treasure is the clan's most prized possession, passed down through generations of the "Heavenly Fox Clan," and its power is comparable to that of a counterfeit magical artifact.
Song Qingming had already taken control of the several treasures on the woman in white.
Faced with the sudden attack of the "Purple Gold Gourd", she was also somewhat solemn and dared not confront it head-on. She could only use magic to activate the true demonic energy around her to form a shield to resist the opponent.
Although she successfully blocked the sneak attack of the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor", the area around her was already covered with golden runes.
Before the woman in white could use her magic to escape, golden runes had already landed beside her, trapping her within countless rune restrictions.
Immediately afterwards, golden runes transformed into chains, firmly fixing the woman in white in mid-air.
"You...don't even think about it!"
Seeing herself trapped by the golden runes, the woman in white hurriedly activated the true demonic energy around her, trying to break free from the runes' restraints.
No matter how she cast the spell, the golden runes did not loosen at all; instead, they tightened around her body.
The chains made of golden runes clearly held the upper hand in the battle against the true demonic energy.
As the golden light emanating from the runes dispelled the demonic energy unleashed by the woman in white, it quickly rendered her powerless to resist.
A flash of inspiration appeared ahead, and Song Qingming was already standing in front of the woman in white.
He calmly gazed at the powerful opponent before him who had once driven him to the brink of despair and nearly caused his death beyond the heavens.
Centuries have passed, and Song Qingming has long since entered the Nascent Soul realm, no longer the weak Nascent Soul cultivator who could only run away.
The woman in white before him, though her cultivation was even greater than before, was no longer a match for him.
"I remember when you opened the seal back then, it seemed like you weren't the only one!"
Why are your companions nowhere to be seen today? Perhaps they went somewhere else?
"Hmph, do you think you can get anything out of me? I think you'd better not waste your time."
Faced with Song Qingming's question, the woman in white suddenly snorted coldly, seemingly unafraid of him despite being in danger.
Immediately afterwards, a ruthless glint flashed in the white-clad woman's eyes.
"My defeat here today was due to my carelessness. I didn't expect there to be a Nascent Soul cultivator here, and the Yin-Yang Twin Rings were actually in your hands."
But don't be too happy yet. Sooner or later, the Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent and even the entire human realm will be controlled by my Holy Realm.
Perhaps, we will meet again someday.
After she finished speaking, a black light suddenly shone from the white-clad woman's body, and she exploded on the spot.
"Senior Song, be careful!"
".
Only after the enemy's presence in the middle of the battlefield dissipated did the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" and the others, who had just hidden to the side, step forward to check.
Below the golden runes ahead, the woman in white was no longer there.
"Senior Song, has that demon truly perished?"
"Hmm! This demon is not alone; it seems he doesn't want to reveal information about his companions to us."
Faced with the white-clad woman's decisive choice to self-destruct her nascent soul, Song Qingming didn't have time to stop her and couldn't help but sigh.
After confirming that their opponent had perished, the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
They all turned around and came to Song Qingming, bowing with their hands clasped in greeting.
"I never imagined that the demonic calamity here was actually being orchestrated by these demons from the upper realms."
"Thanks to Senior Song for eliminating this calamity today, otherwise we would probably not have been able to escape safely. Tianwei thanks you for your great kindness!"
"Thank you so much, senior!"
In the previous battle, the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" and his group were no match for the woman in white.
Everyone also experienced more clearly the difference in strength between Nascent Soul cultivators and Spirit Transformation cultivators.
If Song Qingming hadn't intervened and killed the demon, they wouldn't have been able to enter and clear the demonic threat today, and probably very few of them would have been able to escape the valley safely.
Song Qingming was still deep in thought when faced with the grateful thanks from "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" and others.
He didn't care and simply waved to everyone.
"There's no need for formalities here. Now that the demon has been slain, I will seal the true demonic energy in this place. You must guard the valley and make sure no one disturbs me."
"Don't worry, senior, we understand!"
After giving instructions to everyone, Song Qingming then darted to the altar in front.
Although most of the "true demonic energy" around had disappeared with the death of the woman in white.
However, the altar was still surrounded by a lot of demonic energy, especially the black sphere floating in mid-air above the altar, which was still emitting a strong demonic energy that drifted outwards to the surrounding valley.
After confirming that the source of the demonic energy was at the altar, Song Qingming immediately threw out an array flag and set up a special restrictive array above the altar.
"Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" and others guarded the valley, annihilating all the demons that tried to enter.
".
Beyond the nine heavens, in the Void Palace.
The scholar in white sat upright on the altar, then suddenly opened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face.
He got up and went to the row of coffins in front of him, and pushed open the lid of one of the red coffins.
Inside the coffin lay a white body, its shape and appearance bearing an eight or nine-tenths resemblance to the white-clad woman who had previously self-destructed her natal nascent soul.
After glancing at her, the white-robed scholar raised his hand and cast a spell, shooting a beam of black light that pierced the white-robed woman's forehead.
The next moment, the white-clad woman, who had been lying motionless in the coffin, opened her eyes and woke up.
"Second brother, what happened? Why did you perish down there?"
"I've encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator!"
"How could there be Nascent Soul cultivators in that place? Could they be reinforcements they invited from other continents?"
"No, this person is a cultivator from Donghuang Immortal Continent."
After replying to the other party, the woman in white got up and walked out of the coffin.
However, her cultivation aura is now far weaker than before, having fallen to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
Do you still remember that human cultivator who stole the Boundary-Breaking Ancestral Wood from the Black Cloud Mountains back then?
This person has already advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, and he also possesses the treasure, the Yin-Yang Twin Rings.
"What? It's him!"
"I never expected that he would actually survive and even break through to the Nascent Soul realm. This kid really came for us."
"We must not let him affect the main body's plans. I need to go down immediately and inform them to deal with this matter."
"Your cultivation has now fallen to the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Going down now would probably be of little help. I'll go instead!"
"This place is temporarily under your command."
"Alright, then thank you for your hard work."
Faced with the white-robed scholar's suggestion, the white-robed woman remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.
The next moment, the white-robed scholar returned to the center of the altar, and a white light quickly shone from his body.
".
Time flies, and half a month has already passed.
A golden light shot out from the center of the "Heavenly Demon Tomb" and headed straight for the sky.
After the golden light burst out of the black mist, it quickly formed a huge circular barrier in the sky, enveloping the entire valley.
As the golden light enveloped the valley, the demonic energy within was quickly dispelled by the spiritual light, and a trace of spiritual energy returned to the surroundings.
Those demons that had not yet escaped were exposed to the golden light barrier, and flames immediately erupted from their bodies, turning them into charcoal on the spot.
As the entire "Heavenly Demon Graveyard" gradually returned to normal, a look of joy immediately appeared on the face of the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" who was guarding below.
"Thank you so much, Senior Song, for your help. We've finally resolved this problem!"
"The Yin energy in the Heavenly Demon Cemetery is too heavy, making it extremely easy for it to breed Yin demonic energy that can be exploited by those with malicious intentions."
You must keep a close watch on this place from now on, and never let the devil find an opening again.
"Don't worry, senior, we will definitely guard this place well from now on!"
Here are some medicinal herbs we prepared; please accept them, Senior Song.
Upon hearing Song Qingming's instructions, the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" nodded repeatedly and took out a storage bag from his person, handing it to the other party.
Faced with Tianwei offering him a spiritual gift as a token of gratitude, Song Qingming nodded slightly and did not stand on ceremony. Now that the source of the demonic scourge in the "Heavenly Demon Graveyard" had been sealed by him, most of the surrounding demonic energy had dissipated, and things had basically returned to normal.
The remaining demons entrenched in other places are no longer a threat and can be dealt with slowly by the "Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor" and his group. Song Qingming doesn't need to worry about them.
After greeting the demon emperors, Song Qingming did not linger and quickly left the valley, heading south back to the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range".
The round trip took about two months.
By the time Song Qingming returned to Qingyun Mountain, Song Qingyu, Li Xianyun, and the others had already returned to their sect.
Although the monsters near the "Phantom Sea Desert" have not been completely cleared out, the main force of the monsters has been defeated by Song Qingyu and others and driven out of the Floating Cloud Mountains.
The rest can be dealt with by the "Ten Thousand Spirits Sect" at their leisure; they no longer pose a significant threat.
Upon learning of Song Qingming's return, Song Qingyu, Li Xuanyi, and others rushed to the "Huixian Pavilion" to welcome him back.
"Seventh Brother, the old tortoise really went all out this time, afraid that we would break our promise and destroy his water palace. He even asked me to send some spiritual items to you as a token of his respect."
Although Taiyue Lake has been inconsistent in recent years, it has performed quite well this time.
"If it weren't for their help, it would have taken us much longer to quell the demonic threat in the east."
Besides the "Xiaoyao Sect" army led by Song Qingyu, the aquatic tribes of Taiyue Lake in the south have also withdrawn their troops and returned to the lake to rest.
Previously, in order to show his submission to Song Qingming, the "Iron Wall Demon Emperor" had already sent a lot of spiritual items to Qingyun Mountain.
The "Iron Wall Demon King" also contributed significantly to the battle, and the Taiyue Lake aquatic army suffered considerable losses.
Seeing that the old tortoise's attitude had changed so drastically,
Even Song Qingyu, who had always been at odds with the "Iron Wall Demon Emperor," surprisingly praised Song Qingming a few times.
Upon hearing this, Song Qingming smiled and nodded.
"Now that the demonic scourge has just been quelled, the Floating Cloud Mountains are still unstable due to this great calamity. It would be best if Taiyue Lake could obey."
Otherwise, there's no need to keep them around.
With Song Qingming's cultivation advancing to the Nascent Soul realm, neither the Taiyue Lake in the south nor the Heavenly Fox Clan in the north posed any threat to the Xiaoyao Sect.
If they can keep their promise and not invade the human territory of the Floating Cloud Mountains, Song Qingming will not take action against them for the time being.
If the Iron Wall Demon Emperor dared to disobey, pacifying Taiyue Lake would be a simple matter for Song Qingming to accomplish with a wave of his hand.
Just as Song Qingyu, Li Xuanyi, and the others were hosting a welcome dinner for Song Qingming.
Bai Yuxian, who was still stationed at the sect, also came to Qingyun Mountain and brought Song Qingming an important letter from the Donghuang Kingdom.
"My husband, this is a letter sent by the Tianyu Sect half a month ago."
They want to invite you to the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom, saying they have important matters to discuss with you.
"Tianyu Sect, could it be that Senior Chen knows about my advancement to the Nascent Soul stage?"
More than a year has passed since Song Qingming returned from beyond the heavens.
Although Song Qingming has been busy quelling the demonic scourge in the surrounding area since returning to Qingyun Mountain.
However, news of his advancement to the Nascent Soul realm has also begun to spread.
Several months ago, powerful forces in the cultivation world of the East China Sea, such as the "Hundred Flowers Palace" and the "Heavenly Pill Alliance," which were on good terms with Song Qingming, had already sent cultivators to pay their respects.
Even in the "Tianhai Immortal Cultivation World," some sects knew about this and specially sent people to the Floating Cloud Mountains to inquire about Song Qingming.
Upon hearing Bai Yuxian's statement that the letter came from the "Tianyu Sect," Song Qingming quickly took it, opened it, and glanced at it.
But only for a moment, and a hint of doubt quickly flashed across his face.
"That's strange. Since the Heavenly Imperial Sect already knows about my Nascent Soul stage, why was this letter written by Sect Leader He? Could it be that Senior Chen is still in seclusion?"
"The demonic scourge in Donghuang Kingdom has not yet been quelled, so it's possible that Senior Chen is busy with other matters."
The message from the Heavenly Imperial Sect is probably an invitation for us to come and discuss how to deal with the demonic calamity.
"Yes! I think Senior Sister Bai is right."
"Seventh Brother, the demonic threat in the Floating Cloud Mountains has been quelled now. Why don't I go with you this time? Maybe I can be of help."
"My husband, I want to go too."
"Ever since I received the message from my senior brother, I've been restless and want to go back. This trip to Donghuang Kingdom will give us a good opportunity to go back."
Several years ago, Li Xuanyi, who was on Qingyun Mountain, suddenly received a message from Taixu Sect summoning them, the outer disciples.
It was only because Song Qingming was not on the mountain at the time, and Qingyun Mountain was surrounded by a large army of demons, that the situation was already very precarious.
Unable to escape back, Li Xuanyi did not choose to return to the "Tai Xu Sect".
Now that the demonic threat in the "Floating Cloud Mountains" has been quelled, Li Xuanyi still hasn't let go of the matter and brought it up again in front of Song Qingming.
Upon hearing this, Song Qingming pondered for a moment and then nodded slightly.
"Yes! I haven't been back for years, and I've been thinking about things on the island. It's a good opportunity to go back and take a look together."
After encountering the woman in white at the "Celestial Demon Cemetery," Song Qingming had confirmed that these demonic lords from the upper realm were the ones who triggered the demonic calamity.
These days, I've also felt a vague unease in my heart.
He thought of "Jade Profound Island," where a true demon from the upper realm was also sealed.
Song Qingming also wanted to go back and check on the island to see if there were any problems with the seal.
After discussing with everyone, Song Qingming decided to take Song Qingyu, Li Xuanyi, and Li Xianyun with him to Donghuang Kingdom to discuss with the "Tianyu Sect" the matter of quelling the demonic disaster.
Bai Yuxian, Huang Siyuan, and others stayed behind to oversee the "Floating Cloud Mountains".
".
They took Song Qingyu and the other two and traveled through the void from beyond the heavens, using the passage to reach the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom.
In just a few days, the group had traveled hundreds of thousands of miles and arrived in the southern part of the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom.
Standing in mid-air, Song Qingming released his divine sense to scan the surroundings and, not detecting any demonic energy, relaxed slightly.
Before long, the group arrived at a medium-sized market town in the eastern part of Nanzhou.
After inquiring, it turned out that the Southern Continent had not yet been affected by the demonic disaster and had been peaceful in recent years.
However, Song Qingming and the others still heard a lot of news about the demonic scourge that had appeared in several northern states of the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom.
However, most of the cultivators in the market were at the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages, with the highest cultivation level being a Golden Core early stage cultivator.
The information they obtained from them was very limited, and Song Qingming and the others could only glean some useful details.
After resting briefly in the market, Song Qingming and Song Qingyu parted ways.
She told Li Xianyun to head to the "Tianyu Sect" first, while she and Li Xuanyi would go south to "Yuxuan Island" and then return to meet them.
".
Several days later, a beam of light descended from afar and landed in the western sky above "Yuxuan Island" in the outer sea.
Sensing a faint demonic aura emanating from the island ahead, Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi, who were standing in mid-air, both changed their expressions.
"Oh no, something seems to have happened on Husband Island."
Seeing that the situation on the island was unclear, Song Qingming immediately cast a spell to summon the "Five Elements Divine Light Mirror" to protect the two of them before leading Li Xuanyi through the formation and landing at the "Tai Xu Sect" mountain gate.
Unlike in the past, the Taixu Sect's mountain gate is now unguarded, and even the sect's grand formation, which has never been closed before, is now half-closed.
The two walked forward to the main hall of the sect, but still did not see a single person around.
The main hall was covered in dust, as if it hadn't been cleaned for a long time.
"Hey! Where are the senior brothers?"
Just as Li Xuanyi was filled with doubt, Song Qingming closed his eyes and released his divine sense, instantly covering the entire "Jade Profound Island".
Soon, Song Qingming discovered a fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from the back mountain of the sect, and immediately took Li Xuanyi with him and rushed there.
They had just reached the halfway point when they saw several figures approaching from a distance, blocking their way.
One of them, upon seeing Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi, rushed towards them with an excited expression.
"Senior Sister Li, Junior Brother Song, it's you who are back!"
"Junior Brother Liu, what exactly happened in the sect? Where are Senior Brother and the others?!"
"Senior Brother!"
Upon hearing Li Xuanyi ask about her senior brother Fu Jinglong, Liu Yang's face immediately turned sorrowful, and he slowly spoke to the two people in front of him:
"Senior sister, senior brother and the others are all gone. Now we are the only ones left in the sect."
"What? Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?"
Upon hearing Liu Yang's words, Li Xuanyi and Song Qingming were both startled and quickly asked him a question.
Liu Yang nodded slowly and then explained to Li Xuanyi and the other person what had happened in the sect.
After their master, Lingxuzi, ascended to heaven, the entire Taixu Sect began to close itself off from the world and cease to have much contact with the outside world.
Apart from inner disciples like Liu Yang who stayed behind to guard the mountain gate, outer disciples like Song Qingming were not allowed to return to the "Tai Xu Sect" without a message from the sect.
The reason Lingxuzi made this arrangement was to protect the seal of the true demon on the island and prevent it from escaping and causing havoc on the world.
Originally, when Ling Xuzi left, he had already made thorough arrangements, and the sect had been peaceful for the past few hundred years.
Until six years ago, a traitor disguised as a demonic cultivator suddenly appeared among the disciples on the island, opening the great formation and leading several powerful demons into the sect.
After these demons infiltrated the sect, they headed straight for the True Demon Seal in the back mountain.
Upon learning of this, the eldest disciple Fu Jinglong and others led their sect disciples to fight against the enemy while simultaneously sending messages to the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom sects, such as the "Tianyu Sect," for assistance.
Before Lingxuzi ascended to immortality, he left behind many advanced techniques for dealing with demonic cultivators within the sect.
However, these demons were all powerful, with supernatural abilities no less than those of Nascent Soul cultivators. After a fierce battle, the disciples of the Taixu Sect were no match for them and suffered heavy losses.
As for the "Tianyu Sect," something seems to have happened, and they haven't sent any reinforcements yet.
Back when Lingxuzi was still alive, Chen Qingxuan, the patriarch of the Tianyu Sect, left a special teleportation talisman at the Taixu Sect, allowing people to contact the patriarch at any time.
But this time, they were unable to contact each other at all.
In the end, the members of the "Tai Xu Sect" could only watch helplessly as the other side broke the restrictions on the back mountain.
The eldest brother, Fu Jinglong, died on the spot, and the fourth brother, Zheng Xingyun, had his physical body destroyed, with only his nascent soul escaping.
Most of the sect's disciples perished in that great battle, and the few who managed to escape were all seriously injured and could only hide in the back mountain to heal their wounds.
Only Liu Yang and a few others escaped this calamity because they happened to be away on the island on business sent by Fu Jinglong.
Fortunately, the restrictions left by the ancient cultivators on the true demon were extremely powerful, and those demons were unable to completely destroy it in a short period of time.
Seeing that the numerous sects closest to Jade Profound Island had already dispatched reinforcements to this side.
In the end, those few demons managed to forcibly rescue part of the true demon's primordial spirit and then left the "Tai Xu Sect".
After the great war, the seal on the island was reinforced with the help of the "Demon-Slaying Palace".
However, the Taixu Sect was almost wiped out after this battle, and now only Liu Yang and a few others remain guarding the back mountain of the once vast sect.
Upon hearing this news, Song Qingming immediately asked Liu Yang to take him to the back mountain, where they arrived at the place where the True Demon was sealed.
The bronze cauldron still stands in the same place, but a huge circular pit has appeared beneath it, from which bursts of demonic energy continue to emerge.
After carefully examining the sealed area, Song Qingming was relieved to see that the seal on the True Demon had been largely repaired and no major hidden dangers remained.
Although the demonic energy in the sealed land is now even denser, the true demon's aura is far weaker than before after losing part of his primordial spirit.
The demon's physical body fell into a deep sleep, showing no reaction whatsoever.
It seems that the other party also paid a considerable price for separating a portion of their primordial spirit.
After reinforcing several of the restrictions, Song Qingming left some healing pills for Liu Yang before leaving Taixu Sect with Li Xuanyi and heading north.
They were preparing to visit Chen Qingxuan at Tianyu Mountain to discuss dealing with the demonic calamity and sealing the true demon of "Yuxuan Island".
Only when Song Qingming and his companion arrived at the "Tianyu Sect" did they learn an even more shocking piece of news.
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