novelonline Chapter 1421 Destroying Demons in the Valley of Fallen Demons
Chapter 1421 Destroying Demons in the Valley of Fallen Demons
Chapter 1421 Destroying Demons in the Valley of Fallen Demons
Due to the significant threat posed by the Turks in the north, the Mulan people and the Tiannan cultivation world eventually reached a temporary peace agreement after a fierce battle.
The two sides demarcated a new border, and the tense standoff that had lasted for months along the Nine-Nation Alliance border gradually dissipated, restoring peace to the past.
Both sides paid a heavy price in this great battle. Countless low-level cultivators were killed or wounded, many sects and families suffered great losses, and the resources consumed were astronomical.
However, even in chaotic times, opportunities exist. Some people are able to stand out from the crowd in this catastrophe, rising to fame and becoming legendary figures in the cultivation world of Tiannan through their outstanding military achievements or amazing performances.
Qin Hao was naturally the most dazzling one among them. Not only did he destroy the physical body of Tian Zhong, a newly promoted Divine Master of Mulan, in full view of everyone with his mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, but he also directly confronted the phantom of a sacred bird summoned by the Mulan people, whose strength was close to that of the Divine Transformation stage, and the battle was evenly matched! Such achievements have long surpassed the scope of ordinary mid-Nascent Soul cultivators.
After the great battle, many voices in the cultivation world of Tiannan have been comparing him to the three veteran great cultivators, Wei Wuyai, Zhiyang Shangren, and Hehuan Laomo, and have implicitly honored him as the "fourth great cultivator of Tiannan"!
Of course, Qin Hao looked down on these empty titles. He knew that strength was the foundation of everything. The smoke of the great battle had barely cleared when he didn't return to Qingxu Sect to enjoy the praise and offerings. Instead, after a short rest with Han Li, they quietly set off together for the most forbidden area in Tiannan—the Fallen Demon Valley!
In the south, deep in the Wanling Mountains.
Looking out, one sees countless mountains and valleys, layer upon layer of peaks, and ancient trees reaching for the sky, presenting a scene of primitive wilderness. However, beneath this seemingly vibrant mountain range lies the most terrifying secret and danger in the cultivation world of Tiannan.
According to scattered records passed down from ancient times, in an era too distant to recall, ancient demons from beyond the realms launched a massive invasion of the human world, one branch of which descended upon the Tiannan Continent. These demons were cruel and bloodthirsty, feeding on the souls of cultivators and the flesh and blood of mortals, and frantically plundering the various spiritual veins and resources of this world. Wherever they went, life was ravaged, as if it were the end of the world.
To protect their homeland, the ancient cultivators united and waged a devastating, fateful battle against the invading ancient demons in the Wanling Mountains. The ferocity of the battle was beyond imagination, shattering mountains and rivers and obscuring the sun and moon. In the end, the human cultivators paid an immeasurable price, finally defeating the main force of the ancient demons.
However, the ancient demons possessed extremely strong vitality and were difficult to completely eradicate. Left with no other choice, the surviving ancient cultivators could only rely on the power of heaven and earth to set up layers of incredibly powerful restrictions and seals, permanently sealing the most powerful ancient demons within special spatial nodes deep within the mountains.
From then on, this ancient battlefield became a forbidden area for suppressing demons. Because of its extreme danger and broken space, it was called the Fallen Demon Valley by later cultivators.
Because the great battle back then was too intense, it even shattered part of the spatial barrier, causing the space within the Fallen Demon Valley to be extremely unstable. Spatial cracks as thin as hair, yet incredibly sharp and capable of cutting through everything, as well as the Arctic Primordial Light, can be seen everywhere. Even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to escape if he accidentally touched them, and would be reduced to ashes in an instant.
Over countless years, countless cultivators, confident in their supernatural powers, have ventured into the Fallen Demon Valley in search of treasures left behind by ancient cultivators or opportunities for breakthroughs. However, the vast majority have perished there, their remains never to be found. Over time, the Fallen Demon Valley has become the most recognized forbidden area in the cultivation world of Tiannan, inspiring fear and dread in all who hear of it.
At this moment, beneath a secluded cliff on the outskirts of Fallen Demon Valley, two streaks of light descended, revealing the figures of Qin Hao and Han Li.
Han Li frowned slightly as he gazed at the seemingly calm but actually treacherous entrance to the valley. Holding a dark, unremarkable ring in his hand, he looked suspiciously at Qin Hao.
"Senior brother, are you sure... that this dark, unremarkable ring can really control the 'Arctic Primordial Light' that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone in the valley?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao calmly took out a similar-looking ring from his storage bag, but it was milky white in color and emitted a soft spiritual light. He placed it next to the black ring in Han Li's hand. When the two rings were close together, they faintly resonated with each other.
"This item is called the 'Yin-Yang Ring.' I only came across a record of it by chance in an extremely ancient book," Qin Hao explained casually. "When I first obtained the Yin Ring, I wasn't quite sure of its effects. It wasn't until yesterday, when the Yin Ring approached the Fallen Demon Valley, that I suddenly sensed a certain aura within the valley. Only then did I become certain that this Yin-Yang Ring is a complete ancient treasure. The white Yang Ring can actively control and even absorb the Arctic Yuan Light to injure enemies; while the black Yin Ring in your hand can emit a special force field, perfectly avoiding the damage from the Arctic Yuan Light. With this item, one of the greatest dangers of entering the Fallen Demon Valley has been halved."
Han Li rubbed the black ring in his hand with a mixture of belief and doubt, still feeling somewhat apprehensive. After all, the infamous Northern Yuan Guang was far too formidable; it seemed unbelievable that he could evade it with just a seemingly ordinary ring. But seeing Qin Hao's confident expression, and recalling the allure of the heaven-defying elixir "Creation Pill" that could help one break through the bottleneck of the late Nascent Soul stage, he finally steeled his resolve and gritted his teeth, saying:
"Since you are so confident, then I, Han, will risk my life to accompany you and take this risk!"
Having made their decision, the two no longer hesitated. Following the guidance of the tattered map they found in Wang Tiansheng's storage bag, they carefully avoided some known and relatively stable spatial rift areas, venturing deeper into the valley without any major incidents.
They did encounter several dangers along the way, and once they were almost swept away by a suddenly appearing spatial rift. Fortunately, Qin Hao's divine sense was strong and gave them an early warning, allowing them to narrowly avoid it. After a perilous journey, they finally arrived at the area marked on the map that might have "Spirit Candle Fruits".
This was a small valley nestled among several mountain peaks, exceptionally rich in spiritual energy, even forming a faint mist. The two dared not be careless and searched carefully. Their efforts paid off; in a shady crevice in the rock face, they indeed discovered a vibrant green plant, no more than a foot tall, topped with three longan-sized, candle-flame-shaped fruits emitting an alluring fragrance—the legendary Spirit Candle Fruit!
The Spirit Candle Fruit has peculiar characteristics. Once harvested, the entire tree instantly loses all vitality, withering and turning to ash as if all its essence has been drained, making it impossible to transplant. Moreover, after the Spirit Candle Fruit is harvested, its medicinal power is rapidly lost. It must be refined into a "Creation Pill" within a very short time and consumed on the spot to maximize its medicinal effect.
Without delay, the two immediately found a relatively safe and secluded spot in the valley and set up defensive and concealment formations.
Qin Hao personally took action, relying on his superb alchemy skills and the auxiliary materials he had prepared in advance. After a day and a night, he successfully refined three Spirit Candle Fruits into three "Creation Pills" the size of longan fruits, each with a subtle fragrance.
The pills were freshly made, and their unique fragrance filled the air. Just a whiff of it made one feel clear-headed and subtly touched upon one's cultivation.
"Junior Brother Han, we shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's take these now and refine their medicinal power as soon as possible!" Qin Hao handed one of the Creation Pills to Han Li.
"Thank you for the pill, Senior Brother." Han Li accepted the pill but did not take it immediately. Instead, he went to another place to set up an array.
Qin Hao was used to Han Li's caution. After activating the formation, he threw out the Heavenly Capital Corpse Puppet for defense before taking the Creation Pill. The pill melted in his mouth, and an indescribable, powerful yet gentle warm current instantly surged into his limbs and bones, eventually flowing into his sea of consciousness like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea!
In an instant, Qin Hao felt as if his consciousness had undergone a tremendous transformation! It was a wondrous feeling that was difficult to describe precisely in words, as if his consciousness had broken free from the constraints of his physical body and was roaming in the infinitely vast spiritual universe.
Countless obscure and difficult points in his previous cultivation were suddenly cleared up as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun; his perception of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth became clearer and more acute than ever before; he even seemed to have transformed into those powerful cultivators of ancient times who could summon wind and rain and move mountains and seas, influencing the laws of heaven and earth with every move he made, and that powerful feeling was as natural and simple as breathing!
This is a leap in the level of life, a sublimation of the essence of consciousness!
It was unclear how much time had passed—perhaps a very long period of time, or perhaps just a fleeting moment. When Qin Hao's divine consciousness, having undergone baptism and transformation, returned to calm and perfectly merged with his physical body, he slowly opened his eyes.
In his eyes, a fleeting vision of the birth and death of stars and the evolution of the universe seemed to flash, becoming even more profound, wiser, and more majestic. He had a clear intuition that as long as he returned and used some pills to consolidate his divine sense and increase his magical power, and then secluded himself for a period of arduous cultivation, breaking through the bottleneck that had troubled countless Nascent Soul cultivators would be a natural and effortless matter for him!
"Senior brother, you're awake?"
Outside the formation, Han Li's concerned voice came. Clearly, Han Li had finished refining it before him.
Qin Hao removed the protective array around him and went outside. He learned from Han Li that it had taken him a full seven days and seven nights to refine the Creation Pill!
The two were overjoyed to feel the tremendous changes in their spiritual senses. After a short period of restoring their condition to its peak, they continued according to their original plan, heading towards their next target—the area where the Fire Toad Beast was located.
Along the way, they passed a seemingly ordinary cave. Qin Hao scanned it with his divine sense and a slight thought struck him. He sensed that deep within the cave's stone walls, there seemed to be some kind of pure metal-type spiritual energy.
He called out to Han Li, pointing to the cave and saying, "Junior Brother Han, I sense that there seems to be a lot of '罡银沙' hidden inside the stone wall here."
"Granite Silver Sand?" Han Li's eyes flashed with a sharp light upon hearing this. This was a top-tier material for refining flying swords and defensive magic treasures, extremely rare!
"Not bad." Qin Hao nodded. "Perfect timing. I obtained a secret method from an ancient book for extracting specific materials from ores, which requires the power of spirit insects. I heard that you have cultivated a batch of gold-devouring insects. Would you be willing to help? We can split the obtained Gangyin Sand equally."
After a moment's thought, Han Li agreed. He released tens of thousands of mature Gold-Eating Insects. Driven by Han Li, these small insects, with their shiny shells, began to frantically gnaw at a certain spot on the stone wall, following the secret method taught by Qin Hao.
Wherever the Gold-Eating Beetles passed, hard rocks were easily peeled away like tofu, revealing ore shimmering with silver specks inside. Guided by a secret technique, the Gold-Eating Beetles precisely separated and gathered those silver specks. In less than half a day, they had refined two large, adult-sized, glittering clumps of 罡银砂 (Gāngyínshāo)!
Qin Hao and Han Li each received a copy, and both were satisfied.
Emerging from the cave, they hadn't gone far when the path ahead was blocked by an invisible, intangible region emanating a chilling aura. To the naked eye, it appeared empty, but the moment one's divine sense approached, a sharp pain shot through them, as if they were being torn apart by some force—it was none other than the terrifying Arctic Primal Light!
"As expected, we encountered it." Han Li's expression was solemn.
Qin Hao remained calm and gestured for Han Li to activate the black Yin Ring in his hand, while he himself activated the white Yang Ring. The two rings simultaneously emitted a soft glow, intertwining to form a thin, almost invisible light shield that enveloped the two of them.
They tentatively stepped into the Arctic Primordial Light area. The terrifying light that was enough to kill even a great cultivator was like water encountering a reef when it came into contact with the light shield. It naturally slid to both sides and could not penetrate even a little bit!
"It really worked!" Han Li was finally relieved to see this.
The two easily traversed this death zone and officially entered the inner valley of Fallen Demon Valley.
The scene before them suddenly changed. It was no longer the outer area clearly divided by restrictions and spatial rifts, but a much wider, more primitive, and more dangerous world. Countless mountains of varying sizes and shapes stretched endlessly to the horizon. The spiritual energy here was more concentrated, but also more violent, and the space itself seemed more fragile, making it more difficult to probe with divine sense.
Qin Hao and Han Li dared not be careless in the slightest, strictly following the more detailed map they had obtained from Cangkun Shangren's cave, carefully avoiding the marked, relatively stable areas with a high density of spatial rifts. Even so, they remained on edge and highly focused throughout their journey.
After flying for most of the day, the two finally arrived at a tall mountain range that was prominently marked on the map. The mountain was dark brown in color, sparsely covered with vegetation, and exuded a wild and fierce aura.
"According to the map, this mountain is inhabited by a group of 'Flying Purple-Striped Scorpions,' which are highly venomous, have hard shells, are fearless, and are extremely difficult to deal with," Qin Hao said in a deep voice.
He flipped his hand and took out a jade bottle containing a potent poison, one of the Ten Deadly Poisons, which he had obtained from the treasure vault of the Venerable Cangkun. He carefully applied the poison to a low-level puppet, then manipulated the puppet to fly towards the other side of the mountain ridge.
Sure enough, not long after, a sharp insect chirping and intense spiritual energy fluctuations came from the depths of the mountains. Dozens of purplish-black scorpions with transparent wings on their backs and gleaming venomous stingers on their tails were drawn by the puppet's aura, which was tainted with the Ten Deadly Poisons, and chased after it frantically.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qin Hao and Han Li immediately concealed their presence and silently crossed the dangerous mountain range at top speed.
After another half-day of cautious flight, the scene before us changed drastically once again. It was no longer a lush, verdant mountain range, but a vast, barren land, with flowing lava and scorching heat. The air was thick with the smell of sulfur, as if we had stepped into the legendary lava hell.
"It seems that the Fire Toad Beast's lair is in this area." Qin Hao and Han Li exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.
Instead of venturing deeper, the two found a relatively stable spot on the edge of the area and began setting up an array. Qin Hao was responsible for setting up a complex array that combined trapping and attacking, while Han Li assisted him and set up some concealment and isolation barriers.
After making preparations, Qin Hao took out another puppet, which carried a "Flaming Sun Crystal" that could attract fire-attribute monsters, and carefully explored the depths of the lava area.
Before long, a deep, thunderous cry was heard, and a crimson figure shot out from a lava lake like lightning. It was a huge monster covered in fiery red scales, shaped like a giant toad, and spewing scorching flames from its mouth—their target, the Fire Toad Beast!
Attracted by the aura of the Flaming Sun Crystal, the Fire Toad Beast frantically chased after the puppet, crashing headlong into the array range carefully set up by Qin Hao and his companion!
"Start the formation!"
Qin Hao let out a low shout and simultaneously activated his magic technique with Han Li!
In an instant, the array flags fluttered and spiritual light soared into the sky! Countless golden chains stretched out from the void, wrapping around the fire toad beast, while at the same time, sharp sword energy and icy spells poured down like a torrential rain!
Although this fire toad beast had thick skin and powerful demonic fire, it was not very intelligent and had fallen into a trap specifically prepared for it. Under the combined attack of Qin Hao and Han Li, two cultivators whose strength far exceeded that of ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, its desperate struggles, its spitting of demonic fire, and even its attempt to self-destruct its demonic core were all in vain.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, this demonic beast, whose strength was comparable to the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, let out a mournful cry of unwillingness. Han Li's Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword Formation seized the opportunity to cut off its head with a single sword strike, and its massive body crashed to the ground.
After defeating the Fire Toad Beast, in a rock crevice near its lair, lay the remains of a cultivator, sitting cross-legged and long since reduced to bones. A simple, ancient-looking storage bag hung from the waist of the remains.
Qin Hao reached out and grabbed the remains of the ancient cultivator along with his storage bag.
The two began inspecting their spoils. They opened their storage bags and dumped out everything inside. There were quite a few items, but most were bottles, jars, and miscellaneous refining materials, which wouldn't be of much use to ordinary cultivators.
In addition, there was a jade box that was sealed and prohibited, and several medicine bottles of different colors.
Qin Hao was the first to pick up the jade box, break the seal on it, and open the lid. Inside was not the miraculous elixir or powerful magic weapon he had imagined, but a warm-colored white jade slip.
He immersed his consciousness into the jade slip, and after a moment, handed it to Han Li: "Junior Brother Han, take a look at this."
Han Li took the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, and his expression first showed surprise, then quickly darkened, and the corner of his mouth even twitched.
The jade slip contained the method for crafting a powerful spiritual treasure called the "Seven Flames Fan"! However, when he saw the list of main materials needed to craft this treasure, he felt a wave of despair.
“Millennial Flame Jade, Sun Essence Stone, Golden Crow True Feather, Essence of Molten Fire… These materials, let alone seeing them, I’ve never even heard of many of them! I’m afraid even if we searched the entire human realm, we might not be able to gather even one or two of them!” Han Li shook his head with a wry smile, feeling that this refining method was simply a mirage, something he could see but couldn’t touch.
Qin Hao, however, remained calm and smiled, saying, "Junior Brother Han, why be discouraged? If the mortal realm can't gather them all, perhaps the legendary spirit realm can? Keeping them is always a hope; you never know when we might need them. As usual, make a copy."
Han Li thought about it and felt it made sense, so he took out a blank jade slip and made a complete copy of the Seven Flames Fan's crafting method.
"Senior brother is right. Keeping it might actually give us a chance in the future."
After Han Li finished copying, Qin Hao suggested, "How about this, Junior Brother Han, these medicine bottles are yours. Maybe there are some ancient elixirs inside that can help you advance your cultivation. These spiritual materials are mine, how about that?"
After a moment's thought, Han Li nodded in agreement. Those jade marrow materials were indeed of little use to him; on the contrary, the pills carried by ancient cultivators might hold a pleasant surprise.
Finally, only two ancient treasures remained in the storage bag. The two treasures possessed decent spiritual energy, but compared to Qin Hao's Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade, the Myriad Talismans Treasure Talisman, or Han Li's Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword, they seemed rather ordinary. Neither of them was particularly interested, so they each took one and split them equally.
After dividing the spoils, Qin Hao pointed to the remains of the ancient cultivator and said, "According to the markings on the map by Venerable Cangkun, these remains seem to be the key to opening the next secret place, the 'Gate of Blood Curse'."
Following the map's directions, the two brought the remains to a stone wall covered in eerie, blood-red runes. Qin Hao placed the remains in a specific spot on the wall and cast a spell upon them.
Instantly, the crimson runes on the stone wall seemed to come alive, flowing like blood and emitting a buzzing sound. Then, the stone wall slowly cracked open, revealing a deep, downward-pointing staircase, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. A chilling, bloody aura emanated from within the door—it was the Blood Curse Door!
Following the steps downwards, after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they arrived at an underground space. Before them was a small pool of water, its surface as black as ink, its depths unfathomable, and it emanated a chilling aura.
Qin Hao took out the "Water Dividing Flag" that he had obtained from the Marquis of Nanlong years ago and waved it at the pool. The flag shimmered with spiritual light, and the pool water seemed to be parted by an invisible force, rolling to both sides and revealing the scene at the bottom of the pool and a passage leading to a deeper depth.
The two leaped down from the height, passed through the passage, and arrived at an ancient, heavy stone archway. The stone door was tightly closed, and carved with even more complex and eerie blood-red incantations. The chilling, bloodthirsty demonic aura emanated from behind this stone door.
"Senior brother, the blood energy and demonic nature on this stone door are so intense. It's possible that what's sealed inside isn't some ancient treasure left behind by a cultivator, but some kind of extremely troublesome demonic creature, right?" Han Li's expression was wary, his brows furrowed. His intuition was always very accurate.
Qin Hao chuckled inwardly; Old Devil Han's cautious and prudent nature was indeed well-deserved.
His face remained impassive, but instead, a hint of eager anticipation shone through as he said, "So what if it's a demon? Even if it's a Nascent Soul stage demon sealed inside, after countless millennia of suppression and sealing, even if it doesn't die, its cultivation must be reduced to a mere fraction of its former strength, weakened to the extreme. With our combined supernatural powers, we might just be able to kill it!"
He changed the subject, his tone becoming increasingly enticing: "Moreover, what if it really is a secret vault containing treasures from ancient cultivators? If we back down out of fear, wouldn't we be missing out on this incredible, heaven-defying opportunity?"
Han Li listened to Qin Hao's words, staring at the strange stone gate before him, his heart filled with intense struggle. Risk and opportunity coexisted; this was a common choice he encountered on his cultivation path. After a moment of contemplation, he finally gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes:
"Fine! Fortune favors the bold! In that case, let's do as my senior brother says and take this risk!"
Having made their decision, the two began to carefully break the complex blood curse seal on the stone gate, using the remains of the ancient cultivator and specific incantations, following the method recorded on the map.
The process went smoothly. About half an hour later, the crimson runes on the stone door shone brightly before quickly dimming. Accompanied by a heavy creaking sound, the heavy stone door slowly opened inward, revealing an even deeper darkness behind it.
However, after the stone door opened, neither Qin Hao nor Han Li rushed inside. They exchanged a knowing glance, then simultaneously began bustling about at the entrance.
Han Li swiftly set up a sword formation that combined offense and defense, along with several layers of concealment and isolation barriers. Qin Hao was even faster, taking out several sets of array flags and array plates and setting up multiple layers of trapping, illusion, and weakening formations both inside and outside the cave entrance.
Only when they felt they were fully prepared and everything was arranged did the two look at each other again, nod, and step side by side into the darkness behind the Blood Curse Gate.
A stronger, more nauseating stench assaulted their senses. The passage sloped downwards, and the two, with their divine senses fully activated, vigilantly observed their surroundings. After descending more than twenty feet underground, the space suddenly opened up, revealing a stone hall only seven or eight feet in diameter.
The hall was completely empty, except for a seemingly ordinary stone altar in the center. On the altar, three items were prominently displayed: a vibrant, infant-shaped fruit (the Heavenly Origin Fruit); a pure white, lingzhi-like herb (the Heaven-Mending Herb); and a small section of bamboo crackling with pale golden electricity (the Golden Thunder Bamboo)!
These three items are all top-tier spiritual treasures that are extremely rare and hard to come by in the world of cultivation!
Han Li was overjoyed, but then his intuition, honed from years of teetering on the edge of danger, instantly calmed him down, and he frowned deeply.
"Senior brother, something's strange!" he whispered to Qin Hao, his tone grave.
Qin Hao gave a disdainful sneer and replied telepathically, "Such a precious spiritual herb, just laid out here so openly, and after so many years, its spiritual energy hasn't dissipated at all... Do you really think we're fools blinded by greed?"
His sharp gaze swept across the hall, and he continued, "Moreover, if you sense carefully, this entire hall is actually shrouded in an extremely sophisticated Buddhist imprisoning array—the 'Minor Sumeru Vajra Array'! The function of this array is clearly to suppress something. It seems that Junior Brother Han was right after all; this place is not a treasure vault at all, but a sealed place to suppress demonic creatures!"
Upon hearing this, Han Li frowned even more deeply, all hope vanishing and replaced by profound vigilance: "Senior brother, since it's so dangerous, why don't we retreat immediately and reseal the Blood Curse Gate to prevent the suppressed demons inside from causing a great disaster?"
As soon as he finished speaking, something strange happened!
The invisible golden light barrier enveloping the hall suddenly rippled and blurred. Then, in addition to the three spiritual materials, several other glittering, clearly extraordinary ancient treasures appeared out of nowhere on the offering table, instantly amplifying their allure!
A cold glint flashed in Qin Hao's eyes, and he immediately transmitted his voice to Han Li, his tone resolute: "Junior Brother Han, do you see? That thing inside is trying to lure us! We've already broken the Blood Curse Gate, and after so many years, the Buddhist restrictions here are probably almost depleted of energy, currently in their weakest state. If we retreat now and let it go, the demon inside might break through the seal and escape soon, which will inevitably lead to endless trouble!"
He paused, his voice carrying a hint of murderous intent: "Why don't we take advantage of the fact that it's still sealed and in its weakest state, and join forces to completely annihilate it, so as to eliminate any future troubles!"
Han Li gazed at the ever-increasing array of alluring "treasures" on the offering table, then pondered the potential disaster of letting the demon escape. His mind fell into deep thought once more. After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, he finally took a deep breath and nodded heavily.
"Alright! We'll do as you say, Senior Brother!"
Seeing that Han Li agreed, Qin Hao no longer hesitated. He opened his mouth and spat out the golden "Ten Thousand Talismans Treasure Record," which floated above his head, turning its pages with a rustling sound even without wind!
Immediately afterward, he formed hand seals, sending beams of spiritual light into the Myriad Talisman Record. Runes lit up the pages, and instantly, dozens of incredibly condensed, massive "golden spear" phantoms, radiating sharp golden energy, appeared out of thin air, emitting piercing shrieks that tore through the air, and like a storm, fiercely bombarded the golden light shield enveloping the hall—the Lesser Sumeru Vajra Array!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom...!"
This Lesser Sumeru Vajra Formation truly lives up to its reputation as a renowned ancient Buddhist imprisonment formation, possessing astonishing defensive power. The dozens of golden talisman attacks, powerful enough to easily kill early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, only stirred up violent ripples when they landed on the golden light shield. Although the light shield's radiance dimmed rapidly, it stubbornly held on and did not immediately shatter.
Qin Hao remained unfazed and continued to activate the Myriad Talisman Record, unleashing another wave of Golden Spear Talismans!
This process was repeated, consuming more than twenty high-grade Golden Spear Talismans, equivalent to the full-force attack of more than twenty Nascent Soul cultivators. Finally, the incredibly resilient Little Sumeru Vajra Formation let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain. The golden light shield shattered like broken glass, turning into countless golden light spots that dissipated into nothingness.
With the formation broken, the offering table and the "spiritual medicine" and "ancient treasure" on it were fully exposed.
"Junior Brother Han, prepare the Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder!" Qin Hao quickly set up another powerful array around the offering table—the Supreme Mysterious Divine Forbidden Array—while transmitting his voice to Han Li.
Out of absolute trust in Qin Hao, Han Li didn't hesitate. With a thought, all seventy-two Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords flew out, swirling and dancing around him, forming a tight sword formation. On the swords, pale golden Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder crackled, ready to strike!
Qin Hao moved with lightning speed, and the Supreme Divine Forbidden Array was quickly set up. He immediately cast the final incantation to activate the array! An invisible force field, capable of greatly restricting the speed and spiritual energy circulation of everything within its range, instantly enveloped the entire altar area.
At the same time, Qin Hao reacted quickly, reaching out to grab something in mid-air. A suction force was generated, but the target was not the tempting "spiritual medicines" and "ancient treasures," but a seemingly ordinary and inconspicuous black round bowl floating directly above the offering table!
The moment Qin Hao brought the round bowl into the range of the Tai Miao Divine Forbidden Array, a sudden change occurred!
"Whoosh-!"
A condensed, lightning-fast black light suddenly shot out from the bowl, emitting a sharp whistling sound, aiming straight for Qin Hao's brow and sea of consciousness, intending to seize his body!
However, as soon as the dark light burst forth, it seemed to sink into an invisible quagmire, its speed suddenly decreasing by more than tenfold! Its once incredibly swift sprint became as slow as a snail's crawl under the influence of the Supreme Divine Forbidden Array!
"The Supreme Divine Forbidden Array?! How could there be such an array here?!" A wave of thought, filled with shock, anger, and disbelief, emanated from the dark light.
Before the dark light could react, Qin Hao had already been preparing for a long time. He snorted coldly and waved his hand. A deep blue flame, as dark as the night sky and exuding an aura of extreme cold and destruction—the Asura Sacred Flame—drifted toward the dark light, which had slowed down considerably, as if it had a life of its own. The speed seemed slow, but it carried a strange feeling of locking onto the soul.
At the same time, without Qin Hao needing to remind him again, Han Li also fully activated the Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword Formation!
"Chichichichi——!"
Dozens, even hundreds, of pale golden divine lightning bolts, as if drawn together, converged into a thick golden lightning pillar, carrying supreme majesty to slay evil and destroy demons, and fiercely bombarded the black light trapped in the formation!
"Ah—! Divine Thunder that wards off evil!!" The black light sensed the terrifying power contained within the golden lightning pillar, which had an absolute restraining effect on demonic souls like itself. It was so frightened that its soul almost left its body, and it let out a shrill scream.
It desperately tried to use a secret technique to escape, but under the powerful restraint of the Tai Miao Divine Restriction Array, its speed was reduced to less than one-tenth. No matter how it charged left and right or changed direction, it could not avoid the wide-ranging bombardment of the Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder!
What made it even more desperate was that the deep blue flame, like a leech, was already approaching. It could clearly sense that the flame contained a more pure and ultimate destructive will than the exorcising divine thunder. If it were to be touched even a little bit, its demonic soul would be completely annihilated, leaving not even a trace!
At the critical moment of life and death, the consciousness within the dark light urgently pleaded for mercy: "Fellow Daoists, please hold your hand! Show mercy! I... no, I can help you break through the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul stage! I can even... I can even tell you how to ascend to the Demon Realm, achieve the position of Holy Ancestor, and possess supreme power and eternal life!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao scoffed, his tone full of disdain: "Hmph! Your words, which can't even fool a three-year-old, are nothing to embarrass yourself with! If we hadn't been prepared and set up an array, you would probably have already invaded our consciousness and taken over our bodies by now, wouldn't you?"
Upon hearing the words "body snatching," Han Li's eyes flashed with a cold light. The slight hesitation he had before vanished instantly, and he activated the Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder technique even more rapidly. The Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword trembled incessantly, and more golden arcs of electricity surged out!
Before the dark light could even offer any further explanation, it was struck solidly by several bolts of divine lightning!
“Crackling—!”
Golden lightning crackled and exploded wildly on its surface, while the dark light emitted a agonizing wail, and its once-condensed form instantly became illusory and dim.
At that moment, the Asura Sacred Flame finally drifted over, like a ghost in the dark night, and gently attached itself to the dark light that was on the verge of dissipation.
"Hiss... Ahhhh!!!"
There was no violent explosion, only a faint sound, like cold water extinguishing a dying ember, followed by Wu Guang's final, long, agonizing scream filled with endless resentment, bitterness, and despair.
Under the dual attack of the Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder and the Asura Sacred Fire, the main soul of this ancient demonic blood flame had no chance to resist and was completely swallowed and purified by the Asura Sacred Fire, disappearing without a trace, as if it had never existed.
At this point, Han Li finally breathed a long sigh of relief, and his tense nerves finally relaxed.
Afterwards, Qin Hao and Han Li thoroughly searched the underground chamber, leaving no stone unturned. Only after confirming that they had not found any other treasures left behind by ancient cultivators, nor any residual aura or hidden dangers from other sealed demons, did they finally feel completely at ease and turn to leave the space behind the Blood Curse Gate.
Returning to the dark sky of Fallen Demon Valley, breathing in the air thick with the smell of sulfur and decay, I felt as if I had been transported to another world.
"Senior brother, what are your plans next?" Han Li asked Qin Hao.
Qin Hao casually said, "Having come all this way to the Fallen Demon Valley and endured so many dangers, I plan to search the valley further to see if there are any other opportunities. Although this place is dangerous, there may be more than just this one ancient relic. Why don't you come with me, Junior Brother Han? It would be good for us to look after each other."
Han Li hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother. However, I have just taken the Creation Pill and feel that the bottleneck of the early Nascent Soul stage has loosened, and there are signs of a breakthrough. The environment inside the Fallen Demon Valley is harsh and not an ideal place for seclusion. I still want to return to the Pure Void Sect first and try to break through my cultivation level. I have already gained a lot this time and dare not be greedy anymore."
"In that case... that's a real pity." Qin Hao nodded, a perfectly measured look of regret on his face. "Since that's the case, I won't force you to stay, junior brother. I wish you a speedy breakthrough and a bright future on the path to the Great Dao!"
"Thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother! I'll take my leave!" Han Li cupped his hands again, then transformed into a streak of azure light and cautiously flew out of the Fallen Demon Valley.
As Qin Hao watched Han Li's escape light disappear into the horizon, the trace of regret on his face quickly vanished, and a meaningful, faintly smiling curve slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He went to great lengths to drag Han Li into the perilous Fallen Demon Valley to join forces and eliminate the main soul of the Ancient Demon Blood Flame. Was it all just for a few spiritual herbs and treasures, or the so-called "acting on behalf of Heaven"?
"If this ancient demon's body could be refined into an external avatar..."