owlsbooks Chapter 131 Heavenly Demon's Familiar
Chapter 131 Heavenly Demon's Familiar
The night was as dark as ink, and the stars were hidden.
It was already late at night when Zhou Ning and Yan Chixia left Lanruo Temple.
The moon was obscured by thick clouds, and the world was pitch black.
The mountain wind howled, whipping up withered branches and fallen leaves, making a wailing sound like the wailing of ghosts.
Zhou Ning and Yan Chixia transformed into a rainbow and departed.
His Nascent Soul stage cultivation made him as fast as lightning, but Yan Chixia was even faster, like a streak of azure light that vanished in an instant.
"Master, what exactly is that thing that came out of the crack?" Zhou Ning asked.
Yan Chixia didn't turn his head, and said solemnly:
"I don't know. But something that can make Xuanzhenzi so anxious must be something extraordinary."
The two traveled day and night and arrived at the Flaming Mountains in southern Xinjiang in less than two days.
The scenery of the Flaming Mountains is even more terrifying than when I last visited.
The mountain was no longer dark red, but had turned deep black, as if it had been burned by a fire, or as if it had been corroded from the inside by something.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur and decay, making people nauseous.
The riverbed at the foot of the mountain was completely dry, and the ground was covered with cracks from which black mist constantly rose, carrying a biting chill.
Xuanzhenzi was waiting at the foot of the mountain. When he saw Yan Chixia and Zhou Ning, he quickly came to greet them.
His face was pale, and his eyes were full of fatigue, clearly indicating that he hadn't rested for a long time.
"Master Yan, Young Master Zhou, you've finally arrived."
Xuanzhenzi's voice carried a hint of anxiety.
"The crack has reappeared, several times larger than last time. And... and something even more powerful has crawled out of the crack."
Yan Chixia asked, "What is it?"
Xuanzhenzi shook his head:
"I don't know. It was completely black, with no fixed shape, like a wisp of smoke or a clump of slime. After it crawled out, it disappeared into the mountains, and we can't find it."
"But since it appeared, the monsters in the mountains have become extremely ferocious, and several cultivators have been attacked."
Yan Chixia was silent for a moment, then said:
"They are the retinue of an extraterrestrial demon. Although they are not as powerful as the demon's avatars, they should not be underestimated. We must find them and destroy them."
He looked at Zhou Ning and said solemnly, "You come up the mountain with me. Xuanzhenzi, you and your disciples stay at the foot of the mountain and guard it, don't let that thing escape."
Xuanzhenzi nodded: "This humble Taoist understands."
The two left the foot of the mountain and sped towards the summit.
The Flaming Mountains are steep, the rocks are scorching hot, and the air is filled with the pungent smell of sulfur.
Zhou Ning circulated his true essence throughout his body, forming a layer of golden protective qi that isolated him from the external heat and poisonous gas.
His divine sense had already spread out, covering an area of tens of thousands of feet in radius, carefully searching for the traces of that thing.
"Found it."
Zhou Ning suddenly stopped.
"It's inside the mountain. It's moving, and it's moving very fast."
Yan Chixia nodded.
"Keep up."
The two changed direction and sped towards the mountainside.
There is a narrow crack in the mountain, from which black mist constantly rises.
Zhou Ning crawled into the crevice and walked deeper into the passage.
The passage was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. The walls were made of rough rock, and pebbles fell from above from time to time, making a dull sound.
The further in you go, the thicker the fog becomes, and the lower the visibility gets.
After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a huge stone chamber appeared ahead.
Inside the stone chamber, a black mass was wriggling.
It has no fixed shape; sometimes it looks like a cloud of smoke, sometimes like a clump of slime, and sometimes like a giant octopus with countless tentacles waving around in the stone chamber.
It reeked of a strong, putrid stench that was nauseating.
The walls of the stone chamber were covered with black patterns, as if they had been corroded by something.
"The retinue of the extraterrestrial demons."
Yan Chixia's voice was deep and solemn.
"Be careful, its tentacles are poisonous."
The thing seemed to sense their presence, and suddenly turned around and pounced on them.
Countless tentacles, like black lightning, rushed straight towards Zhou Ning and Yan Chixia.
Zhou Ning was prepared and drew his Qingfeng sword, slashing out with it.
The golden sword energy severed several tentacles, and black liquid spurted from the cuts, splashing onto the ground with a hissing sound and corroding small pits.
Yan Chixia also drew his longsword, its blade flashing as he severed the attacking tentacles one by one.
His swordsmanship was incredibly sharp, each strike carrying a devastating force.
The creature retreated steadily under his sword, emitting a sharp screech.
But it has too many tentacles, which keep flowing in as if they are endless.
Zhou Ning could sense that the thing had an extremely tenacious life force, and the severed tentacles would soon grow new ones.
"This can't go on."
Zhou Ning gritted his teeth, concentrated his true essence at the tip of his sword, and unleashed the "Demon Slayer Technique".
A dazzling golden light shone from the Qingfeng Sword.
The light grew stronger and brighter, like a small sun, illuminating the entire stone chamber as if it were daytime.
He poured all his Nascent Soul stage power into this sword strike. The golden sword energy, like a giant golden dragon, carried a world-destroying force and headed straight for the core of that thing.
The thing seemed to sense danger, and all its tentacles retracted, trying to protect its core.
But the sword energy was too fast; there was simply no time to react.
"boom!"
The sword energy struck the core of that thing, producing a deafening explosion.
The thing let out a desperate shriek, and its entire body began to collapse, turning into countless black fragments that scattered all over the ground.
The fragments quickly dissipated in the golden light, turning into wisps of black smoke and disappearing into the air.
Zhou Ning sheathed his sword, panting heavily, and slumped to the ground.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Nearly 30% of his Nascent Soul power had been consumed, but a sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.
"It's a success."
Yan Chixia walked to his side and extended her hand.
"Get up. This is just a minor character."
Zhou Ning grasped his hand and struggled to stand up.
"Master, what exactly is that thing?"
Yan Chixia said:
"The retinue of the extraterrestrial demons. They are small demonic creatures formed by the demons using their own demonic energy. Although they are not as powerful as the demonic avatars, they are numerous and reproduce quickly. If left unchecked, they will multiply and eventually form a demonic tide."
He paused, then continued:
"The appearance of demons in the southern border indicates that the rift has widened enough for these monsters to pass through. We must seal the rift as soon as possible."
The two left the stone chamber and returned to the mountaintop.
At the mountaintop, the crack still floated in mid-air, about thirty feet long and ten feet wide, like a giant vertical eye, coldly watching over the human world.
Black mist seeped out from the edge of the crack, carrying a chilling aura.
Deep within the crack, countless black shadows could be vaguely seen writhing and emitting low growls.
Yan Chixia walked to the crack, stretched out his hands, and poured his true essence into the seal at the edge of the crack.
A golden light shone from the seal, and the cracks began to slowly close.
"Zhou Ning, help me!"
Zhou Ning nodded, sat down cross-legged beside him, placed his hands on the seal, and poured his Nascent Soul power into it.