"Screech—!" A sharp, grating sound pierced the dead silence as Ye Feng's sword dragged along the ground, kicking up a trail of sparks.
Behind him, a Tianmo Sect disciple collapsed like a rag doll, blood soaking the earth.
Ye Feng's expression was as dark as water as he pressed onward with his sword. He had long since lost count of how many Tianmo Sect disciples he had killed. The pressure that had accumulated deep within his heart for so long now vented like a breached dam. Not a single one of those he targeted had been able to withstand his second strike.
Yet these were clearly all just peripheral grunts of the Tianmo Sect, the highest among them merely at the Golden Core stage.
*When will those few demon lords finally show themselves?* Ye Feng muttered to himself, not slowing his pace.
At that moment, a demonic aura so dense it was nearly tangible swept forward like a surging wave, accompanied by a coquettish laugh as a bizarre woman materialized out of thin air.
Wielding a long whip, she gave it a light flick, and in an instant, a bloody, storm-like demonic aura flooded toward Ye Feng from all directions.
Ye Feng's expression shifted drastically. He quickly drove his sword into the ground as spiritual energy surged through his body, instantly condensing into a protective spiritual barrier. With a deafening roar, the demonic aura slammed heavily into the shield, unleashing a violent shockwave that cracked the ground all around them.
*The Deity Transformation stage! One of the five great demon lords!* Ye Feng inwardly startled. This was the first Deity Transformation stage cultivator he had ever officially made an enemy of since he began his cultivation journey, and he dared not let down his guard for even a fraction of a second, immediately raising his focus to the absolute maximum.
"Hmph, you certainly have some tricks up your sleeve. Not a single Nascent Soul brat has ever taken a blow from me before," the bizarre woman said, her willow brows arching slightly as a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.
Without a word, Ye Feng held his sword horizontally across his chest. The blade trembled slightly, its ringing echoing all around as he prepared to strike.
Yet the bizarre woman suddenly turned, her lotus steps swaying gracefully as she leisurely said, "Enough. Old Shen told me to bring you over; you still need to keep that little life of yours for now."
A wave of hesitation washed over Ye Feng.
*Fine, the worst that can happen is I die here.* A moment later, Ye Feng gave a carefree laugh and stepped forward to follow.
The two traveled swiftly, and before long, they arrived at the entrance of a massive hall.
The hall was gloomy and ominous, resembling a dormant giant beast that exuded a chilling aura. A heavy stench of blood washed over them like a tangible fog, almost enough to make one retch.
Ye Feng grew inwardly vigilant, spiritual energy quietly circulating within his body as he prepared to deal with any sudden developments at a moment's notice.
"Go on in," the bizarre woman said, her voice sounding exceptionally jarring in the silent atmosphere.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Feng took a deep breath and stepped into the hall. Everywhere he looked were piles of bleached bones—some stacked like mountains, others scattered across the floor—emitting a cold, eerie glow in the dim light.
Following the bone-paved path, Ye Feng walked step by step toward the depths of the hall. At the far end stood a stooped figure.
As Ye Feng drew closer, the figure seemed to have just awakened from a deep sleep, slowly turning around...
The aged face gradually came into focus. Ye Feng stared, his pupils contracting instantly as if he were looking upon a sea of blood, the thick stench of carnage rushing toward him. The person before him was none other than Shen Wanqian, who had looked on the verge of death fifteen years ago.
"What brings you to my Tianmo Sect?" Shen Wanqian's voice was low and hoarse, sounding as though it came from the depths of the netherworld. Ye Feng was slightly taken aback, momentarily at a loss for where to begin.
Shen Wanqian seemed to have no intention of waiting for an answer, continuing on his own, "I know. It's for nothing more than that Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse." The old man's turbid eyes locked straight onto Ye Feng's face, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly to reveal a meaningful smile.
"It seems I guessed right. That Chaos Physique has actually managed to withstand my secret curse for over ten years without dying. You must have tried quite a few methods over the years, haven't you?"
Ye Feng's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white from the force as every muscle in his body tensed, ready to strike at any moment.
"Heh, I'm too old for fighting people anymore. Take it!" Shen Wanqian flicked his finger, and a ray of light shot toward Ye Feng like a shooting star.
Instinctively, Ye Feng reached out and caught it, a weathered scroll falling into his hand. "This... what is this?" Ye Feng asked, a trace of trembling in his voice as a realization began to dawn on him.
The old man gave a disdainful chuckle. "Isn't this what you've been looking for? The Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse is detailed right inside. What, you don't need it?" With that, the old man feigned a step forward.
Ye Feng hurriedly retreated a few paces, his face filled with bewilderment. "You're just giving it to me like this? I just killed quite a few of your disciples."
The old man waved his hand dismissively. "Just some worthless trash. Keeping them around is only a waste of my Tianmo Sect's resources. Putting that aside, do you know why I am called a demonic cultivator?"
Ye Feng let out a cold snort. "You cultivators use the vital essence and blood of living people to fuel your wicked arts. Every breakthrough is built upon the death of countless living beings, trading the lives of others for your own cultivation and longevity. Does that not make you worthy of being called a demon?"
Hearing this, the old man was stunned for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing aloud. The laughter echoed through the hall, causing the surrounding walls to tremble and shed dust.
When the laughter finally subsided, he coughed violently a few times. "Right, it's all for myself. And what about you? What brings you here this time? I'm quite curious: is there really someone willing to trade their own life for another's? In all my years, I've killed geniuses by the tens of thousands, and one more won't make a difference. Consider this satisfying an old man's curiosity."
Though filled with doubts, Ye Feng now held the hope of saving his sister in his hands. The desire to die instantly vanished, replaced by an urgent eagerness to return home as he frantically brainstormed ways to escape.
"Be on your way. But the younger ones under my command aren't as easy to talk to as I am; you'll likely have to go through a bit of trouble." With a wave of Shen Wanqian's hand, Ye Feng felt a flash of light before his eyes, and the next moment, he abruptly found himself standing right outside the Tianmo Sect's mountain gate.
A heavy silence settled in Ye Feng's heart. *Is this the power of the peak Deity Transformation stage? The gap between myself and him is simply vast. If he had wished it, I would have had zero chance of survival.*
"This place is no place to linger; I must leave at once!" The moment Ye Feng summoned his flying sword, a piercing voice rang out.
"Thinking of leaving so soon? Why not stay for a cup of tea?" Two figures drifted over like phantoms, landing before and behind Ye Feng to trap him in a pincer movement.
One of them was none other than the bizarre woman from earlier, while the other was a scholarly young man looking refined and cultured. Yet the demonic aura emanating from him was not a whit inferior to the woman's.
Ye Feng's expression turned stern. Two Deity Transformation stage cultivators—though his Nascent Soul stage cultivation allowed him to fight against the Deity Transformation stage, defeating two deeply rooted experts of that realm was nothing short of a fool's dream.
*Even so, I cannot die here.* Ye Feng felt no fear; instead, his fighting spirit burned like a raging fire.
Without another word, Ye Feng abruptly drew his sword. The blade burst with dazzling brilliance, slashing toward the scholarly man like a flash of lightning. At a moment of life and death like this, his only chance to tear open a gap and find a sliver of hope for escape was to fixate on one opponent and press the attack with everything he had.
"Well struck!" The scholarly man sneered, flicking the folding fan in his hand as a streak of black demonic energy surged toward Ye Feng's sword like a horned dragon.
*Boom!*
The two collided, unleashing a heaven-shaking explosion. A powerful shockwave swept outward, instantly uprooting the surrounding trees.
Relying on the recoil, Ye Feng flipped backward through the air to steady himself, instantly following up with several sword qi beams that shot toward the scholarly man like shooting stars.
Seeing this, the bizarre woman let out a sharp cry and whipped her long whip through the air. The demonic energy transformed into a ferocious venomous snake that lunged to sink its fangs into Ye Feng's back.
Sensing the attack from behind, Ye Feng tried to dodge to the side, but the edge still grazed him, instantly leaving a bloody gash on his shoulder. Seizing the opportunity, the scholarly man closed the distance, his folding fan transforming into a razor-sharp blade that thrust straight for Ye Feng's throat.
Ye Feng intercepted the blow horizontally with his sword. With a resounding *clang* of sparks, a massive wave of force slammed into him, numbing his arm and sending him staggering back several paces.
"Hmph, overestimating your capabilities!" The bizarre woman sneered, her long whip dancing once more as the whip shadows formed a blossoming black flower that enshrouded Ye Feng.
Though Ye Feng dodged left and right, the tips of the whip still managed to carve several more wounds into his body, staining his clothes with blood. Yet he gritted his teeth and pressed on, his eyes burning with absolute resolve.
...
"Ptuu—!" A mouthful of scalding blood violently burst from Ye Feng's lips, scattering across the ground like splashed ink. His body fell like a kite with a severed string, slamming heavily into the earth and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Old man Shen usually treasures that Corrosive Pill Flame Spirit Curse like it's his own life, not even letting the rest of us catch a glimpse of it. To think he handed it over to you so generously today—it really leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth!" Greed and malice flashed in the bizarre woman's eyes. Before her words even faded, she viciously brought her foot down and stomped hard on Ye Feng's wrist, sending a violent tremor through his entire body from the pain.
"This curse belongs to me now."
Extending a hand like an eagle's claw, she lunged straight to snatch the scroll clutched tightly in Ye Feng's grip.
Ye Feng's eyes were bloodshot. Like a cornered beast, he gritted his teeth fiercely, the veins on his arm bulging as his five fingers locked tightly around the scroll. No matter how hard the bizarre woman pulled, it didn't budge an inch.
However, his fierce battle against two Deity Transformation stage cultivators just moments prior had already pushed his spiritual energy to the brink of exhaustion, draining his physical stamina entirely.
Now, every extra second he forced himself to hold on felt as though it drained the very last ounce of strength from his body. As time slipped away, Ye Feng felt the world before his eyes gradually blur, as if a heavy, dense fog were descending over him.
In his mind, the pale, frail face of his younger sister, Ye Youning, flashed past, injecting a tiny spark of struggle back into his fading will.
"You dare...?" A weak voice squeezed out from between Ye Feng's teeth.
Just as Ye Feng was about to collapse, a dazzling streak of light suddenly tore across the gloomy sky, immediately followed by a deafening roar that shook the heavens like thunder:
"Scram!"
A furious shout suddenly erupted, vibrating the surrounding air until it hummed. Almost at the exact same instant, two long swords whistled down from the horizon like shooting stars chasing the moon, wreathed in boundless, majestic spiritual energy.
These were swords Ye Feng had seen before. "Master... Sect Master..."
The exhaustion he had forced back for so long rushed over him like a overwhelming tide, completely swallowing him whole.
Slowly closing his eyes, his body plunged into endless darkness, as if all his fatigue and pain had finally found a place to rest in that very moment. Only that single hand, knuckles drained of color, still held on with a death grip...