69novels Chapter 37 Heavenly Demon Palace - Innate Dao Embryo
Chapter 37 Heavenly Demon Palace - Innate Dao Embryo
Somewhere in the Crimson Wasteland.
A terrifying gaping hole appeared in the earth.
The cliff face plunges straight into the ground, its bottom pitch black, where no sunlight can be seen.
A chilling wind blew from underground, carrying a strong, fishy stench that sent shivers down one's spine.
The group stopped at the bottom of the cliff.
Ahead lies a wide rock path extending downwards, its excavation marks eroded by time, leaving dark red mottled marks on the stone walls.
"This is not the abode of a powerful being." An elderly rogue cultivator, his face deathly pale and trembling, exclaimed, "This overwhelming Yin energy and demonic aura... this is the burial ground of an ancient celestial demon! We cannot enter; entering means certain death!"
The old rogue cultivator turned and ran, his figure transforming into a streak of light.
The other rogue cultivators also realized what was happening, their eyes filled with despair, and they all summoned their magical artifacts in preparation for a breakout.
"Can you leave?"
A detached voice came from inside the Purple Dragon Chariot.
The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion sat motionless, not even lifting his eyelids.
A stream of purple energy shot out from within, transforming into sword light that shot out a hundred feet, arriving before it could strike.
Purple sword light.
"puff!"
The old rogue cultivator, who had escaped to the edge of the horizon, lost his head. He ran for more than ten steps before collapsing to the ground, his blood staining the sand and gravel.
The entire room fell silent.
The remaining rogue cultivators were frozen in place, their magical artifacts suspended in mid-air, unable to move forward or backward.
"You are the fifth batch." The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion spoke calmly, without the slightest emotional fluctuation. "The previous four batches have already paved the way for my survival. Now, it's your turn."
"Go in or die."
The rogue cultivators looked ashen-faced.
The Purple Mansion Holy Land is not recruiting pathfinders, but rather consumables.
Faced with the profound foundation of a powerful sect, they didn't even have the right to resist.
Li Xian stood at the end of the crowd, her face hidden by a gray cloth hat.
He didn't look at the headless corpse on the ground; his gaze remained fixed on the old, black gourd on the chariot table.
The time is not right; we must wait.
Suddenly.
At the edge of the sky, a vast expanse of purple mist stretched out.
The purple clouds surged like ocean waves, instantly dispelling the gloom at the bottom of the cliff.
A woman in purple robes descended gracefully, stepping on purple mist.
She had a slender figure, long black hair, and skin that shimmered with the luster of mutton fat jade.
He was enveloped in a hazy Daoist aura, and although he was standing there, he seemed to be one with heaven and earth, transcending the mundane world.
Purple Mansion Saintess, Zixia.
The innate Dao embryo.
"Saintess".
The surrounding disciples of the Purple Mansion bowed in respect.
Zixia's gaze swept over the headless corpse, then turned to the trembling rogue cultivators, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
"The Heavenly Demon Mausoleum is no ordinary place. Forcing these people to sacrifice their lives is against the will of Heaven. Let them leave."
Inside the chariot, the Holy Son of the Purple Mansion finally opened his eyes, his gaze profound:
"Junior sister, this is a decision made by the sect."
Ripples appeared in the void.
A withered old man appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of Zixia.
The old man was dressed in a purple robe, wore a feathered crown, and had a token hanging from his waist. He was a steward of the Purple Mansion Holy Land stationed in Yuan City, at the fifth level of the Dao Palace.
"Holy Maiden, be careful with your words."
The old man's voice was hoarse, revealing a detached, indifferent attitude:
"Although the Heavenly Demon Body is dead, the mausoleum still contains tens of thousands of years of malevolent resentment. Only by washing away the blood and flesh of living beings can the restrictions be dissolved. To exchange the death of a few dozen ants for the foundation of our sect is a very worthwhile deal."
Zixia remained silent.
Although she was born with a Dao embryo, her cultivation was still shallow, and she could not change the will of the sect's elders.
With a soft sigh, Zixia waved her hand.
More than a dozen streaks of light flew out, landing precisely in the hands of each of the rogue cultivators.
They are crystal-clear purple jade pendants.
"This jade pendant contains a trace of my Dao power, enough to withstand a full-force attack from a fifth-level Dao Palace cultivator," Zixia said in a clear, ethereal voice. "Life and death are predestined; may you all find your own good fortune."
The rogue cultivators were overjoyed and clutched the jade pendant tightly.
Li Xian raised his hand and caught the flowing light.
The jade pendant feels warm and smooth to the touch, surrounded by a purple aura, and contains pure Daoist charm.
He casually tucked it into his sleeve.
A strike from the fifth level of the Dao Palace?
In this Heavenly Demon Tomb, not even a ripple could be stirred.
"Go in."
The old man drank it cold.
Dozens of disciples from the Purple Mansion drew their longswords and forced the rogue cultivators into the dark passage.
The passage extended downwards for more than ten miles, the yin energy grew heavier and heavier, and huge animal skeletons began to appear on the stone walls, serving as inlays for ornaments.
At the end, there was a bronze stone gate that was ten feet high.
The door was carved with ferocious beast totems, and the eyes of the totems shimmered with a ghostly green light, staring intently at everyone as if they were sentient.
Go push the door open.
A disciple of the Purple Mansion pointed his sword at the two rogue cultivators at the front.
The two gritted their teeth, braced themselves, and stepped forward, placing their hands on the stone door.
The moment of contact.
"ah--!"
A piercing scream rang out.
Their hands shrank visibly at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Flesh and blood, essence and vital energy were frantically sucked away along the stone gate's patterns.
In less than three breaths, the two turned into two skeletons, scattered on the ground.
Having absorbed the flesh and blood, the demonic beast totem on the stone gate brightened slightly, emitted a muffled roar, and slowly retreated a crack.
"Not enough, continue."
The Purple Mansion steward remained expressionless.
The rogue cultivators were forced forward one by one, their screams echoing throughout the area.
Li Xian walked at the back, silently calculating the extent to which the stone gate opened and the proportion of flesh and blood consumed.
When the eleventh rogue cultivator turned into a skeleton, the stone gate finally burst open with a roar.
The door opened the instant.
"call--"
A cloud of murky, black and yellow gas billowed out from inside the door.
This turbid air was incredibly heavy and extremely corrosive, instantly engulfing the seven or eight rogue cultivators standing at the forefront.
The jade pendants bestowed by Zixia all lit up with purple light, attempting to resist.
But he only lasted a moment.
"Click."
The jade pendant shattered.
The foul air entered their bodies, and the seven or eight rogue cultivators didn't even have time to scream before their skin and bones turned into a pool of pus.
"retreat!"
The disciples of the Purple Mansion were terrified and retreated hastily.
Li Xian did not retreat.
A silver glint flashed in his eyes, and the golden lotus phantom beneath his feet was released and then immediately retracted.
His figure moved three feet to the side like a ghost, not an inch more or less, precisely stepping into the blank corner where the two streams of turbid energy collided.
The surrounding air was swirling with turbidity, yet his clothes remained undamaged.
……
After a long while, the chariot of the Holy Son of the Purple Mansion crushed the pus on the ground and drove into the stone gate:
"The celestial demon's resentment has been released; proceed."
Li Xian followed the disciples of the Purple Mansion into the underground palace.
The Heavenly Demon Palace was extremely vast, with fist-sized luminous pearls embedded in its dome, yet they could not penetrate the eerie, sinister aura within.
In the very center of the main hall, there is a black spring pool with a diameter of ten zhang (approximately 33 meters).
The pool water was as black as ink, without a single ripple, so calm that it sent chills down one's spine.
An aura of utter death emanated from the pool, and the surrounding rocks were eroded into black gravel.
"The sky is overcast and the water is cut off."
The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion stepped out of the chariot, staring at the Black Pool, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.
"It's such a desperate situation."
The Purple Mansion steward gasped in shock:
"All living things have vanished, and nothing remains untainted. Let alone magical artifacts, even the physical body of a Saint Lord-level figure would be corroded and turned to smoke if it came into contact with it."
Li Xian's gaze passed over the black pool and looked towards the deepest part of the underground palace.
There, a blood-source coffin, three zhang long, was placed.
The giant coffin was carved from pure source material mixed with a small amount of blood, exuding a rich life essence that created an eerie balance with the deathly aura of the black pool.
On the lid of the coffin containing the blood source, a rusty ancient bronze lamp rests quietly.
The lamp has a simple and ancient design.
A tiny flame, no bigger than a bean, flickered on the wick.
The flames were a ghostly green, devoid of heat, yet exuding an ancient, earth-shattering pressure.
The bronze base is engraved with three twisted ancient demonic characters.
"Celestial Demon Lantern!"
The Holy Son of the Purple Mansion suddenly began to breathe rapidly.
His eyes blazed with undisguised fanatical greed.
"The weapon woven from the life essence of the ancient Heavenly Demon King! Legend has it that once this lamp is unleashed, it can burn the entire wilderness, and even ancient sages would have to retreat in fear."
The Purple Mansion steward was so excited that he trembled all over:
"Holy Son, if you can obtain this treasure, you will surely surpass all the other holy sons of the Eastern Wilderness!"
Everyone's attention was drawn to the Heavenly Demon Lantern.
Li Xian stood at the edge of the black pool.
They were less than ten feet away from the Holy Son of the Purple Mansion.
He didn't look at the Heavenly Demon Lamp, nor did he look at the Blood Source Coffin.
His gaze was fixed on the tattered black gourd carried on the back of the Holy Son of the Purple Mansion.