69novels Chapter 290 A Defeated Journey, Cultivation at Leishan
Chapter 290 A Defeated Journey, Cultivation at Leishan
Chapter 290 A Defeated Journey, Cultivation at Leishan
"snort!"
The black mist around Xuan Yin Zhenjun surged, and the faint light at his fingertips flickered uncertainly, clearly indicating that he had become truly enraged.
But Chen Yi's telepathic message was so subtle that he forced himself to suppress his boiling killing intent. He just let out a heavy snort and said nothing more, standing half a step behind Chen Yi with his hands behind his back.
This half-step is about attitude.
Upon seeing this, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed across Lin Yunsheng's eyes.
This Xuan Yin Old Demon has always been arrogant, yet he actually obeys the orders of this boy who has just formed his Nascent Soul.
He straightened his clothes and took two more steps forward.
Ripples spread across the void beneath his feet, each step landing on a point of spiritual energy, subtly creating an invisible sense of pressure that pressed directly at Chen Yi.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, you've shown off your moves and said some tough words."
"If it were truly a life-or-death duel, the two of you might not gain the upper hand against the three of us."
Lin Yunsheng wore his usual compassionate expression, and spoke with such sincerity that he seemed like a true elder mentoring younger generations: "As a senior, I not only refrained from taking advantage of your weakened state during your tribulation, but also brought two true great cultivators with me. This shows my sincerity and my desire to mend our relationship."
You should be content.
He paused, glanced around, and sighed, "After all, it's not that we're unwilling to take action, but the environment here is too fragile to withstand a life-or-death struggle like that of Nascent Soul cultivators like us."
Once a war breaks out, all the spiritual veins within a thousand miles will be destroyed, and countless lives will be lost.
With a flick of his wrist, Lin Yunsheng conjured up a shimmering jade box that floated slowly toward Chen Yi.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, for the sake of the greater good of heaven and earth, and for the sake of ensuring that all cultivators have a place to cultivate, let bygones be bygones for some personal grudges."
This superior magic treasure, the Wind-Fixing Pearl, is something I have treasured for many years. Today, I present it to you as a congratulatory gift for your Nascent Soul attainment.
how?"
The jade box hovered three feet in front of Chen Yi, gleaming with precious light.
Chen Yi didn't even glance at the jade box; his gaze bypassed the precious light and went straight to Lin Yunsheng's eyes.
"I'm sorry, but the principles of heaven and earth, and the cultivators of the world, are none of my concern."
The voice was unusually calm and cold.
Lin Yunsheng's smile froze, his eyes instantly hardened, and the pressure from the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator suddenly intensified.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, are you planning to hold a grudge forever?"
His tone turned cold, revealing a hint of sinister intent: "Even if you don't care about yourself, think about the Star Moon Sect you belong to."
Their sect has thousands of members, yet they are still under the jurisdiction of my Qingyun Cave Heaven!
"You acted rashly today, aren't you afraid of implicating the sect?"
Chen Yi remained expressionless, raising his right hand with his palm facing upwards.
A warm, white jade token and a golden sheepskin spirit contract appeared out of thin air in his palm.
That was the Supreme Elder's Decree of the Star Moon Sect, and the Life Contract signed upon joining the sect.
"Threatening me?"
A mocking smile curled at the corner of Chen Yi's lips.
The next instant, a bluish-white flame suddenly rose from his palm.
That was the unique infant fire of the Nascent Soul stage, extremely domineering.
Sizzle—
Without the slightest hesitation, the flames instantly engulfed the jade tablet and the spirit contract.
The incredibly hard elder's jade tablet couldn't even withstand the heat of the infant fire for a single breath, turning directly into a wisp of green smoke and dissipating.
The spiritual contract containing the rules of heaven and earth instantly collapsed, turning into countless golden light spots that vanished into the void.
Chen Yi flipped his palm and blew away the remaining ashes.
"Now, I have nothing to do with the Star Moon Sect. Even if their sect is destroyed, the karma can no longer affect me."
"If Elder Lin is inclined to commit the act of annihilating a sect, then so be it."
"you!"
Lin Yunsheng's eyes were wide open, and his chest heaved violently.
He never expected that Chen Yi would be so resolute, severing even the last remaining bond with him.
"Great! Excellent!"
Lin Yunsheng's eyes were filled with barely suppressed anger: "Fellow Daoist Chen, you left the Star Moon Sect and mingled with these two people from the Demonic Sect. You keep talking about personal grudges and don't care about the greater good of the world."
"It seems you're determined to fall into the demonic path?"
If such a serious accusation were slapped on a cultivator, their mind would likely have already wavered.
Chen Yi suddenly burst out laughing.
"So, that's how you define the demonic path!"
He stepped forward, his aura increasing rather than decreasing, pressing directly at Lin Yunsheng: "If what you say, repaying kindness with kindness and revenge with revenge, is the way of the demonic path, then what if I, Chen, join the demonic path today?!"
"
Chen Yi's gaze swept over the two silent great cultivators behind Lin Yunsheng, his voice resounding throughout the surrounding area: "I think the demonic path you, Lin Changyan, speak of is more about loyalty and righteousness than you so-called righteous paths who spout benevolence and morality but are actually thieves and prostitutes!"
"presumptuous!"
Lin Yunsheng shouted sternly, his face ashen: "This is selfish righteousness! We are thinking of the common people of this world!"
If everyone were to go on a killing spree over so-called love and hatred, then the spiritual veins of this world would have been destroyed long ago!
How could a rogue cultivator like you possibly have the chance to achieve the Nascent Soul stage?!
"So, what you mean is—"
Chen Yi interrupted his impassioned speech, his eyes like knives: "My Nascent Soul stage was thwarted, I nearly died, and my cultivation was extinguished. My friend was crippled and is living a life worse than death. Am I supposed to swallow my pride and remain silent for the sake of what you call the grand scheme of things?!"
Lin Yunsheng was momentarily stunned by this imposing manner, and his tone softened slightly: "It's not that I'm asking you to swallow your anger; I'm here to discuss compensation, aren't I?"
He pointed to the jade box suspended in mid-air.
"A mere top-grade magic weapon?"
Chen Yi glanced at the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, his eyes full of disdain: "I even have top-grade magic treasures, why would I care about your high-grade junk? Are you trying to fob me off?"
Lin Yunsheng's face twitched, barely suppressing his anger: "Then what do you want?"
"What I want, you probably won't be willing to give it to me voluntarily."
Chen Yi stared at Lin Yunsheng's neck, his gaze seemingly assessing where to strike first.
In that instant, Lin Yunsheng felt a chill run down his spine, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. This kid's eyes really looked like he wanted to kill someone.
"Chen Yi, it's pointless for a junior like you to say that."
Lin Yunsheng took a deep breath, trying to regain the initiative: "Do you really intend to fight a losing battle against a behemoth like Qingyun Cave Heaven all by yourself?"
"Hey Lin, you don't need to waste any more words."
A flash of light appeared in Chen Yi's hand: "The matter of my being prevented from forming my Nascent Soul and undergoing tribulation, as well as the matter of you and Black Serpent True Monarch bullying me and repeatedly trying to kill me, can actually be discussed. If you give me a spiritual treasure, I can forgive you for the time being."
At this point, he abruptly changed the subject, his voice low and thunderous: "But my friend Chen's fatal wound to Ning Bu'er is unforgivable."
Chen Yi's gaze turned cold as he locked onto Lin Yunsheng and the other two: "Since you've brought reinforcements today, it's time to fight!"
Even if Senior Xuan Yin and I die here, we can at least take two of you three with us!
If you're too scared to fight, then shut up!
"See you in the martial world!"
These last four words were dripping with blood, their murderous intent soaring to the heavens.
The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
The air felt like it had turned into viscous mercury, making it difficult to breathe.
Lin Yunsheng's expression was uncertain; he was there to intimidate and force a settlement, not to fight to the death.
He never expected this boy who had just formed his nascent soul to be so crazy, truly willing to risk his life.
"You, surnamed Chen, how dare you be so arrogant when you've just reached the Nascent Soul stage!"
Lin Yunsheng roared, his voice trembling with fear, "I don't believe you can stay under the protection of Fairy Xuanyin forever!"
"Watch out! If I ever find you alone in the wilderness, you'll be sorry!"
Chen Yi sneered and remained silent.
He may be slightly inferior to Lin Yunsheng now, but in twenty or thirty years, when the two meet again alone, it is still unknown who will hunt whom.
He completely ignored Lin Yunsheng, who was only barking wildly, and looked past him at the two Nascent Soul stage cultivators who had not yet made a move.
"What, you two seniors, are you going to bully us, taking advantage of your superior strength?"
Chen Yi slightly raised his longsword, the tip of which gleamed with a deadly cold light.
The Stubborn Stone True Lord, who had retreated a hundred miles earlier and only flew over now, was the first to shake his head.
His face, as if sculpted from rock, remained expressionless, but his voice was unusually crisp: "No. This old bastard hasn't paid enough, I'm not making a move."
On the other side, the Flame Lord, whose body was wreathed in crimson flames, was so angry that his beard trembled.
Although he wanted to drive the lineage of Xuan Yin Zhenjun back to the Monster Mountain Range, he valued his life more.
Xuan Yin is indeed a madman. He almost killed the Qingyun Ancestor back then. Now, it's fine to have him stand up for the occasion or scare the newcomers.
If we really rush in for a fight to the death, we might even end up being dragged down with us?
He's not that stupid.
"snort!"
The Flame Lord swept his sleeves away, extinguishing the flames around him, and coldly looked at Chen Yi: "Boy, you've got guts! But let me give you a piece of advice: don't stray from the right path, or even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator will face dire straits!"
After saying this polite remark, he fell silent and began to back away.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Lin Yunsheng's face turned extremely grim. He glared fiercely at Chen Yi, but in the end, he could only grit his teeth and turn away.
The three of them transformed into streaks of light and disappeared.
Having flown less than a hundred miles, the Stubborn Stone True Monarch revealed a relieved smile on his face.
He silently calculated in his mind: [Not bad, just appeared briefly, said a couple of words, didn't even fight, and got a high-grade magic weapon for free. This is a good deal.]
"Xiaolin, call me again if there's any more work like this at the platform."
In high spirits, the Stubborn Stone Lord patted Lin Yunsheng on the shoulder and, without waiting for a response, stirred up a cloud of gray stone energy and roared off toward the north.
Lin Yunsheng watched the departing light, his chest tightened, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
Are you here to support us, or to sabotage us?!
Above Qingfeng Ridge, the flowing clouds were torn apart by the escape light of the two falling figures.
After getting her feet firmly on the ground, Fairy Xuanyin suppressed her scattered aura.
She turned around, her gaze sharp and unwavering, and looked at Chen Yi.
"Xiao Chen."
"Those self-proclaimed righteous guys are the most thin-skinned, but the blackest-hearted."
Today, for the sake of Bu Er, you have thoroughly offended the elders of Qingyun Cave Heaven. From now on, you will be the "demonic sorcerer" they speak of, someone they must eliminate as soon as possible.
"If it's just minor squabbles on a regular day, that's fine. But if something truly serious happens that could shake our foundations, those righteous cultivators who usually scheme against each other will swarm in for the sake of their so-called righteous cause," for the sake of that indelible shame.
Are you really sure you've thought this through?
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi scoffed, "What righteousness, what evil?"
A faint smile curved his lips as his gaze pierced through the layers of trees and landed in the direction of Ning Bu'er's secluded meditation room.
"All I remember is that Fuji risked his life to block that attack for me."
Until her cultivation returns to its peak, though this world is vast, wherever she is, I will be there.
Chen Yi turned his head, looking directly into Xuan Yin Fairy's scrutinizing eyes, his tone as calm as if he were discussing dinner: "She is a demon, then I am a demon. When have I, Chen, ever acted according to the whims of others?"
Xuan Yin Fairy stared at him for a long time, then suddenly burst out laughing, instantly dispelling the tense atmosphere.
"Wow! Your smooth talk has really improved. You can spout a whole bunch of nonsense. Only my silly little idiot can be so easily charmed by you."
Her eyes sparkled, and she leaned forward slightly, asking with a hint of amusement, "If that day truly comes, and all the cultivators in the world point their swords at us, wanting to use my and Bu'er's heads as a sacrifice, what will you do?"
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, looking surprised: "Auntie, did we dig up someone's ancestral grave or sever their spiritual veins? Was it really necessary to provoke every cultivator in the world?"
He shrugged and said matter-of-factly, "Let's keep a low profile. This world is vast, and there are countless cultivators. We should try not to provoke too many. Of course, if we encounter someone we absolutely must kill, we should kill them discreetly and try not to leave our names. If we really reach the kind of desperate situation you mentioned—"
Chen Yi paused, a slight smile flashing across his face: "I'll take Bu Er and run away immediately. Only a fool would stand still and fight the whole world head-on."
"Run?" Fairy Xuan Yin seemed to have not expected this answer.
"Yes, run." Chen Yi nodded, his tone resolute. "Where there's life, there's hope. Once I've reached the Nascent Soul stage, I'll come back to fight again."
By then, these so-called "enemies of the world" will probably be reduced to ashes, and who will be able to stand before me then?
Xuan Yin Fairy was stunned for a moment, then a smile spread across her eyes, and her previously tense shoulders relaxed.
"I'm relieved that you think that way."
She sighed softly, her gaze becoming distant, as if piercing through the mists of time.
"Alas—a thousand years ago, the ancestor of my Xuan Yin lineage was simply unable to think straight."
With a fierce temperament, facing the siege of several late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, he not only refused to retreat but instead exhausted his own life force to fight to the death.
"And what was the result? Not only was he severely injured and forced to retreat to the Monster Beast Mountain Range to eke out a living, but his Dao lineage was also nearly severed."
Xuan Yin Zhenjun's voice lowered, carrying a hint of desolation that was barely perceptible.
Actually, she didn't tell the whole story. The reason that ancestor fought to the death was because his Daoist partner had been captured by that group of so-called righteous experts, who used him to blackmail him and even threatened to search his soul and imprison his Nascent Soul.
The ancestor was driven to the brink of despair, leaving him no choice but to go mad.
She glanced at Chen Yi, who stood calmly before her, and silently prayed: I hope you and Bu Er will never face such a desperate situation.
Having decided on their direction, the three of them stopped hesitating and made no further moves.
After a brief discussion back at their lodgings, the group quickly packed their bags.
Several days later, on a dark and windy night.
Three streaks of light, almost blending into the night, silently left Qingfeng Ridge, streaking across the sky like ghosts, heading straight for the depths of the perilous Demon Beast Mountain Range.
"The Black Mountain Secret Realm will open in three years."
The wind whistled in their ears, and Chen Yi's voice echoed in the two goddesses' consciousness: "In these three years, we must seize the time to improve our strength."
Afterwards, we'll return to the Demonic Sect's headquarters to investigate and see if there's any valuable information to gather before making further plans.
a few days later.
Deep within the Monster Mountain Range lies a two-hundred-thousand-mile-long uninhabited area.
Leifeng Pagoda.
This place seems to be a place where heaven and earth rage.
The thunderclouds overhead were as thick as lead, pressing down on the mountaintop in layers, making it almost impossible to breathe.
In the unchanging dark clouds, silver snakes dance wildly, and purple lightning pierces the sky.
"Boom—"
'
A massive bolt of lightning tore through the sky and struck down fiercely, but the moment it touched the summit, it was drawn by an invisible force, meandering down the mountainside and disappearing entirely into the enormous lightning-attracting array.
Standing in mid-air, Chen Yi felt the restless and violent lightning spiritual power in the air, and the magic power in his body involuntarily became more active.
Only when he reached this level did he truly realize the value of this secret place.
"Throughout the Central Continent, although there aren't many cultivators who practice the Thunder Spirit Body Refinement Technique, they are by no means extremely rare."
Looking at the sky filled with lightning, Chen Yi couldn't help but sigh, "Such a treasure land, if it were in the outside world, it would probably have been battered and bruised long ago. How could it be so peaceful?"
Unexpectedly, when Fairy Xuanyin heard this, she sneered, her eyes full of disdain.
"Peaceful? Why isn't anyone fighting over it?"
She pointed to the shadows of the rolling mountains in the distance: "Over the past thousands of years, the Thundercloud Sect of Zhongzhou, which claims to be the orthodox school of thunder magic, has come here no less than dozens of times, openly and secretly."
And what happened? We still sent them back.
Fairy Xuan Yin crossed her arms and said proudly, "This place is deep within the Monster Mountain Range, where monsters roam freely."
The Demonic Beast King Sect is even more domineering and inherently powerful. Even the top powers of the Central Continent are unwilling to easily venture into this area and risk trouble.
"I see." Chen Yi suddenly understood, but then a question arose in his mind. "Auntie, since the Beast King Sect is so powerful, and our Nine Yin lineage has so few members, how come we are still able to—"
He didn't spell it out, but the meaning was clear: How could the Nine Yin lineage hold such a firm seat in the Demonic Path Headquarters, and even occupy a place in this den of demonic beasts?
Fairy Xuan Yin snorted coldly again, a mocking smile curving her lips.
"It's just a matter of technique restraint. The Beast King lineage is all show and no substance. They haven't produced a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in hundreds of years, and they only rely on two late-stage fourth-tier demon kings to maintain their facade."
She held up a finger and shook it gently: "If it really comes down to a fight, whether it's those demonic beasts or beast cultivators, apart from being tough and resilient, they have nothing to offer."
Its spiritual defenses are fragile, and it cannot avoid the demonic flame divine power at all costs.
"They are all terrified of our Nine Yin Demon Flame."
"If they want to beat me for sure, they'll have to be able to get a near-fifth-tier Heavenly Demon, or a Beast Taming Old Monster who's halfway into the Nascent Soul stage."
Chen Yi nodded, understanding dawning on his mind.
In the cultivation world, all things are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining. The Nine Yin lineage has been able to dominate the demonic path for thousands of years, which is indeed due to its unique strengths.
They have very few natural enemies; in fact, you could say their greatest enemy is themselves.
The Nine Yin Demon Flame is extremely domineering and will have a long-lasting and continuous erosion on the soul, body, and magic power.
Practicing this method is like dancing on the edge of a knife; achieving the Nascent Soul stage is as difficult as ascending to heaven.
This also explains why this lineage is always passed down through a single heir, and there were even periods of discontinuity lasting thousands of years.
Similarly, this is why Xuan Yin and Ning Bu'er, the master and disciple pair, value Chen Yi so much.
A cultivator who is willing to wholeheartedly assist them and possesses high-level lightning magic can use the supreme yang power of lightning to neutralize the yin cold, allowing them to go further and more steadily on the path of the Nine Yin Demon Flame.
The three said no more and flew swiftly upwards, following the contours of the mountain range.
The mountains, rocks, and trees along the way rushed past in the field of vision.
Occasionally, a few powerful auras of demonic beasts would emerge from the mountains, but upon sensing the pressure of the three Nascent Soul level beings, they would immediately retreat into the depths of the cave like frightened quails, not daring to even show their heads.
A short while later, the three of them arrived at the hidden cave entrance on the mountaintop.
Between the stone walls, tiny strands of lightning energy swirled and moved like fish, making a "sizzling" sound.
Xuan Yin Zhenjun raised his hand and pushed open the heavy stone door, and the three of them filed in.
Deep within the cave, an extremely complex fourth-tier superior-grade lightning spirit array was slowly operating. At the center of the array, lightning surged, emanating a terrifying aura of destruction.
Xuan Yin Zhenjun stopped and turned around, looking at Chen Yi with a half-smile: "You were able to withstand that certain death tribulation, so why don't you try your skills with this high-grade fourth-tier lightning array?"
Chen Yi glanced at the terrifying magma churning within, and without even thinking, shook his head and refused: "It's too risky, there's no need."
They were forced to the brink of disaster back then.
Holding fast to the ultimate truth and braving the lightning tribulation to save people was a choice made out of necessity.
At that moment, he couldn't accept that Ning Bu'er's Dao foundation would be damaged and he would be crippled for life because of him, so he risked great exhaustion to fight for that sliver of life.
Now?
You can comfortably and steadily improve your strength with the system, without a knife to your throat. Only a madman would willingly jump into such uncertain danger to seek torture.
It should be noted that, in terms of pure destructive power alone, the power of this fourth-grade high-level Thunder Spirit Array is probably not much less than that of the divine lightning that fell at the end of the Heavenly Tribulation.
Chen Yi still vividly remembers the feeling of that moment.
He had used every trick in the book and almost all his trump cards to barely escape with his life. He didn't want to experience that feeling of teetering on the edge of life and death again.
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