“Let’s not talk about this; it’s more important that we quickly go help Chen Daojun!”
Facing their praise, Li Mu put Xiaobai into his spirit control treasure bracelet and quickly changed the subject.
Upon hearing this, Feng Yi and Feng Wuhen nodded in unison, then their figures flickered, and they departed on their swords, rushing to the next battlefield.
Li Mu breathed a slight sigh of relief and followed, casting the Time-Space Escape Technique to pursue the two.
Soon, the three approached their destination, sensing from afar the strong spiritual energy fluctuations and waves of killing intent emanating from the center of the battlefield.
However, under the Divine Sense scan, the three were all stunned by what they found.
“You’ve arrived!”
In the vast Star Domain, Chen Qingxuan floated in the air, covered in wounds, looking at the three with a desolate expression, while a remnant of a Demon Dragon lay horizontally not far away.
The Demon Dragon Corpse lay across the Void Realm, a thousand zhang long, and even though it had lost its life force, it still exuded a terrifying majesty and ferocity; its body was as colossal and towering as a mountain, with broken scales and fractured bones, shimmering with a dark light; although its Dragon head had been severed, its hollow Dragon eyes seemed to still gaze into the distance, revealing its boundless majesty and arrogance from when it was alive.
Its pair of black Dragon wings were tattered, but one could still imagine the scene of them covering the sky when complete; it was covered in injuries, black scales scattered… The surrounding space was distorted by the presence of this Demon Dragon Corpse, and waves of chilling killing intent permeated the air, making one shiver.
“Senior Brother Chen, did you successfully take down this Demon Dragon?” Feng Wuhen asked, looking at the Demon Dragon Corpse and sensing Chen Qingxuan’s unusual mood, surprised.
“No! This Incarnation, which used the cicada shedding its shell technique, had its True Dragon escape when I discovered it.” Chen Qingxuan shook his head, his voice filled with unconcealed frustration: “This fellow is extremely cunning; not only is he powerful, but he is also proficient in stealth techniques. I was already very careful, but he still tricked me!”
Upon hearing this, Feng Yi’s expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice: “In that case, the threat we face has not been eliminated; instead, it has become even more troublesome. He will surely make a comeback, and by then, he might be even more difficult to deal with.”
“Indeed! This time’s success was due to catching him off guard. If he had been prepared, it would be difficult to uncover the Demon Abyss forces’ layout in this realm!” Feng Wuhen frowned, saying heavily.
The Demon Abyss’s invasion of this realm was carried out by these vanguard Demonic Cultivators who managed to infiltrate, gradually encroaching, and eventually forming a powerful force. If they could not be wiped out completely, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Thinking of this, the three Dao Lords’ faces darkened.
Just then, Li Mu suddenly spoke, indicating: “I have a clue here that might help us find how they invaded this realm.”
As his voice fell, Li Mu extended a hand and retrieved a soul gathering bottle from his storage ring.
Upon hearing this, the three looked at Li Mu in surprise, gazing at the soul gathering bottle with confusion.
Feng Yi’s spirits lifted, and he asked with concern: “Elder Li, what is contained in this bottle?”
“This soul gathering bottle contains the remnant Soul of the Demonic Cultivator captured earlier. I had a brief encounter with this person; he is called Night Emperor - Di XingTian, a Cultivator of this realm, but he was mixed with the three Demon Abyss clans. He must have some understanding of the Demon Abyss forces’ invasion plan,” Li Mu explained, his gaze deep as he looked at the soul gathering bottle, his tone heavy.
After speaking, Li Mu pushed the soul gathering bottle towards Feng Yi: “Dao Lord Feng, Li is not skilled in Soul searching techniques, so I’ll trouble you with the interrogation!”
“Haha, Elder Li, you’re too polite. Leave such a small matter to me!” Feng Yi laughed heartily and happily took the soul gathering bottle.
“Without further ado, let’s find a place immediately to conduct the Soul search interrogation,” Feng Wuhen suggested.
The few quickly reached an agreement, their figures flickering, transforming into streams of light and disappearing from their original spot. As for the Demon Dragon Corpse, it was taken into Li Mu’s Possession, becoming his spoils of war.
As Feng Yi’s spiritual energy surged, opening the soul gathering bottle, a powerful Divine Sense enveloped it, and the remnant Soul of Night Emperor - Di XingTian slowly emerged, its face twisted, eyes full of terror and despair.
However, facing the mighty will of Feng Yi, a Great Vehicle Dao Lord, he ultimately could not escape and could only passively endure the torment of the Soul search.
Feng Yi’s eyes were slightly closed, immersed in the vast sea of Divine Sense. His powerful spiritual sense, like a fine spiderweb, entangled the remnant Soul of Night Emperor - Di XingTian. Every touch of his spiritual sense was like a sharp blade, excavating the secrets and memories deep within Di XingTian’s Soul.
As time passed, Di XingTian’s Divine Soul became twisted, trembling uncontrollably under the merciless Soul search, almost on the verge of collapse. Past scenes flashed through Feng Yi’s mind like a revolving lantern.
After a long while, Feng Yi opened his eyes, remaining in a daze for quite some time, as if immersed in a long dream. His eyes held both relief and solemnity, clearly indicating that the information obtained from Night Emperor - Di XingTian’s memory was extremely complex, leaving him unable to recover for a long time.
At the same time, Night Emperor - Di Tianxing’s Divine Soul also became exceptionally weak due to excessive Soul searching, almost transparent, as if it could dissipate into nothingness at any moment. His eyes had lost their previous emotional color, leaving only emptiness and bewilderment—that hollow feeling after the depths of the Soul had been thoroughly excavated.
“What’s the result! Senior Brother Feng, any findings?” Feng Wuhen asked anxiously. Li Mu and Chen Qingxuan looked at him together, their gazes fixed on Feng Yi’s face, hoping to get useful clues from him.
“This person is a ten-thousand-year-old demon; he’s older than the three of us combined. The information obtained from using Soul search on him is too much; I need to sort it out,” Feng Yi shook his head gently, a hint of fatigue on his face, indicating.
Then, Feng Yi fell into contemplation, quickly sorting through the vast amount of information extracted from Night Emperor - Di XingTian’s memory.
Feng Wuhen, Li Mu, and Chen Qingxuan, seeing this, dared not disturb him, quietly waiting for Feng Yi’s sorted results. The air was filled with a tense yet expectant atmosphere, as if even time had slowed its pace.
In Feng Yi’s mind, a massive amount of information was like surging clouds, and Night Emperor - Di XingTian’s life experiences unfolded slowly like a scroll.
Night Emperor - Di Tianxing was originally an outstanding Disciple of the Tianlong Sect, with extraordinary talent. From a young age, he displayed astonishing talent for the Dragon Emperor Cultivation Technique, hailed as the Sect’s future star of hope.
However, Years flew by, ten thousand Years passed in a flash. Although he diligently Cultivated without cease, he was still unable to Breakthrough to the Mahayana Realm. His Lifespan was exhausted, beyond recovery. This regret and unwillingness gradually took root in his heart, ultimately transforming into an extreme desire for life.
On one accidental occasion, Di XingTian learned of an ancient and forbidden Demonic Technique—the “Life-Draining Dragon Transformation Art.” This Cultivation Technique originated from ancient times, capable of absorbing the vitality of all things, reversing life and death, and even allowing a dying Dragon to be Reborn. But the price was endless slaughter and the degeneration of the Soul.
Driven by despair and greed, Di XingTian recklessly embarked on this path of no return. First, he sought out and hunted many of the Dragon Clan, using their pure Dragon blood and vitality as sacrifices, initially attempting the power of the “Life-Draining Dragon Transformation Art.” This method became his stepping stone in pursuit of eternal life, but it also led him step by step into the abyss of darkness.
As time went on, Di XingTian’s craving for power grew stronger, and he began to turn his attention to even more powerful existences—those Dragon Corpses that had fallen for various reasons but still retained powerful Dragon Souls. Through complex rituals and evil incantations, he was able to temporarily awaken the remnant Souls of these Dragon Corpses, forcefully extracting the immense vitality and power they contained during their lives, integrating them into himself.
However, such power was not without cost. His rationality and humanity gradually vanished under the erosion of power. He was no longer the former Tianlong Sect Disciple, but had transformed into a true Demon Dragon. At the same time, he needed to constantly hunt powerful beings to compensate for the rapid loss of vitality.
Over ten thousand Years, Di Tianxing caused countless slaughters. He obtained a precious high-grade Dragon Emperor egg and decided to hatch it, then perform Possession to completely escape the predicament of Cultivating the Demonic Technique and achieve Rebirth.
But just as Di Tianxing was about to complete this crucial plan, he unexpectedly provoked an uninvited intruder, who, with Void Refining power, defeated him and took away the Dragon Emperor egg.
Thinking of this, Feng Yi opened his eyes, looking at Li Mu with mixed emotions. For a moment, he didn’t know where to begin.
“Senior Brother Feng? Was the Soul search not smooth? Or let me try!” Chen Qingxuan looked at the dazed Feng Yi, suggesting somewhat anxiously.
Feng Yi waved his hand and shook his head, his gaze deep. Di Tianxing’s cooperation with the Demon Dragon Clan, helping them open inter-realm teleportation arrays, seeking the Demon Dragon Clan’s offspring, and colluding with the Demon Abyss forces, even betraying the Human Race—the reason for this was somewhat bizarre.
“This person’s cooperation with the Demon Abyss forces, speaking of it, also has some connection with Elder Li!” Feng Yi looked at Li Mu, smiling as he said.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu, Feng Wuhen, and Chen Qingxuan were slightly stunned, looking at Feng Yi, waiting for him to continue.
Feng Yi smiled slightly, revealing Night Emperor - Di Tianxing’s background and the Cultivation Technique he practiced, one by one, to the three.
“Di Tianxing encountered Elder Li and took a fancy to your two mounts—the Nine Nether Kun Whale, intending to seize their vitality to continue his Cultivation!” Feng Yi introduced and explained: “However, he was defeated by Elder Li, and his Immortal Cave, along with the True Dragon egg prepared for his Rebirth, were all taken away by Elder Li.”
Feng Wuhen and Chen Qingxuan both showed surprise, their gazes towards Li Mu filled with strangeness.
Li Mu gave a helpless, bitter smile: “So it was because I took the Dragon egg, and Di Tianxing couldn’t perform Possession, which is why he tried every means to attract the Demon Abyss forces and sided with the Demon Dragon Clan, leading to the invasion of this realm by the three Demon Abyss domain lords. I am the ‘culprit’!”
“Elder Li, don’t take all the responsibility on yourself!” Feng Yi said, both amused and exasperated, quickly explaining: “Di Tianxing was defeated by Elder Li and suffered heavy losses. The loss of the Dragon Emperor egg was indeed a heavy blow to him, but the deeper reason is that he has gone too far down this path of pursuing power and eternal life, and there’s no turning back. The Demon Dragon Clan’s inter-realm teleportation array is a shortcut for him to acquire new resources and new power.”
“Senior Brother Chen, where is this Formation located? We must go destroy it immediately!” Chen Qingxuan asked with concern.
Feng Yi’s smile vanished, and he responded with a grim face: “This Formation is located in the Nine Nether core area, set up with the help of dense Nine Nether Qi. The Formation is called ‘Nether Breaking Boundary Formation,’ deeply hidden in the core region of the Nine Nether, where the Nine Nether Qi is most concentrated.”
“This Formation connects the Demon Abyss forces to many different realms and is also the gateway for the Demon Abyss forces to spy on this realm. Once it is fully activated, the consequences will be unimaginable,” Feng Yi added.
“Senior Brother Feng, the Nine Underworld Star Region is so vast, and now that we’ve alerted them, finding it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack!” Feng Wuhen frowned, looking at Feng Yi and asking.
Feng Yi nodded, saying in a deep voice: “From Di Tianxing’s memory, I learned some key clues. The establishment of this Formation requires a large amount of Nine Nether Qi as an energy source, so it must be located in the most concentrated and stable area of Nine Nether Qi.”
“Secondly, the activation of the Formation requires specific rituals and sacrifices. These rituals are often accompanied by powerful spiritual energy fluctuations. As long as we can capture these fluctuations, we can follow the clues to find the exact location of the Formation.”
“Additionally, Di Tianxing’s cooperation with the Demon Dragon Clan is not without traces. Their connections and actions will inevitably leave clues. We can gradually narrow down the search range by tracking these clues.” Feng Yi said this, a glint flashing in his eyes, looking at the three: “Of course, the most direct method is still to Soul search the remnant Souls of those captured Demon Abyss Cultivators. Someone among them must know the exact location of this Formation.”
“Good idea!” Feng Wuhen’s eyes lit up, and he readily agreed, then looked at Li Mu, as the remnant Souls of those Body Integration Demonic Cultivators had all been acquired by Li Mu.
Li Mu smiled slightly, taking out seven soul gathering bottles from his storage ring, and explained: “They are here. Originally, they were meant to be food for Xiaobai, but it seems Xiaobai won’t be able to eat for a while.”
Upon hearing this, the three looked at the several soul gathering bottles, glancing at each other, feeling a bit awkward. However, using the remnant Souls of Demon Abyss Demonic Cultivators as food for a pet insect didn’t seem too out of line.
Before long, the three Dao Lords, with the Divine Sense of Mahayana Cultivators, invaded the remnant Souls of these Demonic Cultivators, searching the memory oceans of the Demonic Cultivators’ remnant Souls for any clue about the “Nether Breaking Boundary Formation.”
As the Soul search deepened, the three gradually pieced together more details about the “Nether Breaking Boundary Formation.” They discovered that this Formation not only connected multiple realms but also concealed many complex mechanisms and traps. Destroying it smoothly would be no easy feat. But what shocked them even more was that the Demon Abyss seemed to have secretly laid out multiple backup plans to deal with possible destructive actions.
“The Nether Breaking Boundary Formation is quite difficult to set up and not easy to move. Since we know its location, we should head there immediately!” Feng Wuhen suggested with a solemn expression.
“Time waits for no one; we must destroy this Formation before they can move it!” Feng Yi nodded readily.
With that, the three summoned their Dao swords and prepared to depart on them.
Li Mu followed, preparing to cast a spell. However, just then, Feng Yi extended a hand, stopping him, and indicated: “Elder Li, the Nine Nether Forbidden Land is very dangerous and not suitable for you. You should not go.”
“Indeed! Compared to the seven extreme Sealed Land Restrictions, your personal guidance is more needed to prevent the remaining Demon Abyss forces from succeeding in a sneak attack!” Chen Qingxuan also advised.
Li Mu paused slightly, his gaze moving between the three. Seeing their resolute attitude, he nodded helplessly.
“Very well, then!” Li Mu reluctantly agreed, finally earnestly admonishing: “Three Dao Lords, going to the Nine Nether core is extremely perilous. You must be careful.”
“Elder Li, rest assured, we’ll be back soon!” Feng Wuhen said with a light smile, his eyes flashing with determination.
“Elder Li, the Sect matters are entrusted to you. We will act carefully,” Feng Yi said, smiling and nodding.
Chen Qingxuan smiled slightly, comforting him with a gentle smile: “Elder Li, with you stabilizing the overall situation from the rear, we can advance without worries. Take care!”
After speaking, the three exchanged glances again, then their figures flickered, transforming into three streaks of light, piercing through the Star Domain, and rapidly speeding towards the Nine Nether core area. (End of Chapter)
