Chapter 408 - 40: Blood Demon Zhao Wuji
Blood Demon Zhao Wuji and Qianmu Demon King were both titans who had long been famous in the Eastern Wilderness.
Zhao Wuji, in particular, was one of the few Late-stage Life Soul Cultivators in the current Wilderness, and his strength was unfathomable.
Qianmu Demon King was the leader of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts. He led the Valley to stand alongside the Sea Emperor Hall and Moon Phoenix Mountain as the Three Great Demon Race Sacred Lands. He had fought both openly and covertly against the Rakshasa Sect for many years, yet always remained standing.
Several months ago, the two had joined forces to hunt a Tier Four Fierce Beast at the border of the Eastern and Western Wilderness. By a stroke of luck, they witnessed an extraterrestrial spectacle: a magnificent, towering tomb flew in from beyond the realm and landed upon the lands of the Wilderness.
The two entered the great tomb to investigate but were blocked by the Grand Array and its restrictions within, preventing them from going deeper.
But one thing was certain: this great tomb was definitely left behind by a Tribulation Realm Great Power!
For some unknown reason, however, it had fallen from the extraterritorial space into the Red Profound Realm.
Even working together, they tried every method they could think of but were unable to take the great tomb for themselves. Thus, they had returned to the Eastern Wilderness to find an Array Master, preparing to make another trip.
The Grand Array that Bing Wuyi and Qing Luo had set up in the shop was, in fact, derived from the restrictions within the great tomb.
Bing Wuyi had come this time precisely to invite Fang Cheng to explore the great tomb with them.
Her main goal was to use Fang Jingxuan’s talent to break the arrays.
Or rather, the one who would truly play the key role was the Array Spirit Maiden from the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect.
This maiden, whose Spiritual Sense was born from within an array, had preserved and continued the legacy of the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect. Possessing both wisdom and spirituality, she now seemed to be the most precious treasure the sect had left behind.
"That great tomb caused quite a stir. The measures my master and Qianmu Demon King left behind likely won’t conceal it for much longer. If we delay any further, I’m afraid someone else will beat us to it," Bing Wuyi said, looking at Fang Cheng.
Fang Cheng said, "The Grand Array and its restrictions in the tomb were left by a great power from the Buddhist Sect?"
Bing Wuyi nodded. "That’s right. Many sects and families in the Western Wilderness have close ties with the Lankao Temple in the Mingxiao Domain. There’s no guarantee they won’t invite monks from Lankao Temple to break the array."
Hearing this, Fang Cheng fell into contemplation. "A tomb left by a Tribulation Realm Great Power, and one from an extraterritorial region at that... it must be fraught with peril. How could I possibly bring two children along on such a risky venture? If you were in my shoes, I doubt you would go either, would you?"
Bing Wuyi’s beautiful eyes glanced over the Jingyuan brothers before she smiled. "I’ve considered that as well. For this trip, I borrowed a Talisman from the Celestial Talisman Sect. It can temporarily house the two young masters, and then create two avatars for them... When we reach the ancient tomb, we will only need the young masters’ avatars to come forward and deduce a way to break the array."
As she spoke, she took out a Tri-color Talisman shimmering with spiritual light and gracefully presented it to Fang Cheng.
"The Lingxiao Three Sceneries Talisman." Fang Cheng recognized the Talisman with a single glance.
This was a famous sealing-type Grotto Heaven Talisman in the Cultivation Realm. The one before him was even a high-grade Tier Three, which was quite rare.
The Celestial Talisman Sect truly lived up to its name as a great sect of the Talisman Dao. Besides that mysterious Mountain Moving Talisman, it seemed they also had extraordinary skill with other spatial, Grotto Heaven-type Talismans.
Having Jingyuan and Jingxuan stay inside this Talisman, which Fang Cheng himself would carry on his person, would indeed eliminate his worries.
Fang Cheng looked at Jingxuan. The boy’s eyes were clear, his black-and-white pupils revealing a hint of anticipation. He clearly wanted to see the array restrictions left behind by a Tribulation Realm Great Power for himself.
"Alright, I accept," Fang Cheng said freely.
He still had a Profound Yellow Cloud Smoke Talisman on him, and with his Tier Five Flying Sword Zan Yue, it would be a pity not to go and see that mysterious ancient tomb.
At his level of Cultivation, the need for resources and opportunities far surpassed what it had been in the Life Talisman or Sensing Realms.
’Those who lock themselves away can never reach the peak.’
Besides, he had a faint feeling that the Extraterritorial Bodhisattva Statue he had recently obtained seemed to be connected to this great tomb.
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The auction at the Celestial Traveling Immortal Pavilion was a grand affair, with over a thousand Cultivators gathered together, most of whom were at the Life Talisman Realm or above.
Those below the Life Talisman Realm were not qualified to enter unless there were special circumstances.
Many powers from the Eastern Wilderness had sent representatives: the Nine Truths Sect, the Rakshasa Sect, the Red Flame Immortal Palace, the Celestial Talisman Sect, the Taiyi Sword Sect, the Nine Nether Demon Sect, the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, the Sea Emperor Hall, Moon Phoenix Mountain, the Jing Family, the Cao Family... and more.
This alone was a testament to the vast network and good relations of the Master of You Tian Immortal Pavilion.
Fang Cheng sat in a private room with his two sons, witnessing the grand spectacle of the auction from start to finish. He himself extravagantly spent over a hundred Upper-Grade Spirit Stones to purchase many Spiritual Medicines and some Profound Iron Immortal Gold.
The brothers Jingyuan and Jingxuan were dazzled by the sights. As they listened to the host describe the origins and functions of the various treasures, they secretly committed everything to memory.
In the future, when they returned to their family, these stories would surely become talking points for their conversations with their younger siblings.
Perhaps experiences like these were also part of the foundation that made those ancient families so strong.
As soon as the auction ended, Bing Wuyi found Fang Cheng and led him away from the Immortal Pavilion, heading straight for a specific location.
This thwarted the plans of the Female Cultivator from the Cao Family and Daoist Qiu from the Taiyi Sword Sect, who had intended to visit Fang Cheng. They had no choice but to return to the Taiyi Sword Sect first and wait for his return.
High in the sky, Fang Cheng summoned a Flame Lion that pulled a luxurious chariot, following behind the gracefully poised Bing Wuyi.
The Nine Nether Saintess sat cross-legged atop a Demon Snail, her magnificent long dress dancing in the wind, cutting a charming and elegant figure.
The Demon Snail was as white as jade and the size of a small hill. Its shell was covered in Demon Patterns, and it faintly exuded a demonic aura. It, too, was a Tier Three Celestial Demon.
Although she only had a Peak of Life Talisman Cultivation, in the East Desolate Cultivation World, she possessed combat strength on par with the Life Soul Realm. She stood as an equal with many Life Soul Cultivators, and no one dared to underestimate her.
Another important reason was that her master was the number one expert of the Nine Nether Demon Sect. The name of Blood Demon Zhao Wuji struck fear across the Wilderness, and no one dared to offend him.
After traveling for less than an hour, they saw a grand and majestic hall floating above a surging sea of clouds under the sky ahead.
The hall was a thousand feet in both length and width, with jade steps and bronze pillars, wreathed in clouds. Lifelike flying cranes coiled around its four corners.
Bing Wuyi introduced it, "This is the Celestial Crane Palace of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts’ Qianmu Demon King. It looks like a Tier Four Flying Treasure, but it’s actually a deadly offensive weapon. When those four Celestial Cranes combine their power, they can fight and kill a Tier Four Demon Beast..."
After speaking, she recalled her Demon Snail and floated down in front of the Celestial Crane Palace’s jade steps.
Fang Cheng followed suit, recalling his Flame Lion and leisurely descending.
Jingyuan and Jingxuan were nowhere to be seen, but on each of his shoulders sat a small, luminous figure about a foot tall, curiously gazing at the majestic hall before them.
The two walked into the hall and saw two men playing a board game in the center. One was a handsome young Daoist with eyes as bright as stars. He held a Jade Ruyi, and beside him stood a majestic golden eagle, giving him an incredibly immortal-like and transcendent air.
The other was a middle-aged man with a square, resolute, and simple face. He wore a brocade robe with wide sleeves and a tall hat with a broad sash. A vertical eye grew on his forehead, and he exuded a sharp aura that only came from holding a high position for a long time.
The moment Fang Cheng stepped into the hall, both men turned to look, surprise showing on their faces.
In their eyes, Fang Cheng was like a scorching sun, emitting a terrifying, heart-stopping demonic aura. The vast and profound presence of his immense Magical Power was in no way inferior to their own.
’When did such a figure appear in the Wilderness?!’
In a single instant, both men concluded that the cultivation and abilities of this tall, handsome man before them were absolutely not beneath their own.
"You must be Fellow Daoist Fang of the Yinluo Sect. I am Zhao. It’s an honor."
The young Daoist stood up and cupped his hands in greeting. His bearing and demeanor were extraordinary, and his calm, measured tone was as pleasant as a spring breeze.
Fang Cheng returned the courtesy. "I have long heard of your great name, Fellow Daoist."
This young Daoist before him was none other than the Supreme Elder of the Nine Nether Demon Sect, a Late-stage Life Soul Cultivator, the Blood Demon Zhao Wuji!
He pointed to the man with the vertical eye beside him and smiled. "This is Qianmu Demon King of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts. I’m sure you’ve heard of him as well."
Fang Cheng nodded and calmly cupped his hands toward the Demon King. "Greetings, Demon King."
Qianmu Demon King sized Fang Cheng up for a moment before returning the courtesy. "Fellow Daoist Fang, you killed seven of the Rakshasa Sect’s Supreme Elders in a row. In doing so, you’ve also vented some of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts’ frustrations. From now on, you are an honored guest of my Valley. If you ever need our help, you need only ask!"
Fang Cheng laughed heartily and said, "You are too kind, Demon King."
The three sat down. Bing Wuyi stood behind Zhao Wuji like a completely different person, quietly and obediently serving them tea without any of the airs of a Saintess.
After some pleasantries, Zhao Wuji looked at the avatars of Jingyuan and Jingxuan on Fang Cheng’s shoulders and smiled. "To think that we would need your sons to help us break the array this time. There is nothing more wondrously strange in this world!"
Two top-tier Life Soul-level powers were now seeking help from a mere thirteen-year-old boy in the Sensing Realm. The very thought was incredible.
However, in the Cultivation Realm, something like talent could rarely be measured by common sense.
Fang Cheng discussed the matter of the ancient tomb with the two of them, and they added many more details.
The Heaven-Defining Membrane outside the Wilderness Domain was relatively thin, so it wasn’t considered rare for extraterritorial objects to fall through.
On that day, when Zhao Wuji and Qianmu Demon King saw the extraterritorial great tomb fall from the sky, they rushed over immediately.
The great tomb was shaped like a conical hill and had four entrances. At each entrance, there should have been a Buddha Statue standing guard.
But at the time, they saw that only one entrance still had its Buddha Statue; at the other three entrances, only the lotus-shaped pedestals remained.
According to the two of them, the Buddha Statue was incredibly sturdy; even with their Divine Power Magical Artifacts, they couldn’t damage it in the slightest.
Moreover, the Buddha Statue contained an Illusion Realm, a Buddhist Sect array that could capture one’s soul and mind, trapping them within with no hope of escape.
Fortunately, the great tomb had weathered the ages and had suffered numerous "collisions" in the extraterritorial space, so the array within the Buddha Statue was damaged. The two of them were not affected.
But the entrance guarded by the Buddha Statue was impossible to get through.
The other three lotus pedestals also had entrances, but these entrances also had Buddhist Sect arrays. The two spent a great deal of effort breaking through them and entering the tomb passages, only to encounter new array restrictions.
In the end, although they broke through three barriers, they were stopped by the fourth array restriction and could not advance a single step further. That was why they had been forced to return.
Zhao Wuji had restored parts of the fourth array’s formation, broken it down into nine smaller arrays, and sent Bing Wuyi and the Cyan Rattan Demon King to the Celestial Traveling Immortal Pavilion to recruit Array Masters in the hope of breaking it.
In addition to that, Zhao Wuji also had his other disciple, Mo Wu Yong, go and invite a Loose Cultivator who was an array expert. This person would also be accompanying them to break the arrays.
Qianmu Demon King had also invited a Loose Cultivator expert to go to the great tomb with them. In the future, if they encountered Western Desolate Cultivators inside the array and a fight broke out, having an extra expert would provide another layer of security.
As for Fang Cheng’s appearance, that was far beyond their expectations.
As they were speaking, two powerful auras appeared outside the hall, and then a man and a woman walked in.
The woman in the lead had skin as fair as jade and features as picturesque as a painting. She wore a cross-collared, wide-sleeved shirt, a long skirt with double ribbons, a small belt with a jade pendant, and silk ribbons that fluttered in the air.
She might not seem stunning at first glance, but the more one looked, the more beautiful she became. She was truly worthy of the word "beauty."
In contrast, the man behind her was plain-looking. He wore a black robe and had a dull, stern expression, rarely smiling.
"That is Lady Wei of Qianyang Mountain, the number one Array Master in the Eastern Wilderness."
Just then, Bing Wuyi’s voice transmission sounded in Fang Cheng’s ear.