Chapter 748: Heavenly Tower

The Mortal Realm

While Qin Sang and others were battling fierce insects and strange beasts in the dense forest.

In front of the Sky Tower, over a dozen figures stood silently on the square. Their aura was concealed, and their attire was peculiar, clearly distinguishing them from humans. They were all Nascent Soul Grandmasters of the Witch Clan. Leading them was a white-haired old woman.

The old woman wore the Grand Witch Doctor's robe, symbolizing the most esteemed status within the Witch Clan. The upper half of her face was covered by a half-mask, thin as a cicada's wing and brightly colored. Below the mask, her chin and lips were exposed, surprisingly ruddy. She looked up at the Sky Tower, her face deep in thought. After a moment, she suddenly turned to face an empty space and said coldly, "Demon Lord, since you have graced us with your presence, why do you hide and dare not show yourself?" Upon hearing this, the other Nascent Souls' expressions changed, and a stir immediately arose among them.

"Hehe, Grand Witch Doctor's perception is indeed keen. I had fully concealed my aura, yet I still couldn't hide it from you, fellow Daoist." A burst of laughter echoed from the void, followed by a sudden flash of light. With a 'swoosh', a middle-aged man appeared unceremoniously before them. This person was the formidable leader of the demonic path, the Demon Lord, who commanded awe across the Azure Waves Sea! After the Heavenly Fiend Lunar Ghost Light dissipated, no demonic energy, hostility, or malevolent aura could be detected from him. His gaze was calm, and his demeanor extraordinary, much like a great Confucian scholar. However, after he appeared, all the Witch Clan's Nascent Souls wore expressions as if facing a formidable enemy.

The Demon Lord seemed unfazed by the Grand Witch Doctor exposing his presence. He ignored the Witch Clan Nascent Souls' vigilance and looked directly into the Grand Witch Doctor's eyes. Only the old woman's expression remained unchanged. She gave the Demon Lord a deep look and said faintly, "Fellow Daoist appeared once before, so naturally, I must be more cautious. However, I heard that the Seven Kills Hall's true treasure-hiding place can only be entered when it reveals itself. Are there any other treasures left outside that warrant your personal visit?"

The Demon Lord chuckled and spread his hands. "Why ask the obvious, fellow Daoist? The Witch Clan adopted a stance of sparing no effort, forcing us humans to agree to share the Seven Kills Hall, and then went to great lengths to break the formation. How could we not be on guard? Unfortunately, that cunning old ghost from the Heavenly Dao Sect claimed his cultivation method went wrong, causing him internal injuries that require secluded healing, so I had to make this trip myself. I'm also very curious what could be in the Seven Kills Hall, a place that's practically been dug up, to warrant such efforts from you."

The old woman scoffed, "Who can say whether Daoist Ling Zhuzi's injuries are real or fake? Even if you set up an inescapable net outside the Seven Kills Hall to ambush us, I wouldn't be surprised in the least."

"The feeling is mutual..." The Demon Lord laughed casually, "Hasn't Fellow Daoist Fang also not shown up? I'm feeling quite uneasy myself."

The old woman snorted coldly, "So, fellow Daoist is determined to follow me?" The Demon Lord smiled without speaking. "Since fellow Daoist insists on following, I won't hinder you. Let us each rely on our own abilities." The old woman withdrew her gaze, ignoring the Demon Lord, and said to the others, "Fellow Daoists, your missions have long been clearly assigned. I will not say more. Success or failure depends on this one effort. Depart!"

As soon as she spoke, the Witch Clan Nascent Souls departed one after another, heading in various directions. The escape speed of Nascent Soul Grandmasters was evident; in an instant, they scattered like celestial maidens strewing flowers, vanishing into the depths of the mountains. The old woman then entered the Sky Tower alone.

The Demon Lord had not expected the Witch Clan to divide their forces so extensively. "Is that old hag putting on a show, or is she truly looking for something?" After a moment of hesitation, strange light surged from the Demon Lord's palm. He sent a few strands flying into the depths of the mountains, then followed closely behind the old woman into the Sky Tower himself.

After a brief period of activity, silence returned outside the Sky Tower. After a good while, figures began to emerge from the nearby hilltops. They had secretly witnessed the confrontation between the Demon Lord and the Grand Witch Doctor, and fortunately, no one had paid them any mind. Some hesitated and chose to leave, while others gritted their teeth and charged in.

"Follow this river upstream."

In the jungle, thanks to the Merchant Alliance's thorough preparation, Qin Sang and his group were still unharmed. Xiang Yi led them to a river. This river was very strange; its wide surface was covered with purple algae, and even the river water itself was purple. Such a large river flowed through the dense forest, its origin unknown. The purple river water flowed murmuringly, the purple algae obscured their view, and the depths of the water were so dark that nothing could be seen. This river gave them a very unsettling feeling. They all tried to stay as far from the riverbanks as possible, as the fierce insects and strange beasts in the dense forest had left a deep impression on them. This river looked so peculiar; it was definitely a perilous place!

"This is the legendary Purple River!" The cultivator surnamed Pan's face suddenly turned very grim, which, combined with the mask embedded on his face, made him look even stranger. "If you follow the Purple River upstream, you will enter the most dangerous part of this jungle, a place permeated by purple poisonous mist, terrifyingly known as the 'Purple Mist Death Zone'. It has claimed countless cultivators' lives. Fellow Daoist Xiang, you're not planning to lead us into the Purple Mist Death Zone, are you?"

The cultivator surnamed Pan stared, raising his question. The others also looked startled upon hearing this, stopping in their tracks and staring at Xiang Yi. The Purple Mist Death Zone was one of the most perilous areas in the Seven Kills Hall, also known as one of the Seven Kills Hall's three great poisonous lands. Previous generations had warned their successors never to go to these places. No one had expected the Merchant Alliance to send them to such a dangerous place. Given their cultivation levels, it was uncertain whether they could withstand the erosion of the poisonous mist in the Purple Mist Death Zone, let alone the omnipresent dangers. Going there would be suicidal; completing the mission would be utterly impossible.

Xiang Yi remained unhurried and nodded. "Since we've arrived here, I'll stop keeping you in suspense. The Merchant Alliance has ordered us to enter the Purple Mist Death Zone. For this purpose, the Alliance Master bestowed upon me a wondrous poison-repelling treasure, personally refined by him. As long as we don't venture into the deepest core of the Purple Mist Death Zone, this treasure will allow us to easily resist the poisonous mist, so fellow Daoists need not worry."

The couple surnamed Liu frowned and said, "It seems some predecessors who ventured into the Purple Mist Death Zone mentioned that the toxicity of the mist inside can change. However, Fellow Daoist Xiang, let us state this upfront: if, after entering the Purple Mist Death Zone, that magic treasure shows signs of being unable to resist the poisonous mist, we must abandon the mission and withdraw. We do not wish to die in there for no clear reason." Everyone nodded repeatedly. They had long known that the Merchant Alliance's mission wouldn't be simple, but they hadn't expected to be sent to such a dangerous place.

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He wondered if his Fat Silkworm's poison-repelling armor could withstand the poisonous mist. Previously, he had only tested it on daemon beasts in the Demon Core stage. After the Fat Silkworm's transformation, its poison-repelling armor could easily resist the potent venom of great demons. However, that was venom produced by daemon beasts, which would certainly be different from the strange poisons like the Purple Mist that originated between heaven and earth.

Xiang Yi said dismissively, "The Merchant Alliance went to such great lengths and made so many preparations; surely it's not to harm us, is it? Fellow Daoists, please rest assured, I know what I'm doing. If a task proves impossible, I will not force it."