Chapter 1265: Murong Yuhua

The mini Nascent Soul was on the verge of escaping when Zhou Xiangqin flicked her hand. A thin blue thread shot forth, coiled around the mini Nascent Soul, binding it and drawing it back towards her.

Zhou Xiangqin grasped the mini Nascent Soul in her right hand, and a soft white light emanated from her palm.

Initially, the mini Nascent Soul struggled violently, but soon, its features twisted, and its body began to tremble uncontrollably.

After a moment, Zhou Xiangqin released her grip, a contemplative expression on her face.

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist Wang,” Zhou Xiangqin expressed her gratitude, returning the mini Nascent Soul to Wang Changsheng.

Wang Changsheng produced a silver talisman, placed it on the mini Nascent Soul, then placed the mini Nascent Soul into a blue jade box. After affixing a golden talisman to the box, he put it away.

“Madam Zhou, we heard there’s a demon causing widespread chaos. Have you not apprehended the culprit yet?” Wang Ruyan asked curiously. A Nascent Soul stage demon was wreaking havoc, having slain numerous cultivators, including as many as ten Nascent Soul cultivators, leaving the Great Yan Dynasty gripped by fear.

“My venerable Seventh Grand-Uncle personally intervened and severely wounded him,” Zhou Xiangqin stated solemnly. “However, he used some miraculous secret art to escape. Should he dare to reappear, his demise is certain. If either of you Fellow Daoists discover his whereabouts, please notify us immediately. Under no circumstances should you engage him. It took the combined effort of two late-Nascent Soul cultivators to severely wound this demon; ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators seeking trouble with him would merely aid his recovery.” This demon had disrupted the Great Yan Dynasty’s governing order and caused the Great Yan Dynasty to suffer a significant loss of vitality.

The Great Yan Imperial Family desperately wished to extract his soul and refine his essence, but the demon had escaped without a trace. It was highly probable he had already fled the Great Yan Dynasty.

“It took two late-Nascent Soul cultivators to severely wound this demon? We heard this demon was released from a forbidden area. This demon has been sealed for several millennia; how is he still alive?” Wang Qingshan had been inside that forbidden area and had personally described the situation within it to Wang Changsheng. The forbidden area had existed for four millennia; even Spirit Transformation cultivators do not possess such a long lifespan. Could this demon possess a zombie body, or does he possess a secret art for longevity? Typically, Nascent Soul cultivators have a lifespan of 1,500 years, and Spirit Transformation cultivators live for 3,000 years. Even longevity fruits only provide a modest increase in lifespan, and the more one consumes, the less additional lifespan is gained.

Zhou Xiangqin hesitated briefly and explained, “Strictly speaking, he is not a cultivator but a member of the demon race. He infused his body with true demonic energy, transforming into a demon. The demon race has longer lifespans, but he doesn't have much lifespan left either. According to Seventh Grand-Uncle’s estimation, if he fails to achieve a breakthrough soon, he too will perish.”

Initially, the Great Yan Dynasty intended to quietly eliminate this demon. After all, this individual was of imperial descent, and public knowledge would damage their reputation. Other cultivators, unaware of the demon’s origins, somewhat underestimated him. However, after the demon consecutively slew ten Nascent Soul cultivators, the Great Yan Dynasty dared not conceal it any longer. However, out of consideration for the Imperial Family’s reputation, they only revealed the demon’s origins to high-level cultivators.

“The Demon Race! Infusion with true demonic energy!” Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were utterly astonished. Thousands of years ago, the Myriad Ghost Sect, one of the ten major sects in the South Sea, opened a passage, allowing low-level demons to enter and plunge the East Glimmer Realm into chaos. Although the East Glimmer Realm eventually overcame the crisis, it paid a devastating price, with millions of cultivators dead or injured.

It was said that to entice the native cultivators of the East Glimmer Realm, the demon race promised to infuse them with true demonic energy, helping them transform into demons. However, if they were to ascend, they would ascend to the Demon Realm, not the Spirit Realm.

At that time, a group of cultivators with limited lifespans were swayed by the demons and wholeheartedly served them, harming their own kind. They hadn't realized this was a genuine possibility.

On that note, if infusing one's body with true demonic energy to become a demon could extend one's lifespan by over four thousand years, it was no wonder that Nascent Soul cultivators would wholeheartedly devote themselves to the demon race.

Seemingly sensing Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan’s bewilderment, Zhou Xiangqin quickly explained, “Cultivators who undergo true demonic energy infusion have a certain chance of transforming into members of the demon race. However, this process is exceptionally perilous. If anything goes awry, they risk becoming monsters driven solely by slaughter. This particular demon has managed to survive until now, seemingly by consuming a Heavenly Demon Fruit. Furthermore, his cultivation technique is somewhat unique. This is why he has been able to survive for such a long time; had it been any other Nascent Soul stage demon, they would not have been able to survive for over four thousand years.”

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan’s faces showed expressions of dawning comprehension, though deep down, they remained half-believing and half-doubting. Regardless, this demon was not someone they could afford to provoke.

After half an hour of casual conversation, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan bid their farewells. Zhou Xiangqin and her two companions personally saw them off.

Upon leaving the market town, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan ascended the Azure Lotus Dharma Seat. They cast a spell, and the Azure Lotus Dharma Seat immediately emitted a brilliant azure light, transforming into a long azure rainbow, soaring through the air.

“The Azure Lotus Immortals truly live up to their reputation as renowned Nascent Soul cultivators of the South Sea. With their combined strength, Ghostly Fiend Rogue Cultivator was utterly outmatched. By the way, Fellow Daoist Zhou, did you uncover any significant intelligence when you performed soul-searching on Ghostly Fiend Rogue Cultivator’s Nascent Soul?” Chen Hongguang asked casually.

Zhou Xiangqin shook her head and replied, “There was no significant information. He had no contact with that demon. However, he obtained the skeleton of a fourth-tier demonic bird from an ancient cultivator’s dwelling, which he had refined into a Nascent Soul stage bone corpse. It's a pity he had only just completed the refinement; had he been able to nurture it for another hundred years, it would not have been so easy to deal with.”

“A bone corpse? Ghost cultivators are fond of refining bone corpses to serve as their subordinates. However, ever since the Myriad Ghost Sect in the South Sea was destroyed, the number of ghost cultivators has steadily declined. There aren't many formidable figures left.”

Chongzhou. The Murong Royal Clan.

In a vast bluestone plaza, a massive white flood dragon and a golden flood dragon with a single golden horn on its head were locked in combat.

Wang Qingling and Wang Qiuming stood some distance away, Wang Qingling’s face alight with excitement.

She and Wang Qiuming were visiting the Murong Royal Clan. The Murong Royal Clan had warmly received them and proactively suggested a beast battle, which Wang Qingling naturally wouldn't refuse.

The Murong Royal Clan bred a large number of spiritual beasts and birds. The Earth Dragonworm and Black Sparrow were only low-grade third-tier; they had both lost to the spiritual beasts bred by the Murong family. Wang Qingling was now relying on the Icewind Flood Dragon to win back a round.

The sharp horn on the golden flood dragon’s head shot forth a golden light, striking the Icewind Flood Dragon. The Icewind Flood Dragon let out a piteous roar, its body flying backward and crashing to the ground, its massive body crushing the bluestone bricks laid beneath it.

Several scales detached from the Icewind Flood Dragon’s body, leaving it covered in wounds.

The golden flood dragon, having landed a successful blow, continued to charge towards the Icewind Flood Dragon. The Icewind Flood Dragon feigned a delayed reaction. As the golden flood dragon drew near, the Icewind Flood Dragon sprayed forth a misty white cold air. The golden flood dragon attempted to evade it, but the Icewind Flood Dragon’s tail descended from above, slamming onto the golden flood dragon’s body, sending it directly into the white cold air. The golden flood dragon’s head began to freeze at a visibly rapid rate, and the Icewind Flood Dragon continued to spray cold air, solidifying the ice around the golden flood dragon’s head.

The Icewind Flood Dragon’s massive dragon claw was raised high, poised to strike the golden flood dragon’s head.

“Stop, Madam Wang, I concede!”

A fair-faced, beardless scholar in white robes quickly called out. He was Murong Yuhua, one of the Eighteen Prodigies of Great Yan. He was not proficient in beast-taming arts, so losing to the Hundred Spirits Immortaless Wang Qingling was not a significant matter.

In fact, the Murong family’s high-ranking members had also intended for him to lose. The Murong family had already secured two victories, gaining sufficient face, and to have Wang Qingling lose another match would have been inhospitable.

Wang Qingling and Wang Qiuming had traveled thousands of miles to visit the Murong Royal Clan, and the Murong Royal Clan needed to allow their guests some dignity.