Chapter 423: Intimidating Changxi, Army at the City Gates

The Glazed Pagoda.

Wang Yu's spiritual sense entered his Natal Magic Treasure, transforming into a thought-body. At the lowest level, two Nascent Souls remained imprisoned. These two entities could only be perfectly utilized once his Human Alchemy reached the peak of the fourth tier.

However, his available slots weren't quite enough, as his primary focus was currently on comprehending and cultivating 'Law Intent'. Even if the two Nascent Souls were refined into 'Infant Pills' that could enhance cultivation, the improvement would be limited. He was currently accumulating demonic essence at a considerable pace.

His goal was to comprehend Law Intent, strengthen it, and enlarge his Nascent Soul. Only then, as his demonic essence cultivation advanced rapidly, could his Nascent Soul's strength keep pace, preventing him from encountering overly difficult bottlenecks.

After a thorough check, he confirmed there were no oversights. This spiritual sense avatar then ascended to the top floor of the Glazed Pagoda.

Suspended in mid-air, her limbs stretched out in an 'X' shape by dark icy chains, was none other than the Moonlight Fairy, Chang Xi, dressed in a moon-white gauze dress.

Wang Yu strode over, his gaze sweeping across her face. Chang Xi was a classic beauty with cool, pale skin. Her narrow eyes were as sharp as blades, and her icy demeanor evoked a desire for conquest. The pure white lashes at the corners of her eyes added an extra touch of cool, sacred purity. Compared to over a century ago, her aura had changed considerably. Her two long, slender legs were pulled apart by the icy chains, a pose that disrupted her overall ethereal elegance. Yet, the absurdity of her imprisonment only amplified her allure.

Standing before Chang Xi, Wang Yu tilted his head back, scrutinizing her. He chuckled softly.

“How do you feel?”

“Do as you please, whether it’s death or dismemberment. Why bother to humiliate me, Demonic Monarch?” Chang Xi's eyes were clear, and her voice was neither servile nor arrogant.

“Stop feigning innocence.” Wang Yu stood with his hands behind his back and let out a cold snort. “Back then, I was cultivating my Foundation at Black Mountain Demonic Land, having no grievances with your Sword Sect. Yet, Lan Boting pursued me relentlessly, to the death. Why act so self-righteous now?”

Chang Xi remained silent. There was no point in debating the right or wrong of what happened back then. Her moral bottom line had steadily lowered since that time. The mission of the Sword Sect's 'Roamers' was to quell all injustices in Taihu Lake. Black Mountain Pass was terribly corrupt at the time. To eliminate that corruption, she had no choice but to use Wang Yu as bait—both a witness and a lure to draw out those parasites. Then, they would be caught red-handed. She could then leverage the Sword Sect's power to swiftly eradicate them.

In the process, Wang Yu became a sacrifice. Especially after she investigated the Shi Hu City disappearance case, when Wang Yu abducted Wang Wu, he was particularly active, having also killed the slave-hunting team and the Shi Hu City Lord to avenge his blood feud. She had actually investigated Wang Yu's background. Despite this, she still made him a sacrifice, meticulously calculating to corner him in Dry Leaf City. The animosity between them was forged at that time. Wang Yu's resentment towards the righteous path also stemmed from that period. Time had passed, yet even after many years, it remained fresh in his memory. Had he not encountered Chang Xi, after using the Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Spell to devour Wang Wu, remaining in Taihu for cultivation would have been a good choice, saving him from returning to Crimson Kite and inviting trouble upon himself.

Chang Xi was one of the Sword Sect's top-ranked Roamers, yet her conduct was like this, showing the true nature of the Sword Sect's people. In contrast, another person he met, Lei Yao, a direct disciple of Thunderfire Temple, maintained goodwill towards him merely for a single piece of guidance, even years later willing to help him. If, upon his first return to Taihu, he had met Lei Yao instead, Wang Yu was certain he would have joined Thunderfire Temple for cultivation, leading to an entirely different life.

As countless thoughts raced through his mind, Wang Yu made a decision. The icy chains loosened significantly, causing Chang Xi to slump powerlessly to the ground. This was the internal space of the Glazed Pagoda, his Natal Magic Treasure. All the materials he had earned from years of alchemy among the Northern Demonic Tribes, if their attributes were suitable, were refined into this pagoda, causing its Ice and Yin elemental attributes to surge dramatically. The sealing power of the pagoda-type magic treasure increased even more wildly. With her spiritual power depleted and her limbs weak, Chang Xi couldn't even dream of escaping the Glazed Pagoda's seal, let alone using a voice transmission jade slip. Her Golden Core was dim and powerless, making resistance impossible.

Wang Yu bent down and squatted, pinching Chang Xi's chin. He met her gaze and said, “I have here the Punishment of Insect Devouring, the Punishment of Soul Burning, the Punishment of Lust… and the Punishment of Blades. Which do you prefer? Let’s have some fun.”

Torture had always been a specialty of the Demonic Dao. Chang Xi's delicate body trembled, her eyes filled with despair. Captured alive by a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator, even suicide was a luxury. This time, had it not been for her coveting the reward offered by her sect... she might not have come to Black Mountain Pass. Regret gnawed at her heart, a complex mix concerning others, events, and herself.

“No answer? If you don’t speak, we’ll start with slow slicing. Such delicate skin and tender flesh, it would be a shame to flay it all at once.” A sharp blade glided against her skin. Chang Xi couldn't help but let out a scream, only to realize it was merely the chilling sensation of the blade, not intense pain.

Wang Yu immediately smiled. “You’re not as unconstrained as you pretend to be…” After the intimidation, some of the pent-up frustration in his heart dissipated. Wang Yu recalled a bold idea he had when he first entered. Ever since acquiring the 'Human Desire Technique', he had considered it rather useless. Although he had comprehended and learned it, he hadn't placed it in a slot for deep study. He then remembered Hei Liu, whom he had met earlier in the Demonic Cat tribe's territory. She was only at the third tier, yet she could temporarily transform by borrowing an ancient secret treasure and have illicit relations with that Golden Scale. Doesn't this solve the flaw of the Human Desire Technique?

He saw that Chang Xi's physical body was excellent. If he could refine it into a similar flesh-and-blood magic treasure, and then utilize Xue Yu with it... The idea was overly audacious and involved many issues. Whether it could be achieved was still unknown. Thus, the thought remained only in his mind; putting it into practice would be too perverse, somewhat twisting human nature.

“You’re getting off easy.” Demonic essence gathered. Wang Yu reached out to cover Chang Xi's neck. Just as he was about to exert his power, his spiritual sense avatar vanished directly, clearly disturbed by external circumstances.

Chang Xi was once again suspended by the icy chains, her pale face slightly relieved, and she let out a long sigh. She was a chosen daughter of heaven, ranking eighteenth among the one thousand and eight Sword Sect Roamers. Had she not been defeated by the Twelve Sword Sons on the Sword Discourse Cliff, she would have been capable of contending for a Sword Son position herself. Her master's teachings resurfaced in her mind. A temporary victory or defeat is but a fleeting cloud; only by surviving can one have a future.

—Endure!

“Master… he seems to have certain intentions toward your disciple. I will bear this humiliation and live on.” As for pinning her hopes of rescue on others, Chang Xi felt the possibility was too slim. It was better to hope that Wang Yu would die in the war, as he was only a newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator. This possibility was not small, especially given his arrogant conduct and conceited nature. With his fighting style, he was bound to suffer a major setback in the war between the righteous and demonic factions sooner or later.

Outside.

Wang Yu frowned, looking at the entrance of his temporary cave dwelling. Both Demonic Lord Youmo and Demonic Lord Minghu had arrived, likely with a reply from the sect. He waved his hand, dismissing the protective barrier at the entrance, and the stone door swung open.

“What is it?”

“The Holy Sect’s reinforcements have arrived. Patriarch Evil Soul wants us to immediately attack Dry Leaf City to resist the reinforcements from Moon-Gazing Palace and Azure Cloud Sect.”

“It's said that a squad disappeared from Ice River Pass in the north. They might be heading south to support Black Mountain Pass, or perhaps launch a surprise attack on Strange Peak Pass.” The two of them, speaking one after another, clearly laid out the situation.

“Oh? Where are these reinforcements, and from where do they come?”

“They took the path through Strange Peak Pass, led by Old Demonic Ghostfire.”

Old Demonic Ghostfire? This person wasn't a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Nine Peaks. Wang Yu hadn't known of his existence, nor had he heard of such a figure in the last high-level meeting of the Holy Sect's Nascent Soul cultivators. Noticing his confusion, Demonic Lord Youmo explained, “He is the Ancestor of the Zhuo family, a figure from thirteen hundred years ago. His cultivation is at the sixth layer of the Nascent Soul stage, and his potential is exhausted.”

Wang Yu nodded in understanding, then asked, “What do you think, should we attack or not?”

Minghu chuckled. “Attack! Why wouldn't we? Three major merits and three fourth-tier spirit pills from the Alchemy Hall are reward enough to give it a try. We can just let Old Demonic Ghostfire lead the charge.”

“Very well.” Having recently refined a new flesh-and-blood demonic sword, Wang Yu also wanted to test its sharpness. Dry Leaf City would be a good place to try it out, as a vital frontier city it likely housed more than one Nascent Soul cultivator. “In that case, let’s depart.”

The place where Wang Yu and the others were hiding was deep within Dry Leaf Marsh, and Dry Leaf City, built for exploring this demonic land, was itself not far from the marsh. He accompanied his two colleagues to meet Old Demonic Ghostfire. The number of people he brought was considerable: three thousand Qi Condensation cultivators, three hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, thirty Core Formation cultivators, plus the fifty-four individuals under Wang Yu and the others. The strength of this contingent was certainly sufficient.

As for Old Demonic Ghostfire, perhaps something went wrong with his cultivation technique, as his appearance was somewhat indescribable, even more abstract than Demonic Lord Youmo’s 'ugly handsome' style. He had sparse red hair, styled in a receding hairline. His face was aged and his figure stooped, covered in fiery toxin spots. His lips were inverted, revealing a mouth full of black, charcoal-like teeth. His breath carried a strong scent of gunpowder, as if a furnace burned within him, expelling exhaust fumes. No wonder he was named 'Ghostfire'; he certainly had a ghastly appearance.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Ghostfire.”

“No need for formalities. This old man is merely here as reinforcement; command remains in your hands. Fellow Daoist Youmo, you shall make the decisions.”

“This…” Demonic Lord Youmo hesitated for a moment, then quickly said, “Very well then. This place isn't far from Dry Leaf City. How about a direct assault? Brother Minghu can handle the formations.”

“No problem.”

Speed is paramount in warfare, and blitzkrieg especially emphasizes swiftness. A delay of half a month could easily lead to unforeseen complications. After all, too much time had passed since the interception of the Sword Sect's contingent, and what worked then might not work now. But Wang Yu didn't step forward. 'If we fight, we fight,' he thought. 'Could a Grand Cultivator possibly show up?'

After the contingent assembled, they swiftly moved along the newly established safe passage, traversing through the fractured mountain range.

Dry Leaf City!

The annihilation of the Sword Sect's reinforcement squad to Black Mountain Pass half a month ago had put the major cities along the border on high alert, especially due to the disappearance of two Nascent Soul cultivators. This caused the Azure Cloud Sect squad, which was preparing to ambush Strange Peak Pass, to temporarily hold back. Their objective, naturally, was to guard against Crimson Kite's interception squad. Based on existing intelligence, the Taihu side generally believed this was a small, elite squad of powerful cultivators, possibly even led by a late-stage Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to silently wipe out Patriarch Ma Yi's squad without even Black Mountain Pass, which was very close by, noticing. The pressure was immense.

Consequently, Dry Leaf City and Black Mountain City, being the closest major cities to the incident, became paramount in defense, as the areas affected by their influence were vast. Currently, Dry Leaf City only had one early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from Moon-Gazing Palace and one mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from Azure Cloud Sect, the latter being a temporary assignment. Under these circumstances, calling for reinforcements was a necessity.

“I wonder who the Sword Sect will send. If this dormant squad of powerful cultivators cannot be ferreted out, the frontline situation will be grim.”

“Fellow Daoist Liuying, why worry? Crimson Kite's demonic cultivators are nothing but weaklings, always falling apart before us. As for the city's defenses, my Azure Cloud Sect has already intervened; there will certainly be no flaws.”

Inside the Dry Leaf City Lord's manor, a beautiful Qingfu woman and a middle-aged cultivator sat opposite each other, drinking tea and discussing current affairs. The latter was full of confidence, while the former was deeply worried. The soul lamps of Bagua and Ma Yi had not extinguished, proving their Nascent Souls were still alive. If they had perished, it would have been the first time a Taihu Nascent Soul cultivator died in this righteous-demonic war. And as a peak master of the Sword Sect, the impact would be profound. It would also mean that the flames of war had reached the Nascent Soul cultivators, putting everyone at risk of falling. As for True Monarch Ziyun of the Azure Cloud Sect, he was not only overly confident but also underestimated the brutality of demonic cultivators due to prolonged peace. She had participated in the righteous-demonic war five hundred years ago but had never heard of this True Monarch Ziyun. If he was merely a theorist, then Dry Leaf City would be in peril.

Ziyun spoke eloquently, his eyes holding a fervent gaze for Lady Liuying. Azure Cloud and Moon-Gazing sects had always had a custom of forming Daoist couples, making them staunch allies who advanced and retreated together. The conflict at Ice River Pass and the unrest in Crimson Kite's Fengzhou were led by these two sects, and their initial success naturally boosted his confidence. In True Monarch Ziyun's eyes, once the sect's masters jointly attacked, they would surely seize Fengzhou in one fell swoop, establishing it as a foothold for deeper incursions into Crimson Kite. Then, if Thunderfire Temple, Crane's Retreat Valley, Blazing Sun Sect... or even Void Heaven Sword Sect wanted to expand their gains, taking the path through their Azure Cloud Sect would be the best option. He had even thought about setting up checkpoints to collect tolls.

“—Boom!”

Just then, a tremendous roar echoed through the sky. Liuying and Ziyun exchanged glances, then immediately teleported out of the City Lord's manor to a higher vantage point to observe the situation outside. They saw black clouds rolling across the sky, and boundless scarlet demonic energy, like burning flames, became the most striking phenomenon in the darkness. A dense mass of people gathered in the distance, radiating chilling killing intent.

“It's demonic cultivators; they've truly come.”

“Why are there so many? Has the warning mechanism set up in the Broken Realm Mountains been disabled? There hasn’t been any activation until now…” The cultivators in Dry Leaf City stirred with discussions. Lady Liuying quickly commanded, “Activate the formation! Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators to the city defenses! All Core Formation cultivators, follow me to meet the enemy!”

Seeing this, Ziyun, who had just opened his mouth to speak, closed it again and flew into the sky alongside Lady Liuying. Amidst the scarlet demonic energy, Old Demonic Ghostfire, using his demonic essence, condensed a four-armed red ghost manifestation. He stood atop its head, haughtily looking down at the two Nascent Soul cultivators defending Dry Leaf City, a look of disdain on his face. Demonic Lord Youmo revealed his Nascent Soul aura, his dark green demonic energy boiling like a swirling, reversed green river, drawing all attention. Demonic Lord Minghu's spectral tiger transformed into a thousand-meter-long Yin beast. Yin energy obscured the clouds and veiled the sun, as its fierce tiger eyes fixed on Ziyun, letting out a menacing growl. The Nascent Soul auras of these three alone sent shivers through Dry Leaf City's inhabitants. Anyone who could count knew that the city's Nascent Soul combat strength was insufficient. This meant they could only fight a defensive battle.

However, to the far right of the three Demonic Lords, Wang Yu sat cross-legged atop his Lightning Fiend Coffin, boundless lightning extending around him. His Lightning Corpse made its first appearance on stage. This immediately brought the Demonic Dao's Nascent Soul combat strength to five.

Dry Leaf City—In Peril!