Chapter 490: The Underworld's Counterattack

As the battle at Biyun Sect entered its most intense phase, in Shuiyun Province, at the Shuiyun Immortal Capital, the temporary defenders were the four early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators who had miraculously survived their last encounter with Wang Yu. The dangers of guarding this location were self-evident.

The Demonic Dao invaded along three fronts. The forces at Black Mountain Pass were the strongest, with more than ten late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators, and many even at the Great Perfection stage. Coupled with the large number of powerful individuals from the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect, they would never have voluntarily come to guard such a dangerous place if not for atonement. They would have been better off staying in their sect.

At that time, they were still unaware of what was happening back at their sect.

As the four sighed, bored and passing the time together, urgent footsteps suddenly echoed from outside. A servant, recently recruited by the newly built City Lord's Mansion, stumbled in.

“Sirs, something terrible has happened, something terrible!”

“Demonic cultivators have reached the outskirts of Shuiyun Immortal Capital!”

The four immediately rose. They asked, full of doubt and surprise, “How is that possible? Even if the Demonic Dao's invasion is incredibly fast, they still have to travel. Are you sure the main army has arrived?”

The servant paused for a moment. “It seems… it's just a few people. But in any case, the South City Wall has already been breached.”

“Let's go see.”

Hearing that there weren't many, their courage instantly returned. As long as it wasn't someone like Wang Yu, they weren't afraid of typical late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. After all, there were still formations within the city. As long as they remained vigilant and kept the formations ready to activate at any moment, the power of a Tier 4 formation could hold out for a long time. They could then call for reinforcements from their sect. This was the advantage of having a powerful backing—no fear of an enemy being too strong for them to handle.

However, they overlooked quite a lot.

Seeing the four Nascent Soul cultivators shoot up into the sky, the servant immediately revealed an eerie smile. The skin on his face melted like water, revealing the true appearance of the Yellow Springs Daoist.

“The ancient teleportation array in Zehu Province is indeed useful.” As one of the first provinces to be occupied by the Demonic Dao, this place had long been thoroughly scoured by demonic cultivators. With numerous Feng Shui Geomancers searching, almost all hidden ancient teleportation arrays had been discovered. Using these, the Yellow Springs Daoist, the Blood Demon Hall Master, and several other late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators arrived at Shuiyun Immortal Capital in advance to execute their plan.

As the Yellow Springs Daoist leisurely walked into the heart of the City Lord's Mansion, his heart stirred. He suddenly sensed the death sacrifice in the north, which meant that the Five-Colored Sacred Master had already fulfilled their secret cooperation terms for him. Now, only one more death sacrifice was needed. His plan to summon the Yellow Springs River into the world would be a complete success!

Near the battlements of the South City Wall, the four Nascent Soul cultivators arrived together. From a distance, they saw a river of blood raging through the South City district, turning all living beings it touched into desiccated corpses. Blood was sucked into the river, strengthening its power. Three somewhat familiar figures stood above the river of blood, waiting for their arrival.

“Wait…”

“Those guys are… the Three Bloodfiends of the Underworld!”

Three long-renowned late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators: Xue Yuan, Xue Quan, and Xue Fu!

Such a sight was enough to fill anyone with utter terror. The three had no intention of advancing. They all activated the jade talismans in their hands, attempting to teleport directly back into the protective formation of the City Lord's Mansion.

Alas… they were a step too late. Corroded by the power of the Yellow Springs, the murky yellow spiritual light of the formation rapidly spread, turning the entire Shuiyun Immortal Capital into a death trap from which one could enter but not leave. The teleportation talismans, naturally, failed.

Xue Fu let out a loud laugh, his figure transforming into a streak of blood light. His personal magical artifact, the Blood Sea Demonic Axe, powerfully struck down, brute force and demonic energy unleashed simultaneously. It was as if he was splitting heaven and earth, tearing through the murky clouds. It struck one person directly in the back.

The person had no time to react. An early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator facing a late-stage grand cultivator was not much harder than slaughtering a chicken. The blood light swept past, instantly cleaving him in two. Even his Nascent Soul was severely damaged, directly falling unconscious into Xue Fu's hand. The other three were also attacked simultaneously.

Xue Yuan's personal magical artifact was the Blood Sea Demonic Sword! All three brothers cultivated the Blood Sea Demonic Scripture, but they refined different types of magical artifacts. The eldest brother, Xue Quan, had a special type of personal magical artifact. Named the Blood River, it was also the most unique in its power.

Two of the four early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from Biyun Sect were instantly dispatched by an axe and a sword. The remaining two were surrounded by the sea of blood and quickly silenced as they floated within it.

Four storage rings fell into the hands of the three fiends.

Xue Fu clicked his tongue in boredom, “These rotten eggs are too weak.” His words implied he hadn't enjoyed himself.

Xue Yuan said calmly, “Biyun Sect has suffered multiple heavy blows. How many Nascent Soul experts do they have left to guard Shuiyun Province? I thought we might encounter Ancestor Huangyun this time, but it seems they prioritize their sect's location more.”

Xue Quan replied, “No matter. Since Demonic Venerable Chitian has gone to Biyun Sect's main gate, the Yellow Springs Daoist's plan now faces no obstacles. After absorbing Zhuo Shouyun, the Sect Master has already completed the final step of his Innate Blood Demonic Physique.”

Soon, apart from the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect, the Demonic Dao would see the birth of two new Soul Transformation Venerables: the Yellow Springs Daoist and the Blood Demon Hall Master! This was also why the Northern Demon Sacred Master was willing to help. By then, with the combined forces of the Joyful Demonic Sect, the Underworld Mountain Cult, and the Northern Demon Clan, they would be able to fully contend with the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect. The only downside was that the Demon Clan would require territory. This matter would need to be discussed later. But most likely, Beiyuan Province of Taihu and Chiyuanfeng Province would be ceded to the Northern Demon Clan. The Demonic Dao could then make some internal territory exchanges, which wouldn't be too much trouble.

“Let's begin… Once the city massacre is complete, we can all breathe a sigh of relief.”

The Yellow Springs Daoist needed death sacrifices to summon the Yellow Springs River using an ancient ritual. Three such locations had already been prepared. These were Tianling Province under the Thunderfire Temple, Zehu Province under the Biyun Sect, and Lingxi Province under the Sword Sect. Adding to these were Biyun Sect's main gate in Beiyuan Province, a provincial city in Feng Province overseen by the Blood Demon Hall Master, and finally, this last location, Shuiyun Immortal Capital. With seven death sacrifices, the casualties numbered in the tens of millions. If one accounted for cultivators, who represent higher life forms, the number of sacrificed beings would easily be in the hundreds of millions.

At that moment, the entire Shuiyun Immortal Capital was completely massacred by the Three Bloodfiends of the Underworld in less than half an incense stick's time. All life in the city fell silent in death. The Yellow Springs Daoist stood on the observation deck of the City Lord's Mansion. In his hand, a Yellow Springs Incense stick, thicker than a human head, was lit. Wisps of green smoke rose, soaring into the sky. This was to help the Yellow Springs River pinpoint its location, locking its descent point onto Shuiyun Immortal Capital.

In a short while, the sound of rushing water echoed from the horizon. A long, gaping fissure tore open in space, and murky yellow water poured down like a waterfall. This fissure connected directly to the land of Yellow Springs. The legendary Underworld and Reincarnation realms, also the birthplace of Yin Beasts, were special worlds representing death, usually only reachable via the Yin-Yang Road or the Boat of the Dead.

The Yellow Springs Daoist could barely contain his excitement. If the branch of the Yellow Springs River within his sect wasn't part of the sect's foundation, preventing him from recklessly depleting and using it, why would he have gone to such lengths with his schemes? Now that he had finally found an opportunity amidst the righteous-demonic war, how could his emotions not surge?

“The population of Chiyuan is simply too small after all. The opportunities for us demonic cultivators will always lie in prosperous regions like Taihu. I trouble you three fellow Daoists to guard me.”

The Three Bloodfiends of the Underworld nodded simultaneously. “Naturally. The Daoist Master's breakthrough is also a good thing for us. We will naturally exert ourselves to the utmost and protect you with all our might.”

It was indeed bizarre. The Anti-Spirit Blood Sect and the Yellow Springs Daoist Temple originally harbored significant animosity towards each other. Their current cooperation was practically forced upon them by the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect.

With success imminent, the Yellow Springs Daoist no longer delayed. He leaped into the Yellow Springs River flowing from the spatial fissure. This method of breaking through to the Soul Transformation stage was not part of the Yellow Springs Temple's heritage but something the Daoist Master gained unexpectedly from a spiritual feedback during his private communication with the Yellow Springs. Strictly speaking, it was reasonable to say that the Yellow Springs itself bestowed this breakthrough method upon him. This suggested he was favored by the 'Will of the Yellow Springs,' or it could be a gift left by a powerful individual within the Yellow Springs—both explanations made sense.

The truth of the matter was temporarily unimportant. He fully immersed himself in the Yellow Springs River, absorbing the True Yellow Springs Water. The Daoist Master's White Bone Demonic God Dharma Idol rapidly perfected itself, and his Nascent Soul grew continuously under the nourishment of the True Yellow Springs Water. His Dharma Intent evolved and transformed accordingly. His life level was constantly elevating, and the breakthrough to the Soul Transformation realm seemed remarkably simple under the influence of the secret art.

At the same time, in Feng Province City, the vast city, stained crimson with blood, lay in eerie silence. The Blood Demon Hall Master sat cross-legged on the square of the City Lord's Mansion, surrounded by dry corpses, his body surging with waves of frenzied blood demonic energy. Three lightning-like blood patterns adorned his forehead. From two bright and one dim, they all became brilliant. This meant his last deficiency had been filled: three blood demon bodies and one innate blood spirit root. Combined with the secret art of the Blood Scripture, this successfully helped him forge a Soul Transformation-level spiritual physique—the Innate Blood Demonic Physique!

If the Innate Demonic Embryo Physique's ability was the myriad transformations of heavenly demons, then the Innate Blood Demonic Physique's ability was to trace back to the source. Tracing the origin of the Blood Demonic Dao… the ancient demon—Blood! This sensation made the Blood Demon Hall Master seem like a descendant of the ancient Blood Demon. The subtle connection and bond allowed him to draw power from the Blood Demon. He could directly absorb the Ancient Demon Source Blood to break through the Soul Transformation bottleneck.

However, the ancient demons sealed in the Ice Prison Realm only possessed physical instincts and lacked main consciousness. This meant that the Innate Blood Demonic Physique, which would normally gain power through 'prayer' or 'sacrifice' rituals, could now simply steal it without consent. As the ethereal connection deepened, pure and rich blood demonic energy cascaded from the void. The Blood Demon Hall Master refined it without hindrance, making it the foundation of his power. He then consumed a Tier 4 top-grade spiritual pill from Dongji Capital and, relying on an endless supply of reserve energy and his spiritual physique, forcefully charged towards the Soul Transformation bottleneck. Within his small figure, the sound of waves crashing against a shore continuously echoed. It was wave after wave of demonic energy surging.

Both sides simultaneously entered a critical stage. At this rate, their breakthroughs wouldn't take long; success would come in as little as two or three months, or at most a few years.

Meanwhile, at the main gate of Biyun Sect, the Colorful Cloud Mountain Range, already scarred by the ravages of war, was now even more shattered. Volatile spiritual energy permeated the air, and the colossal Dharma Idols had ceased their battle. This was because the Six Elders of Colorful Cloud were almost entirely dead or severely wounded. Only two gravely wounded Great Perfection cultivators, Ancestor Hongyun and Ancestor Huangyun, remained alive. This battle truly signified the demise of Biyun Sect.

Venerable Jianhe, his face grave, withdrew his Heaven-and-Earth Dharma Idol. With a single surge of his sword river, he forced back the Five-Colored Sacred Master and others who were attacking Hongyun and Huangyun, protecting the two behind him and forming a standoff. In his battle with Chitian, he discovered a bizarre problem. No matter what move he made, Chitian had a counter, even immediately striking back. This level of combat experience was far beyond simply being proficient in the art of battle. It involved a large amount of pre-emptive prediction. The moment he made a move, Chitian seemed to guess what technique he was about to use, which left him with no time to assist the Six Elders of Colorful Cloud. He could only watch as they were completely consumed by the experts of the Demon Clan and demonic cultivators.

This was illogical! Looking back, he had never fought Chitian before, and after breaking through to Soul Transformation, he had focused on participating in divine abilities and secret arts, slowly improving his entire setup. Even if Chitian knew all the techniques and divine abilities he excelled at in his weaker days, it still didn't make sense for him to be able to do this.

This left only two possibilities. One, Chitian possessed astonishing combat talent, capable of precisely predicting every enemy move during a fight. Two, there was a mole within the Sword Sect. Furthermore, the mole held a very high position, even frequently interacting with him. Excluding the Soul Transformation Venerables of the Sword Sect, the highest suspects were those few Sword Scions and a direct disciple he had taken in many years ago. Considering how Chitian had been repeatedly toyed with by Wang Yu and had lost significant face in Dongji Capital, he didn't seem like someone with such combat wisdom. Moreover, his arrogant nature didn't appear to be feigned to affect his opponent's mindset. Something just didn't seem right. Therefore, deep down, Venerable Jianhe leaned more towards the second possibility.

If this matter were true, it would mean a major problem. The Sword Sect's overall strategy and tactics were likely in the enemy's hands. This righteous-demonic war had dragged on for so many years, and the Taihu region had consistently been at a disadvantage, and it wasn't without reason.

Thoughts quickly raced through his mind. Venerable Jianhe remained outwardly impassive, but secretly began communicating with Ancestor Hongyun and Ancestor Huangyun of Biyun Sect via spiritual transmission.

“Biyun's fall is a foregone conclusion. Demonic Venerable Chitian's situation is bizarre and vastly different from his previous state. Are you willing to retreat with me to the Sword Sect to make long-term plans?”

He said this, but how could the two dare to refuse? They were the fish on the chopping block. How could the two of them re-establish Biyun Sect before their lifespans ended? Let alone reclaim the four provinces. If Venerable Jianhe abandoned them, they would surely die.

Ancestor Huangyun forced a bitter smile. “We will follow the Venerable's command.”

Ancestor Hongyun, however, rolled his eyes and secretly transmitted a message to Huangyun. “In the battle at Binghe Pass, quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators from our sect should have successfully escaped. These demonic scoundrels arrived at the main gate so quickly; it's impossible for them to have killed over twenty Nascent Soul cultivators. As long as five or six remain, there's still hope. This time, we must shift the responsibility onto Venerable Jianhe, make the Sword Sect compensate us, and ideally, have them lend us people to reclaim the four provinces!”

Ancestor Huangyun, hearing this, was almost dumbfounded. He truly hadn't expected that at such a moment, Ancestor Hongyun was still thinking about preserving everything. It was as if the words 'trade-off' and 'failure' didn't exist in his vocabulary.

As expected, this secret spiritual transmission was directly intercepted by Venerable Jianhe's more powerful divine sense, and his expression instantly darkened.