Chapter 566: Hidden Sky Stele, Aftermath, and Plans

"I once heard your name from young friend Lei Yao," the elder said.

Wang Yu was taken aback. He didn't know what she had said, but it was strange how these righteous cultivators seemed to have a good impression of him.

"Senior, do you need something?" he asked.

"Sort of." Venerable Taixu looked sad, with tears welling up in his aged eyes. He took out a palm-sized stone tablet, threw it to Wang Yu, and said, "This item is called the Hidden Void Stele, and it's a key to unlock the Void Dao Treasure."

Wang Yu felt even more bewildered. For no reason, and especially since they had just met for the first time, the other party giving him such a valuable item was truly puzzling.

"Senior, do you have something you wish to entrust to me?"

"Indeed." Taixu looked towards Chunyangzi, who was currently undergoing the lightning tribulation. His tone was unreadable. "This expedition ended in failure, all because I cannot accept it. That fiend Liantian must have other schemes. This time, as I head to the Chaos Layer, I will do everything in my power to disrupt his plans."

Wang Yu was speechless. So, it seemed that after losing his junior brother and the ancestral foundation, the old man had completely given up on seeking the Dao. His only hope was to settle scores with Liantian. There is no greater sorrow than a heart that has died.

He had to admit, he did understand the Demonic Dao leader. There was indeed some scheming involved on the other side's part, but it was by no means the primary cause. This was purely a case of fabricating charges. The old Daoist only wanted to settle the score with Liantian. Since the other party was attracting so much hatred, what more could he say? Anyway, it wasn't him who was going to clash; he could just watch the show.

"Senior..." Wang Yu began.

"There's no need to persuade me; my mind is made up. However, I can't completely let go of our ancestral foundation. If all of us head to the Chaos Layer to try our luck, then the Ice Prison Realm will be left with only you, young friend, and a few from the Demon Race."

Wang Yu's brows furrowed. He hadn't even intended to persuade him, but at a time like this, there was no need to expose it and cause awkwardness. "Senior, do you mean that the Demon Race... will attack human territory?"

"It's hard to say for sure; it's merely a necessary precaution. When Dao Integration cultivators descend, what a terrifying calamity it is. Looking through ancient history, every time an ancient demon breaks its seal, it brings a catastrophe. Your talent is unparalleled. In a hundred years, you will certainly break through to the Mid-Spirit Transformation stage. With your combat prowess, you might even be able to contend with those in the late stage. By then, you will be the pillar of the human race. There are countless righteous cultivators, but I only ask that the Sword Sect's legacy can be continued."

"I understand." For the sake of the Hidden Void Stele, and since Taixu had come to him, it wasn't impossible to agree. After all, the Void Dao Treasure might be the only secret legacy in the Ice Prison Realm whose true nature was unknown and whose potential was hard to estimate. It might even be connected to the True Spirit Realm. This might be Wang Yu's only hope to counter the Prison King Spirit Official's spatial abilities. Its value was far beyond that of ordinary inheritances, so agreeing to a small request was not excessive.

"This is the entry token for the Coral Island Secret Realm. The Sword Sect's core disciples and the promising talents of other righteous sects are all here. In the future, young friend, you will surely have the opportunity to unify the Ice Prison Realm."

Wang Yu considered this and realized it was indeed the case. If all these people who were above him went to the Chaos Layer, attempting to secretly leave this realm, then wouldn't he become the strongest? If he were to establish his own force, unifying the Ice Prison Realm wouldn't be too difficult. Although this situation might smack of "when the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king," once resources were integrated, his cultivation in the Spirit Transformation stage would face no further obstacles, which was actually a good thing.

After delivering all his instructions, the Taixu Sword Sect officially disbanded. The disciples who had just endured a bloody battle quickly packed their belongings and fled, spreading news of what had transpired at the Sword Sect's main gate across the realm. It was foreseeable that before cultivators from the Upper Realm descended, the entire Ice Prison Realm would plunge into unprecedented chaos, and everything would be reshuffled. This period could last for a hundred years, or perhaps only a few; it was uncertain, entirely depending on whether the Prison King Spirit Official reported to higher authorities, or when the Ancient Demon of Life attempted to break free from its seal. Time was of the essence.

Wang Yu had no intention of plundering the Sword Sect's main gate. Regardless of what treasures it held, it was too close to the Ancient Demon of Life. Since he was already afflicted by this demon's corruption, getting too close would certainly not be beneficial. He certainly didn't want to end up like the Blood Demon Hall Master, where one's personality and will were twisted without any self-awareness.

"Demon-Crossing Heart Mantra... Demon-Crossing Heart Mantra... I hope you can be more effective," he murmured to himself.

Wang Yu quickly departed from this contentious place. His plan was simple: first stop, Tianmu Island, where the Three-Colored Gourd Treasure Vine was a fifth-tier spiritual plant. After Tianmu Su's death, only the formation remained. The pressure of breaking the death formation was not significant for him. His second stop would be Lingxu Island, where the Water-Fire Elemental Crystals were quite valuable. Whether for body tempering or simply for storage, they were more valuable than top-grade spirit stones and could even potentially be used to strengthen the Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow; these were all uncertainties. He would only know their exact uses once he arrived there in person.

Since both places were ownerless, it was akin to collecting treasures, and he was naturally enthusiastic. Traveling between the two locations wouldn't take much time. Once the treasure hunt was complete, he would need to find a place for secluded cultivation. He would first discard the demonic energy forcibly cultivated by the Frozen Demon, then break through to the third level of Spirit Transformation once more, focus on cultivating the Demon-Crossing Heart Mantra, and resolve the hidden danger of demonic corruption. This was his top priority! Therefore, Wang Yu flew in an aurora-like form, never stopping, purely racing against time.

Meanwhile, as the centuries-long war between righteous and demonic forces officially concluded, the major righteous sects of the Taihu Spiritual Domain were completely annihilated, marking a grand victory for the Demonic Dao! Concurrently, top-secret information concerning the existence of the Prison King Spirit Official, the ancient demon breaking its seal, and enemies from beyond the heavens, all spread throughout the realm. The departure of numerous Spirit Transformation cultivators from the Ice Prison Realm also plunged the entire world into a state of panic.

At this moment, in the Chiyuan Demonic Domain, the Demonic Dao alliance disintegrated on its own. After their respective Spirit Transformation ancestors departed alone, the five demonic sects all coincidentally fell into a desperate situation, like trapped beasts. The only exception was the Liantian Demonic Sect. This was because after the Demonic Venerable returned, the first thing he did was absorb everyone with his demonic flames. They were all taken away, destined to remain by the Liantian Demonic Venerable's side forever, in the form of pure power. He had actually slaughtered all the cultivators of his own sect. By the time this news spread, the Liantian Demonic Sect's main gate had already been utterly transformed into a desolate, lifeless land. Meanwhile, Wang Yu was still diligently digging for the Gourd Treasure Vine on Tianmu Island.

Sects like the Joyous Demonic Sect and the Underworld Mountain Sect, along with their subordinate Nascent Soul forces, completely descended into madness, all cultivating Demonic Dao secret arts with severe side effects. For example, the Life-Devouring Demonic Dao Art, which involved devouring others' lives to rapidly increase one's cultivation, albeit at the cost of an unstable foundation. Its breakthrough speed, however, was unparalleled. The purpose of this was to break through to the Spirit Transformation stage, follow the traces of the many departed Spirit Transformation cultivators, and hopefully catch the last train. This secret art was most frantically cultivated by those at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage. They completely abandoned their humanity and any sense of discretion. They virtually killed anyone they encountered, viewing all cultivators in the realm as mere fuel to advance themselves.

There were also practitioners of the Death Curse Art, a secret technique that used death energy and the essence of virgins as cultivation materials, making it an extremely Yin and defiled Demonic Dao curse. Once mastered, it could instantly kill an opponent upon being cast, making it extremely difficult to defend against. However, practitioners also suffered corresponding side effects: the stronger the death curse they cultivated, the weaker their own consciousness became, and their lifespan would be damaged, as death energy was hardly a benign substance. It was not for the living to touch.

For a time, all cultivators in Chiyuan pursued various Demonic Dao secret arts, causing this path to flourish and almost reach its peak in just half a year. Furthermore, the number of deaths during this period surprisingly matched the casualty count of fifty years of the righteous-demonic war. Chiyuan, already sparsely populated, began to exhibit desolate landscapes stretching for thousands of miles with no inhabitants. Mortals were massacred even more wantonly. Those who refined demonic treasures requiring vast numbers of living sacrifices, such as Myriad Soul Banners, Blood Demon Swords, and Myriad Skull Demonic Heads, emerged endlessly, and the sky itself seemed to be stained crimson. A tide of bloodshed and the practice of killing to refine treasures swept across the entire Ice Prison Realm, as if it had reverted to a primitive era.

The situation in the Taihu Spiritual Domain was slightly better. However, it too became a chaotic region, with numerous Nascent Soul forces seeking opportunities based on the Sword Sect's former list of forbidden practices, seizing every chance to enhance their power. Issues such as forming alliances, political maneuvering, or saving face were all abandoned, and the evil of human nature that erupted was in no way inferior to that of demonic cultivators; in fact, perhaps due to their usual suppression, they acted even more extremely. Demonic cultivators' massacres had clear, if brutal, objectives, and were devoid of personal reasons. They killed indiscriminately; if not to refine demonic treasures, then to slaughter beings and devour souls. Power was their sole pursuit. Righteous cultivators, however, would cooperate with you to eliminate a third party, then betray you, taking your entire family, wives, and daughters for their amusement, inflicting various tortures and committing acts that violated all human decency. All for their own perverse pleasure. They acted as if the world would end tomorrow, living each day as if it were their last. It was a chaotic spectacle of dancing demons, truly unbearable to witness.

Out of Taihu's population of tens of billions, the centuries-long righteous-demonic war had resulted in merely over a billion casualties. Yet, in just the past six months, no fewer than five hundred million living beings had perished. It seemed as if only chaos and madness remained in the world.

The only forces that could be considered calm were two: the Myriad Treasure Pavilion and the Golden Full Pavilion! As commercial organizations, they were targeted for plunder from the very beginning of the chaos. Regardless of whether Nascent Soul cultivators guarded them, cultivators frantically looted the resources of their branch offices. In just half a year, their losses became immeasurable. Their sphere of influence drastically shrank, with the territories they could fully control reduced to essentially half a province of land near Myriad Treasure City and Golden Toad City. Moreover, they had all become "blind," no longer possessing the far-reaching influence they once had.

On this day, in Golden Toad City, Jin Miaoshan, the current Head of the Golden Full Pavilion and Matriarch of the Tianchi Jin Clan, was hurriedly making her way to the City Lord's Manor, utilizing the resources available to a Pavilion Head. Years of cultivation, coupled with the infusion of various precious medicines, had forcefully elevated her cultivation to the Late Nascent Soul stage. However, in the current chaotic state of the world, even this level of cultivation offered her no sense of security.

As she swiftly flew into the reception hall, her anxious expression had already calmed. She saw that all those seated in the hall were familiar faces: Dou Zhao, who had just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage; Tantai Chan, at the peak of Core Formation; Yu Tangtang, in the Late Nascent Soul stage; Yan Ling, in the Mid-Nascent Soul stage; and Ice Soul Fairy, at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage. Lian Yan and her master, the Yin Gui Demonic Monarch (the former at Mid-Nascent Soul, the latter at Great Perfection of Nascent Soul); and the demonic corpse Wei Hao, who had just entered the Nascent Soul stage. A total of eight individuals, all closely connected to Wang Yu.

Jin Miaoshan asked, "You all have a good relationship with Wang Yu. After the righteous-demonic war, did he contact any of you?"

Yan Ling replied calmly, "Yes, he did. He told me to bring Tangtang to Golden Toad City to find Fellow Daoist Miaoshan."

Dou Zhao said, "Master told me to come to this city and wait after my breakthrough."

Yin Gui added, "Brother Wang told me the same thing."

Ice Soul Fairy then asked, "Pavilion Head Jin, what is your relationship with Junior Brother Jifa?"

Hearing this, Jin Miaoshan's brows furrowed even deeper. She completely ignored Ice Soul Fairy's question and continued, "Did he say it in person? Then why hasn't he come himself? He hasn't followed the Venerables to the Chaos Layer, has he?"

"Hmph! Senior Jin, if you don't believe us, please don't casually fabricate stories about Senior Brother Wang and ruin his reputation." These words surprisingly came from Tantai Chan. Despite having the weakest cultivation, she spared no effort in defending Wang Yu, showing no fear of Jin Miaoshan's cultivation realm.

The latter's mouth twitched as she said helplessly, "I didn't mean that. Sister, why are you so anxious?"

Ice Soul Fairy, however, asked again, "What exactly is the relationship between Pavilion Head Jin and Junior Brother Jifa?"

Before her words had even finished, Yan Ling also stood up, staring at Ice Soul Fairy and saying, "Elder Ice Soul, since when have you been so close to Senior Brother Wang? And what exactly is your relationship with him?"

The three of them formed a peculiar scene of mutual interrogation. Dou Zhao opened her mouth, then timidly retreated, huddling with Tantai Chan. They seemed to have instinctively sorted themselves into groups and their places in the pecking order. The Yin Gui Demonic Monarch watched this scene, his mouth twitching. His eyes subconsciously met his disciple Lian Yan's, and he was startled to realize his own situation didn't seem much better. Soon, the hall was filled with the sounds of women arguing.

At this moment, above the clouds outside Golden Toad City, Rushing to Tianmu Island and Lingxu Island to gather spiritual items had taken Wang Yu half a year. This was primarily because the Water-Fire Elemental Crystals on the latter island grew deep within underwater volcanoes, making their extraction time-consuming. He also had to return periodically to harvest them. These resources, similar to minerals, were continuously regenerating; otherwise, Lingxuzi wouldn't have bothered occupying Lingxu Island in the first place. Due to the exceptionally high quality of the Water-Fire Elemental Crystals, each one took many years to form, so there was no need to revisit the island again for some time.

At this very moment, another person stood beside him. He was clad in a black robe, with long dark purple hair and seemingly streaked white strands at his forehead. His features were handsome and enchanting, and his skin was fair, so beautiful he didn't quite look like a man, possessing a rather feminine appearance. His entire being exuded the aura of an emotion-based Heavenly Demon. On his left ear hung a miniature black bell spirit treasure, and he was, remarkably, also a Spirit Transformation stage cultivator named Xie Xie'an! This person had once received Wang Yu's teachings and was quite grateful.

Back then, after achieving the Nascent Soul stage in the Barbarian Ancient Plains, he led a group of veteran cultivators to execute the "Burnout Plan." After its success, he remained within the ancient plains to cultivate the *Rakshasa True Demonic Scripture*. He had made significant strides in the path of the divine soul and was the only prodigy Wang Yu knew who had managed to free himself from demonic corruption. He was even considered to be of the same generation as Wang Yu, being only forty-odd years older. He hailed from Evil God Peak, the last of the Nine Peaks of the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect!

His story was remarkably like that of a protagonist. In this tumultuous and chaotic era, because he hadn't participated in the decisive battle between righteous and demonic forces, he didn't receive the news in time. Wang Yu encountered him while collecting Water-Fire Elemental Crystals on Lingxu Island. Xie Xie'an was using the deep-sea water pressure to temper his body, deeply aware of the *Rakshasa Scripture*'s drawbacks. Thus, he purposefully strengthened his physique to enhance his close-quarters combat abilities. Later, he accepted Wang Yu's invitation and came with him to Golden Toad City.

Sensing the commotion below, Xie Xie'an awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Brother Wang," he said, "it seems I've come at an inconvenient time."