Chapter 669: Treacherous Turmoil

Chapter 669: Chapter 365: Treacherous Turmoil

“This… this is!”

Lü Zhong, who had just taken control of the Incarnation, stared ahead, his pupils contracting.

He was witnessing an unbelievable sight.

In the center of the vast Forest Sea, a shocking vortex of Demon Qi swirled. And at the very heart of the raging, lightning-filled storm stood a massive cocoon of flesh.

Sensing the astounding Demon Qi, Lü Zhong’s mind was thrown into turmoil.

If he wasn’t mistaken, a Demon Cultivator was undergoing Metamorphosis.

‘Could it be… that a Demon Saint is about to be born?’ Lü Zhong quickly considered the worst-case scenario. The moment he realized the implications, his expression turned incredibly grim.

Suddenly, a vast and mighty will descended upon the area!

Before Lü Zhong could react, the ground around him suddenly burst open. Hundreds of thorny vines shot out, instantly entangling the Incarnation Body.

The vines were covered in sharp thorns that seemed to dissolve Magical Power. He immediately felt his strength draining away at a rapid pace.

‘I can’t control this body!’ Lü Zhong realized instantly.

Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw the distant cocoon of flesh emit a brilliant glow. It coalesced into a human shape for a brief moment before exploding into countless motes of light and vanishing without a trace.

Gritting his teeth, Lü Zhong severed his connection to the Incarnation.

It was the only thing he could do.

At almost the same moment, a luminous figure appeared behind the Incarnation. It reached out an arm made of light and pulled a soul-form from the Incarnation’s body—it was the very Soul Splitting used to control it.

“Oh? An Outer Body Incarnation!”

Following this surprised cry, the Soul Splitting was enveloped by countless thorny vines. As if being absorbed, it was drained completely dry of both its memories and Soul Power.

After a long moment, the luminous figure suddenly laughed.

“So this is the ‘sliver of hope’…”

…

After encountering the suspected Demon Cultivator undergoing Metamorphosis, Lü Zhong’s heart was shrouded in gloom.

If a Demon Saint truly appeared in the world, the Southern Barbarian Immortal Cultivation World would be utterly finished. All the Sect Clans here would be destroyed by the Demon Saint leading the Demon Court, with no possibility of salvation.

Even if the Divinity Transformation experts from Central Earth returned from the Void, they might not be able to change this outcome.

‘The only fortunate thing is that the cocoon seems to have just formed. This means the Demon Cultivator still needs some time to complete its Metamorphosis—perhaps several decades… or even several centuries.’ At this thought, an idea quickly surfaced in Lü Zhong’s mind: lead an army of cultivators to destroy the cocoon before the Metamorphosis is complete.

That would surely stop the Metamorphosis process.

The only problem was how to reach the cocoon. With the astonishingly powerful Half-Saint Demon Peng present, the cultivators would have to deal with it first. Otherwise, there was no chance of even harming the cocoon.

“It’s one thing after another,” Lü Zhong sighed.

First the Withered Tide, then Soul Loss Syndrome.

Now, the Demon Court was rising again.

All these unexpected events seemed to happen in concert, erupting in quick succession. It intensified the ominous feeling in his heart, making him feel more and more certain that something monumental was about to happen in this realm.

Yet, at this very moment, it was as if a wall stood before him.

An information blockade!

He probably wouldn’t be qualified to learn the secrets until he reached the Divinity Transformation Stage. Judging by the secretive behavior of the various Divinity Transformation experts, it was clearly some incredibly important matter.

What was it, exactly?

Lü Zhong couldn’t guess.

‘Oh well. When the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up.’

Lü Zhong stopped dwelling on it.

He was just a mere Nascent Soul cultivator; there was no need for him to worry about things so far beyond his control. It would be better to be pragmatic, focus on the present, and figure out how to resolve the crisis with the Demon Court.

But there was no quick solution to this matter.

So, Lü Zhong returned to the True Spirit Sect and told Shuini what he had seen at the Demon Court. As expected, she was greatly alarmed. After learning about the cocoon, she also agreed that it had to be destroyed.

Otherwise, the first to be destroyed would surely be the True Spirit Sect.

Shuini had worked so hard to build the True Spirit Sect; she couldn’t bear to watch it fall again.

But just like Lü Zhong, Shuini couldn’t think of a solution either.

From his description, it was clear that the Half-Saint Demon Peng had an extraordinary background. It was very likely a rare variant of the Peng Bird, which explained its astonishing power. An ordinary Early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator probably wouldn’t last a hundred rounds against it. Even a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would be crushed.

Lü Zhong knew this from personal experience.

He tried again to persuade Shuini to return to Bihai with him.

That way, even if the Demon Cultivator succeeded in its Crossing Tribulation and began to lead the Demon Court in a full-scale invasion of the Southern Barbarian lands, Shuini’s life wouldn’t be in danger.

But as expected, she politely refused.

A Demon Saint wasn’t guaranteed to appear. Even if this Demon Cultivator did succeed in its Metamorphosis, it would be decades, if not centuries, from now. As the dignified Sect Leader of the True Spirit Sect, if her spirit was broken and she was scared into retreating now, she feared she would never be able to advance in her cultivation again.

Seeing that Shuini’s mind was made up, Lü Zhong could only give up.

“This is a Jia Yuan Heavenly Talisman. It contains a trace of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi…”

“A Jia Yuan Heavenly Talisman? You actually managed to create one!” Shuini stared at the Spirit-Striking Talisman in her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment. Having absorbed the legacy of the Lingyue Sect, she naturally knew of this talisman’s existence.

Looking at Lü Zhong, she smiled faintly and placed it into her storage ring.

“Since this is a token of your affection, it would be rude of me to refuse.”

“Oh, right. This is a gift I prepared in advance!” Shuini took out a red, silk-wrapped jade box and handed it to Lü Zhong. “I’m afraid I’ll have to stay here and stand guard for the foreseeable future. When my sister’s child is born, I probably won’t be able to get away. The ‘True Spirit Immortal Quenching’ inside is priceless. I wouldn’t feel comfortable having an envoy deliver it, so it’s better if you take it back directly. That way, there’s no risk of it getting lost in transit.”