Chapter 391 - 65: The Three Sages

"Die!"

Following the furious shout, a black gleam, capable of annihilating all life, appeared.

Zhu Ju’s brow furrowed slightly.

His Body Refining Fourth Realm physical body shuddered, and the force binding him was violently shattered.

"Stop!"

Just then, the approaching old man shouted,

"Don’t kill the innocent indiscriminately!"

Zhu Ju, who had been about to act, raised an eyebrow. He stopped what he was doing and sidestepped, dodging the black gleam.

"TSSSS..."

The black gleam grazed past his body, leaving a bottomless hole in the mountain rock behind him.

Its power was extraordinary.

If it had struck him, even with his Body Refining Fourth Realm physical body, he likely would have been injured.

"Fellow Daoist, my worthless disciple was just being impulsive. Please, don’t take offense, don’t take offense."

The bald old man in the yellow cloak hurried over. Seeing that Zhu Ju was unharmed, he quickly turned and slapped the young man on the head.

"Look before you act! The people here have been dead for nearly a day. The killer is long gone."

"Besides, couldn’t you see that this Fellow Daoist has no killing intent?"

"...Yes." The young man scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

"I was reckless. Thankfully... thankfully, no one was hurt."

"You two," Zhu Ju began.

"Where is this place?"

Hm?

As soon as he spoke, the old man and the young man both tensed up. The young man’s eyes widened in fury as he said,

"An outsider!"

They seemed extremely hostile toward outsiders. The killing intent that had just subsided surged once more.

"Yes."

Zhu Ju nodded.

"I am Zhu Ju of the Bright Void Sect. I stumbled into this place by mistake and was hoping to ask for directions."

"Hmph!" The youth snorted coldly.

"Outsiders are all bloodthirsty demons who only know how to murder for treasure. Master, let’s attack."

"Fellow Daoist." The bald old man didn’t rush to attack. Instead, he took out a bowl and held it in his palm.

"You don’t know where this place is?"

"I do not," Zhu Ju said, his gaze lingering for a moment on the bowl in the man’s hand before continuing.

"I was just about to ask."

’This old man and this young man have decent Cultivation, but they lack the Harmonious and Unstructed aura of a Golden Core Grandmaster.’

’At most, they’re Late-Stage Dao Foundation.’

’In that case, I have nothing to fear even if we fight.’

’The bowl in the old man’s hand, however, is quite profound. It’s giving me the feeling that I’m being seen through.’

’It must be a Divine Soul Treasure.’

However, Divine Soul Treasures were of little use against Zhu Ju. He had the Soul-Shocking Bell in his Sea of Consciousness, and his Soul was linked to his Physical Body. Even a Golden Core Grandmaster using a Divine Soul Secret Technique wouldn’t necessarily be able to truly harm him.

"This place is the Jade Void Cave Heaven. It was once an Ancient Immortal Mansion, and now it is the land where we live."

"Several days ago..."

The old man pressed his lips together, a cold glint in his eyes.

"The Celestial Bell appeared in the world and rang nine times in succession. After that, Outer Demons invaded, causing much slaughter in the Jade Void Cave Heaven. I am Huike, and this is my worthless disciple, Zhishou. We were tracking an Outer Demon when we encountered you, Fellow Daoist."

’Jade Void Cave Heaven?’

’The Celestial Bell rang nine times?’

’An Outer Demon invasion!’

Zhu Ju’s expression flickered.

The reason he had come here was also because the great bell in the Langya Cave Heaven had suddenly undergone a strange transformation.

"Huike... Fellow Daoist."

The man seemed like a cross between a monk and a Daoist, with a strange title and dress. Zhu Ju paused for a moment before asking,

"Do you know what the Outer Demons look like?"

"Hmph!"

Before Huike could speak, Zhishou snorted coldly and cut in,

"According to the survivors from the towns, the Outer Demons are quite handsome, but they are all comparable to demons. Murdering for treasure is the least of it. Some even gouge out eyes and devour souls. Their methods are brutal."

"Them?" Zhu Ju’s eyes twitched slightly.

"There’s more than one?"

"Of course!" Zhishou nodded.

"Some can transform into a bloody light, some command ghosts and control souls, and others are filled with an immortal aura yet are utterly ruthless."

’So, people from both the Righteous and Demon Daos are here?’

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

’If this place is really what I think it is, then logically, once it appeared in the world, news of it should have spread everywhere.’

’Jade Void Cave Heaven...’

’If Secret Realms are ranked, then Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands are clearly at the very top.’

’And the Jade Void Cave Heaven must be the number one Grotto Heaven in this world!’

’So...’

’This Grotto Heaven must have just appeared, and the news hasn’t spread yet. That’s why the Bright Void Sect knows nothing about it.’

"Fellow Daoist."

Zhu Ju cupped his hands.

"Since the Jade Void Cave Heaven is an Ancient Immortal Mansion, it must have an Immortal Sect’s legacy. I wonder, are there any Nascent Soul True Men here?"

’If there’s a Nascent Soul True Man, forget just expelling or suppressing the ’Outer Demons,’ they might even be able to bring great prosperity to the Righteous Dao!’

"Nascent Soul?" Huike gave a bitter smile.

"The Grotto Heaven has Three Sages, who are the strongest here."

"This unworthy old man happens to be one of them."

Hm?

Zhu Ju’s expression froze.

’Dao Foundation Cultivators are the strongest in this world?’

"Then we’re in trouble."

Zhu Ju sighed and shook his head.

"When a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land appears in the world, if it falls into the hands of a major Immortal Sect, they will make contact carefully, spread their teachings, and treat the natives of the Grotto Heaven World well."

"But now..."

"The people who have entered now know very well that they can’t possibly occupy this Grotto Heaven. They’re all just here to make a quick score and leave. If they find out there are no masters in this Grotto Heaven World, they will act with even more impunity."

*

*

*

"Kill!"

"Kill them!"

...

In a large city.

The shouts of battle shook the heavens.

Over a hundred people, each with a vertical eye on their forehead, stretched out their hands, pressing them from afar toward a burly figure.

"Freeze!"

"Freeze!"

...

The Primordial Energy stagnated.

Like countless invisible chains, it bound his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, causing the burly figure to stiffen.

At the same time, hundreds of cavalrymen in heavy armor, mounted on fine steeds, smashed through a wall and charged with lances in hand.

"Kill!"

The uniform sound of hoofbeats was like a tidal wave, crashing thunderously against the burly figure.

"BOOM!"

Men and horses were sent flying.

Lances that had been forged and tempered a thousand times shattered on the spot as they collided with his flesh and blood.

"Ignorant!"

Giant Spirit Mu Guichen rolled his neck. His Golden Core spun within him, and an infinite amount of Sharp Gold Qi erupted.

Instantly, the area a hundred zhang around him became like a mountain of blades and a forest of arrows. The hundred-plus elite cavalrymen were slaughtered in a flash.

He stomped a single foot, and the ground trembled for a li. Countless people coughed up blood and collapsed.

"RUMBLE..."

It was like an Earth Dragon Flipping Over.

The towering, majestic hall in front of him slowly collapsed from the violent tremor, and a group of people scrambled out of it in a hurry.

"You’re the Emperor here?"

Mu Guichen’s figure flickered. He lifted a middle-aged man in a yellow robe and spoke in a cold voice,

"Open the Treasure Vault. Take me to your forbidden grounds."

"The Three Sages..."

He glanced back at a corpse on the ground whose head had been obliterated, a trace of disdain on his face.

"He hadn’t even formed a Golden Core, yet he dared to challenge me?"

"Yes!"

The ’Emperor’ trembled, nodding repeatedly.

"Upper Immortal... Upper Immortal, please let go. I... I will have someone take you to the forbidden grounds at once."

...

In a mountain hollow somewhere.

This place should have been home to a thousand commoners, but now it was littered with corpses, and rivers of blood flowed.

A golden light slowly descended from mid-air. It looked at the figure standing in the pool of blood and spoke in a low voice,

"Guu Qinghuan of the Blood Demon Sect!"

"That’s me."

The woman named Guu Qinghuan, a longsword at her waist, stood amidst the many corpses. She licked the corner of her mouth and looked up.

"Hong Kan of the Profound Clarity Sect. You want to fight me?"

"The Righteous and Demonic have been irreconcilable since ancient times." Hong Kan raised a hand and formed a Seal Technique with it. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi gathered madly, as if it had come to life, and an aura of an impending storm descended.

The surrounding mountains rose and fell. He stood suspended in mid-air, and his might actually seemed to suppress the mountain range around him.

A vast power gathered in the sky.

"Hmph!"

"The Nine Bends Spirit Wood here is a ten-thousand-year-old Spiritual Plant. Its heart has the miraculous effects of Body Tempering and Soul Nourishing, and it’s of great benefit even to Golden Core Grandmasters. You’re just here because you’ve set your sights on this treasure."

Guu Qinghuan sneered. The longsword at her waist trembled lightly, and the blood at her feet bubbled like lava.

A strange, sharp killing intent soared into the sky.

"Do you really think I’m afraid of you?"

Hong Kan frowned slightly.

His Cultivation was only half a step away from the Mid-Stage Golden Core. In terms of Cultivation and strength, he considered himself stronger than her.

But taking her down would not be easy.

Among the Six Demonic Sects, the techniques of the Blood Demon Sect’s Cultivators were not numerous, but they were the most difficult to kill and the most troublesome to deal with.

"Brother Hong!"

Just then, a familiar voice called out from a distance,

"I’ve had a hard time finding you!"

Miao Yang, wrapped in a cloud of black smoke, appeared not far away and looked down at Guu Qinghuan below.

"A fiend from the Blood Demon Sect?"

"Hmph!"

Guu Qinghuan snorted. Faced with the pressure of two Golden Core Grandmasters, she showed no fear. Instead, her fighting spirit soared.

She looked ready to fight to the death.

"Fellow Daoist."

Hong Kan looked down, his expression calm.

"The Jade Void Cave Heaven holds countless treasures. What a waste it would be to give up on all the subsequent treasures for a single Nine Bends Spirit Wood."

"How about this..."

"We’ll divide the Nine Bends Spirit Wood into three portions, one for each of us. After that, Fellow Daoist, you can leave on your own."

"What do you say?"

Guu Qinghuan raised an eyebrow.

"You were just saying that the Righteous and Demonic have been irreconcilable since ancient times." A cold smile appeared on her face, and her scarlet eyes darted around before she spoke again,

"Is that offer genuine?"

"Naturally." Hong Kan nodded, then added,

"However..."

"In addition, you will also leave behind the eyes you have in your possession. I have a use for them."

As he spoke, he touched the vertical eye on his own forehead.