Dao Lord: Starting from a Top-grade Golden Core

Chapter 276: Chapter 152: The Clouds Part for a Clear Sky; A Mountain is Met, a World is Split (Part 2)

Watching Xuzhuang’s receding figure, Venerable Ju Mang suddenly sighed. "Only today," he said, "do I finally understand what it means to be a Mystic Sect Daoist famed throughout the Divine Continent. His presence is truly beyond our measure."

Within the Celestial Vault, Xuzhuang flew for thousands of miles in mere moments, rapidly approaching the center. The foul qi before him grew ever denser, no longer confined to the clouds but permeating the sky and earth. A black Smoke Mist filled every direction, so thick he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.

The Demon Sect had brazenly lured him here, and Xuzhuang had no intention of concealing his arrival. He unleashed his Magical Power without restraint, violently tearing the mist apart. When the scene below was revealed, Xuzhuang was slightly taken aback.

He had searched this area before; it was once a range of beautiful mountains. Now, he couldn’t tell if they had been razed or if something was covering the original peaks. In their place sat a dark, gloomy Yin Mountain that spanned over a hundred miles, its imposing peaks like blades piercing the clouds.

Xuzhuang swept his Spiritual Sense downward. While the dark, gloomy mountain had the shape of a normal range, his Spiritual Sense revealed its entire body to be a mixture of flesh and soil. It was covered in numerous deep holes and fissures that breathed out wind and mist. Much like a cultivator’s breathing, it inhaled spiritual and terrestrial qi, and exhaled foul, gloomy clouds. It felt like a living creature.

’So the changes in the heavens were caused by this thing’s breathing?’ Xuzhuang furrowed his brow slightly. Besides this Yin Mountain, there was no one else in sight. His gaze drifted to the holes and fissures on the mountain as he wondered, ’Are they trying to lure me inside?’

Xuzhuang pondered for a few moments. Answering a challenge was one thing, but being manipulated by others was not in his nature.

Furthermore, this place was already under the influence of the Yin Mountain’s respiration. The foul qi dominated the surroundings, putting him at a disadvantage. If he were to venture into the mountain, not only would he have to deal with the qi, but who knew where the members of the Demon Sect were hiding? The danger was obvious.

Xuzhuang steered his escape light in a circle around the Yin Mountain but detected no flaws. He decided to test it with an attack.

He raised his hand, formed a Sword Technique seal, and gave a soft cry. A beam of sword light shot out from his Vermilion Gourd, falling from the sky and transforming into a colossal blade of Sword Qi. It slashed down upon one of the Yin Mountain’s peaks, and his eyes immediately narrowed.

His attack carved a gash thousands of feet deep into the Yin Mountain. As the Sword Qi dissipated, the gash’s true nature was revealed. Within the soil-like flesh were countless bizarre demonic creatures, their faces savage, their roars unending. Their limbs stretched out like grasping hands, tangling together chaotically. In just a few breaths, they had already sealed the "wound."

In truth, Xuzhuang was unaware that this Yin Mountain Venerable was one of the six great Venerable Demons of the Demon Intent Sect. The title "Venerable Demon" did not refer to a high rank within the Demon Sect. Instead, among the demons that could be refined using the sect’s True Inheritance Dao Skill, it designated the most difficult to create, the most powerful, and the most difficult to subdue.

As one of the six, the Yin Mountain Venerable was also different from many other Venerable Demons. It had been refined by devouring and accumulating countless lesser demons. It could be considered a single entity or innumerable entities. It was simply impossible for a single cultivator to refine on their own; Shao Ying had received it as a gift from his sect and had still spent a hundred years subduing it.

However, though refining and subduing this demon was incredibly difficult, the benefits were naturally endless. For a cultivator of the Demon Intent Sect, it was like a portable sect headquarters. Once released, it could not only absorb spiritual energy and convert it into foul qi but also provide its master with a ceaseless supply of Magical Power.

Furthermore, because the Yin Mountain Venerable was formed from an accumulation of countless demons, its collective will was chaotic, preventing it from launching coordinated and effective attacks. However, if an enemy cultivator dared to enter the mountain, they would immediately be assaulted by innumerable demons. One careless mistake, and they would be devoured and turned into sustenance.

Such a Venerable Demon was enough to grant its wielder control over the battlefield’s Celestial Time and terrain, making it incredibly formidable. Fortunately, while Xuzhuang was proud, he wasn’t so arrogant as to be reckless and did not rashly charge into the Yin Mountain.

At that moment, Shao Ying and Chi Ming were inside the belly of the Yin Mountain Venerable.

Other than Shao Ying, who had subdued the Yin Mountain Venerable, anyone inside it risked being devoured. Only with Shao Ying’s direct control could one be exempt. However, because the Yin Mountain Venerable’s will was so chaotic, Shao Ying couldn’t protect many people. That was why the elders under their command were not present.

A moment after they had sent the message, Chi Ming couldn’t hold back. "I wonder if Xuzhuang will even come," he said impatiently.

Shao Ying’s expression was calm. "It doesn’t matter if he comes or not. Our primary objective is to retrieve that object and earn unparalleled merit for the Demon Lord’s revival. Don’t lose sight of that."

Chi Ming frowned. "You’ve already trapped the object beneath the Yin Mountain Venerable. All that’s left is for Junior Sister Shi to use her treasured mirror to immobilize it. Then we can slowly secure it, and the mission will be complete."

Shao Ying didn’t respond. In truth, at his current level of cultivation, unleashing the Yin Mountain Venerable was a heavy burden. But since he had already played his trump card, he felt certain that nothing could go wrong.

Just then, the two heard a whistling cry from the sky, accompanied by the sound of rolling thunder. They both looked up. Peering through the body of the Yin Mountain Venerable, they saw Xuzhuang descending from the heavens. He hadn’t used any Divine Techniques, yet his Magical Power alone dispersed the gloomy clouds and swept away the foul mist. Shao Ying’s expression turned grim. "This man’s cultivation is truly extraordinary," he said.

Chi Ming nodded, then said, "No matter. If he dares to enter the Yin Mountain, it won’t end well for him."

Shao Ying looked up. Seeing Xuzhuang use his sword to test the Yin Mountain Venerable, his eyes glinted. "This man is not reckless," he said. "He might not enter the mountain."

He had wanted to prevent the Yin Mountain Venerable from healing the gash, lest he reveal its true power and make Xuzhuang too wary to enter. Unfortunately, the demon’s will was too chaotic, and he was powerless to stop it. With the insight of someone like Xuzhuang, he had surely already seen what was happening and probably wouldn’t enter so easily.