233: Chapter 233 Manipulating the Body

As the voice fell, the dark shadows soared up and down, completely surrounding the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Some Foundation Establishment Cultivators were so terrified by the pressure that they repeatedly begged for mercy.

"It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! Senior! We only entered this place by mistake. We beg Senior to spare our lives!"

Cowardly pleas for mercy rose and fell one after another, completely shattering the remaining morale. The Cultivators who had originally intended to band together for resistance now looked as pale as death.

Many followed suit, putting down their Magical Artifacts and collapsing to the ground, trembling.

The pressure of the Golden Core Realm was like a mountain pressing down. Forget fighting back; even circulating spiritual energy for protection was as difficult as reaching the heavens. The disparity was so vast that not a single thought of resistance could arise.

Hiding in the shadows, Ye Jing gnashed his teeth. Beside him, Hei Feng raised his head, the single horn atop it emitting light waves that blocked Xuan Yin's Divine Sense detection.

"Is this Demon God playing dirty? He actually let Xuan Yin lift the level restriction. How are we supposed to fight this?"

Ye Jing had a massive headache. His grandson was down there, so he had to act. However, Xuan Yin had already recovered to the Golden Core Middle Stage. Fighting him now would be like an ant trying to shake a giant tree.

Just as he was feeling anxious, the Immortal Willow in Ye Jing's mind suddenly seemed to sense something. Its branches and leaves grew, rapidly sprouting green leaves as if it had sensed some kind of nourishment.

At this moment, Ye Jing felt an ominous premonition.

Meanwhile, the rampaging Xuan Yin suddenly looked up as if sensing something, gazing toward Ye Jing.

Ye Jing's hair immediately stood on end.

"I've finally found you!" A sinister smile instantly appeared on Xuan Yin's pale face.

Ghostly shadows swept through the surrounding Cultivators, forcing them to use their Spiritual Artifacts to defend against the ghosts' attacks.

Ye Jing took a deep breath, deactivated his concealment, and stepped out.

His blatant appearance made Ye Tianhao's heart tighten, and he immediately clenched his fists.

"Tian Hao, Grandfather will lure him away for you!"

Ignoring Xuan Yin's excited, eerie laughter, Ye Jing spoke to Ye Tianhao via voice transmission.

Ye Tianhao wanted to stop him, but he saw Ye Jing racing toward the exit.

Xuan Yin arrived instantly, charging toward Ye Jing with countless Vengeful Soul.

This sudden turn of events left everyone present dumbfounded.

Even the veiled woman showed an expression of immense shock. That Cultivator had suddenly appeared; did he have some extraordinary ability to dare risk his life to lure Xuan Yin away?

In the narrow corridor, Ye Jing rode Hei Feng, sprinting outward aimlessly.

Hei Feng's four paws trod on thin air, black mist churning around him. Although the light waves from his single horn were still barely blocking Divine Sense, Xuan Yin's aura, like a maggot on a bone, was drawing closer and closer.

Chilly Devilish Qi spread frantically through the cracks in the corridor. Wherever it passed, a layer of pitch-black frost instantly condensed on the stone walls, and even the spiritual energy in the air was frozen into stagnation.

"Running? Do you think you can escape?"

Xuan Yin's eerie laughter was like poisoned icicles piercing straight into Ye Jing's ears. The pressure of the Golden Core Middle Stage bore down overwhelmingly, forcing Hei Feng's body to shudder violently as his speed plummeted.

Ye Jing gritted his teeth and funneled all his spiritual energy into Hei Feng, urging him to go faster.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw ghostly shadows churning around Xuan Yin. Those dark figures, condensed from resentment, pursued like a tide, their sharp claws tearing through the air with shrill screeches.

Xuan Yin's form was ethereal, his feet never touching the ground. Behind him, the floor cracked inch by inch, revealing a boiling black ocean beneath, causing Ye Jing's mind to falter.

"That willow root inside you—this old man has searched for it for a thousand years. I didn't expect you to come back to life! I shall kill you!"

Hearing this, Ye Jing knew the Demon God must be aware of the Hongmeng Immortal Clan Willow within him, which was why he was so persistent.

Therefore, Ye Jing had to lead him away from everyone; he couldn't let anyone else know even a shred of the truth about the Immortal Willow inside him!

The Immortal Willow grew more and more vigorously. Its tender green branches peeked out, emitting a faint clear radiance that actually seemed to suppress the surrounding Devilish Qi.

Yet this clear radiance was also like a beacon in the night, completely exposing Ye Jing's position. Xuan Yin's aura instantly surged, and the ghostly shadows around him suddenly coalesced into a giant demonic claw, lunging fiercely at Ye Jing's back!

"Watch out!"

Hei Feng let out an enraged roar, his single horn suddenly erupting with blinding white light as he slammed head-on into the demonic claw.

With a thunderous boom, the white light collided with the black claw. The resulting shockwave sent Ye Jing's blood and qi churning, while Hei Feng let out a wail, the light from his horn dimming.

Black blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his body stumbled, nearly collapsing.

Ye Jing was heartbroken. This old fellow who had accompanied him for many years was already his closest companion. But at this moment, he could only harden his heart and pat Hei Feng's neck.

"Hold on a little longer! Don't stop!"

As the palace corridors continued to collapse and heavy shadows surrounded him, Ye Jing realized after running an unknown distance that he had been completely encircled by a mass of dark shadows.

Ye Jing reined in Hei Feng and slowly turned around to face the pursuing Xuan Yin.

Xuan Yin stopped several yards away, surrounded by ghostly shadows, looking down at Ye Jing with a scrutinizing gaze.

The sinister smile on his face grew more intense. "Why aren't you running anymore? An ant is an ant after all. Have you accepted your fate?"

Ye Jing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes sharp as knives. He demanded, "Xuan Yin! How do you know about the Immortal Willow inside me?"

"Xuan Yin" sneered. "You mean this scoundrel? No, no, he isn't worthy of knowing."

Before his voice even faded, the ethereal ghostly shadow suddenly exploded. Amidst the churning black mist, a colder and more majestic aura slowly emerged from the depths.

The original Xuan Yin was merely a manipulated shell. Now, the true mastermind behind the scenes finally revealed his true form.

It was a translucent soul body, entwined with deathly Dao rhymes as black as ink.

His face was haggard, but his eyes were blood-red. A vertical pupil split open at the center of his forehead, swirling with the aura of decay and destruction.

Just a mere gaze caused Ye Jing's Divine Soul to sting with pain, and Hei Feng's limbs went weak, as he prostrated himself on the ground with a fearful whimper.

"I am the Blood-Bone Demon God. Back when I was on the verge of Ascension, I had the fortune of witnessing Immortals from beyond the heavens slaughtering an immortal entity called the Hongmeng Immortal Clan Willow. I was gravely injured by the shockwaves of that slaughter, and my cultivation has not progressed an inch since!"

"Now, I never expected to find that unique wisp of immortal charm within the body of an old man with one foot in the grave like you!"

Ye Jing's heart shook violently, and his back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Hearing this old demon say he was severely injured by the shockwaves of that slaughter, there was a slight discrepancy from what Yun Jian had told him.

But Ye Jing naturally understood that the origins of this Immortal Willow were extraordinary! It might even be some ancient immortal entity that required those high-and-mighty Immortals to descend and kill it.

Furthermore, since the Immortal Willow grew based on the number of his family members, it should be in a highly-bound symbiotic relationship with him.

At this moment, the Blood-Bone Demon God's blood-red eyes were locked onto the location of Ye Jing's Dantian, his greedy aura almost turning into something physical.

His withered fingers curled slightly, and the surrounding aura of death churned frantically.

They transformed into countless bone claws lunging at the two of them. "That wisp of Immortal Willow's remnant charm is my only chance to repair my injuries and recultivate the Great Dao!"

"Today, you have no way to escape. Hand over the immortal charm obediently, and I may leave your corpse intact and let this beast suffer a bit less."