297: Heartache

"No, no, no..."

Someone collapsed to the ground.

Muttering in terror and sorrow.

Watching helplessly as the mournful cries of a dozen people gradually diminished until they disappeared, turning them into mummified corpses, just like the Sha Mo (Fiend Demon/Specter) beneath the stone wall.

Zhou Xiangyu closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down.

Behind him.

Jiang Ningchan's figure swayed slightly.

But she still did nothing.

"Boom!"

The blood of a dozen people all flowed into the stone wall.

Relighting the faint blood-red patterns.

The stone wall slowly rose, finally opening completely.

"Hmph!"

Xing Wuye snorted coldly.

His expression was still ugly.

These dozen or so dead Cultivators were originally pawns used to scout the way, but he hadn't expected them to be lost here.

If not for those mindless Sha Mo (Fiend Demon/Specter) being unable to enter this stone door.

These people would have died for nothing.

"Continue."

Xing Wuye waved his hand.

Behind him, a dozen black-clad Disciples escorted Zhou Xiangyu and the others into the stone wall.

Upon entering the stone wall.

A bright light shone forth.

As if entering another world.

In front of the light, however, there were three black entrances emitting a faint glow.

Xing Wuye and the others had previously reached this point, blocked by these three entrances.

After losing six trusted subordinates, Xing Wuye then went out, captured Zhou Xiangyu and the others, and brought them here to scout the way.

Looking at this scene.

Zhou Xiangyu finally completely understood the purpose of their capture.

"Hoo~"

"In this way, it won't be utterly hopeless..."

Zhou Xiangyu gently exhaled.

"Old Man Han, I'm counting on you."

Xing Wuye nodded to the Grey-Robed Elder.

The Grey-Robed Elder grinned sinisterly.

With a flip of his hand, he took out a small bottle that was like jade yet not jade.

Opening the Seal, a tiny gray mist appeared in Old Man Han's palm.

"Little darling, go."

The Grey-Robed Elder Han's eyes showed affection, and he separated a wisp of tiny gray mist, pointing behind him.

The tiny gray mist split again, entering the noses and mouths of the remaining people.

Zhou Xiangyu and Jiang Ningchan were no exception.

However, no matter how he sensed, he couldn't find the tiny gray mist that had entered his body.

"Heh heh..."

"With Old Man Han's Grey Nether Worms helping, even if these entrances can block Divine Sense, they can't hide from Old Man Han's eyes."

Xing Wuye congratulated Old Man Han.

Old Man Han nodded proudly.

"Enter!"

Black-robed Disciples pushed the remaining dozen or so Cultivators towards the three entrances.

Zhou Xiangyu gritted his teeth.

"I'll risk it!"

He exchanged a look with Jiang Ningchan.

Pulling Jiang Ningchan, he circulated his magical power, performed Turbulent Flow Steps, and crashed into the middle entrance.

If they wanted to break free from control, they could only enter this entrance that even Golden Core True Person feared, to gain the initiative.

Xing Wuye didn't pay attention to Zhou Xiangyu's actions, sneering.

"Go!"

Xing Wuye waved his hand.

The black-clad Disciples escorting the group pushed the remaining people into the three entrances respectively.

After everyone had entered.

Old Man Han formed a hand Seal, pointed a finger at his glabella, and closed his eyes to sense carefully.

"Hmm?"

"They died so quickly?"

As soon as he closed his eyes, two Grey Nether Worms lost their connection to him.

"What a waste!"

Old Man Han's expression was displeased; this was equivalent to losing two of his treasures for nothing, without any gain.

Middle entrance.

"Buzz~"

Zhou Xiangyu circulated his magical power, holding the yishui fan (yi water fan) as he rushed into it.

A patch of darkness instantly invaded his mind.

Zhou Xiangyu was in a daze, standing motionless.

"Brother!"

"Save me!"

A familiar voice entered Zhou Xiangyu's ears.

Zhou Xiangyu struggled to open his eyes, looking in the direction of the voice.

"Xiaoxu!"

Zhou Xiangyu looked at the person rushing towards him, exclaiming in surprise.

The person's appearance was similar to Zhou Xiangyu's; it was his clan brother, Zhou Xiangxu.

Their relationship was extremely good.

Before he could figure out the situation, why Zhou Xiangxu would appear before him.

He saw a blade light strike from behind Zhou Xiangxu.

"No!"

Zhou Xiangyu's eyes were about to split, and his right hand's yishui fan (yi water fan) was thrown out with a roar, trying to block that blade light.

"Boom!"

But he was ultimately a step too late.

The blade light struck Zhou Xiangxu's back first, splitting Zhou Xiangxu in two, blood splattering on the spot.

"Xiaoxu..."

Zhou Xiangyu stood rooted to the spot, his eyes bloodshot.

An indescribable pain rose from his heart.

Making life worse than death.

"Yu'er..."

Another familiar voice sounded in his ears.

Zhou Xiangyu looked over blankly.

He saw a middle-aged couple approaching him.

"Father, Mother..."

Zhou Xiangyu murmured.

As his voice fell, another blade light swept from behind the two.

"No, no, no, no!"

Blood overflowed from Zhou Xiangyu's mouth, his heart seemed to be tightly clutched by a large hand.

Zhou Xiangyu ignored himself, circulating all his magical power and rushing towards the two.

Attempting to block that blade light.

"Boom!"

The blade light swept past.

Leaving behind two incomplete corpses.

"Buzz!"

Zhou Xiangyu's mind seemed to be torn into pieces, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood.

Collapsing to the ground.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou..."

In front, a cold young woman in a blue ruqun called out to him, and behind her, a blade light seemed to suddenly rise.

"Ning Chan..."

"Ah!"

Zhou Xiangyu roared, his mind collapsing, falling into boundless darkness.

"Snow Domain · Ice Seal!"

Cold ice and snow spread in the darkness, freezing it.

A jade hand, like snow, pierced through the darkness, submerged into the ice, and pulled Zhou Xiangyu out of it.

"Ning Chan..."

Zhou Xiangyu opened his eyes, staring blankly at the slightly anxious young woman in front of him, mumbling to himself.

Hearing Zhou Xiangyu's call, Jiang Ningchan's pretty face flushed slightly, and the tension in her heart quietly dissipated.

At this moment.

Zhou Xiangyu finally recovered.

He looked at himself, then remembered where he was.

All the tragic events that had happened before were merely illusions.

Only Jiang Ningchan knew that it was not an illusion, but a real blade light.

If not for her sword seed protecting her, she might have perished here as well.

"Hoo~"

Zhou Xiangyu involuntarily let out a breath.

His left hand gently rested on his left chest.

The pain was too real.

So much so that his heart was still throbbing faintly now.

"What is this?"

Zhou Xiangyu asked, looking at the two ugly, fanged gray bugs Jiang Ningchan held in her hand.

"The thing that person planted on us earlier."

Jiang Ningchan's expression returned to normal.

A fleeting illusory sword light flashed, killing the two Grey Nether Worms.

"Let's go!"

Zhou Xiangyu's mind became tense again; they were not yet out of danger.

Jiang Ningchan nodded.

The two sped off in the direction guided by a mysterious force.

Outside the entrance.

Old Man Han slowly opened his eyes and dispersed his hand Seals.

"How was it?"

Xing Wuye asked with a hint of nervousness.

"My treasures are all dead."

Xing Wuye's expression was somewhat displeased.

"But fortunately, we've already probed it clearly."

The Grey-Robed Elder Han continued, with a hint of heartache but also a smile.

Xing Wuye steadied his mind.

After all, it concerned a Nascent Soul Legacy, so his unstable state of mind was understandable.

"Old Man Han, please tell me quickly."

"The first entrance on the left, upon entering, one loses all magical power, with heavenly lightning, earthly fire, and endless blade Qi falling, specifically to cut down the Physical Body."

"This second entrance..."

"It should be targeting the mind; currently, there are three manifested blade lights, and no one has survived."

"This third entrance has Devilish Qi rampant, devouring the Divine Soul; the pain of the Divine Soul, even if this old man only sensed it slightly, still leaves me with lingering fear."

Old Man Han's expression was somewhat solemn; none of these three entrances were easy to pass through.

"Body, mind, soul..."

"This place should be the Legacy of that Demon Lord of Suffering!"

Old Man Han seemed to have thought of something, his tone somewhat shaken.

"Demon Lord of Suffering..."

"The Demon Lord of Suffering, who disappeared hundreds of years ago, actually left behind a Legacy here."

Xing Wuye's expression brightened as he listened to Old Man Han's analysis.

The Demon Lord of Suffering was a powerful figure even among Nascent Soul True Lords.

It was just rumored that for some unknown reason, he angered a highly virtuous monk from the Great Buddha Domain.

He was pursued by him for several years.

And then there was no more news of him.

"Young Lord, which entrance shall we take?"

Old Man Han asked.

"I have a Divine Protection Bell bestowed by my father, so I will enter through this third entrance."

Xing Wuye's heart stirred, and an ancient, simple, and unadorned bronze bell hovered above his head.

"You all guard here; do not let anyone enter."

"Old Man Han, let's go."

Xing Wuye instructed the Disciples behind him.

Then, he and Old Man Han flew into the third entrance.

"As Young Lord commands!"

A dozen black-robed Disciples respectfully assented, guarding the entrance.