445: Detailed investigation

"Buzz—!"

The thick, ink-black Evil Qi exploded outwards in a ring-shaped shockwave!

Wherever it passed, even light and air seemed to be affected by this pure sense of death,

decay, and despair, freezing, eroding, and turning into null dust!

A layer of inch-thick, icy Evil moss, constantly wriggling and twisting with painful ghostly face markings, instantly condensed on the cave walls!

The air temperature plummeted to the extreme cold of a frozen hell where water instantly turned to ice!

"Hiss!"

Little White Flood Dragon Qiong Shuang, who had been curled up sleeping warmly inside Yao Delong's sleeve,

shot out like lightning, as if her delicate body had been pierced by Ten-Thousand Year Profound Ice!

Her small claws frantically climbed onto Yao Delong's topknot and held on tightly,

her tiny ice-blue vertical eyes watching the apocalyptic scene in terror, her voice trembling:

"Ahhh! Help! Big Brother! Yao Delong! You... calm down!

Please don't suffer a Qi Deviation! I'm still a hundred-year-old pure little Flood Dragon baby!

I don't want to be sliced into Ice Flood Dragon Sashimi by your sword!"

Yao Delong lightly flicked the edge of the soul devouring true spirit sword with his fingertip, and the destructive, dripping ink-black Evil Qi wrapped around his finger as obediently as a ribbon.

"What are you panicking about?"

He glanced at the shivering ice-blue dumpling on his head, a hint of mockery rising at the corner of his mouth,

"I just used a bit of Nether Evil Power, that's all."

"Used? You call this 'a bit'?!"

Qiong Shuang poked her head out indignantly, her icy crystalline claws pointing at the section of the lava cave wall ahead that had been completely annihilated into floating dust,

a gap dozens of feet thick, and the residual Evil Qi that was corrupting the space and leaping on the remaining cross-section like a living tumor,

she shrieked in disbelief:

"You call the Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood Death Evil Qi on you—eight hundred times purer and thicker than that of a Nine Nether Sect Elder—'a bit' of use?!

Big Brother, have you suffered a Qi Deviation?!"

Yao Delong laughed heartily and flicked his finger,

a subtle flame of Burning Blaze, supremely Yang and firm, leaping up on his fingertip like a small sun that baked away all evil.

Seeing this warm, familiar Bright Flame full of vigorous vitality,

the fear in Qiong Shuang's eyes finally dissipated a little, and her little heart thumped wildly:

"O-okay! With Burning Blaze, you shouldn't have fallen to the demonic path..."

Before her voice faded, Yao Delong's mind shifted slightly!

Buzz!

The Thousand Mechanisms Origin Core suspended in his Dantian suddenly reversed!

That wisp of warm, blazing Sun Flame instantly faded and vanished!

In its place, a cold, viscous, Gray Death Turbid Qi, as if from the foulest depths of a mass grave buried for ten thousand years,

wrapped around the decaying aura of corpses and white bones, circulating on his fingertip like a living thing!

A sinister and evil, indifferent smile even appeared on Yao Delong's face.

"Eek—! You've fallen to the demonic path again! Big Brother, what kind of crappy Cultivation Technique are you practicing?!"

The white scales all over Qiong Shuang's body instantly bristled, and her tail straightened,

instinctively preparing to use an "Ice Mirror Profound Escape" to flee this demonic lair!

Yao Delong quickly dispersed the nauseating turbid Qi and reactivated the Burning Blaze to dispel the coldness inside the cave.

"Alright, stop fussing! It's just a disguise Divine Ability; it can convert some basic Demonic Evil Characteristics without harming my Foundation."

He patted the little Dragon's head soothingly, "Don't pry into an adult's Cultivation Technique, little brat."

"I'm a hundred years old!! I'm not a child!"

Qiong Shuang waved her claws in protest, but her ice-blue eyes remained fixed on Yao Delong's face, full of confusion,

"But Big Brother, your aura conversion is too fast and exaggerated, isn't it?

Fire Energy turns into the Sun, Demonic Energy turns into the Abyss... I can barely tell which one is the real you anymore! And your Cultivation speed..."

She flicked her tail, and a strong sense of frustration welled up in her heart,

"I take pills every day until my belly is round, and when I wake up after a nap, your Battle Strength has broken through again!

Who is the one with the legendary long lifespan and slow Cultivation speed Divine Beast Bloodline, anyway? It's unfair!

When we get back, you must double my supply of Blood Tempering Profound Pills and Ice Heart Jade Marrow Paste!"

Watching Qiong Shuang indignantly use her small claws to gesture, "Double! I need this much!"

Yao Delong smiled: "Alright, Little Glutton, I'll feed you plenty when we get back."

"That's more like it!"

Qiong Shuang instantly brightened up, affectionately rubbing herself around Yao Delong's neck,

her cool, smooth scales bringing a refreshing sensation. "You truly are my Big Brother!"

Half a month later, they were in the outer perimeter of the Demon Skeleton Mountain Range.

The mountainous border area, originally sparsely populated, had now transformed into a strict Sword Domain!

Countless Myriad Sword Valley Disciples were wearing uniform, snow-bright Sword Robes,

their Sword Intent subtly emerging as their robes fluttered, standing tall like countless unsheathed sharp swords.

Streaks of light containing sharp Investigative Intent swept over every mountain peak,

and every valley path like a vast net. At the critical nodes of the main paths leading outward, Spatial Investigation Magical Artifacts, presided over by Soul Transformation Elders, were set up,

inscribed with circulating runes. Any concealment method would be exposed under the coverage of this formation!

The air was oppressive, as if solidified.

Qiong Shuang retreated deep into Yao Delong's sleeve opening, which he had deliberately left slightly ajar, only daring to reveal a pair of vigilant ice-blue vertical pupils.

Yao Delong had already activated the brand new version of the Thousand Mechanisms Formless Art,

his entire aura restrained and honest, like an ordinary traveling merchant in the mortal world.

He wore Coarse Cloth Combat Attire dusted with travel grime, and his features were unremarkable,

only the depths of his eyes held an unassuming tenacity, as if they had weathered mountains and Qiong Shuang.

His steps were steady, and ordinary Fire-attribute Foundation Establishment Cultivator Spiritual Power Fluctuations emanated from his body, leaving no flaw.

"Stop!"

A Myriad Sword Valley Golden Core Disciple with a stern face and eyes sharp as a hawk instantly blocked his path,

"Name! Origin! Sect! Purpose for entering the mountain! Report in detail!"

Yao Delong sighed internally. This level of rigorous questioning was comparable to interrogating a Notorious Bandit.

"I am Long Aotian, a native of White Cloud City in the Ba Xia Dynasty. My Sect is the Yin Yang Sect."

He cupped his hands and presented the Inner Sect Disciple Identity Jade Token, which he had slightly modified to only retain the core identity mark,

"I entered the mountain only to collect the local specialty, 'Golden Yang Iron Essence,' for refining Magical Artifacts. This is my return journey."

The Disciple took the jade token and carefully inspected it, then looked up and scrutinized Yao Delong, firing off a barrage of questions:

"Long Aotian? That name is quite domineering. From the Yin Yang Sect? Running all the way to this chaotic Demon Skeleton Mountain Range to collect Golden Yang Iron Essence?

The production points for Golden Yang Iron Essence aren't usually in this deep valley, are they? How many people are in your family?

The names of your Sect masters and Elders? Records of your route into the mountain range?

Everything you saw and heard, especially any clues regarding Demonic Cultivators, report it in detail!"

Yao Delong: "..."

He felt like he was facing a major Sect background investigation exam.

Just as he was hesitating whether he should just reveal his identity as Yao Delong to save trouble,

a light, cold aura permeated with the sharpness of ice and snow approached from a distance.

"Junior Brother, wait a moment."

Before the voice faded, a beautiful, ethereal figure gracefully descended into the area like a Green Luan Skimming Water, her plain white skirt fluttering, untouched by dust.

Her silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her ice-blue eyes were like a cold lake on a snowy mountain.

When her gaze swept over Yao Delong's ordinary face, a hint of knowing amusement in their depths was too quick for anyone to notice.