115: The Name of the Demonic Path

West Sacred Continent, Extreme West Land. This place is bitterly cold and frozen, making it the most suitable Dao field for Cultivators with ice-affinity Spiritual Roots. Icy River Valley, one of the Thirty-Six Sects that rarely appears in public, established its Sect here.

Icy River Valley only accepts ice-attribute Disciples and is the most mysterious among the Thirty-Six Sects.

However, the situation has changed since a thousand years ago. One day a thousand years ago, a Body Cultivator who mistakenly entered the Extreme West Land, due to his true body being crippled and all his magical power lost, stumbled into a secret place. That place was cut off from heaven and earth, devoid of Spiritual Qi.

Furthermore, one could not use magical power there, but it was abundant with Innate Immortal Seeds. This was because the Laws of that place were unusual; in Reincarnation, there were many Reincarnated Immortal Seeds with natural Spiritual Roots. A Heavenly Spiritual Root, which might only appear in one out of a million people in the Cultivation world, seemed not to be rare in Jueling Realm.

The land area of Jueling Realm was less than one-tenth of West Sacred Continent, yet the proportion of people with true Spiritual Roots was much higher than in the Cultivation world. Approximately one Immortal Seed could be found among every thousand people, and there was a high probability of even finding a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

After the Body Cultivator who mistakenly entered Jueling Realm discovered this secret, he immediately reported it to his Sect. However, the news also leaked out. The Great Sects, led by the Four Sects—Yuanfu, Lingsu, Vajra, and Beast Controlling—had their Great Masters communicate between the two Realms at an immense cost, setting up a Heaven-Connecting Formation and establishing Snow Mountain City.

It was stipulated that a Realm Crossing would be held every hundred years, where people from the Cultivation world would be sent down to settle in Snow Mountain City to collect Immortal Seeds, and receive Immortal Seeds, Martial Artists, and various resources produced in the previous hundred years.

Given the scale of the Four Sects alone, it was impossible to completely monopolize this wealth. The profits needed to be shared; even a first-tier Sect could not prevent its subordinates from getting a share.

Out of the thirty-six second-tier forces, originally thirty participated. However, as time passed, over a thousand years, the big fish ate the small fish, and the small fish ate the shrimp. Now, only fifteen forces remain that can participate in this matter.

Icy River Valley is one of them, and furthermore, their Sect is already located in the Extreme West. The hundred-year Realm Crossing is a grand event for Icy River Valley every century. Various Sects gather, Fellow Daoists meet, discuss the Dao, exchange ideas, and hold a trade fair for spiritual items.

The outposts of the Four Great Sects, including Yuanfu, are three hundred miles away from Icy River Valley, located at the very center of the bitterly cold Extreme West Land.

All the Sect members were now staring intently at the Ascension Platform Formation. The person leading them was a tall, heroic, and remarkably imposing young man.

This person was precisely Immortal Master Lingji of Yuanfu Sect. Taking his name as his title, he was a Martial Immortal in the world. He achieved Immortal Ascension through his Martial Dao becoming divine. At the same time, he had crossed the Realm from Jueling Realm on his own and was hailed as the First Martial Immortal of West Continent.

A hundred years ago, he was already a Golden Core Immortal Master with a Golden Core nurtured within him, and he had also joined Yuanfu Sect, the strongest among the Four Great Sects.

At the same time, he also became the Disciple of a Grand Elder. The Four Sects received Immortal Seeds, and these Immortal Seeds took root in West Sacred Continent, growing rapidly. In a thousand years, three Nascent Soul Great Cultivators were born: True Monarch Yuanwu of Yuanfu Sect, True Monarch Fansheng of Vajra Sect, and True Monarch Tianque of Beast Controlling Sect.

The three True Monarchs instantly became the top combat power of the three Great Sects, and the foundations of the three Great Sects surpassed their past. Subsequently, they plundered resources, and some of the thirty-six forces disappeared into history. Currently, twenty-seven still exist.

“Everyone, activate the formation connection. The people in the Lower Realm are already preparing to cross the Realm,” Li Lingji said to the crowd, then had them prepare to connect the Ascension Platform Formation. As the formation activated, a seven-colored staircase formed a heaven-and-earth passage. As the two groups were about to meet, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned his head again and said to the attendant beside him, “Are all the people who are to be sent down for training this time ready?”

“Reporting to Great Master, they are ready. They are all branch families loyal to Yuanfu Sect, and they are all Innate Martial Artists!”

“Hmm, that’s good. When the Immortal Seeds ascend, be careful. Grand Elder and Great Master Yuanwu both feel that this Realm Crossing is somewhat unusual. If not for that, I would not have been sent.”

Li Lingji narrowed his eyes, observing the staircase very carefully, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He mused, “As expected of a projection of the Horizon Stairway. With my current mastery of the Myriad Dust Spiritual Eye, I still cannot fully comprehend the runes on it. That Great Master is truly terrifying, no wonder he could project from the Upper Realm and break through the shackles of Jueling Realm.”

His eyes glowed with seven-colored light, like gems, the radiance flowing. Then he carefully observed his surroundings.

The Realm Crossing was about to succeed. With him, a Golden Core Immortal Master, guarding it, any mishap could be handled.

However, the Grand Elder of Yuanfu Sect, who was also his Master, was skilled in heavenly divination, and his parting instructions made him dare not be careless.

His gaze extended further, and he suddenly detected a trace of abnormality, exclaiming in surprise!

“How dare you!”

At this moment, the Ascension Platform Formation was at its brightest, and many illusory figures already stood in the center of the formation.

From illusion to reality, descending to the world.

However, a colossal white bone hand, covering the sky and sun, swept towards the Ascension Platform. At an extremely fast speed, it shattered the protective Qi shield of the Ascension Platform Formation with a single slap.

The white bone hand was covered in demonic patterns, and gusts of Cold Wind (Yin Wind) blew, making one feel nauseous. Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining Realms would even be injured by just looking at it too long.

Li Lingji was horrified and exclaimed, “Nascent Soul Divine Ability!”

“How audacious!”

Seeing the white bone hand continue to grab towards the center of the formation, Li Lingji was enraged. He raised his hand, carrying boundless spiritual energy, and a fierce, scorching seven-colored flame charged towards the white bone hand.

Even though it was a Nascent Soul technique, the perpetrator was casting it from an extremely long distance. Furthermore, shattering the Ascension Platform Formation’s barrier had already consumed most of its power, leaving only residual might.

That’s why Li Lingji dared to act. Otherwise, if the giant hand had truly slapped down, whether the people crossing the Realm were Immortal Seeds or Martial Artists, they would all have been pulverized.

The flames met the giant hand, and visible waves of heat rolled out, spreading in all directions.

Some unfortunate Cultivators were killed by the residual power of the clash, but fortunately, other Great Sect Cultivators who reacted, Great Master Zhizhen of Vajra Sect, Great Master Wei Ran of Lingsu Valley, and Great Sage White Ape Overturning Heaven of Beast Controlling Sect, four Golden Core Immortal Masters, successively made their moves.

Each used their Divine Ability to resist the attack of the white bone hand. Finally, at the cost of expending their magical power, the white bone hand dissipated without a trace.

However, just as they breathed a sigh of relief, a strange monster bird covered in coarse fur, for some unknown reason, emerged from the Void Realm, appearing abruptly in the Ascension Platform Formation, and opened its large mouth to swallow all the people in one corner who had just landed.

“A Golden Core-level Void-Piercing Forest Owl, and it has even comprehended a trace of the Law of space, damn it!” Li Lingji roared in anger. On the entire Ascension Platform, nearly two hundred people who had just landed were swallowed by the Void-Piercing Forest Owl, how could Li Lingji not be enraged?

But the trouble didn't stop there. In the blood-red, black-glowing blood clouds in the distance, several streaks of light and escaping glows suddenly appeared. From afar, one could even see a flying boat as huge as an island in the sea of clouds.

Great Master Zhizhen immediately said, “Amitabha, those demonic brats have attacked! The one leading them is Heavenly Demon Sword Child of the Demonic Sword Sect!”

“Not only that, there’s also White Bone Demonic Buddha of White Bone Sect, Lady Huayang of the Lust Demon Sect, Immortal Master Yin Ya of Yin Severing Sect, and Xue Wuya of Blood God Sect, five Golden Cores. On that ship, there are at least nearly a hundred Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivators.”

“Heavens, these Demonic Cultivators have gone mad! Are they all tired of living, daring to penetrate so deeply into the territory of the Four Sects? Or are they trying to start a righteous-demonic war?”

Li Lingji uncharacteristically took a deep breath and shook his head, saying, “No, there should be one more. This flying boat is being controlled so steadily, it’s probably another Golden Core expert, and there’s also a Golden Core pet beast. Everyone, let’s think about how we should protect ourselves! I have already notified my Master, and Immortal Master Xueyang of Icy River Valley will also arrive very soon. The Demonic Path scoundrels have made up their minds; they will definitely not be satisfied unless we suffer a great loss.”

Chen Cuo had not even stood firm after landing when, as expected, a sudden change occurred. A huge monster bird appeared before his eyes, swallowing the more than two hundred people in front of him. Then, he saw the fully prepared people of the Cultivation world, which couldn't help but make him feel confused.

“What’s going on here?”