System restart

The System's notification sound was cold and urgent, yet it ignited a faint, cold flame in Nightmare's heart.

Stealing food from the tiger's mouth? Not only to escape under the noses of two Late Golden Core Stage powerhouses but also to seize the item on the altar? This mission issued by the System was as crazy and harsh as always.

But at this moment, this sudden System notification was like a shot of adrenaline, causing Nightmare to instantly calm down, his thinking becoming clearer than ever before.

Cannot fight head-on! Must use every condition that can be utilized!

Those two powerful Divine Senses remained firmly locked onto the sinkhole, carrying scrutiny and pressure. The aura of the Sky Patrol Alliance Special Envoy was righteous yet carried a cold, murderous intent, while the aura of that "Holy Sect" envoy was sinister and devious, filled with bloodlust and greed. These two auras were faintly confronting each other; clearly, they were not on the same side, and were even wary of each other.

This was the opportunity!

Nightmare's thoughts raced, and he instantly made a decision. Far from rushing out immediately, he exerted his utmost to restrain his Golden Core aura, which had just broken through and was not yet stable. At the same time, he secretly circulated his Myriad Poison Demonic Body, simulating the illusion of damaged Meridians and unstable aura, making himself look more like an ordinary Demonic Cultivator who had been struggling to Cultivate using the Devilish Qi here, and had just luckily achieved a Breakthrough but suffered heavy injuries.

Then, Nightmare deliberately coughed violently, his voice hoarse and weak, as if he were about to die in the next moment. He staggered out from the dense miasma, his face wearing "just the right amount" of terror and panic, and looked up at the sky above the sinkhole.

He saw two groups of people standing in mid-air, clearly distinct.

On the left were three people. The leader was a middle-aged man wearing the silver-white law enforcement robes of the Sky Patrol Alliance, with a cold expression and eyes as sharp as an eagle's; his aura was clearly at the Late Golden Core Stage! Behind him followed two Cultivators also wearing Sky Patrol Alliance attire, both at the Early Golden Core Stage. The spiritual power around the three was pure and sharp, carrying an innate aura of judgment and majesty.

On the right, there were only two people. The leader was a young man wearing a gorgeous black robe with a feminine, pale face, holding a white bone fan. The corners of his mouth held a trace of an evil smile, but his eyes swept across the ground like a poisonous snake, his sinister Late Golden Core Stage aura undisguised. Behind him followed a figure shrouded in a cloak, whose aura was obscure, but at least at the Middle Golden Core Stage. These two were surrounded by a faint aura of blood evil, which was extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh? It's actually just a little demonic brat who just achieved a Golden Core Breakthrough? You have a big life to be able to Cultivate and break through in such a desperate place." The feminine youth shook his white bone fan and laughed frivolously, but his gaze swept over Nightmare as if measuring prey, especially after sensing the pure Devilish Qi on Nightmare and his seemingly heavily injured state, a trace of imperceptible greed flashed in his eyes.

The cold Special Envoy of the Sky Patrol Alliance frowned deeply, his icy gaze sweeping over Nightmare, but looking more at the broken stone tablet at the bottom of the sinkhole and the cave entrance emitting an ominous aura. His face became extremely solemn: "Seal Altar! It really is the place of the Seal recorded in the ancient books of the Sky Patrol Alliance! The leakage of evil Qi here has a direct connection to you! How did you find this place? Also, was the reconnaissance team sent by the Black Mountain City Lord's Mansion killed by you?" His voice was like cold ice, carrying an unquestionable tone of interrogation.

Nightmare sneered in his heart, but on the surface, he showed an even more "terrified" expression, his voice trembling as he deliberately answered incoherently: "Junior... Junior just accidentally fled into this mountain to take refuge... discovered that the Devilish Qi here was dense, so... so I used it to heal my injuries and make a Breakthrough... I don't know about any altar... As for the people from the City Lord's Mansion... Junior has never seen them... When Junior was breaking through, my Qi was chaotic, triggering the Restriction here, which is why there seemed to be a huge vibration... Perhaps... perhaps they were backlashed by the Restriction..."

His words were half-truth and half-false, clearing himself of suspicion and pushing the cause of death of the City Lord's Mansion team onto "Restriction backlash," while secretly pointing out that this place was dangerous and there had indeed been anomalies (which was actually him triggering the eruption of evil Qi during Core Formation).

Sure enough, upon hearing "Restriction backlash" and "huge vibration," both the Sky Patrol Alliance Special Envoy and the Holy Sect envoy had slight changes in their expressions. Their Divine Senses swept more carefully toward the cave entrance and the stone tablet, and their attention to Nightmare actually lessened by a few points. In their eyes, an Early Golden Core Stage Demonic Cultivator who had just broken through and was "seriously injured" had limited threat.

"Hmph, glib-tongued!" The Sky Patrol Alliance Special Envoy let out a cold snort, but did not act immediately, clearly caring more about the state of the Seal. "Wait until I have checked the Seal, then I will capture you back for detailed interrogation!"

After speaking, he gestured for an Early Golden Core Stage team member behind him to step forward, preparing to land at the bottom of the sinkhole to check.

But the feminine youth chuckled, blocking the way with his white bone fan: "Eh~ Why is Special Envoy Zhantai in such a hurry? Since this place was discovered by my Holy Sect first, it should naturally be taken over and inspected by my Holy Sect first. As for this little demonic Cultivator, since he is Cultivating a Demonic Technique, he should rightfully be handled by my Holy Sect." He clearly also wanted to investigate the altar, and had his eye on Nightmare, this "freshly baked" Golden Core Demonic Cultivator, perhaps wanting to use him as Cultivation Materials or refine him into a demonic puppet.

"Lin Langtian! You are presumptuous!" That Special Envoy Zhantai glared, "This is a restricted area sealed by the Sky Patrol Alliance, how can you demonic heretics touch it? Do you want to start a war with my Sky Patrol Alliance?!"

"Hehe, what a big hat." Lin Langtian smiled sinisterly, "This is an ownerless wasteland, when did it become your Sky Patrol Alliance's territory? As for starting a war? I'm afraid your Sky Patrol Alliance's hands cannot reach this remote Black Mountain Range, right?"

The two were at daggers drawn, the atmosphere instantly becoming tense, their respective auras colliding in the air, emitting an invisible hum. The subordinates they brought also became vigilant, secretly gathering spiritual power.

Nightmare lowered his head, but a cold arc that no one noticed hooked at the corner of his mouth.

Argue, fight! The more fiercely they fought, the greater his chance!

However, just at the moment when both sides were confronting each other and their attention was attracted to each other—

[Ding! Detected the best target for seizure: the third brick in the lower-left corner of the base of the Demon Sealing Stone Tablet, containing a drop of "demon heart essence blood" (most of its will has been ground away by the power of the Seal, only the purest Origin remains). Please Host seize the opportunity!]

The System's notification sound rang out again, and it marked an extremely tiny, shining point on his vision that was almost indistinguishable from an ordinary stone!

Now!

A brilliant light exploded in Nightmare's eyes, without any hesitation!

"Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique" erupted with full power! At the same time, the "Soul Shattering Finger" he had already secretly prepared was not aimed at anyone, but slammed into the empty space between the two Late Golden Core Stage powerhouses!

A strong Divine Soul shockwave suddenly erupted. Although it could not hurt them, it was enough to make the two who were confronting each other with full guard slightly shocked!

"Courting death!"

Both shouted angrily at almost the same time, thinking Nightmare wanted to take the opportunity to sneak attack or escape, and subconsciously wanted to take action to suppress him!

But Nightmare's target was not them at all!

In the split second when their minds were distracted, Nightmare's figure disappeared from the spot like a ghost, not fleeing upwards, but rushing toward the broken stone tablet with lightning speed!

His target was aimed directly at the brick marked by the System!

"Not good! His target is the altar!" Special Envoy Zhantai reacted first, his face changing drastically!

Lin Langtian also instantly understood, evil light flourishing in his eyes: "Stop him! That thing is mine!"

The two attacked almost simultaneously! A sharp, incomparable silver sword light and a ghostly, pale bone claw phantom, carrying the terrifying power of the Late Golden Core Stage, slammed toward Nightmare's back!

The speed was breathtaking!

If hit, even though Nightmare had condensed his Demonic Core, he would definitely be dead or crippled!

But Nightmare seemed to have eyes on his back. Just as the attack was about to hit him, his figure twisted extremely strangely, as if he had no bones, and he narrowly brushed past the edge of the two attacks!

At the same time, his right hand formed a claw, Demonic Essence surged, and he fiercely grabbed at the designated brick!

Boom!

The two missed attacks slammed into the bottom of the sinkhole, making a deafening loud noise, gravel flying, and dust filling the air!

And Nightmare's hand also successfully smashed that brick!

What he grasped was not cold stone, but a drop of blood the size of a pigeon egg, viscous like mercury, pitch black as ink, emitting endless evil and pure energy!

demon heart essence blood!

Just the moment Nightmare grabbed this drop of essence blood!

"Roar—!!!"

A terrifying roar, as if from the Nine Nether Hell, filled with endless anger and madness, suddenly erupted from the bottomless cave entrance!

The entire sinkhole shook violently! The remaining light of the Seal flickered wildly, and the nine broken stone pillars hummed!

It seemed that because the core item was taken, it completely angered the sealed demon heart!

An indescribable, terrifying evil thought that could freeze the Divine Soul of a Golden Core Cultivator erupted from the cave entrance like a tsunami, sweeping the entire sinkhole!

Special Envoy Zhantai and Lin Langtian and others who bore the brunt all turned pale, their bodies shaking violently, and they had to hurriedly operate their Cultivation Techniques to resist this terrible will impact!

And Nightmare, using the impact force generated by the explosion of the two attacks behind him, and the chaos caused by the eruption of this evil thought, rushed forward like a broken kite, but he unhesitatingly swallowed the drop of hot demon heart essence blood in one gulp!

At the same time, he forcibly twisted his body and rushed toward the steep cliff on the other side of the sinkhole!

"Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique" was pushed to the limit, his figure almost turning into a faint shadow, instantly submerging into a narrow crack on the cliff, and disappearing!

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye, from the sudden attack to the seizure and swallowing to the escape into the stone crack, in only one or two breaths!

When Special Envoy Zhantai and Lin Langtian recovered from the impact of the terrifying evil thought, suppressed their churning blood and Qi, and looked again, Nightmare had long since disappeared from the bottom of the sinkhole, leaving only the broken stone tablet base, and the increasingly violent roar of the demon heart continuously coming from the cave entrance!

"Bastard!"

"Get out here!"

The two Late Golden Core Stage powerhouses were almost so angry they vomited blood. Their terrifying Divine Senses swept through every corner of the sinkhole like a comb, but they had difficulty locking onto the figure that had merged into the shadows and whose aura was perfectly covered by the demon heart essence blood and his own evil Qi!

They had actually been played by a Demonic Cultivator who had just broken through to the Early Golden Core Stage, right under their noses! And he had taken away the crucial thing!

A great humiliation!

"Search! Even if you have to turn this mountain over, find him!" Lin Langtian's face was livid, roaring at his subordinates.

Special Envoy Zhantai's face was also ashen, roaring at the Jade Talisman: "Request support immediately! The Seal has changed, the demon is about to lose control! And a mysterious Demonic Cultivator has taken the key item and fled! Seal all exits of the Black Mountain Range!"

At the bottom of the sinkhole, the demon roared to the sky, and evil Qi surged wildly.

A shocking search for Nightmare suddenly unfolded!

And at this moment, Nightmare was enduring the majestic energy and residual will impact brought by the melting of the drop of demon heart essence blood in his body, which was almost about to burst and tear him apart, while crazily traveling through the dark and twisting underground rock crevices.

The System's notification sound rang out again:

[Ding! Successfully seized "demon heart essence blood" (residual), mission completion 30%. Reward settlement in progress...]

[Warning: Host is suffering from a massive energy impact, it is recommended to immediately find a safe place to refine it.]

[Warning: Pursuers behind have started a large-scale search...]