C23 The Ancestor Descended
Given the circumstances, it was best to keep those zombies well-behaved at the bottom of Myriad Cave Cliff, ensuring they didn't venture out to cause trouble.
Wai Jiang had a fondness for the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect. Despite his advancement to the Void Returning Stage, the sect had become as comfortable as home to him after spending so much time there. He had initially planned to depart from the Cliff Bottom right away. But with the discovery of the Profound Heaven Record, he set aside his plans and immediately began practicing the new cultivation method.
It was fortunate that the Profound Heaven Record was a technique that worked in harmony with his previous practice. In just a short span of two hours, Wai Jiang had fully transitioned to the new technique. And that's when he realized something astonishing: the Spiritual Force within him had transformed, becoming unlike any other. It was neither Immortal Force nor the typical Spiritual Force, but something in between, which meant that even without resorting to any other abilities, the power of his Spiritual Force far surpassed that of other Cultivators at the same stage.
This revelation was truly fearsome. Moreover, he had numerous clones and the Immortal Artifact, the Great Void Sword, at his disposal. The Spiritual Force within him was unique, enabling him to wield the Great Void Sword—a privilege typically reserved for Immortals.
The implications were staggering. Coupled with his prowess in Sword Cultivation, Wai Jiang's combined strengths left him uncertain of the full extent of his power. Yet, he was confident that his distinctive Spiritual Force alone was enough to dominate any typical late-stage Void Returning Cultivator. Even against a Cultivator at the Peak of the Void Returning Stage, he stood a chance.
Should he leverage the power of his clones and his Sword Cultivation skills, he could obliterate a Peak Void Returning Stage Cultivator as effortlessly as one would crush an ant. And if he were to wield the Great Void Sword once more, Wai Jiang believed he could even hold his own against a true Immortal.
These were, however, merely Wai Jiang's internal estimations. After all, no one in the Immortal Cultivation Realm had ever witnessed the descent of a genuine Immortal.
Everything was merely his own conjecture about his strength.
Yet, Wai Jiang was never one to boast.
He had a feeling deep within.
This feeling confirmed that his power had indeed eclipsed that of all known Cultivators in the world.
As for whether there were any hidden cultivators within the Immortal Cultivation Realm, that remained unclear to him.
Nonetheless, possessing the strength to overpower a Cultivator at the peak of the Void Returning Stage was more than enough to dominate the entire Immortal Cultivation Realm.
But Wai Jiang harbored no such ambitions; he simply wished to cultivate in peace and ascend to immortality.
Having reached the Void Returning Stage, he felt the gap to becoming an Immortal was closing.
He was acutely aware of the immense challenge that lay ahead.
Even with the System, it was no simple feat.
It might seem that only a few minor realms separated the early stages of the Void Returning Stage from immortality.
Yet, these realms were significantly more challenging to master than the previous ones!
The time required would undoubtedly be far greater!
Moreover, reaching the pinnacle of the Void Returning Stage was one thing.
To break through and ascend to immortality, the investment of time, energy, and sacrifice would be colossal, akin to a chasm in the earth!
Many talented Cultivators had faltered at the peak of the Void Returning Stage, unable to achieve immortality.
The difficulty of becoming an Immortal was a shared lament among all at the Void Returning Stage.
However, with the System at his disposal,
Wai Jiang maintained a sliver of hope, no matter the odds.
Now at the Void Returning Stage, he had a lifespan of 50,000 years.
Over these millennia, he could sign in daily.
He had the freedom to traverse the Immortal Cultivation Realm, mastering the Great Dao Truth.
With such an expanse of time, he mused that even a pig could attain immortality!
Besides, with his aptitude for Sword Cultivation, he was undoubtedly a prodigy.
Becoming an Immortal seemed his destined path.
After one last glance at the Corpse King, Wai Jiang realized there was no longer any reason to linger at the Myriad Cave Cliff Bottom.
The forbidden area held no further intrigue for him.
Aside from a cluster of corpses, there were no treasures to be found. He concluded that he might as well return to the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect and resume his menial tasks. However, he sensed an anomaly at the sect. Given his attainment of the Void Returning Stage, and his status as one of its prominent members, his senses were exceptionally sharp. He could tell that something significant had occurred at the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect. With a furrowed brow, he immediately took flight toward the sect.
At that moment, within the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect, the battle between Ren Qingfeng and the Demon Lord was reaching a fever pitch. It was a clash between Void Refining Stage experts, both of whom had recently advanced to the early phase of this stage. As such, it was challenging to predict a winner. Overall, Ren Qingfeng held a slight edge. He had achieved the Void Refining Stage a full year before the Demon Lord and had done so with the assistance of Wai Jiang, which meant his cultivation was more solid. Additionally, as the sect master, he had unfettered access to the sect's resources.
The Demon Lord's situation was markedly different. He had sustained severe injuries during the Deification Stage and had only just healed before making the leap to the Void Refining Stage. The most concerning aspect was his reliance on forbidden techniques to recuperate, which left his foundation somewhat shaky. Unlike humans, who could use various pills and magical instruments, the Demon Race's methods of advancement were somewhat rudimentary. Moreover, Ren Qingfeng wielded a superior spiritual weapon from the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect, bolstering his formidable strength. This advantage allowed him to slowly take control of the battle.
Adding to the Demon Lord's distress was the fact that his Nascent Soul Stage minions, left in charge of the sect disciple square, had been entirely vanquished by the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect.
At this moment, more than twenty Nascent Soul Elders from the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect, with Elder Lin at the helm, were soaring toward the Demon Sealing Tower!
A multitude of core sect disciples were also making their way there, flying on their swords.
Their objective was to activate the sect's protective array and exterminate the remaining three demons on site!
The reason only a little over twenty Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators had arrived at the Demon Sealing Tower was that some were still tasked with maintaining order at the sect disciple square.
Additionally, despite the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect engaging in battles with a numerical advantage, casualties were inevitable, resulting in the loss of several Nascent Soul Stage Elders.
Nevertheless, they succeeded in eliminating more than a dozen formidable demons of the Nascent Soul Stage.
This victory was a resounding triumph for the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect!
Realizing the tide was turning against him, the Demon Lord urgently called out to the Flying Tiger Demon and the Great Roc Demon behind him, "Brother Fei Hu and Brother Great Roc, I need your strength now more than ever!"
Both the Flying Tiger Demon and the Great Roc Demon understood the gravity of the situation; it was time for them to act.
If the Demon Lord were to be subdued, they too would face grave danger.
They hadn't forgotten their mission to rescue the Old Demon Lord.
The loss of a few Nascent Soul Stage Great Demons wouldn't provoke the Old Demon Lord's ire against them.
But should harm befall his cherished son, they would undoubtedly face his furious retribution, even if they succeeded in the rescue.
With this in mind, the Flying Tiger Demon bellowed, "Alright, I'm coming to your aid!"
The Great Roc Demon also burst into boisterous laughter, "Let's show these ants our true power!"
With that, they both unleashed the formidable might of the Void Refining Stage!
Witnessing this, Lou Haitian and Mooh Chenyi were utterly astounded.
"These two demons are truly at the Void Refining Stage!"
This realization filled them with overwhelming despair.
The gulf between the power of a Deification Stage Cultivator and a Void Refining Stage Demon was vast and insurmountable.
Despite Lou Haitian and Mooh Chenyi's willingness to risk their lives, they were powerless to prevent the opening of the Demon Sealing Tower.
Countless elders and disciples who had rushed to the Demon Sealing Tower were also engulfed in despair. They had initially believed that their support would be enough to completely eradicate the Demon Clan. To their shock, the Demon Clan had three Great Demons at the Void Refining Stage in their ranks, a fact that was utterly terrifying.
Ren Qingfeng's heart was heavy with despair as well. Yet, he clung to a sliver of hope, for he was aware that the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect still had an elder ancestor among them. Even if this so-called ancestor was nothing more than Wai Jiang in disguise.