C9 Exploring

In a mere moment, two nearby demons perished on the spot. One of the leaves darted straight for the Demon Lord. His pupils shrank as a surge of potent demonic energy burst forth, halting the leaf at his forehead. Under the influence of his power, it disintegrated into dust.

Following this unexpected event, the other demons were about to demand justice from Iron Eagle, only to discover he had perished the instant the leaf detonated. The Demon Lord then coughed up a mouthful of thick demonic blood.

"What a masterful technique, to control objects over a thousand miles. Had I not failed my breakthrough to the Void Refining Stage and sustained internal injuries, I wouldn't have fallen victim to such a petty ambush," the Demon Lord sneered, licking the residual blood from the corner of his mouth.

Control over a thousand miles!

The revelation sent shockwaves through the assembled demons. Merely with a few leaves, they could be ambushed from thousands of miles away. It's worth noting that the three demons who had just been ambushed were all at the Nascent Infant Stage. Clearly, even the waning Profound Heaven Taoism Sect had a foundation they could not hope to disturb.

"Hmph, you're all terrified by a mere Control a Thousand Miles technique. It must be the work of Lou Haitian. Wind-Rain Hall truly lives up to its reputation. Once I've healed and achieved the Void Refining Stage, I shall personally pay him a visit to express my gratitude," he declared.

"Demon Lord, our presence has been revealed. We mustn't linger here," a muscular man advised, bowing respectfully.

"Ha, since we can't heal with the 'Rakshasa Heart Sutra', why not rejuvenate ourselves by absorbing vital essence?" Xue Mei's flirtatious laughter echoed through the estate.

Moments later, the mansion was engulfed in flames.

Wai Jiang's actions served as a stern warning to the demons backing Iron Eagle not to overstep their bounds with the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect. Little did he know, at that very moment, in several remote villages far from the Sect, all signs of life vanished overnight.

Meanwhile, Wai Jiang was engrossed in his daily ritual of signing in, and before he knew it, two years had swiftly passed.

It had been five years since his arrival.

Within the Servant Courtyard.

Wai Jiang stood beneath a tree.

Elder Lin was seated on a stone bench under the same tree.

"Wai Jiang, have you ever considered returning home?"

"I heard from Yang Feng that your family's crisis has apparently been resolved."

Wai Jiang shook his head.

In a mere moment, two nearby demons lay dead.

A leaf shot directly toward the Demon Lord.

His pupils shrank as a surge of Demonic Qi burst forth, halting the leaf at his forehead.

Under the influence of his power, the leaf disintegrated into dust.

Following this unexpected event, the demons intended to seek vengeance on Iron Eagle, only to find he had perished at the moment the leaf exploded.

The Demon Lord coughed up a mouthful of dense Demonic Blood.

"Such mastery over long-distance object control. Had I not failed my breakthrough to the Void Refining Stage and sustained internal injuries, I wouldn't have fallen victim to such a petty ambush."

The Demon Lord grimly licked the blood lingering on his lips.

Thousand-mile Telekinesis!

The revelation sent a wave of shock through the assembled demons.

Merely a handful of leaves had managed to ambush them from thousands of miles away.

It was worth noting that the three demons who had been stealthily killed were all at the Nascent Infant Stage.

Clearly, even the waning Profound Heaven Taoism Sect possessed a depth of power beyond their current reach.

"Hmph, to think that a simple Thousand-mile Telekinesis could frighten you so. It must be the handiwork of Lou Haitian. The Wind-Rain Hall truly lives up to its reputation. Once I've healed and advanced to the Void Refining Stage, I shall personally pay a visit to express my gratitude."

"Demon Lord, our presence has been revealed. It is unwise to linger here."

The muscular man spoke, his fists clasped in respect.

"Ha! Demon Lord, since we cannot heal with the 'Luosha Heart Sutra,' why not rejuvenate ourselves by absorbing vital essence? Hehehe!"

Xue Mei's seductive laughter echoed through the estate.

Shortly thereafter, the place was engulfed in fierce flames.

Wai Jiang's deed was merely a caution to the demons backing Iron Eagle not to trespass upon the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect with such audacity.

He had never considered it.

At this very moment, in a cluster of small villages lying a great distance from the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect, life had vanished overnight.

Meanwhile, Wai Jiang was engrossed in his daily sign-ins, and just like that, another two years had flown by.

Now, he was marking his fifth year with the sect.

Within the Servant Courtyard, Wai Jiang sat on a stone bench beneath a tree, with Elder Lin seated opposite him.

"Wai Jiang, have you ever thought about returning home?" Elder Lin inquired.

"I heard from Yang Feng that your family's crisis seems to have been resolved."

Wai Jiang shook his head. In the span of two years, he had only advanced to the late stage of the Body Incarnation State, and his cultivation was slowing down.

A year prior, Ren Qingfeng's attempt to reach the Void Refining Stage had failed, and he was still in recovery.

Clearly, the path of cultivation ahead was going to be fraught with challenges.

Leaving the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect would make it incredibly difficult to find another sign-in sanctuary of such caliber.

None of the other major powers could match this place's foundation.

Besides, he was ready to delve into the depths of the Ten Thousand Caverns Cliff.

Leaving now was out of the question.

"Ordinary people are lucky to live to a hundred years. You joined the sect at sixteen, and now at twenty-one, haven't you ever considered returning to the secular world to marry and honor your ancestors?" Elder Lin's eyes were a testament to the passage of time.

He had never married or had a partner, devoting his life solely to the pursuit of immortality and dedicating his entire existence to the Profound Heaven Taoism Sect. Now, in the twilight of his life, all that awaited him was a final resting place beneath the earth.

Wai Jiang could see that Elder Lin was nearing his life's end and was speaking from a place of reflection.

The pursuit of immortality granted one a long life, the envy of many, but looking back, the companions of one's youth had all passed away, leaving behind only solitary graves, with nothing but a lone lamp for company in the end.

Wai Jiang didn't respond to his question but instead asked, "Elder Lin, is there anything else you need me to do?"

Elder Lin gazed at him profoundly and then burst into hearty laughter.

"Heh, what kind of help could you possibly offer me, kid?"

Wai Jiang didn't argue; instead, he lifted the teapot beside him and poured a cup of tea for Elder Lin.

Time flies, and the world turns on!

Even after ruling for thousands of years, one must eventually ponder their final destination.

...

The night sky was sparsely dotted with stars!

Wai Jiang walked alone on a path overgrown with wild grass, a path untouched by human feet for tens of thousands of years.

Were it not for the annual wildfires that purged the land, this place would have likely become impassable.

Atop the Myriad Cave Cliff.

Wai Jiang peered down.

The abyss below was a pitch-black void, akin to a black hole ready to swallow all.

This place wasn't always known as the Myriad Cave Cliff. It earned its name after a cataclysmic battle between cultivators and demons left the cliffside pockmarked and scarred.

Beneath the cliff lay the remains of countless cultivators and demons.

Despite their death, these remains still harbored immense energy.

Over millennia, these energies gave rise to a new lifeform at the base of the cliff.

"Corpse"

These creatures fed exclusively on the remnants of the dead.

With limited intelligence, they operated on instinct alone, attacking and feasting on any living being they encountered.

Most corpses were at the Nascent Soul Stage, with a few reaching the Deification Stage.

Yet, among them emerged a few of exceptional power.

Corpse Generals: With the strength of the Deification Stage and slightly higher intelligence.

Corpse Kings: As intelligent as any human, wielding the power of the Void Refining Stage.

Corpse Emperors: Rare beings, comparable to the might of the Void Returning Stage, one in ten thousand.

Initially, the existence of these corpses went unnoticed until, under the leadership of a Corpse Emperor, they surged from the depths of the Myriad Cave Cliff.

This emergence sparked a devastating plague of corpses across the land.

Caught unprepared, the Profound Heaven Holy Land had to eradicate this threat.

Several Void Returning Stage masters were mobilized for the task.

But to their dismay,

These corpses proved impossible to exterminate by ordinary means.

Despite being beaten to the brink of destruction, they would not cease their assault. The Profound Heaven Holy Land had sustained innumerable deaths and injuries in this disaster. Several experts at the Void Returning Stage had even perished. The situation was so dire that a Great Demon from ten thousand years past had launched an attack. Only one expert at the Void Returning Stage was able to confront it, and ultimately, he perished as well.

Listening to the ghostly wails and wolfish howls emanating from below the cliff, Wai Jiang felt a growing unease. He had discovered from ancient texts that the Corpse Emperor and all the Corpse Kings had been annihilated. The surviving Corpse Generals and Corpse Emissaries, stricken with fear, retreated to the depths of Myriad Cave Cliff. The Profound Heaven Holy Land, in desperate need of recovery, established a seal to imprison the undead beneath the cliff. They had intended to return and eradicate the corpses once they had regained their strength, but instead, they found themselves in a state of decline. Now, aside from this seal, they lacked the strength to handle these corpses.

"System, check in."

The location was too far removed from the Great Dao Truth, and the check-in failed!

"Just as I thought, the top of the cliff is tens of thousands of meters from the bottom, making check-in impossible."

Wai Jiang exhaled a sigh and leaped from the top of the cliff. Sensing an intruder, a barrier suddenly illuminated in the sky. Wai Jiang promptly activated the Profound Heaven Record, creating a protective aura around himself. Since both originated from the same source, Wai Jiang effortlessly penetrated the barrier and plummeted straight toward the cliff bottom.