Chapter 709: Forbidden Region Of The Deep Sea (I)

In the Chaotic Star Sea of the Eastern Sea, waves thundered as they crashed against a lush, verdant island.

Several streaks of dark light shot from the island and sped into the distance. The expression of a cultivator guarding the island's protective formation shifted slightly at the sight, and he was speaking to the companion beside him.

The man summoned the young man nearby and said calmly, "Ah Chang, I'll leave this place under your watch for now. Do your best, and notify me immediately at the slightest sign of trouble."

The young man acknowledged the order and watched him depart. "Yes, sir."

After leaving, the man sped toward the heart of the island. He moved swiftly, streaking through the air in a flash of light and arriving moments later at the central region, within a mountain forest shrouded in dark mist. An intoxicated expression appeared on his face, as though he greatly enjoyed the dense, pitch-black mist.

He waited outside for a moment before the dense black mist suddenly began to churn, revealing a dark passage within. With a slight flicker, the man entered the passage. As soon as he stepped inside, it vanished and was once again engulfed by the dense black mist. The man continued along the passage, which spiraled downward rather than running straight, leading deep underground. After traveling for more than three hundred meters, he arrived before a sinister black gate carved with the likeness of a hideous yao.

As the man approached, the gate began to tremble and slowly swung open.

"What is it?" An aged voice emerged from the pitch-black chamber, causing an eerie sense of terror to rise involuntarily from the depths of the man's heart.

Suppressing the fear in his heart, the man answered in a trembling voice, "Sect Master, Kong Yujing has left the sect. Two Golden Core realm lords departed with her as well."

"Mm. You may leave," the aged voice replied indifferently.

The moment the voice fell silent, the gate shuddered and closed once more, leaving the man standing outside the chamber with a bewildered expression.

What did the Sect Master mean by that? Could the rumors be true? Has he already become unable to suppress the yao will and demonic qi within him, leaving him on the verge of losing control completely? the man speculated inwardly.

The Sect Master had been in seclusion for far too long. Ever since entering this chamber to cultivate in seclusion thirty years ago, he had never once left. Rumors had begun circulating throughout the sect that something had gone wrong with his cultivation. Otherwise, if the Sect Master of the Evilheart Sect were still in good condition, Kong Yujing would never have been able to persuade the sect's Golden Core realm demonic cultivators to join her.

Just as doubts arose in the man's heart, the aged voice sounded directly within his mind, interrupting his thoughts, Guard the sect well while I am away!

"Yes, Sect Master!" The man's body trembled slightly as he hurriedly acknowledged the order. He felt somewhat fortunate that he had not believed the rumors and joined Kong Yujing's operation.

Inside the chamber, after sensing that the man outside had departed, a strange humanoid body slowly rose from the floor. The body appeared very young, completely at odds with the aged voice that had spoken moments ago. Yet the youthful body was distinctly unnatural. It resembled neither a living person nor a corpse, but rather a puppet fashioned from some unusual material. The puppet moved its somewhat rigid limbs, and a faint glimmer of life returned to its hollow eyes.

"Someone capable of helping demonic cultivators purge the yao will from their bodies... After more than a century, an interesting fellow has finally appeared again. I hope he won't disappoint me..." the puppet murmured softly. After taking a moment to adjust to the body, he walked deeper into the chamber.

Deep within the chamber, an enormous and hideous head was carved into the wall. Its gaping maw exuded a terrifying aura. The puppet extended his right hand directly into the enormous mouth. The hideous head soon seemed to come alive, abruptly opening its maw even wider and swallowing the puppet whole.

Immediately afterward, the hideous head opened two lantern-sized eyes before abruptly splitting apart, revealing an even more concealed and secure chamber behind it. Within the chamber, the puppet that had just been swallowed now stood silently beside an extremely aged man with shriveled skin and a blackened body. The puppet formed a hand seal as dark light surged within him. His eyes suddenly focused, and two beams of dark light shot from them into the aged body.

A series of cracking sounds rang out.

The old man, as gaunt as a skeleton, abruptly opened his eyes. A terrifying, savage bloodlust flashed through them before they swiftly regained their clarity. He struggled to his feet and moved his body. Having remained motionless for far too long, his body emitted a continuous series of cracking sounds. This emaciated old man was the true body of the Evilheart Sect's Sect Master. The puppet from earlier was merely a vessel he had prepared for himself.

The old man inhaled sharply. Billowing black mist surged in from outside the chamber and poured into his body through his seven orifices. His shriveled, skeletal frame expanded at an astonishing rate, soon transforming into the figure of a strong and burly middle-aged man.

"My condition is worsening. If I fail to gain anything this time, I'll be in trouble," the old man murmured with a slight frown.

No, he could no longer be called an old man. Now restored to his peak condition, the Sect Master of the Evilheart Sect resembled a burly middle-aged man with bulging muscles. His name was Cao Hongchang, and he cultivated the Evilheart Demon-Subduing Art. It was the primary cultivation technique of the Evilheart Sect and the source of the sect's name.

"Only two opportunities remain... I have studied demon arts for hundreds of years and created the Evilheart Demon-Subduing Art, which can suppress one's heart demons. I will surely break free from the shackles of demon arts and cultivate them to heights no demonic cultivator has ever reached!"

Cao Hongchang murmured softly as the sinister light in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by overwhelming confidence and authority. The person who had recently appeared greatly intrigued him. The entire Evilheart Sect lay under his watch, and no one could escape his perception. Cao Hongchang had noticed something unusual when the yao will within Kong Yujing was first alleviated and had secretly observed her for a long time afterward.

However, he could awaken only a limited number of times and had just three opportunities left to restore himself to peak condition. Therefore, Cao Hongchang had refrained from revealing himself and remained hidden while observing for a long time. He then discovered that the yao will within an increasing number of the sect's demonic cultivators had disappeared, even though they had nearly reached their limits.

Several Foundation Establishment realm cultivators who would have succumbed within a few years had returned full of life after accompanying Kong Yujing on a single trip. Their conditions were exceptionally good, and none of them displayed any obvious side effects. Cao Hongchang could finally restrain himself no longer and decided to act.

Cao Hongchang waved his right hand and put away the puppet beside him. His left hand rapidly formed a seal as he sensed the location of Kong Yujing and the others. Everyone in the Evilheart Sect cultivated the version of the Evilheart Demon-Subduing Art that he had modified, and Cao Hongchang had secretly tampered with the technique. Soon, his brow rose slightly as he located Kong Yujing and the others. His figure flickered and disappeared from the chamber.

***

Outside an unremarkable island in the Chaotic Star Sea, thirteen streaks of dark purple light sped over from the distance. Leading the group was the alluring and bewitching Kong Yujing. Behind her were two men with terrifying auras who emanated an astonishing yao presence. They were the Golden Core realm experts whom Kong Yujing had recruited this time.

These two Golden Core realm cultivators were in extremely poor condition and had already begun losing control over the demonic qi within their bodies. Throughout their journey, the terrifying auras they emitted frightened away numerous cultivators. When they passed above the territories of certain factions, those who sensed their terrifying auras fled immediately, abandoning the strongholds they had painstakingly established without a second thought.

One of those factions even had a Golden Core realm expert, yet still showed no desire to fight. Those two were Golden Core realm demonic cultivators, and worse still, they were the kind who were nearing death and on the verge of losing control completely. Fighting demonic cultivators like them was utterly unrewarding. There was little to gain from winning, while if the battle went poorly and truly enraged them, they might pursue you to the ends of the earth.

"Holy shit!"

Wu Di was inside a secret chamber studying a formation he had recently acquired when he sensed the terrifying auras outside the island's grand protective formation. His face instantly turned deathly pale. Those were two terrifyingly powerful Golden Core realm demonic cultivators, and the island's grand protective formation would not hold them back for long.

"Hiss, so it's Fellow Kong. You nearly scared me to death." Wu Di breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that the newcomer was Kong Yujing.

He had nearly died of fright.

"Fellow Kong actually recruited two Golden Core realm demonic cultivators this time. That's incredible. Compared to her, won't I seem rather useless?" Wu Di could not help muttering.

Compared to Fellow Kong, he always felt that he had contributed very little. Wu Di secretly resolved to work even harder and prove his usefulness. Otherwise, Senior Xiao would abandon him sooner or later.

With a thought, he opened the island's grand protective formation and allowed Kong Yujing and the others inside. His figure flickered as he went to welcome them.