Chapter 710: Forbidden Region Of The Deep Sea (II)

"I am Wu Di. Greetings, fellow friends. Fellow Kong, could it be that Senior Xiao will soon be passing through here?" Wu Di asked curiously.

Kong Yujing swayed her waist slightly as she said with a smile, "Yes. I received a message from the master and brought these demonic cultivators here to receive his blessing."

She had recruited two Golden Core realm demonic cultivators this time, so the master would undoubtedly be delighted. As long as he was pleased, she was certain to receive ample rewards.

"I see. These two must be Fellow Kong's friends. Your strength is truly remarkable. I nearly abandoned the island and fled just now," Wu Di greeted them with a smile.

As for the other demonic cultivators below the Golden Core realm, he ignored them entirely without even offering a greeting. Hierarchy was clearly defined in the cultivation world. Although Wu Di was merely a False Core realm cultivator rather than a true Golden Core realm cultivator, Foundation Establishment realm cultivators could not compare with him.

"Mm." The two Golden Core realm demonic cultivators nodded lightly toward Wu Di, but intense, savage bloodlust flashed through their eyes as evil and terrifying auras erupted from their bodies.

Wu Di involuntarily stepped back as cold sweat seeped from his skin. Realizing that their conditions were deteriorating, the two Golden Core realm demonic cultivators hurried to one side and sat down cross-legged, using all their strength to suppress the yao will and demonic qi within their bodies.

Sensing the overwhelming demonic will emanating from the two men, Wu Di swallowed nervously and moved closer to Kong Yujing as he asked, "They won't lose control, will they? Did Senior Xiao say when he would arrive?"

"Don't worry. They should be able to hold on for another four or five months. If they hadn't suffered severe injuries and become unable to control the yao will within them, I would never have been able to recruit them," Kong Yujing said with a smile.

As two of the earliest cultivators to follow Lin Zheyu, she and Wu Di had gradually formed a deep friendship over the past few years.

"Phew, they nearly scared me to death... By the way, another powerful fellow has arrived outside. What a terrifying yao aura. Was he delayed by something?" Wu Di's expression shifted slightly as he spoke with a smile.

"Another demonic cultivator? But everyone in our group is already here!" Kong Yujing froze for a moment before her expression abruptly changed. Hearing this, Wu Di immediately stopped opening the island's protective formation, his face turning deathly pale.

He swallowed nervously and asked with a slight tremble, "Th-then... this person... Are you saying he secretly followed all of you here?"

"Most likely. Give me partial control over the formation..."

Before Kong Yujing could finish speaking, a terrifying rumble thundered from the sky as overwhelming demonic qi engulfed the entire island. The island's grand protective formation, which had undergone numerous improvements, shattered in an instant.

A terrifying will descended like the might of heaven, and Kong Yujing and the others immediately felt as though they had been marked as prey by a horrifying yao. Before this abyssal and demonic will, they could not summon even the slightest desire to resist. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, and they felt compelled to fall to their knees in submission.

At that moment, a trace of terror flashed through the eyes of the Golden Core realm demonic cultivator on the left, who had been using all his strength to suppress the yao will within him. He said in disbelief, "Sect... Sect Master!"

Kong Yujing was horrified as intense fear surged within her heart, Sect Master? How is that possible? Wasn't he already clinging to life and unable to leave that secret chamber?

Her actions had amounted to poaching members from the Evilheart Sect. Kong Yujing had previously believed that something had gone wrong with the Sect Master's cultivation and that he posed no threat, which was why she had acted so brazenly. Yet now, the Sect Master of the Evilheart Sect had appeared before them in perfect condition, emanating an utterly terrifying aura!

We're finished! The thought flashed through Wu Di's mind as he sensed the terrifying aura.

Such a terrifying aura had undoubtedly surpassed the Golden Core realm and reached the Nascent Soul realm. This was a Nascent Soul realm expert! Even if Senior Xiao were here, he would have no chance of victory against a Nascent Soul realm cultivator of such terrifying strength.

It's actually the Sect Master of the Evilheart Sect. This man was rumored to have reached the end of his road and to be on the verge of death, yet he has appeared here completely unharmed. If there was nothing wrong with him, why did he stand by and watch other factions carve up and encroach upon the Evilheart Sect's territory? What a devious old bastard... Countless thoughts raced through Wu Di's mind. This time, he felt certain that he was doomed.

Footsteps approached from outside the great hall. Their unhurried rhythm conveyed the confidence of someone who had everything firmly under control. An ordinary-looking middle-aged man entered the hall, but the terrifying and profoundly evil aura emanating from him made everyone inside feel as though they were facing a demon god. Their bodies began trembling uncontrollably.

The frozen air around Kong Yujing suddenly relaxed, and she prostrated herself in terror as she said respectfully, "Sect... Sect Master... This humble one greets the Sect Master!"

"Where is the person behind you? Is it you?" Cao Hongchang asked indifferently.

His gaze shifted away from Kong Yujing and landed on Wu Di nearby. Wu Di was the only person in the entire hall whom he had never seen, making him the only one who might be the mysterious cultivator supporting Kong Yujing and the others from behind the scenes.

Feeling Cao Hongchang's gaze upon him, Wu Di swallowed in terror. If he had not been unable to move, he would already have fallen to his knees and begged loudly for mercy. This was a Nascent Soul realm expert! As a mere False Core realm cultivator, he was no more than an ant before such an expert, someone Cao Hongchang could crush with a single finger.

"Sect... Sect Master, Senior Xiao has not arrived yet," Kong Yujing answered nervously.

She was deeply conflicted. Senior Xiao possessed her soul blood, so offending him would mean death. Yet if she refused to answer the Sect Master's questions now, she would die immediately. If she cooperated, however, there was still a glimmer of hope that she might survive.

As a demonic cultivator, the Sect Master would surely need Senior Xiao's abilities as well, giving Senior Xiao a decent chance of surviving. Therefore, Kong Yujing's best choice for now was to preserve her own life.

"Tell me everything about him in detail," Cao Hongchang said calmly. He slowly walked to the highest seat in the great hall and sat down, regarding everyone below with an impassive gaze.

***

Towering waves surged across the Eastern Sea. A streak of dark purple light swept through the void as Lin Zheyu sped over from the distance. He did not use the Earth Shrinking Technique. When assuming the identity of Xiao Zhe, a demonic cultivator, he avoided employing his other methods whenever possible and used only those of a demonic cultivator. Since he was disguising himself, he might as well make it convincing.

Lin Zheyu shook his head slightly as he examined the information within the Spirit Resonance Sphere. "There are rather few space-time nodes in the Eastern Sea. Surprisingly, not a single one can support the passage of a Golden Core realm cultivator."

Aside from those within the demon cave, the space-time nodes that had appeared elsewhere were relatively weak. Most could only support the passage of beings below the Golden Core realm.

Lin Zheyu's expression suddenly shifted, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. "This is the place, the Honggedis Trench!"

After searching for a long time, he had finally found a place that met his requirements. The Honggedis Trench was a forbidden region of the deep sea located more than two thousand kilometers southwest of the Eastern Sea, at a depth of ten thousand meters. Even before space-time nodes appeared and yao emerged there, the trench had already been forbidden territory for cultivators.

The trench was both vast and extraordinarily deep, resembling an abyss of death at the bottom of the sea. Numerous strange and terrifying deep-sea monsters inhabited its depths, and members of the sea clan below the Golden Core realm who entered were almost certain to die. Now that several space-time nodes had appeared within the trench, it had become even more perilous.

I'll deal with the yao will inside Kong Yujing and the others first, then head to the Honggedis Trench, Lin Zheyu thought.

A pair of purplish-black wings abruptly unfurled from his back. Lin Zheyu's speed soared once more as he raced toward Wu Di's island. Suddenly, he stopped just over ten kilometers from the island.

Something is wrong. Where did the island's grand protective formation go? And who is that fellow with such a terrifying aura? Surely he isn't a demonic cultivator recruited by Kong Yujing? Lin Zheyu frowned slightly.

He had sensed something amiss on the island from afar because its grand protective formation had disappeared. Although someone had used a special method to conceal this and create the illusion that the formation remained intact, Lin Zheyu's perception was exceptionally powerful. Moreover, he had personally contributed much to the formation, so its condition could not escape his notice. To avoid alerting the enemy, he quietly activated his Heavenly Eye and saw what was happening on the island.

Could this man be the Sect Master of the Evilheart Sect, the one who has remained in seclusion all this time? According to the rumors, something went wrong with his cultivation, leaving him on the verge of succumbing completely to madness and unable to take even a single step outside his secret chamber. It appears those rumors were false...

As expected, Kong Yujing's efforts to recruit demonic cultivators everywhere eventually attracted an expert of such terrifying strength. His strength is around the early Nascent Soul realm, so killing him won't be a problem. However, a Nascent Soul realm cultivator's ability to teleport over short distances is rather troublesome. I must prevent him from using it to escape, Lin Zheyu thought.

A Nascent Soul realm cultivator hidden in the shadows was extremely dangerous. Lin Zheyu himself had nothing to fear, but Kong Yujing, Wu Di, and the others were different. They had no hope of surviving an assassination by a Nascent Soul realm expert. The faction he had painstakingly established was finally beginning to flourish, and he had no intention of abandoning it.