A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 194 Demon Lord Seven Nights
“This is feasible, Senior Brother. Thank you for your help.” Jin Guang pondered for a moment and then nodded. With Gu Xu personally refining it, this matter was at least 80% accurate, if not 100%.

“Refining magical artifacts is not easy and cannot be interrupted. I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it again for a while. If the sect leader has anything to do, you need to inform me in advance.”

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang said, "The Xuanxin Sect has suffered a great loss of vitality and needs fresh blood to replenish it. It is unlikely that there will be any major developments in the next one or two decades. Senior Brother, you can go and do your own thing. Leave the rest to me."

With the corpse of the Golden Centipede Master, it was enough to deter the rest of the demons. As for the righteous side, Miao Yun Que had just obtained the Golden Centipede Pill and probably had no intention of competing with the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect. This period of peace was rare and was a good time to recuperate.

Gu Xu nodded upon hearing this, bowed again, and accepted the token handed to him by Jin Guang. He then went to a cave in front of the sect's fire cave, which was the place where the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect refined magical artifacts.

Holding the token, Gu Xu opened the stone door and stepped inside. Before him lay a bottomless pit of raging fire, surrounded by countless stone caves. The top few layers were covered with restrictions, indicating that ordinary magical artifacts were being forged.

Gu Xu raised a protective light shield and descended into the deep pit. Half an hour later, Gu Xu finally arrived at the bottom of the pit and stood on a stone pillar that shimmered with spiritual light. Looking down, he saw a red river of flame flowing and surging. A fierce feeling came from the protective light shield, making Gu Xu's face turn red.

"This Earth Yang Fire is perfect for refining this Heavenly Demon Ore."

Gu Xu looked at the scorching flames below with satisfaction, reached into his sleeve and took out the bronze box. He used his magic to send it down, and the sealing runes on the bronze box were instantly dissolved by the flames. The bronze box softened like wax, and in less than half a breath, only a crimson demon ore the size of an adult's fist floated on it.

As soon as the demon mine appeared, the underground Yang Fire suddenly rose three feet into the air and burned towards the demon mine. The Heavenly Demon Mine seemed to sense the danger. Its body trembled and it tried to rise, but as soon as it made a move, a stream of profound power fell down and imprisoned it, causing it to fall continuously until it was only a finger's width away from the Earth Yang Fire.

The Yang Fire relentlessly scorched the demon ore, producing a thick plume of black smoke. Impurities were continuously stripped away and burned away by the fire. After several hours of burning with the Yang Fire, a corner of the demon ore finally became crystal clear, radiating a seven-colored light.

"At this rate, just getting it thoroughly calcined would probably take at least several months."

Gu Xu knew that this demonic ore was difficult to refine, but he still didn't expect it to be so difficult.

Meanwhile, within the Yin Yue Dynasty, Empress You Yue finally gave birth to a baby boy. This child became the new Holy Ruler from birth, and the originally gloomy Yin Yue Dynasty gained some vitality because of this child.

"Your Majesty, does this child have a name?" Jing Wuyuan was also very excited when she heard the news. The Six Paths Saint King had an heir, which was a day worth celebrating for the Yin Moon Dynasty.

"Seven Nights, the Holy Lord once said that this child will be named Seven Nights," Youyue said lovingly, holding the child in her arms.

"Seven Nights, Seven Nights, what a wonderful name," Jing Wuyuan murmured twice, full of praise.

"I have no connection with the mirror. These words I spoke today are for you to hear, and no third person may know them. Do you understand?"

Youyue placed Qiye on the jade bed, her expression turned serious, and she looked at Jing Wuyuan. Upon hearing this, the latter's expression hardened, and he looked at Youyue with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty, please speak. Jing Wuyuan will obey your command."

"Qiye's physical body was already extremely weak when I gave birth. If I had forced him to be born, his soul would have been destroyed. Therefore, I used the Soul Transfer Technique to transfer his soul to the Seven Lifetimes of Vengeance, which saved his life."

"what!"

Jing Wuyuan's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Youyue with a look of horror, the precious mirror already in his hand.

"Your Majesty, do you know the price of doing this?" Jing Wuyuan asked sternly.

This "Soul Transfer Technique" is a forbidden technique of the Yin Yue Dynasty, used for possession. It can only be used once in a lifetime, but the price of using this technique is extremely high. The consequences will be felt either today or tomorrow. The Yin Yue Dynasty has been established for a thousand years and records show that anyone who uses this technique will have their soul and spirit destroyed and will never be able to be reborn.

Seeing that he didn't care about his actions, Youyue stood up and said calmly, "I can bear any price. As long as Qiye is safe, everything is worth it. Besides, the physical body of the Seven Lifetimes of Enmity is perfectly matched with Qiye's soul, which is an indisputable fact."

Upon hearing this, Jing Wuyuan was slightly taken aback, his brows furrowing. Then, a beam of light flashed from the mirror in his hand, shining on Qi Ye. You Yue did not stop him. After a moment, Jing Wuyuan's expression became very complicated.

Just now, he used the "Dive into the Netherworld" technique to examine Qi Ye, and indeed, as You Yue said, the physical body of the Seven Lifetimes of Vengeful Lovers was perfectly matched with Qi Ye's soul, without any flaws. Moreover, under the nourishment of the physical body, the soul was also constantly growing stronger. Although Qi Ye is only an infant now, his soul power is already much stronger than that of an ordinary adult.

"how."

Youyue looked calmly at Jing Wuyuan, who put away the precious mirror upon hearing this. Then she said in a deep voice, "Although Qiye is safe and sound, the Holy Empress used a heaven-defying technique and is already on the verge of death. Qiye is still young. If the Holy Empress dies, the Yinyue Dynasty will be thrown into chaos."

"That's why I'm telling you this. Jing Wuyuan, your magic is superb, far surpassing those of your predecessors. As long as you can ensure the peace of Youyue for twenty years, it will all be worth it."

"Jing Wuyuan may be able to preserve it for twenty years, but the Empress Dowager should think carefully about the price involved."

Jing Wuyuan looked up at Youyue. He did indeed have a technique that could temporarily seal away all the backlash from the injured, but the longer the sealing time, the greater the price to pay.

"Since we have already suffered the backlash of the Soul Transfer Technique, what's a little more? Jing Wuyuan, once you're ready, implement it as soon as possible. The Spirit Realm absolutely cannot be in chaos. I will hand over a complete and intact Yin Yue Dynasty to Qi Ye."

Youyue stroked Qiye on the bed and said to Jingwuyuan in a firm voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

After bowing respectfully, Jing Wuyuan turned and left the main hall. Just after Jing Wuyuan left, a ray of moonlight shone down, and the Moon Demon appeared from the light.

"It seems that Jing Wuyuan has been persuaded by you."

"Although Jing Wuyuan is somewhat pedantic, he is utterly loyal to the Holy Dynasty. If the Holy Dynasty's future were to force him, he would have no choice but to comply. Are you prepared on your end?"

The Moon Demon looked at Qi Ye's adorable face and chuckled, "This child is indeed favored by heaven and earth. His kingly aura is truly extraordinary. Don't worry, Jiu Yin Yue will lend you a hand. But if Qi Ye finds out about what you've done, things will get complicated."

Upon hearing this, Youyue replied, "He is my son, and I am doing all this for his own good."

A mocking look flashed across Moon Demon's face. This was fine, since Youyue's actions were very beneficial to his plan.

"Zhuge Qingtian and Lan Mo have left the Spirit Realm, and the news should have reached the Xuanxin Sect by now."

"Very good, then I'll have to trouble you to keep a close eye on the Xuanxin Sect."

"That's natural. However, it seems that the Xuanxin Sect won't be coming to Sunrise Mountain City anytime soon. But Gu Xu is in a bit of a problem. We need to think of more ways to keep him from having to worry about other things."

"Aren't you confident in dealing with this person?" Youyue frowned. Although she knew that Gu Xu was powerful from the Black Mountain Demon and the Holy Lord, she had never witnessed how powerful he really was.

"This person's cultivation has reached its peak. Even when I was at my peak, I wouldn't dare to easily claim victory over him. I was seriously injured in our brief previous encounter. Also, let me tell you something: Qingyouzi and Jinwu Shangren both lost their lives at his hands."

Upon hearing this, Youyue's expression changed drastically. Both Qingyouzi and Jinwu Shangren were top-tier experts in the demonic path, yet they had unexpectedly fallen into Gu Xu's hands. This man's strength was truly astonishing.

"With this person here, the Xuanxin Sect has gained an extra layer of strength. Where is Black Mountain?"

"They've disappeared without a trace, but they'll reappear sooner or later. Once the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect recovers its strength, these demonic cultivators will inevitably become their targets. We'll just wait here."

"Ah."

Youyue also knew that although the Yinyue Dynasty was the number one sect in the demonic path, there were still some people who were not convinced. Among them, Heishan was the most cunning. Heishan had become a guest elder because Liudao was still alive. Now that Liudao was dead, he immediately broke away. His ability to change his mind according to the wind was truly amazing.

After discussing with Youyue for a while, the Moon Demon transformed into a streak of emerald light and left the main hall.

Seven days later, beside the sacred pool of the Yin Yue Dynasty, there was a white bone altar. Banners fluttered and lights shone brightly. Around the altar were thirty-six bronze mirrors, each half a person tall. You Yue, dressed in a plain robe, closed her eyes to meditate. Below the altar, Jing Wuyuan, dressed in a star-patterned robe and wearing a Daoist crown, held a magic sword and was performing a ritual.

He pointed his sword at the sky, and a ray of light suddenly appeared in the dark sky, gathering at the tip of the sword. Upon seeing this, Jing Wuyuan immediately used the sword as a pen and quickly sketched on the four talisman papers. After a moment, the four emerald light talismans were formed.

Jing Wuyuan put down his magic sword, reached out and picked up four precious talismans. With a burst of magic power, the four talismans flew towards the altar, landing around Youyue. Strands of green light intertwined to form a magic net, trapping Youyue firmly within it.

Meanwhile, Jing Wuyuan below continued his work, taking out a precious mirror and shining it at the Nine Yin Moon in the sky. The light then reflected back onto a bronze mirror, refracting and instantly enveloping the dark moon within the demonic net. At the same time, Jing Wuyuan chanted a true incantation.

"The Yin Lord, the Spiritual Dipper of the Heavenly Gang, the Commander of My True God, the Dark Light Seals the Yang, Descend!"

After the incantation was recited, a sudden gust of wind arose around them, and the banners lit up abruptly, with streams of spiritual light continuously pouring into the demonic net. Just as Jing Wuyuan was exerting all his strength in the incantation, Youyue, deep within the demonic net, had a bright green light in her eyes, and her figure became ethereal. Just as the seal was about to be completed, a stream of icy moonlight suddenly descended from the Nine Yin Moon and entered Youyue's body.

Looking at Youyue, who remained unmoved on the altar, Jing Wuyuan felt reassured. This spirit-sealing technique only depleted the caster's vital energy, but it was somewhat harmful to the recipient. If the body could not withstand the influx of magical power, the soul would be damaged and the foundation would be completely destroyed.

Several hours later, light appeared on the horizon. The mirror could not see this, but the magic net reflected the thirty-six bronze mirrors, which had lost their light. The banners also fell down, and the magic net slowly untied, revealing the figure of Youyue.

"Your Majesty, are you well?"

Looking at Youyue's pale face, Jing Wuyuan asked with a hint of worry.

"It's alright, it's just that I'm a bit weak right now. Mirror is not destined, how long can this spirit-sealing technique suppress the backlash?"

"It will take anywhere from ten to twenty years."

"That's enough. Jing Wuyuan, in three days, have all the generals of the Yin Yue Dynasty go to the Holy Temple. I have something to instruct you."

Youyue rose from the altar, looked down at Jing Wuyuan, and said in a low voice.

"Yes, if the Empress has nothing else to do, Jing Wuyuan will leave."

Upon hearing this, Youyue waved her hand, and Jing Wuyuan left the Sacred Pool after bowing again.

The still waters of the sacred pool suddenly rippled, and a faint light shone on the shimmering surface. The figure of the Moon Demon appeared on the water, holding a seven-stringed zither in his hands, and looking at Youyue with a smile.

"Congratulations! You have obtained the power of the Nine Yin Moon. Now the entire Yin Moon Dynasty must obey your orders."

Upon hearing this, Youyue asked, "Shouldn't that include you too?"

"Haha, is the Empress trying to use us and then discard us? But I advise you not to do that, lest you break our agreement."

"Our goals are the same: to obtain the power of the Seven Lifetimes of Vengeful Couple and to communicate with the Heavenly Demon Star. The baby boy is now your son, but the baby girl has not yet been born. This matter must be handled quickly, otherwise, if the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect finds you, you will not have enough power to fight them."

"You don't need to worry about that. I already have some leads on the whereabouts of the baby girl from the Seven Lifetimes of Enmity."

Upon hearing this, the Moon Demon's figure flickered, and she stood on the shore, exclaiming with delight, "Where were you born?"

"Lanruo Temple!"

"Lanruo Temple?" Yuemo frowned. This was clearly the name of a temple. How could a pregnant woman give birth to a baby here? It was utterly absurd. If it weren't for her calm expression, Yuemo would have thought Youyue was just teasing her.

"A hundred years ago, Lanruo Temple was a very popular temple, but after I ate all the monks, it declined. Thirty years ago, Lanruo Temple was rebuilt and a group of monks and nuns gathered there, turning it into a place of filth and evil. There is a dark spring underground here, which mixes with the worldly atmosphere, thus turning it into an extremely yin and evil place."

"The seven-life vengeful couple are born with an evil nature and are drawn to extremely yin places. They will certainly not miss this Lanruo Temple. We just need to wait there."

"I didn't expect you to know so much about this seven-lifetime estranged couple. Lanruo Temple must be under your surveillance right now."

Youyue said calmly, "That's natural, but to prevent the Xuanxin Sect from using any people from the Demon Palace, the Demon Palace's gates will open in three days, inevitably causing demonic energy to leak out. I need you to help me conceal the secrets of heaven, and it will only take one hour."

Moon Demon nodded. "It can be done in an hour, but you need to hurry. The divination skills of the Xuanxin Sect are quite strong. If they are discovered, it will be bad."

"This matter must be accomplished, otherwise the Yin Yue Dynasty will never have a chance to recover."

Looking at the rising sunlight in the distance, Youyue said with a determined expression.

Xuanxin Orthodox Sect, inside the main hall

Qinglong Xuanjiang bowed to the golden light and then withdrew.

"Sect Master, Azure Dragon General..."

Fu Yunzi and the others were also somewhat saddened. Of the four generals who had taken office, only Qinglong remained. The newly selected four Xuanxin generals were still too weak to shoulder important responsibilities. They could handle ordinary matters with ease, but they were not up to the task when it came to dealing with things beyond their capabilities.

In that case, if any unexpected situation arises, would the sect leader have to step in?

"Qinglong Xuanjiang's days are numbered. Fuyun, issue the order to select thirty-six people to enter the Xuanxin Hall for cultivation. At this critical moment, we must do extraordinary things."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yunzi and the others' expressions changed drastically. They exchanged glances, and just as Fu Yunzi was about to speak, Jin Guang stopped him with his hand.

"That's settled then, get on with it quickly."

"Yes, Sect Master."

Seeing this, Fu Yunzi and the others stopped talking, bowed, and then left.

Outside the main hall, Lie Yunzi looked at Fu Yunzi and said in a deep voice, "Senior brother, is the sect leader's action truly in accordance with the rules? The Xuanxin Hall has never allowed its disciples to cultivate."

"The sect leader had no choice but to do this. Right now, besides the few of us, there is no one else in the sect who can be considered capable. This is not a good thing. In addition to the Yin Yue Dynasty, we also have some enemies hiding outside. Who knows when they might come up and bite us?"

Lie Yunzi nodded, turned to look at the main hall behind him, sighed, came back to his senses, and followed Fu Yunzi away quickly.

Inside the hall, Jin Guang was meditating and practicing his skills when suddenly his mind stirred, and his figure vanished instantly, arriving in a beautiful valley.

"Holy Maiden of the Three Realms, what exactly happened?" Jin Guang looked at the three identical women sitting on the altar and asked in a deep voice.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, just now when we were calculating the secrets of heaven, everything suddenly became chaotic, especially regarding the Yin Yue Dynasty. Everything was completely unclear. We suspect that the Yin Yue Dynasty must have disrupted the secrets of heaven, and there must be something wrong with it."

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang's heart sank. The Yin Yue Dynasty must have had a purpose in concealing the secrets of heaven, and the only thing that could make them pay such a price was the matter of the Seven Lifetimes of Enmity.

How long will it take to unravel the secrets of heaven?

The leading saintess said, "The opponent's methods are sophisticated. We can only do our best, and it will take at least several days."

"This is taking too long. Could we shorten the time if we used the 'Universal Celestial Instrument' to calculate it?"

The Three Realms Saintess exchanged a glance and nodded, saying, "If we use the 'Universe Celestial Instrument,' we can greatly shorten the time. However, this means we will be unable to use it again for the next fifty years. Sect Master, please think carefully before proceeding."

This "Kuoyu Zhoutianyi" is one of the three treasures of the Xuanxin Zhengzong sect, along with the "Chongzheng Fangtianyin" and the Ganjiang sword. It has the function of deducing heavenly secrets and investigating all directions, but it requires a lot of spiritual energy to use once, and it cannot be used again within fifty years.

"This matter is of great importance, and it is the time to use this item. I will send this treasure over shortly. Use it to investigate immediately and report back once you have ascertained the situation."

"Yes."

A flash of light appeared on Jin Guang's body as he returned to the Xuanxin Hall. He went to the back hall and held up the sect leader's token. A ball of spiritual light slowly descended, and after the light dissipated, a perfectly round magical artifact was revealed. It was engraved with the stars of the heavens and the lines of latitude and longitude, with strands of spiritual light intertwined, making it look extremely mysterious.

With a flick of his sleeve, the item landed before the Holy Maidens of the Three Realms. Upon seeing the treasure arrive, the three simultaneously channeled their magical power into it, performing divination together.

After more than half an hour, the three holy maidens opened their eyes at the same time. After exchanging a glance, the leading holy maiden transmitted a message in golden light.

"Sect Master, the baby girl of the Seven Lifetimes of Enmity has been born in Lanruo Temple, a thousand miles away, and the people from the Yinyue Dynasty have arrived."

(End of this chapter)