A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 244 A Sudden Rise of Demonic Atmosphere
As the sun rose outside the mountain city, the Demon Gate opened, causing the space to tremble. Powerful auras flashed by, and even members of the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect would have difficulty detecting them if not for the prior warnings.

Five hundred miles away from Sunrise Mountain City, on a high hill, stands a magnificent palace, its entire body tinged with blue, blending seamlessly with the surrounding mountains. This is a branch altar of the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect responsible for monitoring the Yinyue Dynasty.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, the altar master Qi Xiang had already received a message from below.

"The message must be sent back to the capital immediately!"

Although Qi Xiang did not know the purpose of the Yin Yue Dynasty's grand gesture, he had to report such a big commotion, as it was his duty. Just after Qi Xiang sent the message back to the capital, the palace suddenly shook violently.

"What happened?!"

Qi Xiang gave a deep shout, and a disciple rushed in, saying in a panic, "Master, outside, outside..."

Seeing his disciple's pale and terrified appearance, Qi Xiang frowned, shook his sleeves, and strode out of the palace. The scene before him that he witnessed immediately shocked him.

All that could be seen was the boundless waterfall rising from all sides of the hill, and in an instant it had overflowed the hill. Looking up, one could see the palace sinking continuously, and the light on the top slowly disappeared.

"not good!"

Qi Xiang was no weakling, and he could easily tell that this was an extremely profound supernatural technique. He couldn't think of anyone other than the water demon Bi Qing who could gather so much water.

As Qi Xiang watched the water swirl, his heart sank. This supernatural power was far beyond his ability to resist, but he was not about to sit and wait for his death.

As soon as the guardian seal was summoned, the palace trembled. A thin layer of light enveloped the palace, with runes flashing, flames flowing, lightning surging, and rosy light shining from above. Everyone in the room was instantly trapped inside, but with this relief, the heavy pressure immediately disappeared.

This technique is a life-saving method bestowed by the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect. It is enough to keep them safe for a short time, and if they are lucky, they may be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive.

Looking at the light barrier below, Bi Qing, dressed in green, showed disdain. If this light barrier had been there before, she might have had some trouble dealing with it, but she had already successfully refined the Nine Nether Weak Water and had the Flood Dragon Water Pill, so a mere small array was nothing to worry about.

"This is the first time I have taken action for the Holy Dynasty, so I must do it perfectly."

Bi Qing's eyes turned cold, and a flash of spiritual light appeared around her. A thin, dark black light silently merged into the boundless flow of water.

As soon as the Nine Nether Weak Water entered, the unparalleled squeezing force immediately increased several times. The palace, which was originally protected by the light shield, began to shake violently again, and the commotion grew louder and louder. Several side halls even collapsed halfway. The light shield suddenly tightened, and some disciples who did not have time to react were swept away by the water flow, which swirled around them and pulverized them.

Hearing the continuous screams outside, Qi Xiang's face was extremely grim, but he was powerless to do anything about it. He could only do his best to control the formation and try to salvage some of the losses.

"Hopefully, the news will arrive in Beijing soon."

Qi Xiang took a deep breath and poured all his magical power into the array core, but the gap between the two sides was too great. After only a few breaths, the protective light barrier was breached by the Nine Nether Weak Water. With a swirl of water, the palace immediately vanished without a trace, and none of the people inside escaped.

With a flick of her wrist, Bi Qing drew up the Nine Nether Weak Water. Looking at the hill that had been flattened, Bi Qing smiled and vanished in a flash, heading towards the capital.

At this moment, within the Xuanxin Sect, Jin Guang first received a message from Qi Xiang, and after deploying according to the intelligence, he then received Qi Xiang's distress call.

"Water Fairy Biqing!"

Jin Guang's face darkened. He didn't have time to think about anything else. With a flash of spiritual light around him, he used the teleportation array to arrive at the original palace.

Looking at the empty flat ground in front of him, Jin Guang's face remained calm. He reached out and saw wisps of water vapor condense into a ball. Upon closer inspection, Jin Guang discovered that there was an extremely terrifying aura within the water vapor. His own magical power was completely absorbed as soon as it touched it. And this was only a wisp of residual aura. If it were complete, how powerful would it be?

He casually sealed it away, and the golden light around his body reappeared. When he reappeared, he was already back in the main hall. Although the round trip was very fast, it consumed a lot of magical power. If it weren't for the abundant spiritual energy in the main hall and the Spirit Gathering Pill given to him by Senior Brother Gu Xu, he wouldn't have been so extravagant.

"This thing has an unusual origin; we should ask our senior brother about it."

Jin Guang got up and left the main hall. He went to the Earth Fire Cave, met Gu Xu, and told him what had happened. Then he took out the water droplet and handed it to Gu Xu.

"Senior brother, what exactly is this?"

Gu Xu reached out and took it, his magic power shifting, a glint of light appearing in his eyes.
"This substance is called Weak Water, the most vicious type of true water. It exists only in the Nine Nether River and is even more potent than the Profound Nether True Water. This substance can extinguish all life. If you do not have any protective treasures, you will be reduced to nothingness in an instant once you are touched by it."

"The water spirit possesses this item primarily due to the uniqueness of her constitution. Originally a water sprite, she willingly fell into depravity, which inadvertently brought her into harmony with the true essence of the Weak Water. It is not surprising that she can refine this item."

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang's face turned anxious. They had considered Bi Qing's involvement before, but they hadn't expected the other side to have such a powerful weapon. If it were to be released suddenly during the battle, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Senior brother, is there any way to deal with this thing?"

Gu Xu pondered for a moment after hearing this, and finally said, "The water demon deliberately used this thing to throw us into disarray. You must not be distracted by this. When the time comes, you should transfer this person to my place and let me deal with him."

"But senior brother, you're already dealing with Qi Ye, what if this person joins in..."

Although Jin Guang had confidence in Gu Xu, Qi Ye's power had greatly improved, and although the water demon's cultivation was slightly inferior, the Weak Water was definitely not to be underestimated. He was really worried about his senior brother alone.

"I have my own way of dealing with the water demon, so the sect leader need not worry about it. The demonic calamity is imminent, and the sect leader must consider the bigger picture."

"Thank you for your help with that episode, senior brother."

Jin Guang bowed respectfully to Gu Xu, said a few more words, and then left the Earth Fire Cave. However, on his way back to the main hall, a flash of inspiration struck Jin Guang. He turned around and gave an order to a trusted disciple. The disciple immediately took the seal to the treasure vault, retrieved the Qiankun Pot, and then handed it to Gu Xu.

"Please thank the sect leader for me," Gu Xu said calmly to the disciple who presented the treasure, looking at the Qiankun Pot.

Upon hearing this, the disciple immediately agreed and left the Fire Cave.

Gu Xu glanced at the Qiankun Pot again, then closed his eyes and went to meditate.

"Sect Master, the Qiankun Pot has been delivered to Senior Uncle Gu Xu, who asked me to thank you."

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang nodded, dismissed his disciple, and sat on his throne to ponder.

"According to the schedule, the Demon Lord and his entourage will arrive in the capital tomorrow, which is only two days before the Lantern Festival. They are arriving a day early, so it seems they have a well-thought-out plan."

Regardless of their plans, they currently possess the advantages of terrain and popular support. If the situation becomes stalemate, the tide will eventually turn in their favor. At this moment, in a valley thousands of miles away from the capital, the space trembled a few times, cracking open a fissure. Qi Ye, dressed in military attire, emerged, followed by the three members of the Evil Dragon Clan and Lie Mingzi. As more and more people emerged, the fissure expanded into a wide portal about two people's height.

A full half hour later, all the troops of the Yin Yue Dynasty came out, lined up neatly, and waited for instructions from above.

"Your Majesty, this is Qingluo Valley, located five thousand li southeast of the capital."

After examining the surrounding terrain and landforms, the dragon quickly determined where it was.

Qi Ye nodded upon hearing this, then stood on a high ground and looked at a clear pool not far in front of him, which, under the sunlight, resembled a piece of jade.

"You guys wait here."

With a command, Qi Ye moved swiftly, arriving above the clear pool. A flash of spiritual light appeared in his hand, and a powerful suction force swept downwards.

The force stirred the surface of the clear pool, causing it to ripple and reveal a neat cross-section to Qi Ye. In Qi Ye's eyes, the depths of the clear pool were a hidden world, where a huge green snail lay dormant, its entire body a vibrant green, and the surrounding water could not touch it at all.

This thing appears to be a living creature, but it is actually just a rare treasure. Back then, the Demon Lord Yi Xi destroyed the demon's primordial spirit with a single sword strike, but did not destroy its physical body. Instead, he left it here and set up a magic array, using the spiritual energy of this place to continuously refine it, hoping to use the power of creation of heaven and earth to forge a supreme defensive treasure.

"This item still has some flaws, but time waits for no one, and for the sake of the Holy Dynasty's great cause, we have no other choice but to do it this way."

The suction force traveled unimpeded to within a foot of the Green Snail. With a thought from Qi Ye, the suction force suddenly dissipated, transforming into a jade talisman with a clear, bright light. As the jade talisman flashed, a dense network of magic appeared, then a small opening appeared. The jade talisman spun around and quickly plunged into the Green Snail, directly rushing into it.

Sensing the jade talisman merging with the green snail, Qi Ye's eyes flashed with a sharp light. With a deep shout, the green snail suddenly trembled, then rapidly shrank, finally becoming the size of a fist, and began to slowly float upwards, leaving behind a huge pit in its place, which was immediately filled by water.

At the same time, the surrounding magic array shattered with a deafening roar, and a shocking explosion came from the bottom of the water, echoing through the valley. Upon hearing this, the evil dragon and his companions, who were high up on the hill, all turned serious.

As Qi Ye watched the green snail emerge from the water, he casually beckoned, and the snail obediently landed in his hand. He channeled his magic power inward and was immediately delighted.

Since its existence here, the shell of this green snail has never been refined by anyone, and can be said to be completely blank. However, the energy contained within it is enormous. Even with Qi Ye's current cultivation level, he was still shocked when he saw it.

"With this treasure, along with the One Night Sword and the Nine Yin Moon, even if I were to face Gu Xu, I would be confident of defeating him."

After a cursory refinement, Qi Ye put it into his sleeve. Just after the green snail was refined, the clear pool collapsed, and all the surrounding water was swallowed by a bottomless pit. Qi Ye only glanced at it and then looked away. With a flash, he returned to the high hill.

"A wise ruler."

The three evil dragons hurriedly stepped forward. Seeing that Qi Ye was alright, they breathed a sigh of relief. Lie Mingzi took a step forward slowly, and just as he was about to step forward, he suddenly sensed something and looked in a certain direction.

In the distance, a streak of light flew rapidly towards them. As it approached, the light dissipated, and Bi Qing's figure appeared before them.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Bi Qing bowed respectfully to Qi Ye, and then nodded to Lie Mingzi.

"How did things go?"

"It has been resolved. I presume the Xuanxin Sect has already received the news. However, in my opinion, the Xuanxin Sect will not lose its composure because of this one matter."

Upon hearing this, Qi Ye gave Bi Qing a deep look and said in a deep voice, "How could I not know? Making this gesture is merely to show the Xuanxin Sect our attitude. The plan will proceed as scheduled."

Bi Qing felt a chill run down her spine, realizing she had been too talkative, and immediately agreed, not daring to say anything more.

After resting in Qingluo Valley, Qi Ye led his men to continue their journey towards the capital. They did not conceal their whereabouts too much along the way, so the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect quickly received messages from their encampments along the route.

The next day, all the formations set up within a hundred miles of the capital were activated, and when Qi Ye and his group arrived, they were faced with those formations.

“Holy Lord, this magic array is quite ordinary. It seems that the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect is just putting on a show.”

Although Shura's mastery of formations was not as good as Jing Wuyuan's, judging from the flow of energy in the formation, the power of this formation was too weak. Not to mention her, even some elite disciples could not stop it.

"The evil dragon, ever-changing and shrouded in mist."

Qi Ye looked at the several altars with flashing runes in front of him, his face somewhat solemn. The Xuanxin Sect's move was clearly to lure the enemy in, but the initiative was not in their hands, and the necessary probing was still essential.

This "impermanent mist" originated from the Black Mountain Demon. It possesses impure spiritual energy and the power to transform the spiritual into the dark. After being refined in the Soul-Burning Pool, its power has now reached an even higher level.

Upon hearing this, the evil dragon immediately agreed, reached into his sleeve and took out a purple porcelain bottle, which he presented to Qiye. After taking it, Qiye uncorked it and activated his magic. A wisp of black gas emerged from the bottle's mouth. Upon contact with the spiritual energy of the outside world, it suddenly swelled, growing from the size of a thin line to the thickness of a thumb.

Seeing this, Qi Ye immediately guided them toward the several Dharma platforms. As they traveled, the black energy grew stronger and stronger. When they approached the edge of the formation, it had formed a dark and gloomy black mist that covered the sky and the earth, like a black ocean pouring down in front of them.

Just then, a flash of light appeared on the altars, and jade beads floated up from each one. The energy of the jade beads merged and connected, forming a funnel that continuously swallowed up the surrounding airflow.

The unpredictable mist was indeed incredibly powerful, with runes flashing unpredictably. In just a moment, the outer layer of restrictions crumbled, revealing its true form. As the unpredictable mist continued to advance, it seemed to have encountered a natural enemy, and no matter how it tried to push it forward, it was all in vain.

"It's really a scam."

Qi Ye's eyes flickered slightly, and then with a thought, the impermanent mist quickly gathered, forming a black arrow of energy that shot straight towards the funnel. Just as the funnel was about to devour and refine it, a sudden change occurred. The arrow spun in mid-air and split into dozens of other arrows, followed by a loud explosion. The funnel was caught off guard, first hindered by the split arrows, and then exploded. The entire formation collapsed instantly, scattering into a cloud of dust.

Qi Ye looked at the exposed city gate, but stopped in his tracks. He raised his hand to stop them, and then ordered, "Set up camp ten miles away and beware of a sneak attack by the righteous path."

Seeing that he had broken the formation but had not advanced any further, everyone was puzzled, but none of them dared to ask any questions and obediently followed orders.

Just after the Yin Yue Dynasty withdrew, Jin Guang couldn't help but sigh with regret in his heart while in the capital city.

This formation is indeed weak, but their real trump card is inside the city gate. If Qi Ye were to rush in recklessly, at least half of those low-level demons would be lost.

(End of this chapter)