The Demon Slayer Martial Saint Begins with Insect Refining

Chapter 278 The Plot in Poison Dragon Valley

"Xiang Ge and Yuan Hong are both disciples of the chief. Now, we've tried to kill them but failed, and we've offended Hu Yangming and Du Rushan for no reason."

Inside the city lord's mansion in Wanmu City, an old man with white hair and short, thin hair glanced slightly to the left at Qing Yunke, uttering a sinister sound.

"Does Fellow Daoist Xi think that if we don't attack them, we won't be enemies of the Beast King Sect?"

Qing Yunke replied coldly, but Xi Junyue was not annoyed. He simply glanced at the seven or eight Danqiao Realm martial artists present and slowly said, "My Wind and Thunder Insects were used as bait, but they did not lure Long Qiushui and his disciples to capture them, nor did they leave Xiang Ge and the other two alive. Back then, you Qing brothers were so confident that you could capture Long Qiushui's lineage and open the Poison Dragon Valley ahead of time to seize the opportunity of the Dharma Aspect."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the several Danqiao Real Persons present all changed slightly.

Xi Junyue acted this way because he was angry that the three Qingyun brothers had failed in their mission and had even caused the news of his Wind and Thunder Insect larvae to leak out.

If things go well, then so be it if it gets leaked; at least there will be some gain.

Whether it's the reward from Yao Lixuan, the Dharma Aspect True Person, or the intelligence from Poison Dragon Valley, it can make up for this loss.

But now, it's truly a case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead, as quite a few old folks have come to inquire about the Wind and Thunder Bug.

He could easily refuse martial artists from the third level, but it was really difficult to refuse those from the Zhuxing Heaven. After all, the strength of the fourth level—Zhuxing Heaven—was too formidable, and he didn't want to offend them.

Qingyun Ke glanced at him, then suddenly transmitted his voice secretly, saying, "The Beast King Sect has a second-tier high-grade beast-contracting technique to help you quickly contract the Wind and Thunder Insect, how about it?"

Xi Junyue's eyes narrowed slightly, and he finally smiled.

Seeing his expression, everyone immediately assumed that the two of them must have reached some kind of agreement.

A burly man with a thick beard, dressed in black armor, said coldly, "Fellow Daoist Qing, without a successor of the Poison Dragon True Man's lineage, we are afraid we will not have an advantage in entering the Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm. Moreover, if we consider the time, the Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm will probably not open for several more months."

When Qingyun Qian and the others contacted them, they all said they were confident that they could open the Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm ahead of schedule, and that it contained the inheritances of the Beast King Sect and the Nine Peaks Sect. For these martial artists who were at the Third Heaven or even the Starry Sky, that was an opportunity to break through.

However, the Qing family's current demeanor doesn't suggest they're confident of starting ahead of schedule.

"Poison Dragon Valley is located in the Thousand Cloud Ridge Mountains, with three ley lines acting as a conduit to provide it with spiritual energy. It opens once every three years. If the ley lines are triggered to surge, and the correct formation is used to guide them, the entrance to the secret realm can be blasted open. I have already contacted the person who will control the formation, so fellow Daoists need not worry."

Qing Yunke's eyes were as gloomy as a snake's, and his tone was exceptionally firm.

"I, Qing, am a traitor to the Beast King Sect and have no way out. I have entered Poison Dragon Valley only for the Poison Dragon Daoist's cultivation technique, 'Poison Dragon Profound Art,' the method of refining the Poison Dragon Pool, and for you all to help me hunt a third-tier Azure Scale Poison Dragon. I will not take anything else."

No one knows what the Poison Dragon Taoist Tai Lingyue left inside.

Therefore, the agreement among everyone was that techniques and secret arts would be shared, while other things would be taken only as needed.

Of course, demanding a third-tier Azure Scale Poisonous Dragon like Qing Yunke would come at a price.

However, Qingyun Ke had obviously told everyone beforehand, so the Danqiao Zhenren present did not show any unusual expression.

"We can open the Poison Dragon Valley first, but the challenges within may not be easy to overcome."

Qingyun Heng chimed in, "The Five-Colored Poison Mountain, the Poison Lake, and the Poison Dragon Pillar—the Poison Dragon Daoist has set up three trials in total. Even those at the Danqiao Realm will be suppressed in this secret realm, which specifically tests the cultivation of physical strength and poison skills. In previous years, even those at the Danqiao Realm would need several days to reach the Poison Lake."

"The Beast King Sect, the Sword Sect, the Nine Peaks Sect, and other rogue cultivators with alchemy skills are all eyeing Poison Dragon Valley."

A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of the old woman in the blue robe. She was dressed in a colorful floral dress and held a bracelet with eighteen round beads of various colors in her hand. She then said, "We have gathered here to unite and resist them. Rather than that, let's solve this once and for all."

Meng Youyun was a ruthless person. She looked at everyone present and said, "Wanmu City and Wuyi City have been fighting for a long time. Why not give them another push and take down those two strongholds outside Wuyi City to draw their attention to us?"

The black-armored man, Zheng Zhongfei, said coldly, "Let's make the show convincing and launch another strong attack. A full-scale attack on Wuyi City will only attract the attention of some True Intent Realm and Body Tempering Realm martial artists."

“Yes,” Qingyun Ke smiled, “We will need to make preparations in the Qianyunling Mountains for a while, at most half a month. Once everything is ready, we will set off.”

Everyone tacitly agreed that the Qing family would be responsible for the preparations in the mountains.

The crowd dispersed, leaving only the three Qing brothers behind.

The faces of Qingyun Qian and Qingyun Heng visibly darkened.

"First Cold Spring Peak, then this Ten Thousand Wood City, both are places of constant conflict. The people of the Three Flames Divine Palace don't consider us one of their own. More than half of the Qing family members have been killed or wounded. Brother, are we really going to..."

Qing Yunheng was still somewhat worried. At this moment, his aura was clearly revealed. He had reached the Great Perfection of the Third Heaven, and was several times stronger than when he was in the Beast King Sect.

The one who obtained the Myriad Laws Devouring Essence Pill was Qingyun Ke. The Myriad Laws Devouring Essence Pill combines the Divine Soul Golden Core, the Qi and Blood Golden Core, and the True Essence Golden Core into a single Devouring Essence Golden Core. This process is extremely dangerous, and there is no way to turn back.

One can only continuously devour the Golden Core, enduring the torment of being devoured, until the Devouring Golden Core gives birth to a Dharma Form, thus becoming a Dharma Form True Person.

However, the three brothers had obtained a secret technique in their early years and raised a symbiotic Gu. Although the main effect of the Devouring Yuan Pill was on Qingyun Ke, the power of Devouring Yuan could also be shared with Qingyun Heng and Qingyun Qian, which is why their cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

Qing Yunke's expression was equally cold: "So far, we have only killed less than nine Danqiao cultivators at Lengquan Peak. This number of Golden Core cultivators is far from enough. Before my cultivation level is exposed, we might as well take advantage of the situation and gather them all together in one go."

"The Demonic Sects here..."

Qingyun Ke doesn't just target the righteous path; he's willing to wager the entire Qing family. So why wouldn't he target his fellow members of the demonic sect?
"As long as one breaks through to the Dharma Aspect stage, what does it matter to me if someone dies in the secret realm? Besides..."

Qingyun Ke revealed a cold smile, then changed the subject and said to Qingyun Qian, "Go and contact that person to lock onto the secret realm node of Poison Dragon Valley."

Qingyunqian nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll go right away."
-
Su Yan spent three full days on Cold Shadow Peak before he finished refining the pills, which he then distributed to Xiang Ge and Yuan Hong.

The two swallowed the pills, and Xiang Ge sat cross-legged in front of Su Yan, circulating his true essence to channel the medicinal power of the pills to his arm, gradually repairing the damage.

Even if he is a martial artist at the Danqiao Realm, such damage is serious enough. If not handled properly, it may affect his subsequent cultivation.

Yuan Hong's condition was slightly better. After taking the Seven Star Rejuvenation Pill, the wound across his chest healed rapidly, and the flesh and blood that had dried up due to the absorption of nutrients were visibly recovering.

Within an hour, Yuan Hong gradually recovered.

Meanwhile, Xiang Ge is still rebuilding the flesh and meridians of his arm, which will probably take a whole night.

Long Qiushui came over twice during that time, both times with a solemn expression.

She had already sent people to gather information, but they couldn't figure out the Qing family's plans in a short time.

After one night, Xiang Ge's arm was completely healed.

Long Qiushui took a transfer order and went directly to the three of them.

"According to Chief Du's order, the demonic cultivators of Wanmu City have launched another attack. Junior Brother Hong Qingyue and the others who are responsible for guarding the city are struggling to hold them off, so they have summoned us to assist in guarding Wuyi City." The order was issued by Master Faxiang, and Su Yan immediately frowned. Xiang Ge and Yuan Hong also exchanged a glance.

"Wuyi City and Wanmu City have been fighting each other for a long time, with fierce battles constantly taking place, but they are still evenly matched. Could it be that the demonic path has sent reinforcements to Wanmu City?"

In order to gather materials for refining the Dragon Scale Body Condensation Pill and the other three pills, Xiang Ge and Yuan Hong had ambushed and killed many Danqiao Realm martial artists on the front lines, so they had heard about the changes in the battle situation in various places.

“Qing Yunheng has shown his face on the battlefield, and I suspect that the Qing family is the new reinforcement.”

Long Qiushui's face turned frosty. The Qing family had not only betrayed the Beast King Sect, but they had also been the ones who helped to plot against her lineage. She would not let this grudge go.

Xiang Ge of the Qing family sneered: "The fate of dogs is that the battlefield between Wuyi City and Wanmu City has never stopped. There may be fewer Danqiao Realm warriors dying, but True Intent Realm and Body Tempering Realm warriors die there every day."

If the Qing family provides support, then members of the family will definitely be unable to escape, and there will be casualties on the battlefield.

"Let's settle both old and new scores now. When shall we set off?"

Yuan Hong's eyes also held hatred. He had remembered Qing Yunqian's sword strike during this ambush.

"Not you."

Long Qiushui glanced at him, and Xiang Ge and Yuan Hong immediately looked surprised.

"Not us? What's going on?"

"Chief Du already knows about your serious injuries. Although I have already sent word about your recovery via the Sky-Piercing Lark, you have only just recovered and will not be sent back to the battlefield. You two will guard Cold Shadow Peak, and I will step down."

"No, the old man is being discriminatory."

Xiang Ge shouted out, still wanting to take revenge himself.

Long Qiushui simply smiled and said, "You're not even at the Third Heaven."

The singer pointed at Su Yan: "Who is he?"

"His methods are more powerful than those of the Three Heavens."

Long Qiushui frowned slightly, her expression fleeting. In fact, she didn't want Su Yan to join the fight.

The battle in Wuyi City is too chaotic. It's no longer a simple struggle for resources, but a conflict over contribution points and territorial expansion.

If it's a competition for resources, apart from the core resource points, there will probably be very few large-scale conflicts or attacks from Danqiao Realm cultivators in other places.

On the battlefield of Wuyi City, it was common for Danqiao Realm cultivators to launch sneak attacks or suddenly kill large numbers of Zhenyi Realm warriors.

The ultimate goal is to advance the battle lines and achieve more victories.

Long Qiushui shook her head slightly, putting the thought aside. Du Rushan obviously knew about Su Yan's achievements. Although Su Yan did not have the cultivation level of the third level, his skills were such that even a third level martial artist would not be able to gain the upper hand.

Xiang Ge and Yuan Hong sighed with long faces, "You two be careful, especially the three brothers from the Qing family."

Xiang Ge cautioned, "Qing Yunqian possesses a secret technique that can corrode flesh and blood and absorb true essence. We were careless and had our foundation damaged by him. Since the Qing family was able to betray the Beast King Sect, they must have made a solemn promise, which may have been based on this secret technique. It might even be an opportunity to break through to the Dharma Aspect stage."

Although it was just a brief exchange, Xiang Ge was able to roughly deduce the Qing family's purpose.

"Hmm," Long Qiushui nodded, "There's no need for the Qing family to stay this time."

Her eyes were calm, as if she were talking about something insignificant.

Xiang Ge's face twitched slightly. A third-level martial artist is amazing, a seventh-level Golden Core cultivator is amazing?

The value of the Three-Celestial Golden Elixir, Seven-Turn, is probably comparable to that of some Celestial Beings. This is the true value of Long Qiushui.

The four men settled the matter and summoned the commanders of the mountain guards one by one, explaining all the defense matters in the city.

This was no small matter; the handover of city affairs and the military affairs of the mountain guards took half a day.

After the handover was completed, Long Qiushui came to find Su Yan alone and said, "Poison Dragon Valley is located in the Thousand Cloud Ridge Mountains near Wuyi City. In less than four months, the three-year period will be over. When the secret realm opens, the two of us can enter directly."

Will a Dharma Master be going this time?

The Poison Dragon Valley Secret Realm is protected by restrictions set up by the Poison Dragon Immortal, which are difficult for ordinary Dharma Aspect Immortals to break. Only by paying a price can one possibly enter the secret realm without destroying it.

Since the Great Dharma Image was not much different from the Poison Dragon True Man, he naturally wouldn't be eyeing his inheritance.

One is that it's unnecessary, and the other is that it's embarrassing.

In previous years, the Beast King Sect and the Nine Peaks Sect had a tacit understanding not to send Dharma Aspect True Person to handle matters related to the opening.

At the same time, it will not prohibit independent cultivators and disciples from other sects from entering for training and exploration.

But this time it's different. Su Yan already knows that the Thousand Cloud Ridge Mountains are near Wanmu City and Wuyi City, which can be said to be a place of chaotic battle.

If the demonic sects haven't fallen by April, the chaos in Poison Dragon Valley will be unimaginable.

Long Qiushui said, "Chief Du didn't say anything, and Master didn't send us any messages either. However, in this struggle, even those at the Dharma Aspect Realm might not be able to spare any resources."

It is common knowledge that disciples at the Danqiao Realm, Zhenyi Realm, and Duanti Realm are constantly fighting each other.

But in reality, it was those True Persons at the Dharma Aspect Realm who determined the course of the great battle.

They had already fought each other countless times in secret, keeping each other in check, so it wouldn't be easy for them to free up their hands.

In fact, if Yao Lixuan had truly been able to free up his hands, Xiang Ge and the others probably wouldn't have been able to return.

Su Yan frowned. He was unsure about the Dharma Aspect True Person, but if the Starry Sky Warriors made a move, it would be troublesome.

Even if it's not as troublesome as the Old Ancestor of the Rotten Serpent, it would probably still be difficult to deal with.

He looked up and said, "I plan to break through to the second level of martial arts, first to achieve the eighth level of the Golden Core, and then to the ninth level in Poison Dragon Valley."

(End of this chapter)