The Demon Lord of All Forms

Chapter 123 Search

Deep inside the main hall, a figure sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.

His body was old and thin, his hair was sparse, his face was sallow, and his skin was like dried tree bark, with many wrinkles. He looked like he didn't have much time left to live, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

The old man was dressed in a gray-black Taoist robe without any patterns. He sat quietly like a piece of dead wood, blending into the darkness of the hall.

Shi Longyin, leader of the Guixu Sect.

The moment Tai Ming entered the main hall, Shi Longyin opened his eyes. His eyes were cloudy and dim, like two dry wells about to run dry, but Tai Ming could sense that this was only a facade.

The essence of the Guixu Sect's "Book of Guixu Extinction" is to contain life force, constantly storing and compressing it within the body, like sealing an active volcano under a layer of ice.

Because their vitality is contained within, cultivators may appear withered and emaciated, but their inner power is like an abyss; once it erupts, it will cause the heavens and the earth to shatter.

Shi Longyin looked at Tai Ming, his gaze sweeping over him, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"You're injured." Shi Longyin's expression had changed, his voice turning cold. "What happened?"

Tai Ming's face was gloomy, and his voice carried suppressed anger and a hint of barely perceptible lingering fear.

"The Path of the Demonic Dragon is gone."

Shi Longyin's expression changed drastically. A sharp glint flashed in his turbid eyes. He suddenly stood up, and a powerful aura surged from his body, making the air in the hall feel heavier.

"What happened? Explain yourself!"

Tai Ming took a deep breath, as if calming the turmoil in his heart, and slowly said, "A group of people have invaded the Misty Swamp. They all have the cultivation of the Golden Core Realm and are holding spiritual treasures. I am no match for them and can only escape. The Demon Dragon Path has been destroyed by this group."

Tai Ming raised his right hand, and demonic energy condensed in his palm, transforming into four human figures.

The first person, tall and slender with a cold and stern face, carrying a long sword on his back, his sword aura soaring to the heavens, is Xu Li of the Nine Nether Sect.

The second person, with a cold and aloof expression and unpredictable aura, wore a dark purple Taoist robe that fluttered amidst the demonic energy. He was Chu Jiangwei from the Nine Nether Sect.

The third person was burly and rugged-looking, wielding a large, crimson sword wreathed in flames. He was a true disciple of the Red Lotus Sect.

The fourth person had a handsome face, dressed simply, carried a long sword on his back, and had a jade pendant hanging at his waist. He was a true disciple of Tiandao Mountain.

The four figures were lifelike amidst the demonic energy, their aura sharp and menacing, as if they might emerge from the demonic energy at any moment.

Tai Ming looked at the four figures and spoke in a low voice.

"These people are mysterious and unpredictable. I had never heard of them before. Each of them has a powerful aura and a deep foundation. Even in a one-on-one fight, I was almost no match for them. I had to detonate the Heavenly Thunder Drum to barely escape."

Shi Longyin looked at the four figures, remained silent for a moment, and his eyes flashed with cold light.

"A person of the righteous path?"

"There are righteous ones and there are demonic ones." Tai Ming shook his head, his tone tinged with confusion. "I don't know their origins, but their aura is not from any sect or school in the Upper Xuan Realm. Moreover, these people are both righteous and demonic. I can hardly imagine anyone having the ability to unite the righteous and demonic factions."

Shi Longyin nodded, asked no more questions, paced back and forth in the main hall a couple of times, then stopped, turned around, and looked at Tai Ming.

"Go and rest first. The sect will send people to help you rebuild the Demon Dragon Path. As for these people..." Shi Longyin's gaze fell on the four figures emanating demonic energy, and his voice turned cold, "They dared to destroy my Demonic Path lineage; they must pay the price!"

Tai Ming clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed, and stepped back, a slight, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

The following day, the order to hunt down the demonic forces was issued.

The Guixu Sect and the Cangsheng Sect joined forces and issued a kill order to all demonic forces in the Shangxuan Realm. Portraits of four mysterious cultivators were distributed to every demonic stronghold, and the bounty was high enough to tempt anyone.

A Golden Core cultivator, a spiritual treasure, a high bounty... In an instant, the entire demonic path was searching for the whereabouts of these four people.

At the same time, the righteous path finally learned of the destruction of Qinghe Sect.

The Five Thunder Sect was furious. A second-rate lineage was uprooted, with no survivors. This was a blatant provocation against the righteous path.

The Five Thunder Sect Master, Lei Yuan, personally ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

When the contents of the demonic pursuit order reached the ears of the righteous path, the portraits of the four people were also sent to the desks of the three major righteous sects. The higher-ups of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, the Demon Slaughtering Hall, and the Five Thunder Sect simultaneously realized that these four people seemed to be somewhat suspicious. It was impossible for the righteous path and the demonic path to join forces. Moreover, according to the information released by the demonic path, they had never heard of the magical powers and techniques possessed by these four people.

The three major righteous sects subsequently issued search warrants.

In an instant, the Upper Xuan Realm was in a state of panic, as disciples from both the righteous and demonic factions of the Tianyuan Realm were being simultaneously searched and hunted down by the two largest forces in the Upper Xuan Realm.

An unnamed valley.

As dusk settled, the sunset on the horizon, like a burning brocade, dyed half the sky a dark red. The mountain walls surrounding the valley were covered with withered vines, and occasionally a few crows flew over the cliffs, emitting rough cries that echoed through the valley. At the bottom of the valley was a naturally formed stone platform, on which sat more than a dozen people, dressed in different robes, their auras profound. They were the true disciples of various righteous sects who had entered the Upper Mystic Realm.

Shen Qingci of Tiandao Mountain sat on a blue stone in the center of the stone platform. His face was handsome and his eyes held a calm and detached air. His moon-white Taoist robe fluttered gently in the mountain breeze.

Beside Shen Qingci, Lu Daoxuan of the Supreme Palace sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. He wore a black Taoist robe embroidered with silver star patterns, and his body was surrounded by a faint aura of purity.

Lei Zhenyue of Shenxiao Palace stood on the edge of the stone platform. He was a burly man with lightning crackling on his crimson Taoist robe. His tiger-like eyes were full of impatience as he paced back and forth, the gravel under his feet crunching loudly.

"In just a few days, the entire Upper Xuan Realm has been causing us trouble." Lei Zhenyue stopped and turned to look at the crowd. His voice was deep and heavy. "Those local cultivators treat us like their father's killer. They draw their swords and attack without asking any questions. I just went out to scout ahead, and within a hundred miles, I encountered three groups of ambushes."

Ye Guhong of the Divine Sword Sect sat on a protruding rock, his face cold and stern, his sword-like eyebrows slanting upwards into his temples, and said indifferently, "Just kill them all."

Zhou Baoxuan of Lingbao Pavilion was a slightly chubby young man with a kind face. He was playing with a spirit bead the size of a copper coin in his hand. Upon hearing this, he shook his head: "We can't kill them all. There are tens of thousands of native cultivators in the Upper Xuan Realm. Killing a few, dozens, or hundreds will not help the overall situation. We are trapped here, unable to find the token, and being hunted by the native forces. If this continues, let alone competing for Youzhou, it will be a problem whether we can even get out alive."