12dz Chapter 31 Discovering Clues of Demonic Cultivation
Chapter 31 Discovering Clues of Demonic Cultivation
Chaotic Star Sea, Celestial Star City, Star Palace Council Hall.
The once solemn and majestic hall was now filled with dozens of figures exuding profound auras and emanating overwhelming power. They wore various attire and came from all corners of the human realm, but without exception, they were all Nascent Soul stage experts whose mere stomp could shake the entire region!
Seated at the head of the table was a middle-aged man dressed in a star-patterned Daoist robe, wearing a tall crown, and with a dignified face. He was none other than Ling Yunchen, the current Palace Master of the Star Palace, and a top-tier cultivator in the late Nascent Soul stage. Beside him sat Xuan Qingzi, who had come from Kunwu Mountain. Below them sat representatives from the ten major sects of the Great Jin Dynasty, the leader of the Tiannan Righteous Demons, the Five Dragon Sea Alliance, the ascetic sects of the Tiansha Continent, and several renowned rogue Nascent Soul cultivators. From the demon race, there were also transformed demon kings from the Thunder Roc Clan, the Flood Dragon Clan, and the Suanni Clan present, creating a solemn and subtle atmosphere.
Palace Master Ling Yunchen's gaze swept across the entire room like lightning. He said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoists, you have come from afar to gather at my Star Palace. I know why you have come. It is all for the opportunity of the emergence of the 'Void Heaven Palace' in the Heavenly Wind Sea."
He paused, his voice growing even more solemn: "Since the anomaly occurred, my Star Palace, in conjunction with the forces of the fellow Daoists present, has dispatched cultivators skilled in array formations to monitor that spatial storm day and night. Based on observations and joint deductions, although the destructive spatial turbulence and gales on the outer perimeter are slowly weakening, it will still take at least three to five years for them to stabilize to a level where Nascent Soul cultivators can cautiously pass. If any fellow Daoist does not believe this, or is overconfident in their supernatural abilities, they are welcome to go and try, but neither my Star Palace nor the Kunwu Alliance can guarantee their safety."
These words both described the current situation and contained a veiled warning. Upon hearing this, the cultivators present reacted with varying expressions, but most nodded slightly, clearly indicating that their own investigations had yielded similar conclusions.
At this moment, Xuan Qingzi took over the conversation. His voice was clear and resonant, carrying a convincing power: "Palace Master Ling's words are true. Fellow Daoists from our Kunwu Alliance have also gone to investigate and used several ancient treasures to make deductions, and their conclusions are consistent. Forcibly breaking in now is not the act of a wise person."
He abruptly changed the subject, his expression turning grave: "However, just as we are focusing on the 'Void Heaven Palace,' my Kunwu Alliance and the sects of several fellow Daoists present here have recently noticed an undercurrent surging in the cultivation world."
Upon hearing this, many Nascent Soul cultivators frowned slightly, showing expressions of listening intently.
Xuan Qingzi continued, "According to investigations from various sources, several horrific attacks on sects, families, or cultivator gathering places have recently occurred in parts of the Great Jin, Tiannan, and even the Chaotic Star Sea! None of the victims survived, and very few traces were left at the scenes. However, one thing is common—the souls of all the fallen cultivators, and even the nearby demonic beasts, were forcibly extracted by some evil magic, leaving not a trace!"
"Extracting a living soul?!" A fierce glint flashed in the eyes of an old Nascent Soul cultivator from the Southern Demonic Path. "What kind of force dares to commit such a heinous and morally reprehensible act? Moreover, the method is so clean and efficient; it is definitely not the work of ordinary demonic cultivators or evil practitioners!"
The atmosphere in the main hall instantly became even more oppressive. Extracting a living soul is a major taboo in the cultivation world, and the fact that it was being carried out on such a large scale and in such an organized manner must have concealed a huge conspiracy.
The Palace Master of Lingyunchen Palace chimed in, "Indeed. Our Star Palace has also discovered similar clues in the Chaotic Star Sea, though no specific target has been attacked yet. This force that secretly collects souls operates with extreme secrecy, its strength should not be underestimated, and its purpose is probably far more than simply refining ordinary demonic artifacts and evil treasures. At this crucial moment when the 'Void Heaven Palace' is about to appear and various forces are gathering in the Chaotic Star Sea, the appearance of such strange events is something we must be wary of."
After discussions in the Star Palace Council Hall, the representatives of the various forces present reached a preliminary consensus.
Faced with the earth-shattering discovery of the "Void Heaven Palace," which may involve opportunities from ancient times and even the upper realm, as well as the mysterious threat of a lurking, frantically collecting living souls, the top forces of the human and demon races have unusually chosen to cooperate to a limited extent.
Soon, a joint resolution was conveyed to all parties: led by the Kunwu Alliance, the Star Palace, the Great Jin Royal Family, the Righteous Path Myriad Laws Sect, the Demonic Path Six Extremes True Demon Palace, and other major human race leaders, as well as the three major demon race royal families of Lei Peng, Jiaolong, and Suanni, jointly formed the "Patrol Alliance".
The alliance has two main tasks: first, to maintain order in the outer perimeter of the Tianfeng Sea and prevent conflicts and chaos that may break out due to the gathering of a large number of high-level cultivators or the temptation of the Void Heaven Palace; second, to share intelligence, closely monitor the movements of the mysterious force that secretly collects souls, and immediately join forces to strike once clues are discovered.
Meanwhile, on a relatively safe medium-sized island on the outskirts of the Tianfeng Sea, near the core storm zone, a temporary joint observation outpost was established. Various factions dispatched Nascent Soul elites and a few Deity Transformation elders to garrison the outpost, both to closely monitor changes in the spatial storm and as a base for coordinating efforts and handling emergencies.
However, not all Nascent Soul cultivators were willing to wait or be fully bound by this temporary alliance.
The allure of the Void Heaven Palace was too great. Some Nascent Soul cultivators (including some lone cultivators or patriarchs from smaller forces) who were arrogant, relied on their supernatural powers, possessed rare treasures, or had unruly personalities did not completely believe the major forces' assessment that the spatial storm would take several years to stabilize.
They believed that the so-called "stable period" was merely a pretext spread by several major forces to gain a monopoly or eliminate competitors. As a result, in the months following the establishment of the alliance, several Nascent Soul cultivators, either alone or in small groups, used their respective methods to try to forcefully break through the still violent spatial storm.
A Nascent Soul cultivator from the south, known for his formidable physical strength, summoned his natal magic treasure to protect himself and roared as he charged into the storm. However, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he was torn apart by countless spatial rifts, his protective ancient treasure was destroyed, and he fled back in a sorry state.
A rogue cultivator skilled in escape techniques, who boasted that he could travel through spatial rifts and infiltrate as a shadow, was horrified to find that the spatial laws within the storm were extremely chaotic. Most of his supernatural abilities were rendered ineffective, and he was almost swept into the spatial turbulence and completely lost. In the end, he only managed to escape by paying the price of a space-breaking talisman.
Another powerful demon tried to force his way in using his innate abilities, but he also failed and was injured in the process.
Without exception, all these attempts ended in failure, and the testers all paid the price of injury or loss of treasures. The most severely injured was even swept by a sudden large spatial rift, which destroyed nearly half of his physical body. He barely managed to escape by using a secret technique, and his vital energy was severely damaged.
These vivid examples extinguished the lingering hope in most people's hearts like cold water. The facts were undeniable: the terror of that spatial storm was indeed beyond the forcible breakthrough of a Nascent Soul cultivator at their current stage.
Thus, despite their resentment, the restlessness gradually subsided. The vast majority of cultivators, whether from powerful factions or lone wolves, had no choice but to accept reality, begin to wait patiently, and secretly prepare for the formal exploration several years later.
On the surface, a semblance of order and calm has temporarily returned to the outer reaches of the Tianfeng Sea. But everyone knows that beneath this calm lies a turbulent undercurrent of preparation and power struggle.
Time flies. Three years is but a blink of an eye for a Nascent Soul cultivator who often secludes himself for a hundred years.
For the various forces gathered near the Tianfeng Sea, these past three years have been a period of anxious waiting and intensive preparation. And today, the spatial storm that once devoured the ambitions of the Nascent Soul stage has finally shown clear signs of weakening.
The storm belt, which had been slowly rotating like a millstone of destruction, had indeed become much thinner and calmer, with its raging gales and dense spatial rifts at the edges. The core area was still chaotic, but the energy level on the periphery had eased from "certain death upon contact" to a level where "a Nascent Soul cultivator might be able to attempt to approach the edge to investigate using powerful treasures or secret techniques."
This change was immediately noticed by the "Skywind Patrol Alliance," which monitors the area day and night, and numerous informants.
The news spread quickly.
call out!call out!call out!
Powerful beams of light converged once again from all directions above the island on the outer edge of the Heavenly Wind Sea. Xinggong Lingyunchen, Kunwu Xuanqingzi, representatives of various forces, the Demon King of the Demon Clan, and many more unfamiliar Nascent Soul cultivators who had rushed to the scene appeared one after another. The atmosphere was even more tense than three years ago, filled with a suppressed excitement and vigilance.
All eyes were fixed on the distance. After the storm and the thin mist, the outline of the "Void Heaven Palace" was much clearer than before, and its vast and ancient aura was even more stirring.
"The storm has indeed weakened, but the turbulent energy flow in the core area is still terrifying."
"The edge might be worth a try, but it's probably too early to think about going deep into the temple."