12dz Chapter 25 All the Demonic Sects Gather at the Ghost Spirit Gate
Chapter 25 All the Demonic Sects Gather at the Ghost Spirit Gate
Inside the cabin, the atmosphere of the three chatting gradually became lively. It was mainly the two Nascent Soul elders talking, while Su Mixin listened quietly from the side and served them tea and water.
The two mostly discussed the six sects of the demonic path and the war of demonic invasion.
The Old Demon of Myriad Transformations seemed to have had some unpleasant past with the Ghost Spirit Sect, and his words were full of disdain for the Ghost Spirit Sect.
At this moment, he felt a bit gloating over the Ghost Spirit Sect's misfortune. "The Ghost Spirit Sect has its eye on the Yue Kingdom. They are determined to get it and are willing to give up huge benefits to other sects for it. The price they have to pay is not low."
"It's a pity that the Yuling Sect is unwilling to give an inch on the interests of the Yue Kingdom, while the Tiansha Sect and the Moyan Sect are also eyeing it covetously."
Qi Danyan took a sip of tea and echoed, "The Ghost Spirit Sect is in a precarious situation right now. The Blood Slaughter Sect is showing signs of rising and will surely want to replace the Ghost Spirit Sect in the six sects of the Demonic Path."
"In order to accelerate its own development, the Ghost Spirit Sect is somewhat desperate to seize more benefits. To this end, they are willing to use their sect's resources to win over the Joyful Union Sect and us."
The old demon of myriad transformations smiled even more broadly, "This time, it was because our sect was well prepared. From the beginning, we set our sights on the Tianlu Kingdom in the north. The other five sects had no intention of competing with us, allowing us to wait and watch them fight from the sidelines."
Qi Danyan nodded and said, "Our sect is located in the northern border of Tianlu Kingdom, adjacent to Tianlu Kingdom. In addition, our sect is skilled at infiltrating enemy camps. Several sects in Tianlu Kingdom have been secretly infiltrated by us and riddled with holes. Naturally, other sects are unwilling to get involved in this mess and compete with our sect."
After saying that, Qi Danyan suddenly sighed and said with some regret, "It's a pity. Although Tianlu Kingdom has a large enough area and is a medium-sized country, it is inferior to Yue Kingdom and Yuanwu Kingdom in terms of spiritual veins and resources."
"Moreover, these two countries are located in the very center of Tiannan, with a large number of cultivators coming and going. Occupying this place would bring even greater benefits."
The Old Demon of Myriad Transformations smiled and shook his head. "Be content. Among the six sects of the demonic path, only my Thousand Illusions Sect and the Joyful Union Sect can sit on the sidelines and watch the other four sects fight so fiercely."
"The more fiercely they fight, the more determined they are to gain territory, the more trump cards and benefits they bring out, and the more compensation our sect will naturally receive."
Qi Danyan remained silent for a while before finally speaking: "The Hehuan Sect is the most comfortable. They easily acquired the territory and benefits ceded by the smaller sects within Tianluo Kingdom after their relocation. In any case, the value of the surrounding countries cannot compare with the territory within Tianluo Kingdom."
The Myriad Transformations Old Demon seemed to have seen through everything, and said with an expression that said he had seen through everything: "The Joyful Union Sect is located in the easternmost part of the territory, so it is only reasonable for them to take over the vacated territory in the Heavenly Luo Kingdom."
"But in the end, everything still comes down to strength. The old demon of Hehuan is so powerful that he can only look up to the demonic sects of Tianluo Kingdom. Although our five sects are on par with Hehuan Sect, we can only rely on him."
Qi Danyan nodded and said no more.
Su Mixin sat quietly to the side, without making any comments. He listened attentively, his mind clear as a mirror.
Although the six sects of the demonic path have formed an alliance, they are constantly embroiled in internal conflicts of interest. In the end, everything is determined by strength. The Joyful Union Sect is able to remain in a stable position by relying on its overwhelming strength over the other sects.
After their conversation, the Old Ancestor of Myriad Transformations took his leave and went to another cabin to rest.
Su Mixin also went to the next room, sat cross-legged obediently, and waited quietly for her destination.
Two full days later, the Phoenix Spirit Boat finally approached the area where the Ghost Spirit Sect's mountain gate was located.
The Phoenix Spirit Boat slowly slowed down, and the originally clear sky outside the cabin gradually darkened, replaced by a dense and oppressive atmosphere.
Su Mixin finished her meditation, got up and walked to the side of the ship to look out. She saw that the mountains below were all shrouded in gray-black mist. The mist was as black as ink, with faint wisps of dark red, as if countless wronged souls were floating in it. The wailing of ghosts and howls of wolves could be heard faintly, carried by the wind, making people shudder.
This is the location of the Ghost Spirit Sect's mountain gate—the Ten Thousand Souls Mountain Range.
Upon seeing the environment, Su Mixin suddenly had a thought: It is said that Yan Ruyan is an unparalleled beauty, and it is a pity that she married into this poor and desolate place.
The Ten Thousand Souls Mountain Range is located on the eastern side of Tianluo Kingdom. With this place as the core of the mountain gate, the Ghost Spirit Sect's sphere of influence borders the three kingdoms of Tianluo Kingdom, Jiang Kingdom, and Cheqi Kingdom.
Therefore, using the Ghost Spirit Gate as a wartime bridgehead and command and control center is the most suitable option.
The Wanhun Mountain Range is characterized by jagged rocks and steep cliffs. The barren mountaintops are devoid of any vegetation, except for a few strange trees with jet-black trunks and twisted branches resembling ghostly claws, which rustle in the eerie wind, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
Deep within the mountains, countless caves are scattered, their entrances shrouded in thick, dark, ghostly mist. From time to time, ghostly figures with blue faces and fangs flash by in the mist, exuding a chilling, sinister aura.
The main gate of the Ghost Spirit Sect was built on the mountainside of a mountain peak, unlike the magnificent fairyland of the Thousand Illusions Sect.
Instead, it is made of countless huge black rocks, and the top of the mountain gate is carved with a ferocious ghost head statue with its mouth wide open, as if it wants to devour all living beings.
The three blood-red characters "Ghost Spirit Gate" on the lintel are twisted like congealed blood, exuding a sinister malice. Looking at them from afar, one's blood and qi would stagnate.
The plaza in front of the mountain gate was also paved with black stones, and the ground was covered with densely packed Yin talisman array patterns, from which flowed dark purple evil energy.
Dozens of dark stone pillars stood on both sides of the square, with chains wrapped around them, binding many withered-looking cultivators with weak auras. They were prey captured by the Ghost Spirit Sect to cultivate their sinister techniques.
At the end of the square, rows of black palaces were built against the mountain, their roofs covered with dark gray tiles, and pale white skull lanterns hung under the eaves, with eerie green flames flickering inside, making the entire mountain gate look sinister and terrifying.
Before the Phoenix Spirit Boat even landed, several streaks of light rushed out from inside the mountain gate, led by a middle-aged cultivator dressed in black robes with a hawk-like face.
With sunken eyes and surrounded by a dense ghostly aura, he was none other than Wang Tiangu, the vice sect leader of the Ghost Spirit Sect and Wang Chan's second uncle.
Behind him followed several disciples dressed similarly, each with sinister eyes and an eerie aura. They bowed respectfully to Feng Lingzhou from afar, their voices low and deep: "Wang Tiangu of the Ghost Spirit Sect welcomes fellow cultivators from the Thousand Illusions Sect!"
Qi Danyan stood at the bow of the boat, calmly nodding in response: "Thank you for waiting so long, Fellow Daoist Wang."
The Phoenix Spirit Boat slowly landed at the edge of the mountain gate square. As soon as it landed, it felt the bone-chilling coldness coming from the ground, which was caused by the Yin energy accumulated over the years invading the stone.
As Su Mixin followed the others off the flying boat, he felt a stench of decay and blood in the air. A cold wind blew by, and it felt as if countless icy tentacles were crawling all over his body, causing him to subconsciously circulate his spiritual power to resist.
From the depths of the distant palace, faint sounds of clashing magical artifacts and shrill screams could be heard, mixed with ghostly wails and wolf howls. This was a stark contrast to the serene elegance of the Thousand Illusions Sect, making one truly feel the sinister and terrifying nature of this demonic sect.
Although the six sects of the Tianluo Kingdom all belong to the category of demonic cultivation, they are fundamentally different.
Sects like the Joyful Union Sect, the Spirit Control Sect, and the Thousand Illusions Sect, while their inherited cultivation methods possess a slightly yin and unpredictable nature, are not fundamentally based on absorbing and manipulating yin and evil energy. The reason they are classified as demonic is mostly due to their style of doing things.
The Hehuan Sect practices dual cultivation, but it often uses either yin to supplement yang or yang to supplement yin, and it often harms cultivators outside the sect.
The Spirit Control Sect is based on beast control, but it acts tyrannically and ruthlessly, running rampant without restraint.
The Thousand Illusions Sect is renowned for its bizarre illusions, and its disciples are adept at infiltrating enemy camps and manipulating people's minds.
Furthermore, the locations of the mountain gates of these three sects are completely different from the sinister impression of the "demonic path".
Amidst verdant peaks and swirling mists, magnificent palaces and pavilions are built against the mountains, with babbling springs and an ethereal atmosphere, exuding an air of otherworldly grandeur that rivals the refined elegance of orthodox sects.
But the Ghost Spirit Sect, the Heavenly Fiend Sect, and the Demon Flame Sect are completely different.
The cultivation methods of these three sects are inherently bound to malevolent forces such as Yin Sha, Li Qi, and Demonic Flames, and their cultivation paths are inherently extremely sinister.
The Ghost Spirit Sect's core practice is "exorcising ghosts and controlling souls." Their techniques require absorbing the malevolent energy of countless wronged souls to temper themselves. Within the sect, one can find soul-nurturing altars and soul-binding arrays everywhere. They even use living people to refine souls and feed ghosts with the essence and blood of cultivators.
His disciples are constantly surrounded by an eerie and ghostly aura, and they are ruthless, vicious, and have no bottom line.
The Heavenly Fiend Sect specializes in "condensing fiendish energy." Disciples must hone their skills amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, in perilous and desolate places, absorbing the killing and calamity-inducing energy of heaven and earth into their bodies. They are often violent and bloodthirsty, and their attacks are always deadly.
Wherever they go, they leave devastation and barrenness. Their sect is built on a naturally formed vortex of malevolent energy, where black mist churns year-round, obscuring the sun.
The Demon Flame Sect is founded on the name "Demon Flame," and the supernatural abilities they cultivate are all kinds of demon flames. Their disciples are flamboyant and domineering, and they often use demon fire to burn mountains and destroy cities.
The area within a hundred miles of the sect's headquarters was scorched earth. The mountains were blackened by demonic fire, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur and burning. From a distance, it looked like an erupting volcano in a purgatory.
The mountain gates of these three sects perfectly match the fierce impression of the "demonic path": either shrouded in ghostly mist and filled with skeletons, or radiating malevolent energy and swirling corpses, or engulfed in blazing flames and barren land.
In stark contrast to the celestial aura of the Hehuan Sect and the other two sects, its sinister nature is immediately apparent.
Wang Tiangu led the group from the Thousand Illusions Sect and slowly stepped into the open square in front of the Ghost Spirit Sect's mountain gate.
The bluestone-paved ground gleamed with a cold, dark light, and a faint, lingering chill permeated the air.
Su Mixin followed closely behind the two Nascent Soul elders, attracting the attention of many disciples who were receiving guests at the Ghost Spirit Sect's mountain gate. The whispers and discussions were carried intermittently by the wind.
Wang Tiangu's gaze swept across the area and landed on the three black-robed cultivators waiting at the end of the square.
All three were at the Core Formation stage, their black robes embroidered with dark silver ghost patterns, their faces hidden in shadow, exuding a murderous aura.
He turned to look at Qi Danyan and Wanhua Old Demon beside him, a warm smile spreading across his face. He cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Linghuan, Fellow Daoist Wanhua, I am grateful for your presence. I must wait here for the fellow Daoists of the Hehuan Sect. These three elders of our sect will escort you to the welcoming cave for a rest."
He paused, his tone becoming more solemn: "Tomorrow is the 700th birthday of my sect's senior brother, Shattered Soul. Things are still being prepared, so please bear with us for now."
The old demon of myriad transformations remained solemn throughout, clearly uninterested in Wang Tiangu's polite words. He simply stood quietly beside Qi Danyan, his aura icy, without uttering a word.
Qi Danyan remained calm and asked, "Does Fellow Daoist Wang mean that only the fellow Daoists from the Hehuan Sect have not yet arrived? Have all the other invited sects already arrived?"
In fact, he had already made up his mind. The mountain gates of the Thousand Illusions Sect and the Joyful Union Sect were located in the two most remote areas from the Ghost Spirit Sect. The journey was long, so it was reasonable for them to arrive late.
Moreover, the Hehuan Sect's appearance as the final act was in accordance with tradition.
Wang Tiangu nodded upon hearing this, his smile unchanged: "That's right. Apart from the fellow Daoists of the Hehuan Sect, all the distinguished guests from other sects have arrived and are currently resting and recuperating within their sects, awaiting the birthday celebration."
Upon hearing this, Qi Danyan did not ask any further questions, but simply nodded slightly and gave a look to the Myriad Transformations Old Demon beside him.
The Demon King of Myriad Transformations understood, remaining expressionless, but stepped aside to make way for the three black-robed elders to lead the way.
Upon seeing this, the three elders of the Ghost Spirit Sect stepped forward in unison. The leader, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper was being rubbed, said, "Senior Linghuan, Senior Wanhua, and fellow Daoists of the Thousand Illusions Sect, please follow us." With that, the three turned around.
Su Mixin subconsciously pulled his sleeves tighter; the inhuman and ghostly appearance of these people made him feel physically uncomfortable.
Qi Danyan walked with ease, but his eyes secretly surveyed the scenery along the way.
"Your sect's gate is quite unique," Qi Danyan suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it broke the silence of the journey.
The black-robed elder at the head of the group paused slightly, then replied without turning his head, "Our sect's cultivators have a special cultivation method that requires the assistance of spiritual energy from yin lands. Therefore, the scenery of our mountain gate is different from that of your sect. I apologize for the inconvenience." His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.
The Demon King of Myriad Transformations snorted coldly, clearly extremely impatient with the gloomy environment. His chilling aura was almost tangible, causing the two black-robed elders beside him to subconsciously keep a distance.
Su Mixin could sense the displeasure emanating from the ancestor, so she became even more silent and focused solely on the path beneath her feet.
After passing through the Ghost Spirit Gate, it took less than a quarter of an hour to walk up the cliff behind the peak.
A chilling wind howled at the edge of the cliff, where a white bone flying boat had been quietly moored. The hull was pieced together from countless white bones, with faint black mist swirling between the gaps, giving it an eerie feel.
The three black-robed elders stepped forward first, their voices hoarse as they said, "Senior Linghuan, Senior Wanhua, and fellow Daoists of the Thousand Illusions Sect, please board the ship."
Qi Danyan and Wanhua Laomo remained expressionless as they boarded the flying boat first, followed closely by Su Mixin.
The members of the Thousand Illusions Sect boarded the boat one by one. The flying boat slowly rose and flew towards the heart of the Ghost Spirit Sect. The speed was steady and it did not stir up any air currents.