Chapter 105: Si Nan Yan's Calculations
Righteous Sun Sect, the back mountain.
This was the most secluded area within the Righteous Sun Sect. The vegetation on the mountain was sparse, leaving the area barren and desolate.
Because this was the location of the Devil Sealing Cave, no disciples of the Righteous Sun Sect resided here. Only the Elders guarding the entrance to the cave rested here temporarily.
When Hua Yourong and Wen Zhixing arrived, several figures were already waiting. They were a group of Righteous Sun Sect male disciples, all brimming with Yang Qi. They too were here to complete the sect task.
"Greetings, Hua."
Upon Hua Yourong's arrival, everyone promptly paid their respects. Clearly, they had already been informed which inner sect disciple was leading the team this time.
"Fellow junior brothers, there's no need for formalities," Hua Yourong said, then immediately leaped down from her flying sword along with Wen Zhixing.
The crowd looked at Wen Zhixing, and a thought stirred within them. This person is riding the same flying sword as Hua Yourong. It seems their relationship is significant. Indeed, we cannot afford to offend him.
Wen Zhixing turned to glance at the group. Counting himself, there were a total of nine people. Each person needed to kill two devil beasts to complete the sect task. This was a group assignment that emphasized teamwork.
Not far ahead stood a gigantic stone door. It was simple and ancient, yet extremely thick, with various profound talismans engraved on its surface, all glowing brightly. This stone door was the entrance to the Devil Sealing Cave.
Even without entering, everyone could already feel the chilling Devil Qi. On both sides of the great door stood two huge stone pillars. Inscribed on them, left and right, were the characters "Seal" and "Devil" respectively.
"Follow me," said Hua Yourong, leading the group forward.
She then bowed towards an elder positioned diagonally above them. "Elder Wu, disciple Hua Yourong, along with my junior brothers, seeks to enter the Devil Sealing Cave for training and to complete the sect task. Please open the door."
The next moment, a figure materialized in mid-air. It was an old man with white hair and a white beard.
His spiritual sense swept over everyone. Detecting nothing amiss, he nodded.
"Once inside, do not venture too deep. Otherwise, your life and death are your own responsibility," Elder Wu spoke slowly. His palm then performed a hand seal, sending several beams of spiritual light into the two stone pillars.
On the stone pillars, the characters "Seal" and "Devil" emitted a dazzling light.
RUMBLE!
The stone door began to open. Light seemed to shine out from within for an instant, only to quickly turn into boundless darkness. Wisps of ink-like Devil Qi then started to pour out from it.
Wen Zhixing tried to peek inside to see the situation, but he couldn't discern anything clearly.
"Thank you, Elder. Fellow junior brothers, follow me inside." Hua Yourong bowed again and took the lead, stepping through the stone door.
Seeing this, the others followed one by one. Wen Zhixing, who was last, did not enter. Instead, he looked up at Elder Wu.
"Is there something else?" Elder Wu asked, his eyes lowered, his voice indifferent.
"Elder, what should I do if I encounter an irresistible crisis?" Wen Zhixing asked, bowing in supplication.
Elder Wu was taken aback for a moment. An irresistible crisis, huh...
"Elder, would you come to save me?" Wen Zhixing asked again before Elder Wu could reply.
"I will," Elder Wu nodded. If he could save someone, he naturally would.
After speaking, he saw Wen Zhixing gazing expectantly at him. "You are quite cautious for a young man. Not bad."
Elder Wu chuckled softly and then tossed out a jade talisman. "If you're in danger, crush this. I will appear."
"Thank you, Elder!" Wen Zhixing was overjoyed. He cheerfully tucked the jade talisman into his Universe Belt before stepping into the Devil Sealing Cave.
「Inside the Devil Sealing Cave.」
The sky was terrifyingly overcast, shrouded in thick, black clouds that blotted out all light. Not a whisper of wind stirred between heaven and earth, as if this place were a domain of death.
HUM!
A pale golden light suddenly flared, accompanied by spatial vibrations. A spatial gate opened, and moments later, several figures emerged from the light. The newcomers were Hua Yourong and her party.
They looked up, only to be taken aback. What greeted their eyes was an ancient city.
Stone slabs, overgrown with dark green moss, paved the streets. The streets were pitch-dark. Only the dim red lanterns hanging on either side allowed one to vaguely discern the surroundings. All the doors were tightly closed, with no trace of human activity—it seemed like a city of the dead. Unexpectedly, this Devil Cave concealed another world within.
"Hua, is this the Devil Sealing Cave?" a disciple, here for the first time, marveled aloud, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. He had assumed it was a desolate ruin, never imagining a human city could exist here.
Hua Yourong's gaze flickered; in truth, she too was entering the Devil Sealing Cave for the first time.
Just then, the light flashed again, and Wen Zhixing arrived, a bit later than the others. He looked at the scene before him, his expression matching that of the others.
The others glanced at Wen Zhixing but paid him no further mind.
After a moment of thought, Hua Yourong explained, "This place was once a human town. However, it was later massacred and occupied by fiends. Out of necessity, the entire city had to be sealed here along with them."
Everyone immediately understood. So that's how it is. Hua truly is knowledgeable.
"Let's go. This is just the periphery, so there won't be many devil beasts, but we must not let our guard down," Hua Yourong said, taking the lead.
"Yes," the group replied, following closely behind.
However, just as they all stepped into the ancient city, it felt as if something had reacted. A bone-chilling, sinister wind instantly howled past. The entire ancient city was filled with a heavy, malevolent aura.
Goosebumps erupted on everyone's skin, and their hair stood on end. They felt extremely uncomfortable. It felt as if even the circulation of their Spiritual Qi was affected.
HEH HEH HEH... An exceedingly strange sound echoed from all directions, piercing directly into their minds.
Following that, a semi-transparent, terrifying devil shadow drifted out from the ancient city. This devil shadow had a ferocious and terrifying appearance. It floated in mid-air, its mouth stretched into a grotesque, ear-to-ear slit. It roared continuously, letting out one horrifying screech after another.
The doors and windows lining the streets trembled violently, looking as if they might shatter at any moment. The whole ancient city was suffused with a potent malevolent aura.
"A mere devil spirit, hmph," Hua Yourong snorted at that moment.
Her flying sword flashed with golden light. The blade unleashed a long golden rainbow that instantly tore through the void to strike its target.
BANG!
The terrifying devil shadow shattered under the slash of the golden light, dispersing into black fog.
"So strong!"
Everyone was shaken, their faces filled with awe. It wasn't that the devil spirit was weak, but that Hua Yourong was too strong!
"Alright, all of you proceed together. Devil spirits of this caliber won't be your match. If there's danger, I will intervene." Hua Yourong said, sheathing her sword. She then began to direct the others forward.
"Yes!" The group nodded in agreement. They exchanged glances and continued into the ancient city.
"Collect!"
Just then, while no one was paying attention, Hua Yourong made a subtle gesture with her hand. The black fog she had previously dispersed reconverged, forming a small black pearl that silently landed in her palm.
With this, I can refine a devil seed. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her mouth lifted in a faint smile.