Eternal Life Begins with Learning

Chapter 347: Chapter 319: Demon Realm, a Lingering Calamity

Chu Mu couldn’t help but wear a strange expression at these words.

’A Golden Core True Master asking a Foundation Establishment Cultivator if he has an Array-Breaking Technique?’

But when he thought about Xu Changqing’s father, a Sword Dao Nascent Soul, it seemed to make sense.

After all, no one knew what sort of backup plans his father might have prepared for him.

"I am powerless against a Grand Array like this."

Xu Changqing shook his head and immediately changed the subject. "I don’t understand. What is the Demon Cultivators’ ultimate goal in doing all this?"

At his words, all the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators present were also clearly confused.

Chu Mu mulled it over. ’What I don’t understand is whether this incident was planned long in advance, or if it’s a hasty response triggered by the ambush they set for me.’

The implications of the two were completely different.

Furthermore, he couldn’t seem to grasp the significance of the Demon Cultivators’ actions.

Even if they had trapped the entire Chu Capital, the moment the outside world noticed something was amiss, reinforcements would arrive. Given the distance between the Chu Capital and the Longevity Sect, it would take a few days at most for higher-level experts from the Sect to arrive and crush this.

Back in Jingmen, even the Tier Four Array built around a Nascent Soul Great Power’s Lifebound Treasure was shattered just like that. That Nascent Soul fell, and the survivors fled in a panic.

To say nothing of this Tier Three Formation before them now.

All schemes and plots are bullshit in the face of absolute power.

The Golden Core True Master seemed to share this sentiment. He waved his hand dismissively. "Who cares what they’re up to. Give me a few days to study it, and I’ll see if I can break this array."

"If that doesn’t work, reinforcements from the Sect shouldn’t take long to arrive."

"These Demon Dao scoundrels won’t be jumping around for long."

"Look!"

Just then, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator suddenly cried out in alarm.

Following the direction he pointed, everyone looked over.

On the other side of the light barrier, upon the plaza within the Imperial Palace, hundreds of black-robed figures rushed out. Each one held a Banner Flag thick with Mysterious Demonic Qi. With every wave, billowing Demonic Qi surged forth, visibly blanketing the entire Imperial Palace in the blink of an eye.

But just as quickly, the churning Demonic Qi converged. The hundreds of figures danced with their banners, and countless faint black patterns began to swirl, moving from the Banner Flags to the black-robed Cultivators who held them.

Finally, the countless swirling black patterns seemed to stabilize completely, and an Array radiating Mysterious Demonic Qi took form.

Figures flickered and Banner Flags waved. The immense, swirling Demonic Qi gathered, transforming into what looked like sentient black snakes that vied with each other to burrow into the ground.

"This is wrong! They’re trying to corrupt the Spirit Vein!"

The old man’s expression changed, a look of sudden realization dawning on his face. "The Spirit Vein Core... it’s in the North City, beneath the Imperial Palace!"

"These Demon Dao scoundrels... they intend to corrupt and demonize the Spirit Vein!"

"We have to stop them! If we don’t, the Chu Capital’s Spirit Vein will become a Demon Vein, the entire city will turn into a Demon Realm, and tens of thousands of Cultivators will be corrupted by Demonic Qi, falling into the Demon Dao!"

His words struck like a bolt from the blue. The faces of every Foundation Establishment Cultivator present changed drastically.

The terror of Demon Cultivators lay in the very nature of Demonic Qi.

The conflict between Immortals and Demons was fundamental.

All the major powers regarded the existence of Demon Cultivators and Demonic Qi as taboo for one fundamental reason: the terrifying, corrosive nature of Demonic Qi.

If Demon Cultivators were to run rampant, Demonic Qi would inevitably spread with them.

If the Spiritual Qi in a region were to be corrupted by Demonic Qi, it would undoubtedly become completely uninhabitable for Cultivators.

With the Spirit Vein’s Demonization and the Chu Capital turning into a Demon Realm, those at the Foundation Establishment Realm might be able to hold on, resisting the Demonic Qi’s corruption for a while.

But for an ordinary Qi Cultivation Realm Cultivator, resisting the Demonic Qi’s corruption would be an impossible feat!

’If it hadn’t been for his Sword Intent back then,’ Chu Mu thought, ’he might have been corrupted without even realizing it. Under its subtle influence, it would only have been a matter of time before he fell into the Demon Dao and became a pseudo-Demon Cultivator, lacking only the Demon Seed.’

’Tens of thousands of Demon Cultivators, a demonized Tier Three Spirit Vein...’

’If this isn’t stopped, the only solution would be for a Nascent Soul Great Power to immediately obliterate Chu Capital City and exterminate every last Demon Cultivator in Chu Capital.’

’Otherwise, with tens of thousands of Demon Cultivators spreading throughout the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World, the Demon Dao would likely take root completely, and the scourge would spread endlessly!’

’And among Cultivators, self-interest is king. There’s no grand, righteous mentality.’

’The very foundation of a Demon Cultivator is True Demon Qi.’

’To survive and obtain True Demon Qi, tens of thousands of pseudo-Demon Cultivators would stop at nothing.’

’He remembered the East Lake Secret Realm, and the dead, desolate expanse beyond that Spatial Rift...’

’And what Xu Changqing had told him about the ancient war of the Demon Realm’s invasion...’

As these thoughts raced through his mind, even Chu Mu, with his usual detached attitude, felt his heart tremble and a chill run down his spine.

’If things really get to that point, it won’t be ’none of my business’ anymore.’

"To corrupt the Spirit Vein, they must have secretly altered this array’s Spiritual Power supply!"

"Changqing, immediately gather all of our Sect’s disciples in the Chu Capital! Also, summon every Cultivator in the city."

"Attack it continuously, at all costs! Without a sufficient Spiritual Power supply, this array is bound to show a flaw."

As he spoke, the old man’s figure dissipated. His Cyan Bamboo Staff appeared and slammed violently into the light barrier before them.

A brilliant light flashed and ripples spread across its surface as a deafening roar echoed through the heavens and the earth.

"He Tao, quickly gather the disciples! Hang Yu, you’re in charge of commandeering the city’s Cultivators! Niu Hui, go and bring all the city’s Spiritual Energy Cannons here!"

Xu Changqing gave his orders methodically. Finally, he turned to Chu Mu, but even then, he seemed to hesitate.

"If you have a task for me, just say it."

"I need you to hunt down the Demon Cultivators. Any you find, kill them without mercy," Xu Changqing said slowly after a moment of deliberation.

Chu Mu was taken aback. ’Is it really appropriate for an outsider like me to handle something like this?’

But seeing the firm look in Changqing’s eyes, he didn’t argue. He simply nodded, and with a leap, vanished from the chaotic scene.

Floating high in the sky, Chu Mu swiped his hand, and the Compass appeared.

The Seal and Inscription System he had observed just outside the city walls surfaced in his mind.

It was this system that was blocking his detection of the Demon Seeds.

But based on his earlier observation of the Seal and Inscription System, it wasn’t impossible to bypass its shielding effect.

’However...’

Chu Mu glanced at the light barrier dividing the Chu Capital and shook his head. Given the current situation, there was little point in doing so.

The Demon Cultivators were brazenly out in the open in the North City, unscrupulously carrying out the Spirit Vein’s Demonization.

If this array wasn’t broken, nothing else mattered.

He took out his Sound Transmission Order. Unsurprisingly, the Grand Array had severed all connections. As long as it stood, contacting the outside world was impossible.

It was exactly the same as the situation back in Jingmen.

As he pondered, a thought seemed to strike him. Chu Mu froze for a second, then whipped his head around to look at Xu Changqing, who was still attacking the light barrier.

’If I were in his shoes,’ he thought, ’if I were the Hall Master of the Chu Capital’s Law Enforcement Hall, and the city’s own Defense Array could be secretly altered... if control of the Grand Array could be inexplicably seized...’

’In that situation, would I still dare to trust the Law Enforcement Hall? Would I dare to trust any Longevity Sect disciple in the entire Chu Capital?’

’Would he dare?’

Chu Mu asked himself, and the answer was crystal clear.

He wouldn’t.

After all, the scenes unfolding before them were undeniable proof. The Demon Cultivators hadn’t just appeared in the Chu Capital out of nowhere; this was the result of a long-term conspiracy, of years of careful planning.

And what’s more, this long-term conspiracy had left no trace whatsoever!

That... was the most terrifying part.

Any Cultivator could be a traitor.

...

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!