"What exactly are these brats trying to do?" City Lord Mei muttered to himself as he gazed into the mirror.
These juniors were no ordinary Core Formation cultivators; they required more careful handling. Yet, watching them busily scurrying about within the Maze Cave, he found it rather amusing and couldn't help but wonder just how far they could go. After all, so far, everything was still within his control.
He already knew about their plan to break the barrier formation, but he paid it no mind. Damaging a single node of the formation wouldn't be difficult to repair. And the moment the barrier broke, if even one person escaped the Maze Cave, he would immediately capture them and toss them back to feed the Origin Demon.
Hmph! No matter how capable these few Core Formation cultivators were, he had no need to take them seriously. The gap between Core Formation and Nascent Soul, though just a single realm, was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.
At present, the developments within the Maze Cave were still within his grasp. Knowing what this group was up to, he was naturally well-prepared.
However, as he watched, one of the brats began to puzzle him.
Calling them brats, but this one was actually a girl. Elder Liang had brought these two girls back to the city lord's manor, and he had noticed this fact then. Still, it wasn't a big deal; a woman disguising herself as a man wasn't too unusual. Yet, he was somewhat surprised because, although these two girls' cultivation was average, they possessed quite a few spiritual treasures, not seeming like ordinary cultivators. Their performance within the Maze Cave was indeed commendable. If they hadn't been cultivating the Daoist path, which was irrelevant to him, he might have even considered taking them as disciples.
And now, this girl disguised as a man stood before his Origin Demon, seemingly intent on doing something.
What could she possibly do? Had they still not realized their predicament? Any attack involving Spiritual Qi or Demonic Qi was useless against the Origin Demon. Even if the Origin Demon's aura was momentarily dispersed, it could quickly recover. Within the Maze Cave, they had nowhere to run.
Logically, City Lord Mei believed this girl could do nothing. But as he thought this, the space between his eyebrows involuntarily twitched.
He reached up and rubbed his brow, thinking to himself, was this just an illusion? They were merely a few Core Formation cultivators, and with him personally overseeing things here, what accident could possibly occur?
Yet, the next moment, he abruptly stood up, his face paling dramatically. "How could this be?"
His reaction startled the Core Formation cultivators of Xingluo City around him. Elder Liang hurriedly stepped forward, calling out anxiously, "City Lord..."
But City Lord Mei ignored him. With a cold snort, he flung the mirror to the ground in a fit of rage, shook his sleeves, and flew toward the Teleportation Array, vanishing into it in an instant.
Elder Liang watched, bewildered, as the city lord disappeared. He then looked down at the mirror on the floor. When he saw the scene within, an expression of utter astonishment also appeared on his face. "This..."
In the mirror, Nie Wushang was completely enveloped by a black aura. This aura was vastly different from ordinary Demonic Qi, undulating as if it had a life of its own. This scene alone wasn't particularly shocking; perhaps this Tian Can was just a Demonic Cultivator who had hidden himself extremely well. What Elder Liang found unbelievable was that the Origin Demon—the very entity they Core Formation cultivators dared not approach—seemed to shrink back slightly upon seeing her, as if afraid.
How was this possible? Elder Liang was inwardly shaken. As the city lord's number one confidant, he was well aware of the process by which the city lord, having obtained a new cultivation method, had created this Origin Demon. This thing fundamentally transcended the current concept of Demonic Cultivators, far more advanced than the Demonic Qi they possessed. It was also because of this that the Demonic Qi on the city lord's body had gradually receded, reaching a state where it emanated from the heart.
Such a thing, unless one cultivated a special technique like the city lord, would devour anyone who got close, let alone be controlled.
But what he saw now was clearly not the case at all. This Origin Demon, nurtured by the city lord for so long—the one that, if it devoured all these Core Formation cultivators, could help the city lord ascend to the heavens in a single step—was actually being absorbed by someone else.
The more Elder Liang thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. Cold sweat dripped down uncontrollably.
The reason they dared to carry out such a scheme, aside from having no choice but to pledge loyalty to the city lord, was also because the plan was meticulous. If successful, following the city lord would mean they, too, would rise to great heights.
But now? If the Origin Demon was devoured by someone else, could the city lord's plan still succeed? If the city lord failed to advance to the top rank, how long could their Xingluo City last? Almost all these people had been brought into the city lord's manor by him. Among them, while some had no background, many were connected to major powers—at least involving the great sects of the Dongtang Kingdom and one of the three great demonic domains of their own Beilin Kingdom. The city lord, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, might be able to abandon everything and flee. But what about them, these Core Formation cultivators? Could they escape the pursuit of the great sects and the great demonic domains?
"Brother Liang, what's wrong?" Seeing the city lord leave in anger and noticing his abnormal state, the other elders of Xingluo City standing slightly farther away grew anxious and approached, asking in hushed tones.
Elder Liang wiped the sweat from his face and shook his head. "It's nothing." He dared not speak of this matter now. Whether the city lord could subdue these Core Formation cultivators was still unknown. If the city lord ultimately succeeded but they fled beforehand, the city lord would not spare them either. At this point, for the sake of his own life and future prospects, he could only hope the city lord could stop this and subdue all these Core Formation cultivators.
"Ignorant juniors!" A sharp shout echoed through the cavern, filled with rage. Immediately after, the eight of them felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on them.
Yong Ruyu was the first to panic. "This is..." The aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator. A Nascent Soul cultivator had actually appeared here.
Jian Xin paused for a moment before barking out a command, "Keep going!"
"But..." Yong Ruyu's mind was in turmoil. "With a Nascent Soul cultivator arriving, how can we possibly..."
*Smack!* A crisp sound rang out as a gust of wind struck Yong Ruyu's cheek. Jian Xin said angrily, "If you want to die, I'll grant your wish right now!"
"Senior Brother!" Qiu Chengruo cried out in alarm, rushing forward.
Jian Xin, however, gave her a cold glance before turning back to continue attacking the barrier.
The Nascent Soul cultivator's primary target wasn't them; they still had a chance! Of course, if these two proved more of a hindrance than a help and ended up trapping everyone, he wouldn't mind eliminating them right then and there.
By the time City Lord Mei's slender figure appeared before the two of them, Nie Wushang was already unable to speak.
Her entire body was now wrapped in black aura, the Origin Demonic Qi within her surging powerfully, having even devoured all of her own Spiritual Qi.
Mo Tiange could no longer tell whether Nie Wushang was absorbing the Origin Demonic Qi or being devoured by it.
But one thing was certain: Nie Wushang was temporarily incapacitated. What should they do now?
Seeing the Origin Demon had merged with Nie Wushang, City Lord Mei trembled with rage. His youthful face contorted as he glared viciously at the two of them. "You... you've actually ruined my life's work!"
With that, he slammed a fist against the stone wall, shattering an entire section into dust.
The entire cavern shook with City Lord Mei's action. Jian Xin saw a flash of light on the barrier and said with delight, "Hurry! The barrier is about to break!" City Lord Mei's furious action had inadvertently given them a helping hand.
Without time to think further, Mo Tiange waved her white silk handkerchief, placing it between herself and City Lord Mei, then silently positioned herself to shield Nie Wushang.
She knew she was no match for a Nascent Soul cultivator. But at this moment, turning a blind eye to Nie Wushang was impossible. Nie Wushang had placed her trust in her. She knew absorbing the Origin Demonic Qi would temporarily incapacitate her, yet she had done it anyway. Mo Tiange did not want to betray such trust.
City Lord Mei looked at the two of them and revealed a sinister smile. "What? Still want to oppose me? Hmph! Overestimating yourselves!"
Mo Tiange remained calm. She had always possessed this ability—the more critical the moment, the calmer she became.
Holding her Magical Treasure, she met City Lord Mei's gaze directly, her tone placid. "It is not that we wish to oppose City Lord Mei. Rather, it was City Lord Mei who schemed against us juniors first. With our lives at stake, even if our strength falls short, we have no choice but to fight."
Hearing this, City Lord Mei was taken aback for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing. "Well said, 'have no choice but to fight'! You're an interesting little one. What a pity, what a pity! No matter how interesting you are, I can only feed you to the Origin Demon as well!" With that, he glared viciously at Nie Wushang. "Hmph! Think you can devour my Origin Demon? Dream on! I'll devour you along with it right now!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, City Lord Mei shook his sleeves and strode toward them.
A battle between a Nascent Soul cultivator and Core Formation cultivators was one with no suspense whatsoever. Therefore, City Lord Mei was in no hurry. His only concern was whether he could reclaim the Origin Demon after this little girl absorbed it. Logically, as long as the Origin Demonic Qi still existed, he should be able to absorb it. After all, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and this little girl was merely a Core Formation cultivator; she couldn't possibly win a contest of absorption against him. However, there was no precedent for such a thing, so he couldn't be certain.
Seeing City Lord Mei ignore her and move directly to seize Nie Wushang, a cold light flashed in Mo Tiange's eyes. She raised her Lotus Parasol, blocking City Lord Mei's path.
Witnessing her action, City Lord Mei showed slight surprise. "You little girl, you actually intend to stop me?" It had been many years since he had seen a cultivator like this. Having reached the Core Formation stage with not-weak strength, this junior should know the gap between Nascent Soul and Core Formation, shouldn't she?
Mo Tiange said nothing. The Lotus Parasol purified the Spiritual Qi around her, blocking the Demonic Qi emanating from City Lord Mei. With a flick of her hand, she threw out an object.
*Boom!*
After the earth-shattering explosion, City Lord Mei flicked his sleeves and stared coldly at Mo Tiange. "Hmph! Even with a sentient Magical Treasure, you are still just a Core Formation cultivator. Did you think this could injure me?" A cold gleam entered his eyes as he formed a hand seal, gathering Demonic Qi between his fingers, preparing to attack Mo Tiange.
Mo Tiange focused intently. She knew the Lingxiao Ruyi couldn't repel a Nascent Soul cultivator, but buying even a little time was good.
*Boom!* Before City Lord Mei's Demonic Qi attack could be launched, another tremendous explosion sounded, followed by Qiu Chengruo's elated voice. "The barrier is broken!"