Chapter 1762 The Current Situation of the Old Slick Man of the Abyss of the Beginning Demon (1)

"Special road signs?"

Zhang Xuan pondered, could it be the true spirit bloodline of Emperor Jiang?

Or is it still its own unique tree with three main trunks and thirteen side branches?

Or perhaps... a demonic infant?

The Heavenly Eclipse Ancestor said hoarsely, "In any case, the reappearance of the Immortal Path, even if it is just a trace, is of great significance. This matter must be kept strictly confidential and must not be leaked. The Primordial Demon Abyss and the Three Pure Immortal Realms have spent a lot of effort searching the Nine Divine Domains, probably for this very thing. Once the news of the Immortal Path is leaked, the Immortal Gourd Realm will instantly become the target of everyone's criticism and be doomed forever."

“Fellow Daoist Tian Shi is absolutely right,” Zhang Xuan said solemnly. “The most urgent task is to consolidate my initial True Immortal realm and digest what I have gained. At the same time, we should continue to collect high-level spiritual materials through the passage to the Abyss of Beginning Demons to enhance the combat power of the cultivators in the Nine Divine Realms.”

The three discussed the follow-up arrangements for a while, and then went their separate ways.

Zhang Xuan summoned Hei Zi and asked about the situation of the old fox and the demon fetus in the Abyss of Beginning Demons.

"About four years ago, after you teleported back, Father, the old slick-headed senior took the demon fetus and left Bone Tomb Village, heading northeast."

Hei Zi's voice echoed in the quiet room. Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and listened as if he were seeing it with his own eyes.

"They traversed three treacherous areas known as the Dead Wasteland, encountered three void rift eruptions, and two attacks from the remnants of ancient demons, finally arriving at a chaotic region called Bloodbone Plains."

"That place is a true no-man's-land, where the forces of the Meteor Demon Sea, the Silent Soul Court, and even the Boundless Abyss Kingdom can hardly reach it. Dozens of bandit groups of varying sizes are entrenched there, specializing in robbing passing caravans and lone cultivators, and even attacking and annexing each other."

"The old fox and the demon fetus were just passing through, looking for a secluded place to stay temporarily, but they unexpectedly stumbled upon a band of robbers called the Black Skull Gang robbing a small caravan."

Hei Zi's tone turned slightly amused as he said this: "Among the goods being transported by that caravan were more than ten pieces of eighth-order Yin Soul Jade, which were materials that the Demon Embryo urgently needed to stabilize its soul and repair its Dao foundation. Senior Old Slick was originally unwilling to get involved, but the Demon Embryo's condition was indeed poor at the time, and given the Black Skull Gang's ruthless nature—they would definitely kill anyone after robbing them—you decided to take action."

Zhang Xuan opened his eyes: "Back then, the old slickman was only at the Mahayana level. Even with his unparalleled swordsmanship, he might not have been able to secure a victory against a True Immortal bandit."

“Father, you are wise.” Hei Zi nodded. “The leader of the Black Skull Gang, Old Demon Black Skull, is indeed a True Immortal in the early stage. He also has three Mahayana-level deputies and more than a hundred lackeys under his command. Normally, with the demonic fetus, the old slick senior should temporarily avoid confrontation.”

"But the senior used a scheme." A look of admiration flashed in Hei Zi's eyes. "He had the Demon Embryo create illusions on the periphery using the secret techniques of the Soul Path, simulating the appearance of another powerful group passing by and attracting some of the Black Skull Gang's attention. At the same time, the senior concealed his aura, sneaked to the edge of the battlefield, and launched a surprise attack."

"The first sword strike pierced through the brow of that Mahayana Peak deputy, annihilating his soul and spirit."

"The second sword strike quietly unfolded a sword domain, covering an area of ​​tens of millions of miles, suppressing the mana circulation of the other two Mahayana assistants."

"The third sword strike will be aimed directly at the Black Skull Demon."

Zhang Xuan tapped the armrest of his chair lightly with his fingers: "Even if a True Immortal is caught off guard, he should not perish so easily in the early stage of cultivation."

“Exactly,” Hei Zi said. “According to the description of the demon fetus, the Black Skull Demon reacted extremely quickly, instantly summoning his natal Xuan Tian treasure, the Black Skull Demon Shield, while simultaneously using a life-saving escape technique. But Senior Old Slick’s sword strike… was very special.”

"How special?"

"The demonic fetus said that the sword strike was not simply fast or sharp, but contained the essence of a causal law that inevitably ends. It was as if the outcome was already predetermined the moment the sword was drawn. The Black Skull Demon Shield was useless, the protective demonic aura was nothing, the sword light swept across, the body was split in two, and the soul was annihilated. From the start to the end, it was only three breaths."

Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "When the old man's swordsmanship reaches a certain depth, he can sever cause and effect and determine fate. In recent years, he has indeed made great progress."

Although the old man is still at the Mahayana realm, his swordsmanship is probably no less than that of an ordinary mid-stage True Immortal.

"With the death of Black Skull Demon, the rest of the group scattered." Hei Zi continued, "Senior Old Slick took five pieces of eighth-tier Yin Soul Jade, left the rest for the caravan, and recruited about thirty bandits who were willing to submit. He renamed this force the Gray Bone Alliance, appointed himself as the leader, and Demon Embryo as the deputy leader, and thus established roots in Blood Bone Plain."

“In the first few months, the Gray Bone Alliance still made a living by plundering, but its targets shifted to other bandit groups with even worse reputations,” Hei Zi said. “With the old fox’s personal intervention, two more forces with Mahayana leaders were wiped out, and some of their members were incorporated. The Gray Bone Alliance quickly expanded to more than a hundred people, with three Mahayana ministers and more than ten core members at the Integration level.”

"However, the senior's ambition lay elsewhere; he had people conduct a detailed survey of the spiritual veins surrounding the territory."

Zhang Xuan's expression shifted: "You've discovered something?"

"It's more than just a discovery." Hei Zi's tone was filled with emotion. "After spending more than a month, the Demon Embryo used the secret techniques of the Soul Dao to discover that the barren sixth-order spiritual vein they occupied was actually a tiny branch of a much larger spiritual vein, and the quality of the main spiritual vein had reached the seventh order!"

"A seventh-order spiritual vein?" A glint flashed in Zhang Xuan's eyes.

In the Abyss of Beginning Demons, a seventh-order spiritual vein is already considered quite good, enough to support a true immortal's cultivation and the establishment of a sect.

In the Nine Divine Realms, it is the exclusive domain of top-tier powers.

“That’s not all,” Hei Zi continued, “In a certain area through which the seventh-order spiritual vein flows, there are large quantities of eighth-order spiritual minerals such as Netherworld Profound Iron Ore!”

Zhang Xuan was finally moved: "Eighth-grade spirit ore... Netherworld Profound Iron, is a core material for refining demonic immortal artifacts and setting up top-level demonic arrays. It is a scarce resource even in the Abyss of Beginning Demons. What is the reserve?"

"Preliminary exploration suggests that several thousand tons can be mined, and after refining, several hundred kilograms of Netherworld Profound Iron essence can be obtained annually," Hei Zi said. "Senior Old Oil Head immediately sealed off the news, and placed soul seals on all those who knew about it. He judged that with the strength of the Gray Bone Alliance at that time, it was simply impossible to protect such a treasure. Once it was leaked, it would surely bring about annihilation."

Zhang Xuan nodded: "A mature and prudent move, and then what?"

"Although the news has not been leaked, the rapid rise of the Gray Bone Alliance has still aroused the vigilance of other forces in Blood Bone Plains." Hei Zi's tone became solemn. "Three months later, three medium-sized bandit groups with True Immortals in charge joined forces, dispatching four True Immortals, ten Mahayana cultivators, and hundreds of elite troops to the Gray Bone Alliance's lair, demanding either submission or annihilation."

Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow: "Four True Immortals... How should this old fox deal with them?"

"The senior relied on the seventh-order spiritual vein to set up a temporary defensive array, and then went alone to meet the enemy with his sword." Hei Zi's voice was filled with excitement. "According to the description of the demon fetus, that battle was earth-shattering."

"With the combat power of a True Immortal in the early stage of sword cultivation, the old slicker unleashed the Myriad Laws Return to Emptiness Sword Dao Divine Power amidst a vast army. Under the sword domain, all things withered and the laws retreated."

"The four True Immortals launched a powerful attack using secret techniques, but the senior used a move to reverse cause and effect, which injured one of the True Immortals. The four True Immortals had no choice but to retreat, and the allied forces collapsed."