PDLP Chapter 42 Ancient Demon Operation
Chapter 42 Ancient Demon Operation
Inside the Void Heaven Palace, almost all the Nascent Soul cultivators and a large number of elite Nascent Soul cultivators in the human realm were risking their lives and fighting fiercely for the earth-shattering opportunity of the ancient ruins. All their attention was firmly drawn to the depths of the Chaotic Star Sea, where the storm was gradually subsiding—
On the seemingly peaceful and vast land of the human realm, a silent yet deadly undercurrent is quietly surging, and has already begun to ripple with bloody waves.
Led by the ancient demon Mo Jiu, the hidden forces seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With the top combatants of the human realm gathered at the Void Heaven Palace, the major powers were internally vulnerable and their attention was scattered. This was the perfect moment for them to execute the "Holy Realm Descent Plan" and accelerate the collection of living souls and blood as food!
Under the meticulous planning of the Demon Dove, the ancient demons scattered throughout the human realm, along with the local evil cultivators and demon lords they controlled and coerced, began an organized and premeditated purge and harvest, like venomous snakes awakening in the dark night.
Their targets were not the top sects with Nascent Soul cultivators stationed there and formidable protective formations (such as the Star Palace, the core sects of the Kunwu Alliance, and the headquarters of the ten major sects of the Great Jin Dynasty). Even if their main forces were out on the move, the remaining forces in those places were still not to be underestimated, and they were easily exposed too early.
They mostly chose forces of above-average strength, with one or two late-stage or Great Perfection Nascent Soul cultivators in command, and located in relatively remote areas, making them less likely to be detected immediately. For example:
Within the Great Jin Dynasty, the Earth Fire Sect, a mid-tier sect renowned for its weapon crafting, led its sect leader, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, to the Chaotic Star Sea to try his luck. One night, a mid-stage Nascent Soul elder and several hundred disciples remained behind. Suddenly, a dense demonic aura enveloped them, and their protective array was destroyed from within (clearly an inside accomplice). Within an hour, the entire sect was wiped out! The souls of all cultivators were forcibly extracted, their essence refined, and the sect was reduced to ashes, disguised as a disaster caused by an uncontrolled earth fire.
At the border of Tiannan and Wulonghai lies the medium-sized market town of "Liangjiefang," a place where humans and demons coexist. Due to its unique geographical location, it is a bustling hub where rare materials are frequently traded. Overnight, the market town was sealed off by an eerie black mist. A brief, piercing scream echoed from within, followed by complete silence. The next day, the black mist dissipated, leaving the market town deserted. All living beings, whether cultivators, mortals, or low-level demon beasts, had vanished, leaving only a scene of devastation and a faint, nauseating stench of decay. The scene had been meticulously arranged, leaving behind several dubious pieces of "evidence" pointing to a notorious, roaming evil cultivation gang.
Deep within the Five Dragon Sea, the Silver Shuttle Fish Clan, a mid-level sea tribe affiliated with the Flood Dragon Clan, had a chieftain possessing the cultivation of a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Great Perfection stage. He too had gone to the Void Heaven Palace. The tribe's settlement was covered by a bizarre blood sacrifice demonic array, and all its inhabitants, young and old, were transformed into blood and vengeful spirits, devoured by the array. The remaining demonic energy at the scene was disguised as the aura of some rare deep-sea monster.
Similar tragedies occurred more than a dozen times in just a few months in the Great Jin, Tiannan, Wulonghai, and even the edge of Tiansha Continent! The victims ranged from small and medium-sized sects and cultivation families to gathering places of independent cultivators and remote markets.
Individually, these forces may seem insignificant in the human realm, but the total number of cultivators and souls they possess is an extremely terrifying figure! Enough to satisfy a significant portion of the Demon Dove's Plan!
Because of their secretive and swift actions, and their deliberate fabrication of the scene, framing others, or disguising the incidents as accidents or monster attacks, coupled with the fact that the attention of the human realm's higher-ups was almost entirely focused on the Void Heaven Palace, these tragedies initially did not attract sufficient attention from top-tier powers. Most were attributed to "evil cultivators taking advantage of the chaos," "monster uprisings in secret realms," or "feudal feuds," and investigations were conducted by local mid-level powers or government agencies, resulting in slow progress and frequent misinterpretations.
It wasn't until two Nascent Soul cultivators who happened to be traveling abroad and had narrowly escaped the calamity, using secret techniques to sense extremely pure and terrifying remnants of demonic energy—far beyond what ordinary demonic cultivators in the human world could possess—from the ruins of the two destroyed forces, and risked great danger to secretly report the news to familiar elders of top sects, that this bizarre series of massacres finally aroused the vigilance of a few of the highest-ranking members of the Kunwu Alliance and the Star Palace.
However, at this moment, the struggle within the Void Heaven Palace is at its most intense. The top cultivators are either deeply engrossed in the palace and have no time to spare, or they are preoccupied with the gains or feuds within the palace. The transmission and verification of information are also slowed down due to the distance and the isolation of the Void Heaven Palace.
Within the deep, dark underground palace, demonic energy surged.
The ancient demon, Momojiu, sat atop a throne of bones, toying with a black bone talisman that constantly emitted messages. His crimson eyes held a mixture of coldness and cruelty, and a satisfied smile played on his lips.
"Hmm... the 'Earthfire Gate' of the Great Jin Dynasty, the 'Two Realms Market' of Tiannan, the 'Silver Shuttle Fish Clan' of the Five Dragon Sea... and those few smaller families and markets... not bad." His deep voice echoed through the Demon Palace, carrying a hint of indifference as if he controlled life and death. "Although a few strongholds weren't handled cleanly enough, leaving some loose ends and attracting a few flies to spy on them, it doesn't matter. Ninety-nine percent of the attention of the top cultivators in the human realm has been drawn to the 'Void Heaven Palace' feast. A few noises won't cause any trouble."
He slightly raised his hand, and in the center of the Demon Palace, on an altar made of countless skulls, floated a jet-black bead, its interior filled with countless tormented faces struggling and wailing—the Myriad Soul Bead. At this moment, the bead's color had become incredibly deep, and the soul energy contained within it surged forth, almost bursting the bead apart.
The demonic gull's divine sense swept over the Myriad Soul Pearl, carefully sensing the number and purity of the living souls gathered within it.
A moment later, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"Still a little short... about 15%." He slowly stood up, his demonic pressure suddenly surging, causing the entire Demon Palace to tremble. "We can't wait any longer! The commotion at the Void Heaven Palace is too great; the longer we delay, the more variables will arise. We must take advantage of the moment when those top cultivators of the human realm haven't yet escaped from the Void Heaven Palace and when the human realm's defenses are at their weakest, to complete the final harvest!"
His gaze pierced through the layers of demon palace walls, as if he could see the distant human world.
"Small-scale attacks are no longer enough to satisfy our needs. It's time... to pick a bigger fruit." The Demon Dove's voice revealed undisguised killing intent and greed. "A sect with a Nascent Soul cultivator at its helm possesses a soul of far superior quality among its disciples and elders! One of them is enough to equal all of the previous ones combined!"
Several targets flashed through his mind: the major sects within the Great Jin Dynasty with profound foundations, but whose Nascent Soul ancestor had already gone to the Void Heaven Palace; the sects in the Southern Tian region with close ties to the leaders of the righteous path; and the wealthy sea clan royal courts in the Five Dragon Seas...
"We need to choose a target that can satisfy the soul's needs, won't immediately provoke a thunderous counterattack, and allows us to escape smoothly." The demonic thoughts of the Demon Dove were running rapidly, weighing the risks and benefits.
In the end, a name was fixed in his demonic consciousness.
"The Great Jin Dynasty, the 'Mysterious Heart Sect'!" Demonic flames blazed brightly in the eyes of the Demon Dove. "This sect has a long history, with nearly ten thousand disciples and over a dozen Nascent Soul elders. Their Supreme Elder, the 'Mysterious Heart Ancestor,' is at the early stage of the Divine Transformation realm and has been confirmed to have entered the Void Heaven Palace. Although the sect's protective array, the 'Mysterious Heart Spirit-Locking Array,' is powerful, I have already planted spies within it, allowing for a coordinated attack from within and without, resulting in a swift victory! The 'Mysterious Heart Mountain Range,' where their sect is located, is situated in the southwest of the Great Jin Dynasty, relatively remote, with no other top-tier forces nearby capable of providing rapid support. Once we succeed, the souls we acquire will be more than enough to completely fill the Myriad Soul Pearl!"
"Send the order!" Demon Dove's voice, like shattering ice, echoed throughout the Demon Palace. "All Holy Clan warriors on 'Soul Hunting' missions, immediately assemble at the designated location on the outskirts of the Xuanxin Mountains! Notify our spies within the 'Xuanxin Orthodox Sect' to proceed according to plan. Three days later at midnight, with coordinated attacks from within and without, we will massacre the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect! Leave no one alive!"
"Yes! We will obey Lord Demon Dove's decree!" The ancient demons standing below gleamed with bloodthirsty excitement, and they accepted the order in unison, transforming into wisps of black smoke as they rushed out of the demon palace to deliver the command.
The Demon Dove returned to the throne, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
"The Profound Heart Sect... is just the beginning. Once the passage to the Holy Realm is secured, this entire human realm will become my Holy Clan's hunting ground and bloodbath! Those treasures within the Void Heaven Palace... hmph, they'll be mine sooner or later!"