Chapter 2416: Yin Demon

“Fellow Cang, quickly retrieve the essence blood!”

The black-robed man followed the instruction, producing a jade bottle filled with essence blood. It gleamed with a wondrous luster, noticeably purer than the essence blood held by Yuan Luo.

*Clink!* The jade bottle opened. Streaks of light descended towards it, and the power of all the Demon Sages instantly converged around the black-robed man.

He gazed at the essence blood, repeatedly performing hand seals and directing them towards the jade bottle. Each seal connected with a streak of light, and together they merged into the essence blood. This process not only prevented the essence blood from being contaminated but also made it appear even purer, like the most pristine ruby in the world!

During this process, the powers of all the Demon Sages converged, and the essence blood flew out of the bottle. At this moment, all the Demon Sages, including the black-robed man, dedicated a part of their consciousness to connect with the essence blood. A mass of bright red blood could be seen twisting erratically in mid-air. Soon, the blood began to expand; the essence blood, originally smaller than a fist, eventually transformed into a vast sea of blood.

*Whoosh!* Blood waves surged, and a rich, sweet fragrance permeated the ice plain. Even the frigid air of the Arctic ice plain could not freeze the sea of blood; its momentum grew increasingly fierce, as if a storm were approaching.

Suddenly, a colossal shadow appeared in the sea of blood. It slowly rose, bringing with it violent winds and enormous waves. The first thing to surface was a tortoise shell. When the shadow fully emerged above the sea of blood, all the Demon Sages involuntarily held their breath in concentration.

This was a Xuanwu, a Black Tortoise with a snake body! Compared to the one Yuan Luo and the others had summoned, this Xuanwu’s body was even larger and incredibly real, without the slightest hint of illusion. If Yuan Luo’s summoned creature was 60-70% similar, this one was indistinguishable from the Xuanwu of legend.

Its tortoise shell was vast and boundless, like a continent, and its upper body, propped up, seemed capable of supporting the nine heavens, like a celestial pillar! The Xuanwu swayed its head, looking around in all directions with remarkable agility. Had one not known the process of summoning it, they would surely have believed it to be a real Xuanwu, and even the majestic aura of the sacred beast Xuanwu had manifested.

Though the Demon Sages knew this Xuanwu was fake, they still felt a sense of oppression.

*Splash!* One end of the sea of blood connected with the snow and wind vortex. Waves of blood continuously crashed against the vortex but shattered instantly upon contact, unable to penetrate it.

At this moment, a sharp light flickered in the black-robed man's eyes. A beam of spiritual light shot into the Xuanwu's eyes, and its massive body trembled, then slowly swam towards the snow and wind vortex.

The Xuanwu's movement appeared slow, but it was merely an illusion caused by its immense size. In reality, it was incredibly swift. In an instant, it swam to the front of the snow and wind vortex, then, without hesitation, entered it.

Its colossal body entered the vortex, yet it did not impede the snow and wind vortex. Within the vortex, ice and snow were like blades; countless ice blades cut into the Xuanwu’s body, passing directly through it. Immediately, the Demon Sages saw the Xuanwu’s body slightly distort within the vortex, but it was not torn to pieces.

The Demon Sages intently watched the Xuanwu’s movements. Earlier, they had heard Yuan Luo and others say that as soon as Jin Qing and Mo Luo entered the vortex, the ghostly hand suddenly appeared. However, at this moment, the snow and wind vortex showed no unusual signs. The Xuanwu gradually entered the depths of the ice and snow until they could no longer see it, and still saw no sign of the ghostly hand.

“This... seems useless...” the black-robed man said hesitantly after they waited for a while and eventually lost their perception of the Xuanwu.

Their actions were almost identical to Yuan Luo and the others’. They attempted to use the Xuanwu essence blood to find a shortcut, hoping that the vortex would sense the Xuanwu’s aura and simply submit.

“There is absolutely no problem with this secret technique! It seems our judgment was wrong; this treasure has no connection to the Xuanwu Sacred Palace,” said Ying Lian, the female cultivator who had been traveling with the black-robed man.

“Daoist Ying Lian, your words are too rash,” another Demon Sage, whose voice was low, hoarse, and somewhat aged, interjected. “Since the Xuanwu Sacred Palace has fallen into this realm, and this treasure is the cornerstone of the seal, it must be related to the Xuanwu clan, though it may not necessarily be a treasure inherited by them...”

The snow and wind vortex continued to expand. The Demon Sages were scattered around it, unable to see each other, communicating only through telepathic messages. “After all,” the aged voice continued, “it is now impossible to ascertain what truly happened at the climax of that war between the two realms back then.”

“It is said that there were also traces of the human race back then?” the black-robed man asked.

Grand Sage Ying Lian sneered, “Impossible! Although this realm is separated from the Spirit Realm, its history has not been lost; the timeline is very clear. At that time, human sages emerged one after another. It was when the Demon Court was crumbling, humans had achieved a great victory, and the demon race was at its weakest. Had it not been for the sudden invasion of the Demon Realm, which triggered the war between the two realms, the human race could have swept away all threats in the Spirit Realm, subdued all other races, and established their dominion in one fell swoop. Ultimately, the Xuanwu clan chose to sink the Xuanwu Sacred Palace to seal this rift. It would be enough for humans not to kick them while they were down; how could they possibly come to help the demon race?”

“You all guessed correctly; this treasure might indeed be related to the human race...” That ‘Heavenly Immortal,’ or Daoist Mu as they called him, suddenly spoke. The Demon Sages immediately pricked up their ears, secretly thinking that the old fellow was finally going to reveal a secret.

“Although we are not of the same race, we must admit that human talents have emerged in succession, and the Jade Emperor was even more exceptional, a formidable sovereign rarely matched throughout history!” Daoist Mu sighed with emotion. “Had it not been for the Demon Realm, the demon race would probably still be enslaved to this day. In fact, the human race is still the overlord of the Spirit Realm. Since the war between the two realms occurred, given the Jade Emperor's broad vision, he would surely know who the true enemy was and would consider the bigger picture. As far as we know, human great powers indeed came to assist back then and fought until the very end, with no news of them since, their fates unknown! Otherwise, even if the Xuanwu Sacred Clan paid the price of near extinction, they might not have been able to seal this rift.”

“What? The Xuanwu Sacred Clan in the Spirit Realm also...”

“That’s right, there are only a few pure-blooded Xuanwu left, and they no longer concern themselves with worldly affairs, which is certainly related to that fierce war back then,” Daoist Mu sighed deeply.

All the Demon Sages were shocked to hear this.

This realm had also witnessed several great battles among Demon Sages. The most tragic one was the decisive battle against the remnants of the Demon Realm, which ended with their complete annihilation. That war could be said to be a continuation of the war between the two realms.

This realm was a seal, and also a self-contained world. After the war between the two realms, many beings survived, including remnants of the Demon Realm. However, neither the Spirit Realm nor the Demon Realm could directly send large armies to occupy this realm; they could only interact with the cultivators of this realm through certain means, such as the Spirit Realm's reception platform.

Both sides then began to cultivate their own forces, engaging in open and covert struggles.

The two major factions underwent a series of battles, with the Spirit Realm side emerging victorious. The remnants of the Demon Realm were eradicated, and it would undoubtedly be very difficult for the Demon Realm to tempt the demon cultivators here again.

Who would have thought that after the remnants of the Demon Realm were eradicated, the good times would not last long, and internal strife would also arise within the Spirit Realm's faction? The Demon Sages once again split into two camps.

Having cultivated to such a realm, who among them would be without ambition? That treasure was both the foundation of the seal and one of the cornerstones of this realm. It could suppress the earth membrane rift and was sufficient to serve as the foundation for achieving Dao! Who would willingly give up such a supreme treasure? This treasure had been suppressing here for countless years, long since becoming ownerless. Everything in the world is no match for the erosion of time; cultivators are so, and so are seals, no matter how powerful they are. The seal would eventually loosen. Since the great powers of the Spirit Realm could not directly intervene, when the seal broke and the supreme treasure emerged, everyone would have a chance to gain recognition from that treasure. Why should they hand it over to the so-called ‘Heavenly Immortals’?

Thereafter, disputes were constant. More and more Demon Sages stood against the ‘Heavenly Immortals’. Apart from the two major factions, only a few Demon Sages chose not to be embroiled in the conflict, opting for peaceful seclusion.

The two sides fought several battles, eventually drawing the Lotus Crossing Marsh as a boundary, temporarily halting the disputes. The Lotus Crossing Marsh seemed to become the territory of rogue cultivators, but in reality, both Grand Sages continuously sent their subordinates to infiltrate it, engaging in ceaseless open and covert struggles.

Under the guidance of the ‘Heavenly Immortals,’ they were the first to find several special secret realms, one of which was the Xuanwu Seven Mansions.

After investigation, it was discovered that the Xuanwu Seven Mansions originated from the Xuanwu Sacred Palace, but it was only a part of the Sacred Palace, not even its core. Originally, they suspected the Xuanwu Sacred Palace was the supreme treasure, but later confirmed it was not. The Xuanwu Sacred Palace was certainly one of the cornerstones of the seal, but definitely not the most important supreme treasure.

Many years ago, the ‘Heavenly Immortals’ sensed an inexplicable vibration in the seal and ordered Jin Qing and Mo Luo to infiltrate the Arctic ice plain to investigate. Unexpectedly, the two demons mysteriously disappeared. The strongest combatants in this realm were the Demon Sages, yet they were captured by a mysterious ghostly hand without any power to resist. Furthermore, the timing of the ghostly hand's appearance was so coincidental that they suspected it was related to that supreme treasure, triggering subsequent unrest.

To draw the attention of other Demon Sages to the Lotus Crossing Marsh, so they could secretly infiltrate the Arctic ice plain to search for their companions and the supreme treasure, they created various illusions in the Lotus Crossing Marsh, even revealing the Xuanwu Seven Mansions for the sake of realism.

Over countless years, they had also experienced numerous battles, yet they could not imagine how truly tragic the war between the two realms had been.

The Xuanwu Sacred Clan, one of the Four Sacred Clans, was nearly exterminated!

“Huh? Who’s there?!” Demon Sage Ying Lian suddenly shouted sharply.

The next moment, north of the vortex, within a dark chasm, a lotus flower suddenly grew.

Its petals bloomed, and Demon Sage Ying Lian appeared. Her jade hand reached forward, her five fingers forming a grasping gesture, and a sharp howl suddenly echoed from the darkness.

*Boom!* The grotto shook violently. Demon Sage Ying Lian seemed to be battling someone. Ultimately, she gained the upper hand, and a twisted figure, enveloped in red mist, flew before her.

This figure was like a shadow, its features indistinct, like a malevolent spirit.

“This is...” Demon Sage Ying Lian's pupils contracted. Immediately, the petals beneath her closed, and she vanished into thin air.

Returning to her original position, Demon Sage Ying Lian revealed the shadow. “You all should remember these Yin Demons, right? The Demon Realm has returned!”

“Unless we can sever the connection between this realm and the Demon Realm, it’s impossible to completely eradicate the remnants of the Demon Realm,” the black-robed man said. “It seems they have been hiding in the Arctic ice plain all along, but for this Yin Demon to be lurking near us is no coincidence!”

“Are you saying the demon overlords have discovered our presence?” Demon Sage Ying Lian's expression changed slightly as she reached out and seized the Yin Demon's head.

*Thump!* The Yin Demon exploded and died. Demon Sage Ying Lian shook her hand and frowned, saying, “As before, these Yin Demons have chaotic intelligence; nothing can be extracted from them. The remnants of the Demon Realm are difficult to form into a significant force, but what if the demon overlords leak the information...”

“Since the Xuanwu Blood Shadow is ineffective, there’s no time to lose; I urge you all to act quickly!” Daoist Mu urged.

“That’s the only way!” the aged-voiced Demon Sage echoed. “Everyone, please join me in unleashing our divine abilities! We’ll see what kind of thing is playing tricks on us!”

Lotus Crossing Marsh.At the bottom of Moon Reflection Lake.Grand Sage Guizang stood before the stone wall, continually exploring and deciphering the ‘door’ left by Grand Sage Chanxin.

Grand Sage Chanxin’s divine abilities were indeed extraordinary. Had it been any other Demon Sage, they would likely have struggled for a long time to find any clues. However, Grand Sage Guizang had received Grand Sage Chanxin’s legacy, and by trying bit by bit, he was always able to discern the patterns.

“Hmm, is it this?” Grand Sage Guizang placed his palm on the stone wall, a ball of spiritual light in his palm, held back from release. As the spiritual light shifted, Grand Sage Guizang was imitating Grand Sage Chanxin’s divine ability.

To cultivate the technique, he had collected several divine beast bloodlines, but none met the requirements of the legacy, preventing him from directly cultivating it. He could only find another way, by imitating those divine abilities.

“So that’s how it is,” Grand Sage Guizang mused. “Chanxin broke open this secret realm mainly by relying on a certain divine ability, but he did not directly pass down that divine ability. Instead, he divided it into several minor divine abilities. Only by mastering these minor divine abilities could one truly comprehend it!”

Grand Sage Guizang was deep in thought. He couldn't learn any of the minor divine abilities, so he naturally couldn't comprehend the main divine ability. But as long as he understood the underlying mysteries, there was a possibility of breaking it. Moreover, the seal was no longer as sturdy as it had been at its peak.

Grand Sage Guizang fell into deep thought. His five fingers subtly moved, and various phenomena appeared and disappeared at his fingertips, as if he held a world in his hand.

*Scratch!* He scraped his fingernail across the stone wall, producing a harsh sound. The stream reappeared on the stone wall, but the area where his fingernail scraped had no effect on it.

“Doesn’t work?” Grand Sage Guizang murmured, then switched to another divine ability. A beam of white lightning shot from his fingertip, striking the stream. This time, it stirred extremely faint ripples on the water’s surface.

“Indeed!” Grand Sage Guizang’s spirit was invigorated, and he continuously unleashed various divine abilities.

Finally, after continuous probing, a sharp glint appeared in Grand Sage Guizang’s eyes as he forcefully pressed towards the source of the stream.

“Open!” With his shout, the source seemed to have a giant rock thrown into it, scattering water droplets. As before, these water droplets seemed to be in another dimension, visible but untouchable. However, as the water droplets splashed, Grand Sage Guizang sensed a slight vibration and immediately burst into laughter.

The next moment, Grand Sage Guizang’s palm transformed into myriad forms, then instantly re-converged into a single palm. His palm strike was incredibly slow, yet at its edges, space itself warped, as if tearing through layers of invisible barriers. Just as his palm was about to strike the water’s surface, it abruptly paused. Grand Sage Guizang suddenly turned around, an astonished expression on his face.

Unusual fluctuations emanated from a distance.

“It’s going to emerge so soon?” Grand Sage Guizang looked at the stone wall, then in the direction of the Xuanwu Seven Mansions.

Two secret realms were emerging simultaneously. Behind the other secret realm was the struggle between Demon Sages from two major factions, surely concealing a great secret. But this secret realm before him bore the traces left by Grand Sage Chanxin. Which one was closer to the truth?

After a moment of hesitation, Grand Sage Guizang made his choice.

*Boom!* His palm struck down. The river water flowed backward, the stream instantly dried up, and a barely perceptible crack suddenly appeared at the source. Grand Sage Guizang flashed inside!