Chapter 23 Part 2

Now, having turned to Demonic Cultivation Conversion, with a Tribulation Transcendence Realm great demon’s true spirit bone as the foundation for rebirth, and planning to major in the Treasure Tree Scripture for summoning and refining heavenly demons, he naturally carried a hint of demonic bewitchment.

Xie Linlang thought for a moment. Recalling the Silent Night Palace’s Night Sea Birthing Light Illusion Technique that Shen He cultivated, he quickly suppressed the demonic allure on his body and adjusted his facial bones to make himself look utterly ordinary.

…Ah, he couldn’t let anyone recognize him as Linlang Dao Lord.

Xie Linlang thought of the various heavenly materials and earthly treasures he had borrowed from major immortal sects under the pretext of pill refining before his fall, and his gaze drifted evasively.

Those were debts owed by Xie Linlang—what did they have to do with Xie Yu?

Xie Linlang then took out the Hollow Sword, which had been forged from the lotus root of the Mysterious Black Lotus.

Xie Linlang knew well how to refine and disassemble a spirit sword. He effortlessly erased the shaping runes inside the Mysterious Black Lotus and reverted the lotus-root-colored longsword to its lotus root form.

The lotus root consisted of three sections. Xie Linlang condensed a speck of translucent flame in his palm.

This was a bit of Heavenly Demon Illusion Fire he had refined after devouring and tempering numerous heavenly demons.

The flame carried heavenly demon properties, capable of invading a cultivator’s divine soul depths, summoning yin demons, inducing nightmares, and infusing ghostly qi.

At this moment, freshly reborn, Xie Linlang had not yet gathered Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire, so he could only use this mismatched flame to process the material briefly.

Soon, fine cracks appeared on the three sections of lotus root. Moments later, it seemed to melt—not quite into a puddle of water, but into countless sticky Lotus Root Silks clinging together.

Even when broken, the silk endured—this was the defining trait of the nether lotus root: supreme toughness, unending continuity.

Xie Linlang inwardly grumbled about how the Silent Night Palace’s artifact refiners had used such an extremely soft material to forge a killing sword. His hands did not slow, however. Soon, the three sections of lotus root stretched into strands, then intertwined to form a long lotus-root-colored rope.

Xie Linlang’s face lit with delight. With one hand maintaining the shaping of the lotus-root-colored rope, he took out the embroidered ball refined from the last of Shen He’s redeemed Bamboo Heart Jade Soul with his other hand.

He wrapped the embroidered ball around the end of the lotus-root-colored rope. Although inscribing an Enchantment Technique on the soul-protecting Bamboo Heart Jade Soul felt odd, if used well, it would not be a bad weapon.

It would have to do for now, Xie Linlang thought. Once his cultivation advanced and he had more materials, he could re-refine the Lotus Root Rope Embroidered Ball.

Xie Linlang exhaled the pent-up qi from his chest. Now he had a Lotus Root Rope Embroidered Ball for combat, and a Nine-Branched Banyan Ruyi Rope Knot for meager protection. He was finally ready to scout the surroundings.

Xie Linlang stood. He shrank the embroidered ball into a jade orb and thinned the lotus root rope to coil around his wrist. Then, with a hand seal, he stored the remaining eggshell fragments into the storage bag.

This was the eggshell from after his rebirth, perfectly attuned to his power. In the future, with better materials, he could have someone help refine it into his natal spirit sword.

The Yellow Jade Gourd had long been crushed to fragments by the black-white chaotic fish power during his rebirth. Xie Linlang could only take a Medicine Bottle containing Qi Gathering Pills from the storage bag and tuck it at his waist for quick supplementation of demonic qi during combat.

After full preparations, Xie Linlang slowly ventured deeper into the mountain cave.

Ever since entering the secret realm, that intermittent attractive pull lingering in his mind had persisted. What exactly was it?

…

Shen He looked at the narrow crevice hidden by jagged rocks and drew a hissing breath.

“Is this it?”

Zhang Sizhe’s expression was grave yet excited. “That’s right. Don’t let the small entrance fool you—once inside, there are many branching caves. A mind-bewildering restriction exists within, causing disorientation and forcing one to leave. Don’t stray too far from me.”

Shen He made a “please” gesture.

Zhang Sizhe took out a bone piece with cracks from his bosom. The cracks on the bone piece constantly shifted.

As Zhang Sizhe approached the underground cavern entrance, the cracks intertwined to form an arrow.

“Let’s go.”

Zhang Sizhe led, Shen He followed, and the sparrow clung tightly to Zhang Sizhe’s shoulder, occasionally chirping softly.

The underground cavern was pitch black, without a trace of light. Only the bone piece in Zhang Sizhe’s hand emitted faint fluorescence, like a single star in the dark night.

Shen He tried to extend his divine soul to probe the surroundings, but it felt like sinking into cotton—boundless and endless, as if entering a whole new space.

Shen He involuntarily heightened his vigilance.

After an unknown time, the cave path narrowed, and a hint of danger crept into the cold, stagnant air.

The sparrow had balled itself into a fluffy lump, trembling.

Zhang Sizhe halted and stepped aside slightly. Shen He immediately spotted the metal gate ahead of the cavern.

Shen He pointed at the door. Zhang Sizhe nodded.

Shen He closed his eyes briefly to regulate his breathing. A few minutes later, he opened them and gave Zhang Sizhe a prearranged hand signal.

Zhang Sizhe nodded. He produced the jade rectangular key and tossed it forward lightly. In the next instant, the metal gate vanished, and the surrounding dark cavern seemed erased by an invisible force.

Abruptly, they appeared in a spacious area. In the center crouched a pitch-black shadow.

Sensing intruders, the shadow slowly elongated, limbs splayed on the ground, its head ablaze with roaring black flames. A rusty black longsword lay across its gaping maw.

Shen He’s eyes sharpened. On the sword’s hilt, he vaguely made out two characters.

It seemed to be Dong Ling.