Chapter 45 Part 1

The Red-beaked Sparrows formed a long bridge and carried the demonically exhausted Senior Brother Fang away from the Underground Palace clusters of Silent Night Palace.

Passing through the internal passages formed by the reefs, Senior Brother Fang crawled out from the pitch-black hole ahead. When he tumbled to the ground, he stared in shock, realizing that this was actually Flowing Firefly Island, where he had lived for many years.

It was clearly not the time for the Sea Heart Hot Spring to erupt, yet countless green fireflies drifted across the island at that moment, creating a dreamlike and beautiful scene.

Senior Brother Fang gazed at the sight in a daze. In his dazed state, he suddenly recalled the days when he had first joined Silent Night Palace.

As the only major sect within thousands of miles, Silent Night Palace took disciple training quite seriously and responsibly.

Though Demonic Cultivators had a poor reputation, and people living in the Demon Domain often suffered from Demonic Qi erosion, making them irritable and volatile, Senior Brother Fang truly felt that his Shizun cared for him deeply, and his senior brothers and sisters looked after him well. He could also tend to the demon beasts he loved, so he studied diligently and soon became a True Transmission Disciple.

But what was the price?

Crack, crack.

Senior Brother Fang turned his head slowly and dazedly, just in time to see two Black-Armored Cultivators appear not far away.

The Red-beaked Sparrows detected the crisis and gathered into a cloud, trying to carry Senior Brother Fang away from the pursuit.

Senior Brother Fang had already given up, but as the Sparrows bore him along and bravely charged toward the Black-Armored Cultivators, he could not help but shed hot tears, reigniting his will to try one more time.

He was very familiar with the layout of Flowing Firefly Island. That night, he had added pills to the demon beasts’ feed, so most of them had fallen into a deep slumber. The menial disciples and other disciples who usually helped around the island were also absent.

On the silent island, only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks, the Sparrows’ panicked chirps, and the relentless crack of the Black-Armored Cultivators’ footsteps from behind could be heard.

Senior Brother Fang drew his black long whip and continuously clashed with the Black-Armored Cultivators. Unknowingly, he arrived at the Cold Pool on the western side of the island.

Demonic Qi, spiritual power, and demon power intertwined above the Cold Pool, and the Black-Armored Cultivators halted their steps.

Senior Brother Fang breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively landed on the Protective Hanging Box hovering above the Cold Pool.

The hanging box swayed twice, then the runes suddenly shattered. It plummeted straight into the Cold Pool below.

Senior Brother Fang was completely unprepared and plunged into the Cold Pool with a splash, following the hanging box!

In an instant, countless Tooth Fish swarmed up from within the Cold Pool. Unaffected by the Demon Butterfly’s illusion, and already restless, they were drawn to the blood from Senior Brother Fang’s wounds that dripped into the pool.

Before Senior Brother Fang could react, his body was enveloped by a school of Tooth Fish. His flesh was torn and bitten, his bones gnawed, and even his Divine Soul was slowed by the freezing chill of the Cold Pool, on the verge of scattering.

The Black-Armored Cultivators stood at the edge of the Cold Pool, not advancing. They simply waited quietly.

The Red-beaked Sparrows at the edge of the Cold Pool chirped in confusion. Why? Fang Fang often went to the hanging box above the Cold Pool to feed the Tooth Fish, and it had always been fine before. Why did Fang Fang fall in this time?

“Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp!”

Come on, Fang Fang, get out of the Cold Pool quickly, or those fish will eat you up!

However, Senior Brother Fang gave no response. Just as he was about to scatter body and soul, an invisible force emerged from his torn Divine Soul—thin black chains that firmly bound his dispersing soul fragments.

Then, a pitch-black, icy power flowed out, solidifying into black armor. His gnawed bones became armor, his torn flesh became armor. Soon, a Black-Armored Cultivator indistinguishable from the ones at the pool’s edge appeared in the Cold Pool.

Senior Brother Fang had become a Black-Armored Cultivator. He staggered out of the Cold Pool.

The Tooth Fish lost interest in him. Sated on abundant flesh and blood, they calmed and dispersed into the depths of the Cold Pool. The lake surface became mirror-smooth and still.

The Red-beaked Sparrows hovered in bewilderment and blank confusion. They did not understand why the familiar Fang Fang had vanished, why his scent was gone, and why there was now one more enemy.

Where was Fang Fang?

Soon, a new Spirit Beast Contract appeared, pointing straight to the depths of the Underground Palace. Mistaking it for Senior Brother Fang returning there, the Red-beaked Sparrows flew off in a flock to find him.

The Black-Armored Cultivator slowly turned his head, emitting a crack. He stared at the departing Red-beaked Sparrows as if wanting to say something, but soon the last remnant of his cultivator memory dissipated. Both body and soul became puppets of Silent Night Palace, this cold fortress.

The Black-Armored Cultivator stood beside the other two. The three Black-Armored Cultivators turned together and returned to Silent Night Palace, their footsteps echoing with cracks.

At that moment, Xie Linlang was still unaware of what had happened at the Cold Pool. After sending Senior Brother Fang and the Sparrows ahead, he deliberately blocked the pursuing Black-Armored Cultivators. As Senior Brother Fang had said, they ignored Xie Linlang entirely.

Xie Linlang simply circled around the Black-Armored Cultivators, setting up a maze-like Restriction that would trap them for a while.

Then, he probed in the opposite direction from Senior Brother Fang’s escape.

The further he went, the more he noticed traces of battle on the walls and floor—Demonic Qi reactions from at least three people.

It seemed not all cultivators had fallen into the Demon Butterfly’s illusion.

That made sense. This was, after all, the core area of Silent Night Palace. If that Silent Night Demon Lord were so weak, the immortal sect cultivators would have taken him down long ago.

“Lin Yu, for Ying Xiaotian’s sake, I spare your life. But if you continue to resist stubbornly, don’t blame this old man for being impolite!”

A somewhat sinister voice rang out. Xie Linlang paused, formed a magic formula, and cautiously approached the palace doors ahead.

Peering through the door crack, Xie Linlang quickly took in the scene inside.

Shen He’s Shizun, Lin Yu, was blocking a door, holding a net-shaped shield made of white bone upright in his hands as he struggled to hold on. Facing him stood three cultivators.

Among the three, one was a Soul Transformation Cultivator, and the other two were Nascent Soul Cultivators.