Daoist Competition
Chapter 157 - 48: Yin Demon Rampage, Slaying Blood Essence (Seeking First Subscription)

Chapter 157: Chapter 48: Yin Demon Rampage, Slaying Blood Essence (Seeking First Subscription)

The ocean currents surged violently. Zhang Yan drifted along with the flow for more than half an hour, when suddenly a soft and soothing light appeared ahead. Presumably, this was where the Demon Cave was located. If the direction weren’t off, he would have almost thought this was the path back to the surface.

As he approached, the water currents beside him abruptly accelerated, dragging him forward. With a booming crash, it felt as though a barrier had been shattered. He was hurled in along with the deluge.

At the very moment he entered, he suddenly felt his body lighten. The oppressive force dissipated entirely. He quickly stepped sideways lightly to avoid the incoming torrent and stood in the Void, glancing around cautiously.

This area was bright and windy, vast and open, seemingly boundless. Above him, the dome of the cavern framed a massive opening where booming columns of water cascaded downwards and plunged into the depths below.

Taking a brief breath, dense spiritual energy eagerly rushed into his pores as if scrambling to be absorbed. Within an instant, the spiritual energy he had expended earlier was completely replenished.

Zhang Yan’s face lit up with joy. This was merely the entrance, yet the spiritual energy within the Demon Cave was already so abundant—almost twice as rich as the energy on Spiritual Paper Island. If he ventured deeper, he could hardly imagine its potency.

If he could calm his mind and cultivate here, advancing to the Xuan Guang Realm within a month would be entirely feasible.

Raising his head and looking into the distance, he intended to search for Xie Zongyuan and the others but instead spotted, far off in the depths, mountain waters encircling an idyllic and serene landscape. Among the mountains stood scattered palatial structures, and numerous Immortals were seen riding cranes, roaming in the skies.

He then heard Xie Zongyuan’s voice calling, "Brother Zhang has arrived!"

Turning his head, he saw Xie Zongyuan, Liu Tao, Cheng An, Zhao Zhen, and even Mrs. Chen approaching him with cheerful smiles.

Shaking his head while letting out a laugh, Zhang Yan said, "So, here they are? Alas, too good to be true!"

He pinched a spell with his fingers, and the Star Sword Ball suddenly leapt up into the air. With a dazzling blue light illuminating the surroundings, waves of sword qi erupted, producing a series of hissing sounds. The figures of those people contorted briefly before disappearing like smoke.

As if that weren’t enough, the scenery in the distance also underwent a dramatic transformation. The fairyland-like vision vanished in an instant, revealing a cavernous space about a hundred feet wide and high, vast and spacious. Stalactites hung inverted from the roof, their reflections in the water below resembling sharp stakes.

Not far to his left was a ravine, where murky waters churned incessantly. The cascading sea water converged into this river before falling into a deep valley, forming a spectacular waterfall that sprayed white foam as it roared relentlessly.

Zhang Yan stood in midair, his face contemplative as he thought, "Those figures earlier must have been Illusion Demons without a doubt."

He hadn’t expected to encounter demons at a level higher than Yin Demons upon entering the cave. Word had it that these demons could sense human desires and transform into illusions to lure their prey—a claim now proven true.

For instance, his fleeting thought about finding those companions paired with his unyielding pursuit of the Great Dao had immediately been transformed by the demon into such illusions.

However, meeting them has proven the tales exaggerated.

To say nothing else, Zhao Zhen smiling warmly at others? That would be the epitome of a joke. Clearly, the demon could not penetrate the depths of human consciousness and could only mimic surface-level thoughts vaguely.

If one were prepared and vigilant in mind, dealing with them would not be difficult.

He searched his surroundings again but still couldn’t find any trace of Xie Zongyuan and the group. He frowned slightly, thinking, "Xie Zongyuan values his word. He promised to wait for me here, yet now he’s nowhere to be seen. Could something unexpected have happened? Or have Fang Zhen and his group made their move?"

Scanning his surroundings once more, he saw before him countless interconnected caverns and deep ravines, leading to unknown destinations. Without a map, it would indeed be easy to lose one’s way.

Taking a map from his sleeve, he examined it closely. Near the entrance were four marked black dots, indicating the locations of caves suitable for resting and cultivating. He decided it would be better to check those locations first. Even if he couldn’t find Xie Zongyuan and the others, he could temporarily take shelter there without interrupting his cultivation.

After taking a quick glance at the map, he carefully put it away and flew toward the cave nearest to his current location as marked.

After flying for a while, a mist unexpectedly drifted in from somewhere, enveloping his vision in a dense, white fog. However, for a cultivator like Zhang Yan, his eyes could naturally pierce through such trivial obscurations. Ordinary mist posed no hindrance to him.

Soon, a massive slab of stone appeared ahead, resembling the texture of a mirror—the surface flawlessly smooth. Towering and imposing, it stood rooted firmly to the ground.