The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 374 - 353 Internal Strife_1

Chapter 374: Chapter 353 Internal Strife_1

In the cave abode.

Pang Jian’s thought arose, and his Spiritual Soul shone like a golden radiance, enveloping the black crystal Origin Demon Sword.

As his intention penetrated the sword’s body, he saw clusters of burning Demon Flame, masses of pitch-black Demon Cloud, and even trees and rivers, all seemingly created from the Demon Thoughts of Source Demon.

Before, the numerous Demon Thoughts, which had been withered and listless, now swelled with vitality, as if water had begun to fill a dry well.

"He chose the Origin Demon Sword, the evil sword of Mo Nan from the Demon Sword Sect, and it has become the weapon he wields. This Pang Jian will eventually fall into the wicked ways of the Evil Demon. I truly hope he dies early."

"Ah, why didn’t Qi Qingsong die in the Absolute Sky Forbidden Land?"

"Master is growing less and less approving of me. I really hope he dies in battle against the Alien Tribes."

"The Inner Sect Disciples, all so high and mighty, each one of them deserves to die."

"Sword Tower, might as well be destroyed for good!"

"..."

A myriad of evil thoughts emerged from the Demon Thoughts representing Source Demon, greatly startling Pang Jian.

These evil thoughts were not the Source Demon’s own, but rather... the dark desires from the hearts of nearby living beings, their various negative emotions spilling out, somehow gathered and surged by the Source Demon.

Source Demon was also using this to restore its power.

"Pang Jian, your Spiritual Soul is unusual, possessing the power to strangle Divine Consciousness. In my memory, only the Ming Prison Soul Bee has this characteristic, so I can’t deal with you."

The thoughts of Source Demon sprouted from within the clusters of Demon Thoughts.

It seemed to have various thoughts that did not align with each other, much like The Observer.

"But I, I can extract the evil and wicked thoughts from the bodies of living beings to enhance myself! Just let me leave that Sword Tower, just let me be placed among densely populated areas. Their inner evil thoughts and wicked notions, their obscene and malevolent ideas, will all become my nourishment, allowing me to rapidly regain strength."

Source Demon chuckled with self-satisfaction.

"Swish!"

Pang Jian’s Divine Sense transformed into a golden radiance, and with every cluster of clouds and flames that represented its Demon Thoughts illuminated, its thoughts and consciousness were eroded and dissolved.

Yet, after a moment, the clouds and flames would gather again.

The power that gathered its Demon Thoughts came from the Sword Tower disciples, Protectors, Elders, and their occasionally emerging evil and wicked thoughts.

"I can’t handle you, and you can’t solve me!"

As its Demon Thoughts were eroded, it weakened for a while but then gradually restored its power.

It taunted, "As long as a single thought of mine remains, I can regroup the rest of the thoughts eroded by you through the evil thoughts of the Sword Tower members!"

"With one thought indestructible, hundreds can be reborn!"

"Only when all thoughts are erased by you, will I be reduced to ashes and perish. However, without me, this sword will also become scrap metal!"

"Let’s see how you choose!"

With no fear, it allowed cluster after cluster of thoughts to be wiped out by Pang Jian, continuously taunting, "Pang Jian, you have made a wrong choice!"

Pang Jian paused, then suddenly asked, "Outer Realm Demon, the one who calls himself The Observer, did he ascend from a Heaven Demon like you?"

"Indeed!"

Without revealing its soul shadow, Source Demon spoke with pride, "We Heaven Demons are always the superior race among the many tribes of the Outer Domain Galaxy."

"Demon Sword Sect, Sect Master Mo Nan, refined an Outer Realm Demon as the Sword Spirit." Pang Jian nodded slightly, commenting, "He was also a remarkable talent."

"Pity he’s dead," Source Demon sneered, without a trace of respect for its former master, "If he had become a True God first, and then I dragged him down into becoming a demon, I wouldn’t have ended up like this."

During the conversation, more Demon Thoughts stirred within the sword, and it regained a significant amount of strength.

"Heh heh!"

Source Demon chuckled maliciously, "Inside your Sword Tower, many do not welcome your arrival. There are many who wish for your death, who want Pu Zhaotian to die, and who also wish for Chen Weihuang’s death."

"Excellent, such evil and wicked thoughts will help increase my power!"

"I love places with lots of people; I love environments filled with filth and dirt, especially the souls of strong Cultivators, whose evil thoughts can give me more strength."

"..."

Source Demon went on babbling incessantly.

"Crack!"

Pang Jian operated his inner power, with Thunderous Lightning, with Extreme Cold Alien Power, with blazing fire, with the light of the sun, entering the sword to slay Source Demon’s Demon Thoughts.

"You, your powers are so diverse and chaotic, how could Pu Zhaotian have chosen you?"

"With your cultivation method, you will never reach the peak with any kind of Great Tao sword technique! You will not become a god; that fat man from Sword Tower is blind!"

Clusters of Demon Thoughts were blasted away by Pang Jian.

However, just after a short while, they would gather anew, transforming from weakness to strength again.

Just as it claimed, unless all traces of its existence were erased, it could not be rooted out.

As long as it was in places with many people, where hearts were complex and deceitful, it would quickly recover as before.

"Outer Realm Demon, indeed somewhat troublesome," Pang Jian frowned inwardly.

"Buzz!"

Sword Command rang out.

Qi Qingsong’s urging voice came through, telling him the location of the Drunk Cloud Tower and to come over as soon as possible.

"Drunk Cloud Tower, at the foot of the mountain."

Pang Jian stood up and left the cave dwelling.

Among these majestic mountains, there were towns and villages for the Outer Sect Disciples to live and come and go, as well as the families of Inner Sect Disciples, Elders, and Protectors.

After figuring out the direction, Pang Jian casually slung the Origin Demon Sword at his waist and headed straight for a fairly large town.

Drunk Cloud Tower, a private room on the fifth floor.

The respectfully led Pang Jian entered the room and saw Qi Qingsong twisting a wine jug, hooking his shoulder to pull him in, and introducing with a laugh, "Pang Jian, my best brother!"

In the private room, except for Zhuang Yuyan sitting quietly, all the others stood up and cupped their hands in greeting.

"Bright Peak, Jiang Yang. Brother Pang, I’ve only recently entered the Inner Gate, so I hope for your kind attention in the future."

"Fish Leap Peak, Duan Jing."

"Fish Leap Peak, Xu Xuanlun."

"Misty Peak, Tang Can, I hang around with Sister Zhuang, so please look after me, haha."

"Severed Fate Peak, Zeng YuLan."

"Severed Fate Peak, Song ZiHe."

"Nice to meet you, Brother Pang, haha."

Everyone raised their glasses, obviously having waited for a while, and they introduced themselves to Pang Jian by naming the peaks they belonged to.

"These guys have a good relationship with me and Qi Qingsong,"

Zhuang Yuyan scrunched her mouth into a smile and said bluntly, "Every sect has its own small cliques inside, and they form one with us two."

Pointing at the two female disciples from Severed Fate Peak, Zhuang Yuyan continued, "These two are from Severed Fate Peak. In one of the sect’s trials, they went through life and death with me and we formed a deep bond of friendship. Tang Can, too, he’s from Misty Peak like me and has always been very obedient to me."

Qi Qingsong then said, "Duan Jing, Xu Xuanlun, were among the few who still associated with me when I was relegated to an Outer Sect Disciple."

While talking, he pushed Pang Jian down at the table, poured wine, and the toasting began.

After a few glasses of wine, Pang Jian became less reserved and grew gradually warmer with the small group formed by Qi Qingsong and Zhuang Yuyan.

"When my master came back, he said you were quite incredible, managing to tame the Origin Demon Sword so well-behaved."

Zeng YuLan of Severed Fate Peak’s beautiful eyes shone brightly.

Instead of wearing the common blue robe, she had specially changed into a form-fitting rose-red dress, often getting up from her seat to toast Pang Jian.

Her lithe figure swayed as she walked, her slightly made-up face glowing with an alluring flush.

She leaned in close to Pang Jian, speaking with a breath as soft as orchids, "Junior Brother, Sister Yuyan says you saved everyone’s lives in the Absolute Sky Forbidden Land. From now on, I’m going to follow you in any dangerous trials arranged by the sect."

"You cunning girl," Zhuang Yuyan exclaimed with a surprised laugh.

Song ZiHe, another female disciple under Elder Xu Yu, was slender with picturesque features and had a gentle and delicate charm like that of a refined lady.

She seemed a bit shy, and every time she toasted Pang Jian, she would lightly bite her lower lip, seemingly not daring to look into Pang Jian’s eyes.

Pang Jian, who had never experienced such an arrangement, passively responded to the deliberate warmth of these peers, listening to them discuss the internal relationships of the sect.

Yao Junhong, Guanghe, Wang Ce, Xu Yu. These four Great Elders had good relationships with the Tower Master and only assumed their significant roles under Pu Zhaotian’s patronage.

Guanghe, who presided over Sharpen Blade Peak regularly, managed elements like the Book Tower, the Equipment Pavilion, and Pills.

Xu Yu controlled the important intelligence apparatus of Sword Tower, and those messages from various worlds that Pang Jian received through Sword Command were collected by Xu Yu’s people.

Wang Ce selected disciples for Sword Tower. The screening of Inner and Outer Sect Disciples, the laws of Sword Tower, and matters like the harvest from mines and medicinal fields below Sword Tower were his responsibilities.

Yao Junhong liaised with external sect forces and also managed the major families affiliated with Sword Tower.

"Before your master became the Tower Master, the Elders who controlled these powers were actually others," Zhuang Yuyan said with a frown, "That force used to be the pillar of Sword Tower and is still deeply rooted within."

At these words, the faces of everyone in the private room darkened.

"Listen..."

Zhuang Yuyan snorted, "This room in Drunk Cloud Pavilion, the noisiest one, has been permanently reserved by that person’s disciples. Although he left Sword Tower long ago, claiming to roam the First Realm, he has never given up meddling with Sword Tower."

"Who is he?" Pang Jian asked curiously.

"Elder Jiang Ran."

"In the tower, he is the eldest and the highest in seniority. The last Sword God of Sword Tower was his master," interjected Qi Qingsong, "Before he fell, the last Sword God appointed your master as the new Tower Master, not him."

"When your master ascended to Tower Master, he had not yet advanced to the late stage of the Immortal Realm, so he was suppressed by him for quite a few years."

"The powers now in the hands of the four Great Elders were initially firmly held by his people."

"Had he not failed to break through to the True God level, causing his realm to fall back to the mid-stage of the Immortal Realm, and had not stagnated for many years, your master would have had no way to hand over those important positions to my master and the other three."

Qi Qingsong revealed the inner workings.

"Stomp! Stomp stomp!"

Footsteps thundered like the beating of drums, soon arriving outside the private room, and then barged in without knocking.

"I heard someone mentioning my master, so I came in to listen as well,"

A person stood at the door, followed by some richly dressed Sword Tower disciples.

With his arms crossed and leaning against the doorway, he laughed scornfully, "Well? Now that I’m here, you don’t dare to continue the discussion?"

...