“That person who k!lled my avatar probably hasn’t gone far yet, have they?” the monk said calmly, though his faintly curved lips were as sharp as a blade.
“Moon Demon” understood that his partner and superior was indeed a very composed individual. However, this didn’t mean he was without temper. For him, an avatar held immense significance—it touched upon his very foundation. Besides, there was a vast difference between having an avatar destroyed and willingly discarding one.
Sensing a chance to build rapport, “Moon Demon” sniffed the air eagerly and soon remarked, “There’s some traces left here, here, and here, but the cold wave did quite a bit of damage. It seems they went upward this time, closing their pores; they’re being meticulous.”
Closing one’s pores meant losing the ability to track through scent. “Moon Demon” sighed in resignation, glancing at the cliff face. Startled, he noticed the intricacy of the illusion spell and couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration. “Indeed… that illusion power is well-deserved.”
Suppressing his usual habits, the monk shot him a glance and said, “The illusion trap set here by the demonic beast is quite sophisticated. Even after its old foe damaged it, it still functions well. I used the ‘Dark Star Soul Method’ granted by the Bodhisattva to pinpoint the exact location. This place must hold considerable importance to the demonic beast.”
Saying this, he struck the illusion on the cliff wall with his palm. Black flames rippled outward like water, spreading across the surface. The illusion, already weakened by the fierce battle between the two-headed demon and the demonic beast and further eroded by the cold wave, was on the verge of collapse. With a bit more pressure, the monk completely shattered it.
With the illusion dispelled, a massive, gate-like cave entrance appeared before the two of them.
Sniffing again, “Moon Demon” spat, “It’s definitely the demonic beast’s stench. I never expected it to hide so well… And there’s that person’s scent too. I wonder if they’re still inside?”
His latter words carried a teasing tone, but the monk ignored it and ordered, “Remember that scent! That person is a variable. My avatar’s destruction was far too coincidental; it’s very likely they followed me here. Who knows what secrets they’ve glimpsed. If encountered in the future, capture them alive. If that’s not possible, k!ll them outright!”
“Moon Demon” responded with a smile, then peered inside. “Think there’s any treasure in there?”
“Even if there is, it’s probably just some trinkets discarded by that esteemed figure. Still, anything worthy of that figure’s attention must be remarkable.”
The monk, deep in thought, glanced down and delivered another jab, “If that person has been here already, they’ve likely cleaned it out. Don’t get your hopes up.”
“Moon Demon” knew this was true but couldn’t help himself and stepped into the cave with a grin. “Maybe they left behind something precious without realizing…”
“Go check for any clues inside; I’ll look down below.”
Half an hour later, “Moon Demon” returned, cursing under his breath, as the monk approached holding an item. They met at the cave entrance.
“That person is overly cautious. Apart from their lingering scent, they’ve swept the place clean…”
In other words, there was nothing to be found.
The monk had anticipated this outcome and, without further comment, dropped the item he was holding at his feet.
“Is this… a Nether-realm Tree?”
“Moon Demon” glanced over, his gaze sharp. “Where’s the rootstock? That’s the real treasure!”
“It was taken by that person,” the monk replied, frowning slightly—not over the rootstock itself, but because it raised other concerns. “The rootstock of the Nether-realm Tree has high medicinal value but a narrow range of uses…”
“Narrow? It only has one use: refining the ‘Profound True Essence Pill,’” “Moon Demon” clarified, being quite the connoisseur of external alchemy. “The pill gathers the purest Profound True Essence from the outer realms, integrating it into the medicinal formula to help those just entering the ‘Void Stepping’ stage to temper and refine themselves, like cultivating a flower… Of course, it can also extend the lives of Core Refinement cultivators, but that’s a waste.”
The monk turned to him. “Is this pill recipe common?”
“Not at all! If it were, the families and key figures who venture into the outer realms each year wouldn’t perish so often. From what I know, there are fewer than five sects in the world with the complete recipe, and not more than ten with replicas. And that’s including a few major merchants from the Hundred Crafts Union.”
The monk acknowledged with a sound, “Does the Rifting Earth Sect or the Sunset Valley Sect have it?”
“The Rifting Earth Sect definitely does,” “Moon Demon” answered without hesitation. “Not long ago, the Rifting Earth Sect’s Jie Liang helped ‘Three Halls Pavilion’ with a significant issue. Instead of asking for anything else, they specifically requested this pill recipe as payment, stirring quite a commotion. Did you forget?”
The monk nodded, then shook his head. “It’s not that person.”
“Moon Demon” chuckled, “Of course it’s not him! That guy is too rigid. As long as the ceasefire stele jointly set by the two sects stands, he wouldn’t step a foot out of the valley… You’re saying it could be one of his disciples or someone from the Rifting Earth Sect?”
The Sky Rift Valley had always been an important herb-gathering area for the Rifting Earth Sect. Though fewer people had come in recent years due to the ceasefire stele, it was still worth keeping a close watch on this area, even if it wasn’t traditionally their domain.
“The Moon Demon thought this, and the monk’s thoughts were similar. However, he considered one step further: ‘If the Rifting Earth Sect joins in, we will completely lose control of the situation, making these waters even murkier…’
Just as he was mulling it over, the Moon Demon suddenly let out a tense exclamation.
The monk fell silent.
He knew that the ‘Moon Demon Puppet,’ which the Bodhisattva had acquired through certain channels, was an extraordinary creation. Although it was only at the level of a magical artifact, this was simply due to design constraints; its true effectiveness was not far from that of a typical magical treasure. This puppet was made from the Moon Demon’s actual body, preserving many of the innate abilities of a demon, especially its sensitivity in harsh environments like the chilling tides of the Yin Prison—a trait they could truly rely on.
In his current form, his cultivation was inadequate, and his condition was lacking. Compared to the real abilities of the Moon Demon, he was far inferior. So he said nothing further, choosing instead to observe how his partner would respond.
The next moment, the Moon Demon abruptly pulled him by the shoulder and started moving. The monk did not resist and calmly asked, ‘Liu Guan?’
The Moon Demon did not reply, not even daring to exhale, as he transformed into a streak of light, flying seven to eight miles upward in an instant, thus escaping the range of the frigid tide.
Looking down, the monk saw a trail of fire darting through the depths of the cold tide, zigzagging erratically but maintaining a decent speed. Below it, several figures pursued it in swift leaps, and he could faintly hear their piercing howls. This time, it was indeed real demons.
However, what truly caught his attention was a faint shadow further down, following silently. In the dimly lit depths, it was inconspicuous, but the monk had anticipated its presence and finally managed to locate it.
Liu Guan had an exceptional background. Over a century ago, he was already a prominent figure in this world. Although he had suffered a great setback due to someone’s scheming and had his cultivation plummet, he still retained the power of a True Immortal and could command storms in this realm. The monk and the Moon Demon had just agitated him by mentioning a forbidden name, and they dared not confront him now. The Moon Demon, therefore, pushed the puppet’s potential to its limits, hoping to widen the safe distance between them.
Yet, the Moon Demon could not help but grumble, “Didn’t you say you’d abandon this body? Now is the critical moment—why can’t you let it go?”
The monk merely adjusted his breathing, then gave a low shout: “Let go!”
Without hesitation, the Moon Demon released his grip. The monk’s body fell like a tattered doll, tumbling down the cliffside before disappearing into an unknown depth. But before he fell, a few wisps of black Qi emerged from his mouth and nose, coiling momentarily before seeping into the Moon Demon Puppet.
With a load of over a hundred pounds gone, the Moon Demon’s speed increased sharply, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
For them, Sky Rift Valley was temporarily off-limits.
Below, the flames continued to dart forward, casting shadows of the pursuing demons and causing the lower layer of darkness to blend further into the blackness of the abyss.
***
In the pervasive cold mist, the darting flames were quite conspicuous.
After some time, from a distance, Yu Ci also sensed it.
Through the hazy cold mist, Yu Ci saw a faint light in the distance. However, with layers of mist obscuring it, he couldn’t discern the light’s exact distance with the naked eye. Looking through the Divine Map, he saw a series of mist-shrouded areas southward along the cliff wall, extending beyond the fifty-mile range of the Divine Map, which hindered his judgment while simultaneously filling him with apprehension.
A quick calculation revealed that if the influence of each Core Refinement-level cultivator or demon covered a radius of one mile, then there were at least ten powerful beings moving or lurking in the area to his south. The density was astonishingly high, while the northern area was relatively quiet.
Judging by the demonic beast lair, Yu Ci estimated he was about sixty miles northwest of it and roughly twenty miles deep into the valley. He had taken a somewhat winding route, occasionally descending to avoid the agitated demons along the way, as well as the various chaotic creatures of the valley, which were no less disruptive.
He tightened the bundle on his back, where the stone box held the Dragon Fish in a state of feigned death.
In the end, Yu Ci had used the method taught by Old Daoist Yu Zhou, sealing the Dragon Fish in a spare stone box. He went to great lengths to wrap the stone box tightly with cloth and spare clothing, so even if the Dragon Fish broke through, the two outer layers would provide some cushioning.
This time, things were going smoothly. The Dragon Fish hadn’t moved since, which strengthened Yu Ci’s belief that the last incident was somehow related to that hook.
Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time to investigate further.
Exhaling a warm breath, the white mist swirled around the Divine Map’s edge, making the chaotic images within it even more eerie.”
Goblin: Want to read more? Become a Ask the Mirror Patron at Patreon for $5, and you will get access to Two Advance Chapters immediately, then stay Two Chapters ahead of regular release for the entire month! Please whitelist this site in your adb!ocker to support the translation. Please point out any mistakes if you find one.
Sponsored Chapter: I will be accepting sponsored chapters for all the novels at BuyMeaCoffee page and the Patreon Shop. It’ll be $5 per 2 sponsored chapters. For BMC, just pay the $5 and write the name of the novel you want to sponsor in the “Say something nice” section.
Check out my other projects: Flower Stealing Master and Immortal Divine Tribulation