CHAPTER 686: CHAPTER 84 THE DEVIL OF THE UNDERGROUND PALACE PEERS INTO THE XUANJI_2

Zhang Yan calmly said, "The flag array has been broken. You may leave now."

The disciples dared not linger, hastily clasped their hands toward Zhang Yan, then flew off in panic, eager to find a Su family disciple to kill in hopes of distancing themselves from any trouble.

On the flag platform, only Zhang Yan remained. He took a piece of beautiful jade out from his sleeve and murmured, "Su Daoist, take a lap outside. If you can locate the True Dragon Mansion, make sure to find a way to investigate it. If successful, I won’t mind offering your elder brother’s body to you."

Su YiAng couldn’t help but feel thrilled—if he gained a physical body, he would no longer need to exist as a shadowy devil. He immediately emerged from the jade, bowed, and said, "I shall obey the master’s order faithfully."

With a shake of his form, he performed the transformation technique, and five soul splits instantly flew out from the jade, scattering in various directions, leaving only his main soul within the jade.

These soul splits, being shapeless and invisible, were a condensation of chaotic thoughts intertwined with foul Yin energy, powerless to harm directly.

However, upon entering a human’s body, they could provoke inner desires and amplify stray thoughts, leading one to lose mental clarity entirely—truly a challenge for disciples with unstable emotions or weak willpower.

After leaving the jade, the soul splits, fearing the radiance of daytime, moved stealthily underground. Four of them searched fruitlessly for half a day.

Only the fifth one stumbled upon an underground corridor by sheer coincidence. Not knowing its destination yet sensing the presence of living beings, it followed the path downward.

After descending an unknown distance, Su YiAng arrived at an underground palace. Floating to the farthest end, he found his way blocked by a stone gate.

Though the soul split was intangible and could pass through the stone gate, just as he prepared to enter, he hesitated. A faint sense of danger arose, making him suspect some talismans or spells protecting against Yin souls or devils. Thus, he dared not advance further.

Unwilling to retreat yet stuck in indecision, suddenly the stone gate rumbled open, and out stepped a child with a delicate and intelligent air.

This child, with low cultivation and not yet having opened his meridians, was vastly inferior to Su YiAng and completely oblivious to his presence.

The child rummaged around a desk for a while, seemingly picked something up and tucked it into his chest, then prepared to return through the stone gate.

Seeing rare opportunity, Su YiAng acted swiftly and entered the child’s body, retreating deep into the acupoints, curling himself up to avoid detection. To his delight, despite the child’s young age, his mind was strangely cluttered with miscellaneous thoughts, making it an ideal host for Su YiAng to hide.

The child shivered suddenly as if chilled, instinctively hunched his shoulders and pulled up his collar, then continued walking inward.

Once hidden inside a physical body, the protective prohibitions ceased functioning, allowing Su YiAng to safely traverse the gate.

Ordinarily, devils like him couldn’t breach the Surging Wave Lake’s prohibition array, let alone infiltrate such forbidden depths.

The talisman spells placed here were merely done out of habit by the creator of this cave mansion, casually arranged without serious intent. If properly fortified, Su YiAng could never have entered the underground palace today.

The child entered the main hall, passed through two additional palaces, and stopped in his tracks before bowing to five elderly Daoists seated at the head, saying, "Five respected ancestors, your grandson has clearly seen that Da Lang and Third Uncle’s Life Plates have shattered."

Su YiAng’s heart tightened. Though he dared not glance outward, he knew anyone addressed as ’ancestor’ within the chamber could only be the clan’s five Nascent Soul elders.

Long ago, he had seen these five legendary figures from afar, thanks to Su Yihong’s influence, but he hadn’t come close due to inadequate cultivation. Now, he dared make no move, suppressing his soul split as much as possible for fear of being exposed.

An elderly, tired voice sighed, "To think Da Lang couldn’t hold on for even a day and has perished. Outside the cave mansion now, surely no one remains to guard it. Alas, a century ago, how could things have turned out like this?"

Another person spoke solemnly, "Today marks a calamity for the Su Clan. Since we cannot escape, it will be our duty to perish with honor."

A slightly hoarse voice hurriedly interrupted, "Third Brother, there’s no time for hesitation. Be resolute when necessary!"

Su YiAng didn’t understand their discussion but secretly speculated about their plans to escape, feeling an indescribable sense of glee. He thought bitterly, "Once, you were all so lofty and untouchable. Who would’ve thought you’d face this day?"

The elderly voice sighed and called out, "Su Yihua, come forward."

Su YiAng sensed his host responding, stepping forward cautiously, fearing his presence might be discovered.

The child stopped before a kind-looking old Daoist, who examined him closely, touching and pinching various spots on his body before nodding, "Excellent—your spirit root and bones are exceptional. The person who initially chose you showed great insight. However, it’s a pity you’re far too clever, leading to excessive thoughts. If you were tempered for several more years, you’d be promising enough. Yet, circumstances leave no time now."

Suddenly, a loud rumble resounded overhead, causing dust to rain down. The hoarse voice urged anxiously, "Third Brother, what are you waiting for? Delay any longer, and it’ll be too late!"

The old Daoist sighed heavily, "Very well. When urgency dictates, rules must yield. Grandson, retrieve the Dharma Sword for me."

The child obeyed and walked to the eastern wall, taking down an antique-looking Dharma Sword.

The old Daoist continued, "Go stand by your Ninth Uncle."

The child dared not disobey and, like a puppet, walked over to a gray-robed, white-haired elder and stood still.

The old Daoist’s eyes flashed with sharp brilliance as he commanded, "Listen carefully—once your Ninth Uncle releases his Nascent Soul, strike immediately and kill him!"

The child trembled at these words, dropping the sword in fright, kneeling, and crying, "Ancestor, your grandson harbors no disloyalty whatsoever!"

The old Daoist snorted in irritation, "Do you think the ancestor wouldn’t know your thoughts? I order you to act, so act accordingly! Time is critical—will you risk all our lives with your hesitation?"

The child shakily retrieved the sword, his arms trembling, but managed to hold it steadily.

The gray-robed elder glanced over, then said in a grave tone, "Third Brother, I shall go first."

With those words, he struck the back of his head, causing a Nascent Soul to emerge from the top of his skull.

The old Daoist bellowed, "Su Yihua, act now!"

The child flinched at the order, gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, steeling himself as he swung the sword. The flash of sword light severed the elderly head, sending it rolling to the ground.

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)