CHAPTER 720: 596 WU LINGZHU (BLACK SPIRITUAL PEARL)

These demon humans practicing their craft were all new disciples recently taken in by Wulingzhu, the former leader of the forty-seven islands of the Little Antarctic.

Since Shi Feiyang sent demon soldiers to sweep through the Forty-Seven Islands, taking them all down and turning them into an external port for Outer Heaven Divine Mountain, the previous demon evils of the Forty-Seven Islands scattered like birds and beasts.

Over these years, Wulingzhu had been assiduously practicing the Demon Path Great Technique, feeling his mana getting stronger and stronger, a far cry from his past self.

Of course, he knew the gap between himself and Shi Feiyang was widening. Not to mention Shi Feiyang, even those who had recently joined, like Lin Han and Shi Sheng, could beat him black and blue.

He dared not harbor the slightest thought of seeking revenge on Shi Feiyang, not to mention retaking the Forty-Seven Islands and rebuilding his foundation. Instead, he found an uninhabited desert island at the junction of the Southeast Sea, where he rebuilt a Demon Palace for secluded cultivation, naming it Wulong Island.

Later, he began to craft a powerful Magical Treasure of the Demon Path, known as the Heavenly Secret Demon Divine Banner.

This banner consisted of three hundred and sixty-five poles, each governed by a Divine Demon.

Having spent decades of effort, he finally refined all the banners, and at last, he had to gather them all together for a final combined refining, which required many lives for a blood sacrifice.

He initially practiced his craft near the Little Antarctic, only to be discovered by Lin Han, who was out on patrol as the Water Official. Lin Han was tasked with inspecting Outer Heaven Divine Mountain, inside and out, for any unlawfulness.

Lin Han’s cultivation was in no respect inferior to the Emei Sect’s three heroes and two clouds alike and was on the level of a Heavenly Immortal; he could have ascended long ago if he wished!

But he had no desire to ascend and, learning from Shi Feiyang, worked hard over the years to expand the "Moon" and diligently practiced the method of an External Body through his Second Primordial Spirit, making the "Moon" impure. Although this was considered a fall from the Alchemy Dao perspective, his mana had significantly increased compared to before.

Wulingzhu’s crafting site, more than three thousand eight hundred miles away from the Little Antarctic, was sensed by Lin Han for its demonic spell crafting. Flying over to investigate, sure enough, he broke through the triple-layered array of concealment and transformation that Wulingzhu had preemptively laid down.

Wulingzhu never expected to be discovered despite his precautions. He had chosen this location for crafting because he was too familiar with the area and it was convenient for gathering materials. He thought it was far enough from the Little Antarctic and not on the trade routes between Outer Heaven Divine Mountain and Central Earth, so he would not be noticed.

At that time, a few old acquaintances from the former Forty-Seven Islands were gathered by him to craft the Magical Treasure together, and they joined him in attacking Lin Han. Most were killed by the Nanming Leaving Fire Sword, and the two Magical Treasures that Wulingzhu had painstakingly refined were also destroyed.

Wulingzhu himself was nearly slain by Lin Han. Realizing he couldn’t fight back, he was terrified to the core and hurriedly fled.

Three years later, he prepared again, this time finding an island in the East Sea to craft his Treasure.

He thought the East Sea was vast, with fewer cultivators, and he chose a deserted island where even birds wouldn’t defecate, hoping no one would come to disturb him this time.

He coincidentally encountered Li Hong, who had come to the East Sea to seek the Fragrant Cloud Treasure Cover from the Oil Lamp Ascetic.

Li Hong, although annoying in temperament and fond of swearing, was, after all, from an Orthodox Sect rooted in both Buddhism and Daoism; confronting this situation, how could he not act? He attacked using the most powerful, most exquisite spells from both religions.

Wulingzhu, who had previously relied on numerical superiority and terrain advantage, was barely able to hold his ground.

Little did he know that Yue Yun, the True Master of the Jade Cave, would soon arrive, already at a disadvantage. Yue Yun had just learned the Lianshan Four Techniques from Shi Feiyang at Outer Heaven Divine Mountain, such as the Separation and Reunion Five Clouds Technique and the numerous Mysterious Skills, all of which were used against him, resulting in an even more disastrous defeat than before...

This was his third attempt. He thought that since the South Sea was no good, the East Sea was no good either, so he chose a deserted island at the junction of the two Seas, far from Central Earth, ensuring there were no landing spots for tens of thousands of miles in any direction and away from any known routes.

Normally, someone traveling from the East Sea to the South Sea would never pass through here.

But it so happened that Liu He’s starting point was Tianpeng Mountain, which was at the end of the East Sea, near the Eastern Extreme, southward. Drawing a diagonal straight line from there to South Sea Copper Palm Island, the island Wulingzhu had chosen was precisely on this line!

The crafting of the Heavenly Secret Demon Divine Banner was extremely complex because it involved summoning the Secret Demons of the Heavenly Stars, with many rituals and procedures to follow.

Wulingzhu delegated the preliminary work to his disciples, who had been taken in these recent years, while he secluded himself in the Demon Palace on the nearby Wulong Island for purification and silent cultivation.

He felt his previous two attempts were jinxed, perhaps because the Magical Treasure was too offensive to the heavens, making it difficult to succeed. This time, he put in his utmost effort, praying day and night to the Secret Demons of the Heavens, hoping they would bless his success.

As long as he could refine this set of Magical Treasures, he would have a chance for revenge against the likes of Lin Han or Li Hong in the future!

Even if faced with Shi Feiyang, he would have the power to protect himself!

Wulingzhu was indulging in his beautiful thoughts when suddenly, during his quiet cultivation, a premonition surged within him. In a daze, it seemed like he heard a thunderous explosion that shook the heavens.

Under the Sensing of the Heavenly Demon, he knew something had gone wrong at the crafting site and rushed over in a rage.

If Liu He had strictly followed Shi Feiyang’s instructions and dropped the Purple and Blue Divine Talisman before turning around to leave at the fastest speed...

The Wuling Pearl on the island had detected the participation of the purple and blue fire energy and knew that Shi Feiyang had taken action. The perpetrators would surely be frightened into kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy, repenting and apologizing, then obediently send the captured people safely back to Central Earth, before running off to hide elsewhere for some time.

Unfortunately, it was Liu He himself who came down to rescue.

He thought all the practitioners of the Demon Path on the island had been blown up or burned to death by the Purple and Blue Divine Talisman, and these people were trapped in large jars. Since the location was far from Central Earth, it was virtually impossible for them to return, and survival on this deserted island would be difficult.

Little did he know, the Wuling Pearl had flown over soon after, hidden within a glob of Demon Light, and saw a young man releasing Flying Swords, chopping open the jars that held the people, and rescuing them one by one.

The Divine Wood Sword, a direct transmission from Tian Chi, the madman of Copper Palm Island, was just too conspicuous. Not to speak of the South Sea, under the wide heavens, there was no Sword Immortal with over a hundred years of cultivation who did not know of it, even if they hadn’t seen it, they had heard of it.

Turbulent rage ignited in the heart of the Wuling Pearl: Damn it, even the descendants of that old madman dare step on my head!

Tian Chi had a temper and immense mana, and had long achieved an Undying Body.

Had he been present, the Wuling Pearl would have had to think twice and probably not dared to make a move, given that his most powerful Magical Treasure had yet to be refined.

But Liu He did not have such power, and the Wuling Pearl bellowed, "You brat from that old fool’s family, how dare you spoil my efforts!"

The Wuling Pearl was once the strongest and the leader among the Forty-Seven Islands of Little Antarctic, and over the years he diligently and arduously increased his mana. He cast the Heavenly Secret Demon Technique and with a wave of his hand, a thousand streaks of Demon Fire struck forward like whips, instantly illuminating the whole island with vast flames.

Liu He, recognizing it was the Wuling Pearl and aware of his dangerous power, hurriedly released a Magical Treasure for Transformation as a protective shield, and counterattacked by striking with his Divine Wood Sword.

He had a total of eighty-one Divine Wood Swords which, upon release, turned into beams of blue and golden light, piercing through the roaring Demonic Flames, directly targeting the Wuling Pearl.

The Wuling Pearl, while intercepting the swords with three Flying Forks, also pinched his fingers and waved his sleeve, intensifying his control of the Demon Fire, concentrating it at the center to encircle and incinerate Liu He.

He also released many Demon Heads, each with terrifying and ferocious appearances; Devils and Blood Shadows baring fangs and brandishing claws, issuing sharp, piercing screams. Enveloped in vast Demon Light that flickered in and out of visibility, they surrounded Liu He in layers, constantly closing in for the attack.

As the top disciple of Tian Chi, Liu He was indeed strong and his Divine Wood Sword was no ordinary weapon.

His root bone qualifications were excellent, and Tian Chi, seeing him as the successor to his mantle, the future Island Master of Copper Palm Island, specially joined forces with the Yimu Elf, an elder named Sang Xian Lao, to help him refine his swords.

Tian Chi himself also possessed a set of Divine Wood Swords, but only had forty-nine in total. However, the set he helped Liu He refine possessed eighty-one swords, all made from ten-thousand-year-old Divine Wood of Copper Palm Island, not fearing corruption. When activated, they would emit beams of coppery golden light, and upon infusion with a large quantity of True Qi, pushing them to their limit, they would show the blue color of both Jia and Yi Wood, pre- and post-heaven.

Liu He wielded his sword to form a Divine Wood Sword Formation, trapping the Wuling Pearl within and shooting dozens of blue lights back and forth, weaving into a net.

The Wuling Pearl’s three Flying Forks could not hold up, and in terms of swordsmanship, he was far too inferior to Liu He.

At the same time, his Demon Fire was blocked by Liu He’s Transformation Magical Treasure, and for a moment, those Devils could not breach the defenses. They tried to attack from a distance with their Demon Sound and Demon Shadows, targeting the Primordial Spirit, but Liu He had a solid foundation in his Dao Level. His disposition was gentle as jade, his mental cultivation even surpassed that of Tian Chi, allowing him to temporarily remain steadfast and unaffected by the external Demon forces.

Unable to contain his fury, the Wuling Pearl directly brought out his original treasure for protecting the island—the Mind Capturing Bell.

This Mind Capturing Bell was a renowned Treasure of the Demon Path, crafted by an elder of the Demon Cult from generations before. There were three in total, each with their unique functions.

The Wuling Pearl had expended great effort over the years to gather them all. Now using just one, with a slight shake, it released an extremely melodious "immortal music."

Liu He, hearing this sound amidst the shrill screams of demons, thought it was the approach of a senior expert from the Orthodox Sect of Mysterious Dao. He concentrated, listening carefully...

The sound emitted by this bell was ordinary at first but once it entered a person’s heart, it could manifest various subtle and strange sounds according to what the listener enjoyed. Whatever sound they favored, they could hear, effectively capturing their wandering mind, reining in their wild thoughts, then drawing in their Primordial Spirit. Swiftly, it would muddle the listener’s senses, the True Soul would leave the body, and the Primordial Spirit would be sucked into the bell.

Liu He, while having an excellent nature, got caught in the trap. He soon came to his senses, but the bell’s power was so great that, despite his efforts to resist, he could only barely prevent his Primordial Spirit from being taken. To break free completely was impossible for him now, and it felt as if he was on the edge of a cliff, half his body already out, sliding further into the abyss.

He retracted his mental focus, and as his Mind Capturing Bell was captured, he lost control of his Divine Wood Sword. The Wuling Pearl quickly broke the Sword Formation with his three Flying Forks.

While ringing the bell, he loudly declared, "You little scoundrel, today I shall capture your Primordial Spirit and refine it into my Heavenly Stars Secret Demon Divine Banner!"

Before the echo of his words dissipated, from the highest reaches of heaven fell a streak of purple and golden light. With a crack that resounded through the skies, the Wuling Pearl’s thousand streaks of Demon Flames instantly dissipated. All the Demon Heads and Devils within the flames were shaken so fiercely that they evaporated on the spot, their bodies and souls completely destroyed, gone!

Sensing impending danger, the Wuling Pearl reflexively used his three Flying Forks to block, but they too were obliterated, not even ashes remained.

The Wuling Pearl himself was shaken so hard that his True Qi was dispersed, falling from the sky like a mortal, crashing to the ground in a disheveled heap, his spiritual energy thrown into chaos.

Relying on his last bit of willpower, he struggled to stand, stumbling unsteadily like a drunken man, took a few steps, and finally, his legs gave way. He thumped to the ground with a heavy fall and did not move an inch more.