Chapter 81

(First update of the day, seeking recommendations and favorites.)

The deeper one goes into the Moyaun Mountains, the more the surroundings become a gray, misty expanse.

Here, there is no sun or moon; the sky only has a faint glow. The demonic aura here is so strong that even ordinary people who have practiced the first or second layer of the "Running Horse Technique" cannot withstand it. They would fall and become demons in no time.

However, Su Qignian felt like a fish in water here. As his understanding of the "Turtle and Snake Swallowing the Moon" technique deepened, combined with the fifth organ furnace condensed by the eighth layer of the "Turtle and Snake Technique," no amount of demonic aura could erode his body or soul. All of it was absorbed into the furnace, where the surging blood burned it to ashes. A highly pure thread of primordial energy was also extracted, which even surprised Su Qignian. He never expected that after peeling away the layers, these demonic auras would still contain such treasures.

His mental energy enveloped the surrounding space, extending nearly twenty yards. Just that thread of primordial energy was enough to sustain the dual consumption of his mental energy and bodily blood, with some left over to continuously seep into his organs, refining the furnace and making the accumulated blood even more robust.

In the Moyaun Mountains, it was impossible to distinguish between day and night. Su Qignian climbed another hill and, with a flicker of his eyes, focused his mental energy to penetrate the layers of demonic fog. He saw, about a hundred yards ahead, a very hidden valley where about a hundred demons were apparently building an altar. Various silks and satins were used as decorations, and there were also some jewels, including fist-sized night pearls embedded in the ten-yard-wide altar, along with other gems. The entire altar looked extremely magnificent but also had a strange, demonic aura.

"Is this a soul-summoning platform?"

Su Qignian's heart was shaken, and he immediately thought of the second chapter of the "Demon Scripture," the Sacrifice Chapter.

This chapter describes various evil sacrificial rituals of the demon race, the main purpose of which is to summon the spirits of deceased powerful demons from the vast river of time and space.

To perform a soul-summoning ritual, one must have been at least a demon general in life, having reached the second-rate realm, to maintain a bit of true spirit and not be torn apart by the river of time and space.

"Damn!"

Suddenly, Su Qignian's gaze sharpened, and a strong killing intent arose. He saw that around the soul-summoning platform, various fruits and blood sacrifices were offered. The blood sacrifices were not just any; they were the bodies of thirty-six newborn human infants, seemingly just gutted, with their innocent faces full of pain and confusion, their eyes dim, and their rosy cheeks still retaining some blood color.

"Spirit Infant Sacrifice!"

This was the most stringent type of sacrifice in the "Demon Scripture," requiring human infants no more than a hundred days old, whose innate fetal breath had not yet dissipated. Depending on the strength of the demon to be summoned, the number of sacrifices ranged from a minimum of thirty-six, up to forty-nine, eighty-one, one hundred and eight, or even three hundred and sixty.

"The demon to be summoned is not an ordinary powerful demon; it likely had a remarkable background in life."

Su Qignian pondered, ready to act at any moment. He was waiting for the right opportunity to strike with a thunderous blow, to ruin their efforts.

In the valley, over a hundred demons, each with various animal heads, had no demon soldiers among them. Su Qignian carefully probed with his mental energy and silently crept down, like a hidden current in the water, making no sound.

As his understanding of the Turtle and Snake Fist deepened, he gradually integrated the principles of various forces and the changes of Yin and Yang into his movements. Now, he was showing initial results. He also used the Soul Subduing Technique to mask all his senses, and even when he was a few yards from the edge of the valley, he was not discovered.

The valley was bustling, but the demons were not in chaos. Their movements were orderly, like trained soldiers.

"It seems Zhao Xueshan did not lie. The demon race has begun to learn human etiquette and various methods of governing and military strategy. Once this order is established, it is a transformative change."

Su Qignian recalled some notes from past sages, various travelogues, and strange tales, which described the demons as chaotic, eating raw meat and drinking blood, without human ethics. Although powerful, they were just a mob without the nine great demon saints. Now, it seemed that the demons, after more than five thousand years, had changed a great deal.

Huff!

After half an incense stick, Su Qignian seized the opportunity, his hand flashing out to grab a demon, dragging it to the front.

"Look into my eyes!"

The demon had a bear's head with long, hook-like fangs. Hearing Su Qignian's voice, it was startled, and upon seeing the star-like gaze, it immediately became dazed and confused.

Soul Subduing Technique!

At the second level of the "Mystical Soul Technique," the Soul Subduing Technique could even forcibly subdue and enslave an opponent's spirit, forcing them to do things against their will. Of course, this technique could only be used against opponents of the same realm; it would be almost impossible against third-rate experts who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Who are you trying to summon?"

"I don't know."

Su Qignian frowned and asked again, "Who knows?"

"No one knows. This is the order of Lord Demon Maha, and perhaps the forty-eight demon generals know."

Forty-eight demon generals!

Su Qignian was shocked. This meant forty-eight second-rate Dragon and Tiger Realm martial experts. The Moyaun Mountains hid so many powerful demons, and with Lord Demon Maha, a first-rate Primordial Realm figure, it was no wonder the imperial army sent large forces every year but could not achieve complete success.

"How many burial pits are there in the Moyaun Mountains, and where are they located?"

For Su Qignian, the most important thing was to find Qingyu. The situation in the Moyaun Mountains was becoming increasingly complex, with reserve Dragon Guards already entering and local troops beginning to act. It wouldn't be long before more Foundation Establishment experts appeared. At that time, his current strength would be like a drop in the ocean, unable to make any waves.

"I only know of three..."

"Is there any hidden expert or setup for this soul-summoning ritual?"

"Yes, a demon soldier of the Mammoth Clan, who has a trace of Celestial Bloodline, can transform at will. When not in his true form, he can also appear as a demon with an animal head, indistinguishable from the other demons."

Indeed!

Su Qignian was alarmed. The demons' methods were indeed varied and unpredictable. If he had not asked, he might have been ambushed and killed.

After asking a few more questions and getting no useful information, Su Qignian struck with a palm, sending a hidden force to turn the bear demon's head into a mush, hiding it in a concealed pile of rocks.

Then, he walked out boldly, his Soul Subduing Technique enveloping his body, transforming him into the appearance of a bear demon. With the cultivation level of the demons in the valley, they could not see through it.

"Xiong Qi, you clumsy fool, stop running around. Get to the soul-summoning platform; the ritual is about to begin. Don't misread the demon script, or you'll lose your head!" a jackal demon scolded, with a cunning and cold gaze.

"Shut up, I'm coming!"

Su Qignian spoke in a deep, gruff voice and followed the other demons to the soul-summoning platform. A wolf demon stood at the front, directing everyone to stand in strange positions around the platform. Su Qignian's mental energy grasped the surrounding space and saw that the positions of the demons seemed to form an ancient character. This character was mentioned in the "Demon Scripture," but with little description. It seemed to be a secret of the demon race, but this character was recorded, and it was the character for "Emperor."

Emperor?

As soon as this ancient demon character was formed, it emitted an extremely ancient and heavy aura.

"I once read a book called 'Records of the Demon Kingdom,' written by a great thief from the Kongkong Sect who infiltrated the Four Seas Demon Kingdom. He recorded his observations, which were published and revised by the royal academy and then distributed throughout the empire. It mentioned that in the demon kingdoms, the character for 'Emperor' is not used lightly, and ordinary demons cannot call it directly, or they will be beheaded. Not to mention a major event like a soul-summoning ritual, could it be..."

Moyaun Demon Emperor!

This thought shocked Su Qignian, but it seemed to be incorrect. If they were summoning the Demon Emperor's soul, it would not be so simple, and the Spirit Infant Sacrifice would not be just thirty-six. This did not conform to the demon race's sacrificial etiquette and specifications, which would require at least one hundred and eight. Additionally, there would be various preparations, arrangements, and other sacrifices, all of which were very strict. The setup in the valley, although valuable, was limited, and many wealthy families in the region could easily gather such items.

(First update of the day, seeking recommendations and favorites. Some readers have mentioned the need for recommendations. To be honest, I appreciate the feedback, as it shows that these readers care about my work. However, seeking recommendations is an important standard for authors to prove themselves. It's not about hearing a few compliments; it's about hard results. If an author doesn't even strive for basic recommendations, it means they have lost their ambition. This is a professional standard, not something I set.)