Chapter 53

Hundreds of miles outside Wuzhou City lies a mountain range, deep in the mountains and valleys, where osmanthus trees grow in clusters, their branches twisting and entwining. The mountains are shrouded in mist, with towering rocks and steep valleys where streams surge and create high waves. Tigers and leopards roar, and groups of apes wail in sorrow.

Looking around, the mountains and fields are covered with lush spring grass. The ears are filled with the mournful cries of summer cicadas, their chirping chaotic. The peaks stand tall, shrouded in clouds and mist, with winding and treacherous paths. Tigers and leopards rush about, and the rocks jut out and stand upright, strange and eerie, like ghosts or monsters.

The forest is dense with intertwined branches. Green sedge grows in clumps, and reeds cover the ground. On the hills, herds of deer and sika deer frolic and rest, their antlers towering high, and their coats gleaming with a lustrous sheen.

There are also lost monkeys and bears, calling out to their companions in sorrow. Tigers and leopards fight, and bears and bears roar, scaring birds and beasts to scatter in all directions.

A deep and narrow mountain gorge, with a waterfall cascading down, the sound of rushing water echoing through the mountain waist.

In such a desolate and treacherous place, a black mountain peak stands out, towering a hundred feet high, overlooking the surrounding mountains. The pitch-black mountain body is barren, with not a blade of grass growing. At the summit, a gnarled and thick osmanthus tree grows, its canopy covering the peak, blocking out the sun and clouds.

Unlike ordinary osmanthus trees, this one has a pitch-black trunk, and its leaves, which should be tender green, shimmer with a blood-red, eerie glow. The branches resemble human hands, spreading out, and a faint aura of spiritual energy gathers around the tree, emitting a soft, misty light.

On closer inspection, the tree roots, like long snakes, twist and intertwine, entangling the mountain peak. The black layer seen from the outside is actually the color of the roots. Below the mountain peak, the bodies of wild beasts hang from the roots, their blood staining the ground red, and piles of white bones accumulate, exuding a chilling aura.

The tree roots seem to breathe, absorbing the blood from the corpses, including human bodies, a sight that is both terrifying and bizarre.

A dark cloud always hovers over the eerie mountain peak, but inside the mountain, the scene is different.

The cave is brightly lit, with flames hanging on the rock walls. Inside the cave, demons with green faces and fangs, and ghosts with a chilling aura, gather together, trembling and prostrating on the ground.

The flames crackle, and in the direction where the demons kneel, a large pink bed floats in mid-air, emitting a red glow. Through the pink curtains, two white bodies can be seen intertwined, like two flames.

The sounds of lust and pleasure continue, with heavy breathing and soft moans intertwining, creating a symphony of pleasure. The demons and ghosts in the cave are used to this scene.

"Ah..."

With a woman's pained yet joyful cry, the violently shaking bed stopped. A black shadow appeared on the curtain, and a plump, white body flew out, caught by a hanging branch.

It was an extremely beautiful woman, her face flushed from the climax, bloodstains on her lower body, and no breath from her mouth or nose. After the passionate encounter, her yin and essence had been drained.

"Was Tiger Vanguard killed?"

A calm male voice came from behind the curtain, followed by a black shadow landing on a tiger-skin stone seat below.

Dressed in a black robe and a black cloak, with black hair hanging down, the man had a fair and handsome face with a touch of femininity. His fine eyebrows were slightly raised, and his eyes, half-closed, flashed with a sharp light.

This was a man who did not look like a man, with a feminine and alluring aura that rivaled any woman's beauty. Yet, this man made the demons and ghosts below tremble in fear. In the Black Mountain, only one demon could have such authority.

"This... this... is the head of Tiger Vanguard, found by your servant. Its demon core has been taken!"

A demon brought out a tiger's head, placed it on the ground, and spoke stammeringly, bowing his head and not daring to look up.

Seeing the tiger's head, the old demon of Black Mountain opened his eyes, the flickering flames momentarily pausing. All the demons in the cave felt a chill, their breathing stopping.

The old demon of Black Mountain slowly closed his eyes again, silent, his long, tender fingers tapping lightly on the stone chair.

"Tree Demon..."

"Your servant is here, Lord Black Mountain. What are your orders?"

A graceful woman in a red dress knelt on the ground, with red lips and green eyebrows, her hair held up with a golden hairpin.

"I ordered you to investigate Nie Xiaoxian's whereabouts. How is it going?"

The woman's face turned pale, and she bowed her head to the ground. "Your servant is incompetent. After Nie Xiaoxian was rescued by Yan Chixia, she disappeared, and your servant has not been able to find her."

Suddenly, a black wind swept through the cave, carrying the woman towards the old demon. The woman was terrified but dared not struggle, knowing the consequences of resisting the old demon of Black Mountain—either being tortured to death after being played with or being drained of her essence and left to wither.

A white hand reached out, tightly gripping the woman's pale neck, bringing her beautiful face close.

The Tree Demon felt as if she were being clamped by an iron vise, her breath constricted, her face turning red, and her discomfort growing, almost suffocating.

The old demon of Black Mountain savored the Tree Demon's pained expression, inhaling the scent of her body, his eyes half-closed in a state of deep enjoyment.

"L-Lord... spare... spare me... I k-know... Nie Xiaoxian... went... somewhere..."

Feeling death approaching, the Tree Demon was terrified, and in her pain, she managed to utter a plea for mercy.

The old demon of Black Mountain opened his eyes, released her, and threw her against the rock wall. She fell to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Cough... cough..."

Finally able to breathe, the Tree Demon coughed violently, touching her neck, and crawled back to kneel before the old demon of Black Mountain.

"Although your servant does not know where Nie Xiaoxian is, it is not difficult to find her. As long as we find the scholar, Ning Caichen, we can find Nie Xiaoxian."

The old demon of Black Mountain closed his eyes and leaned back in the stone chair. "Tree Demon, I will spare your life this time. If you do not bring Nie Xiaoxian back to me, you should know the consequences. Although you have lost your yin essence, your essence can still provide me with great enjoyment."

The Tree Demon trembled, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Lord Black Mountain. Your servant will surely bring Nie Xiaoxian back for your enjoyment."

"Remember, Nie Xiaoxian has a Yin Soul constitution. If on the 14th of July, when the gates of the underworld open, the yin energy surges, and I can unite with her, I can absorb her yin essence, refine my body, and achieve immortality. At that time, who in the Earthly Immortal Realm can match me? That will be the day when demons and ghosts will rule the human world. If you do not bring Nie Xiaoxian back to me by the 14th of July, I will sacrifice your body and send you to the hell of evil ghosts, where you will never be able to transcend."

"Yes, Lord..."

The Tree Demon trembled, bowing and leaving.

After the Tree Demon left, the old demon of Black Mountain opened his eyes, a sinister light flashing in them.

"You two, follow her. When she finds Nie Xiaoxian, bring her back to me, and I will reward you with her."

Two demons, excited, responded and followed the Tree Demon.

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