When Shushan disciples came to the Demons' Abyss, they found safety in numbers, and normally grouped in threes or fours.
Some even formed an entire organization, where merits were equally divided. Although there were many hands in the pot, their efficiency was higher as well. Everywhere they went spelled doom for the demons.
Wu Yu and Nangong Wei were but two, and also very young. If demons found them, there was a higher chance that they would attack.
"According to what I know, as long as they can force the Shushan disciples to use the Vajra Sword Talisman a certain number of times, the demons will be awarded their freedom," Wu Yu said.
"Yes, Big Brother. The demons' Yaodan is similar to our Jindan, although they have no immortal fire. Those with first tier Yaodan need to accumulate a total of 10 Vajra Sword Talismans to be released, while those with second tier Yaodan require 20, and so on."
"How many demons have been released to date?" Wu Yu was curious.
Nangong Wei answered unhappily, "Not many, but there are about a dozen each year. I think the elders have no choice as well. If they do not give them a chance to live, then they will not attack with their full force, and that will not make for effective training."
Wu Yu decided that her hatred for demons ran very deep indeed.
"Watch your surroundings." For the first time since they had come here, Wu Yu did not dare to stand out. After all, he did not know how strong his own white Jindan was.
The two advanced, back to back. They were in a valley, surrounded by decaying, black stone. All around them were pitch black caves, and their entrances gaped like a maw.
"Big Brother, don't worry. If demons appear, I will protect you. After all, you just became a Jindan martial cultivator, and your Jindan quality is not high. You would lose to a majority of the demons here," Nangong Wei said seriously.
"Then I'll be counting on you." Wu Yu smiled. This little girl had no idea how many Jindan Dao Realm cultivators he had defeated before attaining Jindan.
Just as they spoke, their surroundings changed.
Nangong Wei was immediately alerted, and her spiritual immortal treasure, the Crystal Fragment Blade, sprung to her hands. At the same time, her left arm was wrapped with nine silver bangles that tinkled as they clinked against each other. The faint, silver light also illuminated their surroundings.
"Demonic aura." Wu Yu had smelled it.
From all around them, eerie rustling.
Without another word, Wu Yu used the Illumination Art from the Unorthodox Arts. He added a bit of Jindan essence, and the fireball that rose from his hand quickly illuminated their surroundings!
However, in order not to attract the attention of other demons, he had reined in his Jindan essence a bit.
Under the light, they could clearly see their surroundings.
As their surroundings lightened, Wu Yu realized that he and Nangong Wei had already been surrounded. All around them was a black flood that was squeaking shrilly. It was thousands and thousands of rats, each one the size of a cat. They had sharp teeth and smelled bad. The blood in their eyes made them look savage as they stared excitedly at Wu Yu and Nangong Wei.
These rats had poured out from the caves all around them. At this time, many burrowed their way out. They continued to accumulate, waiting for an opportunity as they swarmed forth.
"Disgusting." Nangong Wei shuddered. With a wave of her hand, she pulled out a talisman, activating it. It instantly emitted smoke that curled around them.
Cheep, cheep!
When the rats came into contact with the smoke, they ran away in panic. If they were but a step slower, they would have died immediately. Soon, the rats surrounding the pair had completely dispersed.
In truth, these were but ordinary wild animals, only there were too many of them. Wu Yu could have easily destroyed them, but martial cultivators normally did not kill ordinary beasts.
It was Nangong Wei who used the exorcism talisman to chase away those rats.
However, when the horde of rats disappeared, a rat with red fur appeared. It had been hidden among the heap of rats, but it was exposed once the exorcism talisman was used.
"Demon!" Nangong Wei saw it, and bloodthirst shone on her young face. The sorrow of her past welled up, and she could see it anew.
"Ch, ch. Two little dolls at the first tier of Jindan?" The blood-red rat shrilly laughed. With a twist of its body, it turned into a squat, rat-faced, middle-aged man before their eyes. It had two points to its beard, and its squinty eyes were blood-streaked. It looked both savage and demented.
"Underground carnivorous rats becoming demons." Wu Yu immediately identified this demon from the Lore of the Divine Continent.
"Call me Rat Father, you two brazen children! You dare to come so deep despite being at the first tier of Jindan? Rat Father has been cultivating for 1,100 years and is already at the second tier of Yaodan. I have been here for more than a decade, and I just lack two more Vajra Sword Talismans. Today, a pair have come knocking on my door. Once I finish you off, this Rat Father will be free!"
The underground carnivorous rats drank blood to live, and occasionally turned into demons. Their desire for blood was overwhelming, and they roamed in search of mortal blood. When they swarmed, thousands of mortals would fall, and they were a huge evil.
Nangong Wei had naturally recognized him as well, and the hatred in her heart grew. She said to Wu Yu, "Big Brother, you hide first. Today, Wei Er will kill this first demon in homage to my mother in heaven."
As she said so, she hefted her Crystal Fragment Blade and Nine Bangles of the Silver Sky. Steeling her Jindan essence, she charged towards the subterranean vampiric rat.
"Wei Er, are you sure?" This subterranean vampiric rat was a 1000-year old demon, and much more powerful than the Ninth Spirit. Logically, they should deal with it together.
"Big Brother, I can do it." Nangong Wei turned back with a smile. She wanted to put Wu Yu at ease, but the heaviness of her heart showed in her forced smile.
"Alright."
"What's this brother-sister thing going on? You tryin' to go all lovey-dovey in front of Rat Father? Are you shamin' Rat Father? You mighta be scared to death hearin' this, but all those you met just now were your Rat Father's descendants!" The subterranean vampiric rat was unsure why these two had not attacked together, but he did not really need to know.
"Two Vajra Sword Talismans - Rat Father will harvest them one by one!"
"The Shushan Immortal Sect has tortured us all these years. I've been sufferin' all these years in the Demons' Abyss. When I get free, I will wash the human world in blood! Revenge! Sweet revenge!" The subterranean vampiric rat gritted its teeth and waved its fists.
"Die!" Nangong Wei stepped forth, the Crystal Fragment Blade in her hand already lunging. A perfect execution of sword cultivation.
Wu Yu watched from the side, watching over Nangong Wei.
"Hmph!" The subterranean vampiric rat shapeshifted again, reverting to its vampiric rat form. However, its body was now significantly larger, about the size of an elephant. It was completely blood-red, and a dense blood mist covered its body. It even extended speedily outwards, and the blood mist quickly engulfed Nangong Wei.
Ting!
From within the blood mist, wailing, fiery sword qi spurted out like a meteor shower. That was Nangong Wei's skill.
However, the blood mist churned, and assumed the form of a vampiric rat. It rushed around, completely trapping Nangong Wei. Who knew what was going on within.
Wu Yu had already readied himself to attack.
"Don't worry about that doll. Her highest-quality Jindan aside, she's about the same as I was back then. Just on the strength of her immortal root alone, she can defeat enemies at the second tier of Jindan," Ming Long suddenly said lazily.
"What immortal root does she have?" Wu Yu started.
"It's called the Core of the Vulcan. It's a top-quality immortal root. When used to its fullest, one can attain the Vulcan Elemental Body. Even at a basic level, that would be the Vulcan Warrior Body. It's even stronger than your Yin Yang Sword Wheel," Ming Long said after observing for a while.
"This Vulcan Elemental Body, is it stronger than the Invincible Vajra Body?"
Ming Long laughed. "Of course not. Back when I cultivated it to the fifth tier, it was already on par with the Vulcan Elemental Body. And the Invincible Vajra Body has 10 tiers."
As expected of an immortal's legacy. Even with the elite status of the Shushan Immortal Sect, Nangong Wei's talent was still not comparable to his.... Of course, he only had two immortality arts for now....
Although Ming Long said that he need not worry, Nangong Wei's battle with the vampiric rat raged on. Nangong Wei seemed to be using her full strength. When he caught a glimpse of her, she was covered in sweat, although she would not let Wu Yu intercede.
After half an hour, Nangong Wei finally stood victorious over the vampiric rat.
Although she was young, her battle experience was prolific. Maybe because the opponent was a demon, she had showed no mercy at all and fought until she had taken the vampiric rat's life.
"Big Brother." Nangong Wei's Crystal Fragment Blade fell to the floor. She staggered over to Wu Yu's side, her face pale. Her eyes shimmered with tears, and she looked up at Wu Yu, her tears beginning to fall. She sobbed as she said, "This was Wei Er's first time killing."
This meant that she had also never killed other martial cultivators before.
"It's alright." Wu Yu comforted her. This little girl was really pitiful, to have lost her mother from a young age. And now it was her first time killing a demon. That was a formative moment in her life.
After a while, Nangong Wei recovered.
"Go, take the two ears of the vampiric rat. They should be worth a few merits." Wu Yu patted her gently on the shoulder.
"Hmph! I will earn many, many merits." Nangong Wei recovered slightly.
She had just turned back to do as Wu Yu bid, when sword qi flashed by. A few figures descended from above, stepping on the corpse of the subterranean vampiric rat. Without a word, a blade flashed out to take the ears of the vampiric rat, which were squirreled away in a Sumeru Pouch. And then raucous laughter.
There were five of them.
Wu Yu was shocked. He had not expected that there would be Shushan disciples within the Shushan Immortal Sect who would snatch the labor of others just for a few merits. This was despicable.
"How fortunate. To have merits delivered into our pockets." The few of them laughed.
Wu Yu's side only had two people, and so they naturally paid no attention to the pair. Of course, this could not have been their first time.
Nangong Wei was enraged. "Who are you!? How can you be so despicable?! That is mine!"
"Such a young girl?" The few of them were taken aback.
"Return it to me!" Nangong Wei said coldly, trembling slightly from her rage.
Wu Yu looked closely. Three of them looked a little familiar, and at this moment, they spotted him as well.
He moved in for a closer look.
Enemies on a narrow road.
It was Zhou Xuan, Wang Fu, and Zhi Ying. Zhang Futu's three disciples.