[author]Sorry for the missed chapter, my grandparents were in a car accident, so I had to take care of that. For anyone wondering, they are fine now. Anyways, the schedule will return to normal.[/author]
“Listen closely. I will only say this once.” Elder Jadeflame said as he coldly scanned the disciples present. Seeing that they were sufficiently cowed, he nodded in satisfaction.
“I am Elder Jadeflame of Jade Peak of the Buzhou Immortal Sect. You may be wondering where the other immortal elders are for this expedition. You don’t have to wonder anymore because I am the only elder and overseer for the expedition.” Before the disciples could raise questions or even wonder, Elder Jadeflame continued speaking. “Don’t hope that you will be safe just because you are descending into a realm we control. If I bother about every little aspect and protect you from everything, how would you grow? The point of this expedition is to gather resources for yourself and the sect, but it is also a crucial chance for you to temper yourselves.”
The disciples had heard many rumors about the expedition, but upon hearing that the immortal elder won’t go out of his way to protect, they couldn’t help but tense up. Elder Jadeflame inwardly smiled as he saw this. “That is not to say you are completely unprotected. If an immortal realm equivalent demon ever appears, I will take care of it. You need not worry about their numbers. For an immortal monarch like me, it means nothing much. However, if you die from the mortal realm demons, you can only blame yourself!”
Elder Jadeflame nodded in satisfaction upon seeing the seriousness on the disciple’s faces. “I see that you all took my warning seriously, good. Now I will distribute the general information concerning the Demon Cage Realm. As for further information, you will have to gather them yourself.”
The information generally boiled down to forbidden territories that the disciples shouldn’t enter. If they did and died, they could only blame themselves. Most of the danger zones had mountains as their central points, and the most conspicuous of all was Central Chain Mountain, the mountain that was situated at the center of the Demon Chain Realm.
The second most important piece of information was the three clans that controlled the Demon Cage Realm: the Golden Crow Clan, Jade Rabbit Clan, and Leviathan Clan. Among the three clans, the Golden Crow Clan had the least amount of members but the greatest individual strength. They descended from legendary Three-Legged Crows and were proficient in fire techniques and methods.
The most prolific clan was the Jade Rabbit Clan. Their individual strength was two or three levels lowers than the other clans, but they compensated it with quantity. The clan itself had no great specialization, but if you faced one, you faced a whole group. At a certain point, quantity became quality in itself.
And last but not least was the Leviathan Clan. As a clan that was mainly situated in water regions, they were the most mysterious clan with the least amount of information, but there were rumors that they contained the dragon clan’s bloodline. Among the three clans, their overall strength was the greatest.
All three clans were supported by their ancestors: Golden Crow Ancestor, Jade Rabbit Ancestor, and Leviathan Ancestor. It was their ancestor that acted as a deterrent to the other demon clans, stabilizing their position as the top three clans. The intelligence reported their strength to be equal to true immortals.
Upon reading this, Tianyi held his chin in thought. Maybe he should focus on the Leviathan Clan? According to the report, they had the dragon bloodline. Although it was a rumor for it to be put on the report, there should still be some basis.
Elder Jadeflame allowed the people present to digest a report before he ordered them to move to the third floor of the Descending Immortal Embassy. If the first floor was an artificial paradise, then the third floor was a magnificent throne room. Just standing inside the vast room made all the cultivators feel small and insignificant.
The cultivators began to converse among themselves quietly. Elder Jadeflame had informed them that they were going to descend into the Demon Cage Realm, so they had to enter the third for their safety while Elder Jadeflame was in the core room controlling the Descending Immortal Embassy. As far as transportation methods went, it was quite dull. With immortal boats, you could spectate the scenery at the very least.
With nothing else better to do, the disciples of the various sects began to talk among each other. This wasn’t idle conversation but to selecting their teammates. Aside from being forbidden to kill each other, the expedition was pretty loose. You could fight and compete with others or team up if you wish to. There was no deployment or management at all.
“Please return, benefactor. We have received your goodwill, but we have our own plans.”
Xia Yushan sighed in disappointment at the Buddhist disciples’ refusal. He glanced at the other discouraged people. At the very least, he wasn’t the only one who didn’t succeed. It seemed that the Buddhists planned to act as one group without anyone else’s aid or interference. It didn’t seem like they were entering the Demon Cage Realm blindly. Instead, they seem to have a clear motive.
Seeing as he didn’t manage to recruit any of the Buddhists, Xia Yushan directed his attention towards the other notable disciples that he had been paying to, chief among them, Sheng Ni.
“Junior Brother Sheng, have you decided on who you are following?” Xia Yushan asked the white-haired man in front of him.
Bloodlust incarnate, that was the first thought that would appear when one met him. Sheng Ni had a plain face, but all the hair on him had lost all color, like snow, as if his vitality had long disappeared. Coupled with his white robes, Sheng Ni appeared to be an emotionless tool of slaughter.
“No, I plan to act alone.” Sheng Ni’s voice was surprisingly mild and calm. If not for the surprising amount of bloodlust surrounding him, no one would have paid much attention to him, even with his unique hair color.
Wei Daiying frowned at Sheng Ni’s brusque tone and said unhappily. “Sheng Ni, just because you placed highly on the Paradise Agony Abyss ranking board, don’t think that you are invincible. On the road of cultivation, willpower is only one aspect.”
Sheng Ni lightly looked at Wei Daiying, causing Wei Daiying’s heart to palpitate even if Sheng Ni wasn’t doing anything. Just one glance made Wei Daiying peer into an abyss composed of blood and skeletons. “Many thanks for Senior Brother’s advice. If there is not anything else, please excuse me.”
Only when Sheng Ni left could Wei Daiying regain his senses. He rubbed his noses. Why did it seem like Sheng Ni got annoyed and just left with a sweep of his sleeves?
Xia Yushan sighed. He regretted not discovering Sheng Ni’s potential earlier before he became famous. Right now, he was probably only one of many trying to rope in Sheng Ni. He understood that even though he was the eldest senior brother, the conditions given by him weren’t the best.
But what could he do? Being the disciple of the sect master didn’t mean he was the best. For example, Xia Yushan glanced at Tianyi and Daoyi. He averted his eyes and focused on Xi Ri.
Xi Ri.
He had researched this cousin of Tianyi. Despite only being the disciple of an earth immortal, Tianyi was actually secretly supplementing Xi Ri’s resources with his own through Xi Ri’s master. Xi Ri was actually none the wiser. Xia Yushan really had to applaud Xi Ri’s master for having the foresight of taking in Xi Ri as his disciple. He guessed that the old fogies of Appointments Hall didn’t live so long for nothing.
Xia Yushan’s footsteps paused before he walked towards Tianyi’s group. He had planned to invite Tianyi last, but seeing that Tianyi was surrounded by numerous inviters, he decided to move Tianyi up his priority list.
“Junior Brother Xi seems to be quite popular.” Xia Yushan lightly said.
Tianyi laughed in response and joked. “Maybe it’s because I’m from Jade Peak and Elder Jadeflame is from Jade Peak as well.”
Upon hearing this, Xia Yushan’s smile dimmed. Unlike Tianyi, he was clear that Elder Jadeflame wasn’t the original choice for the overseer for the Demon Slaying Expedition. In fact, it was supposed to be ten other immortal elders.
Being an overseer of the Demon Slaying Expedition allowed the immortal elders to pick up small benefits from the Demon Cage Realm despite it not being the Immortal Demon Slaying Expedition. As long as they didn’t go overboard, the Buzhou Immortal Sect would turn a blind eye to it. Too bad the person they met was an immortal monarch.
Xia Yushan had reason to believe that Elder Jadeflame was the overseer to secretly protect Tianyi. And to see Tianyi brag about it made him clench his hands hidden within his sleeves. Some of the ten elders were originally his supporters, but this was all ruined due to Tianyi. Now, most of his plans became obsolete, and he couldn’t move as easily either.
“What are your plans? If you don’t have any, how about coming with me?” Xia Yushan asked with a composed smile, not letting any of his true thoughts show.
“I plan to see if I can get anything from the Leviathan Clan. Not to hide it from you, I’m quite interested to see if they have the rumored dragon bloodline. If you plan to do that too, we can do it together.” Tianyi said.
Honestly, he probably wasn’t the only that was interested in the Leviathan Clan due to their rumored dragon bloodline. If there is one material that hasn’t change in quantity or was least affected by the Human-Divine Beast War, it would be dragon resources. Due to their protectiveness and pride, they would assault anyone who desecrated their clan’s corpse. Of course, this was only referring to pure dragons or those close to it and not mixed-bloods.
“Unfortunately, I plan to temper myself against the Golden Crow Clan. As a sword cultivator, fire is actually quite crucial for my tempering.” Xia Yushan joked before looking at Daoyi and Xi Ri. “What about you two? I don’t think that it would good for you to seek the Leviathan Clan. They are situated near the Demon Cage Realm’s only sea, so they are the rulers. If you come with me to the Golden Crow or even the Jade Rabbit, you should be able to get a wider range of materials.”
“Thank you for your concern, but I’ve already discussed it with Tianyi. So I plan to seek the Leviathan Clan as well.” Daoyi said.
Tianyi blinked at her. When did they discuss this? Shrugging carelessly, Tianyi didn’t expose Daoyi’s lie. If Daoyi or Xi Ri went with Xia Yushan, then he would have to abandon his plans. For now, their safety was his main priority. He didn’t want to lose them after reuniting with his fellow reincarnators.
Xia Yushan sighed in disappointment and relented. It seemed that he would have to redouble his efforts in the future.
After Tianyi rejected everyone and they left, Xi Ri spoke. “I don’t like him.”
Tianyi glanced at Xi Ri. “Reason?”
Xi Ri shrugged. “Just a feeling. I’ve actually felt it before, but I didn’t say anything since he hadn’t done anything yet. Unlike this time. Although he knew that we were in a group, he tried to poach us from you.”
Tianyi stayed silent at Tianyi’s last remark. He was neither blind nor deaf, so he could detect Xia Yushan’s intent no matter how good it was dressed up. He didn’t plan on separating from Xi Ri and Daoyi at all in the Demon Cage Realm, but he was curious about the first half of Xi Ri’s sentences.
“What do you mean by feeling?” Tianyi asked.
Xi Ri stayed silent for a moment before speaking. “Disdain. I couldn’t see it in his eyes, but I felt as if he was disdaining me the first time we met. I can’t explain it well, but I felt this feeling before.”
Tianyi did ask Xi Ri to elaborate on where Xi Ri felt this feeling before. Tianyi felt the chances were low in the Xi Dynasty and in the Buzhou Immortal Sect. So the most likely time was in Xi Ri’s first life.
Personally, he didn’t feel that Xia Yushan was that bad, but recently, he felt that Xia Yushan was a bit different from when he had first met him. If Tianyi had to describe it, it was the tinge of danger in Xia Yushan’s aura.
“What about you? He seemed quite focus on you.” Tianyi asked as he looked at Daoyi.
“I feel that I should stay away from him,” Daoyi said, her tone light as if it was inconsequential.
“Why? I feel that he treats you pretty well.” Tianyi said as he gave a meaningful smile.
Daoyi rolled her eyes at him. “Exactly, I don’t want to give him any hope at all.”
Tianyi’s eyes began to shine as if spelling a juicy story. “Do tell.”
Daoyi gave Tianyi a look before sighing at Tianyi’s expectant eyes. “He might have a great interest in me, but he reminds me too much of my father.”
At those words, Tianyi immediately clammed up. He knew that Daoyi’s family wasn’t a good topic, so he coughed into his fist and changed the subject, no longer bothering Daoyi.
Contrary to Tianyi’s expectations, they arrived at the Demon Cage Realm in less than a day. Naturally, he couldn’t tell what the outside looked like due to being on the third floor.
Once Elder Jadeflame gave the permission, the group began to descend towards the first floor and out the doors. Against Tianyi’s expectations, it was nighttime. He felt as if the script was off. Didn’t people usually arrive during the day?
Shrugging, Tianyi turned to look at Daoyi and Xi Ri to see them struggling. “What’s wrong?”
Daoyi’s movements were sluggish as if she mired in quicksand. Xi Ri was even worse as his legs had begun to tremble as if something heavy was pressing down against him.
“You really can’t feel it?” Xi Ri’s voice was full of disbelief.
“Feel what?” Tianyi asked, not knowing what Xi Ri meant. He glanced at the other disciples that were coming out of the Descending Immortal Embassy and saw that they showed signs of being affected by something as well.
“The gravity is heavier, and the spiritual qi here is less dense than the Huang Realm.” Daoyi stepped and explained. She hadn’t expected the environment to change so much just from stepping out.
Tianyi frowned as he heard this. He unleashed his spiritual senses and began to investigate and realized that Daoyi was right. The density of the spiritual qi around him was only one-tenth of the Huang Realm, while the gravity was around ten times greater. His eyes flashed. Perhaps this was another method of tempering. Tianyi had heard that athletes would limit their oxygen supply through various methods to increase their body’s oxygen absorption. Perhaps this was the same principle?
If two cultivators were the same and had equal skills, the one with the better qi management skills would prevail, just that Tianyi didn’t care. He had long stopped paying attention to the spiritual qi in the air because it did not benefit him much. His own natural generation was superior, not to mention the spiritual qi of heaven and earth rejected him.
As for the gravity, Tianyi waved his arms and tried to generate a wormhole only to have no reaction. The stability of the Demon Cage Realm was even greater than the Huang Realm, preventing him from teleporting at all. Tianyi only sighed in relief when he checked that he could still use his spatial rings.
“The spiritual qi is about one-tenth as dense as the Huang Realm. Conversely, the gravity is about ten times greater.” Tianyi said. “I didn’t feel it because the difference was too minuscule for me to notice.”
Daoyi and Xi Ri felt their lips twitch. Bro, are you bragging about how powerful you are?
“Anyways, I guess this is part of the sect to temper us. Plus, it probably restricts the demon’s growth in a way. But you have to be careful since we are affected by the sudden changes while the demons have grown up in this environment.” Tianyi advised.
Tianyi waved his hand, and his yacht-like immortal boat appeared. “I’ll take charge of transportation. You two just focus on acclimating to the environment.”
Daoyi and Xi Ri nodded. They had no objections, boarded the immortal boat with Tianyi.
Off in the distance, Xia Yushan frowned when he saw Tianyi had left already. He had wanted to advise the trio upon feeling the effect of the Demon Cage Realm, who knew that Tianyi would suddenly leave. “Hopefully, Tianyi won’t drag Daoyi down.”