Chapter 242: Return

Crack!

The fissures spread again, this time destroying even more of the black runes. The blood in the Blood Pool crept outward along the cracks like veins. From within the pool, a hand emerged and grasped the edge of the iron chains.

The moment the blood hand touched the chains, white smoke erupted.

The runes engraved on the chains lit up, emitting golden light. The surrounding chains trembled violently, their metallic clanks echoing through the space. As this happened, the cracks continued to spread. The entire Blood Pool chamber—floor, walls, and even ceiling—became covered in fissures. The crimson patterns spread out, forming a massive design that resembled the veins on the surface of a heart.

Soon, a second hand, a third hand.

A dense swarm of blood hands emerged from the Blood Pool, continuously grasping at the chains. The golden markings on them grew fainter and fainter.

Boom!

Finally, at the critical point, the chains completely snapped. Dozens of chains broke, and the blood water, now unrestrained, surged out of the Blood Pool like a tsunami. The person bound by the chains at the bottom opened their eyes and burst upward, shattering the chains.

“Return to me.”

In mid-air, Chen Luo raised his right arm. The power of the Demon Bone Array Sigil Art gathered in his fist, his entire arm radiating a savage aura like a primeval beast. The moment the figure charged out, he smashed his fist down.

The iron-chained figure never expected such treatment. The instant it flew out, it was struck by the fist and sent hurtling back in the opposite direction at even greater speed.

The iron chains, caught between the clashing forces, erupted with a clanking din.

“Still alive, as expected.”

Chen Luo withdrew his hand. His punch had targeted the head, aiming to test if he could retrieve a brain. With no reaction from the blow and no brain to collect, the Demonseed Sect Leader’s plan couldn’t proceed. It seemed he’d have to follow the original plan after all—wait until Core Formation to absorb this Old Demon.

Having made up his mind, Chen Luo ceased his probing. He suppressed his aura and retreated from the Blood Pool.

ROAR!

At the Blood Pool’s bottom, the figure crawled up again and bellowed toward the sky.

Blood surged skyward, a terrifying energy surging through the crimson tide. In the next instant, it coalesced into a blood hand that reached for Chen Luo in mid-air. This power far exceeded Foundation Establishment levels. With no intention of confronting it directly, Chen Luo decisively retreated to the doorway, opened the stone gate, and flew out.

The bloody hand collapsed into a palm and slammed against the stone door.

The ground trembled, and cracks spread across the entire outer surface of the secret chamber.

“Has it completely lost control?”

Elder Mei Xuan, who had been waiting outside, watched Chen Luo emerge. His expression darkened as he realized the Sealing Mission had failed. He wondered if the patriarch would punish them when he returned.

“The formation is completely destroyed,” Chen Luo explained, briefly describing the situation inside.

“The ancient corpse within wasn’t a true demon. It was a corpse demon born from a powerful cultivator’s remains. These creatures develop their own consciousness, and our task was to destroy that consciousness.”

Elder Mei Xuan had been the main force behind the Sealing Mission. For three years, he had been the one performing the consciousness-destroying work.

As they spoke, the Blood Pool’s secret chamber exploded completely, sending a torrent of bloodwater surging upward. However, neither man panicked. They stood at the boundary of Grey Stone Mountain, watching the scene unfold.

“Return!”

As the bloodwater neared the edge of Grey Stone Mountain, a face materialized on the surface of the stones. In the next instant, all the gray rocks on the mountain came alive. Layers of stone bulged outward, merging with the stone palms below to form a massive, colossal hand that swept downward from above.

BOOM!

A massive palm crashed into the ground, brutally smashing the Blood Pool back into its depths. The shadowy figure that had briefly emerged was once again crushed beneath the stone.

Under the Stone Spirit’s control, the blood surged backward against its natural flow. In moments, a new Blood Pool coalesced, and the shattered stone house reformed into a fresh structure.

To the Stone Spirit, everything on the mountain was part of its body. As long as the demonic entity remained dormant, it couldn’t escape its five-fingered prison. The sealing elders’ task, including Mei Xuan’s, was to use formation arrays to erode the demon’s spiritual intelligence, preventing this corpse demon from evolving into a true ‘demon’.

“Every time I see the Stone Spirit, I’m filled with awe,” Mei Xuan said, gazing at the restored Grey Stone Mountain.

“Born from the earth itself, possessing such power from the moment of creation.”

“With the Stone Spirit’s suppression, we’ll have at least half a year of peace. Once the formation masters complete the sealing array, the Sealing Mission can resume.”

After regaining some strength, Mei Xuan transformed into a streak of light that vanished into the horizon. This mission had been a complete failure - not only had they failed to extinguish the demon’s spirit, but he’d also accumulated Demonic Heart energy that would take months to purge.

Chen Luo stood before the grey stone mountain, then followed Mei Xuan’s example and flew away.

His cultivation had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, nearing perfection. It was time to consider certain matters—such as returning to the Seven Nations region to settle old debts and enmities.

Only by clearing all obstacles could he focus fully on achieving Core Formation.

Through his practice of the Demonic Heart Art, he’d discerned some patterns. While cultivating this art affected his spiritual energy, it wasn’t absolute. His breakthrough didn’t require him to deliberately seek out third-order spirit meridians like other Core Formation cultivators.

Half a day later.

Several formation masters arrived at Grey Stone Mountain, spending several days reconfiguring the Seal Array.

The pitch-black Seal Array was reestablished, with new Seal Elders taking up the task of sealing the demonic entity. It seemed Qiong Hua Sect’s upper echelons intended to utilize this corpse demon, and these sealing efforts served that strategic goal.

But none of this concerned Chen Luo anymore.

Shortly after leaving the Blood Pool, he accepted another infiltration mission.

At present, most available missions involved the demonic cultivation realm. The entire Qiong Hua Sect’s operations were focused on the Blackstone Ancestor. During this critical period, all resources and efforts had to support this strategic objective—a fact evident from the sealing missions. If the sect had replenished their manpower sooner, the Blood Pool mission might not have failed.

“Infiltration mission?”

The Peak Lord in White looked at Chen Luo, feeling somewhat exasperated.

He remembered when Wang Mingren had recommended him, claiming Chen Luo was a second-rank alchemist. Yet after all this time, this so-called “Elder Alchemist” hadn’t completed a single alchemist’s task. Instead, he’d taken on a myriad of miscellaneous missions. Now that the Sealing Mission was just concluded, he was already requesting another infiltration assignment.

“Elder Chen, the Southwest Territory isn’t as peaceful as it appears. Infiltrating there could be dangerous,” the Peak Lord in White hinted tactfully.

“Rest assured, Peak Lord. I’m from that very region.”

Chen Luo’s response left the Peak Lord in White utterly speechless, forcing him to once again approve the mission request.

While Chen Luo was applying to return to the demonic cultivation realm…

Tushan.

The Hu Clan’s Holy Mountain.

After five centuries, the previous Holy Maiden had passed away and entered the Ancestral Land. The competition for the new Holy Maiden’s successor had begun. All qualified candidates would return to the Ancestral Land with their chosen companions to contend for the final position.

Tushan wasn’t limited to this single corner.

This was the Hu Clan’s Holy Mountain. The region above the clouds connected to even more distant areas - that was the true core of the Hu Clan, where all their elders resided. Those cast to this side were sent for training, such as Su Linlin or that Su Ling. They were all candidates for the Holy Maiden position.

There were over twenty other candidates for the Holy Maiden position within the Hu Clan, all equally qualified.

These candidates would undergo brutal eliminations until the true Holy Maiden was chosen. She would inherit everything from the Hu Clan and lead them into the future.

“Su Ling’s destiny has already been decided,” said the three-tailed demon fox, which occupied half of the massive cavern. “She chose a lightning attribute cultivator with a heavenly spiritual root. Lightning cultivators hold a natural advantage against demonic creatures like us.”

Su Linlin lowered her head and replied solemnly, “I know.”

“You have three days left,” the three-tailed fox continued, its voice softening as it looked at the stubborn girl before it. “Don’t disappoint me.”

In this lineage, Su Linlin was the last remaining hope.

“This disciple takes leave now,” Su Linlin said, bowing respectfully before flying out of the cavern.

Gu Demon Mountain.

After leaving Qiong Hua Sect, Chen Luo spent half a day returning to Gu Demon Mountain. Everything on the mountain remained orderly under Ding Zhao’s management, just as he had left it.

Chen Luo’s return went unnoticed. He simply instructed Ding Zhao to bring Xiaoyu to him.

“Has she been here?”

As soon as Chen Luo entered the secret chamber, he saw the broken straw figure inside.

The backup plan he’d left behind had been destroyed. In the entire demonic cultivation realm, only one person could sneak in undetected - the Blackstone Ancestor. That old man had indeed never intended to spare him. Fortunately, he’d fled immediately when sensing danger.

Now that the Qiong Hua Sect was launching a major invasion and the Blackstone Ancestor himself was in trouble, returning now was actually less dangerous.

After clearing out the remaining straw figures in the secret chamber, Chen Luo had barely sat down when he heard movement outside.

“Mountain Lord, the person has been brought.”

Ding Zhao’s voice echoed from outside the secret chamber. After years of separation, Ding Zhao’s cultivation had advanced significantly - he now stood at the eleventh layer of Qi Refining. At this rate, he might even have a chance to reach Foundation Establishment within his lifetime.

“Greetings, Mountain Lord.”

Mu Xiaoyu had grown older and stronger since they last met three years ago. True to her heavenly spiritual roots, with Gu Demon Mountain’s abundant resources, she’d already reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Her cultivation speed rivaled even his own early progress. If she maintained this momentum, reaching Foundation Establishment would be assured.

“Yin Wind, our fellow cultivator, has met with calamity and passed away. As his close friend, I now offer you entry into our sect. Will you accept?” Chen Luo looked at Mu Xiaoyu before him and spoke.