NCCnovel Chapter 293 Forgive and forget
Chapter 293 Forgive and forget
Chapter 293 Forgive and forget
Inside the dimly lit hall, Fairy Xuan Yin leaned against a throne carved from black jade, "Black Lotus."
Xuan Yin Fairy's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable chill, echoing under the empty dome of the main hall.
"Go and send a message to summon the hall masters of the Beast Taming and Blood Cultivation lineages."
"This deity intends to open the main hall and awaken the spiritual treasure."
At the bottom of the steps, the Black Lotus Demon Lord, dressed in a black dress, respectfully bowed his head and said yes.
"Yes, Master!"
She did not hesitate at all. In the Demonic Sect, the will of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is the highest command.
Hei Lian stood up, took three steps back, then turned and transformed into a streak of black light, swiftly darting out of the main hall.
Silence returned to the main hall, with only the flickering flames of a few eternally burning magic lamps.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Two astonishing spiritual pressures suddenly emanated from the horizon.
First, a thick, blood-red beam of light tore through the clouds, carrying a nauseatingly sweet and pungent stench as it hurtled towards them.
Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar of a tiger shook the heavens, and a gigantic flying tiger demon king arrived on the clouds, with a burly man standing on its back.
The two beams of light suddenly converged in the plaza in front of the Demonic Path Main Hall, revealing two figures.
The man on the left had a sinister face and two scarlet blood crystal marks embedded in his forehead, which shone with an eerie light like a third eye. He was none other than the Lord of the Blood Seal Palace.
The burly man on the right had half of his arm bare, his face was tattooed with ferocious tiger stripes, and his muscles were as bulging as rocks. He was the Tiger Harmony Hall Master of the Beast Taming lineage.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes. They then straightened their robes and strode into the main hall.
"Greetings, Lord Xuanyin Palace."
The two walked to the center of the main hall and bowed respectfully to the beautiful figure on the high platform, showing no sign of negligence.
After the ceremony, they stood up, but their gazes invariably passed over Fairy Xuanyin and landed on the two figures behind her.
Ning Bu'er stood with his hands behind his back, his aura condensed, clearly indicating that he had stabilized his Nascent Soul realm.
A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Tiger Harmony Palace Master. He knew Ning Bu'er, but he didn't expect that after decades of not seeing him, this junior had already crossed that insurmountable barrier and become a fellow traveler on equal footing with them.
And the other one—
He wore a simple blue robe, yet possessed a profound and unyielding demeanor. Facing the gazes of two seasoned mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, he didn't even flinch.
"This must be the famous Chen Zhenjun, right?"
The Tiger Harmony Palace Master narrowed his cloudy eyes slightly, and said with a forced smile, "The commotion when True Monarch Chen formed his Nascent Soul was so great that even we, deep within the Demon Beast Mountain Range, heard it like thunder. Seeing it today, he truly is a young and promising talent!"
Chen Yi remained calm, showing no arrogance despite the praise. He simply cupped his hands slightly and said in a measured tone, "Greetings to the two True Lords."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Yi's divine sense flowed across the entrance of the main hall like a stream.
Several core subordinates of the two halls were standing there, but they were not yet of high enough rank to see True Lord Xuanyin, so they could only wait outside the hall.
Chen Yi's gaze lingered slightly on two of them.
One was a female cultivator in a blue dress, with a beautiful face but a sharp tongue; she was Xuan Shui Zhenjun from Beast King Valley.
The other was an old man surrounded by blood mist, Blood Mist Master.
Both of these people had old grudges against him; back then, he was only at the Core Formation stage...
哼—
A chill ran through Chen Yi's heart, and his fingertips twitched slightly.
But in the next instant, that murderous intent receded like a tide.
Looking at the two people outside the hall, trembling with fear and not daring to even breathe, he felt a sense of utter boredom.
too weak.
He is no longer the same person he once was.
In his eyes, these two were nothing more than stones he had already stepped over on the path of cultivation. It was not worth it to dirty his hands for these two passersby who could no longer keep up with him, and might even delay today's important matter.
Chen Yi withdrew his gaze, his eyes regaining their clarity.
On the high platform, Fairy Xuan Yin took in the whole scene, a playful smile curving her lips, before looking down at the two people below.
"Lord of the Blood Seal Hall, Lord of the Tiger Union Hall."
Her voice was cold and clear, and she got straight to the point: "I summoned you here today to open the Demon Box of the Demonic Path Main Hall. I have a few questions for the Box Spirit, and I need to borrow your Hall Seals."
Upon hearing this, the air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly.
The expressions of the Blood Seal Hall Master and Tiger Harmony Hall Master changed drastically, their previously respectful demeanor instantly replaced by astonishment.
"Lord of the Xuan Yin Palace!"
The Blood Seal Palace Master hurriedly stepped forward, his brows furrowed, his tone revealing a hint of anxiety: "The spirit of that Demon Box is currently in a dormant period. Each time it is forcibly awakened, its essence will be depleted."
Now that our demonic path has not encountered any great enemies or calamities, if we rashly open it, the magic box will fall into a dead silence within a hundred years and will be unable to be used in the slightest!
"If something earth-shattering happens during this time, how should my demonic path respond?"
Although the Lord of Huhe Palace did not speak, he stood aside and nodded repeatedly, clearly agreeing with the sentiment.
The "Demon Box," a treasure passed down through the demonic path, has a spirit whose mind is clouded by the constant corruption of demonic energy, and can only regain its senses once every hundred years.
The key to opening the magic box is the fusion of the inheritance marks of the Ancient Demon, the Beast King, and the Blood Cultivator lineages.
This is not only a depletion of resources, but also a vacuum in strategic power.
Upon hearing this, Fairy Xuanyin scoffed, her laughter filled with contempt for the excuses the two were using.
"event?"
She slowly stood up, and a terrifying spiritual pressure belonging to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator instantly filled the entire hall, causing the surrounding demonic energy to churn violently like boiling water.
"I have already advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage. Looking across the entire cultivation world, there are very few who can rival me!"
The Mysterious Yin Fairy looked down at the two of them, her eyes flashing with cold light: "Don't mention a mere hundred years, even if I were still alive, I could ensure the Demonic Path's main hall would be impregnable! What difference would it make whether this Demon Box is used or not?"
The Blood Seal Palace Master was forced to take half a step back by this aura, his face turning pale.
"Enough with the nonsense, you two. Hurry up and hand it over." Fairy Xuan Yin's tone turned cold as she issued her final ultimatum. "I don't have much time left. I won't be staying in the Demon Beast Mountain Range for long this time. As long as you cooperate with me, I won't bother with your usual dirty deeds."
otherwise----"
The unspoken words carried a chilling murderous intent.
The Lord of Tiger Harmony Palace trembled and subconsciously touched his left arm.
Decades ago, he disobeyed Xuan Yin and had his protective aura burned through by those terrifying demonic flames. The searing pain that penetrated to his bone marrow is still his nightmare.
In addition, the earth-shattering battle between Xuan Yin and Qingyun Patriarch several years ago has already spread throughout the cultivation world.
Those are truly people who stand on the clouds.
The Lord of Tiger Harmony Palace sighed inwardly, accepting reality. He couldn't fight city hall; a direct confrontation would only lead to death.
"Since the Palace Master insists, then so be it."
He flipped his thick hand, and a bronze-colored beast-taming ring appeared in his palm.
As his magical power surged, the runes on his beast-taming ring lit up, and a mysterious and peculiar wave of magical power instantly emanated from the main hall.
call--!
A fierce wind howled outside the hall, and a chilling, malevolent aura surged in like a tsunami.
Before long, a tall, strong man with a fierce face arrived on the wind and landed heavily in the hall, leaving two cracks in the hard obsidian floor.
The man was shirtless, with bronze skin, and the aura emanating from him was much stronger than that of Blood Seal and Tiger Union present. He was faintly touching the threshold of the late Nascent Soul stage, second only to the Xuan Yin Fairy on the high platform.
This person is none other than the Black Tiger Demon King, the natal spirit beast of True Lord Huhe.
"Fellow Daoist Huhe, what brings you here?"
The Black Tiger Demon King's voice was like thunder, making the hall vibrate. His gaze swept around, carrying a wild and arrogant air.
Tiger Harmony True Lord's lips moved slightly as he secretly discussed things with him telepathically for a long time.
The Black Tiger Demon King's face visibly darkened. He abruptly turned his head, his beastly vertical pupils fixed on the Xuan Yin Fairy on the high platform, two streams of white breath escaping from his nostrils, clearly extremely dissatisfied.
But under the calm yet unfathomable gaze of Fairy Xuan Yin, this unruly demon king finally revealed a look of fear.
"snort!"
The Black Tiger Demon King frowned and snorted coldly, having no choice but to obey orders.
The next moment, he suddenly roared to the sky.
"roar--!!!"
A deafening roar of a tiger echoed through the closed hall, the sound waves rolling in.
Immediately afterwards, veins bulged on the Black Tiger Demon King's forehead, and his flesh seemed to be torn apart by some force, with tiny, dazzling drops of blood seeping out.
An ancient and complex beast soul seal was slowly emerging from his sea of consciousness.
As soon as the beast soul imprint appeared, it exuded a desolate and violent aura of an ancient ferocious beast, as if an ancient behemoth was sleeping within it.
As the beast seal was fully released, the Black Tiger Demon King's originally incomparably powerful aura instantly dissipated like a deflated balloon.
The pressure that was originally at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm was reduced by almost half, barely maintaining the level of the peak of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm.
The Black Tiger Demon King, pale-faced and displeased, grabbed the Beast Soul Seal in his hand and slammed it heavily into Tiger Harmony True Monarch's hand. He then retreated to the side without a word, secretly circulating his demonic power to heal his injuries.
Tiger Harmony True Monarch held the scorching hot beast soul seal, but did not hand it over immediately.
He raised his head, his eyes gleaming, and looked at the Mysterious Yin Fairy on the high platform. He steeled himself and made a request: "Mysterious Yin Palace Master, before handing over the mark, I have a favor to ask."
Fairy Xuan Yin raised an eyebrow: "Speak."
Huhe Zhenjun glanced at Chen Yi standing behind Xuan Yin and said in a low voice, "My concubine, Xuan Shui Xianzi, had some misunderstandings with Fellow Daoist Chen several decades ago."
Now that Fellow Daoist Chen has become a True Lord, I wonder if, in consideration of my subordinates' cooperation today, this karmic debt could be forgiven?
"Oh?"
The Fairy of Mysterious Yin uttered a meaningful monosyllable.
She knew about it.
Back then, those two audacious little fellows, Chen Yi and Ji Wuchen, secretly sneaked into Yinlei Peak to steal opportunities, only to be caught red-handed by Xuan Shui Zhenjun, who had already advanced to the Nascent Soul stage.
That was quite a beating.
Later, Ji Wuchen fled back to his parents' house to complain, and the Ji family sent a demonic beast to deliver a message and demand an explanation.
Fortunately, Xuan Yin Zhenjun had just emerged from seclusion and single-handedly withstood the pressure, preventing the demonic path from being too embarrassed.
Even so, the result was that Beast King Valley suffered heavy losses, losing a lot of rare materials to the Ji family, and at the same time, Xuan Shui Zhenjun was confined for a hundred years, forbidden from stepping out of the Monster Beast Mountain Range.
From the perspective of Beast King Valley back then, what they were resolving was the karmic debt with the Ji family behind Ji Wuchen.
As for Chen Yi, who is only at the mid-stage of Core Formation?
It was just an ant that could be crushed with a flick of the wrist, and no one took it to heart.
But who could have imagined that in just a few decades, fortunes would turn around and that the ant would grow into a behemoth that could stand on equal footing with them?
Three years ago, the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation that shook the surrounding area for thousands of miles is still a topic of conversation among cultivators in the Central Plains.
The aura of Chen Yipu's ascension, his heroic figure of holding Ning Xianzi in one hand and withstanding ten layers of heavenly lightning, and the first thing he did after stabilizing his cultivation was to cross tens of thousands of miles and kill the Black Serpent True Monarch in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, without even letting the Nascent Soul realm go.
After hearing about this from Huhe Zhenjun, Xuanshui Zhenjun felt a fine layer of cold sweat break out on his back.
She knew all too well that what she had done back then was no small matter in the eyes of the other party.
Xuan Yin Zhenjun sat upright in the main seat, his gaze shifting between the two.
She did not rush to express her opinion, but instead turned her gaze to Chen Yi.
Chen Yi pondered for a moment. The most crucial thing was to restore Ning Bu'er's supernatural powers. Searching for all the rare treasures needed by him alone would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
The best clue right now is to inquire about this magical treasure from the Demonic Sect.
Past grudges are important, but if they can be exchanged for an opportunity for Ning Bu'er to return to his peak, the score is not hard to calculate.
His lips curled into a slight smile, breaking the deathly silence in the hall.
"Since Fellow Daoist Huhe is willing to use the Beast King Seal to cooperate with our mission, I, Chen, am also willing to get to know Fellow Daoist Xuanshui again."
This sounded mild, but it didn't offer any clear promises.
Tiger Harmony True Lord, an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years, instantly understood the hidden meaning in the words.
He gave a slight nod and let out a deep roar towards the outside of the hall.
"Xuan Shui, why aren't you coming over to pay your respects to True Lord Chen?!"
Before he could finish speaking, a streak of azure light swept in from outside the hall.
Xuan Shui Zhenjun landed, her long, flowing light blue dress spreading out on the white marble bricks.
She lowered her eyes, her former arrogance as a Nascent Soul cultivator completely gone, replaced by a cautious demeanor.
She quickly walked to Huhe Zhenjun's side, bowed gracefully to Chen Yi, her waist bending at a very low angle.
"Chen Zhenjun".
Back then at Thunder Peak, my spirit pet's information was wrong. I didn't know that you were helping Young Master Ji seize an opportunity, and I almost ruined your important matter.
Fortunately, Fellow Daoist Chen and Young Master Ji possessed extraordinary abilities, preventing any serious consequences.
Xuan Shui Zhenjun's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
She looked up, forcing a fawning smile onto her face.
"In recent years, I have heard that Young Master Ji and Fellow Daoist Chen have both advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, and that they are both geniuses that are rare in thousands of years. Their future achievements are limitless. My regret has been growing ever stronger."
"I am fortunate to meet Fellow Daoist Chen today, and I deeply regret my past actions. These materials are what I have collected over the decades. Would True Lord Chen find them to be to your liking?"
She held up a dark blue storage bag with both hands, her fingertips pale from the force she exerted.
Chen Yi's divine sense surged into the bag like a tidal wave.
The bag was stuffed full.
The first thing that catches the eye is several ancient fourth-tier spiritual herbs, their fragrance so rich it's almost tangible.
What excited him even more were the main materials for those fourth-tier beast pills, each one radiating a violent surge of demonic power.
Deep within a pile of spirit stones and precious materials, lies a huge elixir lying quietly.
The elixir was entirely yellowish-brown, its surface covered with mysterious patterns, and it was as heavy as a mountain.
That was a demon king's essence pill with earth attribute.
Chen Yi's heartbeat quickened slightly.
His treasure-hunting rat was stuck at the third-tier perfection level. If he had this great pill to help him, his chances of advancing to the fourth-tier demon king would increase by at least 30%.
Xuan Shui Zhenjun really went to great lengths to save his life.
"Hmm. Fellow Daoist Xuan Shui is very thoughtful."
Chen Yi nodded slightly, and the suppressed sword intent in the hall dissipated considerably.
Upon seeing this, Xuan Shui Zhenjun's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and Hu He Zhenjun also revealed a smile, preparing to say a few polite words.
However, Chen Yi suddenly changed the subject.
"Back then, Chen and three friends traveled to Zhongzhou on a flying boat belonging to the Nine Heavens Merchant Guild, spending over 20,000 spirit stones. However, the flying boat ended up being sold to the headquarters of this Demonic Sect—this matter—."
The heart that Xuan Shui Zhenjun had just put down suddenly jumped into his throat.
She froze on the spot, her smile becoming completely stiff.
That incident involved her selling the entire ship's passengers to the demonic path, even paying for the three palace masters currently on this platform. She thought that now that Chen Yi was under the tutelage of True Monarch Xuan Yin, he wouldn't bring it up again, but unexpectedly, he still held a grudge about this.
She gave an awkward, dry laugh, a bead of sweat glistening on her forehead.
Under the slightly displeased gaze of Tiger Harmony True Lord, she could only grit her teeth and take out a bright red jade box from her sleeve once again.
Even before the jade box was opened, a scorching heat filled the hall.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, look, I have a bad memory. This is an apology for that flying boat incident."
The hand that Xuan Shui Zhenjun handed over the jade box was trembling slightly.
This contains another crimson demon king's essence pill, of the fire attribute, and its rarity is in no way inferior to the previous one.
Chen Yi took the jade box, feeling the intense heat emanating from his fingertips.
He put it in his pocket, and the smile on his face finally became more genuine.
"Fellow Daoist Xuan Shui, please don't be so polite next time."
Actually, I've long since stopped caring about these two incidents. I'm only mentioning it because my friend is prone to holding grudges. I'll talk to him about it later; it shouldn't be a big problem.
The friend he mentioned could be Lao Hu, Ji Wuchen, or even nobody.
Chen Yi knew in his heart that in front of a veteran mid-Nascent Soul cultivator like Huhe Zhenjun, especially since the other party was also accompanied by a demon king that was close to the late stage of the fourth rank, his chances of winning in a head-on fight were not high.
Moreover, the primary goal now is to help Ning Bu'er find an opportunity.
In this perilous land, having another mortal enemy of this caliber is far from a wise move.
Seeing that Chen Yi had accepted the items, Xuan Shui Zhenjun breathed a long sigh of relief and retreated behind Hu He Zhenjun.
Although Chen Yi said he "didn't care," the feeling of his divine sense brushing against her neck when it swept over her made her realize that if it weren't for these treasures clearing the way, things would have ended badly today.
At this moment, Blood Bat Immortal, who had been standing in the shadows outside the hall, began to have his legs trembling involuntarily.
He didn't have a powerful backer like Tiger Harmony True Lord, nor did he have the substantial wealth of Mysterious Water True Lord.
What made him feel most desperate was that the "Blood Soul Seal" mentioned by Chen Yi was the core secret he had relied on for survival for many years.
He looked at the Blood Seal Ancestor inside the hall, and a bad feeling already crept into his heart.
In the center of the hall, seeing that the cause and effect had been resolved, Huhe Zhenjun stopped talking and waved his right hand. A dark gold seal carved with a ferocious tiger's head landed steadily in Xuanyin Zhenjun's hand.
Xuan Yin Zhenjun took the Beast Soul Seal, his fingertips tracing the cold patterns, and then turned to look at Xue Yin Zhenjun.
"The Bloodstain, what about yours?"
A bitter smile appeared on the lips of Blood Seal True Monarch, as he felt several divine senses simultaneously locking onto him.
"Lord Xuanyin Palace, to be honest, that Blood Soul Seal is not with me for the time being, and I cannot produce it today."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.
"Huh? Bloodstain, what do you mean?"
Xuan Yin Zhenjun's voice suddenly rose in pitch, and a faint rumbling sound echoed in the air. A cold glint flickered in her narrow phoenix eyes.
Blood Seal True Monarch felt an overwhelming pressure, his forehead veins bulged, and his voice sounded somewhat hoarse.
"My Blood Soul Seal—is lost."
"Lost?"
Xuan Yin was taken aback. Then, she heard Chen Yi's telepathic message in her mind. She paused for a moment, then sneered, "Blood Seal, do you dare swear to Heaven and Earth that it is indeed lost?"