Dao of The Demonic Cultivator

Chapter 86: Late Foundation Establishment! Return to Wu Province!

The world outside was full of chaos and distractions, but Chu Xuan, now imbued with the Evil Wood Spiritual Body, was calmly focusing on his own plan—breaking through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.

On this day, after a year of meditative sitting, a sudden surge of energy exploded within Chu Xuan. The bottleneck that had constrained him for three years finally showed signs of loosening.

Chu Xuan let out a low growl, accelerating the circulation of the Blood Evil Demon Refining Scripture. Spiritual Qi burst forth from his Qi Sea like a towering tidal wave, repeatedly slamming against the barrier in front of him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The first attempt did not break through. Neither did the second. Nor the third, fourth, or fifth... It was only on the sixth attempt that the overwhelming Spiritual Qi finally shattered the barrier.

In an instant, Chu Xuan felt a profound sense of clarity. When he regained his senses, his Qi Sea had expanded significantly, at least doubling in size compared to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment. This was the difference between the mid and late stages of the Foundation Establishment.

"Finally, I have entered the late stage of Foundation Establishment!" Chu Xuan stood up, feeling immensely relieved and exhilarated. "With the strength of the late stage of Foundation Establishment, I should be able to claim my share of the chaotic and dangerous Wu Province!"

Immediately, Chu Xuan activated the Blood Mirror and returned to Mystic Azure Realm!

...

In Wu Province, outside the Ironwire Mountains, within a seemingly ordinary cave, Chu Xuan appeared abruptly.

Previously, the Extreme Yin Cave had been compelled to join the war under orders from the Heavenly Seal Sect.

Chu Xuan had been dispatched to the Ironwire Mountains to rescue two cultivators from the Heavenly Seal Sect who were trapped there. He had been ambushed by a Gu Master from the Ironwire Mountains. After assessing the significant disparity in strength between himself and his enemy, he had chosen to retreat to this cave.

Before heading to Blue Star, he had carefully laid numerous formations within the cave to ensure that no one could discover anything about this place. Now, upon his return, Chu Xuan immediately checked these formations. Confirming that there were no signs of intrusion, he finally felt at ease.

His biggest concern had been encountering enemies waiting for him immediately upon his arrival through the Blood Mirror—a truly dire scenario.

"I spent a total of four years cultivating on Blue Star, which amounts to forty-eight months. Converted to the time here, that's about five months," Chu Xuan mused. "A lot can change in five months. I can't act rashly; I need to gather intelligence first."

Disguised with a rugged bearded face, Chu Xuan soared towards the battlefield he remembered. It wasn't long before he encountered a skirmish. Three Qi Refining stage cultivators were locked in fierce combat. Two were from the Heavenly Seal Sect, while one was a cultivator from the Blood Bee Cave, a sect under the Thousand Insects Sect and roughly equal in power to the Ironwire Mountains.

Chu Xuan recalled that Li Xuanming had once been tasked with assisting the Blood Bee Cave.

The Blood Bee Cave cultivator clearly had the upper hand, aggressively commanding a swarm of blood bees, overwhelming the two Heavenly Seal Sect cultivators who were already heavily wounded and depleted of Spiritual Qi.

"Senior brother, we should flee!" the shorter and thinner of the two Heavenly Seal Sect cultivators despaired.

"Junior brother, you run first," the taller and thinner cultivator replied, eyes rolling as he plotted his escape.

"Die, demonic cultivators of the Heavenly Seal Sect!" the Blood Bee Cave cultivator laughed cruelly, directing the swarm of blood bees towards the taller cultivator.

In a moment of ruthless decision, the taller cultivator grabbed his shorter companion and threw him behind himself as a shield. The bees swarmed over the smaller cultivator, stinging his face and chest mercilessly. Their sharp mandibles quickly tore away flesh, revealing ghastly white bones underneath.

"Senior brother! You!" The junior brother screamed in agony, his eyes blazing with rage and betrayal, wishing to incinerate the so-called senior brother into ashes.

The senior cultivator sneered without looking back, running faster than a rabbit. But he had only made it a few steps when he heard the horrific screams of the Blood Bee Cave cultivator behind him.

Stopping dead in his tracks, he turned to see the Blood Bee Cave cultivator being violently grasped by a pitch-black ghostly claw. The claw squeezed fiercely, and with a sickening crunch, the cultivator was segmented into several pieces, his blood and flesh scattering everywhere.

Such effortless killing was not within the capabilities of a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator. This had to be the work of a Foundation Establishment expert!

He saw a figure in black robes holding the head of the Blood Bee Cave cultivator, apparently casting a spell. The black-robed cultivator waved him over with his other hand.

Swallowing hard, the tall cultivator hesitantly made his way back, hoping desperately that this mysterious figure hadn't witnessed his earlier betrayal. Fortuitously, when he arrived, he found his junior brother dead, his features twisted in a gruesome mask of pain, leaving no one alive to accuse him of abandoning his fellow sect member.

"Many thanks for your lifesaving grace, senior! I am but a humble disciple of the Heavenly Seal Sect at the Qi Refining stage..." The tall cultivator wept bitterly, bowing respectfully.

However, before he could finish his words, a sinister spectral claw suddenly clenched around him. With a snap, it twisted his head off.

Chu Xuan watched the cultivator, whose eyes bulged grotesquely and said indifferently, "I have no interest in knowing your name. Searching your soul will suffice."

A disciple from the Blood Bee Cavern, and another from the Heavenly Seal Sect. Their memories corroborated each other.

This was perfect for Chu Xuan to piece together the events of the past few months. After briefly examining the memories, Chu Xuan shook his head.

"The war is still so tense. The Thousand Insects Sect, the Blood Fury Sect, and the Bone Refining Manor are the three largest native sects of Wu Province—currently, only the Blood Fury Sect and Bone Refining Manor have fallen to the Heavenly Seal Sect. The Thousand Insects Sect remains unconquered."

Moreover, Chu Xuan discovered through their memories that nearly forty Foundation Establishment cultivators had perished in the past five months. Despite being outnumbered, the Thousand Insects Sect had exploited the geographical advantage of Wu Province, dragging the Heavenly Seal Sect's cultivators to their deaths in every marsh, rainforest, and valley.

The Golden Core masters of both sides had clashed multiple times. Yet the Heavenly Seal Sect had gained no advantage, even suffering a severely injured Golden Core cultivator.

Chu Xuan sensed something amiss. Despite the resilience of the Thousand Insects Sect, the number of their Golden Core cultivators was few—hardly enough to withstand the combined assault of several of the Heavenly Seal Sect's Golden Core elites.

Perhaps, the other four sects of Yu Country were also stirring the pot in the shadows. They wished to see this war drag on.

Preferably, to drain the Heavenly Seal Sect of its last drop of blood. The day when the Righteous Five Sects became the Righteous Four would be great news for them.

"Five days ago, Chen Zhaofeng seized a top-grade magic tool from the Thousand Insects Sect, and while fleeing, he was ambushed by two Gu Masters from the Ironwire Mountain, trapped on Ironwire Mountain?"

At this revelation, Chu Xuan's eyes lit up.

A top-grade magic tool! Such rarities were few and far between. At present, the only top-grade magic tool he possessed was the Merit Bell, acquired through slaying and looting from Huikong.

"Junior Brother Chen, I'm here to save you. Asking for a top-grade magic tool in return isn't too much, is it? And the Gu Master who once ambushed me, your life shall be taken!"

With a cold laugh, Chu Xuan directed his flying sword toward Ironwire Mountain.

Having refined countless Yin Evil Qi and consumed numerous spiritual items for so many years, wasn't it all for today?