บท 17: The true Devil's Den
Ximen Wei woke up, panting heavily, he found himself in a cave that he figured to be under the swamp. Behind him lay a curtain of blood and gore, apparently that's the sole entrance and exit of the cave, the place he came from.
Compared to the blood swamp that lay outside, this cave was ordinary in every shape or form, there was nothing strange or unnatural about it, something that Ximen Wei found weird.
When Ximen Wei tried to exit and swim back to the surface, he found that he couldn't leave, and strangely, the gore and blood outside couldn't enter either. It was as if there were some sort of invisible barrier that prevents anything and everything from entering or exiting the cave.
Despite that, Ximen Wei heaved a sigh of relief. At least he was not dead, when the skeleton hand grabbed his leg, he thought he was gone, but apparently it just dragged him to this cave.
There was something that strangely assurred Ximen Wei, it was the resonance his cultivation base to this place. It was as if something deep inside the cave was calling out to him.
With no other choice other than to go forward, he went ahead and threw caution to the wind. Since he couldn't leave, then he would explore the depths of this cave.
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Ximen Wei found himself looking at a skeleton atop a throne, a throne of skulls and bone. And found out that... the skeleton was also looking at him, within' it's empty eye sock, Ximen Wei can see crimson dots of light that shone with an everburning madness.
The skeleton was emanating an aura of deep rot and death, yet Ximen Wei could detect faint traces of lifeforce coursing through it. To Ximen Wei, it was as if the skeleton should've already died a long time ago, yet clung to life like a cockroach, with an unyielding obsession to never depart with life.
Suddenly, the skeleton moved slightly. It waved it's hand and a small tempest rose up. Flesh and muscles appeared out of nowhere, converging around the skeleton for a bit before merging with him, it no longer was a skeleton.
Then, it waved it's other hand and skin covered every inch of it's body, then hair grew atop it's head and a black robe covered it's body.
Everything happened so quickly that Ximen Wei couldn't even comprehend what happened. He saw a skeleton, something that should've died decades ago, wave it's hand to summon flesh and skin, becoming once again a human.
Now, what stood in front of Ximen Wei was no longer a skeleton, but a dashingly beautiful young man with long black hair that draped over his shoulders. He had an air of mischievousness and devilry to him that seemed to make any woman go crazy over him.
His black robe was spotlessly clean and atop the throne of bones, he seemed like a monarch that commands life and death.
Yet despite that, the aura of death on him grew stronger and stronger, until it reached unprecedented heights. Apparently, the young man won't be able to live for so long. Yet that did not dishearten him.
The young man chuckled before he walked down his throne. He looked towards Ximen Wei with a studying, smiling expression. His eyes shone with intelligence and yet, at the same time, madness.
When Ximen Wei looked at the young man standing in front of him, his cultivation base raged and the resonance he felt was unprecedented.
"I'm Bai Gu Jing, the White Devil. Young friend, I see you cultivating the magic of my league, tell me, whose magic are you cultivating?"
Said Bai Gu Jing, his voice was like the tinkers of a bell, soothing to the extreme. Ximen Wei almost fell into a faze listening to his voice, yet that only maked him more cautious and raised up his guards.
Ximen Wei clasped his hands and bowed respectfully before replying to Bai Gu Jing.
"Sir, I'm cultivating the Immortal Devil Sect's magic."
There was not a trace of fear in Ximen Wei's expression, and his voice was not quivering but instead, it was calm and to some extent, filled with confidence. Bai Gu Jing was pretty surprised when he saw that.
After surviving many deadly encounters, Ximen Wei no longer cared about his life or death, he was in front of an entity that can command his fate with just a word, what use is there to fear and wimper like a dog? If he died, then so be it, if he lived, then he's fortunate to survive!
"The Immortal Devil Sect, huh?" - Chuckled Bai Gu Jing, he wore a confused expression as he seemed to recall a similar name in his memories.
Ximen Wei pulled out the medallion given to him by Long Gen in order to confirm his statement and dispel any doubts. Bai Gu Jing waved his sleeve, sending the medallion floating to him. He grabbed it and studied it, before returning it to Ximen Wei.
"Oh I see, so you cultivate that jinx's magic. I can't believe he founded a sect haha!"
Laughed Bai Gu Jing, he gestured towards Ximen Wei with his hands enthusiastically.
"Come come! Let me bestow upon you some good fortune!"
Ximen Wei laughed bitterly, despite the strong resonance he's feeling, he did not want to get closer to the entity in front of him. He saw how he came back to life just by waving two hands, and he still remembers how, no matter what Qi Techniques threw at his skeletal hands, they did not budge whatsoever.
"I admire your ruthlessness and cruelty, you're perfect to cultivate the magic of the League of the Devils, with a personality like that, you'll make unprecedented progress and reach the peak of the mortal world!"
Despite not wanting to, Ximen Wei stepped up and walked towards Bai Gu Jing, he had no choice other than to follow his will and commands, if he wants to survive, he has to comply.
Bai Gu Jing pointed his finger and pushed it towards Ximen Wei's forehead, sending a stream of Qi coursing through his body. Immediately, he frowned as he murmured to himself.
"Hmm weird, you're connected to HIM by Karma..."
Ximen Wei shuddered as the Qi coursed through his body, he felt as if his very secrets were being revealed in front of Bai Gu Jing, laying bare everything he had. It was an unpleasant feeling, yet Ximen Wei bore with it.
"I can't read your soul either..."
When he heard that, Ximen Wei's eyes widened but he pretended to hear nothing, he stayed still in place, never budging an inch. Yet deep down he felt deep hatred and killing intent towards this young man in front of him.
Bai Gu Jing stopped what he was doing and looked up towards the sky, his gaze seemingly piercing through the cave walls and the swamp's bloody waters all the way to the Heavens. Then he looked towards Ximen Wei with a smiling expression as he said:
"Your fate is obscured by mist, and your soul and memories alike are unreadable. I don't know what secrets you have but apparently, I'm tied up to you by Karma as well..."
Bai Gu Jing sighed as he hid nothing from Ximen Wei.
"Originally I was planning to use your body to reincarnate.. Since I can't do that, I'll pass on to you legacy, my techniques, my magic, my will... My Dao."
"Me, alongside the League of the Devils, acquired the Devil Magic during Qi Ascension. The Legacy of the Devil was hidden deep inside our souls, surfacing up only when we became Rank 1 Qi Experts..."
"When one of my brothers brokethrough to the Paragon Rank, he uncovered shocking secrets about the League of the Devils... You're not qualified to learn about them yet but.. All you have to know is that, we are waiting you... And the League of the Devils is connected to you by Karma... You are fated to become a Devil."
When Bai Gu Jing finished, his eyes shone with a bright light, he looked up towards the sky with an unyielding expression, with an expression that does not want to depart with life.
"Although I'm an extension of your true self, I don't want to die." - Said Bai Gu Jing calmly, he was not talking to Ximen Wei, but he's seemingly talking to someone else, an entity that is not here. An entity that may or may not, have passed away a long time ago.
"You want to reincarnate, and so do I, you want to live for all eternity, and so do I."
"This kid is connected to us by Karma, and you want me to help him... What if I ruin your plans? What if I kill him right here, right now?"
Bai Gu Jing's eyes shone with unprecedented madness, his hair whipped around madly as the aura of death on him grew stronger and stronger.
"You've been dead for god knows how long, nothing will stop me if I want to kill this kid.. Nothing!"
Qi started gathering around Bai Gu Jing, giving rise to a wild tempest in the cave, but Ximen Wei was not harmed in the least... Suddenly, Bai Gu Jing calmed down out of nowhere, the energy emanating off of him disappeared and calmness could be seen in his eyes, no longer madness and insanity.
"But I have no choice, do I?"
He looked towards Ximen Wei, who stood there motionless and confused, he did not know what was happening at all.
"Kid, I'll pass onto you my legacy but in return. You have to take me see my older brother."
Said Bai Gu Jing before transforming into a beam of light that merged with the medallion inside Ximen Wei's pocket. A voice rang out from within' the medallion.
"I'll release the content of my legacy when we reach the Immortal Devil Sect, the erected barrier outside is now disabled, you can exit my Devil's Den safely."
Ximen Wei's breath grew ragged, he did not know whether what happened right now was good fortune or disaster. In his right pocket, inside the seemingly harmless medallion, was an entity that can shake Heaven and Earth, and apparently, that entity said it'll give him his legacy once it meets up with it's brother in the Immortal Devil Sect.
He did not know who Bai Gu Jing's brother but he already have some speculations as to who that figure is.
"The Immortal Devil Sect's Sect Leader." - Murmured Ximen Wei under his breath, giving rise to his speculations.
"Now go! I don't have much time left."
Up above the surface, in the place where Ximen Wei disappeared earlier, The Song Family Young Master and Dongfang could be seen performing augury and casting Qi Techniques to deduce and figure out where Ximen Wei went.
Dongfang was casting his signature Qi Technique, Envision Aura, to determine who took Ximen Wei away and break the tracking magic on him.
The young master was casting weird, bizzare and powerful techniques unique only to the Song Family Cultivators.
Both of them came to the same conclusion that the kid did not move from this place, but both of them were confused since they also noticed that the kid they've been following, was emanating the aura of a Level 1 Qi Trainee!
Dongfang had his suspicions and the young master narrowed his eyes, they thought back to the intruder who barged into their dungeon a while back and killed all the prisoners and slaughtered the guards.
Very soon after performing augury, the blood water of the swam bubbled up before a small figure emerged. It was covered in blood from head to toe, and thanks to the resonance with this place, was emitting a foul devilish aura.
The young master's eyes widened and Dongfang gasped, at first they were scared shitless but when they realized that it was the kid whom they've been following for a while, they pointed their swords toward him.
"Stop right there!"
"Halt!"
When Ximen Wei finally realized what was happening, and that he was being pursued all along, he cursed before making a run for it.
The swamp water was waist-deep to Ximen Wei, making it very difficult for him to even walk, let alone run, yet to Dongfang and the young master, it was only a little bit below their knees.
The red-haired young man chuckled, he realized that even if Ximen Wei tries his absolute best to run, they will still be able to catch him even if they walked slowly. However, the next moment his eyes widened in sheer shock as he saw... Ximen Wei diving in the disgusting water of the swamp!
Ximen Wei was swimming in this putrid pool of intestines and gore! And his speed was no less than his normal speed atop ground! On top of that, Ximen Wei casted a movement type Qi Technique to boost his speed and increase it by severalfold.
"Qi Technique - Dash Action!"
Instantly, he whizzed under the blood waters, disappearing right in front of their eyes.
A bellow of rage could be heard coming from the young master, he was a Level 2 Qi Trainee, how could he allow a 10 year old kid to escape right under his nose?
"GET BACK HERE!"
He threw his hands in a grabbing motion, casting a powerful Qi Technique unique only to Level 2 Qi Trainees.
"Qi Technique - Azure Hand!"
An ethereal hand surrounded by an azure haze appeared out of nowhere, it was large, size exceeding 5 meters, when it appeared, the world rumbled and the sky shook, the blood waters of the Devil's Den parted away as the hand shot towards Ximen Wei at an unhuman speed.
Ximen Wei felt something behind him, approaching at a very fast speed, without looking back, he spat out a mouthful of blood as his hands flashed in an incantation gesture underwater.
He was casting a long-range Qi Technique that exceeded his level, yet because of his foundation, his young age, and the fact that his seventh Extraordinary Meridian was 70% complete, the Qi Technique was cast successfully!
If he tried casting this Qi Technique before absorbing the Beast Cores, then his technique would fail, his body would collapse and he will die in body and spirit due to the backlash!
"Qi Technique - Blood Spirit!"
This was a new long-range Qi Technique he acquired from the Earth-grade Qi Condensation Manual he got from Long Gen, it featured far too many Qi Techniques than the Elementary one he got.
A vortex appeared behind Ximen Wei's fleeing figure, where the mashed meat and blood of the swamp gathered together to form a small two-horned head that laughed eerily.
The two-horned head looked anything but human, it had no eye sockets, no ears and no nose, only a gap for the mouth that laughed from time to time. It's skin was rough and red, oozing with liquid and falling down to the swamp waters, apparently this Blood Spirit wouldn't be out for too long before melting into oblivion.
However, Ximen Wei didn't need the Blood Spirit to fight for him! He needed it to block the incoming attack!
BOOOOM!
The Blood Spirit clashed into the 5 meters azure hand, an explosion rang out that shook everything. Thankfully, the two attacks nullified each other, the Blood Spirit collapsed into pieces and the azure hand transformed into motes of lights that blended with the surroundings.
The red-haired young man was pretty surprised, yet didn't let that dishearten him but instead, it motivated him even more. After all, if the techniques he's cultivating are this powerful at just the first level of Qi Trainee, then what about the later stages?
He shot off with incredible speeds towards the fleeing Ximen Wei.
This time, he was going to catch this kid no matter what happens!
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