Chapter 40: The Calamity of the Rogue Cultivator, When Words of Blessing Become Reality

Within a cave ten feet wide, a faint demonic aura lingered in the air. The entrails of a three-foot-long azure-scaled demon insect were spread open, and Dahei was sprawled atop them, feasting greedily.

All around, more than a dozen black-horned demon ants radiating a demonic presence eyed the feast hungrily, eager to dart forward and take a bite. Yet, whenever any ant dared approach, Dahei would pummel them mercilessly. He cared not whether they were his sons, grandsons, or distant descendants—anyone who vied for his spoils would be beaten back.

Under Shen Lian’s relentless, force-feeding cultivation, Dahei’s aura now approached the mid-stage of the first tier—once he broke through, his strength would rival that of a human cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refinement. The cost, of course, was that Dahei had split open multiple times, writhing on the ground in agony, howling with pain. Fortunately, he had survived every ordeal, never allowing those eager to inherit his position to succeed.

A rustling sound came as a newly arrived black-horned demon ant crept up to Dahei. Its antennae brushed against him, and a gleam shone in Dahei’s obsidian eyes, sparkling like black gemstones. Without another glance at the insect’s corpse, Dahei plunged into the dirt, while the other ants swarmed the remains in a frenzy.

In Shen Lian’s cultivation cave, Dahei emerged from the earth. The moment he appeared, Shen Lian awoke from his cultivation. By now, he had begun to release the black-horned ants into the wild, allowing them to hunt lesser demon insects for food in groups.

Dahei crawled close, his antennae twitching. “Sss—sss—” Through their beast-taming contract, Shen Lian quickly understood Dahei’s report.

“Well done.” He produced two spirit stones, pried open Dahei’s jaws, and shoved them in, then grabbed the ant’s head and shook it. Dahei whined, swallowing the stones with difficulty—his master’s affection was always this direct and always tore him apart.

“Keep investigating. See where they’ve gone.” After half a year of cultivation and Dahei’s increased strength, his mind had grown sharper, allowing him to comprehend Shen Lian’s commands more readily. All information from the other black-horned demon ants had to be relayed through Dahei.

Soon, Dahei scuttled back, hissing with urgency. “More people?” Dahei reported that another group of cultivators had appeared near Tranquil Mountain.

The first group consisted of two ant-like beings, much like himself. The second group numbered three. In Dahei’s eyes, his master Shen Lian was simply a different-looking companion.

It had been exactly ten days since the last earthquake. Shen Lian was unsurprised by the sudden appearance of cultivators—he had anticipated as much ten days ago. With such a commotion, the Azurewater Sect was certain to take action. The old tactics of military strategy would no longer suffice.

He tapped Dahei’s horn, sending a message through divine sense: “Gather your kin that you’ve left behind. We’re preparing to depart.”

Having instructed the black-horned demon ants, Shen Lian began to pack his things, collecting formation flags and defensive talismans into his storage pouch. It was time to move house. The ant nest would be abandoned.

In the wilderness, there was never a shortage of ant nests. Dahei could become the chief ant at any time, conquering nests across the untamed lands.

After tidying up, Shen Lian checked the area one last time, then utterly destroyed his cave dwelling before departing.

Deep within the forest.

“Brother Hong, shall we rest here for a bit?” Ma Wen scanned the surroundings warily, testing the mood of the cultivator beside him.

“The Azurewater Sect disciples aren’t invincible. We’re already at the outermost frontier of the untamed lands. I don’t believe they’re so eager to throw their lives away,” he muttered.

The two figures, faces and mouths thoroughly wrapped, crouched beneath withered leaves and branches, their subdued voices brimming with resentment and murderous intent.

Not long ago, a pillar of spiritual light had shot skyward from Miasma Cloud Mountain, and a great fissure had split the wilderness, reaching all the way to Yunmeng Market. Spiritual energy surged through the crack into the depths of Yunmeng Mountain, elevating the market’s aura to the third-tier level in one stroke. Such a miraculous occurrence stunned the rogue cultivators in the market.

Many quickly realized that the Azurewater Sect’s grand claims about a superior second-tier spiritual vein and their plan to establish a cultivation city were nothing but a smokescreen—mere jokes in light of the astonishing event. All their talk of ancient relics and city-building was a ruse; clearly, the sect had been deceiving them all along.

Those who had left on spirit ships... In hindsight, everything seemed so much more terrifying.

At that moment, the Azurewater Sect suddenly issued an edict: no cultivator was to leave the market, or face death; they executed several rogue cultivators in public to enforce their will.

Ma Wen and his brother had been about to return to the market and, finding themselves in danger, fled into the depths of the mountains. Many other rogue cultivators outside the market had done the same, vanishing into the wild at the first sign of trouble.

Yet, the Azurewater Sect’s disciples relentlessly pursued them into the wilderness, determined to hunt them all down.

“They’re suppressing the market and slaughtering rogue cultivators. Aren’t they afraid of destroying their own foundation in Chu and earning the contempt of the entire cultivation world?”

“There must have been an incredible opportunity discovered at the market. Otherwise, the Azurewater Sect wouldn’t be so desperate to suppress all the rogue cultivators and prevent news from leaking,” Ma Hong whispered, eyes alert as he scanned the forest. “Enough talk—focus on recovering your spiritual energy. I’ll keep watch. Once you’ve recovered, we move on. Only by going deeper can we escape—”

“You think you can escape?” A cold laugh came from outside the forest, cutting him off.

Faster than the mocking voice, spells of water, metal, and earth crashed down.

“Not good! Move!” Ma Hong cried, dragging his companion to flee.

“Brother Hong, go! I’ll fight them!” In the moment of crisis, Ma Hong felt a great force fling him away, and behind him, the shockwave of spells exploded outward.

He turned to see his brother’s body ablaze with crimson spiritual fire, forcibly ramming aside the three incoming spells and charging at one of the Azurewater Sect disciples.

This desperate, life-for-life assault startled the three pursuers, who froze for a moment after their first attack.

“Junior brother, be careful!”

“Junior brother!”

As the weapon came crashing down upon him, fear filled Chen Luohong’s eyes—he even forgot to defend himself.

Hummm—

A watery blue shield appeared before him, blocking the weapon’s descent.

Only then did the other two Azurewater Sect disciples react, their flying swords rising and slicing the rogue cultivator in half.

Crack.

The shield protecting Chen Luohong shattered, and fragments of jade talisman fell to the forest floor.

“Damn it! My protective talisman!” His plain face twisted with rage as a black flying sword shot forth, hacking at the fallen corpse.

Thud, thud, thud...

He continued until the body was nothing but a bloody pulp, and still the murderous intent on his face did not fade.

“After him!” Chen Luohong spat through clenched teeth. “If I don’t grind him into blood and mud as well, my heart will never be at ease!”

“Junior brother, we’re at the edge of the frontier here. The elder ordered us to return by nightfall,” Lin Yue cautioned.

“There are countless beasts in this wilderness. That rogue cultivator, hunted like a stray dog, won’t survive more than a few days.”

The two looked at the sky, thinking further pursuit too reckless.

“I’ll explain to my father. Besides, the sect’s orders are absolute: not a single rogue cultivator may escape. We can’t let word get out.” Chen Luohong retrieved his flying sword and prepared to give chase.

Boom—

The miasma overhead parted as a spirit ship burst through the sky, blocking their way.

“The Elder Chen has arrived,” Lin Yue and Xie Shanyun sighed in relief.

At the bow of the spirit ship, black spiritual light gathered into a massive orb, illuminating the shadowy forest. The black orb swept through, bringing a torrent of rain as it fell hundreds of feet away, swallowing a frantic fleeing figure.

Thunder crashed as the blast erased all life—grass, trees, soil, and stone—within dozens of yards.

“Come aboard,” a voice commanded from the ship. The three cultivators leapt onto the deck, and the ship quickly vanished into the mountains, tearing through the miasma.

...

Only when the thunder had faded back into the miasma did Shen Lian reveal himself, hidden deep in a shadowy corner of the forest. He glanced toward the spot where black water still dripped, shrinking back involuntarily.

To use bombardment against a single rogue cultivator—was that truly necessary?

Was it?

The Azurewater Sect must have lost its mind, dispatching even a spirit ship.

This was not a force he could contend with.

Time to slip away. Time to disappear!