The underground cavern was dim, illuminated only by the blood-red glow of the crimson luminous stones hanging from the ceiling. Their light cast an eerie, sinister hue over the entire cave.
Mo Yi entered the cavern, his gaze landing on Helan Ying, who was leaning against the stone wall in the middle of the cave. He gave him an indifferent glance.
Then he walked toward him step by step.
Helan Ying was still bound with ropes. When he saw Mo Yi approaching, he shifted backward and leaned against the wall, his eyes filled with wariness and hostility.
Mo Yi frowned. “You and I are both members of the Earth Demon Sha clan. There’s no need to be so tense.”
“Heh.” Helan Ying let out a cold laugh. “The Earth Demon Sha clan? Earth Demon Sha has never had any clan members. Surely you know how your so-called Earth Demon Sha clan came into existence?”
“Back then, my spiritual body was captured by your so-called Earth Demon Sha clan. You forcibly drained it of its Earth Demon Sha origin power, sucking out all its vital essence and blood until it died in agony!”
“Do you really think that, as a derivative being, I didn’t inherit any of that knowledge?”
Mo Yi knitted his brows. The inherited legacy of the Earth Demon Sha clan did indeed leave certain things engraved in their instincts.
For example, their instinctive fear of the power of heavenly lightning, as well as their ability to restrain human spiritual energy.
He simply had not expected that this newly born Earth Demon Sha would inherit even its hostility toward the Earth Demon Sha clan.
That also explained why, upon emerging into the world and sensing the Earth Demon Sha aura of the same origin within the members of the Earth Demon Sha clan, it had chosen to flee and hide.
It had even been willing to alarm the people of the Falling Immortal Sect just to escape them!
“Much cleverer than the previous Earth Demon Sha. At least it knows how to seek good fortune and avoid disaster!”
An aged, cold laugh rang out. The ring on Mo Yi’s finger slowly released a cloud of black smoke.
The smoke condensed into a figure whose facial features could not be made out. The instant it appeared, all the luminous stones in the cavern seemed to be affected and flickered.
“Elder Qiu!” When Mo Yi saw the black smoke that embodied Elder Qiu’s divine sense, he immediately cupped his hands in salute.
Elder Qiu waved for him to rise, then turned his gaze toward Helan Ying.
“Every time an Earth Demon Sha emerges, it is an opportunity for our Earth Demon Sha clan to grow stronger. Your predecessor became the foundation of our clan’s prosperity, and you will meet the same fate.”
“I advise you not to struggle pointlessly. Perhaps that way, you’ll suffer a little less. Otherwise…”
Elder Qiu gave two cold laughs before glancing sideways at Mo Yi.
“Now that the creature has been captured, there’s no need to waste any more time. Begin immediately!”
“Yes.”
Mo Yi answered, then looked at Helan Ying, who was warily watching them from the center of the cavern. With a wave of his hand, he produced a spiritual artifact resembling an octagonal bronze bell.
The artifact was shaken, releasing waves of soul attacks that struck directly at the divine sense.
Helan Ying was at the center of the attack. His face instantly paled, twisting with pain.
At the same time, Elder Qiu’s divine-sense manifestation personally took action. He formed a complicated black hand seal with both hands and thrust it directly toward Helan Ying!
“Ah!”
Helan Ying let out a shriek. Strands of black energy drilled into his body, writhing beneath his skin like terrifying insects.
They gnawed away at his flesh bit by bit, bored into his marrow, and spread throughout his limbs and bones.
Helan Ying twisted in agony, terrible screams escaping from his lips.
Before long, blood began to seep from the pores of his skin, mixed with wisps of Earth Demon Sha origin power.
The moment these forces left his body, Elder Qiu waved a hand and drew them directly into himself, absorbing them completely.
A comfortable sigh escaped Elder Qiu, after which he casually tossed Helan Ying, still shrouded in black energy, onto the ground.
Seeing this, Mo Yi also waved his hand and formed a seal, withdrawing the Demon Sha Bell and ending the circulation of the Earth Demon Sha aura binding curse.
After a long while, Elder Qiu finally finished converting the portion of power he had absorbed. In a good mood, he spoke.
“The power of the Earth Demon Sha aura binding curse will temporarily control this Earth Demon Sha and prevent it from breaking free.”
“This Earth Demon Sha has already absorbed the source power of the Three-Eyed Spirit-Hiding Array. Now, as long as the demons make the necessary preparations, everything can begin!”
“Once opening the Heaven Gate is complete, we’ll take it back to the clan and refine it with our secret method. Our clan will undergo another transformation in strength.”
“At that time, the Earth Demon Sha clan will certainly have a place in the cultivation world!”
The old man’s laughter rang out in the quiet cavern, filled with confidence and an unmistakable sense of certainty.
Mo Yi listened in silence.
After a long while, Elder Qiu seemed to remember something and spoke in a low voice.
“Try to find the Baize Spirit as well. If we had that thing, we wouldn’t need to fear an Earth Demon Sha rampage so much!”
Mo Yi’s eyes flickered slightly. “Yes. This disciple will find a way.”
“That’s enough. Go handle it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the ring on Mo Yi’s hand flashed with light before falling silent once more.
Mo Yi stood where he was for a moment. At the thought of the Baize Spirit, his brows drew together, and he let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
He waved his hand and summoned several people from outside the cavern to guard Helan Ying. After giving them a few instructions, he finally turned and left.
Behind a thick stone in a corner of the cavern, Yuan Shu covered her mouth and held her breath, silently watching Mo Yi depart.
She had followed the mark on Mo Yi’s body here and had been lying in wait in the corner of the cavern for nearly an hour.
With the concealment abilities of the Acacia Divine Tree, no one had discovered her presence.
Yuan Shu’s gaze fell on Helan Ying in the center of the cavern.
After the Earth Demon Sha aura binding curse had entered his body, his face was unnaturally pale. Earlier, he had still been conscious, his expression arrogant and defiant as he fought fiercely against them.
Now, however, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Even if someone were to abduct him right now, he probably wouldn’t wake up!
If she had not misread the situation, the binding curse Mo Yi had left on him was one that restrained its target by consuming the body’s vital essence and blood.
Previously, Yuan Shu had thought that the Earth Demon Sha clan relied on the Earth Demon Sha, and that the two sides should complement one another as kindred beings.
Now, it seemed that was not the case.
The Earth Demon Sha clan actually relied on refining Earth Demon Sha to increase the strength of its members?
They were treating Earth Demon Sha as a resource for cultivation and rebirth!
Yuan Shu suddenly felt a little sorry for Helan Ying.
He had gone to such lengths to break free from the Three-Eyed Spirit-Hiding Array. After finally emerging into the world and gaining intelligence, he had become the target of covetous pursuit by so many factions.
And he did not even have a single ally by his side!
No wonder that, despite being a mighty Earth Demon Sha, he had been willing to humble himself back then, calling her “sister” again and again in the hope of using her divine power to increase his strength.
It turned out that if his strength did not improve and he was captured, he would truly die—and die horribly at that!
Yuan Shu could not help clicking her tongue.
Although Helan Ying had forced himself on her against her wishes back then, he had at least offered her his primal yang.
She had not suffered any real harm. What was more, she had gained a tremendous increase in strength from it.
Yuan Shu felt a little unwilling to simply watch him die.
Just as she was wondering whether she should intervene, a shadow moved in a corner of the cavern, drawing Yuan Shu’s attention!
Yuan Shu raised an eyebrow. She focused her eyes and took a closer look, only to discover that it was someone familiar!
