Chapter 101: The Ongoing Confrontation with Master Fu Hai (Seeking First Subscription)

“Jie jie…”

A blood-red laughing face emitted a strange cry in the void, like the mournful call of a night owl, spreading throughout Aoshi Immortal City inside and out.

“What’s going on?”

The sudden noise caused countless cultivators in the originally peaceful Aoshi Immortal City to freeze momentarily.

Just a moment ago everything was fine; who died to cause such an uproar?

The strange cries pierced into ears repeatedly. Some low-level cultivators began to clutch their heads in pain, curling up.

“It’s the Blood Demon Laughing Face!”

“The Black Cliff Old Demon has arrived!”

Finally, some cultivators reacted, shouting in alarm.

Some hidden demon cultivators and robbers couldn’t help but show panic.

The Blood Demon Laughing Face was the exclusive symbol of the Black Cliff Old Demon.

But they weren’t on the same side as the Old Demon.

The Old Demon is out to get me!

Seeing the blood-red laughing face wailing, Shen Lian immediately snapped back to reality and turned toward the direction of his cave dwelling.

He wanted to check if the teleportation array was still usable.

He really couldn’t understand the mindset of the Black Cliff Old Demon. When the Ziyang Patriarch caused trouble everywhere, he at least knew to grab things into his own hands to snatch chances and spiritual treasures.

But the Black Cliff Old Demon was just pure troublemaker, always looking for fights for no reason.

…

“Black Cliff Patriarch, eternal immortal blessings!”

A wild roar sounded, like a signal igniting a carnival. From all directions, roaring sounds erupted on the streets of Aoshi Immortal City.

“Boom—”

“Boom—”

Various spiritual lights exploded between buildings, the roar and clash of magical instruments mingled with fire and water swords intertwining.

A series of buildings toppled amid the thunderous sounds.

“Roar!”

At that moment, a roar resounded from the city’s central square, shaking heaven and earth, overpowering all the noisy fighting sounds.

On the square stood a giant stele borne by a bixi stone tortoise, as if it had come alive. Steam gathered from all sides near the bixi, and a black light surged upward from its back.

The moment the black pillar of light rose, rainbow-colored red light spread in all directions within the city, each beam radiating powerful magical fluctuations.

The third-level Sky Canopy Water Array activated, enveloping the city’s sky in a vast curtain of steam.

The rainbow-like magical waves formed giant waves rolling above the city, rainbow droplets bombarding some cultivators below.

“Kill! The Patriarch is in the city! Qinghai Zhenren will personally deal with him! Wash Aoshi in blood! Demon magic will surely reach completion!”

Most of the cultivators launching attacks within the city were at the Qi Refining stage.

Their task was simple: destroy whatever was in front of them, kill anyone they saw, tear down houses, set fires, poison, and smoke—anything to stir chaos.

Some cultivators wielding weapons on the streets suddenly realized they were fellow disciples.

They never expected their comrades to hide so deeply. They used to chat and joke together, yet secretly one had joined the demons.

When did you swear allegiance to the Old Demon? Shameless.

“City cultivators, listen! All remnants of the Black Cliff Old Demon who are killed will receive great rewards!”

A cold voice echoed throughout Aoshi Immortal City.

At this moment, it was impossible to distinguish the Old Demon’s disciples from others; all who caused destruction were targets.

“Jie jie… The mighty Xuanhai Sect doesn’t even spare minor disciples, using a third-level array against Qi Refining cultivators. Impressive, impressive.”

From various directions in the city, demon energy exploded, forming figures clad in long robes.

“So many Foundation Establishment Old Demons.”

“Is that leading figure the Black Cliff Old Demon?”

“No, why are there so many Golden Core demons?”

In the void, figures exuding black smoke floated, tightly wrapped, emitting a rotten stench like ancient wood buried for a hundred years.

Four of them had auras surpassing the Foundation Establishment level, while more than twenty others also reached that level.

“Today we wash Aoshi Immortal City in blood, wishing the old sea guy a long life, may he never hatch offspring, and enjoy eternal Golden Core.”

“Kill!”

Suddenly, a dazzling black sword light appeared in the air, like a waterfall from the heavens, locking onto the four leading Old Demons.

The four Old Demons simultaneously cast spells, intertwining a vast blood energy net shaped like a black skull to block the sword energy.

Ssshhh!

But the black sword energy, like a rainbow piercing the sun, tore through the skull net with a crack. The surrounding sword light split into four, piercing each of the four Old Demons.

Pfft!

Pfft!

Seeing this, the four Old Demons tried to resist the destructive sword energy but were struck like lightning, blasted away, crashing into the city.

The collision of sword energy and demon aura unleashed residual magical waves, shattering large areas of houses.

Within the city, large merchant guild towers lit up with array spiritual light.

Yet facing Golden Core-level attacks, even the city’s main array roared uncontrollably. At this rate, these smaller independent arrays wouldn’t last long.

“Four pseudo-Golden Cores, Black Cliff Old Demon sent you to die!”

At the city center, near the towering black pillar of light, a figure in black robes stood, stepping on towering waves.

This man had a tall, upright figure, surrounded by rippling sword energy emitting fierce radiance.

“Yunhai Zhenren! Yunhai Zhenren! Shouldn’t he be in the Sea King Sect’s secret realm?”

The Black Cliff sect disciples rampaging in the city showed fear at his appearance.

The one guarding Aoshi Immortal City should be the false Golden Core Qinghai Zhenren.

Yunhai Zhenren was a true Golden Core.

Looking at the other cultivators in the city, morale lifted seeing the four Golden Core Old Demons struck down by one sword.

Aoshi Immortal City was one of the five great immortal cities of the Xuanhai Sect. Though the sect was the strongest Golden Core sect in the Myriad Star Sea, they couldn’t afford to station a Golden Core at every city.

So among these cities, except for Xuanhai Immortal City, the others were guarded alternately by false Golden Core and true Golden Core cultivators.

At present, the city’s guardian should be the false Golden Core Qinghai Zhenren.

“Clown, the Xuanhai Sect has been waiting for you for a long time!”

Yunhai Zhenren clenched his hand, releasing a black long sword. Sword energy rained down, sweeping all directions.

“Buzz!”

At the same time, inside the city’s main protective array, Qinghai Zhenren’s figure flickered within the rising black water pillar.

The rainbow-colored flowing light canopy array fully covered the city, radiating the vast energy of an ocean.

Buzz!

Rainbow water droplets floated in the air, exuding endless killing intent, locking onto the demon energy surging cultivators in the city.

“Oh no, run!”

Some cultivators saw the overwhelming array energy pouring down and turned pale with fear.

In Aoshi Immortal City, not only was there the Golden Core Yunhai Zhenren, but also the false Golden Core Qinghai Zhenren controlling the array.

Among the two Zhenren, one could fight four on his own. How was this fight supposed to go?

The Black Cliff sect disciples who had been rampaging were like fire doused with ice water, their flames snuffed before fully burning.

“Not one Black Cliff remnant will escape!”

Yunhai Zhenren wielded the Yunhai Sword, charging at the four Old Demons.

Endless sharp sword energy forced the four Old Demons to retreat repeatedly. They tried combined attacks but were torn apart each time by the boundless sword energy.

“Where is the Black Cliff Old Demon!”

Yunhai Zhenren’s sword energy continuously cascaded like a waterfall, trapping the four Old Demons in his sword net.

Under such relentless pressure, the four Old Demons struggled to resist.

“You guess…”

Though battered and beaten, the four Old Demons kept cackling strangely, their behavior odd beyond words.

Demonic energy surged, each manifesting a strange skeletal face that merged into a blood shadow with four heads, opening its mouth to swallow the sword energy raining down.

Boom!

Terrifying sword energy and blood energy exploded.

Crack!

Some shops protected by small arrays began to collapse.

“Settle!”

Seeing the overwhelming Golden Core battle, Qinghai Zhenren’s voice rang out from the array core.

Endless rainbow water light swept the city like a giant wave, calming the splintering energy.

The Golden Core battle was the key to victory or defeat. If it continued, the entire city would be destroyed.

This was the Xuanhai Sect’s cash cow and could not be allowed to fall apart.

“Black Cliff sent you four to die at great cost; then die you shall!”

Yunhai Zhenren coldly shouted, slashing out a black sword light.

These pseudo-Golden Cores were different from false Golden Cores. They didn’t even have demon cores, only raised by the Old Demon through secret techniques.

This was why the Xuanhai Sect wanted to capture the Old Demon. Such secret methods to boost combat power to near false Golden Core level were extremely rare.

Even if the pseudo-Golden Core’s strength was inflated, they were still much stronger than Foundation Establishment.

If the sect could obtain and improve this technique, it would bring great development.

When the Old Demon first appeared, he didn’t have such means.

Only later did these appear, and back then only one pseudo-Golden Core was sent each time. Now, only a few years later, four were deployed.

The Old Demon was cautious; each pseudo-Golden Core used self-destructed.

Only once did the sect find a damaged sprout resembling a withered tree bud among the destroyed pseudo-Golden Core remains.

But it was lifeless, crumbling to ashes at the slightest touch.

With Yunhai Zhenren’s strike, sword energy surged everywhere.

But at this moment, the four Old Demons ceased desperate resistance and scattered to flee.

“Destroy the city!”

Their voices merged into a beam, reaching many cultivators’ ears.

Boom!

Among Black Cliff disciples who heard, some Foundation Establishment cultivators paused, uncontrollable roots of their divine sense spreading to envelop their mental seas.

Then, spiritual energy surged uncontrollably in their dantian, exploding with a roar.

The self-destruction of Foundation Establishment cultivators caused shockwaves, toppling nearby buildings like ripples.

This self-destruction scared the sect cultivators besieging the Black Cliff disciples.

Shen Lian was startled as well.

Unlike powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators, upon realizing he was trapped in the city, Shen Lian originally wanted to check the teleportation array but was blocked by demonized Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He then activated a concealment array, suppressing his strength to Qi Refining.

He fought fiercely with the Qi Refining Black Cliff disciples, each skirmish heated.

Whenever a Foundation Establishment cultivator approached, he shifted the battlefield first.

“Bastards!”

Seeing the Black Cliff disciples wreak havoc, Qinghai Zhenren controlling the array repeatedly cast spells to protect the city’s buildings.

Damage was unavoidable in battle, but the Immortal City could not be utterly destroyed.

“Hah!”

The four-headed Old Demons each stood at a city corner, opening their mouths to absorb the array’s energy.

The spiritual energy in all directions became chaotic under their stirring.

From afar, Shen Lian swiftly burrowed underground.

He used the Heavenly Evolution Earth Escape Technique.

“Little Golden Cores of the Xuanhai Sect, the Patriarch orders us to tell you, today the Xuanhai Sect rises in all directions, famed throughout the Myriad Star Sea!”

Rolling thunder roared from the four Old Demons’ mouths.

“This is just the Patriarch collecting interest from the heavy blows dealt by the Xuanhai Sect. He orders you to repair the city quickly; he will return.”

“Haha…”

Yunhai Zhenren’s expression changed. What was the Old Demon planning?

He abandoned sword techniques and dashed into the black water pillar at the array’s center.

“Combine efforts to operate the array!”

“Buzz!”

A roar echoed from the bixi stone tortoise. Spiritual veins deep underground surged, pulling vast spiritual energy into the black pillar, swelling it to hundreds of zhang.

The bixi statue beneath rose to hundreds of zhang tall, like a mighty divine turtle lifting its head.

Endless great waves swept in all directions, attempting to cover the energy unleashed by the Old Demons’ self-destruction.

The four Old Demons, having absorbed massive spiritual power, emitted roaring sounds from their bellies, like countless flames erupting in all directions.

Boom!

Four energy waves surged from the Old Demons, spreading violently before the naked eye.

At the same time, the black water curtain expanded first, covering the exploding energies.

The city’s buildings endured yet another trial.

Inside and outside shops, countless figures looked like they had been struck by lightning, faces pale and coughing blood.

“Demon cultivators, you deserve death!”

This scene ignited killing intent in Yunhai Zhenren, stepping out from the core water pillar.

Sword energies appeared in the void, slicing down the remaining Black Cliff Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The terrifying sword energy tore these figures into bloody mist.

The third-level array operated at full power, drawing vast spiritual energy from underground veins, forming rainbow water curtains swirling through the city, dissolving the demon cultivators’ remaining strength.

At this moment, Yunhai Zhenren’s communication jade talisman lit up with several messages.

“Black Cliff Old Demon appeared in Haiyi Immortal City.”

“Do not act rashly; the Old Demon’s target is the Sea King Sect’s secret realm. Beware of traps.”

“The number of pseudo-Golden Cores controlled by the Old Demon has increased again.”

Yunhai Zhenren frowned upon reading the messages.

…

In the northeast of the city, Shen Lian emerged from the earth, spitting out black air.

The soil beneath Aoshi Immortal City was solidified, limiting his earth escape to within ten zhang; escaping the city was impossible.

He glanced at the devastated city. The Black Cliff Old Demon’s status as the top target of all sects in the Myriad Star Sea was well justified.

Resistance was futile; the Old Demon held the throne by sheer strength.

Four false Golden Cores unleashed in a single strike—how terrifying!

Even if their strength seemed inflated, they were much stronger than Foundation Establishment.

Without false Golden Core and Foundation Establishment demon cultivators, the remaining Qi Refining ones were quickly wiped out.

Qinghai Zhenren stepped out from the protective array, standing in the void surveying the surroundings, suppressing his anger.

After the battle, the spiritual veins and energy beneath the city were nearly depleted, requiring at least two years to recover, and over forty percent of the city was destroyed.

The Black Cliff Old Demon truly acted without regard for consequences or cultivator lives.

The mighty Xuanhai Sect had been slapped hard once again.

No… multiple times.

Other immortal cities also suffered attacks from Black Cliff, none faring better than Aoshi Immortal City.

…

“Entry and exit of Aoshi Immortal City are prohibited for ten days. After investigation of Black Cliff remnants, the city will reopen.”

After leaving this message, Qinghai Zhenren vanished in midair.

At a city corner, Elder Luya in yellow robes busily led people in cleaning up the city.

He watched Qinghai Zhenren disappear without a ripple in expression.

“Hurry up with the work. Black Cliff is despicable, causing such destruction. If I could ascend to Golden Core, I would strangle him myself.”

“Elder Luya, you’re still strong despite your age. We saw before how you single-handedly killed a Foundation Establishment demon cultivator.”

“Trivial,” Luya waved his hand. “I’ve been here over thirty years; I’ve grown attached. How could I tolerate demon cultivators rampaging here?”

(End of chapter)