“What is going on?” the innkeeper shouted in alarm.
Right after, a wave of low growls echoed from outside, growls so eerie they sent chills down the spine.
Xu Zimo, seated by the window, dashed out of the inn with a single step.
He headed toward the city gates, only to see a dark mass of creatures flooding in from that direction.
There were at least a thousand of them. So of the city’s guards were fleeing, while others had already fallen to the monstrous onslaught.
“What are those things?” soone whispered nearby.
These creatures looked humanoid, but their skin was partly decayed, and their eyes glowed a deep crimson.
Black Demon City responded quickly. City Lord Iron Tiger arrived with a large force.
The mont he saw the invading monsters, his pupils constricted sharply.
After a long silence, he spoke each word heavily and solemnly: “Black Demons.”
As the city lord of Black Demon City, he possessed a map that had been passed down through generations of lords, an illustrated account of the ancient Black Demon invasion.
Now, staring at the chaos before him, Iron Tiger recognized it all too clearly. Every scene from that ancient map was surfacing from the depths of mory.
“Evacuate all citizens below the Desolate ridian Realm. Have them scatter and hide. The rest, co with to et the enemy!” Iron Tiger barked orders and dispatched ssengers to request reinforcents.
Seeing all this, Xu Zimo muttered, “Black Demon Temple.”
He didn’t linger. Without another word, he soared toward the temple.
Along the way, the tide of Black Demons kept growing. Xu Zimo followed the direction of their surge, it led straight to the Black Demon Temple.
After more than an hour of travel through the air, he finally arrived at the foot of White Sage Mountain.
The offering altar at the base had been toppled. As he stepped onto the white jade staircase, he sensed fluctuations of spiritual energy.
“A seal,” he muttered after a mont of concentration, looking up toward the mountain.
The seal had been torn open here. No doubt the Black Demons entered the city through this breach.
But many details still puzzled him.
Hurrying up the mountain, Xu Zimo found the temple wall on the left side had collapsed.
One crimson door still swayed in the wind; the other had vanished.
Inside was a ss. A few Black Demons still road the temple grounds.
Xu Zimo rushed into the Hall of Atonent. At the front of the hall, a barrier blocked his path.
Inside the barrier, Master Universe was engaged in battle with a Black Demon.
This Black Demon was unlike the others. It barely resembled a human anymore. Its skin was pitch-black, and its power surged at the level of the God ridian Realm.
Even worse, its body was incredibly resilient. Master Universe’s attacks barely scratched it, he was being overpowered.
Xu Zimo examined the barrier. Ordinary God ridian cultivators wouldn’t be able to break it.
Only soone at the Immortal Path could do it.
He slowly drew the curved blade from his waist. All eight of his ridian Gates flared open.
He unleashed Samsara Reversal. Boundless spiritforce roared like a storm.
With a thunderous boom, his blade surged with boundless intent and the crushing power of samsara, shattering the barrier to pieces.
Inside, Master Universe's expression changed the mont he saw Xu Zimo. He roared, “Why are you here?”
“Are you misunderstanding sothing?” Xu Zimo frowned at his outburst and asked.
“You’re with Deepfeather, aren’t you?” Master Universe shouted in anger.
“Even if I die here today, I won’t let you get away with this.”
“With Deepfeather? What happened to him?” Xu Zimo frowned deeper. “Black Demon City is under attack, so I ca here looking for clues.”
“If you hadn’t brought demon incense into Black Demon City, how would the fiends have found it?” Master Universe growled, struggling to hold off the fiend.
“Demon incense? What are you talking about?” Xu Zimo asked, confused.
Then sothing clicked in his mind.
He quickly pulled out a sachet from his robes, sothing Deepfeather had given him yesterday, supposedly blessed for good fortune.
Opening it, a pungent fragrance burst out.
Inside was a fine black powder.
“This is demon incense powder. Still denying it?” Master Universe said. “The Black Demons tracked it here by scent.”
In that mont, Xu Zimo began to piece together the entire story.
There was a sealing formation on the mountain. How had they even gotten onto White Sage Mountain?
And right after arriving, they ran into Deepfeather, who then gave them the sachets.
“Let’s talk. What the hell is going on?” Xu Zimo said calmly.
He glanced at the fiend still fighting Master Universe, then slashed.
His blade howled as it cut through the air, splitting the fiend clean in two.
Master Universe paused in shock, then quickly realized what had happened.
“You’re not with them?” he asked again.
“If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be standing,” Xu Zimo said flatly.
“Then let’s go back and help defend Black Demon City, any later and the city might fall,” Master Universe urged.
“Not until you explain. I’ll protect that city,” Xu Zimo replied coldly.
“What do you want to know?” Master Universe asked, frowning.
“The secrets of Black Demon Temple,” Xu Zimo said. “Tell everything, exactly as it is.”
“Can’t we save lives first?” Master Universe asked.
“No. Tell , what’s your connection to the Ancient Demon Race?” Xu Zimo pressed.
“You know about the Ancient Demon Race?” Master Universe paused in surprise.
“Talk,” Xu Zimo nodded.
Master Universe’s gaze grew serious. He fell into brief silence.
“Every second you stay quiet, the risk of the city’s fall increases,” Xu Zimo warned.
“A sin. All of it. Our sin… and now we must atone,” Master Universe said bitterly.
He turned to Xu Zimo and began, “I don’t know how much you know about the Ancient Demon Race. But they are a prival race. They existed long before the Primordial Heartlands even ford. They have endured one era after another.”
“What do they have to do with you?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Thousands of years ago, this city was called White Sage City, and this place was the White Sage Temple. The temple trained disciples, and the city housed their families.”
Master Universe continued slowly: “One day, long ago, our grandmaster journeyed to the Void Valley to find Void Wood for his disciples…”
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