Chapter 353

Chapter 353: Ancient Magic Formation, Falling into the Demonic Path

“Ah Qing, you said the talisman you gave Xinghe has been used?”

Wei Shanhai was surprised.

According to his itinerary, Wei Xinghe should have just arrived in the provincial capital.

Using the talisman Lu Qing gave him so soon meant he’d already engaged in a fight the moment he entered the city.

“Don’t worry, senior. The Wei family leader used the Breath-Suppressing Talisman. Perhaps he’s just on his way and hasn’t necessarily engaged in a fight,”

Lu Qing soothed.

Yet, he felt a sense of heaviness in his heart.

The talisman Lu Qing had given Wei Xinghe was personally crafted by him.

It contained a trace of his spiritual energy.

However, at such a great distance, it would only be activated when the talisman was destroyed.

So, not only had Wei Xinghe used the Breath-Suppressing Talisman in the provincial capital, but it had also been broken?

To be able to penetrate the power of the Breath-Suppressing Talisman, the opponent must be more than just an ordinary Xiantian realm cultivator.

Could it be that Wei Xinghe had already engaged in a fight with the mysterious force?

Lu Qing’s mind raced, and as he pondered, his heart suddenly stirred again.

He realized that the mind within the sword talisman he had given Wei Xinghe had also been triggered.

This truly astonished Lu Qing.

Of the three talismans he had given Wei Xinghe, the sword talisman was the most special.

It was crafted from the leftover materials from the refining of the Gathering Spirits Stele.

The jade had been refined by him, making it purer than the other jade talismans, and capable of containing greater power.

Therefore, the sword talisman contained the most potent power of the three.

Lu Qing estimated that even a master of the Innate Realm would be unable to withstand the sword talisman’s sharp edge if caught off guard. But

now, Wei Xinghe had even activated the sword talisman. Clearly, he had encountered an unimaginably formidable foe.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to activate two talismans in such a short period of time.

“Master, Elder Wei, things are not looking good. I’m afraid I need to go to the provincial capital.”

Lu Qing turned and looked in the direction of the capital.

Through his recent mental experience, he sensed a faint warning.

“Ah Qing, do you need me to come with you?”

the old doctor asked.

He could tell that something was amiss with Lu Qing.

Moreover, he had a vague sense of a shadow looming, coming from the provincial capital.

“No need, Master. You need to stay in the village. I’ll take Xiao Li away.

Xiao Yan has just achieved a breakthrough and needs your attention.”

With this, Lu Qing flashed out of the courtyard.

In another flash, he disappeared.

“Young Master Lu…”

Wei Shanhai hadn’t expected Lu Qing to leave so quickly. He was about to call out to him, but he couldn’t see Lu Qing anymore.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Wei. With Ah Qing’s help, the head of the Wei family should be fine.”

The old doctor, not knowing exactly what had happened, offered this reassuring reassurance.

Wei Shanhai remained silent, though a wave of worry welled up inside him.

He knew Lu Qing must have sensed something, otherwise he wouldn’t have left so hastily.

Unfortunately, no matter how worried he was, he could only wait for Lu Qing’s return to find out what had happened.

After leaving Jiuli Village, Lu Qing held Xiao Li in his arms.

A yellow light emanated from his body, dissipating most of the earth’s magnetic field, making his body feel incredibly light.

Then, a ball of light shone from the acupoint between his eyebrows, and a gentle breeze appeared out of thin air, swirling around him.

The next moment, he exerted a slight force on his feet, and, enveloped by the breeze, he transformed into a stream of light, rapidly moving towards the provincial capital.

“Young Master, have you discovered something?”

Yan’s voice echoed in Lu Qing’s mind.

Yan had seen Lu Qing’s expression just now; it was the first time it had witnessed Lu Qing so serious.

“Senior, do you have any knowledge of demonic cultivation?”

Lu Qing didn’t answer directly, but instead inquired.

“Demon cultivators?”

Yan was stunned, having not expected Lu Qing to suddenly ask such a question.

However, it quickly replied, “Demon cultivators are not easy to deal with. They’re treacherous and cunning, using every possible means. Even in the ancient era of immortal cultivation, they were very formidable.

When it comes to the viciousness of their techniques, even the old Plague Ghost can’t compare.

Young Master, why do you suddenly ask this?”

“A few days ago, didn’t I give Patriarch Wei several talismans containing a trace of my spiritual energy?

Just now, I sensed that the talismans were destroyed.

Before that spiritual energy disappeared, I seemed to sense a trace of the aura of a demon cultivator.”

“A demon cultivator’s aura, are you sure?” Yan

was surprised.

In fact, it was even more surprised that Lu Qing could actually sense movements thousands of miles away.

Logically, this ability was simply beyond the reach of a Qi Refining Realm cultivator.

Lu Qing’s spiritual power was surprisingly powerful.

It seemed that this person still had many secrets that it was unaware of.

“It’s unmistakable. It’s the aura of a demon cultivator. I wouldn’t mistake it. I’ve encountered a demon cultivator before.”

Lu Qing then recounted the demon cultivator he’d encountered in the Holy City.

“A demon cultivator capable of performing the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique.” Yan was even more astonished. “Those who master this magic technique are no ordinary demon cultivators.

Back in the ancient era of immortal cultivation, only the most authentic demon cultivators could perform it.

Could it be that this old fellow has escaped the Five Decays of Heaven and

Man and survived to this day?” “I don’t know, but the aura I just sensed is identical to the demon cultivator I encountered in the Holy City.

Even if they’re not the same person, there must be a special connection between the two.”

Lu Qing recalled the moment he’d sensed the trace of spiritual energy left in the talisman before it vanished.

Wei Xinghe seemed trapped somewhere, surrounded by demonic energy, and faintly heard the wailing of many.

Unfortunately, his spiritual energy wasn’t strong enough yet.

The power of the differentiated spiritual aura was limited.

Furthermore, the distance was too great, and what could be sensed was very vague.

Otherwise, there would be no need for such speculation.

Now, the only way to find out the truth was to reach the provincial capital.

He wondered if Wei Xinghe would be able to hold out until he arrived.

With this thought, Lu Qing’s mind activated, and the breeze lingering around him grew even stronger.

Simultaneously, his speed soared again.

From the sky, it looked like a stream of greenish-yellow light, moving rapidly along the land towards the provincial capital.

The provincial capital was a thousand miles away from Jiuli Village. Back when Lu Qing was still in the Acquired Realm, he had once raided at night and slain the old woman of the Zheng family, who was in the Innate Realm.

His cultivation was now more than ten times stronger, and

his speed was far beyond anything he had ever achieved back then.

Therefore, although they set out in the afternoon, the provincial capital was already in sight before dark.

“Hmm?”

However, when Lu Qing laid eyes on the provincial capital, he suddenly sensed something was amiss.

He discovered that the city, resembling a giant beast crouching on the earth, was now shrouded in a veil of black light.

The black light emanated a sinister aura, looking quite eerie.

“This is a demonic formation! Who could be so generous as to set up such a large-scale formation?”

“Yan” appeared beside Lu Qing, looking at the provincial capital ahead with a look of surprise.

“Not only a formation, but also magical artifacts.”

Lu Qing stared at the black light, and soon, several messages floated into his field of vision.

[Ten Directions Blood-Dissolving Soul-Refining Formation: An ancient demonic formation inherited from the Black Sky Demon Lord of the Tianyuan Great World, it is extremely evil and vicious.]

[Hemolysis Soul-Refining: A mysterious demonic cultivator intends to use this formation to melt the inhabitants of a city, transforming them into blood food and condensing their demonic bodies.]

[This formation is a minimalist version, constructed with a demonic artifact as the core, and its power is less than one ten-millionth of the original formation.

“

Want to transform the entire city’s inhabitants into blood sustenance to refine a demonic body?”

When Lu Qing saw the message, his face suddenly turned ashen.

He even temporarily ignored the mention of the Black Sky Demon Lord on the note. No

wonder he had sensed the wailing sounds echoing around Wei Shanhai.

And why he had sensed a warning in the dark.

It turned out that a demon cultivator had set up a large formation to transform the entire city’s inhabitants into blood sustenance to refine a demonic body.

After all, there were tens of thousands of people in the city.

“Young Master, what are you saying?” Yan was horrified upon hearing this. “That demon cultivator wants to refine everyone in this city. How dare he?”

“Why? Didn’t Senior say that demon cultivators are cruel and unjust, treating human life as worthless? What else could they not dare to do?”

“That’s different,” Yan said. “Demon cultivators may be cruel and murderous, but there’s a limit.

An act like this, refining the entire city’s inhabitants, would inevitably lead to monstrous sins.

Even a demon cultivator at the Yuan Shen realm wouldn’t dare do so.

Otherwise, Heaven would bring down punishment, and no one could withstand it.”

“Then how do you explain this situation, Senior?” Lu Qing kept moving forward.

“This…” Yan was speechless.

It thought for a moment before saying, “Perhaps this formation is merely encircling the city, not necessarily refining everyone in it.”

“Whether it is or not, we’ll see.”

Lu Qing didn’t rush into the city. The situation was unclear, and the provincial capital was trapped. If he rushed in rashly, he might end up in trouble.

“Xiao Li, you protect me.”

Lu Qing warned, then sat down cross-legged, concentrating his mind and entering a state of meditation.

At this distance, he should be able to sense the spiritual aura he left on the talisman.

Sure enough, Lu Qing soon sensed that there was a breath of the same origin as his own in the city, looming.

However, due to the obstruction of the formation, it would take some effort for him to connect with it.

Lu Qing immediately used his mental method to try to connect with that trace of spiritual aura.

Just as Lu Qing was trying to connect with the talisman.

In the provincial capital city, in an alley, Wei Shanhai was holding a broken jade sword talisman, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in front of him, full of despair.

He never expected that his son would become this half-human, half-ghost appearance.

“Father, I told you that your struggle is useless.

It’s better for you to follow the Demon Lord with me, to accomplish great deeds for him.”

In front of Wei Xinghe, Wei Zihao, who was emitting black energy all over his body, with a black mark on his forehead and a face full of evil, smiled softly.

“Zihao, tell me, who turned you into this state?”

Wei Xinghe looked at his completely unfamiliar son, his heart aching.

“Why, Daddy, do you think that the way I am now is not good?” Wei Zihao stretched out an arm covered with strange runes, “But I think that the way it is now is very good.

Daddy just saw that my current cultivation level is far beyond yours.

Even the sword energy talisman that you cast out from who knows where can’t hurt me at all.”

Wei Xinghe felt even more pained when he saw this.

“Zihao, wake up! You’re still capable of falling into the devil’s path. Do you really think the power you possess now is yours?”

“Daddy, are you kidding? If this power isn’t mine, how could it be yours?

However, if Daddy listens to my advice and submits to the Demon Lord,

with your Xiantian realm, it won’t be difficult to obtain such power.

So now, please follow me to meet the Demon Lord. The

Demon Lord just said he’s very interested in the sword energy talisman you offered earlier.”

Wei Zihao said this, and gently extended his hand toward Wei Xinghe.

This seemingly casual gesture caused Wei Xinghe’s face to change drastically.

Without thinking, he stamped his foot and quickly retreated.

“Daddy, it’s useless. You can’t escape.”

Wei Zihao smiled faintly, and the black energy in his hand transformed into two venomous snakes, which coiled around Wei Xinghe’s retreating body.

The black energy snakes were extremely fast, and in an instant, they caught up with Wei Xinghe.

Wei Xinghe had seen the power of this black energy and did not dare to let it touch his body at all.

But his speed was far inferior to the strange creature.

With no other choice, he gritted his teeth and activated the last talisman on his person.

The next moment, a ray of green light emerged from Wei Xinghe’s body, rapidly increasing his speed several times.

Not only did he instantly distance himself from the black energy, but in a few quick moves, he vanished from Wei Zihao’s sight.

Wei Zihao, who had been confident of victory and beaming, suddenly changed expression.

He had never imagined that his father still had a hidden card at this point.

However, he soon smiled again.

“It’s useless, father. You can’t escape this provincial capital under the cover of the formation.”

With that, he transformed into a dark shadow and chased after Wei Xinghe.

After escaping the alley, Wei Xinghe didn’t dare to pause.

According to Lu Qing’s instructions when he handed him the talisman, the Light Spirit Talisman’s effects only lasted for a quarter of an hour.

He had to escape the city within that time.

Otherwise, not only would he perish in the city, but the entire prefecture would be reduced to hell.

Thinking of the terrifying figure he had seen earlier,

Wei Xinghe knew that in the entire Cangzhou, Lu Qing was probably the only one who could save the citizens of this city.

Of course, the premise was that he could escape.

Just as Wei Xinghe was desperately trying to escape, a trace of spiritual fluctuation suddenly emanated from him.

“Master Wei, can you sense what I am saying?”

“Young Master Lu?!”

Hearing this voice, Wei Xinghe suddenly stopped, his face showing ecstasy.

(End of this chapter)