"Vacuum Walking level of battle!"
An unknown voice murmured, unusually clear in the sudden silence.
The light wave bursting in the high sky was so intense that it not only made the sheer cliff city as bright as daylight, but even the disturbance caused by the collapse of the Sky Cause Wing Tower was momentarily suppressed.
The cultivators in the city, the higher their cultivation level, the stronger they felt. Beside the now unrecognizable Sky Wing Tower, several Golden Elixir cultivators wore subtle expressions. Perhaps the Golden Elixir Stage and Vacuum Walking were only a rank difference, but the real gap was as vast as heaven and earth. The most intuitive understanding was likely to be at this moment.
For a moment, the fierce battle on the side of Cinnabar Cliff changed, as everyone digested the impact brought by the sky light wave.
At this time, however, two people were unaffected.
One was "Tu Du". He had seen thousands of Vacuum Walking level battles in his lifetime, and even higher-level battles were not uncommon. Even though he was only a Soul Split Puppet in the sheer cliff city, with some memory loss, his feelings did not change. At the beginning of the light, the technique he wanted to use was affected, but he quickly changed his method. There were light and shadow, brightness and darkness in the world, which made no difference to him. Soon, the Shadowy ghost merged into the strong light, leaving no trace.
The second unaffected was Yu Ci. On the one hand, he had long been certain that one of the fighters must be Xie Yan, and he had faith in Xie Yan; on the other hand, his Soul Sensing, operated by the Divine Bronze Mirror, became more acute in the fierce battle, and he vaguely noticed the changes in "Tu Du's" whereabouts.
"What is 'Vacuum Shadow'?"
He asked Zhao Zirui, who had just shouted words like "Vacuum Shadow, Northern Demon Sect". At this time, Zhao Zirui was also stunned and did not react at first. Then, everything became meaningless.
"Hemoluo, Xi Heludo, Tusolanesuhelo..."
The deep incantation passed by the ears, and everyone around the Sky Wing Tower - whether it was Yu Ci's high-level personnel or the startled cultivators and civilians below - heard the incantation. Ten out of ten people didn't understand what the incantation was about, but the feeling born from the incantation was so clear.
It was a murmur under the stars, a praise to the endless void.
The light wave that illuminated the entire sheer cliff city eventually had its limits; it could shine for tens or hundreds of miles, but it could not cross a greater distance.
Only the sky over everyone's heads, the earth under their feet, and even the limitless vacuum that contains this heaven and earth, could never be surpassed.
From a human perspective, it is impossible to understand what form or phase the limitless vacuum is, one can only imagine its boundless majesty, worship its grand beauty, and lose oneself in its endless expanse, unanchored and exposed. From shock to insignificance, from insignificance to fear, from fear to humility.
At this point, the syllables of the incantation suddenly transformed.
A deeper voice, akin to the whispers of specters, led people's thoughts astray. Before the endless void, people's minds were devoid of moral barriers, only deeper layers of negative emotions were bred, like vines growing in the dark, seeking something to cling to. This rendered them vulnerable, exposing their weakest and darkest sides, which were then seized by an unseen hand.
At this very moment, around the Sky Wing Tower, people's external appearances remained bright, yet their hearts were already shrouded in darkness. This emotion was drawn out from the depths of their hearts by an unknowable force, tied together with similar emotions from others. Instantly, this formed a twisted net of shadows, ensnaring almost everyone. Like insects on a spider's web, the more they struggled, the tighter the entanglement.
"Void Heart Demon Spider Shadow Curse!"
Two people cried out in unison. One was Zhou Youde, a man protected by the "Heart-Connecting Rhinoceros Ring" and augmented by Buddha's light, which resisted the magic of the curse. The other was Zhao Zirui, who somehow managed to escape the trance-like state.
But others were not so fortunate.
The Sky Wing Tower and the bridges on both sides were filled with cries of despair. Whether they were ordinary people or cultivators, the weakest parts of their hearts were exposed to varying degrees under the influence of the curse. Furthermore, the curse power seized a significant portion of their Divine Soul energy to form the net of shadows. The worst part was that within this "net", countless negative emotions had no boundaries or distinctions. All the darkness and pain converged, perceptible to all.
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At this moment, a tide of fear swept across the entire shadow net. The moment the net was formed, countless people suffered mental breakdowns, screaming in terror, or falling directly into unconsciousness. The four most powerful Golden Elixir cultivators within the net had slightly stronger resistance, but their defenses were precarious under the onslaught of dark emotions, and the initial influence of the curse was rapidly expanding.
For the bystanders, it was merely an emotional shock, but for them, it was the deadly Heart Demon stirring within. Like Nan Songzi, those who manipulate and utilize the Heart Demon for cultivation are a minority. Most people constantly refine their Divine Souls to keep them clear and pure. Once the Heart Demon arises, they must promptly cleanse it to prevent unexpected disasters.
Now, the Heart Demon was provoked by the curse, and its momentum was fierce. The Jade Ruler Daoist and others were caught off guard, feeling their aura in chaos. The Heart Demon within them seemed to resonate with the external tide of fear. If they were not careful, the demons inside and outside would clash, and they might immediately fall into demonic possession!
"What kind of method is this?" someone shouted, apparently he had not heard Zhao Zirui and Zhou Youde's earlier calls.
However, Yu Ci heard it all.
In terms of cultivation level, he was far from matching these Golden Elixir cultivators. Yet, within the shadowy web woven by "Tu Du", he managed to maintain his clarity.
He did not block the assault of the curse—it wasn't a direct attack on the Divine Soul, but rather, it seeped in through the six senses, permeating every crevice. Even with the Heart-Tugging Horn in his mouth, it was of no use. What truly made a difference was the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade that lay warm against his chest.
The purple mist, akin to warm water, soaked his entire body, cleansing his Divine Soul, and swept away the budding Heart Demon.
This was beyond his expectations. Since acquiring this jade, Yu Ci had kept it close, testing its efficacy in advancing his cultivation level. The jade's nature was gentle and enduring, and no significant effects could be seen in a short time. However, it suddenly exhibited its power under these circumstances, doing him a great favor.
Even so, now was not the time to let his guard down.
Without any hesitation, Yu Ci leapt into action as soon as the Heart Demon's influence lessened. Behind him, the chanting of the curse had ceased at some unknown time, and malicious intent, like red-hot needles, pierced through the void, locking onto him.
Following this malicious intent, Yu Ci looked back and saw "Tu Du".
At this moment, the turbulent light waves in the sky were rapidly subsiding, and the surroundings of the Sky Wing Tower had changed again. To the naked eye, countless shadowy threads were drawn out from the Sky Wing Tower and the bridges on both sides, with "Tu Du" sitting in the center of the web, like an ugly spider, pulling the threads, toying with the 'insects' struggling in the web, and absorbing nutrients from them to strengthen himself.
Perhaps this was the origin of the name "Void Heart Demon Spider Shadow Curse".
It must be said that such a curse and demon technique, despite its strange and mysterious nature, was indeed awe-inspiring. Compared to this, the methods used by Tu Du in the Sky Rift Valley seemed crude and unbearable.
Yu Ci watched "Tu Du", and "Tu Du" watched him back. On the face of the shadowy ghost, a chilling smile spread, and then the shadow expanded, pressing closer. The shadowy web suddenly stretched, and the hundreds of cultivators and civilians caught in the web were affected, moaning in unison. The sound was continuous and chilling.
Amidst these mournful cries, the shadowy ghost of "Tu Du" solidified a few more degrees, and the mottled and chaotic shadows on the cliff seemed to respond, stirring restlessly, ready to trip Yu Ci.
The misty sword energy hissed, and Yu Ci broke free from the entanglement of these shadows, continuing his ascent.
"That's mine!"
Shouting these inexplicable words, "Tu Du" laughed weirdly and pursued him, passing by Zhao Zirui and Zhou Youde. The former had no intention of intervening, while the latter, ever since hearing the names "Vacuum Shadow" and "Northern Demon Sect", had been somewhat unsettled. Seeing "Tu Du" catching up, he wanted to reach out, but was stopped by "Tu Du" with a shout:
"Get lost!"
Zhou Youde's sturdy body shivered, hesitating in his heart. However, Tu Du was incredibly fast. His shadow swept by and had already broken through. The Buddha light on the "Heart-Connecting Rhinoceros Ring" became dim, and only then did Zhou Youde feel a vague pain within his body. The intense battle just now had aggravated his internal injuries.
Yu Ci didn't even consider whether Zhao Zirui could stop Tu Du. In times of crisis, relying on others was the biggest crisis itself, and Yu Ci understood this principle well.
Therefore, without even looking, he directly took out a new Jade Talisman from his Storage Ring. This talisman looked different from the previous Yin Du's Black Law Binding Ghost Symbol, as it had a deliberately sharpened end. When Yu Ci exerted force on his palm, the sharp end of the Jade Talisman pierced his palm, and blood gushed out, instantly staining the intricate patterns on the talisman.
Stimulated by this, the Talisman's Divine Light shone, mixed with blood, accumulating and flowing within the palm, its power increasing dramatically, as if it was about to burst through his fingers. Yu Ci began to guide this power, and as the Divine Bronze Mirror slid into his hand, he used his blood-stained fingers to imprint seven bright red blood spots on the smooth mirror surface.
In front of him was emptiness, and Yu Ci had already stepped onto the cliff top. This was a place where he often lingered recently. Before the Treasure Exchange Banquet began, he had met Zhao Zirui here. However, Zhao Zirui seemed unaware that the seemingly weathered shallow grooves on the rocky mountain were intricately connected.
In the sky, the glaring light waves caused by the Vacuum Walking battle had completely disappeared, and the dark night sky unfolded again. Under the relatively bright moonlight, a few sparse stars served as embellishments.
Yu Ci didn't care where Tu Du had chased, he just looked up at the sky. A ball of white light floated onto his shoulder - the Tao Scripture Master Three Treasure Seal.
The low and delicate sound of the Talisman resonated.
The lively atmosphere in the book review section was wonderful, and the sudden increase in clicks felt like floating clouds (perhaps just for a moment?). Please continue to support, brothers and sisters!
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e