From half a mile away, Yu Ci could hear the rasping breaths of the demon, akin to the sound of a bellows, punctuated by severe coughing. Upon observing the demon through the Divine Map, its normally grey-black skin bore an unhealthy hue of blue, as if it was gravely ill.

Demons and grave illness?

These two seemingly disjoint elements collided, creating a sense of absurdity. However, Yu Ci had noticed this phenomenon a few days prior.

He noted that many of the demons that emerged from the “entrance” seemed ill-adapted to the climate of the Sky Rift Valley. The stronger demons managed to recover after a period of languishing, but the weaker ones were often severely affected. The one above him was simply demonstrating these symptoms more intensely.

During his time at the Still Heart Temple, hadn’t Old Daoist Yu Zhou mentioned that the environment of the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion was vastly different from this realm? The air that humans breathed freely could very well be poisonous to these demons.

Yu Ci had always suspected that the fierce wave of demons, which chose not to ascend but instead lingered in this relatively desolate place, was due to the harsh environment of the dark territories above exceeding their tolerance limit. For instance, the one above him, being relatively higher, was reacting more severely.

Of course, this was a blessing in disguise for Yu Ci, who was preparing to draw his sword and clear the path of this obstacle.

However, just as he was about to strike, he retracted his poised body and slid down a bit. A new situation had emerged on the Divine Map.

A shadow was crawling from the side of the gasping demon.

A new demon?

This was Yu Ci’s first thought.

What appeared on the Divine Map was a bizarre and hideous creature. Its body closely resembled that of a human, with a torso and limbs indistinguishable from a human's, but its head seemed to have been sheared off on one side, leaving only the lower jaw and teeth intact. At first glance, it looked more like a corpse crawling on the cliff wall.

A corpse?

A chill ran down Yu Ci’s spine. He noticed that the creature was draped in a piece of cloth, tattered and unrecognizable, but definitely not something a demon should possess. After observing the Divine Map for so many days, Yu Ci was certain that every demon here was stark naked.

Although demons were intelligent and some might adopt human habits such as wearing clothes and observing etiquette, Yu Ci saw no sign of such behavior on the Divine Map. Instead, he recognized certain familiar features on the creature.

Firstly, the tattered piece of clothing, despite being severely damaged, was strangely familiar to Yu Ci. Judging by its design, it wasn’t ordinary attire, but resembled a... Monk's Robe?

Then there was the remaining half of the jaw. It indeed looked revolting, but its pointed and narrowed shape had left a deep impression on Yu Ci. Taking this into account, even the monster's size seemed familiar.

Yu Ci studied the creature further, and suddenly, an insight struck him. He lifted his Pure Yang Talisman Sword, made a few gestures in the void, looked at the Divine Map, and a lightbulb went off in his head. The answer was at the tip of his tongue.

At that moment, the half-headed monster entered the sensing range of the Demons. It did not deliberately conceal its presence, and even the Demons, in its dire state, was alert. It turned its head, baring its fangs at the ill-intentioned creature.

The monster charged at the Demons. However, its speed was average, even a sickly Demon was slightly superior. In the blink of an eye, the roles of attacker and defender switched. The Demon, summoning its strength, nearly swatted the creature off the cliff with one swipe of its robust claws. The monster, in turn, grabbed the Demon's forearm and grappled with it.

This struggle was devoid of any technique, yet it was a common tactic among Demons, especially the lower-ranked ones. The sickly Demon, though panting heavily, seemed to have the upper hand. Seizing an opportunity, it lunged at the monster's neck.

At that moment, a dark mist erupted from the monster's throat, which was fully exposed due to its half-missing head, and hit the Demon squarely in the face. Immediately, a loud explosion ensued, and the mist transformed into Black Flames, engulfing the Demon's head.

The Demon's agonizing screams could be clearly heard by Yu Ci. In the Divine Map, the Demon struggled desperately, while the half-headed monster held it tightly, refusing to let go despite the Demon's thrashing. In just a while, the tattered Monk's Robe was torn to shreds, and even chunks of flesh were ripped off from the Demon's body, but its struggles were noticeably weaker.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Yu Ci watched without blinking. The black flames on the Demon's face gradually weakened, but they did not extinguish normally. Instead, they seeped into the Demon's ears, eyes, mouth, and other meridian points!

The Demon's struggles ceased completely, leaving only intermittent convulsions of its body. At that moment, a fainter stream of dark mist flowed from the monster's now blackened throat. The mist writhed like a black snake, slithering along their intertwined limbs and entering the Demon's gaping mouth.

At this moment, all signs of life vanished from the half-headed monster. Its arms, previously clamped around the Demon like iron hoops, went limp. The Demon's body fell, but after dropping a few meters, it let out a strange cry, grabbed a rock, and stopped its descent. Was this the same creature that was on its last breath moments ago?

Yu Ci tightened his grip on the Pure Yang Talisman Sword and silently retreated a bit further. The situation above was exceedingly strange, he couldn't help but be cautious.

He looked at the Divine Map once again and saw that the half-headed monster had truly become a lump of dead flesh, hanging on a protrusion of the cliff wall, devoid of any signs of life. The Demon, which had been invaded by the black fire and the black snake, had bright, glowing eyes. It walked a few steps on the cliff wall, stretched its arms, shook its legs, and shook its head. Then it sighed in its still rapid breath, appearing rather dissatisfied.

This level of sophisticated human expression, Yu Ci had never seen before on such lowly Demons.

Then, the Demons slightly discerned the direction, walked a downward slope, and headed north.

Yu Ci had been observing through the Divine Map, watching the Demons go seven or eight miles away, before he rolled over and came to the creature with half a head.

Monk's Robe, physique, pointed chin! Apart from the information already observed, Yu Ci deliberately used his sword to open the monster's chest muscles, revealing the left rib with clearly old cracks. In addition, the heavy stench that filled his nose still contained a somewhat familiar scent. All these clues made Yu Ci’s speculation increasingly clear:

Viper Monk... No, he should be called Zheng De!

More precisely, it was the corpse of Monk Zheng Yan, who had half of his head cut off by Yu Ci a few months ago.

Yu Ci thought he should be more surprised.

According to common sense, Monk Zheng Yan's body should have been highly decayed by now. Of course, under the special conditions of Sky Rift Valley, the more likely fate would be to be devoured by the bloodthirsty Birds of Prey, leaving no trace of bones.

But now, such a "character" appeared before him in this form, and even staged a physical fight with the Demons - thanks to Yu Ci's many days of experience in Sky Rift Valley, his endurance has increased day by day. In the face of this situation, his mind worked even faster.

If we rewind a few days, Yu Ci might think that this is a special parasitic demon in Sky Rift Valley, which changes hosts at any time to obtain a new body. In fact, a long time ago, when he was in Twin Immortal Sect, Yu Ci had seen Purple Thunder Immortal raise similar demons, even using the Immortal Child as a test subject twice to study some kind of Immortality method, which later came to nothing.

Such demons are not uncommon in the Cultivation World and would make sense here.

However, after experiencing a certain event, Yu Ci felt that there was another possibility, which was more realistic.

A few days ago, he climbed to the top of the valley and happened to encounter the conflict between Old Monster Tu Du and Thousands Spirits Sect, Xuan Yin Sect, and Pure Water Sect. Subsequently, through the Divine Map, he saw that strange conversation. Under the hint of Xuan Yin Sect Dharma Transmission Immortal Master Ming Lan, Monk Yi Xin of Pure Water Sect, whose whereabouts were unknown, suddenly possessed his disciple, passed on his instructions, and staged a good show.

Compared to the inexplicably convoluted relationship between the two parties, Monk Yi Xin's enigmatic and eerie methods evidently left a more vivid and profound impression on Yu Ci.

At least he gained one understanding from this: the methods of the Pure Water Sect were rather sinister...

With such a spectacle as a backdrop, whatever trick Monk Zheng Yan might pull next, Yu Ci was prepared to accept it.

Moreover, there was another point he was rather concerned about. The black mist that flowed out of Zheng De's throat for the second time took the shape of a venomous snake. And wasn't it said that the accomplished monks of the Pure Water Sect all bore a resemblance to poisonous snakes?

Could it have been a case of "Possession"?

Yu Ci cast a final glance at Zheng De, then shifted his gaze to the Divine Map. He had to take it seriously. If Monk Zheng Yan was still alive, the matter of him killing Lu Quan and Elder Xu that day would undoubtedly be brought up, bringing him a great deal of trouble.

He wanted to follow, but as soon as he took a step, he found himself in a quandary. His body was now at its limit, every muscle and bone groaning in protest. To pursue in such a state, he might not even get to the edge before he stumbled and fell into the abyss, becoming the laughingstock of all.

In a moment of hesitation, the demons suspected of being Possessed had already burrowed into a blurry landscape. It was the territory of a Golden Elixir Stage demon. Without the aid of the "Three Calls in One Breath" technique, Yu Ci was helpless. How could he muster the strength to use the "Three Calls in One Breath" in his current condition?

Just as he was frowning, on the Divine Map, the blurry landscape began to move. It was heading towards Old Demon Tu Du, presumably because this powerful demon couldn't resist the deliciousness of the Golden Elixir cultivator's Divine Soul and was preparing to hunt. With this shift, the original place was revealed clearly. Yu Ci immediately spotted his target, only to see him hiding in a relatively secluded crevice, curled up and lying down, as though...

Asleep?

***********

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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e