Chapter 526: Desperate Pleading
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In recent days, those cultivators seemed to have carved out a cave dwelling on a nearby mountain, settling into the foothills.
Villagers had inquired about the black mist, asking if immortals had arrived and whether they still needed to abandon their homes and flee.
Though the cultivators clearly disdained explaining to mortals, they did provide an answer.
In short, this black mist was far beyond their capabilities. The apostles and demonic beasts within it were not comparable to ordinary spirit beasts.
They had not come to protect the village; they had other urgent matters to attend to.
This statement was unmistakably blunt. No one cared about the lives of mortals. Such was the way of the world in times of prosperity, let alone in such dire circumstances.
The cultivators had already shown considerable leniency by not escorting them further. Yet this leniency was extended to the Heavenly Dao Pavilion and the Immortal Alliance.
With her current cultivation at the Transformation of Spirit stage, Dongfang Jue paid no heed to the mere Foundation Establishment barrier.
Her divine sense effortlessly pierced the barrier. She listened intently to the cultivators' conversation, hoping to grasp the current situation.
However, these minor figures possessed only limited information, mostly trivial details like their mission assignments.
In essence, they functioned as an investigative squad, tasked with monitoring the spread of the Dead Zone and alerting mortals along the route to evacuate the hazardous area.
As for the Dead Zone itself, that was left for the legions of cultivators dispatched by the Celestial Dao Pavilion and the Immortal Alliance to handle.
Still, Dongfang Jue did glean some unexpected intelligence.
For instance, the Lingxian Hall had also intervened, dispatching outer-door disciples and some "cultivators" clad in black armor?
Then there was news about Su Muchan. It was said that through her iron-fisted rule, she had now completely subjugated the demonic tribes, becoming the true Demon Sovereign of this realm. The Western Regions had even been renamed the Demon Realm.
Thus, the Holy Maiden of the Eastern Sacred Mountain, the Daughter of the Southern Human Emperor, the Sovereign of the Western Demon Realm, and the Fox Demon Empress of the Northern Frontier—all four realms now fell under the influence of the Lingxian Hall.
The destiny of this realm now lay entirely in Su Cheng's hands.
Dongfang Jue quickly grasped the implications. The so-called War of Divine Extermination was likely about to commence.
Among the four realms, the Western Demon Realm, where Su Muchan resided, currently enjoyed the most favorable circumstances.
First, this was due to Su Muchan's astute decision-making. Second, it owed much to the Demon Realm's unique social structure, where strength reigns supreme. Within the Demon Realm, Su Muchan alone held absolute authority; her decisions were final and could not be challenged. Third, she enjoyed the backing of the Mansion and Lingxian Hall's forces.
Su Muchan could be described as one who slays gods who stand in her way and Buddhas who block her path. Upon ascending to the throne as the Demon Realm's supreme ruler, she immediately replaced the entire leadership with her trusted confidants. She actively responded to the Mansion's directives, having begun preventive measures and preparations long before.
This explains why the Demon Sovereign has been absent from the Lingxian Hall—she has been tirelessly working in the Western Regions.
According to information leaked by the Mansion, Su Muchan led the demonic tribes to discover entirely new mineral veins. With the Mansion's technological support, she mastered innovative mining and refining techniques.
Utilizing this ore, Su Muchan offered exorbitant rewards across the Four Regions to recruit a large number of artifact smiths. They forged numerous suits of armor and weapons suitable for cultivators. These weapons bore a striking resemblance to those wielded by the Valkyries of the Mansion, yet they were distinct.
Not only was this material ideal for weapon forging, but incorporating it into magical artifacts and refining them could multiply their potency several times over!
Su Muchan spared no expense in equipping these weapons and armor to the demonic clan's powerful figures and high-ranking cultivators. This undoubtedly boosted the Western Region's strength significantly, and these demonic beings grew even more devoted to Su Muchan as a result.
However, this mineral, referred to by Xiao Ai as Black Bloodstone, was exceedingly rare. Even with increasingly mature techniques, the success rate of refining it remained below fifty percent.
With this divine substance's blessing, coupled with the powerful cultivators dispatched by the Manor and the Immortal Alliance, the Western Region's current situation was indeed far better than that of the other three regions.
"If I'd known, I should've defected to the Western Region and joined the demonic tribes!"
"Cut it out! Even within the Demon Clan, only high-tier cultivators and certain great demonic beings are qualified to wield artifacts and weapons forged from Black Bloodstone. With our cultivation levels, we'd be cannon fodder anywhere!"
"I heard that female demon lord rewards cultivators with outstanding contributions using the scrap from failed Black Blood Stone refinements. She claims that even this scrap, if mixed into weapons or artifacts, can multiply their power several times over!"
"Is that true? Even scrap material—if we could get a bit of it…"
"Yeah, I heard artifacts forged with Black Bloodstone are incredibly effective against those Apostles and monstrous beasts! Hunters with bodies as tough as diamond, when faced with a sword made from Black Bloodstone, get sliced like tofu—one slash and they're cut clean in two!"
"Really? That powerful? If it's so good, why doesn't the Immortal Alliance mine some?"
"Probably because they're afraid the demons' stuff is cursed or something—they're too scared to use it! If you ask me, anything that makes you stronger and lets you slay Apostles and beasts is a good thing! Who knows what those higher-ups are thinking!"
"Heh, maybe the higher-ups are already using it. Something that precious—do you think it'd ever reach us?"
"Heh, you're probably right…"
Dongfang Jue listened to their grumbling, thinking to himself: No wonder I haven't seen that Su Muchan in so long…
If that's the case, Su Muchan must have been acting on her master's orders.
That young cultivator had a point. Regardless of the Black Blood Stone's origins, wasn't repelling the enemy the most crucial task right now?
If the soldiers and cultivators of the Southern Domain possessed such magical treasures and weapons, why would they fear repelling the enemy?
But even as Dongfang Jue pondered this, she had pressing matters at hand. After all, she too bore a mission entrusted by her master, didn't she?
Thinking this way, her journey here must also carry her master's deeper meaning!
But whatever that deeper meaning might be, she could only ponder it slowly. Tonight, she needed to pack her things, preparing to flee with her family tomorrow.
"Father" said they would head south, toward Luo'an City, where the Luo'an Prefecture Office was providing relief to refugees.
What Dongfang Jue hadn't anticipated was that before dawn the next day, before the signal to depart had even come, she received the news of her mother's death.
Truthfully, she had sensed it the night before.
One more person meant one more mouth to feed. And with her mother gravely ill and bedridden, how could the family possibly flee with her?
Dongfang Jue did not intervene to stop them. Instead, she chose to watch coldly from the sidelines.
For it was her mother's desperate plea, and her father's repeated decision. This world held neither boundless opportunities nor the pity of immortals.
The so-called fish and meat were indeed such a difficult choice, leaving no time even for sorrow. Dongfang Jue was naturally astonished. The suffering of the common people, at this moment, became tangible, no longer mere hearsay from the halls of power or brief descriptions in books.
This, Dongfang Jue realized, was his cultivation.
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