CHAPTER 349: CHAPTER 211 DEMON RACE CONSPIRACY! SUBDUED ON THE SPOT! (8000 WORDS)_5

They had already succumbed to demonic corruption. With their minds invaded and a Demon Seed planted within them, they longed for freedom and yearned to escape this cage. Therefore, they were more than willing to work for the Demon Race.

These two knew little, so Wang Xiu was unable to discover the exact method the Demon Race used to spread the Demon Seed and corrupt the powerhouses of the Holy Realm. But one thing was certain: he had been marked as a target.

The original mission of these powerful beings when they entered the Void Ancient Path was to deal with Ye Guhong and make an example of him. The other prodigies were secondary targets. But now, having formed his Twelve-color Nascent Soul, Wang Xiu had caused a huge commotion, catching the attention of the puppeteers behind these demon disciples and shifting their target to him. The demon disciples had gathered a formidable force and set up an ambush ahead, hoping to catch Wang Xiu and the others off guard.

The exact number was unknown. But these people knew that Wang Xiu and the other prodigies were together, nearly ten thousand strong, and still dared to lay an ambush. Even if their numbers weren’t great, they surely had enough powerful experts. Among them were multiple Great Abilities at the Emergence Stage.

Most of the prodigies on Wang Xiu’s side were still in the Golden Core or Core Formation Realms; those with a Nascent Soul were few and far between. A typical Nascent Soul Venerable, in front of a Great Ability at the Emergence Stage, was no different from an ant and could be suppressed with a single hand.

Even for extraordinary talents like Li Xuanqi and Zhang Yuge, who possessed astonishing combat prowess and could fight above their level, the barrier between Nascent Soul and Emergence was like an insurmountable chasm. It wasn’t as simple as a Golden Core defeating a Nascent Soul; merely resisting was incredibly difficult.

To be honest, even if this band of demon disciples had confronted them head-on, Wang Xiu’s side would not have had a great chance of victory. Yet they were so intent on ensuring their success that they planned an ambush, which showed the depths of their killing intent. They aimed for a one-hit kill, leaving no chance for a counterattack and showing great respect for Wang Xiu, the owner of the unprecedented Twelve-color Nascent Soul.

The only problem was the two fools Wang Xiu had just caught. Because their performance was too mediocre, they had never gained the recognition of the "Holy Envoy," could not be planted with a Demon Seed, and were relegated to being peripheral members doing odd jobs. As it turned out, they really were fools; their surveillance was so clumsy that they were caught red-handed by Wang Xiu. Of course, they had not anticipated that Wang Xiu’s Divine Sense was so powerful and his spiritual awareness so incredibly sharp that not a single whisper of movement could escape his perception. This led to the complete exposure of their operation.

I need more detailed intelligence on them... Wang Xiu pondered. He never fought a battle unprepared. Although these two knew little, they happened to be aware of another surveillance spot nearby where a true demon disciple was stationed, one who likely had more valuable information in his mind.

With that thought, Wang Xiu immediately set off, vanishing into the darkness.

「...」

The cave sat on a smooth cliff face. A cloaked figure sat cross-legged at the entrance, his aura suppressed to a minimum, blending so seamlessly with the night that even a sweep of Divine Sense would hardly reveal his presence. He kept his eyes shut, sensing everything around him. Watching with one’s eyes was the most foolish method; all cultivators were extremely sensitive to the sensation of being watched. Having lived in darkness for so long, he was well aware of this.

According to intelligence, Wang Xiu’s main force would soon arrive at this location.

A thick, black Demonic Qi swirled around him as resentment and jealousy consumed his heart and mind. He despised the young, especially those who were not only youthful but also exceptionally talented. All the good things in the world seemed to have been taken by them. Why should he be the one to languish away his life in this endless cage? His own aptitude wasn’t poor; in the outside world, he could have become a major figure. How unfair was fate? Fortunately, Wang Xiu would soon die. No matter how talented he was, his doom was sealed today. He would not leave this ancient path alive. And he... he would finally be reborn and escape the cage.

At that thought, he couldn’t help but open his eyes, his gaze attempting to pierce through this world to see the heavens beyond, to see freedom. But he saw nothing.

He was met only with a pair of eyes. A pair of incredibly bright, clear eyes, at first glance like a pristine mountain spring. But looking closer, one found they were filled with endless mysteries, as if all the changes of the universe were contained within. They were unfathomable.

"Who are you?" he exclaimed, his voice hoarse. Someone had appeared right in front of him, yet he hadn’t sensed a thing.

The young man stood with his hands behind his back, his figure tall and straight. He was surrounded by a mystical light, his presence overwhelming. "You were tailing me, and you don’t even recognize me?"

"Wang Xiu?" the cloaked figure blurted out. His eyes flashed with a multitude of emotions—confusion, bewilderment, fear—before finally settling on an intense malice as he violently lashed out.

In an instant, Demonic Qi surged, shattering the mountainside. The very summit ripped apart and crashed down. The strike was terrifying. The cloaked figure was at the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul Realm, and tainted with Demonic Qi, his offensive power was even more chilling.

Wang Xiu stood there like a god, unflinching and bathed in light. His hair danced in the wind, and his pupils gleamed with an intimidating brilliance. With no superfluous movements, he simply lifted his right hand.

His body began to glow as countless runes surged toward the heavens. An infinite rosy light blossomed from his palm, expanding furiously to sweep across the world and suppress everything.

The roiling Demonic Qi was instantly quelled.

Horror filled the cloaked man’s eyes as he let out a dreadful howl. In a mere moment, his physical body disintegrated, turning to ash. His Nascent Soul attempted to flee, but Wang Xiu was prepared. His Divine Sense surged forth, forming a cage that sealed it in place.

"Ming Emperor, Soul-Reading Technique!"

Wang Xiu showed no mercy and immediately began to search the soul. There was no reason to hold back against one who had already succumbed to demonic corruption.