Chapter 17 : The Siege of Pingyang Town

Unable to dissuade the old man, Eldrin Chen had no choice but to let him accompany them, instructing the clansmen along the way to keep a careful watch over him.

Counting both the old and the young, the Chen Immortal Clan managed to muster over forty Qi Refinement Cultivators. Combined with the twenty-plus Chen Clan Cultivators stationed in Pingyang County, their total force numbered nearly seventy.

The last time such a large force had been mobilized was during the period of the Beast Tide Calamity, Sixty Years Ago. Back then, the Chen Immortal Clan had dispatched close to a hundred cultivators to the front lines to battle the demonic beasts, only to be utterly annihilated in a single, fateful clash.

Although this group consisted entirely of cultivators, their cultivation levels varied greatly. Consequently, it took a full four days for them to finally reach Pingyang Town.

Upon arriving at Pingyang County, the Grand Elder, Chen Kael, was the first to receive them.

Within the main hall, stroking his long beard, he declared, "Ten days ago, I already ordered the activation of the defensive formations. Pingyang City and the surrounding towns are now sealed—no one enters, no one leaves. If any Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use sinister, often blood-based or soul-consuming methods to gain power] remain, they should already be like rats trapped in a jar."

The Fourth Elder, Chen Alistair, promptly urged, "Then what are we waiting for? Let us root them out now."

"Pingyang City is home to over a hundred thousand souls. Ferreting out Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use sinister, often blood-based or soul-consuming methods to gain power] will not be the work of a single day," Eldrin Chen countered, shaking his head. "Moreover, we must proceed with caution to prevent any cornered demonic cultivator from making a desperate, last stand and causing unnecessary casualties."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the assembled group before he continued.

"The Grand Elder shall take twenty cultivators and hold the core of the City Guardian Grand Formation [the primary defensive magical array protecting a city]. He is not to move from his post lightly." This chapter is provided by audio - novel . com. Support the original.

"The task of screening shall be entrusted to us who have come from Verdant Chariot Mountain."

"…"

With a few words exchanged, the group finalized the plan for this sweep for Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent and often sacrificial methods to advance their cultivation].

According to the plan, for this operation, aside from the personnel required to maintain the City Guardian Grand Formation, the rest would be divided into groups of five.

Each group would be led by one cultivator at the Qi Refinement, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the first major stage of cultivation] to ensure the safety of the others, while the remaining four would be responsible for the actual screening.

With this cross-checking method, even if a hidden Demonic Cultivator practiced a Breath Concealment Art [a technique to mask one's aura and presence], they could not evade detection by four examiners. After all, no matter how deeply a Demonic Cultivator concealed themselves, they could not hide the Demonic Path True Qi [the corrupt spiritual energy cultivated through demonic methods] circulating within their bodies.

Although this method was slow, requiring nearly a month to thoroughly screen Pingyang City, its advantage lay in its thoroughness and reliability.

In addition to these teams, Eldrin Chen and the other two elders at the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer [the peak of the Qi Refinement stage] were tasked with patrols, ready to personally suppress any Demonic Cultivator discovered.

Once the plan was settled, the Grand Elder immediately issued the orders, instructing the City Guard Army to assist in maintaining order as the screening for Demonic Cultivator began.

Early the next morning, the cultivators of the Chen Immortal Clan gathered in the square, ready to test every mortal for traces of demonic Qi [corrupt spiritual energy] according to their household registries.

Eldrin Chen stood upon the high platform, his gaze sweeping over the bustling crowd below and the cultivators conducting the Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual affinity that determines one's cultivation potential] detection. A subtle flicker passed between his brows.

"It is said that among the mighty immortal clans, they often possess Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [an artifact of supreme power capable of suppressing and purifying demonic entities]," he mused.

"Such treasures can detect vast numbers of mortals at once, effortlessly rooting out any hidden Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses malevolent, often soul-consuming methods to advance their cultivation]," he continued.

"If we possessed such a Demon-Subduing Treasure, we would not need to go to such great lengths."

Beside him, Chen Elara smiled softly upon hearing this, her own eyes holding a trace of longing. "Indeed," she said.

"I have heard that the Green Sun Sect possesses one such Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure, named the Mirror of the Vast Heaven."

"Legends speak of the Mirror of the Vast Heaven's boundless might. Where its mirror-light passes, evil demons are repelled; even Purple Mansion Demonic Monsters [powerful demonic beasts or cultivators equivalent to the Purple Mansion Realm] cannot withstand it. Lesser fiends are reduced to ashes on the spot."

"A treasure of that caliber would be coveted even by Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual mansion within their dantian] experts, and even Golden Core Immortal Clan [a clan powerful enough to have a Golden Core Realm cultivator as its pillar]. I wonder if, centuries or millennia from now, our Chen Clan might have the fortune to obtain one."

Old Granduncle Chen Dorian heard this and could not help but glance at Eldrin Chen.

His gaze held a thread of profound hope. After a long moment, he smiled faintly.

"Young Eldrin, you possess the finest immortal fate within our Chen Clan. I suspect you may even bear the Exiled Immortal Bearing [a legendary constitution signifying one who has descended from the heavens, possessing extraordinary talent]."

"This old man won't live to see it, but you must cultivate diligently. If you ever obtain a Demon-Subduing Treasure [a supreme artifact of immense power specifically designed to vanquish demonic beings], remember to bring it before my grave and let me have a look."

The others treated these words as mere jest, but only Eldrin Chen felt a subtle weight settle in his heart.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he whispered inwardly, "A Demon-Subduing Treasure [a supreme artifact of immense power specifically designed to vanquish demonic beings]... That day will come."

Though engaged in casual conversation, the group never let their guard down. The first day of screening proceeded smoothly.

By sunset, they had examined four to five thousand people, yet found no trace of a Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses sinister, often blood-based methods to gain power, considered heretical]. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio - novel . com.

This was within their expectations. While Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use sinister, often blood-based methods to gain power, considered heretical] were insidious and had infiltrated almost every major immortal clan, their numbers were seldom large.

The screening continued methodically for several days. It was on the fourth day that Eldrin Chen finally detected something amiss.

In the plaza that day, a man brought forth by the City Guard Army appeared visibly tense. Suddenly, his face contorted with ferocity as he erupted into action, summoning a blood-colored skull that lunged towards the inspecting cultivator.

Fortunately, Eldrin Chen, having sensed the anomaly, was already prepared. He instantly unleashed his Golden Light Blade [a magical blade that radiates brilliant golden light], sending it cleaving through the air to intercept the attack.

The Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of dark, forbidden arts] possessed a cultivation level of only the Qi Refinement, Early Stage [the initial stage of gathering and refining spiritual energy], and was utterly incapable of resisting Eldrin Chen. In the span of a lightning flash and flint spark, he was dispatched with a single sword stroke.

Fifth Elder Chen Elara was alerted by the commotion. She stepped forward and peeled a Human Skin Mask [a grisly artifact crafted from human skin to perfectly mimic another's face] from the dead Demonic Cultivator's features.

The nearby City Guard Commander approached, examined the fallen Demonic Cultivator, and reported.

"This man was named Chen Dagon. He was forty-seven years of age, lived alone, and had shown no unusual behavior of late."

"Ah, yes. After his parents passed away over a decade ago, he became quite reclusive. Who would have imagined a Demonic Cultivator had usurped his identity?"

"Over a decade... It seems this Demonic Cultivator has been impersonating one of our Chen Clan's mortals, hiding within Pingyang County for quite some years now,"

Chen Elara said, her expression turning icy.

Pingyang County possessed a second-rank spirit vein. Although most of its spiritual energy was channeled to power the City Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array protecting the city], for a low-level Demonic Cultivator like this, it would still have been a prime location for cultivation.

Eldrin Chen sheathed his Golden Light Blade [a magical blade that emits a golden radiance]. With a glance at the Demonic Cultivator's corpse, he commanded, "Lead the way. Let us search his dwelling."

The City Guard Commander led the group onward, and they soon arrived at the residence of Chen Dagon.

Upon entering the courtyard, Eldrin Chen's gaze sharpened. He strode forward, lifted the cellar hatch within the woodshed, and discovered dozens of human skulls concealed within.

"These are for forging the Withered Bone Demon Skull [a powerful and malevolent enchanted artifact]," Chen Dorian stated.

His vast experience allowed him to recognize the grisly purpose of these skulls at a single glance.

He informed the group that the Withered Bone Demon Skull was a type of Demonic Treasure [a supremely powerful artifact forged through vile and bloody means]. A century ago, the Withered Bone Elder Demon, whose rampage had plunged the Chu Kingdom into a demonic calamity, was infamous for wielding this very artifact as his signature weapon.

"To complete his demonic skull back then, the Withered Bone Elder Demon slaughtered entire Purple Mansion Immortal Clan [powerful cultivation families whose patriarchs have reached the Purple Mansion Realm] and harvested the skulls of tens of millions of mortals," Chen Dorian recounted.

"Legends say that on the day that Demonic Treasure was born, ghostly wails and divine lamentations echoed for hundreds of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] around, nearly transforming the area into a Ghost Domain [a region permanently haunted and corrupted by spectral energies]," he continued, his voice grave.

"Empowered by that Demonic Treasure, the Withered Bone Elder Demon's strength was virtually unrivaled within the borders of the Chu Kingdom," Chen Dorian explained.

"In the end, it was the previous sect master of the Green Sun Sect, wielding a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a legendary artifact of immense power specifically designed to vanquish demonic forces] like the Mirror of the Vast Heaven, who finally confronted and vanquished him in a single, cataclysmic battle. That clash left the Green Sun Sect sect master grievously wounded, his foundational vitality drained; he passed away not long after, within the sanctum of his sect." Published by audio_novel.com. All rights reserved.