Chapter Seventy-Five: Following the Trail

“Hmph!” Long Yun let out a cold snort, swung his leg, and struck the black beam of light with a swift kick. Golden radiance burst forth, shattering the black glow with sheer force!

Though he had managed to drive back the two great fiends, the last remaining demon had already prepared its most lethal attack!

It was a thread of demonic energy, as slender as an arrow yet razor-sharp. Even before it reached him, Long Yun could feel the chill it exuded.

“I’ve been waiting for you!” Long Yun’s left hand, previously idle, flipped sharply and reached back. With a motion of his Dragon-Seizing Hand, golden claws transformed into a dragon’s talon, scales glinting, and seized the streak of light in his palm.

A guttural roar sounded—the black energy, now firmly gripped by Long Yun, regained the shape of a shadowy human figure, writhing and struggling. But Long Yun’s true energy held it in an unyielding grip, leaving it utterly motionless.

The other two figures, whom Long Yun had repelled, saw their companion captured. With furious howls, they lunged at Long Yun once more!

Long Yun smiled faintly. With a flick of his sword fingers, two streams of sword energy shot forth, piercing the heads of the demonic shadows. The holy aura within had already eradicated every trace of their vitality.

Having finished, Long Yun brimmed with excitement. Within him, the replacement of the Qiu Niu dragon bone and the fusion with the mysterious bloodline power of the Dragon Gate Pine had greatly strengthened the holy aura in his body. This aura was the natural bane of demonic energy. Without its aid, he could never have slain these fiends so effortlessly.

Gazing at the demon still struggling in his grasp, Long Yun’s heart stirred. He let the holy aura sweep down, trapping the creature in its midst.

Touched by the sacred presence, the demon wreathed in dark energy let out shrill, pitiable screams, curling itself into a ball, not daring to move a muscle. The demonic aura swirling about it was steadily refined into nothingness by the holy power.

“It is just as I thought—the holy aura’s restraining effect on demons is simply overwhelming. Very well, let me purify you! May your next life be free of corruption.” Long Yun murmured softly.

At once, the holy aura surged forth, ready to refine the demonic shadow.

Yet, just as the sacred light was about to touch the demon, a fleeting human face appeared beneath the dissipating black mist, causing Long Yun to suddenly steady his mind.

“What?” Long Yun frowned, for he had just noticed that within the demon’s swirling aura, the image of a human face was visible.

Elsewhere, such a thing might not be so rare; many on the evil path could achieve this. But the demons of this Heavenly Demon Mirage were creatures born of sinister energies. They could assume many forms, but to possess a human visage was impossible.

Thus, Long Yun halted his refining, carefully controlling the holy aura to dispel all the demonic energy around the creature. His gaze sharpened instantly.

For what struggled in his hand was a middle-aged human, his features twisted in agony, body convulsing, low growls escaping his lips.

“How can this be?” Long Yun knitted his brows. His spiritual essence left his body and entered the brow of the middle-aged man.

Ordinary cultivators would never dare implant their spirit so recklessly into a demon’s body. The primordial spirit was vulnerable—if corrupted by the demon’s energy, there would be no hope of redemption.

But Long Yun was different. His spirit was suffused with holy energy, impervious to demonic taint, so he dared this bold act.

His spirit entered the man’s sea of consciousness, and was at once astounded by the surging demonic energy within. Like a beacon in utter darkness, his presence forced the demonic energy within a ten-yard radius to shrink away.

“He truly is human—possessed by demonic energy, transformed into a fiend!” Long Yun concluded, his spirit drifting through the man’s mind.

“There’s something amiss!” Long Yun’s gaze shifted. In the depths of the consciousness, he sensed a faint, elusive ripple.

“Does he still retain a fragment of his spirit?” Not daring to delay, Long Yun’s spirit edged closer to the fluctuation.

If the man’s spirit was not wholly destroyed, perhaps he could answer Long Yun’s questions. The weakness of the ripple suggested the spirit was indeed frail.

Protected by his holy aura, Long Yun drew near.

Sure enough, as he approached, a tiny azure figure appeared before his eyes—the man’s original spirit.

But now, the spirit was terribly weak, a flickering candle in the wind, surrounded by inky demonic energy steadily eroding it.

“Begone!” Long Yun roared, letting his holy power surge forth, transforming into a furious tidal wave that cleansed the area, banishing every trace of demonic energy.

Freed from the corruption, the azure figure collapsed limply to the ground.

Long Yun hurried forward, supporting the frail spirit against himself, gently calling, “Elder, elder...”

The azure spirit, so thin its features were indistinguishable, seemed to hear Long Yun’s voice. A faint spark of vitality flickered from within.

“Grave of Life and Death... Azure Emperor... save him!” The figure spoke these words softly, then dissolved into drifting specks of azure light.

Having been consumed by the demonic energy, his spirit was already spent. But for a shard of will, he would have vanished long ago. Now, freed from corruption by Long Yun, his mind relaxed, and his spirit finally dissipated into the ether.

“Grave of Life and Death? Azure Emperor?” Long Yun was taken aback. Could it be that there were humans trapped within the Heavenly Demon Mirage? And who was this Azure Emperor?

Suddenly, Long Yun recalled that after the founding patriarch of the Azure Sect, the subsequent leader was known in the world as the Azure Emperor. Could it be him?

But what, then, was this Grave of Life and Death?

He had to search for it. With no way out of this accursed place for now, perhaps finding the Azure Emperor would reveal a path to escape!

Having decided, Long Yun gently placed the corpse on the ground. Bereft of demonic energy, the body instantly weathered away to dust.

A pitch-black token fell onto the grass.

Long Yun picked it up. On the front, the character for “Azure” was carved.

It was a token of the Azure Sect! So it was indeed a disciple of the Azure Sect, somehow trapped here. Then, the Azure Emperor mentioned must be the sect’s second leader.

Long Yun flipped the token over. On the back, a simple map was engraved. Seeing it, his face lit up with joy.

For the endpoint of the map was none other than the Grave of Life and Death. Judging by the marks, it was carved later, likely by someone sent by the Azure Emperor in search of help.

They must have been corrupted by demonic energy, turned into fiends. Thankfully, he had encountered them; otherwise, the matter of the Azure Emperor might have been lost forever in this mirage.

He sighed softly, orientated himself, and sped away in the direction marked on the map.

Along the way, he encountered no more lesser demons, and thus earned no more points. After nearly two hours of travel, he drew close to the Grave of Life and Death.

“What a powerful aura!” Long Yun frowned. He sensed several mighty presences radiating from the site.

He crept closer, hiding his form and suppressing his breath. Peering through the dense foliage, he saw before him a vast mausoleum, grand and imposing, covered in stone carvings that seemed part of an intricate formation, mysterious beyond words.

At its center stood a towering stone stele, bearing three great characters—“Grave of Life and Death.”

He had found it! Delighted, Long Yun quickly regained his composure, for the mausoleum was surrounded by countless demons.

They were besieged! Among them were beings of such strength that Long Yun, with his current cultivation, could not discern their true power.

A chill raced down his spine.