Kuang Pi looked at the map of Burial God Hill that Luo Xiu had just procured. "Xiao Luo, if we enter from this direction, our first stop will be the Black Fiend Domain," he said. "Of all the areas within Burial God Hill, the Black Fiend Domain is relatively close to the edge. However, it's filled with danger and an extremely dense fiendish qi, so very few people have ever explored it."

Luo Xiu asked, "How accurate is this map?"

"You can be assured of that," Kuang Pi replied. "I once had a map exactly like this one, but I lost it. This map was drawn by generations of powerful cultivators from the Upper Realm after their explorations, so it doesn't vary much from the reality inside."

Luo Xiu's gaze swept over the Upper Realm Loose Cultivators before him, finally settling on the middle-aged man.

"Lead the way."

At these words, the middle-aged man's face turned deathly pale. "Sir..." he said, his voice trembling, "I've already given you the map. Please, just let me go. I absolutely do not want to go back to the Black Fiend Domain!"

"As for the Fairy you were asking about, she's currently in the Black Fiend Domain," he stammered on. "Those people from the Swordfire Divine Sect are probably taking her to the Source of the Mysterious Realm. If you go in now, you should be able to catch up to them quickly."

CRACK.

Before the man could even finish speaking, his head separated from his neck. It was Luo Xiu who had decapitated him with a mere glance, sending forth a strand of Sword Qi. The sight of the head rolling across the ground instantly silenced all the Upper Realm Loose Cultivators. No one dared to make another sound.

As for these small fry from the Upper Realm, Luo Xiu felt not a shred of pity, seeing them as nothing more than ants. After all, if his side had been the weaker one today, Kuang Pi and the San Fei would already be on the dinner table, served up by these very people.

Humans eat humans, demons eat humans, humans eat demons... such is the cruelty of the Cultivation World.

Luo Xiu then turned his eyes toward the portly middle-aged man and coolly uttered two words, "Lead the way."

"I'll lead! I'll lead the way!"

Making an example of one to frighten the others often has the most direct deterrent effect. As if injected with adrenaline, the group of Upper Realm Loose Cultivators scrambled back toward the cave to lead the way for Luo Xiu, not daring to delay for a second. The Black Fiend Domain might be dangerous, but it offered a sliver of a chance at survival. Disobeying now, however, meant certain death.

***

Upon stepping into the cave, Luo Xiu felt as though he had entered another world. Or perhaps, the underworld itself. A chill ran down his spine, and the unsettling feeling of being watched made his skin crawl.

The cave was dimly lit, the only light coming from the faint glow of bizarre plants. Hairless, red-eyed rats scurried across the damp ground, the largest of them the size of a housecat. Occasionally, one could be seen clutching a human hand or half a head in its mouth.

The group of Upper Realm small fry advanced cautiously, leading the way, while Luo Xiu, Kuang Pi, and the San Fei followed leisurely behind them.

"Even though this is my first time in the Black Fiend Domain, I've heard some rumors about this place," Kuang Pi said to Luo Xiu.

Luo Xiu raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Such as the souls of any people or Demon Beasts that die here are eternally bound by a mysterious force," Kuang Pi said. "They are transformed into terrifying Fiendwraiths, condemned to never leave unless they can find someone to take their place."

Hearing this, Luo Xiu frowned and stared at the group of cultivators up ahead. "It seems you're right."

His left eye could now clearly see a black, human-shaped shadow flitting back and forth above their heads, seemingly choosing its victim. That shadow was most likely the Fiendwraith Kuang Pi had just described.

"AHHH—!"

Suddenly, one of the Upper Realm Loose Cultivators let out a bloodcurdling scream. The Fiendwraith had pounced on him and begun to tear at his flesh, burrowing into his body like a leech. The strange thing was, while the Fiendwraith was clearly real and capable of inflicting physical harm, it was completely undetectable. It was invisible to the naked eye and could not be sensed with Divine Sense. At least, with the common Mahayana Realm cultivation of these Loose Cultivators, they stood no chance of sensing its presence.

"Xiao Luo, what's going on?" Kuang Pi asked, suddenly on high alert.

"That thing must be the Fiendwraith you mentioned," Luo Xiu said calmly. "Let me see if I can capture it with the Soul Capturing Technique."

As he spoke, Luo Xiu activated the technique, only to frown a moment later. It was useless. The Fiendwraith was not a mere soul; some mysterious power had granted it a physical form.

At that moment, the Upper Realm Loose Cultivators had descended into complete chaos. Those with Magical Treasures hastily brought them out for protection, while those without could only scramble about in a panic.

"If it's a ghost, then we'll have to deal with it like a ghost." Luo Xiu remained unruffled, unconcerned with the life or death of the cultivators. His repertoire of skills extended far beyond the Soul Capturing Technique.

He bit his right index finger, using the blood mixed with Spiritual Power to draw a talisman in The Void. Spiritual light suddenly surged, and the entire gloomy cave was instantly enveloped in a sacred aura. At the same time, Luo Xiu silently recited the spell in his heart.

*By solemn decree, the sun rises from the east.*

*I bestow this spiritual talisman to sweep away all ill omens.*

*Spewing mountain fire, the talisman flies, a light that seizes the gate!*

*Exorcising Evil Curse!*

The talisman solidified in The Void, becoming tangible. With a casual wave of his hand, Luo Xiu sent it flying. It struck the Fiendwraith, which let out a piercing shriek before dissolving into a puff of black smoke.

The San Fei all looked at Luo Xiu, their eyes filled with worship. The moment the talisman had struck, everyone had seen the Fiendwraith's form.

Tian Bang praised, "Big Brother, I never expected you to be some kind of mystic! That's incredible!"

SMACK!

Pig Dragon slapped Tian Bang on the head in annoyance. "What mystic? He's a Taoist!"

"Stop chattering and keep up," Luo Xiu said, striding forward. He could now see more Fiendwraiths emerging from the darkness ahead, a seemingly endless army. Although Luo Xiu knew something of talismans, he was nowhere near as proficient as Ai Hongye; otherwise, he could have cast a permanent version of the curse.

Still, he paid the approaching Fiendwraiths no mind. All he wanted was to find Mu Xueyan as quickly as possible. He strode forward boldly, chanting another spell in his heart.

*The mystic universe, the root of all Qi.*

*Through eons of cultivation, I manifest my Divine Skills.*

*Within and beyond the Three Realms, the Tao alone is supreme.*

*Let a Golden Light sheathe my body, a shield upon my form!*

*Golden Light Curse!*

A dazzling golden light erupted from him, instantly forming a barrier that held back the dark swarm of attacking Fiendwraiths.

"Stay within ten meters of me," Luo Xiu commanded.

No one hesitated, all of them quickly gathering close to him. They didn't know why, but the golden light radiating from Luo Xiu gave them an immense sense of security.

「About twenty minutes later.」

Luo Xiu led the group out of the cave and into a dark, desolate land. He looked around at the barren, deathly silent expanse. All he could see were withered vines, old trees, and crows.

At this point, his Golden Light Curse could no longer be maintained. The instant the light faded, the nearby Fiendwraiths surged forward again, a countless, dark mass.

Luo Xiu frowned slightly. Disregarding the panicked screams of the Upper Realm Loose Cultivators, he turned in a slow circle, scanning the surroundings. Finally, his left eye locked onto the direction of the fiendish aura's source. He had already realized back in the cave that these Fiendwraiths were being remotely controlled by a mysterious, hidden power. Therefore, finding the source of that power would solve the problem.

That source had to be what the middle-aged man had called the "Source of the Mysterious Realm." Mu Xueyan and the members of the Swordfire Divine Sect were most likely there.

As Luo Xiu considered this, a gigantic black shadow suddenly materialized before him. Looking closer, he saw a monstrous, winged dragon—another Fiendwraith.

Could this be... a Nightmare Ghost Jiao? Why would such a powerful creature die here and become a Fiendwraith? This proves that the source of this Black Fiend Domain is anything but simple.

With that thought, Luo Xiu broke into a sprint. "Brother Xiong, keep up!"

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