Demons and Shamans

The Nine Phoenix King sat cross-legged upon a boulder, her hand seals shifting continuously as radiant streams of light danced across her fingertips. Moments later, the wisps of flowing light intertwined to form a palm-sized colorful phoenix. Like a living creature, it radiated vitality with every glance and turn. The colorful phoenix circled above the Nine Phoenix King's head, scattering specks of brilliant light as its wings flapped. She raised her head slightly and gazed into the phoenix's eyes. Her lips moved subtly as she cast an arcane, incomprehensible secret art. Reaching out with a finger, she forced out a drop of essence blood and tapped it gently toward the colorful phoenix. The instant her finger made contact, the essence blood sank into the phoenix's body. The phoenix froze, then suddenly folded its wings and transformed into a ray of brilliant light, darting straight between the Nine Phoenix King's brows. As the colorful phoenix entered her body, her delicate head snapped back. Her body shuddered, and her exquisite face twisted in agony. A muffled groan rose from her throat, followed by a sudden violent explosion of her aura. The Flood Dragon King had prepared for this. With a wave of his hand, he released a beam of golden light that coalesced into a barrier, sealing off the entire mountain col. In the next breath, the muffled groan turned into a crisp phoenix cry. *Whoosh!* A pair of wings unfurled from her back. Floating in midair, the Nine Phoenix King turned her gaze toward the immortal restriction, a wondrous light swirling within her eyes. The carapace-backed burly man and the other demons suppressed their curiosity, quietly observing her actions. Before long, the Nine Phoenix King exhaled slowly and turned to nod at the Flood Dragon King. Relief washed over the Flood Dragon King's face. Only then did he speak to the carapace-backed burly man: "Brother Hei, there is no need to worry. Nine Phoenix and I have made thorough preparations. There is a True Heavenly Phoenix Feather within the immortal restriction. Once those cultivators enter the Inner Hall, we can use its power to open a passage through the restriction without anyone noticing, allowing us to slip inside." "A True Heavenly Phoenix Feather?" The burly man was deeply astonished. "Could it be the legendary natal feather of an ancient Heavenly Phoenix? Is your Demon Sea so abundant that you could actually find such a treasure?" The Flood Dragon King smiled faintly. "It may not truly be a Heavenly Phoenix's feather, but that damaged plume does indeed carry a trace of spatial power akin to that of a Heavenly Phoenix. While the Hall of Seven Kills emerges on its own and the immortal restriction develops flaws, it can guide us across and allow us to smuggle ourselves inside. This treasure is a cherished heirloom of the Phoenix Clan, the only one of its kind in the entire Demon Sea. It took endless persuasion on my part to convince the Phoenix Clan to entrust it to Nine Phoenix so she could bring it to the Canglang Sea." The burly man exchanged glances with the other great demons. "Did you bribe cultivators to place the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather inside beforehand?" he asked doubtfully. The Flood Dragon King nodded. "Using the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather to breach the restriction directly would trigger tremors throughout the barrier and alert the human cultivators inside. If the top human experts were drawn to us, our situation would turn perilous. "When the Hall of Seven Kills opened last time, Nine Phoenix took the risk of venturing in and drove the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather into the immortal restriction in advance, which also alarmed quite a few cultivators. Now, we merely need to activate its power to pull us through, making far less commotion. "For this, the clans of the Demon Sea did not hesitate to sacrifice the holy scions of their tribes—my own son among them. Having paid such a steep price, I naturally would not proceed without a degree of certainty. "Encountering you fellow Daoists in the Canglang Sea was an unexpected boon. If we succeed, this king will have hope of reaching the Deity Transformation stage, and you will also reap immense benefits. "When that day comes, why would we ever need to fear human cultivators again, hiding away in the barren reaches of the deep sea?" The Nine Phoenix King's eyes dimmed as she recalled the disbelief in the eyes of those juniors twenty years ago when they learned the truth—among them was Caiyi, whom she had watched grow up. Having learned these hidden secrets from the Flood Dragon King, the burly man and the other demons were thoroughly astonished. After conferring secretly for a moment, he asked, "When do you two plan to enter?" The Flood Dragon King glanced in the direction of the Hall of Seven Kills. "As soon as the human cultivators enter the Inner Hall, we make our move. We know too little about the Hall of Seven Kills, so we will be counting on you fellow Daoists to lend your full support when the time comes." The burly man replied gravely, "We have suffered under the cultivators for far too long. We will certainly give our all." "Good!" Clapping his hands, the Flood Dragon King laughed heartily, his gaze flickering as he stared toward the Inner Hall within the immortal restriction. The demons waited patiently in the mountain col. An unknown amount of time passed. Suddenly, the Flood Dragon King spoke: "Move!" With a few flashes of movement, the demons landed at the edge of the immortal restriction. Nine Phoenix and the Flood Dragon King stood at the forefront, followed by the others. By this time, the Nine Phoenix King had revealed her true form. Her wings flapped as she brought out a resplendent phoenix feather, flew right up to the immortal restriction, and let out a series of rapid, low trills toward its interior. Inside the immortal restriction, the long plume reappeared, burning with waves of raging flames in response to her call. In the next moment, the phoenix feather in the Nine Phoenix King's grasp shone with dazzling brilliance, while the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather suddenly erupted into a ball of flame that dispersed the surrounding darkness. Embedded within the immortal restriction, the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather transmitted an extraordinary ripple back and forth between the two plumes. The Nine Phoenix King uttered a soft cry. The Flood Dragon King's expression shifted slightly. Leading the demons, he flashed forward to her side, and they were promptly enveloped in the radiance of the phoenix feather. In an instant, their figures vanished, and the immortal restriction returned to normal. Unbeknownst to anyone, they had smuggled themselves into the Inner Hall. "We're in already?" The carapace-backed burly man still found it hard to believe they had infiltrated a sacred ground of the human race with such ease. Looking around, he saw nothing but pitch darkness. His gaze shifted to the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather, and he noticed the Nine Phoenix King staring at it with an exceptionally grave expression. "How is it?" the Flood Dragon King asked. The Nine Phoenix King replied with regret, "Less than half of the feather's remaining power is left." At this point, without needing a reminder from the Flood Dragon King, the other demons had already fanned out to scout the surrounding terrain. Before long, the burly man and the others returned, reporting in grave voices, "This is a vast barren wasteland. There are no living creatures, nor any traces of human restrictions or spiritual arrays." The Flood Dragon King's expression remained impassive. After pondering for a moment, he actually produced a finger-length piece of white bone. Gripping the bone, golden light flickered in his palm. The demons exchanged looks and stood quietly where they were, watching his movements. ... The Heaven Tower. Several ghostly figures silently appeared before the entrance to the Heaven Tower. They paused, revealing their true faces, and looked toward the entrance of the Hall of Seven Kills. The person leading them was none other than the Grand Shaman. To the Grand Shaman's left, an unassuming Dead Leaf Cicada floated quietly in midair. When the others looked toward the Grand Shaman and the Dead Leaf Cicada, their eyes carried a hint of reverent fear. "The human cultivators have all entered; it is time for us to make our move as well," the Grand Shaman said softly, looking at the Dead Leaf Cicada. Without a word, Old Devil Fang vanished into thin air, leading the way into the Heaven Tower. The trials in the first few levels of the Heaven Tower amounted to nothing for them. With Old Devil Fang scouting ahead, the cultivators advanced as smoothly as walking on flat ground, encountering no obstacles along the way until they reached the seventh level of the Heaven Tower. "The humans did not leave any traps here. It seems there are treasures in the Inner Hall that attract them far more," the Grand Shaman remarked casually. Old Devil Fang sneered. "Unless the Demon Lord and the others personally guarded this place, how could they ever halt our footsteps? It would be nothing more than bringing humiliation upon themselves!"