Time passed imperceptibly, and three months flew by in the blink of an eye.
Inside Zhang Ling's cave dwelling, a cultivation chamber was awash in blood-red light, with dense, blood-colored light threads filling the entire space, resembling a stone cave filled with spiderwebs.
Countless blood threads were wrapped around a giant, blood-colored cocoon about ten feet in size, with Zhang Ling's figure faintly visible sitting cross-legged inside.
Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that in addition to the constantly pulsating blood light on his body, two blue vines and a gray vine were wrapped around each of his arms.
These two vines were constantly wriggling, occasionally dividing into countless vine threads that intertwined with each other, and occasionally contracting back into his body.
Each time the two vines intertwined, the blood light on his body would become even more dazzling.
These two vines were the medium he had differentiated from the Parasitic Vine to absorb baleful aura, in order to cultivate the Blood Fiend Divine Light more quickly.
Cultivating in this way allowed him to more easily suppress the Nether Fiend Qi and Corpse Fiend Qi, thereby refining the two types of baleful aura into his own blood fiend.
According to Zhang Ling's estimation, he would be able to initially cultivate this technique in about a month or so.
Two more days passed in this peaceful cultivation. Zhang Ling was still cultivating when he suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of blood light in his eyes, and his expression darkened slightly.
Then, he quickly changed his hand seals, and the blood-colored light threads scattered around him flowed back like rivers returning to the sea, turning into specks of blood light that merged into his body.
With a flash, Zhang Ling stood up. The change in his expression was not due to a problem in his cultivation, but because he felt the Nether Fiend Qi emanating from this cultivation chamber was rapidly weakening.
In just a few breaths, the originally abundant baleful aura had decreased by thirty to forty percent. This sudden change forced him to suspend his cultivation.
Zhang Ling glanced at the formation in the cultivation chamber and found no damage or impropriety. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Could it be that there has been a major change in the earth vein? Otherwise, how could the baleful aura have weakened so much?"
Whether it was an ordinary spiritual vein or this special type of spiritual vein, the escaping spiritual energy, baleful aura, or even demonic Qi, was not constant. It changed every moment and could weaken or strengthen.
However, the fluctuation was generally not very large.
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Ling decided to go outside to see what was happening. This movement was definitely unusual, and if there was really something going on, he naturally couldn't cultivate in peace.
However, this place was jointly managed by Night Moon Gate and Cold Moon Academy. In addition to the cultivator surnamed Tao that he had met, there were also three old monsters in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm guarding it.
It seemed unlikely that anything major would happen.
Opening the cave dwelling door, as soon as he came outside, Zhang Ling sensed the aura of many cultivators with a slight sweep of his divine sense.
This underground cultivation place was divided into many layers. He was on the lowest layer and immediately sensed the aura of seven or eight Nascent Soul cultivators.
There were even more cultivators' auras above, with a rough sense of at least three or four hundred people.
"What happened? The baleful aura in this old man's cave dwelling has weakened by nearly half in an instant."
"My cave dwelling is the same."
In an instant, Zhang Ling also sensed the scolding of many cultivators. The place was originally very peaceful, but suddenly it changed and became noisy.
At this moment, a loud noise came from the distance to the left of the cave dwelling.
"This seat is at a critical juncture in cultivation, and the concentration of baleful aura has plummeted, almost causing me to suffer a qi deviation. Old man Fei, how do you explain this? If you don't give me a satisfactory answer, this seat will overturn your Black Fiend Peak today."
At the same time, a roar came from that side.
Zhang Ling glanced over and saw a yellow-robed cultivator with a floating baleful aura and a violent aura. Judging from his aura, he seemed to have reached the peak of the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
This person's voice shook the entire space, forming countless echoes.
"Fellow Daoist Black Prison, I didn't expect you old demon to be here too, and also interrupted in your cultivation. Haha, what bad luck. Fellow Daoist Fei, Fellow Daoist Tao, you really need to give all of us fellow Daoists an explanation, otherwise how can we cultivate in peace..." Immediately following, another mocking voice sounded.
The speaker was an old man with disheveled hair and tattered Taoist robes. His aura was not weak at all, another old monster in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
The yellow-robed cultivator's expression darkened even more when he heard this voice, and a murderous intent faintly flashed in his eyes. "Old Taoist Xiao, you are also here, could it be to cultivate that Six Fiend Evil Art? It's been a hundred years since we last met, I wonder how much progress you have made in cultivating your evil art."
"Fellow Daoist Black Prison wants to spar, this old Taoist will accompany you."
The Taoist-robed old man glanced over, holding a black horsetail whisk magic weapon in his arms, exuding a not-weak yin and cold aura.
In a short moment, several more Nascent Soul cultivators came out of their cave dwellings, their cultivation levels were not weak.
At the same time, Zhang Ling also sensed that the baleful aura emitted by the giant spirit sealing pillar here had also weakened by nearly half compared to before. Looking at this situation, it really seemed like the spiritual vein and earth vein here had changed, causing the baleful aura to weaken.
As more and more cultivators discussed, the person in charge of this place finally appeared.
Being disturbed during cultivation was a taboo for all cultivators.
"Fellow Daoists, please be at ease. The weakening of the spiritual vein under Black Fiend Peak is just a periodic weakening of the spiritual vein here. It will recover at most in a few days. I hope everyone..." An old man in linen clothes with white hair appeared. He was accompanied by three other cultivators.
One was a high-crowned cultivator, the same cultivator surnamed Tao that Zhang Ling had met.
The other two were a middle-aged male cultivator in brocade robes and fine clothes, and an ordinary-looking white-skirted female cultivator.
The four of them were all old monsters in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and their appearance immediately attracted the attention of all the Nascent Soul cultivators here.
But before the linen-clothed old man could finish speaking, another question sounded. "Fellow Daoist Fei, I have also been cultivating here for more than two hundred years, how come I don't know that the spiritual vein here will weaken periodically. Are you trying to fool us with nonsense?"
The speaker was naturally also a Nascent Soul old monster, a short old man with slightly squinted eyes. The aura on his body was not weak either.
"Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng, what are you saying? Why would this old man deceive you all? The spiritual energy of the spiritual vein is constantly changing, not to mention that the Nether Fiend earth vein here is extremely special. Every few hundred years, it will weaken for a few days. Sometimes it appears once every hundred years, sometimes every three or four hundred years. It is difficult to estimate." The linen-clothed old man's expression darkened slightly, and he snorted coldly.
"Alright, what needs to be said, this old man has already said it. If you all don't believe it, you can leave this place now. This old man will definitely refund the fees for renting the cave dwellings here."
"Fellow Daoist Fei's words are also Tao's meaning. Disturbing everyone's cultivation is really not our intention. The weakening of the earth vein here is a natural rule. It will recover in a few days. If you are still willing to continue cultivating here, Tao can make the decision to extend the time limit for renting the cave dwellings for each fellow Daoist by three years. If you are not willing, you can leave now, so as not to hurt harmony for such a small matter," Fellow Daoist Tao Zhang also explained.
After saying these words, the four of them turned around and left, leaving the many cultivators here looking at each other.
Zhang Ling silently sneered. These four people were the actual controllers of this place. Two of them were elders of Night Moon Gate, and the other two were elders of the academy.
Even if some of the cultivators present were indignant, they would not attack. To offend Night Moon Gate and Cold Moon Academy, two overlord forces in the Earth Spirit Mansion, for this little matter.
Most of the cultivators cultivating here were rogue cultivators who came for the reputation, and most of them were Demonic Path cultivators. Although each of them was not weak, and there were more than a dozen Nascent Soul old monsters on the lowest level.
But these people fought on their own, so naturally they would not be stupid enough to offend the immortal cultivation forces here.
Therefore, many people just discussed a few times, scolded a few times, or had gloomy faces, or did not say a word, and eventually mostly returned to their respective cave dwellings to continue cultivating.
Basically no one left because of this, this movement could only be considered a farce.
Zhang Ling also turned around and planned to return to his cave dwelling, when suddenly a voice transmission sounded in his ear. "Everyone, regardless of whether Fellow Daoist Fei is telling the truth or not. Meeting you fellow Daoists here is also a matter of fate, why not take this opportunity to exchange experiences?"
With a sweep of his gaze, Zhang Ling noticed that the person who transmitted the voice to him was the short old man. Just now, hearing what the linen-clothed old man said, this person seemed to be called Xuanfeng.
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng is right. I am also very interested," Immediately, another black-faced man responded with joy.
Then a few more people echoed, seemingly very interested in exchanging experiences.
Like these Nascent Soul cultivators, they are usually high above, although they occasionally participate in exchange meetings between fellow cultivators. Such gatherings are actually not many, and are even rarer for rogue cultivators.
Moreover, most of the cultivators gathered here now are cultivating techniques and secret arts related to baleful aura. Exchanging with each other will more or less have some gains.
Of course, there were also cultivators who had no interest in this at all.
"This old Taoist is not interested, so I won't accompany you," The old Taoist surnamed Xiao shook his head and laughed, and returned to his cave dwelling on his own.
The yellow-robed cultivator with a violent aura just snorted coldly and turned into black light, flying back to his cave dwelling.
Zhang Ling also did not reply and directly returned to his cave dwelling.
In the end, of the more than ten Nascent Soul cultivators who appeared, only four or five gathered at Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng's side.
...
What Zhang Ling and the others didn't know was that their movements were being watched by several pairs of eyes.
In a wide stone room, there stood a huge flowing shadow wall several feet high. The four linen-clothed old men who had just left were standing in front of it.
"These old ghosts are really not easy to fool. If it weren't for us guarding this place, they would probably cause some trouble," The brocade-robed male cultivator looked at the flowing shadow wall and sneered.
Hearing these words, the white-skirted female cultivator laughed strangely. "Relying solely on strength, we can't suppress these old monsters. These people are just afraid of your Night Moon Gate and my Cold Moon Academy's reputation."
The brocade-robed male cultivator did not refute this point, but his expression turned colder.
"Fellow Daoist Fei, my junior sister and I have accepted those few treasures from you, and we can pretend not to know about this matter. But if my senior brother asks, my junior sister and I can only tell the truth. You better hope that your senior brother, Black Fiend Old Demon, successfully advances to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. If he fails, Night Moon Gate will not have a good time next," Tao Zhang stared at the linen-clothed old man and said meaningful words.
Hearing this, the linen-clothed old man's lips twitched with a forced smile. "Whether he succeeds or not depends solely on my senior brother. This old man is just using the formation to draw out a small portion of the baleful aura here, to play a small auxiliary role. But I still have to thank the two of you for your help. Regardless of whether he succeeds or not, the two of you are still honored guests of my Night Moon Gate."
Although his words were calm, the old man knew in his heart that if his senior brother failed to advance, Night Moon Gate would definitely be suppressed by the Dragon family of the royal family.
Although it would not destroy the Dao lineage, the sect would definitely not have a good time for a long time.
This was a dilemma for all the immortal cultivation sects that remained in the Dragon Marsh Country.
They would always be suppressed by the royal family.
The royal family would not allow the immortal cultivation sects in the Dragon Marsh Country to easily give birth to Great Cultivators with the strength of the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. They would constantly suppress them both openly and secretly.
The Cold Moon Academy, established thousands of miles away, was an open suppression of the sect.
Their Night Moon Gate was once extremely prosperous, and once produced many Great Cultivators. There were even rumors that the old ancestor was a Transformation God cultivator in ancient times. But after the Dragon family completely controlled the Dragon Marsh Country, it once declined. This situation has continued for ten thousand years.
Of course, Night Moon Gate could also move away from the Dragon Marsh Country and go to the Hundred Kingdoms of the Western Ridge to the west, or to the sea area to seek development.
But going to other regions, the sect's development would not be too good.
Not to mention going to other regions, they would definitely have friction with the local immortal cultivation forces and compete for living space.
The most core point was that the Night Moon Gate's inheritance technique required a large amount of baleful aura to assist in cultivation, which was a major restriction.
Earth veins containing a large amount of baleful aura were difficult to find. Even if there were similar ones, the degree of baleful aura would not reach the level of the Nether Fiend earth vein here.
It was better to stay in the Earth Spirit Mansion, using the baleful aura here to allow the entire sect to maintain a certain Dao lineage.
That being said, the immortal cultivation sects in the Dragon Marsh Country would be greatly restricted, but the Dragon family of the royal family would not go too far.
Especially in the recent three or four thousand years, no Transformation God cultivators from the Dragon family have appeared. Some restrictions have been weakened invisibly.
Once their sects gave birth to Great Cultivators in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, once it was confirmed. On the surface, they would at most suppress them, but secretly they would be drawn in by the Dragon family. Let them join the Imperial Pole Hall and serve as guest elders of the Dragon family.
Although they were still restricted by the Dragon family, there would be some unexpected benefits.
The current Imperial Pole Hall is nominally guarded by two Great Cultivators of the Dragon family. But in fact, there are also other Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators hidden.
This point is very secret, and few people know about it.
Their Night Moon Gate once produced a Great Cultivator, who was secretly drawn in by the Dragon family. Allowing the sect to develop steadily for a long time.
The Dragon family's Imperial Pole Hall today, I don't know how many hidden Great Cultivators there are.
The linen-clothed old man's expression was calm, but his mind drifted to the sky, considering the sect's future development.
