But then, a hoarse voice called out.
"Friend, please stop!"
As the voice echoed, Zhang Ling felt the surrounding temperature plummet, as if the area had turned three degrees colder. A cloud of blue ice mist spread out, enveloping him completely.
Golden lightning struck the ice mist, producing a series of crackling and explosive sounds, but failed to penetrate it. Simultaneously, a flash of black light appeared beside him, revealing a tall, imposing figure.
This figure was disheveled and somewhat unkempt, not wearing any clothes. Patches of dark brown scabs covered parts of his body, and intricate blue spirit patterns adorned much of his skin. A jet-black tail swished casually behind him.
The figure turned his head, revealing a smile.
Zhang Ling was taken aback by the sight of this person's face. His skin was a dark greenish-black, yet his features bore a striking resemblance to his own, sharing about seventy percent of his likeness. The smile was somewhat grotesque, but a sense of calm immediately washed over Zhang Ling.
This person was none other than the human form of the Xuan Turtle.
Zhang Ling patted his storage pouch and retrieved a set of black robes. The Xuan Turtle's body shimmered with black light, instantly donning the robes.
"Human cultivators are cunning. Now that you've successfully weathered the tribulation, you are a demon, no longer a beast. You must not remain a human's spiritual pet. Let this king kill him to eliminate future troubles!" With lightning flashing above him, the golden-haired demon cultivator arrived before them, glaring at Zhang Ling with an unfriendly expression.
"Haha, Xuan Ling thanks the Demon King for helping me through the lightning tribulation. I am deeply grateful. However, this young man has been kind to me, so please don't mind my protecting him. Now that I have successfully weathered the tribulation, I am naturally a demon, and no longer a spiritual pet of humans," Xuan Turtle, now calling himself Xuan Ling, said calmly to the golden-haired demon cultivator.
Upon hearing this, the golden-haired demon cultivator first showed a hint of surprise, then gave a strange chuckle. "Since that's the case, this king won't interfere further. Letting him go is no big deal. But you must come with me. Don't worry, it won't be to your detriment. On the contrary, it will be of great benefit to a newly advanced demon cultivator like you."
As the golden-haired demon cultivator spoke, his lips moved slightly, but no sound was heard. Zhang Ling knew that he was using telepathy.
However, this demon would never have imagined that the Xuan Turtle was his second soul. Sending a telepathic message to the Xuan Turtle was no different from sending it to him.
With a thought, Zhang Ling immediately understood the information conveyed by the demon.
A moment later, the Xuan Turtle nodded and suddenly extended a dark black finger. A dark blue spiritual force formed at his fingertip, turning into a beam of light that struck Zhang Ling instantly.
Zhang Ling seemed to have not anticipated this, and his face briefly showed bewilderment. He hurriedly touched his body, appearing panicked.
The golden-haired demon cultivator smiled strangely at this sight. "Hehe, very well, let's go." With that, he transformed into a golden ray of light and flew south.
The Xuan Turtle also emitted a cloud of blue-black mist, enveloping Zhang Ling and following after him.
It turned out that the golden-haired demon cultivator had telepathically explained the situation of the demon race to the Xuan Turtle. This demon was no ordinary transformed demon cultivator, but a Demon King from the Demon King's Hall. It was because of this identity that he had offered assistance when he saw the Xuan Turtle undergoing the transformation lightning tribulation.
They were now headed to the Demon King's Hall.
As for why Zhang Ling had Xuan Turtle agree to go with this demon to the Demon King's Hall, he had given it some thought, which was related to the benefits the demon mentioned.
Most transformed demon cultivators in the Flowing Cloud Sea had been to the Demon King's Hall. It was not just a demon force, but the ancestral land of the demon race, existing since ancient times, with the inheritance left by the great powers of the demon race.
Every transformed demon cultivator could enter and exit there, thereby obtaining the inheritance. The most direct benefit was obtaining the demon cultivation techniques.
Although the Xuan Turtle was controlled by the second soul, after undergoing the transformation lightning tribulation, it was no different from other demons.
After all, the second soul he had condensed was using the Xuan Turtle's original demon soul. The successfully transformed Xuan Turtle was indeed a demon. There was no problem entering the Demon King's Hall.
As for the spiritual light that Xuan Turtle had struck him with just now, it was a wisp of the Xuan Turtle's original spiritual energy, used to control him.
The Xuan Turtle had suddenly done this because ordinary human cultivators could not go to the demon race's territory.
Of course, there were some exceptions. According to this demon, some transformed demon cultivators would also drive some humans as slaves, who were brought to the demon race's territory, mostly used to manage some Demon King's cave dwellings and the like.
This was similar to humans driving demon beasts as spiritual pets, but the number was probably not large.
Zhang Ling naturally would not have any problems. At this moment, the Xuan Turtle had a palm on his shoulder, and a trace of icy spiritual power was already being drawn away.
As the main soul, he would naturally not be restrained by the Xuan Turtle. Even if the Xuan Turtle had now become a true transformed demon cultivator, he still had the same memories and thoughts as him.
Every once in a while, he would assimilate with the second soul, strengthening the connection between the two. The second soul would not have any rebellious thoughts.
However, the current second soul's cultivation was higher than his, and Zhang Ling felt a trace of vigilance in his heart. He secretly decided that he would never let the second soul leave his body for too long.
If he did not assimilate with the main soul for a long time, it was possible for inner demons to breed, thereby breeding rebellious thoughts, or even turning against the master.
This was also a major shortcoming of this kind of external incarnation.
Zhang Ling temporarily put these hidden dangers out of his mind. At this moment, he was full of joy. The Xuan Turtle had become a true demon cultivator, which meant that he had an extra Nascent Soul-level clone. Even against the big-headed freak, he would not be afraid at all. He could even suppress that person.
Now the second soul was completely compatible with the Xuan Turtle, and he could mobilize all of his spiritual power. After the lightning tribulation, the demon core was even more like his natal treasure and could be fully used.
Compared to before, it was a qualitative leap. The use of the physical body alone was definitely several times better than before. Coupled with the Xuan Turtle's regenerative body, he could fight against early Nascent Soul peak cultivators.
Zhang Ling and the Xuan Turtle followed the golden-haired demon cultivator all the way to the depths of the Demon Wind Mountains.
