Chapter 288 Return to the Devil Flame Valley
Xiao Ling did not stop, he quietly concealed his breath and went straight to the location of the Black Emperor Sect auction. He knew that there were many precious items stored there, and these treasures may not have been transferred to the Black Emperor Sect headquarters.
Sure enough, just as Xiao Ling expected, the resources and treasures at the auction were still safely stored in place and had not been transported away in time.
Xiao Ling broke into the auction house without hesitation. He released his soul perception and like an experienced hunter, quickly and accurately locked the location of the treasures in a hidden secret room in the auction house.
Xiao Ling rushed all the way and soon arrived at the entrance of the treasure house. Facing the two top Douling masters guarding the door, he did not hesitate at all and easily defeated them. Then, he stepped into the treasure house and a dazzling scene suddenly appeared in front of him.
In the treasure house, there are all kinds of rare treasures, from gold coins to martial arts secrets, from elixirs to various rare materials, each of which is a treasure that Douhuang and even Douzong masters dream of. If these treasures are spread out, they will definitely cause a fierce competition.
Xiao Ling showed no mercy, and his movements were swift and methodical, collecting the gold coins, skills, elixirs, and various rare materials one by one. Among these treasures, he also found the resources that Zi Yan and himself had spent on the auction before, which gave him a strange feeling in his heart, a kind of inexplicable sense of pleasure of buying things without spending money.
After searching the auction house, Xiao Ling did not stay for long and went directly to the headquarters of the Black Emperor Sect. The treasures there were also abundant, and he took them all without hesitation.
When the Black Emperor Sect's treasure house was plundered by him, Xiao Ling left Black Emperor City. Although there were many rare medicinal materials in Qianyaofang, Xiao Ling had no intention of taking them.
After all, Qianyaofang had not provoked him, and he did not want to cause trouble for no reason. Moreover, the herbs he needed had already been collected in the medicine garden of Turtle Spirit Venerable, including the main ingredients for refining the seventh-level Heavenly Soul Melting Blood Pill.
Under the cover of the night in the Black Horn Region, Xiao Ling's figure shuttled between the treasure houses of various forces like a ghost, collecting their treasures one by one. The harvest of this night was quite rich, even exceeding the treasures obtained from the treasure houses of the three major sects before.
As Xiao Ling searched along the way, the night quietly receded and the sky turned pale. He set out from the Black Emperor City and came all the way to the Demon Flame Valley.
That night, all the major forces in the Black Horn Region suffered a considerable blow, and the spies they sent out, after investigating the battlefield where the Bodhi Body Transformation Saliva was previously fought over, brought back shocking news that many of their top leaders had died.
The news spread like wildfire in the Black Horn region, order in some areas began to collapse, and chaos quickly escalated. And if the news spread, the chaos would only intensify.
In this great reshuffle, many ambitious people began to emerge. They saw an opportunity and wanted to take a share of the chaos and gain a place in it. The power vacuum in the Black Horn attracted them, and they were ready to exert their strength in this turmoil and fight for their own interests.
Xiao Ling was not surprised by the current situation. He knew that whenever there was a great turmoil, there would always be new opportunities and the rise of new forces. This was the law of history and the unchanging law of the Douqi Continent.
As for the plots of those ambitious people, Xiao Ling did not take them to heart. To him, they were just passing clouds.
At this moment, the sky darkened again, and Xiao Ling's figure had appeared in the Demon Flame Valley again, ready to continue his actions.
The Demon Flame Valley seemed exceptionally quiet in the night, but Xiao Ling's mood was unusually calm.
Xiao Ling stood in the air, with the vast land of the Demon Flame Valley at his feet. His eyes penetrated the night sky and overlooked the land. Unlike the chaos in other areas of the Black Horn Region, the interior of the Demon Flame Valley still maintained a rare tranquility at this moment.
Perhaps because of the long distance, the spies had not yet brought back any news from the battlefield, or perhaps because the old demon was a powerful Seven-Star Dou Zong, people found it hard to believe that he would encounter any misfortune.
Although the old demon took away a large number of elites from the Demon Flame Valley, there was still a Douhuang elder and several Douwang elders left in the valley. Their presence provided a certain degree of security for the Demon Flame Valley.
Xiao Ling's lips curled up into a faint smile. He knew that this tranquility would not last long. Because of his arrival, a big commotion would happen next.
Due to the various actions of the old demon, Xiao Ling was filled with deep disgust for the Demon Flame Valley. When plundering other forces in the Black Horn Region, he did not easily take lives unless necessary. But facing the Demon Flame Valley, Xiao Ling decided not to be soft-hearted, and he planned to settle accounts thoroughly. The Demon Flame Valley and he had long been in an irreconcilable feud, and he would not have the slightest mercy on his enemies.
When the students of Canaan College were training in the Black Horn Region, they were often attacked by the strong men of the Demon Flame Valley, and some even died. As an elder of Canaan College, Xiao Ling naturally wanted to seek justice for these compatriots. Today was the time to make the Demon Flame Valley pay the price. He wanted to make this force that once dominated the Black Horn Region disappear from now on.
Xiao Ling waved his hand lightly, and the Heavenly Demon Puppet came out in response. His eyes swept across the Devil Flame Valley below with a cold look, and his tone was without a trace of emotion: "Go, don't leave any one behind."
The eyes of the Heavenly Demon Puppet flashed red, like two balls of blazing flames. Its figure flashed in the night, like a golden lightning, rushing straight towards the Devil Flame Valley. As it moved, a ruthless killing intent swept across the entire valley.
Xiao Ling's figure slowly descended over the Devil Flame Valley, his eyes flashing with determination. The Heavenly Demon Puppet had already begun to cleanse the Devil Flame Valley according to his orders. Xiao Ling did not intend to do it himself, he wanted to let the people of the Devil Flame Valley know that everything they did would have retribution.
In the night wind, the guards of the Demon Flame Valley fled in panic, but how could their speed compare to that of the Heavenly Demon Puppet? The golden figure was like the scythe of the god of death, taking away a life with every flash. Xiao Ling stood quietly on a high place, his eyes piercing through the night, as if he could see through everyone's fear and despair.
With the swift action of the Sky Demon Puppet, the tranquility of the Demon Flame Valley was completely torn apart. Screams, pleas for mercy, and the sound of metal colliding intertwined into a chaotic symphony, but in this chaos, Xiao Ling's state of mind was like a calm lake, without a single ripple.
The Dou Huang elders and several Dou Wang elders who were sitting in meditation deep in the Devil Flame Valley instantly felt the turmoil in the outside world. They immediately spread their Dou Qi wings and flew out quickly like a few meteors streaking through the night sky, ready to deal with this sudden change.
When the Douhuang elders and Douwang elders rushed out of the depths of the Devil Flame Valley, they were stunned by the scene before them. A golden figure, under the command of a blue-haired young man, was like a messenger of death, madly reaping the lives of the members of the Devil Flame Valley.
This scene made their anger erupt like a volcano. When had they ever suffered such humiliation? It had always been their Demon Flame Valley who was high above and could decide the lives of others at will, but now someone dared to kill people in their territory.
The roar of the Douhuang elder was deafening. He warned loudly: "Stop your violence immediately! Don't forget that the master of our Demon Flame Valley is the powerful Seven-Star Dou Zong, the Earth Demon Ancestor! What you did today will surely lead to endless hunting. Once the ancestor returns, he will make you suffer all the pain in the world and make you regret your arrogance today!"
At the same time as the Douhuang elder roared, he led several Douwang powerhouses and rushed towards Xiao Ling as swiftly as a cheetah. Their eyes were full of murderous intent, and they were determined to completely eliminate the guy who dared to attack the Demon Flame Valley.
However, the blue-haired youth Xiao Ling only smiled contemptuously. His voice was calm and firm, as if he was stating an indisputable fact: "Haha, when you, the Demon Flame Valley, were ruthlessly hunting down the students of my Canaan Academy, didn't you ever think that this day would come? You brought this upon yourselves. As for your Earth Demon Ancestor, he is already waiting for you on the Yellow Springs Road."
As Xiao Ling finished speaking, he quickly formed a seal and whispered, "Skyfire Meteor."
Following his summons, balls of flames appeared behind Xiao Ling, as if to dispel half of the darkness. These flames seemed to be given life. They gathered into blazing meteors, cutting through the night sky and rushing towards the Dou Huangs and Dou Wangs of the Demon Flame Valley.
Behind them was the endless complex of buildings in the Demon Flame Valley, which now became the backdrop of this disaster.
The flaming meteors were like a rage from the sky, devouring everything mercilessly. The Dou Huangs and Dou Wangs were horrified to find that they had nowhere to escape and could only watch the flames of death surround them.
The flaming meteors not only took their lives, but also continued to fall on the buildings in the Demon Flame Valley, triggering a series of explosions and completely destroying the tranquility of the Demon Flame Valley.
The entire valley was illuminated by the fire as if it were daytime. The sounds of explosions, screams, and pleas for mercy intertwined together, forming a doomsday scene.
The flaming meteors were like a disaster from heaven, covering the entire Devil Flame Valley. Those members had nowhere to escape, and were devoured by the merciless flames before they could even scream. The power of the meteors did not diminish, and they hit the buildings of the Devil Flame Valley, causing a series of deafening explosions. Then, there were endless wails that echoed in the valley, like the whispers of the god of death.
Under this sudden attack, the members of Demon Flame Valley fell into unprecedented panic.
They witnessed the flaming meteors falling from the sky and the golden figures moving freely and ruthlessly in the valley. Everyone's eyes were filled with deep fear and despair.
The golden figure is like the messenger of death, and every appearance means the end of another life.
This sudden disaster completely shattered the tranquility of the Demon Flame Valley, replacing it with a scene of chaos and death. Flames and smoke filled the air, shrouding the entire valley in a doomsday atmosphere.
Some members even knelt down and begged for mercy, their voices filled with tears: "Please, let us go, we are just following orders, we have no ill intentions!"
But Xiao Ling was unmoved by these pleas for mercy. His steps were firm and calm, and he walked towards the treasure house of the Demon Flame Valley that he sensed without haste.
After passing through a tunnel deep in the Demon Flame Valley for about fifteen minutes, Xiao Ling's sight was blocked by a stone wall covered with weeds.
He stopped and stood in front of the stone wall, looking around sharply.
Then, Xiao Ling stretched out his white and powerful palm and gently pressed it on the stone wall. As his fighting spirit was released, the stone wall seemed to have encountered an invisible hammer and instantly collapsed, turning into countless tiny stone chips that fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
After the dust settled, a deep cave entrance appeared in front of Xiao Ling, like a dark mouth, quietly waiting for his arrival. This cave entrance was obviously a secret passage leading to the treasure house of the Demon Flame Valley. Now, it was exposed in front of Xiao Ling without any cover.
Just as the stone wall in front of Xiao Ling turned into dust, revealing the hidden cave entrance, the Heavenly Demon Puppet also completed its mission and returned to his side quietly and silently.
However, unlike the previous image that shone with golden light, the current Heavenly Demon Puppet was covered in blood, and its figure appeared even more gloomy in the night, like the god of death walking out of the abyss of the battlefield, carrying a chilling breath.
Xiao Ling looked at the bloodstained body of the Heavenly Demon Puppet and couldn't help but shook his head and sighed. He waved his hand casually, and a gentle fighting spirit flowed out from his palm, gently brushing over the body of the Heavenly Demon Puppet.
The bloodstains that had not yet dried up were cleansed by the fighting spirit, as if absorbed by an invisible sponge, and quickly dissipated into the air. After a while, the golden appearance of the Heavenly Demon Puppet shone with its original luster again, and restored its majestic appearance.
Xiao Ling nodded, expressing his satisfaction with the new look of the Heavenly Demon Puppet. Then, he shouted softly, and the Heavenly Demon Puppet turned into a golden light and returned to his storage ring, waiting for the next summons.
Then, Xiao Ling took out the Ten Thousand Souls Banner from his sleeve and shook it gently, and an invisible force rippled out. Under the influence of this force, the soul of the old demon slowly emerged from the banner, like a wisp of light smoke, gradually condensing into shape.
As soon as the soul of the old demon appeared, it quietly floated beside Xiao Ling. Its eyes were empty, without a trace of life, and it just silently waited for Xiao Ling's next order.
This soul body was once the master of the Demon Flame Valley, a very famous being in the Black Horn Region. But now, it can only exist in this form, at the mercy of Xiao Ling.
Xiao Ling threw the Ten Thousand Souls Banner casually, and it drew an arc in the air and flew accurately towards the old demon. The old demon's soul stretched out an illusory arm and steadily caught the mysterious magic weapon.
Then, Xiao Ling concentrated his mind and calmed his breath, extending a strand of his mind like a thin thread, gently attaching it to the soul of the old demon.
This strand of mind was like an invisible thread, tightly connecting Xiao Ling and the soul of the Earth Demon Old Ghost. Through this thread, Xiao Ling not only gained complete control over the Earth Demon Old Ghost, but also gave it the ability to use the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
When the soul of the old demon poured into Xiao Ling's mind, a gleam of smart light flashed in its eyes, no longer as empty and lifeless as before.
Under Xiao Ling's guidance, the soul of the old demon began its new mission in the Demon Flame Valley, collecting the souls of the deceased members of the Demon Flame Valley. It held the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and shuttled through the valley, collecting the wandering souls into the banner one by one.
As for those powerful souls that have reached the Douling level, Xiao Ling directly put them into the Wanhun Banner as a power reserve in the banner. As for those souls that are slightly weaker and have not reached the Douling level, he cleverly uses them to refine the Wanhun Banner to enhance the power and quality of this magic weapon.
Xiao Ling stood aside, watching the old demon's soul busy collecting souls in the Demon Flame Valley. He couldn't help but whisper to himself, "What a pity! Although the old demon's soul retains his memories and fighting skills from his previous life, he has lost the ability to think. It doesn't make any sense for him to collect these souls."
"If I had known earlier, I would not have erased his consciousness and directly controlled him with the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, letting him collect the souls of his subordinates himself. That would have been a very interesting scene. Maybe the soul of the old demon would be so angry that he would die again."
Xiao Ling shook his head gently, putting these distracting thoughts behind him. He retracted his gaze, took a deep breath, then turned around and stepped firmly into the deep and mysterious passage.
The passage was dark and winding, and seemed to hide endless secrets waiting for him to uncover.
Xiao Ling's figure gradually disappeared in the shadow of the passage, leaving only the soul of the old demon ghost continuing to wander in the valley, carrying out its mission.
……
After passing through a not-too-long tunnel, Xiao Ling soon arrived at the entrance of the cave. Standing here, he could vaguely see the faint light coming from the cave.
There are some images of magical beasts carved on the stone walls around the cave entrance. Although they look ferocious, to Xiao Ling, these decorative patterns do not pose any actual threat.
Inside the cave was a long stone staircase that led down into the darkness below, with no end visible. Moonstones were inlaid on the stone walls, emitting a soft glow that gradually dispelled the darkness in the cave.
Xiao Ling walked down the stone stairs slowly, and about ten minutes later, he reached the end of the stone stairs. There, a heavy black stone door stood quietly, covered with a layer of moss, revealing an ancient atmosphere.
Xiao Ling walked forward and gently placed his palm on the stone door, and then his eyes suddenly became sharp. From his arm, a strong fighting spirit surged out like a mountain torrent, accompanied by a loud bang, and violently hit the stone door.
"Oh!"
With a loud bang, the stone door was immediately covered with cracks, and then with a roar, the stone door collapsed, and the debris flew everywhere. A dazzling light shot out from behind the door, illuminating Xiao Ling's face.
(End of this chapter)