Chapter 226

Chapter 226: Great Danger of the Black Fortress

Two armies of Demon Cultivators locked onto the teleportation array, arriving one after the other at the Black Fortress, eyeing each other warily, swords drawn, and standing ready for battle.

It was unclear what benefits Ge Yuntao had promised, but he managed to unite the Li Family, Fire Family, other families from Linggui City, and even disciples from the Three Sects and Four Sects. Along with the members of the Jade Symbol Sect, their numbers added up significantly as they rushed into the Black Fortress.

The Demon Cultivator army clearly underestimated these cultivators. The Black Fortress was marked as a blank area on the map of Wan Nest Island, yet to be explored, which made it highly valuable.

The old fortune teller, Liu Yao, was covered in sweat, secretly calculating with his fingers, nearly fainting from fear. His body trembled, and he thought, “Ancient dynasty ruins, exams passed, Yin-Yang and Eight Trigrams, choosing the best scholars. Those who trespass without passing will die! Those without official positions who trespass will die! Those without fortune who trespass will die! Those without protection who trespass will die! Ominous, ominous! Death, death, death—certain death! Where is the chance for survival?”

“Liu Yao, lead the way ahead,” Ge Yuntao commanded, handing over the task of scouting to the old fortune teller.

“Alright…” Liu Yao suddenly had a clever idea and discreetly used secret techniques: “Using wisdom as a guide, mysterious connection as a bond, tracing back to the origins, I will perceive the truth and illusion.”

“Crack…” A thunderous sound echoed as Liu Yao wailed and fell to the ground, his six copper coins tied to his forehead shattered to pieces.

“What happened?” Ge Yuntao felt a chill run down his spine. The atmosphere on Wan Nest Island was eerie; even he dared not be careless. He had initially planned to use the boy Li Hui as a furnace body for possession, but he had not expected that the Ink Demon Yu Zimao was still present, quickly drawing a Body Talisman and demonstrating terrifying speed. Had he not been inside the copper vessel at the time, he might have suffered a devastating attack. The loss of Liu Yao and others’ belongings served as proof.

Feeling a hundred times more cautious, he employed various methods to restrain Li Hui but still found that the boy had escaped. Ge Yuntao’s mood was understandably grim. After barely dismantling the grand formation and leading his team into the Black Fortress before the Demon Cultivator army attacked, Liu Yao ran into trouble again.

Innate techniques were unfathomable; however, they could backfire under extreme circumstances, and this Black Fortress was evidently such a scenario, necessitating heightened alertness.

“I see him! The boy is named Li Hui, right? He’s already delved deep underground. He has received blessings of fortune, good fortune has come to him, and with the light of soaring to high places, he has gained eight hundred steps of fortune. Unlike us, who must take great risks and pay significant costs to go deeper,” Liu Yao said while touching his forehead, speaking intermittently as if severely injured.

His injury was serious enough to perplex Ge Yuntao. Knowing the place was dangerous, who would they send to scout? Some cultivators from the Li and Fire Families had split off to follow, but that was under certain conditions. Suddenly recalling the boy, he felt a surge of anger and sternly said, “Everyone, stop holding back! Use all the abilities you have.”

Silence fell among the group. The Li and Fire Families had never gotten along; working together to find a way out was already a tough task. The prospect of uniting without reserves was difficult to change due to deeply entrenched thoughts…

Li Hui sat atop the well platform, making talismans while the female demon, Yu Zimao, strolled along the small path. With her support, he didn’t dare expect extravagant treasures, but crafting the Nine Patterns Three Exotics Fire Avoidance Talisman and Guanghan Ice Soul Talismans was not an issue. He would prepare as many as possible, fully aware that he could not afford to act carelessly.

When Yu Zimao returned, stepping lightly, she gracefully tilted her head towards the well platform and said, “I can feel that the Ginseng King favors this place, so I don’t plan to leave. I’m preparing to break a formation ring to merge into it, using this place as my dwelling, waiting for the Ginseng King to transform into a demon. This process might take a hundred years, and since I have nowhere else to go, staying here seems safer.”

“Staying here?” Li Hui scanned the surroundings, feeling the heavy atmosphere of danger, and shook his head, “Who knows how long it will be before Wan Nest Island resurfaces after sinking into the sea? If we don’t take the opportunity to leave now, for cultivators, it’s as if we are forever sealed here. Demons typically live long lives, but they’re not immortal. Being confined to one place without ever having traveled will certainly steal the vibrancy from life.”

“You make a good point, but the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King transforming into a demon will encounter terrifying tribulations,” Yu Zimao replied firmly. “Relying on the formation here might help avert disaster. If we step outside this circle, I truly don’t know how to help him.”

Li Hui nodded, “Demons are emotional and loyal. Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s do it. Is there any way I can help?”

“Yes, I need to borrow the light of soaring to high places beneath your feet to enter the formation,” Yu Zimao said again, “But there’s no rush. I need to carefully survey the positions of the formation rings and restrictions to ensure you benefit from it. I acted recklessly before and sensed that you don’t seem intent on harming the peach tree demon. Bring out the box! I will deepen the foundations for the peach tree demon, so after she loses her peach of immortality, she won’t fall into unconsciousness; she can also learn and cultivate.”

“Thank you!” Li Hui hurriedly put down his talisman brush and stood up to express his gratitude.

He had previously inquired with Guang Jin about the significance of the peach of immortality—it was incredibly valuable. For demons, their life and cultivation were interconnected, directly influencing their lifespan and fortune. Sacrificing oneself for the benefit of newer generations was a debt of gratitude that could not be repaid enough times.

Yu Zimao settled down with the box, her calm demeanor hiding her uncertainty about how to pass the peach of immortality to the peach tree demon.

Naturally, the box contained methods, and Li Hui did not fully trust this demon. Guang Jin, hidden in the Mysterious Water Pearl, watched intently, prepared to act at the slightest hint of danger.

This was a matter of life and death—he could not be careless!

Three hours passed in an instant, and it was evident that Yu Zimao had no ulterior motives. Li Hui once again stood up to express his gratitude, deeply bowing, gratitude engraved in his heart.

Guang Jin whispered secretly, “It’s done! This favor is monumental; your contribution to the hatching process is at least half. Once the peach tree demon takes form, she will call you ‘father’ and need to address her as ‘mother.’ You two might as well get together!”

“You really can spin tales. How lonely and empty must I be to end up with a comb as a partner?” Li Hui rolled his eyes, feeling embarrassed as he glanced at Yu Zimao. The two of them were secretly transmitting thoughts, and it was likely that neither of them could escape the other’s detection. Would this comment hurt her? Suddenly recalling that three hours had passed, why was it so quiet outside?

Previously, the vibrations of the Black Fortress were caused by the Demon Cultivator army employing exceptional methods to scout, not because they had encountered obstacles breaking the formation.

When the two armies completed their scouting, they were completely dumbfounded!

The Hongmo Sect had deep foundations and their own method for evaluating the fortress of Wan Nest Island. The scouting results were similar to Liu Yao’s calculations, confirming that this place was extremely dangerous and no less perilous than the recently discovered Purple Golden Fortress. The compass needle spun wildly, indicating an even greater degree of danger.

So during those three hours, they did nothing but wait for their formation-breaking expert to arrive. Ge Yuntao was in bad shape, having met various perils even before reaching the first underground level, becoming stuck on the nine hundred ninety-nine steps.

Even the Grand Elder of the Jade Symbol Sect used a legacy artifact, stuffing all his subordinates inside. Armed with his All-Manifestation Realm cultivation and years of accumulation, he attempted to charge through but still failed to cross the nine hundred ninety-nine steps to reach the first underground level.