Chapter 334

Chapter 334: The Real Dao Soldiers of the Ancient Tomb

In the ninth layer of the Ancient Tomb, no matter how dangerous it was, Li Hui had to descend.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo…” The unique calls sounded like a rooster, and indeed, two towering roosters, each standing two zhang tall, proudly stood before him.

“What?” Li Hui’s mind struggled to comprehend. Instinctively, he activated his Ideal Body to pass through, but the next moment, he found himself right back in front of the two giant roosters, as if he had never moved.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo…” The roosters were excited, their eyes glinting with mischief. When the Ghost Fox landed, their presence became formidable, and their gazes hardened like swords.

“What is this?” The Male Fox sensed trouble. To complete his mission, he had sacrificed the Female Fox, but finding himself on the ninth layer was unexpected, especially with the two roosters standing before him like formidable enemies.

“Ah! Morning Rooster Dao Soldiers.” The Ghost Fox cried out in horror, as the left rooster had stolen one of her fox eyes, while the right one revealed two fox tails beneath its claws. What followed filled Li Hui with dread.

Fox legs, fox ears, fox heart, fox lungs, fox bones—such a powerful Ghost Fox had no chance to fight back and was dismembered before him by the two proud roosters.

Li Hui wanted to flee, but laughter echoed in his ears: “Hehe, Yu Zimao caused such a disaster, leaving me with no place to feast. The sect is spiraling into chaos, allowing these ghostly beings to rampage in.”

“Hey? Who is this senior who knows about the Ballflower?”

“Hehe, is Ballflower Yu Zimao’s nickname? How feminine! Fa’er, Shuang’er, let the guest in. It’s been a while since we’ve had visitors.”

The two roosters nodded at Li Hui, stepping aside to clear the path.

Feeling composed, Li Hui strode forward.

He noticed the light and shadow flickering on both sides, not long before he spotted a giant old hen sitting in a golden chicken nest, smiling back at him.

Demonic energy rose to form a colorful pillar as the old hen radiated an extraordinary aura, a great demon of this era. Seeing Li Hui, she paused in disbelief and said, “Well, well, a young lad capable of massively cultivating demon plants and half-demons. The Monster Tribulation that struck Mirror Lake appears to be your doing, not that of Li Maocai. So, you can draw the Jade Symbol Sect’s monster-conjuring talismans. Truly fortunate for the demon clan!”

“Senior, your insight is sharp. I indeed learned my skills at the Jade Symbol Sect. Little did I expect the sect to be destroyed and drift overseas. Only now have I returned to join the Haotu Sect,” Li Hui explained, appreciative of her help in alleviating the crisis. Furthermore, it seemed she had a good relationship with Ballflower.

“Haha, you’ve chosen the right place to escape to. As long as the Jade Symbol Sect possesses monster-conjuring talismans, it won’t face extinction. When Zimao came to the Haotu Sect with Elder Yu Symbol, we hit it off right away. It’s a pity that we, the demon clan, have always been unfree. He toils for the Jade Symbol Sect while I bear the responsibility of cultivating Dao soldiers. It’s frustrating to think that most of the sect relies on us demons as its foundation; the true Dao soldiers of the Haotu Sect are in the ninth layer of the Ancient Tomb—all the children I’ve nurtured!”

“Ah?” Li Hui scratched his head, surprised that the foundation of the Haotu Sect was a group of roosters.

“Sigh!” The old hen sighed softly. “Zimao almost had his soul scattered. It seems you all have faced great peril. Take good care of him; that fool remains as devoted as ever.”

“Rest assured, senior! I have fought alongside Ballflower through life and death. He is a senior in our sect and my comrade, and I will never leave him behind!”

The hen praised him: “Well said! His strong commitment to follow you shows he has truly dedicated himself! And seeing you nurture such numerous demon kin brings me great joy.”

Li Hui felt the weight of her approval, significant for him. The hen continued speaking, “The Haotu Sect is becoming increasingly outrageous. Previously, with Li Maocai upholding the order, things were passable and mistakes rare. But now, the Mirror Lake faction is weak; they immediately stir up trouble, letting ghostly beings in to create chaos. Hmph, the disorder will bring problems sooner or later. I’ll grant you five hundred Morning Roosters for protection. I have accumulated twelve layers of pure Yang energy within them, capable of vanquishing the Ghost Fox six times at least.”

“Thank you for your protection, senior!” Li Hui was overjoyed.

“It’s nothing. These five hundred Morning Roosters will eventually turn into little chicks. If conditions permit in the future, use monster-conjuring talismans to help them take that crucial step! Spiritual beasts lack intelligence and rely solely on instinct. Without transcending heavenly odds, they can’t progress. Only by transforming into demons can they cultivate the path. I have a Heavenly Demon Illusion World Sutra here, suitable for most demon clans. Consider it a gift for your little demons!”

“Thank you for your generous gift, senior!” Yao’er hurriedly expressed her gratitude. Though she had inherited a lineage, suitable cultivation methods for demons were scarce, with each one being extremely precious. Her joy was immense.

“Good child, the Golden Jade Peach Tree is remarkable. Here, I have a peach for you. Seeing as you are rebuilding your foundation, take it to absorb its essence!” The old hen, with her discerning eye and thoughtful gesture, handed over a peach. Overjoyed, Li Hui hurriedly bowed.

With continual acquisitions, he drew closer to the thirty-three peaches, but the remaining ones in the sect were also dwindling. Thus, claiming more recently would be challenging.

With the giant peach in hand, the five hundred proud Morning Roosters were stored within the Mysterious Pearl. Although they were only to handle the Ghost Fox, Li Hui felt very satisfied; this was his protective talisman!

“Go! Leave the Ancient Tomb within half an hour; the sect can’t lag for too long. Above the ninth layer, if there’s anything of value, take it—it can be pinned on the Ghost Fox, and whatever the loss, it doesn’t matter.” The old hen displayed a carefree attitude, as if there was a reimbursement system.

“Senior, what exactly is the Ghost Fox Sect?" Li Hui asked before leaving, eager for clarity on this matter.

“Listen well! The greatest crisis facing the Wutu Continent comes from the Yin Moon Dynasty, with the Ghost Fox Sect as their vanguard. The Great Xia Jin Tian Sect has paid enormous costs over the years to curb ghost cultivators. Periodically, they dispatch elite disciples from the branch, outer sects, and various sects to the battlefield between the realms, but I don’t know why the Ghost Fox has a grudge against you. Have you enmity with ghost cultivators?” The old hen’s words enlightened Li Hui.

“Ghost cultivators? Is it Cheng Yuyan? The bloodbath at Shanghe Village by the Ghost Fox Sect may not have been random, but a setup to ambush me. However, Cheng Yuyan has only been dead for a few years—could this have already become a significant threat?” He pondered, unable to understand fully, yet the situation was gradually clarifying—at least he found a direction for efforts, needing to focus more on countering ghost cultivators.

“Be careful; someone in the sect wishes to shift toward the path of ghosts. I’ll notify a few old fellows to keep an eye on it…” The old hen lightly raised her wing, and colorful demonic energy burst forth. Li Hui came back to his senses, finding himself back at the entrance of the ninth layer.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo…” The two giant roosters called out, kicking over several ghostly treasures and storage treasures, from which the restrictions had already been removed. This was truly a pleasant surprise, and Li Hui hurriedly summoned Qiniang to properly store them away.

“Thank you, two seniors!” Li Hui flew back into the eighth layer of the Ancient Tomb, releasing the Mysterious Pearl to gather the essence of Mysterious Water.

After a long search, he finally found over twenty silver fish; having some was better than none, and with careful nurturing, he would surely reap rewards. Next, he planned to visit the dungeon where demon cultivators were kept, to play the role of a warden for free. Strength—his strength had to be improved quickly.