Chapter 66: You Have Reached the Jindan Realm; Cultivate with This Empress Immediately!

“I wonder where the Sect Master is; transmission talismans seem to have lost their effect within the Devil’s Den. It seems I must find another way to locate him.”

Lu Jin had previously tried to contact Sect Master Chu Tianxiong using a transmission talisman, but the other party had given no response whatsoever. Out of options, he could only follow a dim, shadowy tunnel deeper into the depths of the den.

As he ventured further, the demonic Qi grew denser. Eventually, the black mist drifted through the space like heavy clouds. Within those demonic clouds, Lu Jin could sense strange, eerie auras flickering in and out of existence.

Have these demonic energies already birthed mindless Mo spirits?

You do not belong to this world. The human race and the demonic race are irreconcilable. You sought to step into the human realm and violate our people; being imprisoned here is your own doing.

Lu Jin’s gaze was cold. Suddenly, a dark figure floated out from the mist ahead, launching a violent strike toward his position without a word.

“Huh?” Lu Jin was startled, but he struck back instantly.

Spiritual power swirled around his body, manifesting into a massive palm that crushed the demonic shadow directly. A muffled explosion rang out, but it caused little disturbance. The surrounding roars and faint sounds masked the sound of the blast.

The Heaven Burial Coffin can devour anything. I wonder if it can devour demonic Qi? Let us try.

Buzz!

With a thought, a cluster of black devouring force radiated from the Heaven Burial Coffin. In the blink of an eye, it swept away all the demonic Qi within a radius of dozens of yards. Immediately after, a surge of pure spiritual energy rushed into his body.

“As expected!” A flash of surprise and joy appeared in Lu Jin’s eyes.

“There are countless demonic creatures in this den, and the demonic Qi alone is a majestic source of power. It seems I can have a grand feast!”

Lu Jin’s mental power extended over a hundred yards, while his devouring force covered fifty. In this way, he could silently clear the demonic Qi without alerting other monsters. He moved forward, the spiritual energy within him accumulating steadily as his 1st-grade Jindan cultivation climbed rapidly.

The sensation was incredibly refreshing. He marveled at the divine abilities of the Heaven Burial Coffin.

“With such a treasure, every second wasted is a sin against heaven! Devour everything!”

Buzz!

The devouring force churned continuously. His pace quickened. The pure spiritual energy pouring into his body was inexhaustible, drilling into the golden core within his Dantian. After a period of frantic consumption, his mental scan finally detected several demonic figures that were distinct from mere Mo spirits.

Roar!

The monsters stood several yards tall. They were pitch black with fanged maws, letting out constant roars. Strange, twisted horns grew from their heads, and lightning seemed to flicker around them.

“Minor monsters who haven’t even condensed a demonic core should stop pretending to be big shots.” Lu Jin gave a casual smile.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wherever he passed, explosions followed. He did not even slow down. A violent surge of mental power erupted, directly crushing those minor monsters into a mist of blood. Against such low-level creatures, he did not even need to lift a finger; a single thought of mental strength was enough to pulverize them.

He continued forward: devouring, searching, and slaughtering. He did not know how much time had passed, but after slaying hundreds of demonic beasts, several figures appeared ahead that could rival a human Jindan cultivator. They were gathered together, a sharp contrast to the scattered monsters elsewhere.

“Huh? Sect Master!”

Lu Jin understood the reason for the gathering instantly. In his line of sight, Chu Tianxiong sat cross-legged on the ground. Pure spiritual energy swirled around him in layer after layer, and sword light flickered incessantly, revolving around him to repel the surrounding demonic attacks.

He was resisting the onslaught. From his exhausted face, it was clear he had been holding on for a long time. He had the flickering, precarious look of a candle nearly burnt to the socket.

“Sect Master, I have finally found you!” Lu Jin’s voice rang out.

Hearing those familiar words, Chu Tianxiong’s closed eyes snapped open. The moment he saw Lu Jin, a look of irrepressible joy surfaced in his gaze.

“I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me, kid!” Chu Tianxiong laughed loudly. Even with a swarm of demons besieging him, he could not hide his heroic spirit.

“Sect Master, let me into your defense!”

As Lu Jin spoke, a gateway opened in the defenses around Chu Tianxiong. Lu Jin darted inside like a bolt of lightning, moving so fast the demons could not even react.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

However, his arrival caused the horde to howl in rage. In the dark distance, even more powerful monsters began to gallop toward them. Their iron hooves trampled the earth, shaking the ground and sending demonic waves surging into the air.

Lu Jin looked at Chu Tianxiong from up close, and his expression suddenly froze. He saw the numerous scars on the man’s body and the massive damage caused by the Primal Chaos Poison. His aura was far, far weaker than before.

This was a Purple Mansion Realm expert. If not for the poison, how could he have fallen to such a state?

“Sect Master, was it Wan Helai and the others who forced you here? Within the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, many have already become the running dogs of the Blood Moon Ancestor.” Lu Jin spoke as he produced a medicinal pill.

“This is?” Chu Tianxiong looked at the round, lustrous pill, his brow furrowing instantly. He had not truly expected Lu Jin to find the Huangque Pharmacist and bring back an antidote. Yet, the aura radiating from this pill made him feel refreshed with just a single breath.

“The antidote for the Primal Chaos Poison! Sect Master, swallow it quickly. The number of demons here is too great, and their combat power is staggering. You must recover your strength as soon as possible.”

Chu Tianxiong was shocked. He had not expected Lu Jin to actually secure the cure. He said nothing more, nodded, and swallowed the pill directly. Then, his brow knitted tighter.

“You found the Huangque Pharmacist? He refined this himself?”

Lu Jin shook his head. “Your disciple refined it. I can be considered half an alchemist now.”

Chu Tianxiong’s frown deepened. He never would have guessed that Lu Jin had attained such methods during his time away. Before he could ask more, the swallowed pill erupted with pure medicinal power, triggering a chain reaction within his body.

“By my ancestors! This hurts!”

The poison within Chu Tianxiong had already reached his marrow. As it was forcibly expelled by the overbearing medicinal power, he had to endure the agonizing sensation of having his tendons snapped and his skin flayed. Great beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and soon he was drenched as if by a fountain.

Lu Jin said nothing as he watched him. Some pain could only be endured alone.

Meanwhile, the outermost layer of Chu Tianxiong’s defenses was already being cracked by the swarm of demons. It looked ready to shatter at any moment.

“Sect Master, focus on expelling the poison. Your disciple will handle these monsters for you!” Lu Jin finished speaking and charged out.

There were hundreds of demons gathered here with varying levels of strength. The most powerful among them could rival a human 5th-grade Jindan! Terrifying auras surged in all directions. The moment Lu Jin left the defensive circle, the horde lunged at him, attempting to tear him to pieces.

“Hell-Prisoner Calamity Sword, slay them for me!”

This time, he directly utilized the Hell-Prisoner Calamity Sword, a technique far superior to the Ten Thousand Swords Sovereign Manual.

Squelch!

Flames soared into the sky. A longsword manifested in his hand. In the next second, the flaming blade drew arcs of fire through the dark space, charging into the demonic ranks like the scythe of the Reaper. It began to systematically harvest the lives of the monsters.

“So easy to kill?”

Under the onslaught of the Hell-Prisoner Calamity Sword, hundreds of demons became souls beneath his blade. The billowing demonic Qi from the slain creatures was backfed into his golden core by the Heaven Burial Coffin, becoming a source of energy.

After resolving the immediate crisis, he looked toward the distant, dark depths of the Devil’s Den. An obscure, terrifying aura flickered there. He did not choose to leave; instead, he stayed close to protect Chu Tianxiong.

As he was digesting the spiritual power within his body, a strange sensation suddenly arose.

Wait. No way. After devouring so many demons, am I about to advance to a 2nd-grade Jindan?

Lu Jin was currently in the Devil’s Den, which was hardly the ideal time for a breakthrough. The lightning tribulation he faced at the Spirit Pearl stage had been horrific; he had no idea how world-shaking a true Jindan advancement tribulation would be. Furthermore, if he drew the tribulation now, the lightning might destroy the arrays sealing the Devil’s Den. If the demons trapped in the depths escaped into the human world, it would cause immeasurable harm to the common people.

“You have finally completely stabilized your 1st-grade Jindan cultivation!”

At that moment, the voice of Empress Qinglian drifted out.

“Your progress is even faster than I demanded. Since you have reached the Jindan realm, you must dual cultivate with this Empress immediately!”

“What?” Lu Jin was stunned.