Chapter 192 - Earth Vein Spirit Essence
Chapter 192: Earth Vein Spirit Essence
“Junior Sister Qiuhua, you look beautiful today!”
Jiang Li habitually praised her. Looking at the capable and experienced Shenshan Qiuhua, it formed a contrast with her petite figure, giving him a novel feeling.
Although the young lady’s face was still red, when faced with Jiang Li’s praise, she was no longer shy and evaded it.
The two of them flew together towards the location of the Demon Subduing Pagoda.
In the Shu Mountain Five Elements Peak, all the disciples and elders rode on their swords. Their two legs were not much different from accessories.
Coupled with the fact that the terrain of these five mountain peaks was too steep, there were often vertical cliffs in many places. It was not suitable to walk at all. It was possible that one could reach a height of more than a hundred meters just by walking next door. Therefore, there was no staircase designed here from the beginning.
The Demon Subduing Pagoda was not on the five peaks, but in the deep valley surrounded by the five peaks.
This place was suppressed by the joint array formation of the Five Elements Sword Peak. If one was locked inside, even a peerless demon would not be able to escape.
Even if the demons inside really escaped through some method, they had to consider whether they could withstand the siege of the Shu Mountain Five Elements Formation.
The two of them flew down from the top of the Water Element Peak. After passing through the clouds and fog, the air below became more and more moist and dark.
When he landed on the ground, a dense murderous aura made one’s scalp go numb.
If a mortal were here, they would bleed from their seven orifices in less than a second. It was not inferior to the internal environment of the Yin Burial Coffin.
However, there were actually plants growing here.
In such an environment with dense baneful aura, it was normal for there to be no plants, but there were many here.
Jiang Li bent down and picked up a few plants on the ground. However, as soon as these plants left the ground, they withered and died before he could observe them properly.
This was an interesting phenomenon. He had never seen it before.
He casually threw away the withered grass in his hand. Who would have thought that there would be such a ferocious place hidden in this Immortal Mountain-like Five Elements Peak?
However, this was not corruption, nor was it hiding evil.
Instead, they used their sect to suppress countless demons and devils, silently protecting the peace of the Great Mountain Region. This was worthy of his status as the leader of the Shu Mountain righteous path.
As Jiang Li sighed silently, he suddenly recalled something.
‘I, Jiang Li, am also silently resisting the terrifying evil forces without anyone knowing.’
He recalled the Spiritual Root Branch and the underwater graveyard.
Not long ago, he had even destroyed a demonic cultivation sect that might make a comeback. Just now, he had even taken in the corpse of an asura who could bring calamity to the Great Mountain Region at any time.
Come to think of it, he had made so many contributions to the cultivation world of the Great Mountain Region, but he did not say anything. As expected, Jiang Li was a great person who has broken away from lowly self interests.
The two of them walked towards a white stone platform in the center of the valley.
In fact, in this valley, the only thing that was higher than the ground was this stone platform that was less than two meters tall. There was no building that could be called a “pagoda”.
Shenshan Qiuhua blinked her eyes and secretly looked at Jiang Li, preparing for his question.
Although Jiang Li had already learned a portion of the situation of the Demon Subduing Pagoda through the memories of the sword cultivator clone, he still deliberately spoke after seeing the other party’s expression and asked this little princess of the Shenshan Clan for guidance.
It turned out that this Demon Subduing Pagoda was not built upwards, but downwards. It was built using the earth veins of the five peaks. It was extremely deep and could not be seen.
After all, this was a place where peerless demons were imprisoned. It was impossible to trap them with ordinary buildings or artifacts.
However, relying on the power of the earth vein to build a cage was different. If he wanted to destroy the tower, he could not do it unless he had the ability to break the Shu Mountain’s earth vein.
Jiang Li could not help but feel admiration towards this. He did not know when his attainments in formations would reach the extent of being able to rely on the energy of heaven and earth.
A huge spirit carving array formation was meticulously carved on the stone platform. With his current vision, he could see that this array formation was a compound array formation formed from at least seven different types of array formations.
The degree of precision and complexity was shocking.
On the stone platform, there were densely packed talismans of various colors.
There were not many types of talismans. They were basically used to exorcise evil spirits.
It could be seen that Shu Mountain had been diligently managing this place every year to prevent the baneful aura in the tower from gathering too much.
However, even so, there were too many demons in the tower.
Walking into the stone platform, there was already a group of cultivators waiting at the center. Jiang Li also saw Chang Wanzhou standing beside Wei Wangxuan. Apart from him, there were also eight other Shu Mountain disciples waiting.
Clearly, they were preparing to enter the Demon Subduing Pagoda today.
The Demon Subduing Pagoda was very important. Every time it opened, there had to be five peak elders present and a Peak Master presiding over it.
The person-in-charge today was naturally Wei Wangxuan.
Everyone waited quietly as the sun gradually rose above their heads.
Because the Shu Mountain Five Elements Peak was so tall that it reached the clouds, the sun could only be seen at noon. This was also the only time the Demon Subduing Pagoda could be opened.
The rays of the sun passed through the layers of clouds and mist in the mountain. When it scattered down, it was no longer fierce, but it also raised the vitality in this valley.
At noon, the sun gradually illuminated the entire stone platform.
At the center of the stone platform, a Five Elements Array Disk embedded in it automatically lit up.
As an array master, Jiang Li was even slightly dizzy when he saw this light. This meant that even with his current Mind attribute, he was still unable to understand this array formation.
Wei Wangxuan took out a token and shot out a spiritual light.
Then, the other elders of the five peaks produced spiritual lights in the order of the five elements.
After the five elements completed their cycle, the stone platform beneath their feet began to shake slightly. Amidst the friction between the rocks, the Five Elements Array Disk in the middle slowly opened.
He had just opened a gap when a baneful aura ten times stronger than the surrounding environment spewed out.
Among the ten disciples, a few of the weaker ones were shocked until they took two steps back. One of them even sat on the ground directly. It could be seen that this fiendish qi was really extraordinarily terrifying.
Among the disciples present, only the few who had already awakened their Sword Heart could remain calm.
“Remember! After you go down, don’t touch anything you shouldn’t touch! Demons are cunning and don’t communicate with them! You can’t pity or trust them!”
“Remember to guard your mind and do your best! If you are unable to continue after paying respects to the pagoda monument, return immediately. Remember, you must not go below the third level!”
“Wanzhou, you’ll go in first.”
After opening the pagoda, Elder Wei repeatedly reminded everyone to take note of things.
After all, there were countless ferocious demons locked up in the Demon Subduing Pagoda. Even if they were firmly locked up, they had to be careful. If anything happened, there would be huge trouble.
Elder Wei let Chang Wanzhou take the lead, but he showed no fear. He took two steps forward and glanced at the hole that was still spewing out baneful qi before jumping down.
With someone taking the lead, the disciples behind became braver.
The ten Shu Mountain disciples jumped into the pagoda one after another, but Elder Wei left Jiang Li to the last.
After Shenshan Qiuhua finished drawing, Jiang Li originally wanted to follow closely behind, but he was stopped by Elder Wei, and then a five-sided token was handed to him.
“Kid, you’re really as restless as your master. This is the token for opening the door on the last few levels of the Demon Subduing Pagoda.”
“You’re not a Shu Mountain disciple, so I can’t say much. However, you still have to act within your means and not push yourself. Do you understand?”
Jiang Li touched the token and was slightly surprised. His master was really reliable.
Previously, Jiang Li had roughly understood the situation of the Demon Subduing Pagoda and knew that under normal circumstances, Qi Refinement realm disciples were not allowed to descend to the third level or below.
The baneful qi and demonic qi were too strong and were not something that Qi Refinement realm disciples could withstand. However, Jiang Li was naturally not satisfied with this.
In the beginning, he went to ask Elder Mu for help, but the other party rejected Jiang Li’s request out of safety considerations.
Because Jiang Li was a disciple of the Scripture Storage Valley, Shu Mountain naturally had to consider the responsibility if anything happened. They could not agree to it.
This was the same reason why doctors had to have family members sign the forms before major surgeries.
Therefore, Jiang Li had no choice but to use a communication spirit stone and call the Scripture Storage Valley. He got his master Elder He to contact Peak Master Wei.
He did not expect it to really succeed.
Perhaps other than Elder He, his performance in the Heart Questioning Sword Cave last time had also made this Peak Master acknowledge his strength.
He specially let himself be the last to enter the pagoda so that he could give him some special treatment and not let the other disciples feel unhappy. This was very thoughtful.
“Thank you, Peak Master Wei. I’ll take note.”
After cupping his hands in thanks, Jiang Li put away the iron token and leaped down as well.
After Jiang Li entered, the five elders immediately reversed the five elements, and the disk array fused seamlessly with the sound of friction.
Wei Wangxuan waved his hand, and a golden pagoda phantom immediately appeared on the stone platform.
It could be seen that on the first level of the Demon Subduing Pagoda, there were ten light spots flickering slowly. Another light spot was falling from the passageway to the first level.
“Peak Master Wei, no matter how strong that Jiang Li is, he’s only a Qi Refinement disciple. Is it really possible for him to descend to the fourth level?”
An elder could not help but be a little curious. Peak Master Wei actually gave the access pass of the lower levels to a Qi Refinement realm disciple.
The Shu Mountain disciples possessed the Sword Heart. Every year, there were very few who could reach the third level of the Demon Subduing Pagoda.
The fourth level, or even lower? Was it really possible?
“This Jiang Li’s Sword Heart is extraordinary. He even has dragon blood in his body. We can’t view him as an ordinary disciple.”
…
Jiang Li landed freely in the vertical passage. The intense airflow collided with him, blowing intensely at his clothes.
Under the impact of this baneful aura, weaker Qi Refinement cultivators would either have their pants wet or faint on the spot. It was not impossible for those with less courage and a weaker body to die directly.
However, to Jiang Li, he did not feel much.
A few seconds later, Jiang Li’s feet landed on the ground with a bang, stirring up a cloud of dust.
He did not care about cushioning such a height.
However, to his surprise, the stone slab beneath his feet was not damaged at all. The material was extremely hard.
Not far away, ten Shu Mountain disciples were still waiting. Other than Chang Wanzhou and Shenshan Qiuhua, the rest of them looked a little pale.
Two of them even took off the flying swords on their backs and leaned on the ground. They looked like they could not breathe and were struggling.
The Demon Subduing Pagoda did not require disciples to fight the demons.
In fact, demons in the Qi Refinement realm were not qualified to be here. They did not even have the right to be locked up tightly in the Demon Subduing Pagoda. The worst demon among them was equivalent to a cultivator above the Foundation Establishment realm.
However, even so, it was still not easy to move around in the Demon Subduing Pagoda.
Seeing Jiang Li arrive, Chang Wanzhou gestured for everyone to set off.
Everyone nodded and walked along the passage towards the first level’s monument.
Thump~ Thump~
The footsteps of the eleven people sounded especially clear in the silent first level.
After walking past two corners, they entered the prison area of the first level.
The commotion outside clearly broke the silence on this level.
Pairs of glowing eyes lit up from the shadows of the cage as they stared intently at the eleven people. A fierce and bloodthirsty light flickered within.
Heavy breathing could be heard as a large amount of smelly air was emitted from their mouth and nose.
Bang!
A wild boar demon suddenly rushed out of the shadows of the cage, its huge body suddenly crashing into the metal fence.
The fence did not move at all. The runes engraved on it even lit up, burning the other party’s pig skin until thick smoke rose. Oil could be seen flowing down the railing.
However, the wild boar with red eyes did not seem to notice at all. Its pair of fangs rubbed against the fence and roared at them with a stench.
One of the Shu Mountain disciples was so frightened that he stumbled back and crashed into the other prison door.
From the shadows, a bare tail suddenly stretched out and wrapped around the disciple’s neck, pulling him in with all his might.
That disciple was strangled until his eyes rolled back. His neck creaked as if it would break at any moment.
Slam!
A hand grabbed the tail.
It was Jiang Li who walked forward and stretched out his hand to directly grab the tail of the sneak attack.
With a strong tug, the demon that was still hidden in the shadows could not resist the immense force and was directly pulled out and smashed into the rune iron pole.
It was a skinny monkey demon. Its fur was sparse and covered in injuries, but its savage nature was still there.
Although demons who had reached this level no longer needed to eat to maintain their lives like Foundation Establishment cultivators, their desire for blood did not change.
As long as they passed by a living person, they would want to bite him regardless of the consequences.
After the Shu Mountain disciple escaped, Jiang Li did not let it off easily. His hand exerted strength again, tearing off the other party’s tail. Only then did the monkey demon fall to the ground with a wail and hide in the shadows.
This monkey demon was very weak. It could not even kill a weak Shu Mountain disciple with a sneak attack, much less fight Jiang Li.
After all, the Demon Subduing Pagoda was not a retirement facility. After staying here for a long time, the spiritual qi would be slowly sucked away by the array and become weaker.
“Junior Brother Chen, are you alright?”
Chang Wanzhou put away the Golden Light Sword that was a step late and went forward to help that disciple up.
That disciple might be timid, but he was sufficiently unyielding. After coughing out a few mouthfuls of throat blood, he did not heal his injuries and instead stood up to thank Jiang Li.
“Junior Brother Jiang Li, thank you for your help. Please accept my gratitude.”
“It’s fine, it’s nothing. Everyone, be careful.”
After repeatedly reminding everyone to be careful, they walked deeper into the cave.
As they went deeper, the dense beast aura became more and more pungent.
Jiang Li gradually noticed that this cell was arranged in accordance with the array formation, and it was even more maze-like than a maze. If there was no special guidance, not to mention finding the target, it was hard to say if they could even return the way they came.
Chang Wanzhou, who was walking at the front, led the way with a token. Jiang Li glanced at the iron token in his hand. Sure enough, there was a spiritual light pointing in his direction.
After all, only Foundation Establishment demon beasts were locked in this first level of the Demon Subduing Pagoda. As long as one was bold enough to suck blood, it was basically not difficult.
Their group quickly arrived at their destination, where the first pagoda monument was.
A rock that was more than two meters tall and had a slightly strange shape emitted a spiritual light. A few chains wrapped around it, tightly linking the pagoda monument to the array formation on the first level of the Demon Subduing Pagoda.
Without a doubt, this pagoda tablet was the core of the array formation.
In front of the pagoda monument was a meditation mat, which was where the fortuitous encounter in the pagoda was.
After all, this was a benefit for their own disciples. Although it was difficult, as long as they were careful, there was no danger.
“Junior Brother Jiang, please go first.”
“You’re a guest, and you even helped save Junior Brother Chen earlier. Please don’t decline.”
Chang Wanzhou took out three sticks of incense and lit them before inserting them into the incense burner in front of the meditation mat. However, he did not sit down himself and instead gave it to Jiang Li.
The few people from Shu Mountain looked at him. Even the few disciples with pale faces looked determined. They were humble and full of spirit.
“This… Alright, I won’t stand on ceremony then.”
Jiang Li nodded and did not reject their goodwill. He took the lead to step forward and sit cross-legged on the meditation mat.
Along with the burning of the incense stick, a strand of strange energy was extracted from the stone tablet. The chain in front of him started to glow from the end of the monument, and it followed the chain all the way to the remaining meditation cushions.
In the next moment, Jiang Li felt a force that was different from spiritual qi surge into his body.
[Absorbing the Earth Vein Spirit Essence of the Five Elements Peak. Added Status: Earth Vein Spirit Essence (Left Feet)]
[Earth Vein Spirit Essence (Left Feet): Slowly supplements the connate deficiencies and postnatal losses. Increases the success rate of Foundation Establishment. Small increase in the strength of the Dao Foundation when establishing it. Duration: 30 days] (− +)