It hurts.
It's like someone is cutting open a bone with a blunt knife, pouring chili water into it, and then stirring it vigorously a few times.
When I woke up, the sky was dark purple, and three blood moons hung above my head like three chopped nails, giving off a cold glow. The wind, carrying grit and sweet smell, swept across my cheeks, leaving tiny gashes. I tried to roll over, but my limbs were as heavy as lead, my chest felt like a red-hot iron plate, and every breath I took was like swallowing a ball of fire.
"This is... Where?"
The throat was so dry that it was smoking, and the voice was so hoarse that it didn't sound like itself. I struggled to lift my upper body, and the mud gushed out from between my fingers, black sewage mixed with blood streaks, sticky and cold. In the distance, the withered tree was baring its teeth and claws, with dark green ghosty fire floating among its branches, and from time to time, crows were crowing as if mourning for someone.
Memories return in bits and pieces - the barrier of good and evil, the Golden Axe light, the Ink Flame Blocking the sword, the teleportation Talisman activating... And then, this strange land. In the air, the thick, almost viscous demonic energy was penetrating through the pores like countless tiny ants, gnawing through the meridians all the way to the dantian.
"Demonic realm..." I smiled wryly, but I didn't even have the strength to pull the corners of my mouth. Ling Qingxue had already exhausted the elixir of the spirit, and the meridians were empty. As soon as the demonic energy entered my body, it was like a wild horse running wild. The greyish-white primordial energy instinctively rose up, entangled and biting with the demonic energy. Wherever it passed, the meridians felt as if they were repeatedly scraped by a blade, and the pain made my whole body spasm.
Worse still, there was a "click" sound from the spiritual platform - the three-level barrier of the foundation was cracked, and the cultivation was on the verge of collapse.
"No way, playing the falling realm right from the start?" I gritted my teeth and tried to operate the "All Spirits Contract", only to find that the contract mark was suppressed by demonic energy, dim light, and the connection with Ling Qingxue and the others was faint, as if cut off by a thick black veil.
Loneliness, pain, and helplessness came flooding in in an instant. I lay back in the mire, gazing at the three blood moons, my heart pounding so loudly as if it were about to shatter my chest. Never before have I missed the snow of the Qingyun Sect so much, missed those cool but firm hands.
"Clear Snow..." I murmured, my throat sore, "I may... I'm going to break my word."
The rain fell without warning. It was not the gentle drizzle of the Qingyun Sect, but rather the rough, cold drops of beans that hurt the face like countless tiny pebbles. The rain, mixed with the demonic energy, slid down the corner of the eye into the mouth, salty and bitter.
I struggled to raise my hand to shield myself from the raindrops, but a burning, stinging sensation was felt in my palm - the demonic energy corroded more when it met the water, and the skin turned red at a visible speed.
"If I keep lying down like this, I'll really become a corpse." I mock myself, but I know I can't give up. The tug-like battle between the primordial energy and the demonic energy continues, and if it is completely lost, I will be a demonic energy puppet forever.
I bit the tip of my tongue, using the intense pain to forcefully gather a wisp of primordial energy to protect my heart vein. Then, little by little, I moved my body towards a protruding black rock not far away. Every inch it moved, the mire clung to its limbs as if it were alive, making a disgusting "gurgling gurgling" sound.
At a distance of ten feet, it feels like the ends of the earth. When I finally climbed the black rock, I was out of breath and my vision went black. The rock was uneven, but at least dry. I turned over and lay my face up, so that the rain would not hit my face directly.
The first step is to survive. Panting, I pulled out the last half bottle of healing pills from the storage ring and poured them all into my mouth. The power of the medicine dissipated, barely suppressing the surging qi and blood, but could not stop the demonic energy from eroding. Cultivation is still declining little by little - middle and early stages of Foundation building... Finally, with a "puff" sound, the spiritual light dimmed and the realm dropped to the second level of foundation building.
I smiled wryly, but was powerless and depressed. For suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from afar --
"Search! At the edge of Black Wind Ridge, don't miss any suspicious scent!"
"Whether it's a righteous dog or a runaway slave, if you catch one, kill it!"
Heavy steps, accompanied by metal clattering, like some kind of cold-blooded reptile, slow and deadly. I held my breath and lay down on the rock, with raindrops sliding down my temples and into my collar, icy cold.
Through the rain curtain, a group of black-armored sorcerers could be faintly seen, with bone spears on their backs, their pupils glowing with a faint green light in the night, like a pack of hungry wolves. They spread out, inch by inch, searching the mire, with the bone spears piercing the ground from time to time, making a muffled "puff puff" sound.
My heart was pounding and my fingertips clung tightly to the crevices of the rocks. At this moment, my cultivation has fallen and my spiritual power has dried up. Not to mention a group of magic cultivators, even a single person can easily take my life.
"Hide your breath..." I murmured to myself, forcibly gathering the primordial energy and allowing the demonic energy to flow on the surface of my body, pretending to be a native demon cultivator. This is a gamble of life - once discovered, I will have no power to resist; But if not discovered, there might be a glimmer of hope.
The footsteps drew nearer and nearer, and I could even hear their heavy breathing and smell the blood from the bone spears. A demon cultivator came under the rock where I was hiding, and with a random pick of the bone spear, mud and water splashed up, just one zhang away from me.
I held my breath as if my heart had stopped beating. Raindrops trickled down my eyelashes, but I didn't even dare to blink.
"TSK, what bad weather!" The sorcerer muttered, his voice hoarse, "I'd rather go to the front to kill people than soak my feet in this mud."
"Stop talking nonsense." Another cultivator came, his dark green pupils swept over the rock but did not stop, "Search quickly, go back and drink."
The two talked as they walked away. My tense nerves finally relaxed a little, but I did not dare to move until the footsteps were completely gone, and then I let out a long breath, as if my bones had been removed, and collapsed onto the rock.
The rain was still falling. The blood moon still hangs high. But I dare not close my eyes again, for I know - in this strange land, every step could lead to the abyss of death.
"I must restore my spiritual power as soon as possible and find a safe place to rest..." I murmured, my voice so soft that only I could hear it. Then I closed my eyes and forced myself into a shallow pranayama. The chaotic energy flows slowly and continues to fight silently with the demonic energy, like two beasts tearing apart, neither willing to give in.
It is unknown how long it has been. The rain has ceased, but the wind has grown colder. In a daze, I suddenly heard faint footsteps - very light, like a cat, but with some strange rhythm, step by step, approaching my hiding place.
I instantly came to my senses, my hair standing on end. I grasped the last fireball talisman with my fingertips and held my breath.
The steps stopped beneath the rock.
Then a light voice, with a smile, came into my ears --
"Friend up there, the rain has stopped. Isn't it coming down yet?"
I held my breath, my heart beating as hard as a drum.
The sound was too light, too airy, like a cat that roams at night, but with a chilling smile. The raindrops trickled down the rock wall and hit me in the face, icy cold, but I didn't even dare to blink my eyelids.
"Friend up there, the rain has stopped. Isn't it coming down?"
That voice rang out again, with a hint of teasing, as if I were already the prey in his palm.
I clenched the fireball talisman on my fingertips, my knuckles pale from the force. The final strike must be a hit, otherwise -- I, seriously wounded and fallen, won't even have the strength to escape.
Under the rock wall, footsteps rang out again, very light, but step by step, as if they were stepping on the tip of my heart. I turned my head slowly, and through the crevice, I saw a vague figure --
Black robe, slightly curly long hair, barefoot, with a thin silver chain tied around the ankle, making a soft clanging sound as I walked, like a bewitching rhythm. He looked up, and the moonlight was shining on his face --
Pale, handsome, with a smile at the corners of his lips, but with an uncontainable sharpness. The most striking feature was those eyes - amber, vertical, like some kind of feline beast, with a faint, cold glow in the night.
My heart gave a sudden contraction - a demon cultivator, and a high-level one! At least a golden pill!
"If I don't come down soon, I'll go up." He tilted his head, his voice laughing, but it made all the hairs on my back stand up.
"Go for it!" I gritted my teeth, the Fireball talisman slipped out of my hand, transformed into a crimson fire dragon, and roared at the figure --
"Boom!"
The flames burst, the heat waves rolled, and the rock walls were blown with flying debris. I took advantage of the momentum to roll down, my knees went weak when I landed, and I almost fell to my knees, but I managed to hold myself steady, greyish-white chaos condensed in my palms, and warily stared at the center of the fire.
The smoke dissipated, but the man was gone.
My heart gave a jolt, and in the next second, a cold touch came from the back of my neck - a finger lightly touched the artery on the side of my neck.
"TSK, the dog of Zhengmeng is rather hot-tempered." "Unfortunately, the Fireball talisman is so weak that it doesn't even burn the corner of my coat." The voice came close to my ear, with a light laugh.
I stiffened all over, and cold sweat instantly soaked through my back. He was moving so fast that I couldn't see him at all.
"I'm not from Zhengmeng." I struggled to speak, my voice hoarse, "I... "Being hunted down by the Zhengmeng."
"Oh?" He didn't move his finger away, but his tone was a little more interested. "Tell me, why should I believe you?"
I took a deep breath, slowly raised my hand, pulled off the collar, revealing beneath the collarbone - where the mark of the covenant was flickering faintly, interwoven with ice blue and grey, and was particularly clear in the night shrouded in demonic energy.
"Dao Qi?" He raised his eyebrows, his fingers finally moving away to me, bending over to look at the mark, his nose almost touching my skin, "interesting... A true alliance disciple, yet with a covenant of the Dao, and being hunted down..."
He suddenly reached out his finger and made a light stroke on my mark --
Hiss!
As if scraped by a blade, I gasped in pain, but gritted my teeth and said nothing. He laughed, a smile that went straight to the eyes: "Ice sword intent, mixed with chaos... Little thing, you have a lot of secrets."
I stepped back and stared at him warily: "Who are you?"
"Me?" He straightened up, stretched, and made a slight crackling sound in his bones. "Black Wind Ridge Ranger, Mo Yan. You can also call me --"
He suddenly moved closer, his voice very low: "Your savior."
I was stunned. He did not explain any more and turned away, his black robe rustling in the night wind: "Follow. Keep dawdling. The next mountain search team won't be as easy to talk to as I am."
I hesitated for a moment, but still gritted my teeth and followed. At this moment, I was seriously wounded, in a state of decline, staggering even when walking, with no choice at all.
Mo Yan was leading the way ahead, not moving fast but always just within my line of sight, as if deliberately waiting for me. He didn't ask any more questions along the way, but occasionally raised his hand and pointed to some marsh or rock, indicating for me to move away - where either low-level monsters were lurking or there were traps for catching and repairing.
I gradually realized that this Black Wind Ridge, which seemed desolate, was actually full of dangers. I won't survive a night without a guide.
Half an hour later, a natural cave appeared ahead, its entrance concealed by vines. The ink flame pushed aside the vines and signaled me to go in.
The cave was dry, and a small bonfire was burning. The light of the fire shone on his pale profile as if it had given him a warm hue, but could not hide the beastly sharpness in his eyes.
"Sit down." He pointed to the stone beside the fire and leaned lazily against the stone wall himself, throwing me a wine bag, "to keep warm."
I took it, hesitated for a moment, and still took a gulp - the spiciness burned from my throat to my stomach in an instant, but dispelled the coldness in my limbs. I let out a long breath and returned the wine bag: "Thanks."
"Can you say it now?" He raised his eyebrows. "Why is the Zhengmeng chasing you? What's the matter with the covenant on you?"
I was silent for a moment and then briefly said -- Qingyun Sect, Zhengmeng, Leixiaotian, Spatial turbulence, Straying into the Demon Realm. Of course, the names of Ling Qingxue and the others were omitted, and only "a senior" gave me the contract.
After hearing this, Mo Yan did not speak immediately. He just fiddled with the campfire with a branch, and the flames flickered on his face, making his expression indistinguishable.
After a long while, he suddenly asked, "Do you hate the demon world?"
I was stunned and then shook my head: "I only hate those who put the label on me. I don't know how the demon world is, and I have no right to hate it."
He laughed, and this time the smile reached his eyes: "Not bad, at least not stupid."
He stood up, stretched his body, and his black robe slipped off, revealing his well-defined collarbone and -- the dark magic lines, like living creatures, entwined around his skin all the way to his chest.
"Black Wind Ridge does not keep idle people." He looked down at me, his voice lazy but with an unyielding domineering tone, "I'll give you three days to recover. Three days later, follow me to patrol the mountains and hunt down the scouts of the Alliance. I'm satisfied with your performance, I guarantee you'll live well in the demon world; Poor performance --"
He smiled slightly, revealing his foresty-white teeth: "I'll throw you back to Black Wind Ridge and let the monsters share your food."
I held the wine bag tightly, and a rough touch came from my palm, but I felt strangely relieved - at least, I was safe for the time being.
"Close the deal." I looked up and stared straight into his amber pupils. "In three days, I'll patrol the mountains with you."
Mo Yan nodded in satisfaction, turned and walked towards the depths of the cave, his figure soon swallowed up by darkness. By the campfire, I was left alone, and -- the flickering firelight and the faint roar of the beast from outside the cave.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and forced myself into a state of pranayama. The chaotic energy flows slowly and continues to struggle with the rich demonic energy around, like two beasts tearing apart, neither will give in.
After an unknown period of time, a faint sound of footsteps was suddenly heard outside the cave - very light, but with some strange rhythm, step by step, approaching the stone cave.
I woke up in an instant, my fingertips grasping the last fireball talisman, and I held my breath.
Steps, at the hole, stop.
Then a light voice, with a smile, came into my ears --
"Is the friend inside asleep? I smell... A very pleasant smell of human flesh."