Eternal Immortal Clan: It All Started When I Married My Junior Sister!

194: By cleverly employing a secret technique, we achieved a resounding victory in our first battle!Blade followed Chen Xu’s gaze, his pupils shrinking slightly.

He saw the edges of the Ascending Immortal Gate and Tianyu Holy Land camps.

They were filled with injured Cultivators.

Some were covered in rot, their skin riddled with black pustules; some were delirious, screaming desperately as they were pinned down by their fellow disciples; others appeared uninjured on the outside but had vacant eyes, clearly having suffered severe damage to their Divine Souls.

From time to time, several corpses were carried out.

”This...”

Blade gasped: ”We haven’t even fought our way in yet, and so many people have been lost?”

”The consequence of being greedy for merit and advancing blindly.”

Chen Xu said indifferently: ”The Devilish Qi in this Black Mist Swamp is not something ordinary spiritual energy shields can block. Xu Sen and Mo Yuan were in a hurry to claim the top credit, so they must have sent a vanguard to force their way in, only to end up battered and bruised.”

”Pass down the order.”

Chen Xu turned to look at the generals behind him: ”The entire army is to station on the spot and activate the concealment Formation. Without my order, no one is allowed to step into the swamp. Violators will be executed!”

”Yes!”

...Night fell, but this was meaningless for the Black Mist Swamp.

Because this place was an eternal night to begin with.

The Chen Family camp was quiet, forming a sharp contrast with the brightly lit and boisterous clamor of the other two camps in the distance.

The Ascending Immortal Gate side was still constantly trying to use various Magic Treasures to test the depth of the black mist.

Various colored treasure lights exploded in the dark night like brilliant fireworks, yet they were unable to advance even an inch.

Chen Xu walked out of the camp tent alone.

He didn’t bring any attendants, just wearing a green robe, seemingly strolling leisurely toward the edge of the swamp.

”Family Head...”

Lan Shuyao, who was in a hidden sentry post, was about to reveal herself when she was stopped by Chen Xu raising his hand.

”I’m going in to take a look; you all guard the camp well.”

Chen Xu’s voice rang in her mind: ”If anyone from those two families comes to fish for information, just say I am in closed-door cultivation to comprehend a way to break the Formation, and I won’t see anyone.”

After saying that, his figure was like a wisp of green smoke, merging into the night.

Arriving at the edge of the swamp, that nauseating aura instantly became ten times stronger.

The ground beneath his feet had turned into soft black mud, making a ”squelch squelch” sound with every step.

It was as if someone were chewing rotten meat in his ear.

The black mist in front of him tumbled and surged.

Chen Xu reached out his hand, and as his fingertips just touched the black mist, the protective spiritual light on his fingertips made a ”sizzling” sound.

It was like cold water being poured into a hot oil pan.

”The corrosiveness is very strong, and...”

Chen Xu withdrew his hand, looking at the trace of black aura remaining on his fingertip: ”It carries a strong mental pollution.”

If an ordinary Cultivator were tainted by this thing, first their protective Magic Treasures would be damaged, then their spiritual power would be defiled, and finally, their sanity would be lost, turning them into a madman who only knows how to slaughter.

No wonder those two families suffered heavy losses; this was simply not a pit that could be filled by human wave tactics.

But Chen Xu did not shrink back.

He took a deep breath and stepped out, his entire being directly vanishing into the ink-thick black mist.

Hum—!

As soon as he entered, the surrounding world instantly changed.

It wasn’t pure darkness, but a multicolored, blurred state.

That was because the Devilish Qi in the air was too dense, so dense that it produced some kind of bizarre hallucination.

Countless shrill roars came to his ears, like countless vengeful spirits seeking his life.

That feeling was like being thrown into a giant stomach bag filled with strong acid.

Pressure from all directions squeezed in simultaneously, trying to digest this intruder completely.

The spiritual power inside Chen Xu’s body instinctively wanted to prop up a shield.

But he forcibly suppressed this urge.

”Come then, let me see just how much weight this so-called Forbidden Ground actually carries.”

He let go of his body’s defenses, allowing those black wisps of Devilish Qi to drill into his pores and invade his Meridians.

For a normal Cultivator, this behavior would be no different from suicide.

Sure enough, as soon as those wisps of Devilish Qi entered his body, they were immediately like sharks that had smelled blood.

They rushed frantically toward his Dantian and Purple Mansion, trying to pollute his Nascent Soul and occupy his Physical Body.

”A bit interesting.”

Chen Xu’s expression changed slightly as a layer of eerie black patterns surfaced on his skin.

That was a rejection reaction caused by the large amount of Devilish Qi entering his body.

Severe pain hit like a tide, every inch of his Meridians feeling as if they were being burned by fire and cut by knives.

Just as that Devilish Qi was about to break through the Dantian’s line of defense and touch Chen Xu’s Nascent Soul.

Ang—!!!

Deep within Chen Xu’s Sea of Consciousness, an incomparably majestic Dragon’s roar suddenly rang out.

The Nascent Soul that had been perched in his Dantian, entirely purple-gold and surrounded by Primordial Qi.

Suddenly opened its eyes.

There was no panic from being invaded in those eyes; instead, there was a sense of... extreme hunger?

Like a beggar who had been hungry for three days and three nights suddenly seeing a full imperial feast.

Boom!

The Devilish Qi that was still showing off its power and wreaking havoc suddenly froze at this moment.

Following that, an irresistible and terrifying suction force erupted from the mouth of that Primordial Chaos Nascent Soul.

This wasn’t a confrontation; this was predation.

Those rampaging wisps of Devilish Qi were instantly swept into the small mouth of the Nascent Soul in one go.

”Burp...”

Chen Xu even had an illusion, as if he heard his Nascent Soul let out a satisfied burp.

Immediately after, an energy that was completely different from ordinary spiritual power was fed back from the Nascent Soul’s body.

This energy was cold and overbearing.

Yet it was exceptionally obedient, instantly flowing through Chen Xu’s entire body.

The Meridians that had been burned by the Devilish Qi not only healed instantly under the nourishment of this energy but even became tougher and wider.

Chen Xu suddenly opened his eyes, a look of surprise flashing through them.

”This...”

He clenched his fist, feeling the surging new power within his body, the corners of his mouth curling up uncontrollably.

Originally, he was thinking about how to explore cautiously and how to avoid these damn poisonous miasmas.

But looking at it now, where was this some land of death?

This was clearly a massive cultivation treasure vault tailored specifically for him!

Every wisp of Devilish Qi here was a great supplement.

To others, it was a lethal poison, but to him, who possessed the Primordial Chaos Nascent Soul, it was nourishment even more precious than Top-Grade Spirit Stones.

”The Grandmist Dao encompasses everything; it can take in pure Qi to become an immortal, or swallow turbid Qi to become a demon.”

A hint of enlightenment rose in Chen Xu’s heart: ”The so-called distinction between righteous and demonic is merely a difference in energy forms before the Grandmist.”

Since that’s the case... Chen Xu immediately began to circulate the Myriad Ages Evergreen Art.

Whoosh—

With Chen Xu’s body as the center, the black mist within a hundred-foot radius seemed to receive some kind of summons.

It formed a massive vortex, frantically pouring into his body.

Wherever it passed, the originally thick black mist actually became thin.

It even revealed the black rocks below that hadn’t seen the light of day for a long time.

”Not enough, still not enough.”

Chen Xu strode forward, heading deeper into the swamp.

He was like a tireless vacuum cleaner; wherever he went, the black mist retreated and the poisonous miasma dissipated.

Those low-level demonic creatures that were originally hidden in the shadows, preparing to ambush, were now trembling with fear.

They instinctively felt that this ”human” who had walked in...

...emanated a high-level pressure that was even more terrifying and pure than their own. Meanwhile, in the Chen Family camp on the outskirts of the swamp.

Lan Shuyao, who had been closely following Chen Xu’s movements, suddenly discovered with surprise.

That wall of black mist that had tumbled for untold ages actually... had a large chunk caved in from the direction their Family Head had entered?

And that indentation was still expanding, as if it were being bitten off by some invisible giant beast.

”This...”

A trace of bewilderment immediately appeared in Lan Shuyao’s beautiful eyes, ”The Family Head... what on earth is he doing inside?”

Blade also scratched his head and said in a muffled voice: ”Don’t know, but I feel like this black mist seems to be... afraid of him?”

The thick night was broken by a set of footsteps.

Chen Xu lifted the curtain of the camp tent and strode in.

He still carried a trace of lingering chill and the scent of decay.

Blade was frowning in deep thought over a map; seeing the Family Head return, he hurriedly rose to greet him, but was stopped by Chen Xu’s raised hand.

”Go and call all those Formation Master Enshrined with the army.”

Chen Xu untied his outer robe stained with dew and tossed it aside: ”Also, bring over all the Void Gazer Stones and Spirit Purifying Grass we brought. I want as many as we have.”

Blade was slightly stunned, then his eyes lit up; without asking a single word, he turned and went to execute the order.

He knew the Family Head; this posture meant the key to breaking the situation had been found.

Not long after, the three Formation Master Enshrined rushed to the main tent.

Chen Xu didn’t waste time on pleasantries, directly taking out a stone surrounded by black Qi from his storage ring and slapping it onto the table.

It was a Demon Crystal he had picked up in the depths of the swamp; at this moment, it was emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations.

”Everyone, look at this.”

Chen Xu tapped his finger, and an extremely fine purple aura emerged from his fingertip.

It instantly submerged into the Demon Crystal.

The originally violent and unstable Demon Crystal was like it had met its natural enemy; the black flocculent matter inside instantly boiled.

Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, it became clear, finally turning into a ball of pure, colorless spiritual power.

The eyes of the three Formation Masters almost popped out.

”This... this is direct conversion?”

One of the Enshrined, seeing this, spoke up with a face full of shock: ”Family Head, this is against common sense! Devilish Qi is turbid and violent, the mortal enemy of Spiritual Qi; how could it be instantly purified?”

”All things in the world have their generation and restraint; there are no absolute mortal enemies, only methods that haven’t been found correctly.”

Chen Xu did not explain the matter of the Primordial Qi; that was his core secret and could not be shared.

But he could simplify the rules of this ”conversion”...

...into a Dao Pattern and carve it into a Formation.

Chen Xu picked up the Cinnabar Brush on the table and wrote with flowing movements on a blank talisman paper.

His movements were extremely fast, every stroke falling with a certain profound rhythm.

As if he were copying the Great Dao itself.

A moment later, a Formation Diagram never seen before was presented before everyone.

”Use this as the core to re-refine the Formation Plates.”

Chen Xu pointed to the vortex-like symbol in the center of the Formation Diagram: ”There’s no need for a large coverage area; ten feet will do.”

”There is only one function: to draw out the surrounding Devilish Qi!”

”Forcefully filter it through this rune, and then feed it back to the Formation shield.”

This was equivalent to installing a mobile spiritual power purifier for every squad.

The several Formation Masters looked at each other, and then a feverish discussion broke out.

They were all experts, so they naturally recognized the value contained within.

”Wonderful! Simply wonderful!”

”Using their own strength against them, using demons to control demons. In this swamp, the Devilish Qi is endless, so this Formation Plate will never run dry! The Family Head truly is a Divine Being!”

”That’s enough!”

”I’ll give you three days. I want to see the finished products and have the entire army equipped.”

”Rest assured, Family Head! Even if it kills me, this old man will definitely get this thing done!”

Over the next three days, the Chen Family camp was brightly lit.

There was no grand display of military training; only the roar of the Artifact Refining furnaces echoed day and night.

This unusual behavior left the distant Ascending Immortal Gate and Tianyu Holy Land baffled.

Xu Sen stood on the observation deck, looking at the Chen Family’s camp, which was both deathly silent and bustling with activity.

His brow was furrowed so deeply it could crush a fly. ”What on earth is Chen Xu up to? He’s not sending scouts or attacking; he’s just there stoking fires and forging iron?”

”Perhaps he’s afraid?”

A black-clad deacon beside him speculated, ”He’s young, after all. It’s not surprising if he wants to back out after seeing our heavy losses.”

Xu Sen shook his head and said nothing.

His intuition told him that the young man was definitely not that simple.

On the morning of the third day, the gates of the Chen Family camp swung wide open.

A thousand Cultivators were divided into ten phalanxes, and at the center of each...

...a Formation Master held aloft a bronze Formation Plate the size of a millstone.

”Set out.”

Chen Xu stood at the bow of the ship, his expression indifferent.

At his command, all ten Formation Plates lit up simultaneously.

Buzz—!

A series of crisp hums joined together.

Immediately after, a scene occurred that all onlookers would never forget for the rest of their lives.

Those Formation Plates didn’t spew out spiritual power; instead, they were like hungry black holes.

They began to frantically devour the surrounding free-floating Devilish Qi.

The black mist was sucked into the Formation Plates, crushed and transformed by the core Formation patterns.

Instantly, a faint green light barrier erupted.

It enveloped the entire phalanx.

The spirit boat hovered at a low altitude like a steel behemoth, protecting the infantry phalanxes below.

It slowly sailed into the Black Mist Swamp, a place that made everyone’s face pale at its mere mention.

”Zizizi...”

The poisonous miasma, which could normally corrode flesh and blood, melted away like ice and snow upon hitting the green light barrier.

Instead of being weakened, the light barrier became thicker and brighter as it continuously absorbed the external Devilish Qi.

Wherever the Chen Family Army passed, the thick black mist was actually forced to retreat to both sides.

It forcibly cleared a wide path!

”How... how is this possible?!”

On a distant hilltop, Old Ancestor Mo Yuan of the Tianyu Holy Land raised an eyebrow.

His old eyes were filled with disbelief.

Over the past few days, they had tried countless evil-warding Magic Treasures and sacrificed over a hundred lives, yet they had barely advanced less than five miles.

But this Chen Family was like they were taking a stroll in their own backyard.

They entered without even a single stumble?

”There’s something about those Formation Plates!”

Xu Sen was a man who knew his stuff after all, and he saw the clue at a glance. ”That thing can restrain Devilish Qi! It can even utilize it!”

As he spoke, a look of wariness flashed in his eyes.

How did this Chen Xu have an endless supply of trump cards?

After entering the swamp for a hundred miles, the world turned completely grayish-black.

The mud beneath their feet was bottomless, and the surrounding twisted trees were jagged, appearing like countless ghosts brandishing their claws.

But for the Chen Family Cultivators under the protection of the Formation, this place was not much different from the outside world.

In fact, because the Spiritual Qi converted by the Formation was so pure...

...many Cultivators felt the circulation of spiritual power within their bodies speed up slightly.

”It really works.”

Blade walked at the very front with his greatsword on his shoulder, unable to help but sigh. ”How does the Family Head’s brain work? To create such a treasure, I don’t even have to waste any spiritual power to resist that damned poisonous mist.”

Lan Shuyao walked beside him, alertly scanning the surroundings. ”Don’t be careless. This is the Demon Race’s home turf, and it’s unnervingly quiet.”

Before she could finish her sentence, the mire ahead suddenly churned violently.

”Roar—!”

Accompanied by a non-human roar, hundreds of black shadows shot out from the mud.

It was a group of Demon Race warriors clad in bone armor and wielding serrated longswords.

They were extremely fast, and under the cover of the black mist, they reached the front of the Formation almost instantly.

This was a scout unit responsible for perimeter security, numbering in the hundreds.

Leading them was a burly, One-eyed Demon General.

Surrounded by rolling Devilish Qi, he surprisingly possessed a cultivation at the Early Void Refining Stage.

”Foolish humans! How dare you intrude upon Dragon Burial Valley!”

The One-eyed Demon General gave a sinister laugh and waved his longsword. ”Tear them to pieces! Offer their Divine Souls to the Demon Sovereign!”

In his view, once human Cultivators entered this suppressive environment, they could at most utilize sixty percent of their strength.

Hundreds against a thousand, there was no disadvantage.

The Demon Race warriors let out strange cries, pouncing like a pack of hungry wolves onto a flock of sheep.

However, in the next second, the One-eyed Demon General’s sinister smile froze on his face.

When those Demon Race warriors charged into the area covered by the green light barrier, the environment that had been as natural to them as water to a fish changed instantly.

That green light barrier was not just a shield; it was more like a massive suppression field.

The air was no longer filled with familiar Devilish Qi, but with purified Yang Spiritual Qi!

This kind of Spiritual Qi was a great tonic for humans.

But for the Demon Race, it was like throwing a saltwater fish into fresh water.

”Ah—! My power! What’s happening?!”

The Demon Race warriors at the front discovered in horror that their Devilish Qi protection was rapidly dissipating.

Their movements became incredibly sluggish, as if they were carrying a mountain on their backs.

”Is that all you’ve got?”

Blade looked at the demons before him, who were moving as slowly as snails, and a cruel smile appeared on his face. ”Then your grandpa won’t hold back!”

Boom!

The broad Blade in his hand swung down violently.

He didn’t even use much spiritual power, relying purely on his physical strength and the sharpness of his weapon.

A Demon Race warrior didn’t even have time to scream before being cleaved in half along with his sword.

The black blood splattered onto the green light barrier and was instantly evaporated.

”Blade Camp, hack them down for me!”

Blade roared and led the charge into the enemy ranks.

Behind him, five hundred heavily armored Body Cultivators were like five hundred heavy chariots, drawing their Blades and slashing in unison.

Under the blessing of the green light barrier, they were as vigorous as dragons and tigers.

Meanwhile, the Demon Race opposite them was listless and weak.

This was a completely lopsided massacre.

”Sword Washing Pavilion, form ranks and weave through!”

Lan Shuyao’s cold voice rang out.

Five hundred white-clad Sword Cultivators moved like lightning, turning into streaks of light as they passed through the gaps in the Blade Camp.

Their sword techniques were light and eerie, specifically targeting the demons’ throats, joints, and other vital points.

With every flash of sword light, a demon was bound to fall.

”No! This is impossible! This is clearly a Demon Domain!”

The One-eyed Demon General watched the defense line collapse instantly, his scalp tingling with fear.

He wanted to mobilize the surrounding Devilish Qi to counterattack, but he found...

...the surrounding Devilish Qi was being frantically sucked away by those ten strange Formation Plates, turning into a force that suppressed him instead.

”Retreat! Retreat quickly!”

The One-eyed Demon General no longer cared about his subordinates and turned to flee into the deep mist.

”Since you’ve come, don’t leave.”

A calm voice sounded above his head.

The One-eyed Demon General looked up sharply, only to see a pitch-black warship hovering directly above him at some point.

Boom—!!!

In the next moment, a thick pillar of light descended from the sky, instantly swallowing the figure of the One-eyed Demon General.

No scream, no resistance.

The Void Refining demon general was vaporized directly in the pillar of light, not even a speck of dust remained.

The aftershock blasted a massive crater dozens of feet in diameter into the marshland.

The mud was baked into hard glass by the high temperature.

The battlefield fell silent instantly.

The remaining Demon Race warriors were already scared out of their wits, but under the shroud of the green light barrier, they couldn’t even manage to flee.

They could only watch in despair as those human Cultivators, like gods of slaughter, approached.

Half an incense stick’s time later, the battle ended.

A thousand elite Demon Race scouts were completely wiped out.

On the Chen Family’s side, except for a few unlucky ones who sprained their ankles from charging too hard...

...or felt a bit nauseous from being splattered with demon blood...

...not a single person was killed, and there weren’t even any serious injuries.

”Clean up the battlefield and harvest the Demon Crystals.”

Chen Xu stood at the bow and spoke calmly, ”These are good things; the next round of charging for the Formation Plates depends on them.”

The Cultivators skillfully cut open the demon corpses and took out the sparkling Demon Cores, their faces filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

The Demon Race, whom everyone used to avoid, now looked like...

...walking bags of Top-Grade Spirit Stones.

”Continue the advance.”

Chen Xu ordered.

The army set out once again, pushing toward the deeper regions of Dragon Burial Valley.

As they advanced deeper...

...the surrounding scenery became increasingly oppressive, and those twisted, strange trees vanished.

In their place were massive bogs bubbling with poisonous bubbles.

”Family Head, something seems wrong ahead.”

Blade’s brow was tightly knit, and a rare trace of solemnity appeared in his large, bell-like eyes.

Although he was a rough man, he had fought through many battles over the years.

His intuition for danger was often more accurate than that of Cultivators with sharp Divine Sense.

”It’s too quiet.”

Lan Shuyao also nodded and added, ”The battle just now made quite a stir. Logically, with the Demon Race’s bloodthirsty nature, they should have swarmed here as soon as they caught the scent of blood.”

”But now we’ve advanced at least three hundred miles, and we haven’t seen a single soul.”

Chen Xu stood at the bow with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through layers of black mist to look into the distance.

Spreading out his Divine Sense, although this Black Mist Swamp could suppress the Divine Sense of ordinary Cultivators...

...to him, who possessed a Primordial Chaos Nascent Soul, it was merely a slight blurring of vision.

In his perception, the surroundings were not empty.

On the contrary, in the extremely distant depths of the darkness, there seemed to be countless pairs of cold eyes peering at the team.

Those auras were obscure yet powerful, but they were like startled beasts.

They lingered at a distance, neither approaching nor leaving.