Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 527: Chapter 522: Four-winged Black Demon Insect

”Demonic Qi?” Gu Huaying’s eyes widened as if she’d thought of something. In disbelief, she asked, ”Are you saying... the Demon Race?”

The Demon Race—a people sealed away in the annals of history.

In the current era, most Martial Artists were unaware of the Demon Race’s existence. They had been gone for far too long, and the Great Thousand Realms were now enjoying an age of peace and prosperity.

But in ages past, the Demon Race had invaded the Great Thousand Realms, sparking one great Human-Demon war after another.

One hundred thousand years ago, the era Ning Jiang lived in was a time of chaos. The Demon Race had invaded, plunging the entire Great Thousand Realms into unprecedented turmoil. It was in this chaotic age that he rose, fighting in every direction to quell the unrest and lead the crusade against the demons.

It was a long and protracted war that spanned several centuries. Over those hundreds of years, countless experts from both the human and demon races perished.

”Correct. Only the Demon Race possesses this kind of Demonic Qi,” Ning Jiang said slowly. ”These Ancient Ruins are more than they seem.”

The last time he’d fought the Demon Race was back in the Six Eastern Provinces. On that occasion, it had been a Blood Demon King, barely clinging to life.

’To think I’d find traces of the Demon Race again, this time in the East Sea.’

”According to my father, the last demon invasion was ten thousand years ago. The Dark Sea Region was one of their former battlefields. If these Ancient Ruins are related to the Demon Race, then after ten thousand years, shouldn’t they all be dead by now?” Gu Huaying said.

Even a Celestial Martial Realm King only has a lifespan of ten thousand years. When that time is up, it’s dust to dust. The power of Time is enough to annihilate anything.

”You’re mistaken. You don’t understand the Demon Race.” Ning Jiang shook his head and said slowly, ”Their lifespan is different from ours. At the same Realm, a demon’s lifespan is three times that of a human’s!”

”What? Three times?” Gu Huaying exclaimed in shock.

”And three times is just for the most common demons. Some subspecies are born with naturally long lifespans, reaching up to ten times ours,” Ning Jiang said.

Within the Demon Race, there are many different subspecies, each with a different lifespan.

Just as a tortoise is naturally long-lived, a summer cicada never sees the spring or autumn.

After hearing Ning Jiang’s explanation, Gu Huaying’s expression grew heavy. ”Does that mean there could still be living demons here?”

”Don’t worry. There shouldn’t be any on the level of a Demon King. A being of that caliber wouldn’t hide in a small place like this,” Ning Jiang said.

”I hope you’re right.”

Gu Huaying didn’t dare let her guard down. If a Demon King was here, their death today would be certain.

”Since there’s Demonic Qi up ahead, should we keep going?”

Hesitation flickered in Gu Huaying’s eyes. She had initially thought these were just ordinary Ancient Ruins, never expecting a connection to the Demon Race. That being the case, the level of danger here needed to be reassessed.

”Since we’ve come this far, how could we leave empty-handed? Don’t worry. Even if there are surviving demons, I have my ways of dealing with them,” Ning Jiang said.

He was currently carrying a powerful trump card. Even if he encountered a demon whose strength far surpassed his own, he would feel no fear.

Besides, the Demon Race held no secrets from him. In the entire world, it could be said that he was the one who understood them best.

”As long as you’re sure.”

Gu Huaying glanced at Ning Jiang. As if infected by his confidence, the hesitation in her eyes vanished.

The two of them then proceeded deeper inside, moving with caution.

The deeper they went, the dimmer their surroundings became, and the Demonic Qi in the air grew much thicker.

”This Demonic Qi is truly bizarre.”

Gu Huaying extended her palm, using her power to draw a wisp of Demonic Qi toward her.

The wisp of Demonic Qi was as black as ink, constantly writhing and shifting in her palm. From it, she could feel a dark and sinister power, a force utterly different from the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi felt gentle and comforting, like a slowly flowing stream. The Demonic Qi, however, was like a raging Flame, filling her with instinctual revulsion.

”Demonic Qi is, in essence, a type of pure Energy. It’s just that to the living beings of the Great Thousand Realms, this Energy is no different from a deadly poison,” Ning Jiang explained.

”Like Spiritual Qi, Demonic Qi is a form of Energy. But only the Demon Race can absorb it. If an ordinary person were to draw Demonic Qi into their body, they would be corrupted by it, eventually losing their sanity in a state of Qi deviation.”

’The Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill is said to be capable of devouring anything. I wonder if it can refine this Demonic Qi?’

At this thought, Ning Jiang discreetly began to circulate the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill. Placing a hand behind his back, he drew a cluster of Demonic Qi into his body.

The moment the Demonic Qi entered his body, his meridians screamed with a pain like a thousand needles, feeling as if they were about to burst.

’Suppress it!’

Ning Jiang grunted, and the Power of the Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill immediately surged forward to suppress the intruder.

In an instant, the rampaging Demonic Qi was pacified. It was suppressed so completely it didn’t dare to move. A few breaths later, the Demonic Qi was refined, transforming into a stream of pure Energy.

’The Heaven-Devouring Demon Skill truly lives up to its name.’

Ning Jiang marveled inwardly. This Supreme Celestial Skill, claimed to be capable of devouring anything, certainly wasn’t just an empty boast. In terms of devouring and refining, it was far stronger than even the Myriad Stars Flying Immortal Technique.

’However, refining Demonic Qi is several times slower than absorbing Spiritual Qi,’ Ning Jiang thought.

”Huh? What’s that!”

While Ning Jiang was lost in thought, Gu Huaying came to a halt. Following her gaze, he saw an open space ahead. Arranged in this space were several enormous bronze vats.

The vats were a dark, reddish color and were covered in strange patterns. The aura they emitted was cold and eerie, creating a sense of instinctual unease.

A layer of red cloth was stretched over the opening of each vat, sealing it tightly.

”What’s inside these?” Gu Huaying asked, approaching one of the vats with curiosity in her eyes.

”You don’t want to see,” Ning Jiang said, shaking his head.

”You know what’s inside, don’t you?” Gu Huaying asked.

”If I’m not mistaken, they’re Four-winged Black Demon Insects.” Ning Jiang walked up to one of the vats and yanked off the red cloth.

”AHH!”

When Gu Huaying saw what was inside the vat, she let out a piercing shriek, the color draining from her face. The vat was filled to the brim with fresh, red blood, and soaking within it was a corpse!

The corpse was a horrifying sight. Its mouth was stretched wide in a silent scream, its eyeballs bulged from their sockets, and its face was a mask of pure terror.

Gu Huaying was, after all, a young woman. Caught off guard by such a gruesome sight, she was naturally quite frightened.

Ning Jiang’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, and his voice was terrifyingly calm. ”Four-winged Black Demon Insects. They’re a type of Demon Insect cultivated inside human bodies. They take root inside a Martial Artist, using their host’s body as nourishment to grow stronger.”

As Ning Jiang spoke, the belly of the corpse in the vat began to squirm grotesquely.