Record of a Demon's Cultivation Chapter 1244: Public Humiliation
Previously on Record of a Demon's Cultivation...
A subtle, almost hidden smile graced Wang Qiuyue’s lips as she observed Gu Huang’s subservient stance.
While the lesser cultivators in the city below might have overlooked Gu Huang’s injuries, her keen sight had not missed them.
It was evident that Gu Huang had faced a significant defeat at the hands of the so-called "demonic cultivator" and had come to seek retribution.
Curiosity immediately piqued her interest: who possessed the ability to overwhelm Gu Huang, a sword cultivator at the mid-Body Integration Stage, and force him to seek sanctuary in Chu’an City?
"Fellow Daoist, were you successful in locating this demonic cultivator?"
Gu Huang responded with a shake of his head. "The individual fled into the city, utilizing the abundant spiritual energy emanating from the assembled cultivators to mask their lingering aura. I completely lost their trail."
Wang Qiuyue’s smile broadened slightly.
"As a demonic cultivator, their aura should be unmistakable. How is it that you failed to track them?"
With that, Wang Qiuyue extended her divine sense over the entirety of the city.
In contrast to Gu Huang’s imposing method, her divine sense moved like a gentle zephyr, causing no harm. However, this delicate approach meant she could not penetrate formations protecting secret chambers and cultivation dens.
After a performance of a thorough search, Wang Qiuyue inquired with feigned bewilderment, "Indeed, there is not a single trace of demonic cultivator aura! Fellow Daoist, are you absolutely certain this person is within the city limits?"
"I followed their residual aura all the way here. There is no mistake!" Gu Huang asserted with conviction.
"It appears they are employing some clandestine technique to conceal their aura," Wang Qiuyue mused. "To find them, we will need to inspect every secret chamber and cultivation den meticulously. Do you recall any distinctive features about them? I shall task my subordinates with scouring the entire city. They will not evade capture this time."
Witnessing Wang Qiuyue's apparent willingness to assist, Gu Huang’s expression softened with gratitude. "Then I offer my thanks in advance, Fellow Daoist. He is a male cultivator at the Peak Void Refinement stage, who practices the Corpse Dao, and appears to be around forty years of age."
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist," Wang Qiuyue pledged. "I will exert every effort to aid you in apprehending that demonic cultivator."
Despite Wang Qiuyue's reassuring words, Gu Huang detected an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her tone, which instilled a sense of unease within him.
Her subsequent actions served to fully validate his suspicions.
Wang Qiuyue amplified her voice with spiritual power, issuing a clear command:
"All disciples of the Spirit Jade Palace within Chu’an City, listen to this decree! Fellow Daoist Gu Huang of the Myriad Swords Pavilion, a cultivator of the Body Integration Stage, has suffered grievous injuries at the hands of a Peak Void Refinement Stage Corpse Dao demonic cultivator, losing one hand and an arm. This demonic cultivator has since fled into Chu’an City. To assist Fellow Daoist Gu Huang in avenging this profound humiliation, all disciples must immediately commence a search of every inn, cultivation den, and residence within the city. Locate the demonic cultivator at all costs!"
The instant these words resounded, the entire city was thrown into a state of uproar, buzzing like a tempestuous swarm of a billion insects.
"Did my ears deceive me? A great power of the Body Integration Stage wounded by a cultivator of the Void Refinement Stage?" an elder with a goatee exclaimed from a street corner, his disbelief palpable.
His companion, casting a fearful glance towards the sky, quickly turned to depart.
"Old Man Li, you court death! Do not involve me in this. How dare you even presume to discuss a Body Integration Stage cultivator?"
Similar hushed whispers and murmurs reverberated throughout the city.
As he listened to the rising clamor, Song Wen offered a faint smile, his gaze fixed on Wang Qiuyue, who remained suspended in mid-air.
"This woman is not daunted by making powerful enemies," he mused inwardly. "She is employing such blatant tactics to publicly humiliate Gu Huang."
As a cultivator of the Body Integration Stage, Gu Huang placed immense value on his reputation. His countenance contorted, growing as frigid as ice, his expression so dark it seemed capable of dripping like water.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, I shall certainly remember this day's events," he declared, his voice laced with palpable venom.
With those words, Gu Huang spun around and vanished in a streak of motion.
Observing Gu Huang’s retreating form, Wang Qiuyue let out a cold, disdainful smirk.
"To dare act so imperiously within the Spirit Jade Palace’s territory? And you expect me to assist you in finding your quarry? How utterly foolish!"
With Gu Huang’s departure, the immediate danger receded, and Song Wen’s spirits were significantly lifted.
However, he did not hasten his exit from Chu’an City. Instead, he secured a modest courtyard at a nearby inn and made arrangements to stay.
Although Gu Huang had seemingly retreated, the severe injuries inflicted by Song Wen and the public humiliation by Wang Qiuyue left lingering uncertainty. One could not be entirely sure he wasn't lurking somewhere, biding his time for an opportune moment to exact vengeance upon cultivators departing the city.
It would be prudent to wait a few more days before venturing forth from the city's confines.
For a considerable time, Song Wen truly embraced the lifestyle of a privileged young master.
He spent his days exploring the city's myriad shops and market stalls, acquiring essential spiritual materials or indulging in the taste of exotic delicacies.
During the evenings, dedicated to maintaining his cultivated persona, he frequented the city's entertainment districts, cultivating deep bonds, even forming sworn brotherhoods, with several courtesans.
Consequently, the humble courtyard he had rented saw no use, remaining unoccupied each night.
A full month passed.
Emerging from the Dream Pavilion, escorted by three alluring women, Song Wen’s expression abruptly turned blank.
He had, it turned out, forgotten something significant.
As he ambled down the crowded thoroughfare, Song Wen's brow furrowed in deep contemplation.
A short while later, the realization dawned upon him: the Nether Fox was still ensnared within the Primordial Qi Death Zone.
"It is time to depart," Song Wen mused inwardly, casting a lingering, albeit reluctant, glance back at the Dream Pavilion.
Ascending into the heavens, Song Wen swiftly exited the city, moving with the astonishing speed characteristic of a cultivator in the Divine Transformation stage.
The journey was uneventful, and he soon found himself at the fringes of the formidable Primordial Qi Death Zone.
Upon activating their connection, Song Wen pinpointed the Nether Fox's location and plunged headlong into the swirling vortex of Primordial Qi.
After navigating an expanse exceeding two hundred thousand miles within the treacherous Primordial Qi Death Zone, Song Wen came to an abrupt halt.
The shadowy entity had already determined the Nether Fox's exact whereabouts.
It was situated in a cave approximately five thousand miles distant, currently engaged in consuming a void fiend.
The fiend, still clinging to life, twitched sporadically in its struggle, yet the Nether Fox remained indifferent, continuing its ravenous feast while observing its dying prey.
"Are there any other human cultivators in proximity to the Nether Fox?" Song Wen directed his inquiry toward the shadow void residing within his Sea of Consciousness.
Song Wen harbored concerns that the Six Fiends Hall would not overlook the demise of their Peak Void Refinement corpse cultivator without consequence. He suspected they might harbor suspicions towards the Nether Fox, which had been sighted in the vicinity of their stronghold, and could potentially be monitoring it covertly.
"Within a ten-thousand-mile radius, you are the sole human presence," the Shadow Void reported back.
"Are you capable of transmitting a telepathic message to the Nether Fox?" Song Wen inquired.
"As it falls within the range of my divine sense, naturally, I am," the Shadow Void responded affirmatively.
"Excellent. Transmit a message instructing it to rendezvous with me," Song Wen commanded.
The Shadow Void complied without hesitation.
Some five thousand miles away, the Nether Fox received the telepathic communication. It cast a sideways glance toward Song Wen's inferred location, its eyes betraying a clear sense of defiance.
Lifting its forepaw, it effortlessly crushed the barely sentient void fiend with a single, decisive blow, then propelled itself out of the cave.
Upon arriving at the location where Song Wen had been, it found no sign of his presence.
The Nether Fox twitched its snout, its senses actively scanning the air.
"His scent remains here, yet his physical form has vanished? Could he have encountered a formidable powerhouse from the Void Clan and been apprehended?"
At this unsettling thought, the Nether Fox's eyes flickered with an unexpected glint of anticipation.
(End of the Chapter)
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