Record of a Demon's Cultivation Chapter 1283: Heng Ziping’s Betrayal

A crimson tentacle shot forth from the palm of Song Wen’s right hand, extending gradually.

His natal magic treasure, the Blood Sea Seal, was connected to his mind, acting as an extension of his divine sense. Yet, after reaching three meters, the tentacle could extend no further. Beyond this proximity, his divine sense inexplicably weakened, preventing him from maintaining control over the appendage. After retracting the tentacle, Song Wen’s palm began to glow with a ball of fiery flames, the size of a human head. The flames danced energetically, their scorching tongues casting light several meters down the corridor ahead. This corridor stood at an approximate height of three meters, featuring a flight of single-tiered stone steps descending in a straight fashion. Song Wen’s eyes swept across the third step, then suddenly paused. There, on that very step, lay a fresh, deep red bloodstain. The blood was undeniably recent, clearly having been left only moments prior.

“Besides Heng Ziping and myself, it appears another individual is indeed present here! But why have they chosen not to reveal themselves? When did they infiltrate the tomb? Could it have been during the recent eruption of foul qi?” These questions swirled in Song Wen’s mind as he raised his hand and propelled the flame forward. Instantly, a blaze tore through the air, streaking deep into the tunnel. While remote control of mystic treasures was beyond him, casting a few spells remained within his capabilities. However, he was unable to steer the flame’s path; it could only travel in a straight line. The flame shot onward for several dozen meters before striking the arched ceiling of the tunnel. It detonated with a deafening roar, transforming into a cascade of fiery sparks that dispersed in every direction. Using the intermittent light, Song Wen surveyed the area within a hundred-meter radius. The tunnel appeared empty, lacking any figures or traces of blood.

“It seems that individual has already proceeded deeper into the tunnel. Injured by the foul qi, their strength is likely not substantial—perhaps a cultivator at the Void Refinement Stage.” At this notion, Song Wen’s eyes gleamed slightly. If someone else was paving the way ahead, he could certainly venture further into the tomb as well. Perhaps another exit truly lay concealed within these depths. He cast a glance back toward the tomb’s entrance, where the howling wind and foul qi continued to churn in a chaotic tempest. Song Wen conjured another ball of flame, held it aloft, and began to descend the stone steps. After advancing approximately one thousand meters, the tunnel took a sharp turn to the right, continuing in a straight line. Another thousand zhang further, the passage turned once more, this time veering sharply to the left. This pattern persisted: with every thousand zhang traveled, the passage would curve, consistently alternating between right and left turns. Song Wen pressed onward with extreme caution, yet he couldn’t ascertain whether the threats had been neutralized by the person ahead or if the passage was naturally devoid of peril. He encountered no dangers and moved forward without incident.

Following his eighth turn, the path abruptly ceased, revealing a solid stone wall ten zhang directly ahead. A hint of bewilderment crossed Song Wen’s face. He had presumed someone had previously entered this passage, yet there was no indication of their presence. Furthermore, if this passage served as the tomb’s entrance, why did it lead to an impasse? Could the burial chamber lie beyond this wall? Song Wen raised his right hand, the flames in his palm intensifying as he closely examined the stone wall. Just then, he felt the ground beneath him crumble, and he began to fall rapidly downward. He glanced down sharply. The ten stone steps beneath him had suddenly disintegrated, plunging into a dark, vast abyss below. He plummeted downward alongside the collapsing stone steps. A flash of astonishment appeared in Song Wen’s eyes. Despite the presence of stone steps, he hadn’t been walking on them but had been hovering a foot above the ground. His descent was triggered by a potent Gravity Restriction that had suddenly activated, pressing down upon him like an immense mountain and negating his ability to fly. In a critical moment, the Soul Cleaving Blade materialized in his grasp, and he drove it forcefully into the left tunnel wall. However, just as the blade was about to impact the rock, a golden light erupted from the wall, repelling the Soul Cleaving Blade. The immense force of the recoil nearly wrenched the blade from his hand. Without any surface to brace himself, Song Wen was compelled to continue his fall. Refusing to surrender to his fate, he summoned a burst of flames beneath his feet, illuminating the surroundings to ward off any unforeseen threats. The fiery light revealed a spacious tomb chamber below, where four figures were standing. He recognized every one of them. They were Wang Qiuyue from the Spirit Jade Palace, Jian Xiao and Gu Huang from the Myriad Swords Pavilion, and Tang He from the Profound Sky Sect.

The tomb chamber was suddenly filled by the presence of four cultivators at the Body Integration Stage, making the once expansive area feel suffocatingly small.

Those four below observed Song Wen’s arrival and directed their gazes upward.

"Hmph! A cultivator merely at the Void Refinement Stage has managed to navigate the treacherous Foul Qi Miasma and enter the Immortal’s Tomb?" Jian Xiao voiced his astonishment.

"It is indeed quite remarkable for someone at the Void Refinement Stage to arrive here unharmed. He must possess some secret techniques," Tang He of the Profound Sky Sect concurred, turning his attention to Wang Qiuyue. "Daoist Friend Wang, if I recall correctly, I observed this individual near the entrance to the Turbid Spirit Realm. If my memory serves me right, he is from your Spirit Jade Palace, is he not?"

"That is correct; he hails from our Spirit Jade Palace," Wang Qiuyue affirmed, her form subtly shifting as she moved to a position beneath Song Wen.

Witnessing Song Wen’s rapid descent, poised to strike the ground like a falling meteor, Wang Qiuyue gave a flick of her sleeve.

An immense wave of qi immediately surged upwards, spiraling around Song Wen.

The Gravity Restriction exerted an overwhelming force. Song Wen, who had been preparing to use a life-substitution art, suddenly felt a gentle power embrace him, drastically decelerating his fall.

Bang!

Song Wen landed on his feet, his body swaying unsteadily. He almost lost his footing but managed to regain his balance through sheer determination.

"I offer my thanks, Senior Wang, for your timely rescue," Song Wen expressed, clasping his hands into a fist and bowing respectfully towards Wang Qiuyue.

He had never anticipated that Wang Qiuyue would extend her aid to him.

"There is no need for such courtesies. I gave my word to Bai Wei that I would look out for you, and I uphold my promises," Wang Qiuyue responded.

With her statement, she stepped back, intentionally creating distance between herself and the other three Void Refinement Stage cultivators.

After SRetreating several dozen meters, she finally halted, her gaze fixed firmly upon Jian Xiao and the remaining two.

Meanwhile, Song Wen positioned himself behind Wang Qiuyue, standing silently at her flank.

He now understood that his previous assumptions regarding the situation were entirely mistaken. Far more than a single individual had managed to enter this tomb.

His mind also recalled the noticeable bloodstain on the stone steps.

The presence of that bloodstain clearly indicated that one of the four cultivators present had sustained an injury.

Song Wen’s gaze traversed the assembled group, identifying Gu Huang as the one who had been wounded. Faint traces of blood still marked the front of his robes.

As for the other three, while no overt injuries were apparent, their disheveled appearances suggested they had recently engaged in a strenuous conflict.

Abruptly, a creaking sound drew Song Wen’s attention upwards. He looked to see the segment of stone steps that had previously collapsed now ascending into the air, fusing seamlessly with the broken section and thereby restoring the staircase to its original, intact condition.

He immediately perceived that whoever had engineered this trap possessed a rather peculiar and unsettling sense of humor.

Such elaborate traps were not uncommon in the mortal realm, but they were seldom encountered in the Immortal Cultivation World. Here, however, it was combined with the potent Gravity Restriction, rendering it almost impossible to counter.

Unexpectedly, just as the stone steps reformed into their complete state, they once again fractured and plunged downwards from the air.

Falling along with them was a figure: Heng Ziping!

Much like Song Wen, Heng Ziping found himself utterly incapable of resisting the effects of the Gravity Restriction. However, unlike Song Wen, he did not possess an inexhaustible supply of Substitute Puppets, leaving him in a state of palpable panic.

At that critical juncture, Jian Xiao intervened, successfully rescuing Heng Ziping.

"My sincere gratitude, Elder Jian Xiao," Heng Ziping conveyed, his voice filled with thankfulness. He cast his eyes around and immediately spotted Song Wen standing behind Wang Qiuyue.

"Reporting to Elder Jian Xiao, this individual is a Corpse Dao Demonic Cultivator and possesses no fewer than twenty drops of Pure Origin Heavenly Dew. I implore you to eliminate this malevolent being!"

Gu Huang was initially conceptualized as a member of the Myriad Swords Pavilion (which would have played a role in subsequent plot developments). However, an error occurred during the Turbid Spirit Realm arc where he was mistakenly written as being affiliated with the Profound Sky Sect. This discrepancy has since been rectified in earlier Chapters, but I wished to provide this clarification here as well.

(End of the Chapter)

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