Record of a Demon's Cultivation Chapter 1536: Journey to Fallen Demon Valley

Rong Shao gazed at the two talismans Song Wen offered him, his expression immediately growing complex, a mixture of surprise and delight.

"You really exchanged one Jiang Ling'er for four Purifying Fire Talismans?"

Song Wen nodded. "These two are yours, fellow daoist."

"Many thanks."

Rong Shao didn't refuse, tucking the talismans away.

"What's our next move?" Rong Shao asked.

"Naturally, we head to Fallen Demon Valley," Song Wen replied.

"Very well."

Rong Shao summoned his Giant Flying Ship. After the two boarded, the vessel transformed into a streak of light, streaking across the sky.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Gu Huang, should we pick up your friend?" Rong Shao asked.

Song Wen understood immediately; Rong Shao was referring to Yan Yuyan.

"No need. There are no feasts that last forever. She has her own path to follow."

"Should we at least bid her farewell?" Rong Shao asked.

"That won't be necessary either."

Song Wen stood suspended in mid-air, gazing down at the earth below.

The land was shrouded in a vibrant, poisonous mist, thick and dense, blocking out the light and obscuring the view of what lay beneath.

This was no ordinary fog; it moved and writhed like a living thing, its rolling, undulating mass exuding a bone-corroding, soul-dissolving aura of death.

The mist stretched endlessly, reaching to the distant horizon.

"Fellow Daoist Gu Huang, Fallen Demon Valley lies beneath this poisonous mist," Rong Shao said, standing beside Song Wen.

With a flick of his finger, Song Wen sent a bolt of spiritual power striking into the colorful mist below.

A ribbon of the mist was caught by the spiritual power and lifted to land on the palm of Song Wen's outstretched hand.

In the blink of an eye, his palm turned black and began to fester, emitting a nauseating stench of decay.

"The toxicity of this mist is truly terrifying," Song Wen murmured, seemingly unfazed by the pain as the poison corroded his flesh.

Suddenly, a withered yellow aura erupted from his hand.

The encroaching mist was instantly repelled.

This withered yellow aura carried an aura of death and decay. It was the Five Decays Yellow Spring Qi, cultivated after achieving mastery of the third layer of the complete Ten Thousand Poisons Body technique. This Qi had been born from his blood and bones.

This substance was Impure Annihilation Qi, capable of eroding spiritual power, defiling one's Dao foundation, and serving as a defensive barrier.

However, Song Wen's third-layer cultivation technique was far from perfected. The Five Decays Yellow Spring Qi he could summon was still limited, only capable of forming a thin protective shield around his body.

"Hmm?"

Rong Shao noticed something unusual about Song Wen's hands and couldn't help but exclaim.

"What kind of technique is that? How can you resist the corrosive effects of the Fallen Demon Valley's poisonous mist?"

Not wanting to reveal too much, Song Wen casually replied,

"It's a type of malevolent qi I accidentally refined years ago. Unfortunately, there's too little of it to be truly useful."

He then changed the subject.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Rong Shao, you mentioned earlier that the poisonous mist in Fallen Demon Valley weakens every hundred years. Is it currently in a weakened state?"

Rong Shao's expression turned bitter.

"Fellow Daoist Gu Huang, you overestimate me. How would I know if the poisonous mist is weakened? Though the mist weakens every century, it only affects a few specific areas, and those areas are guarded by the Divine Blood Gate. As for the exact timing of the weakening, that's a closely guarded secret of the Divine Blood Gate. Outsiders have no way of knowing. Therefore, by observing the mist before us, we can't determine whether it's in a weakened period."

After speaking, Rong Shao turned to Song Wen and asked, "Fellow Daoist Gu Huang, are you concerned that we might encounter members of the Divine Blood Gate in the Fallen Demon Valley during this period when the poisonous mist is weakened?"

Song Wen nodded slightly.

In truth, he wasn't worried about encountering the Divine Blood Gate; he was actually looking forward to it. After all, anyone capable of entering this valley must be powerful. These would be the finest medicinal pills, delivered right to his doorstep. He wouldn't need to waste time and effort gathering intelligence, tracking their movements, and then assassinating them in the shadows—a process that was both time-consuming and risky.

Unaware of Song Wen's thoughts, Rong Shao continued, "There's no need to worry, Fellow Daoist. The poisonous mist weakens only once every century, and each period lasts less than a month. How could we be so unlucky as to stumble upon this specific century?"

"You speak wisely, Fellow Daoist Rong Shao," Song Wen replied, his tone shifting. "Where exactly is the Yin Spring you mentioned earlier, the one that grows the Nine Aperture Profound Connection Mushroom?"

The Fallen Demon Valley was vast—a million li wide and a hundred million li long—and was surrounded by poisonous mist and permeated by nether ghost qi. Once inside, one's divine sense would be constantly harassed. Without knowing the location of the Yin Spring, searching the valley aimlessly would take an eternity. Moreover, the valley teemed with Fierce Ghosts and poisonous insects that roamed freely, posing constant dangers.

A flicker of memory crossed Rong Shao's eyes as he spoke slowly.

"Actually, I'm not entirely sure of the exact location. I only overheard fragments of information from two Divine Blood Gate disciples once. The Rong Clan is a subordinate force of the Divine Blood Gate, and I accompanied Rong Luan to attend the sect's once-in-a-millennium grand ceremony."

"At the post-ceremony banquet, two Divine Blood Gate cultivators sat beside me. They seemed to have just emerged from the Fallen Demon Valley. During their conversation, they mentioned the Nine Aperture Profound Connection Mushroom."

"According to them, the Yin Spring where the Nine Aperture Profound Connection Mushroom grows is not far from the third entrance."

At this, Rong Shao pointed westward.

"The third entrance to the Fallen Demon Valley is about one hundred thousand li to the west. Once we enter the valley, we just need to head west, and we should find the Yin Spring."

The 'third entrance' Rong Shao referred to was actually one of the few locations where the miasma weakened every century, deliberately numbered by the Divine Blood Gate.

"The Fallen Demon Valley is a million li wide. Even knowing the Yin Spring is near the third entrance, finding it won't be easy," Song Wen said.

"Fellow Daoist, you're mistaken," Rong Shao replied. "The deeper we go into the Fallen Demon Valley, the narrower it becomes. Its bottom is far less than a million li wide."

Song Wen nodded slightly.

"Let's not delay. Shall we enter the valley immediately?"

"Good!"