The Grey Rat's Demon Path

A smile couldn’t help but grace the elegant female cultivator’s lips at the thought.

’Grandfather finally approves of him!’

’It proves I wasn’t wrong about Long Aotian.’

’Even though there was that misunderstanding with Meng Xi, Senior Brother couldn’t possibly be wrong.’

’Speaking of which, Meng Xi may have been arrogant and flaunted his background in his youth, but he was good at heart. Especially as he matured, his conduct grew more refined. He was righteous and charitable. His reputation in the Sect was excellent!’

’I just don’t know how he managed to offend Senior Brother back then!’

’For Senior Brother to be so angry!’

’It couldn’t be as simple as what Senior Sister Mu said—that he just told Senior Brother, "You, servant, move aside," during a Mountain Gate assembly!’

’Sigh, I won’t think about it anymore.’

’I just need to trust Senior Brother!’

’Anyway, once Senior Brother succeeds in his Core Formation, all misunderstandings will be resolved.’

’Grandfather, you’ll forgive me too, won’t you!’

Seeing his junior sister’s docile expression, Long Aotian’s mood brightened considerably, and the color returned to his face.

He loved it when others submitted to him.

’How could he, Long Aotian, be some commoner? Everywhere he went, flags should wave and crowds should cheer in acclamation.’

He reached out and pinched his junior sister’s cheek. Just as he was about to speak, his expression changed in an instant!

"Not good!"

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

A dense barrage of sharp spikes, shimmering with Spiritual Light, rained down from the sky.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Long Aotian summoned a Supreme-grade Defensive Magical Artifact, holding it before him.

He looked up and saw a streak of light in the distant sky, rapidly flying towards his location.

"Senior Brother, save me!"

The elegant female cultivator had obviously spotted the descending spikes as well.

She summoned a Cyan Shield, but it was clearly no match for the might of the spikes.

After only a few impacts, the Cyan Shield was already on the verge of shattering.

The power of the descending spikes was beyond imagination.

Long Aotian could barely fend for himself; why would he bother trying to rescue his junior sister?

"Junior Sister, I’m sorry!

In the future when I succeed in Core Formation—no, when I achieve Pill Transformation to Nascent Soul and become a True Monarch, I will definitely avenge you!"

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

The spikes rained down relentlessly. The Cyan Shield before the elegant female cultivator could hold no longer and shattered.

Her body was then pierced through by the barrage of spikes, her blood spilling onto the earth below.

The elegant female cultivator looked at Long Aotian with an expression of disbelief, her eyes wide.

She died with her eyes wide open.

A wolf, once empowered, grows savage and wild.

A gilded flower’s dream, in a year’s time, defiled.

’Junior Sister, of all my many women, you are the only one so far who has left such a deep impression on me. You can be proud of that! Rest in peace!’ Long Aotian thought to himself.

He played his trump card, preparing to flee.

It was a Third-stage Escape Spirit Talisman, a fortuitous item he had acquired during an expedition into a Secret Realm.

He had also met a beautiful Female Cultivator on that same trip.

With this Demon Talisman in his possession, he would surely be able to escape safely.

Magical Power burst forth, flowing into the Spirit Talisman.

A halo of light flowed along the patterns inscribed on the Spirit Talisman as it began to activate!

Streaks of light emanated from the Spirit Talisman, gradually enveloping Long Aotian.

The process seemed slow, but in reality, it happened in a flash.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Spikes continued to rain down, striking the Supreme-grade Defensive Magical Artifact before him.

The spikes were incredibly powerful, and holding them off this long was already taking its toll on him.

But a smile played on Long Aotian’s lips. He wasn’t panicking in the slightest.

Because the power of the Third-stage Escape Spirit Talisman was about to be unleashed, wrapping him in its light.

Once the talisman was fully active, he would be able to use its power to escape unharmed.

He’d lost count of how many times he’d faced situations like this since he began his cultivation journey as a weakling.

Every single time, he had managed to turn disaster into fortune.

’This time will be no different!’

The streak of light in the sky was getting closer and closer, and a figure exuding a powerful, menacing aura could be faintly seen.

The barrage of spikes, the technique his opponent had displayed, showed an Attacking Power close to that of an ordinary Fake Pill Master.

’I’m no match for them right now!’

"Just you wait! Once I achieve Core Formation, I’ll be back for you!"

Looking at the approaching figure, a vicious light flickered in Long Aotian’s eyes.

The halo of the Spirit Talisman flowed, just a final sliver away from completely enveloping Long Aotian.

Suddenly, Long Aotian’s expression changed. A sharp pain shot through his body.

"What is..."

He looked down to see that an impossibly sharp, fine needle had pierced his dantian.

"When did...!"

Horror filled Long Aotian’s face.

He was just about to fully activate the last sliver of the Spirit Talisman’s halo.

But the Magical Power in his entire body seemed to have been sealed by something!

It was locked away inside him, completely unresponsive!

WHOOSH!

A streak of light flashed, and a figure of imposing, menacing power appeared before Long Aotian.

This was a middle-aged man with black spots covering his head.

The man was of medium, well-proportioned build, his skin flickering with a faint metallic sheen.

"Under the Thunderous Ban Order, a Human Race Cultivator still dares to appear in the Thundering Mountain Range. You’re simply courting death!"

Although the war between the Thundering Mountain Range and the Yanyue Sect had stopped, the standoff between the two sides had not changed.

The Thunderous Ban Order strictly forbade any Human Race Cultivators from appearing within the Thundering Mountain Range. Violators would be put to death!

Previously, when the situation with the Human Race was normal, the many Demon Kings of the Thundering Mountain Range mostly adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards Human Race Cultivators entering the mountains.

If they happened to encounter one, they would kill them. If not, they wouldn’t actively hunt for them.

After all, the Demon Race also needed to weed out the weak to survive, lest their numbers grow too large and strain their resources.

Furthermore, if a Human Race Cultivator fell within the Thundering Mountain Range, to the Demon Race, they were also a rare Cultivation Resource!

"A Demon King!

A real Demon King!"

The look of horror on Long Aotian’s face intensified.

’How could I run into a Demon King?!’

’The power of those spikes from before was only on par with a Fake Pill Master.’

’So why is it a true Demon King?!’

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Long Aotian frantically tried to channel the Magical Power in his body, but it wouldn’t budge an inch.

"Don’t waste your energy. The Invisible Forbidden Technique Needle is not something a mere Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator like you can shake off!"

"Let me see... what your true purpose for coming to the Thundering Mountain Range is!"

With that, the middle-aged man waved a large hand and slammed it down on Long Aotian’s head.

Soul-Searching Secret Technique!

By invading the opponent’s Divine Spirit, one could read through their memories.

The process was extremely violent, and since it involved the Divine Spirit, it was incredibly dangerous. It was generally only used by a higher-realm cultivator on a lower-realm one.

Once used, it would damage the foundation of the target’s Divine Spirit.

If it went on for too long, the person being soul-searched could even be turned into an imbecile.

As the middle-aged man’s hand covered his head, Long Aotian’s entire body began to tremble violently.

As time passed, he even began to foam at the mouth.

The middle-aged man, of course, paid no heed to this.

’He’s just one Human Race Cultivator.’

After a long while, the middle-aged man withdrew his hand.

As if losing all support, Long Aotian fell limply, plummeting towards the ground.

With a suction from his large hand, the middle-aged man pulled the Storage Bag from Long Aotian’s body into his grasp.

"Die!"

A savage glint flashed in the middle-aged man’s eyes.

The Invisible Forbidden Technique Needle inside Long Aotian’s body suddenly erupted.

POOF!

Before his body even hit the ground, Long Aotian exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

Long Aotian, the prominent Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator of the Golden Sword Sect, was dead!

"Golden Sword Sect! Fifth Elder! Meng Xi! Clear Heart Pill! Canglan Cultivation Realm!"

The middle-aged man floated in mid-air, his eyes glinting as he processed the information.

The Soul-Searching had been brutal, leaving much of the information fragmented and broken.

Still, he had managed to glean some useful details.

"I didn’t expect to get a Clear Heart Pill from this Human Race Cultivator! This item was destined to be mine!"

The middle-aged man was in high spirits.

To think a chance encounter would yield such a harvest.

Besides the Clear Heart Pill, this human also had several Tier Three Spirit Talismans, a dozen or so Tier Three Ores, and some Tier Three Spiritual Items.

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his possessions were quite remarkable!

"Hm!?"

The middle-aged man suddenly noticed that the flow of Spiritual Qi in the surroundings was rather abnormal.

Sensing carefully, he discovered the tell-tale signs of an Array operating among the barren mountains below.

"Who’s down there!? Show yourself to me this instant!"

The man’s voice boomed like a Thunderbolt, echoing through the mountains.