Cultivation Starts from Killing Pigs

The Lai State is not far from the Capital City, and can be reached in a day. Even if Zhang Kui temporarily breaks through, it is ultimately just a small interlude.

Everyone immediately dispersed, adjusting their breath and nurturing their Qi.

All are Celestial Tribulation Realm Masters, who hasn't fought for years, knowing the importance of adjusting body and mind before a great battle.

Zhang Kui also returned to the cabin, sitting cross-legged in meditation, focusing inwardly, only to see a glimmer shining in the Dantian, massive mana gathering into a purple mist.

This is a completed transformation, named Descent Pill.

The skill panel still shows more than forty points left, but it can't directly ascend to level two.

The Golden Core Path is extraordinary, and each level up requires, in addition to points, elevating the corresponding skill to full mastery.

For example, now, if he wants to ascend to level two, he must first upgrade Swallowing Knife Skill to full mastery.

Swallowing Knife Skill enhances the five senses and internal organs, with the next level of Pill Manipulation Skill involving True Fire and True Water, which will undoubtedly create a great commotion. Without a fully mastered Swallowing Knife Skill, the physical body might not withstand it.

Currently, Swallowing Knife Skill is only at level one, and full mastery requires fifty-four points. Ignoring whether it's enough, in dealing with the Capital City's situation, some means must be retained, so it has to be left for next time...

...

"Remnants of the Demon Star Pavilion!"

Seeing the strange eight-armed charming woman before him, Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji immediately understood what was happening.

The capture of these remnants of a previous dynasty has always been conducted in secret. He thought the mastermind was dead, yet he didn't expect there was still one hiding here.

Looking at Situ Yan, it's evident that he has been controlled by a secret skill. This demoness, using him to disrupt the situation, must be extraordinary.

"Remnants?"

Hua Niang seemed to hear something amusing, covering her mouth with laughter, her eyes full of tears.

"A thousand years ago, our status was not much different from yours. Now we've become demon remnants. The Crown Prince was right; everything in this world is indeed illusory."

Li Xuanji calmed down by this time, feeling only sorrow in his heart, "Square Immortal Road, Demon Star Pavilion, were once forces protecting humanity. Now all you do is try to destroy our Da Gan; what are you after?"

"After what?"

Hua Niang chuckled, slowly sat down, and poured herself a cup of tea, "In this world, there are always manifold causes and effects. At this point, there's no harm in telling you."

"A thousand years ago, we were like you, always thinking Great Yu would exist forever, but the world suddenly became chaotic, just like now. Everything is a cycle."

"To save Great Yu, we of the Demon Star Pavilion were sent to the Underworld, only to end up in a strange place, everyone buried underground, and years later, one by one crawled out, yet to find time had passed, and a thousand years had gone by."

"As for why we're against Da Gan, blame it on your Emperor Qianyuan. Do you think a humble Leader of the Floating People could have had so many extraordinary encounters?"

"Very simply, he killed the Crown Prince who treated him as a son, slaughtered all the reclusive descendants of the Demon Star Pavilion, seized all their foundations, and transformed himself into the Human Emperor."

Li Xuanji's pupils contracted. The histories before Emperor Qianyuan's uprising were never recorded, shrouded in mist. He didn't expect such a cause and effect.

His throat felt dry, "But now a thousand years have passed, humanity shouldn't be in chaos again. Why don't you put aside hatred, and everything can be discussed?"

"Put aside?"

Hua Niang laughed, a trace of madness in her eyes, "Our old country has become yesterday's flowers. We are just a group of half-demons with no future, whose days are numbered. This world has long abandoned us."

"Put aside... Why put aside? Hatred, at least, keeps us lonely ghost souls from going mad."

"It's rumored there's a Path of Longevity in the Underworld. If that's longevity, then longevity is just a curse..."

"Crazy, you are all a bunch of lunatics!"

Li Xuanji felt a surge of fury, wishing he could charge up and tear this banshee apart, but unfortunately, his body was becoming numb, losing sensation, only his head could still move.

Seeing his appearance, Hua Niang giggled even more joyfully, eyes sprouting compound eyes, pale pincers breaking through the cheeks. Eight arms emitted filament spraying over Li Xuanji.

"It was I who fragmented the National Guardian with the Underworld map, I who lured the descendant of Square Immortal Road into Qiongshan Academy."

"Originally, there wasn't much hope, but who knew at this time a locust plague descended. Haha, it seems even Heaven wants to destroy Da Gan through my hand..."

Li Xuanji's eyes were covered in white silk, his head going numb, a bad thought forming in his heart, "You're not killing me, what do you want?"

Hua Niang's laughter reached his ears, "That descendant of the Square Immortal Road foolishly dreams of obtaining the divine corpse to claim kingship and become ancestral, which can't happen, that's not what I want to see..."

"If afterward you're still alive, remember, the one who destroyed this Da Gan world is me, Hua Niang!"

Li Xuanji's consciousness completely fell into darkness...

...

The drizzle continued incessantly, the sky woven into a haze, even the distant mountains seemed to blur.

Atop the gate tower of Haojing City, amid the rain curtain, Zhang Kui's tall figure suddenly appeared, his dual pupils glowing faintly.

Immediately after, Elder Huayan, Helian Boxiong, Huo Yu with Double Pupils, Gu Ziqing, and Taoist Puyang appeared one after another, frowning as they looked at the rain-soaked Haojing City.

The Crane Immortal also flashed through the clouds.

"Strange..."

Zhang Kui looked around, "The Capital City seems untouched, yet the Earth Vein Spiritual Qi is somewhat off. Damn, Imperial Uncle Li must have failed!"

Everyone frowned, their expressions grave.

If the city were in chaos, that'd be fine, but precisely because it was as usual, it was very ominous.

Elder Huayan took a deep breath,

"Let's quickly find Imperial Uncle Li, maybe he knows what happened."

"That can be done."

Zhang Kui nodded, recalling Imperial Uncle Li's aura while using the Moon-taking Skill.

The route from Lai State was too far; now in the Capital City, he was certain he could find him.

Soon, a moon-like silver light descended, gradually revealing an image in the rain curtain.

Everyone was seeing such a magical Investigation Skill for the first time, but the situation was urgent, so they didn't ask too many questions.

"Zhengyang Hall!"

Elder Huayan exclaimed.

Indeed, the scene before them was exactly Zhengyang Hall in the Imperial Palace, where ministers were assembled, and Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji stood expressionless.

On the hall, Emperor Li Shuo wore an unnatural expression, awkwardly smiling, "Imperial Uncle, why did you come back early? I heard you were still in Lai State."

Imperial Uncle Li Xuanji's face remained blank, suddenly flickering and appearing before the throne, staring at Li Shuo.

Li Shuo's face turned deathly pale,

"Imperial Uncle, what are you doing, protect, protect..."

Boom!

Li Xuanji punched out, and Emperor Li Shuo's head burst like a watermelon, splattering the golden throne with flesh and blood.

"Imperial Uncle has rebelled!"

Chaos erupted in Zhengyang Hall...

On the city gate tower, Zhang Kui frowned, "Does Imperial Uncle Li want to be Emperor?"

"No!"

Elder Huayan's face changed drastically, "Imperial Uncle Li's demeanor is abnormal, he must have been bewitched."

Taoist Puyang swallowed hard, "But why did the Imperial Uncle kill the Emperor?"

Unclear about the cause and effect, everyone else looked at each other, a trace of fear flashing in their eyes.

Although Emperor Li Shuo was incompetent, he was currently one of the key figures stabilizing the underground Divine Corpse in the Capital City.

Remembering what he saw underground, Zhang Kui also felt his scalp tingle.

"Quick, Senior Helian, go to the Imperial Palace and rescue the Imperial Uncle, he must know something."

"Everyone, follow me to Grand Profound Lake!"

Just as he finished speaking, a sharp roar from the direction of Grand Profound Lake rang out, "Bastard, who did it!"

Everyone no longer hesitated and immediately sprang into action in groups.

Helian Boxiong's entire body surged with Blood Evil, leaping fiercely like a blood comet sliding toward the Imperial Palace.

The others soared into the sky, five figures piercing through the rain curtain, heading towards Grand Profound Lake.

The situation was urgent, and no one suppressed their Qi Mechanism anymore. In Haojing City, both pedestrians in the rain and people in their homes raised their heads to the sky, suddenly gripped with immense fear.

Zhang Kui's Golden Core had already formed, his mana exceptionally powerful. Although he hadn't learned Sword Flight, his whole body emitted Geng Metal Sword Light, reaching Grand Profound Lake faster than anyone else.

The scene before him immediately shocked him.

The originally grassy, picturesque Lake Heart Island in Grand Profound Lake had transformed, riddled with pits and holes, with exposed bronze pillars constructing a strange magic altar.

The altar's surroundings were strewn with corpses—scholars and black-clothed Profound Guards alike, thick blood forming streams that flowed through the patterns on all the bronze pillars.

And upon that altar, Qin Yi sat cross-legged, green light gleaming in his eyes, with twisted tendrils snaking over his face.

Zhang Kui snorted coldly and without speaking a word, directly sent out a Flying Sword Golden Light, instantly exploding Qin Yi's head.

That easy?

Zhang Kui frowned, but his expression immediately changed, swiftly retreating.

Three gigantic shadows suddenly appeared, bursting with Yin Qi, merging into darkness, rapidly expanding around.

"Three Divine Travel Realm!"

Zhang Kui's expression was grave.

The others had also arrived, landing next to Zhang Kui.

Elder Huayan looked bitter,

"Demon God Puppets, this is trouble..."

As soon as the words fell, the ground began to tremble, and Grand Profound Lake seemed to boil, with large cracks appearing around.

Suddenly, everyone felt a chill, their hearts surging with alarm, looking wide-mouthed towards the west.

There lay the Yin Fire Cave of West Mountain.

At this moment, with a sudden landslide, a massive arm thrust toward the sky, countless twisted tendrils like hair, a giant hand obscuring the sky...