Forging Immortality through the Dao Seed

Disconcerting carcasses that were like a mix of human and sheep littered the ground.

The scarlet mist, carrying dust, was blown away by the wind. For a moment, it was as if a hazy drizzle was falling.

In the sky.

Unbeknownst when, the moon peeked out of the heavy clouds again.

The gruesome moonlight shone on the scarlet drizzle.

It stirs an unintentional exclamation: what a captivating scenery!

Within the drizzle.

Zhang Jing, with his back to the team from The Demon Suppressing Department, had clothes untouched by dust, with both hands carried at his back. He gave off an air of profound mystery.

He remained silent.

The members of The Demon Suppressing Department also kept their silence, unconsciously slowing their breaths, seemingly afraid of disturbing the Marquis-level powerhouse's thoughts.

An eerie stillness was maintained between them.

Time ticked by.

Zhang Jing, who had been exuding an aura of a superior person, began to lose grip on his expression.

"Why aren't these people speaking? They didn't even greet when they saw a senior?" He wondered.

But they weren't speaking.

Should he be the one to initiate the conversation?

With that, the lofty image of Zhang Jing, which was hard-earned, would collapse.

"Come on, say something!"

Zhang Jing screamed internally.

At this moment.

Perhaps due to maintaining the same posture for too long.

The team from The Demon Suppressing Department couldn't help but turn their stiff necks. Their eyes, seeking help, turned towards the burly man standing in the centre.

Almost as if they were asking: Sir, what do we do now?

Cold sweat instantly broke out on the burly man's forehead.

After the Marquis-level lord made his move, he just stood there unmoving, seeming to have encountered some trouble.

He wanted to express his gratitude to the Lord, but he was afraid of upsetting him.

If he was a stiff-hearted and cruel character.

Undoubtedly.

Then he and the only remaining few brothers with him would truly have no one to turn to.

After all, it is well known.

The higher the realm of cultivators, the stranger their temperaments are. They could even be... no different from devils!

The burly man didn't dare to gamble.

But then again, staying like this wouldn't solve anything.

In the end.

Under the expectant gazes of his brothers, the burly man plucked up the courage to advance, his steps revealing a sense of caution.

As he moved.

The nine cracks on his face slowly healed.

A forced smile, quietly surfaced.

"Thank you, sir... Lord for assisting just now. We are forever grateful."

"Are you from The Demon Suppressing Department?"

Zhang Jing turned around with a gentle smile.

Hearing this.

The burly man couldn't help but feel relieved. Immediately, he answered with a bitter voice:

"Lord, we are cultivators from the Demon Suppressing Department in Mengyang County. We were on a mission to deal with this devil but didn't expect it to be so elusive, it has almost stepped into the Demon Level. If it wasn't for you, we would probably have lost to it."

"Lord Xuesuo thanks you again for saving us!"

Having said that.

He directly knelt down.

"Thanks to the Lord for saving us."

Following him, the rest also complied, kneeling down and exclaiming respectfully.

Zhang Jing's eyes swept across the pitiful figures in front of him and a touch of surprise flickered in his eyes.

The Demon Suppressing Department in Mengyang County?

It appeared to be as an influential cultivating court similar to the Emperarin's Way in the Mysterious Yellow World.

And…

Looking at these people who knelt down without hesitation, it seemed that the concept of hierarchy among the cultivators in the Nether Night Realm had become tremendously intimidating.

"Related to devils?"

Zhang Jing thought to himself.

Unconsciously, he remembered the sheep-headed devil from before and the strange appearance of the man in front when they were fighting.

If he didn't know in advance.

He would have thought it was two devils fighting.

...

...

After a while.

"Lord, are you really willing to join our Demon Suppressing Department in Mengyang County?"

Xuesuo looked at the lord in the yellow robe in front of him with surprise, confirming his willingness again in disbelief.

Earlier, he inadvertently learned that the lord had been cultivating in the mountain and had just come out. He didn't know where to go, so he invited him to join the Demon Suppressing Department in Mengyang County, just in case he agreed.

Of course.

He didn't really have any expectations.

After all, such a Marquis-level powerhouse would be a guest of honor anywhere. Why would he come to the Demon Suppressing Department?

Although the Demon Suppressing Department was prosperous with resources, had a high rank and weight, they had to deal with various terrifying creatures, and even 'devils' comparable to Marquis-level powerhouses.

The risks were tremendous.

However.

The subsequent events exceeded his expectations.

He actually accepted the invitation!

"I'll just go and see. If the conditions offered by Mengyang County are suitable, why shouldn't I join?"

Zhang Jing smiled faintly, speaking gently.

"Rest assured, Lord, our Demon Suppressing Department in Mengyang County, will absolutely not disappoint you!"

Xuesuo suppressed his excitement, answering cautiously.

Until this moment.

A trace of bewilderment still lingering on his face.

Going out once and managing to recruit a general-level entity for their Demon Suppressing Department, how massive a merit was this?

Compared to this.

The failure of this operation seemed instantly irrelevant.

As they were talking.

A squadron leader turned into a black line barely discernible to the naked eye, flashed across a distance of hundreds of feet, and arrived in front of Zhang Jing and Xuesuo, kneeling and reporting respectfully:

"Reporting to... My Lord, Lord Xuesuo, we've turned the whole village upside down and haven't found the body of that spirit beast. It seems... it seems..."

He glanced at Zhang Jing, stuttering and didn't dare to continue.

"He has probably escaped, hasn't he?"

Zhang Jing picked up the conversation, his gaze as calm as a deep pool, without a trace of joy or sorrow in his voice.

Hearing this.

The man lowered his head, not daring to utter another word.

At one side.

Xuesuo's rugged face suddenly flashed with a hint of anxiety.

He took a deep breath, carefully chose his words, and reassured in a cautious tone:

"My Lord, this creature is incredibly cunning and is just half a step away from becoming a true 'demon.' It managed to escape just because you lost sight of it for a moment."

"Escape? It cannot escape."

The smile on Zhang Jing's face didn't wane a bit.

Ignoring Xuesuo's comforting words, he just gazed in a certain direction as if his interest had been piqued.

"My Lord, you——"

Upon hearing this, Xuesuo's expression froze.

...

...

Two hundred miles away.

In a village nestled in the riverside jungle.

The serene night was abruptly shattered by an eerie sheep's bleat.

One after another, candle lights were lit, and the tranquill village immediately became lively.

However, in just a moment.

All noises, along with the bright flames, disappeared entirely.

Traces of bloody smell quietly spread.

In no time.

A monstrous creature with three sheep's heads and a half-human, half-sheep form slowly emerged from the depths of the village, followed by a dozen or so half-human, half-sheep beasts.

"Hmph, thinking of killing me, it's not that easy!"

The sheep-headed devil said to itself gloatingly.

As it spoke.

It seemed to remember something and gazed in a particular direction.

An image of a terrifying figure clad in a yellow robe flashed across its mind.

Fear suddenly surfaced in its eyes but was quickly replaced by coldness.

"It's terrifying! But wait, after I transform into a demon, I will surely come back for a rematch. At that time——"

The sheep-headed devil said resentfully.

But before it could finish.

"You don't have to wait till then." A detached voice suddenly echoed in its ear.

The sheep-headed devil was momentarily startled.

Before it could react.

Boom!

The ground beneath its feet started trembling crazily, massive cracks spread rapidly across the view, as if numerous giant dragons were burrowing underneath.

The scene was incredibly horrifying.

The next moment.

Along with a tremendous cracking sound.

A colossal hand radiating hefty, bright yellow celestial light burst out from the ground, promptly sweeping through the area with a terrifying, overwhelming force, and slammed heavily onto the area where the sheep-headed devil was.

The sheep-headed devil attempted to dodge.

However, it immediately despaired to find a layer of faint yellow celestial light covering the ground beneath its feet, immobilizing it.

"It's not a demon, but a Big Demon, no, it's a terrifying creature at least at the Demon Level!"

Looking at the giant hand in its sight.

The sheep-headed devil's mind was gripped by an enormous fear, and it seemed to have forgotten how to resist.

Boom!

A muffled echo reverberated.

The forest where the sheep-headed devil stood just moments ago was suddenly wiped out. In its place was a massive palm imprint sinking ten feet deep into the ground, numerous cracks rapidly spreading outwards from it.

"Huh? What's this?"

A puzzled voice suddenly came from the ground.

Immediately afterwards, the ground suddenly split open and swallowed up a black, demon-lit sheep's horn from a lump of pinkish flesh.

The bright yellow celestial light gently faded.

Besides the now deserted village and the massive imprint, everything returned to normal.

...

...

"My Lord, shall we return to the Demon Suppressing Department in Mengyang County now?"

Seeing that his subordinate brothers had already gathered.

The burly man, Xuesuo, turned to Zhang Jing and asked for his opinion with a restrained expression.

But the next moment.

Xuesuo's attention was caught by a sudden, foot-long crack on the ground.

"We can."

Zhang Jing spoke calmly, simultaneously beckoning his hand.

A stream of light suddenly flew out from the ground fissure and gently landed on his hand, transforming into a pitch-black sheep's horn, emanating waves of profound demonic intent as if it wanted to dye everything with its darkness.

"A demonic artifact?!"

Seeing what was in Zhang Jing's hand, Xuesuo instantly lost his composure.