Bingzhou was located in the northern part of the Great Hao Divine Dynasty.
Unlike the well-connected, rich, and fertile Jiangnan Prefecture of Yu State,
or the vast sea and dense mountain forests of Yangzhou,
this place was mostly desert, desolate and sparsely populated.
It was a truly bitter and cold land.
Many criminals and wrongdoers were exiled here.
The cities that had been built here were all for imprisoning serious offenders.
As the saying goes, desolate lands and treacherous waters breed Demon Fiends.
Because the area was so remote, there were very few Cultivators.
This, in turn, allowed so Demon Fiends and monsters to thrive, preying on the convicts.
One could say that being exiled here was practically a death sentence.
Even the escorting constables dared not linger in such a place for long.
In the sky above,
Wang Xiao looked down upon Bingzhou and let out a soft sigh.
’Truly a desolate land of treacherous waters.’
Wang Xiao extended his Divine Thought and discovered that more than half the region was covered in yellow sand.
He found that one could travel for nearly a thousand li before seeing a single city, a truly vast and sparsely populated land.
The common people within the cities were sallow and emaciated, like hungry ghosts, completely devoid of any Vitality.
It was hard to imagine that these people had once been vicious and wicked criminals.
So had even been Cultivators!
The reason for this state of affairs was twofold.
First, of course, was the extrely harsh environnt.
Second, every criminal sent to Bingzhou to serve their sentence was required to first go to the Sin-Washing Lake to have their sins cleansed.
The so-called Sin-Washing Lake was the place where two of Bingzhou’s rivers converged.
One of these rivers ran from east to west, the other from north to south, and they ultimately t in the center of the region to form a lake.
It was said that the water ca from underground and possessed incredible properties.
Cultivators who soaked in the Sin-Washing Lake would gradually lose all their Magical Power.
Ordinary people would feel their energy slowly drain away, and they would not live past the age of fifty.
However, if one only drank the water, it would instead leave them full of vigor and with abundant spirit!
But if soone were to drink the water while soaking in the lake, they would instantly dissolve into a puddle of blood.
’The Sin-Washing Lake... This seems to be the place marked on the map, the place where the Celestial Demon, Candle, is sealed!’
Wang Xiao took out his map and carefully compared it with the layout of Bingzhou below.
The Sealed Land and the Sin-Washing Lake gradually overlapped.
The lake was extrely vast, a full hundred li in circumference.
It twisted and coiled, appearing like a pair of eyes staring up at the heavens!
Needless to say,
the strange properties of the Sin-Washing Lake were, in all likelihood, caused by this Candle.
"THUMP THUMP—"
As Wang Xiao’s Divine Thought swept over the Sin-Washing Lake, he felt his own heart begin to beat more violently.
’I’ll see for myself just what’s so strange about this place.’
Wang Xiao’s figure transford into a streak of light and flew toward the Sin-Washing Lake.
...
"Stop him! Don’t let him get away!"
"Dammit, how did this guy break free from his chains?"
"This kid must have been born with Divine Power! He even snapped such thick chains."
"Hmph! Stop running, kid! Co back with us and serve your sentence. This is a bitter, cold land. There’s nobody for a thousand li. Where do you think you can run to?!"
In the desert, four or five constables were vigorously chasing a boy who looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old.
The boy was slender, but he moved like a cheetah, his entire body bursting with force as he shot forward.
Even though the constables were all Cultivators who had received their Layman’s Certificates, they couldn’t catch him for a ti!
The group continued their chase, one pursuing the other, and soon arrived at the Sin-Washing Lake.
The boy stopped abruptly, his path blocked by the Sin-Washing Lake.
Seeing this, the constables behind him also stopped and began to sneer.
"Go on and run! Aren’t you a great runner?"
"Damn you, making us chase you for so long. In a minute, we’re gonna throw you into the lake and see if you dissolve into a puddle of blood."
"Hmph, you son of a bitch. Are you going to jump in yourself, or am I going to kick you in?!"
The group of constables glared viciously at the boy.
Originally, they had been escorting this group of criminals out to clear so land for cultivation.
But they hadn’t expected this kid to take advantage of their inattention, break his chains, and run off.
Even using Divine Movent Talismans, it took them half a day to catch up.
How could they not be furious?!
Of course,
turning the boy into a puddle of blood was just sothing they said in anger.
After all,
they had to hand the prisoners over to soone else. If one was missing, their wages would be docked.
However,
in the face of the constables’ taunts,
the boy actually jumped into the lake with a SPLASH.
At the sa ti,
in front of everyone, he cupped the lake water in his hands and began to drink.
"Y-You’re crazy! Do you have a death wish?!"
"It’s over. The guy’s lost his mind."
"Dammit! My wages!"
Seeing this, the constables all showed looks of shock and frustration.
They knew that
rely soaking in the Sin-Washing Lake would, at worst, only cause a loss of so Essence.
But soaking in the water while also drinking it would cause one to instantly dissolve into a puddle of blood.
There was absolutely no chance of survival.
"Forget it, let’s go. What fucking rotten luck."
"The kid’s dead for sure. No point in bothering with him anymore."
The constables shook their heads and were about to turn back.
But just then,
they suddenly heard a cold, oppressive voice from behind them.
"Where do you all think you’re going?!"
Hearing this, the constables couldn’t help but turn around.
In the next mont, they froze completely, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
"A d-demon!"
"H-How did this guy turn into... this?"
"H-He’s been possessed by a fiend!"
The boy who had been slender just monts before
had now suddenly swelled up, his entire body becoming a mass of bulging, knotted muscle.
At the sa ti,
his pupils turned blood-red, and horns had even begun to sprout from his head.
One by one, scales also began to cover his body.
"ROAR!"
The boy let out a roar, his body shooting into the air as he lunged at the group of constables!
These constables were, after all, Cultivators who had received their Layman’s Certificates. Seeing this, they imdiately activated their Talismans.
The Talisman transford into a fireball and shot toward the boy.
However,
when the fireball struck the boy, it was blocked directly by his scales, causing him no harm whatsoever!
The boy violently tackled a constable and began to tear at him savagely, a terrifying, inhuman sound coming from his mouth:
"Blood... I want flesh and blood!"
He was incredibly fast, tackling two of them in an instant.
"Ah, stay back! Help!"
"Help!"
Just as the boy was about to pounce on the last constable,
he froze in place, unable to move.
In the next instant,
a figure in a Daoist Robe descended from the sky and landed beside the boy.
The constable looked at the Daoist before him, a wave of relief from surviving the ordeal washing over him. He imdiately kowtowed and said:
"Thank you for saving my life, Zhenren! Thank you for saving my life!"
Wang Xiao said coolly,
"Mm, you may go. I’ll handle things here."
"Y-Yes, yes."
The constable didn’t dare to linger, scrambling away as fast as he could.
Only then did Wang Xiao turn his gaze to the boy.
[Analyzing...]
[Analysis successful.]
[Ji Chuchu, sixteen years old, born to a farming family. Exiled to Bingzhou after clashing with a local governnt official over tax matters and severely injuring him. After soaking in the waters of the Sin-Washing Lake, the Celestial Demon Bloodline within his body was activated. Possesses excellent cultivation Talent...]
Wang Xiao’s eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the lines of information appearing before him.
’Celestial Demon Bloodline?’
According to the description, this Celestial Demon Bloodline did not an one was a direct descendant of a Celestial Demon.
Rather, it ant that so people in the past had accidentally co into contact with a Celestial Demon’s blood or flesh, which left behind a trace of the Celestial Demon’s "genes" in their bodies.
This was passed down through generations, so their descendants naturally possessed a minuscule trace of Celestial Demon bloodline.
This bloodline was extrely faint, and under normal circumstances, they were no different from ordinary people.
However,
once they were exposed to the aura of a Celestial Demon, the bloodline would be activated, granting them power beyond that of ordinary people.
Ji Chuchu was just an ordinary person. After gaining power far beyond his ability to control, it was only natural for his mind to lose control as well.
’It seems the Celestial Demon Candle really is sealed beneath this Sin-Washing Lake. Otherwise, Ji Chuchu couldn’t possibly have undergone such a transformation.’
Wang Xiao looked at Ji Chuchu and swept his Gang Qi over him.
In an instant,
Ji Chuchu collapsed to the ground, spitting out mouthfuls of lake water.
His body also gradually returned to its original form.
"I... Where am I?" Ji Chuchu’s eyes were filled with confusion.
Wang Xiao looked at Ji Chuchu and asked, "Ji Chuchu, do you want to cultivate?"
This Ji Chuchu had excellent cultivation talent.
Wang Xiao didn’t mind recruiting him for Dragon Tiger Mountain. When the great calamity of Heaven and Earth arrived, Ji Chuchu could probably be of so use.
Moreover, the Celestial Demon Bloodline was rare.
Wang Xiao also wanted to study it further later on.
Ji Chuchu was also exceptionally sharp. Hearing this, he imdiately kowtowed and said:
"I do! I want to cultivate! I beg you to teach , Zhenren!"
Wang Xiao said coolly, "Stand aside for now. I have so business to attend to. When I am finished, I will take you away from here."
"Yes."
Ji Chuchu quickly and respectfully stood to the side, not daring to make another sound.
Without another word, Wang Xiao walked to the edge of the Sin-Washing Lake. His Divine Thought surged out, sweeping violently across the lake.
However,
after searching for a long ti, he still couldn’t find any trace of the Celestial Demon.
’The Sealed Land should be right here. If my Divine Thought can’t find it, that can only an one thing: the place where the Celestial Demon is sealed isn’t in the physical world!’
Wang Xiao narrowed his eyes.
For example, the City God Temple existed sowhere between the Underworld and the physical world, a place only a Yin Spirit could enter.
However,
back then, they had an invitation from the City God, which allowed them to find the City God Temple’s location.
Now, to find this Celestial Demon Sealed Land, he would likely need a dium of so sort.
At this thought,
Wang Xiao couldn’t help but look at Ji Chuchu, who was standing to the side. "Co with ," he said coolly.
His Yin Spirit left his body, manifesting in a physical form. He grabbed Ji Chuchu and leaped into the Sin-Washing Lake.
Vaguely,
he could feel a special aura emanating from Ji Chuchu, connecting him to so place in the depths of the Sin-Washing Lake.
He dove deeper and deeper,
all the way to the bottom of the Sin-Washing Lake.
Only then did Wang Xiao stop, letting out a breath. "This is it!"
He looked at Ji Chuchu, drew a drop of his blood, enveloped it with his thoughts, and blasted it forward!
RUMBLE!
It was as if a Different Space had been forced open.
A faint light shone out from within!
Wang Xiao’s eyes flashed, and he plunged directly into the light.
HUMMM!
In a daze,
Wang Xiao felt his surroundings change abruptly.
He couldn’t help but look forward.
In the next instant,
he was completely stunned!
Before his eyes, a long dragon of imasurable size lay prostrate between Heaven and Earth.
It opened its cavernous mouth, constantly inhaling and exhaling, as if it were about to devour Heaven and Earth entirely.
As if it had sensed sothing,
the long dragon suddenly opened its eyes. A blazing light shot across ten thousand li, piercing through to him in an instant.
Wang Xiao felt his Divine Soul tremble violently. Not daring to linger for another mont, he instantly fled the Space.
He pulled Ji Chuchu with him back to the surface, and his Divine Soul quickly returned to his body!
Taking a deep breath,
he felt an undeniable palpitation well up in his heart.
At the sa ti, his eyes shone with a profound light and a look of sudden realization.
"I understand now. So this is what lies beyond the Dao Realm. No wonder no one has achieved it in so many years!"
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